Home is where the heart is
The first thing Alicia noticed was the smell.
It wasn’t the familiar scent of dinner simmering or the faint trace of laundry detergent that clung to their current house like a second skin. It wasn’t the comforting chaos of crayons and carpet and the sugary aftermath of whatever snack the kids had begged for. It was sawdust. Fresh-cut wood. Drywall dust. That sterile scent of something unfinished. It hit her the moment she opened the passenger door and stepped onto the uneven dirt where the driveway would eventually be. She stood there for a second, staring at the frame of their future home.
Their home.
The skeleton of it had been there for months. They’d watched it grow in slow motion, board by board, beam by beam, like something alive learning how to stand. Alicia had visited whenever she could, between training and school runs and grocery shopping and SCW travel, always feeling like she was checking in on a promise. Today, it felt different. Today, it felt close enough to touch. Austin shut the car door behind him and came around, his boots crunching lightly on gravel. He held a thermos in one hand and a clipboard in the other, because of course he did. He’d somehow become the kind of man who owned clipboards now. A man who said words like “permits” and “inspection schedule” without irony.
Alicia folded her arms across her chest and stared up at the house. The roof was on. The windows were in. The siding was halfway finished. It looked like a home from a distance. Up close, it still looked like work. She exhaled slowly. Austin’s voice was calm beside her. “Looks good, huh?”
Alicia nodded, but it wasn’t the automatic kind. It was hesitant. Like she didn’t trust herself to celebrate it yet. “Yeah, It does.”
Austin watched her for a moment. Not in the way that demanded answers. In the way that asked permission to notice. He leaned slightly closer. “You okay?”
Alicia’s mouth twitched into something almost like a smile. “I’m fine.” Austin gave her a look that said try again. Alicia sighed and turned her head toward him. “I’m… okay. I’m just…” Her voice trailed off.
Just what? Just overwhelmed? Just tired? Just afraid? Just carrying a thousand invisible weights that no one else could see? Austin didn’t push. He stepped forward and took her hand instead, his fingers warm and solid around hers. The kind of grip that didn’t hold her captive. The kind that reminded her she didn’t have to float alone. “Come on, Let’s go inside.”
They walked up the temporary wooden steps the builders had thrown together. The porch wasn’t finished yet. The railing was missing. The concrete hadn’t been poured. But the front door was there. Austin opened it like it mattered. Like it wasn’t just a door. Like it was a beginning. Alicia stepped inside and felt the air change. Cooler. Still. Quiet. The house didn’t have furniture yet. No couch to collapse onto. No toys in the corner. No photos on the walls. No laundry baskets overflowing with evidence of real life. Just empty space. Echoing space.
Austin’s boots thudded lightly on the subfloor as he walked in ahead of her, and Alicia followed, her gaze drifting across the wide open living area. The kitchen was framed out but unfinished. The island wasn’t installed yet, but she could see where it would be. She could see herself there. Cooking dinner while the kids fought over who got the last roll. Austin leaned against the doorway frame, looking around like a man proud of something he’d built with his own hands. Which, in some ways, he had. Alicia swallowed. “This is it…..This is our place.” Alicia nodded again. But her stomach was tight. Austin turned toward her, and she could see the shift in him. The subtle change from casual observation to intentional presence. Like he’d felt her pulling away before she even realized she was doing it. “You’re nervous,”
Alicia let out a breath that sounded too sharp to be a laugh. “No, I’m not.” Austin lifted his eyebrows. She rolled her eyes. “Okay. Yeah. I am.”
Austin smiled softly, stepping closer. “Talk to me.”
Alicia hesitated. Her eyes traced the empty walls, the unfinished edges of the room. She didn’t know why it was harder to speak here, inside something they’d been waiting for. Maybe because it felt too real now. Maybe because it wasn’t a dream anymore. It was a commitment. And commitments came with consequences. “I should be excited,” she said finally.
“You are,” Austin replied easily. “You’re just also terrified.”
Alicia looked at him, and her throat tightened at how casually he said it. Like fear wasn’t a weakness. Like it was just another part of living. She swallowed. “It’s just… a lot.”
Austin nodded. “It is.”
Alicia’s eyes flicked down to the floor. “I keep thinking about everything. The move. The kids adjusting. Money. Bills. Travel. SCW. Everything happening all at once.” Austin didn’t interrupt. He never did when she started like this. He let her build the bridge from her chest to her mouth. Alicia exhaled again. “And I keep thinking… what if I can’t keep up?” Austin’s expression softened. Alicia continued before she could stop herself. “Because I’ve been keeping us afloat. I’ve been the one bringing in the money. I’ve been the one making sure everything stays stable while you’ve been healing.”
