The light came through Jess's window as Archie came in to check on her Jess was still asleep tucked out from last night as she snuggled into her covers.
"Good morning, sis. I have to iced you again." He whispered and stroke her hair.
Jess sleepily sat up as Archie placed the pack on her bruise on her eye as Jess said.
"Careful!"
Mary checked on her daughter.
"I heard from dad that you boxed against an old competitor of your Dad's boxing days."
Jess said.
"His daughter."
Mary said.
"What did you learn from it?"
Jess said.
"You get tired quick and bruised up but it really did opened my eyes of how tired my father would be as you would remember how I would be asking dad to play and I would get the ice pack. I looked up as I sat in the jacuzzi saying "Please forgive me, Dad for all those years of asking when you would come home tired and exhausted. Trust me I finally understood."
Mary hugged her.
"You literally scared Dad at certain times when you got punched but you came back up right away."
Jess said.
"I know. I could tell at the way he embraced me and held me for a long time before I went to the locker to change. That was the moment I realize when he was truly frightened."
Archie gave the ice pack a break.
"Oh wow you really got bruise right there."
Jess grabbed her walker and walked out to greet Fred.
"I am going to check on Daddy." She said to them.
She walked and sees him in the kitchen pouring coffee.
"Good morning, Daddy."
Fred smiled thanking the Lord.
"You truly proved yourself in the ring that you were Matt's daughter in the ring."
Jess sat down with Fred.
"I felt Dad's presence in the ring for sure."
She said.
"You were scared huh?"
Fred said.
"The punches you received from the girl were making my heart stop at times but each time you came back up, I could breathe again."
Jess said.
"I noticed your expressions when I first fell but I took a deep breath and got back up and I would see you relax but I sensed what you were thinking, I thought I was gonna die but I remembered a quote that Dad recalled from Rocky Balboa the movie. I don't know if you seen it, but dad constantly quoted this to kinda motivated me."
Fred shakes his head and she quoted.
"The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth, but you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you! You're better than that!"
Fred smiled.
"So you kept that quote in mind?"
Jess replied.
"Didn't think I needed that quote ever in my life til last night. Throughout the entire fight, it stayed with me and I thought of how proud Dad would have been of me."
Fred hugged her for a long time.
"I saw you crying as you sat down gazing at your father's photo. What was going through your mind?"
Jess admitted.
"I was scared didn't expect how intense boxing truly is and then the quote came to me and so I said to dad repeating the quote "Ok Daddy, lets do this. Let show Diana That I know what I'm worth, then let go out and get what i'm worth and I'm willing to take the hits and not pointing fingers saying I'm ain't where I wanna be because of him, or, her or anybody. Coward do that and that ain't me! I'm better than that! I then added.
"Sorry that it took me this long to realize it! I did wiped away my tears and walked back up to the ring with strength regained in me. I needed that one on one moment with my daddy. I know I needed you, but I needed my own daddy in that moment."
Fred understood.
"He is proud of you, baby."