โwell, i was thinking about thatโฆโ sofia said, offering a small smile and a casual shrug that didnโt quite hide how much she meant it. distance was still new and jagged between them, but the truth was simple: she missed avis in a way that made her chest ache. having her here, even for a couple of days, would mean the world. sheโd move mountains, acl and all, to make it happen. โwhat if you came out here for a bit?โ she blurted, quicker than she planned. โwe could get one of the girls to watch the cats, sort out the logistics. really, just come. even a weekend would be amazing.โ she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, trying to keep her voice breezy, but the tremor of longing slipped through. โi know itโll be harder when you leave again, but... iโd rather have a couple days with you than an eternity of โwhat ifs.โโ avis laughed softly on the other end, and sofia felt something loosen inside her. โof course i can,โ avis said, and for a second sofia let herself imagine: late-night coffee runs, halftime cuddles on the couch, the two of them slipping into the ordinary easy way they used to. โpractice has beenโฆ intense,โ avis admitted with a chuckle. โthey take it way too seriously now. no more stupid pranks, none of our old chaos. itโs all drills and focus.โ sofiaโs grin, even through the phone, was a little proud and a little wistful. โthe matches are great though, crowds show up and the energy is wild. i miss you at the games.โ
as the call clicked through, sofiaโs eyes drifted to the screen where she could see avisโ living room in the background, a yoga mat slung out, a neat pair of weights tucked beside it. her eyebrows shot up; she sat forward, holding the phone closer like she was trying to catch a secret. โavis, wait... are you doing fucking yoga?โ she asked, half-amused, half-horrified. โthose weights lookโฆ moved. are you actually working out?โ there was a small, guilty pause, and sofia felt her stomach clench. avis had always been the restless type, the one who bounced off walls and found hard things irresistible. it was part of why sofia loved her, that fierce, impatient energy, and why she worried in equal measure. โyou promised you were following the docโs plan,โ sofia said, softer now, the teasing edge gone. โthey didnโt say you could start lifting yet. do i have to fly out there and confiscate your dumbbells myself?โ she let out a breathy laugh, partly joke, partly threat. โiโll have one of the girls lock that stuff up the second you say the word. iโll put cameras on the cats if i have to, iโll know the second you pick up anything heavier than a remote.โ โcome out here for a week and you wonโt have to worry about yoga or weights,โ she continued, warmth and steel braided in her tone. โweโll make it easy. you can sleep. iโll make you tea at stupid hours. weโll go to dumb little diners and maybe watch movies you pretend to hate. no practice schedules, no pressure.โ she paused, then let the real thing slip out without thinking: โyouโre lucky i love you. like, a lot. if i didnโt, trust me, my ass would already be on a plane back to lock that shit away myself.โ the smile in her voice was wide and ridiculous, and sofia let it sit in the quiet between them for a beat. she could feel the miles between them like static, but the plan, the tiny promise, already felt like a bridge.