-Alex-
I woke up the next morning sprawled out on the bed next to Tobin. She was still asleep, so I checked my phone. Scrolling through Instagram, I saw a picture Kelley had posted. It was Emily sitting in an ice bath, holding a husky puppy. I smiled, looking at the caption. They named their dog Nike.
Interesting.
Tobin soon woke up, rolling into my side. I smiled, running my fingers through her hair. She wrapped her arms around my bare waist, kissing my skin.
"Morning." I said, as she smiled.
"Morning?" She mumbled.
"So Kelley and Em got a puppy." I said, as her head shot up.
"Show me, show me, show me." She said, pushing herself up onto my chest. I showed her the picture of the puppy, and she smiled. "Cuuutttee." She said, smiling at the screen.
"Did you know it's their eight month anniversary in a week? Then they'll be going on nine months." I said, and she smiled.
"Did you know that Emily's birthday is in five days?" She asked me, and I quirked my eyebrows.
"No, I totally forgot!" I yelled.
"You forgot your best friends birthday?" Tobin asked, as she pushed herself up to look at me.
"Yah, yah I did." I mumbled. "Ugh I'm such an ass!" I yelled, crawling out of the bed. "December eighth, how the hell could I forget December eighth!" I yelled, running downstairs into the living room.
"Alex, it's not a big deal. I mean, the team is getting together the twenty seventh. You can call her on her birthday, and then we'll give her a present when we see her." Tobin said, walking down the stairs.
"Yah, yah okay." I said, setting my phone down on the kitchen island. Taking deep breaths, I closed my eyes.
"It's okay." She said, leaning across the island to kiss me. Once she broke the kiss, I sighed.
"It's okay." I repeated.
"Come on, let's go get breakfast."
---
Once me and Tobin changed, we headed down to our favorite café. We signed some things for Portland fans and national team fans, and then we ordered coffee. I went and got us a table, as Tobin waited for our coffee. Pulling out my phone, I scrolled through Instagram. I clicked on Emily's page, and saw her recent post. It was Emily and Kelley kissing, and Nike was sitting in front of the camera. I smiled, and then my smile faded.
"What's up?" Tobin asked, as she set my coffee down in front of me.
"Nothing." I mumbled, closing my phone.
"Lex, don't lie." Tobin said, as she sat down across from me.
"It's just- do you think it would be easier if we just told everyone?" I asked.
"Told everyone what?" Tobin asked, sipping her coffee.
"That we're together. Then we wouldn't have to hide it, and I could have coffee with you as girlfriends, instead of friends. I could hold your hand wherever, instead of just under the table." I said, and she nodded.
"We've been together officially for five months, but we've been best friends forever. We can tell anyone and everyone, if that's what you want." She told me, and I nodded.
"Do you want this, to officially be out with me?" I asked, and she laughed.
"It's all I've ever wanted." She said, and I smiled.
"I would kill to kiss you right now." I said, squeezing her hand under the table.
"Maybe wait a few days, and then you'll be able to do it whenever and wherever." Tobin said, and I nodded.
"Whenever and wherever, I like the sound of that."
---
"Allie!" I yelled, running towards my teammate.
"Alex!" She yelled back, as I jumped into her arms. "Tobin!" She yelled, smiling at my girlfriend.
"I've missed you." I said, and she smiled.
"Missed you too baby horse." She said, letting me back down onto my feet. "How's your friend, Emily?" She asked.
"Okay. She made it out of Paris, but she broke her arm." I said.
"Yah, all the bones in her arm separated." Tobin said.
"Separated?" Allie questioned.
"Long story." I mumbled, as we headed onto the field.
"So what are you guys doing for Christmas?" Allie asked.
"Just visiting the national team, and then spending it with out family's." I said.
"Yah it'll be fu-Lex watch out!" Tobin yelled, as something slammed into the front of my head and knocked me to the ground. I groaned out, as my vision went black.
---
I woke up with a splitting headache, and a trouble breathing out of my nose. Sitting up, I was met with the presence of Tobin and Allie.
"Hey, take it easy Lex." Tobin said, as I held onto my head.
"What-the hell happened?" I murmured.
"Um, Michelle was practicing clearing from the goal, and nailed you square in the face." Allie said, as I laid back down onto the training bench.
"Damn." I mumbled. "How's my nose?" I asked.
"Broken." Tobin said. "And swollen, but it should go down soon."
"Uhh, Toby." I whined, as I rested my head against her shoulder.
