Tales of the Tournaments

Lara stuck close to AT as they made their way up to the box, where Abby, Glennon, James, and Amanda were waiting for them.

Abby's eyebrows rose slightly. "On the wrong side, aren't you, little one?"

"I'm with mi hermana. Detective Club forever. Even though mi amor's on the other side. '' Lowering her voice for AT's ears alone (she thought), Lara added "and besides, she can't smack me from here.”

"No, but she can hear about this. You can stay as long as you don't cause any problems, okay?" Abby softened her voice towards the end of her statement.

"Si Señora Wambach."

They settled down to watch as the teams strode out on the field. After the anthems had been sung and the coin tossed, the teams took their positions. As soon as the ball was loose on the pitch, Las Albicelestes and the USWNT were caught up in a flurry of activity, the ball whirling back and forth with an intensity that surprised AT. Not that she hadn't expected an international match to be intense, she amended silently. But though Chiara wasn't on the pitch - she was starting on the bench - AT found herself sandwiched between an excited Lara and Hannah, leaning over the rail to see better.

In the seventh minute, Alex Morgan took a shot on goal, but was stopped by Laurina Oliveros.  Lara bounced up and down at her mentor's success, breathless with excitement, then chanced a sideways look at AT. "Oh...hermana, I mean..."

"It's alright," AT said with a bracing smile. "It takes a really good keeper to stop Tia Alex. Maybe you might have too, if it was you down there. You're a good keeper, you know."

"Gracias," Lara whispered, still feeling embarrassed. AT gave the younger teen a hug.

Just a couple minutes later, Trinity Rodman was caught offside, and an opportunity was given to Argentina. Mariana Larroquette - who AT knew as a fellow NWSL forward, though she was much older than AT and played for Orlando - took the opportunity, and kicked a shot that looked like it was going to pass Casey Murphy. But then it slammed into the post.

Lara wilted.

"But Mariana almost had it!"

"I know, hermanita, I know," AT soothed. "It was a really good shot." Almost too good, what was it about our keepers, tournaments, and being saved by goalposts? At least it's really early now....

By the tenth minute, the ball had worked its way down to the other end of the pitch, landing in Jaedyn Shaw's possession. She saw an opportunity, and took it.

Goal.

Lara whimpered, even as AT cheered her teammate's success. But AT calmed herself and pulled Lara close, doing her best to soothe the younger teen.

"Did you know that this is Jaedyn's third goal in a senior appearance and her first start for the US? And first appearance of this year," Hannah tried to engage the younger girl with interesting facts about Jaedyn in an attempt to cheer Lara up.

"That's really good for her, then," Lara tried to receive the information politely, and really, in any other circumstance but this, she'd be really happy to know more about AT's hermanas. and Jaedyn seemed like a really nice girl.

A few minutes later, Mariana Larroquette was prevented from scoring, called offside, and Lara balled her hands into fists, rocking on her heels. (AT wished Chiara were up here instead of down there, because what Lara needed was a proper Top to help her, which AT definitely was not.) Still, Alyssa tried her best, holding one of Lara's fists between her hands and squeezing gently. 

To make it worse, Romina Núñez shot on goal, but Casey Murphy caught the ball in her hands, sending it back out and denying Argentina their equalizer. 

The ball made its way back into the USWNT's possession, and Jaedyn Shaw scored a second goal in the seventeenth minute - her first brace in a senior tournament.

Then the ball went back into play - right to Alex Morgan.

Who headed it straight back in.

Nineteenth minute.

Lara wrenched herself out of AT's arms, ignoring the fact that AT had celebrated neither Jaedyn or Alex's successes, simply holding on to her increasingly despairing friend.

With the 3-0 lead, barely twenty minutes into the match, a wave of despair was enveloping Lara. The teen pulled away from AT, overwhelmed further by Hannah's nervous rambling about Jaedyn's and Alex's goals - it didn't make her feel anybetter to know that this was Morgan's second goal of the tournament, having scored a penalty kick against the Dominican Republic. "¡Cállate! ¡Necesito que te calles!" Lara suddenly shrieked, whirling on Hannah.  

