By Any Other Name

“You should get Donald Winters to officiate.”

It was not the first time June Calvin had suggested this. The topic had come up at least three times already by Justine’s count.

“I know the wedding is only two days away, but I bet if you called him he’d be able to fly up here from Winterland in time.”

Four now, though Justine wondered if she shouldn’t count this twice considering it was happening at her wedding rehearsal.

Justine glanced across the inside of the barn at Beasley Family Orchards and saw Darren Stracker deep in thought. She and Jared had approached him about officiating their wedding. It was only fitting, they said, given that he was the one responsible for them meeting in the first place. At this distance she could see beads of sweat pooling on his forehead while he mouthed the words he had promised to memorize.

Dearly beloved, we’re gathered here together…

“C’mon, Junie. Leave Tina alone. She’s got enough on her mind without worryin’ about callin’ up a mail-order holy man.” Barrett winked at his daughter, then took his wife by the hand and led her away.

She turned her attention back to Darren.

Dearly beloved, we ARE gathered here together…

Her eyes fell back to the entrance. Most of the wedding party had already arrived, and instead of mingling with his friends Jared was stationed by the door. A dog waiting for its owner to come home. His sister and her son would be here any minute. Lizzy still hadn’t returned any of his messages, only sending a brief text to let her brother know they were on their way. But it was Ryan that Jared needed to see.

Dearly beloved, together we’re gathered here FUCK

Did she have Don Winters’ number? Did Jared? He had said that he had something to show her later. Whatever it was, maybe it would help Darren's newfound anxiety.

She looked for him again, but the spot by the door was empty.

#

With some time to spare before the rest of the wedding party arrived, Ryan and I excused ourselves from the barn and out into the space behind it. One of the reasons we picked this venue was because in addition to the sprawling rows of trees, the grounds were home to a fairly large pond. It was the sort of thing we figured would make for some great photos, but it also provided a peaceful spot for a private conversation.

There was a wooden bench nearby, bur Ryan had already flopped onto the grass by the time I could take a seat.

“So, I figured we should talk about this,” I said.

“What is there to talk about?”

“I mean it’s pretty clear that you’re still upset.”

He shrugged. Ah, the angst of a teenager on full display. Our last conversation ended with him killing a video call after I told him I was walking away from professional wrestling. Aside from having a relatively captive audience, this one seemed to be on pace to follow suit.

Time to change tactics.

“Can I tell you something?” Another shrug. We were off to a great start. “Something I haven’t really told anyone else? I’m scared, Ryan.”

“What do you have to be scared of?”

“I’m… I’m not sure what I am without this. Without wrestling, I mean. It’s been so long since I was anything else that I don’t remember what it was like.” This caught his attention, and he looked up from his spot on the grass. “And now I’m about to get married, and not long after I’m going to be a father. I’m doing both of these things for the first time and I’m forty-five years old. You’ve only ever known me as a wrestler, because I was doing it when you were born, and you’ve…”

Put me on a pedestal. Gone out of your way to make me feel like a hero, like I can be someone to look up to. Given me a sense of validation that I’ll never really be able to put into words.

I sighed.

“It’s one thing for me to go out, have a match, and lose. I can always rebound from that. Figure out a way to recover, you know? If I screw up in the ring, then no big deal. There’s always another match. I’m only in the ring for like fifteen or twenty minutes. Maybe it’s every two weeks. Maybe once a month. But then I get to walk away. I can come home, and be a regular dude for a while. Do you get where I’m going with this?”

“I guess.” It sounded like more of a question than a statement. He was on the journey with me, though he wasn’t sure of the destination. Not yet.

“With Justine and a baby on the way… I don’t get to press pause on that. The person I become on Saturday is the guy I’m going to be for the rest of my life. A husband. A father when the fall rolls around. Thing is, I don’t know how to be either of those things. Not yet. I need time to figure it out, to make sure I get it right. Because I have to get it right, Ryan. I have to. My family - and that includes you… your mom… your cousins… They deserve the best I can give them. And part of that means not worrying every time I get in a ring.”

