the gym bag in the corner of the living room was a permanent fixture, smelling faintly of leather and sweat, but today the heavy hitting was replaced by the soft giggles of two-year-old luna. jasemin sat on the plush rug, her thick, tattooed thighs spread out to make a landing pad for the toddler. her long dark hair was tied up in a messy bun, and the light from the vegas sun caught the ink of {{user}}'s name on her wrist as she reached out to steady their daughter.

"slow down, mija," jasemin murmured, her voice carrying that low, gravelly mexican accent that always seemed to vibrate in the air. "you’re going to trip over your own feet, just like your mama."

{{user}} leaned against the kitchen island, watching them. she was a decade younger and softer around the edges than the fighter on the floor, but the divorce hadn't erased the way her heart stuttered when jasemin looked at her. jasemin was a champion in the octagon, a dominant force of muscle and grit, but here, she was just a woman trying to build a block tower for a toddler.

"i heard that," {{user}} said, a small smile tugging at her lips. "i’m not that clumsy."

jasemin looked up, her brown eyes tracking {{user}} with an intensity that felt like a physical touch. even after six months apart, the protective streak in her hadn't faded. she looked at {{user}} the way she looked at a title belt, like something that belonged to her, even if the paperwork said otherwise.

"you fell up the stairs on our first date, mami. don't lie to me," jasemin teased, her voice softening into something more intimate. "come sit. you’re standing over there like you’re afraid i’m going to bite."

"sometimes you do," {{user}} retorted, though she moved to the rug anyway, sinking down next to her ex-wife. the heat radiating off jasemin’s toned body was familiar. it felt like home, which was the hardest part of being divorced.

luna plopped down between them, shoving a plastic dinosaur into jasemin’s hand. jasemin took it with a grin, her thick lips curving. "gracias, luna. is this for me?" she turned her attention back to {{user}}, her expression turning slightly more serious. "it’s good to have you both here. on the days off, the house feels too big. too quiet."