Letters

126

Katana's POV

"Here ya go." Aurora says as she hands me tonight's line-up.

"Thanks." I say then I take the line-up and look at it.

1-Katana Solo
26-Midge Purce
4-Alana Cook
20-Naomi Girma
3-Emily Fox
6-Jaelin Howell
24-Ashley Sanchez
10-Catarina Macario
9-Sophia Smith
14-Talia Martin
23-Christen Press(C)

For our final game of 2023 we play Chile tonight at Banc of California Stadium.

Sadly our game is also Christen's retirement game.

Once at Banc of California Stadium, the bus parks then everyone gets off and heads to the locker room.

When we get to the locker room, everyone puts their stuff down in their respective lockers.

Once my stuff is in my locker, my teammates and I head outside for the pitch inspection.

After we've inspected the pitch, my teammates and I head back to the locker room.

When I get to my locker I take my AirPods out, I take out my nose ring, I take off my necklaces, earrings, bracelet, watch, and my rings, put my jewelry in it's safe then I put my jewelry safe and AirPods in my bag.

Once I'm jewelry free I take off my tracksuit and put my dark brown locs up in a ponytail then I put on my long sleeve lime green undershirt, my warm up top, and I put on my game shorts.

I then sit down in my locker and put on my socks, my shin pads and my red boots.

After my boots are on I tape my wrists, hands, and fingers then I put on my red keeper gloves before I head onto the field with the other keepers.

When I get on the pitch I run through my warm ups with the keepers for a while then head back to the locker room.

Once in the locker room I change out of the training top and change into my lime green keeper jersey while Cairo does her last minute talks.

When the last minute talks end, we are told to head to the tunnel so I grab my towel and water bottle then Appa, Socks, and I do as told.

Once in the tunnel, I line-up right behind Christen then I wait for us to be called out.

As we're waiting, I lean forward and hug my friend.

"You're a meanie." I whisper.

Christen chuckles then she turns in my arms and hugs me back.

"You act like you'll never see me again." Christen says.

"On the field I won't." I say with a pout.

"Katana we're playing in your charity match together."

"Still." I say.

Christen chuckles then she continues hugging me until we're told to move.

When we are told to head out onto the field for the prematch stuff I follow Christen out onto the field.

Once on the field we stand in line for the Chilean anthem then myself, all of the ladies in the starting XI, and most of the ladies on the bench kneel for our anthem.

When our anthem finishes, we stand up then we shake hands with the Chile players.

Christen's retirement ceremony is after the game.

After we shake hands, we take a starting XI picture, Christen does the coin toss, we do our team huddle, then I lead Appa and Socks to the bench.

"Stay here pups." I say

Appa and Socks yip and smile at me so I scratch their heads then I jog to my position on the field.

Once I'm at my goal, I hang my towel up on the net, put my water in the net then Alana and Naomi come over and fist bump me before they head to their spots.

"Please don't let this game end." I mumble when the game kicks off. "Fucking please."

- - - - -

"Boo." I say when the full time whistle blows.

After the full-time whistle blows, I take off my gloves and put them in my waist band then I grab my water bottle and towel and head upfield.

Once upfield my doggies meet up with me as I shake hands with the Chile players then I switch jerseys with Christiane Endler.

After I switch jerseys, I walk over to the sideline and grab one of the shirts we're wearing for Christen's retirement ceremony.

Re-inc put out a shirt to celebrate Christen's retirement so the team are wearing the shirt during the ceremony.

Re-inc also put out a shirt to celebrate Tobin's retirement.

Once I have a shirt, I jog to our locker room.

When I get to the locker room I put Endler's jersey, my gloves, my water bottle, and my towel in my locker then I take off my boots and socks and put them in my locker.

After I'm shoeless and sockless, I put the re-inc shirt on then my doggies and I head back out to the field.

Once on the field, I see a bunch of chairs facing the big video board here at the stadium.

"Come on pups." I say as I scratch my doggies heads. "Let's go sit."

My doggies woof then we head over to the chairs and sit on the front row in-between Emma and Sahara.

"This is gonna suck." I mumble as my dogs sit lay at my feet next to Shadow.

"Mhmm." Sahara says as Christen's ceremony begins.

Christen's ceremony starts with her being presented a special jersey and taking pictures with her family.

After the pictures are done, everyone sits back down then a video plays on the video boards in the stadium.

The beginning part of the video is a bunch of Christen's past and present teammates on the national team saying some nice stuff about Christen.

Eventually my face appears on screen.

"Hi Christen." I say on the video. "I don't really know what to say for this considering how much I talk about you when it comes to football."

Every time I get asked about something revolving around Football, Christen usually comes up.

"I guess now's a great time to say thank you." I say on the video "I've never really got the chance to thank you for all you've done for me."

As I'm talking on the video I hear someone sniffle

"So thank you for raising me when I was younger." I say on the video. "I don't think my sisters and I would've turned out the way we have if you didn't show us the ropes when we were younger."

We probably woulda turned out more like our mother if Christen wasn't around.

"But I mainly need to thank you for loving my twin." I say on the video. "I will never be able to repay you and Tobin for everything you've done for Sahara since you all have been together."

"Stupid emotions." Sahara mumbles causing me to chuckle.

"It's okay twin." I mumble then I rest my head on Sahara's. "It's gonna be okay."