Agora Hills

twenty-eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

December 11, 2024

The late afternoon sun filtered through the glass windows of the department store, casting dappled patterns on the polished tile floor.

Reeva pushed the shopping cart along, a carefree smile on her face as she glanced at the various racks of clothes and sparkling accessories. The air was filled with the low hum of shoppers and the occasional ring of a bell as a store attendant moved past them.

Her father, Phil, walked beside her, eyes sharp and alert as he examined the different items they passed. Despite the mundane setting of a busy shopping mall, Reeva could sense the excitement brimming beneath her father's calm, collected exterior.

"Do you really think we need more socks, Dad?" Reeva asked, teasingly tugging at the edge of a brightly colored display.

Phil's lips twitched into a grin, the edges of his eyes crinkling as he looked down at her. "It's always good to stock up," he said with a wink, letting the banter flow between them.

They had spent the better part of the afternoon picking out clothes, shoes, and a few household essentials. It was a rare moment of normalcy, a slice of life that Reeva cherished in the whirlwind of her family's busy schedules. But today, she had a confession to make. And as they moved past a row of denim jackets, she took a deep breath and made up her mind.

"Dad," she started, her voice steady but laced with nerves. Phil turned to look at her, the playful smile on his face still there, but now accompanied by a spark of curiosity.

"Yeah?" His voice was warm, inviting. Reeva hesitated, feeling the weight of her own words hanging in the air, but she pushed forward.

"I want to learn how to wrestle," she said, eyes locked with his. The pause that followed felt endless, a strange, stretching silence that made her heart pound against her ribs. But then, Phil's face broke into the biggest, proudest smile she had ever seen.

"Reeva Punk!" he said, eyes lighting up with joy. "That's such a cool ring name."

Reeva couldn't help but laugh, a genuine, bright sound that cut through the quiet between them. "CM Punk and Reeva Punk, very creative, right?" she replied, the weight of her confession finally starting to ease.

The sound of her dad's laughter mingled with hers, and the world seemed a little lighter.

Phil's eyes gleamed with an excitement that made Reeva's chest swell. "What about ReeLee Punk? A little nod to your mom and me," he added, the mischievous glint in his eyes telling her he was half-joking, half-serious.

Reeva's laughter rang out again, the idea warm and comforting, full of memories of being small and watching her parents together, so carefree.

"ReeLee Punk... I like that. It's perfect," she said, feeling a newfound determination seep into her bones.

"Your mother is going to flip out when she finds out you want to train," Phil said, a hint of warning in his voice as he said it, but his smile was still wide and genuine.

He reached over, ruffling her hair as he took a deep breath. Reeva knew her dad too well; he was already anticipating the whirlwind that would follow her revelation.

"I know," she said, a slight cringe on her face as she thought about April's inevitable reaction.

Her mother, with her fierce passion and unwavering commitment to her own wrestling career, would probably take one look at Reeva and decide that she was the next big thing, ready to be trained and molded to perfection. Reeva could already picture her mom's excited chatter, the plans she'd begin forming in the next second, completely bypassing Reeva's own wishes.