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“My baby’s in town and we’re gonna do some winter things.”
Azzi had done a surprisingly good job of keeping it together while being away from Paige for the holidays. She forced herself to focus on school, on training, scouting reports, doing Christmas activities with her teammates.
But the past week had been brutal. The closer she got to Christmas, the more she found herself missing her girlfriend. It had been years since they spent a December apart, let alone Christmas itself.
She hadn’t verbalized the gnawing pit in her stomach to Paige, who had enough on her plate with countless appearances, brand deals, practices, meetings… Azzi didn’t want her to worry about something so stupid in comparison (even though each day that passed without seeing the annoying blonde was slowly killing her). She’d survive until New Year’s, when they were supposed to see each other next.
But this reminder didn’t stop her from crying when they hung up the phone, or spraying Paige’s perfume on her pillow like an actual simp, or looking at pictures of her when she was lonely. Safe to say Azzi was going through it, and she was certainly not looking forward to the holidays this year.
* “Just imagine that we're laughing… In my cabin, chilling by the fireside.” *
December 2025
Saturday morning practices had always been her favorite; they would scrimmage against the boys team, get to play whatever music they wanted, and finish the morning off at a local diner getting a late breakfast.
This Saturday, though, Azzi felt sluggish. Paige was flying into New York that night for the Knicks game with Angel, meaning she was going to be just a few hours away, but then she had to go straight to Dallas to pack for her insanely busy January coming up.
Which, long story short, meant there was no time for her to stop in Storrs. For some reason having her be that close geographically was actually a worse feeling than having her across the country, and Azzi spent the morning in a mood, barely uttering two words to the underclassmen she always drove to practice.
A few minutes before they were supposed to start, CD called her over, wanting to talk about their travel schedule coming up that week. Geno piped in eventually, adding, “You better spend hours on those free throws, Fudd. Don’t want you blowing that 100%.”
Azzi shook her head with a smile, “I know. Good thing they never call fouls against me, though.”
Geno gave her a once-over, “I’d actually rather they not call them. That way…” His voice trailed off for a second, but he shook his head and cleared his throat quickly, “That way you can keep the stat.”
Azzi opened her mouth to counter with a cocky remark, but stopped when an arm slung around her shoulder.
“C’mon, Pops. Have some faith in the goat.”
Azzi didn’t even have to turn around to know who was behind her. She literally audibly gasped, whipping around as quickly as possible, bringing a hand to her mouth.
It was like time halted the moment she saw her, Azzi’s eyes glossing over involuntarily as she took in the sight before her; Paige, dressed for practice, a goofy smile on her face, flowers in hand. “Surprise, dork.”
Azzi dropped the ball that had perched on her hip without a second thought and launched herself forward, tackling the blonde in a hug. Paige let out a dramatic, “Oof!” in response. “Hello to you too.”
“I fucking hate you.” She whispered into Paige’s ear with a grin, her breaths uneven as her brain struggled to catch up with her heart.
“Love you, too.” Paige spoke back softly, her grip on Azzi somehow tightening.
For a second, Azzi let herself breathe Paige in from where her face was buried in her neck, Paige adjusting to bring her free hand across Azzi’s back. Her senses were overtaken with all things Paige; Paige’s sweet smelling perfume, Paige’s ponytail tickling her cheek, Paige’s frame that was considerably larger than the last time she had seen her (that last part almost made Azzi do a double take, especially when she brought her hands beneath Paige’s practice shirt and felt the newfound muscles tense in her back).
Then, reality crept in when another body collided with them at full force. “DAD’S BACK!” Kk practically screamed, hugging them both and knocking them back a few steps.
Before Azzi could even attempt to let go, two more sets of arms wrapped around them, and Azzi could make out Ice and (surprisingly) Sarah’s voices. “Oh my God, I’m no longer a child of divorce!”
“Hey, hands off! You’re crushing her flowers!” Paige protested, but no one listened.
Azzi smiled to herself, their ‘family’ dynamic already coming back into fruition, “Guys, she’s right. I do need my flowers intact.”
