Foolish one

Chapter 63

I travelled with the team to Sweden and Gothenburg to watch the Champions League final. Alexia had trained separately from the team yesterday. I think her hamstring was strained, and we both knew that she should rest, but of course she wouldn't do that. Instead, she bandaged it up and played through the pain. Something that was really stupid of her.

"You should rest" I said as we were in bed for the night. "It's nothing, I wouldn't play if it was serious" she answered. I think she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince me. I knew her, and I knew she wanted to play in this final more than anything else. "Just be careful" I whispered and kissed her softly. Alexia nodded and I knew she was lying.

They were playing Chelsea, and I was confident that they would win. I was sitting in the stands with Alexia's family. They had made the journey all the way to Sweden, and we were all in matching jerseys.

After only a minute, we scored. It was an own goal, but everyone celebrated. A goal was a goal, no matter who had scored it.

The game was Barcelona's, and I could see how happy my fiancé was to be on the pitch. She was almost smiling, something that was rare to see on the pitch.

We got a penalty in minute fourteen, and Alexia stepped up to take it. Being the absolute baller she was, it was easy for her to just slot it in. She ran and grabbed the ball before running towards where I was sitting. When she arrived, she placed the ball inside her sweater and sent me a heart with her hands. A celebration for me and our daughter.

Tears welled up in my eyes as she did that. Eli hugged me from the side, and I was sure cameras were filming our interaction. It would probably be all over social media tomorrow, but that didn't matter as I was here to watch my team do their absolute best in another final.

They won!

No!

We won!

I was a part of this, even though I didn't play in the final five games. It was still my team.

Barcelona won the Champions League for the first time, and I was only there to see it. I watched from the stands as the team celebrated together. Tears filled my eyes. They were happy tears. Tears filled with pride from what the people I loved had achieved.

Alexia soon ran up to get me. "You need to come with" she said and grabbed my hand, softly pulling me towards the pitch. Both Jonathan and Lluís greeted me as I approached them. "Eres una campeona, ¿no?" Lluís asked with a proud grin on his face. He pulled me in for a hug and we were soon joined by Jonathan. They showed me that I was a part of this, even though I didn't play today, and I was extremely grateful for that.

"How's your thigh?" I asked, worried about her. "Adrenaline makes me not feel it, but I'll asses it at home if it makes you feel better" Alexia answered. I nodded and pulled her in for a hug. With an arm around my shoulder, she led me towards the rest of the team, and we joined in with their celebrations.

Her thigh was wrapped tightly in a bandage. If I had been the one to decide she would have been in the stands with me. I cared about her health, and she should do the same.

We all got a medal, even I got one and it felt weird as I had not been playing at all. "You look gorgeous in gold love" Alexia said with a smile. Maybe I did look great, but I probably looked like shit. Pregnancy did that to you, especially as I was still sick a lot. My body was always sore, my feet swollen, and my cravings weird. People who said pregnancy was amazing must be liars, because for me it didn't feel like it. But it would all probably feel worth it when our daughter was born.

"Dance with me Isa" Aitana said and spun me around. A smile covered her face, a well-deserved one as she had been one of the best players on the pitch tonight. We danced in the middle of the pitch. Alexia soon joined, her arms wrapped around my stomach and a smile graced her lips.

It was a great day. A big day. A day I had been waiting long for.

Celebrations continued all through the night. I only stayed until midnight before I needed to sleep. Being pregnant was hard on my body, and I slept more than I usually did.

I don't know when Alexia retreated to bed, but she was fast asleep when I woke up around nine. I went down for breakfast alone. Most of my teammates were still asleep, and it was nice to get some time alone. I read my book as I drank my tea and ate my breakfast. A piece of toast and a big bowl with fruit. After that I had a freshly made waffle with cloudberry jam. Something I was unfamiliar with, but it tasted amazing on that sweet waffle.

After over an hour, the first players walked into breakfast. They all looked rough, to say the least. Aitana sat down next to me with a puzzled look on her face. "Lucky for you, I brought painkillers" I said with a smile. "You don't have to yell" she mumbled. Very hungover. I was speaking in my usual tone, not loud at all. "Sorry" I whispered with a smile. The box of paracetamol was passed around the table, and when it got back to me it was empty.

It took my teammates a long time to eat breakfast. I expected nothing less. I knew how it was to try and eat when you were nauseous and your head hurt, something I had experienced a lot in these past five months. That's right. I was over halfway done with this pregnancy, and I would miss my belly once it was empty.

"How's your thigh?" I whispered to Alexia. "Hurts like hell" she whispered back. That was enough for me, and we went to see the physio. I hated seeing Alexia in pain and wanted nothing else than for the pain to subside.

She was sidelined until it was better. A minor hamstring injury was what it was. Playing through it probably wasn't the best choice, as it hurt the day before. "I can't even yell at you for playing yesterday. If it had been any other game, I can assure you that I would have" I said to her, with an almost joking tone in my voice. "I probably should have rested, but it was out of the question" Alexia said with a laugh.

It was annoying to have her at home. We were both training separately from the team, but together in the gym. I had no time alone, and neither did she. It was not optimal, and we fought more than we usually did. Screaming matches were nothing out of the ordinary during this week.

Alexia slept on the couch. We went to bed angry and disappointed with each other but woke up with forgiving words. It wasn't good for either of us, and all I wished for was that everything would go back to normal.

When she was back in full training everything was better. I had some time for myself, and I could do whatever I wanted during that hour. Most of the time I just took a nap. Other times I went out to get pampered. It was nice to have time alone, and Alexia thought so too.

"What if we spend an hour each day without each other? Like go out for coffee or get our nails done. But not together" I proposed. It was a good idea and it made us fight less during the following two months. 

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I was supposed to be out today, but I felt so bad. I couldn't stay for long which was awful. I tanned a lot.

Here in Sweden we have this thing called "Sista April" (Last of April), it is a pretty big thing were I live so I was at a party first and then I was supposed to go out tonight also. Drinking is not great when you already feel nauseous.

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