After a few days at home, Mike finds himself back at the airport. Waiting for his flight to be announced, waiting to get back onto the road, waiting to see where the road to Wrestlemania will take him now that the Royal Rumble is behind him, and Edge has stopped showing up, and Maryse is back at home with her family, and-
He's spiraling, a little, when something kicks his foot and makes him jump nearly 20 feet into the air. He gasps and gawks and blinks, trying to register what's really happening right now. "Ma... Maryse?" he asks, blinking again and again, as if should he clear his vision enough time, he'll stop hallucinating his reality show wife.
But no, she's really there, because she sits down next to him and smiles a little. "Hello, Mike," she says, fiddling with her hands. "Um. I knew I said I probably would sit out until closer to Wrestlemana, but Heath and I had some lengthy discussions over the week and he helped me to see that, well. I didn't want to stay home the next couple of months, at least not because I missed my children or him." She takes a deep breath, examining Mike out of the corner of her eye. "He helped me to see that I was trying to distance myself because I felt ashamed."
Mike looks more confused at this, and shakes his head. "Maryse, I don't understand."
She sighs and tips her head forward, staring down at their feet. "I felt like I failed you, Mike. So I distanced myself, but that' s not really what I should've done, or needed to do. I should've kept my head held high and stayed by your side, trying to make up for my failure."
Mike shakes his head. "Hey, now, we're a team. We lost that match together, not because one of us did something wrong. Edge and Beth had a lucky night, so what."
Maryse smiles at him. "I really am impressed by how you shake off each stumble like this and pick yourself up and continue on as if nothing happened. You've managed to do so for so many years, I'm so proud of you, and proud to work alongside you. If you'll have me."
He scoffs softly. "Of course, Maryse. With John gone, you're the best friend I have in WWE currently. I like knowing you're around." He remembers last week, driving the empty rental car and trying to face that this is just how it's going to be now, and shakes his head. "The road's too lonely, it's always nice to share it with someone."
She beams at him. "So we can ignore last week and just return to the way things were before? I'm not sure how much help I'll be against the Mysterios, but I'll do my best."
Mike grins at her. "That's all I request of you, you know that."
She does, smiling back at him before moving to hug him. "Thank you, Mike."
He shakes his head and squeezes her back. "I feel like I should be the one thanking you," he mumbles, giving himself a moment to just adjust to this new reality before pulling away to smile at her as a loud announcement comes over the intercom. "There's our flight."
"Fantastic," Maryse says, grabbing for her carry on. "Let's go!"
Even later on that evening, when he's trying to recollect his thoughts after losing to Dominik Mysterio, he can't help feeling like things are slowly slotting into place, one way or another.