The words weren’t accusatory. They weren’t bitter. They were just true. And that was the part that scared her the most. Austin’s shoulders lifted with a quiet inhale. He didn’t look offended. He didn’t look defensive. He looked like a man who had been waiting for her to say this. “Alicia…” he said gently.
She shook her head, her voice gaining speed now, emotion slipping out from under her control. “I’m not saying I resent it. I don’t. I love you. I love our kids. I love our life. But I’ve been carrying it. And now we’re moving into this house that we’ve been building for months and it’s beautiful and it’s ours and I should feel safe…” Her eyes stung. “But all I can think is, what if I drop it?”
Austin stepped closer, closing the space between them. “You won’t.”
Alicia let out a bitter little laugh. “That’s easy to say.”
Austin’s gaze didn’t waver. “No. It’s not. It’s not easy to say, because it means I’m asking you to trust me.” Alicia’s jaw tightened. Trust. She trusted Austin with her heart. With her kids. With her home. With her body. But money? Stability? The future? Those were different kinds of trust. The kind built through repetition and proof. And Alicia had spent her entire life believing she had to be the proof. Austin reached up and brushed his thumb lightly across her cheekbone. “You’ve been doing everything. And you’ve been doing it like you had to prove something.”
Alicia blinked. “I do have to.”
Austin shook his head. “No. You don’t.”
Alicia stared at him, and her voice dropped to something quieter. “If I don’t… then who will?” Austin didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he took her hand and guided her deeper into the house. They walked down the framed hallway, past what would be the kids’ rooms. Past the bathroom that wasn’t finished yet. Past the doorways that were only outlines. Austin stopped in the master bedroom. Or what would be the master bedroom. The room was empty, unfinished, but the window was in, and sunlight spilled across the bare floor like it belonged there. Austin turned toward her. “You know what I’ve been thinking about?”
Alicia’s brows furrowed. “What?”
Austin nodded toward the window. “Standing here. Months ago. When it was just studs. Just a frame.” Alicia’s eyes flickered across the walls. She remembered it. The way the wind had cut through the unfinished structure. The way the house had felt fragile. Austin’s voice was calm. “You looked at me and you said you wanted a place where the kids could feel like they didn’t have to choose which side of the family they belonged to.”
Alicia’s throat tightened. “I remember,” she whispered.
Austin smiled faintly. “You said you wanted a home that didn’t feel temporary. A home that didn’t feel like it could disappear if life got hard.” Alicia looked down. Austin stepped closer. “You did that. You made that happen. Not just with money, but with who you are. With the way you fight for us.”
Alicia’s lips trembled. “I’m tired of fighting.”
Austin nodded. “I know.” Then he exhaled, and there was something different in it. Something heavier. “And I’m tired of watching you fight alone.” Alicia’s eyes lifted to his. Austin’s gaze was steady. “My shoulder’s almost there, I’m not saying I’m rushing. I’m not saying I’m going to be stupid. But I’m close.” Alicia’s chest tightened again, but this time it wasn’t anxiety. It was relief. Real relief. Austin continued. “The physio said if I keep progressing the way I am, I’ll be cleared to train full-contact again soon.”
Alicia blinked. “Soon?”
Austin nodded. “Soon.”
Her voice was careful. “How soon is soon?”
Austin smirked slightly. “You want the honest answer or the ‘don’t worry, babe’ answer?”
Alicia rolled her eyes, but it was softer this time. “Honest.”
Austin’s expression warmed. “A couple months. Maybe less if everything stays on track.” Alicia stared at him. The air in the unfinished room felt lighter. Austin added quietly, “And when I’m back… I’m back.” Alicia’s mouth opened slightly, but no words came out at first. Her eyes burned with emotion that had been building for months without her acknowledging it. Austin reached for her hands again. “You’ve been carrying this family on your back, You’ve been carrying SCW. You’ve been carrying pressure and expectations and the weight of being the one everyone depends on.” He squeezed her fingers. “And I’ve been sitting on the sidelines feeling useless.”
Alicia shook her head instantly. “You’re not useless.”
Austin gave her a look that said he appreciated the lie but didn’t accept it. “I know you don’t see me that way. But I’ve felt it. And I’m done feeling it.”
Alicia swallowed hard. “Austin…”
He leaned closer. “I want to be your partner again. Fully. Not just emotionally. Not just as a dad. But in the ring. In SCW. In everything.”
Alicia’s breath hitched. Because she wanted that. God, she wanted that. But fear had a way of poisoning even the things you craved. She looked away toward the window. “That means we’ll be working together,” she murmured.
Austin’s voice softened. “Yeah.”
Alicia’s laugh came out small and nervous. “For the first time since we got married.”
Austin smiled. “That’s the part you’re nervous about?”
Alicia turned her head toward him. “I don’t know what it’s going to be like.”
Austin shrugged slightly. “Probably loud. Probably chaotic.”
