Chapter Text
Everyday is the same for Ashlyn Harris. She gets up at six, puts the water on the stove for her coffee, gets Al’s leash, goes for a 5 miles run, comes back and have her coffee, read the newspaper, goes out to the back woods to cut firewood and garden, comes back home to take a shower, fixes lunch, spend hours in her workshop crafting wood, fixes dinner, goes for a long walk with Al, and she goes to bed. There were occasional disrupts to her routine when her mother, brother, grandmother, or her friends came to visit or when Ashlyn had to go into town to get food. However, during the spring and summer Ash had most of the things that she needed growing in the back garden and even if she needed things, she would make her way into town to Jerry’s corner store and pick up what she needed and head back home. It was the peace and tranquility she got from the place that she didn’t want to leave behind. She had adapted herself to the cabin and the woods that she didn’t want to ever leave. It was definitely not the life she had in mind but it was becoming the life that she ever needed.
It was just like any other day when she was working in her workshop that Al started barking. “Al, stop it! It’s jus a squirrel,” Ash was in the middle of carving her little intricate design on the side of the teak coffee table her mother had been asking her to make. However, Al didn’t stop barking. “Al, I mean it. You know mom’s not going to be happy if I don’t get this don—” Ash didn’t even finish her word as she started to concentrate more into her carving. It was true. Her mom had asked her for the coffee table but she had been procrastinating; Ashlyn was never good at sticking to one piece of work. So, she promised that she would finish by this Christmas, 34 months later… Ash chuckled at the prolonging of her work but she was never the type to ever rush anything. She was always more of a go with the flow type and found everything to be fine as long as eventually, the job gets done. And that’s how she was treating her mom’s coffee table. As she was making a curve with her carving tool, Al barked again and this time it got her by surprise and suddenly she went off her pencil design. “Fuck!” Ashlyn shouted, “AL! I swear if you are,” she was pissed. Ashlyn got up furiously, took her gloves off as she went towards the noise and there he was, the culprit sitting in front of the door whining like a puppy, wagging his tail. Ash was about to yell at him but she realized that there was someone at the door. It was eight in the evening and it was very unusual for anyone to be even knocking at her door during the day; Ash was hesitant to open the door.
She just stood there lost in her thought wondering who that could possibly be and then was brought back to the moment when Al barked again louder wagging his tail against the wooden floor even louder. Then there was a voice, “ASHLYN MICHELLE HARRIS! OPEN THE DAMN DOOR WE’RE GONNA FREEZE OUR ASSES OFF HERE!!!”
That’s when she knew... Oh goodness… Ash thought to herself. She turned to Al as she walked towards the door and said, “That’s why you were so patient and excited.” Even before Ash could open the door after she unlocked the door, the three musketeers barged in. It was Sydney, Megan, and Whitney.
“Goodness you couldn—”
Even before Ash could finish her sentence Megan started talking, “You know, this what I was worried about when you said you were going move to the fucking Stone Age. You lost all your manners!”
“Okay, you know people don’t turn up in front of my door here in the ‘Stone Age’ and when they do, they’re not people they’re bears,” Ash replied as she hugged Syd and Whitney.
Megan had by then put the box on the floor and Al was jumping all over her; Al always like Megan because every time Megan came, she would just give him EVERYTHING to snack on. “Well, if I were a bear you think this handsome dude would be wagging his tail and whine? I know right buddy? You missed me but of course your mommy won’t take you anywhere else other than the creepy back yard, right?” Megan said to Al as she rubbed her face against his.
Ash just smiled and shook her head, “So, what do you guys owe this intrusion to?” She took a peak in the box, just to in case and her guess was right: booze. It wasn’t that Ash didn’t want to go out to the city or see her friends but she often got to caught up in her own space that she forgets to make her way to meet ups with her friends.
“Do we really need a reason to come and see our long lost friend who refuses to call or text or skype… wait, you don’t even have a computer here,” Whit mocked Ash’s cabin life as she reached for a beer in the box and popped it open.
“Wait… Does that mean that you don’t get Wi-Fi?!” Syd exclaimed as she reached for her phone, “YOU PROMISED THAT YOU WOULD GET INTERNET LAST TIME WE CAME HERE!!!!!! We don’t even get 4G here Ash!”
