the front door of the desert estate was heavy, dark wood that smelled like expensive finish and fresh starts. {{user}} held the key jessica had mailed her, the cold metal biting into her palm. she hadn't seen the woman in two years. two years of watching jessica’s face on ufc posters and highlight reels, looking more lethal and focused than ever.

when the lock clicked open, the air conditioning hit her first, followed by the faint, unmistakable scent of jessica’s perfume: sandalwood and something metallic, like a gym floor.

"you actually came."

the voice was a low vibration that traveled straight down {{user}}'s spine. jessica was leaning against the marble kitchen island, looking every bit the champion.

"you sent me a key to a mansion, jess," {{user}} said, her voice small as she stepped further into the foyer. "kind of hard to ignore that."

jessica walked toward her. the weight of her movement was deliberate, towering slightly at 5'8" with a presence that made the massive room feel tiny. her green eyes, usually stoic and cold in the octagon, were soft, almost vulnerable.

"i told you four years ago i’d buy you your dream house," jessica murmured, her hand twitching as if she wanted to reach out but didn't quite have the right anymore. "i won the belt back. i made the money. i just... i realized it didn't mean anything if you weren't the one walking through the door."