"Stephanie, I freakin' love you!" A young female fan called out frantically for Stephanie as she held Graham's hand, leading him toward the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. Chris, Ted, and Amy followed closely behind, engaged in their own chatter about the evening ahead, and Shane and Marissa set the pace for the group, leading their sons into the building first. Their youngest was a little too young to attend, so he was waiting patiently in the hotel suite with the nanny while Declan and Kenyon enjoyed the festivities.
"You're awesome, Shane!" another girl yelled. When her sudden exclamation wasn't enough to grab his attention, she tried again. "Shane, over here!"
A flock of fans, many wearing the merchandise of their favorite wrestlers, were crowded behind a barricade facing the rear parking lot, so they could watch the talent as they arrived. The McMahons were usually the first of the bunch to show up, and since Vince and Linda had arrived within the half hour, Shane and Stephanie were next to follow, with each of their families in tow. Security stood near the corners of the railings, wearing black suit jackets that flapped in the wind, and they had all been fitted with earpieces for effective communication. The noises and sights were all a taste of familiarity to Stephanie, who had lived them for her entire life, but Graham was processing it all for the first time.
"Hey, Steph, you're the breast! Oops, I meant 'best'!" a man shouted at random. A sea of laughter rippled through the crowd, and Stephanie felt the heat in her cheeks as she flushed crimson, glancing back at Chris for comfort. While a tasteless joke like that may have brought a smile to her face in times past, as a fairly new wife and mother, Stephanie no longer found comments like that to be funny, and definitely not in the presence of her child. Her gaze connected with Chris's, and he shook his head and waved her embarrassment away.
"It's okay, babe," he said. "Just ignore them."
"I'm trying," she responded, mumbling the next part under her breath, "but it's hard."
"Why are they yelling at you and Uncle Shane?" Graham asked. He and his rubber, coral snake had become inseparable over the course of the weekend, and the toy dangled from Graham's free hand as he peered up at Stephanie, raising an eyebrow while he awaited her answer. "Who are they?"
"They're just fans of the show, honey. Very vocal fans," she added bitterly. Desperate to change the subject, she bucked her head in his direction. "You're so cute in your John Cena outfit. I love the wristbands on you. They're just adorable."
Graham, who had traded in his love of HBK for one night, had dressed up in Cena's gear for the biggest blow-out show of the year. He wanted to display admiration for his favorite wrestler of the new age, and that meant decking himself out in the Cenation shirt, headband, wristbands, and cap. Stephanie had often dreamed of having children to pass her love of the WWE onto, and she continuously looked forward to seeing which personalities they would latch onto. In observing Graham, she noticed that the 'never give up' motto truly meant something to him, and he was starting to apply that positive outlook to his everyday life.
"Never give up, Mommy. That's what John Cena always says, so that's what I'm gonna always do," Graham relayed. She winked and squeezed his hand, thanking Shane when he held the door open for them to enter what would become their proverbial home for the evening.
"What do you want to do first?" she asked. "I can already smell the food from here, so I'm guessing they're cooking up something good in catering. Do you want to go eat?"
"I wanna get in the ring," Graham said. Then, he thought better of his request and one-upped himself. "I wanna go see John Cena, too. Can I talk to him and tell him he's my favorite? I really wanna do that."
"Of course you can, love. I tried to bring you over to see him last night at the Hall of Fame, but we got wrapped up in other conversations and weren't able to. How about this: we'll go eat first, then I'll take you to see the ring and the stage setup for the show, and then we'll go see John Cena. You can say hi and take a picture with him, okay?"
"I can?" Graham asked.
His eyes were practically bulging out of his head, and Stephanie nodded, securing her promise. It wasn't until she heard her name being called from behind that she realized she and Graham had drifted into their own little world, leaving everyone else in a cloud of engine smoke. Chris's arms jutted out with his palms facing the ceiling, as if to ask where she was scurrying off to, but all she could offer in response was a shrug and giggle. She guided Graham back down the hallway in the direction they had come from, joining him with the rest of their family, and it wasn't until she saw everyone up close that she noticed Shane's look of playful incredulity.
"Thanks for leaving us in the dust," Shane teased. "What, you guys don't like us anymore or something?"
Graham was first to pipe up, with his unintentional wit on full blast. "We like you and everything, but me and Mommy have our own plans."
The uproar of laughter from the adults was deafening, and Graham released Stephanie's hand for the sole purpose of covering his ears. He hadn't heard collective laughter like that in all the years of his life, but, apparently, he had said something that struck several funny chords. Even Declan and Kenyon had joined in, not knowing what the joke was, but laughing all the same. Stephanie backed up his claims, simultaneously dabbing away tears of humor that had welled in her eyes.
