Home is where the heart is: Part Two
The house smelled different now.
Not like sawdust. Not like fresh paint. Not like something unfinished. It smelled like fabric softener. Like lemon cleaner. Like coffee brewed too strong because Alicia never measured it properly. It smelled lived in. Alicia stood in the kitchen barefoot, sunlight pouring through the wide windows Austin had insisted on installing. The island, the one that hadn’t existed months ago, was now cluttered with school permission slips, a half-folded tea towel, and a bowl of fruit that the boys would absolutely ignore later. The dishwasher hummed quietly behind her. For the first time in years, there was no ring gear bag by the door.
No flight itinerary sitting on the counter. No frantic mental checklist ticking through her brain. Just quiet. She wiped down the countertop slowly, methodically, circling the cloth over a spot that didn’t even need cleaning. The motion was repetitive. Grounding. The kind of simple task that didn’t require adrenaline. Outside the back window she could hear shouting. Not angry shouting. Play shouting. She paused and looked up. Rory’s voice carried first, cracking slightly in that awkward teenage way he pretended wasn’t happening. Ryan yelled something about unfair rules. And then Marcus, sweet, five-year-old Marcus, shrieked in triumphant laughter like he had just conquered the world.
Alicia smiled.
She dried her hands and moved toward the sliding glass doors quietly, careful not to interrupt whatever universe the boys had created. The backyard wasn’t fully landscaped yet. Patches of uneven grass met fresh soil, and the fence still looked too new against the horizon. But the trampoline was up. The soccer net stood crooked. And three boys occupied the space like they’d been there their entire lives. Rory passed the ball to Marcus deliberately slower than he needed to. Ryan dramatically pretended to “miss” a tackle. Marcus sprinted forward with all the determination his tiny legs could muster, kicking the ball wildly off-target. “GOOOOOAL!” Rory shouted anyway.
Marcus threw his arms up like he’d just headlined High Stakes. Alicia leaned her shoulder against the doorframe, heart swelling in a way that had nothing to do with championships or crowd reactions. They hadn’t hesitated. That was the part that hit her the hardest. Rory and Ryan hadn’t made Marcus feel like an addition. They’d made him feel like he’d always been there. And Marcus, who had every reason to feel unsure blending into a new family dynamic, looked completely at home. Alicia’s chest tightened softly. This is what Austin meant, she thought. Not surviving. Living. She stepped outside onto the patio, the concrete still warm from the afternoon sun. ”Hey,” she called gently.
All three boys turned. Marcus grinned first. “Alicia! Did you see my goal?!”
She gasped dramatically. “That was the best goal I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “Bias.”
“Absolutely,” she replied without hesitation.
Rory jogged over, slightly out of breath. “We’re teaching him how to not fall over when he kicks.”
“I do not fall over,” Marcus protested loudly, immediately tripping over the ball behind him. The older boys burst into laughter, but it wasn’t cruel. It was protective. Alicia walked over and helped Marcus up, brushing grass off his knees. He didn’t cry. He just grinned again, gap-toothed and fearless.
“You good?” she asked.
“I’m tough,” he said proudly.
She raised an eyebrow. “Are you now?”
He nodded with complete seriousness. Rory nudged Ryan. “He gets that from Dad.”
Alicia smirked slightly. “Unfortunately.”
The boys laughed again before sprinting back into their game, Marcus chasing after them like he was part of something sacred. Alicia stayed outside for a moment longer. The wind moved gently through the yard. The house stood tall behind her, not as a project anymore, but as shelter. She wrapped her arms loosely around herself. There had been a time when silence made her anxious. Silence meant something was wrong. Silence meant waiting for the next problem. But this silence? This felt earned.
Alicia had moved upstairs. The vacuum hummed across the hallway carpet, and she found herself lost in thought as she guided it back and forth. This was so ordinary. So painfully normal. And she loved it. No makeup. No ring boots. No roaring crowd. Just sweatpants and a messy bun and dust gathering in corners. She paused outside the master bedroom, their bedroom, and stepped inside. The room felt different now that furniture filled it. The bed was made. The dresser was set up. There were framed photos on the wall. One of the five of them at the beach. One of Rory and Ryan at a school event. One of Marcus on Austin’s shoulders.
And one of her and Austin, not in ring gear, not posing with titles, just laughing at something off-camera. Alicia stepped closer to that last one. For years, she’d defined herself by gold belts and main events. By survival. By proving she belonged. But standing in this quiet room, she didn’t feel like a champion. She felt like a woman. A mother. A wife. An annoying human being, she thought with a small smile. Annoying because she worried too much. Because she triple-checked the locks at night. Because she reorganized the pantry for fun. Because she texted Rory reminders even when he rolled his eyes about it. Because she cared. And for once, caring didn’t feel like weakness. It felt soft. She sat on the edge of the bed and let the quiet settle around her. Her phone buzzed. She glanced down. Austin. She answered on the second ring. “Hey.”
