The Secret - Alexia Putellas

25.

Thank you Eliza!!!

That Martha is now involved was the beginning. From now on, things will be serious. Enjoy!

A few months had passed. Two months, to be exact.

It was early March, and while Martha was doing an unexpectedly perfect job of keeping her friends' secret, Alexia was only a few days away from her long-awaited comeback. The entire team had done an excellent job working with her. Only thanks to them, Alexia was even able to return to the pitch this soon.

The team was midst the final preparations, before they would leave for Paris the following day to play the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Women's Champions League the day after.

Wasn't the Champions League the perfect stage for the Queen to have her comeback?

Alexia was highly motivated.

She became more motivated each day and the fact that the long time of waiting was slowly but surely coming to an end made her even happier. She didn't care about the never-ending appointments, which were nothing but stress to her. By now, she realized that she had to accept all of this in exchange for where she wanted to be.

On the pitch.

While Alexia is completing her final workout on the training ground in Barcelona, Erin's last patient had just left the room, when there's another knock at the door.

"Come in", Erin announces, exchanging the covers of the therapy bench as the door swings open.

"Hola hermana", Martha grins as she enters the room and shuts the door behind her, before hopping excitedly onto the therapy bench which Erin had just rearranged.

"Really, Martha?", Erin scoffs, and rolls her eyes in annoyance as she nudges her friend's shoulder and then plops down in her office chair.

"How come your bench is so much more comfortable than mine? Kind of unfair", Martha asks dejectedly, lying down on her back with her hands behind her head while staring up at the ceiling.

Erin just stares at her friend for a moment, then rolls her eyes once again and tosses the old covers into the basket.

"That's because I'm the better therapist", she teases, figuring Martha deserved it, since she just made her stay longer.

Never in a million years would Erin leave her therapy room in a mess. Especially not when they were leaving for an away game the following day.

"As if. You do realize that I've been working here the longest? Even longer than your beloved girlfriend. Nice wallpaper, by the way", Martha chuckles as she gestures to her colleague's monitor.

Flushing, Erin turns her head to look at her screen. The picture she had taken of Alexia at the beach was still one of her favorites. Anyone who would see it might think it was just some sunset on some beach. But those who looked closely would realize that it was much more than that.

Or those who knew.

Alexia was swimming there. It was the day they began their relationship. If Erin hadn't cropped the picture, you could even see Nala in the picture as the little dog had climbed into her lap right before the shot.

Back then, there was no stress. No worries. No fears. A wonderful day. And a beautiful picture.

"That's truly impressive. Have you never thought about moving on? Doing something else?", Erin wonders as she averts her gaze from the monitor to look back at Martha, who takes a deep breath.

"I don't know... I mean, of course I thought about it. But where? Barcelona is great. I love the team. I like our 'youngsters' and I get along with everyone. So I don't see any reason to leave this place", Martha shrugs, staring at the ceiling as she thinks about the question more.