"You heard him," she said. "We've got plans."
"We do," Graham shrugged, as if it were obvious.
"What exactly do these plans consist of?" Chris asked, leaning casually up against the wall.
"We're gonna go eat, then I get to see the ring, and then I get to meet John Cena, because Mommy already said so, and she doesn't break her promises."
"That's right. This mama's got you covered," she said, giving Graham a big grin and a kiss on the cheek.
As it turned out, Graham bulldozed his way straight through a meal of turkey breast and dressing, a rushed dinner during which Stephanie had to slow his eating speed repeatedly. In Graham's mind, the quicker he shoveled the massive forkfuls of hot food, the quicker he could meet his favorite wrestler, bordering on his hero, except nobody was more a hero to him than his own parents. Due to his eagerness, Stephanie switched the order of their plans and brought him to John Cena's private locker room before heading out to the ring, since she suspected Graham would implode if he didn't get to meet the object of his admiration soon. Chris had taken Ted and Amy on a backstage tour of the place, and Shane and Marissa had gone to meet up with Vince and Linda, so they could all get caught up and reacquainted.
The temporary split amongst all segments of their family allowed Stephanie crucial alone time with Graham, which she largely valued. Sometimes Chris forgot that he had spent Graham's entire life bonding with him, but Stephanie had only come into the picture a couple of years prior, and she cherished all the opportunities she was given to grow closer to her beautiful boy. She raised her fist and knocked a few times on John's door, beaming at Graham and playfully arching her eyebrows while they waited. He squeezed her hand and raised his own fist, knocking just as he had watched Stephanie do seconds earlier.
"Don't be nervous," she said.
"I'm not nervous," Graham frowned.
He was disappointed anyone would so much as entertain the idea that he could be nervous in the presence of John Cena. Everyone knew Cena adored his fans, and he expected nothing but the best from his favorite champ. The door swung open, and there the man stood in the flesh, dressed down in a Red Sox tee and a loose-fitting pair of basketball shorts. He glanced between Stephanie and Graham, rewarding each of them a kind smile.
"Hey, Boss. What can I do for you?" John asked. He pulled the door open wider and waved his hand, a silent invitation for the pair to enter. Graham appeared stuck in a trance, watching John with widened eyes, so Stephanie led the way, tugging him along at her side. So much for his nerves not getting to him.
"Hi, John," she greeted. He closed the door and she looked around, mouth watering when she spotted his fruit tray. She thought to ask him for a little pregnancy snack, but she couldn't imagine that plucking juicy grapes from her employee's tray was the most professional move to make, so her fruit fix would have to wait. Besides, she had already eaten some pineapple slices with cottage cheese in catering, which was enough to hold her over. "This is my baby boy Graham, but I'm sure you know that since I told you all about him."
"I'm not a baby," Graham grumbled.
"Well, you're my baby, so take that," Stephanie retorted, reminding herself of her own mother as she laughed at the squint his eyes fell into. She eased her hand over his forehead, addressing John once more. "As you can see from his outfit, you're one of his favorite wrestlers, and he really wanted to come and say hi."
John gave a solitary nod and lowered to one knee, holding his hand out. "Hi, Graham. I'm John."
"Hi." Graham shook John's hand and the verbal flood gates were open. He didn't bother taking a single breath between sentences. "Guess what? You're my favorite wrestler, and I like you 'cause you never give up, and I really wanted to meet you so Mommy said I could come and meet you today, and I'm glad for that. Some of my friends like you, and they'll probably be a little jealous when they find out I got to meet you, but I won't be mean or make fun of them for not being here. That's not nice, and I'm always nice."
"Quite the talker, aren't you?" John joked.
He chuckled and patted Graham's arm, looking pointedly around the room. He held up his index finger, as if to ask for a free moment, and Graham stood still as John rummaged through his duffel bag in search of something. He shook his head when he didn't find it and tried snapping his briefcase open instead, until he finally stumbled upon a 13 X 19 glossy photo of himself in full gear. He also tugged a black, permanent marker free from his briefcase and yanked the cap off with his teeth, returning to Graham and kneeling once more.
"Are you gonna sign that for me?" Graham wondered.
"I sure am," John promised. He scrawled his signature and a brief message to Graham, handing the picture over. Graham's eyes lit up as he accepted the gift, and John leaned in closer. "Hey, if it's okay with your mom, we can even take a picture together."
