MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

Cake tasting went well, and by the time they got home, the car was loaded with assorted slices boxed neatly for later.

Some were meant for family to try, others were just because Svetlana couldn't resist a particular flavor.

But one of those slices had been meant for Ava, just one. A little bite. Maybe two.

Except Ava didn't understand restraint.

The moment she tasted the frosting, something switched in her system. She was nearly two years old, and her energy levels were already high on normal days.

But with sugar in her system, she turned into a whole new version of herself.

Damon sat on the couch with a bottle of water in hand, watching her sprint across the living room with mismatched socks, yelling random words to nobody. "CAKE! FAST! JUMP JUMP JUMP!"

She jumped onto a pillow, then ran to the next, slipped, face-planted, giggled, rolled, and ran again.

Svetlana stood near the kitchen, arms crossed, eyes locked on Damon.

"I told you," she said flatly.

He held up a finger, trying not to laugh. "Okay, in my defense, I gave her one fork."

"You gave her three."

"…I lost track."

Ava shot by them again, waving a half-stuffed plushie in one hand like it was a torch. "MONNY RAN FAST!!!"

Damon looked at her, then looked at Svetlana. "What does that even mean?"

"I have no idea. But she's been saying it for ten minutes straight."

A loud crash sounded from upstairs.

Both of them froze. Ava had somehow disappeared mid-conversation.

Svetlana blinked. "She was just, wasn't she here?"

Damon stood up. "We're going upstairs."

"I'm bringing wipes," Svetlana muttered. "I don't know why. But I feel like we'll need them."

"She's your daughter."

"She's yours when she's climbing the damn walls."

"She's literally yours when she's climbing the walls, babe. Your DNA made that coordination."

Svetlana shook her head, already heading toward the stairs.

From above, they heard Ava's voice again.

"MONNY RAN FAAAAAST!!!"

Damon exhaled through his nose. "Yeah. This is gonna be a long night."

Damon made it to the top of the stairs first, following the distant pattering of small feet and muffled babble.

He found Ava in the hallway near their bedroom, spinning in circles with her arms out, hair a mess, sock half off again, and cake frosting still on her cheek.

She was in her own world, yelling her new favorite phrase at full volume.

"Monny raaaan faaaaast!"

Then she tripped.

Not hard, just enough for a sudden thump to break the rhythm. She sat there, stunned for half a second, looking at the floor. Her lip started to tremble. Her hands rubbed her eyes as her breath stuttered into a hiccup.

Damon crouched down fast. "Hey, hey, baby. You're okay. You just slipped—"

Too late.

The tears came hard and sudden. Loud, messy, and unstoppable.

Svetlana appeared behind him, already holding tissues and a blanket.

"I knew this would happen," she said, kneeling beside them. "It's the crash. Every sugar high comes with one."

Ava leaned forward into Damon's chest, crying louder now just from being overwhelmed.

He rubbed her back, trying to soothe her, but she was too far gone. Small fists balled up in his hoodie as her sobs echoed through the hallway.

"She's exhausted," Svetlana said. "Her body's catching up."

"I feel like I should apologize to every parent I've ever judged at a supermarket," Damon muttered.

Svetlana took Ava gently. "Come on, little sugar storm. Let's get you cleaned up and calm."

Ava didn't resist. The moment she was wrapped in the blanket and rocked in her mother's arms, her cries turned into sniffles. Her eyes drooped seconds later.

Damon stood and followed them to her room, watching as Svetlana laid her down gently in her crib. She was already half-asleep, thumb near her mouth, still mumbling one last whisper.

"…monny… ran…"

Svetlana looked at Damon with a raised eyebrow. "No more frosting for at least a week."

He nodded. "Yeah. Maybe a month."

He leaned back, stretching his arms along the backrest, eyes settling on the quiet hallway where Ava had just fallen asleep after her sugar-fueled breakdown. The house was finally still.

Today had been a good day.

Cake tasting had gone smoother than he expected, minus the frosting explosion.

They'd found a few flavors that worked, and the shop owner seemed confident about the design Svetlana wanted.

Damon hadn't cared about the price, only that it was perfect for her. For them.

Tomorrow, or maybe the day after, would be dress fittings for Svetlana and a suit check for him.

They'd kept things moving in pieces, never rushing but never stalling either.

Even if the wedding wouldn't happen before his fight with Tereira, they were building the foundation now. Bit by bit.

That was the goal. He didn't want to juggle wedding stress with a title fight. And Svetlana didn't want to walk down the aisle with exhaustion hidden behind makeup.

They agreed: when the day comes, it should feel like celebration, not recovery.

He shifted slightly, resting his head against the couch cushion, letting out a long breath.

For now, things were steady. Plans were in motion. His family was close. His next war was scheduled. And beyond it, if all went well, he'd have gold on each shoulder and a wife by his side.

Not a bad timeline to work with.

Especially since after the title match, he would have to cut weight down to middleweight and fight the winner of the match between Ivan and RRD.

It wasn't ideal. Not just because of the weight cut, but the timeline.

He wouldn't even get time to breathe.

The moment he finished with Tereira, win or lose, he'd have to get right back into camp.

Dropping weight, shifting gameplans, adjusting to a completely different style of opponent. That was the price of holding two belts. There was no room to coast.

And the worst part was that the middleweight division was watching him closely. Ivan, especially.

If Ivan beat RRD like most expected, that match would be big. A fight people had wanted for years now, ever since the first one fell through. Damon wasn't ducking it. He wanted it too. But there was no denying, it was a lot.

Tereira. Then Ivan. Back to back.

Plus wedding plans, a family, and a toddler running wild on cake.