Holiday Prep At The Preaths'

Crisis Averted

The ornament-making begins, and Tierna's customary sass falls apart in the face of her irrational fears for her girlfriend and their relationship. Luckily her teammates are there to comfort her. 

The dough was rolled out, the cookie cutters had been distributed- Tierna chose an angel for herself, because of course- when Tobin asked her The Question. 

"Kiddo... how are things with you and your girl?" 

Tierna froze in the middle of cutting out her third angel. Her hands trembled.

"W-why do you ask, Tobs?"

"She was invited to our little party, you know? But there wasn't a response, she didn't come with..." 

"It's fine." Tierna snapped, trying to hide the sheen of tears in her eyes. "Leave it, Tobs, I'm fine, we're fine, everything's fine." 

She didn't notice the hum of activity in Tobin and Christen's kitchen come to a halt, the three older woman looking at her in concern. 

"Sweetie?" Alyssa lay a hand on Tierna's shoulder. Tierna shook her off.

"We're fine. She's not thinking of breaking up with me. We're good, I promise." 

Tobin and Christen exchanged a long look across the dwindling sheet of Cinnamon dough. Alyssa looked at Tierna in dismay.

Tierna stubbornly returned to cutting out cinnamon angels, refusing to look at her friends. Then her phone dinged. 

Her hand twitched as she saw who the text was from. 

AJ: Ti, Honey? Are you ok? Are you having a good time with your friends? I miss you. Xoxo.

Tierna sat down, letting out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. At Alyssa's nod, she picked up the phone and answered. 

Tierna: I'm ok. I really miss you though, I wanted you to come with. You were invited, you know?

AJ: Yeah, I know, Love. I'm sorry I had to miss out, but as much as I wanted to come, I'm not feeling well and I didn't want to get you or your friends sick. It's not COVID, don't worry, I tested. 

Tierna: Oh. I... I kind of freaked, I thought.... I... Um...

AJ: What is it, Lovely?

Tierna: I thought... I thought maybe you didn't want...

AJ: What?

Tierna: Me.

The phone rang.

Tierna froze, eyes wide with panic, and Alyssa snatched it up, answering on the second ring. 

"Naeher here." She paused. "Hey. Yeah, she's right here, I'm just not sure she's up to-- what?" Alyssa blinked. "Oh. Yeah, of course I'll tell her." 

Alyssa set Tierna's phone down, and cupped her younger friend's cheek with her hand, stroking the tears away with the pad of her thumb. "Ti, honey." 

"Y-yeah?" Tierna whispered shakily. 

"AJ loves you, bean." Alyssa said in fond exasperation. "She'd never want to break up with you, definitely not over something as trivial as a sports injury. You're her girl, as much as she is yours. It's going to be okay." 

Tierna flung herself into the Keeper's arms with a soft sob. "Sorry for being silly, Lys." 

"Shh, no, Ti, it's all okay." Alyssa soothed her. "AJ's sorry she couldn't join us, but she knows you're safe with us. It's going to be alright." 

Snuggled warm and safe in her Teammates arms, Tierna thought that just might be true.