"So Alicia and Sofia are staying?" Mike asks, barely keeping an eye on the TV monitor before him, tapping his fingers against his chair arm, lost in thought.

"Yeah, they felt it the best choice for them right now," AJ confirms. "I hope it's ok, I told them they could stay for as long as they need. They're not really sure how long it'll be now until Ricardo feels more steady and able to go out and try again, but you know. For now."

"Yeah, that's more than fine," he reassures her. "However long they need. It's no trouble." He glances once more at the monitor and, not seeing anything interesting, turns it off. "I'm going to miss you next week," he says quietly. Wrestlemania is just around the corner, and his schedule is picking back up as things slowly return to some supposed level of normalcy.

"I'll miss you too," she tells him. "Heck, I missed you last week when you were at NXT. George is teething again, and Sara only wanted to run around and play all day. I don't think either of them understood why Daddy was gone an extra day either."

"I'm sorry," he tells her quietly. "You know me, it's difficult to refuse an opportunity to host MizTV, especially on a new show."

"Oh, I know," she chuckles. "Sometimes I regret giving you that show."

He smiles. "I could let Sonya know that, she can take responsibility for canceling it."

"Oh, no, you don't have to do that," she tells him. "Really, I'm fine with it, Mike. I know Wrestlemania season is always busy for you, one way or another. It just..." she sighs. "I guess it just feels like everything this year is more stressful than usual. I guess I was just getting comfortable with all of us at home, comfortable under one roof, and now everything is rushing back to something resembling normalcy and I'm nervous about it."

"I definitely understand," he tells her. "I guess all we have to do is be as safe as we can, take as many precautions as we can, and take it a day at a time."

"Yeah," she sighs. "I'm not great at those things, but I'll do my best."

"I know," he tells her softly. "You always do."

She huffs. "Well, not always, but I try."

He smiles, fond and wishing he wasn't so rushed the next couple of weeks so he could see her, help with the kids, just plainly do more. "You do very well at it, too," he tells her. "I appreciate everything you do when I'm not home, you know that, right?"

"Yeah," she says softly. "I know."

He can tell by her tone of voice that she's smiling sheepishly. "And when I am at home, too, of course," he adds, grinning when she laughs.

"Well, I would hope so," she responds.

He's about to say something else when there's a bit of fussing in the background and he hesitates, listening as AJ murmurs to one of the kids. "Everything ok?" he asks when she returns to the phone.

"Yeah, but I think I should go," she tells him. "The kids are getting antsy and I think they're bored of their toys so I may take them to the park before the sun sets. I'll call you after I get them to bed later."

"Alright," he says softly. "Tell them good night for me, and I'll be home on time tomorrow."

She laughs. "Promises, promises, Mike. We both know how messed up flights are now. I'll tell them you'll be home tomorrow for sure though."

He smiles. "Good enough. I'll talk to you later, sweetheart."

She sighs. "Talk to you later, husband. Bye."

"Bye." He waits until she hangs up before putting the phone down and turning his attention back to the TV before him, turning it back on and trying to get lost in the minutia of Raw. He sighs, and scrubs his hand through his hair, glad that Wrestlemania season is approaching its end. Two more weeks, and things hopefully will start to calm down again. At least for a little bit. So he can be there for AJ, and the kids, and Alicia.

He hopes.