A Promise Forever
Las Vegas, Nevada
June 30th
The ceremony itself wasn't extravagant and it didn't need to be.
Surrounded by family, close friends, and the people who had walked beside them through every high and every low, LJ Kasey stood at the altar in a charcoal tuxedo while Alexandra stood opposite him looking every bit as breathtaking as he'd imagined she would.
Miles stood at his younger brother's side as best man, offering an encouraging smile that somehow managed to settle the last few butterflies still fluttering around in LJ's stomach. On Ally's side stood Ashlynn, dressed for the occasion and standing proudly beside her mother, she couldn't stop smiling.
The officiant looked toward LJ, "Lyle...your vows."
LJ took a slow breath before reaching for Ally's hands and he smiled, "I've spent a lot of my life chasing things."
A quiet laugh rippled through the guests.
"There was my family when I found out that I had one beyond my mums, there was championships, dreams, opportunities. Trying to prove that I belonged."
His eyes never left hers.
"And then one day, I stopped chasing. I found you." His voice remained steady, filled with a sincerity that needed no embellishment, "You've loved me through a lot of insanity, through victories and defeats. Through long flights, late nights studying, injuries, frustrations, and every moment where I wasn't always sure I deserved someone as incredible as you."
He smiled softly.
"But you never stopped believing in me. So today, standing here in front of everyone we love, I want to make you a promise. I promise that I'll love you for the rest of our lives. I promise to stand beside you through every challenge, every triumph, every ordinary Tuesday and every extraordinary moment. And above everything else..." His thumb gently brushed across her hand, "I promise to cherish every single moment we get together."
A tear rolled down Ally's cheek as she smiled back at him. LJ smiled through one of his own before looking toward the officiant.
"If I may..."
The officiant nodded and LJ turned slightly toward Ashlynn. She looked back at him with wide, curious eyes.
"Ash..." He smiled warmly, "I know I'm not the man who brought you into this world. And I'll never try to replace anyone. But today...today, we become a family."
He reached out, offering his hand and Ashlynn stepped forward without hesitation. LJ took her hand gently.
"I want to thank you."
A confused smile crossed her face, "For what?"
"For trusting me. For trusting me with your mum. For letting me become part of your lives." His eyes glistened, "I promise that I'll always be there for both of you. I promise that you'll never have to wonder whether somebody's in your corner. I promise to cheer the loudest at your biggest moments, pick you up when life knocks you down, and remind you every single day just how loved you are."
He squeezed her hand gently.
"We may not share the same last name because of where we started..." He glanced at Ally before looking back at Ashlynn, "But from this day forward...we share something much bigger. We're a family."
Ashlynn stepped forward before anyone prompted her and wrapped both arms around LJ. He hugged her back immediately, smiling as quiet sniffles could already be heard among the guests.
When she stepped back, LJ looked once more at Ally, "My home was never a place." He smiled through the emotion, "It was always going to be wherever the two of you were."
The officiant smiled warmly before glancing toward the guests.
"I don't believe I could possibly add anything to that."
A soft wave of laughter and tears moved through the room as Ally reached for LJ's hands once again, knowing that from that moment forward, they weren't just husband and wife.
They were exactly what LJ had promised.
A family.
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The automatic doors slid open as LJ and Ally finally made their way into baggage claim at Harry Reid International Airport, both looking considerably more tired than they had when they'd left for their honeymoon. Three flight delays, a missed connection in Dallas, and nearly seven extra hours of travel had turned what should have been a straightforward trip home into an endurance test.
LJ let out a long sigh as he pushed the luggage cart, "I'm never complaining about a direct flight again."
Ally laughed, resting her head briefly against his shoulder, "I'm holding you to that."
As they rounded the corner toward baggage claim, LJ stopped walking, "So much for surprising her."
Standing beside their pile of luggage was Ashlynn, a backpack slung over one shoulder, her laptop bag at her feet and a paperback novel already open in her hands. She looked up as soon as she spotted them and immediately broke into a grin, "There you are!"
Before either of them could say a word, she wrapped them both in a hug, "You two took forever."
LJ laughed, "Our flights had other ideas."
"I noticed." Ashlynn stepped back with a shrug, "I've been fine. I had my books and my laptop. I was perfectly entertained."
Ally smiled, brushing a loose strand of hair behind Ashlynn's ear, "How was your time with Cassandra?"
"The best." Ashlynn nodded enthusiastically, "We watched movies, ordered way too much takeout, and she still beats everyone at Mario Kart."
"That sounds like Cassandra."
"It really does."
LJ reached down to grab one of the suitcases as they started walking toward the parking garage.
"If Miles, Carter and Kevin had actually been in Vegas..." Ashlynn shrugged, "...I probably would've just grabbed an Uber over to their place."
She looked over at LJ, "But that's still being rebuilt and they are still in Olympia."
He nodded, "Yeah." After everything that had happened, Miles and Carter's condo was still under construction, the renovations taking longer than anyone had hoped, "I did promise Miles I'd stop by and check on the progress before we head home."
Ally slipped her hand into his, "Then that's our first stop."
Ashlynn smiled, "Home can wait a little longer."
LJ smiled back at the two most important people in his life. The honeymoon had been incredible. But somehow, being home with his family felt even better.
