Be Okay

ReVival 54 had been nothing but a blur for Bryan.

After a valiant effort, Hawaiian BBQ suffered yet another loss in the Tag Team Tournament. All losses hurt, but losing to the Red Army would cause an extra sting that would linger for days longer than usual. Not only that, but Rose stuck her foot where it didn’t belong and ultimately cost Bryan and Adam the match.

And then, the fracas.

The scuffle.

The brouhaha.

The shitstorm.

No matter what name you call it, what happened after the aforementioned match was a massive trainwreck of epic proportion.

The Red Army, Agent Zarya and the Soviet Bloc, Rose, Ginny, hell even Ivan Stanislav made an appearance.

The last time Dawkins had seen that many Enemigos… once they finally appeared... he and Rhett Locke were in the midst of a brawl on the heels on an altercation with Kai that ultimately led to the birth of Nicholas Dawkins.

Dawkins rental car coasted along Interstate 5 while he replayed the events from Portland over and over in his head. Cruise control and lane assist took the burden from his brain and allowed him to recollect his thoughts accordingly.

The GPS said it would only take around three hours for the trip from Portland to Seattle and he knew he’d need every minute of the trip to get his thoughts in order. He was headed to a meeting he knew would happen sooner or later, just not…now.

He tried to blow off the texts.

He blew off the last meeting on account of the arrival of Abbigail Jane and his overwhelming desire to help his tag team partner.

He wasn’t going to blow this one off… at least that was the plan.

About a half hour into the trip, Bryan’s phone exploded with notifications. Needing a coffee for the road, he pulled off an exit near Longview, WA and found Red Leaf Organic Coffee. After parking, he finally read the messages and headlines.

GINNY VAN LEAR SUSPENDED

ADAM ELLIS BOYCOTTING REVIVAL 55

ADAM ELLIS THREATENS TO QUIT PRIME UNLESS RED ARMY IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS

GINNY VAN LEAR UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE ATF

ANOTHER AGENT ZARYA CENTERFOLD COMING?

RUSSIA LOOKING INTO CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST ADAM ELLIS AND GINNY VAN LEAR

BRYAN DAWKINS TO TAKE ON BIG DICK STALLIONS BY HIMSELF - NO, FOR REAL!

They really could have done a better job of phrasing on that last one.

Ignoring the last headline, Dawkins began to sweat.

What did he miss? Amidst the chaos, Dawkins did see Ellis and Ginny slip away, but he assumed it was for their safety. After all, Ginny did have Abbigail Jane strapped to her whilst firing BB’s at her targets. It seemed like a sound idea to get out of dodge at the time.

The aroma of freshly ground coffee, dim lighting and light instrumental jazz inside the cafe would have gone a long way toward relaxing most patrons. Unfortunately, Bryan Dawkins was not one of them. He mindlessly ordered a coffee, paced the cafe and hoped the magical bean juice would calm his nerves. His mind went a mile a minute while he attempted to reason with himself between sips of organic coffee. Black, of course.

Should I call Ellis? Nah, maybe give him and Ginny some time.

*sip*

Should I call LT to plead their case for them? Eh…last time I talked with LT it didn’t go well.

*sip*

Do I need to look for a new partner? Last resort, I think.

*sip*

Maybe I should call Adam, after all? No no, calm down bruh.

After moments that felt like hours, he decided to text.

And wait.

“Hey bruh - saw the headlines. You guys ok? We should talk.”

After the message was sent, he flipped over to his message with Kai before hastily typing another text.

“Hey…sorry but I’m not gonna make it right now. I know I promised but stuff came up that I gotta  deal with. Will be in Seattle in a couple weeks for UltraViolence. We WILL do this then. Promise.”

After a deep exhale and another sip of black coffee, he tacked on one more message.

“Tell him I’m sorry. I’ll make this up to both of ya.”

Almost instantly, the little “typing” bubble popped up on his screen causing Bryan to immediately tense up and break into a cold sweat.

“I won’t tell him. You will.”

There was a part of Bryan who knew there was nothing keeping him from continuing to travel to Seattle to meet Kai and his son. Then there was the other part who was happy that yet another convenient distraction popped up so he could kick that proverbial can down the road a few more weeks.

In the meantime, Dawkins made a couple pleas to the PRIME locker room via Jabber. Nobody, not even attempted murderer Joe Fontaine himself, seemed to have any interest in potentially stepping in as Dawkins’ tag partner against Fred Dick and STRONK!

He had to find his tag partner and convince him to come back.

