You drafted my heart - Nika Mühl (Eng. version)

Chapter 12 - Saudade

Hi everyone, how are you? I hope everything is ok w u guys... I'm going to start posting one or two chapters per week, my volleyball practices is back in full swing and I come home exhausted after classes and gym. Let me know what you think of the story so far, talk to me hahahaha

XOXO

10:23 pm - March 27, 2022.

San Antonio, Texas.

We lost the Sweet Sixteen game against Baylor by a measly three points, and nothing could shake the feeling in my head that it was my fault. I could have been out there, fighting alongside my friends, helping the team to victory. But instead, I was lying in a hospital bed, immobile and powerless.

The hospital lights were dim, casting shadows that danced on the walls of the room. I was alone, lost in my torturous thoughts, when I heard familiar voices approaching. It was the soft sound of laughter and muffled conversation that I knew all too well.

The door opened and, in an instant, my friends were around me. Emily, Vic, Julia, and Amelia entered the room, all with worried looks and comforting smiles.

"Olivia!" Emily exclaimed, rushing to give me a careful hug. "How are you feeling?"

I smiled weakly, trying to appear stronger than I actually felt. "I'm okay, considering the circumstances."

Vic stepped closer, holding my hand gently. "We missed you out there, Liv. It was weird playing without you."

I swallowed hard, fighting back the tears threatening to fall down my face. "I'm sorry, guys. I should have been there. If I hadn't gotten hurt..."

"Don't say that," Julia interrupted, her voice firm and determined. "You didn't have a choice. It was an accident. It wasn't your fault."

But I couldn't shake the feeling of guilt. The image of the ball going through the net as the clock hit zero was burned into my mind. And all I could think was that, if I had been there, we could have won.

Amelia stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on my left thigh. "Olivia, listen. We're a team. We win together and we lose together. It's nobody's fault. And it's definitely not your fault."

I wanted to believe them. I wanted to believe that I wasn't responsible for the devastating loss. But it was hard to let go of the overwhelming sense of failure.

"I know you're trying to cheer me up," I murmured, struggling to keep my voice steady. "But I can't help feeling like I let you all down."

Emily came forward and held my face in her hands. Her eyes were full of determination. "You didn't let us down, Liv. Quite the opposite, you inspire us every day with your strength and dedication. An injury doesn't change that."

Her words penetrated me, bringing a sense of warmth and comfort. Maybe I couldn't change the outcome of the game, but I could choose how to react to it. I could choose to rise up and keep fighting, just like my friends were doing for me in that moment.

With a shaky sigh, I finally relented, letting go of the guilt that had been weighing me down. "Thank you, guys. I love you all."

They surrounded me with warm hugs, and I knew, in that moment, that no matter what happened, we were a team.

As the girls settled around me, their curious looks indicating that there were more questions to be asked, Emily was the first to break the silence, trying to bring a little levity to the tense atmosphere.

"So, Liv, did you manage to see the result of the UConn game against Iowa?" she asked, with a smile.

I nodded slowly. "Yes, I watched some of it. I'm happy for Nika and the other Huskies girls for winning. There's this whole thing about Paige against Caitlin that I don't get, the two are friends after all and people create a fuss!!"