Burgundy had faded back to chocolate brown, the ends of her hair the only evidence left she had ever gotten a dye job at all. Red had been fun, for a time, but brown hair was who she'd always been, and it was nice having herself back. The glistening snow had fallen victim to the shining sun, and she took a moment every day to enjoy summer while it remained in full swing. The arrival of August had sent Graham back to school, ready to journey into the mystery of middle school, but it also brought a lighter note: a three-month-old baby girl.

Chris spent at least 10 minutes every day propping Fiona on her stomach, begging her to raise on her palms and crawl. She hadn't accomplished the feat quite yet, but lack of effort was certainly not the big issue. Her arms and legs would thrash wildly, toes curling over as she struggled to move, to get to her daddy, but she hadn't made it yet. In between her efforts to move, Chris would pick Fiona up and bring her to his chest, reading her short passages from a nearby book as he grinned at her reactions to the turning pages and covered her cheeks in kisses.

Unexpected as it was, Fiona looked more like him every day. Upon her birth, Chris had seen his daughter as her mother's twin, but her hair was gradually lightening to match her sky blue eyes, and he saw more of himself in her each time he checked. He also saw a nice mix of Stephanie living on in his daughter, which was a pleasure unto itself. He was ever the proud father. One of his children was headed to a prestigious private school, the other homebound for another few years before she would begin preschool.

Change was aplenty, but the one constant he could always count on was his wife. Stephanie was locked in forward motion, always working toward a new goal, but at her core, she never changed from the woman he'd met that snowy evening at the coffee shop in Winnipeg. She was always his Stephanie, and his love grew for her with each passing day. He smiled at the back of her from his spot on the floor, patting Fiona's back as Stephanie peered out the window, knowing tears pricked her eyes, even though she wasn't facing him.

That morning was a tough one, having been Graham's first time ever catching the bus to school. Stephanie had considered it a joy to drive him, and watching him run after that yellow bus and wave at her had sent her into hysterics. She had cried on Chris's chest for most of the morning, an oblivious Fiona tugging at her hair while she wept, those ends she so desperately needed to chop off. Her little boy wasn't so little anymore, and part of her took that knowledge harder than Chris, having had less time to spend with Graham while he had been small.

"So...first day of school," Chris said, interrupting her thoughts. He probably should have attempted to distract her from the upset, but she had to learn to cope. Soon enough, Graham would catch the bus to his new school and she would laugh at herself, wondering how she could ever have fallen to pieces over such a simple act. "Different than what you expected?"

"Much different." She turned away from the window, and he was surprised to find his earlier guess incorrect. The tears had dried themselves on her face. Still, she swiped at her cheek and left the front window behind, done staring at the spot where Graham had caught the bus less than two hours before. A slight breeze hit his cheek as she swooped down on the couch, reaching for Fiona's hand and rubbing her knuckles. "Is that my baby? Is that my pretty Winnie Girl?"

Even Stephanie had fallen into calling their daughter Winnie more oft than not, in some ways, preferring it over Fiona's first name. Winnie fit her more soundly, the same way Winnipeg clicked right into place as the city where their whole lives had begun. Without Winnipeg, there wouldn't have been a Winnie Bear, but she was all theirs, and they treasured her like the jewel she had grown to become. Fiona cooed and Chris laughed at her antics, kissing the top of her head as she bobbled against his chest, hovering over the same cotton material still blotted with her mommy's old tears.

"She looks like a Winnie. Maybe that should have been her first name, and Fiona could have been her middle name," Chris speculated.

"Actually," Stephanie said, holding tightly onto her daughter's hand, "I'm glad Fiona's her first name. Winnie is cute, and that name holds a lot of special meaning for us, but it's hard for me to imagine a grown woman in the workplace being called by that name. Fiona sounds more dignified and timeless, and I think she'll fare better when she gets out into the professional workforce and all that."

"Let me get this straight: My wife is so work-obsessed that she's already plotting our three-month-old daughter's future in the workforce. You poor baby," Chris shook his head, eyes heavy with mock sorrow as he peered down at Fiona. "You're never going to get any rest. Mommy might have you completely skip preschool and get straight into your career when you turn five."

"I would never," Stephanie gasped, placing a hand over her heart. "Not my baby girl. She's gonna go to school first and make lots of friends." A thoughtful pause followed her words, but she picked back up on the same wavelength a minute or so later. "I had, like, six boyfriends when I went to preschool. It'll be hilarious if Fiona does the same thing."

"What?" Chris squeaked, eyes widening to comical levels. He looked frazzled, like he had been sucker punched. Stephanie shrugged and giggled, but he didn't find the idea quite so funny. "How can you have that many boyfriends when you're four or five years old? That is so not cool, Steph. What the hell?"

