SuperFan (15 page)

Shawn was shocked. “Why didn't you—”

“One good secret deserves another, right, Shawn?” His mother smiled slyly. “You kept it secret that you were thinking of entering SuperFan, right?”

Shawn protested. “Yeah, but that was different!”

Carla's grin grew wider. “Second reason? You read
Tom Sawyer
. Which means you know that sometimes you have to keep a secret in order to make a really, really big entrance!”

Shawn got it. His mom was talking about the scene where Tom and his friends had faked their own deaths in order to make a really, really big entrance at their own funeral service. Shawn thought it was the best scene in the book.

“I loved that scene,” Sanford confided.

“You read
Tom Sawyer
?” Shawn raised his eyebrows. His mom was the big reader in the family.

“Shawn, you know what your mom says: Parents need to read the books that their kids are reading. I read
Tom Sawyer
in Afghanistan. Go ahead, quiz me,” Sanford challenged, and seventy-five thousand people in the Dome roared with laughter.

“Where have you been staying?” Shawn asked.

“At the hotel,” Sanford told him. “One floor below you. Go read my e-mails. I told you I was going on a special solo mission.
You
are the mission.”

Sanford motioned for Rey to join him and Shawn, front and center. Carla stepped back; Rey came forward. The two men embraced to more cheers. Then Sanford held his hand up for quiet. The Dome hushed so quickly, you could have heard a butterfly land on a twig.

“I'm Sanford Reynolds,” he announced. “My son is Shawn Reynolds. I think some of you might have heard of him!”

After a rolling wave of laughter, the Dome quieted again. “While I've been away serving our country, my son Shawn has grown from a boy to a young man. Rey Mysterio, I'm grateful for the guidance you've given him. Thank you, on behalf of my wife, Carla, and me.”

More applause and cheering. Shawn looked up at his dad, his own eyes shining.

“We soldiers can't do it alone. For every one of us, there's a wife, a mother, a husband, a father, a sister, a brother, a son, or a daughter. Sometimes, one of each.” Sanford looked meaningfully at his sons and wife. “When we're in the field, we can do our jobs because we know someone is minding the store back home. In my opinion? These people are as much heroes as we could ever be, and I want to recognize them right now. Can we bring the lights up in the arena, please?”

As the lights went to one hundred percent, Sanford took a few steps forward and asked his family to come forward with him.

“WWE Universe! If you're a military wife or a military mother—if your husband is in the service, or you're a mother with a child in the service, please rise and be recognized!” Sanford put both hands out as if to help these people to their feet. A thousand women around the arena stood. The cheers were overwhelming.

Sanford continued. “If you're a husband or father with a wife or children in the service, please rise!”

Hundreds more stood.

“If you're on active-duty military or have a parent on active duty, please rise!”

Hundreds more.

“If you've got a brother or a sister on active duty, please rise!”

And hundreds more.

“WWE Universe,” Sanford asked. “Please recognize all these American heroes!”

Thousands were standing. The whole Dome was cheering. Shawn looked behind him. A number of Superstars had come out to witness his father's homecoming—Randy Orton, Evan Bourne, R-Truth, the members of the Hart Dynasty, including Natalya, even John Cena—and were applauding with everyone else.

Shawn had something to say. He asked for the microphone. Sanford gave it to him without hesitation.

Shawn took it and stepped forward, realizing that he was about to talk to seventy-five thousand people and wasn't feeling a bit of stage fright. Not a single bit.

“Thank you, WWE Universe. Thank you for WrestleMania, for SuperFan, for everything.”

Impulsively, Shawn hugged his father. His mother joined the hug. So did his brother. Just beyond his dad, Shawn saw Rey looking on proudly.

“SuperFan. You.” Rey held up a triumphant fist. “Booyaka!”

Shawn nodded.

 

THE END