Love That Liv's For Eternity

A Call From Home

   When I got to the locker room AJ and Finn complimented my debut. They were both very generous about my work and had said they both followed my career once I joined the Bullet Club. We got to work conversing about what the plan going forward for this story was set to be. We exchanged contact information, made a group chat and said our goodbyes for the night.
   "Oh and Seb?', AJ called out to me. "Hunter did inform us that you won't be on the road for live events for the first few weeks. Try to stay sharp and make sure you're keeping up with your workouts.", he added. "No problem. Y'all be careful on the road", I said as I waved goodnight to them. So until next Monday I went home. Now home is a very confusing title for where I live. You see, as I had mentioned before, I came from a small town in West Texas. THAT was home. I used to say all the time that I'd never move because my family was there. Once my wrestling career began to get off the ground, the people closest to me encouraged me to leave. I remember the exact conversation I had with my father. "You have a good thing starting son. I understand you don't wanna leave the people you care about but this has been your dream for as long as you could remember. It's the path I unintentionally started you on. Look I know we won't see each other as much but I'm always here when you need me. Just don't forget your old man when you get famous",  my dad said as he urged me to follow my destiny. "Dad you know I'd never forget you. I'm gonna call you at least twice a day. And I better still get a goodnight text from you every night or I'm getting on a plane and coming right back here.", I warn my father. "Son, have I ever not texted you goodnight if you weren't here at the house, he asks me. My father and I were very close. That's no takeaway from my relationship with my mother or anyone else in my life. My dad was just my hero. He may not have been main eventing wrestlemania, or had been some kind of superhero, but my dad meant everything to me. It's one of those father-son relationships that couldn't be explained by words. It was just special and unbreakable. I was my father's only son. No matter what it was I did, he always supported me. It made it hard to move out of the house once I graduated high school. From the day I moved out, I had dinner with my dad and stepmother at least once a week. Sometimes twice, or three or four times if I really missed him. It was strange that I wouldn't be able to do that on a regular anymore. I was leaving to Ohio. I had always wanted to live there because I had heard of how beautiful it was. How it rain was a normal thing instead of an anomaly as it was in the dry, desert like area I loved it. I HATE the heat. Summer in that town used to be an absolute hell. Triple digits were the norm. Summer started in march and lasted until the end of September. I felt so out of place. I wanted to live in a place that had windy days. Rain and cold weather were expected and loudly grey skies weren't a needle in a haystack. My opportunity to move to Ohio came at the time I had began my training with Mox. A Cincinnati native himself, he knew the place well. Told me I would love it there. After training and crashing with Moxley I eventually got my own place in Columbus. Only about a 2 hour drive from Mox and his family. As I started to head to the gate to board my plane to Ohio, I got a call from my stepmother. "Hey Michele, what's up?", I began. "Elijah, where are you right now?", she asked with urgency in her voice. "I'm at the airport. I'm about to get on a place back to Ohio. Why?", I ask. "Do NOT get on that plane. Get a ticket and come HOME now.", she demand. "Michele, you're scaring me. What's going on?" She's quiet for a second but I can feel the "how do I break this to the kid without freaking him out" vibe she's giving off. "Listen closely and remain calm. Your father has been in an accident", she reveals. My eyes widen as the world slows down. My phone falls from my hand and hits the floor while I remain frozen as the news that was just broken to me. He's going to be okay. He has to be. My dad is going to live forever. A childish, selfish, unrealistic phrase I had told myself since I was a child. My dad is 53 years old. He's not old by any means but I worried about him every single day. I grab my phone off the floor and rush to get a new ticket. "Are you there? Elijah!", my stepmother called out to me over the phone. "Is he okay? Is he alive? WHERE is he?", I interrogate her. "I'm at the emergency room. He's here. He took his motorcycle out for a ride and there was an accident. He almost died if he hadn't gained the little bit of control he got of his motorcycle. He has broken bones and a concussion. Just get home. Your FIRST home.", she explains. "I just got my ticket. My flight leaves in 20 minutes.", I say putting my wallet back in my bag. "I'll let you know when I land. "I called your aunt. You're gonna stay there tonight and you can come here first thing in the morning.", she says. "Call her and tell her I won't need to stay. I'm driving over there as soon as I leave the airport.", I reply. "No you need rest. You need sleep" she tries getting me to listen. I am my mother's son. Being hardheaded is one of the things I inherited. "No time. I'll see you in the morning." I hang up before she can try to talk me out of it. It was 11:30 at night by the time I boarded my flight. I was in Florida. The flight was about 3 hours to Fort Worth. After renting a car, stopping at a gas station for energy and caffeine and sustenance, my drive began. It was about a 4 hour drive. I was in such a state of panic I was speeding at first but I head my dad's voice in my head telling me to slow down. "You won't get there any faster if you get into an accident. No reason for us both to be in the hospital." I could hear him saying. I decelerate to the speed limit. After 3 hours I arrive in my hometown. It's 7 in the morning. I immediately get to the hospital and storm in. "Which room is Igino Cervantez staying in?", I ask the lady at the front desk. "And who might you be sir?", she asked me with a disgusted look on her face. "I'm his son", i answer. "Well 'son' only 3 visitors are allowed in his room at once and the spots are filled. You're going to have to wait", she yaps at me. "You listen to me, I've been awake for 27 hours, I got off a flight from Florida to Fort Worth and drove all morning to get here, I'll be damned if I have to 'wait' now tell me where my father is before I go check every room until I find him!" I slam my fist on the desk. "Seb!" , a familiar voice calls out to me. I turn and find my cousin Jorden standing next to the vending machine. My best friend, who happens to be her husband, Cristian, is standing by her. I go over to them. "You're a mess. See what happens when I'm not there to look after you?", she jokes. "What are you guys doing here?" I ask. "When you left you asked me to look after your dad while you're gone. I'm keeping my promise. That and he IS my uncle you know. He's on the third floor. Room 4B. Go ahead. We'll catch up later.", she informs me. I thank her and head for the elevator. I get there and go in without even knocking. In the room is my stepmother, and my two sisters, Mariah and Bree. "Seb?", Mariah exclaims. "Kid I told you're as hardheaded as ever." Michele gripes to me. "Little brother. Glad you could make it", Bree says. "How is he?", I ask. "He's gonna be fine. He's just resting for now. He's tired.", Mariah catches me up to speed. "You know the first damn thing he said when he got to this room?", my stepmom asks. I look at my father asleep bruised and battered. My eyes begin to water. A slight smile stretches across my face. "He asked when he could go back to work", i answer with a chuckle. My dad was a hard working man. He never liked missing work.  Anytime he got hurt or ended up in the hospital he always asked when he could get back to his day to day job. "We tried telling him he needs to retire already but he says he'll be bored if he does", Bree comments. "I gotta get to work but I'll come by on my lunch break and check in and come back after I get off", Mariah says as she gets up to leave. She stops by me and hugs me. "It's good to see you back in town. Wish it was under different circumstances", she utters before she leaves. I take her seat next to his bedside and get brought up to speed on everything I missed. My main concern is my father's recovery.