Hannah bolted away from Lara's shrieking, and AT saw Amanda follow her, so she focused her attention on calming Lara, speaking soothingly to her in Spanish until Lara seemed capable of hearing her.

Amanda, meanwhile, turned to James, Abby, and Glennon, all of whom seemed ready to follow Hannah. "I've got her," she said, racing across the box. She remembered Hannah's first panic attack around her, when Hannah had seemed to be 'just' her intern, and her instincts had served her as well then as they did now. Amanda caught Hannah right before she could touch the panel of shiny buttons by the door at the back of the box.

Though this time, Hannah didn't actually seem intent on pressing them. Actually, she didn't seem to see the buttons at all. She was pacing back and forth like a caged tiger, fingers running compulsively through her short hair.

Amanda led Hannah over to the 'comfy corner' in the back of the box away from the action. There was a beanbag chair, some soft pillows (both fluffy and smooth) and a couple of oversized blankets, one knitted (or crocheted, Amanda couldn't remember the difference) throw blanket and one a soft patchwork quilt with a smooth backing and a variety of textures on the front. No sensory hammock,  but this was nearly as good, and Amanda sat in the beanbag chair with Hannah in her lap, pulling the blue and white throw blanket around Hannah's shoulders.

"Angel," Amanda called softly, after rocking a little with Hannah in her lap, letting her cling to the blanket for security and to give her hands something else to do. "Mama's here, my angel, it's going to be alright, I've got you, you're safe.”

“I…I…I didn’t mean to be an…ann…annoying, promise, I didn’t know and she..she..she just yelled. Like before. she used to just yell”

"Shhh, oh, sweetie," Amanda soothed, remembering Grandmother and Profesora, and scowling over Hannah's head as she snuggled Hannah close.  "It's alright, you're not annoying, my angel. I think Lara was stressed because that's her team that's losing, when AT's team is winning, and her girlfriend and Top who's down there and hasn't even played yet. She's not annoyed because of you, she's annoyed because of the situation. Right?”

"Uh huh. Mama she look- looks sad. Maybe I should apologize?"

"In a minute maybe. Why don't we sit and you can tell me all the stats about all the players, I love listening to you ramble about anything, ma chou."

Hannah turned her gaze from where Lara was looking down, presumably more sad now than mad and instead jumped up and tightly hugged her Bee, who was now standing next to them.

"I have her, Madame. Come let's sit a moment and you can tell me anything you want, ma chou.”

Hannah nodded her head. Scrambling into Clarisse's lap after the footballer sat down in the spot vacated by Amanda. "Ma chou, why do you feel the need to apologize, you didn't do anything wrong?"

"C- cause sometimes when s- she would y- yell, she would m- make me apologize a- after." Clarisse held her chou as Hannah trembled, running a soothing hand through her hair, "Shh, ma chou. Lara isn't her okay. And she is going to be the one to apologize to you okay?”

"Okay." Hannah mumbled as Risse wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. 

Seeing her chou was feeling down, Clarisse thought of something to cheer her up.

"Ma chou, did you hear about the sharkray that looks like an axolotl that was found in North Carolina ?"

Hannah looked at Clarisse with a grin. "Wait, you know those were two separate things right, how did you hear about them?"

Clarisse blushed. "I might have started researching things about them once I found out that you liked them. I was reading in French to brush up on my reading skills, ma chou." Clarisse protested as Hannah laughed, but truthfully she was just glad her chou was laughing again.

After having explained the differences to her Bee for ten minutes to feel better, Hannah decided to get up and re-join the others, pulling Bee with her. A couple of minutes later they saw AT and Lara approaching cautiously, almost as if the Argentine was scared. Probably so because she doesn't realize it's mostly not her fault; mostly Grandmother is to blame, but she doesn't know that and Tante Abby probably seems scary right now, Hannah thought.

Hannah got up from her seat and walked to where Abby was.

