Gloria: Baby, come lay with me

Alex: No thanks.

Gloria: Come on babe, I’m cold.

Alex: I don’t like sleepovers.

Gloria: Not even after that?

Alex: Not even after that.

Gloria: I know what you do. I know you sleep with people then leave them.

Alex: That’s why I don’t fuck my teammates.

Gloria: But I’m leaving next year, the season’s over so why can’t we fuck? Why can’t we date?

Alex: We just fucked.

Gloria: But why can’t we date?

Alex: I don’t date.

Gloria: There’s someone special isn’t there?

Alex kept quiet. She pulled on her PJ bottoms and walked out of the room.

Shane had just sent Alice to get some ice when Alex walked into their room by the side door. Alex looked dazed.

Shane: Alex!

Alex: Where’s Alice?

Shane: Getting ice. What the fuck are you doing?

Alex: Mom, What DO I do?

Shane: You and Alice have something honey, you can’t give that up!

Alex: But…

Shane: I know, Jess I went through this before and it’s funny how alike the situation is. But in the end I ended up

She swallowed hard.

Shane: I ended up marrying my Alice.

Alex: Madre?

Shane nodded and she heard Alice walking back in.

Shane: Alex do what feels right.

Alex nodded and Shane walked out of the room, passing Alice on her way out.

Shane: Umm, bar!

Alice nodded and walked in the room. Her hair was messed up, she was wearing an oversized t-shirt and boxer shorts and she had her glasses on. She looked over and saw Alex on her bed. Alice acted like nothing had happened.

Alice: Where’s slut bag?

Alex: Gloria’s in my room.

Alice: Why aren’t you fucking her brains out right now?

Alex walked over and opened the side door.

Alex: She left. Look, Alice, I’m sorry.

Alice: Sorry for what?

Alex: I just, got scared.

Alice walked up to her.

Alice: SO you run? You’re always running from everyone, even yourself. Alex I’ve watched you run from hundreds of people before and I don’t wanna be one of them.

Alice put her hand over Alex’s heart.

Alice: I don’t want a good fuck, I want this. I want all of this. But you know what? I’m terrified that we’ll never get the opportunity to share that because even though this is the real deal, you’re still running. Alex, THIS is it, we know that. We feel that every time we’re together. Will you stop running away and finally run to me?

Alex looked at her feet.

Alice: Wait, I take back the part about the good fuck I actually really want that, but I want it to mean something the next morning.

Alex lifted her head and looked down into Alice’s eyes. She was about an inch taller than her. The two gazed lovingly into the other’s eyes.

Alex: I just, I can’t right now.

Then Alex turned and walked back into her own room.

Alice: I’ll wait for you.

Then Alice sighed and fell back on the bed.

Carmen sat on the couch, remote in hand and TV black. She didn’t know how long she’d been there, she didn’t know what the date was, she even forgot who she was; the only thing she knew was the look on Shane’s face, that look of pride. She saw how close Shane and Alex had become in that look. She concentrated on that face until a memory flash by. There were people screaming and that same face looked up at her from the ground, covered in blood and ashes, barely alive. The fire raged in the background. Carmen shook it off. She was a widow no longer widowed.