*Requested by @Infinitefanfic
"Do you have enough underwear? Sports bras?"
"MOM! I'll be fine. You'll be there. It's okay," Mallory Pugh-Press complained back to her adoptive mother.
Christen Press adopted Mal Pugh 13 years ago when Mal was only seven years old after seeing her in the local orphanage near her house. She fell in love with the pouting child the minute she set eyes on her. Now Mal was 20 and still getting babied around by Christen, even after getting her first call-up to the national team camp.
"I know. I just worry about you baby. You're not a baby anymore," Christen said getting emotional. Mal walked over to her mother and gave her a bear hug.
"I'll always be your baby. Just don't ask if I have enough underwear when we're in public and we'll be fine." Christen laughed in response.
"Okay. I'll just ask about tampons instead."
"MOM!" Mal said as Christen walked in the other direction.
"Hurry up, the car is waiting." Mal huffed and grabbed her bags before moving towards the car with her mother.
________________________________________________________________________________
"CP! MPP!" Kelley O'Hara said as she jogged over to meet the pair at the front of the hotel the USWNT would be making their home for the next month.
"MPP? Really Kels?" Mal asked laughing.
"Don't judge 'MPP', MPP. It has a nice ring to it."
"Whatever you say K-OH." Walking towards the front desk, Mal and Christen saw a piece of paper with their room assignments. Christen was roomed with Alex Morgan, which she was not too thrilled about since the pair had quite a hostile and competitive relationship. Mal, on the other hand, was roomed with Emily Sonnet. Mal blushed.
Ever since Mal was traded to the Portland Thorns, she had the biggest crush on the 24-year-old. Christen and Kelley saw the young forward blush and Christen stepped right in.
"No. I see that face. No. Period. Nothing can happen this month."
"I don't know what you're talking about mom. I think your eyesight is getting a little worse with the old age," Mal said laughing and briskly walking away, not wanting to face her mother's rath.
"Mallory Pugh-Press! When I get my hands on you-"
"Calm down CP. The girl's a crush. Let her fantasize about Sonny without her mother looking over her shoulder." Christen sighed and let her daughter run off to her room.
"She's not a baby anymore is she Kels?"
"No CP, I'm afraid she isn't. At least not after she and Sonny get it on later during camp."
"O'Hara if you ever say anything like that again I swear to god I'll have Morena and Khaleesi kill you myself." Kelley shuddered.
The first time she met Christen's dogs they attacked her for jumping on Christen for a hug. After that first encounter, they have had a cordial relationship at best, but the dogs were still not too fond of the freckled defender.
"Noted."
________________________________________________________________________________
Three weeks had passed for the USWNT at camp. Mal and Emily were getting extremely close to each other. They never went anywhere without one another, always making up excuses to be near one another or touch each other. Christen was having none of it but decided to stay out of her daughters' love life with Kelley's advice.
