Sophie blocked Izzie’s punch and counter jabbed. She easily landed the punch. Izzie shook it off and bounced on her toes. Sophie moved around her until she saw an opening. She crouched down and flew into a flying leg sweep. She stopped just before she made contact.
“Hey! Focus, Iz!”
Izzie tapped her head guard with her glove and nodded. “Sorry.” She mouthed around the mouthpiece she was forced to wear.
In the words of Ryan Wilder-Moore, ‘We’ve put too much money into making sure those teeth are perfect for her to get them knocked out.’
They reset and returned to sparring. Once again, Sophie pulled back before she landed a punch.
“Hey! Get your head in the game, Isabella! I nearly took your head off just now.”
Izzie’s shoulders slumped as she went back into her stance. Sophie took a step back.
“What’s going on with you?”
“I’m sorry. I’ll get it together.”
“No, you won’t. We’re done for the day.”
“But Mom.”
“No. You know the rule. We don’t spar when your head isn’t in it. That’s how you get hurt. It’s how you get killed out there.” Sophie admonished.
She took Izzie’s training very seriously. If her daughter was going out in the bat suit, she sure as hell was going to make sure she was prepared.
Izzie dropped her head, sweat dripping from her brow.
Sophie sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“Iz. I know you. Talk to me.”
Izzie looked at her mother with matching hazel eyes. At twenty years old, Izzie was tall and lanky just like her mom. They now stood eye to eye.
“I don’t think I can do this.” Izzie said quietly.
“Do what? Spar?”
“No. I don’t think I can be Batwoman.”
Izzie stared at the floor. Sophie looked at her drooping shoulders and sad eyes.
“Where is this coming from? You’ve been training for months and now you don’t think you can do it?”
Izzie shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. Sophie sighed. Something was going on with her kid, but getting Izzie to open up wasn’t always easy. Izzie was her twin in many ways. Unfortunately, her middle daughter had inherited her ability to keep things inside.
Sophie pulled off her gloves and headed over to grab some water. Izzie knew to follow. Sophie passed her a bottle and they sat down on the mat.
“You want to tell me what brought this on?”
Izzie was quiet for a while before she spoke. Her raspy voice was so low, Sophie could barely hear her. “I’m not good enough, Mom.”
Sophie raised a brow. That wasn’t like Izzie. Isabella Simone was a lot of things, but humble was not one of them. That girl had believed she was ‘that girl’ since she was old enough to walk. Self-confidence had never been an issue for her.
“What makes you say that?”
“I’m just not, okay! Thinking I could be Batwoman was stupid. I’m sorry I’ve wasted you and Uncle Luke’s time.”
Sophie scratched her head. She didn’t know where any of this was coming from. She was at a loss right now.
“Iz…”
“I’m tired. Can I go now?”
Sophie could hear the defeat in Izzie’s voice. She hadn’t heard that tone in her voice in a long time. It made something ache in Sophie’s chest.
“Fine. You can go for now, but we’re not done with this conversation. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Sophie watched with worried eyes as her most brash and outspoken child walked out of the workout room looking like the weight of the world was on her shoulders.
‘What is going on with you, kid?’ Sophie said to herself.
Ryan dropped the arm full of soccer gear to the floor in the mud room.
“Um… hello! Last time I checked, this stuff did not belong to me.”
Nicco and Gia froze on the back staircase and turned around. Gia was the first to rush over and collect her things. “Sorry Mama. I forgot.”
“Thank you, Gia.”
She gave her son a raised brow when he didn’t move fast enough.
“Sorry Ma. My bad.”
He flashed his adorable dimples at her. Ryan kissed her teeth.
“Don’t try to charm me. If I don’t fall for your mother’s dimples, what makes you think yours will work?”
“Grandma J says I’m charming.”
Ryan gave him a bored look. “Grandma J thinks everything any of you do is charming.”
Gia snorted. “Busted.”
“Shut up!”
“Don’t you two start. Take your gear and put it away properly. Then go shower.” She sniffed the air around them. “You both smell like outdoors.”
Gia tilted her head and made a face. She reminded Ryan of Charlie at that moment. She knew some random useless fact was about to tumble out of her daughter’s adorable mouth.
