In any other market, the woman walking down the aisle pushing the cart
would look strangely out of place. She has impeccably groomed blond hair,
beautiful skin, huge blue eyes, a trim figure, perfectly done nails, and
she was wearing a navy linen suit that looked as if it was bought in Paris.
Everything about her was perfect. She could have easily pretended she had
never been in there before, but surprisingly she was right at home there.
Linda McMahon liked doing her own shopping. She liked cooking for Vince at
night when he came home. Despite the impeccable way she looked, she liked
taking care of her family, and attending to every minute detail herself.
Their house was in Greenwich, Connecticut. Linda McMahon kept an impressive home. The children you to tease her on how "perfect" everything always was, and how everything had to look just right, and it was easy to believe about her. Just looking at her you can see she was somewhat compulsive about it. Even at six o'clock, on a hot June evening, after six hours of meetings, Linda had just put on fresh lipstick, and she didn't have a hair out of place.
She selected two steaks, baking potatoes, fresh asparagus, some fruit and some yogurt. Like most people in Greenwich, she and Vince had expected a great deal from their children, a high standard for everything. And as it turned out Stephanie and Shane were good-looking, bright and shining in every way. Vince had always teased that they had to be the best no matter what and after a while the both of them had started to groan whenever they heard the words. But they knew what their father meant was they had to do the best they could, even if they didn't always succeed they had to try hard. It was a lot to expect but Vince McMahon had always set high standards and they met them. Linda had been the perfect wife to him all these years, providing him with a perfect home, the perfect children, looking beautiful, doing what was expected of her, and keeping a home that not only landed on the pages of Architectural Digest, but was a happy place to come home to. Vince McMahon loved his company, he traveled all around the world for it and that's how it came to be where it was at now. Stephanie was taking some time off to travel around the world. So Linda had more time to herself this year. She had a full and busy life, and to look at her, no one would ever have suspected there was anything lacking. She looked at least five or six years younger then she actually was, although she had gotten thinner this year, it made her seem more youthful. There was a genuine kindness, which came from the soul that transcended social distinctions, and made one unaware of the world she came from. Linda had everything most people wanted and yet as one looked at her, it was sensed that edge of sadness, it was a kind of compassion one felt more than saw, a loneliness perhaps.
"How are you today, Mrs. McMahon?" The man at the checkout grinned at her. "I'm fine, Charlie, Thank You." She smiled at him and looked even younger. "Hot today isn't it?" she said, but she didn't look it. She never did. In winter she looked well dressed despite the brutal cold. And in the summer when everyone looked crazy in the dead heat, she looked calm, cool and collected. He could tell that her husband was in town by what she bought.
The house was so quite now. Even an argument from Stephanie and Shane would have been a relief now. She put the groceries down in the kitchen and walked into the small den where they kept the answering machine. "Hi Mom.Sorry I missed you. I just called to say hi, and see how you were doing? It's ten o'clock here and I'm heading out with some friends. I'll talk to ya later.Bye" And then, almost as an afterthought "Oh. I love you." There was a click and she hung up. The machine recorded the time, that was four hours ago and Linda was in a meeting. "Linda." The next voice was that of her husband's. "I won't be home for dinner tonight. I'll be in meetings till eight and then I have more paper work to do. I'll see you at ten or eleven." There was a click and he was gone. It had been a hard year for them. So much had changed. so many disappointments.so much heartbreak. Linda always wondered how your heart could break, shattered beyond repair, and yet you went on. You still lived your life as if nothing happened. AS she walked into the bedroom and set down her handbag, her eyes went unwittingly toward the mantel. It was reassuring to see them there, the children when they were five, ten and fifteen. AS always she had found herself drawn to them, to just stand there and remember. She thought about making herself dinner, but she didn't feel like it. She decided to call Vince and let him know she got his message. They had very little to say to each other anymore. No matter how much they lost this year, she was not ready to give up. When she called she got his assistant saying he was in a meeting and that he would give him the message. She swiveled in the chair and was about to go when the phone rang again. She knew it couldn't be Vince at least not this soon. "Hello!" "Linda is that you?" The voice was a soft drawl, and made her smile at once just to hear her. It was the voice that she had known for twenty-six years now. She hadn't heard her from her in months but always seemed to call at the right moment. "You sounded like Stephanie for a moment" "No it's me, she still traveling around the world with some friends of hers." "Oh that's right, I just wanted to call to see how you were doing? And to let you know I was going to be up that way soon and that maybe you and I could get together." She asked. They had been roommates in college. Those were the crazy days and they had all been so young. Linda, Emily, Angela, and Valerie. They were inseparable for the years they went there. Valerie had died their junior year there and after that thing's changed. After graduation they grew up and moved on. Linda married Vince a year after, Emily moved out to Hollywood in hopes of making it big and a few years later she did. She was becoming the movie queen she always wanted. She had gotten married a few times, but none of them could handle the pressure of the media. Angela had gone off to medical school; she had been the odd one out. Linda had never like Emily's new husband, she had always wanted kids, but he didn't.
