I stopped fighting after Lavender was born. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it, but having kids changed our perspective on things. Suddenly it wasn’t just me and Pandora fucking in bathrooms in the basement of dingy bars. Although we still manage to do that on date night. I wanted to give our little girl the world, and that included my time, too. Once I made the decision to step out of the ring, I never looked back. Getting in the ring was a good time, but it’s not a sport you can really work at long term, and I was ready for it to end.

But there’s one thing that hasn’t changed, and that’s my love for Pandora. If anything, it’s grown over the past two years to a level I can’t even comprehend. I never knew love could be like this, and every day it grows stronger. Pandora’s dad told me that it’s that way for him and her mom, too. I see it when they’re together, and that’s what I want for us.

“Are you all packed up?” I ask, sitting up to kiss Pandora.

“Yep. It’s nice having stuff at both places, though, so all we have to do is grab the essentials.”

I reach out and grab her breast, and she giggles. “What? Just the essentials, right?”

“You play your cards right, and we can have a babysitter tonight.”

“Your sister is having baby fever again,” I say, picking up Lav and taking her over to the changing table.

“I know. She says one more, and Ivan agrees. But I think that man would give her as many babies as her little body can carry.”

She comes up behind me and wraps her arms around my waist, resting her cheek on my shoulder.

“If we timed it out right, you could both be pregnant at the same time,” I say.

“Oh God! Can you imagine? Penelope would go nuts.”

I blow a raspberry on Lav’s belly and listen to her giggle. “Might not be so bad. She’s already a year old. Maybe we should have them close together.”

“Sounds like you’re the one who has baby fever,” she says, smacking my ass. “Are you and Penelope in cahoots?”

I hide my smile from her and try to shrug casually. I may have been talking to Penelope about cycles and when they would both be ovulating again. Ivan didn’t like the talk at first, but as soon as Penelope was talking about being fertile, he was right there with us.

“Royce Davenport, turn around and look at me,” Pandora demands.

I pick up Lav and hold her up beside my face. “Would we lie to you?”

Pandora bites her lip and shakes her head. “You’re not allowed to use her cuteness to get out of trouble. Come to Mama, little one.”