YN walked into the arena with three hours before Monday Night Raw started and headed straight towards her assigned locker room. Her mind was clouded with the different thoughts and emotions she had felt the past few months, so she kept her head down as much as she could until she could reach a safe place for her to let go of the false smile, she often wore these days. The girl was still going through the motions from the passing of her mother four months prior. Despite the way her performances in the ring being top notch, YN felt the void but continued to hide the pain beneath the stoic façade.
As she made her way to the locker room, she was startled to see that Cody Rhodes, her closest friend, was standing just outside the door waiting for her. With his trademark charismatic smile, he extended his hand to her and said, "I believe it's past time for us to have a little chat. Don't you?"
The YHC-haired girl hesitated for a moment before nodding and took his hand in hers as he led her into the room. The two of them settled down on the bench once inside and YN instantly started fidgeting with her hands. She wasn't the type of girl that found it easy to talk about her feelings no matter who the person she was talking to was.
Cody leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees as he tried to get a better look at his best friend, his voice was gentle yet firm as he spoke to her. "I think you know that by now everyone has noticed how you walk around like there's a two-ton brick on your shoulders and, Babygirl, that's no way to live. You don't have to fight whatever is going on in your head by yourself. So, if you're ready and willing to talk, now's the time. I'm right here and more than willing to listen and help you get through it."
Her eyes began to well up with tears as he reminded her that there was always someone there to be her listening ear. She took a deep breath and poured her heart out for him as she shared the pain she was going through internally and the feelings of loneliness that had grappled onto her since her mother's death.
The blue-eyed man listened attentively to every word YN had to say with nothing but complete empathy for her written in his eyes. He nodded as he offered words of comfort and understanding whenever she needed to hear them. With losing his father not too long ago, he understood what she was feeling and what she might have needed to hear. Cody also knew YN just needed to know there was someone there for her. He didn't try to fix her pain because he knew there was only so little that could, instead, he provided a safe space in him for her emotions to be acknowledged and validated.
As the words flooded out, YN could feel the weight lifting from her chest. His presence alone was able to get through the day but his willingness to sit there and listen to everything she had ever felt in the past few months gave her the strength to confront her grief head-on. Something that she had avoided doing for the longest time.
After what had felt like an eternity of talking, YN had finished letting go of everything. She wiped away the tears that had fallen, even though she was sure there were more to come. Looking into Cody's eyes, she whispered, "Thank you, Cody."
"What are you thanking me for?" he questioned.
YN looked down at her hands that were still fidgeting with each other. "For being you. For being..." she took a moment to breathe deeply before she continued, "there just to listen. In the past four months, you have been the first and only person who has done that. Though I know that I have put on this brave mask and face the day like nothing in the world can tear me down, I've been needing someone to actually let me lose it all on them for a bit. I just didn't realize how bad I needed that until now."
Cody smiled warmly and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to thank me for any of that. I was simply returning the favor you once gave me. You're my best friend so that makes you family. Just remember you're never alone in this, ever."
YN gave him and slight smile and nodded. From that point on, Cody took it upon himself to periodically get her to tell him all that weighed on her. He had no idea how much it truly helped her through it all, but she appreciated it all the same.
