MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

Damon made his way toward the backyard, his steps slow.

He glanced back over his shoulder, expecting to see Svetlana trailing behind him, but the space was empty.

She was nowhere to be found.

He rolled his eyes and let out a sigh, shaking his head.

It wasn't that he was scared of Macey, but their dynamic was… different.

He wasn't nearly as comfortable with her as he was with Victor.

Macey had an air of authority about her, the kind that demanded respect without saying a word.

She carried herself with a level of confidence that was both impressive and intimidating.

Damon respected her, no doubt, but being around her felt more like stepping into a negotiation than a casual conversation.

As he approached the backyard, he squared his shoulders slightly, bracing himself.

Damon stepped out through the sliding door, his eyes immediately drawn to the pristine swimming pool in front of him.

The water was crystal clear, surrounded by neatly arranged pool chairs that gave the area a relaxed yet sophisticated vibe.

He scanned the area, searching for Macey, but she wasn't near the pool.

His gaze swept across the backyard, and he kept moving.

As he rounded a corner, he finally spotted her by a bed of flowers.

She was crouched slightly, her focus on tending to the plants.

She wore a casual outfit, light jeans and a simple shirt, and a wide-brimmed hat that shaded her face from the sun.

It was an unexpectedly calm scene, far from the authoritative presence she usually carried.

Seeing her carefully tending to the flowers, Damon felt himself relax slightly.

The nerves he'd been holding onto eased, though a part of him was still surprised.

He hadn't pegged Macey as someone who enjoyed gardening.

As he approached, he cleared his throat softly to make his presence known.

Macey glanced up, a faint smile crossing her face when she saw him.

Damon smiled as Macey removed her gardening gloves, patting her hands clean against her jeans.

He extended his hand for a handshake, maintaining his polite demeanor. "Good morning." he said.

Macey looked at his hand for a moment, then raised an eyebrow.

A playful smirk appeared on her face as she stepped forward, bypassing the handshake entirely, and pulled him into a warm, motherly hug.

"You're shaking hands with me now? What are we, business associates?" she teased, her tone light and affectionate.

Damon chuckled awkwardly, caught off guard.

Macey let out a laugh, stepping back but keeping a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, please. You're practically family at this point, Damon."

Damon relaxed, his initial nervousness melting away. "Noted," he replied with a grin.

Macey turned back to her garden, brushing some dirt from her hands. "Wanna help?"

Damon shrugged. "Sure. Not like I've got anything better to do."

She handed him a pair of gloves, but Damon noticed she didn't put any on herself. "What about you?" he asked.

She chuckled, waving off the question. "I grew up on a large farm, Damon. My family had plenty of cattle and acres of land. This little garden's nothing compared to that."

Damon blinked, surprised as he slipped on the gloves. "Really? I wouldn't have guessed."

Macey smirked, catching his reaction. "That surprise you?"

"A little," Damon admitted.

Macey crouched back down, adjusting a row of flowers. "My father was a businessman, a great one, actually. But my mother? She wanted a quiet, simple life on a farm. So he gave her just that. She raised us with one foot in the corporate world and the other firmly planted in the soil."

Damon chuckled as he knelt beside her. "Huh, so that explains more of Svetlana farm home dream. Makes a lot more sense now."

Macey laughed softly, looking over at him. "Oh, does it? She's mentioned that to you, huh?"

Damon nodded as he listened, noticing the nostalgic glimmer in Macey's eyes.

She paused for a moment, as if replaying memories in her mind. "Well," she began, her tone soft, "her late family had a small farmhouse. When she came here, Victor and I tried everything to make her feel at home. We took her to beaches, introduced her to new friends... we did all we could."

Macey chuckled, shaking her head. "But nothing seemed to break through her shell."

Her gaze shifted to the flowers, her hands lightly brushing a petal. "Then, one day, I decided to take her to my parents' farmhouse. It wasn't anything grand, just a modest place with open land. She didn't like it at first, oh, not at all," she said with a soft laugh. "She was still grieving, and it was just too much."

Damon looked at her, seeing the deep love and pride in her expression.

He could tell how much Svetlana meant to her, how hard she had worked to bring light back into her life.

"But over time," Macey continued, a warm smile spreading across her face, "something shifted. She started loving it. The quiet, the peace... it became her safe place. Just like she's grown to love beaches now."

Damon smiled at her words, imagining Svetlana in those moments, finding comfort and joy in things she once resisted. "She's lucky to have you," he said softly.

Macey turned to him, her smile deepening. "We're lucky to have her, too."
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That statement made Damon pause for a moment, a curious thought crossing his mind.

Why didn't they have any biological children? The question lingered briefly, but he quickly shook his head, reminding himself it wasn't his place to wonder.

What mattered was the bond he saw now. The love and care Macey had for Svetlana, and by extension, for him.

He smiled to himself, feeling a quiet sense of gratitude.

Lana had a family who genuinely cared for her, and now, his family was becoming a part of this circle.

It was more than he could have hoped for.

And as he looked at Macey, tending to her flowers with a warmth that was both maternal and kind, Damon realized he never really had a reason to feel nervous around her.

This wasn't someone to fear, this was family.