Page 11 of Stone’s Cage

Last night, she ended up sleeping at one end of the sofa and I at the other, because she wouldn’t let me sleep on the floor and I certainly wouldn’t let her. She's stubborn for a kid. But she's punching up, so I listen.

When I woke it was nearly nine, but Tuesdays are my day off, and I had started a giant omelet I figured we could split. She clearly liked cheese.

I hear covers shift and then Lily stretches and rises.

"This smells so good," she says coming around the counter and then starts looking around. "Where’s Tig?"

I point to an empty gallon milk jug I've sliced in half and filled with shredded paper. My shoebox experiment proved a wash. "He's learning how to be a man."

The tiny kitten is pawing at the shredded paper and looking a little shocked that he's been asked to do his business in a particular spot.

Watching me separate the eggs she sighs.

"Would you like a regular omelet?" I ask.

"You’re making egg white ones?"

I nod.

"It just seems like such a waste."

I smile. "I'll give you my yolks."

"You train to fight?"

I don't really want to talk about what I do, but my silence registers as an invitation.

"Come on. What kind of fighting is it? Do you box?"

Pouring the eggs into the round pan, I sigh. "I'm a cage fighter."

There's a long silence, this time from her.

"What's that?"

She's gotta be fucking kidding me.

I just turn to her. "You don't know mixed martial arts? MMA?"

"Well, yeah," she says, looking a little startled. "Of course, I know what that is."

Clearly, she doesn't.

"I mean, I know it's martial arts. But what about the cage?"

"Well, you fight in a cage. Three rounds. You just fight until the end."

There's another long silence while I pile on the shredded cheese and green onion.

"Are you in a gang?"

I feel a stab in my side, like an old wound. Shifting my weight, I try to sound casual. "I was. But I'm not anymore."

"You got out?" There's something in her voice. Relief?

"My coach, the guy at the gym? He bought me out. I don’t know how."

For some reason, this seems to make her relax. Usually people think it’s cool to be in a gang. It's not. It's a fucking nightmare.