The moment the words left her mouth all three girls listened, backing off instantly. Paige rolled her eyes as she handed Azzi the bouquet, “God, the favoritism is insane.”
Ice dramatically planted a hand on her hip, “Bro, she’s been a single mom for months, sorry if we respect her more - -”
“Alright, that’s enough. You’re all so annoying.” Geno interrupted, “Baseline. Now.”
“What? No ‘hello’? ‘How are you?’ ‘How’s life?’” Paige asked, clearly offended.
“I’m sure you’ll tell me all about whatever you got going on anyways.” Geno said dryly, “But for now, baseline.”
* “I wanna pretend we're at the North Pole.” *
As soon as the doors to the facility closed behind them, Azzi looped her arm through Paige’s, tucking her head on her shoulder as they walked toward Azzi’s car. “‘You get a hotel or are you coming back to my dorm?”
“Hotel.” Paige adjusted the (Azzi’s) bag on her shoulders, then looked down at her, “I love our kids, but I’m here for alone time with my girl.”
Azzi blushed, attempting to look away from Paige’s gaze to hide her shy smile. “Lucky me.”
Paige opened the trunk first once it was unlocked, placing her luggage that she had been carrying and Azzi’s backpack inside. Then, she opened the passenger door, where Azzi had been standing and waiting like the princess she was. “Thanks, baby.”
As soon as the driver’s door shut, Azzi tugged on Paige’s sleeve, pulling her forward and crashing their lips together. Paige practically moaned, her hands coming up to cradle Azzi’s jaw and hold her there. “Mm. Missed this.”
And God, did she miss her. Constantly travelling during the holidays was already hard enough, but add the fact that she couldn’t see her perfect girlfriend whenever she wanted… she was starting to lose it a little.
So, when she found out she would be in New York mid-December, she managed to carve out a few days to spend just her and her girl.
She fully lied about her schedule though, because who was she if not (adorably) annoying? Plus, the look on Azzi’s face was totally worth it.
Azzi didn’t respond, just pulled Paige in again, this time by the collar. She hummed in satisfaction when Azzi’s tongue grazed her bottom lip, licking into her mouth with a fervor she didn’t realize she was capable of. Her mind was consumed by Azzi; Azzi’s soft lips that she loved more than anything, the way she still smelled sweet even after two hours of practice, Azzi’s soft pants against her lips, that she almost didn’t hear the car doors open. Almost.
“Ew. It’s been like five minutes and they’re already sucking face.” Sarah grumbled, sliding into the backseat.
Ice and Kk followed, sharing similar sentiments, “Disgusting, honestly.”
Paige twisted around to face them, “Um, respectfully, get out.”
“What?” The girls jinxed, each wearing the same wounded expression.
Kk’s resembled something of a hurt puppy, “What about Saturday breakfast?”
“None of that today. Me and Az have plans.”
“Az and I.” Azzi corrected, and Paige couldn’t even bring herself to be annoyed, she missed Azzi correcting her grammar more than she would ever admit aloud. “And Paige, it’s fine. The ice skating place is open until nine, we can go literally whenever.”
“But…” Paige felt herself starting to pout, even though she knew it was selfish, knew that her friends missed her too, but she couldn’t help but want alone time with Azzi.
“Two days, P.” Azzi said softly, “You have two whole days with me.”
Paige sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Fine. We can go to breakfast.”
“YES!”
(Paige spent the entire meal with her leg hooked around Azzi’s and their sides pressed together as the five of them sat in a sticky booth in the back of the diner. She couldn’t help but stare at Azzi, as if she couldn’t fathom that she was actually sitting next to her. She kept finding things to obsess over, like burying her face into Azzi’s shoulderblade to smell her perfume, or playing with the bracelets and rings Paige had sent her for her birthday. Usually, Azzi would yell at her to stop, but she tolerated it given the circumstances. If anything, she gave into each touch, initiating her own by tracing patterns on Paige’s knee. It was perfect.)
