Choices

Over the next few days, Auralia went through her usual day, training with Lucas. However, when it came to her lessons with Mrs. Davidson, she skipped them, avoiding the Davidson Family. They thankfully didn't say anything about and even gave her some space.

It gave her the space to process everything she had learnt about the Davidson family. Her family. It was a hard pill to swallow but she soon accepted that her father had a hidden past and he had planned to never tell her.

"Auralia?" A voice called out suddenly, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Turning her head, she saw that the source of the voice was Lucas. He gazed at her, curiosity clear on his face as he held out boxing gloves for her.

The man was a decade older than her being in his thirties, but he made Auralia feel like he was the brother she never had. He was a head taller than Auralia and had a mop of curly brown hair and light brown eyes.

"You okay there?" He asked, handing her the gloves.

"Um…yeah." Auralia gave him a faint smile before taking the gloves.

"You sure?" He raised an eyebrow. "I don't want you going into the ring with something on your mind. You know how dangerous that is for a bodyguard."

"Yeah, I know." Auralia said, putting the gloves back on. "It was the first thing you taught me. A distracted mind leads to grave mistakes."

Lucas nodded his head and crossed his arms over his bulging chest, making his black t-shirt tighten. "Yeah, so I suggest you spit out whatever is bothering you before you get into the ring. And don't bother lying to me. I've trained enough people to know what a distracted person looks like."

Auralia sighed knowing Lucas wasn't going to give up. "I'm just dealing with some family things…"

"And…"

"I don't know how to deal with it I guess…I need to make a decision but it's extremely hard to decide. I'm choosing between my freedom or my father's dojo. Both with consequences."

"Are you second guessing about the bodyguard gig?" Lucas asked.

Auralia nodded, knowing that Lucas knew about everything. "A little. Someone gave me a chance to get out of it but I run the risk of losing my father's dojo."

"Auralia, I want to ask you something. When Mrs. Ezra came to you with the gig, why did you agree to it? Why did saving your father's dojo out way a year of your freedom?" Lucas questioned, looking Auralia straight in the eye. "And what has changed now that's making you question your choices?"

He paused for a second. "You don't have to answer me but think deeply about it. And don't get me wrong, I'd love to see you become a bodyguard but I know there's a better purpose out there for you. In a very special place…"

"…" Auralia felt a lost for words, not sure what to say.

"Alright, enough chitchat. Practice your punches on the sandbag and think over this, okay." He ruffled her hair. "Just don't overdo it."

With that, he left her alone to think over what he had said.

***

When Auralia was finished with her training for the day, she decided to pay a visit to the dojo. She hadn't been to it in a while, having closed it for three months. The only people would possibly be there were Jamie and some of the kids, practicing for the upcoming tournament.

When she got there, she found Jamie and a few of the others using the place for extra training. Suddenly, Lucas words flooded her head and she realize what he was trying to get at.

Even if she was angry at her father over hiding such a big secret, she couldn't let that bitterness destroy what she had been building here with the kids here. They had a tournament and possible future but if she let go of the dojo, she would crush it.

"Coach!" The six kids cried out as she stepped onto the mat.

The cool material under her feet brought her a sense of peace and made her recall why this place was so important to her. She couldn't let it go.

"Hey kiddos." She smiled at them. "Have you guys been practicing hard?"

Emily, a small girl with blond hair, nodded eagerly. "Yes Coach! Coach Lucas has been teaching us a lot and with there being no classes, it gives us more time to practice."

Auralia smiled softly, happiness flowing into her. "That's good. I'm glad Coach Lucas has been helping you out."

She was grateful that Lucas had done BJJ before and was skilled enough to take over and teach the kids while she was busy.

"Have you guys eaten yet?" She asked the group.

They all looked at her sheepishly and she shook her head. "Come on. Let's get you all some lunch. You know how important it is to eat."

"Okay Coach!"

***

When Auralia got back to the Davidson Family mansion, she felt much happier than when she had left. The sun had already set, it close to dinner time.

After getting lunch with the kids, she had watched over them and checked on their progress. She was glad that they had improved while she was gone, although there was still some work to do. Despite that she was content with their progress.

Now she just had one last thing to take care of.

When she entered the mansion, she immediately made her way to the office Jason would use when working from home.

Knocking on the door, she heard someone call out for her to enter. She did so, finding Jason busy looking over documents. He seemed to be a little tired, dark circles clear under his eyes.

Looking up, he gave her a weak smile. "Auralia, what do I owe the pleasure?"

Standing in front of the grand oak desk, she said with a clear voice "I've made my decision. I'm going to keep going through with this arranged marriage."