"You read our minds. It's more than okay with me," Stephanie said. Her lips curled up at the corners as she reached into her purse and produced a digital camera in a flash (no pun intended), turning it on and motioning for John and Graham to pose. John held his right hand up near his face, his signature 'you can't see me' pose, and convinced Graham to do the same. Stephanie snapped the picture, and the flash temporarily blinded Graham, so he rubbed his eyes to erase the damage. She tipped her head coyly, smiling warmly at John. "Thank you for being so kind. He really loves you, and he's been asking me all weekend if he could meet you."
"I'm glad I could be of service," John said, rubbing the top of Graham's head. "How are you liking school, Graham?"
"I like it lots, but it's almost my summertime, and I can't wait, because I get to help Mommy with my baby brother."
"Oh?" John said, frowning confusedly at Stephanie. "I didn't realize you found out the sex. Thought you were waiting."
She pressed her lips together tightly and patted Graham's shoulder. "We are waiting, but he's convinced he's getting a brother, and who am I to stand in the way of his dreams?"
"I get it now," John laughed. "Hey, why don't you let us hang for a while?"
"Who?" Stephanie asked. "Just you and Graham?"
"Yeah, it'll be fun. I was headed out to the ring to warm up and meet with the guys, and it would give Graham a chance to meet some more people. I'll bring him right back to you or your husband as soon as we're done out there," he offered.
Graham grabbed Stephanie's right hand inside both of his and squeezed like a boa constrictor, reminding her instantly of all the snakes he loved so much. Clearly, he was learning their tricks. "Please, Mommy? You have to let me go!"
"Do you promise to be nice and polite to everyone you meet, just like Daddy and I taught you?" she asked. Of course, she knew he would be nothing short of an angel, but it didn't hurt to remind him of his manners.
"I will, I will!" Graham answered. He began nodding profusely, and Stephanie laughed, nudging him in John's direction.
"Go ahead, then. Have fun boys, and bring my Grammy back in one piece, please."
"I sure will," John winked, leading Graham out of the locker room.
Stephanie followed behind and stilled with her arms folded, watching as they strolled down the hallway, their forms growing smaller the farther they traveled. She could hear that they were engaged in casual conversation, but they were too far away for her to make out what was actually being said. At one point, Graham must have thought of her again, because he stopped and turned around, sending her a big wave. Stephanie waved back equally as boldly, blowing him a kiss and remaining rooted to her spot until they were out of sight.
One baby was growing up, while the other was still preparing to enter the world.
Stephanie tried her damnedest not to fall into the stereotypical role of a disgruntled pregnant woman, but she had a tendency to anger when sent on a tiring trip outside to the production truck. Pregnant or not, her father seemed to believe she was Superwoman, which was fine when she wasn't carrying the added weight of an entire human being, but she was, and her swollen ankles and feet weren't helping matters. She grumbled lowly, to no one in particular, as she stomped over to the truck in the Arizona heat, wiping the sweat from her brow and the space above her upper lip. Her job, as told to her by her father, was to deliver a single sheet of paper to the boys inside the truck, making clear the various camera angles they were to use or avoid during the show, depending on the situation.
Even though Stephanie found her dad's request to be miniscule in comparison to all the other duties they needed to attend to for that evening's big show, she did what he asked because that guaranteed her job security. That, and she also hadn't wanted to publicly complain about any job given to her behind-the-scenes. As a McMahon, more was expected of her on the job than arguably any other person employed by the WWE, especially since Shane had left his position in January of that year, and people were always watching and accessing, to determine whether she was earning her position or being thrust into it simply because nepotism had placed her there. She huffed noisily, out of breath from the walk to the truck, and she raised a hand, knocking soundly on the closed door.
A young man with fluffy blond hair and rosy cheeks opened the door and peeked his head out, but his name evaded her at the moment. Nonetheless, she smiled and held the sheet of paper out to him. "Hi, sorry to bother you."
"You're never a bother, Mrs. McMahon."
"Irvine," she corrected without thinking. The McMahon surname was fine for work, and she used it professionally, but she was so used to updating people on her new last name that it came purely from force of habit. When she realized her mistake, she waved her words off. "Sorry, never mind, McMahon is fine. I just came to give you this paper. My dad wants everyone in the truck to read over it and make sure you follow his instructions during the show. You know how he is — wants everything to be perfect."
"You got it. I'll let everyone else know."
"All right, have a good night, and thanks for all you do," she said, finishing her words with a succinct nod. Stephanie spun around on her heel, picking up the pace this time. Her body ached for the coolness of the air-conditioned arena, and she pushed her hair off of her shoulders, counting the steps until she would return indoors. Before she could grasp the handle, the back door swung open and Chris was there to intercept her. He pulled her inside by the wrist and kissed the side of her neck.
"You okay, honey?" he prodded. "I asked Vince where you were, and he said he sent you out for something. I felt like I should come check on you."
