I'm here for you || Leah Williamson ||

Finding balance

Sophie's POV

The alarm jarred me awake at 6 AM, the shrill sound echoing in my still-dreamy mind. I groaned, stretching my arm to silence it, and reluctantly pulled myself out of bed. The weekend spent with Leah flashed through my mind, bringing a smile to my face, but the realization of my packed schedule quickly wiped it away. I stepped into the shower, letting the hot water invigorate me for the busy day ahead.

By 7:30 AM, I was already at the training ground, the sun just beginning to rise. The air was crisp, and the grass was still wet with dew. As I walked to the physio room, I mentally ticked off my to-do list. Setting up my station, I reviewed the schedule, noting the numerous appointments lined up. It was going to be a long day.

At 8 AM, my phone buzzed on the desk. It was a message from Leah.

"Morning, Soph! Can I drop by your office before training? 😊"

I felt a pang of guilt as I glanced at the clock. I had a player scheduled for treatment in five minutes. Normally Leah would always stop by before training, but I wasn't free today.. Quickly, I typed a reply.

"Morning, Le! I'd love to, but I'm swamped right now. Maybe we can catch up during lunch? ❤️"

As I sent the message, the door opened, and my first appointment of the day walked in. Pushing thoughts of Leah to the back of my mind, I focused on my work. Each patient required my full attention, and I moved through the morning, attending to injuries, giving treatments, and offering advice. It was fulfilling but exhausting.

Around 11 AM, during a brief break, I checked my phone. Another message from Leah had come in a while ago.

"Okay, I'll see you later then."

The simplicity of the message did little to hide her disappointment. I sighed, feeling the weight of my responsibilities pressing down on me. Just as I was about to reply, the door opened again. Another player, another treatment. There was no time to think, only to act.

By noon, I was looking forward to a break. But just as I was about to head out for lunch, my supervisor walked in.

"Sophie, we need you in the meeting room. There's an important briefing about the new recovery protocols."

I felt my stomach drop. Another missed opportunity to see Leah. Quickly, I sent her a message.

"Leah, I'm really sorry, but I've got a meeting over lunch. Can we catch up this evening instead? 😔"

I barely had time to wait for a reply before I had to rush to the meeting. As I sat through the briefing, absorbing the new protocols, my mind kept drifting back to Leah. The disappointment in her voice, even through text, was noticeable.

Leah's POV

Reading Sophie's message at lunchtime, I felt a sharp sting of disappointment. I haven't missed a day of meeting her every morning before training. Today was the first time.. I had been looking forward to our brief lunch together, a small boost in our busy day. Now, that was gone too. I sighed, shoving my phone into my bag.

"Hey, Leah, you alright?" Beth asked, her voice full of concern as she sat down next to me in the canteen.

"Yeah, just... Sophie's busy again. Another meeting" I replied, trying to mask my frustration.

Beth gave me a sympathetic look. "It's tough, isn't it? Balancing work and a relationship."

"Yeah" I said, picking at my food. "I know she's got a lot on her plate, but I just wish we had more time together."

Beth nodded, offering a supportive smile. "She'll make it up to you. She cares about you a lot."

"I know" I said, forcing a smile. "It's just hard sometimes."