They say she was a keeper, both in sports and in personality. They say that you were supposed to hold her out of the arms of danger because if you didn't, she'd head to fight it before you could bling.
Holly Norris, sister of Formula 1 driver Lando...
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Holly Norris had been waiting impatiently for the rest of her family arrive, both by blood and by bond. She'd always believed that family wasn't always the people you were related to, it was those you valued. While she was blessed to have the blood family she did, she also had others she deeply cared for.
It was one of the only moments Holly was going to get to spend time with them before the semi-final and she wanted to have as much of that as she could. She'd been training all day but had taken the time to shower and change before meeting her parents.
"Lando!" Holly called, wrapping her arms around him.
"Hey Hols," Lando beamed, allowing her to hug him. "I watched your matches, you did amazingly."
"Did you expect less?"
"No," Lando chuckled. "It's crazy back home, you know? They should increase your wages."
"You can go tell them that then," Holly snorted. "Thanks though. I'm really glad you're here."
Lando hadn't come alone either. George had been waiting patiently behind him while Holly greeted her brother, standing beside none other thanLAlex and Lily Muni He.
As Lando approached their parents, Holly rushed towards George and engulfed him in a tight hug. George appeared taken aback by this sudden display of affection, but he smiled down at her. He hadn't fully realized how much Holly had come to cherish him, and it still caught her off guard at times. She had transitioned from showing minimal public affection to now accepting his light kisses in front of her family.
"Missed me?" George questioned in a whisper.
"No," Holly replied sarcastically. "Of course I did, you idiot. It's quite the inconvenience."
"I'm an inconvenience?" George teased lowly. "Sorry about that."
"Oi, move out the way George," Alex demanded as he thew an arm over Holly's shoulder. "Lily is mad at you for not letting China win but we've agreed we'll forgive you."
"Thanks," Holly laughed as she and Lily grinned at each other. "I'll adopt you as English!"
"I'll pass," Lily replied with a laugh. "I'll accept defeat."
"Don't forget me!" The voice of Emilia Jones echoed. "Sorry about the last-minute ticket allocation!"
Seeing Emilia with Lewis Hamilton was something Holly Norris would never get over. It was like she was collecting British Formula 1 drivers as she looked around at Lewis, Lando and George. Even so, she was glad to have them all there.
"Hi Lewis," Holly greeted as they shared a fist bump. "Well, now I'm going to feel really embarrassed if we lose."
"You won't,"Lewis assured with a smile.
Holly shrugged her shoulders. She had faith in herself and she'd be lying if she said she didn't; she knew her team were amazing players and she just hoped they had what it took to get past Australia.
"I appreciate you all being here, I know it's not exactly easy," Holly praised. "I bet you can barely walk into the stadium so I'm just warning you about that."
"We'll be fine," Emilia winked, hooking her arm with Holly. "We all have complete faith in you."
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The crowd roared with chanting and yelling as kick-off between England and Australia began. The family of Holly Norris focused on the match but every few seconds, they drifted over to Holly — though it wasn't hard to miss her when she had to keep kicking the ball away and up the pitch.
England's women were a fierce team, there was no denying it. They wouldn't have made it as far as they did if they weren't.
In the 36th minute, England's efforts paid off. A precise cross from Rachel Daly found the head of Alessia Russo, whose clinical finish gave England the lead. The goal galvanized the English side, who maintained their composure and saw out the first half with a slender 1-0 advantage.
During half-team, Holly collapsed onto the changing room bench and swallowed an entire bottle of water. By now, her kit was no longer clean and it showed how much work she had to do. She was thankful for her ability to easily build muscle as it made the impacts and jumping a lot either — she was an athlete after all and she was sure she could give Lando a run for his money in an endurance run.
The second half kicked off with Australia intensifying their efforts and Holly knew they were desperate. Sam Kerr soon unleashed a stunning strike from outside the box, leveling the score at 1-1 and putting Holly in an bad mood but more determined than ever. She sucked in a breathe and narrowed her eyes.
Holly was the definition of someone who had one job — keep goals out.
Luckily, England's response was swift. Just eight minutes later, Lauren Hemp restored England's lead and Holly was one of the first to hug her. With the score at 2-1, the match became increasingly tense as Australia pushed forward in search of another equaliser.
They couldn't find it and in the 86th minute, a swift counter-attack saw Alessia Russo score her second goal of the match, effectively sealing England's place in the final. When the whistle blew, Holly practically cried out in joy and she ran and engulfed her captain and friend, Millie Bright.
"SWEET CAROLINE!" Holly screamed at the top of her lungs as the music echoed through the stadium.
As Holly locked eyes with George, she saw his beaming smile. Her father yelled the lyrics as loud as the others as Lewis clapped and Lando gave Holly a thumbs up. Her mood continued as the crowd cheered out and Holly hugged her coach.
In more ways than one, George Russell knew Holly Norris was a keeper.
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