* “Turning the heat into an ice cold holiday…” *
The hotel was the same as the last time Paige had visited, only now when Azzi opened the door, the bed was littered with wrapped presents.
“P, this isn’t fair!” Azzi huffed, fingers trailing over the ribbon of the big box in the center. “I don’t have your gifts ready yet, I thought I had until New Year’s.”
Strong hands engulfed her by the waist, Paige hugging her from behind and hooking her chin on Azzi’s shoulder. “Don’t worry ‘bout it, ma. Just wanted to spoil you,‘s all.”
Azzi let herself stay there for a moment, her hands coming up to interlock with Paige’s at her stomach. She lay her head back so her cheek rested against Paige’s, and she exhaled fully. “Shower?”
“Yes, please.”
“Shit, I don’t have my hair products.” Azzi realized with a groan, knowing she desperately needed to wash her hair.
Paige smirked, “Open that one.” She nodded toward one of the gift bags at the foot of the bed.
Azzi sat beside it, planting her feet on the floor and pulling the bag into her lap. Paige crouched in front of her, hands sliding up and down Azzi’s thighs, probably because she couldn’t help herself.
Azzi felt the same way, pausing just to stare at the blonde beneath her, at her piercingly beautiful blue eyes, the way she was watching her with practically bated breath, the anticipation she had for Azzi to open her first gift. God, what she wouldn’t give to have Paige around all the time.
She removed the tissue paper first, tossing it to the side, then pulling out the basket that was nestled at the bottom. Inside was Azzi’s curl shampoo and conditioner, three different brands of curl products (which literally had everything she needed and more - detangler, curl cream, moose, a brush), face masks, two new summer fridays, and an exfoliating scrub.
“You’re so extra.” Azzi teased, but still was unable to fight the smile forming at the gesture. She let her fingers graze the brand of moose she had used since high school, clearly Paige had thought of everything, just another reminder of how well she knew her.
“C’mon, I know you like it.”
“I don’t like it.” Azzi deadpanned, a startled laugh escaping her at the way Paige’s face fell, “Cause I love it!”
Paige exhaled in relief, leaning forward to pepper kisses along Azzi’s collarbone, “Wow, that was so not funny.”
Inside the shower, which was now filled with the skincare, scrub, shampoo and conditioner that Paige had bought her, Azzi couldn’t help but stare.
Paige had tried twice to drag the brunette under the water with her, but both times Azzi stopped her by holding her at arms length. “Jesus, P. Look at you.”
Paige blushed in response, “What?”
“You’re just so… wow.” Azzi quite literally didn’t have words, all she could was run her hands along Paige’s newfound buff arms, her eyes traveling up and down her body. “You look good. Really good.”
“Thank you, baby.” Paige finally broke from Azzi’s grasp, tugging her flush against her so they were both under the stream of water, “You look perfect as always.”
“Shut up.” Azzi muttered, looping her arms around Paige’s neck and kissing her softly. Paige’s hands pressed against her lower back, her thumbs rubbing slow circles where they rested.
After a few minutes of slow, sensual kisses, Paige pulled back, placing a knee between Azzi’s leg and caging her against the shower wall. She pressed her mouth beneath Azzi’s jaw, “Missed this neck.” Then, she kissed down the slope of her shoulder, “Missed this skin.” Her trail lowered as she reached Azzi’s breasts, licking a stripe between them, “Missed these.” She wiggled her eyebrows, making Azzi giggle.
And just as Paige was starting to kneel, a devastating thought came to mind, “Wait, stop.”
Paige let go instantly, straightening, “Sorry, sorry. Did I do somethin’?”
Azzi sighed, pulling Paige closer by her wrist, then cupping her jaw. “Not at all. It’s just… I’m on my period.”
“Oh, ‘s okay, baby. Y’know what I always say, the bravest soldier - -”
“P!” Azzi fake-scolded, shoving her lightly in the shoulder, but smiling nonetheless. “I’m not changing my mind about that.”
“Whatever you say, princess.” Paige let out a chuckle, “Terrible timing, though.”
