Can I Go Where You Go? - Pablo Gavi

Chapter 9: Final Chance

"Looks like we'll be up against England in the finals," Gavi says, his nose in his phone as the two of us descend in the elevator in our hotel. Tomorrow we're flying out to Canada where the final will be, so tonight we're going to have dinner with both our families.

"Great," I say sarcastically. I'd have preferred not to face them, seeing as they're both a great team and one of the teams I've made the most friends on.

"Who's your dad going cheer for then?" Gavi asks, lifting his face from his phone to smile at me teasingly. It is well known among our friends and family that my dad has always been an England supporter.

I roll my eyes. "I guess you'll have to ask him when we see them."

"I guess I will," he says, returning to his phone and scrolling some more.

The elevator door opens and he closes his phone and puts it in his pocket, following me out of the enclosed space and into the hotel lobby. We called an Uber to pick us up ten minutes ago and as we walk out into the hot Mexico sun we see it waiting on the curb.

Both our families agreed on a restaurant for tonight's meal, one my parents tried earlier in the week and adored.

As we walk into the restaurant, Gavi's hand on the small of my back, we spot them all at a table. We walk over to them, smiling and waving. I haven't gotten the chance to see much of either of our families throughout the tournament since we've been so busy.

"Isla!" Aurora exclaims, getting up from her seat and coming over to hug me.

"Aurora!" I exclaim, hugging her back. I feel like I haven't seen her in forever.

"What about me?" Gavi asks her, opening his arms for a hug.

She releases me, rolling her eyes playfully before going over to Gavi and giving him a hug. "Don't joke, we both know Isla's my favorite."

"Ouch," Gavi says, letting Aurora go.

Aurora ignores him and turns to me, collecting my hands in hers. "Come sit beside me, we have so much to catch up on." She starts to drag me around the table and I let her, shrugging at Gavi who looks sad that I've left him. 

I sit down in the seat Aurora gestures to, in between her and my dad. I say hello to everyone as we get seated, Gavi sitting in the only other open chair at the table across from me. To his right is my uncle and to his left is his mother.

Conversation catches on easily as Aurora asks me all about playing in the World Cup and my favorite parts. Gavi adds in pieces I forget and my uncle sits quietly, nostalgically admiring the excitement we express for the tournament.

When the food comes the conversation doesn't slow, but transitions into more everyday topics. We talk about life back home, Barcelona for us and Canada for my parents. Gavi's mom inquires on if they had ever considered moving to Barcelona when I had. My parents stuttered on the topic before admitting they never seriously considered it.

I don't blame them, everything I had was in Barcelona, but they had nothing there besides me. Still it stings a bit to know I was correct in assuming I was not enough for them to up and move their whole lives. Why should I have been? 

After dinner when everyone continues to talk and enjoy the darkened atmosphere as the sun set, I excuse myself to go to the bathroom and Aurora comes with me.

"I didn't want to ask you out there," she says as we get inside the bathroom. All the stall doors are open so we know no one else is in here. "But honestly, are you nervous for the final?"

I lean my back against the counter of sinks and sigh. "Yeah, a little. The stakes are pretty high, higher then any before. It stresses me out to even talk about it."