"I don't believe it's raining," Shane said. "Figures."
"Yeah, Dad would have wanted it to rain for his funeral," Stephanie replied. She was sitting in the backseat of the limo with her brother. Linda had gone in another car. Stephanie and Linda hadn't spoken civilly to each other in over four years.
"You holding up okay?" Shane asked.
"I've been better," Stephanie said, nodding her head to herself. "I just couldn't stay inside for the ceremony. It hurts Shane."
"I know," Shane said.
"You did a good job with the eulogy though," Stephanie said. "You really probably had the fullest view of him. You knew his faults and still loved him."
"You did too," Shane said.
"Yeah, but I didn't accept those faults," Stephanie said. "I ignored them."
"Maybe that was better," Shane said.
"It doesn't matter now," Stephanie said. "I'm just glad you and him were getting along again before he…"
"Me too," Shane said, hugging his sister to his side. "You should talk to Mom."
"No," Stephanie said. "She went out of her way several times to ruin my life. She only took Dad back after I joined you in the Alliance, she told Hunter the truth about the baby, and she tried to keep me from publishing my first book."
"I'd hate to see something happening to her before you two had a chance to talk," Shane said. "I mean, it could have happened with me and Dad."
"She just doesn't mean as much to me as she used to Shane," Stephanie replied.
"I guess we better get out there," Shane said.
"Who's there?" Stephanie asked. She had never left the vestibule of the church at the ceremony. She hadn't been able to face the coffin that laid open at the altar.
"Everyone," Shane said.
"Its been so long since I've seen anyone," Stephanie said.
"Three years," Shane said.
"Yeah," Stephanie said.
Shane opened the door to the limo and opened the wide umbrella. He turned back to the car to help Stephanie from the car. They walked slowly down to the gravesite where Vince's coffin waited to be buried.
Around the open gravesite, several of Vince McMahon's employees, past and present, friends, and associates stood, awaiting the burial. Stephanie and Shane walked past them all to stand next to Linda at the edge of the grave.
Stephanie looked over at her mother for a brief moment. She noted the blank look on Linda's face and wondered what it meant.
She looked up and was assaulted by the blue eyes that haunted her. The one that got away. Or the one she ran away from when things became too serious, too soon. She looked down at her feet, feeling momentarily stunned by his presence, though she shouldn't have been.
"Hey," a soft voice said from next to her. She turned to see Chris Jericho. She smiled softly at him.
"Hi," she replied. "I'm glad you came."
"I had to be here for you," Chris said. He reached up and squeezed her upper arm comfortingly. "I've sent you about a dozen e-mails."
"I know," Stephanie said. "I haven't had the energy to reply to anything in my mailbox."
"You doing okay?" Chris asked.
"I've been better," Stephanie admitted. "But I'm getting used to the idea of him being gone. Slowly but surely."
"Are you going to be in town long?" Chris asked.
"A week or so," Stephanie said. "Long enough for the will to be sorted out and to have a visit with Shane."
"We should have lunch," Chris said.
"Okay," Stephanie said. "I'll be in Connecticut, so that would probably be the best place to do that."
"Sounds good to me," Chris said. He again squeezed her arm before he walked away to join Jeff and Matt Hardy.
Stephanie looked at the other people. JR looked unusually dower as he stood next to Jerry Lawler. Christian stood next to Lance Storm and Trish Stratus. Trish glanced at Stephanie and she offered an apologetic smile to Stephanie. Stephanie returned the gesture. Kevin Nash and X-Pac stood with her ex-husband. The Rock stood with Stone Cold Steve Austin.
It was strange to see them all. Each of them seemingly mourning her father. Her expression slowly became angry as her eyes fell upon Vince's foe, Ric Flair.
"What is he doing here?" Stephanie hissed to Shane.
"Steph, let it go," Shane pleaded.
"Does he have no respect?" Stephanie asked, tears coming to her eyes again.
"I'm sure he won't make a scene," Shane said.
"He had better not," Stephanie said. She turned her attention back to the casket. It was time to put her father to rest.