His eyes fell. So did his shoulders. He was still upset, still bothered by the idea that his uncle was changing, becoming something else. But he understood.

“Like I did after the first time you fought Paxton,” he said.

“Exactly like that.”

He looked up from the grass, only he didn’t meet my gaze. He was focused on the center of my chest, and I realized that I had been fidgeting with the object under my shirt. It was a tooth. A single alligator tooth on a length of black cord. The night that Paxton and I fought at Colossus, Justine had found it sticking out of my back when I returned backstage after the match.

In the days leading up to my wedding, I had never taken it off.

“Is it going to be like that this time?” He said.

“Is what going to?”

“When you fight him again next week.”

“Nah. At least I don’t think so.”

“Because you beat him before?”

“No. Because a few months ago he found me backstage and apologized for all of that.”

“He did?!”

“Yeah. Caught me off guard, too. Dude even hugged me.” Ryan’s eyes went wide. I wondered if the orchard had a forklift anywhere on the property. We were going to need it to pick his jaw back up off the ground. “I know right?”

After a minute of silence he said, “I’m not mad at you. I’m just upset I never got to see you wrestle in person.”

Ryan Sykes-Vincent. The outlier among my family.

“I’m sorry, Ryan.”

“It’s okay.”

I reached behind my neck and unclasped the cord, then held the tooth our for him to see. “Do you know what this is?”

“Is that a tooth?”

“From that night in Vegas. I won’t get into the details around how I got this one in particular, but it’s kind of been my good luck charm. Whenever I need to feel invincible I put this on.” I extended my arm further. “Take it. I want you to have it.”

“Why?”

I looked him dead in the eyes and said, “Because I have other reasons to feel invincible now.”

#

“Jesus Christ, your mother’s really on one tonight, ain’t she?” Barrett lumbered up beside his daughter. “She’s over there givin’ the business to that Rhine kid and his girlfriend Sweater.”

Justine’s focus was elsewhere. From where she stood she could see Jared and his nephew out by the pond. By the looks of it, Ryan was quite unhappy with whatever he was hearing.

“Shweta,” she said. Her eyes found Darren again. He’d sequestered himself off to the side and was still deep in study.

Then by the power invested in me by the State of nope…

“S’what I said,” Barrett protested.

“Should we tell mom that Don is short for Donovan?”

“Oh, I tried. Believe me, Tina, I tried. She just keeps goin’ on about he’s bringin’ dignity back to the name Donald.”

Sweat marks had formed around the collar of Darren’s shirt.

Then by the power VESTED in me by the COMMONWEALTH of Massachusetts…

Justine glanced around the room. She had asked Jared’s mother, Mary-Ellen, to keep an eye on Charles Beckett. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, but giving a man whose imagination was only matched by his energy the title “Chancellor of Mischief” felt like a dangerous idea on paper. Jared never explained what exactly that honorific meant, or what it was for, only that he’d bestowed it on Charles. She’d heard enough stories about tigers, a bus, and unionized ninjas that it was better to be safe than sorry.

She made a mental note to call the caterer tomorrow and ask where they sourced their coffee.

#

“I’m going to wear this when I become a wrestler.”

Ryan had already clasped the cord around his own neck and was studying the tooth in between his fingers.

When I become a wrestler.

Those words had driven a spike through the center of my calm. I should have expected it, should have seen it coming. That my nephew had dyed a lock of his hair pink to match mine should have been a warning.

“You?” It was all I could think to say.

“That’s what I want to do. After high school I’m going to start training.” He was smiling. Animated. A completely different person from the kid I’d started this conversation with. “I’ve already started putting money aside.”

“Do your parents know about this?”

Lizzy, I swear to god…

“Not yet. I figured I would wait until I graduate before I tell them. You know how mom gets. You’ll keep it a secret, right? Promise you don’t tell them?”

“I… guess.”

“I wanted to ask you.” He was on his feet now, standing between me and the pond. “Will you train me? When I’m old enough, I mean.”

A wave of dread hit me so hard I thought I was going to fall off that bench. I opened my mouth to answer, then froze. The words I was about to say were not my own.

