She paced horridly around the enclosed room. A room she had come to know to be a locker room. At least that's what Joe had told her. She didn't know any differently. All she knew was it was an enclosed spaced that she, and her three children was now locked in. Maybe not locked in precisely. She was told she couldn't leave the area until he had returned. So, to her, it may as well have been an enclosed, locked room she wasn't able to escape from. And her children were becoming more and more restless, and hyper by the minute.
And she was becoming more and more nervous by the minute. Probably the majority of the reason she was pacing the room. He would not only be returning by himself. She wasn't concerned about his Shield brothers who would be accompanying him. She had met them before, and she had gotten along well with both Jon and Colby, or Dean and Seth as they went by, respectively. She particularly got along with Dean, and his wife Rene really well. His kids would be coming with him, too. His daughter, Joelle and his twin boys, Roman and Deacon.
Would they get along with her? How would all six of them get along? Would her own kids like Joe? It was all too much to worry about and to be nervous about. She knew how her own babies were around new people, especially if they saw a connection with their mother. Ever since the divorce and ever since their father showed little- well, that was giving him too much credit. Ever since their own father showed no interest in them after the separation, to say her kids had suffered was an understatement. To hear Joe speak of his own separation and divorce, if it wasn't for his mother, his kids would be suffering far worse. Apparently, his own ex-wife had shown the same amount of interest in their children.
"Hey, my sweet girl." came a voice from the door, shaking her from her thoughts and startling her at the same time.
She turned to face him, relief washing over her face as she closed the distance between them quickly, wanting to feel his arms around her to give her the reassurance she needed and the warmth of his body against her own.
"Awww, baby." he said, embracing her and placing a small kiss on her cheek. "Your nervous, aren't you?"
"To say the least." she said, breathing a sigh of relief before turning her attention back to her children, who were looking on intently at the couple's embrace.
"Momma?" Jazzlyn, her 5-year-old questioned as she rested at her mother's side, grabbing her hand.
"Baby…" she began, giving her attention to her daughter before meeting the eyes of her two boys, 10-year-old Jamez and 7-year-old Joziah. "I want you guys to meet someone. This is… um…."
"Hi guys. My name is Joe." he filled in for her, as he knelt down beside the three, giving them a warm smile. "I'm your mommy's boyfriend."
The sound of Joe saying the word 'boyfriend' was enough to catch the breath in Jami's throat and she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. She had to come back to reality quickly because once the word had left Joe's mouth it clearly had a different effect on the three. Confusion was evident on their small faces and questions was etched all over their faces as they looked between their mother and the man that was just introduced as Joe. Their mother's boyfriend.
"Mommy, I thought you said boys are icky." Jazzlyn finally replied, looking intensely at Joe.
"Well, we are, honey." Joe laughed, reaching out for the small girl's hand.
She looked up at her mother slowly, who gave her a reassuring nod before returning her attention to the large man knelt before her. The girl placed her small hand in his, giving him a small, yet uneasy grin. He shook her hand slowly before returning his attention to the two, small boys.
"So, I hear you two like video games." Joe asked, inching forward.
"Yeah, I like Fortnite and Roblox. And sometimes…." Jamez started before being cut off.
"And I like Minecraft. But Jazzy likes to play girly stuff." Joziah replied for his brother, finishing his sentence.
"Joey, I only like Barbie's and…" Jazzy started, before excitement spread across her small face. "Mr. Joe, do you know what LOL dolls are? Oh my gosh, they are so pretty and me and mommy play them all the time. Don't we mommy?"
"Oh, my. I am so glad you said that." Joe replied playfully with the small child.
He turned around, retrieving a bag he had brought in with him. He pulled out a large LOL dolls surprise package and laid it at the small girl's feet. He returned his attention back to the bag, looking up at the boys and giving them a smile.
"Thank you, Joe." Jazzy squealed with excitement, giving the man a large hug.
"Well, you are more than welcome sweetheart." he replied, hugging her back. "Boys, I got you something, too. Although, I'm not sure if you'll like it." he said, pulling two large boxes from the bag and displaying the PlayStation VR for each boy.
"Mommy! We don't have this." Jamez exclaimed, looking to his mother, before looking at Joe with amazement.
"This is mine?" Joziah asked, looking at Joe and his mom.
"It sure is, buddy." Joe replied, patting the boy on his small head. "And I'm hoping maybe you can play that with a special friend I have for you guys to meet." he said standing and looking at the three small children before him.
"Guys, Joe would like you to meet three special people, too. Like mommy has you three, Joe has three kids of his own. Would you like to meet them?" Jami asked, looking intently at her three babies.
"Does he have a girl?" Jazzy turned to look at her mom, placing a hand on her hip matter-of-factly.
Joe let a chuckle come from deep within his throat before looking at the small child and shaking his head.
"Yes, honey I do have a girl. She's a little older than you, but I also have two boys., but their twins. Do you know what that means?" Joe asked walking backwards towards the door.
"That means they look the same, right?" Joziah asked.
"Yes, it does. They're a little younger than you, but I think you all will really like playing together." Jami responded.
Joe opened the door, revealing his three kids, and his mother standing behind the door. His oldest, his 11-year-old daughter, Joelle walked in, smiling at the three unfamiliar kids before her. She knelt down beside Jazzy and looked at the large LOL box that was still left unopened.
