All is Fair in Love and War

8

Gabriella was led by security to Taylor's locker room. "Visitors!" Security shouted. Taylor approached freshly showered and in new clothing. "Hey." She smiled. "You were so cool out there!" Mateo shouted with excitement. Taylor gave him a high five. "Thank you for saying that. It means a lot." She smiled.

"I made you something." He smiled and handed her a folded piece of paper. She knelt down to his level and took the paper from his hand. She opened it to reveal an drawing of her gloves labeled 'champion'. She smiled and looked at him, "Thank you so much kiddo." She smiled and wrapped him in a hug. "I think I'm going to have to make you apart of the team now." She said.

"Do I get a cool jacket too?" He smiled. Taylor softly laughed and took off hers. "How about I let you wear mine for the night?" She said. He nodded and smiled and she put the oversized jacket on him. It fit him big but he didn't care. "Mom look!" He excitedly smiled and showed off the jacket. "I have one of those two you know." Gabriella replied.

"But you never let me wear it." He frowned. Taylor softly laughed and looked at Gabriella. "You still showed?" Taylor asked. Gabriella stood with her arms crossed and shrugged. "Mateo wanted to see the fight and I wasn't going to take that from him." She replied. Taylor nodded. "So are you on your way to go celebrate with your entourage?" Gabriella asked.

Taylor glanced down at Mateo and smiled. She looked back up to Gabriella. "I don't really care to go out right now." Taylor replied. "Aren't you going to celebrate your win?" Gabriella questioned. "I think I'd rather spend it with you guys. If you don't mind?" Taylor asked. "Us?" Gabriella asked. Taylor nodded. "Yes!" Mateo shouted. "I think that answers that." Taylor laughed.

"No. I didn't approve." Gabriella said. Mateo pouted, "Please mom. We have to celebrate." He begged. He clung to Taylor's leg and gave her his puppy eyes. Taylor smiled down at him and waited for Gabriella's response. "Fine." Gabriella sighed. "I'll follow you then?" Taylor asked. "Sure." Gabriella shrugged. "Come on Mateo." Gabriella took him by the hand and made her way out of the locker room.

--
They hung around in the kitchen once they arrived. Taylor sat Mateo on the island counter and listened to him go on and on about how cool the fight was. Gabriella looked in the fridge and grabbed three juice boxes and walked over. "Drinks to celebrate?" She asked. Taylor stared at the juice boxes in her hand and laughed.

"I don't think I've ever celebrated this way." Taylor said taking a juice box. "Can't exactly toast to wine with a 7 year old." Gabriella replied. "You tell me not to whine." Mateo said as he poked his straw in his juice box. "That's a different kind of wine." Gabriella replied. Taylor softly laughed. "To winners!" Mateo shouted and lifted his juice box. "To winners!" Taylor and Gabriella shouted in unison. They laughed as they cheered with juice boxes and took sips.

"You got your fight and your celebration. It's bed time now." Gabriella said. Mateo frowned, "What kind of celebration is that?" He asked. "One where little kids like you have a curfew. Bed." She said as she took him off the counter. "Fine." He sighed. He hugged Taylor and she knelt down to hug him at his level. "Goodnight." He said with disappointment. "Goodnight kiddo." Taylor softly said as he walked off and went upstairs to get ready for bed.

"I have a bottle of wine in the fridge. We can properly toast to that once I make sure he's asleep?" Gabriella suggested. Taylor softly smiled and nodded.

--
Gabriella and Taylor were sat on the couch together sipping on their third cup of wine. "I know you hate me every time I bring it up." Taylor said. "Here we go." Gabriella sighed and took a sip of her wine. "But why won't you do this fight?" Taylor asked. "This is the chance of a lifetime to get big sponsorship deals and recognition."

"You always talk about it like it somehow benefits me and I have a chance at winning." Gabriella said. "What if you do?" Taylor asked. "There's a reason you're undefeated. Your opponent in the ring proved it." Gabriella replied. "But you're also undefeated." Taylor shrugged. "And so were plenty of the other opponents you beat." Gabriella argued.

