My Cure - Mallory Pugh/USWNT (Sequel to Attached)

Chapter 35

Mal's POV

When we got home, Morgana became a shell of herself. 

She even missed a few days of practice because she had some days where she was so depressed she couldn't even get out of bed. 

On those days I would come home from practice and bring her her favorite coffee and food, and then I'd just lay there with her. 

And every day she'd say the same thing. 

"I don't understand. Why Lena? Why?" 

And I would have no idea what to say, so I'd say something stupid like 'the worst things happen to the best people.' Or maybe 'everything happens for a reason.'

Then we had our time off for 'family reasons' due to having the funeral. It was pushed back because there was some issue with the funeral home. 

So we flew home to Colorado, and most of the girls from the national team and the Red Stars few in just for the day of the viewing. 

Seeing Morgana give so many sad hugs and shed so many sad tears was heartbreaking, made me want to cry myself. 

I got to meet a bunch of Morgana's family  to which some of them looked at me funny. They probably heard what she said the other day and knew she basically outed us but we still hadn't told the family. 

Sanchez, hatchy, Sophia and I were all taking shifts watching poor little Hayley, who had no idea what was going on. 

Occasionally she would look up from her coloring book or her toys and ask: "why's mommy crying?" Or "Why's Mimi crying?" but the worst was "Aunt Morgana's cried so much today. Is she okay, Aunt Mal?" 

And that's when I excused myself to the bathroom, and absolutely cried my eyes out  for a good 5 minutes. I pulled myself together, for Hayley, for Mr and Mrs LaRue, for Chloe, and for Morgana. 

When I came back in, it must have been more than 5 minutes, because the line had moved a lot and Hayley was sleeping on Hatchy. 

Then some of our other national team teammates walked in, and I joined them in the line, telling them about how many people had come through and whatever.

Kelley pulled me in for a hug, and I told her she better save the good hug for Morg. She laughed, and said she had more than one in her. 

When Morgana saw that everyone was here, her eyes lit up a little bit. 

"Trinity says she's going to be a bit late. She ran into an issue." Lindsey read from her phone. 

"I hope she comes at all." Rose said. 

"Why wouldn't she?" I asked. 

"She hates funerals and has been stressing all morning. That's why she didn't come with Sophia and the Ashley's." Said Lindsey. "But she really wants to show up for Morgana." 

"I hope for Morg's sake she shows up. She loves that girl." 

"She'll come. I know she will." Sam Coffey reassured me. 

Soon after that, some of the Red Stars came in, so I went to go talk to them. The place was full of people just talking and crying. I didn't know a lot of them, but there was some former classmates, teammates, Lena's childhood best friends that I recognized from pictures. It was just so sad. 

I just kind of walked around, saying hi to people I knew and ignoring Morgana as much as possible. Not in a mean way, obviously. I just couldn't see her cry. 

The way she started sobbing when Kelley hugged her almost made me cry again. But I held it together, for her, and because I was with some of our old teammates.