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So that was how it ended.
A "thank you for your services, best of luck in the future" and a bag from the equipment manager to collect the sparse belongings from her locker. Mira hadn't been here long, but she enjoyed the team and really thought she'd finally be able to get the championship that had alluded her all this time. Living in Germany had been a nice change too, she was just starting to get used to the idea of staying here longer term. She certainly didn't think a contract buyout halfway through the season was how it would end. The writing had been on the wall, of course, it was already a lost season. They'd weathered Maya's ACL, but after Elena's elbow and Saori's hip, it was clear the team would be switching into cost saving mode to rebuild for next season. Mira wasn't surprised that she was the first one shown the door. The signs had been there for a few days.
At first Mira assumed the team would just try and sell her contract to a contender. Until the "anonymous" rumors about her poor attitude started to get around and seemingly scared off potential buyers. She didn't know which of them it was, but she knew it was one of her teammates, and likely more than one of them. Mira was hot-headed, she knew this, and was proud of it even. It kept people at a safe distance, like a bird people loved to admire from afar, but didn't risk getting their hands too close to the cage. She'd always viewed it as the source of her competitive edge, and frankly if it was a big enough deal to these girls that they resorted to schoolyard rumor-mongering to get one over on her? She wasn't going to be too heart broken to leave this team behind.
That didn't stop her from stewing on it constantly once she made it back to Seoul. Her biggest problem at the moment was that most leagues she was willing to play in were headed into the final stretches of their seasons. Not exactly prime time to add a new player, especially one that would need a little time to adjust and built chemistry with the rest of the squad. Fortunately her buyout had been generous, so worst case scenario she got an early start on her offseason workouts, and a few months of much needed relaxation before throwing herself back into the grind with a new team.
After about three hours of vacation she was on the phone with her agent.
"Hey Bobby, look can you please just see if there's anything? Surely someone could use me."
"Mira have you even had a chance to really relax since you got home?"
"Of course!" Bobby didn't need to know it was a lie. As long as he didn't ask for specifics.
"What have you done specifically to relax?"
Shit.
Mercifully he moved on before she had a chance to dig an even deeper hole and lie to him more.
"Ok so, there is one team that has reached out. Several times in fact since your release."
"Wait really? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
The pause on the other end of the line immediately had her suspicious. Bobby never kept anything from her unless he felt it was in her best interest. But he had never withheld information about a team that wanted to sign her before.
"You're not gonna like it," he finally relented.
Oh. There's only one team he could mean now.
"Jeju? Really?"
"I know, I know, but look they made a pretty generous offer. They're down an outside hitter and won't have her in time for the tournament to begin. I'll forward you the details. Think about it and call me back? They need an answer soon."
She couldn't help the exasperated sigh that left with her defeated "…Fine. I'll think about."
Mira settled into the couch that was far too big for someone who lived alone and waited for Bobby to send the contract over. It wasn't that she had a problem with playing in Jeju, Korea had recently decided to invest more heavily in their volleyball league, and the new team in Jeju was a shining example of that new commitment.
In only their first year, Jeju and the team of relative unknowns had defied all expectations and was considered a dark horse contender for the championship in their first year. Mira actually knew a few of the players from her college days in the US. She was happy to see Zoey getting to shine as their starting libero. Mira always had fun playing against her in the States. It might be nice to actually be on the same team for once.
The island wasn't the problem.
Zoey wasn't the problem.
The problem with Jeju, was Rumi.
Mira's former college teammate who had spurned lucrative deals in Italy, Russia, and the United States to come to Korea and help build a champion at home. Rumi immediately became a national media darling, the home town hero who helped bring a lot of eyes to a league that had formerly been something of an after thought to the average person. She had even signed a very team friendly contract that helped the cash strapped owners focus on building the rest of the roster.
Mira always rolled her eyes when that part came up. After all no one ever really talked about how many brand deals she'd signed, which meant she could play for the team for free and still be one of the highest paid athletes in the entire country. Hell at this point she was probably more popular than most pop idols. She certainly had them beat in the looks department.
Not that Mira noticed. She never noticed how rude people would be about picking apart Rumi's appearance online. Mira certainly never felt her blood boil when she saw people openly lusting over Rumi's perfect bone structure, or her effortlessly toned abs. She never noticed any of those things. She didn't think about Rumi at all.
