MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

"Come on, baby, let's go. Mommy's waiting," Damon said, crouched near the apartment door, one hand holding it open.

Ava stood a few steps back, gripping a tiny stuffed lion by its leg, her curls a little wild from her nap.

She looked at him with big eyes, then slowly stepped forward in her socks, one foot dragging like it weighed more than her body.

"Lezgooo," she mumbled, voice soft but proud.

Damon smiled. "That's it. Let's go, champ."

She took another step. Then stopped. Turned around. Walked back two steps to grab her sippy cup from the couch, then turned again with complete confidence.

"Cup," she explained.

"Yeah, can't forget that," he said, standing now.

He picked her up and balanced her on his hip as he stepped out. The hallway was quiet, the morning sun warming the tiles. Svetlana was already waiting in the car outside, engine running.

Ava leaned her head against his shoulder. "Mommy dere?"

"Yeah," Damon said, kissing the side of her forehead. "We're going now."

"Let's go. Mama's in the car."

He carried her out, stepping into the bright driveway where their black SUV waited.

Svetlana was in the driver's seat, sunglasses on, watching something on her phone while the engine idled.

Ava squinted at the light and covered her face with one hand.

"Too bwight," she said.

Damon chuckled. "That's why we wear hats, champ."

He opened the back door, strapped her into the car seat, and handed her the sippy cup.

"Mommy!" Ava said, pointing as Svetlana turned around.

"I see you," Svetlana said with a smile. "Took your time."

"She had to get her gear," Damon said, shutting the door and walking around to the passenger side.

Damon had to admit it—Svetlana was way better at preparing Ava. Every time she handled it, things went smooth. Efficient. Calm.

But today it had been his turn, and like most things he did with Ava, it took twice as long.

He'd dressed her, but she refused the first shirt. Then she needed a different cup. Then socks. Then the socks were "itchy." He still didn't understand how socks could be itchy. After that, she insisted on carrying two toys—then dropped one halfway down the stairs and made him go back for it.

None of it was dramatic. Just slow.

It wasn't his fault. Not really.

It was Ava's.

He glanced at her through the rearview mirror. She was finally quiet, sipping from her cup and kicking her feet rhythmically against the car seat.

"Little monster," he muttered under his breath, not unkindly.

Svetlana smirked beside him. "See why I prep her?"

"Yeah," he said, leaning back against the headrest. "I get it now."

As Svetlana pulled out of the driveway, her focus on the road, Damon leaned back in the passenger seat, watching her with a quiet glance.

"You know," he said, "we haven't been on a date in a long time."

She raised an eyebrow slightly, still looking ahead.

"I was thinking me and you," he continued, "just us. Go out. Just a night."

Svetlana shifted gears and gave a small smile. "Wow. Damon Cross asking me on a date like we're teenagers."

"I'm serious," he said. "I don't even care what we do. Dinner, walk, anything. I just miss you."

She glanced over at him briefly, her smile widening. "You trying to be romantic now?"

He shrugged. "Trying to be smart before you get bored of me."

Svetlana laughed once, low and soft. "I engaged a man who fights monsters in cages for fun. I think you're safe."

"But date night?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Let's do it."

"Okay," Damon said, stretching his legs out as he leaned against the door. "What's the plan for the next couple of days?"

Svetlana kept her eyes on the road as she responded. "Well, today we're going for cake tasting and checking out the venue options. After that, I'm going for my dress fitting, alone."

Damon turned to her. "Alone? Why?"

She smirked. "Because you're only allowed to see it on the day, Damon."

He narrowed his eyes playfully. "Not even a sneak peek?"

"Nope," she said, firm but grinning. "It's bad luck."

Damon chuckled, then shifted in his seat. "Alright, alright. Fair enough. Have you figured out who your bridesmaids are gonna be?"

Svetlana shook her head, her tone thoughtful. "I don't have that many close female friends. So Ashley, obviously. Maybe one of my cousins from Europe, but really… it's mostly just Ash."

Damon nodded. "Yeah, makes sense."

She glanced over at him. "Have you picked your best man?"

"Not yet," he admitted. "I've got options. Joey, Ash, Ty... even your dad, honestly."

Svetlana let out a laugh. "My dad? You think he'd even do it?"

"I don't know," Damon smirked. "He might. Imagine him standing there all serious while I'm trying to say vows."

She grinned. "That would be a moment."

They drove in silence for a few seconds, the mood calm, familiar. Planning a wedding was stressful, but for now, it felt real, and real was good.

Damon adjusted his seatbelt and glanced into the backseat. He noticed Ava twisting in her car seat, one arm stretched toward the side window.

"What are you doing back there, baby?" he asked.

Ava froze for a second, then slowly turned around, blinking.

"Nuffin," she said.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Ava… what did you do?"

A pause.

She looked away, then whispered, "I... I dwopped it."

"Dropped what?"

Svetlana's eyes flicked to the mirror, her tone already shifting. "Ava, what did you throw?"

Ava hesitated, then lifted both hands like she didn't know. "Sok."

Damon turned in his seat, leaning slightly. "Your sock?"

"Uh-huh," Ava nodded, a little too confidently.

"Out the window?"

She nodded again. "Flew."

Svetlana's lips tightened. She pulled the car into the next parking lot entrance and turned off the engine. Then she looked back over her shoulder.

"Ava, listen," she said clearly. "We do not throw things out the window. That's bad, okay? Someone could get hurt, or we could lose something important."

Ava's face scrunched. "But it fun…"

Svetlana shook her head. "No. It's not fun when someone gets hurt, or when we can't get something back. What if it was your toy next time? Or your blankie?"

Ava frowned, thinking. "No... not blankie…"

"Exactly," Svetlana said. "We keep things inside."

Damon watched as Ava's lower lip poked out a little. She wasn't crying, but she looked unsure, guilty in a toddler way.

"I sowwy, Mama," she said, her voice small. "Sock gone."

Svetlana nodded. "Thank you for saying sorry. But next time, we don't do that. Okay?"

Ava held up her hand like a promise. "No more sock go fly."

Damon chuckled quietly. "Good deal."

Then Ava whispered, looking out the window, "It go fast."

Svetlana put the car back into drive with a sigh. "You're lucky you're cute."

Damon glanced back again and saw it clearly, one tiny foot bare, the other still snug in its sock and shoe.

Ava's little toes wiggled in the air, and he couldn't resist. He reached back and gently tickled the bottom of her foot.

Ava shrieked with laughter, her voice bursting in a series of hiccupy giggles. "Dada! Stop it!"

Damon grinned. "One foot? That's not how this works, baby."

As the car rolled forward, he looked out his side of the window and suddenly spotted something on the pavement behind them.

Just a few meters back, sitting harmlessly near the edge of the driveway, were her missing sock and tiny shoe, untossed, just dropped.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Babe… she didn't throw them out. They're right there on the ground. I think she meant to, or maybe tried, but missed."

Svetlana sighed but smiled too, the tension dropping. "So she launched the sock and failed."

"Pretty much," Damon said, still watching Ava as she tried to pull the other sock off too. "Ambition was there. Execution? Not so much."

"I do it!" Ava declared proudly, tugging at the remaining sock with both hands.

Damon leaned back in his seat and looked at Svetlana. "We're raising a chaos agent."

Svetlana gave a half-smile, eyes still on the road. "As long as she keeps failing her missions, we're fine."