He looked confused.
“Ready?” Ronnie asked.
“Yes,” Jace said nervously. “I’m ready.”
We spent the next thirty minutes going over the basics. We did some play fighting, bouncing around the ring as we jabbed. Ronnie climbed out of the ring and went to sit with Saige. I listened to them talk while focusing on Jace.
“How do you know Nash?” Saige asked.
My ears were tuned into whatever they were saying. Ronnie laughed. “I met him a while ago. I was in a bad way. Nash offered to be my business partner. I thought he was crazy. I’m in this crumbling building with no way of ever getting out of it and he wanted to invest in my business. He asked for some boxing tips in exchange but nothing more. He saved me in every way. I was on the verge of losing everything. He stepped in and helped me get back on track.”
“Do you have a lot of customers?” she asked him.
“I have steady clients,” he said. “Most of them come from Nash. He refers people all the time.”
I turned my attention back to Jace. “Hey, Ronnie,” I said. “Why don’t you get up here and earn your money?”
Ronnie laughed and got up from the chair. He climbed into the ring and took over for me. I pulled off the gloves and took Ronnie’s seat next to Saige. “He’s gaining more confidence,” I said.
“I don’t know if this is the way I want to build his confidence,” she murmured. “Violence is never the answer.”
“Violence is the answer to violence,” I argued.
“He’s eight. Doesn’t it seem a little violent for a little boy?”
“Didn’t you tell me he got hit?” I asked.
“Yes, but I don’t want him hitting back.”
“You want him to get his ass beat?” I shot back.
“No! Geez, no way.”
“Then, he needs to know how to defend himself. He has to be able to stand up for himself. Do you want a girl protecting him all the time?”
“No, but—”
“I’m not encouraging him to fight but I think it’s important he have the knowledge that he can fight back if it comes to it. Ronnie is really good at teaching self-defense without encouraging violence. He trains fighters. A trained fighter never goes looking for trouble, but if trouble finds them, they know they can handle it. They don’t have to be worried or afraid of getting hurt because they can defend themselves. Even that tiny little bit of confidence can go a long way to warding off a bully.”
“How so?” she asked.
“Because a bully picks on the weak. I don’t mean this in a bad way, but Jace presents himself as a weak kid.”
She scowled at me. “He isn’t weak.”
“He isn’t strong.”
“Don’t be a jerk,” she shot back.
“I’m not trying to be a jerk. Jace is a timid kid. He sticks out because he is quiet and likes to stay in the background. That’s like candy to a bully. They are going to hone in on him. With a little confidence gained from the knowledge he can fight back if he has to, they aren’t going to see him as vulnerable. He has to be able to hold his head high and his shoulders back.”
She groaned and looked at her son in the ring. “I feel like I’m stealing his innocence.”
“You are giving him confidence. Those kids are stealing his innocence. It’s part of life. I imagine it’s hard to see your little boy grow up, but it’s happening.”
“I know, but I don’t want him to think life is about who can hit the hardest.”
“Isn’t it?” I countered. “Every single day, we deal with people who want to hit us when we’re down. I know in my business, it’s all about fighting every single day. I don’t always come to blows, but it gets down and dirty sometimes.”
“True, but this is different.”
“Saige, little boys box and wrestle. They get rough sometimes.”
She watched her son fight, wincing and cringing. He wasn’t in any danger, but I could understand why it would be painful to watch.
“He’s fast,” I said. “Look at him. He’s bouncing on the balls of his feet. He’s not afraid to step up to the man. That’s promising.”
“Nash, do me a favor,” she said. She reached over and touched my hand.
“What’s up?”
“Please don’t turn him into a fighting machine. I like my son just the way he is. I like that he is a little soft. I don’t want him to lose that side of himself because he is trying to live up to a stereotype. He can be a gentle boy.”
I nodded. “He can. Knowing how to fight back doesn’t make him less gentle. It’s about making him feel like he is strong enough. He can take care of himself if he has to. You said his friend stuck up for him, right?”
“Yes. Caitlyn. She’s a pretty, petite girl. She’s fierce though.”
“Because she’s confident,” he insisted.
“I suppose that’s true, but I can’t imagine Caitlyn using her fists.”
“Everyone is wired a little differently. She has a natural confidence. Jace has to work a little harder for his.”
I knew this was not what she wanted to hear. I didn’t blame her. Unfortunately, it was the way it was. I was only hoping I could make a small difference in the boy’s life. I didn’t want to turn him into a lean, mean, killing machine, but I wanted to show him he didn’t have to be afraid.
I’d lived his life. I had always been shy and uncertain of myself. I wasn’t always bullied, but my father did a great job tearing me down.
“Thanks,” she said. “I’m going to trust you in this.”
Chapter 45
Saige
“I’m hungry,” Jace said after he was finished at the gym.
I turned to Nash. “Are you hungry?”
“I could eat.”
“Do you want to grab an early dinner with us?” I asked him. It was forward. The guy was single and probably had plans for the night, but I was going to ask him anyway.
“I’d love to.”
“Really?” I asked with surprise.
“Did you want me to say no?” He laughed.
“No, I guess I’m surprised you don’t have plans.”
“I have nothing more important I’d rather do than dinner with you guys.”
I smiled and looked in the backseat. Jace was grinning. It was a completely different kid from this morning. I hated that a little time with Nash completely transformed him. “There is a fun pizza place with arcade games that we go to sometimes,” I said. “Do you feel up to bad pizza, loud noises, and screaming kids?”
He laughed. “You had me sold at bad pizza.”
I told him the name of the pizza place. I sat back and enjoyed the ride while thinking about my future. Jace’s happiness seemed hinged on the choices I made. I needed to figure out how to help him. He needed me to find him a good male role model.
We found a table in the crowded restaurant. Kids were running and screaming and having a good time in general. It was easily my least favorite place to go to, but it was Jace’s favorite. I sucked it up and did what I could to have a good time with him.