"Whatever, it's fun. Besides, when you're that young, it's not like you do anything with your boyfriend that you shouldn't be doing. It's just something you say, and you always play with your little boyfriend during recess and stuff. It's harmless fun." Then, off Chris's look of incredulity, she added, "Really, it's not that serious, Chris. What do you think can possibly come of Fiona playing with a boy her age in the sandbox? It's just a goofy thing you do as a kid that you look back on and laugh about."

"If anybody touches her, they'll be sorry."

"They'll be little kids. The same age as her, in fact."

"I don't care. I don't even want to talk about that anymore," Chris said, shoulders set and jaw clenched.

"Aw, look at the big, protective daddy," Stephanie pouted, covering the back of his neck with one hand. She massaged the tension out of his muscles, and he relaxed instantly, closing his eyes. Fiona placed her head down on his shoulder, a string of drool pooling onto Chris's cotton shirt. "I love that you're already so protective of her, but, really, you're beyond overreacting. You've entered insane territory."

"Whatevs."

"Sure. Whatevs, then," she repeated, rolling her eyes since he wasn't watching her anyway. "Chris?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Our son is at his middle school right now. Without us."

"That's kinda the way it works." His eyes popped open. "Who's the overreacting parent now? I'm super protective of Fee, but you're almost the same way with Graham. You just don't realize it."

"I miss him already. He's my little baby, and I keep feeling like, I just...what if he needs me? What if he realizes he forgot something, but I'm not there to help, and it ruins his whole first day?"

"He has a phone, and he knows how to use it. We always tell him to call us if he needs anything and, correct me if I'm mistaken, but he calls you all the time from school. Or he did, anyway."

"What's that s'pposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Chris replied. "You're reading connotations into it that weren't there."

"You said he used to call me, as in, past tense. That had to mean something."

"Not really."

"Yeah, it did. You're thinking he doesn't need me anymore, aren't you? You always play this mind game," she grumbled. Her look was biting, bordering on irritation, but he recognized the humor outlining her tone. "How about before we were even together, when we went to lunch and you were downgrading Ross, without actually coming out and saying it. You were talking about how he snuffed the fire right out of me, but you wouldn't admit to actually directing that stuff toward him, even though you obviously were."

"Eh, whatever," Chris dismissed. "Ross is a nice enough guy, but he wasn't right for you. I was the one who was right for you, and I knew that all along. I didn't always know how to make you see it, but I saw. And now, here we are, almost two years of marriage and two kids later."

"And I love you more with each day that passes," she responded. He was already halfway to her lips by the time the last word left her mouth, and they shared a kiss, each of them pressing kisses to Fiona's cheeks when she squealed, feeling left out of the lovefest, presumably. Combing her fingers through his hair, she continued, "It's so funny to me that, even still, I'm always learning new things about you. Just when I think I've figured you out, I discover something completely new, but I love all your little quirks and habits. You're so funny and cute."

"Aw, shucks," Chris said, a bit of a blush peeking through. "You amaze me, too. Can't imagine life without you."

"It'd be super boring."

"Totally," he agreed, capturing her lips for a second time. Chris tucked some hair behind her ear when he pulled away. "Please don't take this the wrong way, because I loved it when you dyed your hair, but I'm glad to see the brown back after all these months. Your natural hair is beautiful."

"Thanks, I was thinking the same thing," she admitted, running her hand over her tresses. "Some days, I loved the burgundy, but other days, I didn't look like myself. I'm glad to be back where I started. I won't go so far as to say I'd never dye my hair again, but it might take me a while to even consider it. I'll enjoy my natural brown color for a while, and we'll see what happens."

"I bet you'd make a hot blond, though."

"I kinda, sorta went blond around 2005 or so. My hair was also a lot shorter back then."

"I remember. One show that sticks out to me was the Raw Homecoming in October of that year. You showed up and slapped Jim Ross around and fired him or whatever, then you got the mic and were like, 'The bitch is back!'. I actually cheered when that happened. I loved your character and always thought you made a great villain."

Her right hand splayed itself across her face as she shook with laughter. "I almost forgot that even happened."

"Yeah, me too, but I remembered it when you mentioned your blond hair. You were so hot with it like that. You should do it again."

"So do you like me better as a brunette or blond?"

"If I had to choose, I'd say brunette, because brown hair is just you, if that makes sense. It's a part of what makes you Stephanie, but I liked the blond a lot. I never could have imagined when I watched that episode that you'd be my wife one day or that we'd have a daughter together. I never thought we would meet to begin with, but I definitely wanted to do you, even back then."

"Do what to me?" she teased.

"You know what I meant." Their eyes met, and they played the staring game for a little while. Stephanie was the first to break character, falling into wells of laughter, and Chris was soon to follow. He patted her leg and smoothed her pant suit down, first the pants, then the blazer. "You planning on driving to work anytime soon, or are you gonna sit here with me and Fee like a bump on a log?"

