They'll Never Know
A/N: I had to. I'm going to miss Lilian. : (
Lilian sighed, her heart heavy as she descended her ring steps for the final time. She swallowed the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks and forced herself to smile.
Remember the good times, she urged herself. This is for the best. You knew this wouldn't last forever.
In fact, she was genuinely surprised her tenure with the WWE had lasted as long as it had. She'd never meant to stay so long. Where had the years gone?
She (somewhat shakily) made her way up the ramp, which now seemed endless. As she did so, she alternated between waving and blowing kisses to the fans who had welcomed her voice into their homes every Monday for the previous ten years. The sea of signs thanking her and begging her to stay touched her heart, making her efforts not to cry that much harder.
Somehow escaping her notice, the trio she'd just left had coerced the audience into a rousing "Thank you, Lilian!" chant. Lilian bit her lip and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. Humbled, she smiled, shaking her head.
They would never know how much she owed them. The fans would never know how many days she had only made it through because she knew they were counting on her. Nor would John Cena, Triple H, or Shawn Michaels ever know how many times they and the rest of her comrades had lifted her spirits just by contributing to the comfortable work atmosphere she loved so much.
"No...thank you!" she attempted to cry out over the chant.
She knew, deep down, that she wasn't really leaving. She never would. A part of her would always remain in the ring she'd just exited. And she knew she'd be back, at some point. Surely they'd need her for something down the road—maybe they'd let her sing the national anthem at WrestleMania for the first time in years. She would be back; of that much she was certain. There was no way she'd be able to stay away for long.
At last she reached the top of the ramp, where she turned to face the crowd. She took a deep breath and lifted the microphone again.
"I'm going to miss you all so much. Thank you for all your support. I love you all more than you'll ever know."
With those final words, she blew the audience one last kiss and set her microphone down for the last time. When she straightened, her eyes met those of Shawn Michaels, who was signing an autograph for a young fan. He offered the slightest nod, which she returned.
Only then did she turn on her heel and let herself cry.