...It's never easy to say goodbye...
The scene fades in to a large chain link fence and gate. the gate opens as a black SUV pulls in. It keeps driving until it stops onto the shoulder of the gravel road. When the door opens the camera pans up at first from a single black pump, up a well toned, impossibly long toned leg, to the bottom of a black shirt and finally past the modest sweetheart neckline, a silver locket and finally on a pair of dark rimmed sunglasses on a round face. The lips are in a grim line, the blond hair pulled back and to top it off, a large black floppy hat. She steps out the rest of the way, leaning back into the car to pick up a bouquet of mixed flowers from the otherwise empty passenger seat before closing the door and hitting a button on the keyfob to lock it. She walks at first a little unsteady, her lips quiver only a touch but the camera picks it up easily. The camera follows her as she passes row upon row of grey, weather worn headstones and the trip seems to go on forever before she stops at one, a large stone angel on the top holds it's hands in a silent prayer for the person resting beneath it. The Camera pans in to the name chiselled onto it.
Rose Olympia Stevens ~ b.1959 - d.1994 ~ Beloved Mother, wife and Friend
She squats down the best she can in her skirt and smiles faintly at the stone.
"Mom. I've done it. I got the championship like I said I would."
She shakes her head, and the camera catches a single tear escape from underneath the glasses frame
"And It took me less time then I thought it would. Oh Mom... I can't help but feel guilty about it. Because of my need to save Roxi, well, I ended up winning that title ahead of someone who deserved the shot at it. Deserved it well before I did but yet here I am, the Bombshell champion for SCW. "
She looks both ways and when she sees there is no one in the graveyard except her, she sits down on the grass, bending her long legs in front of her and laying her head on them, still staring at the headstone.
"But they've given her a chance this weekend Mom. I'm to defend my championship after only two weeks of holding it. I have to say that Brandi is a great competitor, tough as anything and she seems to be a great person really...but what I don't feel guilty about is that I will face her and I will retain. I didn't come all this way to be a 2 week champ. I'm in this for the long haul."
The air remains eerily still for a few moments, with Electra sitting there. She removes the big floppy hat and sunglasses, tossing them to the side, then she picks up the flowers and leans over to put them at the foot of the stone.
"You're favourite."
She smiles but her face doesn't fit it. Another tear runs down from her eyes.
"You have no idea how much I miss you Mom. How much I miss your smile, your light, your hugs. The way you'd play with our hair, or snuggle us at bedtime. I miss everything about you Mom. I wish you'd been there when Matty was born... when Aly was born too. I wish you'd been there when I got married and most of all, I wish you could have been there when I won that belt. I know you're proud of me mama. I know you're looking down on me from...somewhere but I still can't help but be angry at you. Angry for being so careless and...."
She catches herself in a sob, and then wipes the ears away with the back of her hand.
"But most of all, I would give almost anything to have you back even if for just one day, an hour, a minute. Anything. You are the main reason I do this. You always told Chrissy and I to follow our dreams and never let anybody hold us back. I found my dream even if it wasn't ideal and I did it. I didn't let anybody stop me, not even Daniel. I can't believe it's been 20 years to the date that you left us."
She can't hold back the sob this time. Tears flood down her face, marring the otherwise perfect complexion with little wet rivers
"You are my hero Mama. You did everything they told you that you shouldn't. You pushed at any and all restrictions placed upon you and you went above them all...and it's because of that determination you had that I am still here today. Why I follow that motto myself now. Who knows what I'd be if I had continued to let people like Daniel have their way with me, to use me for their selfish reasons..."
She shakes her head.
"It was always your strength that made us strong. I only hope that I'm even half the mother you were to us, to my kids and I know Chrissy feels the same way about Sofia as well. It should have been him in this grave, not you. The man that turned his back on you and us."
She holds back her tears and sobs because she knows it won't change anything. She stands, brushes the dried grass from her skirt and her hat with the glasses.
"I have to catch my flight back to Las Vegas now. I hope you're watching from wherever you are."
She blows a kiss to the stone before starting to walk back to her car. From a distance the camera catches the image of a man. He's dressed in a dark blazer and jeans. His face is covered by the brim of a cowboy hat. He watches Lexi leave in her car before slowly turning, dropping a single long stemmed rose on the ground.
*~*
...What doesn't kill us....
The phrase always reminded me of my mother. What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger. I suppose it was right. Everything I'd gone through, even struggle only served as something else to make me work harder, fight stronger. I'd gone into every match I'd ever fought silently praying that my mother was watching it, that she was cheering me on from her own personal skybox. Eating her black liquorice and diet coke. waving a big foam finger. That was so like my mom. She'd never missed any of our sporting events, or plays, or choirs... that was her. She was devoted to be there for her kids and one impulse flight took her from us forever. One man's carelessness ended her life and that of her kids childhoods.
I couldn't be mad at my mom for wanting to try something new. Learning how to fly had been the one thing she'd always wanted to do but until that day, there was never any spots available for lessons. Little did any of us know that both her and the pilot would lose their lives. They say she was dead before the plane caught fire. God I hoped that was true. The idea of my mother suffering like that while trapped in a piece of metal with no escape just only made me that much more upset.
Every year on the anniversary of her death I visited her grave. I put a bouquet of mixed flowers on her grave. Her favourites. Our house had always had a bouquet of fresh flowers on the kitchen table. My mother was aptly named because she had a definite green thumb.
Although I missed her, I hadn't ever let that be a crutch for me. I never used her tragic death as an excuse for anything I'd ever done that was wrong. That was all on me. The way I was before, when I could barely stand after that woman beat me to a bloody pulp. I deserved every chair shot, ever fall on a ladder, ever piledriver. It set me straight. And let me tell you... ever since I turned back to the right path... my life has been a whole lot better.
My real reason for addressing you all today is this:
Despite the fact that I have nothing but respect for Brandi, I will not walk out of that ring empty handed. I want her to bring everything she has. I want her to not hold back. Not because I fancy getting beaten up, no, my addiction is providing proof.
Proof that I am worthy of this belt, even if SOME believe that I had some kind of plan to simply steal it from Roxi. You do her and I both a great disservice if you truly believe that she was first of all that easy to beat and second that I would even think about doing something devious. I am the kind of girl that earns everything she is given, including title shots. Obviously I've been doing something right that the big guys felt I was ready to be a champion and gave me that opportunity against Roxi. Someone they could all look up too.
Now as for NXT.
I am proud to be a part of it. A group of people that fight for what is right, what's true and best of all a bunch of people that in the last couple weeks have accepted me into their fold like family. They came to my rescue when I needed it and from this point on, I will do the same for them. I brought the bombshell championship to the group as Vixen did before me. I will not disappoint them. and you know, even if I did lose on Sunday... I know that it will not be without me giving my absolute all first.
Brandi...
I look forward to seeing what you have darling. I love that you're tough as nails, that you stand up for what you believe in and best of all, you don't take no shit. Way to go girl. That's what this is about after all. Standing up and not being afraid of a challenge. To walk out to that ring with your head held high and even more so, to walk away with her head still looking forward. Give me everything you have and I will do the same for you. Let's make this match one that the fans will be excited no matter who comes out the victor. And when it's over, I will gladly shake your hand and hold it up because you are another role model to every young girl in those stands, just like I hope I am.
With that, with everything i still plan on walking away with this title still around my waist. I didn't get into this just to have it all end after only two weeks. I am more determined than ever to be the best bombshell champion there ever was.
~END~
