Despite the cafe being completely packed, Stephanie couldn't help but feel incredibly lonely; sitting all by herself, waiting for someone who might never show up.. her anxiety is off the charts.
Staring at everybody else in the small cafe almost makes things worse - after all, no one else is on their own - everyone has a friend to speak to, their partners, or their children. But Stephanie is just alone. And although she knows it's nothing but a mind trick, it feels like she's being stared at - as if people know she's potentially being stood up.
Stephanie has been waiting for about fifteen minutes now, and that may seem short, but she waited for fifteen minutes last time.. and that fifteen minutes turned into half an hour, which turned into a full hour, and eventually became months until she saw Brie again. And it's safe to say that Brianna's spontaneous appearance didn't go particularly well.
If she doesn't turn up soon, Steph might just end up having a breakdown in the midst of all these strangers. Her heart rate was rapidly increasing by the second, and her mind was racing with different possibilities of what to say; no matter what sentences she manages to formulate, none of them seem even remotely suitable. What are you supposed to tell a woman who broke your heart, but is equally the one person who could mend it..?
The more time that ticks by, the more hopeless Stephanie becomes. Brie wrote down to meet at 1:30pm, but it was close to 2pm now, and she's terrified that history maybe about to repeat itself. Perhaps it's stupid to even think, but Steph worries that one of the many people surrounding her is secretly filming her, ready to give the paparazzi the latest video of Stephanie McMahon looking anxious in a cafe; of course, that's absolutely preposterous, but she barely has any trust in anyone anymore.
Suddenly, a pregnant woman stumbles into Stephanie's eye line - she's cradling her bump, and looks extremely frantic.
"Steph?" The woman calls out, not immediately seeing the brunette.
Standing up with wide eyes, Stephanie gazes over to the young woman, having a moment to take in the sight; Brianna looking absolutely stunning in a loose, floral maxi dress.. but to be honest, Steph wouldn't have cared if she turned up wearing a bin bag, as long as she turned up at all.
"Brie..?" Stephanie whispers.
"I am so so sorry, Birdie had a meltdown, and Bryan wasn't helping, so I had to sort her out myself, and then my taxi was late.." Brianna begins to ramble nervously, then takes a deep sigh. "You came..?" She asks quietly, her eyes involuntarily beginning to tear up.
Unable to muster any words together, Stephanie lunges forwards and wraps her arms around Brie, tightly hugging her as she attempts to collect her thoughts; Brianna immediately eases into their embrace, holding onto the older woman with more care and protectiveness than she's ever given before. The last time they were together, Steph was (understandably) angry at her.. simply being able to hug again feels so special.
Still entangled together, the pair sits down on the sofa attached to the wall. There's so much that Stephanie wants to say, and wants to talk about - but being so close is more than enough - because she's saying all that she needs to. Before, she might've felt angry.. and Heaven knows she was. All Steph wanted was to scream, and shout away all of her emotions.. but she is just so tired. She's emotionally exhausted, and a warm hug with the woman she cares most deeply about feels like some form of cure.
"I am so sorry, Stephanie.." Brie whispers, obviously crying a little. "I wanted to come see you, I really did.. but then things just got so messy, and I felt so scared.."
Stephanie pulls back from their embrace, then smiles softly as she brushes some loose strands of hair out of Brie's emotional face. After Nikki explained everything to her, her grudge disappeared in an instant, and she was able to see Brianna as the woman who had her heart again.
"Brie.. I won't pretend I wasn't hurt.. but I wouldn't have been hurt unless I cared so much.." Steph explains, running her hands through Brie's beautiful, brunette waves. "I forgive you..
A sweet smile flashes across Brianna's face, and Stephanie notices a small glimmer of happiness in her eyes - she looks almost radiant, and gazing into her big brown eyes is causing the older woman's tummy to fill up with butterflies.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you.." Steph says sincerely. "How's your little one doing..?" She asks, placing her hand on Brie's baby bump.
"They're amazing.. kicking my ass, but amazing.." the younger woman chuckles. "I just hope I'm an amazing enough mother for them.. sometimes I feel like they deserve better than me.."
Listening intently, Stephanie moves her hand from Brie's bump to hold her hand. She knows that, deep down, Brie didn't really want another baby - but she equally knows that Brie loves her unborn child with all her heart. It must be such a conflicting feeling for her, but she intends to be there for her every step of the way. After all, she's only just got her back, and she refuses to let go again.
Out of the corner of her eye, Steph notices a single sunflower in a vase on the table next to them; leaning over, she retrieves the yellow flower, then tucks it behind Brianna's ear sweetly.
"There. Beautiful.." She smiles.
"Thank you, but.. I don't really feel it at the minute.." Brie dismisses, taking the flower out of her hair.
As Brianna swirls the sunflower through her fingers, Stephanie looks on at her with sorrowful eyes. How can someone so wonderful have such a low opinion of themselves? Because Brie isn't just beautiful - she's funny, she's intelligent, and she makes Steph's heart flutter in the most perfect way imaginable.
The thought of not having Brie in her life kills her.. in fact, she can barely imagine anything worse.
"I love you too, you know?" Stephanie says, almost out of now where.
Brie's eyes shoot away from the sunflower, and straight up to the woman next to her. "Wh.. what..?"
"You told me you love me.. I-I love you too.."
It goes without saying that Stephanie's nervous to admit this, especially out loud. But having Brianna here, right in front of her - it causes all of the emotion to rush to the forefront - and there was no mistaking it for anything else. Over the past year, Steph's life felt as though it was unraveling before her eyes, but Brie's comfort and kind words were the only thing to help her through. Having to go through months without her is what finally helped the penny to drop; Stephanie had fallen, and she'd fallen deeply.
A soft smile forms across Brie's lips, and she leans into Stephanie's body - resting her head on her shoulder.
"I feel like I don't deserve to hear you say that.." She chuckles quietly.
"I mean it though.."
"And I mean it too.. I love you." Brie says, lifting up the sunflower and tangling it inside Stephanie's hair. "It suits you better.." she adds, smiling goofily.
Giggling softly, Stephanie encloses Brianna in her arms, and her mind begins to daydream about the future they could possibly share together. Their lives are far from perfect - Brie is still pregnant with Bryan's baby, and Steph still needs to fix the situation with Paul and her daughters. But even if their lives aren't perfect, this moment definitely is, and neither woman can stop their hearts from singing.
With a little faith, everything will somehow turn out just fine. Because if Stephanie McMahon and Brie Bella can fall for one another, literally anything is possible - and the thought of experiencing those possibilities together is the most exciting thing in the world.