"Well when are you coming up? I can't wait to see you, it's been while." Linda said excited to see her. "I'll be up in a couple of days, But Linda how are you?" Emily asked. There was a long silence while neither of them new exactly what to say. "I'm fine doing all the same things as before." Linda's voice was calm and controlled, but Emily knew better then that. "That's not what I meant." Emily said, "How are you? Really!" Linda sighed and looked out the window. It was dark now. And she was alone in the silent house. She had been alone for over a year. "I'm okay." Her voice trembled. It had only been a year before when she wished her life would just end. "I'm getting use to it." "And Vince?" "He's fine too, I guess. I never really see him anymore." "That doesn't sound fine to me." Emily said. "Its all a change around here, Vince is leaving in a week. He's traveling all over the world to promote and he'll be gone about a month, maybe even longer." Linda said. "You're not going, are you?" "I have things to take care of here, there is no use in both of us going." Linda said. "Lin, your not okay. When I get there I want you to be straight up truthful with me." "I am telling you the truth, Em. But I have to go, I'll talk to you when you get here."
Vince got in and found that Linda had fallen a sleep in her clothes from that day. He stood there and watched her for a moment. The he changed and went to bed with out even waking her. When Linda got up the next morning Vince was already gone and she was till in her clothes. She showered and was sitting in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. She answered it and was shocked. "Emily what are you dong here? Your not suppose to be here till tomorrow." Linda smiled. "Linda I know your not okay, so I came down earlier cause I know you needed me." Emily said stepping into the house. She looked around. "You don't live here. This is a dollhouse. Its perfect, but then again look whom I'm talking to." Linda laughed as they walked into the kitchen. "Would you expect anything else?" "Of course not. But Lin you know why I'm here." Emily said sitting next to her. "Em I told you everything was okay, I don't know why you came down here early." Linda said. "Well since you won't talk I'll start. Blake is leaving me. He said he couldn't take life in the light all the time. I guess the last tabloid really did him over." Emily said wiping tears from her eyes. "I know all about bad exposure in the media, really look who you're talking to. But honestly you could get someone better then him any how." Linda said. "I want someone like Vince, he seems to be what everyone wants." Emily said. "No, Vince is not the man any one wants. At least no any more." Linda said looking down at the cup of tea she had poured herself. "What happened Lin? Talk to me here." Emily pleaded. "Our marriage is over, ever since last year, he hasn't talked to me. He blames me for Shane's death. He said I should have known that something was bothering him. He said I should have been there for him." Linda cried. "Em I never knew he was that un-happy, no one knew he was that depressed after Marissa left him. He just went to his house and ended not only his own life, but he took everyone else with him." "I'm so sorry, I didn't know it had gotten that bad. Have you talked to Vince told him how you felt?" Emily asked feeling bad. "He won't even look at me anymore, he barely says one word to me. A part of me is happy that he'll be away." "That's no way to live." Emily said "Apparently people live like that forever, they live with all kinds of pains. He's right I should have known, I should have done something." "Linda no matter what you had no idea that Shane would go and kill himself." Emily said. "But I should have."
