Chapter 40: Golden Gloves Registration
The alarm rang at 5:30 AM, same as always. But Javier’s body was familiar with the activities. His hands found his running shoes in the dark without fumbling. His muscles knew what came next before his brain caught up.
Three weeks of daily grinding had changed something deep in his bones.
Tommy sat on the edge of his bed, tying his laces with the careful movements of someone who’d learned not to take anything for granted. The concussion symptoms were gone, but he moved more thoughtfully now. Like he understood his brain wasn’t just something that always worked.
"Ready for registration day?" Tommy asked, voice still thick with sleep.
"Been ready for weeks."
Javier pulled his shirt over his head and caught his reflection in the small mirror by his bed. His shoulders looked broader. His arms had a definition that wasn’t there a few months ago. The stitches above his eyebrow were healing clean, just a thin pink line now.
The changes felt good. Real.
Brooklyn at 6 AM was cold and empty. Their breath came out in white puffs as they hit the pavement. But their pace was different now. Stronger. More controlled. No gasping or struggling to keep up.
Miguel met them at the halfway point, part of the new routine since Carlos had left for Madrid two weeks earlier. The absence still stung. Dinner conversations were quieter without Carlos’s excitement about Real Madrid training.
"How you feeling about today?" Miguel asked, falling into step beside them.
"Good. Danny says the registration’s just paperwork."
"Paperwork’s the easy part. It’s what comes after that matters."