right where you left me

Chapter 42 - Long Time Coming

I board the flight to Germany, breathing in and out, quite steadily. I knew it was time to fully resolve everything with my sister. I needed that. We needed that. For so long, it was me and Eden against the world, with Finn of course. But now that Finn is gone, and my family is falling to more shreds than it was before, I knew that it was time to be there for my sibling, and similarly, she knew she needed to be here for me.

I got on the next flight to Wolfsburg, paying a lot of money to go not on Ryan Air and with a comfortable seat, seeing as my leg would not fit in the economy.

Saying goodbye to Leah whenever I went on my sporadic trips was always the hardest part. She was in London, having to fulfill her commitments as Arsenal captain, and England captain. She was important. More important than I ever could be.

"It'll be good for you to get away," Leah said to me, as she dropped me at the airport in the morning. I was flying out of Heathrow Airport, and although is quite inconvenient for her to drop me off, she did so anyway.

"I just hope-" but she cut me off.

"Just enjoy it. See your sister; get away from the chaos that is inside your head. Okay?" I nodded, leaning over before placing a small kiss on her lips. "But make sure you're back before the international break. You were my lucky charm last Arnold Clark Cup." She gave me a small wink, and I chuckled softly, squeezing her hand

"I love you," I said to her, as I got out of the car.

"I'll see you in a few days," she replied. "And I love you too."

As I arrived in Wolfsburg, I wasn't sure what to expect. Eden was at work, fulfilling her career as a physiotherapist. I was so proud of her that she became who she wanted to be. That she got to a point in her life where she was content. She didn't have the struggles that infiltrated her brain affect who she became. (Well maybe she did and I just had no idea). I made my own way into the city. I didn't have a key to her apartment, so I made my way over to the Wolfsburg training facility, where she told me to meet her. She was going to finish up early that day, take me back to her place and then show me the sites (although she assured me there weren't too many things to see in a city that was mostly focused on cars and a powerplant)

The training ground wasn't too far out of the main city, so the taxi ride didn't take long. When I arrived, I made my way to the front desk.

"Hello," I said, hoping they would speak English as I did not know a single word of German.

"Hallo," the receptionist said back to me, smiling. "You are Australian? Are you here to see Elk-" but before she could continue, Eden was there.

"Tipp," she said, leaning against the door. She was in a Wolfsburg top, and I had to remember that she did actually work for the team that was, in a sense, one of my rivals.

"Hey," I said to her. She came over slowly, soon embracing me in a hug that had been a long time coming.

"I've got one more player, and then I'll be good to go. But you can come in. She won't mind." I followed Eden through the training ground. She gave me a brief tour, showing me all their facilities. I felt as if I was infiltrating on sacred ground; I knew it was wrong I was there. I was an Arsenal player: the team I had my allegiance to. But, this was about family. My family. My real family.

"It's nice," I said to Eden, as we settled into her little physio station.

"How's the leg going?" she asked, pointing to the cast that was still around my leg.

"It's okay. The cast should be coming off soon. Thank god."

"I saw it happen. I was worried for a moment."

"I was too. But then the continuous pain sort of told me it wouldn't be those dreaded three letters."