League Summary:
5/24
NCC v Sky Blue: 2-0 (Williams, Mewis)
5/27
Hou v Sea: 0-2 (Roccaro OG, Johnson)
Chi v NCC: 3-2 (Colaprico, Mautz, DiBernardo; Erceg, Debinha)
Sky Blue v Orl: 2-1 (Spencer; Kerr, Hayes)
FCKC v Wash: 3-2 (Leroux x2, Sauerbrunn; Mewis, Solaun)
Por v Bos: 2-0 (King OG, Henry)
---
"Alright, let's get this party started!" Desiree raised her mimosa glass to toast to their good luck. "Today is the day Cap that you find the most smokin' dress for your wedding."
The party all raised their glass in agreement, as well as some of their eyebrows. Not all were used to the bluntness of the Canadian.
"To the most beautiful dress." Amy echoed as they all clinked glasses.
Becky took a long sip from her glass as she glanced around the table. The group had gathered for breakfast before heading to the boutique in downtown Kansas City. Her mom had flown in the night before to maximize the amount of time she got to spend with her only daughter. They had been up late talking, but Becky didn't mind. She loved any quality time she got with her mom. She would be staying the week to watch their home game against Washington, a rare treat. Erika and Lo were wearing cheesy grins that matched the Canadian's. Her roommates were too busy making love eyes at each other across the table to say much of anything.
The gals all finished breakfast and a second round of mimosas before leaving the café. It was only a short walk down the street to the boutique. The two Sauerbrunn women walked arm in arm down the block, chatting gayly about the upcoming wedding. Wedding fever seemed to have struck the blonde defender at long last.
"We finally have everything finalized and I think Alyssa is looking at flowers soon so that way the florist can order and have them arrive there in plenty of time. Not to mention we need to get actual invitations sent out at some point but that is a heck of a lot of envelopes to seal so I will have to get the crew together to help."
"Have you looked at cakes and menus for the reception yet? Found a DJ?" Jane was glad to finally spend time with her daughter and help iron out the numerous wedding details.
"Amanda is finding a DJ – Alyssa gave her that task. Lucas said he would recommend a baker and caterer. I need to follow up with him on that. I should shoot him an email tomorrow to see if he has put a list together or not. We want them to be local to Colorado so we may have to find time to take a trip out there to get samples." Becky rattled off.
The two women kept talking as they approached the boutique. Barney was on door duty as the bridal party piled inside, Yael getting the attention of a salesperson. An older woman with pristinely shaped steel colored curls framing her smiling face. She reached out and shook hands with Yael, Becky, and Jane.
"Welcome, welcome! My name is Daphne and I will help you find the perfect dress for your wedding Ms. Sauerbrunn."
"Becky." She corrected her as they shook hands. "I suspect that we will be friends by the time today is after."
"Oh my dear, I do sincerely hope so."
And the saga began. The crew all took their seats in their designated area while Becky, Nicole, Yael, and Jane went looking for dresses to first try on. Daphne recommended that the future bride try on several different styles in order to narrow down the style before refining it to find the perfect dress. She wheeled 6 dresses into the large room for Becky to try on. Jane followed behind Becky, shooing Yael to get Barnie to sit down and rest her leg. She would help her daughter get in and out of the many dresses. The grateful smile Nicole sent her did not go unnoticed.
It took 6 dresses, mimosa's, and several inappropriate comments from Des and Erika coupled with boisterous laughter from Lo and the crasher KO (and several mom level stares from Amy and Nicole combined) to narrow down the style she wanted. They decided to look further at dresses that were fitted at the top in a corset type style, but then opened and flowed more to form a small train on the floor.
"Alright el Captain let's see it!" Kelley cheered as Becky had her mom help her into the next dress.
"KO give her a moment." Amy said as she lightly slapped the arm of her teammate. "You have no idea how long it takes to get in and out of those things. She'll come out when she is ready."
