"Have either of you talked about this new girlfriend of his?" Sandra asked as we stood in the backyard of her farmhouse in Lenexa, Kansas. "He wants to tell Elliot in person, I tried to talk him into just letting me tell her ahead of time but he was adamant that he tell her." I sighed smiling softly at the little brunette girl that was playing soccer with her Uncle Ashton and a couple cousins. "Well, looks like now is the time" she sighed gesturing behind me to show me a nice black pick-up truck pulling into the driveway, Tom behind the wheel, most people know him now as Baron Corbin but to me he will always be Thomas Pestock of Lenexa Kansas. "Hey Momma" he greeted with a grin walking over and hugging the older woman tightly before pulling back and looking me over "Anna, where's Elliot?" he asked his eyes still running up and down my figure as if he was trying to memorize or remember it. "Playing with Ashton and the other kids" I informed pointing to the girl in the blue dress who was sitting on one of her older cousins. "She's getting so big" he sighed a smile on his lips that faded slightly when a dark haired woman joined us "This is my girlfriend Morgan, Morgan this is my mom Sandra and this is Anna" he introduced, my heart clenching a little that I was introduced as just Anna, but I quickly shook it off and smiled my smile widening when a child's voice shrieked Daddy. "Hey baby girl" Tom beamed crouching down and picking her up so he didn't have to bend over to talk to her. "You're here" she giggled her little arms tightly wrapped around his thick neck "Of course I am, didn't Mommy tell you I was going to be here?" he asked sending me a look of exasperation to which I simply smiled "She said there was going to be a surprise, I hoped it was a pony but this is even better" she giggled pressing a sloppy kiss to his cheek which he happily left on his face as he turned to Morgan who looked like she was forcing happiness for him. "Who is she?" Elliot asked quietly shrinking back slightly as Tom sighed and set her down crouching so they were still eye level. "Elliot, this is my girlfriend Morgan." He said slowly watching her as a range of emotions flitted across her face before tears started tumbling down her cheeks and she ran into the house and away from everyone.
"Excuse me" I sighed jogging after the child following the sounds of her crying up the stairs and into Tom's old room that we usually slept in when we stayed over. "Baby what's wrong?" I asked quietly kicking my flip flops off before I joined her on the large bed cradling her tiny body in my arms as she continued to sob and hiccup. "Daddy doesn't love us anymore" she whimpered the tears starting a new at the reason she was so upset. "He's gonna replace us, next time he'll bring home a new baby and he won't have time for me anymore" she continued before her sobs got to be too much and she buried her head in my chest and cried as a couple tears slipped from my own eyes. "That's not true Elliot, Daddy loves you very much and you know he always makes time for you." I sighed rubbing her back hoping she would calm down before her asthma started up "Just because he has a new girlfriend doesn't mean he's going to replace you or that he loves you any less" I added continuing to rub her back as she slowly calmed down again. "Does that mean Daddy doesn't love you?" she asked quietly, I didn't have an answer for that at all and was shocked by her question. "I don't know Elli, that's something only Daddy can answer" I sighed softly running my fingers through her hair until she drifted to sleep, all the running and crying of the day having tired her out. "Is she okay?" Tom asked quietly appearing in the doorway only a few minutes after she fell asleep. "She will be, I think part of it was she was tired from playing all morning" I whispered sending the man a soft smile telling him he didn't have to worry. "How are you?" I asked patting the bed beside me for him to sit since this would probably be the only chance we got to talk. "I'm good, great actually I finally made it out of NXT and to the main roster" he was beaming with happiness as he sat as close as possible so he could rub Elliot's back. "I'm so proud of you" I smiled honestly happy for him after all the work he had put into becoming a wrestler when the football life fell through.
"What about you though? How are you?" he returned leaning his head back on the headboard, our eyes locking briefly before I looked back down at Elliot. "I'm alright, trying to sell the house" I sighed knowing he would be upset since it was something we had bought when we were in high school and we were expecting a big family. "What? What do you mean you're trying to sell it?" he asked the anger evident in his voice "Tommy, I know you love it. I do too but it's just Elliot and I…it's too big for just the two of us" I sighed not able to look at him and see the anger and sadness that I'm sure was all over his face. "Excuse me" I whispered maneuvering myself from underneath our sleeping child and slipping my flip flops back on I left the room heading for the backyard since everyone was still mingling in the front of the house. It got harder and harder every time he came home to pretend that it wasn't killing me or slowly driving me insane.