Alicia snorted. “That’s not comforting.”
Austin stepped closer, his tone playful but sincere. “Come on, Alicia. You know what it’s going to be like.”
Alicia raised an eyebrow. “Do I?”
Austin nodded. “You’re going to go out there and be Alicia Lukas. The woman who doesn’t back down. The woman who makes everyone else look like they’re moving in slow motion.” Alicia’s lips pressed together, trying to hide the smile. “And I’m going to go out there, and I’m going to do what I do best.”
Alicia tilted her head. “And what’s that?”
Austin smirked. “Stand beside you. Make sure nobody gets too comfortable thinking they can take what’s yours.” Alicia’s smile faded into something softer. She stepped closer, resting her forehead against his chest. For a moment, she just breathed. Austin’s hand slid gently to the back of her head. “You don’t have to do it all,” he whispered.
Alicia’s voice cracked. “I don’t know how to stop.”
Austin kissed her hair. “Then we’ll learn. Together.”
She pulled back slightly, looking up at him. “What if we’re not good at it?”
Austin smiled. “We’re already good at it.”
Alicia blinked. “No, we’re not.”
Austin’s expression turned serious. “Yes, we are. You know how I know?” Alicia waited. Austin’s eyes flicked toward the hallway, toward the empty rooms that would soon be filled with beds and clothes and toys and arguments and laughter. “Because those kids are happy, Because even in the mess, even in the hard days, they feel loved.” Alicia’s throat tightened. “And because…..you and I… we’re still here. We’re still choosing each other.”
Alicia stared at him. She’d heard vows before. She’d said them. She’d meant them. But hearing Austin say something like that, something simple, something true, hit harder than any grand romantic speech ever could. Alicia swallowed. “I’m scared I’m going to fail you.”
Austin shook his head immediately. “You can’t fail me by being tired.” Alicia’s eyes welled. Austin’s voice lowered. “You can’t fail me by needing help.” Her shoulders shook slightly as she tried to keep herself composed. Austin’s thumb brushed under her eye, wiping away the tear that escaped anyway. “You’ve been the champion, Not just in SCW. In life.”
Alicia let out a shaky laugh. “I didn’t ask to be.”
Austin nodded. “I know.” Then he smiled, and there was something warm and boyish in it, something that reminded her he wasn’t just a husband or a father. He was the man she fell in love with. “But you don’t have to be alone at the top anymore,” Alicia stared at him, the words settling deep. Alone at the top. That was exactly what it had felt like. Austin leaned in and kissed her gently. Not hungry. Not demanding. Just a kiss that said I’m here. I’ve been here. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers. “So, we move in a few weeks.”
Alicia exhaled, her laugh small. “Yeah.”
Austin’s eyes flicked down toward her hands. “We’ll get the kids settled.” Alicia nodded. “We’ll set up the rooms, We’ll argue about where the couch goes.”
Alicia’s lips curved again. “You’re going to lose that argument.”
Austin scoffed. “Says who?”
Alicia pointed toward the imaginary living room. “Says the woman who’s been paying for it.”
Austin laughed, and it was real. The kind of laugh that broke tension like a hammer through glass. Then he sobered again, just slightly. “And when the time comes, I’m going to walk back into SCW with you.” Alicia’s heart thudded. Austin’s voice was firm now. “Not behind you. Not riding your coattails. With you.”
Alicia stared at him. The thought of it made her chest tighten in a different way. Not fear. Anticipation. Alicia swallowed. “The locker room is going to lose their minds.”
Austin grinned. “Good.”
Alicia laughed softly, shaking her head. “They’re going to say we’re an unstoppable power couple.”
Austin leaned in. “Are we not?”
Alicia hesitated. Then she smiled, and it wasn’t nervous this time. It was real. “It’s just…I don’t want it to change us.”
Austin’s expression softened. “It won’t change us, It’ll just show them what we already are.” Alicia’s eyes flicked down. Austin tilted her chin up gently. “You know what I think?”
“What?”
Austin looked around the unfinished room again, like he could already see the life they were going to build inside it. “I think this house is the first thing we’ve done that isn’t about surviving,” Alicia’s breath caught. Austin’s voice dropped lower. “It’s about living.” Alicia stared at him, the words landing in her chest like something she didn’t realize she’d been waiting to hear. She didn’t respond immediately.
Instead, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Austin’s arms closed around her instantly, strong and sure. And for the first time in months, standing inside a house that didn’t even have floors finished yet… Alicia felt safe. Not because everything was perfect. Not because she had control. But because she wasn’t alone anymore. Outside, the wind rattled through the unfinished siding. The world still moved. The world still demanded. But inside, in the quiet frame of their future, Alicia rested her head against Austin’s chest and let herself believe something she’d struggled to accept for most of her life. That building a home wasn’t a test. It was a promise. And this time…She didn’t have to carry it by herself.
