Carli ties her boots tightly before standing up and jogging onto her training field in New Jersey. She has a few hours before her coach, James Galanis, comes to start her real practice. She runs through a few drills before deciding she needs to stop for a water break. The heat index for the day is extremely high so she has to keep hydrated. While she's drinking her Gatorade she pulls out her phone to check the time and notices she has seven text from Mallory. "How long does it take for FedEx to deliver a fish?" "I overnighted him but he's still not here. He's probably getting hungry." "Oh no! He's scared of the dark! Mama the box is dark!" "Mama this is an emergency! Your grandfish could die!" "Mama!" "Maaaaamaaaaa! Helllooo?" "How are you doing stuff at a time like this? Swimmy could've been fishnapped!" "Mama c'mon! This is important!" Carli stares at her screen perplexed.

"She overnighted a fish?" she thinks to herself. She clicks on Mal's name and selects the call button. It rings twice before being being answered.

Mallory's urgent sounding voice comes through the speaker, "Mama, Swimmy still isn't here and-"

"Mals shh for a second." interrupts Carli. She kicks up her ball with her right toe and starts to juggle it. "Did you ship that fish you got at camp to your house?"

"Uh huh." replies the girl twirling her hair between her pointer finger and thumb. In surprise, Carli taps the ball a little hard and it flies out in front of her. "It was cheaper than bringing him on the plane."

Car groans while walking the few steps to the ball. She pops it back up but this time catches in her free hand. She bounces it against the ground a few times. "Mals I'm sure Swimmer-"

"Swimmy!" corrects the teen.

"Swimmy," Carli rolls her eyes even though she knows she can't see her, "is just fine. You just got home last night baby. He's coming. You just need to be patient."

"But-"

"Honey I'm training right now. Swimman will be okay." sighs Carli starting to set up the cones for her next drill.

"Mama his name is Swimmy!"

"Alright alright!" says Carli pulling the phone away from her ear. "I love you. I gotta go. Bye baby."

"Bye-" Carli doesn't wait for her to finish. She just hangs up and tosses her phone back over by her bag.
___
Hope laughs as her husband tries to get their dog, Onyx, to go back outside. He got Sasha out but Onyx was being stubborn. Her phone rings in the other room so she goes to pick it up. She clicks except without checking the caller I.D. "Hello?"

"Hope, Julie won't do the dishes and it's her turn." complains Christen sounding super annoyed. "She even made cupcakes and used like a hundred bowls and spoons and stuff and she won't wash them."

"Tell her I said to do them." instructs the older woman walking back to where Jerramy is. She laughs as she watches him try to push the dog out onto the back porch. "Jerr throw him a treat!" she suggest tossing a jar of bacon flavored biscuits at him.

"What's Jerramy doing?" wonders Chris while looking around her apartment for her sister. "Jules, Hope said to do the dishes!"

"You called Mom?!" shouts Julie. Hope can hear her loud and clear from her end of the conversation making her sigh heavily. They're about to fight. There's some scuffling on the other end of the telephone line before Julie speaks again. "Mommy Chris made me do all the dishes last time we were home and-"

"I did not!" yells Christen taking the phone back from her. "Hope she's lying! She just doesn't want to stop watching Limitless on Netflix!"

"Girls-"

"That's not true!" argues JJ. "She's making that up!"

"No I'm no-"

"Hey!" snaps Hope becoming fed up. The girls get quiet. "JJ go do the dishes and Christen don't call me just to tattle again. Do you both understand me?"

The two sigh collectively and then chorus, "Yes ma'am."

"Thank you. Now I love you both but I've gotta go help Papa. Be good."

"We love you too." says Chris.

"Bye Mommy!" yells Julie from the background.
___

"Hmm..." wonders Alex to herself looking between the two dresses she laid out on her bed. A few of her and Serv's couple friends invited them to come clubbing with them as a pre Olympic celebration. "The black one is cute but it's also really really short and super tight. The white one is cool but it's strapless. That could be a scandal on the dance floor." She stares at them for a another minute before throwing her head back in frustration and groaning. Serv walks in carrying a laundry basket and smiles playfully at her antics. He loves how she can be so dramatic at times. He finds it absolutely adorable.

"What's wrong Al?" he ask setting the basket down on their dresser and wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. He rest his chin on her shoulder. "What's up buttercup?"

"I don't know what to wear." she confides leaning into his touch. "Which one do you like?" Serv looks at the two outfits while holding her tighter.

"I like the black one but maybe you should text Syd and see which one she thinks." he says starting to make a trail of kisses on her neck. Alex lets out a moan making him snicker. He pulls her even closer to him and moves up to her ear. "You know we have a few hours..."

"Servando." she whines shuddering at his hot breath. "I've really gotta start getting ready." Serv sighs and gives her one last kiss on the cheek before letting her go. "I love you." smiles Al pecking his lips. 

"I love you too." he grins returning the kiss. They part and smile sillily at each other. "Text Sydney and then get dressed. You'll look hot in either one." He winks and slaps her butt before leaving their room. Alex winces and rubs the spot to make the sting go away. Serv hits harder than he probably means to. She grabs he phone off her night stand and snaps a picture of both dresses. She decides to send them to Julie and Christen instead of Sydney because everytime she talks to Syd these days she has to listen for an hour about her pregnancy and she's really not feeling it today. 

Alex: Hey guys what dress should I wear tonight?

Christen: Ooooh definitely the black!

JJ: Black=BOMB! Where are you going tho?

Alex: Clubbing with Serv and some friends

JJ: Did you ask moms yet?

