What The Heart Wants

Humility and Grace

Ali struggled to sleep last night, working over in her mind how she wanted to tell Ashlyn her decision about them. She took a shower, hoping that it would clear her mind enough to formulate some kind of explanation for how she had come to feel. Ashlyn returned to their condo just before 9 and made herself a cup of coffee in the Keurig. Ali went to the fridge and re-filled her glass of orange juice. When both had settled in across from each other at the kitchen island, Ashlyn began the conversation.

Ashlyn: It looked like you had a fun week in Philadelphia with your new teammates.

Ali: It was better than I could have dreamed. The players we selected are all really nice and happy for the opportunity to play for a club that won't back down from defending them against unfair criticism or unwarranted hate.

Ashlyn: Heard about the journo who had some run-ins with you and others.

Ali: Believe me, it wasn't pleasant trying to keep him at bay, first with the attempt to get me to out myself at the airport, then catching us on the street and inquiring about Alex's legal issues and whether you or I had anything to do with it. That doesn't count his appearance at Hearts United, where he stirred the pot a little more and forced our general manager to initiate a harassment lawsuit against him, or his literally stalking us at the airport on Monday before we left for home.

Ashlyn: Let me ask a couple of questions before we move on. First, why would he be asking you about Alex and her separation from Servando?

Ali: He has some conspiracy theory that you and Alex have something going and that she's leaving him for you, plus trying to hide her money from him through the use of the separation in order to file for divorce later on when she leaves Orlando and is in a place that isn't a community property state.

Ashlyn thinks about what Ali said, because it is pretty spot-on to what actually is Alex's rationale for doing it this way.

Ashlyn: Next, a harassment lawsuit? Isn't that a bit much for someone who seems to be a pest?

Ali: Then you didn't see what he did to Steph McCaffrey at the airport. Decked her square in the jaw after she stood up to him by running off some of his own indiscretions.

Ashlyn: So that's why she looked like she had had oral surgery in your selfie with her and Kristie.

Ali: Yes. She called our legal counsel earlier in the morning after he had tried to gin up some dirt from us at the Dunkin' Donuts in the airport, then did a bit of opposition research on him in case she needed it to back him down.

Ashlyn: She seems to have taken on a bit of an enforcer role for your team, standing up for you time and again when this jerk came a'calling.

Ali: Well, her and Labbe handled a lot of the dirty work in keeping the rest of us protected.

Ashlyn: Speaking of her, I saw the picture she posted of the two of you at some ice cream shop.

Ali: Yeah, the Franklin Fountain. I had seen it mentioned in the Philadelphia edition of "Man vs. Food" and thought we should stop in while in that part of town. One of the owners wanted a picture for his Wall of Fame and told us that his niece is a player and had told him about there being a new women's team in Philly.

Ashlyn: I had never noticed it before, since most of the time I'd see the two of you in your Spirit training gear or uniforms, but you would make a really cute couple if something were to ever happen that led to both of you being unattached in the future.

Ali: Like you and Alex? I saw the two of you after the match in San Jose, and it made me realize that she is really into you, and that she's not shy about letting others know that. I haven't been able to do that for you, and I don't know if I'd ever be able to stand in the middle of a s***storm like what happened there or in North Carolina a few weeks ago and show my support for you.