Everyone laughed at Syd because they knew she wasn’t joking. “You get what I mean by kids these days?” Ash teased her. They finally settled down and sat around the fireplace as Ash got the fire going. Al was tucked nicely next to Pinoe –which is no surprise— Syd finally got over her “no internet” phases and was seated on the recliner while Whitney was on the floor. Ash hadn’t seen them for almost four months and as much as Ash liked the tranquility and the peace the cabin offered there was no denying that she missed her friends.
As the four gathered around the fireplace Ash realized that there was absolutely nothing to munch on at the house, “Hey guy’s, I’m going to go down to Jerry’s and pick up some stuff. You guys what anything?”
“Can you grab like those grilled cheese? Gosh, Jerry’s are the best. If you didn’t live so far down the timeline I would time travel back here just for those,” Syd said with exaggeration.
Ash just laughed, “Anything else?”
“Me too,” Pinoe said.
“Yeah and grab few more beers if you can?” Whit added.
“Sounds good,” Ash replied, “Al, you wanna go with?” Al slightly lifted his head and as Ash opened the front door and the cold air came in, that was enough for Al to just rest his head on Pinoe’s lap and drift back to sleep. Everyone laughed at this.
As Ash was putting her beanie and walking out, Pinoe said, “You know you can take the car, right? Just in case you might get attacked by a bear.”
Ash gave her a chortle and replied, “I’m sure I can ride my bike faster in the woods than try to drive around trees. How many times did you have to tell Syd to watch out while you drove in here?” Pinoe just quietly sipped her drink, “That’s what I thought,” Ash said and headed out. The fall breeze was really nice against her face. As she biked through the woods out to the main road to where Jerry’s was, she parked her bike out and walked in.
“Well, well, well, guess who this is?” Jerry said as Ash walked in.
“Haha, how’s it going neighbor?”
“Good, good. So, I see that you have company for once,” he teased her.
“Yeah, the three musketeers are here,” Ash said as she went around the third aisle to pick up some beer.
“Yeah, the dropped by to get booze,” Jerry said as Ash came to the counter to drop off the drinks, “And, looks like a box wasn’t enough?” Jerry said surprised and impressed.
“Haha nah, I think they just want to get prepared. Just in case you know?” Ash winked, “Also, Jerry, can I get three grilled cheese?”
“Of course you can,” Jerry said as he made his way behind the grill to the small diner like open kitchen right next to the counter. “So, how have you been Ash? Literally, I’m the closest civilization from your cabin and I don’t even get to see you that often. You making the extra trip down to Mike’s store to avoid me or have you been magically stocking up so that you don’t have to make the trip out?”
“Hahaha. Aw com’on Jer! You know I would never do that! Plus, Mike’s groceries aren’t as good as yours,” Ash whispered back.
“Ohhhhh so you HAVE been going down there!” Jerry said in a jokingly offended tone as he placed the grilled cheese on the grill.
“LONG TIME AGO! When you had to go figure that shit out with your girlfriend, REMEMBER?” Ash defended herself. Both of them laughed. Jerry and Ash have known each other for quite a while. They technically grew up together because the Harris and the Markson families were friends. And, every summer when the Harris family came up to Vermont, Jerry and his siblings would come hang out at the cabin.
“Anyway, how’ve you been Ash? It doesn’t hurt to join us for few drinks now and then,” Jerry said as he flipped the grilled cheese
“I know, I know. You know me, I get distracted in there and forget about everything around me,” Ash said as she swirled around her water in the cup in front of her, “Plus, you know I don’t drink.”
“I mean we can use a DD once in a while,” he replied with a laugh.
“Ah, I see you just want to use me,” Ash said giving him the squinty eyes but she just laughed. “I’ll come and hangout, I promise.”
“You’ve said that like a million times. I don’t get how someone like you, who get along really well with people, just… I don’t even know. You have a split personality. I mean, you’ve always been like that even when we were kids. Remember? When we went fishing by the stream and you were so adament about catching “that” fish that you went all the way down to Tarksburg?” Jerry said as he recalled the memory shaking his head.
