“Babe, I retired years ago.”

“And yet, you still kick my ass at least half the time we’re out there.”

“We have two kids at home,” Elodie returned.

“I’m aware,” Madison said and shook her head. “Is that your only argument against it? We have kids?”

“I also said I was retired.”

“And I countered that.”

“What are you, in a courtroom?” Elodie laughed as she plated macaroni and cheese for their daughter. 

“Mom, I don’t want macaroni and cheese,” their oldest daughter said.

“Good. It’s not for you. You’re getting chicken nuggets and pasta.”

“With Alfredo?”

“With Alfredo,” Elodie replied and shook her head at their seven-year-old.

“I’ve got it.” Madison took the plate and walked over to the table where their kids were sitting. “Here you go, baby,” she said to their five-year-old.”

“Thank you, Mama,” the little girl replied in the voice that was sounding less and less like a toddler’s, which had Madison realizing that her babies weren’t so much babies anymore.

“No.”

Madison looked up at her wife and asked, “What?”

“I know that face,” Elodie stated and pointed a wooden spoon at her. “No.”

“What face?” Madison laughed and walked back into the kitchen. 

“The ‘you just realized they’re getting older and are thinking about having another one’ face. And no.”

Madison leaned in and kissed her on the lips.

“Babe, they’re so cute, though. There could be another cute one.”

“Do you want me to compete with you as part of the team or not? I can’t handle three kids, a wife who seems to forget that I’m about ten years older than her, and competing.”

“You’re going to do it,” Madison said with a huge smile on her face.

“I am not.” Elodie chuckled.

“Yes, you are. I know your faces, too. That’s your ‘giving into Madison’ face, and you’re going to call Team USA back and tell them that you are coming out of retirement and going to the tournament. Once they see you, they’ll know you’ve still got it, babe, and we’ll both go as part of the team event.”

“You really want this, don’t you?” Elodie asked and put the wooden spoon back in the pan.

“Individual medals are great, don’t get me wrong, but the USA hasn’t won a team gold since the eighties. You and I on that team - we could stand a real chance.”

“What about the mixed team? That’s one guy and one woman.”

“So?”

“So, do you want to compete in that, too?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. Right now, I’m not talking about me. I’m talking about us, and the fact that you are still the best archer in the world, El. You don’t always realize it yourself, but I see you out there every day. You’re firing perfect tens and making dinner for the kids right after like it’s nothing. You’re Superwoman, babe.” Madison put her hands on Elodie’s hips. “If you don’t want to do this, just say so, and I’ll drop it. I’ll tell them you’re not interested. But if you are even remotely considering it, just go to the tourney and do what you do best. When you kill it out there, they’ll beg you to join the team again.”

“Mama, juice?”

“What do you say?” Elodie said to their daughter.

“Please?”

“Can you get her some juice?” she asked Madison.

“On it,” she replied and kissed Elodie again.

“Maddie?”

“Yeah?” she asked before she pulled away.

“I’ll do it.”

Madison looked at her wife’s beautiful smile.

“And after, we can talk about-”

“No,” Elodie interjected.

Madison laughed and said, “Fine.”