The Wait Is Over

Reports From The Frontlines

Yael arrives home from "Meet the Breakers" to see Aaron having fallen asleep on the couch while watching TV. She walks past the entryway to the living room and goes directly into the bedroom to change out of her clothes into some less enticing, because all she wants to do now is sleep off the bit of alcohol she had and get onto tomorrow, when she hopes to solve her built-up desire from the day. She goes into the bathroom to do her nightly routine and takes some melatonin to help with the zzz's. She crawls into the bed and is out fast.

***

Rose and Steph take the MTA back to Steph's place so Rose can pick up Wilma Jean, who has been having a night out with Rio under the watchful eye of Jay Herdman. Rose and Steph pay the 17-year-old and he heads out to go home.

Steph: Doesn't look like either dog got into much while we were gone.

Rose: Wilma Jean can be quite lazy, as I've told you before. She probably didn't move much after we left.

Rio is snuggled up into the bulldog, resting comfortably. Rose doesn't really want to disturb him, but has to get her furkid and herself home.

Steph: Thanks for bringing Wilma Jean over. By the way, you outdid yourself on the gussying-up tonight. Never thought I'd see you look like THAT!

Rose blushes, but accepts the compliment because she knows Steph is being genuine in her praise.

Rose: It was something I had planned to wear for my cousin's wedding last fall, but we ended up playing the conference semifinal on the day of it and I couldn't attend.

Steph: That's too bad. At least you were able to get some use out of it.

Rose puts Wilma Jean's leash on her and walks her down the stairs as the two of them stroll back to the apartment they share with Morgan and Jessie.

Steph heads to her room and changes into a t-shirt and yoga pants, determined to calm herself down after the day's events. Unfortunately, her mind is running away from her with thoughts of Yael which are compounded by what just happened with Rose. She HOPES the young midfielder doesn't read too much into what she said, because she didn't mean it in a flirty sort of way even though it came out as such. "What am I doing?! I told Yael that I wasn't ready to be fully in but that I wasn't going to be looking around either, and now I tell Rose that she's smoking hot. Maybe it was a combination of the good feelings from earlier and being pent-up at tonight's event. Oh no! If Aaron happens to see her dressed like that, I don't know if he'll be able to resist or if she can put him off. Don't think like that, Steph. She said she was falling for you and broke the other not-until-he's-gone rule by kissing you, so you have to believe that she is not going to turn around and have sex with him. But what do I do if Rose tries to flirt with me? Lie and say I'm with someone? Respond even though I really don't want to? Damn it! Why does love have to be so hard?!?!" She goes out to get Rio and the two of them cuddle for a bit before the pup gets squirmy and wants down from the couch. Steph then returns to her room and tries to sleep, but ends up cranking through a series of cognitive distortions (overthinking, racing thoughts, catastrophizing) before finally dozing off somewhere around 2.

***

Morgan and Jessie are home and chatting about the evening, since they didn't see much of one another during the event.

Jessie: Another fine evening where I sit on the wall and wonder why I can't be more outgoing.

Morgan: Jessie, you're shy, and all of us on the team know that about you. You do you. It will make your life a lot easier.

Jessie: You seemed to have a good time chatting with Abby's therapist.

Morgan: Yeah. He's nice, but it felt like he was fawning over me. I don't know how Meagan deals with him being SO into women's soccer and probably having mini-crushes on some of the players.