The Reasons I Have
Last Saturday
I cannot stress this enough.
It’s been the better part of 5 years since I have stepped away from full-time active competition in any ring.
When I left and hung up my boots, I felt then that I had absolutely nothing left to prove. I earned my titles, I earned my Hall of Fame rings but after everything I did, there was still one very important thing left for me to do.
“Mooooooooooooooooooommy! WE’RE HOME!!!!!!!”
I missed this with Bella. I’m sure you have all heard the tale by now, from her. The most important thing came into my life, after I gave everything I could to the business that allowed me and my husband to give the best life to her and to her little brother.
Personally, I never left wrestling. I became a teacher and a mentor, giving something back to the business that gave so much to me. I also stepped into the behind the scenes, trading spandex for a business suit and high heels.
And I didn’t miss it.
Well actually no, that’s a half-truth. I didn’t miss having my life threatened, or the constant pain I was in. What I missed was the roar of the crowd, that absolute thrill of stepping between the ropes. The adrenaline rush was also something that couldn’t be achieved anywhere else.
But when it comes to bringing my son into this world and spending all that time watching him grow and learn? ...that was the biggest rush of them all.
But there are times you have to say ‘What If..?”
“Mommy! Where are you?”
“Why don’t you go check the gym, buddy?”
“Okay, daddy.”
4-year old Aaron Madison had this house on lock since he learned how to walk. He knew all the best hiding spots when he and his dad played hide and seek, to the point Nick had to call on their golden lab, Hank, to find him.
Instead, inside the gym Laura ‘Phoenix’ Madison was on her second workout of the day, something that she had adopted since she went and personally went and spoke with Mark Ward and Christian Underwood and put her name down for the Blast From The Past Tournament. Hank laid at the end of mat watching as Laura finished off a set on the heavy ropes. You could see Hank’s ears lift up at the sound of his young human’s small feet running full force down the hall means he was about to get attention.
The door cracked open to see the big brown eyes that he got from his mom and the dirty blonde that he gained from his dad peer into the room, and his adorable little face lit up at the sight of not just Hank but his mom. He carefully bounded the 3 steps, jumping big off the bottom one, only stopping for a quick moment to pat the dog on the head before running over to his mother and wrapping his little arms around his mom’s leg, catching Laura by surprise.
“Well hey there, bug!” Laura said with a genuine smile as she pulled an earbud out and reached down to pull him up to give him a kiss on his cheek.
“Ew, mommy you’re all sweaty!” Aaron giggled as he wiped his cheek with his hand, but that only lead to mock insult on Laura’s face followed up by a rain of kisses on her faces adorable face, “MOMMY!”
“Ope! Hold on I missed a spot,” Laura said, crinkling her nose only to give one on Aaron’s nose, “There we go, I think we got it covered.”
Nick had slipped his way into the room and smiled at the two of them laughing before interrupting his wife and son, “Pardon this adorable Hallmark moment but...I thought you’d be ready by now. We gotta be over at Bella’s party in like an hour.”
“Yes, I’m aware.” Laura said setting her son down to let him go over to play a bit with Hank while Laura grabs a towel, “I just wanted to get in the workout in before we head over there and stuff ourselves silly with all that wonderful food as we celebrate Mal’s birthday and we find out about our grandbaby. Trust me, babe...I have it all worked out.”
All Nick could do was shake his head, Laura’s ability to plan things out to the final minute was well passed down to Bella but Nick knew all to well what it was going to be like, “Well then, I suggest you get a move on because you know that Bella is gonna be biting at the bit.”
“Oh she already texted me...she had to force herself to sleep in.” Laura said as she dried herself off, “Okay, I’m off to get ready. 10 minutes and we’re outta here.”
She gives him a sweet kiss, “Any longer and you’re walking there.” Nick quips with a smirk as she walks away.
“And then you will deal with our very pregnant daughter and the fury.” Laura gets out before, just getting out of swinging range from Nick slapping her ass.
Later on...
Laura would stand and watch with Nick and Aaron as she found out her grandbaby was a granddaughter. Her eyes filled up with tears with happiness as her oldest baby collected her feelings with the news.
Bella spun around and spotted her mother in the group of people that had gathered, “Oh my god! MOM!!”
“I know!” Laura only got out before she got engulfed with an emotional hug from her daughter, “You okay, sweetheart?”
Bella pulled away and just nodded, “I think...maybe..”
“Let’s go sit and get a drink.” Laura said, quickly grabbing a bottle of water and leading Bella over to a seat, and handing her a drink, “There we go.”
Bella takes some good sips, “I’m sorry. Just got a little overwhelmed there for a moment.”
“It’s quite alright.” Laura said laying a gentle kiss on her daughter’s head before taking a seat next to her, and holding her hand, “It can be quite overwhelming when your whole life changes like this. You and Mal are only beginning to find out about this, and that little girl is going to be so loved. I will never stop saying how proud I am of you. The both of you.”
Bella smiles and squeezes her mom’s hand before she leans back in the chair and places a hand on her ever growing midsection, “You know when this happened, part of me actually worried for a moment if I stepped back in the middle of my career to...”
“Sweetie, listen, you have always done things your own way. Look, I know I missed a lot with you in the beginning and we’re more than friends sometimes than mother and daughter but I could never be disappointed in you. You have always carved and paved your own path even while carrying on my whole legacy and this is just another chapter for you both.”
“I hope this isn’t the reason why you decided to dust off the gear and signed up for this whole thing with SCW?” Bella said with a smirk.
Laura leaned back with a laugh, “Well, not going to lie there was a void that I saw, but after Nick officially hung it up...I don’t know just something told me that if I were to ever make a return to anything...this would be it.”
“Well, if there is anyone that I absolutely trust with you and seeing you succeed with? ....Mac Bane is a freaking beast and hungry as hell after everything.”
“Ohhhhh I’m aware, and it’s why I have been working my ass off. Trust me, girlie...I’m not going out without a fight. Gonna show a lot of people that it was like I never left.”
The women smile at one another...”OH, did I tell you we already have a name picked out for the little one?”
Ah, ah ah...not yet.
“Ok, let's see if I have this right....mixed tag...men can’t touch the women...women can’t touch the men...well that’s a pity because well hell I made a career out of making a lot of men my bitch.”
Laura Phoenix steps into the shot with a smile.
“But that’s not what this is about, this is something completely different. You see, this to me is an opportunity to really see if my size 8’s can indeed still knock some teeth loose. And I have found myself sitting rather pretty for a moment and my GOD could you imagine what this could do?”
With a shake of her head she takes a deep breath.
“Look, Mac...in this I got your back. You will never have to question that. We are ride and die til the bitter end and I’m looking forward to every damn moment of it. I know you got your side of things”
Her brown eyes shine.
“As for Wilma, look, not going to lie...I know ZILCH about you and that right there tells me all I need to know. My whole career is an open book and I’m not going to hesitate. I learned from day one what happens if you do...that lesson was the hardest thing that one ever has to go through. You hesitate with me....I’m going to make sure this is the shortest time in any BFTP match in history.”
“DOUBT ME! I FUCKING DARE YOU!”
