The Champions' Wedding [3] » WWE

Chapter 18

Monday: 19 Days Until The Wedding

My dad pulls out my chair and I take a seat, thanking him. He had invited me out to eat lunch before we would head over to the arena for RAW. Because of my trip to the hospital, I wasn't wrestling today, but I did have a backstage segment with Renee about the challenger for my title at Extreme Rules, Summer Rae.

The place he had chosen for lunch was comfortable, and had a family-oriented atmosphere about it. It was one of those places you take your children for a fun dinner, but minus the animatronic animals and germ-ridden ball pits.

I glance up from my menu to see my dad solely focused on his, not even tempting to make conversation. My dad is the type of guy that will talk your ears off about the the good ol' days and missed opportunities until you verbally submit from the conversation, so his silence is strange.

I figure he's had time to think about what I did to wind up in the hospital, and is now a little upset with me, but I don't try to push the subject. My dad was also the type to blow up at you, no matter where we were.

It made for some not-so-great family outings when I was younger.

To my surprise, Dad puts down his menu and clears his throat. He intertwines his hands together as he looks at me from across the table. "Listen, Asher, I've had a long enough time to think about how I was going to approach you about this and I finally decided on just spitting it out."

Yeah. Definitely going to grill me on the emergency room visit.

"Are you sure marrying Seth is what you really want?"

Wait, what?

First Seth questions me on this subject, and even suggests postponing it, now my dad, too?

I close my menu with a chuckle, looking at my dad in confusion. "Of course it is, Dad. Why would you ask that?"

He scratches his head, exhaling out a breath of air. "Because you've been making all these choices, and doing things that you normally wouldn't do and I'm," he pauses, looking at me with a shrug. "I'm worried about you. Me, your mother, Shawn. We're all worried about you."

I reach across the table, placing my hand on top of his. "Dad, there is nothing I want more," I tell him, repeating to Seth what I had said just yesterday. "I made a few dumb mistakes, and I can admit that. But I promise that it won't happen again."

He places his other hand on mine, patting it with a half-smile. "I just don't want anything to happen to my little girl."

"I'm 26, Dad." I pull my hand away and pick up my menu, but don't open it. "I'm not so little anymore."

He nods with a laugh. "I know. Force of habit."

I think about all the looming problems that could surface when Brand arrives and Seth sees him. I debate telling Dad about them, but decide to give him some reassurance instead.

"Listen, nobody needs to worry, alright? In the end, everything will turn out okay." At least, I hope it does.

"Good, good," he says, picking his menu back up. "I trust your decision."

Trust is something I've been abusing a lot of lately.

I push the negative thoughts into the back of my mind as I open my menu and start to skim over it. I'm weighing the fulfilling factor of a Caesar salad and a grilled panini when Dad speaks again. "By the way, Linda called. You wouldn't believe who showed up at her house."