Joe Hart smiled at a few of the nurses as he walked down the children's ward of the hospital in Manchester.
Joe knew this would be good for the children and a great excuse for him to get away from his girlfriend who was being a pain in the ass at the moment.
Stepping into a room, Joe's eyes caught a girl no older than five smiling up at the footballer with a woman next to her.
"Hello, I'm Joe what's your name?" Joe asked as he sat next to the little girl who was still smiling brightly at the footballer with her blue eyes sparkling up at him.
"I'm Melanie and this is my granny," The little girl smiled as she watched the footballer reach out and shake her grandmothers hand.
The little girl was a huge fan of Joe and always watched his football games with her mother on TV when her mother was here with her.
"Hello, I'm Mary. My daughter should be here soon," Mary said before there was a pair of heels sounding running down the hall before a girl ran into the room.
"Oh, sorry. That was today," The girl breathed as she let her bag down and Joe noted the air hostess uniform before he stood up looking at the gorgeous girl in front of him.
"I-I'm Joe," Joe stuttered as he looked at the girl making him wonder what had made him stutter like that.
"Hi, I'm Isabelle," The brunette smiled as she shook Joe's hand before they sat down again.
"Well I better be getting home to your father, I'll see you on Tuesday," Mary said knowing her daughter had another flight that day.
"I'll see you," Isabelle smiled as her mother kissed her cheek and smiled at Joe before moving to leave the younger people alone knowing something was going to happen between them.
"Did you tell Joe that you love him?" Isabelle teased knowing her daughter was obsessed with the goalkeeper and has been for three years.
Even though she was just two, she saw Joe on TV while her grandparents and mother were watching a Manchester City game and squealed excitedly every time Joe was shown.
"Mum," The little girl said as she looked down with a blush on her cheeks while Joe chuckled looking at her.
"So you're a fan of Man City then?" Joe asked making the little girl nod as she smiled at Joe who mirrored her smile knowing he's never seen a happier child who is on the verge of death.
"Are you free on March 18th?" Joe asked knowing FC Barcelona were coming to play the first leg of the Champions League that night and he'd love if they were both there.
"We are," Isabelle mused wondering what the footballer was getting at. She knew she wasn't flying that day and was planning on spending time with her daughter.
"How would you like to come watch us play FC Barcelona in the Champions League?" Joe asked making Melanie look at her mother with her big blue eyes shining up at her.
"Please mum?" Melanie asked making her mother sigh and look at her as Joe smiled too.
"Pleas mum?" Joe asked making Isabelle laugh and nod knowing Joe is a joker and would do anything to get his own way.
"Great so now that's out of the way lets talk about you," Joe smiled as he looked at Melanie who happily started talking about what she liked.
Isabelle watched her daughter with a small smile on her face knowing her daughter wouldn't be here much longer before she had to let go.
***
"She's a great girl," Joe mused as he watched Melanie sleep soundly with her hand holding tightly on to Joe's hand. His hospital visit had turned into him just staying with Melanie all day but he didn't mind he adored the little girl.
"She is, she won't be able to be that happy anymore," Isabelle whispered with tears in her eyes. Joe looked up at her alarmed knowing that even in their short time together he had become attached to the little girl and couldn't stand the thought of her dying.
"No, she can be saved," Joe protested as he watched the brunette woman break down in front of him.
"She can't," Isabelle cried trying to be quiet she wouldn't wake her daughter. It's not the first night she's cried over her daughter but she didn't want Melanie to see her like this.
"Hey, it's okay," Joe whispered as he gently escaped Melanie's grasp and walked around to Isabelle and hugged her tightly as she sobbed into his arms.
"It will get better," Joe promised. He had gone too far with the mother and daughter to ever back out now.
Joe knows that Melanie is going to die but he's going to make her comfortable for when she does eventually pass away and he knows he'll be there when she does.
"Come to dinner with me tomorrow," Joe said quietly knowing he wanted to get to know Isabelle better than just knowing that she was losing her daughter.
"I want to talk to you about something," Joe mumbled knowing he couldn't talk to her about this in front of Melanie since he had the feeling that the little girl didn't know she wasn't going to make it to see her seventh birthday.
"Okay," Isabelle said quietly. She liked the footballer and she couldn't deny that and dinner wouldn't hurt anyone.
"Here's my number," Joe mumbled as he wrote it down on a piece of paper and handed it to Isabelle who nodded and stuffed it into her pocket.
"Text me your address," Joe said softly as he kissed her cheek and bid her goodnight before leaving the room and closing the door quietly.
Joe wouldn't admit it but when he heard the little girl wouldn't make it he wanted to cry and he wanted to make sure Isabelle and Melanie were comfortable before the six year old died leaving her mother alone but Joe knew she wouldn't be alone, not while she had him.
