Never Let Me Go (Brock Lesnar)

Chapter Four

           Brock trained until late that night and for the next eleven days. I could tell he was progressing but he was always so tired. He got up every morning at 3:45 and stayed at the gym until seven. Then he would come home, take a shower and sleep until noon. He would eat lunch, take care of the horses, and be back at the gym by five and return a little after eight each night. I barely got to see him anymore and the kids asked about him a lot. They would get a glance of him walking back to the house while they waited for the bus and would sometimes get to see him walking through the house after school before he went back to work out.

           I knew he had to work extra due to his time limit but I had no idea I would practically be a single mother while he did. Sometimes, I would get a "Good Morning" or "Love you" before he left but that was all. The fight hadn't even happened yet and I was already doubting our decision...

           The night before we were scheduled to fly to Las Vegas, I took the kids to Olivia's. It was Thursday and they had school the next day. Olivia was going to keep them Thursday through Monday since the fight was Saturday and we wouldn't fly back until Sunday. I made sure that Olivia was aware not to show the kids any part of the fight, they were too young to watch it and I promised that I would let them know the outcome as soon as I could.

           When I returned, it was just past eight and Brock was still training with Scott. At this point I was afraid he was overdoing it, but I knew nothing I said would make them stop. Instead of going inside, I went to the barn and checked on the horses. They were all grazing the field but when Heaven saw me, she came over. She nuzzled me a couple of times, sensing that something was wrong. "Hey, girl." I petted her a couple of times before deciding that I needed some alone time. I mounted her bare back and grabbed her reigns. She started trotting toward the trail as I took in the cool, Minnesota air.

           I had been so busy with the kids and Brock, I hadn't had a chance to ride for quite some time. Heaven had always calmed my nerves and right now, I think I needed her most. We circled the field twice before I let her lead. She went down the backside of the fence to the building where the at-home-gym was. As she passed it, I looked inside to see Brock practicing submission holds with Scott. I knew by now it had to be nine and he'd better be getting to bed for our early flight, otherwise he was going to be one grumpy beast...

           Once I felt calm enough, I lead Heaven back to the barn and dismounted. I took her to her stall and began brushing her long mane. She always enjoyed this and considering I hadn't gotten to spend that much time with her, I figured I could braid her hair before bed. As I brushed the tangles out, I spoke to her in low voice, telling her all my troubles, as I always had. Some people would think I was crazy but whether she understood or not didn't matter. I just needed to say it. "Brock's big fight is this weekend. Justin will be here to take care of you guys while we're gone, so please make sure everyone behaves. And try to help Willow keep Surprise in order." I chuckled before continuing. "I get to go to Vegas tomorrow, it's been a long time since I've been in Sin City. I wish I were going on different circumstances..."

           I continued to tell her my worries as I braided her mane. I had brushed it so much, it was silky smooth and even glistened in the moonlight. After I finished her mane, I brushed and braided her tail to match. "Case? Are you in here?" I heard Brock call my name.

           "In here!" I added as I tied the last knot in the hair tie.

           He came up to the stall just as I stood. "I went inside and you weren't there." He paused looking at Heaven. "Does she have a competition I'm unaware of?"

           I shook my head. "No, I just dropped the kids off at Olivia's and when I came back, you weren't there, so I decided to visit with Heaven. She is a girly-girl, you know and she loves getting her hair done."

           "Yeah, that she is... I'm sorry I took so long, Scott just wanted to get in as much time as we could before the flight. Speaking of which, we really need to pack before bed."

           "No need, I already did. The suitcases are in the bedroom packed and ready." I added as I put the brushes away and walked out of the stall toward the house. "You really should get to bed, you're gonna need the rest."

           He followed me into the house as he started toward the bedroom. He thought I was going to follow but I didn't. Instead, I went into the kitchen and started washing the dishes. When he noticed, he came back and leaned against the counter. "Something wrong?"

           I glanced at him. "No? Why?"

           "It's almost eleven and you're washing dishes. Not to mention we have a six AM flight. We both need to get some sleep."

           I nodded. "Yeah, I know. I just won't have time to do this before we leave, it won't take but a few minutes anyway. Go on, I'll be in there shortly."

           I tried to smile to assure him and he finally left me alone. I didn't want to worry him, I could worry enough for us both. He just needed to focus on the fight and try to avoid injury.

           As I finished washing the dishes, I began to get a major headache. I decided to take a Tylenol and try to sleep it off. I struggled to find my PJ's but finally made it to the bathroom to change. I took my hair down from its ponytail and brushed it out before taking off my makeup. The longer I stood, the worse the headache got. Eventually, I had to sit down on the side of the tub to regain my composure. I kept telling myself it was only ten or so steps to the bed and I could make it but my vision was too blurry to move.

           I don't know how long I sat there trying to get my eyesight back but apparently, it was long enough to make Brock wonder, as he knocked to check up on me. "Case? Are you alright? You're really quiet."

           "I'm okay, I'll be out in a minute." I muttered.

           Apparently, it wasn't believable since he came barging in. "You're voice gets high when you lie." I saw him, somewhat, but only a blurry outline of his body. "Case? What's wrong?" I could hear the sense of worry in his voice.

           "I'm okay, just a migraine is all. Now, help me up." He steadied me as I rose to my feet. Thankfully, my sight came back to me and the pain subsided almost as quickly as it came. "Okay, it's gone." I let go of him and headed toward the bed. Before he could say anything, I was in the bedroom and pulling the cover up over me.

           He joined and faced me, pulling me closer to him. "How long have you been having them?"

           "Actually, that's the first." He cocked an eyebrow. "Seriously, it really was. I just need some sleep and I'll be fine." Knowing how tired I was, he left it at that and moments later, I nodded off to sleep.