Ten years later…
The local park was filled with IWX stars and residents. They set a community picnic with rides and games for the kids. A yearly celebration that the Evans family started the year after they sent Grayson to prison. A way to unite the community and raise money for local families in need. Named after Cyrus’ and Mia’s daughter, the Hope Festival was the biggest event of the year.
Isis ran barefoot after her four-year-old son through the park, with Candy chasing behind her. Gage and Isis’ fifth and last child was running through the crowd in just his underwear covered with political stickers, laughing, and trying to escape his mother.
He ran past Slade, who was giving out samples from his new downtown restaurant that just opened. The third in the chain of restaurants that he and Candy now ran. She was still spending time in the ring with her new manager, Mia. Candy had finally become the top female wrestler in IWX, also running things backstage. Slade was living his dream of becoming a celebrity chef. He produced an IWX network show featuring wrestling superstars that would join him in the kitchen chatting about Wrestling news and gossip.
The little boy yelled the old drunken chant of Slade’s former self as he ran by. “Wee Wee! Pee Pee!”
“Jaxson Stone. Stop running! Get back here!” Isis swerved to catch him.
Candy stopped and tried to catch her breath, as her teen son stepped up beside her with his father, eating an ice cream cone. Slade and their son Colton were laughing hysterically. Most likely Slade and Colton instigated the drama. He was a jokester just like his father and would always talk the younger kids into doing things to prank the parents.
“You’re never going to catch him, Isis. That boy is a menace.”
“Shut up, Slade! I know that you, Colt, and Colton taught him this crap!”
“Crap Crap Crap!” the boy yelled.
“Watch your mouth, young man!”
Cyrus straightened his bow tie as Wraith stood by laughing at Isis. “So, you’re going to be the next mayor, huh Brother? Are you sure you want to do this?”
“It’s the best thing for our community. I want to help schools and lower-income families. That’s how I can make an impact. Besides, I’m ready to retire from the ring.”
“Not me. I think I have a few years left.”
“It’s where you belong. I think it’s time for me to spend more time at home with Mia and the kids. Since she’s working from home on her art, and traveling only for live and televised shows, we can focus on the family more.”
“My girls love the ring. The twins wanna be just like old dad one day. They both are pretty athletic,” Wraith nodded toward his girls.
Cyrus turned to see the two preteen girls Wraith and Lilly adopted a few years before, talking with Slade’s twin sisters. The woman who was just hired as IWX as a new tag-team duo. Wraith and his wife never had children of their own, but the girls were Wraith’s pride and joy.
“It’s great you adopted older kids. Lilly is a wonderful role model for those girls.”
“Yeah. Ashley and Emma are smart and talented girls. I think since they lost their parents in an accident, I can relate to them and help them heal. I think it was the best decision Lilly, and I ever made.”
“You’re great dad, Wraith. I’m glad you and Lilly finally have a family of your own.”
He waved his hand, “Look around, Cy. The Evans family can start our own community. There are so many of us, and we just keep multiplying.”
Cyrus laughed. “Isis and Gage alone are repopulating the world.”
Gage walked up behind Cyrus and gave him a noogie. “I heard my name.”
“We were just talking about your personal project to repopulate the human race with little Gage Stones.”
“What can I say? My little mini me’s are going to take on the world.”
“Except for Jaxson. That kid will grow up to be a supervillain and destroy it,” Wraith said with a chuckle.
“Eh. He’s not that bad.”
Wraith rolled his eyes. “He’s a menace.”
Slade and Colt walked up as Slade took a proud scan of the crowd. “Are we talking about our kids? Have you seen my son? He’s getting big. He’s almost as tall as I am. He wants to train to wrestle soon. Since I opened the restaurants, Candy has been training him. My back just won’t take as much punishment as it did back in the day.”
“That’s what happens when you do all that high-flying stuff. It takes a toll on your body.” Cyrus noted.
Wraith agreed. “Yep. IWX sure looks a lot different from when we were young. Since everyone has grown up and has families, it’s changing. It’s not like the old days when we were all a bunch of cocky guys who thought we owned the world. The new generation’s changing the game.”
Cyrus looked over at Colt, who was being quiet and smiling from ear to ear. “What’s the pretty boy smiling about?”
Behind them, they heard Mia, Lilly, Isis, Sahara, and Candy shriek with glee. “WHAT? YES!”
Slade nudged Colt with a sly smile. “Should you tell them or should I? Looks like the ladies know.”
Colt smiled and turned to his brothers-in-law’s. “Wraith. Cyrus. I have something to announce. After almost eleven years of marriage, Holly and I are finally having a baby. The fertilization worked and we are having a child. Our surrogate’s pregnant.”
Wraith, Cyrus rushed their brother-in-law in a huge hug. Cyrus rubbed his head, laughing with joy.