"Tante Abby you can't smack her! She didn't know, and it was mostly Grandmother's fault."

"I wasn't going to, petite. But it's nice to see you standing up for her." Abby smiled.

"Oh. Well um thanks, Tante Abby."

"You're welcome, petite."

As Hannah turned around she was face-to-face with Lara.

"Lo siento. I mean I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Te perdono. I know you didn't mean that in a bad way. It just brought up some bad memories."

"Wait, you speak Spanish?"

"Ma chou speaks more than just English and Spanish. How many is it now, ma chou?" Clarisse grinned proudly at Lara.

"Nine."

"Wow! That's pretty amazing."

They returned to the front of the box just in time to see Captain Miriam Mayorga foul USWNT Captain Lindsey Horan in the final minutes of the first half. The ref flashed out the yellow card at Miriam, ending the half before any more serious damage could be done. 

"What the hell?" Lara sputtered, the young Argentinian drawing pointed looks from the Tops in the room. "Oh, uh, sorry," she added meekly. "Just, why Captain? And on your Captain!"

"I don't know, hermanita. But now she's been booked, so she'll have to be careful to stay out of trouble. It happens to Lindsey too, sometimes," AT added comfortingly. "And Lindsey looks mostly okay.”

"Well I hope...I hope she's really okay, cause I don't like it when we get hurt."

"Me either," AT assured Lara. "I don't like it when any footballers get hurt, regardless of what team they're on or if they're even Detective Club or not. Hurt is bad. My mamas got hurt bad and it's been awful for them.”

Shortly after the halftime whistle blew, there was a sharp knock on the door of the box. Abby went to answer it, finding Chiara on the other side, accompanied by Alex Morgan (with Charlie in her arms) and Korbin Albert.

Korbin immediately ran to AT, Hannah, and Lara, hugging them in greeting.

Chiara wasn't far behind, standing at a respectful distance, but was quickly noticed by Lara.

"Shhhh. I know. I wish we could all be playing or at least we could be near each other, but there's still another half, mi amor." Chiara said, trying to comfort her girlfriend but also use as many neutral words as possible given their present company, this was a task easier said than done.

"Can we get some lunch before we go back to watching the match now please?" This came from AT who was seated between the Argentine and her cousin. 

"Yes, Lunch please!” However, Lara stayed quiet. 

Since the box was a luxury suite, there was a refrigerator filled with drinks and snacks for their party, and they had arranged for hot dogs, sandwiches and condiments to be brought up at halftime. The knock at the door which had heralded Chiara, Korbin, Alex, and Charlie was the one Abby had expected to be lunch call, but that wasn’t far behind them. Charlie was pelting around the suite like a hyperactive ball of energy, so Abby was only too glad for lunch to arrive so the little one could be settled down on one of the couches to eat with them.

Hannah immediately got a hot dog with ketchup, and Charlie begged her Mama for the same.

“Did you know ketchup was originally made of fish, Charlie?” Hannah asked the little one.

"Fish on hot dog, Mama?" Charlie tilted her head at the thought.

"Does she always just say random facts like that?" Lara finally spoke up, before Alex or Hannah could comment.

"YES!" came a chorus of voices, the loudest of which was Clarisse who added, "It is one of the things I love most about ma chou." making Hannah blush.

"Well, ketchup isn't made of fish anymore, princess. But I bet your prima Hannah is right and it used to be. She knows lots of things," Alex told Charlie.

They ate lunch together in relative peace and quiet (as much quiet as anyone can have with an inquisitive small child running amok) and Lara was eating in total silence, stirring the last of her fries around in the ketchup.

"Alright, Esponda, out with it."

Lara jumped and looked up at the USWNT star, who was looking back at her like a disappointed mother, arms folded and eyebrows raised. "Ma'am?"

"You've been ignoring the conversation all through lunch and pretending I don't exist."

"You - us - I, um, well - that is..." Lara fumbled for words.

"You aren't sure how to act because I scored on your team and you probably have conflicting emotions about me right now?"