"Yeah, Dad would have wanted it to rain for his funeral," Stephanie replied. She was sitting in the backseat of the limo with her brother. Linda had gone in another car. Stephanie and Linda hadn't spoken civilly to each other in over four years.
"You holding up okay?" Shane asked.
"I've been better," Stephanie said, nodding her head to herself. "I just couldn't stay inside for the ceremony. It hurts Shane."
"I know," Shane said.
"You did a good job with the eulogy though," Stephanie said. "You really probably had the fullest view of him. You knew his faults and still loved him."
"You did too," Shane said.
"Yeah, but I didn't accept those faults," Stephanie said. "I ignored them."
"Maybe that was better," Shane said.
"It doesn't matter now," Stephanie said. "I'm just glad you and him were getting along again before he…"
"Me too," Shane said, hugging his sister to his side. "You should talk to Mom."
"No," Stephanie said. "She went out of her way several times to ruin my life. She only took Dad back after I joined you in the Alliance, she told Hunter the truth about the baby, and she tried to keep me from publishing my first book."
"I'd hate to see something happening to her before you two had a chance to talk," Shane said. "I mean, it could have happened with me and Dad."
"She just doesn't mean as much to me as she used to Shane," Stephanie replied.
"I guess we better get out there," Shane said.
"Who's there?" Stephanie asked. She had never left the vestibule of the church at the ceremony. She hadn't been able to face the coffin that laid open at the altar.
"Everyone," Shane said.
"Its been so long since I've seen anyone," Stephanie said.
"Three years," Shane said.
"Yeah," Stephanie said.
Shane opened the door to the limo and opened the wide umbrella. He turned back to the car to help Stephanie from the car. They walked slowly down to the gravesite where Vince's coffin waited to be buried.
Around the open gravesite, several of Vince McMahon's employees, past and present, friends, and associates stood, awaiting the burial. Stephanie and Shane walked past them all to stand next to Linda at the edge of the grave.
Stephanie looked over at her mother for a brief moment. She noted the blank look on Linda's face and wondered what it meant.
She looked up and was assaulted by the blue eyes that haunted her. The one that got away. Or the one she ran away from when things became too serious, too soon. She looked down at her feet, feeling momentarily stunned by his presence, though she shouldn't have been.
"Hey," a soft voice said from next to her. She turned to see Chris Jericho. She smiled softly at him.
"Hi," she replied. "I'm glad you came."
"I had to be here for you," Chris said. He reached up and squeezed her upper arm comfortingly. "I've sent you about a dozen e-mails."
"I know," Stephanie said. "I haven't had the energy to reply to anything in my mailbox."
"You doing okay?" Chris asked.
"I've been better," Stephanie admitted. "But I'm getting used to the idea of him being gone. Slowly but surely."
"Are you going to be in town long?" Chris asked.
"A week or so," Stephanie said. "Long enough for the will to be sorted out and to have a visit with Shane."
"We should have lunch," Chris said.
"Okay," Stephanie said. "I'll be in Connecticut, so that would probably be the best place to do that."
"Sounds good to me," Chris said. He again squeezed her arm before he walked away to join Jeff and Matt Hardy.
Stephanie looked at the other people. JR looked unusually dower as he stood next to Jerry Lawler. Christian stood next to Lance Storm and Trish Stratus. Trish glanced at Stephanie and she offered an apologetic smile to Stephanie. Stephanie returned the gesture. Kevin Nash and X-Pac stood with her ex-husband. The Rock stood with Stone Cold Steve Austin.
It was strange to see them all. Each of them seemingly mourning her father. Her expression slowly became angry as her eyes fell upon Vince's foe, Ric Flair.
"What is he doing here?" Stephanie hissed to Shane.
"Steph, let it go," Shane pleaded.
"Does he have no respect?" Stephanie asked, tears coming to her eyes again.
"I'm sure he won't make a scene," Shane said.
"He had better not," Stephanie said. She turned her attention back to the casket. It was time to put her father to rest.