What The Heart Wants

The Hours

Shortly after 8am, the Philadelphia Hearts' charter bus was on the road for Durham, North Carolina and the first stop of their two-game road trip. On Monday afternoon, Duke coach Robbie Church announced that the game was being moved from their campus stadium to WakeMed Soccer Park, home of the North Carolina Courage and where the 2018 Division I College Cup would be held the weekend of Becca and EJ's wedding. Some players zoned out to their music, others napped, but the three Blue Devil alumnae talked about the week ahead and this past weekend.

EJ: When I told my mom that we would be coming down to Durham to train for a few days before the Duke game, she asked if I'd have time to come over to Barton and look at some possible reception sites on-campus along with Howard Chapel, where the ceremony will take place. Becca, which day makes the most sense to do that?

Becca: I'd say Thursday, but I also have the impression that Erica and Carm will try and use that time for a team excursion. Want I should talk to Carm and see what the plans are and if it'd be OK for us to pass on them to handle this part of the wedding planning?

EJ: That'd be a good idea.

Becca went up to talk to Carm, leaving EJ and Morgan Reid.

Morgan: The two of you seem to be on top of this wedding thing.

EJ: Not really. There is a LOT that we haven't discussed yet. Being in the area this week provides a good chance to take care of one of the bigger pieces of the puzzle, however.

Becca came back and informed the others that Carm had planned on Thursday afternoon being a team bonding time, but that we could use the time to go to Wilson and invite others to join us. "In effect, there will be two options for Thursday afternoon, what Carm has planned and the wedding stuff we're doing."

EJ: Guess we'll need to make an announcement of that at dinner tonight.

Becca: Speaking of announcements, I think Morgan might have one if what I saw on Saturday night is anything to go by.

Morgan blushed slightly, then took a few seconds to gather her thoughts before speaking. "You remember me getting catcalled by a couple of drunks on the way back to the bus, right? Well, I hung back after that to wait for Michael to catch up with me, then used him to sort of get me out of the jam, making them think he was my guy. After we got seated, I thanked him for playing along and he said it was more a rehearsal for him than an act, since he would like that to possibly come true. I told him sort of the same thing and, well, we're going to see how things go after I get back from the trip."

EJ (mockingly): My, my! Morgan Reid dating outside the bubble, and a fellow pre-med student at that? What IS this world coming to?!

Morgan: No way I could do that in Durham, and frankly, athletes give me a bit of the willies. It's starting to become acceptable to not fall for the first former jock that crosses your path, with last November being a prime example of that. Was it three or four dual-athlete couples that broke up that month?

Becca: Let's see.....Alex and Servando, Morgan and Fabrice, Julie and Zach.....might have been only three.

EJ: Back to the wedding. I know that my mom is going to ask who we have in it. We haven't really decided yet, have we?

Becca: Jillian is going to be my maid of honor, no question. Beyond that, I don't know.

EJ: I SHOULD have Dawson somewhere in the party, but where I really have no clue. He's my only sibling and thus should be up there with us at the altar as opposed to ushering.

Becca: Given all the events that weekend for College Cup, I don't think we should choose any current Blue Devils because 1) if they're playing, the back-and-forth between pressers, training, rehearsal, banquet...you get the picture; and 2) it will be hard to pick one or two over the rest.