AJ stares at Mike as they watch the news. "Should we be concerned?" she wonders, holding George close. "Maybe..."
"No," he says quietly. "We're ok for now. Just... keep an eye on things." He meets Ricardo's eye, who nods in a silent promise to make sure everyone's safe when Mike's on the road with WWE. He turns back to AJ and lightly kisses her, leaning over George to kiss him too. Smiles when the baby fusses briefly before dozing back off.
Alicia and Sara are playing some bizarre game of make believe on the floor, giggling and chattering away at each other in a language Mike is sure only they can understand, Ricardo sitting behind Alicia and grinning at some of the silliness they're thinking up.
Moving had been an odd choice so late into AJ's pregnancy but as he takes in their friends so at home in the spacious mansion, with plenty of rooms for John and Taya, Heath and Maryse, anyone else who might want to visit in the future, he's glad he'd made this decision. With four children between them now, it makes it easier for Miz and Mrs., it makes a lot of things easier. He sighs and looks over at AJ, who had been so accepting of life getting uprooted once again, going along with the flow- even when things with her health had started to spiral. He closes his eyes, remembering how horrible everything had felt when she was put on bed rest, and he leans in, softly kissing her. "Hey."
She smiles at him. "Hey." Stroking his jaw with her free hand, she kisses him back and they chuckle, content in each other's warmth as George sleeps between them. "We have some great kids," she whispers to him and he nods, eyes full of affection and appreciation as he stares down at the little boy they'd created.
"We definitely do," he whispers. "Luckily they take after their mother that way."
She scoffs and laughs, gently swatting him. "Please. Sara is definitely your daughter, she's such a ham already." They turn to watch her act out some scene in whatever fantasy she and Alicia are concocting and laugh as she throws her arms out dramatically, grin wide on her face.
Mike chuckles and nuzzles into AJ, breathing in her shampoo for a moment. "She's probably going to be an actress and this little guy will continue on my legacy in wrestling. Won't you, George?" he croons to the little boy, who shifts and yawns loudly as AJ laughs.
"I don't think he's too interested in that, but give him, say, twenty years or so," she says fondly.
"They can be absolutely anything they want to be," Mike says softly, remembering his own turmultous path, how many people didn't believe in him, tried to convince him to go another path, made him fight all the harder just to reach this level of happiness. "I will support them as best as I can."
AJ smiles at him, reaches out and cups his jaw before kissing him again. "I know you will. You are an amazing father, Mike. They're gonna know that from their first memory to their last."
He smiles at her, exhaling slowly. "I hope so." His relationship with his own father had always been so strained, so difficult, he never, ever wants his kids to feel that way about him. Like they come second to his own expectations, like nothing they do will ever be good enough.
"I know so," she insists softly. "Mike Mizanin, you are already ten times the father yours ever was to you."
He swallows hard, tears forming in his eyes and he shakes his head with a broken laugh. "Thanks," he whispers to her, relieved that Ricardo's focus is on the TV while Alicia is still busy with Sara as AJ reaches out and wipes a gentle thumb under his eyes, drying them for him.
"I love you, husband."
He leans into her touch and smiles. "I love you too, sweetheart."
