"Look, man, I know things are kind of crazy with WWE right now," Morrison says slowly, a hesitant look on his face. "Just maybe it'd be easier on you if I-"
"If you say choose someone else to be your best man," Mike snaps, "I will crawl through this phone, over the ocean, just to strangle you myself. You are my best friend, goof. I'm going to be there by your side come hell or high water." His voice softens. "It's been a long time coming." John nods, swallowing so hard that it's visible even on the grainy phone screen and Mike smiles, aware that both of them are thinking about his struggles with romance over the years, Melina nor Sexy Star doing his confidence any favors. Taya stumbling into his life when he'd needed her most was such a blessing. "Just sit tight, as soon as I'm home from the European tour and Smackdown, I will be the best best man anyone in the world has seen."
John laughs, his eyes lighting up. "Only you could say something so smug and make it sound really good, Mike."
"Damn straight," he says, teeth flashing as he grins back at his best friend. "So how are my girls doing?"
"Taya and I visited them yesterday between last minute wedding stuff," John says. "They look good. Sara's missing you though. She's a little fussy."
Mike sighs, smiling wanly "Terrible twos," he explains. "She's been cranky, but it's ok. She's been going through a lot- toilet training, teething, falling all over the place as she gets more of a handle on walking and struggling to learn more words to properly communicate what she wants or needs. I'd be kind of pissy myself if all of that was going on at once for me."
John chuckles. "Well, damn, man, when you put it like that, yeah, it makes sense why toddlers are so easy to work up into a tantrum. Who knew you'd so easily understand the mindset of a two year old?" He kindly leaves the expected joke unsaid but Mike sticks his tongue out at him anyway.
"Thanks for checking in on them," he says once their moment of hilarity passes. "I know you're really busy-"
"Hey, man, what kind of uncle would I be if I didn't look in on them sometimes?" John asks with a chuckle. "Stop worrying so much about everything. It'll all work out, it always does."
He nods, blows out a breath when Cass comes in and stares at him warningly. "Hey, man, I gotta go," he says, a bit disgruntled at getting pulled away for yet another tag match where Daniel continues to chip away at Cass' knee. It leaves Mike mostly fighting alone, leaves them vulnerable and on a steep losing streak every night so far this tour. He thinks Paige and Shane McMahon are getting a kick out of putting him in this situation, which is a fresh sort of hell all of its own. He'd thought he'd left biased general managers behind when he left Raw, but of course not... "See you in a few days," he says, forcing his thoughts to clear before he hangs up and heads out.
To lose. Again. Because of Cass. Again. Heading backstage, he mumbles as he passes the downed man, referees trying to assist him, "Maybe stick with beating up little people, at least that you can manage."
"Excuse me?!" Cass all but screams behind him but Mike's already long gone, eager to put this tour behind him, go home and see his family.