Adriana Braxton

Natalie decided to fly out and spend the weekend with me, since Rene told me at the last minute that he wasn't going to make it home. He said it was business, that he would make it up to me when he gets home, but I know how this business works. Working for the WWE is like three or four full-time jobs rolled into one. I'm a little suspicious that he didn't give me an exact reason, but there's a chance he doesn't really know what he's doing just yet. Sometimes he can talk about things, sometimes he can't.

Since her split with John, I know Natalie has been incredibly lonely. I know she doesn't really want to be alone right now. She is absolutely devastated. With Rene not coming home, I'm all too happy to have her company before she goes back on the road. I met her at the airport early in the morning, armed with a cup of coffee for each of us. She was late getting out of the arena last night; she and Shane were stuck working on a mountain of paperwork that Vince dropped on them at the last minute. So she caught a late flight that got her here at the crack of dawn.

It's shaping up to be a beautiful day, the kind of day where there isn't a cloud in the bright blue sky, with a beautiful summer breeze. I drove to the airport with the top down. Natalie sat in the passenger's seat, the two of us enjoying the wind in our hair as we made our way back to the house. She told me all about her motorcycle ride with Shane, how she can now say that she is a little bit braver than Jessa, who refuses to get onto the motorcycle. It's hilarious to think that out of all the crazy things that she's done over the years, getting on a motorcycle is where she draws the line.

"Have you seen or heard from Jess at all lately?" I asked. Natalie shook her head.

"No. I heard that she's not up here anymore. Shane mentioned that Randy talked her into going home with him. He's been absolutely giddy at the tapings," she disclosed. I turned to her, surprised by the news. "I know, I know. He doesn't want to leave her alone right now, which is probably for the best. She should be with someone. He's going to drive her less crazy than her mother does, but I'm willing to bet that she went to shut him up." I laughed; it's the most likely scenario.

"It feels like those two are getting more and more serious by the day," I commented, coming to a stop at the red light.

"It sure seems that way," Natalie agreed. "I feel just awful for her, though." I nodded. Jessa has a strange, borderline estranged relationship with both of her parents, but out of the two she was the closest with her father. "I think it's really sweet that he came up here to be with her. I want to say that I can't believe she didn't tell him, but it's Jessa we're talking about here."

"Jessa doesn't talk about things with the two of them very much. From what I can see, though, they seem to suit each other really well," Natalie said, taking a sip of her coffee. "They already bicker like an old married couple, so I guess that's half the battle right there."

"Any word on when she's coming back out on the road?" I asked. Natalie shook her head.

"She's already trying. Shane is making her take the time off, and she is so pissed off about that right now. But you know how Shane is. He's going to dig his heels in, and she's going to dig hers in as well. It's admirable she wants to come back, but she needs the time off. If she's not in the right mindset, she's going to get hurt. That's all there is to it. But she's not seeing it that way right now."

"Jessa's as stubborn as they come. But it's for the best. Shane's right – she needs time." We turned onto my street.

"I'm hearing rumblings that Callie is getting ready to come back," Natalie told me. "She's ahead of schedule. Shane overheard Stephanie and Hunter talking about it. They've got big plans for her when she comes back. They basically want to shove her back at the top of the division, even after the disastrous Maxim article."

"I saw she did Stuff, too, but I didn't read it."

"They must have read the Maxim article over at Stuff, because they scrapped the interview and just went for a photo spread," Natalie told me. I had to snicker at the development. Natalie had sent me a copy of the Maxim issue, telling me to read it. It was fascinating and horrifying. Callie came off as obsessive, vengeful and bitter. It is clear the woman is bordering on deranged at this point. I read it over a glass of wine and had a good laugh at her expense, especially reading the interviewer's comments. I don't understand what Callie has on Stephanie and Hunter to make them want to put her back at the top of the Women's roster. There are a lot of talented women in that division, and she is the only one they seem to want to focus on. She's not as charismatic as she thinks she is. Jessa, Trish, Lita and Victoria can outwrestle her any day of the week. But she looks good on magazine covers and in little swimsuits, so I guess that counts for more. It's infuriating.

I parked the car in the driveway and put the top back on. Natalie helped. "You know she's coming back to Raw," Natalie said with a sigh. "It's the A show. Poor Jessa's going to be put through the ringer again."

"Everyone sure likes sticking it to her, it seems like."

"It's ridiculous. I can't believe Callie's holding such a grudge because Jessa wants to be her own person. She's always figured that Jessa would just follow in her shadow with no questions asked." We walked inside. Natalie slid her flats off onto the shoe rack. "Jessa isn't here for the mainstream stuff Callie wants."

"You know that, and I know that," I replied. I stifled a yawn. "I thought today we would start crafting center pieces. I got a great idea off this site, so I got like a hundred mirrors and so many jewels. Candles...it's going to be a fun day. What do you say?"

"I'm in. But maybe after breakfast. I'm pretty hungry."

"Me, too. You're handy with a hot glue gun, right?"

"Nope. This will be a fun afternoon." We shared a laugh. The two of us walked into the kitchen. I set about making breakfast, cutting fruit and putting into a bowl to make a fruit salad.

"Has it hit you yet?" she asked. I shook my head.

"Not really. I think when I get closer to the time, it will. But right now, I'm pretty busy between this and getting the boutique off the ground. I'm hoping to have all my ducks in a row by next year." The two of us ate breakfast, talking excitedly about my upcoming wedding. It was a nice feeling to have Natalie with me; lately, I've been feeling a little homesick.