FROM FRANCE TO USA

Thanksgiving

It was Thanksgiving day and Alex had invited all of her national teammates to come celebrate it at her house.
I was in the kitchen with Alex while the others were coming in one by one.

"Can you put the turkey in the oven please ?" Alex asked me as she finished stuffing the turkey.
I took the turkey and put it in the oven. "Now we wait.." She said looking at the oven. She seemed stressed.

"You're not going to stand in front of the oven till it's ready ?" I questioned her.

"Listen, It's the first time I am making a Thanksgiving meal and I don't want to fuck up." She said and I chuckled. "Why are you laughing ?" I could tell she was on her nerves.

"Come on it's just a turkey Alex it's not the end of the world if you miss it ! " She glared furiously at me, I threw my hands up defensively taking that as my cue to leave.

"Ok I'm out." I said and walked out of the kitchen. I was going to join the others when I bumped into someone.

"Oh no, not you !" I ironically said when I saw who it was.

"Still mad at me for taking you out of the playoff." Sam replied.

"Uhm not since I watched you loose against the Thorns." I said and she pushed me playfully as we joined the others.
I talked with some of them and went to the backyard. As soon as I put one foot outside, a ball was thrown at me. Fortunately I caught it before it hit me and looked around to see who could have thrown it at me.

"Hi ! " Mal said with a big grin.

"What the fuck Mal ?" I shouted.

"Oh stop being a whiner and come play with us !" She said pointing to Lindsey, Sonny, Moe and Rose who all waved at me.
I waved back and looked around to see Kristie sitting on the ground next to the field the girls made, she was on her phone not really paying attention at what was happening.

"Play without me, I'll maybe join after." I said as I walked towards Kristie. I saw Mal looking at me smiling, I smiled back at her as she continued to play.
I approached Kristie slowly, I was stressed cause I haven't talked to her in months.

"Hi.." I slightly said.

"Hi !" She said looking at me with a smile. I don't know why but it stressed me out even more.
I sat next to her and an awkward silence took place.
She had stopped looking at her phone to watch the girls.

I cleared my throat and tried to engage conversation.
"You're not playing ?"

"No didn't feel like it." She said.

Awkward silence again.

"How've you been ?" I said and I saw her laugh nervously. She turned her head to face me.

"What are you doing ?" She asked.

"I-I just want to know how you're doing, it's been a long time..." I said.

"Yes, clearly you didn't care how I was doing before... so why do you care now ?" She looked back at the girls and left me speechless. I didn't know what to say to her. She wasn't wrong, even since Becca's confession I didn't try to reach out to her.

"It's not true.." She glared at me..She can be scary when she wants to. Anyway. "I always cared and I always asked Mal how you were doing..."