Ringside Decisions
“So have you told him yet?”
Kalleasto McMahon looked up from the autograph she was signing for a little girl just down the row from them, all decked out in a SMH Tiny T and looking gorgeous with her soft blonde hair in adorable ringlets. Kalli shook her head at her younger sister before turning her attentions back to the little girl. “There you go, Sarah, all done.”
“Thanks, Miss McMahon!” The girl flashed an adoring grin at her. “You will remember to tell Stephanie I said hi, won’t you?”
The McMahon Heiress nearly giggled, “Sure, I’ll tell Stephy as soon as I see her backstage.”
Even Heidi Jacobs fought a giggle where she sat beside her sister at the excited way the girl asked. It was hard to be mad at your sister when she was fussing over a Stephanie McMahon Helmsley fan like she was one of her very own instead.
“And you’ll give her my present?”
Kalli held up the adorable little Teddy Bear in her hand. The initials SMH were embroidered on the little white t-shirt it was wearing in a perfect imitation of Stephanie McMahon’s most popular piece of merchandise. “I promise.”
The little girl leapt forward, giving Kalli a huge hug before near shouting again, “Thanks, Miss McMahon! Thanks so much!” and hurrying off down the row back to where her mother and father looked on, waiting for her. She pounced into her father’s arms the moment she neared him, excitedly telling him about her encounter as he smiled, his attention all hers.
“Daddy?”
“Yes, Kalli?”
The little girl scrunched her nose up. Though he had answered her, her father remained huddled over the desk, reviewing papers and signing things. And though her sweet voice was filled with excitement, he paid her no mind.
“I was just talking to Andre.”
“That’s nice, dear.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, “Daddy. Please.”
“Kalleasto, I’m very busy right now.”
She crossed her arms, as angry as she was hurt, “At least Andre pays attention to me! He said I could be a wrestler when I grow up!”
Only now did her father look up, his voice weary. “Kalleasto... I’m really very busy...”
“I go home tomorrow and you don’t even care!” The girl shouted, tears slipping onto her cheeks. “Only Krissy and Melly and Linds and Shane and Andre care!!! Even Linda cares more than you!!!”
Vince sighed, stepping out from behind the desk and approaching her. “Kalleasto, I do care...”
“Then why don’t you act like it?”
“I’m just busy today, that’s all...” He scooped her up into his arms, hugging her tightly. “I would give anything to be able to keep you here with me, honey. And I care very much that you’re leaving.”
“Then don’t make me go...” She whispered, sniffling, “I don’t want to go back. Mummy has Heidi, and a new baby coming... She won’t miss me.” She slipped her arms around her father’s neck and snuggled into him, “I don’t want to go back. I want to stay with you, Daddy.”
“Earth to Kalli?”
The girl looked up again, her eyes meeting her sisters. “I’m sorry...” She asked softly, “What did you say?”
Heidi shook her head, “Damn girl, where were you?”
Kalli shrugged, “Just...” She smiled, “I was thinking about when I was little...” Her face turned a little more seriously, “About how I never wanted to go home.”
Her sister nodded, “I hear that.” She sighed, “Mum’s not gonna take this moving to America thing well, huh?” Kalli shook her head and Heidi sighed again, “Man, I hope I know what I’m doing.”
“Heidi, if you have any doubts... You can go home anytime.”
“No. Kalli...” She locked her eyes on her sisters, “When you ran off with Matt... Damn, I should be so fucking pissed with you. I’m in this country where I don’t really know anybody and my sister has just dumped me with her parents to go gallivanting around with her newly discovered true love.” She told her sister honestly, “It was selfish, Kalli. And all the ringside seats at Raw in the world aren’t gonna make it all better just like that, but...” She shrugged, “While you were away, I got to spend all this time travelling around with the WWF. And, your folks, they’re great, Kalli. They are. They treat me so well and I had the best time staying with them...”
When her sister broke off, Kalli smiled, “Daddy has another Jacobs suckered into the United States, huh?”
Heidi looked away, her voice tinged with sadness, “Kalli... No matter what happens, your life is never going to be in Australia again.” Old hurt came back to her and she told her honestly, “When you moved away when you were 16, I never thought it would be for keeps. I never thought that. But when I’m here now, I see this life you have. This amazing career, this career you’re fighting for, this career you love. And your friends, your family. This is your home.” She looked up again, “If I ever really want to be a part of your life again, this is where it has to be. I could never take you away from this.” She shook her head, “Not to take you back to that.”
