Houston, We Have a Problem
Jennifer wasn't sure she'd felt so completely horrible since junior high. Her head was throbbing. Her lungs felt like they had been poked full of a million tiny holes, the air assaulting her chest like stab wounds each time she fought for breath. Her stomach kept lurching and settling, only to lurch again when she thought the latest bout was over.
"Maybe it's morning sickness," Ashley suggested, perching herself on the edge of the bed her friend was lying in.
Wrestling was a profession she had always been interested in. Travelling so much she forgot what her Southern California apartment looked like was not something she had been expecting. But building a friendship with Trish and Lita made it a little more bearable. Falling in love with Randy had given her a sense of belonging in a group that felt like her family. But it was Jennifer who had given her a place to call home.
Though she still returned to California once in awhile, she was finding herself crashing on Jennifer's couch more and more often during her down time. It was closer to Randy, and to all of their other friends. It just made more sense. Plus, even though Jennifer was only a few years older than her, it felt good to have a maternal figure in her life again. She may have been Trish and Lita's age, but Jennifer had experienced life in a way that they could never understand. And she provided motherly advice that the young diva found extremely comforting.
"It is NOT morning sickness," Jennifer insisted, rolling onto her side to force the nausea back down.
Holding the spoon out, Ashley encouraged Jennifer to take it. "Come on, Sweetie," she said as Jennifer turned her nose up. "And how do you know?" she asked when Jennifer finally took a sip of the broth. "I mean, you said yourself, you and Dave have been fucking a lot lately."
If she'd had the energy, Jennifer would have smacked the young woman on her bed. "I said that things had gotten better," she clarified, the sand paper feeling in her throat coming back as she tried to raise her voice. "But I have had morning sickness, Ash. And this ain't it."
They sat in silence for awhile longer, until Ashley could no longer contain the question in her head. "When do you think he'll pop the question?"
There was little time to answer as Jennifer felt her insides stirring once again. Grabbing the bucket from beside the bed, she heaved once and then spilled what little contents were left in her stomach from the morning's attempt at eating oatmeal.
"Alright, I get it," Ashley held her hands up in defense as she stood from the bed. "No more marriage questions. Sheesh. You don't have to be all dramatic," she rolled her eyes and sat the soup bowl on the bedside table. Taking the bucket from Jennifer, she offered a wet wash rag and started for the hall.
Staring at the ceiling, Jennifer wished that she felt like contemplating Ashley's question. There had been several occasions when she thought that Dave would propose, but he had just kissed her, professed his love, and moved on with the conversation. It wasn't that she was scared, or nervous at all, about the proposal. She wanted to be his wife. But she knew that it would happen in its own time - she didn't have to push, or stress about it.
After she cleaned the vomit bucket, Ashley returned it to the side of the bed. "I got a tanning appointment at three," she announced. "You gonna be okay?"
Jennifer nodded and lifted her head slightly. "Is Keegan still sleeping?"
Looking into the hallway, Ashley smiled at the little girl wiping her eyes. "Nope. Nap time is over."
With a groan, Jennifer struggled to a seated position. "Time to get up."
"I don't think you should," Ashley bit her lip and watched as Jennifer slid her feet into her bunny slippers and tried to stand, pausing to regain some equilibrium.
"Ah," Jennifer groaned, putting a hand on her head to steady herself. "This is the best part of being a mom. The part where you don't get a fucking break just because you don't feel so hot."
Slowly following Ashley down the hall, Jennifer smiled at her freshly napped baby. "Mommy, you look bad," Keegan said, her eyes wide. "You should take another nap."
Jennifer just shook her head. "Nope. You know the rules," she winked and did her best to play brave. "If you don't sleep, I don't sleep."
"Do you want me to take another nap?" Keegan asked sincerely.
It was the one thing she loved above everything else about her precious little girl. Sure, there were things that annoyed her, as there were for every mother and daughter. But the kind-hearted way that she would turn on a dime, forget about her own toys and television shows, and ask why mommy was crying, or what she could do to help, warmed Jennifer's heart every time.
Shaking her head as much as her pounding headache would allow, Jennifer waved good-bye to Ashley and headed toward the kitchen. "No way, Peanut," she assured her daughter. "You play with your dolls, and I'm going to make you a snack."
The last thing she wanted was to be anywhere near food, but she learned a long time ago that what she wanted didn't matter anymore. Sacrifice wasn't just about not buying a Coach purse so Keegan could have new tennis shoes. And it wasn't just about sacrificing a night of Grey's Anatomy so Keegan could watch a Wiggles dvd for the nine hundredth time. It was about doing what she could barely stomach to make sure that Keegan never thought, for even a fraction of a second, that she wasn't the most important thing in Jennifer's world.
After only a couple of minutes in the kitchen, Jennifer heard a key in the front door. I swear to God, you'd forget your tits if they weren't surgically implanted in your chest, Ashley!
"Just give me thirty seconds, man. Jesus," Dave's exasperated laughter filled the house as he, Edge, and Randy walked through the front door. "I know I left them," he was finishing when he rounded the corner and saw his girlfriend, leaning against the kitchen counter for support. "Jesus, baby," he gasped.