Their house was in Greenwich, Connecticut. Linda McMahon kept an impressive home. The children you to tease her on how "perfect" everything always was, and how everything had to look just right, and it was easy to believe about her. Just looking at her you can see she was somewhat compulsive about it. Even at six o'clock, on a hot June evening, after six hours of meetings, Linda had just put on fresh lipstick, and she didn't have a hair out of place.
She selected two steaks, baking potatoes, fresh asparagus, some fruit and some yogurt. Like most people in Greenwich, she and Vince had expected a great deal from their children, a high standard for everything. And as it turned out Stephanie and Shane were good-looking, bright and shining in every way. Vince had always teased that they had to be the best no matter what and after a while the both of them had started to groan whenever they heard the words. But they knew what their father meant was they had to do the best they could, even if they didn't always succeed they had to try hard. It was a lot to expect but Vince McMahon had always set high standards and they met them. Linda had been the perfect wife to him all these years, providing him with a perfect home, the perfect children, looking beautiful, doing what was expected of her, and keeping a home that not only landed on the pages of Architectural Digest, but was a happy place to come home to. Vince McMahon loved his company, he traveled all around the world for it and that's how it came to be where it was at now. Stephanie was taking some time off to travel around the world. So Linda had more time to herself this year. She had a full and busy life, and to look at her, no one would ever have suspected there was anything lacking. She looked at least five or six years younger then she actually was, although she had gotten thinner this year, it made her seem more youthful. There was a genuine kindness, which came from the soul that transcended social distinctions, and made one unaware of the world she came from. Linda had everything most people wanted and yet as one looked at her, it was sensed that edge of sadness, it was a kind of compassion one felt more than saw, a loneliness perhaps.
"How are you today, Mrs. McMahon?" The man at the checkout grinned at her. "I'm fine, Charlie, Thank You." She smiled at him and looked even younger. "Hot today isn't it?" she said, but she didn't look it. She never did. In winter she looked well dressed despite the brutal cold. And in the summer when everyone looked crazy in the dead heat, she looked calm, cool and collected. He could tell that her husband was in town by what she bought.
The house was so quite now. Even an argument from Stephanie and Shane would have been a relief now. She put the groceries down in the kitchen and walked into the small den where they kept the answering machine. "Hi Mom.Sorry I missed you. I just called to say hi, and see how you were doing? It's ten o'clock here and I'm heading out with some friends. I'll talk to ya later.Bye" And then, almost as an afterthought "Oh. I love you." There was a click and she hung up. The machine recorded the time, that was four hours ago and Linda was in a meeting. "Linda." The next voice was that of her husband's. "I won't be home for dinner tonight. I'll be in meetings till eight and then I have more paper work to do. I'll see you at ten or eleven." There was a click and he was gone. It had been a hard year for them. So much had changed. so many disappointments.so much heartbreak. Linda always wondered how your heart could break, shattered beyond repair, and yet you went on. You still lived your life as if nothing happened. AS she walked into the bedroom and set down her handbag, her eyes went unwittingly toward the mantel. It was reassuring to see them there, the children when they were five, ten and fifteen. AS always she had found herself drawn to them, to just stand there and remember. She thought about making herself dinner, but she didn't feel like it. She decided to call Vince and let him know she got his message. They had very little to say to each other anymore. No matter how much they lost this year, she was not ready to give up. When she called she got his assistant saying he was in a meeting and that he would give him the message. She swiveled in the chair and was about to go when the phone rang again. She knew it couldn't be Vince at least not this soon. "Hello!" "Linda is that you?" The voice was a soft drawl, and made her smile at once just to hear her. It was the voice that she had known for twenty-six years now. She hadn't heard her from her in months but always seemed to call at the right moment. "You sounded like Stephanie for a moment" "No it's me, she still traveling around the world with some friends of hers." "Oh that's right, I just wanted to call to see how you were doing? And to let you know I was going to be up that way soon and that maybe you and I could get together." She asked. They had been roommates in college. Those were the crazy days and they had all been so young. Linda, Emily, Angela, and Valerie. They were inseparable for the years they went there. Valerie had died their junior year there and after that thing's changed. After graduation they grew up and moved on. Linda married Vince a year after, Emily moved out to Hollywood in hopes of making it big and a few years later she did. She was becoming the movie queen she always wanted. She had gotten married a few times, but none of them could handle the pressure of the media. Angela had gone off to medical school; she had been the odd one out. Linda had never like Emily's new husband, she had always wanted kids, but he didn't.