“You’re not going, Kalleasto.”
“And how are you going to stop me, Mum? Huh? The court said Daddy could take me...”
Her mother snarled, “For a week or two a few times a year, NOT for fucking keeps!”
“What’s the matter, Mum? Afraid that when I go to America and stay there the money will dry up? How are you going to pay for your pathetic little whims and fancies then? How are you going to support that drunken bastard you call a husband when Daddy stops supporting us?”
And as she looked on, cringing as she knew what was to come, Terries Jacobs let loose with a vicious slap, nearly taking Kalli right off her feet. “You’re becoming just like those McMahon girls! All vicious little harlots who get what they want with whomever they want! Is that what you want Kalli? You want to be another McMahon Whore???”
Her face stoic, but her eyes on fire, Kalleasto McMahon’s reply was a coolly spoken, “Don’t you ever speak about my sisters like that again.”
“Your sisters? YOUR sisters?” Terries marched across the room, grabbing Heidi’s arm and tearing her from her seat at the kitchen table where she tried to eat her breakfast beside Amy, both quiet as mice for fear they would be involved in another of their mother and sisters arguments. “THESE are your sisters, Kalli!” Terries nearly tore Heidi’s arm off as she yanked it up into the air. “These are your sisters, dammit! Not those bitches of Vince’s!”
Beneath her mother’s firm grasp, Heidi whimpered, pain in her eyes, “Mummy, you’re hurting me...”
“Shut the fuck up, Heidi!” Terries growled at her daughter before turning her attention back to Kalli, “You would leave Heidi and Amy? You’d leave them for THOSE PEOPLE?”
“You’re hurting her,” Kalli stepped forward.
“I don’t give a shit.”
Terries tore at Heidi’s arm that little bit harder, the small girl crying out, tears flooding her face. “Mummy...” She whined painfully.
“Heidi...” Terries started to yell, but the words died when Kalli planted two rough hands in her mother’s chest, shoving her. The woman overbalanced, toppling backward, releasing her grip on the little girl’s arm as she fell.
Kalli hoisted the crying girl into her arms, turning to the table, “Amy, come on. Come here.” The little girl obeyed immediately, leaving her seat to take Kalli’s free hand. “I mean it, mother,” she spat the word, “Don’t you EVER mess with any of my sisters.” She moved toward the door, leaving her mother staring viciously after her...
Heidi shook her head at the memory. Kalli had been 14 years old, she had been 9 and Amy was barely 7. And that had been what it was like nearly every day in the Jacobs household. If Kalli so much as mentioned the United States or her Father, or even the WWF, her mother would run off on a tangent that lead to Kalli getting some of the most violent beatings the girl might ever take, despite her desire to be a Wrestler.
All her love and passion as a child had been for the United States, and Kalleasto McMahon had pursued it with every ounce of her being.
Heidi looked back to her sister, the determination in her eyes reinforcing her every word, “This is your home. I want it to be my home too.”
Kalli smiled, “Me too, Heidi.” She leant forward, wrapping her arms around her sister and giving her a tight hug. “Me too.”
When she pulled away the two exchanged a long smile before Heidi asked seriously, “So... We’re all set right? We just gotta find a place, and I have to enrol...” Kalli’s face fell and Heidi sighed, “Kalli... You have to tell Matt that we’re going to New York eventually.”
“I know,” the girl sighed, “It’s just... I think he thought I might stay in Cameron...”
“Then explain it to him. I’m sure that he’ll understand.”
Kalli shook her head, “It’s not even a question of that, Heidi. I know he’ll understand. I know he will.”
She knew he would. She knew it.
Kalli had been thinking about a move to New York around Christmas, but everything since had been so chaotic that she had barely had a second to think about mentioning it to Matt. When she and Heidi had finally managed to be in the same place at the same time they had talked it over and Heidi had vowed and declared that she wanted to stay in America. The moment Kalli had even suggested a possible move to New York, her younger sister had practically burst with excitement to go to some art school in New York that Kalli had never even heard of...
But the decision had been made.
Kalleasto McMahon and Heidi Jacobs were moving to New York.
All that remained was that Kalli had to tell Matt...
And though she knew he would understand, she worried that he would be hurt.
Because she never wanted to hurt Matt Hardy. Not a day in all her life.
~ The End ~