Champion vs champion
”Hilarious….”
Alicia can’t help but laugh to herself, the look on her face can be described as mild amusement mixed with arrogant acceptance. The long hair flowing down her back and shoulders as a braid goes from one side of her hair down behind her ear.
”Inception VIII. What a night. I told everyone that coming out of that show I was still going to be the roulette champion. And I’d like to think that most people, most smart people, put their money on me. Hell, we were in Vegas. It would be a great idea to have gone down to one of the casinos walked into a betting pit and drop money on me to beat Alexandra. In fact the only person in the world who I believe thought Alexandra was going to win was Alexandra herself. All of her friends and even her significant other LJ all knew that she was screwed. From the second she wanted that rematch with me we all knew that she was going to fail because that’s what Alexandra does when it comes to facing anyone who is better than her.”
“She fails time and time again to rise the occasion. That’s the difference between people like her and people like me. You see the way Alexandra thinks of herself is how I am. She believes herself to be some kind of legend where she is respected because she has this amazing career. She believes that professional wrestler the world over in other companies will sit there and think about her. But really the only people who know about her are her friends and family and people who are forced to go up against her like I was.”
“And she failed”
“ Where is Chanel? What is Alexandra doing? Well after losing to Me it seems like she’s been given another opportunity to try and get a shot at a championship. The Internet championship. And doing so she has decided to pick on Bea Barnhart. And yes you heard that right she is going after one of the most pathetic women in this company to make herself feel better after she failed to beat me. Good work Alexandra. I’m sure that’s going to work out great for you when Amelia beats you both and goes on to get her opportunity at the Internet championship. Now, meanwhile I get to go on to face the Internet champion Victoria Lyons…”
She can’t help but chuckle shaking her head before adjusting her leather jacket and staring straight forward refocusing on the problem at hand
”This is where we find ourselves right Victoria? This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. In fact it seems to be a tired old trope that this company trots out when they run out of ideas. See you are waiting for your next Challenger. There is a triple threat match where one of them is going to end up being your number one contender and for me I’m being told that Cassie Wolfe could be my next opponent. So what to do with two champions who are waiting to see who they are going to defend their championships against the blaze of glory? Do they put us in a tagteam match against our contenders when they’re figure out? Do they try and schedule us in some kind of interview so we can talk about our titles and where we are going?”
“No of course not. Instead, they put us against each other. And what does this really do Victoria? What does this prove? You and I are already champions. I have the roulette championship and you have the Internet championship. We have proved ourselves in the eyes of everyone to show that we are two of the best in this business and in this company. Putting you and I against each other does nothing but waste both of our times.”
“And it can also do damage to us”
“I have all of this earned momentum from beating Alexandra. But now I’m facing you. And if I lose to you on the one hand, I’ve just been beaten by the Internet champion someone who is one of the best in this company but it also disrupts my momentum going into any defence that I could have a blaze of glory. Whether or not that’s against Cassie or someone else if I lose to you it automatically puts me on the back foot and I simply cannot have that. And the thing is Victoria I don’t dislike you, I don’t think that you are some kind of fluke I don’t think that you are some kind of Nepo baby. I don’t think that you are a failure to your family. I look at you and I see someone who has real talent and has done everything she can to make the best of certain bad situations”
She pauses for a moment and takes a deep breath
”You have reason above every negative that has been thrown at you from family members up and leaving to family members talking shit about you because you don’t conform to what they believe you should be. You have done everything in your power to step up and be true to you and for that you have my utmost respect.”
Alicia nods slowly and takes a deep breath before continuing
”However, the fact remains that I don’t want my momentum being affected with a loss to you. That does unfortunately mean I’m going to have to do the same thing to you. But let’s be honest to Victoria I lost to Me is a little bit easier to the stomach than it would be losing to you. You are a decent professional wrestler. You are definitely a step above certain other women in this company and you are one of the best. But you are not in the Hall of Fame. You are not a former world champion. You are not on the same level as me.”
“I came into this company and set it on fire. I became the world champion and I broke records while beating some of the best of the best and as such I was able to become a Hall of Famer. And after all of that, after everyone told me that my career was over and I should just leave wrestling and SCW to go home and be your mother, that I was no longer the woman that I used to be and that I was going to end up like Mercedes Vargas or Sam Marlowe, I stood up and became the roulette champion and proved once again that I am still one of the best that this company and this business has to offer”
“And that isn’t anyway near the end of this”
“See, my plan is to defend this championship against everyone until I either clean the division out or someone worthy beats me. And then I’m going back after the bombshells world championship. I want to become a four-time champion. And I’m not going to let a throwaway champion against champion showcase ruined my momentum and ruined what I want to do. So come at me with everything you have Victoria. Because I plan damn well I’m doing the same.”