“I know,” Azzi said, voice dropping into the sultry tone she knew Paige always folded for. “I can still get you, though.”
And just as she expected, Paige dropped her head to Azzi’s shoulder, somehow shy even after years of being together, “Later, yes. For now I just wanna be close to you.”
“I actually don’t think it’s possible to get any closer.”
“Well, if you let me finger - -”
“Paige!”
* “Take me to the ice skating rink downtown.” *
“P, you’ll be fine. Just let go of the wall.” Azzi tried to coax Paige away from the edge of the rink, but she refused, stubbornly insisting she was going to ‘take a tumble.’
Paige shook her head once again, “If I fall and someone gets it on video, I’m never recovering.”
She wasn’t wrong, they had already been recognized a few times since arriving at the place, which was a given considering they were just outside of Hartford.
Azzi held out her hands, “Then I won’t let you fall, how ‘bout that?”
With a dramatic sigh, Paige stood up fully, her hands still hovering in front of her like she was bracing for impact. She turned slightly to the left, accepting Azzi’s outstretched hands and cautiously gliding toward her. “If I get hurt and miss Unrivaled, it’s on you.”
“Hm,” Azzi hummed, linking Paige’s arm with hers and nudging them forward. “Then you’d be stuck with me all winter.”
“Oh, I see. This is a setup. How evil of you, Azzi Fudd.” Her words had no malice though, which was increasingly evident in the way she slid impossibly closer to the brunette. “It really do be your own girl.”
Azzi giggled, “I’m just kidding. I’d rather see you thrive than have you stuck with me.”
“Oh, so now you want me gone?”
“Jesus, you’re so annoying!” She stopped short, both hands grasping Paige at her hips. She studied her face again, something she couldn’t help but do, as if she needed to memorize her before they were forced apart again. “Y’know I do miss you right? Like all the time?”
Paige swallowed, her face softening and the furrow in her brow fading, “‘Course I do.” Then, she smirked, “I mean who wouldn’t miss all this?” She gestured down at herself, eyes widening when Azzi huffed and let go of her, “Wait, stop! I’m sorry!”
Azzi laughed, pulling her in again and steadying her, “I’m being serious.” She said quietly, “Sometimes I can’t put it into words, ‘cause it makes me even more sad, but I miss you all the time. Like… it hurts sometimes.”
She laid it all out plainly, the fear of Paige not knowing how she felt when they were apart finally spilling over. Paige was significantly better at communicating her feelings, contrary to popular belief, always texting Azzi throughout the day how much she misses her, loves her, can’t stand being apart from her.
When they called, Azzi chose to simply soak in hearing her girlfriend’s voice, or just to stare at her on facetime before she fell asleep. So, she didn’t really vocalize how much she missed Paige, how she felt like she was missing a piece of herself each time they had to leave one another.
Paige reached forward, tucking a loose curl behind her ear, “Az, I know. It kills me, too. But we’ll get through it, you trust that right?”
Azzi nodded, leaning into her touch, and turning her head to kiss Paige’s palm. “I do.”
“Good. Now can we get the hell outta here before I die?”
* “We can be wherever if we visualize.” *
The following night found them at a Christmas lights show, and once again, Paige got roped into letting their ‘children’ come with, leaving Sarah, Ice, and Kk all scattered across Azzi’s backseat while Paige drove.
They sat in line at the 24 hour dunkin, deciding they each needed a hot chocolate before braving the cold. Paige couldn’t help but look over at the girl to her right, who had her legs hooked beneath her and a blanket tucked across her lap.
“You tired, baby?” Paige asked quietly after Azzi yawned for the second time in less than a minute.
Azzi shook her head, playing with Paige’s fingers in her lap, “Nope. Just happy.”
Paige beamed at that, leaning forward to kiss her temple. “Alright, what sizes do you guys want?” She called over her shoulder as she pulled up to the drive through window.
“Small is good, thank you.” Sarah answered first.
“Oh, so you think I’m skinny?” Ice scoffed, “I’ll take a medium, please.”
