"So things are going well?" AJ asks, murmurs into Mike's hair.
"I think so," he says, rubbing his fingers up and down her arm. "I mean, I think Ciampa won't say anything. He hasn't made any sign that he will. I'd say if he was going to do anything reckless would've been about... two days ago, considering he lost in the way he did. You know?"
AJ hums, enjoying his touch. "Yeah. That would be the time for reckless moves designed to hurt someone. So now what?"
"John's off filming a movie in Canada," Mike says slowly. "Heath's trying to avenge Rhyno, and Ricardo and Alicia are off in Pennsylvania. Because of this, you and I haven't had a good double date in awhile." He strokes along AJ's side, watching as her breath hitches. "Why don't we invite the Ciampas over for a weekend, we can have a play date with our kids, let them really see what our life is like."
"Maybe we can take them to Disneyland," she says. "You said Willow Belle likes that stuff, right? The Princesses and everything."
"Yeah," he says. "I think she likes the whole thing. Sara Louisa would freak out, huh?"
"She would," AJ says with a smile. "Having another girl round her age there too, it'd be incredible."
"I'm gonna text him and see-" Mike says, just reaching over for the phones when AJ's goes off. He hesitates, then hands it over, brows furrowing as AJ answers it.
"Alicia? It's pretty late, what's going-" She freezes. "Ricardo? What's wrong?"
Mike frowns, sitting up to look at her face easier. "What?" he whispers and she shakes her head, gently pressing a finger to his lips.
"Really? I... yeah. I'm- thank you for letting me know." AJ's mind is clearly spinning a million miles an hour as she glances over at Mike. "Hey, I need to talk to Mike about this. I'll call you back in like, half an hour, ok?"
She hangs up and just sits there, breathing, barely blinking as Mike scoots over and wraps an arm around her. "Is everything ok?"
"No," she says slowly. "Alicia... um, well. There's good news and there's bad news." She turns to look at him, tears welling up in her eyes. "Um, they found out a few weeks back that they're actually having twins."
"Oh wow," Mike says, searching her face. "That's amazing."
"It was," Alicia breathes. "Until tonight. Mike, Alicia went into early labor. She... she's not far along, barely past 6 months. They were able to stop it with medicine, but she's going to be on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy."
Mike remembers AJ being put on bed rest, and how difficult it was all along. It had been part of the reason leading to him having a vasectomy, not wanting to risk something worse in the future. "God," he breathes, squeezing her hands. "Is Ricardo holding up ok? And Andre?"
"As best as can be expected, I guess," she says slowly. "Look, I'd love to spend the weekend with you and Ciampa's family, but... Alicia needs me more. She's all alone up in Pennsylvania, and..."
"Of course," Mike says. "We'll postpone, it's no big deal. You tell Alicia I love them all and I'm thinking of them all and I hope everything works out. Alright?"
"I will," she breathes out, cradling his face in her hands. "I adore you so much, Mike."
He nods and smiles, then leans back and watches her scramble to get ready to catch a red eye to Pennsylvania. "I'll drive you," he says once she has her ticket paid for, and most things she thinks she'll need packed up. "I called Taya, she'll be here in like five minutes to stay with the kids until I get back home."
AJ sniffs and drops her luggage, moving up the bed to straddle him. "You're the best," she breathes into his mouth.
He kisses her warmly, tangling his fingers in her hair. "I know you'll be focused on helping her and Ricardo, but don't forget to take care of yourself, alright?" he tells her, gentle fingers grazing down her sides.
She nods, tears in her eyes, before gripping his hands. "I'm so glad our pregnancies went as smoothly as they did. Is that unbearably selfish of me?"
"No," he tells her gently. "It's just human. Now come on, Taya just texted that she's at the gate." He lets her in and whispers to her about the kids being asleep and wanting to keep it that way and Taya nods, meeting AJ in the hallway with a solid hug, squeezing her.
"Thank you so much for coming by in such short notice," AJ murmurs, pulling back to smile tearfully up at her. "I appreciate it so much, I can't even-"
"Don't worry about it," Taya says, waving her hand dismissively. "Just go to Pennsylvania and take good care of our girl and those babies, alright?"
AJ nods. "That's the plan. I'll see you soon." She hugs Taya again before following Mike out of the house in a hurry, desperate to get there and see for herself that Alicia is doing ok and that the babies are hanging in there.
Mike stays with her until the very last possible moment, blowing kisses at her as she walks towards the gate. She looks up and over in time to see him walk off, and exhales shakily. She holds it together until she's on the plane, settled in with her carry-on overhead and the pilot talking over the intercom... when she feels her phone vibrate.
There's a text from Mike waiting for her on there and she gapes at it, breathing shallowly. "Everything will be fine, AJ. I love you so much.
-Mike."
She grimaces as tears drip down her face. "I hope you're right," she breathes to the small device before turning it off and pocketing it.