Mira never thought about their time playing together, how Rumi effortlessly seemed to be able to set Mira up to score from anywhere on the floor. Mira never thought about how Rumi seemed to always serve with pinpoint accuracy. Seriously who scores that many aces? And setting an NCAA record? What a show off. Scoring all on her own like that didn't give any of her teammates enough to do. Rumi was a selfish teammate when you really thought about it. But of course Mira never thought about it.
There was one thing that Mira did think about though.
Which was that Rumi absolutely hated her.
Why wouldn't she? After all Mira had-
Her phone pinging with an email from Bobby snapped her out of the spiral. She might as well look at what they were offering. They must be desperate if they are risking upsetting their big star. She browsed the contract, it was all pretty standard stuff. A small percentage guarantee, some bonuses for personal and team performances. Then she got to the base salary they were offering, reading it carefully.
Then reading it again.
And again.
Then one more time for good measure before calmly dialing Bobby back.
"Hey Mira did you-"
"Bobby what the fuck?"
"Ah good you saw the pay."
"Are you sure this isn't a typo? There's no way they'd offer me this much for such a short stint."
"This was actually their second offer. The first came through right after your release was official. I guess they thought we were ignoring them because this one came through a few hours later while I was waiting for your flight to land."
She let the words tumble around in her head. If they already sent a second offer so quickly, they must really want her. For the first one to come right after her release must mean they'd been watching closely. How could they have possibly known her release was imminent? Bobby had insisted that he didn't see anyone outside of her old teams community talking about her alleged lockerroom issues. That wasn't the biggest concern though, her main issue was a simple fact that should have been plain to everyone involved.
"There's no way Rumi would agree to this."
Bobby was silent on the phone for a moment, the way he always was when trying to navigate a tense conversation with Mira.
"Why do you think that, Mira? Do you think they made the offer without telling her?"
It was a good point. There's no way Rumi wasn't consulted. And if she'd put her foot down there's no way they would have sent the offer. But…why? The circumstances didn't make any sense to her, and she'd figure that all out later. Right now the only thing that made sense was her answer.
"Alright. I'm in."
"Great! Your flight leaves in the morning. Spend the rest of the day relaxing."
"My fli-, Bobby did you already expect me to accept?"
"Of course I did. I think it'll be good for you."
"I hate you."
"No you don't. Now get some rest and I'll meet you at the airport tomorrow morning."
While Mira technically spent the rest of the evening resting, she would hardly call it relaxing. She still couldn't believe that in less than a day she was going to be seeing Rumi again for the first time since college. She was looking forward to seeing Zoey again too, even though they also hadn't spoken since they all graduated. In her typical catastrophizing spiral, she started to wonder if even Zoey hated her now too. While she starfished face down on her bed, running over a thousand different hypothetical conversations that she'd be having tomorrow, she kept coming back to a single thought. She didn't understand why Rumi would be ok with this. Maybe Rumi had gotten over it, or maybe she'd forgotten all about her in the years since then.
Mira wasn't entirely sure which answer she of those choices she was more afraid of.
The flight to Jeju is only about an hour. But it was still the longest flight of her life. Fortunately Bobby was a long for the ride, and in typical Bobby fashion, knew just how to keep Mira focused on the important things. A representative from the team met them at the airport and ushered them to a car, and before she knew it, Mira was standing outside the team's training facility. It was a nice place, carrying the charm of an old building that had been rescued from disrepair and given a new purpose. They even had a nice view of the sea from here. Certainly more scenic than the downtown facilities she'd just left behind in Hamburg.
The tour was brief, but still informative. It wasn't a huge place, but still comfortable. The team representitive directed Mira to put her things away while Bobby finished up the paperwork. The team wouldn't be arriving until later in the afternoon for a meeting where Mira would be introduced to everyone. On her own now, she wandered through the halls, taking in the atmosphere of her new workplace. For a first year team, there was a surpring amount on display in the hallways. Local newspapers that documented various landmarks in the teams young history, the announcement of the clubs creation, the opening of their home arena. First game. First win. Their unexpected rise through the standings. Glowing profiles of each new player signed. Framed artwork from some of the younger fans, crude crayon drawings displayed with the reverence of a piece of fine art. Mira couldn't help but feel charmed by how the entire island seemed to embrace the team, and the team in turn embraced them. More like a home than any other place Mira had played before that's for sure.
When she arrived in the lockerroom, Mira found her way to the only empty locker available. It was only after setting her things down that she noticed the "Choi" tag to the right of her new home. Well if nothing else she'd at least get to spend more time reconnecting with Zoey. Hopefully that could avoid any awkward encounters with Rumi. She casually checked the name to the left to see if it was someone she'd heard of.
Ryu
Of course.
