*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
JANUARY 2017:
Joe and I pull up in front of Amalie arena for Monday night RAW. Since RAW was in Tampa tonight I decided to go with my husband to watch the show and visit friends especially after a great Christmas holiday. It isn't every year Joe gets to be home for Christmas or the days after Christmas but since WWE was in Florida the following days it worked out that we had more time together, he had more time with Alani and more time to spend with his family at our home in Tampa. While he was home we went to the hospital for our anatomy scan and during the scan they determined the sex of our babies which we are waiting to have a gender reveal party to find out. I'm anxious to see if they are girls or boys. I am hoping for boys while Joe is hoping for little girls. I'll take whatever as long as I know they are healthy. I have started feeling them move around over the last couple weeks. They are both very active babies. I'm not sure if they are fighting or what they are doing but for the second time on an ultrasound they were holding hands. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen.
Joe parks the car and walks around to my side of the car and opens the door for me and helps me out. I'm definitely showing as the black tank top I am wearing barely wants to fit me anymore. Joe then opens Alani's car door and helps her out before getting his ring gear out of the trunk of the car. We make our way into the arena through the back door we can't hide the pregnancy anymore as there have been fans that saw me at the grocery store or the fans standing outside the arena but we are still keeping the details of our pregnancy private as well as the twins when they are born. I walk into the arena and feel like I am at home. I miss the days of being a wrestler but I am enjoying my time at home with Alani every other week since Vanessa agreed to allow us to split weeks. It has been great. "Who are you wrestling tonight?" I ask Joe as we walk through the hallways of the arena.
"Chris Jericho," he answers, "he's wrestling me for the United States Championship."
"I see," I say as we find his locker room. "Where is everyone? It seems so quiet in here than it usually is. I don't see a lot of people like usual."
"I don't know," he says as we walk into his locker room. He places his ring gear in his locker before he says, "you want to go to catering? You hungry?"
"I guess, I just thought I would visit some friends. It's been a while since I have seen some of them. I want to catch up with a few of them."
"You'll have time for that," he says, "let's get you and the babies something to eat."
"Okay," I say as we make our way to catering. The hallways still seem like a ghost town. It's really weird for an afternoon at RAW usually superstars are in the hallways stretching, talking going over their scripts but there is no one. We walk into the catering room and I nearly cry when all my friends and some family are waiting for us. The room is decorated with pink and blue balloons a typical cliché of gender specific colors but I go along with it. There are banners that say Boy or Girl. I see cake off in the corner half pink and half blue icing surrounded by blue and pink iced cupcakes, there's a board asking people to take their guess blue or pink as well as two bowls one with blue necklaces and one with pink necklaces with a note that says to wear your pick. I now understand the reason for Joe's pink shirt. "You did all this?" I ask with a smile as I look at him.
"I had some help," he says with a smile. "I thought since WWE is like our family that we should include our WWE family in with the gender reveal."
"Thank-you," I say with a smile as I reach up and kiss his soft plump lips. I couldn't have asked for a better way to find out the sex of our babies than to have our WWE family around to find out with us. The only person in the room that knows the gender is my dad and I smile at him as he stands off next to the cake. He holds up a blue shirt for me. I walk over to him and take it. "Thanks, Dad."
"You're welcome, Darling," he says as I put it on. "How are you feeling today?"
"My back is killing me," I say, "but other than that hungry and good. I am hungry."
"I'm sure," he says with a smile. "There's plenty of food here. Help yourself."
"Thanks, Dad. You sure you don't want to tell me if they are girls or boys?" I ask noticing he's not wearing a blue or pink shirt.
"Nah, I'll let you find out with Joe," he says with a smile. "It wouldn't be fair."
"Of course," I say with a smile as Sika and Joe's mom walk over to greet me. "Hey!" I say with a smile as I hug both of them.
"Hello," says Sika with a smile. "Are you excited?"
"Very excited," I say with a smile. "I can't wait to know." I notice he's wearing a pink shirt too while Joe's mom has on a blue shirt. Mostly everyone is wearing either a pink shirt or pink necklaces. "Thank-you for coming."
"We wouldn't miss this," says Joe's mom.
"Babies are a blessing," says Sika in his accented tone. "You deserve this."
"Thank-you, I feel blessed. Although I feel like these two blessings are going to be Joe's twins." Sika laughs and I smile.
"Oh my god," says Renee as she comes up to me. "Look at you, you're glowing."
"Thanks," I say with a smile as I hug her. "You know Joe's parents," I say.
"Hi," she says to them and they exchange pleasantries. "You want boys?" she asks.
"I hope they are boys. Poor Joe will be out numbered if they are girls but he wants girls. I just want boys more than girls because I can't even imagine the fights and drama that will come with girls."
"You won't have a dull moment," she says, "that's for sure."
"I know," I say with a smile. "I really need food."
"Don't worry," says Joe as he appears by my side with a plate of food. "I knew you were hungry."
"Thanks, Baby," I say with a smile as I look at the food on my plate.
"And I will get you more if you need more," he says as if he can read my mind. Eating for twins is tough. I don't know how my mom did it. Being pregnant with twins is hard. I never felt such back pain in my life.
