The Next Day.
"HI my sweet little princess." Karen said as she was sitting in the NICU holding Gracie.
Karen was so in love with this little lady in her arms. Gracie was another dream come true for her.
"I can't wait for you to meet your big brothers today. We all love you so much already." Karen smiled looking at her daughter.
"I've just talked with the Doctor and I have some great news." Amy the NICU nurse said coming over to Karen. "Gracie is doing so well that we are going to release her from the NICU. If she continues to do so well then she will be able to go home with you tomorrow."
"Really? That's so great. Thank you Amy so much." Karen smiled. "You hear that little lady you can go home with mommy tomorrow."
"It was my pleasure. I will finish up her paper work then we can get you both settled in your room." Amy told her.
About an hour later Karen and Gracie were now settled in her hospital room. Karen felt so blessed that her daughter was happy and healthy.
"Look at her." Olivia Karen's day nurse said. "She is so precious."
"Thank you. She really is. I know this sounds odd but it's still so hard for me to believe that she is actually here." Karen smiled looking down at her.
"She is really here and I can tell that she is already so loved." Olivia said. "So No Shane this afternoon?"
"He will be back any time. He went to get our three boys." Karen smiled.
"Oh I thought Gracie was your first?" Olivia asked.
"Gracie is my first child yes. But Shane has three boys from a previous marriage. But they are great boys and I know they are so excited to meet their little sister."
"That's great." She said looking around the room with a bit of hesitation.
"What? Is something wrong?" Karen asked.
"Jon Moxley called the hospital this morning he asked to talk to me." Olivia stated.
"What did he ask?" Karen asked.
"He wanted to know how you and Gracie were doing. He seemed frustrated when I told him I couldn't tell him anything because he wasn't family."
"I am so sorry that he called you. He called me this morning when I was with Gracie and I just never called him back."
"He also asked about the test results."
"Are … are they back yet?" Karen asked softly.
"They are. Would you like to wait for your husband or would you like me to go over them now?" Olivia asked her.
"Can we go over them now please? Then I can just tell Jon one way or the other? I know in my heart what I feel. But knowing for sure would be the best thing for all of us." Karen said looking down at a sleeping Gracie in her arms.
Olivia nodded and pulled out the envelope that was in her pocket.
"Would you open it please?" Karen asked softly.
Olivia nodded opened the envelope then handed it to Karen. She took a deep breathe then read the results to her self.
The room was silent for several moments.
"Are you OK?" Olivia finally asked.
"Yes. Jon's not her father. It's what I felt in my heart." Karen said softly.
"But?" Olivia asked her.
"But what?" Karen asked looking at her nurse.
"Are you OK with the results?" She asked.
"Yes I am. Shane is my husband and I knew he was her father. It's just I think I let Mox get into my head. I love him don't get me wrong but I just let him get to close and tell me things that I started to believe myself."
"Like what?" She asked.
"So I got pregnant in 2017 but sadly we lost our baby." Karen started to explain.
"I am so sorry." Olivia said. "So Gracie is your rainbow baby."
Karen smiled looking down at Gracie. "That she is. We've wanted her for so long. We started trying again in 2018 and it was a negative test after test. I was tested and put on fertility drugs and still it seemed like Shane and I just couldn't conceive. I tried to talk to Shane but I felt like he was pushing me away. It came to a boiling point earlier this year I just couldn't take it any more he didn't want to get tested to see if he could be the reason. So I turned to Jon it wasn't right I know that. I started to shut him out and he seemed to do the same. After I got pregnant Jon was convinced that Gracie was his. I remember us having a conversation right after he got back from Japan. He told me that there was no way that all of a sudden Shane could be her father. It took so long for me to get pregnant that he knew Gracie was his. I think there was a part of me that started to believe him. That maybe he was speaking truth because it took so long for me to get pregnant. I told Shane the truth and it's taken a lot for us to get back to where we were. We still aren't there yet. We did a test several months ago and it came back that Shane was her father. Jon couldn't seem to believe it. He said he thought Shane changed the test results. I don't think Shane would do that But when Jon asked to do another test I let him talk me into it. I guess because I wanted to make Jon happy and if there was even a small change that he was right we needed to know. But right here it says that Jon's not her father. So that means Gracie really is Shane's." Karen said almost in tears. "I think it's time that maybe I do what Shane's been asking and let Mox go. I love him so much but I am not in love with him. I need to do what is right for my family and that just might be letting Moxley go."
"Can you do that? Karen I see how you talk about him and how much Jon loves you."
"I have too. If I want to make my marriage work I have too." She sniffled. "I am so sorry to unload all this personal BS on you. This isn't your job to sit and listen to my personal problems."
"Karen it's fine. I am here to support you. But just know that you had a baby a few days go. Your hormones and emotions are still all over the place. Before you do anything you may regret just take some time that is the best advice I can give you." Olivia said.
"Thank you. Again I am sorry." Karen said looking down at Gracie.