“Hey,” he replied, slightly breathless. “You busy?”
“Just saving the world one dust bunny at a time.”
He chuckled. “Hero.”
She could hear gym noise faintly in the background. Weights clanking. Music low. “How’s the shoulder?” she asked.
There was a pause, not hesitant. Thoughtful. “Strong….Really strong.”
Her heart skipped. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
She leaned back on her hands. “That’s good.”
Another pause. “I was thinking, maybe tonight after dinner we could run through some light drills. Nothing crazy. Just footwork. Timing.”
Alicia blinked. Months ago, that suggestion would’ve triggered anxiety. Now? It sparked something different. Anticipation. “You sure?” she asked gently.
“I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t.”
She smiled slowly. “Okay.”
“Okay?” he echoed.
“Okay,” she repeated, firmer.
He exhaled softly on the other end. Relief. “Kids good?” he asked.
She glanced out the window toward the backyard. “They’re building some kind of alliance that will probably overthrow us by dinner.”
He laughed. “Good. Let them.” There was warmth in the silence that followed. Not heavy. Just steady. “I love you,” he said quietly.
Alicia’s throat tightened in the best way. “I love you too.” They didn’t hang up immediately. They didn’t need to fill the space with noise. Eventually, he said he’d be home soon. She ended the call and stayed sitting there a moment longer. The house creaked softly around her. Not in warning. In comfort. She stood and walked back toward the stairs. Outside, the boys were still playing. Marcus tripped again. Rory helped him up. Ryan ruffled his hair. Alicia leaned against the railing at the top of the stairs, watching them through the large entryway window. Blessed. The word felt dramatic.
But it fit. Not because life was perfect. Not because SCW wouldn’t call again. Not because injuries couldn’t happen. But because this, this right here, was real. A loving husband rebuilding himself. Three boys chasing each other. A house filled with laughter instead of tension. She rested her hand over her chest. For years, she’d fought like the world was something to conquer. Maybe now, she thought…It was something to cherish. The front door opened downstairs. “Smells clean!” Austin called. She laughed softly and made her way down. He stepped into the foyer, gym bag over his shoulder, hair damp from sweat. He looked tired. But alive. He glanced up and caught her watching him. “What?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
He stepped closer, dropping the bag by the stairs. “You look calm,” he observed.
She considered that. “I feel calm,” she admitted.
He studied her like that meant everything. Because it did. Outside, the boys burst through the back door in a wave of noise and grass stains. Marcus immediately ran into Austin’s legs. “Dad! I scored!”
Austin winced slightly as Marcus collided with him, then grinned. “Of course you did.” Rory and Ryan followed, talking over each other. The house filled instantly. Noise. Movement. Life. Austin reached for Alicia’s hand quietly amid the chaos. She laced her fingers through his. And for the first time in a long time, neither of them felt like they were bracing for impact. They were just standing in it. Home. Not a battlefield. Not a proving ground.
Just… home.
A sheep in wolfs clothing
It looks to be nice outside. Still a little on the cold side but not freezing. Not like New York, not like anything going on in the Northeast. We scan through what looks to be the outdoor eating section of a Texas barbecue place, and sitting at a corner table away from everywhere else is the unmistakable long blonde hair of Alicia Lukas.
”You know, about two years ago I first started thinking about my return to SCW and professional wrestling. And the two weren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, I had various contracts in front of me because my contract was up in SCW. I was thinking to myself that maybe it was time I move on from this company and go somewhere else. Maybe I should find new mountains to climb, new names to face, and new accomplishments to get. New challenges to conquer. But the more I sat there and thought about it, the more the possibility of leaving this company entered my mind. It felt more and more wrong. Wrong because I still had things I wanted to accomplish here. Wrong because I knew that SCW, above all else, is home.”
She smiles and shakes her head, her lips painted in a cherry red gloss. She has on a black leather jacket and a black Mötley Crüe crop top with a pair of tight-fitting black jeans. She grabs her Diet Dr Pepper and takes a sip before placing the plastic tumbler back on the old wooden table.
”But when I did come back to this company, it wasn’t the same company as it was when I left. Familiar faces had left. The ones that were still here were the obvious ones that I knew would never leave. And in the place of the women that I had faced before, who had decided to leave the company, I saw a bunch of fresh new names and possibilities. With that being said, I kept on hearing the same thing when I first got back. That I was done. That I was simply an ageing star looking to reclaim my glory and that it was sad. Hell, I even got locked in with Mercedes Vargas.”
“Thing is, I let it get to me. I’ll be brutally honest here, I absolutely thought that they were right. That I had lost something. And physically maybe they’re right. Maybe I’m not quite as good as I used to be. The human body breaks down over time and let’s face it, professional wrestling is horrible to your body. It destroys you and breaks you down. But I still love it. And even though physically I’m not quite as good as I used to be, mentally I’m so much more dangerous. And that’s something the entire Bombshells division hasn’t figured out yet, let alone all of the girls running around the Roulette division.”