"Yes ma'am,"  Lara admitted reluctantly. Amanda's heart went out to the girl - she was only eighteen after all. She was sure Alex could understand that, too. 

"Well, you know what always helps me with sad feelings? Ice cream."

"Ice cream, Mama?!"

"Later, Charlie. Lara was feeling sad so she could have some now. You have too much energy."

Charlie of course walked over to Lara and innocently asked, "Hug? Hugs make me feel better."

Lara knelt and hugged the little girl. "Thank you, sweetie. Hugs are very good," she agreed.

Chiara knelt behind Lara, hugging both her and Charlie, then standing with Lara and pulling her close.

"Come here amor."

Lara followed Chiara to one of the couches, yelping as she was tugged down across Chiara's knees. "Chiara--"

Chiara landed a firm, stinging smack to her bottom, then sat her back up and held her close. "Now, I have to go back down with Morgan and Albert, do you want to stay up here with the Americans or come with me?"

"I'm not supposed to sit with the team," Lara said reluctantly.

"Then can you sit with our Esti and be a good girl for me?"

"Si, I'lll be good."

"Good girl." 

Charlie scrambled up in Lara's lap when Chiara shifted Lara aside to stand up. She wrapped her arms around the surprised Argentine teenager, who hugged back.

"Hola, pequeña." 

"Hola mi prima. Mama, I stay with mi prima Lara? Cause Lara needs more hugs." Charlie appealed to Alex with wide eyes. "I show Lara how to be good."

Chiara suppressed a laugh, turning it into a slight cough. 

"Okay, but you have to listen if someone tells you something, okay?" Alex looked from Charlie to Abby.

"We've got her, Alex. It's okay. And don't worry your Amor will be okay too." Abby said, in an effort to reassure the Argentine. It seemed to have worked because after each giving hugs to their daughter and girlfriend respectively, Alex and Chiara, along with Korbin headed back downstairs to the pitch.

Five minutes later, the ref was blowing the whistle to start the second half.

Korbin Albert and Alex Morgan were officially announced as subbed off (for Emily Sonnett and Sophia Smith, respectively.) The match resumed without any substitutions for Argentina - not even Chiara, much to Lara's disappointment. "But Chiara came up here too, I thought Coach was gonna..."

"What, put her in? Well its still possible, sweetheart. I know the feeling of having to sit on the bench, we all do and it sucks."

"It's just as bad as a fan cause even if we could get on the pitch we don't have the skills. But, you know what we do have? Each other."

"Abuela is right. Hug?"

"Thank you, pequeña." Lara said, accepting AT's Mama and Abuela's kind words and Charlie's surprisingly comforting hug as the match continued on. 

The second half began with a flurry of activity - corner kicks, passes, and the ball going back and forth in possession but not really getting anywhere until Trinity Rodman took a shot on goal. Laurina Oliveros cleared it away, and Lara, mindful of the child in her lap, tried to keep her cheering and bouncing understated.

Charlie looked up at Lara. "It okay prima. Trin's mean to Mama sometimes."

"When was she mean to your Mama?" Lara asked at the same time that Abby said, "Yes, what did Trinity do?"

Charlie folded her arms and scowled. "Trin  tackle Mama! Hurt her, step on her!"

AT remembered hearing about that. It had been last season, which for a child Charlie's age was remarkable that she remembered.

"Well that wasn't very nice and I can understand why you would be upset, prima. But maybe the shot being blocked is karma and now everything is even? You're Mama is okay, si?"

"Karma?" Charlie tilted her head.

"Karma means like if you're a good girl, good things happen. But if you do bad things, bad things happen to you," AT explained. 

"Uhhuh. Mama okay," Charlie conceded. "Trinity real bad girl though. Got red in last time."

"That is naughty. Nice job with these stats Charlie I'm impressed. I couldn't even remember that at your age, despite what Bee probably thinks. If you ever decide you don't want to be on the pitch like your Mama, you could probably get a job Iike me." Hannah gave Charlie her biggest grin and received one in return.

