Sometimes I wonder
How I'd ever make it through
Through this world without having you
I just wouldn't have a clue
As he looked at the ticket in front of him, he realized just what he was missing. Her smile. The smile that she had was one of the most infectious things he'd ever seen. Even if the smile was just for him, he couldn't help the way he felt about her.
"Just a couple more flights, then I'll be home."
He said to a picture he'd had of her on his phone. This separation had been terribly painful for him, because she was pregnant with their first daughter together. Their son, Tucker Riley, was almost three. He missed both Stephanie and Tucker. Stephanie McMahon was his wife and he loved her. For Randy Orton, there was no other feeling in the entire world than being loved by his son and his wife. This was his third overseas tour in three months and he hated being away from them. He felt the phone buzz in his hand, and he looked down. It was Skype, notifying him that he had an incoming call. He pulled up Skype and saw that it was Stephanie and Tucker. He smiled widely, because it was just what he needed. He waved and let Stephanie take the lead.
"Hi baby!"
"Hi Princess….god I miss you."
"I know. I miss you, too. Where are you, now?"
"I just got to the airport in Sydney. I've got the flight from Sydney to Paris. Then from Paris to New York…then New York, home."
"Wow…that's a long journey."
"Yeah, well you know. How's my buddy doing?"
"He's doing good. His cold's cleared up, so he's feeling better. He just misses his daddy, that's all."
Randy smiled at his wife and son sitting in front of the computer. He realized that everyday he saw Stephanie, his heart swelled that much more. He yawned and Stephanie saw just how tired he looked. She put Tucker on the ground and watched as he waved at the computer screen. Randy waved back at him and watched as he ran into the bathroom. Randy kissed his fingers and pushed them to the iPad screen. He knew that it would hurt him if he couldn't see her later, but it was a chance he was willing to take.
"How are you Steph, really? I mean with the baby and all too."
"I'm fine honey. We're inducing labor tomorrow, then our baby girl will be here. I know you want to be here Randy, but I've already promised you that you get to name her."
"I know. I've got a name all picked out. I'm keeping it close to my chest. But I promise you, you're going to love it. Since you named Tucker, I'm naming our daughter. Any work on the deafness?"
"They're not sure, but they won't know until she comes out."
"Flight 4552 from Sydney Australia to Paris, France is now boarding at gate four."
"Baby, I have to go. My plane's boarding. I'll Skype you when I get to Paris."
"Okay. I love you."
"I love you more."
He said, closing out Skype. He put the iPad in the bag and proceeded to the plane. He knew that he was that much closer. But he was going to miss the birth of their daughter, he just had this feeling.
'Cause sometimes it seems
Like this world is closing in on me
And there's no way of breaking free
And then I see you reach for me
He made it to Paris in one piece and pulled his iPad out of his bag and pulled up Skype. He saw that Stephanie was logged in, and he hit place call. He waited until someone picked up. It was Linda, and she looked nervous. He smiled at her and watched as she smiled back.
"Randy."
"Hi Mom, how's our girl?"
"She's stubborn. She's been waiting for you to call."
"Okay."
He said, waiting for Linda to carry the laptop to the birthing pool that she was going to be in. He watched as the laptop was on the move, and Stephanie came into the picture. She was pouting and crying and making sure that she wouldn't let anyone make her have this baby alone.
"Baby?"
Randy said. Stephanie looked up at the computer screen that had him on it and she smiled. The midwife that was helping Stephanie give birth watched as Linda put the laptop somewhere close to Stephanie. He smiled at the screen and watched as Stephanie started pushing.
"Come on baby, you're doing a good job…..and breathe."
He said. He watched as Stephanie pushed and then took the breath. He wanted to be there in person, but thanking god for his iPad everyday, made him realize that technology nowadays made him grateful that he could be there in this way. He was walking as he watched his wife give birth. He knocked on the security office door, and asked if there was anywhere he could get some privacy. He nodded and he walked into the office. He'd switched his flight to be able to do this. He watched as Stephanie relaxed her shoulders and the midwife checked her. He smiled as the midwife looked at the camera.
"Randy, Stephanie's doing great. I see your daughter's head. Come on Steph, one big push."
"Come on baby, push her out….you can do it. I love you, baby."
"I love you too, Randy!"
She said, pushing their daughter out. Randy started to cry as he saw his wife lean back and take their daughter. She held her up and looked at the camera and smiled at Randy.
"Alright babe…it's your turn. What is our beautiful daughter's name?"
"London. London Candace Orton."
Randy said, wishing he could kiss his wife on the forehead and hold his beautiful daughter London with her. Stephanie looked happy. He kissed the iPad screen softly and smiled.
"I love you, Stephanie."