While Mira questioned the sick machinations of the universe and what she had done to deserve this a voice from much closer than she expected snapped her out of it.
"What's up beanpole?"
She wheeled around, and then realized she had to lower her eyes to meet her new enemy.
Oh.
The cocky grin. The sharply raised eyebrow. A dusting of freckles. All framed in messy short black hair. Looking just like she did years ago, the last time Mira had seen her.
"Oh hey. Didn't see you down there. I see you're just as sneaky as ever."
"Very funny. I'll have you know I'm actually a little taller now."
"Oh good so you can reach the top shelf of your locker without that step stool I saw over there?"
Zoey's smile faltered ever so slightly.
"Of course I can. I just don't like to."
"Yeah yeah, sure."
Mira let the silence hang before giving her shoulder a playful shove.
"It's good to see you again."
"You too."
This time Zoey's shit eating grin settled into something softer, more genuine. They'd only ever gotten to hang out in person when their teams played each other in school, but Mira had still considered Zoey a friend. Which meant she felt compelled to risk ruining this nice moment.
"Sorry about…you know. Not staying in touch."
Zoey just shrugged, that same gentle smile on her face. "It's fine, life gets in the way. Plus you've been Miss World Traveler." If she held it against Mira, she wasn't showing it, which Mira was grateful for since she wasn't entirely sure if she'd actually been forgiven or if Zoey was just being nice. At least one dreaded conversation was out of the way. Hopefully the other one could be put off a little longer.
"Oh. You're here."
The universe continued to deliver blows to Mira's hopes as a voice from behind Zoey caught her attention.
Rumi.
Mira could feel every muscle in her body tensing as she met those big brown eyes that she definitely didn't miss in the slightest. For her part Rumi looked perfectly calm as she stared back at Mira, no anger, no happiness. Just calm. The pure professional mask that came from being constantly in the spotlight. Mira didn't know what to do with this, it would be easier if Rumi was angry at her. The doubt started to creep into the back of her mind though. Had Rumi truly just…forgotten her? Mira swallowed that down and tried to throw up an equally impassive mask.
"Hey. Been a while."
"Yeah."
So Rumi did remember her. At least she could cross that fear off the list. Only about a hundred more to go at this rate. Zoey seemed to be watching this standoff with a mild amusement that Mira couldn't quite place. But her presence here was at least helping keep Mira calm as she tried to figure out what the hell was going on here. So at least she knew she could count on Zoey.
"Well I'm gonna go stretch a bit, and let you two catch up."
Fucking traitor.
Rumi just nodded as Zoey made her way to the exit. "Yeah, sounds good." Mira decided to use the break in eye contact to pretend to move some things around in her locker. She couldn't help but notice how close Zoey got to Rumi on her way out the door, whispering something Mira couldn't catch that made Rumi scowl and cross her arms. Probably not a good sign. What really caught Mira's attention though was the way Zoey's right hand ever so slightly grazed Rumi's hip as she walked by. A casual intimacy that set something mysteriously uncomfortable in Mira's gut.
She sat down in her locker, pretending to casually swipe through her phone and not eavesdrop on the conversation taking place on the other side of the room. Mira knew she shouldn't draw conclusions, and she was definitely starting to feel pissed off for unrelated reasons to whatever conspiracy about the potential closeness of her new teammates was starting to brew in her mind, after all it's not li-
"So. What do you think?"
Fortunately, a voice to her right snapped her out whatever internal crash out was about to happen. Unfortunately it came from one of the subjects of that crash out. Her eyes flicked over to see Rumi, settling into her own locker to Mira's right. Leaning forward to match Mira's pose, elbows resting on her knees, fingers fidgeting with the edges of the long sleeves on her workout hoodie. Her very tight workout hoodie.
Mira snapped her eyes back forward. Rumi's wardrobe choices were her own problem. Mira didn't care. Why should she? It's just a shirt. Just arms. Just, very toned arms. Just a chest.
After what she knew was definitely too long she finally decided to answer Rumi's question.
"Pretty impressive. I like the view."
"You do huh?"
The mildly amused tone in Rumi's voice helped her catch up to her vocal slip up slightly too late. Of course Rumi caught her looking, and even worse was teasing her about it. The embarassment bubbled up and when Mira got embarassed, she handled it like every other inconvenience in her life. Lashing out.
"You guys must have been desperate."
"What do you mean?" The sudden shift in tone seemed to catch Rumi off guard.
"Needed help and the best you could get was the cast off problem child. I'm sure you were hoping for someone else."
