It was only days later that the doctors allowed both Jade and
Mackenzie to come home. Shawn was waiting at the hospital door bright and
early that Thursday morning, as a hospital attendant wheeled Jade out in a
wheelchair, little Mackenzie seated peacefully on her lap in a bundled
blanket. Shawn helped her gently into the car as the attendant smiled,
wished them good luck and pushed the chair back into the hospital.
"I don't know why they do that," Jade said after Shawn had gotten in
the car.
"Do what?" he asked, absentmindedly as he tried to start the car. It
would turn over but choked as soon as it did.
"Push me out in a wheelchair. I mean, I had a baby. I can walk.
It's not like last year when I broke my ankle, wrestling." Jade continued
to stare at the sleeping bundle in her arms. "But all the same, I'm glad
we're going home," she said, smiling. "We can finally be a family
together."
"Yes," Shawn cried as the car roared to life. It wasn't that old,
but often had problems. He shifted it into drive and sped off.
"Shawn! You have to be careful driving now!" Jade warned. "We have
a baby in the car with us; that reminds me. We need a car seat and one of
those stickers that says, 'Baby On Board'. I think those things are so
adorable!"
Shawn continued down the road, heading to the hotel where Vince and
Linda were staying. From there, they would wait a few days until Jade
regained her strength and then fly back home to Arizona while Vince and
Linda drove the car back for them. Jade knew that she was terribly going
to miss the world of wrestling. She looked forward to being a stay at home
mom but wrestling had been her life ever since she was a little girl. It
would be so different now, with Shawn still wrestling and Jade couldn't.
At least not for a while. She still had to finish some courses through
correspondence. It was the best way to go because then she could still
have time at home with the baby.
"Well, here we are," Shawn said as he pulled up in front of the hotel
doors. Jade assumed the blatant comment was due to lack of words, so she
decided against making mention of it and gently climbed out of the car,
Shawn at her side, helping her.
At the hotel door, Shawn struggled with the luggage and the room key,
while Jade made faces at Mackenzie who was just waking up from her nap.
Finally, he got the door open and collapsed inside, Jade following him.
"Surprise!" whispered the crowd and Jade nearly burst into tears of
happiness. In front of her stood some of her closest friends from the
company, including Hunter, Kevin Nash and the Undertaker. They all crowded
around her to get a glimpse of the newest member of the wrestling family as
Shawn continued to bend under the weight of the luggage.
"A little help here?" he asked, but no one seemed to hear him. They
were too occupied with the baby.
Linda came up and started to pick up bags for Shawn. He smiled
gratefully as she helped him carry them into the actual bedroom. The room
that Vince had rented for them was more like a mini-apartment, with its own
kitchen, living/dining room area and bedroom. There was already a
bassinette in the bedroom beside the bed and that's when it clicked with
Shawn: things would never be the same again.
"Things aren't going to be like before," Linda said, as if she was
reading Shawn's mind. "You and Jade aren't wild kids anymore. You both
have a responsibility to this child. You can't ignore her in the middle of
the night if she cries and you're.let's say occupied, for lack of better
words. She has to be attended to, fed, changed, and loved."
"It's going to be like the puppy I had when I was young," he joked,
chewing on a fingernail. Truth be told, Linda had frightened him.
Actually, it was more than just Linda. It was the bassinette. That made
Shawn realize that things were going to be different. Mackenzie wasn't
just an addition to their life; she was a total transformation. Not a bad
one, but a transformation, nonetheless.
All his life, Shawn had been a player. He loved his women and had
broken more hearts than he could count. He didn't like it, but he found he
could never stay with one woman for more than a few weeks without wanting a
change.
But Jade was different. When she came along, he had the same desire
to have her, the same as he had with all the other women. But after a few
weeks, he didn't want to let go. There was always something new about her.
The way she smiled, her words, her looks, her personality; it was all new
and fresh each day. He felt he could never tire of her.
"Hey, man, is there a party in the bedroom here?" Hunter came in and
flopped down on the bed. Linda took a hint and smiled at Shawn.
"Think about what I said, please," she said. With that, she headed
back out into the living room area.
"I guess you're good times are over, man," Hunter said. Shawn
sighed. Just what he didn't want to hear.
"I think Mackenzie is the best; don't get me wrong," he continued.
"Just you won't be able to be a player anymore."
"I don't want to be a player anymore, Hunter. I love her."
"Whoa! You used the L-word, Shawn. That's some pretty heavy stuff.
I mean, if you feel so deeply for this girl, marry her."
"I just might, Hunter."
Hunter was surprised. He hadn't seen his friend this love
struck.well, since ever. He had never been one hundred percent serious
about a girl and Hunter could sense that this was more than just the father
side of him. He really was in love.
Hunter jumped up and put his arm around his friend. "Shawn, my good
man, tonight is not the night to dwell on serious thoughts. It's a night
of celebration. You have a child with the woman that you love-that's
great. Let's celebrate."
Shawn smiled. "You're right. Let's go."
The two friends walked out to the living room area and Shawn sat down
beside Jade, putting his arm around her shoulder. She rested her head on
his chest and watched as some of their best friends play with their
daughter.
