Its been a while since I've been inside the Walker.

I forgot how bright it was.

And...eerily clean white.

But Elli didn't seem to mind.

After our awkward coffee talk, we decided to head over this direction. The gallery isn't that far from her apartment; just a short walk through the park. I figured a cab would be quicker, but Elli insisted. It could've been that she was proud of her ensemble, though if you asked me it didn't seem all that fabulous. Just a forest green sundress that extended to just above the knee, which was offset by her old Chuck Taylor's.

But hey, if it made her happy, who am I to argue?

"Isn't this place great?" Elli asked me in a quiet, yet excitable, tone. "I'm not much of an art person, but I always begged my dad to take me over here."

"Ehh...The Walker really isn't my kind of art," I commented.

"Why not? You're the only friend I have that knows his Michelangelos from his Monets."

"Well I suppose that's the point," I explained. "There is something to their style of art. The way they expressed form. The vision of nature that danced in their eyes. It feels real when you look at their work. These..." I paused, gesturing toward a white canvas with a fully painted off-white square in the middle. "...These just make me uncomfortable."

Elli examined the painting, tilting her head to the side. "What's the point?"

I walked over, looking at the plaque that explained the artwork. "'This work is meant to represent the feeling of anxiousness. The gentlest sight of something unexpected will make any viewer uncomfortable by..." I trailed off, rolling my eyes. "Hoo boy...this one really went into his dictionary for this one, huh?" Elli started laughing quietly, which caused me to chuckle in response. "What? Am I wrong?"

"No, you're not wrong," She giggled. "I just never thought you'd be so against modern art. Considering that you're such a-"

"Such a what?" I asked, faking an insult. Without letting her answer, I just shrugged. "I just never really got into it. Our family vacations were traveling north to the Iron Range and checking out smaller galleries up that way." I walked over to a painting with a series of geometric shapes, their colors changing as they overlapped. "They weren't anything amazing or out there; just people who enjoyed drawing, painting, or taking pictures of the nature around them. And it was...nice. Peaceful. It made me feel more relaxed."

There was a silence between us as we looked at the paintings.

Then, Elli said, "You haven't told me much about your family, right?"

"Just about my father."

"Riiight, Cambodia. Did he ever make it stateside?"

"I think he did," I sheepishly replied. "Or he was getting ready to come home. Truth be told, I might have lost his email while I was traveling."

"Is it just him that's around?"

"Well he wasn't really 'around,' exactly, but-"

"You know what I mean," Elli playfully batted at me.

"Oh, no, my mother raised me by herself," I elaborated. "...Well, her and her husband, I guess. Benjamin Jones...the guy who stepped in to be like a father to me." I stopped talking, thinking of the two of them while turning away form the art and looking out the window. I wonder what those two were up to...maybe I should give them a call.

I felt a hand grip my arm as I turned to look at Elli. Her expression softened, saying "I didn't mean to make you upset, Dio."

I blinked, feeling the wetness of tears around my eyes. They had welled up and I hadn't even realized it. Without moving to wipe them away, I swallowed hard, smiling as I said, "You did nothing wrong. I just realized that, for the first time in a long time, I know what is going on with both my parents. They're happy and healthy. Its nice not having to worry about them." I took a second to wipe the tears from my face, then said, "They're the reason I went into the business, you know."

Elli nodded. "Yeah, I think you told me that. You wanted to follow your dad so you could find him. But what about with your mom?"

"For her, it was a different reason. Money was always tight with us. Between her and Benjamin, they were able to help me go to college and get a degree. I was a smart kid, but being smart wasn't enough to pay my tuition. I wanted to return the kindness to both of them, and help them in any way I can."

Elli raised an eyebrow. "Ooooh, I get it; now that everyone around you is happy, you're wondering what you can do to make yourself happy, right?"

I stared for a second, then shook my head. She had nailed it, but I wasn't ready to admit that to myself. "Great, now you're sounding like Elbrook."

"Hey, you leave my uncle alone!"

"I'm trying to, but he keeps telling me I'm his best patient. He still schedules me to get some coffee and catch up."

"No wonder he hasn't made any of my coffee dates..." Elli joked.

We walked through more of the gallery before we saw the sculpture garden in the back. "Oh yeah, we gotta see the cherry spoon!"

