C is for cuddling…

When Alex received an invitation to her sorority's reunion, she was torn between three RSVP options. Should she decline the invitation? Should she attend alone? Should she attend with a 'plus one?' There was no doubt who her plus one would be, but she was still dreading the introductions that would take place at the reunion and the fact that would be the only unmarried woman in attendance.

That is when Alex came up with an ingenious plan, one that would ensure she wasn't the only unmarried woman. She went over to her jewelry box and pulled out her late grandmother's engagement ring. The ring was a family heirloom that had been passed from her paternal great-grandmother to her grandmother and had been left to Alex in her grandmother's will. Her grandmother had always hoped to see Alex get married and have children, but when that didn't happen Alex couldn't help feeling guilty. With her grandmother in mind, she put the ring on her finger and admired its beauty and its intricate design. The solitaire diamond was no larger than one carat, but Alex—just like her grandmother and great-grandmother—was not a fan of flashy jewelry. Alex knew she'd never be able to wear it as an actual engagement ring, but she'd at least be able to pretend for one night.

Alex felt guilty for lying to her sorority sisters, but there was no way she was going to suffer any embarrassment while the other women were talking about their spouses, their children, or even their divorces. There was also the embarrassment that could come about if she were caught in her lie, but Alex hadn't seen these women since college and the only time she heard about their lives was in the quarterly newsletter that was e-mailed to her. She knew they would ask why Alex hadn't informed the alumni relations officer that she had gotten married, but Alex already had an answer in mind. She was going to tell them that she had been so pre-occupied with her career and married life that she had forgotten all about informing the alumni relations officer.

She hadn't been to a sorority event since graduation, but the rampant heteronormativity of her sorority was still fresh in Alex's mind. She started to feel bad for Olivia. As the only same-sex couple in attendance, Olivia would be the only woman with her sisters' husbands. Alex knew Olivia could hold her own while with a group of men, but she still worried about the obnoxious, yet inevitable questions Olivia would be asked: are you a top or a bottom? Are you into threesomes? Can I watch? The two of them had been asked those questions countless times and they never ceased to annoy them. She knew her girlfriend was a strong woman and could easily fend them off, but she still hated putting her in that situation. She thought about not attending, but what would be her reason for not attending?

Alex was brought out of her daze by the sound of her apartment door opening. She hadn't expected her girlfriend to arrive so soon and she had absolutely no time to get ready for her. Before telling Olivia about the reunion, she had planned on fixing her hair and wearing something sexy for her, but now she had to settle for what she was currently wearing: one of Olivia's old NYPD shirts that she had given to her ten years ago and a pair of yoga pants.

Hoping her ensemble would remind Olivia of the beginning of their relationship, Alex hurriedly made her way over to her girlfriend. Instead of saying hello, Alex wrapped her arms around Olivia and started to kiss her.

"What did I do to deserve this greeting?" Olivia asked.

"It's because I love you," Alex said. Even though she was being sincere, she still hoped it would butter up her girlfriend.

"I love you, too," Olivia responded. "It's been years since I've seen you in that shirt. You still look beautiful in it."

"You think I look beautiful right now?" Alex asked in shock.

"This is when you're at your most beautiful," Olivia told her.

Her girlfriend was being so sweet and Alex almost felt bad about telling her what she had planned—almost. Before Alex could say anything, Olivia grabbed her by the hand and led her over to the couch so they could cuddle with each other. The two of them always cuddled after making love or on the rare occasion that they had a few moments to spare in the morning, but lately they had become more comfortable with routines in their relationship and cuddling became less frequent. For some reason, Olivia was suddenly being more affectionate with her and Alex had to know why.

"Liv?" Alex asked as she was cuddled up to her girlfriend.

"Yes, babe?"

"What made you want to cuddle all of a sudden?"

"No reason," Olivia insisted, but Alex knew her girlfriend was up to something. She decided to use the reunion as a test. If Olivia agreed to her plan, she was definitely up to something.

"Liv?" Alex asked again.

"What's up?"

"My sorority is having a reunion in three weeks and I told the alumni relations officer that we'd attend."

"That's fine with me," Olivia told her.

"I was thinking we'd attend as a married couple," Alex informed her. "I don't want to be the only unmarried woman at the reunion, so I've decided to wear my grandmother's engagement ring and tell everyone that we're newlyweds."

"Okay," Olivia said nonchalantly. When Alex looked at her girlfriend, she noticed the slightest hint of a smile.

"Olivia, you just agreed to go to a sorority reunion while posing as my wife?"

"Yes, I did," Olivia said before gently tucking a few strands of hair behind her girlfriend's ear.

Olivia Benson is definitely up to something, Alex thought.