The barb hung in the air, aimed mostly at herself but still ripping off the bandaid on how much Rumi must be hating this. She still hadn't actually signed the contract, maybe if she blew it up now it would save them all a lot more frustration later on. No one would have to pretend they actually wanted Mira here. Least of all Rumi, and now thanks to Mira she could just admit it freely.
The silence just continued to hang, far longer than Mira expected. She finally chanced a look to Rumi, expecting maybe some smug grin to confirm Mira's fears. Expecting to see Rumi revelling in seeing the haughty Mira Hong admitting she was what her family had told her she'd be: a failure.
What she actually saw was much worse.
Heartbreak.
The only word Mira could think of to describe the emotion on Rumi's face right now. Lips slightly parted, brows knitted. Mira could almost swear that her eyes were even a little watery. This…didn't make sense.
"Is," Rumi swallowed, starting again. "Is that what you think?"
Now Mira was confused. If she didn't know better she'd say Rumi was hurt. But that's not how someone should feel when you point out that they should hate you. Against her better judgement, Mira decided to press. Tearing her eyes away from Rumi and staring at her balled up fists in front of her, plowing through everything in her mind right now.
"I mean. Why would you want me here? I ruined everything in school. Then I ran off. Broke the promise. Ghosted you for years."
She calmed her breath, aiming the final dagger.
"You hate me."
It was only half a sentence, not that Mira would ever admit the other half out loud. Or had ever really admitted it to herself.
Just as much as I do.
It shouldn't have carried as much weight as it did. A promise between two 18 year old girls, the only Korean players on a team deep in the American Midwest.
A promise to always have each others backs.
Always stick together.
And most importantly. To win it all together.
Reality was less kind than they'd hoped over the next four years. The first year they never even made the post-season. Mira and Rumi had barely played that year, still earning their place on the team. By their sophomore year, they were getting more playing time. The team even turned in its first winning season in years. They'd struck up their friendship with Zoey, even if she played for a rival team. Friendly trash talk before and after their matches, giving way to "Good luck" texts and updates about each others days. The team even earned the last seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. Despite being drastically outmatched by their opponents, Mira and Rumi were still proud of their accomplishments.
Their junior year was where things really started to hit their stride. Good recruiting after their surprising showing the year before helped them turn in an even better record. Only losing a handful of matches all season. Zoey had become even more apart of their lives, even from a distance. A day never went by that didn't see dozens of messages in their group text. While they came up short in the conference tournament, they were laser focused on the big prize. They rode the momentum all the way to the Final Four. Playing in front of the biggest crowd they'd ever seen, they took the defending champions all the way to the fifth set.
It would have been one thing to lose on a long rally. Or an unstoppable shot.
But to lose because the crowd noise overwhelmed Mira, causing her to misplay a setter dump. Their most promising season ending on a ball Mira hastily tried to get to, only to panic and send the ball out of bounds on match point.
Rumi had been the first to console her. It's a play that could happen to anyone, Mira knew that. But it shouldn't happen. And it wouldn't happen again.
If their junior year had been a great, their senior year was pure excellence. It was their last shot, they both knew it, and they played like it all year. They won their conference, only bringing two losses into the biggest tournament of the year. One had been to Zoey's team, a fact their best friend had not failed to let them forget all year. Her own team's season was already over, so she was all in on cheering for them. They cruised through the early rounds, hardly facing a challenge on the road back to the Final Four. While no one on the team wanted to admit it, they could all feel it. This run was special.
The Final Four passed with no errant hits. In fact Mira was clinical with her kills, Rumi was a menace on the backline, dropping unhittable serves left and right. So when they took the floor for the championship they felt great.
Things quickly took a turn for the worse. Their opponents were clearly feeling just as confident as they were, and before they knew it Mira and Rumi were quickly looking up at the scoreboard and an 0-2 hole. The third set changed things. After a fierce comeback, they managed to get a win, and carried the momentum into the fourth set. Mira and Rumi gave each other a look from across the floor before the fifth set, both clearly remembering last years ending. With a silent nod, the agreed this year would be different.
It was.
With their opponents serving championship point, Mira went up for a block and watched the ball deflect down to her opponents feet. On her way down she realized she'd mistimed her jump, feeling the graze of the net on her fingers as she landed. She tried to play it off, but motion was enough for the judge to notice.
She thought her heart would stop when she heard the whistle.
Net violation.
Match over.
Dream over.
Promise broken.
