Mike scrubs at his forehead. After a couple of quiet days at home, watching on in awe as Sara takes a couple of hesitant steps here and there, her eyes bright and fixed on him every time she falls and he picks her up, soothing her as she pouts and whimpers, he has to go back on the road, flying to New York to meet Maryse for media starting with the Today Show. Miz and Mrs had been picked up for a second season, which is great, but makes things even more complicated. By the time they film it and it begins airing, Sara will be more aware of what's going on around her, and Monroe Sky will be a little older. Along with the fact that Maryse and Heath will be married, and...
Mike sighs, wondering if the success is really worth it as he thumbs his phone, picture of Sara Louisa mocking him. Maryse seems to sense his wayward thoughts and adjusts Monroe in her arms before resting a hand on Mike's shoulder. "It's gonna be ok, Mike. We'll fulfill our obligations, we'll help support our families, and we'll move past this."
He nods. "I know that's the goal." He glances over at her. "And we can deal with it, but for how long are we supposed to expect AJ and Heath to be ok with all of this?"
She kisses the side of Monroe's face when she fusses, little fists slapping lightly against Maryse's shoulder, Mike reaching over to cup her hand and holding it lightly as she stares up at him, confused and sleepy. "It's gonna be ok, baby girl," he tells her quietly and she dozes, whimpering against her mom softly.
"Yes, it will be," Maryse says with a small smile. "For all of us." She raises her eyebrows at Mike and he nods slowly. She pats his cheek and turns towards the hotel doors as their car arrives. "Come on, let's go and do this."
"Alright," Mike agrees, following her out.
Media is easy, falling into the act, careful not to mention AJ or Sara, Monroe settling easily into his arms when Maryse hands her over to him. She's a beautiful baby and he can see a lot of Heath in her when he looks into her eyes, and he wonders how long it'll be until the more obsessive fans notice she doesn't necessarily look like him. He shakes the thoughts from his head and focuses on Hoda and Kathy Lee as they question them about the show and WWE, Summerslam coming up here and there.
In between media, he films for Smackdown that afternoon, WWE producers mixing his thoughts into footage of him and Bryan from NXT to current day. It's an impressive three part look at their feud over the last eight years, and pretty much the highlight of his day.
He can't wait for Summerslam, to put all of this behind him finally. It's been exhausting since the moment he met Daniel, the guy never quite accepting that he needed help to acclimate- even getting himself fired just to deny Mike and his well-meaning advice in all things WWE. Between that and retiring because he was too careless with his health- a problem Mike has never had in all of his years with WWE- Mike thinks it'd be almost a kindness if he ended it for Daniel once and for all, gave him no further chances in this business. "He's already had too many second chances as it is," he mumbles to the mirror over the bathroom sink, preparing for bed. "I'm going to finish this."
One way or another. Daniel will stop being a thorn in his side within four short days. He'll make sure of it.