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Ali heard a knock at the front door. Her giant dog, Logan, ran to greet their visitor. The defender could see her favorite person through the glass of the door. She always loved it when Ashlyn formally ‘picked her up’ for their date nights.
“Sit.” Ali commanded. The sweet dog obeyed. “Stay.” Ali added.
She opened the door and wasn’t surprised to see the dog lunge toward Ashlyn. Ash had one arm pinned tight behind her back and used her free hand to guard herself from the dogs loving attack.
With Logan’s tongue all over her face she presented the flowers from behind her back and said, “For you.”
Ali shared a hug and a quick kiss with her long time girlfriend before finding a vase for the roses Ashlyn had brought home to her. Ash used the extra few moments to play with their favorite pup.
Logan began to cry when she heard Ashlyn’s keys jingle in her fingers. “You ready, Babe?”
“Yeah, just let me check my make-up. It’ll take a sec.” Ali answered.
Ashlyn met Logan’s sad glare, rolled her eyes and said, “Your Mom has no sense of urgency.”
“I heard that!” Ali yelled from a nearby bathroom.
Logan looked so sad. She knew that her parents were about to leave her. It would only be a couple of hours, but to the dog it might as well have been forever. She always missed them when they were away.
The couple had been together for almost 9 years and had endured a lot of distance in their relationship. Whether the distance was emotional due to growing up and becoming more confident in their identities, or literal physical distance due to their careers, they had both grown into a comfortable closeness.
They were now living in the same house, playing for the same team, and raising a very cute puppy together. They weren’t simply living together. They were building a future together.
...
Ashlyn kissed Ali’s cheek and said, “I’ll get us some more drinks.”
Ali watched her girlfriend walk away and let a satisfied hum leave her lips. She loved everything about Ashlyn, including the way she filled out the jeans she had chosen to wear that night.
Ali couldn’t take her eyes off of Ash as she made her way to the bar. While the bartender worked on filling their order, Ashlyn turned toward Ali and leaned against the bar. She winked at the woman who had stolen her heart so many years ago. Ashlyn watched as the corners of Ali’s lips curled upward. Ali tried to play it cool, but she was completely infatuated with Ashlyn.
The bartender got Ashlyn’s attention, causing the goalkeeper to break eye contact with Ali. She turned around and just as she removed her wallet from her back pocket to pay for the drinks an attractive, slightly older woman cozied up close to her.
Ashlyn instinctively took a step to the side to create space between them. She didn’t think much of the initial contact, but when the woman followed her and closed the space between them, the woman’s intentions were unmistakeable.
“Buy you a drink?” The stranger asked.
Ashlyn held up both the glasses she had just paid for and said, “Unless you wanna reimburse me for these...” Ashlyn thought she was hilarious.
She let a smile slip to her lips and found her girlfriend’s icy glare. Ashlyn cleared her throat and added, “My girlfriend is waiting.” As she walked away she heard the woman mumble something that she couldn’t quite make out.
What Ashlyn couldn’t see, but was in clear view of her jealous girlfriend, was the way the woman at the bar watched her walk away. The stranger’s stare was glued to the goalkeepers backside. Ali narrowed her eyes as the lustful woman licked her lips.
“She’s undressing you with her eyes.” Ali grumbled as Ashlyn set the wine glasses down.
Ashlyn brushed off Ali’s comment with a laugh. “Baby, I can’t help that everybody wants a piece of this.” She smiled and looked up at the face of her favorite person. When she saw the expression on Ali’s face she quickly changed her tune. “Alex, no one compares to your beauty. She doesn’t have a chance.”
Ali wasn’t listening. She glared at the woman and added, “Clearly you are here with someone.” She huffed in anger. “You had two glasses. Either you’re spoken for or you’re an alcoholic.”
Ashlyn tried really hard not to laugh.
“Can you believe her?” Ali asked, looking like she was ready to fight. “What kind of a person goes after someone else’s girlfriend? How much lack of respect can you have for yourself and the other people involved?”
Ash reached across the table and pulled on Ali’s hand, intending to pull her attention away from the woman at the bar. “Babe, don’t worry about her. This is our date night. It’s about you and me. That’s all. That’s all that matters....you and me.”
Ali took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She met her girlfriend’s loving eyes and said, “You’re right. I’m sorry.” She squeezed Ashlyn’s hand and added, “Of course...all that matters is you and me.”
...
Ali was frustrated.
She knew her girlfriend loved to make people smile and laugh. She loved that about her, actually. She loved how easy it was for Ash to engage with people and make them feel special. However, when her friendly girlfriend cracked a joke and made the same woman from earlier laugh, she was ready to let Ashlyn hear her fury.
“Why would you do that?” Ali asked.
Ashlyn’s face turned red. She knew she had really messed up. It wasn’t on purpose. The stupid joke about drinking all of the wine in Florida slipped out when she ordered another round of drinks. The same woman shot her a smile and shared a laugh at the joke. Ash knew immediately that she had made their date night a lot harder than it needed to be.
When she returned to the table, Ali let her have it.
“What are you like when I’m not around?” The angry defender asked.
Ashlyn rolled her eyes. She felt she didn’t need to dignify Ali’s accusing tone with a response. They’d been together for almost a decade and she had never given her any real reason to doubt her faithfulness.