"I love you too, Randy. Hurry home."
"I'm trying."
He said, knowing how true that really was. He was trying to get back home to them. And he was clinging on to that hope that in just a few short hours, he'd be there.
Sometimes I wanna give up
I wanna give in
I wanna quit the fight
And then I see you, baby
And everything's alright
Everything's alright
"So, what is it about Stephanie that you love the most?"
An interviewer for WWE Magazine. They were doing the interview via Twitter, and he liked that question. So, he'd decided to answer it, in less than one hundred and forty words of course. He couldn't help but grinning as he did.
"I'm smiling right now. Just talking about Stephanie makes me happy. We just had a baby, so I'm trying to get home right now to be with her. She completes me."
"Where are you now?"
"I just deplaned in London. I have a two hour layover, then home to meet my baby daughter London."
"Congratulations on the birth of your daughter. You two have a son together right?"
"We do. Our son Tucker Riley Orton is almost four."
"What do you want to accomplish in WWE, Randy?"
Randy thought about that for a few minutes before he answered. Before Tucker and London were born he'd have said something about a good husband, and winning the WWE Title again, but now suddenly he felt his priorities shift. He wanted to put his career last.
"If you'd have asked me a year ago…I'd have said I wanted to be a good husband and to win the WWE Title. Now, it's to be a good father to London and Tucker and a good husband to Stephanie."
He said, ending the interview. He sent a text message to Stephanie telling her that he'd be home in sixteen hours. He was waiting around for them to call his flight when he drifted off to sleep. He was exhausted. An hour later, someone was shaking him.
"Mr. Orton, come on, wake up."
"Hmmm? What time is it?"
"Six thirty."
"Oh no! I was supposed to take the five-forty five flight back to New York!"
"We're going to honor your ticket. There's a flight out in twenty minutes. Just tell the lady at the gate that we're honoring your ticket. Your wife called, frantic. Until we told her you'd fallen asleep. She hadn't stressed, because she said that you'd helped her through labor and you'd been traveling for awhile."
And he couldn't help but to smile. Because he knew that there wasn't anything more in the entire world at that moment then angels singing. He knew that he had to bust his ass to work hard to get home to his family. The place he felt complete.
When I see you smile
I can face the world, oh oh
You know I can do anything
When I see you smile
I see a ray of light, oh oh
I see it shining right through the rain
When I see you smile
Baby when I see you smile at me
He'd made it. After all of the stuff he'd been through with this tour, missing London's birth, but seeing it on Skype, and the physical exhaustion, he was home. He smiled at the taxi cab driver, handed him four twenties and took his luggage out of the trunk. It was raining, no big deal for St. Louis. It rained a lot there. He walked up to the house and unlocked the door. It was three in the morning and he just wanted to feel Stephanie in his arms. He dropped his key on the table and walked into the living room, where he could see the glow of the computer. He knew Stephanie had left it on for him while he was overseas, but now he could turn it off. He turned it off and went upstairs to his bedroom. He poked his head into the nursery and spotted London laying in her bassinet. He walked over to her and picked her up and held her gently.
"Hey London. I'm your daddy. I'm sorry I wasn't here when you were born. I really am. But I'm here now. And I've got two weeks off, so I'll be here for you. You know, you have a brother named Tucker. He's an amazing kid, for being deaf. He's four. God, London, you've got a great mama. She's the most amazing woman, and I'll tell you, she puts up with a lot from me. But I've changed, a lot."
"I know. That's why I agreed to marry you."
Randy looked up and saw Stephanie standing in the doorway. He put London back in the bassinet and walked over to her. He stared at her for a second and then pulled her into his arms. He wanted to be here at this point in time. He couldn't help it. This was what he needed.
"I'm sorry. I'd have been home sooner, but I fell asleep."
"I know. I called the airport. You deserved it, honey. She's beautiful."
"She looks like you."
"More like you, I think. You must be exhausted."
Randy nodded. Stephanie took his hand and led him towards their bedroom. Husband and wife who hadn't seen each other in almost five weeks, were now going to consummate what needed to be nurtured.
Baby there's nothing in this world
That could ever do
What a touch of your hand could do
It's nothing that I ever knew
Randy could stay like this forever. His wife by his side, and his two kids sleeping. He heard that London was beginning to stir so he got out of bed. He walked into the nursery and saw that she was awake. He was keeping an eye on the symptoms for the deafness that was in his son. He didn't wish having two deaf kids on anyone, but he knew that it was possible. He started walking London around the room and was singing. He heard the shower turn on and smiled. He headed towards Tucker's room and woke him up.
"Dad!"
