Holiday Prep At The Preaths'

Strings of Mayflowers

Emily Sonnett and Kelley O'Hara arrive at Tobin and Christen's house in time to start the next round of crafts. Alyssa has to leave, but she's not going anywhere until Tierna has someone else keeping an eye on her.

When the ornaments were in the oven, Christen and Tobin led Tierna into the living room. They got her settled in a recliner, leaning back and lifting the bottom up to support her legs. Tobin brought a canary-yellow afghan to cover the younger girl, and tucked it around her; the soft, thick loops of woollen yarn snuggled around Tierna made her 5'10 frame seem a lot smaller. 

"Comfortable, Ti?" 

"Mmm." Tierna burrowed the blanket some more, practically disappearing under it. "Sorry I had a freakout, Tobs." She said in a small voice. 

"It's okay, hun." Tobin smiled, perching on the arm of the chair and rubbing Tierna's shoulder through the blanket. "It was an anxiety attack, and it's perfectly okay. Especially since AJ's sick and you can't help her right now. It's  normal to feel helpless in a situation like that." She stared past the recliner, at the back of Christen's head as her girlfriend turned.

The doorbell had chimed, sounding like a music box. 

Christen went to answer the door, and stepped back to admit Emily Sonnett and Kelley O'Hara. The two Georgia-born defenders stepped past Christen and set their bags down in the hall, turning to greet her with hugs, which she returned just as warmly. 

"We've got cinnamon ornaments baking in the oven, Kells, Em."

"Sorry we missed out." Emily said. "What have we got next, popcorn strands?" She asked in interest. 

"Might do." Christen chuckled at the idea. "Or paper chains, maybe flowers even. Something Ti can do from her chair, I think." 

Immediately both defenders were on alert. They followed Christen into the living room, and seeing Tierna's ensconced in her cocoon, pulled up chairs to sit on either side of her. 

"Squish? You okay?" Kelley asked, using their teammate Andi Sullivan's nickname for the kid.

"Had a freakout over something stupid." Tierna mumbled into the blanket.

Tobin swatted the back of her head, all she could presently reach, gently. "It was not stupid, Tierna Lillis Davidson, and if you keep on talking like that I'll take you over--"

"Can't." Tierna said promptly, shutting Tobin up mid-threat. 

"I can." Emily cut in. "Press says we can do paper chains, or maybe flowers. Would you like that?" 

"Yeah." Tierna nodded, snuggling into her cocoon as her friends petted her hair. "What kind of flowers?"

"Any kind you like." Christen said, bringing in construction paper, scissors, glue bottles, and tape." 

"My Father always talks about Mayflowers." Sonnett said thoughtfully. Kelley nodded agreement. 

"Mayflowers? In November? Oh, you mean like the Mayflower?" Tierna asked. 

"Well, that too." Kelley put in.

Emily hmm-ed nodding. "But my father always talks about Mayflowers because they're  pretty." She said. "We used to decorate all our holiday tables with them, they're Mom's favorite flowers. I couldn't get that in Sweden." She remembered her time away from the team with a pang of sadness. 

"It's usually just 'ground laurel' with my family, but I guess Sonnett's Dad's a bit of a poet." Kelley grinned, giving Emily's hand a squeeze. "You can make Mayflower chains for Chris and Tobs table if you like, I'm sure." 

Tobin nodded agreement. "Go crazy, just don't go hurting each other with those scissors." She said. "And no sticky stuff where it doesn't belong." 

"We're not six anymore, Heath." Kelley rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, we got this." 

Christen brought a tray to put on Tierna's lap, and the friends grouped themselves around her, getting to work. 

Chains of paper Mayflowers, Sunflowers. and Daisies- both yellow and white- were worked into existence. Spring and Summer flowers in November? Well, whyever not.

As a riot of colors bloomed on Tierna's tray, the oven timer dinged.

Alyssa went to get the ornaments out of the oven, not wanting to disturb her friends, and soon she had the cinnamon ornaments on cooling racks. The appealing scent wafted from the kitchen throughout the house, and Tierna looked up.

"Those smell amazing. I almost want to eat them." 

"You'd break a tooth, Squish." Kelley tugged a lock of Tierna's hair. "Don't even try it." 

Tierna growled under her breath, sticking her tongue out at Kelley. "I won't, I said almost." 

When the ornaments were cool, Alyssa brought them out on a platter, with spools of ribbon she'd found on the kitchen counter- red, green, blue, gold, and silver. The girls turned their attention from the garden of flowers spilling over Tierna onto the floor (Tobin and Christen hastily cleared them away) and began threading loops through the small holes carefully cut into each ornament. 

"You can have some of them, even though you didn't make them with us." Tierna offered. Alyssa, Tobin, and Christen nodded agreement, so Kelley and Emily each chose a couple of the ornaments to set aside for themselves.

"Who did the angel?" Kelley asked. 

"Me." Tierna said with an innocent smile. "Because, I'm an angel." 

"Sure you are, Squish." 

Alyssa boxed up a handful of ornaments, accepting a blue-strung angel from Tierna, and adding a Christmas tree, round ball ornament, star, and candlestick. "Sorry, girls, I've got to get going or I'll be late for my flight." She gave Tierna a kiss on the forehead. "Behave for Tobs and Chris, okay? I don't want to get back and find you've been causing trouble, kiddo." 

"I told you, Lys, I'm an angel. I'll be so good." Tierna promised. 

"All right." Alyssa agreed, eyeing her younger Red Stars teammate doubtfully. 

"Good luck against Germany, Lys." Tierna said. "I know you can do it." 

"Thanks, Sweetie." Alyssa smiled, then hugged her other teammates in farewell. "It's been fun. I'll make us all proud." 

"We know." Tobin agreed. "Take care, Lys. Give everyone our love." 

"I will."