Chapter Text
Emma laid on the couch, staring across the living room at the Christmas tree that was still decorated in the corner, a soft smile on her lips. She knew that she should take it down, but Alyssa’s words echoed in her head. “Just leave them up, it’s only January,” Alyssa had chuckled, flopping her body on top of the blonde so she was pinned against the mountain of Christmas themed throw pillows that they’d collected for the season. “Besides,” the brunette sighed against her chest as she got comfortable, “this is our home, we make the rules. So if we want it to be Christmas til June, then we’re allowed to.” And Emma had listened, it was nearing the end of January but with Alyssa about to be away for six months, it felt like time had stood still in the apartment, waiting for her safe return.
Emma didn’t know why she was so worried, but something about Alyssa going overseas for a semester abroad made her worry that anything could happen. The top of her list of course was the plane to or from crashing during flight, but it was every ‘mother hen’ fear that could happen plaguing Emma in the back of her mind. She checked her phone every now and again for a new message saying that Alyssa had landed safely, hoping that her fears wouldn’t be realized. As the time on her phone turned over to one in the morning, Emma found herself starting to doze off. The phone sat on her chest, sound on so that if Alyssa called she’d hear it and wake up.
Four in the morning came and went with a missed phone call from Alyssa at around the half hour mark. It was six in the evening, but neither girl had looked into the full time difference between them, so when Emma didn’t answer Alyssa felt an odd pang in her chest. She decided to call again, hoping that this time her girlfriend picked up. It was on the final ring before the voicemail took over that she heard a half asleep, ‘Hello?’
“Hi baby, I just wanted to tell you I made it safe to the school! Were you asleep? What time is it there?” The excitement that took over Alyssa’s voice as she looked out of the window in her dorm room shook through her entire body, she was sure that Emma could feel it through the phone.
“Four forty-five in the morning babe…” Emma’s voice was just as groggy as before and Alyssa’s brow furrowed in contemplation as she did the mental math as to how many hours the time difference was. “I was trying to stay up but I must’ve dozed off… I’m so glad you’re safe. Is it as pretty as the pictures?”
“Just as pretty, but you’re still prettier,” Alyssa hummed, hearing Emma stammer on the other end and giggling softly, “I wish I could’ve brought you with me.”
“I understand why you couldn’t though. Besides, the kids need me here. Who else is going to distract them when Barry and Dee Dee start monologuing?” Alyssa couldn’t help but laugh at the idea of Emma leading the child actors away from what could inevitably be the scene of a murder like the pied piper.
“I don’t know why you agreed to become a tech for their production of Annie. I can understand something a little more… out there. But Barry casting himself as Rooster feels like a choice that no one else would’ve made.”
“Oh definitely but he’s not listening to the voice of reason. Me. But I’m just in charge of props and not letting the children watch the inevitable outbursts. I’m meeting the full cast tomorrow at like eleven am…”
“Don’t you mean today Em? If it’s nearly five in the morning? You should go back to sleep so you’re rested. We can work out the time difference and times to FaceTime tomorrow.” Alyssa didn’t want to stop talking, she’d been on a plane or in airports for the past two days and had missed hearing Emma’s voice.
“But won’t you be asleep when I wake up? I could message you when I get to the theater and then on like my lunch?”
“We can figure it out, but you need your rest if you’re going to be chasing around a room full of kids and Barry tomorrow, I love you Emma Nolan.”
“I love you Alyssa Greene.”
As they said their goodbyes Alyssa sat against the windowsill, looking out across the beautifully green campus and thought about how this would be worth it, no matter the distance between them. They could make it, and this would put her ahead in her career.