Roman POV

All eyes were on the monitor as the championship match between Amali and Charlotte came to an end. It was only a few moments until my girl's reign was over. And what a run she had. She held the title for almost a year.

I remembered watching another title match of hers with Paul. It was the day I met this unique woman. And my God, a lot had happened since then. Every day I thanked the heavens that she was a part of my life and that I hadn't lost her. 

We all watched as Charlotte covered Amali and the referee started to count. One... Two... Three. That was it. I could have sworn I saw a little bit of relief in her eyes.

It wasn't long before she stepped through the curtain. She approached me with tired steps. I immediately pulled her tightly into my arms. I knew she needed a hug now.

"I'm so, so, so proud of you!" I whispered in her ear as I held her.

"Thank you, Ro. I'm proud of myself too. Wasn't so bad for the second reign here, was it?" she breathed as she pulled back a little and looked at me.

Amali put her hand on my cheek and looked at me closely. And despite the fact that she was sweaty and her make-up was smeared, she was still the most beautiful one for me. Once again, I could hardly wait to be alone with her. But I was even more impatient for our first anniversary. I already had big plans. And since this day was close to Valentine's Day, I could combine everything perfectly. I just hoped she didn't suspect anything.

"And I bet it wasn't the last. You still have so much left in you." I promised and finally gave her a kiss.

"Oh we'll see." she whispered as she rubbed her nose against mine afterwards.

It was so easy to forget that we weren't actually alone. But other people quickly wanted Amali's attention too. Like Paul, for example.

He also hugged her tightly and said how extremely proud he was of her. As always, he sounded like her dad. In a way, he always had been. A second dad, not just a mentor and friend.

Then Triple H joined in, along with many others. And after Amali had a moment with Charlotte, we made our way hand in hand to the locker room we were sharing. I closed the door behind us before pulling her back into my arms.

"How do you really feel?" I wanted to know.

It was important to me that she felt heard and seen. After everything she had been through, it was important for both of us to always put everything on the table. Amali sighed deeply and rested her forehead against my chest for a moment.

"Well... As strange as it sounds... A little relieved. And as I said, proud. It was the right time. I had all the moments and milestones I wanted. More of them, actually. Who knows what the future holds? Right now I'm glad that my body, especially my shoulder, has put up with it all. But I'm ready for a break. It will be good for me that the pressure is off for now." she finally replied as she lifted her head and looked at me with a smile.

"And you deserve a break, baby girl. You've worked your ass off to get to this point. We're all more than proud of you, especially after you fought your way back from injury," I said.

"Besides, I can't wait to spend lots of time with you." she added as she stood on her tiptoes.

Smiling, I took her face between my hands and leaned in. Just as our lips were about to meet, there was a knock at the door.

"Roman, five minutes." said a voice in front of the door.

I sighed deeply and saw Amali make a face. I quickly gave her a little kiss and then another on the nose.

"Duty calls. I'll be back quickly. Don't you dare shower without me, okay? I love you." I said to her.

"I love you too. But you know... maybe I should do it. Like, you know, just to see what you'd do." she replied with a smirk as her hands wandered around me only to pinch my butt, hard and with both hands.

"Oh try it and you'll find out, baby girl. I don't play games. If you keep being naughty, I'll cancel the plans for our anniversary. And trust me, you're dying to know what I have planned," I said, giving her a slap on the butt before winking.

"We both know you wouldn't do that anyway. But just in case, you should know that I have plans for it too. And that includes new, barely-there lingerie." she called after me.

I had to hand it to her. She knew exactly how to push my buttons. In the best way imaginable, of course.