Orlando
The room is oddly cold, which is saying something for the 100-degree day they were experiencing in Florida. If it had been any other situation, Ashlyn would have complemented the décor. The sleek grey walls and mid century modern accents clad the room she and Ali sit in. They are sitting on a couch across from a woman who can’t be much older than they are. Their good friend and teammate Abby referred them to Dr. Evans. From the degree on the wall Ashlyn can see that she got her doctorate at Tulane in New Orleans.
“So would you like to tell my why the two of you are here?”
Ashlyn looks up at the Doctor and wants to know the answer to that question herself. She doesn’t know how she and Ali ended up here, in marriage counseling.
Ashlyn looks over at Ali and but Ali is just looking dead ahead.
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Ali doesn’t make any move to speak, so Ashlyn starts, “We, um, well…we…I don’t know really where to start.” She fumbles nervously with her hands. Twisting her fingers together.
“Why don’t you start by telling me when you first noticed there was a problem” Dr. Evans says.
Ali startles Ashlyn by speaking up quickly, “Yeah, hun. Why don’t you tell her”? Sarcasm and annoyance laced in her voice.
Ashlyn stares blankly at Ali; unable to form the words she knows her wife is dying to hear.
“Ashlyn?” Dr. Evans questions.
“Yeah..?” Ashlyn asks, not even really hearing anything just Ali talking to her, finally.
“Did you hear my question? Or What Ali said?” Dr. Evans asks, jotting something down in her notebook.
Ashlyn looked tentatively at Ali, knowing the real start to their troubles, “Do you want my answer? Or the one I know she thinks is the answer?” Ashlyn gestures to Ali. “I guess the easy answer is it first started when we moved here.”
It was the fall of 2015 and they were coming off their high from winning the World Cup. Everything was going really well. Ali was being more open about their relationship, they had endorsement deals and promotional gigs lined up for ages, and they were finally able to maybe relax. The only down side to the whole fall was loosing a shot at the NSWL championship.
That’s when Ashlyn thinks it really started.
She remembers going home that night, after loosing the game, and just crying.
All she wanted to do was curl up into Ali and just wallow for a while, but Ali was in Virginia still at her Dads wedding. She needed the love of her life. She needed Ali.
It finally hit her that the season was over. She just wanted to feel what Ali felt in the World Cup, winning something she actually earned, played for. She couldn’t help but feel like she got cheated when they handed her a medal on that platform in Canada. Ashlyn finally drifts of to sleep, tears crusting her eyes and staining her pillow.
The next day, Ali meets her at the airport to pick her up. She sees her with a sign reading “Brick Wall”. That makes Ashlyn smile for the first time since loosing yesterday.
When Ali reaches Ashlyn she wraps her in a big hug, not caring who notices. The blonde treasures moments like these. She inhales Ali’s scent and melts into her touch.
“Babe, you don’t know how much I needed this yesterday” Ashlyn mumbles into Ali’s hair.
Ali pulls back slightly, running her hands through the blondes hair, “You played your heart out yesterday. No one out there played better than you. I watched the whole thing, and you should see what people are coming up with on twitter!” Ali gushed. “It’s honestly kind of impressive”, she added with a sly smile.
Ashlyn pulls back, grabbing her bags, and wrapping an arm around Ali’s waste and leaning into her side. “Oh really? I haven’t even wanted to look at any of that since yesterday..”
On the way to the car, Ali notices that Ashlyn has gotten really quiet again. She isn’t being her usual sarcastic, flirtatious self. When they find the car in the parking garage, Ali grabs Ashlyn by the waste and pushes her up against the car.
Taken aback by Ali’s boldness, Ashlyn tries to get out of the brunettes hold. “Babe, people are going to see. As much as I’d like to do this here, we can’t.” Ashlyn wiggles a little more, but she forgets sometimes how strong Ali really is.
Still holding her tight against the car, Ali leans in really close and whispers, “We aren’t doing anything, but I want to know what you did with my girlfriend. You normally wouldn’t care, especially since we are actually in a pretty secluded area.” Ali looks around to prove her point. There is no one around, and even if there was, they were in between two cars. No one could see them.
Ashlyn looks to the ground, she knows Ali knows there is something deeper going on with her. “I think I need a change.”
Ali pulls back, tears already threatening to spill out. Ashlyn notices and grabs her waste and pulls her closer, “No, no! Babe, that’s not what I meant. I love you. You are the love of my life and you are it for me. You know that.”
Ali wipes her eyes quickly, “Then what do you mean, because you’re scaring me.”
Ashlyn looks down, “I think I want to go play for the new team in Orlando.”
They leave Dr. Evans office and head to their individual cars. Ashlyn is the first to speak when Ali reaches her car first.
Throwing her keys between her hands, “Are you going to stay with your mom again?”
Ali looks up at her, “Yeah, I think that would be best. You can go home. I already got what I needed. There’s no need for you to stay at the apartment in the city. I know you’d be happier near the beach anyway.”
For the first time in what seems like forever, Ali seems sincere. She’s seems concerned about Ashlyn’s happiness.
Ashlyn lets a weak smile creep across her face, “Thanks. I guess I’ll see you the same time next week?”
“Yeah, thanks again for agreeing to do this. I know how nervous you get doing these kinds of things.” Ashlyn opens Ali’s door and Ali slides into the driver seat.
“Drive safe, I love you.” Ashlyn squeaks out.
“I’ll see you next week Ashlyn.” Ali closes the door, and drives off.