“Mama, you know…”
Ryan held up a hand. “Don’t give me some long scientific reason why you can’t smell like outdoors. It’s a Black thing. Leave it at that.”
Gia smirked. “Okay Mama, if you say so.”
Nicco looked at his sister and rolled his eyes. “You’re such a nerd.”
“And you’re an insipid vacuous fool.”
Nicco frowned. “Mom, Gia called me inse… insepu… you heard her!”
Gia gave him a condescending smirk.
“Gia, don’t make fun of your brother. Nicco, if you’d stop antagonizing your sister, she wouldn’t call you things you can’t pronounce.”
Nicco huffed and grabbed his things. Ryan shook her head as she watched them go. It was like Charlie and Izzie all over again, but on steroids this time.
She moved into the kitchen and checked the mail lying on the counter. She smiled when she felt familiar arms slip around her waist.
“Hey baby.”
Sophie leaned in and placed a kiss on Ryan's neck. “Hey beautiful.”
Ryan turned around to reciprocate the kiss when she saw the state of her wife. She held out a hand and pushed Sophie back.
“Eww! You’re all sweaty. Why does everyone in this house smell like outdoors?”
Sophie frowned. “Is that a thing?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
Sophie snorted and stepped back. She leaned in and placed a quick kiss to Ryan’s lips making sure her sweaty body didn’t touch Ryan’s business suit.
“Where are the twins?”
“I sent them to shower.”
“How was your day?”
“Fine. I didn’t take anyone’s head off if that’s what you’re wondering.”
Now that Jada had retired, Ryan was now CEO of Jeturian with Marquis as COO. Jada finally got her dream. Her baby girl and baby boy were running the company she’d rebuilt. Wayne had been left in the capable hands of Luke. Both companies frequently worked together on several ventures which could lead to chaos with three hot heads in the room.
“Well, that’s certainly good to hear. You and your brother need to stop ganging up on Luke.”
Ryan poked out her bottom lip. “But it’s so much fun.”
Sophie just shook her head and laughed. Some things would never change. Ryan would always be a brat.
Ryan ran her eyes up and down Sophie’s frame. The years had been good to Sophie Moore. She was still as fine as she was twenty years ago. She bit her lip.
“Not that I don’t like seeing all this…” Ryan gestured to Sophie’s sports bra and tights. “... but what’s up? I thought you had your own meetings today?”
“Finished up early, so Iz and I did some sparring.”
“And how is that coming?” Ryan asked as she moved over to the refrigerator. She glanced inside, trying to decide on dinner.
Izzie’s training to be Batwoman was still a sensitive subject for Ryan. She understood why Izzie wanted to do it. She even accepted that it was happening. However, she was a mother first and all she could see was her baby lying on the streets of Gotham hurt and alone.
“Not so good.”
Ryan looked up. “What happened? Is she hurt?”
“No. She says that she doesn’t want to be Batwoman. She said she can’t do it.”
Ryan looked confused. “Can’t do it?”
“Yep.”
“Isabella said that?” Ryan asked in disbelief.
“Yeah. Something is going on with her. She wouldn’t talk about it, but I have an idea of what it might be.”
Ryan waited. “Care to share?”
“Ry, when was the last time you talked to her about her training or even watched her?”
“You know I left that up to you and Luke. I trust you two to prepare her and know when she’s ready.”
Sophie rounded the island and looked Ryan in her eyes. “She needs you.”
Ryan scoffed. “Isabella Simone does not need me. That girl was going out as Batwoman right under my nose and I didn’t know a thing.”
Sophie shook her head. “Ry, Izzie might be my twin, but she has been yours since the day she was born. She is her Mama’s child and she needs you.”
Ryan sighed. “It’s not that I’m not… proud. I’m just so worried. Soph, she’s my Izzie-bear.”
“I know. Your Izzie-bear could use some encouragement from the OG Batwoman and her Mama. That girl idolizes you. She needs you to believe in her.”
“Where is she?”
“Her place.”
Her place was the remodeled basement. When Charlie came home from medical school, they turned the basement area into a fully functional apartment. Once Charlie moved out, Izzie took over the space. It worked out well. Izzie got her own space and privacy while Sophie and Ryan got the peace of mind that came with having their child under the same roof.