He signed. He'd never seen Tucker so excited to see him. He hugged Tucker while still holding London and signed to his oldest son. He watched as Tucker went downstairs and turned on the TV. He laughed as he saw the captions come up on the screen. He made his son a bowl of Cheerios and handed it to them, then put on the coffee pot. He knew that even though Stephanie was on maternity leave, she was still working. He watched as she descended the stairs in a white towel and bathrobe. He was still holding London as Stephanie came into the kitchen. She walked over to him and kissed him, and took London.
"Tuck's happy."
"Yeah, well his dad's home. He's got every reason to be happy. I don't blame him, quite frankly. What are you doing up, my princess?"
"Business awaits. Just one meeting today, then I'm done. Then it's family time. I was thinking that maybe we could take Tuck and London to see my mom."
"Fine. Get through the meeting and we'll go see Linda."
Randy said, watching as Stephanie touched his hand delicately. She knew that he was nervous about her not spending as much time with the baby as she did with Tucker. She also worried that Randy worried that he wasn't being a good father. In her eyes, Randy was the best father that Tucker and London could ever have. He watched as she breast fed London, and handed Tucker his favorite cereal bowl, and then went about her meeting. He was just so happy being home. He watched as Stephanie spoke on the phone and he wandered into the living room to see what Tucker was watching. Tucker was sitting on the couch, crying. Randy rushed over to him to see that the bowl of Cheerios was laying face down on the floor.
"Tuck…what happened?"
"Daddy, I'm sorry."
He just kept signing over and over again. He pulled his son into his lap and hugged him. Roberta, the family's nanny/maid came in and cleaned up the mess. She patted his knee and walked away. Randy watched Stephanie come into the living room. She looked at Tucker, then to Randy and spoke into the phone.
"I'm ending this meeting."
She said, kneeling in front of Randy and Tucker. She saw the stain on the carpet and then looked at her crying son, that Randy was trying to console. She watched as they were having a father/son moment. Then she looked at her son and smiled.
"Tucker," she signed, knowing that there was one thing that could make him feel better. "how would you like to go to the zoo with mommy, daddy and London?"
And that did the trick. Tucker was out of Randy's lap, and bounding upstairs to change into clothes. Stephanie and Randy were adjusting to having a handicapped kid, but they were adjusting well.
And when the rain is falling
I don't feel it
'cause you're here with me now
And one look at you baby
Is all I ever need
You're all I ever need
When I see you smile
I can face the world, oh oh
You know I can do anything
When I see you smile
I see a ray of light, oh oh
I see it shining right through the rain
When I see you smile
Baby when I see you smile at me
It was a long day with the kids at the zoo. Tucker had gotten scared of the tigers and wouldn't go anywhere near them. He freaked out, and when Randy picked him up to carry him, he threw a fit and that was the end of the zoo trip. Randy carried him to the car and strapped him into his car seat, and within thirty seconds, he was out. Randy got in the car and sighed deeply. He looked at Stephanie who was laughing. Her blue eyes sparkling and her brown hair blowing.
"What's so funny, Princess?"
"The kids were so out of control. I'm laughing to keep from crying. Today was a disaster. I mean London had no business at the zoo, but she was okay till Tuck started. Then when he started she started…I have a migraine. And I was just wishing that today would've gone a little bit better."
Randy laughed with her. They drove back to their house and Stephanie fed London again. Randy carried Tucker to his bed for a nap. He came back downstairs and flipped the TV on. Stephanie had put London down for a nap as well and came back to sit down with Randy. She put her head on his shoulder and instantly drifted off to sleep. Randy found himself doing the same thing. A couple hours later, he woke up and saw that Tucker was in front of the TV with a cereal bowl in his hand. Randy laid Stephanie down on the sofa and patted Tucker on the sofa.
"Tuck,"
Randy said, signing to his son. Tucker turned to him and smiled hugely. He signed back to Randy and told him that Roberta had come into the room to say something to Randy and Stephanie about London, and noticed that they were asleep.
"So where are Bobbi and your sister?"
"Bobbi took London out for a walk. They've been gone for awhile."
"How long's awhile?"
"About a half hour."
Randy wouldn't panic. He didn't know if Bobbi took the kids out often, but he would find out when Stephanie woke up. He knew Stephanie needed the sleep just as much as he did. He stood up and asked Tucker if he wanted anymore cereal. He shook his head no, and Randy nodded. He lifted Stephanie up and carried her into the den to lay her on the sofa there. He walked back into the living room to see Bobbi and London coming back inside. He nodded to them and picked a sleeping London up out of the stroller. He held his daughter close and realized that this was the only place he truly needed to be.
Sometimes I wanna give up
I wanna give in
I wanna quit the fight
And then I see you baby
And everything's alright
Everything's alright
So right…
-The End?