Jey sat in his car, gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. His head was spinning, his heart pounding. He could still hear Nati's voice, still see the little boy's face—the kid's face. His son.

He let out a slow, shaky breath, staring at the dashboard like it held the answers to the storm in his mind.

Everything had changed in a matter of minutes.

He had spent years convincing himself that the past was behind him, that the choices he made were just that—choices. Not regrets, not burdens, just things that had led him here. But now? Now he was staring at a future he hadn't even known existed.

He should have stayed longer. He should have asked more questions. But the second that truth hit him, he did what he always did—he walked away.

Coward.

Jey slammed his palm against the steering wheel in frustration. He had faced opponents twice his size in the ring, had taken hits that left bruises for weeks, had survived the pressure of his family's expectations. But this? This was something else entirely.

A father.

He was a father.

The weight of those words crushed him in a way he wasn't ready for.

A soft knock on his window made him jolt. He turned to see Nati standing there, arms crossed over her chest, eyes guarded but searching. He hesitated, then rolled the window down.

"You left," she said simply.

Jey swallowed hard, looking away. "I needed a minute."

Nati studied him for a moment before sighing, stepping back from the car. "Yeah," she murmured. "I figured."

Guilt settled heavy in his chest. He hadn't meant to just walk out like that, but what was he supposed to do? Act like he had everything under control? Like he had the first damn clue how to be what that kid needed?

"I wasn't—" Jey exhaled, running a hand down his face. "I wasn't trying to run."

Nati gave him a look. "Weren't you?"

His jaw tightened, and for a second, neither of them spoke.

Finally, she sighed, rubbing her temple. "Look, I get it, okay? This is a lot. And I didn't expect you to just—just jump in and be okay with it overnight. But Jey, he needs you."

Jey clenched his fists, fighting the urge to tell her that he needed time, too. That he had just found out his whole life was different now. That he didn't even know where to start.

"Does he know?" Jey asked instead. His voice came out rough, uneven. "Does he know who I am?"

Nati hesitated, then nodded. "He knows about you. He knows your name, knows you wrestle, knows that..." She trailed off, her expression shifting. "He knows that you're his dad. But he doesn't know you, Jey. Not really."

Jey swallowed against the lump in his throat.

"He asked if you were coming back," she said after a pause. "When you left. He wanted to know if he did something wrong."

Jey's stomach twisted painfully.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath, staring at the windshield. He hadn't meant to make the kid feel like that.

"He's a good kid, Jey," Nati continued softly. "He's smart. He's got your stubbornness, which—trust me, that's a lot to handle." She let out a short, tired laugh, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I know this is overwhelming. I know it's not something you asked for. But he's here. And whether you like it or not, he's yours."

Jey didn't speak right away. His mind was a mess, a tangle of guilt, fear, and something else—something deeper that he wasn't ready to name.

"I don't wanna mess him up," he admitted finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

Nati's expression softened. "Then don't."

Jey let out a shaky breath. Could it really be that simple? Probably not. But still...

He looked at Nati, really looked at her. The girl he had loved, the woman standing in front of him now, the mother of his child. He had spent so long thinking that door had closed for good. But maybe—just maybe—it had never really been locked.

He licked his lips, nodding once. "Okay."

Nati frowned slightly. "Okay, what?"

"Okay," Jey repeated, stronger this time. "I don't know what the hell I'm doin', Nati. But I wanna try."

Something in her posture shifted, like the weight she had been carrying for years finally lessened—just a little.

"Alright," she said softly. "Then start by coming inside."

Jey hesitated for only a moment before shutting off the engine and opening the car door.

He wasn't sure what came next.

But for the first time in years, he was ready to find out.