In the fifty-sixth minute, USWNT captain Lindsey Horan tried for a shot on goal, but Laurina Oliveros got it under her control.  Lara dared a somewhat louder cheer for her mentor.

When Charlie didn't say anything, Lara looked at her inquisitively..

"Tia Lindsey sometimes plays rough?" Charlie shrugged.

Two minutes later, Jaedyn Shaw fouled Mariana Larroquette, and was shown a yellow card almost immediately. 

AT grimaced, watching the brace-scoring rising young star of the USWNT. Two goals or not, she could definitely expect trouble now.

Besides, fouling on a player over ten years older than her in that way would fall under 'unnecessary stupid risks'. Young players didn't need to be making those kind of moves against opponents with twice their experience and strength on the field. 

At the sixty minute mark, the USWNT made a double substitution - Emily Fox in for Casey Krueger, and Jenna Nighswonger in for Crystal Dunn. 

"It would've made more sense to sub Jaedyn off," AT muttered. 

For who, genius? You? You're not there, the thought arose and she winced, though it hadn't run out of her mouth. "I guess they would if they could," she added aloud, guiltily.

"Hey, don't feel bad you're not there, I'm not there either." "Me either." "Yeah, we're not there either." "Thanks hermanas." AT chose to be thankful she had the support of her sisters, bio and found, and not fuss at Zoe that she wouldn't be there anyway.

Lara couldn't help cheering when another shot of Lindsey's was saved. But, a couple minutes later, Aldana Cometti incorrectly challenged Sophia Smith, earning the ire of the ref, who awarded a free kick to the US...and gave a yellow card to Cometti.

Lindsey stepped up to take the kick, but it went wide of Laurina, who didn't even need to bother to save it this time. "Well, this is embarrassing for your Capitana." 

Next it was Sophia Smith's turn to be blocked by Laurina. Soph's second attempt hit the post, instead, and on the rebound Miriam Mayorga erred, committing a foul with a handball.

The Argentine Captain was given a yellow card for it - a second yellow. 

This caused a collective gasp in the room, more than just Lara.

Charlie chewed her lip anxiously. "Prima? You know how you said bout karma?"

"Shh, Charlie," AT hushed the little girl as Lindsey stepped up to take the penalty kick Mayorga's red card and subsequent sending off awarded the USWNT.

Laurina, distracted for once, didn't react in time.

Goal.

Lara collapsed, moaning in despair.

AT came over, putting her arm around the Argentine as Charlie also stood nearby ready to give more hugs.

"I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but it is going to be okay eventually,hermana."

Lara nodded, and after sniffling a moment got back in her seat to watch the rest of the match and got another tight hug from Charlie. "Thank you, pequeña."

Jaedyn was subbed off in favor of Sam Coffey, but as Lara, AT, and Hannah watched, Argentina made four substitutions all at once in the eighty-fourth minute, an apparently last-ditch effort to do...something. And still no Chiara, Lara thought. Her Top was still stewing on the bench. 

Whatever Argentina's coach was hoping to gain by it, it didn't materialize. The last few minutes of the match passed in an agonizingly slow manner, nothing particularly exciting happening on either side.

At last, the referee's whistle shrieking across the field brought the 4-0 match to an end.

Now that the match was finally done, Lara seemed less sad and more.... neutral. But definitely excited to get down to the pitch, and it seemed she wasn't the only one as exclamations of "Mama!" "Lyssa!" and even surprisingly "Casey!" was heard throughout the box. 

"Excited to see Lyssa, little love." 

"Yes Mama Tobin! She has answers, remember? Oh that’s right you weren't there”

Don't remind me. "I know. So let's let the people leave and let her do what she needs to then we'll go down, hmm?" Tobin tried to keep her voice as neutral as possible.

Less than half an hour later and they were making their way down to the pitch.

When they got onto the pitch, AT headed in the direction of big Lyssa and Lara left for the direction of the Argentine locker room luckily Charlie didn't seem intent on following her, but Hannah stayed walking closely with her Bee, her Mama and Daddy behind her, cause she couldn't find Casey anywhere and was also tired of getting in trouble for running. However, this meant that she also had a tight grip on her Bee's hand because of her nervousness.