TOM POV
I couldn't believe she was selling the house, and she hadn't even talked to me about it beforehand. That was our house, the house we had saved up and bought in high school, the house that she had given me her virginity in, the house that we had conceived Elliot in, the house that we had exchanged rings in saying one day we would get married. "Daddy?" a little voice mumbled as Elliot wiped her hair from her eyes and crawled onto my lap. "What's wrong Daddy? Why are you crying?" she asked her small hands coming up and settling on my cheeks as I blinked and realized I was indeed crying. "I'm just upset baby" I whispered, my voice coming out thick and choked with emotions. "Is it cause I ran away crying…I didn't mean to make you upset. I thought you were gonna replace me and mommy, but she said you would never replace me" she mumbled moving so she could lean her head into my neck as I rubbed her small back giving her a teary smile. "I would never replace you baby. You're my family" I nodded not ready for her next question at all "But why did you replace mommy, don't you love her?" she asked, I had to take a deep and shuddery breath as I collected myself but before I could answer she shocked me some more. "Sometimes when I wake up at night and have to go potty or want a drink I can hear her crying." She whispered "Sometimes she says your name too. One time she set out a third plate and then put it away before she went into her bedroom and cried, she told me she was just sad that she couldn't make me happy like when you come home." She paused and took a deep breath "She looks at pictures a lot, but she only shows me ones of me and you or me and her." She added snuggling deeper into my hold as Morgan walked into the room. "Can I have the keys to the truck? Jimmy called and I have a photoshoot scheduled tomorrow…I'll be back Sunday morning though" she stated holding out her hand and without a second thought I dropped the rental keys into her hand and watched her walk out, realizing if that had been Anna there would have been kisses and hugs all around. "I love your mom very much Elliot." I sighed resting my head on hers and going silent as we both just enjoyed being near the other.
END TOM POV
"Anna, I really wish you would talk to someone" Sandra sighed, joining me on the steps as I brushed the tears from my cheeks. "I'm fine Sandra, just stressed from trying to find somewhere smaller and sell the house." I fibbed giving the woman a smile that faltered at the shake of her head. "Don't lie to me darling, I know you miss him. You can be looking right at him and it's not the same, it kills you inside that he doesn't come home to you anymore. It kills you inside to see any sort of picture or anything of him, because he isn't yours." She murmured, the tears starting anew as I sobbed and collapsed into her arms. "I don't want to sell the house, it's all I have left that was ours except for Elliot." I whispered afraid to look up as the door creaked open. "Ashton is looking for you Mama" Tom's voice was booming in the silence of the yard. "Alright" she agreed brushing her hand through my hair before she stood and walked inside. "I love you." Tom said suddenly my head snapping up thinking he was talking to someone else but he was looking straight at me. "I don't think I'll ever stop. It was just easier to leave and pretend none of this existed. That I didn't have anything back here in Lenexa that meant anything to me." He paused, kneeling before me in the dirt, his large hands coming up to frame my face. "Morgan left, she doesn't belong here, but I do. And you do." He murmured "If you'll have me, I'd like to move home. Where I should have been all along." He smirked with a small shrug. "We'll take the house off the market, and get started on filling all those empty rooms. We'll have that wedding we talked about so long ago, we'll get chickens, a horse, some cows. I'll hire someone to help you while I'm gone." He was painting such a beautiful picture, something I had dreamed of for so long. "Just tell me you still love me, so I know that this is where I'm meant to be." He whined, yes whined. "I love you Thomas. More than life itself." I smiled pressing a hand to his cheek, my smile widening as he pulled me in for a kiss. "I'll make sure supper is on the stove and beer is in the fridge from here on out" I assured wrapping myself around him with a giggle as he pressed our lips together again.