“Me too.” Kk echoed, leaning forward against the back of Paige’s seat, “Thanks, Dad.”
They were singing along to Justin Bieber’s version of Drummer Boy when Paige accepted the tray of drinks, passing it directly to the backseat so she could pay.
“Azzi, did you not get anything?” Kk asked, handing the fourth and final cup back up to the front.
Azzi took it with a small shake of her head. “We’re sharing.” She smiled shyly, sinking back into her seat and tugging the blanket up to her chin. (Fuck, she was adorable. Paige could just squeeze her when she crinkled her nose like that.)
Paige mentally prepared herself for the inevitable teasing, which was mostly warranted, considering it was a tad dramatic for them to share a hot chocolate, but Paige was just thrilled that Azzi was drinking the sugar-filled beverage at all.
Instead, she was met with silence. Frowning, Paige glanced up at the rearview mirror and caught the girls exchanging some kind of look. “What’s going on back there?”
“Nothing,” KK said, placing a dramatic hand over her chest. “It’s just… nice to see you guys being gross again.”
Paige glanced over at Azzi, who seemed equally as surprised by those words. Then, she shrugged, “They have to deal with me complaining about missing you,” she murmured, lifting their interlocked hands to hide her blush. “So I’m sure they’re just happy to have some peace.”
“You talkin’ about me?” Paige asked with a smug grin.
“Only all the time.” Sarah grumbled.
“‘Paige hasn’t answered my texts in almost an hour,’ ‘I’m this close to flying out to Dallas,’ ‘I miss my girlfriend.’” Ice started mimicking an extremely pouty Azzi.
Kk fake twirled a strand of hair around her finger, “‘Ugh, look how good she looks, and none of you bitches get her.’”
“Hey!” Azzi yelled, “That was when I was drunk! And not to be repeated!”
Paige smirked, “That’s okay, baby. You’re right, no else gets me. Just you.” She placed a soft kiss on Azzi’s knuckles, revelling in the way the brunette seemed to perk up at that.
“Okay, I take back what I said before.” Kk muttered, shutting her eyes and flopping backwards.
“Same. This is nasty.”
* “Made just for me and my baby.” *
Paige swears her entire body resets the second she’s within arms reach of Azzi again. Mentally, she feels calmer, like she can be the real version of herself without expectations of perfection or appearance. Emotionally, she’s happier, the pit that lived in her stomach when they were apart replaced by a warm sensation, like just one touch from Azzi and everything that had been going wrong suddenly vanished.
And physically, she was in less pain, too. Back at the hotel after the lights show, Azzi pulled Paige’s legs into her lap, massaging her sore shins while Paige spoke on the phone with her manager. Then, as they put ‘Love Actually’ on the tv, Azzi cradled Paige’s head against her chest, each stroke of delicate fingers through blonde hair relaxing her to the point of overwhelming drowsiness.
“You gotta stop with that, I’ma fall asleep.” Paige murmured, though she made no effort to move, if anything she tucked herself further into Azzi’s side.
Azzi smiled and kissed the slope of her nose, “You’re so cute.” She brought her hands to Paige’s arm instead, scratching slowly, “But you should sleep, P. Long day tomorrow.”
“I know,” Paige sighed, “But if I fall asleep, that means the next time I get up, I have to leave.”
“Leave you" goes unsaid, but both girls are thinking it anyway. Paige caught the slight quiver of Azzi’s lip and realized she’d burst their fragile bubble, the one where they pretended there wasn’t a car coming for her in just a few hours.
A singular tear fell down a tan cheek, “I wish you could be here for Christmas.”
Paige propped herself up on one elbow, her hair spilling over their shared pillow, “I’ll be on the phone all day, promise. You’re gonna be sick o’ me.”
“It’s not the same.” Azzi stared straight ahead, as if she was scared to meet Paige’s eyes, scared to prepare to say goodbye.
Just as Paige was going to try and lighten the mood (and say something probably totally unhinged), her phone buzzed from beside her.
It was a notification from her weather app, telling her that snow had started in Connecticut, and 3 inches had already fallen.