“I’ll go talk to her. You go shower and figure out what we’re doing for dinner.”
Sophie saluted her playfully. “Ma’am, yes ma’am.”
Ryan rolled her eyes. She smacked Sophie on the ass as she headed upstairs. “If you get clean enough, I’ll get you really dirty later.”
Sophie’s laugh could be heard up the stairs. “Promises. Promises.”
Ryan went through the garage and tapped on Izzie’s door.
“I don’t want to talk, Mom. I’m tired.”
“It’s not Mom. It’s me.”
A few moments passed before the door opened. Ryan’s heart ached when she saw her daughter’s disheveled look and blood shot eyes. It was obvious that she’d been crying.
“Hey. What’s up?” Izzie asked, trying to appear casual.
Ryan didn’t say anything. She just looked her over. “Can I come in?”
Izzie turned and left the door open. Ryan came inside and closed the door. She looked around. The living room was dark. There was a blanket on the sofa and the television was playing in the background.
Izzie flopped down on the sofa. “I guess you talked to Mom.”
“I did.”
“Look, I really don’t want to talk about it.”
“Talk about what? You quitting?”
“I’m not quitting! I’m just… I’m just facing reality. I can’t do it. I’m not good enough.”
Ryan slipped off her heels and sat down next to Izzie. She groaned as she rubbed her feet.
“Did I ever tell you about the time I gave the suit back to Uncle Luke?”
“What?”
Ryan nodded. “You seem to forget that I’m actually not the OG Batwoman. Kate Kane was.”
“Who?”
“Kate Kane was the original Batwoman. She was Bruce Wayne’s cousin. She was also your mom’s old flame, but that’s a story for another day. Anyway, Uncle Luke really gave me a hard time in those early days. He didn’t trust me yet. He didn’t think I deserved the suit.”
“What changed?”
Ryan chuckled. “I proved him wrong, of course.”
“How?”
“I kept at it. I kept training and working hard until I felt like I was worthy of wearing it. It wasn’t really about what anyone else thought. I had to believe it myself and make Batwoman my own.”
Izzie played with a stray thread on the blanket. Ryan lifted her chin up. She smiled when she saw those gorgeous hazel eyes staring back at her.
“You have to do the same… and I’m going to help you.”
Izzie looked up. “What?”
“I think you need the guidance of someone who knows the weight of wearing that suit.”
“But I thought you didn’t want to train me?”
“I don’t. No matter how old you get, you’re still my baby, Iz, my Izzie-bear. My biggest fear is something happening to you out there, which is why I need to be the one training you.”
Ryan cradled her daughter’s face in her hands. “You’ve been living life on the edge since the day you were born, girl.”
Izzie cracked a smile.
Ryan chuckled. “We practically had Gotham Memorial on speed dial. You were always leaping off of something or trying to fly. You were like Icarus, flying too close to the sun. But that’s what makes you the Izzie we all know and love. That’s what makes you perfect to be the next Batwoman.”
A tear fell from Izzie’s eye. Ryan gently wiped it away and pulled her into her arms. Izzie sank into her embrace. She’d never get too old for her Mama’s hugs.
“I want you to know something. I am very proud of you. I may not have liked how we got here, but I respect that you’ve done everything your mom and I required when it came to training. I have no doubt that you can do this. You are good enough, Isabella. You’re going to be better than I ever was.”
“I love you, Mama.”
“I love you, too, baby girl.”
Ryan patted her on the leg and stood. “Training starts at six sharp in the workout room.”
“Six?!”
Ryan raised a brow and Izzie immediately nodded. That didn’t stop her from mumbling under her breath. Some things would never change.
“I left your mother in charge of dinner, which means the twins have already talked her into pizza. Feel free to come up if you’re up to it.”
A small smile grew on Izzie’s face. “I’m always up for pizza.”
“Good.”
“Hey Mama?”
Ryan turned in the doorway. “Hmm?”
“Thanks.”
Ryan winked. “Thank me after tomorrow.”
Sophie rolled over the next morning and groaned. She was beginning to think she was getting too old for these all-night lovemaking sessions with Ryan. Then she’d think of how incredible it felt to love and be loved by Ryan Wilder-Moore and that thought went out the window. She reached to the other side of the bed and frowned when she found it empty and already cold. She glanced at the time on her phone and frowned. Now that the twins were older, she and Ryan didn’t rise as early on their days off.