"Do you want more ice?" She asked, as I shook my head.
"No, I just wanna go home." I mumbled.
"Yah, okay. I'll take you home." Tobin said, helping me up from the bench. I held onto her shoulders, as I stared into her Carmel eyes.
"So when did you guys become a thing?" Allie asked, as we both looked over at her.
"What?" I questioned.
"I can totally tell you guys. Just tell me." She said, as I eyed Tobin. She shrugged her shoulders, and I sighed out.
"Around five months ago." I said, and she nodded.
"You guys got together five months ago and didn't tell me!" She yelled, as we laughed. "You guys, that's awesome!" She screamed.
"Don't tell anyone yet, okay Long?" Tobin said, and she nodded.
"You guys got it. Now go home." She said, pushing us towards the door.
"Bye Allie." We said, as we headed to our car and on our way home.
-Kelley-
It was four days until Emily's birthday, and I was excited. She was going to be twenty four. When we first met on that practice field, she was twenty three. I guess she had recently played on the U-22 team before we called her up. So Jill and all of us didn't really know her real age until a few weeks after we met her.
Funny.
So currently I was frantically trying to get the finishing touches on Emily's gift. She told me not to get her anything, but I couldn't not get my girlfriend a present for her twenty fourth birthday. That'd be like a sin.
No one else knew what I was getting Emily for her birthday, but it was something special. She has always loved music, and I want her to have a way to share that with people. So basically it has something to do with music.
Walking into the house, I heard barking and smelt something burning. Dropping my bag to the floor, I shut the door.
"Em?" I called out, and there was no response. "Em!" I yelled a little louder.
Walking into the kitchen, I saw Emily on the floor. Something was on fire in a pan, and Nike was barking through the patio window. Dropping to my knees, I knelt down beside Emily.
"Em, hey Em?" I said, shaking her shoulders. She didn't respond. Taking the pan off the stove, I hit the fire out with a towel. Kneeling back down by Emily, I shook her a little harder. "Emily, babe?" I questioned, as her eyelids fluttered.
"Kiki?" She mumbled, and I nodded.
"Yah, I'm here. What the hell happened?" I asked, helping her sit up.
"I was waiting for you to come home-and I started feeling weird. So I was going to make something to eat, and I got really light headed. I don't remember much else." She said, as I rested my hand against her forehead.
"Em, you're getting sick." I said, looking at her flushed cheeks.
"No, no I can't get sick. It's almost Christmas, and I've never been sick before." She explained in denial.
"Well you, Emily Jane Rush, are sick." I said, as she nuzzled her head into my chest.
"Nooo." She whined, and then sniffled.
"Come on, you need to be in bed." I said, picking her up in my arms.
"But I feel fine." She said, and then coughed into my shirt.
"Shut up, you're not fine. This is New Jersey, not California. You probably just have a cold, it'll be alright." I explained, as I walked her into our bedroom. Laying her down in bed, I pulled the covers over her.
"Can you get me your Stanford sweatshirt?" She asked, and I nodded.
"I sure can." I said, walking to put closet and grabbing one of my sweatshirts. I helped her put it on, and then made her lay down again. "You stay here. I'll go get Nike, and then I will make you something to eat."
"Okay." She mumbled out, closing her eyes. Running downstairs, I let Nike inside. She looked at me, as I nodded my head towards the stairs.
"Go comfort her, jerk." I said, as Nike barked. She then ran upstairs. Nike defiantly liked Emily more then she liked me, so I kind of just called her Em's dog. Cleaning out the burnt food on the pan, I then set it in the sink. Pulling out a new pan, I put some bacon in it. I then walked over to the fridge and grabbed the ingredients to make Em a BLT.
Grabbing some wheat bread, I put mayo on it. I then put on lettuce and tomato. Flipping the bacon, I watched it sizzle. Once it was finished, I out it on the sandwich. Grabbing a propel water, I jogged back upstairs.
Walking into the bedroom, I saw Smily fast asleep with Nike atop her chest. She had the hood of my sweatshirt up, her dark brown hair cascading down her shoulder. Setting the sandwich on the bedside table, I then kissed Emily's forehead.
"Feel better Em." I whispered to her, as I then went and sat in a chair. Grabbing my phone, I scrolled through it as I watched her sleep. I would take care of her until she felt better, it was my job. I made sure she was okay and safe, and she did the same for me. It was just what we did, and we would continue to do it for many more years.
I would make sure she was safe always, because I love her. I'll always love her.