You’re throwing your life away.

They were my father’s.

Well played, Dad. I get it now. I understand. Only I can do better.

I can be better.

Ryan stared at me, eagerly awaiting an answer. Just not this one.

“No.”

“No?! Why not?”

“Do you know what I see when I look at you, Ry’? Potential. So much potential.” He rolled his eyes. I should have expected that, too. “Did you know your mom sends me videos? I’ve seen you skate. The way you move around the ice… Man, you’ve been torching kids older than you for years. If you want to be a wrestler, then I know you’re going to be great. You’re a better athlete than I was at your age.”

He turned halfway towards the pond.

“But she also sends me your report cards,” I continued. “So I know that you’re smarter.”

“She does?”

“Report cards. Progress reports. Three different clippings from the Surrey Now-Leader. Buddy, I see it all.”

“Why does she send you that stuff?”

He was looking at me again, so we were back on the road to progress.

“Because I asked her to. Your future is important to me. You are important to me.”

“So then why won’t you teach me?”

“Two reasons. The first is that I think you can be so much more than this. So much more.”

He sighed. Even if he’d never told his parents about his ambitions, he had likely heard this before. Maybe as a way to try and keep those thoughts out of his head in the first place.

“God, you sound just like mom.”

No, Ryan. These aren’t her words. But you’re not old enough to remember your grandfather.

"And the other?" He said.

"Because if I was the one who trained you and something happened in that ring, or worse, if someone backstage decided they were going to try and make a point... That feeling you had about Paxton and I? It would be just like that, only so much worse. Because I would feel responsible."

“I can still do it, you know. I don’t need you, or mom, or anyone else’s permission!”

“I know. And I won’t try and get in your way if this is something that you’re certain you want to do.”

“You won’t?”

“Nope. You’re the only person who gets to live your life, so you need to make sure that you do it on your terms.”

Ryan got quiet for a minute. Maybe he expected more pushback. An argument. Something. He’d certainly get one from his mother, that’s for damn sure.

“Tell you what,” I said. “I’ll make you a deal. If this is something that you’re absolutely sure you want to do, then I can help. I won’t teach you how, but I can put you in touch with some people - good people - who will. Guys who’ll make sure that you know how to take care of yourself.”

His face lit up.

“But on one condition,” I added, and his smile faded. “You’re going to college first.”

“Why do I need to go to school? Wouldn’t it be better if I started as soon as I could? That way I’d be ahead of everyone else my age.”

Because if you go to school first, then maybe you find something else you’d rather do, and I can keep you safe just that much longer. Meet somebody. Find out you have a bunch of common interests. Fall in love. Graduate. Start a family. Forget about what your stupid uncle did for a living and focus on being the best version of yourself that you can.

“Because you need something to fall back on in case it doesn’t work out, or you get hurt and the doctors say you have to stop. Because eventually your career is going to end, just like mine, and you’re going to have to figure out what the next step is. For you. For your family. All the people that you care about. This way when it’s all over, you won’t have to deal with the same stuff that I am. What do you say? Do we have a deal?”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay. I can do that.”

A handshake turned into a hug.

“You shouldn’t be scared,” he said as we let go. “It’s going to be great. Mom says so, too.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yup. She told me on the drive over. She said you used to keep her company when you were little and she was scared. Something about how you used to sleep on the floor in her room so she wouldn’t get nightmares.”

“She told you that?”

“She says you’ve been ready for this your whole life.”

If people wonder why I have the reputation that I do, the one about being hyper-emotional and crying all the time, it’s because my family loves to blindside me with shit like this.

It took everything I had not to break. After all, there was still the entire rehearsal to deal with, and I knew that would get me.

Focus, Jared. Pull yourself together. And pivot.

“And what do you think? You’ve got two sisters plus your mom, so you’re in the same boat I am - outnumbered in a house full of women. Think I’m in trouble?”

“Oh yeah,” he said. “You’re fucked.”