***

A week after ReVival 54, Ginny decided to drive into the Missouri countryside after church.  The rolling hills blurred past the passenger window as she navigated the country road, the hum of rubber against gravel creating a soothing backdrop. She stole glances at her husband, Adam Ellis who sat slumped in his seat, a brooding silhouette against the bright Sunday sky while Abbigail sat sleeping in the car seat between them.

"Adam," Ginny began, her voice breaking the silence, “Speak to me, darlin'. I reckon you're bearin' a mighty weight on them shoulders."

Adam mumbled something under his breath.

“Adam!” Ginny hated when he did that.

"What!” Adam shot back before his voice trailed off, his frustration hanging between them like the humidity before a storm.

Ginny reached over, her hand hovering above his knee, debating whether touch would soothe or ignite. "Pastor mentioned Job today in his sermon," she said with a chuckle, trying to lift the heaviness from his shoulders. "Seems like you've got yourself a 'Job' moment right here."

The reference failed to draw out a smile. Instead, it opened a valve, releasing Adam's pent-up vexation. "I’m not in the mood for any goddamn jokes, Gin-”

"Adam Ellis!" Ginny retorted. "I ain't gonna tolerate you disrespectin' the Lord's name, not today, not never."

The car fell silent once more, save for the symphony of wheels and wind. Adam sank back into his seat. Ginny kept her focus on the road ahead… her gaze softened as the silence stretched between them, each mile marker they passed a quiet testament to the distance in their conversation.

"Adam, hon, you're like Job, railing at God," she began, her voice carrying the weight of the sermon they heard earlier that morning. "Job 14:18... 'But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and as a rock is moved from its place, as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy a person’s hope.' Y'all lettin' this whole thing with Lindsay Troy just break ya down, kill yer spirit."

Adam's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing slightly at the comparison. He was a wrestler, used to grappling with tangible opponents, not engaging in battles of biblical proportions.

“Ya see, God's answer to Job was kinda Lindsay Troy’s to you,” Ginny pressed on, undeterred by Adam's growing discomfort. "Job 38... 'Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' Lindsay's throwin' down the gauntlet, hon, like in Job 40, 'Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him! "

She paused, letting the passage sink in before adding, "Ya gotta talk to Lindsay Troy with some humility' like Job did when he answered the Lord: 'I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer—twice, but I will say no more.'.”

Adam shifted uneasily, looking out the window at the passing countryside. “Humility?” he scoffed.  “Why do I need to talk to her with humility?  Lindsay Troy suspended you from PRIME indefinitely because her Enemigos did absolutely nothing to stop the Red Army from beating the crap out of me… but you did.  Why should I-“

"Look, Adam...,” Ginny cut in, her intensity rising again. “I wasn’t born in a barn, ya know.  When I came down with that Red Ryder BB gun in my hands, I knew what I was fixin’ to do and knew what Lindsay Troy would be fixin' to do to me afterward. But I ain’t lying when I say it was worth it. I hit what I aimed at… Agent Zarya got hers for what she did to me and what she did to you. And bless her heart… Rose should be on her knees thankin’ the Lord I didn’t get her in my sights ‘cause that Cattywompas would have gotten hers too… and that pink succubus from hell Vickie Hall, too."

Adam took in the conviction burning in her eyes.

"I reckon I can stay home and be a right good momma to lil’ Abbigail Jane an’ raise her in a God-fearing, Christian home," Ginny drawled.  “And I landed myself a part-time gig teachin' karate and MMA at one of the local dojos. We’ll get some extra cash and I’ll get back in fightin' form after having our baby."

Ginny turned and smiled at Adam.  Adam leaned against the passenger door and continued to be silent.

"All them folks yammerin' on 'bout how you and Bryan oughta been rasslin' like a well-oiled machine from the get-go don't get it. You both did mighty fine considerin' ya'll was strangers before ya'll paired up. Y'all ain't no Brooks and Dunn who come together and start spittin' out them country hits left n' right.  Y’all needed time to get yourselves workin’ together.”

Adam's head slowly swiveled towards his wife, his features contorted with disbelief. His eyes widened.

"Wait a minute," he exclaimed.

“What.”

"Little Miss 'I Only Listen to God's Music' is a closet Brooks and Dunn fan?"

Ginny shifted uncomfortably and avoided his gaze as her face turned bright red. Her eyes remained focused on the road, unable to meet Adam's amused stare.

"I... I might have snuck a couple records of theirs into the house when I was a youngin'," she finally admitted with a sheepish grin.

Ginny put her hand on Adam’s shoulder and changed the subject.

“But never mind that... y’all need to call Bryan.”

Adam stared out as the farmlands of Missouri stretched out in a patchwork of greens and browns, lost in his thoughts. Ginny held her breath and waited for him to respond.