“Haha yeah,” Ash replied with a laugh. Ash really did have a problem. She wasn’t bad with people nor did she hate being around people. But, since she adapted to her cabin life, it was hard for her to get out of it, especially after she started carpentry. “I remember I finally caught the fish and the next thing I knew, it was getting dark and I walked about two miles into town barefoot with the fish.”
“Yeah, and the best part was when we went to pick you up at the police station, you were crying because they wouldn’t let you hold your fish but made you wait with the fish in the bucket! Hahaha,” That story never gets old. “You weren’t even upset that you ended up in a different town,” Jerry added as she wrapped the finished grilled cheese and put them in a brown bag.
“I know… I was quite the child wasn’t I?” Ash said with a smile as she took the bag from Jerry and placed it in her backpack. “Well, I guess I never grew out of that then. Anyway, thanks Jerry. How much is it?”
“Um, two packs of beers so, 16 bucks,” Jerry said.
“Yeah, and the 3 grilled cheese,” Ash reminded.
“Nah, that’s on the house. Tell the three musketeers that that’s my welcoming and ‘thank you’ present for visiting the recluse living in the ‘Stone Age,’” Jerry replied with a laugh.
“No, Jerry here,” Ash said as she pulled out an extra twenty to hand it to Jerry.
“I’m serious, it’s all good. Ash, business is good enough for me to give out free grilled cheese, you know?”
Ash smiled, “Well, thanks. And, I promise, I’ll join you guys down for a drink. Just come knock on my door.”
“Yeah right, ‘just knock on my door.’ But, okay,” Jerry laughed. Ash packed her things and said bye to Jerry and walked out.
As Ash walked out, she noticed something by her bike. It was darn so she couldn’t really see and if it was as a skunk it wouldn’t be the first time she would be trying to run away from it, especially in front of Jerry’s. Ash saw the creature slowly come to her and she started to turn around and head back into the store when the creature suddenly started to race towards her and it jumped on her…. And started licking. It was Al.
Ash thought she almost shat her pants because last time that skunk really almost had her. “Al! What are you doing here?!” Ash was kind of relieved and still caught off guard and that’s when she saw the flash light shining bright at her and heard the laugh.
“MAN! You should have seen your face dude! Hahahah,” Whitney managed to get out in between her laughter.
“Dude! I nearly shat myself! What are you guys doing here?”
“Well, little after you left, this dude started whining in front of the door so we decided to take a walk and figured that since you were ordering something, we would be able to make it here before you left.”
“Wow, and you weren’t scared that you would get attacked by a bear?”
“Not with this trooper,” Whit said as she bent down to give Al a nice ear rub and a kiss. The three then started to walk back.
It was dark out but the moon was bright to light the path back to the cabin. They walked in silence through the cold fall breeze. Ten minutes into the walk Ash finally had to ask, “So, why are you guys here? I mean I miss you guys and I love that you guys are here but you guys don’t just drop by unless something is up,” Ash finished as she fiddled with Al’s leash in her hand and looked at her ground.
“What do you mean? We’re really just here to see you,” Whit replied.
“Bullshit. I’ve known you for ten years, don’t pull that stunt on me Whit. I know that tone.”
Whit chuckled softly, “Wow, and five years of cabin life and Ashlyn Harris can finally see through the surface, huh?”
“Ha ha, very funny so what’s up?”
“Syd’s going through stuff with her club and she just broke up with her boyfriend. Pinoe is stressed out about getting the wedding going. Well, she’s stressing out about Walsh stressing out. And…,” Whitney paused, “I miss my best friend.”
There was so much nostalgia in the way Whit said, “I miss my best friend.” When Ash decided to drop everything she had and move to Vermont, she didn’t realize what she was doing to everyone around her. However, she lost her spark and everything she ever fought for and needed a change and that change just so happened to be in Vermont. She had to be selfish and put herself first. She had to find her spark again and even after the move, it didn’t come to her right away. It took her three years before she finally felt like she was on her way to her old self. “I know Whit. I’m sorry. I didn’t have much time to think about anyone else five years ago. I was desperate to find myself…”
“Hey, stop it. I’m not saying this is bad. I’m glad you did. You just didn’t have that spark anymore in you. And, when I look at you now, I’m so glad that all that time we worried about you wasn’t just for nothing. All that time we worried about you was rewarded with the you today,” Whit replied as she put a hand on Ash’s shoulders and smiled. “Anyway, yeah…,” They could see the cabin light from afar and suddenly Whit changed her ton of voice, pretended like she had glasses on and a clipboard and started talking. “So, today Miss Harris, you will most probably be in a night long meeting with Ms. Leroux and Ms. Rapinoe. Ms. Leroux has had it rough recently with her boyfriend who was very much a dick and she finally grew a pair to dump him and Ms. Rapinoe, has had it rough with her soon-to-be wife about whether they want the wedding flowers to be green and yellow or red, blue, and white.”