Knowing she wouldn’t be able to fall back to sleep without Ryan, she crawled out of bed and made her way into the bathroom to have a shower.
After dressing, Sophie strolled through the house finding it eerily quiet. It wasn’t until she made it downstairs that she heard any signs of life. She could vaguely hear the sound of the twins’ voices coming from the workout room.
Her eyes widened at what she saw. The twins were sitting along the wall watching their Mama and sister sparring.
“Good shot, Mama!” Nicco cheered.
Izzie groaned as she lay flat on her back. “Thanks for the support, little bro.”
“Hey. I call it like I see it. Mama is kicking your a…”
“Swear jar!” Gia said evenly.
“I didn’t even say it! You interrupted me.” He insisted.
“All these years and we still need the swear jar.” Sophie said, walking in. “Morning family.”
“Morning babe.” Ryan said, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
“Morning Mom.” The kids said.
“What’s going on here?”
“Mama is kicking Izzie’s…”
“Nicco!” Ryan and Sophie both said.
“What? I was going to say behind.” He shrugged his shoulders.
Izzie laughed as she got to her feet. “No. He’s right. She’s kicking my… behind.” She and Ryan shared a tender look. “It’s what I needed.”
Sophie nodded at her proudly. They were careful not to mention anything about Batwoman in front of the twins. Although Gia was probably mature enough to handle knowing, Nicco, God love him, would probably take out an ad in the Gotham Gazette that his big sister was Batwoman.
“Alright, that’s enough for today. Time to hit the showers.”
“Do you smell like outdoors, Mama?” Gia asked mischievously.
Ryan kissed her teeth. “How about you tell me?”
Ryan started chasing Gia around the room until she caught the girl and covered her with her sweaty body, placing kisses all over her curly head.
Nicco pointed and laughed out loud. He never saw Izzie’s sneak attack. She lifted him over her shoulder causing him to squeal.
Sophie watched fondly as her family chased and teased each other like old times. She snorted. The only thing that would make this moment better was if her Chuck was there.
Almost like she was summoned, Charlie’s voice could be heard over the chaos.
“There you guys are! I’ve been ringing the doorbell like crazy.”
Izzie looked up. “Why would you ring the doorbell, Chuck?”
“Because I don’t live here anymore. Married, remember?” Charlie said, holding up her left hand, diamond sparkling on her ring finger.
“I think what your sister means is, this will always be your home, Chuck.”
“Good, because we’re hungry. Mason and I came by hoping Mama cooked breakfast.”
Ryan kissed her teeth and released Gia. “One of these days, it would be nice if my children would cook for me.”
“You mean like ‘my Mom’ would cook mac-and-cheese for you all the time?” Charlie asked cheekily.
“Hush, bug.”
“Why would we try cooking when you’re so good at it?” Izzie asked.
She moved over and fist bumped her older sister. Sophie couldn’t help but smile. Her Chuck and Izzie were still two peas in a pod.
“Can we please have sweet potato pancakes? Please, Mama?” Charlie pleaded while batting her eyes.
Ryan shook her head and looked at Sophie. They shared a smile. Ryan knew she was cooking.
“Fine. Everyone go wash up.”
“Yes!” Izzie and Charlie said while the twins joined in. They all hustled out the door towards the kitchen like hungry savages.
Sophie slowly made her way over to Ryan and pulled her close.
“So, you’re training her? What happened to ‘I can’t be rational about my baby, Soph’?”
Ryan shrugged her shoulders. “Someone told me that part of being a good parent is putting your own fears aside to allow your child to soar.”
“Not bad advice. Who told you that, Mama Cora?”
“Nope. Diane Moore did.”
Sophie smiled tenderly as she remembered her late mother. “Well, how about that?”
“Yes. How about that?” Ryan lifted up on her toes and pressed her lips to Sophie’s.
“Mama! Gia called me incom… incom…”
“The word is incompetent, genius.” Gia’s voice rang out.
Ryan sighed while Sophie laughed. “Come on, Mama. Our family awaits.”
-fin-
Hope you guys have a Happy New Year! Thanks for reading. 🫶🏽