Chapter 12

"John man, how you holding up?" Mark Jindrak asked as he stood above John, spotting him as he bench pressed. "Talk to Lidia lately?"

"Yea, she's in rough shape. I'd stay with her, but I need this money, and I know how selfish that sounds, but it's the truth. I can't take weeks and weeks off," John explained. Setting the bar back in the rack, Mark gave John a towel, silently telling him he was sweating. Wiping his face with the towel, John looked back up at Mark, a confused look on his face. "Maybe I should take a couple of days off. Just to see how she's holding up...."

"Well, it is your daughter," Mark pointed out. "And your girlfriend. You know what you should do? Marry her. It'd be like, marrying wrestling royalty. You'd be part of the Orton family, you know how awesome that would be?" John gave a small smirk, shoving Mark in the process of doing so. "Just an idea. But then again....You do have Randy to go through. And Bob. And Ric. Plus from the sounds of it, Andre if he were still alive."

"Yea...I dunno man....Marriage? That's like...so final. It's comitment. I'm not ready for that type of shit. Don't get me wrong, I love Maddy and Liddy to death...but marriage?" John rested his head in the palms of his hands, sighing.

"Don't get all stressed about bro, it was just a suggestion. Besides, you know what they say: If you can't get a McMahon, get an Orton."

"Dude, no one says that."

"I know, I just made it up to make you feel better," Mark admitted, reciving another push from John.

Mark got up, wrapped a towel around his neck, and left John by himself on the press bench, giving him time to think of the conversation they just had.

Meanwhile

"Mom, can I have a new plate?" Randy asked as he pushed his food around.

"What on earth do you need a new plate for?"

"I think someone threw up on mine."

"Yea Mom, same here, this stuff looks pretty gnarly," Lidia commented as she pushed the food around on her plate. Randy and Lidia exchanged smirks, knowing that this was when their Mom was going to yell at them for acting like little children, and how they always stuck together to make her mad...

"You're in your twenties now.." She began, taking both of their plates away. "I try to be nice and come over to help out because my son is injured and my daughter is of need, and this is the respect I get? 'Someone threw up on my plate, this looks gnarly,' it's all I hear from you!" Mrs. Orton began to dump what was on the plates into the garbage.

Lidia got up from her spot at the table, hands shoved in her pockets, shoulders slumped forward, head bowed down. She wraped an arm around her mothers waist, pulling her closer to herself for a hug.

"I just kidding Mommy," Lidia admitted, resting her chin on top of her Moms head. "I'm sure if it didn't look like puke it would've tasted good."

"Pizza will be here in twenty minutes, I was just seeing if you guys still encouraged each other to bug me." The two women exchanged a smile and hugged each other tighter, not wanting to let go.

Once they did, Lidia took a seat on top of the counter, head still bowed and her feet swinging back and forth. Seeing her daughter's actions, Mrs. Orton took note quickly.

"Everything OK Liddy?" she asked. Lidia looked up, a shade of blush raising to her cheeks as she did so. "Aw, Liddy my dear, what's on your mind? I'll make some tea, go sit at the table." Lidia sat at the window seat, glaring out the window seeing the cop cars that were at the front lawn. What was once a nicely planted garden is now all brown with too tall grass due to lack of cutting.

It was the shits.

"Alright Lidia my dear, tell me whats wrong," her mom urged her as she sat down the tea in front of Lidia. Stirring the tea with the spoon, Lidia blushed again, not wanting to bring up the topic that was on her mind.

"When...you see Dad....do you.....you know.....get butterflies?" Lidia asked bashfully. When she looked up at her Mom, she saw that she too was blushing.

"Why, yes, I do. After all of these years, I still get that feeling. Why do you ask?" Taking a sip from her tea, Lidia looked back up at her mother.

"I had a dream last night....You know, it was like, a happy ending. My husband was in bed, Madison was with me making breakfast..."

"Well, I'm sure you and John will have that someday." Lidia cringed when she heard the bitterness of her mother's tone when she said John. She never has forgiven him for getting Lidia pregnet so many years ago.

"But that's the thing," Lidia continued, "it wasn't John." Mom raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You know Adam, don't ya? Him and Randy have fought a couple of times..."

"Mmmmm, I remember him..."

"K, he was my husband in the dream. And when I woke up, I had the butterflies in my stomach. I never get that feeling with John, not once, except the first time I saw him, but that's because I was in my bra and boxers, but that's different." Seeing the confusion on her mom's face, Lidia continued to talk, "I love John, but I'm not in love with him. Does that make sense?" Mom nodded her head. "I just don't think John is the one I'm destined to be with."

"And nothing makes me and your father happier than hearing you admit to that." Lidia rolled her eyes; if only they could hear the things John says to her in private, they would give him a second chance.

But no.

Just because he messed up once, they have ruled him out of the good book for the rest of their lives. "Mom, if you just give him another chance..."

"Lidia, no. He broke your heart, and that's all it takes. You just said so yourself, you love him, but you're not in love with him. How is your relationship going to work when you feel like that, and he is screwing around with that bimbo behind your back?" Eyes wide, Lidia put her cup of tea down, head bowed. "I'm sorry honey, but I'm just saying what Randy told me..."

"Yea....I'm tired, I think I'm going to go catch a nap..." Standing up, Lidia walked out of the room, and up to her bedroom, falling asleep once she hit the pillows.

Author Note:  Sorry if this chapter seems a little off.....but I think you guys may know where I'm going with this now.......If there's anything complants, please send them, but we all know that nice reviews are welcomed more!