“Huh? Wedding flowers being green and white or red, blue, and white?” Ash asked quizzically.
“Let’s just say that they are both very patriotic. But, yes. That is your schedule and the estimate meeting time with each is…. Undetermined as it might be a verrrrry long meeting,” Whitney wrapped up her report.
“Haha thank you Engen. I’ll keep that in mind,” Ash said as she played along and wrapped her arm around Whit’s shoulder as they walked into the house.
“HARRIS!” Sydney yelled, “Gosh, I thought I was going to starve!”
“Haha you guys look comfortable,” Ash said as she saw that the two were already dressed in her UNC gears. Ash didn’t mind. That was the best part about them. They all were comfortable enough to know each other’s boundaries and wearing clothes was definitely not one of them. Plus, what’s better than having a UofP and a UCLA wearing a UNC t-shirt? Nothing. “Sorry, but it takes time to make grilled cheesy and plus it has only been like half an hour. Also, Jerry gave those for free,” As said as she tossed each one to Syd and Pinoe.
“Yeah?” Pinoe and Syd said at the same time with a smile.
“You know, I should just try to work it out with Jerry. He’s good looking, polite, nice, built, educated,” Syd listed as she took a bite of her grilled cheese.
“And, domesticated. My goodness, these just get better every time,” Pinoe said with a mouthful.
“I know. I just don’t get why someone who graduate cumlaude from Stanford is running a corner store in a town nobody knows in Vermont,” Syd said curiously but too distracted eating her grilled cheese.
“Yeah, really. You know, that says a lot about the job market these days,” Pinoe replied. Ash and Whit just exchanged a look and smiled because they Jerry. They knew that Jerry actually is a freelance stockbroker who never has to work. Damn be it, three generations after him don’t have to work with the amount of money he has earned. And, that was the reason why Ash liked him so much. No body in town knew how well off he was nor did he ever once go around telling anyone. He got rich, paid off his family’s debt and school loans and gave 30% of his stock shares to charities. He was the most well rounded person Ash knew. And, now that Syd mentioned something about Jerry, Ash was going to keep that in the back of her mind.
“Who knows, he could be a really rich farm boy. You know farmers make a shit ton of money, right?” Ash threw out there.
“Right… I would have even believed that if he didn’t wear the same cargo pants that I saw him in, five years ago when we dropped you off,” Syd said. Ash just laughed because that’s just so Syd.
“Anyway,” Ash started off as she picked up a beer for Pinoe and opened a bottle of wine and poured it in a mug.
“Aw, Harris. You remembered!”
“Syd, if anything, I will never forget this,” Ash said as she handed Syd the mug, “The day we first met and when I asked you if you wanted a glass of wine you said, ‘A mug of wine would be better,’” And everyone laughed at the memory.
“What? The girl likes her wine,” Syd said right before she took a sip.
“Anyway, as I was saying… Heard from the great vines that you finally broke up with Brad?” Ash brought it up carefully as she took a swig from her beer.
Syd gave Whit the look but in a way the look also said ‘thank you.’ “Yeah… well… About time right? I know that was the right thing and all but I’m so torn… And then the thing going on with my club… Like I understand that it’s hard but they can’t just cut my pay or threaten me that they’ll trade me to some unknown club in Australia. I mean no offense to Walsh or your Pinoe,” Syd finished.
“None taken. I wouldn’t want to go either. Not to sound pigheaded but sending one of the top goal scorers on the world number one ranked team? That’s bullshit. I’m telling you, they’re bluffing,” Pinoe replied, “And if they aren’t. Quit and go to another team. I’m sure Matt can pull those strings Syd. Your agency isn’t like some random sports agency. I mean, Alex, Cheney, and Tobin are there and so is Jrue and have of his basketball team.”
