This is what I brought you this you can keep
This is what I brought you may forget me
I promise to depart just promise one thing
Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep
He handed me an envelope and then walked away. He and I had been on the rocks for awhile, but I'd figured that we'd be okay. I opened the envelope and looked at the papers. They were divorce papers. I didn't want it to come to this. It shouldn't come to this at all. We have a daughter together. I dashed down the hallway towards his locker room and saw his name on the door. I didn't even bother knocking, I just walked in. He looked up at me, and I held up the papers. I couldn't help but wondering what brought this on.
"Johnny! What's going on here?"
"I…just need breathing room, Teddy."
"Breathing room? Breathing room? Really? You should have thought of that before we had Melissa! And before we got married."
I couldn't believe this. This was the scariest thing that could've happened to us. I turned to look at him and shook my head. I dropped his divorce papers on the ground and shook my head. I walked out without them and continued towards the ringside area. Raw wasn't supposed to start for the next couple of hours, and I needed to think. I needed to know that the last two and a half years weren't a sham. As I got to the ringside area, Gail and Cody sitting there holding hands. I sat on the opposite side, trying not to bring attention to myself. A little while later, they came around to me and sat down.
"Wanna talk?"
"Johnny said he needed a breather…"
"Oh, god…Ted, I'm sorry."
"Me too…he served me with divorce papers."
Gail gasped. She'd always said that if our marriage ended, then she was fucked. Because our marriage is so solid. Or it was, until Johnny handed me divorce papers. She stood up and walked over to me.
"Teddy, I am so sorry. Truly. What are you going to do?"
"I am going to fight like hell to keep my marriage intact, and make sure that John Hennigan knows just how much I truly love him."
And with that, I headed back up the ramp, and towards the locker room area. I wasn't going to push him. I was just going to show him all of the things that he had. And I was going to do it the only way I knew how…on Raw.
This is what I brought you this you can keep
This is what I brought you may forget me
I promise you my heart just promise to sing
Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep
I stood in the locker room and knew what I needed to do. I headed down to the makeshift office that Vince McMahon kept at the arenas and got his okay. It took a lot of persuasion on my part, but I got the TV time I was looking for. I nodded and headed back to the locker room. I knew that this had to work. Gail poked her head in and looked at me.
"A half hour?"
"I think that's sufficient enough time to get Johnny to see my point. You know? I won't lose him, Gail. I won't."
And after I said that, I knew how true that statement was. I needed Johnny and Lissa in my life, that was a given. I couldn't function without them. I don't really know how to try. I watched as Gail left and then sat there and wrote my speech. I finished writing it, and walked out of the locker room. Raw wasn't starting for another hour and a half, but I knew that I had plenty of time to go and see my daughter. John had her, and I missed my baby girl when she wasn't there. As I came around the corner, I saw John exiting with her in a stroller.
"Where are you two going?"
"I was going to take her for a walk."
"You've had her all day…it's my turn."
John looked angry. He looked down at a sleeping Melissa, and shook his head. He was in a mood. I couldn't talk to John when he was angry like this. Ever. I rubbed Melissa's head softly then looked at Johnny. I shook my head and walked away from him. I wasn't going to put up with his attitude problem. I walked back to my locker room and slammed the door. I wasn't re-thinking my speech to him, it had to be said. It had to be. I was just on pins and needles awaiting the next hour. And suddenly, it was time.
Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep
This is what I thought
I thought you need me
This is what I thought so think me naïve
I promise you a heart you promised to keep
Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep
Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep
Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep
"And now, introducing from West Palm Beach, Florida. Ted DiBiase."
And I made my way out to the ring. I was dressed in jeans and a Morrison t-shirt. Normally it was weird for one superstar to be wearing another superstar's shirts, but this was important. This was to save my marriage. I grabbed a microphone and started to talk.
"When I arrived into this company three years ago, I made a promise to myself that I would be the best damn professional wrestler I could be. And to entertain you, the fans. And I think I did in a way. And then two years ago, someone entered my life. That man, he altered me in ways I didn't think possible. And now, things aren't so good between us. So please, Johnny Morrison. Will you please come out here?"
John made his way out to the ring. He looked mad, but I knew it was because he had to be out here, and not in the back with Melissa. I watched him grab the microphone and he shook his head.
"What, Ted?"
"Johnny, I know you said you needed space. But I need you. Melissa needs you. I can't fathom ever living without you. Whatever I did, I'm sorry."
I watched as Johnny's face softened. He reached his hand up to stroke my face. He sighed and started speaking. He never took his eyes off of me and I could see all of the love there.
"It wasn't you, Teddy. It was me. We fell in love, got married and had Melissa so fast that it just all hit me at once. I freaked and pushed you away. And I'm sorry Teddy Bear, so incredibly sorry. I'm asking you to find it in your heart to forgive me."
I chuckled. He was asking me to forgive him. Like he was to blame for all the problems. I couldn't believe it. My chuckle was a full blown laugh, and Johnny was confused. I scratched my head and started speaking.
"Forgive you? Of course I forgive you, Johnny. I love you. And nothing matters more than you and Melissa. So absolutely. Yes. I'll forgive you."
And he hugged me. I knew that things were going to be different with us from here on out. Our marriage, our pairing. Our life was in tact. And that was all that mattered at that point.