"Newsflash, but you're not really working right now, either. I don't see you upstairs in your office."

"So stay home, then. We'll take the day off together."

"Fine. I'll call Dad in a bit and let him know," Stephanie announced. She tipped her head back against the sofa cushion and sighed dramatically into the open air. "I want my baby back. He's out in the big, cruel world all by himself, and I just want him back."

"Stop torturing yourself. He's doing exactly what we wanted, and you can't ask for much more than that," Chris supplied. "He went to The Prime School, which it's awesome that he chose, especially after our epic argument that went along with that."

"Your fault," she muttered.

"Yes, and you love to remind me of that every time it comes up in conversation," Chris said, kissing her cheek when she glared. "The point is, this is a huge accomplishment for Graham and it's something that will impact his life in a positive way. We're proud of him, and whenever we miss him, we have to remind ourselves of that. This is the right thing."

Fiona reached out a hand, pressing her palm into Stephanie's nose. Instead of moving Fiona's hand, she spoke in the resulting nasally tone. "Looks like we get to enjoy the day with our princess."

"Lucky us," Chris said. Using his left arm to reel Stephanie in closer, he hugged Fiona to his chest. "This is a big day, girls. Let's make the most of it."

"Good morning, everyone, and welcome to advanced mathematics. My name is Mrs. O'Shea, and I'm looking forward to spending the year with all of you," she announced. Rubbing her hands together, she migrated from behind her desk to the front of it, perching on the far corner. As she looked into a sea of anxious faces, she couldn't help but smile. "It's okay to relax. The first day of middle school can be nerve-wracking, but we're all here for the same reason, and that's to learn. Now, something I like to do to start off the school year is go around the room and have everyone introduce themselves. It's a good way to get to know each other. You over here," Mrs. O'Shea said, gesturing to the first student on the far right row. "We can begin with you. Tell us your name and a little bit about yourself."

A tremor ripped through Graham's hands, so he slid them off the desk and hid them in his lap, not wanting to show his nerves. For the first time ever, he had arrived at school without a ride from either of his parents, a move both exhilarating and terrifying to him. He was growing older, and with age came responsibility. When Graham used the restroom in the sixth grade pod that morning, he had considered tugging his phone from his backpack and calling his mom or dad, but surely that would be a childish move. He couldn't always go calling his parents whenever he had to be away from home.

Graham missed his family a lot, and certainly wanted to spend time with his lovely sister, but he would feel most accomplished if he lived the day a lone soldier, finding his own way. He broke free of his thoughts just as the student behind the first girl finished his introduction. The girl, who had she introduced herself as? Oh, that's right, her name was Emma, as his passive mind had picked up on. She had mentioned something about swimming, be it for hobby or sport, and the boy directly behind her was a Little League pitcher named Darren.

The prickles of multiple sets of eyes brought Graham crashing back down to earth the remainder of the way, and his eyes widened for a few seconds, frozen in fear. Then, he saw his daddy's face in his mind, always pushing him to reach his goals. His daddy told him all the time that anything in life was possible and that he could do anything he set out to accomplish. There was also his mommy, of course, who had not only paved his way to a better life, but who made sure he never drifted to sleep a single night without a verbal reminder of how special he was.

At that fixed point in time, knowing how deeply he was treasured gave him the nudge forward that he so desperately needed, and with a deep breath, Graham rose from his chair. His teacher smiled, making the blue of her eyes sparkle, and as a smile appeared on her face, fenced in by a sea of curly blond hair, Graham smiled back. "My name's Graham, and I'm 10 years old. I'll turn 11 soon, but the reason I'm so young is 'cause I skipped a grade. I'm also from Canada, but I live here now with my parents, and I have a new baby sister, too. Her name's Fiona, and also...um...oh yeah, my mom's Stephanie McMahon and she's from the WWE, so if you don't watch it, you should."

A rush of murmurs rippled through the room, a show of excitement from his peers who knew of the WWE well. Mrs. O'Shea nodded her head. "Thank you, Graham. Welcome to the class. Next, please?"

The girl behind Graham stood to speak, but the boy to his immediate front spun around in his seat, electricity crackling in his gaze. He leaned in and whispered, "Do you really know Stephanie McMahon?"

"Yep," Graham replied, beaming with pride. "She's my mom."

"Cool! I love WWE!" Darren's tone grew an octave higher and more frantic, and Graham didn't want to get in trouble for speaking out of turn, so he settled on a kind close to their conversation.

"We should meet at lunch and we could talk about it."

"Okay. Let's meet at the lockers when the bell rings."