Things changed after that. Mira stopped replying to Zoey's texts. Little by little a distance started to grow between her and Rumi. The rest of the school year passed in unresolved tension, and after graduation Mira left. Signing in Europe and never looking back. Eventually Zoey stopped texting, so did Rumi. Mira bounced from team to team, never finding a home while Rumi became a national icon.
Rumi hated Mira for ruining everything. She had to. Right?
"You hate me."
The accusation sat there like a knife driven into both of their hearts. Mira waited for the confirmation, the proof that she hadn't wasted all that time. For Rumi to finally finish the conversation that Mira had been too much of a coward to have when they were still in school.
"How cou-"
"WHAT THE FUCK?"
Mira and Rumi nearly jumped out of their skins as Zoey came storming around the corner looking absolutely furious.
"I thought you were going to the gym?"
"Please. I was obviously lying so I could stay back and spy on you two and make a dramatic entrance at the right moment."
Rumi tried to interject only to have Zoey focus in on her, "I thought you said you'd be confident about this? What happened? Why aren't you putting those big brown eyes to use?" Rumi let out what sounded like an embarassed squeak as Zoey turned her attention on the still stunlocked Mira who was just catching up to the sudden appearance of a third party.
"And you. What the hell was that? 'You hate me.' Seriously? Do you have ANY idea how excited she's been for you to get here?"
"ZOEY!"
"Nope. You had your chance."
Mira still struggled to find her voice as Zoey's words clicked in her head. Rumi was excited for Mira to be here? But then why was she so stiff the whole time with this distant small talk?
"Rumi practically sprinted into the office the second she found out you were available. She literally begged them to sign you, whatever it took."
Mira turned to Rumi who was starting show a decidedly deep blush up her neck as she tried to look away. Mira remembered this routine. Rumi was the champion of Avoiding Experiencing An Emotion. In retrospect she should have recognized this right away if she hadn't been wrapped up in her one person pity party. Rumi was always used to getting her way, but as soon as the time came for her to be upfront with someone and ask for something? Crickets.
Things started to click into place for her now. The way they drifted apart wasn't because she resented Mira, it's because she was hurting but too damn stubborn to reach out first. Mira beating herself up just because of Rumi's inability to process things like a normal person.
"Why did you want me here?"
Rumi continued to look away. Mumbling something under her breath.
"Seriously Rumi. Why? You girls are doing great, why add me?"
Zoey just stayed silent, arms crossed. Toe tapping as she stared Rumi down. Mira would figure out her part in all this later. One interpersonal crisis at a time. Mira could tell that the doubled attention was tipping the advantage against Rumi, she'd crack soon enough.
"Speak up Rumi. Why me? And why now?"
Mira didn't expect Rumi to fully stand up and lean down into her face. She certainly didn't expect The Princess to actually raise her voice too.
"Because there's no POINT without you."
Mira blinked. Looked at Zoey. For her part, Zoey seemed equally surprised at the sudden outburst. Mira slowly turned back to Rumi, who surprisngly didn't seem like she was about to fold in on herself like a dying star, and in fact seemed to be getting more confident. She kept rolling along before Mira could ask for a clarification.
"There's no point in winning without you. You think you ruined everything? I wouldn't trade any of that time playing together for anything. Did you really think I'd hate you over a mistake? It's a game Mira! It happens! And you didn't break the promise, because we're still going aren't we? I could have reached out too. We all fucked up! Big deal! And hate you? Do you even have any idea how much I lo-"
That shut her up.
All of them actually.
The word didn't get finished, but it didn't need to be. They all knew what she was about to say. Mira would be lying if she said the idea didn't have her heart trying to pound out of her chest. Rumi looked mortified. Her eyes were the biggest Mira had ever seen them, and a sunburn of a blush covering her face and neck. The silence dragged on for way too long before Mira's overloaded brain arrived at a brilliant icebreaker.
"I thought you and Zoey…"
She looked up at Zoey, who unhelpfully was just grinning from ear to ear. She fortunately seemed to be willing to take finally take a little pity on the floundering girls in front of her.
"Oh we aren't because someone kept insisting on waiting for someone else to get here. You're worth waiting for though I guess."
Rumi shifted uncomfortably next to them. Giving up on hiding anything now that it was all out in the open. Mira tried to process everything one bit at a time. Rumi wasn't mad at her, in fact Rumi seemed to feel quite the opposite. And…Zoey? Felt the same? Mira had never really put much thought into dating in school, but it made a lot more sense now how easily Zoey had fit into their lives even from afar. Rumi had apparently insisted on signing her right after her release.
Wait.