And waited…

And waited…

And…

Finally, she maneuvered the pickup truck onto the gravel shoulder and slammed on the brakes causing the dust to swirl behind them like a miniature tornado.

"Adam, gosh darn it," Ginny said, her voice firm, "you can't keep bottlin' up everything inside ya. It's eatin' you up, and that ain't good for you, me, or Abbigail."

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his frame too big for the small space, making him feel caged. "I know, Gin... it's just—"

“Call him.”

“Gin-“

"Look at me, Adam," she interrupted. Her fiery red hair framed her determined expression, eyes locking onto his with an intensity that demanded attention. "Bryan's been tryin' to get ahold of ya for days. He's your tag partner, your friend. He's worried 'bout ya, and y’all need to let him help."

He sighed deeply, knowing she was right. Ginny, seizing the moment of his silence, fished her phone from her pocket and held it out to him.

"Call him."

Adam took the phone, its weight insignificant compared to the heaviness in his chest. His thumb hovered over the contact named 'Bryan Dawkins'. Each heartbeat echoed in his ears like the drumbeat of an entrance theme, rousing him to action.

“Call him!”

"Alright," he conceded with a nod, pressing the call button. The line trilled once, twice, and then—

“Bruh! Where ya been? I’ve been tryin’ to get ahold of ya for a week now.”

***

The minute Dawkins got the call from Ellis, he booked the first flight to St. Louis. Upon arriving to the apartment, he hopped out of the Uber and asked the driver to pop the trunk, revealing a crate stamped “FRAGILE”.

He grabbed the crate, slung it atop his shoulder and headed for the door. Before he could get to it, Ginny appeared in the doorway with Abbigail Jane strapped to her mother in the infant carrier.

“Ginny- how you and Abby doin’?” Dawkins smiled as he lowered the crate to the ground and began to examine it. His fingers traced the wood bracing, looking for an easy way to open the package.

"Hey y'all,” Ginny greeted Dawkins with a smile. “What's going on here? You better not be calling Abbigail Jane by that nickname.” Ginny grinned in a teasing manner. “Naw, we’all good here."

Bryan continued to examine the crate. “Good t’hear, Ginny.” He was preoccupied but attempting to stay engaged. “How’s the MMA goin’?”

Adam walked out just as Bryan received a quick surprised glance from Ginny - how did he know? Before she could respond, Dawkins followed with “Yeah, Adam did mention it. Ya know I trained in jiujitsu? If ya need help, just lemme know!”

After a few more moments of fiddling with the crate, Dawkins stood and wiped his brow with his forearm. “Gets hot around here, ya?”

“It’s the humidity that gits ya” Ginny quipped.

“Yeesh, you’re not kiddin’! Hey Adam - you got a crowbar handy?”

Seemingly from nowhere, Ginny procured a smallish pry bar and held it outside Abbigail Jane’s grasp. Dawkins made his way over, bowing while offering his thanks, and headed back to the crate.

“Hey Bryan. Uhhhh…” Ellis analyzed the scene unfolding in his front yard - his elder tag team partner absolutely going to town on this wooden crate in an attempt to get it open. Bryan Dawkins may be good at many…err, some things, but using tools is not one of them. Ellis entered the fold and gently removes the pry bar from his partner’s hands.

“I’ll do it.”

With ease, Ellis popped the top on the crate in a number of seconds, not even coming close to breaking a sweat. Dawkins grinned at his teammate.

“Teamwork, huh?”

Adam cracked a small smile. “Yeah…teamwork.”

Dawkins lifted the lid of the crate and tossed it aside. His eyes grew wide, some might say with ecstasy.

Ellis looked…confused?

“What am I looking at here, Bryan?”

Dawkins lifted an absolutely GORGEOUS white pineapple from the crate, which housed at least two dozen of the fruit.

“This, bruh, is the greatest delicacy in the entire world. The world famous white pineapple.” One of the fruits was handed to Adam.

“O…kay.”

Dawkins returned to the crate and was rifling through the packaging.

“These bad boys are the best! They don’t have as much acidity as the yellow ones everyone is used to…you can even eat the core! No waste, bruh.”

After more searching, Bryan reached deep into the crate and exclaimed “ah, here it is - FOUND IT!”

A small, baby-size pineapple was revealed, which Dawkins proudly presented to Ginny for Abbigail Jane.

“For the kiddo!” An absolute genuine gesture, albeit a little confusing for his hosts.

“So uh, what are we supposed to do with all of these, Bryan?”

“Duh, eat ‘em, bruh. You got a knife?”

Ginny cackled loudly. "Y'all got a knife? Seriously, Bryan, do ya even know where y’all are at?"