"Do you want to open it?" Joelle asked.
"Joelle, honey, I want you to meet someone first, okay?" Joe asked, grabbing his daughter's hand. "This is Jami. She's daddy's girlfriend that I've told you about. Deacon, Roman…." Joe said, turning around, bringing his two three-year-old sons beside him.
"Hi, babies." Jami said, smiling at the three. "I'm Jami."
"I know." Joelle responded. "My daddy has told me all about you. Like, you're his nurse and you're making him all better. Thank you." the child responded, giving Jami a big hug.
"Aww, honey." Jami explained, her eyes watering as she looked up at Joe.
He gave her a reassuring smile, his own eyes watering up. He wiped at the tears that were threatening to fall, the smile on his face, plastered. Never wavering. Never leaving his features.
"And it's okay that you're dating my daddy. And that you have kids." Joelle said, smiling back at Jami. "Don't cry, sweet girl." she said, wiping the single tear that fell from Jami's eye.
Jami smiled even brighter, a few more tears falling from her eyes. Joelle turned around and began helping Jazzy and the boys open their gifts, engaging them in conversation, giggles and smiles coming from the six children before them.
"See, I told you this wouldn't be that bad." Joe said, wiping the remaining tears that lined Jami's cheeks before placing a small kiss on her lips.
"I know, it's just…" Jami said, sniffling. "…that was the sweetest thing that has ever happened to me."
"Hey, love birds." came a voice from behind them. "Joe, are you gonna introduce me to this lovely young lady?"
"Aw, shit!" Joe exclaimed, his hand coming to his forehead, before slowly turning around. "Ah, Jami. This is my mother, Patricia." Joe said, giving a small smile to his mother.
"That's better, young man." she said, before turning her attention to Jami and enveloping her into a hug. "You mean so much to me. More than you will ever know, even though this is the first time we have met."
"Um…" Jami said, stuttering on her own words. "I don't even know what to say."
"Just keep my son in line, and we will call it even." his mother replied, giving her a smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, it looks like I have 6 grandchildren to spoil now." she said, giving her arm a small squeeze before returning her attention to the children that was playing happily on the floor.
"Well, that went really well." Joe responded, his arm wrapping slowly around her waist.
"That went perfectly." Jami said, a permanent smile on her face before her lips came crashing on his. "I know you have to go get ready for your match and I know this is a big one, but please, pace yourself and be careful."
"Baby, I will. I promise. But this is WrestleMania and I have been itching to get back in there." Joe replied.
"I know, baby. But you got these kids on your left, I'm on you're right. Always. And, if you try moving forward without us, I'll snatch you by your man bun." she said, kissing him gently, smiling against his lips.
"Yeah, well left, right, forward. Whatever. Just remind, I'm behind you both." his mom's voice came from behind them once more, a hand coming to rest on each one of their shoulders. "Son, get out there and kick some Scottish ass."
"Mom…." Joe said, laughing lightly. "That's comforting and sweet…" he trailed off before giving her a smirk. "…but scary."
The three laughed together, as they looked on at the children before them playing. Joe grabbed his gear and his bag from the corner, giving the two women a small smile.
"I really hate to do this, but I have to go get ready." he said, breaking up the moment and looking at Jami intently. "I'm sorry, sweet girl, but you can watch on the monitor. Hunter and Steph have catering bringing in some stuff for you and mom and the kids. I know my world overwhelms you, so I wanted to make this as pleasant and easy as possible."
"Joe, you didn't have to go to extremes. I need to experience your world, too. God knows you've experienced mine enough." she replied, giving off a sarcastic, uneasy laugh. "Babe, I told you. We will get through this. By this, I meant all of this. Your world, my world and everything that happens in between."
"Sweet girl…." he started, his breath becoming lost in his throat. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead gently against hers.
His breath became more and more lost in his throat as he became lost on the words he so desperately wanted to utter. The words that were right on the end of this tongue. Words he knew he just needed a few seconds to say.
"Joe…" she whispered, worry and concern etched on her face. "Are you worried about you match?"
"No, babydoll. I…." he stuttered, his words becoming lost, his breath lost in his throat even more, yet his entire mind clear and aware of his true, raw emotions that came to the surface all at once, making him utterly conscious that his heart and mind was aligned, maybe for the first time in his life.
This is what he wanted. Not just now. Not just what had transpired thus far. But what was to come. What was to be their future. Win, loss or draw. No matter what. Come hell or high water. This he would fight for and obtain. For life.
"I love you." he replied huskily, his voice breathlessly.
She was taken aback by his words as she pulled back from him abruptly, looking intensely into his eyes, a small smile forming on the corners of her mouth. The tears burned her eyes. The tears that threatened to fall. Her heart burning with emotion she had never felt before. Emotion that was coming to the surface in the form of tears. And a smile that would forever be placed on her lips. Lips that she knew belonged to the man that stood before her. The man who had just uttered what she now knew was a feeling and sentiment she had been feeling all along. Something she had fought from the beginning. Something she had fought up until this moment in time.
Something she knew she would never be able to fight again.
And something she knew she no longer wanted to fight. Period.