“Get up,” Paige said suddenly, dragging Azzi by the arm.
“What? Why?” Azzi complained, but she stood anyway.
“Just put on your coat. And borrow my boots, I’ll take one for the team and wear my sneakers.” Paige decided, knowing damn well she did not want to deal with Azzi’s hatred of being cold, or worse, cold and wet.
“I’m still confused, but okay.”
Once they were properly dressed with what was available in the hotel room, they headed for the elevator, Paige slipping their intertwined hands into her coat pocket.
The moment they stepped into the lobby, Paige’s eyes remained glued to Azzi’s face, waiting for her to look through the glass and spot the falling snow flakes.
And sure enough, her eyes widened, a real, unguarded smile breaking across her face. “It’s snowing?” she breathed. “Why didn’t you tell me?””
Paige laughed, following Azzi as she started to make a run for the sliding glass doors. It was almost 2:00 in the morning, meaning that no one was near, save for the two miserable looking men working the front desk.
A chill wafted over them as soon as they stepped outside, but Paige didn’t care, she was entirely wrapped up in Azzi’s pure joy at the snow. “It’s perfect, P!” Azzi practically squealed, as if Paige had called in a favor with God himself.
Granted, if she had the ability to do so, she easily would, just to see the almost child-like happiness on Azzi’s face.
“Yeah. It is.” Paige laced their glove-covered fingers again, leading them toward a bench she noticed earlier tucked between two evergreen trees.
Before they could sit, Azzi pulled her in by the back of her neck, kissing her sweetly. “Thank you for making time for me.”
Snowflakes started to collect on Azzi’s lashes, prompting Paige to bring the pad of her thumb to the corner of one perfect doe-eye, “I love you.”
Azzi snorted, brushing her own thumb against Paige’s bottom lip, “Dork.”
“Bro, don’t ruin the moment.”
“Maybe don’t ‘bro’ me, then?”
“Fuck, that’s my bad.” Both of them laughed at that, still standing in place, taking in as much of the other as they could while they had the chance. “If I have my way,” Paige added quietly, “this’ll be our last Christmas apart.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
(And that was a promise she did keep, they never once spent a Christmas apart again. But more on that later.)
* “My baby’s in town and we’re gonna do some winter things.” *
Morning came faster than Azzi would have liked, and somehow she woke five minutes before their alarm was set for. Snow still fell outside their window, Paige agreeing for once to leave the curtains open so Azzi could take in the view.
But now the only view she cared about was sleeping against her, Paige’s head hooked almost beneath her armpit, and her arm slung across Azzi’s waist. Azzi couldn’t help but kiss her cheek to savor the feeling of porcelain skin against her lips, savor the feeling of having Paige next to her, even if the awkward angle was definitely going to hurt later. She didn’t care, she just always wanted Paige close. She didn’t realize she had started crying again until a tear fell on Paige’s nose, which she wiped away as quickly as it fell.
Paige, who exhaled dramatically before opening her eyes, spoke groggily, “Stop staring.”
“You’re so full of yourself.” Even though Azzi had, in fact, been staring. Admiring, even. The alarm blared from the nightstand, signalling their reminder of reality, and they reluctantly rose from the bed.
Just as Azzi was about to enter the bathroom, she felt herself being tugged by her sleep-shirt, her back colliding with Paige’s front. “Not ready to let go yet.” Paige whispered into her neck, strong hands resting on the flat of Azzi’s stomach.
It was quiet while Paige got ready, Azzi sitting on the edge of the tub while Paige washed her face, scared that if she spoke she would break down into a blubbering mess. Paige looked at her in the mirror, “You can stay here if you want, ma. Checkout isn’t until noon, and you don’t have to do anything, I already took care of it.”
Azzi nodded, “Hmm, I think I will. Our flight isn’t until tonight, and I don’t know if I’m ready for chaos again.”
Paige walked back over, stopping in front of her and cradling Azzi’s face in her hands. “Speaking of, you’re gonna kill it this weekend. I can’t wait to watch.”