KO stuck her tongue out in response before getting distracted by Erika and Lo. Their laughter calmed any flared nerves as they waited for Becky to exit the dressing room.
"Oh honey..." Jane fought back tears as she took a step back. She wanted to full view of this dress. "This just might be it."
"You think?" Uncertainty colored Becky's voice as she looked down at it. She thought it was beautiful, but was it the dress?
Jane took Becky's hand and led her out of the dressing room the semi-circle of mirrors. The women sat up straight when they heard the door open. Becky heard a few of them gasp, but she wasn't sure who it was. She was too busy staring at the mirrors. The dress seemed to fit her perfectly. It highlighted her curves and yet flowed gently below her waist. She twirled slightly, not taking her eyes off her reflection.
"Broon..." It was Yael who spoke first. "That is an absolutely lovely dress."
"Do you truly think so?" Becky turned and carefully took a few steps so she could face her friends.
"Oh definitely." Yael said. "It is simply...you."
"The crystals are beautiful under the lights." Lo chimed in. "They really draw attention to your frame."
"I like how the top fits but it isn't too tight." Kelley voiced. "Alyssa's draw will drop." Her compliment painted red across Becky's cheeks.
"Do you want a veil with it?" Amy asked. "Or is that too traditional?"
The bride to be paused to consider the question.
"I never really imagined wearing one." She shrugged. "I like to keep my face clear, so I can see the field. Or the wedding."
"I think you will look beautiful regardless." Desiree took her chance to voice her opinion. "I mean that dress fits your waist like a dream and you can hide the scarred legs. All you need is a cute pair of shoes to peek out of the bottom while you walk."
"No tall heels." Becky drew the line. "But kitten heels...if I can dye them our dark blue would be absolutely beautiful."
"And add a silver sash. To accent your waist." Amy proposed.
She took a piece of ribbon that Daphne had left behind while she went to browse for shoes that would go well with the dress. Amy wrapped it around Becky's waist and held it together at the back.
"Oh Amy, you're a genius." Yael spoke breathlessly.
"You'll have a splash of your wedding colors on you in a very elegant fashion." Desiree commented while Barnie nodded her agreement.
Amy helped the blonde turn so she could see herself in the mirror. She raised up slightly on her toes to mimic kitten heels, then swayed gently. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and fell down her cheeks before Becky could wipe them away. This was it. This was the wedding dress she had been dreaming of since she knew Alyssa was the one. The dress she was wearing was the dress she wanted to have her dad walk her down the aisle in.
"This is the one, isn't it sweetheart?" Jane murmured softly in her daughter's ear.
Becky nods in the affirmative.
"This is the dress mom."
Jane hugged her daughter as the tears flowed more freely. The other women leapt up, cheers falling from their lips. Amy and Yael hugged the blonde woman while the others shed a few tears of their own. Their captain found her dress. Everything just got a little more surreal.
---
Nicole could get lost in the swaying of the water. It was a gentle rhythm, rolling softly underneath her and keeping her afloat. If she closed her eyes for a moment, she could imagine that she was on the ocean. The smell of salt filled the air and seagulls called in the distance.
"Nicole did you fall asleep?"
Yael's voice drew her back to reality. Nicole wasn't at the ocean. She was floating on the lake after a morning filled with more rehab.
"I was imagining we were at the ocean." Nicole turned her head and saw Yael swimming over to her. "We should plan a vacation for this offseason."
"That would be nice. A to somewhere warm. Maybe Australia or somewhere in southeast Asia." She grabbed on to the edge of Nicole's green floatie. "A get away to recharge."
"When you say it like that, I feel like we have to plan it." Nicole spoke softly as she looked down at her girlfriend. "Especially once this pain in the ass is working well again." She gestured to her healing knee.
"Definitely." Yael agreed. "Do you want to stay out a little while longer?"
"If you don't mind." Nicole said. "The rocking is calming."
"I don't mind at all." Yael's voice was sincere. "Let me go grab the other float and we can stay out as long as you want."
