This is the first year that both George and Sara are old enough to be interested in playing the latest WWE game. Mike and AJ settle in with the kids in front of the TV, controllers passed out among all of them. "We ready?" Mike asks with a grin.
"Mama?" George asks, looking up at her.
"Yeah, hon?" she asks, frowning down at her controller as she ponders which key controls what movement.
"Are you in the game too?"
"Oh," AJ says, blinking. "No, not this year. But I was in games in the past. They usually don't put in uncontracted wrestlers."
George's frown only grows at this. "What does uncontracted mean?"
AJ blows some of the hair out of her eyes and puts her controller down, hoisting George up into her lap. "Well, it means that I used to work for WWE, but I don't anymore. We would have this paper written up with terms of how long I was going to work for them, and then they would sign it, and I would sign it. But once that amount of time ran out, the paper was void, and I was free to do what I wanted. Then they didn't have a reason to put me in games and things like that. Understand?"
"Not really," he pouts. "They should always use you, mama. You're great!"
Mike chuckles and stares over at her. "I agree with our son."
She rolls her eyes at him, then nuzzles into George. "How about this, we'll play a couple of games, get adjusted to the game, and then we'll go and create a wrestler just like me. Would that make you happy?"
George looks confused, but nods hesitantly. "I... think so, mama."
"Great," she says with a smile, kissing the top of his head. "Now come on. I'm gonna win so quickly."
"No, you're not," Sara chirps. "Daddy's been helping me practice with 2K23! I'm gonna mkae you all tap out in five seconds!"
"Oh," Aj laughs. "Big words for such a little girl. Come on, then, let's see what you've got."
AJ and Mike partner up in one game against the kids, then AJ partners with Sara in one game, and George the next. After a game where the kids fight 1 vs 1, they all give up on the matches for now and venture into Create a Wrestler where George and Sara's individual suggestions leave them with a character that looks nothing like AJ and leaves them all laughing hysterically by the end of it.
Mike sits back and watches his family laugh and struggle to figure out more move options, his eyes gleaming happily. No matter what happens with Judgement Day and Wrestlemania, R-Truth and everything in between, he's happy to be here, with his familiy, like this.