"Think about what a fight like this could mean for you and Mateo if you win." Taylor said. "And thinking about what happens to him if I lose is exactly why I refuse." Gabriella replied. Taylor stayed silent. "All you're seeing is money and power. I'm seeing the possibility of this marking the end of my career and worrying if I'll still have enough money to keep a roof over my kid's head." Gabriella said as she sipped her wine.

"But that's the point of the sport. We're all fighting to get to top. We all want to win." Taylor said. "I don't do this sport for the glory and the wins." Gabriella replied. "I do it because it's been a source of income to provide for my son. That's my priority." She argued. "But winning a fight is what helps give you relevance, staying at the top is what's making you that money." Taylor replied.

"Winning isn't everything you know." Gabriella said. "It is for me. It's all I have and it's all I know." Taylor replied. "And what about family?" Gabriella asked. Taylor looked away and sipped her wine. "Like I said...it's all I have and all I know." Taylor quietly replied. "Is your team not like family to you?" Gabriella asked. "They're assholes who stick around as long as they all get to profit off of me. If that's family, I don't need it." Taylor replied.

"That must get lonely." Gabriella said. Taylor stared off and sipped her wine. She didn't want to let any vulnerability slip through but the wine was starting to get to her and once it took over she had no control. "Winning makes me happy. I'm never disappointed when I win. I'm the only one who can't let myself down." Taylor replied. Gabriella stayed silent and looked down at her glass. "I know the feeling." Gabriella replied.

Taylor looked at her confused. "Of being the only one who can't let yourself down." Gabriella clarified, "Sometimes only you can fight for yourself." She said. "My family wasn't the best...my father was abusive and my mom wasn't any better. I met Mateo's dad and only got close to him because he was my only escape from home."

"Where is his dad?" Taylor asked. "Probably screwing the next whore on his roster and living like he doesn't have a son he neglects half the time." Gabriella said as she down the last bit of wine in her glass. "So he isn't in Mateo's life?" Taylor asked. "He is. He'd rather be a half-assed dad that shares him time to time just to avoid paying child support." Gabriella explained, "He abandoned him on my doorstep a month ago while I was training after we had an agreement that he would watch him whenever I trained. He didn't care and he clearly didn't care about his son being left alone. But if it weren't for the neighbor spotting him and taking care of him until I got home, who knows what could've happened."

"Can't you just sue for full custody?" Taylor asked. Gabriella stayed silent. "I wish it were that easy." She quietly replied. "He sounds like a piece of shit." Taylor said. "He is." Gabriella replied. "How did you ever get with an idiot like that anyway?" Taylor questioned. "He was a mistake. I just needed a place to get away from home. I ended up with him. I ended up pregnant, everything seemed fine until Mateo was one. Damien was cheating on me and I found out and he..." Gabriella got quiet. "I left him and I couldn't afford college so I jumped around jobs. I started boxing at a local gym and that's when Danny came across me and proposed the idea of UFC fighting. I wanted to tell him to fuck off, but once he mentioned the money I decided to go through with it and now I'm here."

Taylor didn't know what to say. "So that's why I say winning isn't everything. When I got into this it wasn't about the glory, maybe winning is important in building up a reputation. But to me it's just another job that helps me provide for my son. It's all I know." Gabriella replied. Taylor looked off and stared at the empty wine glasses on the coffee table. "Mateo's dad is still an asshole though." Taylor said trying to lighten the mood.

Gabriella softly laughed and shook her head. "I won't argue you with you there." She replied. Taylor looked over at her and softly smiled. She admired Gabriella's smile and her soft eyes. She was an absolute beautiful sight to look at, Taylor could stare at her all day. "What?" Gabriella asked as she noticed Taylor staring.

Taylor gently cupped Gabriella's cheek and softly kissed her lips. Gabriella was taken back at first but eventually returned her affection, getting a taste of the wine still lingering on her lips. Taylor slightly pulled back, "I guess I got that congratulatory kiss after all." She smirked. Gabriella pulled her back down against her lips and kissed her with more passion and confidence than before.