Chapter 56

Jacob

I watched the USA medical person cutting through the red glove and flinched at the ugly sight before my eyes. He lifted my hand out gently, asking me how it felt.

"As awful as it looks," I said, as he placed an ice pack on top of it, winding it with an ace bandage.

"Bella's on the phone," Seth said, curling his lip at the sight of my hand. "Ouch!"

"Tell her to hold on. Are you almost finished?"

"Yep, you're good until you get to the hospital for x-rays. Just don't move it. They'll probably put a splint on it after that."

As if I could move it. I took the phone from Seth. "Hello."

"What happened?" She didn't come to London with me. She breast-fed, and we didn't want to take the baby out of the country, so newly born, sticking to our decision we made when the due date given was three weeks before the Olympics.

"I busted my left hand, broke a couple of knuckles on his hip bone in the beginning of the second round. I went to the body, he rotated, and I felt a crack."

"That's exactly what Jasper thought happened. He said you weren't setting yourself up good with your jabs for the entire third round. But we couldn't tell for sure because you kept swinging hard left hooks. Then, we knew something was wrong when they didn't remove your glove after the fight."

"Yeah, it went numb right from the start, probably from adrenaline, so I kept fighting, but during the break between the second and third round, I felt the swelling. I thought it might burst inside my glove. I couldn't give up. It's more common than you'd think. And it's not unheard of for a fighter to win with a broken hand. Oscar Dela Hoya did it, and so did Floyd Mayweather Jr. Arturo Gatti always broke his hands." I was telling her this so she wouldn't be upset I finished the entire fight, upset that I didn't quit.

"Jasper and Emmett told us that. How is it?"

"It's huge. They had to cut the glove off. I'll go down to the hospital for x-rays when we're done talking."

"How about you? Are you okay?"

Worry was embedded in her voice. I knew why. "Yeah, I'm glad I finished as strong as I did. Ugh. I need some pain reliever. It's like the numbness is thawing and bringing more pain as it does." She said nothing, so I knew she needed more convincing. "Bella, hon. Are you wondering how I'm handling the loss?"

"Um, hmm. I hope, well, because you fought a great fight, Jake. Even with a broken hand."

"Shit, I took the Silver... So, hell yeah! Floyd Mayweather Jr. only took the bronze. I'm happy as hell." Floyd Mayweather Jr. was one of the wealthiest and most successful boxers of today, arguably one of the greatest fighters, pound for pound. I didn't care for his style or cockiness, but he got the job done.

"I'm happy you told me that." I heard a smile in her voice. She knew him. I sighed, satisfied I comforted her. "Me and baby love and miss you, and everyone is proud of you," she said.

I heard Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Renee, Charlie, Leah, Harry, Sue, and Billy in the background, all saying, "We're proud of you!" They held a family viewing. We were lucky our families were close.

"Tell them thank you. I love you both, too. Seth and I are out of here right after the medal ceremony. We'll be home before you know it." I winced through the throbbing pain. "Now I've got to get to the hospital. I'll call you as soon as I'm done, and tell my dad, I call him later, too. I'd talk to him now, but I'm in too much pain."

"Billy, he said, he'll call you when he's done at the hospital," I heard her say as she hung up.

I wasn't lying about being fine with the loss just to calm her. I changed a lot since the accident, especially when Bella came back into my life. Everything got easier. I reached my dream destination and earned a medal, a major feat. I had Bella, a beautiful baby boy, and promoters calling me left in right, trying to sign me for the next level, but I already talked Eleazer into the job for me and Seth. He reminded me of Old Ben. Seth needed a promoter, too. He'd wanted to turn professional since he took Nationals two years ago and promoters started reaching out to him. He never had Olympic goals, didn't believe he could get there—I believed he could—and thought why not become a professional and start getting paid for fights now? As great as Jasper was, his interest lied in becoming a psychiatrist. School was more important to him. He said he wanted to help people.

"Take some time to learn who you are, and when the time's right, you'll find it works out the way its meant to be." The truest words Ben ever spoke to me.

It all happened just the way it was meant to happen. I learned who I am, and I loved everything about my life now. I was grateful I didn't give up on Bella or my dream. I told no one, but I saw Ben during my accident or dreamed him.

He looked young, in his prime. He didn't open his mouth to talk, but I heard him say, "Press on, son..."

That's exactly what I did.

A/N Thank you for taking this journey with me, again for some of you. 😃