"Well when are you coming up? I can't wait to see you, it's been while." Linda said excited to see her. "I'll be up in a couple of days, But Linda how are you?" Emily asked. There was a long silence while neither of them new exactly what to say. "I'm fine doing all the same things as before." Linda's voice was calm and controlled, but Emily knew better then that. "That's not what I meant." Emily said, "How are you? Really!" Linda sighed and looked out the window. It was dark now. And she was alone in the silent house. She had been alone for over a year. "I'm okay." Her voice trembled. It had only been a year before when she wished her life would just end. "I'm getting use to it." "And Vince?" "He's fine too, I guess. I never really see him anymore." "That doesn't sound fine to me." Emily said. "Its all a change around here, Vince is leaving in a week. He's traveling all over the world to promote and he'll be gone about a month, maybe even longer." Linda said. "You're not going, are you?" "I have things to take care of here, there is no use in both of us going." Linda said. "Lin, your not okay. When I get there I want you to be straight up truthful with me." "I am telling you the truth, Em. But I have to go, I'll talk to you when you get here."
Vince got in and found that Linda had fallen a sleep in her clothes from that day. He stood there and watched her for a moment. The he changed and went to bed with out even waking her. When Linda got up the next morning Vince was already gone and she was till in her clothes. She showered and was sitting in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. She answered it and was shocked. "Emily what are you dong here? Your not suppose to be here till tomorrow." Linda smiled. "Linda I know your not okay, so I came down earlier cause I know you needed me." Emily said stepping into the house. She looked around. "You don't live here. This is a dollhouse. Its perfect, but then again look whom I'm talking to." Linda laughed as they walked into the kitchen. "Would you expect anything else?" "Of course not. But Lin you know why I'm here." Emily said sitting next to her. "Em I told you everything was okay, I don't know why you came down here early." Linda said. "Well since you won't talk I'll start. Blake is leaving me. He said he couldn't take life in the light all the time. I guess the last tabloid really did him over." Emily said wiping tears from her eyes. "I know all about bad exposure in the media, really look who you're talking to. But honestly you could get someone better then him any how." Linda said. "I want someone like Vince, he seems to be what everyone wants." Emily said. "No, Vince is not the man any one wants. At least no any more." Linda said looking down at the cup of tea she had poured herself. "What happened Lin? Talk to me here." Emily pleaded. "Our marriage is over, ever since last year, he hasn't talked to me. He blames me for Shane's death. He said I should have known that something was bothering him. He said I should have been there for him." Linda cried. "Em I never knew he was that un-happy, no one knew he was that depressed after Marissa left him. He just went to his house and ended not only his own life, but he took everyone else with him." "I'm so sorry, I didn't know it had gotten that bad. Have you talked to Vince told him how you felt?" Emily asked feeling bad. "He won't even look at me anymore, he barely says one word to me. A part of me is happy that he'll be away." "That's no way to live." Emily said "Apparently people live like that forever, they live with all kinds of pains. He's right I should have known, I should have done something." "Linda no matter what you had no idea that Shane would go and kill himself." Emily said. "But I should have."