Page 41 of Forged Forever

Sunday morning, we’re up early. E has breakfast burritos to go, all warm and wrapped in foil. He even made a thermos of tea for me. We all file into Alex’s SUV this morning, and I text with Sue while he drives, not having time for our weekly phone call.

The crowd isn’t as crazy this morning. Saying hello to the Finn employees we pass, we check in with Markus first, and I have time to wander through the booths today before the first match. There are many shops set up this year selling all types of sports equipment, and Markus’ students are selling drinks.

I catch Ceres in the fighter’s tent after my browsing, so I stop to say hello. “Hey Ceres.”

“Summer,” he nods.

“Is Neve coming today?”

“Yes. In a few hours with the baby.”

“I’m so excited to meet her. I’ll try to find her later. Good luck today.” I get a nod as we leave. Ceres reminds me of Nick: strong and quiet. Today, it brings fondness instead of tears.

The morning goes quickly as we stay busy checking in and putting out fires. The crowds increase around 11am after church. We eat at the food trucks again for lunch, and we bring tacos to Seb and E since Seb doesn’t have time to leave.

The consolation match begins at 1pm today, and I stay in the tent with Seb and E. We don’t really have a view with the sizable crowd, but that’s okay because I don’t know the fighters. During the match, I see Neve entering the fighter’s tent. Telling the guys, I walk next door to meet their little baby girl. I haven’t seen Neve since last July at the tournament in Columbia. I got updates from Ceres when we crossed paths, but those came secondhand from Dad once Jake’s trial started. “Neve,” I call.

“Summer! I’m so happy to see you.” Neve looks incredible. Tired, but still glowing.

“Me too. How are you? You look amazing.”

“Tired, girl. So damn tired, but happy.” She looks lovingly at Ceres, rocking and talking to their daughter quietly. “Come meet Charlotte.”

I step over with her as Ceres lowers his arms so I can see Charlotte. She’s gorgeous with fine light brown hair tufts but not a full head of hair yet, blue eyes and a Cupid’s bow. Neve has her in a yellow dress and bloomers. “Hello little one. You are beautiful,” I coo. I get a gurgle and smile, laughing as she lifts a fist in the air. “You guys did well. She’s perfect. Where are your other shadows?”

“Getting food.” Neve rolls her eyes. “We need to catch up soon.”

“Why don’t you guys join us at the beach house next weekend?”

“I would love that. Thanks.”

“Great. We’re driving down Friday night and will be there all weekend. I hope you can make it. I’ll leave you to visit. Good luck Ceres. Nick would expect you to win today.”

A small smile lifts the edges of Ceres’ lips with a nod, so I excuse myself to rejoin Seb and E.

Dad joins us in the tent before the final match. “Hi darling.” He wraps me in a quick hug.

“Hey Dad. Ceres is in the championship, and I met Charlotte.”

“I hope he wins this year; he’s a good man. Now tell me about the baby.”

I fill him in as Seb announces the final two fighters. Ceres’ opponent is from the Columbia area. I don’t recognize his name, so this must be his first time. We all pull chairs in front of the tent to stand on so we can watch the match.

The other fighter is fantastic; agile and quick, and it seems Ceres has adopted his fighting style since last year. I couldn’t name what style he’s using, but his focus is more on offence.

The match is so close we have to wait for the judges’ decision, but Ceres comes out the winner. We holler for him as Markus and the 3rd place winner join them. His opponent is shaking his head, arms waving as he talks to who I’m assuming is his coach. He doesn’t cause drama when he accepts his winnings, though. Thank goodness.

We wait inside the tent while the crowd clears. Markus asks Dad to take a few photos, even including me in one, despite the little effort I put in this year. “So how was it this year, Markus?” I ask once he’s done with picture taking.

“I don’t believe we’ll use the park again, as crowd control was an issue. I’d like somewhere with better facilities, too. We have plenty of time to find a better venue,” he smiles. “The crowds pleased the sponsors, though. I’ll let you and Alex know how we fared when the dust settles.”

“Sounds good,” I reply.

The crowd disperses slowly. Dad checks in with the remaining Finn employees, and then he drives us home.

Chapter 26

The May long weekend forecast is hot and sunny, and I’m looking forward to spending time at the beach. I invited Jake, but he was concerned about all the stairs into the house. He and Will are going to drive down on Sunday for the afternoon instead. Finn has a security gig on Friday night, and then Dad and Troy are also going to the beach on Saturday.