What The Heart Wants

Hearts Are Broken

After training on Tuesday, Steph Labbe invited Mana to join her for lunch at sweetgreen, which was near her therapist's office on the campus of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. While eating, the pair talked about their struggles from last year and how they're impacting them now.

Steph: You went to Sweden after cutting ties from the Thorns, right?

Mana: Yes. I needed to get out of that environment temporarily. I was in the midst of a long-distance breakup, was slowly attaching myself to one of my teammates in Portland, and wasn't playing much as we headed into the playoffs.

Steph: Hmmm....if I may ask, would that be why I didn't see much of your girlfriend with you on your Instagram but a lot of you and Mallory Weber together around the holidays?

Mana: Resourceful one, you are. Pretty much, yes. I stayed with Mallory for the last bit of the off-season in the Detroit area before coming down to Philly. To be honest, I'm not doing particularly well with the separation. Even though I know I have people here who if I asked them would be there for me, like Savannah and you and Kriegy, it's different not seeing her or talking to her on a daily basis.

Steph: I really feel you. My relationship with Georgia was always long-distance, with her in Vancouver training or around the world competing and me in Washington or Edmonton. The only times we could guarantee seeing each other was when I'd be at national team camp and she'd be home from the skicross circuit. That, combined with my being shuffled out of the starting job for the second straight season by Gabarra, led to a deep depression that caused me to take a medical leave of absence for the final few weeks of last season. The time off was a lifeline to get myself somewhat back to normal, but it wasn't until my birthday party in Las Vegas that I felt like the fog had cleared enough for me to consider getting back to training and thinking about a return in 2018.

Mana: I see. Fast-forward a few weeks and you're in Vancouver shutting out the US and having what looked like the time of your life in net.

Steph blushed at her teammate's recollection of the that special night in BC Place. "It was a pretty special time, that week or so before the game. I had been selected by the Hearts in the expansion draft and I had come to think about the possibility of a relationship like I had with my girlfriend before Georgia, where we played for the same team in Sweden and were both on the national team."

Mana: Would that be how things started with Ali?

Steph: Not EXACTLY!

Steph told Mana about the phone call she made to Carm after the game and Ali's response on the other end of the Skype call she and the assistant coach were on, then the things during orientation week that led to their coupling.

Mana: See, I WANT that. I'm not going to get that here, even if somehow I could convince Wendy to trade for Mallory. I know Erica might be interested since she played for her at Penn State, but do we have a place on the roster for her?

Steph: Go in and talk to the two of them. I brought up yesterday in our staff meeting that I didn't think you were doing particularly well in adjusting to Philly and that something was dragging you down. They're good women and have been around this game long enough to know that it's a grind and that your happiness gets put on the back burner a lot of the time to maintain your place in it.

Mana: I'll do it tomorrow after training. Meanwhile, I'm going to call Mallory tonight and fill her in on how I'm doing and what might be on the table in order to alleviate my struggles.

The duo left sweetgreen and hugged before they went their separate ways.

***

Diana was out of the house doing some preliminary dress browsing with Kristie, Morgan, and Sammy Jo, leaving Steph and Ali alone for a couple of hours after dinner.

Ali: How was your session with your therapist?

Steph: It went well. We began dealing with my fears about commitment, namely whether I can trust another person enough to share everything with them, including the skeletons in the closet and the thoughts that dominate my mind from time to time.

Ali: I take it I came up somewhere in all that.

Steph: Yes, my dear. I know that I love you to the moon and back and that one day I want to make that lifelong commitment to you, so we're working on getting me to drop my guard a little at a time with her concerning my negative thinking based on the way the last two years went in Washington and trying NOT to think about it happening here once one of the younger keepers shows they can be trusted with the starting gig.

Ali stroked Steph's hair and face while speaking softly to her. "I love you, Stephanie. I get how going through 2016's theft if you will of your job hurt you and then how having it happen again last year forced you to leave for a time. I will stand by you no matter what, but I DO need to know if you're struggling. It's part of being a good partner and it will only draw us closer."

Steph looked up into Ali's eyes and for the first time since they had gotten together didn't feel the urge to look away. Ali felt the connection with Steph and leaned down to embrace her lips with her own.

Steph: I did find out what was up with Mana. She's in effect homesick for Mallory. Didn't realize how being apart from her would affect her after the long-distance breakup near the end of last season and her going to Sweden for a couple of months. I told her that I understood and could relate because of the situation with Georgia and how us joining forces brought that balance back to my life that was there before Rio.

Ali: Did you tell her to talk to Wendy and Erica about it?

Steph: I did. She said she'd do so after training tomorrow.

Ali: I'm feeling a little frisky, and I'd like nothing more than to take it out of you while we still have the house to ourselves. Game?

Steph: Of course, I'm game. You have no idea what your touch does to me and how I can't resist it.

Steph got up and turned off the main light in the living room, but left on one in the kitchen so that Diana wouldn't be returning to a dark house. After that, she joined Ali in their room to share herself physically with her partner and to delight in her reciprocation of that affection.

***

Training on Wednesday morning started with two 5v3 rondos and Diana and Kristin working with the three goalkeepers. Following that, Steph Labbe and Diana joined the rest of the team to run through some 8v6 offense vs. defense scenarios. The starting front six (Steph McCaffrey, Savannah, Mana, Diana, Kristie, and Ali) had a fair level of success moving the ball against the dual d-mids of Morgan and Becca and the back line of Liz, Steph Ochs, Erin, and Cami, resulting in a LOT of work for Steph in net. A few minutes before they were to break ahead of a 10v10 scrimmage, Morgan intercepted a pass from Kristie that was meant for Frannie. She chose to dribble out of trouble and take on the center back pairing of Cari and Bianca. The Mexican international did a fine job of shepherding Morgan, then saw a slight opening and stuck her left foot in to tackle the ball away. The two players trapped the ball between their feet and, after Morgan was able to jar it loose and pass Bianca, she noticed her cleats had sunk into the turf a slight bit. Unable to bring it out the way it went in, she attempted to twist it out. After raising her heel to make for an easier extraction, she turned her leg and *POP*.