When the time came, I watched the officers arrest Warren. In the same week, I watched them take Luke into custody. In the same month, I watched them get sentenced. The judge heard my plea. He listened to my victim impact statement. They asked why I waited so long. They questioned my motives. The defense attorney tried stripping the truth from me as if I didn't bleed it out on the stand.

I watched the video get played. Then I watched it again. Then I watched them slouch in defeat and listened as they said the defendant is remorseful. I listened to them sigh as Warren was charged to the fullest extent. Six years with probation. He will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Luke received probation.

I remember sitting there, wondering how I got there. I thought about all of the moments that led up to that one. All of the trauma I endured. All of the pain that coursed through the veins. All of it paid off the moment I watched the cops slap cuffs onto their wrists.

That happened four years ago.

Now I am watching Chase walk across the stage, meeting the President of The School Board in the middle to take his diploma. Collins was in Kinnick's arms, thrashing around. All she wanted was her brother. She wanted to know why he was down there, and we were all the way up here.

Chase and Collins were best friends. If he was in the ring, she wanted to be with him. At every fight, she was cheering his name the loudest, and the first one in the ring when they announced him as the winner. I loved how much they loved one another. They had a bond that was unbreakable.

Maverick sat on my lap, staring at the pages of a book he begged us to bring with him. He is now three years old and was a complete surprise to Kinnick and me. Every night, I read him a new book. Every night, Collins will fight me to sleep with Chase instead of in her own bed.

My best friend was the blue-eyed, curly-haired boy on my hip. He wanted to be with me every moment of every day. After nearly losing him during birth, I have kept him close to me. We have been inseparable ever since.

We screamed Chase's name. I knew he heard us the moment a smile crossed his features. Nothing made me more proud than this very moment. After graduating, he wanted to be a full-time boxer. He was practically signing his life away to John. There is nobody else I trusted in this world to take care of my kid.

We stood up from our seats to meet Chase outside of the room in the hallway. Jaydon, John's son raced after Collins as Kinnick let her down. Her little giggles filled the halls as her sloppy strides carried her away. For being four, she was quick, but never faster than her dad, who worried about her every move.

"Chaser!" She screeched as he came around the corner. "Chaser!"

His eyes lit up as he bent down, taking her little body into his arms. "Collins! I missed you. Where have you been? I have been searching everywhere for you."

Her curls moved back and forth as she laughed. "I was calling your name silly!"

"What?" He kissed her chubby cheeks. "Impossible! I would have heard you."

"Do you want to see your brother?" I patted Maverick's back.

"I stay with you," he mumbled.

My hand rubbed over his back as he rested his head on my shoulder. Even though I was in pain, I refused to put him down. The bump on my stomach allowed me to keep him up, but I didn't want to rest too much of his weight on me. I don't want him to hurt the baby.

As the pain in my body flared, I looked at Maverick. "How about you stand next to mommy?"

He pushed me away to look me in my face. "Can I hold your hand?"

I nodded, pressing a kiss to his forehead. My hands dropped him next to me. As promised, I kept his hand clutched in mine. Chase came toward me, wrapping me in a hug as I pressed a kiss to his cheek, congratulating him.

"I love you," I spoke to him. "And I am very proud of you."

"I love you too," he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "I couldn't have done it without you."

John came up to Chase, bumping his hip. "Now, you can be in my gym every day. Are you ready for your next fight?"

"Am I ready?" He laughed. "I was born ready. Are we still doing dinner?"

"Of course," Kinnick wrapped an arm over his shoulder. "Did her parents say it was okay?"

Chase nodded. "We are supposed to meet her outside."

"Then let's go," I nodded. "My babies are hungry. Aren't they?"

Collins threw up her hands. "I am!"

Kinnick tickled her tummy. "You are always hungry!"

"Chaser! Save me," she screeched as she tried hiding away from Kinnick.

"I gotta save her momma!" Maverick broke the hold from my hand to race after his dad.

"I help!" Jaydon hurried toward his friends.

My family raced down the hallway, chasing one another and laughing. I rubbed a hand over my stomach as the baby inside kicked. It was as if she was begging to get out and join everyone out here in the world. I was three months away from delivery. Kinnick wanted a lot of kids. We are currently on our fourth; Chase, Collins, Maverick, and then soon-to-be Mia.

"Aurora," I smiled as the girl stood from her seat. "How are you, love?"

She smiled, coming toward me to give me a hug. "How are you doing?"

"I am doing great," I kissed the side of her head. "Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Alright. Everyone in the van."

"We will meet you at the restaurant," John kissed my cheek. "Drive safe."

"Love you, Uncle John!" Collins yelled.

"I love you more!"

"I love you better!" She stuck out her tongue as Kinnick buckled her in.

"I love you best!"

"Dad," Collins stuck her lip out. "Kick him butt. Please."

After helping him buckle in the kids, I pulled open the passenger door to slide in. Aurora and Chase were laughing about something in the back seat. Kinnick's hand laced with mine over the center console as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"How is the baby?" He looked down at me.

"She is being real fussy."

He unlaced our fingers to rub my stomach. I could feel the baby kicking as she pushed against his hold. This baby was going to love her daddy as much as all of the other ones do. I could hear Collins and Maverick picking on one another in the back seat.

"Stop it you two."

Collins huffed. "Well, he is being mean."

"What did he do?"

"He said I can't read his book."

"Collins, I brought you a book."

"I want to read his."

"Too bad."

"Daddy," Collins cried out.

"Nope," his head moved back and forth. "Momma said no."

"Chaser," she cried.

"I am not helping you," he said from the back seat. "Momma would kick my ass."

"Ass," Collins shrieked. "That is a bad word."

"Don't say it then," I told her.

"Ass, ass, ass, ass, ass."

Kinnick looked into the mirror to see Collins. The second his voice dropped and he said her name, she stopped speaking. The kids seemed to respect me, and listen to whatever I had to say, but if anyone was being naughty all Kinnick had to do was use his dad voice.

She crossed her arms huffing. "I love you, daddy."

"I love you too," he said. "But we can't say bad words."

"Well, does Chaser get in trouble?"

"Chase, you are grounded," I roll my eyes.

I could hear Collins snicker as she stuck her tongue out at Chase. "Haha."

"Now you are grounded," and that was all I had to say for her cries to fill the car. "I was just kidding, Collins."

Her whimpers filled the car as we laughed. "Not funny!"