“Do you know who has figured it out? Do you know who now realises that I’m still just as dangerous as I always was?”
“Victoria Lyons. The current SCW Internet Champion. Last time you all saw me, it was in a battle of the champions. Victoria Lyons against Alicia Lukas. The Roulette Champion against the Internet Champion. But it was more interesting to me simply for the fact that Victoria was the longest-reigning Roulette Champion of all time. She defined this division. She defined this championship, and the fact I was able to beat her gives me the kind of confidence I haven’t had in about three or four years. Not to mention, if her championship was on the line, I would have walked out of there with two championships. I would’ve been a unified Internet and Roulette Champion. But non-title matches aside, I still won.”
Alicia chuckles and looks up as a platter gets slid in front of her. On it is a whole bunch of traditional barbecue favourites like brisket and pulled pork, as well as some ribs, coleslaw, mac and cheese, and of course a good side of cornbread.
”I love Texas…”
She pauses her promo for a minute, unable to resist the urge, before grabbing a piece of the brisket sitting in front of her — one of the burnt ends that has been put in the corner. She pops it in her mouth and closes her eyes, completely forgetting she’s in the middle of cutting a promo, before her eyes snap open and she regains her composure, taking another sip of her Dr Pepper.
”Sorry, I got distracted. But the fact remains that I’ve just come off of facing Victoria. A woman who has a lineage of wrestling in her blood. She comes from a wrestling family. She won the Queen for a Day and was the Roulette Champion and is now the Internet Champion. She has had success time and time again. But when it comes to Blaze of Glory, one of the biggest shows of the year, who is it that I’m getting in the ring with? Who has earned the right to go after the Roulette Championship?”
“Cassie Wolfe…”
“Really?”
“Look Cassie, I’m sure you, much like everyone else in this company, want to climb the ladder and become something more. That is what you want, right? You want to be a star? You want to win championships. You want to show the world just how good you are. Your last match was against Kayla Richards and I’m not going to sit here and talk shit about you simply for the fact that you faced the current World Champion and came up short. That is nothing to be ashamed of. But if you look at our past, if you look at what we’ve done, every single time you and I have been in the ring together, you’ve come up in a losing effort. Whether or not it was a fatal four-way or a singles match, I have beaten you and walked away.”
“But this is still your opportunity. Your shot.”
“Blaze of Glory. Roulette Championship match against me. And you’re not just facing someone who has popped up and won this title. You’re facing someone who is a Hall of Fame competitor, a three-time Bombshells World Champion. Someone who has won Woman of the Year and Wrestler of the Year and Feud of the Year and all sorts of different awards at various times in my career. And so many people wrote me off, Cassie. I’m not going to make that same mistake with you.”
She swallows hard, her eyes starting over to the huge platter of food in front of her. Her fingers dance along the table before grabbing another burnt end and then popping it in her mouth, quickly chewing it before continuing.
”You don’t have the best record. I think you can admit that, and I don’t think it’s something that is controversial to say. Since I returned to the company, I’ve lost a handful of times, but my last 10 matches? I’ve won nine of them. But you, Cassie? Look at your record. You have a losing record and you have been trying to claw back relevance and respect ever since. But bless this company’s heart, they keep trying to make you a thing. And that kind of pressure, well, that changes people. That makes them desperate and that makes them dangerous. So I’m going to assume that’s where you’re at. You are dangerous, Cassie.”
“Dangerous to my championship. Dangerous to my momentum. Dangerous to everything that I want to do in SCW in the time that I have left.”
“See, you Cassie, are still young. You have time ahead of you to change where your career is going. To alter that downward trajectory and to pull yourself back up. I don’t have that luxury. I have to stay at the top of my game. I have to keep on defending this championship. I have to become the greatest Roulette Champion this company has ever seen. All so I can prove a point. I still want to hold the Internet Championship and I want to hold the SCW World Bombshells Championship one last time, and to be able to accomplish that, I need to keep winning. I need to keep winning until there is no doubt left in anyone’s mind that I am still as good as I said that I am.”
“And one or two losses aren’t going to affect that.”
“But if I lost to you right now? On a show like Blaze of Glory, before I can establish myself as the greatest Roulette Champion of all time? That is going to be devastating. That is going to set me back. And it’s nothing personal, Cassie. In fact, I want you to succeed. I want this company to make more stars from young people like you so when it is time for me to walk away, in a few years’ time, whether it’s one year, two years, three years, four years, when it is time for me to walk off into the sunset and to essentially retire, I’m going to know that SCW is in good hands. So I want women like you to step up. I want women like you to show me that you can handle that pressure.”
“So please, Cassie, win or lose, show me what you’re made of. Show me you can be one of those women.”
Alicia slowly smiles, looking down and grabbing a fork before finally being able to dig into her food.
