For All Or Nothing
Chapter 1:
Mark Calaway was standing backstage at RAW in his private locker room, adjusting his long black leather trench coat over his almost 7 foot tall frame. He stood in front of the mirror gazing at his reflection in front of him. He wasn't looking at Mark Calaway. He was looking at the character he had played for over 20 years: The Undertaker. He sighed heavily when he felt two hands rubbing his shoulders from behind.
"Honey," a soft female voice spoke. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Mark answered not taking his eyes off the mirror. "Just thinking."
Michelle McCool peeked from behind Mark's back and looked up at him. "About tonight's announcement?"
"Mmm-hmm." Mark turned his eyes down towards his wife. "I'm sorry, Michelle. I'm just nervous." Mark fully turned his body and pulled Michelle close into his arms. Michelle rested her head on Mark's chest as his hand reached up rubbing her head ever-so lovingly.
"Mmm. Is that cologne I smell?"
"Yep." Mark replied popping the 'p' with his lips.
Michelle looked up into his emerald eyes. "Who is it for, my big teddy bear?"
Mark chuckled deeply in his throat, caressing her cheek with his right thumb. "Nobody but you, my beautiful turtle dove." How they loved their pet names for each other.
Mark leaned down and lightly kissed his wife on the lips. He then kissed her again with more emotion. Their kiss was interrupted when there was a knock at the door and a stage hand spoke up. "10 minutes, Undertaker. You're up next."
Mark growled softly and rolled his eyes before answering. "Alright. Thank you." Mark looked down at Michelle, a blush on her face, and shook his head. "I guess we'll have to pick up on that later." He took a glance around the room. "Now...where is my hat?"
"Daddy! I'm you!" answered a happy little girl's voice.
Mark looked down at his left to see Kaia, his blond-haired angelic daughter, with his hat atop her head. Mark and Michelle laughed out loud.
"Um, Kaia," her father began to say. "I think that hat is too big for your little head, darlin'."
"Rest...in...peace..." Kaia answered in her best impression of her dad. Mark and Michelle broke out in laughter again.
"Gee, I wonder whom she got that from." Michelle said looking back at her husband. Mark shrugged playfully. Michelle looked down at her daughter again. "Okay, Mini Taker. It's time to give the hat back."
"Awww." Kaia moaned.
"Come on, now," Mark replied. "Hand the hat to your mother, please."
"Ooooh, okay."
Kaia took the hat off of her head and passed it to her mother as was requested. Michelle reached up and placed the hat atop Mark's head .
"How do I look?"
"Handsome."
"What does handsome mean, mommy?"
"It's a word used to describe someone that is cute."
Kaia looked at her mom quizzically. "Am I handsome too?"
Mark bent down so he was eye-level with his daughter. "Well...they have a different word that is used for women and little girls."
"What word is that?"
"Beautiful."
"Am I beautiful, daddy?"
A wide grin appeared on Mark's face. "Very beautiful...just like your mother. Could I have a hug?"
Kaia stepped forward and wrapped her small arms around her father's neck. He pulled her close into his arms, then began to sing softly to her as he did when he tucked her into bed at night.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."
Michelle smiled as she looked down at the father-daughter duo and wiped a single tear from her left eye.
"I love you, daddy," Kaia said sweetly.
"I love you, too, sunshine." Mark said looking at his daughter before placing a light kiss on her left cheek. He picked her up and passed her to her mother. Mark huffed a quick breath , then cleared his throat. "Well...here I go."
Mark walked towards the locker room door and opened the door inward. Before walking out the door, he turned back to his family.
"We'll be watching, Mark."
"Good luck, daddy."
The right side of Mark's mouth turned up in a grin and winked at his 2 girls before walking out the door.