Mike can't help but feel guilty. The only role he's going to have in the first Halloween his daughter will possibly remember when older is going with her and AJ to pick out a costume at this eclectic little business that AJ had noticed a few weeks back. She waves her fists, not seeming to notice her father's growing distress, as AJ holds up one possibility after another, frowning at the sizes and prices and pretty much everything. When she leaves to check on something with the salesperson, Mike hoists Sara Louisa into his arms and bounces her up and down a couple of times before kissing her nose. "I hope you forgive me for missing all of this," he tells her softly, resting his forehead against hers and staring into eyes that are so similar to his own.
He's still holding her like this when AJ slips up behind him, kissing his shoulder and rubbing Sara's cheek gently. "She'll be fine, Mike. I promise you. She'll understand when she's older."
He laughs brokenly and turns, resting his head on AJ's shoulder. "She's gonna hate me so much for missing everything when she's older." Sara is pressed between them, her eyes wide as she pats at Mike's face, trying to comfort him in the only way she's capable of. He smiles sadly and straightens up, lifting her and pressing kisses to her forehead and cheek. "I love you, Sara Louisa. Never forget that."
"She could never hate you," AJ says softly. "When she's older, she will understand. I'll make sure of it. Daddy," she says to the toddler, "sacrifices so much of his time so we can be comfortable and happy. He travels and wrestles and gets hurt and comes home to us and leaves to do it all over, and he never complains. Not once. And if anyone should, really, it's him. Trust me, I know how exhausting the schedule is." She smiles down at her daughter and reaches over, kissing Mike softly. "You have nothing to worry about, husband. I promise you. This one will never doubt that everything you're doing is for her."
"I hope so," he murmurs, staring down at her and smoothing his hand over her soft, dark hair. "I never want her to feel like my career meant more to me than her..."
AJ cups his face and shakes her head, smiling sadly at him. "No one could ever think that," she tells him. "You just have to look at Sara and love pours out of you. It's overwhelming, and confirms what I already know. She's going to be the biggest daddy's girl when she's older. You'll see. She's going to adore you even more than she does already." She smiles and kisses the back of Sara's head. "Now, would you like to see her costume?"
"Yes please," Mike says, blinking as AJ takes Sara from him and turns her back to him, keeping their daughter from view as she prepares a quick preview. He waits patiently until she turns slowly, Sara blinking at him from under the headpiece of the costume. "Is that... a bee?" he asks incredulously.
"Yes!" She spins their daughter around before laughing, a bit dizzy herself. "She's a queen bee! Isn't it adorable?" She passes their daughter back over to Mike and he stares down at her, adjusting the little crown that's head to her head by a headband.
"It is," he admits, once more hating that he won't be able to go with her out from house to house, collecting candy.
"I'll take lots of pictures," AJ promises him.
"Thank you," he says, hugging Sara close to him and closing his eyes as he thinks about what he will be doing- on a plane over to Saudi Arabia- instead of teasing Sara by hiding some of her candy and holding her until she drifts off in his arms, sleepy and excited after a busy day of traipsing around the neighborhood. "John and Taya are going with you, right?" he asks.
"Yes, they are," AJ confirms. "I wonder if they'll dress up."
"Knowing them, probably," Mike says before leaning in to kiss her. "You won't have to, you're already the sexiest mom in the world."
AJ flushes happily and catches him in another kiss, long and determined. "Flattery will get you everywhere," she teases him, going to pay for the costume as quickly as she can so they can leave.
Tuesday, he teams up with Orton against Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio, and it goes as well as one would be expected. Including an RKO to all of them at the very end of the episode. Mike grows and sits up, scrubbing at his face, and rolling out of the ring to stumble backstage. His phone is where he left it, thankfully, and it's buzzing. He picks it up and smiles upon seeing it's a text message with a picture attached- of Sara in her bee costume, AJ probably wanting to make sure everything looks great before they have to leave. "She's gorgeous, just like her mom," Mike texts after a moment.
Thank you, AJ texts back. Now to make sure she doesn't fall asleep in it. She seems to love it too.
He laughs at this, sighing softly as he rubs his neck to get the kinks out, shaking his head with a grimace. He'll be leaving shortly to begin the long flight over, but at least now he has a picture of Sara to tide him over until AJ sends more. He smiles.