"Can I please touch your stomach?" asks Renee. "It looks so cute!"
"Yes," I say with a smile as she places her hand on my stomach. "If you put it in the right place you might be able to feel them kick." Neither of them are active as she puts her hand on my stomach. "They must be sleeping," I say. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," she says.
"Let me try," says Joe as he places his hand on my stomach, spreading his fingers. "Wake up," he says to my stomach, "Daddy is here," and instantly they start moving. "Hi there," he smiles.
"Are they moving?" asks Renee.
"Yeah," I say with a smile. "They love their daddy already. He's the only one that can really get them moving. He's been talking to them since day 1."
"You know about that?" he asks with a smile.
"Yeah," I say. "I hear you every night and I love it. I love the moment you take for them to spend with them and talk to them. It's the sweetest thing."
"I just want them to know my voice," he says with a smile.
"Oh, they know your voice and your touch already. They are lucky to have you for a dad."
"I think I am lucky," he says with a smile. He kisses my stomach softly and it melts my heart. I will never understand how anyone could hate him. He is the sweetest man and most caring man I have ever met. He doesn't care what's going on if a fan asks for an autograph he stops and gives it to them and takes pictures with them. He risks his body by going out in the ring every week for the fans that boo him, hate him, wish death upon him. They are too wrapped up with who he is on the screen instead of realizing he is a husband and a father. He has a family that love him and care about him, a daughter that looks up to him and soon two other little ones that will look up to him as a hero. I will never understand it but I am really the only one that needs to know how great and wonderful he truly he is. I told him I am his number 1 fan, I will cheer him on even if I am the only one in thousands of people to do so because as his wife it is my job to be in his corner, by his side and support him even when the world doesn't. I'm lucky to have him he doesn't even realize it and to think I almost said no, if I had we would have none of this. I couldn't imagine my life without Joe.
We spend our time at the gender reveal party talking with family and friends. I haven't seen some of my friends since I left the company. I enjoy playing guessing games with them. I enjoy everything my dad, Michelle and Joe put together for a party. I look over a list next to two baby pictures one of myself and one of Joe, the paper is asking for our guests to help name the babies. I look over the list and smile at some of the name choices. I circle my symptoms on an Old Wives Tale board and all point to me having girls. Looking at the tally board it looks like nearly everyone believes I am having girls. "All right," says Michelle as she gets everyone's attention. "It's time to find out what the Anoa'I twins are gonna be y'all!" she says. "Who's excited to find out?"
"I think everyone!" says Renee.
"All right," says Michelle as she motions for Joe and me to join her. Joe and I walk over hand in hand. "So here's what we're going to do you're both going to hold onto this string to this box and we are going to count to three. On three you're going to pull the string and confetti is going to fall out if it's pink they are girls if they are blue they are boys. Okay?"
"Yeah," I say with a smile as Joe and I take the blue and pink string hanging from the box above us. I smile at Joe and he smiles back at me. We join our free hands together and he leans down to kiss my lips. "We're ready."
"Okay," says Michelle. "Here we go!" she announces and everyone counts to three. When they say three Joe and I pull on the string and the box opens above us and pink confetti falls on top of us. "THEY'RE GIRLS!" yells Michelle.
"We're having girls," I say with a smile as I look up at Joe.
"Girls," he says with a smile before he takes me in his arms and kisses my lips softly. "We're having girls." The look of excitement and joy on his face melts my heart. He is truly happy we are having baby girls. I am happy that I'm having girls even if I wish they were boys. I'm happy to have baby girls on the way, baby girls with the love of my life and my best friend.
During the show Alani and I watch from the backstage area because Joe believed it would be safer given to his hate from the fans. He didn't want anyone to mess with me or with Alani. And like he predicted the moment he came out there was heat on him. They booed him so loudly and so strongly especially when he defeated Chris Jericho but it was the end of the show he generated the most heat after he speared Braun Stroman and stood face to face with Goldberg in the middle of the ring. When the show goes off the air Joe wrestles in a dark match and then showers in his locker room before we go back home.
"Thank-you for today, I really enjoyed it," I say as I'm sitting on the bed in one of his t-shirts and a pair of his sweatpants as I am brushing through his hair. I love playing with his hair. "I had a really good time."
"Me too," he says, "I don't think there's any other way I would want to find out what we are having than with our family and our WWE family. Everyone was so happy for us."
"We've been through it," I say. "We've been through a lot. People are happy that we are finally getting the happiness we have been waiting for. I know I am happy even if they are girls. The look on your face when that confetti fell was everything. They are daddy girls already," I smile as I continue brushing.
"I'm happy," he says and I can hear the smile in his voice. "Most would expect me to want boys but I love having Alani and now I have two more little girls to spoil there's just something about raising girls."
"Yeah," I say as I pull his hair up into a ponytail. "I'm sure they are going to be spoiled. You're going to go broke."
"I wouldn't say all that, so are we still naming them Malia and Moana?" he asks.
"I don't know. I was looking at the list of names and I like some of those suggestions. I still love Malia so I want to keep that but look at the list." I get up and get the list from the dresser. I hand it to him before I sit down to play with his hair.