Randy stopped just short of smacking into Dave's back, and peered over his friend's shoulder. "Damn," he whistled, taking in the mess that was Jennifer. "You look like shit."
Dave threw an elbow hard into Randy's gut, causing the younger man to grimace and nearly double over. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked, moving toward his girlfriend with concern-filled eyes.
"Making my daughter a snack," she said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Edge walked into the living room and jumped over the back of the couch. "Hey, munchkin," he greeted, easily lifting Keegan into his arms. "Whatcha doin'?"
With a giggle, Keegan wrapped her arms around his neck. She had taken to all of the wrestlers like a duck to water, and though she clearly clung to Dave, she was equally giddy to be with his friends. "Edge!"
He smiled to himself. If he was honest, he loved the kid more than he was willing to admit out loud. But he insisted that it wasn't like he could help it. Keegan was infectious, in a good way. "What?" he asked in the same whiney voice she had used to proclaim his name.
"You're doing it again!" Keegan scolded, tearing his sunglasses from his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you that we don't wear sunglasses inside?" When he gave her apologetic puppy dog eyes, she laughed again and slid them onto her face. "Unless our name is Keegan."
Randy smiled to himself, relaxing in a nearby chair. He was about to speak when he heard Jennifer growl just before Dave walked out of the kitchen, carrying her in his arms. "Edge, help Keegan pack some toys. She's going to the gym with us."
"Ugh," Keegan groaned, handing the sunglasses back to their owner as he sat her feet on the floor. "I hate the gym."
Randy laughed to himself and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I thought you loved the treadmill."
She rolled her blue eyes and stood in the middle of the floor with her hands on her hips, looking from one man to the other. "Yeah, but you guys are there FOREVER!" she sighed, throwing her arms into the air. "There's nothing for me to do!" Looking up at Edge, she giggled again. "And you get all sweaty and your hair sticks to your face at the gym."
Feigning hurt, Edge clutched his hands to his chest and fell to the couch. "That hurts, Munchkin. I happen to have great hair."
She rolled her eyes and then shrieked as he reached out to pull her into his lap. "You have girl hair," she accused, pulling at her own unruly main. "It's like mine!"
Randy couldn't control his laughter as he looked from one of them to the other. "She does kinda have a point, man."
Ignoring Randy, Edge leaned back on the couch and held Keegan steady on his legs. "Well, Shawn's in town," he referred to his friend, Shawn Michaels. "Maybe we could call him up, have him bring your little boyfriend, Cameron? You guys could have a little play date?"
Keegan crinkled her nose and shook her head vigorously. "Ew. Gross!" On the rare occasion that Jennifer actually visited Dave at a house show or taping, Keegan and Cameron Michaels were inseparable, mostly because of their similar ages and the utter lack of anyone else to play with. "He's so NOT my boyfriend!"
Edge just nodded, bouncing her a little bit on his knees. "Oh, he is SO your boyfriend," he argued back like a thirteen-year-old girl. "I've seen the way you look at him. You little vixen!"
It only served to irritate the girl in his lap as Keegan shook her head again and swatted at him. "Is NOT! He's a boy. And he's loud. And he smells like ketchup!"
Both men burst into laughter at her assessment. "That's kinda mean, Kee," Randy finally managed to say through his chuckles.
But she just shook her head and wiggled off of the couch. "No, it's true. All boys smell like ketchup. Except Dave."
Rolling his eyes, Edge watched as she began to gather her dolls for the afternoon outing. "And what does Dave smell like?" he humored her.
"Like a shower," she answered matter-of-factly, more concerned with what she was doing than what she was saying. "Like he just got out of the shower. Even when he's sweaty. I think that's why my mom likes him."
In the bedroom, Dave was lying next to Jennifer, stroking her hair as she drifted toward sleep. "You're not moving from this place until I get back. Is that clear?" he asked.
Her eyelids grew heavy as Jennifer rested against his side. "Let Edge and Randy take Keegan. You stay here with me," she whispered, finally surrendering to the flu that was taking her over.
"Okay, now I know you're delirious," Dave chuckled, pressing another kiss to her forehead. "We'll be back in a couple of hours, baby. But if you need anything, call me, okay?" She nodded and mumbled. "I'll bring you some tea when I get back."
She nodded and snuggled into the covers as Dave stood and kissed her one last time. He wanted to give up working out for the afternoon and just stay with her. But he knew that getting Keegan out of the house and letting Jennifer rest was more beneficial than he could ever be at her side.
Reaching into his pocket, he rubbed the ring that had been there for nearly six weeks. He had finally built the courage, rehearsed the speech, and planned the perfect evening for his proposal. And now she was pasty pale and barely able to hold herself upright.
Maybe there was a reason that his perfect night had been derailed. Maybe fate knew something he didn't. But as he left the house, Keegan on his hip, he smiled anyway. It would happen soon enough. And when it did, nothing would stop them from being the happiest family on earth.