"It's totally alright Karen." Olivia said as she took a sleeping Gracie and placed her down in the little bassinet next to the bed. Then she checked Karen's vitals and her c section incision.
"Karen you are healing nice your vitals are looking good. So you should be able to go home tomorrow."
"That's great. So ready to get home." Karen smiled.
As the hospital door opened.
"Mom!" Rogan said running into Karen holding a little pink bear.
"Hi Little Man." Karen smiled hugging him.
"Careful little man Mom is still a little swore." Shane cautioned the youngest McMahon son.
"Hi Mom." Declan said. "I got these for you and Gracie." Declan said handing her some flowers.
"Thank you Declan. How was your history test?" Karen asked hugging him.
"I got an A. Thanks for helping."
"Of course." Karen smiled.
"Here Mom. I got you and Gracie a balloon." Kenyon said.
"Thank you Buddy." She said hugging him.
"Are you three boys ready to meet your sister?" Karen smiled.
"Yes." All three smiled.
Shane smiled down at his daughter who was starting to wake up from her little nap.
"So glad she is out of the NICU." Shane smiled picking her up.
"Yes she did so well on her tests last night and this morning Dr. Garrett said she could be released and if she continues to do well she and Karen will both be able to go home tomorrow." Olivia said.
"Hi Gracie. Sweet heart we have three important people for you to meet." Shane said holding Gracie as he stood next to Karen's bed as Declan, Kenyon and Rogan were standing around the bed.
"Boys this is your little sister Gracie Kennedy McMahon." Karen smiled.
"Hi Gracie. I am your big brother." Rogan smiled.
"She's tiny." Kenyon said.
"She's alright right?" Declan asked.
"Yes Declan she is perfect. She is small she's over 6 pounds now and growing all the time." Karen smiled as she looked over Shane holding his daughter.
"Can I hold her dad?" Declan asked.
"Sure." He smiled.
"Here just use hand sanitize and sit down." Karen smiled.
Declan did as he was asked then sat down in the chair as Shane handed him his little sister.
"HI Gracie! I'm Declan I am your big brother."
That afternoon the boys spent taking turns holding their little sister and bonding as a new family of 6. While Vince, Linda, Stephanie and Hunter along with their three girls stopped by to meet the newest McMahon.
"She looks so peaceful sleeping." Karen said later that evening after things had calmed down a bit.
"She had a big day. She met her family today." Shane smiled looking down at her his daughter.
"They were so excited. I don't think I have ever seen your Dad like that. You're mom was over the moon." Karen smiled.
"They are so excited to have a new Grand daughter." Shane smiled.
"She is so loved already. So spoiled too." Karen giggled and held her side a bit.
"Still swore sweet heart?" Shane asked leaning over and kissing her softly.
"Yeah a little. But I walked around today and took another shower which did me wonders. I am just ready to go home and be with our daughter. She is amazing." Karen said glancing over at Gracie sleeping in the bassinet. "We are so blessed to have her."
"That we are. I never thank you." Shane said sitting on the taking her hand.
"Thank me for what?" Karen asked holding Shane's hand.
"For giving me this greatest gift. I am now a father of a daughter. I owe that to you. I love you Karen and I love our daughter. I know things haven't been easy for us the last year but I want to work on us. I want us to be the family I know we can be. I made a promise to you when we got together to make all your dreams come true and treat you the way you deserve. I realize I haven't done that lately. I am sorry for that. I let my jealousy get the better of me. I am trying to get past that but it's hard for me knowing that you thought I was pushing you away. I pushed you into the arms of another guy and I am trying to get past that and move on. We have to move on for her Gracie deserves to have the best from both of us." Shane said still holding her hand.
"I agree Shane. She does deserve to have the best possible life we can give her. You've made all my dreams come true. You love me, you married me and you've blessed me with this amazing gift of being a mom to our daughter and our three amazing boys. I am sorry I am not the wife you deserve Shane. I know I screwed up and this last year has been hard for us because of me. I am working on my own feelings and failures. But please know that I am going to try to be the wife you deserve from here on out. I want to be the best mother to Gracie she deserves the world. Please for give me Shane. I love you so much." Karen said leaning in to him and hugging him.
"I love you too Karen. It will take time but together I know we can make our relationship stronger again. For our selves and for our children." Shane said holding his wife closely and kissing her softly.
The next afternoon Karen and Gracie were released from the hospital. As they got home Karen got Gracie settled in her bassinet that was in their master room. She offered to make dinner but Shane told her she needed to rest and relax as he was down stairs. Karen looked over at a sleeping Gracie. She grabbed her phone and texted Mox.
"We need to talk soon it's important."
Thank you Sara, Jenna, Blaze, jjd022980, and Jessica619 for your lovely comments and reviews. I love hearing your thoughts and ideas on this story so thank you so much.
Thank you to everyone who continues to read and follow this story. It means so much that you take the time to read what I post. So many thanks to all you lovelies.
Please forgive any errors you may find. I do my best when editing but I do miss things. So I am sorry for any mistakes.