"Ow, ma chou. Less strength please?"

"Sorry, Bee. But where's Casey?"

"If I didn't know any better....."

"NOT funny Bee."

"Sorry, maybe she's just changing. We could ask someone?"

When Casey finally came into view, it was with a tearful Jaedyn trailing her. AT saw the look on her face and bolted over to her friend, hugging Jaedyn tight.

"How bad was it?" she asked quietly.

Jaedyn grimaced. "Bad," she admitted. "I managed to fast talk my way out of the paddle - cause Linds didn't even really want to anyways, cause she's Linds," Jaedyn added, and AT nodded. She knew. 

"Uh huh. And you scored a brace and everything."

"Yeah. But, Alex said she could only do that if Casey took care of me."

AT grimaced. "Oh." 

Hannah was two steps behind AT, and heard all of that. She turned on Casey, wide-eyed. "You smacked her??"

"I had to," Casey protested. "I tried to go easy, honest, but Alex saw through that in a New York minute and threatened to make Lys do it."

At the mention of Big Lyssa, AT retraced her steps and went to find their senior keeper to pull her aside and Jaedyn went to talk to Korbin and Livie, with Gisele and Zoe surprisingly following her. They're probably interested in learning about AT's friends, Hannah thought. That left an excited Hannah and Clarisse standing by Casey.

"Hey, sweetie," Casey said, gently squeezing Hannah's shoulder. She'd taken off her gloves in the locker room, and changed into normal clothes. "Sorry about Jae, I promise the two of us are good, alright? It's part of the job and she knows we're not mad with her. Are you okay?"

"Uhhuh good," Hannah nodded. "I'm glad you're not mad with Jae. Um you live in North Carolina right cause you're the Courage goalkeeper when you're not with National Team did you hear about the stingray that might be having the first ever baby sharkrays?"

"Whoa," Casey laughed, "and here I thought you were bouncy cause you were upset with me." She shook her head. "Calm down sweetie, it's okay, yes I've heard about the ray that might be having sharkrays. How about next time Angel City comes to North Carolina we go to the aquarium in Hendersonville and find out?"  She knew she was dooming herself to a four hour drive each way, but they could make a day of it.

"Oh yay, yes please! Oh, and thank you for the jersey and gloves, Casey! I'm gonna get my own gloves when we leave."

"Going to get shorts too, kiddo? And cleats," Casey said with an amused smile.

"Ma chou should wear red shorts," Clarisse said decidedly. 

"Popsicle kit?" Casey laughed. Technically, their new national kit hadn't been released yet, but she'd heard things about its design. Still, Popsicle sounded like a better nickname than paint splatter, and she'd liked that kit on her teammates, too.

Goalkeeper kits don't get nicknames. I wonder if we get a new color?

"Do you like Popsicles, Bee?"

"I haven't tried them. Do they have red ones?" 

"Mama! We need Popsicles!"

"Red ones, Madame."

“And blue ones mama!”

Meanwhile, AT had made her way over to Big Lyssa and was trying to pull the keeper aside which was easier said than done.

"Easy, you don't have to try to actually pull me. Let's go sit on the bench over here and we can talk in relative privacy, okay?"

AT slowed down at that, looking at the keeper sheepishly, "Sorry, you're not easy to pull?" "Thank you? Apparently you're stronger in both upper and lower body strength." Lyssa let out a satisfied sigh as she sat down. "What's wrong, little one?"

"Umm, I called Tia Ali to talk cos Gio being not here and she answered the phone and then said you could explain after the match." AT said with a huff, crossing her arms.

"She being?" Alyssa needed clarification considering but was hoping to all the deities that her younger name-twin hadn't got Sophia when she called.

"Tia Ash." came the mumbled, somewhat frustrated reply from AT.

Alyssa sighed, and closed her eyes in resignation. "Okay, sweetie, your mamas have had the talk with you right? Cause I seem to remember Tobin enraged that no one had ever given you the details before."

