My younger sister, Mara, was waiting outside as we left the gym. The three of us sat down at a picnic table outside to wait on my other sister, Rachel, to get there.
"How do you feel?" Mara's eyes watched me, as if she was expecting some kind of physical reaction.
"Not bad. Good, actually." I clarified.
"Tell me that tomorrow." Mom said with a knowing smile.
"That's something I don't miss." Dad commented.
"What?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.
"Feeling sore afterward. You don't feel it now but let your body have a chance to rest. I can guarantee that you'll be so sore tomorrow that you won't want to move." Dad explained.
"You get used to it after a while but the soreness, that never really goes away." Mom seconded.
"I'm getting a milkshake. Need anything?" Dad asked, standing up.
"None for me, thanks, Daddy." I told him.
"I'm fine." Mara responded.
"My usual." Mom told him.
"One cherry milkshake coming up." Dad said, kissing Mom's left shoulder.
Mara made a face, but I couldn't help but smile. I love my parent's relationship. They had been married for nearly twenty years, but they still look at each other the same way they did on their wedding day.
"So, what's going on with Jeremy?" Mom asked as soon as Dad was out of earshot.
"Mom..." I started, whining.
"I'm just saying that there seems to be something going on there." She said.
"Yes, he's a jerk." I told her.
"Oh, he's not so bad." Mom told me.
"You say that because his father is one of your wrestling buddies." I stated.
Mom just smiled and shook her head. I was going to say something else about Jeremy but Dad returned.
"What do my girls want to do today?" Dad asked, handing Mom her milkshake.
I wasn't paying attention as Mom, Dad, and Mara began to talk. My mind bean to wander about Jeremy. Jeremy and I had been friends since we were little. Our mother's gave birth a week apart. The first ten years of my life was spent on the road with my parents, before Dad decided to retire. Jeremy wasn't on the road as much but it was great when he was. It had been nice to have someone understand how difficult it was. Other than my siblings, Jeremy was my best friend. Then last year, he seemed to change. He was conceded, arrogant, and an overall ass to me. And now he was going to be staying with us for a while? The thought alone made me cringe.
"Sandy. Sandy." Mom's voice called, breaking through my thoughts.
"Huh?" My head snapped up. "Sorry, what?"
"Penny for your thoughts?" Mom asked.
"It's nothing." I lied.
I wanted to talk to Mom more about it, but I can't with Dad around. Mom says he is protective of his daughters. I say he gets a little crazy.
"Hey, Brooks! How about next time, you not knock yourself out?" I heard Jeremy's voice call across the parking lot.
"You knocked yourself out?" Rachel asked as she finally joined us.
"Why don't you shut up, Cena!" I yelled back, ignoring the look from my younger sister.
"Yeah!" Mara stood up, yelling back.
I couldn't help bit giggle at my little sister. She tried to look hard and mean towards Jeremy but she couldn't pull it off. Her blonde hair fell into her face and her face, no matter how hard she glared, still looked innocent. She didn't look threatening at all. Jeremy and his friends laughed at her as they were getting in his car.
"Jerk." I said, sitting back down.
I caught the amused look on Dad's face before Mom tapped him in the shoulder.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing." Dad said, still smirking at me.
I roll my eyes and turn my attention over to Rachel. Sometimes I am surprised how much Rachel and I look alike. If it wasn't for the fact that she had Mom's eyes and smile, we probably could have passed as twins. She has more of Mom's goofy personality than I do, which shows. My brother PJ and I are the spitting image of our father. Mara is the only one of us that looks like Mom.
I love having a big family. I'm the oldest at eighteen, nineteen in a few months. Rachel just turned sixteen. Mara is thirteen and PJ is ten. Not to mention a few dozen members of our extended family.
I grew up in wrestling. I loved it from an early age, watching my parents wrestle. I couldn't get enough. I loved traveling from town to town, getting to see something new all the time. I was ten when Dad decided to retire. He said he wanted to stop while he could, before his body forced him to walk away. He focused on the clinic that my parents set up years ago to help people who had issues with drugs and alcohol. Dad then opened up a bakery with a friend of his, Natalie, called Bake and Destroy. A lot of the pastries had wrestling themed names to them.
Mom had a different kind of contract and still was on the road for a few more years, although not like she was. She was dropped on her head by one of the other girl's on the roster, Alicia Fox. The doctor's stated that she had a fracture in her neck that had to be surgically repaired. She was told that she could wrestle again after it was repaired, but she used her neck injury to retire. Mom finished out her contract as a manager to John Cena and Uncle Colt.
Mom opened up a store called Best in the World Comics after she retired. It is a perfect marriage of comic books and video games under one roof. Since I graduated high school, I work as a manager there now. I love that store.
"How was everything?" Rachel asked.
"It was good. Very different from what I thought it would be." I admit.
"Including knocking yourself out?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's all part of being a wrestler. We've all done that from time to time." Mom dismissively said.
"Just, you know, not on the first day." Dad teased.