“You think so?”
“Oh I know so. You’re gonna have the whole team crashing out, just you wait.” Paige beamed, stepping back slightly when Azzi stood. “My baller girlfriend. How did I get so lucky?”
“You’re so weird.” But Azzi leaned her forehead against Paige’s, gripping tightly to the sides of her tshirt. “But I’m the lucky one.”
They stood there for a beat, just breathing each other in. Eventually, Paige lifted Azzi by her chin, bringing their lips together, and kissing her the way she usually did in the morning; slow, like she had all the time in the world. Except this time, she didn’t.
Paige’s phone buzzed from the bathroom counter, and Azzi could feel herself physically tense at the noise. “My car’s outside.”
“Okay.” Azzi nodded, swallowing thickly to try and stop the tears from welling in her eyes. She hated crying, and she especially hated crying when Paige left. She knew it just meant that she was disgustingly lucky to have someone she missed so much, someone who’s presence she craved all the time. But it still hurt, and it never got easier.
Azzi followed her to the door of the hotel room, hugging her once more, clinging tightly like she could hold the blonde captive and never let her go if she had the chance. “I love you.”
“I love you more.” Paige spoke into her temple, placing a lingering kiss there. Before grabbing her luggage, she lifted her backpack, unzipping the front pocket. “I have one more gift for you, but wait ‘til I leave to open it.”
“Should I save it for actual Christmas?” Azzi asked as she accepted the small (although surprisingly heavy) gift bag.
“Nah,” Paige shook her head, “There’s plenty more coming your way, don’t worry.”
“Paige!” Azzi tried to scold, but she couldn’t help but smile. “This is too much.”
“Nothing’s too much for the princess.” Paige’s phone started ringing, to which she just silenced it and shoved the device into her pocket. “Okay, I have to go f’real. But I’ll see you soon, yeah?” Paige placed a final kiss on freshly-glossed lips.
Azzi imposed a rule the first time she left Dallas, a rule that stated they weren’t allowed to actually utter the word ‘goodbye’, instead they needed to say ‘see you soon’ or ‘see you later’ or just nothing at all.
“I love you.”
“Love you too.” Paige called once more.
And then, the door shut, and she was gone.
Azzi sat back down on the bed, hands shaking as she slowly peeled away the tissue paper inside the bag. Beneath it was a handwritten note and a mason jar filled with what looked like different-colored post-its.
She opened the note first.
Az,
I miss you all the time. Like to the point that I’m convinced God hears me talk about how much I miss you more than the actual problems I have going on in my life. And even though you’re quieter about it, probably because you’re far more resilient than I’ve ever been, I know you miss me too.
So, I wrote down 22 post-its of my favorite things about you, or the things I miss about you, or sometimes just random thoughts I’ve had. One for each day until I see you again. Now, I know you have a tendency to be impatient (this is said with love considering me spoiling you is a huge part of the problem), but if you could try your best and save one for each day, I think it’ll help make the time go by faster.
I love you, and I miss you all the time, and you are just my favorite person ever. (This is a sneak peak into what the post-its look like…).
Yours always,
Paige
P.s. there’s actually 25 in case you get really impatient, but please, for the love of God, try to keep it to one a day.
Azzi found herself laughing through tears at Paige’s antics, completely overwhelmed by how thoughtful the gift had been. This was something worth far more than money could ever buy, and far more endearing than anything she’d ever been given before.
As per Paige’s request, Azzi unscrewed the lid of the jar and opened just one of the crumpled post-its.
“Watching you play against Xavier right now and all I can think about is how bright you shine. Just watching the way everyone adores you, the way your smile lights up the room, the way you play so effortlessly… makes me feel like I’m falling in love all over again.”
A small arrow drawn at the bottom right pointed toward the back of the post-it.
“Sorry, I went on a tangent and ran out of room. But just reflecting on how perfect you are and how lucky I am. Can’t wait to be yours forever <3”
Azzi brought the note to her chest and whispered, “Me too.”
* “My baby’s in town and we’re gonna do some winter things.” *