"Yeah, I'm okay," she mumbled against his shoulder. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the security his arms offered. "I don't get why he's sending me outside when it's this hot and he knows I'm pregnant. I could just knock the shit out of somebody right now. That's how annoyed I am."
"Wow," Chris said. His body shook against hers as laughter escaped him, and soon enough, Stephanie found herself laughing as well. "I don't mean to laugh, but I've never heard you talk like this before; you're always so calm. I didn't know it was even possible for you to be this mad. Pregnancy is doing a number on you, huh?"
"I just want the baby to be born already, that's all. I want to kiss her and touch her and hold her in my arms."
"Her?" Chris asked, scaling back in her arms. Stephanie's eyes widened, as if caught in a convoluted lie, and she shrugged.
"I probably should have told you, but I had a very vivid dream the other night that the baby was a girl. When I woke up, I felt like it was a sign. I'm not saying it is for sure since, I mean, I couldn't possibly know that, but I felt like she was trying to tell me, prepare me. I didn't want to say much about it because I don't know that I'm right, plus, I'd hate to burst Graham's bubble," she said. "He's really wanting a brother, and I want to give him one. If not this time, maybe another time."
"I'm not worried about that," Chris said, running his palm over her belly. "Like we've been saying, we'll have lots more babies. Now tell me more about this dream of yours."
"It was odd, almost like the baby was connecting with me, except I don't know how that could be true. It sounds weird, I'm sure, but I feel like she told me she's a girl. Do you think I'm crazy?"
"I don't think you're crazy at all. I have a bond with the baby because they're partly mine, but you have a much more unique bond with them, because you're carrying her, if she's a her. Only time will tell, but, no, I don't think it's crazy that you feel like you know the gender," Chris said, kissing her cheek. "You just might be onto something. I would be a mess with a little girl, though. I'm protective of Graham, but you ain't seen nothin' yet, if we end up having a daughter."
"I know it," she laughed. "I'm fully expecting you to lock her away in her room and not let her out."
"Pretty much, and no boys are ever allowed in her room, no matter how old she gets," he teased, running his fingers through Stephanie's hair. "Hey, so I trust your judgment and everything, but just for my own peace of mind, where did you leave Graham?"
"Oh, I meant to tell you, but I got wrapped up in all this other stuff my dad asked me to do. I left him with John Cena. You know how much Grammy wanted to meet him, so I took him over, and he got an autograph and a picture. Then John asked if he could bring Graham out to the ring where a bunch of the guys are warming up, so I let him go. They should be headed back here anytime now, but I just wanted Graham to have fun and experience things he'll remember for life," Stephanie said. Her eyes brightened at the thought. "I always tell you stories of sitting in Andre's lap and falling asleep with him when I was little, and I want Graham to have memories like that to share when he's older. He'll have his own special bond with the guys, just like I had with the guys from back in those days."
"Have I told you lately how sweet, thoughtful, and beautiful you are?"
"You tell me all the time, but it never gets old hearing it," Stephanie said, leaning in for a kiss. Her dad's voice at the end of the hall alerted her to his presence, and when Stephanie glanced over, she found him frantically waving her back toward his work station. She groaned and pressed her forehead to Chris's shoulder. "Here we go again. It's about to go down."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," she said, raising her head. "I'll work my ass off for the rest of the night without any breaks, except to pee, all while my dad breathes down my neck. I really hope I can get another foot massage from you later tonight," she said, biting the corner of her lip guiltily. "I'm all swollen and achy, and it's the least you can do since you're the one who knocked me up to begin with."
"And if I remember correctly, you screamed and moaned and begged for more while I was making you this way," he joked. Chris cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead. "I'll massage any body parts you need. Just say the word."
"Thanks. I'll take you up on that offer, but I should go now," she said, bucking her head in the direction where an impatient Vince continued to stand, tapping his foot against the floor and staring down his wristwatch while he waited. "I'll catch up with you soon, probably right before the show starts, because I have to show Ted and Amy to their seats so Graham can watch from the audience with them. I have to give Graham the digital camera, too, since I promised him he could take his own pictures out there."
"Sounds good. Love you, babe."
"Love you, too," she said, blowing him a kiss and strolling away.
He smiled when he noticed the slight waddle in her walk, loving the attractively stunted way she moved. He found it a hobby to try detecting all the nuances she had developed since becoming pregnant. When she reached Vince and he rushed her off to their work table, Chris headed for the curtain, wanting to go out to the ring and see what Graham was up to. The entire Wrestlemania weekend was turning out to be a prize he could never have imagined winning not but two years earlier, but now it had simply become a part of life.
Chris whistled a sweet little tune as he walked on by, an extra pep in his step.