Emma's POV
"Heif I swear I'm gonna punch him in his face if I see him again." I say.
"I know Emma." Heif says. "That's why he got kicked out."
"Who the hell thinks it's okay to call me colored?" I question.
"Apparently his racist ass did." Heif says as he, myself, and Shadow walk down the hall.
Today's media day for the World Cup and I just got done with some racist pig who kept calling me colored.
"Who's next for me?"
"You, Christen, and Alex, are doing a Q and A with some teenagers." Heif says as we get to the main room of the floor we're occupying.
"Cool." I say then one of the people from the team hands me my smoothie I requested. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." The man from the team says. "Hazel and Kingsley are with Ash and Ali by the way."
"Thank you." I say then I join Alex and Christen on the stage.
As we're waiting for the teenager to come in I look down at the list on the table that has the list of the final roster.
1-Emma Harris
2-Emily Sonnett
3-Sam Mewis
4-Sarah Gorden
5-Kelley O'Hara
6-Morgan Brian
7-Abby Dahlkemper
8-Julie Johnston
9-Sophia Smith
10-Lindsey Horan
11-Mal Pugh
12-Tierna Davidson
13-Alex Morgan
14-Paige Nielsen
15-Casey Short
16-Rose Lavelle
17-Tobin Heath
18-Alyssa Naeher
19-Crystal Dunn
20-Catarina Macario
21-Jane Campbell
22-Kristie Mewis
23-Christen Press
After I look over the roster I drink my Blueberry smoothie while the kids file into the seats in front of us.
"Shadow up." I say then Shadow jumps up into the seat next to me. "Good girl."
Once all the teenagers are sat down Heif intro's the Q&A then the teenagers start asking questions, but I only pay attention to my questions.
"Emma do you think you're the best keeper in the world?" A teenager asks.
"I Do." I say. "And I think my Olympic gold medal, my two leagues winners medals, my three FA Cup Medals, and my three Champions league winners medals have proven that."
"Do you wanna play Canada and Jessie in the World Cup?" A red head teenager asks.
"Only if it's the World Cup Final." I say. "I don't think either of us wanna ruin the other's chances at winning a World Cup.
"How do you wanna be remembered?" A shy teenage girl asks.
"That's a great question." I say.
The shy teenager smiles at me as I take a drink of my smoothie.
"I hope me being the best goalkeeper is the last people thing remember about me." I say. "I hope people will always remember me as the best wife, the best mother, the best person, the best boss, and anything else they can think of."
The rest of my questions are about Jessie, the girls at Arsenal, the kids, and football so I easily answer them.
Once our Q&A is finished, myself, Shadow, Christen, and Alex head back to the players only room, grab our lunch, then sit with our respective kids.
"Hi Mama." Kingsley and Hazel say as Shadow and I sit with them for lunch.
"Hi babies." I say then I kiss my kids.
After I kiss my kids we eat dinner while periodically giving Shadow scraps to eat.
Once we finish eating lunch I, along with the other mothers on the team, put our kids down to nap in the nap room that was created for the kids, and the adults, to nap when needed.
"Have a good nap babies." I whisper then I kiss my kids' heads.
After I kiss my kids' heads I watch the twins cuddle up together.
"Aww." I mumble then I take a quick picture before Shadow and I leave the room.
Once Shadow and I leave the room we head back to the main room for my next media thing.
My next media thing is a Press Conference/Q&A thing with the other women of color on the team.
The Women of color on the team is myself, Crystal, Sarah, Sophia, Mal, Casey, Catarina, and Christen.
"Here you go Bubba." Christen says and hands me my drink from lunch.
"Thanks." I say then I sit down in-between Christen and Crystal.
"You ladies ready?" Heif asks.
"May I say something first?" I ask.
"Sure." Heif says then I look at the press corp.
"Please do not refer to me or any of the other women up her as colored." I say. "I've been called that enough today and I don't need "
"But you are colored." Some dude says.
"When you get upset, when you get mad you turn red, when you get envious you turn green, and when you become cowardly you turn yellow." I say. "How are we colored?"
"Ooh bitch." Crystal mumbles.
"Let's get the press conference started." Heif says then the journalists start asking question.
I don't get a lot of questions asked toward me and I'm pretty sure it's because of the colored thing.
"Emma do you think the goals in women's football need to be smaller?" Some dude asks.
"Not this shit again." I say then I sigh and look at the prick. "No I don't."
"Then why do you think there's a gap in ability between mens and women's goalkeeping?" The man asks.
"Arsenal, my club team, didn't have a full time women's goalkeeping coach until 2014 so Emma Byrne had to teach herself then had to coach the keepers." I say. "The reason you see a supposed gap in goalkeeper quality is because the men's side of football didn't give a fuck about the women's side until probably 2019."
"You said supposed gap."
"There's shitty goalkeeping in the men's game." I say. "I mean David de Gea was the best men's keeper on the planet for a couple years then he turned to shit for a couple years."
"Emma you've been criticized for not showing emotion on the pitch." A lady says. "Do you believe you should show more emotion on the pitch?"
"Do you think I should." I ask and the lady shakes her head no. "Neither do I."
"Do you think your lack of emotion affects your teammates?" Some dude says.
"I don't know." I say. "My teammates know I'll fuck somebody up if the opposition mess with one of them, but you'd have to ask them if it affects them."
"Emma how is your mindset going into this tournament?" Meg Linehan asks.
"I'm a lot happier now." I say. "It helps to have a coach who believes in what I stand for."
"Can you elaborate?"
"I mean we all saw what happened in Italy and in Utah a couple years ago when I was racially abused." I say. "Both times I walked off the field Vlatko told me he was proud of me for standing up for what I believe in and every time he made sure I was okay mentally and emotionally first and foremost...Jill wouldn't have done that."
"EMMA." Ash shouts. "YOUR KIDS HAD A NIGHTMARE."
"Bye everyone." I say then I get up and quickly walk with Shadow to the nap room.
"MAMA." The kids shout when they see me.
"Hi babies." I say then I bring my kids into my arms.
Once my kids are in my arms I carry them to a private room then I sit down and hold them while they cry.
"Mama's got you babies." I softly say. "Mama's got you."
YOU ARE READING
Serendipity
FanfictionIn Emma's 21 years of living she has been to hell and back. She relies on a handful of people to keep her going. When one of them breaks her who will be there to pick up the pieces?
