Don't Fight It.

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Chapter 67:

Everything was going smooth for all the couples. Alex and Tobin were adjusting easily into being an engaged couple with a dog in their own house, Ashlyn and Ali were somehow managing wedding planning and playing soccer into the same schedule, Hope and Kelley were getting better at the long distance, and JJ and Christen were getting pretty serious.

The team had two victory tour games in Pittsburgh and Chattanooga so all the girls were happy to be back together for a few days. It was nice to have two games where it wasn't as stressful as the World Cup or the NWSL where they could just play like themselves without the pressure. But like all good things, they come to an end and all the players went back to their cities to finish out the NWSL regular season.

Quickly the regular season came to end and the playoffs began.

Kelley flew to Seattle and stayed with Hope during those weeks.

It was heartbreak for some and celebrations for others.

Ashlyn felt heartbroken after the lost and it didn't make it any better that Ali was at her dad's wedding. All she wanted to do was curl up against her fiancée and sleep away pain but she understood why Ali went to the wedding. She's still trying to rebuild their relationship and so she felt like she needed to go.

Christen and Julie were defeated because they knew they didn't play their best but they still knew that FCKC deserved the win.

Ashlyn flew home the next day because her and Ali had a ton of wedding stuff still to do with little less than two weeks left.

"Ali, I'm home!" She called as she entered their house, placing her suitcase down.

"I'm in the kitchen!" Ali replied so Ashlyn wandered to the door, opening it to find her surrounded by wedding decorations.

"I'm guessing our order of decorations came." Ashlyn joked.

Ali just gave her a playful glare, "Hilarious now help me organize them into ceremony and reception piles because I'm so confused on what is what right now."

Walking over to the counter, she placed her hands on Ali's shoulder gently massaging them, "Relax, babe. I'm home now and I'll help as much as you want me to."

"I know and I appreciate that," Ali smiled turning around to face her, "I love you. Now let's get to work."

Ashlyn just laughed and gave her a kiss before she began to sort.

Slowly but surely they finished every box and had two clean, organized piles. Ashlyn immediately went and sat down on the couch in exhaustion. Ali closely followed and laid her head on Ashlyn's lap, closing her eyes, and stretched her legs across the couch.

"How was the wedding?" Ashlyn asked running her fingers through Ali's hair gently.

Ali sighed, "It was good, Kyle and I like our new brothers and our dad apologized again. I think it's starting to feel more of a family. Our mom was happy to hear that also."

"That's good to hear," Ashlyn smiled weakly, "We could have used you though yesterday."

"I wouldn't have made that big of difference, Ash."

"If you were on my backline, you would have."

Opening her eyes, Ali looked up at her, "We did all we could, it just wasn't meant to be. We have next year to make the championship."

"You're right," Ashlyn leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead, "You do realize that we're getting married in 13 days? Like we're actually getting married."

Ali just laughed at her, "You sound surprised."

"I mean I guess I kinda am. Like we've been dating for over three years now, broken up several times, have done long distance, and yet we still made it here...do you regret it?" Ashlyn added quietly.

"Do I regret what?"

"Giving me all these second chances. I still don't know how I still have you."

Sitting up and moving on Ashlyn's lap, Ali placed her hands on both sides of Ashlyn's face, practically forcing eye contact, "Ashlyn Michelle Harris, the reason I gave you all those chances is because I am too in love with you to not have you be in my life. I believed that you could change so I didn't give up hope. And now here we are three years later, happy as ever and I wouldn't want it any other way."

Ashlyn's eyes went wide and Ali gave her a confused look.

"What?"

"You just reminded me that I still need to write my vows," she said in a hurry moving Ali off of her.

"Is that the only thing you got from that speech?" Ali groaned.

"No it made me realize that we truly are meant to be cause I love you too much to lose you ever again. Now don't go in our room until I'm done. Okay? Okay. Love you."

After that, Ashlyn ran into their room shutting the door.

Ali sat in silence for a little bit before she remembered, "Crap I need to write mine also!"

Ashlyn sat at their desk in their room with a notepad and a pencil next to it.

"How do I start vows..." She thought tapping the pencil against her lips.

An hour past.

Then two hours went by.

A third was almost ending before Ashlyn finally put down her pencil. Paper balls were scattered across the desk but finally she finished the perfect set of vows in her mind.

Ali was struggling just as much because she found out it's hard to put three+ years of feelings into one speech. But eventually she got the right words down and felt happy with how it turned out.

"And you were making fun of me for not having my vows written." Ashlyn smirked wrapping her arms around Ali's shoulders, resting her chin on top of her head.

"I may have forgotten to write mine also but we are both done now so that's all that matters. One more thing we can cross off the list."

Ashlyn grabbed the list from the counter and put a red check through the box that was next to "Vows".

"What do we have left?" Ali asked.

"Um let's see. You're wedding dress?"

"Check." Ali replied.

"My tuxedo? Check. Invitations?"

"Sent."

"Decorations? Check. DJ?"

"Check."

"Food and cake?"

"Done and done."

"So it looks like the only thing we have left is the flowers which are arriving the day of the wedding," Ashlyn smiled putting the list back down, "What day is Kyle coming again?"

"Just two days before so the 24th I believe. Still want him as your best man?"

"Of course. We are 'Krashlyn' after all."