Christen: We have to ask? We're old enough to drink...

JJ: They don't care. Ask Lex if you know what's good for you.

Alex: Okay I'll call now. Thanks for the help guys!

Alex exits her messaging app and goes to her contacts. She scrolls until she gets to the "L"s. She clicks on Carli's name and then holds the phone to her ear. She waits forever but Carli finally picks it up.

"Hey Lexi. Sorry honey I was just finishing practice. What do you need?"

"Oh um," stutters Alex suddenly becoming nervous, "I was thinking about going clubbing tonight with Serv and a few of our friends. Jay said I needed to ask first... so can I go?"

"She's right about you needing to ask." says Carli clicking on her seat belt. She starts her car before continuing, "And the answer to your question is no."

"Wha-What?" ask Alex completely baffled. "Why not? Car I'm twenty-seven. I go out all the time."

"Not anymore you don't." says Carli pulling out onto the street. "Al you've got parents now. Your whole lifestyle is about to change just a little bit Honey Bunches. We talked about this some after the game remember?"

"Yeah." sighs Alex letting her shoulder slump. "Can I ask why you said no? Serv was really excited."

"Babe we have the Olympics in five days. You don't need to be staying up until whenever partying. You need to be resting and getting prepared." explains Carli calmly.

"Alright." says Alex with a frown. "I gotta go tell Servando. Bye Car."

"Bye kiddo. I love you!"

"Love you too."
___

No sooner than when Carli hangs up with Alex, Julie calls her. "Hello?"

"Mama Chris is being mean!" accuses the girl. Carli groans. She just can't catch a break.

"What do you mean she's being 'mean'?" ask Carli putting on her blinker. She checks her mirrors and then changes lanes safely. 

"She keeps bossing me around and she threw away all my Caprisuns!" exclaims JJ sounding upset. "Mama make her stop."

"Put her on the phone." instructs Carli trying her hardest not to sound tired. 

"Hello?"

"Christen Annemarie why are you being bossy?" questions Car sternly. "Just because you're the oldest does not make you in charge."

"Because Mom-" Christen stops talking after realising what she said. Carli smiles widely. She'll have to call Hope and tell her when she gets done with the girls. "M-Mom told her to do the dishes because it's her turn but she won't do it."

"Well why did you throw away her drinks?" sighs Carli confused. "That's not nice Chrissy and you know it."

"She wouldn't listen to me!" whines Christen poking her lip out a little bit. 

"You still can't do that." states Carli firmly. "You will be buying her more and apologizing."

"Yes Mama." says Christen defeated. "Do you want to talk to Jules again?"

"Yes please." Carli waits for her second youngest to take the phone back. "Julie Beth Johnston go do the dishes. Chris told you, Mom told you, and now I'm telling you. If you have to be told again you'll have some sentences to write when you finish them. Got me?"

"I got you." says JJ with a sigh. "M'sorry Mama."

"It's okay princess just be good." replies Carli turning into her driveway. "I love you and tell CP too please." 

"Yes ma'am! I love you too! Bye Mama!"
___

"Hope, Carli is calling!" yells Jerramy while watching TV in the living room. Hope had stepped out for a minute to get snacks from the kitchen. She runs back in and quickly picks up the phone just incase it could be something with the kids.

"What's wrong?" 

"Julie and Christen are driving me insane." says Carli letting her exhaustiveness show. "Alex wanted to go clubbing but I told her no and Mallory is waiting for her fish to arrive via FedEx." Hope lets out a breath of relief and flops down on the couch next to Jerramy.

"I thought something happened. You scared me." admits Hope. "Wait did you say Mal put her fish in the mail?" Jerramy snorts, nearly spitting his drink everywhere, while looking at his wife amused. 

"Yes," sighs Carli, "I didn't know that was a thing but she did it." Carli pauses for a second collecting all of her thoughts. "Oh Chris called you Mom."

"She did?" asks Hope surprised. An enormous grin spreads across her face at the accomplishment. "That's great! Why'd they call you?"

"Julie still wouldn't do the dishes and Chris threw out her Caprisuns, which probably wasn't a bad thing, but JJ of course thinks it's the end of the world. I told Christen to apologize and JJ to do her chores or she'd be writing me some sentences." relays Carli. "When we get back all together again I think we need to go over all the rules. Also I think we may need to come up with  a more efficient way of punishing any rule breakers. We can only have so many of them in time out at a time and you can only fit so many notebooks in your backpack."

"We're not spanking them." shortly answers Hope. "That's ridiculous."

"Aitch I really think that's the best option if it gets to that point. We can't just ground a fourth of the team."

"We'll see what happens at the Olympics with our regular discipline and if it turns out badly then we'll think about some more options when we get home. I hate to use the Olympics as a testing ground but we don't have another option." says Hope. 

"Yeah that sounds like a good idea but before we even get on that first plane we've got to have a serious talk about the rules for this tournament. There's so many people and things and-"

"Yeah yeah I get it. I'll call you back later to figure out what they're going to be. JJ is texting me something about her Fruit Loops being gone and Christen just left a voicemail." says Hope holding her phone away from her ear so she can see the message.

"Ugh Mal just texted me that Swimskey got there but he's acting weird." Hope laughs at Carli's tone. "I gotta g- Oh and now Alex is texting me about something else. Lovely. Talk to you later Hoppers. I love you."

"Love you too Car! Bye!" Hope hangs up the phone and throws it onto the loveseat across the room before sinking down on the sofa.

"Rough day?" playfully inquires Jerramy with a small laugh. 

"You have no idea."