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Just this past Monday
The camera opens inside the Las Vegas home of LJ Kasey and Alexandra Calaway.
Suitcases still sit open near the front door, clothes half unpacked from a honeymoon that had ended with more airport delays than either of them cared to remember. Wedding gifts were scattered neatly around the living room waiting to find permanent homes, while two championship belts rested side by side on the kitchen island.
The SCW Internet Championship.
The Bombshell Internet Championship.
From somewhere deeper inside the house, Ashlynn could be heard laughing at something on her laptop.
The camera followed the sound of quiet conversation out onto the balcony. The evening sun was beginning to settle over the Las Vegas skyline as LJ leaned comfortably against the railing with a glass of iced tea in his hand. Beside him, Ally rested against his shoulder, her fingers intertwined with his.
"You know..." LJ said with a grin, "I think we officially spent more time in airports than we did unpacking."
Ally laughed, "That's because we've unpacked exactly one suitcase."
"I've unpacked mine."
"You took your toothbrush out."
"...Details."
She nudged him playfully, "I still can't believe we got delayed twice."
"I'm choosing to remember the honeymoon and not Dallas."
"That's probably healthier."
They shared a laugh before hearing the balcony door slide open behind them.
An SCW camera operator stepped outside, "Sorry to interrupt."
LJ turned with a smile, "You're alright."
"We were hoping we could get a few words now that you're both home."
He glanced toward Ally, "Might as well."
She nodded, "We're not doing anything."
LJ laughed, "We're avoiding unpacking."
Though you can’t see it the cameraman clearly smiled from the tone of their voice, "First of all... congratulations on you getting married, husband and wife thing. LJ on your first championship and winning the Internet Champion and Ally for retaining your Bombshell Internet Champion. Not a bad couple of weeks."
LJ looked toward Ally before answering, "I'd say they've been pretty memorable."
"So...what now?"
LJ rested his forearms on the balcony railing, "The funny thing about becoming champion is that everyone suddenly wants to test themselves against you."
"I suppose that's how it's meant to work."
"One minute you're climbing the mountain, and the next you've planted your flag at the top and everybody decides they're the one who's going to knock you off. That's where you come in, Brayden. You've got talent....I've never denied that, because that’s what I’ve been told. You've got athleticism allegedly because well you’ve sort of showed it. You've got confidence because despite the fact that you keep getting your ass kicked, you still manage to show up to work and put in the bare minimum. But talent gets people talking."
He looked back toward the house where both championships were visible through the open balcony door.
"Championships prove you can finish the job. That's the part you're still chasing. I'm not. I already caught it." He smiled to himself, "I survived an Overboard Gauntlet against Cyrus Riddle, Brandon Hendrix and Mac Bane. I didn't borrow this championship. I earned it and now everybody wants to be the first person to beat the new Internet Champion."
He shrugged.
"Congratulations. Take a number, get in line and maybe actually put in the work to get here."
The interviewer turned toward Ally, "And Carleigh?"
Ally smiled politely, "I’ll get to her eventually but right now it’s my husband’s time." She folded her arms comfortably, "Wow, that felt amazing to say"
LJ couldn't help but laugh as he looked over at Ally, "It really did."
He held up his left hand, turning the wedding band slightly in the evening light, "I've spent the last few years introducing her as my girlfriend...then my fiancée...My wife sounds a whole lot better."
The two shared a smile before LJ looked back toward the camera, his expression settling into something more focused.
"You know, Brayden, I think what makes this match so interesting isn't that you're standing across the ring from me. It's that you seem to think we're standing on the same rung of the ladder."
He shook his head.
"We're not. You're still trying to convince people you're ready. I don't have to convince anyone of anything anymore."
He reached back, resting a hand on the Internet Championship sitting on the kitchen island just inside the open balcony door.
"This...is the proof. You can tell everyone you've got talent. You can tell everyone you've got potential. You can even tell everyone that this is going to be your moment. But until you can actually finish the job....it's just another speech. I've heard plenty of them."
He chuckled to himself.
"The funny thing is, Brayden, I know exactly where you are because I used to stand there myself. I used to be the bloke everybody said had all the tools. I used to be the one people thought was almost ready. I used to be the one trying to prove I belonged.” He looked down at his wedding ring before glancing back into the camera, "A lot has changed in the last few weeks. I married the love of my life. I came home with the Internet Championship. And somewhere along the way..."
A grin spread across his face.
"...I stopped worrying about proving myself. Now I just worry about staying exactly where I am." He pointed toward the championship, "Right here."
"As for this mixed tag..." He looked over at Ally, who smiled back at him without saying a word, "I don't think people appreciate just how dangerous we are together. Not because we're husband and wife. Because we genuinely make each other better. I know exactly what she's capable of. She knows exactly what I'm capable of. And when you've got that kind of trust standing in your corner..."
He looked back into the camera, "...good luck breaking it. So, Brayden...I sincerely hope you bring your best. I hope this is the best match you've ever wrestled. I hope you walk into Reading believing this is finally your time, "Because when it's over..."
He slipped an arm comfortably around Ally's waist, "...you won't be able to say you lost to potential. You'll be able to say you lost to two champions..."
He glanced at Ally with a smile, "...and one very happy married couple."
