Chapter Fifteen

December 2024

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Fabiola sat in bed, her back propped against the stack of pillows that had become her fortress over the past few months. The room was dimly lit, a soft glow from the bedside lamp painting warm gold across the walls.

The house was quiet save for the soft hum of the heating system, which whispered to her like an old friend. It was the kind of quiet that only comes when the kids are sleeping or when the chaos of their daily lives has been put on pause. Fabiola knew it well now, but tonight, it felt heavy, like the air before a storm.

She glanced at her phone, the screen lighting up with a text from Kassandra. Dad's on his way home. He wants to talk.

Fabiola's chest tightened, and she let out a shaky breath. Kassandra had been observant lately. Maybe too observant. The kind of observant that made Fabiola wonder if the carefree days of her first pregnancies had been nothing more than a dream.

Back then, she was full of energy, thriving in the excitement of a growing family. Now, two pregnancies in, she felt like she was at her limit. She was tired in a way that wasn't just physical but deep in her bones.

The constant ache in her back, the way her feet swelled at the end of the day, the exhaustion that left her staring into space, waiting for something to change—it was all overwhelming.

A soft knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Come in," she whispered, not bothering to hide the weariness in her voice.

Sefa stepped inside, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the room. He was still wearing his work clothes, a fitted T-shirt, and a pair of jeans, his arms looking even more defined from all the hours he'd been putting in at the gym and the ring. And when he caught sight of her, his expression shifted from one of exhaustion to concern.

"Hey, love," he said, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed. His hand reached out, gently resting on her knee. "How're you feeling?"

"Like I've been carrying around a watermelon for the last seven months," she joked, trying for a smile. The corners of her mouth twitched but fell short.

He frowned, eyes studying her face. "I know you're tired, but...are you okay? Really okay?"

Fabiola hesitated. The truth was she wasn't okay. She missed the version of herself that she used to be: ambitious, vibrant, driven. She was proud of Sefa's success, watching him finally rise in WWE, but with each match, each sponsorship, and each media appearance, she felt further and further removed from the person she was before. She wasn't just a wife and a mother; she was a shadow of her former self, lost in a routine.

"Yeah, I'm just... tired," she said finally. Her voice cracked, and she hated that he could hear the fragility in her tone. "I think it's just pregnancy. The end of it, you know? It's always the hardest."

Sefa's brows knit together as he took in her words. He had been so caught up in his rise at work, so consumed by the success that had come after years of hard work, that he hadn't noticed how deep the distance between them had grown. He had become accustomed to late nights, missed dinners, and rushed conversations. But looking at her now, he realized just how much he had taken for granted.

He leaned forward, placing a hand on her belly, feeling the small kicks of their son, who seemed just as restless as his mother. "I'm sorry," he said, the weight of those two words hitting them both. "I'm sorry I've been so caught up in everything. I'm here now. What do you need?"

Fabiola closed her eyes at the sincerity in his voice. It was hard to be mad at him. She knew how much this meant to him, how hard he worked to provide for them, to build a future that was bigger than they ever imagined. But the sacrifice felt like it was all on her now, the brunt of it, at least.

"I don't know," she admitted, her voice shaking. "Maybe I just need... you. Us. To be more than just passing ships in the night."

Sefa's expression softened, and he took a deep breath. "Let's fix that. I'll find a way to slow down. I'm not going to let this go on any longer. You don't have to do this alone, B."

"I know you're trying, Sefa, and I love you for it. I just... it's hard. Being home, being a mom, being a wife—it's all I know now, but sometimes I wonder if that's enough for me," she said, the vulnerability in her voice raw and real. "I miss who I was before all of this. I miss feeling... alive."

Sefa's eyes were full of understanding, and he squeezed her hand. "I want to bring that back for you, I promise. I don't want you to feel like you're losing yourself in all of this. You're not just a mom or my wife—you're Fabiola. You're strong, and beautiful, and you deserve to feel that way every single day."

The sincerity in his words brought a fresh wave of tears to her eyes. She wanted to believe him, wanted to trust that everything would get better, but the feeling of being stuck was suffocating. She knew the kids loved her, that they needed her, and she needed them more than anything, but in the silence of the night, it was easy to forget who she was outside of that role.

"Let's take this one step at a time," Sefa said, shifting closer to her. "We'll figure it out together. No more going through this alone."

They sat in the quiet for a moment, and Fabiola took comfort in the warmth of his touch, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It was the kind of comfort that reminded her of who she was and what they meant to each other.

"Promise me something," she said, finally looking up at him. "Promise me that no matter what happens, we don't let this—" she motioned between them, "slip away."

"I promise," Sefa said without hesitation. "I promise."

A knock at the door interrupted them, and Kassandra stepped inside, her eyes darting between her parents. "Is everything okay?" she asked, concern etched on her young face.

Fabiola managed a smile, a real one this time. "Yeah, honey, everything's fine."

"Good," Kassandra said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Because you know we all love you, right? You don't have to go through this alone, Mom."

The words, so simple yet so powerful, made Fabiola's heart swell with emotion. "Thank you, Kassa. I know. And I love you too."

Sefa stood, wrapping his arms around Kassandra. "We're a team, always," he said, ruffling her hair.

As Kassandra left to check on her brothers, Fabiola leaned back into the pillows, exhaustion weighing down on her again, but this time it wasn't as suffocating. It was a reminder that she wasn't alone, that her family was there, standing behind her, ready to fight through the hard days together.

She knew the road ahead would be challenging, but for the first time in a long while, she felt hope. The tiredness, the struggles—they were just part of the journey. And as long as they were in this together, she was willing to fight through it.

And maybe, just maybe, the best was yet to come.