Chapter 28: Where The Heart Is
"You can do this ... you know you can" Ashley mentally coached herself. Today was the day she was giving her childcare proposal not only to the rest of the board members but also all the wrestlers as well.
Dressed in a pair of black pinstriped pants and a white collared shirt with a navy blue sweater vest over it she felt she could be deemed as a reliable member of the workforce. She had put her long burgundy locks into a tight bun and wore her glasses instead of the contacts she normally wore. She stood up to leave John's locker room where she had been camping out for the last half hour trying to muster up enough courage to speak in front of all those people, public speaking was not something she enjoyed doing ever. The last time she had to give a presentation was in collage and she had made herself so nervous she ended up passing out.
"You'll do fine" Randy assured her from his seat on the couch where he was watching TV with Phinnigan and Dean.
"He's right Ash you'll go out there and amaze them all and you know it" John agreed with his new house mate.
"Thanks you guys but I'm just way too nervous plus Shane is here tonight and I really just don't want to run into him"
"You knew you were going to have to face him sooner or later it might as well be now" Randy reasoned.
"Thank you for your words of wisdom Dr. Phil" Ashley rolled her eyes.
There was a knock on the door and all 3 adults looked up to see a very worried looking Becky enter the room. Ashley's eyes hardened at the sight of the young girl.
"Would it be alright if I talked to Randy?" Becky asked sheepishly.
Ashley looked over to Randy and he nodded letting her know that he would be ok. Reluctantly Ashley picked Faith up from her travel bassinet and placed her in her stroller.
"Come on boys let's get some ice cream" John suggested.
"Yay ice cream!" both boys exclaimed jumping up from the couch in excitement.
"Come on Ash I'll buy you a sundae" John wrapped one arm around Ashley's waist and with the other guided both Ashley and Faith's stroller out of the room.
"I don't want a sundae" could be heard .
"Fine I'll buy you a frappe"
"What the hell is a frappe?" she asked knowing that would irritate him.
"I don't even know you anymore" John stated appalled "you have been to my dad's house for years now and you don't know what a frappe is ... you disgust me"
"Oh my god man will you shut up about your gad damn frappes and yes I do know what one is I just wanted to piss you off and looks like it worked"
With that being said the door to the locker room closed but Randy and Becky could still hear John and Ashley bickering like a married couple all the way down the hall.
"Well I am at a loss for words ... what did you need to talk to me about?"
Becky shook her head to clear it "I'm almost afraid to ask this ... do you know what a frappe is?" she asked.
"Beats me" Randy replied shrugging his shoulders.
"Anyways the reason I wanted to talk to was I wanted you to know I do not support what Courtney did to you at all" Becky shook her head in disgust "you and Dean were the best things to happen to her and she just cast you aside like that"
"I appreciate what you are saying but I don't want to come between you and your sister"
"Believe me that skank isn't my sister anymore I am through with her shit she is supposed to be the older one ... did she even tell you who she was cheating on you with ... I'll tell you who Adam ... yes as in Adam the man that I was dating" Becky's face turned a little red and Randy could tell this was still a very sore subject for her.
"Well then they deserve each other" he replied sadly.
"I couldn't agree more" she nodded "so are we cool"
"There was never a time where we weren't cool" he said.
"Do you think you can talk to Ash so she doesn't jump me next time she sees me alone in the hall?" Becky asked.
"Don't sweat it you know how Ashley gets she's stubborn as hell and hates every situation she can't control".
"She's very protective over you" Becky mused.
"She's that way with everyone she cares about ... it's just how she is"
Meanwhile with Ashley...
Ashley had sent John and the boys to go get ice cream, while she went to go visit Stephanie. She had kept the baby with her and was in her own little world as she strolled down the halls of Madison Square Garden. She was still preparing herself for the presentation she had to give in just a few hours, she was so distracted she didn't hear the person calling her name. She jumped a little as she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. Her eyes met his and at that moment everything she happened to be thinking about went out the window.
"I didn't mean to scare you I was calling your name" Shane said "I figured you were ignoring me but I wanted to talk to you"
"I wasn't ignoring you I'm just a little freaked out about having to speak in public" she replied her voice void of emotion.
"You'll do fine"
"So ... how are the boys?" she asked not sure of what else to say.
"They are doing fine" he replied "how's Phin?"
"He's doing well you should hear him now he'll talk your ear off"
Shane scratched the back of his head "Is this as awkward for you as it is for me?"
"Yeah kinda"
"Listen I'm sorry for the way things ended" he said.
"Me too ... I know towards the end I was horrible to live with and I don't blame you for ending things but in a letter come on Shane that is completely shitty"
"Yeah I felt horrible about that but I really didn't know what else to do things were never the same after the whole custody thing" he said.
"Well I'm happy that you and Marissa were able to work things out" she said truly meaning it.
"Yeah, I feel the same way about you and John ... I always kinda knew you two belonged together"
"We aren't together" she told him.
"Oh ... I just assumed since you two adopted another baby" he said taking a glance at Faith.
"Don't take this the wrong way Shane but after what you and John put me through I'm not in a hurry to rush into any relationships right now, John and I are just two people who live in the same house that happens to also have kids living in it"
"She's cute you know" he said "what's her name?"
"Faith"
"I like it she looks like a Faith"
"Would you like to hold her?"
"Oh no I couldn't" he protested.
"Oh come on Shane" she said placing the baby in his arms.
"Wow I feel so out of practice and Kenyon is only two"
"John and I were discussing who her godparents should be and John suggested that maybe you should be her godfather that is if you would want to be" she said.
"Would that really be ok with you?" he asked.
"I think life is too short to hold grudges Shane if you are willing then I'd love to be your friend again"
"I'd like that more than anything and yes I would love to be Faith's godfather"
"Then it is settled you and Stephanie are her godparents" Ashley said smiling.
"I'm am truly honored" he said handing the baby back to her mother.
"There is one thing that I wanted to tell you for a while now" she said.
"What would that be?"
"Even though things ended on not so good terms I wouldn't change having you or the boys in my life because when we were together it was amazing, you were what I needed at the time. You showed me not every guy out there was a scumbag like I thought John was. Shane you really did teach me how to love again and I will never be able to thank you enough for that"
"There is no need to thank me because I feel the same way" he remarked "but what you could help me with is setting up some kind of play date for Dean and Declan, he misses his best friend"
Ashley laughed a little as she placed Faith back in her stroller.
"I'm sure something can be arranged"
They hugged each other and Shane said he would call her to set something up for the boys. Ashley had this nagging thought that Randy had been right but she would never tell him so because that would give him some leverage over her and she refused to let that happen.
Later that day ...
"I would like to thank everyone for being here today" Ashley started off "I want to talk to you about an idea that came to me about 6 months ago. Now I know most if not all of you have children and wish you could be around more while they were growing up well with my solution why shouldn't you"
She explained everything she had researched and planned for the new child care program and was very proud of everything she had accomplished by the time she was finished. She stopped speaking and waited patiently for any kind of response from her crowd. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest she thought it was going to jump out at any second. Shane was the first one to begin clapping for her, he knew how hard she had worked on this project and he for one liked the idea. Soon everyone was on their feet applauding her. She now understood why John liked being in the middle of the ring with people cheering him on it was an incredible rush. After all her months of planning and research they could finally begin the journey to the more family friendly WWE.