Ali continued, “Right in front of my face, Ashlyn.”
Ash half-heartedly apologized, “Sorry.”
“I can tell you really mean that.” Ali replied sarcastically. She grabbed her coat and purse and said, “Take me home.”
...
Ali was mad.
Ashlyn felt terrible.
Ali was cold towards her for the rest of the night. Ashlyn chose to sleep on the couch. Thankfully for her, Logan was more than happy to keep her company for the night.
The betrayal now felt twice as bad to Ali...both Ash and Logan had made her feel unloved.
Neither of the women slept well. Ali was grumpy and Ashlyn was distant. The couple went their separate ways for the day, choosing to spend their time alone. Ashlyn left Logan with Ali, knowing that it would bring her some comfort. She really did feel bad about hurting her the night before. It was a stupid slip up. Her charm oozed out of her without any premeditated thought. She was just being herself and making meaningless conversation. She would never hurt Ali on purpose.
Ashlyn’s regret turned into self-loathing. She felt like she couldn’t do anything right. She was quickly slipping into a dark place. If Ali would have known how bad Ashlyn felt, she would have scooped her up in her arms and forgiven her in a heartbeat.
...
It was getting late and Ashlyn had yet to return home. She had left the house around 7:00 am and it was almost 9:00 at night. Ali was a mix of angry and worried. She reluctantly pulled out her phone and swallowed her pride.
“I’m worried about you.”
Ali sent the text and waited a few minutes. When she received no response she added...
“Just let me know that you’re okay.”
No response.
“Please.”
Ali made sure her ringer was on before setting her phone down and looking out the front door.
“Where are you?” She said quietly to herself. It was dark and she couldn’t see a thing, but she didn’t stop searching the darkness for her missing girlfriend.
...
Ali heard her phone chirp about 15 minutes later. She hurried to the couch where she had abandoned her phone. Ashlyn had finally replied.
She sent the word..."sorry.”
She followed her apology with a picture.
Ali tried to make out the view from where Ashlyn was. It looked like a waiting room.
“Where are you?” Ali asked.
Ashlyn didn’t text back. Instead she called.
“Hey.” Ash said as soon as Ali picked up. “I’m sorry.”
“Ashlyn, where are you?” Ali asked. All of a sudden her jealous rage didn’t seem so important anymore.
Ashlyn sighed in defeat, “I’m at the ER.”
“What did you do?” Ali asked.
Ashlyn looked down at her left arm and winced. She felt stupid and defeated. “I think I broke my arm.”
Ali’s tone was so soft and kind when she asked, “Baby, are you okay?”
Ashlyn started to cry.
...
By the time Ali made it to the hospital Ashlyn was already being prepped for surgery. The receptionist allowed Ali to wait for her girlfriend in her room.
Ali wouldn’t find out until the following morning what had happened to Ashlyn. The goalkeeper had fallen during a run and had slowly made her way to find help. She was in pain and more than anything, she was embarrassed.
Ali waited several hours, but the day’s heaviness seemed to float away when she saw Ashlyn smiling and cracking jokes. Any other time she would have accused her of flirting with the pretty nurse that brought her to the room.
“She’ll be just fine.” The nurse informed. She laughed and added, “I think the she’s feeling really good right now.”
Ali let out a quiet chuckle when she realized that her favorite person was as high as a kite.
“Baby, I am so glad you’re okay.” Ali said as she greeted Ashlyn for the first time that day.
Ashlyn froze.
Ali held back a smile when she realized that her girlfriend was trying really hard to think. She waited for her to find her words through the effects of the drugs she had been given.
“I’m the worst!” Ashlyn said dramatically.
“You are not!” Ali argued playfully. “You’re the best!”
“No!” Ashlyn grunted. “I hurt you.”
Ali watched tears well up in Ashlyn’s eyes. The drugged up argument was no longer any fun.
Ashlyn continued with slurred speech, “You’re gonna leave me.”
Ali stopped her right there. “No, Baby. I will never leave you.”
Ashlyn cried hard.
Ali carefully wrapped her up in a hug. Ashlyn couldn’t feel her arm or any other body part for that matter, but Ali didn’t know that. Her tender touch surrounded Ashlyn.
“Ash, you are the most important thing in my life. I love you more than anyone and anything else in this world.”
Ashlyn took a deep breath and leaned backwards, separating herself from Ali’s embrace. She steadied her emotions as much as she could and replied, “I don’t want you to leave me.”
Ali promised again, “Baby, I will never leave you.”
Ashlyn closed her eyes and leaned further back into her hospital bed and muttered almost incoherently...almost.
“I was going to propose.”
Ali’s eyes flew wide open. Her breath left her lungs. She stared hard at the woman in front of her.
She shook her shoulder, trying to get Ashlyn to wake up.
“Baby?” Ali whispered. She placed her hands on Ashlyn’s shoulders and shook. “Baby, what was that? Tell me more about that.”
Ashlyn hummed quietly and used all of the consciousness she had left in her to say, “Shhhh! Don’t tell Ali!”
Ali watched as the goalkeeper’s eyes rolled back into her head and closed shut. She was going to have to wait to find out more about what Ashlyn had planned for their future together.
She held onto Ashlyn’s hand, kissed it and said once more, “Baby, I will never leave you.”