"Do we really need to?" I asked unenthusiastically.

"It just feels like the...I dunno, the most Minnesota thing you can do, y'know?" She asked rhetorically before grabbing me by the hand and pulling me along, saying "Come on! I want to find a good spot to look at it!"

I didn't have the heart to tell her that I hated that thing.

But I also didn't tell her because...she was surprisingly strong.

There was nothing wrong with that, of course...

...It was just something I hadn't realized until now.

---

---

It was just the three of us in the sculpture garden.

Just me.

Elli.

And a giant spoon with a cherry on the end, the stem also acting as a fountain.

I stood there, not at all impressed by the sculpture. I knew I had to stomach it for Elli's sake, though. I dreaded looking over to see how she looked.

I braved it anyway.

Her face looked like she had just caught wind of old lunch meat.

I blinked, saying, "Well, this is what you wanted to see, right?"

Elli sighed. "Yeah, I did, but..."

"But what?"

"It looks so...so..."

"Yes?"

"Booooooring," Elli whined. She sat on the ground, looking up at the sculpture. "I thought it'd be cooler in-person. Like there was some mystery I needed to crack by looking at it."

I sat next to her, completely understanding. "Well that's just how life goes, doesn't it?" I stretch my arms out as wide as I could. "GREAT EXPECTATIONS!" And just as quickly, pulled my hands together and forcing a small gap between them. "Great disappointment," I muttered.

It was nonsense, but we both laughed as we stared at this weird sculpture in front of us. "Thanks for humoring me, D. Its nice knowing I can count on you."

It was strange; I could tell that her words were sincere, but there was something else behind what she was saying.

Sorrow.

Disappointment.

The fear of missing out.

"Elli," I said after a long pause. "Why did we come here?"

I had a feeling that there was more to this trip than just coming to the gallery to make fun of modern art. Elli tucked her knees into her chest, saying "I just wanted some time with a good friend..."

"Don't kid, Elli. Something has been bothering you since we talked this morning."

Elli sighed. "You're right, Dio. Something is bothering me." She turned her head to face me, a hardened look crossing her face. "And I also remember telling you I didn't want to talk about it."

"Isn't that why I'm here, though?" I countered. "Look, you and I both know that you've been keeping something back this entire morning. If you really didn't want to talk about it, I don't think you'd go so far as to invite me to this gallery a short walk from your place." I smiled, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "Its okay. You can tell me."

Her feet were drawing circles as she was debating with herself on what to do. "Well..." she finally said, "You remember how I said things were...kind of weird...between Jacob and I?"

"Sure, I remember that."

"Well...what do you think of Jacob?"

"What, for you? He seems-"

"No, no," Elli protested. "Not like that. I mean...as a person. What do you think of him?"

I thought about the brief interaction I had with him this morning. In my line of work, being able to read people started to become second nature. You couldn't completely guess how people would react in the moment, but it can give you an idea of what kind of energy they give of. "He seems...nervous. Stressed, maybe. But in a way where he's always been a ball of anxiety."

Elli nodded. "Got it in one."

"But he's a paralegal, yes?" I questioned. "Surely his anxiety could be work-related."

"Maybe...He's been a lot busier lately. But I think its more than that." She pulled her knees in closer as she continued. "He keeps talking about wanting to leave the cities, but he hasn't even tried to ask me about it. Its like he's really distant to me, and I don't know if I like that."

"Maybe he thinks you won't go with him. You know, avoid the inevitable heartbreak."

"We could at least talk about it, though."

"He doesn't know that," I said matter-of-factly. "If he isn't willing to force the conversation, then maybe you need to be the one to bring it up with him. Just like I did prying this information out of you." I squeezed her arm gently. "If he cares about you, he'll open up. Trust me on that."

I could feel her hand pushing mine away by patting it gently. She looked back at me with a warm smile. "Its strange asking you for advice like this. You said you weren't exactly a casanova."

"True," I admitted, "But when you've seen the kinds of relationship problems I've had to, you get a knack for giving out good advice." I got up off the ground, brushing off the grass and any lingering dew. "Though I suppose this little trip wouldn't help anything, either."

Elli also stood up, looking confused. "What do you mean? He knows we're just friends...right?"

"Not sure why you're asking me that."

