Cody blinked.
“No?”
Lena shook her head.
“I’m here with my nephew.”
Garrett smiled, rolling his shoulders.
“Relax. Nobody’s asking you to fight for a championship.”
“Good,” Lena replied. “Because I didn’t bring my mouthguard.”
A few students laughed.
Garrett’s smile tightened.
“You always have an answer?”
“Only when someone asks a question.”
Devin looked up from his water bottle.
“Aunt Lena, you should try.”
She turned toward him.
“Why?”
“Because Coach Garrett’s really good.”
“I believe you.”
“He’s never lost a match here.”
Lena smiled.
“That’s impressive.”
Garrett folded his arms.
“See? Even your nephew thinks you should give it a shot.”
Lena looked at him carefully.
“Why do you want to spar with me?”
The question caught him off guard.
“For fun.”
“Then it should be fun for both of us.”
Cody laughed.
“She’s scared.”
Devin’s expression changed.
“My aunt isn’t scared.”
Lena placed a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s okay.”
But Garrett had already noticed the small audience forming around them.
And once again, he felt the familiar pull of attention.
“Tell you what,” he said. “Thirty seconds. Light contact. If you touch me cleanly, I’ll give Devin three months of free lessons.”
Devin’s eyes widened.
“Really?”
Lena looked at her nephew.
Then at Garrett.
“Three months?”
Garrett nodded.
“Absolutely.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Nothing. You go home knowing you tried.”
Lena considered the offer.
Devin’s mother had been working extra hospital shifts to cover the cost of his training. Three months of lessons would make a real difference.
Still, Lena hesitated.
Across the gym, head instructor Marcus Bell emerged from his office.
At fifty-six, Marcus had spent thirty years teaching martial arts. He had watched Garrett grow from an awkward teenager into an accomplished competitor.
He had also watched success change the young man’s attitude.
“What’s happening?” Marcus asked.
Garrett grinned.
“Friendly exhibition.”
Marcus looked toward Lena.
“Did you ask for one?”
“No.”
“Then there isn’t one.”
Garrett opened his mouth.
But Lena spoke first.
“Actually, Coach, I have a question.”
Marcus turned.
“Of course.”
“If we agree to a controlled round, would you supervise?”
Marcus studied her.
“Do you have training experience?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
Lena hesitated.
“Enough to understand the risks.”
Marcus didn’t smile.
“That’s not what I asked.”
For the first time, Lena seemed genuinely amused.
“No,” she said. “It isn’t.”
Marcus waited.
Lena glanced at Devin.
Then quietly added, “I competed professionally for several years.”
Garrett laughed.
“In what?”
“Kickboxing.”
Cody raised his eyebrows.
“Professional kickboxing?”
“Yes.”
Garrett looked her over again.
“Well, this should be interesting.”
Marcus noticed something different.
Lena wasn’t trying to impress anyone.
She was trying to avoid explaining herself.
He had encountered that behavior before, usually among experienced athletes who were tired of strangers treating their accomplishments as invitations.
“Controlled technical sparring,” Marcus said. “Protective equipment. No hard contact. Either person can stop at any moment.”
Garrett nodded eagerly.
“Perfect.”
Marcus looked directly at him.
“And if you turn this into a performance, you’re finished for the day.”
Garrett’s grin faded.
“Understood.”
Lena stood and handed Devin her phone.
“Hold this.”
He looked nervous.
“Are you sure?”
She smiled.
“Remember what I always tell you?”
“Don’t do things just because people pressure you.”
“Exactly.”
“Then why are you doing this?”
She glanced toward Garrett.
“Because I’ve decided the lessons are worth thirty seconds.”
Devin grinned.
Lena borrowed gloves and shin guards from the equipment rack.
She checked the fit, rolled her shoulders, and stepped onto the mat.
Garrett was already bouncing on his toes.
“Ready?”
Lena nodded.
“Whenever you are.”
Marcus raised his hand.
“Begin.”
Garrett opened with a quick jab.
Lena moved slightly backward.
He followed with a low kick.
She checked it.
Then came another jab.
Lena slipped outside the line of attack.
Garrett smiled.
“Not bad.”
He increased his speed.
A combination came toward her head and body.
Lena moved with surprising efficiency, blocking one strike and stepping away from the others.
She hadn’t thrown a single punch.
Ten seconds passed.
Garrett began looking irritated.
“Come on. Hit me.”
Lena remained silent.
He threw another combination.
This time, she countered with a light jab that touched his shoulder.
Marcus called out.
“Clean touch.”
Several students murmured.
Garrett stepped back.
“That barely counted.”
Marcus looked at him.
“It counted.”
Garrett’s expression hardened.
He attacked again.
Lena moved around him, maintaining distance.
When he overextended a right hand, she stepped inside and touched his chest with a controlled counter.
“Second touch,” Marcus announced.
The room grew quiet.
Garrett stared at Lena.
Something was wrong.
Her movements weren’t flashy.
She wasn’t throwing complicated combinations.
But she seemed to know where he would be before he arrived.
Twenty-five seconds.
Garrett launched one final attack.
Lena slipped his opening punch, pivoted away from his follow-up, and placed a light glove against the side of his head.
She immediately withdrew.
Marcus raised his hand.
“Time.”
The thirty seconds were over.
Lena lowered her gloves.
“Thank you.”
Garrett stood motionless.
The students looked between them.
Three clean touches.
No meaningful contact against Lena.
And she hadn’t appeared to exert herself.
Cody broke the silence.
“Okay, that was weird.”
Garrett pulled off his gloves.
“She was running.”
Marcus shook his head.
“She was controlling distance.”
“She barely fought.”
“She followed the rules.”
Garrett looked toward Lena.
“One more round. Real sparring.”
Lena shook her head.
“No, thank you.”
“Of course.”
She looked at him.
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’re happy to take the easy win.”
Marcus stepped forward.
“Garrett.”
But the young black belt continued.
“You’ve got decent defense. I’ll give you that. But thirty seconds doesn’t prove anything.”
Lena removed her gloves.
“I wasn’t trying to prove anything.”
“Then why’d you agree?”
She glanced toward Devin.
“Three months of lessons.”
Devin smiled.
Garrett looked toward Marcus.
“You can’t seriously count that.”
Marcus folded his arms.
“You made the offer. She met the condition.”
Garrett opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then a voice came from the doorway.