"What names were you looking at?"
"Someone suggested the name Kalea (kah-lay-ah) and it's Hawaiian for Joy and happiness. I love it. I think it's so pretty and I love the meaning. What do you think?"
"Malia and Kalea? I think it's a little rough together but I do like Kalea what if it was Kalea Malia and we chose something else for the other twin would you be okay with that?"
"That's a mouth full, " I smile as I wrap his soft hair up into a bun and wrap my arms around him and rest my chin on his shoulder. "What about that?" I ask as I point to the name with Kalea.
"Leinani?" he asks. "That's Polynesian for Beautiful Child. Kalea and Leinani Anoa'I, I like it. Kalea Malia Anoa'i and Leinani Talia Anoa'i," he suggests and I smile because they are perfect.
"They're perfect," I say with a smile. "I love them."
"Me too," he says.
"Can you teach them to speak Samoan and give them all the cultural life of being Samoan?" I ask.
"Of course," he smiles. "The Samoan culture is often forgotten about everyone thinks Moana is Hawaiian her story is based off the Samoan culture. We'll raise them to embrace their Samoan heritage but not only that but their Native American heritage and their Irish heritage. Do you think they could have red hair? I never saw a Polynesian child with red hair it would be pretty interesting but my Polynesian genes are pretty strong."
"You mean dominant," I say, "and I have seen the sonograms they have your mouth and I am sure they look just look like you."
"So I have to tell you something," he says.
"What's up?" I ask.
"Vince pulled me aside tonight to talk to me," he begins as I rub his chest softly.
"Okay."
"They are going through with the Wrestlemania plans. They want to give me a little feud with Braun but my feud with your dad will start at the Royal Rumble. I'm supposed to eliminate him from the Rumble and then I will start my feud with Braun. Then your dad will come and start a feud with me that we will have a match at Mania. I just don't know how I feel about it, Willow."
"What do you mean? That's a big match for them to give you my dad at Mania."
"I know," he says as I rub his chest to comfort him. He's really upset about it. "But so many people don't think I deserve it and they already said your dad wants me to win. He's going out at Mania and I am the man he wants to end his career. What does that mean for me? The fans hate me already if I retire your dad I will never be respected."
"Why does it matter so much what the fans think about you? They're crazy. They don't know anything about you. They hate you because you do your job. You've busted your ass over the last couple years to get here. You practice your mic skills, you busted your ass training in the ring again so that you could get better you have done everything they complained about. You go out there every week busting your ass for this business and this company. You sacrifice so much with your family, with me, with Alani so that you can entertain them. So what they boo the shit out of you that's better than no reaction. It doesn't matter what they think about you. What matters is YOU know you deserve this match. If my dad didn't think you were worthy of this accomplishment then he wouldn't have selected you, Joe. He sees the hard work, the dedication, he sees it and he respects you for it. You deserve this baby. You deserve this more than anyone. If they boo you fuck them. They know what they see on TV, they're marks the people that know you and love you realize how much you deserve this, how hard you work and how much time you put into this business. I never thought I would be just a wrestler's wife, I thought I would be in the ring with you but being with you, being a wrestler's wife I love it. I love every minute of it. I love watching your career blossom. It's tough yeah but you know what I wouldn't have it any other way because I know you love it. I can tell how much you love it by how much you're willing to sacrifice and how hard you work. You deserve this match with my dad and you're going to rock it. I have a lot of respect for my dad but you're my husband and while most of the people aren't going to be in your corner at Wrestlemania I will be in your corner, cheering you on and celebrating your victory. Joe, you deserve this. It doesn't matter what they say, it matters what you feel in here," I say pressing my hand against his heart. "You are amazing and hard working. You give it your all and you are always trying to find ways to get better. They don't know you, Joe. They don't know you like we do. You're a husband and a father and one of the greatest men I know. You're going to be in the Hall of Fame one day. They can hate you or they can love you but you know what's in here you know that you do it because you love it not the paycheck. You have so much passion for this business and I admire you for it."
"Willow," he says placing his hand over mine. "What if you get tired of me, what if you start to hate me too, what if you.."
"Stop," I say before I kiss his cheek. "Joe, the whole world could be against you and I would still be by your side. I'm not going anywhere. We aren't going anywhere. We're building this love from the ground up and it's going to last forever. Even when the world's against you, Baby I'm going to be here 100% I may be a pain in your ass and nag you about something but damn it, Joe I am going to be right here standing beside you, not behind you, not in front of you but beside you because that's my job and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I love you, Baby and you're going to rock Wrestlemania and you're going to be the man. It's about respect, Joe. They'll get it."
"I love you," he says with a smile on his face, he turns and catches my lips with his giving me a soft passionate kiss. "From the Ground up."
"From the Ground up," I repeat before I kiss him again.
*A/N: What did you think of Joe surprising Willow with a gender reveal party? Do you like the fact he included their WWE family in the reveal? What do you think about them having girls? What about the names they chose based off the list at the gender reveal? What do you think about Joe's and Willow's talk about his career? Is Willow doing a better job of stepping up and being a better wife? Has she matured since they first got together? Please review and thank-you for reading.