“I don’t remember caring much about the belt.”
Ryan’s smile tightened.
Derek Mills walked over.
“What’s going on?”
Ryan gestured toward Maya.
“She used to train.”
Derek nodded politely.
“Cool.”
Ryan continued.
“She says belts don’t matter.”
Maya turned toward him.
“I did not say that.”
“You basically did.”
“No.”
“I said I didn’t care much about mine.”
Nearby, Caleb Stone was sitting against the wall, wrapping his hands.
He glanced up.
“You’re translating badly.”
Several students laughed.
Ryan ignored him.
“What styles?”
Maya answered without hesitation.
“Karate.”
“Judo.”
“Some boxing.”
Ryan laughed.
“All three?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
Maya looked at him.
“Long enough.”
Across the gym, Thomas Reed heard the conversation.
He looked toward Maya.
Something about her face seemed familiar.
But he could not place it.
Ryan stepped onto the mat.
“Come on.”
Maya frowned.
“What?”
“Show us something.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m waiting for Thomas.”
Ryan smiled.
“You worried?”
“No.”
“Then pick somebody.”
Derek shook his head.
“Ryan, leave her alone.”
“I’m being friendly.”
Caleb pulled the tape tight around his wrist.
“No.”
Ryan turned toward him.
Caleb looked up.
“You’re performing.”
That earned another round of laughter.
Ryan pointed toward him.
“Fine.”
Then he pointed at the three black belts.
“Caleb.”
“Derek.”
“Me.”
He looked back at Maya.
“Pick one.”
That was when she pointed at all three.
And moments later, Thomas Reed finally walked closer.
“Maya?”
She looked at him.
Thomas stared.
Then his face changed.
“Maya Bennett?”
Ryan looked between them.
“You know her?”
Maya sighed.
“Apparently.”
Thomas laughed once in disbelief.
“What are you doing here?”
Maya pointed toward the box.
“I brought something that belonged to my father.”
Thomas stopped smiling.
For a moment, the entire gym seemed to disappear from his face.
“Anthony?”
Maya nodded.
“He died in March.”
Thomas lowered his head.
“I didn’t know.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.”
Thomas looked at the box.
“What is it?”
“His notebooks.”
Thomas’s eyes widened.
Ryan looked between them.
“Who was her father?”
Thomas did not answer.
Maya continued.
“He left a note saying some of them should come here.”
Thomas stared at her.
“Anthony Bennett?”
“Yes.”
The name meant something to several of the older students.
Not to Ryan.
And that was about to change.
Anthony Bennett
Thomas walked slowly toward the cardboard box.
His hand rested on the top flap.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Finally, Ryan broke the silence.
“Who was Anthony Bennett?”
Thomas looked at him.
“My instructor.”
Ryan shrugged.
“Okay.”
Thomas’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“You’ve heard me talk about the man who taught me?”
Ryan thought for a moment.
“Probably.”
“Probably?”
Derek laughed quietly.
Ryan ignored him.
Thomas looked back at the box.
“Before Northgate Martial Arts existed, I trained in a small warehouse on the east side of Richmond.”
Maya watched him.
“There were no fancy mats.”
Thomas continued.
“No championship banners. No social media. No sponsors.”
He smiled faintly.
“Half the time, we trained with the doors open because the air conditioning didn’t work.”
A few of the older students nodded.
They had heard stories.
Thomas looked toward Maya.
“Anthony Bennett taught there.”
Ryan crossed his arms.
“Was he some kind of famous fighter?”
“No.”
“Then why does everyone look like somebody just walked into the room?”
Maya answered quietly.
“Because somebody died.”
Ryan’s face changed.
Thomas took a breath.
“My teacher never cared about being famous.”
He looked around the gym.
“He cared about teaching.”
Then Thomas looked directly at Ryan.
“And he had a particular dislike for talented young men who thought being good at fighting meant they were automatically good at understanding people.”
The room went silent.
Ryan forced a laugh.
“Sounds like we would’ve gotten along.”
Thomas did not smile.
“No.”
“You wouldn’t have.”
Caleb lowered his head to hide a grin.
Ryan’s jaw tightened.
Thomas turned toward Maya.
“You trained with him?”