MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

After Damon and Svetlana left, the venue remained alive for a little while longer.

The music continued playing at a calmer volume, and the lighting stayed soft and warm. Most guests hadn't rushed out. Instead, they lingered, talking, connecting, and sharing drinks.

Many of them were people with money or status, and naturally, small clusters had formed.

Conversations about business, upcoming ventures, and mutual contacts filled the space where earlier there had only been dancing and laughter.

It wasn't forced. The wedding had served its purpose, and now the night flowed into something more casual.

Victor stood by one of the high tables with Macey and a few familiar faces.

Joey leaned back in his chair while Ashley rested her arms on the table beside him, sipping on something cold as they talked quietly.

Others slowly rotated between tables, moving from one conversation to the next with ease.

But even with all the laughter and easy talk, everyone knew the centerpiece of the evening was gone.

Without the bride and groom, things had started to shift.

Like the closing of a great chapter. A few more photos were taken, a few more glasses raised, and the night began to cool down.

Eventually, people started leaving in small groups. Some said quick goodbyes, while others took their time, walking around the hall one last time.

The staff moved through the tables calmly, clearing what they could without rushing anyone.

Joey got up to see off a few guests. Victor shook hands with someone who'd flown in from overseas. And Ashley hugged Macey with a genuine smile before slipping out with a couple of friends.

Aoife appeared from behind the others, carrying Ava gently against her shoulder.

The little girl had stuck to her grandmother ever since Damon handed her over for the couple's photo session.

Now, with the night winding down and most of the guests preparing to leave, Ava had made it clear, she wasn't going anywhere without her Gran.

"She's all mine tonight," Aoife said with a smirk, rubbing Ava's back gently. "Aren't ya, love?"

Ava nodded sleepily, thumb in her mouth again, her other hand clutching a small corner of Aoife's scarf. She wasn't fully asleep, just resting, content, warm, and where she wanted to be.

Some of the guests smiled at the sight. A few even offered their goodbyes to Ava as they passed, to which Aoife gave polite nods and waves. She stood near the edge of the hall, rocking slightly on her heels, soothing the child with quiet Irish hums.

"She was excited to come with me," Aoife told Macey, who had wandered over. "Didn't even ask where her mam and da went."

Macey smiled. "They deserve tonight. And a few more if they want it."

Aoife nodded. "Aye. And I'll keep this one for as long as they need. No complaints here."

Ava was already adjusting to the idea. She whispered something in Aoife's ear, something about pancakes in the morning, and Aoife chuckled. "Of course. We'll make the good ones."

The halls were quieting now, and as the last few guests trickled out, Aoife gently kissed Ava's head and began heading toward the exit.

The bride and groom were off somewhere, likely laughing, likely lost in their own perfect moment.

And Ava?

She was already asleep before Aoife even reached the car.

Back inside, Joey and Ashley walked side by side through the quieter part of the hall, their pace slow and unhurried.

Their son was curled up in Joey's arms, asleep with his cheek resting on his father's shoulder, little hands balled into soft fists.

Ashley reached over and gently grabbed Joey's free hand, threading her fingers through his.

"I caught the flowers," she said with a sideways smirk.

Joey glanced at her, then smiled. "Oh, did you now?"

She nodded, not hiding the grin spreading across her face. "I did. Which means you're kind of on the clock, you know."

He raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"

Ashley stopped walking, tugging lightly on his hand to make him face her. Her voice dropped a little, more serious but still soft. "Of course I want it. I love you. We have a family. I'd love for us to make it official… I'd love to become Mrs. Morales."

Joey looked at her for a moment, then squeezed her hand. "Well, way to ruin a proposal. You know it's meant to be a surprise, right?"

Ashley let out a dramatic gasp and playfully smacked his arm. "Oh, I'm sorry! Were you gonna do the whole knee thing? Ring and everything?"

"I had plans," he said with exaggerated offense. "Romantic ones. Moonlight, music, maybe a little speech."

Ashley leaned in close, whispering as she poked his chest gently. "Well, now you've got time to upgrade them."

Joey shook his head with a chuckle. "You're impossible."

She kissed his cheek. "You love me anyway."

"Yeah," he said, glancing down at their son still sleeping soundly against his shoulder. "I really do."

They kept walking toward the exit, Ashley wrapping her arm around Joey's as he carried their boy. The night had been about Damon and Svetlana, but for Joey and Ashley, it had stirred something real too.

And now, the idea of "someday" felt a lot closer than before.

Joey joked with her, kept the banter light, but deep down he understood. He always had. Ashley wasn't just teasing, she was opening a door. One she rarely let anyone near.

He glanced at her again as they walked, her smile still lingering from the joke. But behind it, he saw the real part. The quiet truth.

She had stood by him through the worst moments of his life. They'd built something together. She had become his home, and he knew, he was hers too.

He shifted their son in his arms, gently, careful not to wake him. Then he looked forward again.

He would never let her go. Not after everything. Not after knowing what she'd given him, her trust, her love, and a family.

Joey wasn't in a rush to prove anything to the world. But in his heart, he already knew she wasn't waiting for a ring. She was waiting for a promise.

And he planned to give her both.