Yael squeezed Barnie's hand tightly then placed a kiss on her knuckles. She swam to shore and grabbed the second floatie they had packed. Once it was in the water, she maneuvered herself on top of it. Nicole cracked her eyes open to watch Yael navigate the floatie to next to her against the current. The older woman reached out a hand for Yael once she was close. They locked hands, and Barnie used her upper body strength to pull Yael up alongside her.
The pair of women floated in the lake side-by-side. Their hands were linked even when eyes fluttered closed to doze. The lake wouldn't tear them apart, and neither would any trial they faced.
---
Alyssa was grinning when Becky picked up the FaceTime call.
"You scored!!!!" Her shriek caused Becky to wince for only a moment before returning the wide grin.
"I did indeed. With my head even."
Becky took a swig of her Budweiser and propped her feet up on the coffee table. Athena immediately jumped up on the side of the couch and made herself comfortable. It had been a tough game against Washington, and she had the bruises to prove it. She had excused herself from the post-game party early, choosing to go home and talk to her fiancé instead of trying to keep pace with the youngsters on the team.
"I saw. Julie said to pass along her congratulations and to tell you how damn proud she is that you scored a header goal."
"Aww I miss her."
"Not nearly as much I as I miss you."
"Aww honey, are you on painkillers? They always make you sappy." Becky's brow furrowed. She had only managed to catch the highlights of Alyssa's game.
"Mmhmm. Then PT tomorrow and back to the grind."
Alyssa confessed as she attempted to get comfortable under her blanket. They had played a tough game against North Carolina and ground out a win. She had fallen awkwardly on her shoulder making a save in the last moment and it felt swollen and angry. The painkillers from Molly hadn't quite kicked in yet. They should before she crawled into her bed for the night, and that was key.
"Hopefully they kick in soon love."
"That is my sincere hope. Ideally, I will be so tired that I won't dream. Painkillers give me weird dreams. Do you remember the last one?"
"Oh, I do. You had the entire breakfast table howling by the end of it."
It had happened during the last national team camp. Alyssa had been experiencing some knee pain from her old PCL injury and asked the USWNT medical staff for something mild to take the edge off. Apparently, they have different definitions of what that meant. Alyssa had wandered down to the breakfast table in a daze the following the morning. Becky had asked her how her had night had been, knowing she had been given something by the staff. A tale of a desert island, Sonnett crafting a plane out of palm trees and rocks, Kelley navigating using the stars, a dessert island, and some very weird Oompa Loompas.
"Yeah, Sonnett still sends me them singing at random times." The goalkeeper shook her head and smiled at lover through the phone. "Are you going to read or play some Zelda?"
"Probably play some Zelda. I need Rupees." Becky began to fill Alyssa in on her exploits since the last they had talked about the game.
The brunette did her best to keep her eyes open and listen, but it was a loosing battle. First her eyeballs slid shut. Her brain remained focused on the defender's words. She was discussing how she needed to carefully navigate the region around the Eldin Volcano as to avoid being cooked like a goose. That was the last thing Alyssa would remember. She slipped off into slumber before Becky began ranting at an enemy that straight up refused to die.
The snores are what drew the blonde's attention. Hitting pause, she glanced down at the coffee table where she had propped up her phone. Becky was greeted with the image of Alyssa snoring and drooling on her favorite pillow. The pills had finally kicked in. Becky couldn't be mad. She knew the pain meds would knock her fiancé out at some point. She also knew that Alyssa had wanted to talk to her as long as she could force her brain to function. Smiling, she left the phone open and went back to fighting her foe. Seeing even a sleeping Alyssa was a comfort she wasn't going to pass up.
A/N: Y'all are the bomb for sticking me this long. The doc is still adjusting my antidepressants, but hopefully this spark of creative won't fade like the last one did. Let me know what you think as always and if there is anything you'd like to see. No promises, but prompts can serve as muses.
-Red