Holly had had many tough years trying to conceive before being blessed with having a child of their own. She had all but given until now.
Holly was now a general manager of IWX and ran a new project for female wrestlers. She had put a stop to the exploitation of the IWX woman and revolutionized how women wrestlers were perceived. The years of ring rats and groupies backstage were long gone. She held the men’s title for two consecutive years, forcing Gage and Davis to make all their titles intergender, and revoking the separation between women and men’s divisions. She was a leader in the locker room and the face of the company.
Gage chuckled. “Our kids have outnumbered us. I hope they don’t start an uprising.”
Sheriff Miles yelled from the main stage to start the festivities.
“May I have your attention? Today we celebrate our new mayor. A man whose family changed the direction of our community, making it a safe place for all of us. He is now working to bring our community to greater heights. He has built our local economy, resulting in the lowest homeless and unemployment rates in decades. Cyrus Evans had his start as one-half of the infamous IWX Doom brothers and became our new mayor.”
The crowd cheered.
“Before we bring the man of the hour to the stage, we want to thank IWX for once again coming to this event and being part of our small community. Bringing your new training center will provide over 100 jobs to our small town. We welcome IWX owner Gage Stone to the stage.”
Gage turned to Cyrus and straightened his tie. “Showtime, Cy.”
Gage headed to the stage, looking over his shoulder at the Thank You Mayor Evans moniker overhead.
“Wow. I never thought I would see my best friend’s name with political stamps next to it. When I first started at IWX, I met two amazing brothers from Tennessee who I am honored to say are my family. Cyrus Evans, your new mayor, was the one man that held our IWX team together. We were a rowdy crew over the years, and he was the clear head that kept us in line.”
Gage chuckled and looked over to the retired former owner of IWX, Davis Preston, who was standing near the stage.
“Sorry old man, but you and I know who the true leaders of IWX were. Wraith and Cyrus. They lead us all to be better people. Better men. They showed us what hard work and love of family can do.”
Davis yelled, “Here! Here!”
“I stand before you today as the sole owner of IWX and I can honestly say, I own my life, my family, and all of our futures to them. For this little town, they did the same. Cyrus is taking on a new role of leadership as your mayor and I am honored to introduce you to, Mayor… Cyrus Evans! Come up here and address the crowd.”
The town’s people cheered as Cyrus made his way to the podium. Looking around, trying to choke back tears as he saw all the smiling faces. He had won by a landslide, after spending the past few years dedicating his life to helping make the town a better place. Since the takedown of corruption in the community, they now saw the Evans family as an asset, rather than their former reputation as the bad seeds.
“Wow, Gage. I can’t believe I’m up here. I’m going to make this short. First, I want to say thank you to the residents of Pine Tree Cove for entrusting me with this honor. Also, to my beautiful wife Mia, and our children Elias and Hope, for allowing me to do this and always standing by me. Retiring from the ring was a huge choice, but I think it is the right one.”
“I love you, baby!” Mia yelled.
“We love you, dad!” Elias yelled, hugging his little sister.
“I love you too, flower. I love you, kids.”
The crowd in unison said. “Awe!”
Cyrus blushed to the tips of his ears, waving them off. “Cool it, guys. Can ya blame me? She’s beautiful. Anyway. I want to thank Gage Stone for agreeing that our community was the best choice for the new IWX training center. Our town is starting a new chapter in wrestling history, leading a new generation of talent to the ring while providing new lasting jobs to the community. Next, we want to thank Slade and Candy Logan for opening their new restaurant last week downtown, providing even more new jobs. Not to mention a place for me to get some damn good food. Who knew Slade was a chef and ended up with his own cooking show? After three years, it still blows my mind.”
Slade raised his water bottle to Cyrus. “You better tip my servers well, Mayor.”
“Oh. I intend to.”
Isis ran past the stage chasing her son, who was now buck naked holding his underwear in his hand, swinging them over his head.
“Wee Wee. Pee Pee!”
Cyrus ran his hand over his face in annoyance. “Someone put some pants on that boy.”
Everyone just laughed as Isis finally caught him and covered him with a tablecloth. Isis looked up at Cyrus with a cringe. “Sorry Cy.”
“That boy’s a menace… Anyway, to our town’s people. Thank you for letting the Evans family be a part of this community for generations. I hope to do my best to make this town proud. Now let’s stop all this chit-chat. It’s time for some fun. Let’s party!”
The crowd cheered, and Cyrus went off stage where Mia was waiting. “You did it, Cy. I’m so proud of you. Look around. Our big crazy family is all here.”
Cyrus pulled Mia to him, kissing the top of her head. “I wouldn’t be here without you. It finally happened, Mia.”
“What happened?”
“Our happy ending.”
-End Book 4-
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