"But that's what we are!" She exclaimed in frustration. "I even told him that. He should get it based on that alone, y'know?"

"Sure, but do you think us coming out here after having a heart-to-heart is going to convince him of that?" I walked back onto the walking path to continue through the sculpture garden. I looked back at her, saying, "This might've been fun, but we can't keep doing stuff like this."

Elli looked hurt. "What, so you'll just leave me in the lurch?"

I looked back confused. "What? No, I'll still hear you out with your Jacob problems. I just meant we shouldn't meet up for stuff like this. I don't want to give him the wrong idea...especially with how things are with you two."

Elli stood there for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah...you're probably right. I'm sorry, I think I just needed to talk to you, and this felt like the best way."

"I know, and you didn't do anything wrong," I assured. "Now come on; the mist from that cherry stem is starting to smell like ass."

As we walked away, Elli cheered back up, saying, "Who even thought it was a good idea to put a fountain in that thing?"

"Right?" I replied. "Its almost like..."

I had a feeling that we would be okay after that, as we walked through that garden.

But had I only known that this was only the beginning of my trials with this woman.

---

---

Yup, I'm willing to admit it.

I'm in a slump.

...Should I be admitting something like that only after two matches? Perhaps not, but considering that these were two matches where I gave everything and came up short, its hard not to think I've actually become a disappointment.

I mean honestly, look at where I've ended up; a hot talent the previous year, having a phenomenal rookie year, only to have it start crashing down around me.

It isn't a good look, especially as someone who has described himself as the spark that reignited the fire in XWF.

Everyone has stepped up their game. New challengers, old favorites, and everyone in-between.

And while my presence has helped in many ways, I also must realize that in focusing so much on everyone else, I neglected to step up myself.

Its why I lost to SEB.

Its why I'm now 1-1 with Mark Flynn...in singles matches, anyhow.

I can't allow more opportunities to pass me by. Leap of Faith must be where my moment will come.

...I'm feeling it in the pits of my stomach.

That hunger.

The hunger we all feel when we are in survival mode.

Desperate to not be left behind.

You know that hunger, right Bob?

Your first match in the Warfare ring, and its for a shot at the briefcase?

It should be a surprise, but with your history I would say it was only a matter of time before you needed to satisfy the hunger. Former OCW Champion. Hall of Fame-worthy career. A man who has done...well, perhaps not all, but a great amount in his own right.

The hunger of a man who wanted to let everything go...until he craved the munchies for more. The first taste was for free, after all. Now you're chasing the high of competition wherever you go, all while being a beta test version of Jason Cashe.

It would have been more convenient for you to simply stay home, imbibing in your own vices. Oh don't consider that a slight, by any means. I'm named after the god of wine and also own my own vineyard. You're the perfect clientele.

Again, I hope you really don't view this as any sort of disrespect. After all, your legacy is something that should be celebrated.

Celebrated...but not added to.

I find it fantastic that you want to keep trekking through this business.

You will simply need to do so when it is not at my expense.

It was high time I took destiny into my own hands, fully commit myself to being at my absolute best.

You taught me that, Adeyemi.

Or is Prince preferred?

The man who would be king. Then became king. Only to retreat to a prince.

Last time we came together, I took the Television title off of you. 

And I know that ignited something in you. A new gear to shift into, forcing yourself to ascend even further. You became a world champion, only to have passed it off to your partner.

But that's when it sunk in.

That content nature you let linger in your blood.

You're a dominant champion in a division devoid of a challenge for the two of you. What else does Prince Adeyemi need to prove, right? The king without a throne and no lands to lord over.

What happened to the fire, Ade?

What happened to the Television champion that was going to make it his mission to turn the title from the beginners belt to the most sought after title in the company, hmm?

Whereas my efforts, while ultimately meaning my defeat, led to the title actually being elevated.

Actually mattering in the long term.

People simply need to accept that my role is not one where I need to sit upon the throne. I only need to be here, growing the kingdom into a powerful empire.

These things I do on the regular; win or lose, I never make it easy on anyone.

You would surely have learned this lesson by now, Ade.

You will come to know this as well, Bob.

Dionysus may be down...but he is definitely not out.

Leap of Faith is mine to take.

And no one, not even two former world champions, will stop me.

Its time for the Lord of the Vine to feast.