“Yeah, Syd. Seattle is probably just broke, especially with the way your season ended last year. Sorry about that. They just need some time to rebuild. And if you don’t think they are being reasonable then you should find a better team,” Ash added.
Syd gave Pinoe a look and Pinoe got a glimpse of it as she took a sip of her beer, “Oh my gosh, you can’t possibly be thinking what I think you’re thinking!” Pinoe said in defense. “What was I supposed to do? Walsh wanted to settle in Chicago with her family and I’ve already told her that it wouldn’t be rational for us to live in Australia. Com’on Syd, you know how much I love Seattle. I need to compromise with her AKA the person I’m going to live with for the rest of my life. Can you imagine what she would have said if I didn’t even make that effort?”
Syd understood. It was just that she wanted her sidekick back. With Hope and Keelin retiring, Pinoe going back to the Red Stars, Little and Naho moving to England to play in the bigger leagues after the team didn’t do too well last season, Syd was feeling the pressure. It felt as if everyone counted on her but she wasn’t able to return the expectations… That was the truth. It wasn’t that she was upset about the salary cut. Damn, she would stay in Seattle even if they paid her a penny. What she was really afraid was disappointing everyone.
“Well, do what feels right Syd,” Ash said.
“Ugh, you wise ass, that’s not why I asked to be driven all the way here so that you can tell me to do what feels right…. Ash….” Syd moaned.
“Haha, what did I say? I said Ash wouldn’t say much right?” Whit jumped in with a laugh.
“And you…?” Ash asked Pinoe as she hung her legs over the armrest of the couch, took a sip of her beer and put her other arm behind her head.
“How’s the wedding prep going?”
“Ugh… I don’t know just stressed out. I mean I really don’t care what we do to be honest. Like, I just want to stay here in the States and for the most part Walsh said she’s totally fine with that but she’s just… Yeah… I mean she just has a lot that she wants to do for the wedding.”
“That’s not what the little birdy told me…” Ash said with a knowing smile.
“What do you….” And then she looked at Whit.
“What?”
Ash laughed, “I mean really? Green or yellow or red, blue, and white flowers? I mean what are we going to? An Australian and American Independence Day party?” Ash asked and that got a laugh out of Whit and Syd.
Pinoe’s jaw dropped and was slightly offended by the comment only because she thought it was a brilliant idea. “Oh, so you’d actually leave the Stone Age and travel to the future for my wedding?” Pinoe replied with sass.
“You know I would time travel, cross the seven seas, dig a hole to China, and travel to space to make it to your wedding,” Ashlyn smiled
“Right…” Pinoe said as her smile crept back on her smile. The four of them sat there and caught up. Four months can be short but they have also been very long as Ash found out that Alex and Serv were also busy with their wedding prep, Abby and Sarah thinking about a second kid, Kelley was out surfing doing her thing in Australia, and Tobin was doing better than ever leading the Houston Dash in the league after she was traded to save the team. As the night was slowly coming to an end with talks dwindling they decided that they should go to bed and pick up where they left off tomorrow.
Everyone got up to help clean up. Pinoe was picking up bottle caps and scraps while Whit was getting the living room ready for their giant sleepover and Syd and Ash were taking the bottles to the recycling box. “Wow, we drank a shit ton,” Syd said.
“I don’t know why you’re so surprised. Remember last time? I think Jerry said you guys emptied the whole rack.” Both of them brought in the bottles collected in the paper bag and box to the back porch. As they were about to head back in Ash caught Syd by her arm. “Hey, the Syd I know would play soccer for empty plastic bottles. No one is ever going to point fingers at you. You know why? Because they all know you. They know how much you love the game and they know you’re giving 110% every time you put your cleats on to play the game you love. So, if you’re happy playing soccer in Seattle then, that’s all it matters. Don’t think what others might think about you. Because if they’re pointing fingers at you, that’s because they don’t know shit about you. Plus, I think Seattle can use some Leroux magic. The youngsters can definitely learn something from you,” Ash reassured her.
Syd smiled and with that, Syd knew that that’s all she wanted to hear and she knew that Ash would be able to give her that comfort. The two walked in arms around each other and Ash felt something she hadn’t for a while: company.