"My mamas made sure I knew how babies are really made, but big Lyssa, Tia Ali and Tia Ash didn't make babies, they adopted them, and now...and now..."

"Okay right, well this isn't that talk," Alyssa hastily cut AT off, "but it's a little bit related, okay?"

"Okay?" AT offered.

"Sometimes, people who love each other very much will decide they want to spend the rest of their forever together," Alyssa said, taking a breath and hoping she was doing right. "And sometimes they're right. But, people change, and things about people change. Forever doesn't always work out like people want it to. Right?"

"...Oh. Uh huh." AT nodded.

"So because people change, relationships change, too, AT.  Sometimes that is done in a healthy way, and sometimes it isn't." 

"So...so like Tia Ali and Tia Ash wanted to be each other's forever, and even got Sloane and Ocean and love them, but now..."

"They still do love Sloane and Ocean, AT," Alyssa corrected quickly. "Their feelings for their children haven't changed. But when Ash was retired and Ali wasn't, things got a bit more difficult. Ashlyn...I think might have got a bit jealous that Ali was still playing and she wasn't. I'm not really sure what happened, if it was all at once or more of a gradual thing, but Sophia..." Alyssa hesitated.

"She's the other woman." AT balled her hands into fists.

"Careful, careful, she's your boss too, little one," Alyssa cautioned, tapping AT's forehead. "And Ash does seem to love her, I don't think she was trying to just make Ali jealous. So..." Uncertainly, she resorted to the honorific titles. "Miss Ali got the idea to try and share Sophia - which I'm only explaining to you because I was told to when you asked, this really isn't your business to harangue your boss about."

AT sucked on her lower lip. "So...she's gonna be like...both of their girlfriend?"

"That's what they're trying, I think. Miss Ashlyn and Miss Ali have more than enough love to share, if sharing it with Sophia helps them stay together then I'm all for it."

"Not Miss Sophia?" AT asked, noticing the omission.

Alyssa shook her head. "No."

"Listen, I need you to keep this mostly quiet, cause the only ones who know are them, me, and you."

"I'll try, but why?"

"Okay, you know how there are bad people who are anti-LGBTQ? Well, imagine the worst person and multiply it for throuples. When you think about it, it can really be bad. For instance, not even straight throuples can marry, throuples of any kind can just recently all put their names on birth certificates only in some places and are judged even with similar if not worse hate. Now imagine if the first celebrity throuple was LGBTQ. They want the world to know on their time not cause someone leaked it. Not that you would, but maybe someone who heard it from someone who heard it from someone accidentally who heard it from you. Make sense?"

"Yeah, I guess. It just feels kinda weird cos I was mad at Tia Ash and now.... I can't be any more."

"Hey, your feelings are important. Maybe you don't need to be mad at her anymore but you can tell her how it made you feel. Just don't kick either of them in the leg please." Alyssa smiled conspiratorially.

AT sputtered. "H- how do you even know about that?"

"Keepers talk. It wasn’t Zecira who beat me, it was the goal line technology. I hold her no ill will. Besides, we don't have to face her in Paris."

"I knowww. Lyssa. Besides, Sof said Zecira became more of a Mama after."

Before AT could spiral, Alyssa found a distraction.

"Look, your Mamas are calling for you, let's give Casey a break from Hannah and all three of us will walk over, okay?"

As they walked over Hannah was still rambling to Casey.

"A- and you know it is going to be intriguing to see other animals too. You know-"

AT tapped Hannah on the shoulder. 

"Cousin, it's time to go."

Hannah turned to Casey and looked like she had paragraphs more to say but settled for suddenly wrapping the keeper in a tight hug.

Casey returned the hug just as tightly, before patting her back and speaking soothingly. "You'll see me again in April for the friendlies, right? There’s even the She Believes Cup, so we’ll see each other really soon, okay?" Assuming Twila picks me, but not gonna go there.

"Uh huh. Thank you for the gloves. See you later." Hannah gave Casey one final tight squeeze.