"How did you know so quickly I'd been released?"
Zoey turned smugly to Rumi. Rumi suddenly found her shoelaces absolutely enthralling.
"Because she follows like a dozen different accounts to keep up with your career and had started refreshing the transfer wire feed every minute once she saw those losers starting to talk shit about you. Oh did you know she actually even made a blank account and learned some German to argu-"
"Zoey please stop."
It was one thing to realize Rumi didn't hate her, but to know she'd always been keeping an eye out waiting for the chance to get Mira back on her team? Mira slowly rose to her feet, suddenly a little self conscious of being the only one sitting down. She needed to recover some dignity and towering over these two would help at least a little bit. Both of them turned to her, looking a little nervous as they waited for a proper reaction to whatever this was.
"So. To be clear. You," she nodded to Rumi before turning to Zoey, "And you. Are…what? Into me? And this is how you decided to approach it?"
"Ok in Rumi's defense, there was a whole plan to ease into this discussion but neither of us really expected you to come in all dark and brooding about your tragic volleyball past," Zoey cut herself off as Mira felt her eyebrow start to twitch, "But, yes. To be clear. I've been after you both for years. And this one," she punctuated with a hipcheck to Rumi, "Has been pining after you since day one." She tilted her head to catch Mira's eyeline, a tender look taking over for the teasing she'd been doing. "And I know this is a lot all at once. You don't have to say anything now. Like I said we planned to approach this much better."
Mira thought about it. She appreciated that they were willing to give her the space to come to a decision on her own. But she also recognized what this was. An out. A way for her to avoid the question, let them down gently. But Mira wasn't like that, and while her boldness had been a hindrance to the goal of winning trophies, she knew when to listen to it.
"I don't have to think about it."
She really didn't. They tensed as she considered her next words carefully. Thinking back to those years together, she never did have a good answer for why she never ended up with Rumi. They were so close that a lot of their friends kept assuming they were dating. They'd always laughed it off, never really addressing why people would think that. The more Mira thought about it, the more those denials just felt like pushing the issue down the road to deal with later. Like they had both decided they would talk about it some point when some magical condition had been met. They never did figure out what that condition was though. Zoey's words bubbled back up in her mind.
Waiting for someone else.
Maybe on some level they always knew what they were waiting for. Maybe if Zoey had ended up at the same school things would have been different. Maybe things would have worked out. Maybe not. Mira wasn't good with maybes, and she wasn't going to waste time on them now when it was so clear what needed to be done. There was really only one logical thing to say next in the face of a years overdue confession.
"I, uh. Do too. Also. Feel, that. For, you know. You. Both."
"Smooth."
"Zoeeeey!"
Mira couldn't help but laugh a little. She realized she should be embarassed. But, somehow, here she felt like she didn't need to pretend, not for them. Never for them. While watching them bicker she couldn't help but put an arm around each of them. Pulling them to her chest. She wasn't sure what would come from this, maybe they'd win it all. Maybe not. Mira didn't care about maybe though. She cared about what she knew for certain now, after years of doubting herself. She felt hands at her back, as Zoey and Rumi settled against her, heads resting on her shoulder.
"Thank you."
It was the only thing Mira could think to say, to carry the weight of how happy she felt. Feeling their warmth, the way they gripped at her back to hold her tightly to them. To thank them for setting her on the right path. To thank them for years of late night calls and long distance movie nights. To thank them for waiting for her to make her way back to them.
She didn't think about the maybes. She thought about the certainty. She was certain there would be ups and downs. Things probably wouldn't be perfect, it would be naive to assume they would. She was certain they could figure it out, they'd all been waiting for the right moment, and it was finally here. There was no one else to wait for, and even if things got bumpy she was certain they'd always meet each others pace.
There would be misunderstandings, after all none of them seemed capable of having a normal conversation. Part of Mira wanted to sigh at herself for being so deeply and irrevocably attracted to these two morons who hatched an international scheme to spend a fortune of someone elses money so they they could all get together. But she couldn't imagine falling for anyone else. And while she regretted stumbling through her reciprocation of their feelings, it made sense because there was simply no simple words capable of conveying what she felt right here, arms wrapped around the two most perfect idiots she'd ever met.
Mira breathed deep, nestling her head down to meet theirs. Comfortable in the knowledge that whatever happened next, they would be together. Finally, together. The maybes and possibilities didn't seem as intimidating with these two by her side. The feeling that was blossoming in all of their chests was the only thing any of them needed to face whatever the future had in store for them.
And that was how it began.