***

When it was all said and done, six of the pineapples were eaten in a short period of time. One could guess who did most of the damage, but we’ll leave it up to imagination.

Dawkins, lounging in the den, was completely pineapple-drunk. Pure bliss. And then Adam had to bring up real life.

“We need to talk about Friday.”

“No need, bruh, I get it. You guys had t’get outta dodge. And you were upset about Ginny bein’ suspended. Sucks, bruh, but I get it.” Dawkins had his eyes closed and hands clasped in front of him on his now-protruding stomach. Again, pure bliss.

Adam took a drink from a can of Budweiser he’d pulled out of their refrigerator after dinner.  “I’m talking about Fred Dick and STRONK.’

“Oh, yeah…not sure if you saw but I did try to see if Fred Dick was up for a rain check in case you were really gonna boycott. Now he expects me to bring cash. Bruh’s not too bright.”

“That’s putting it mildly.”

“Here’s the thing, bruh. We’ve been getting closer every week. And if it wasn’t for Rose, we’d have walked out of Portland with a win.”

“What exactly is the deal with Rose?” Adam inquired.

“Don’t you worry about her. I’m takin’ care of that issue on Friday. She’s not gonna get away with talkin’ about my family on national television. I know you understand.” Dawkins gestured toward the other room where Ginny watched Abbigail Jane sleep.

“Oh, I do.”  Adam snuck a peek over at Ginny resting on the lounger with Abbigail Jane fast asleep in her carrier.

“I’ll take care of the slap boxer - he hasn’t done anythin’ I can’t handle. You’ve got the strength to take on the STRONK bruh. My old bones can’t handle that kind of beatin’ anymore.” Dawkins chuckled to himself.

“I’m not sure about that but I’ll do my best,” Adam said… not relishing going up against the massive STRONK at ReVival 55.

“After the match, I’m gonna take care of business with Rose. Speakin’ of…you mind if I borrow that crowbar from earlier?”

“Gin?”

Ginny disappeared momentarily, only to return with the requested tool- a small, but sturdy crowbar gripped firmly in her hand. But it was the other item she held, a CD case, that caught their attention as she slipped it into the player.

"Music? Gin, I ain't really feeling it right now," Adam grumbled, slouching deeper into the leather couch.

"Boys, y'all need to hear this," Ginny said, her fiery hair cascading over her shoulders as she faced them both. "Especially with everything that's been piling on."

Adam exchanged a glance with Bryan, who shrugged a tattooed shoulder. "Bruh, let's give it a shot. Can't hurt, yeah?"

"Y'all know, this song came about when a little girl, fightin’ terminal cancer... emailed the songwriter with questions she didn’t know how to answer with words," Ginny said, pressing play on the CD player and letting the room fill with the opening chords of Lauren Daigle's ‘Be Okay.’

"So she wrote this song instead."

Adam's eyes flickered with interest. Bryan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his colorful sunglasses pushed atop his head, revealing genuine concern.

You're gonna be okay You're, you're gonna be okay Oh, the sun will keep on risin' in that old familiar way And every little thing is gonna be okay

You're gonna be alright Darling, you're, you're gonna be alright 'Cause the stars will keep on shinin' through the darkest night And you can know you're gonna be alright

Adam's expression softened, the twang of his Midwestern accent silent as he listened intently. Even Bryan, always so carefree, seemed to be touched by the song's raw honesty.

Lift your eyes to the hills Remember where your help comes from Lift your eyes to the hills You'll never face a valley alone 'Cause even when your heart is breakin' And you've gone and lost your way You're, you're gonna be okay

You're gonna be okay I know that you're, you're gonna be okay Not a care in this whole world can take that truth away You're, you're gonna be okay

You're gonna be alright Darling, you're, you're gonna be alright At the end of all our prayer, when we're beckoned onto the light Love will meet you there, you're gonna be alright

Oh, the end of all our prayers is the beginning of new life You're, you're gonna be alright

As the final notes faded, there was a tangible shift in the room. The burdens they each carried, the chaos of ringside confrontations and life's relentless pressures, seemed a little lighter, if only for a moment. .

Bryan, ever the islander at heart, simply murmured, "That's some powerful stuff, Gin."

"Boys, sometimes we get knocked down," Ginny said, locking eyes with both men. "But y’all gotta remember, y’all got people in your corner. And sometimes, y’all need a little reminder that it’s all gonna be okay."

Adam extended his hand towards Bryan.  “We good?”

Bryan shook Adam’s hand.  “Bruh, we good.”

Adam and Bryan sat united by the power of a song and the bond of friendship, ready to face whatever the challenge of facing Fred Dick and STRONK might bring.