I put my hand to my chest in a show of mock offense. Cursing was outlawed around my sister, a crime I sometimes wondered if she would punish by death if she thought she could get away with it.

“Language,” I said, desperately trying to contain a laugh.

“Now you really sound like mom.”

A compliment if ever there was one, Ry’.

After all, she raised you.

#

The day now behind her, Justine allowed herself to be swallowed by the couch. Her mother had finally relented about who was conducting the ceremony. Lizzy knew well enough to stay far away and not say anything stupid. Charles hadn’t managed to “accidentally” summon any ninjas. The rehearsal had come and gone without incident, and now it was time to decompress. With the wedding less than forty-eight hours away there would be plenty more to stress about tomorrow.

“So what did you guys talk about,” she said, “or is this like secret uncle stuff?”

Jared fell onto the cushions next to her, a wide, flat box in his hands. As soon as he was seated she swung her feet up onto his lap.

“Can we never say the words ‘secret uncle stuff’ again? Makes me feel weird.”

“Yeah, I kind of regretted it as soon as the words were out.” She crossed one leg over the other. “But that doesn’t answer my question.”

Jared shrugged, but so far he wasn’t taking the hint. When the pregnant lady presents her feet, get thee to massagin’.

“The future. His and mine. Who I am. Who I want to be.” He flopped his head back on the cushions and smiled. “Big existential stuff. Philosophical, even.”

“Fine then. Keep your secrets. I bet you spent the whole time crying.”

“Nah. I only cried for, like, half of it. Gotta save some tears for Saturday.”

“Only half of it? I’m impressed.” She wiggled her toes, but he still wasn’t biting. She nodded to the box. “What’s that?”

“Oh! I almost forgot. I picked up the programs earlier today.” He removed the lid and handed the top card to her. “I love ‘em. What do you think?”

THE WEDDING CEREMONY OF

Jared J. Sykes & Justine M. Calvin

Saturday, May 25, 2024

She opened her mouth to answer, then frowned. Something was off, but she couldn’t quite place it. She reread it, studying every line, every curve.

“Oh, goddammit!” She was off the couch and pacing, program in hand. “They got your name wrong! You didn’t catch this? Fuck, we’re going to have to call them tomorrow.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. Jared, they got your name wrong and you didn’t catch this. And stop smiling, it’s pissing me off.”

“I double-checked it. I’m pretty sure it’s right.” Contrary to her order he did not, in fact, stop smiling. If anything it only seemed to get bigger. “I mean, I should know that one.”

“No, it’s right here. Look.” She jabbed a finger at the paper. “Your middle initial, it’s…”

She froze. Looked at the program again, then back at Jared. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to settle into place.

“Your middle initial,” she repeated.

“I know,” he said. He tapped his hand on the couch. “You should come sit back down.”

A memory unlocked itself, perfect and distinct. He was driving her home from training, because by that point it had become routine. She asked what his middle name was, and when he told her it was Jordan she burst out laughing. Said that “Jared Jordan” sounded like the two guys from the boy band that show up on MTV because they can’t get Justin Timberlake and have to settle. He said it was why people called him JJ as a kid.

Another memory, this one from the days before their graduation when he said that he’d fired half the band. That he’d changed his middle name, so he could bring his brother on the journey.

The reason why he argued so hard with the Sin City brass when he won his first world title. The reason his own name was crudely scratched off, so that only A. Sykes remained.

She put a hand to her mouth and fell more into him than the couch.

“You changed it.”

He nodded, and softly said, “I did.”

“When?”

“Earlier this year. Before the first match with Julien. That day when you started talking about names… right before you told me you were pregnant? I got nervous because I thought you meant on the marriage certificate. If it had to be changed, it might spoil the surprise.”

She stared at him, wide-eyed. A million thoughts tried to take shape, but all that came out was, “Why?”

“Twenty-five years, Cal. I carried him with me for twenty-five years. Every contract, every company. So many matches. His name is on every title, even if you can’t see it. But those days are over now. And what happens in the next phase of our lives, that’s ours. That’s mine.”

He drew her close and pressed his lips to hers.

“And I’m not sharing.”