MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat - Chapter 804

Chapter 804: Chapter 804: The Road Back

Damon drove through the morning, the familiar route pulling him closer to Santa Monica.

The city signs and coastline came into view, and he let out a quiet breath. “Home,” he said to himself, the word carrying both relief and anticipation.

The drive gave him time to make his calls. One by one, he reached out to his friends, letting them know he was on his way back.

Each voice carried excitement, a reminder of the support waiting for him. He even called his mother, her calm tone grounding him as always.

By the time he hung up, the car felt a little lighter, the journey less long.

The streets of Santa Monica stretched ahead, familiar in every way.

Damon adjusted his grip on the wheel and kept driving, the thought of finally being home steady in his mind.

Damon drove through the morning, the highway giving way to the familiar streets of Santa Monica.

When the gates of his community came into view, he slowed and rolled down his window.

The guard gave a respectful nod before opening the way, and Damon eased the car inside.

The houses lined the road neatly, tall palms swaying above the quiet neighborhood.

His own place stood at the end of the street, larger than most, the kind of home his younger self could never have imagined calling his.

The driveway was clear, the front garden trimmed, everything in order.

He parked, shut off the engine, and stepped out. The air was still, carrying the faint scent of the ocean.

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Damon walked up the path toward the door.

He stopped just short of knocking, his hand hovering as the silence of the house settled around him.

The door opened before Damon’s knuckles touched it.

Svetlana stood there, her smile already breaking wide.

She didn’t hesitate she leaned forward and kissed him, her hands sliding around his neck, holding him close as if the weeks apart had stretched into years.

Damon let his bag fall to the porch and pulled her in tighter, the kiss soft but full of relief.

He didn’t say anything at first. Neither did she. The way her fingers stayed curled against his jaw said enough.

“Daddy!” a small voice cut through.

Eva latched onto his leg, her little arms squeezing with all the strength she had. Damon broke the kiss and looked down, grinning as he crouched to scoop her up. She squealed in delight as he lifted her, her giggles pressed against his chest.

“Look at you,” Damon said, kissing the top of her head. “Getting so big while I was gone.”

Eva poked his cheek with a tiny finger, still laughing. “Daddy home,” she said simply.

“Yeah,” Damon whispered, his voice warm. “Daddy’s home.”

Svetlana stepped closer, resting a hand on his arm while watching the two of them.

She didn’t speak, but the way her eyes softened told him everything, how much she had missed him, how much this moment meant.

Damon shifted Eva to one arm and reached for Svetlana’s hand with the other.

She squeezed it, her thumb brushing against his skin, and smiled without a word. The message was clear: he was where he belonged.

Damon stepped inside, Eva still in his arms, her laughter echoing through the hallway.

Svetlana closed the door behind them and leaned back against it for a moment, just watching the two of them.

Eva tugged at Damon’s shirt. “Daddy, come see toys!” she insisted, pointing toward the living room.

Damon chuckled, shifting her higher on his arm. “Already giving me orders, huh?” He glanced at Svetlana with a smirk. “She gets that from you.”

Svetlana rolled her eyes playfully and brushed his shoulder as she passed. “Don’t blame me. She’s all you when it comes to bossing people around.”

Eva giggled at that without knowing why, her head tucked against Damon’s neck.

He carried her into the living room where a pile of dolls and blocks waited on the rug.

She wiggled, wanting to get down, and the moment her feet hit the floor she ran to her toys.

“Watch, Daddy! I make tower,” Eva announced, stacking blocks with serious focus.

Damon lowered himself onto the couch, his bag still abandoned at the door.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he watched her, his face softened in a way it never was around anyone else. “That’s the best tower I’ve ever seen,” he said, clapping once to make her grin.

Svetlana joined him on the couch, curling her legs beneath her.

She rested her hand on his back, her fingers tracing lightly over his shoulder blade. “You’re really home,” she said quietly, almost to herself.

Damon turned, meeting her eyes. He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached out, took her hand, and kissed her knuckles.

Then he leaned in, his forehead brushing hers. “Yeah,” he murmured. “I’m home.”

Eva squealed in victory as her tower toppled, sending blocks across the floor. She laughed so hard she fell back on the rug, kicking her legs.

Damon and Svetlana both laughed with her, their eyes never leaving each other even as the room filled with the sound of their daughter’s joy.

The evening settled slowly around them. After the excitement of toys and stories on the rug, Svetlana guided Eva toward the kitchen while Damon carried the bags upstairs.

When he returned, he found them at the table, Eva sitting in her booster seat, kicking her legs while Svetlana placed food in front of her.

“Daddy sit,” Eva said firmly, patting the empty chair beside her.

Damon smiled and obeyed, sliding in next to her. “Yes, ma’am,” he teased, earning a grin from Svetlana across the table.

Dinner was simple but warm, grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, and a small bowl of rice.

Damon hadn’t realized how much he missed the comfort of a home-cooked meal until he took the first bite.

Eva spent most of the time telling “stories” between mouthfuls, half-finished sentences about toys, colors, and things only she understood.

Damon listened to every word, nodding seriously as if she were giving a fight breakdown.

Svetlana reached across the table, brushing her hand over his. “You’re too easy on her,” she said with a smirk.

“I just know a star when I see one,” Damon replied, glancing at Eva, who was now making her broccoli dance across the plate.

After dinner, they moved to the living room again.

Damon stretched out on the couch while Eva climbed onto his chest, her small hands patting his face as she fought off sleep.

Svetlana watched from the armchair, her smile tired but content.

When it was time, they carried Eva upstairs together.

Svetlana tucked her in while Damon read the last page of her picture book in a low voice. Eva mumbled, “Daddy home,” before her eyes finally closed.

Damon kissed her forehead, careful not to wake her, and pulled the blanket up to her chin.

Downstairs, the house grew quiet. Damon sank into the couch again, and Svetlana curled up beside him, resting her head against his shoulder.

Neither of them spoke for a while. The silence wasn’t empty, it was filled with the comfort of finally being together.

Damon let out a slow breath, his arm tightening around her. “This,” he said softly. “This is what I fight for.”

Svetlana pressed closer, her hand resting over his chest, and smiled without opening her eyes. “And this is what waits for you when you come home.”