Stay With Me (Roman Reigns)

18.

I woke up to the sun shining into the hotel room. Tonight we had SmackDown but that wasn't it. It was also my birthday. I was now twenty five years old. I didn't feel any different and I didn't expect to. But I did feel sad. Every year I get older is another year my parents have been gone. Not to mention that today is the day fourteen years ago, well fifteen now, that my parents went missing. Yeah, it happened on my tenth birthday and ever since then, I have not liked my birthday.

I turned over to look at Roman but he wasn't there. Where the heck was he? I sat up and grabbed my phone. It was nine in the morning. I slept in that long? I never do that. I wondered where he went. I didn't hear the shower. In fact, the bathroom door was open so I knew he wasn't in there. Maybe he went to meet up with Seth and Dean or something. I looked at my phone once more and there were a lot of messages. Uncle Bill, Aunt Lisa, Emmie, Elena, Taryn had all texted me saying 'Happy Birthday'. Nikki even texted me. I smiled a little and then put my phone down before laying back in bed. I just wanted this day to be over.

The door opened and I looked over to see Roman walking in with a bouquet of roses and a box. I sat up as he smiled and sat down on the bed next to me. "Good morning." he said. He handed me the flowers. "Happy Birthday beautiful."

I smiled at him. "Thanks." I said. "These are beautiful."

"I also got you something else." he said. He put the box down in front of me before opening it. There were a ton of donuts in there. "I didn't know which kind you'd like so I just got a variety." He looked at me and smiled.

"This is great." I said.

"You don't seem happy." he said. "What's wrong?"

"It's just kind of a bad day." I said. "Today is the anniversary of my parents' disappearance."

"Oh no." he said. "I'm so sorry babe. I didn't realize."

"It's okay." I said. "I just, every year on my birthday I get my hopes up that I'm gonna hear good news about my parents and every year I end up disappointed. My parents went missing fifteen years ago today."

"God, I am so sorry. I didn't think." he said. "I planned a whole day of fun surprises and everything and I didn't even think to ask you first."

"No." I said. I put my hand on his. "I love that you did all of this. You care and it feels good to know that. It feels good to know that you put in all that effort for me. It's just, I'm at a place in my life where I'm starting to forget them. What they were like. The way they loved us. Sometimes it's hard to remember what happened that day. Or the days before that. And they're my parents. I don't wanna forget them."

"Of course you don't." he said. He moved the box and scooted closer to me before taking my hands in his. "If you don't want to do anything today, I'll understand. I'll stay in the room with you and we can just lay in bed until we have to go to work."

"No. No. I don't want that." I said. "You took the time to plan things for me and I wanna do them. It might help keep my mind off of it. Besides, the fact that you planned anything for my birthday, just makes me love you more. You're amazing, Roman. You continue to show me that every single day. So, give me a bit to get ready and we'll go do whatever it is that you planned for me." I smiled at him and then pressed my lips to his once. I got up, grabbed my favorite donut, glazed, and then grabbed different clothes before walking into the bathroom to shower and change.

******

I emerged from the bathroom to see Roman sitting on the bed with a long small box in his hands. He looked at me and smiled. "Wow. You look beautiful." he said. I smiled as I looked down at my blue floral dress. It was summery, it was breathable, it was beautiful.