"Cool," Graham answered. He had introduced himself to his classmates and made a new friend in one fell swoop. For a day of daunting firsts, his starting impression of The Prime School was shaping up quite nicely. His brain was active with thoughts of Nathan, Malachi, and tons of his old friends, and it made him sad to know they were across town in a completely different school, but his heart was at peace.

The day was grand.

Chris had pulled her together enough that she managed to leave the house without being a complete mess. On the way over to Ted's and Amy's place for breakfast, Stephanie pulled out her phone and called her dad, letting him know she and Chris would be taking the day off. Understanding soul he was, Vince wished them a good day and lots of luck for Graham, which Stephanie was to pass along the next time she and Graham spoke. Understanding the pressure she was under, Chris slid his hand over Stephanie's nearest thigh, massaging the stressed limb the entire car ride over.

Fiona was an absolute doll during the trip over, not a single fuss to be heard. Stephanie plucked her from the backseat when they reached Ted's place, and Chris brought up the rear as they headed down the path to the proper condominium. Chris rapped lightly on the door and Amy was first to open it, greeting them brightly and waving them inside. Stephanie paused so Amy could kiss Fiona's cheek on the way inside, and she showed herself to the kitchen area, where Ted was whipping up a batch of his famous blueberry pancakes.

"Graham would love this," she blurted, without thinking. Ted turned his head and waved, and she raised up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "I meant to say hi."

"That's okay," Ted comforted, patting her arm. "I know you miss him. Did he get to school okay this morning?"

"He did." Stephanie gave Fiona a boost into the air and Ted captured her cheek with his lips. Fiona slipped her hand over his cheek, and Ted kissed her palm as well. The special attention excited Fiona, who squealed and kicked her legs, simultaneously pumping her arms in the air. "Aw, look at how happy she is. She missed her gramps so much. You wanna hold her?"

"Uh, yeah, but just one sec. Let me finish up with these last few pancakes."

"No problem. She'll be here," Stephanie replied, bouncing Fiona in her arms. "Yeah, so Graham went and caught the school bus this morning. The stop is within walking distance of our house and we can see him from the front porch and window area. I wanted to walk him over, but he wouldn't let me. Something tells me he might have lost cool points with the other kids if the bus pulled up and he had his mommy waiting with him. I didn't want to be embarrassing, so I watched him from the house."

"Get used to it," Ted laughed, adjusting the position of his glasses on his nose. He poured a small amount of batter onto the skillet and it sizzled, forming an imperfect circle shape. "The older he gets, the more he'll start wanting his space. It's a natural progression."

"I know, but I miss him so much. Graham's always been my little buddy," Stephanie said, bottom lip protruding from the rest of her mouth. "The change I've seen in him since we first met is incredible. I'm so unbelievably proud of him, and Chris and I are still working on getting that scholarship started in his name. Funding it was the easiest part, but there's so much more that goes into it that you wouldn't even think about. I originally planned to do it all on my own, but we have to make sure the scholarship meets all these requirements, then it has to be administered, and it's enough to make my head spin."

"I'm sure you'll pull it off," Ted encouraged. He flipped one of the pancakes, a hearty sizzle floating from the pan. "I imagine it's a great deal of work, though."

"Yeah, but I started it and I'm going to finish it, because I promised Grams. I told him all about it, and he was super excited about the idea of helping another kid who might be struggling the way he did. This is something I can do to lead by example, because I'm always teaching him to give back to the less fortunate."

"Hey, Dad," Chris said, going up behind him and clapping his shoulder. "Good to see you. From the looks of it, Fee is more excited to see you than any of us. She's kicking those little legs like crazy."

"Here, then," Ted laughed, handing the spatula off to Chris. "You flip these last few pancakes and I'll take my girl." While Chris busied himself with breakfast, Ted tickled Fiona's stomach and stole her away from Stephanie, planting a kiss on the center of her forehead. "Hey, sweetheart. Gramps missed you a whole lot while you were away. You'll have to come see me more often."

"We're working on it," Stephanie responded. "It's difficult to divide our time evenly between work, the kids, our pets, our parents, and everything else in between, but we're trying really hard. I promise."

"I know you are," Ted noted, patting her arm as he passed. As he followed the counter all the way down, leading back into the sitting room, Ted's gaze glided over a framed photo of Graham, smiling widely for the camera in one of his favorite graphic tees, an image from his favorite cartoon. He stopped in his tracks and rounded back to Chris and Stephanie. "With it being the first day of school and all, how do you think he is?"

Having been caught in the midst of a kiss, they pulled away from each other, turning their focus on Ted. Stephanie was at a loss for words, so Chris filled in, instinctively knowing exactly how his son was. He had been the only parent with Graham since birth, after all. "That kid is one of the most resilient, adaptable people I've ever known. He's doing just fine. I guarantee you."

Ted smiled, his right cheek merging into Fiona's. "Alrighty, then. Let's eat."