𝙄𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙌𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩 𝙈𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 - 𝘊𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘥

𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙮 𝙎𝙞𝙭. 𝘈 𝘞𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘭

The tension in the stadium was unbearable. The roar of the crowd, a sea of red and blue, felt like it was reverberating inside my chest. Arsenal and Chelsea-two titans of women's football-had been battling it out for 120 grueling minutes, but now it all came down to penalties. The scoreline was locked, and everything rested on one final kick. My kick.

As I stood just outside the penalty box, waiting for my turn, my heart pounded in my ears, drowning out the distant cheers of the crowd. I wiped my palms on my shorts, trying to calm my nerves, but it was impossible. This was the FA Cup final. The same final Arsenal had lost last year-ironically, against Chelsea. And now, my penalty was the deciding factor. If I missed, we would would lose again. If I scored, we'd finally lift the trophy.

"Elena." Kim's voice snaps me out of my spiraling thoughts. Our captain's eyes were calm but commanding. "You've got this. Don't overthink it."

Steph nods beside Kim, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Just take a deep breath and put it where you always do in training. No different."

Beth joins us, her expression a mixture of encouragement and determination. "You've nailed this a thousand times. This is just one more. And if anyone deserves to finish this, it's you."

My gaze darts toward the Arsenal bench where Caitlin stands, tense but watching me closely. Caitlin's eyes hadn't left me for a second since the start of the penalty shootout. Even from the distance, I could feel the weight of her presence-calm yet concerned. A silent source of strength.

A rush of adrenaline surged through me as I stepped forward to the spot, placing the ball down on the white dot. I glanced up, taking in the sight of Hannah-ready, poised to save. The enormity of the moment pressed down on me, but then, almost instinctively, my eyes drifted back to Caitlin. For a brief moment, everything else disappeared. The crowd, the pressure, the enormity of the match-it all faded away when my gaze met Caitlin's.

I inhaled deeply, grounding myself in the steady look Caitlin was giving me. It was a look of trust, of belief, as if to say, 'You've got this.' And suddenly, I felt lighter. I wasn't doing this alone.

I took three steps back, my heart racing but my mind clear now. This is it.

With one last breath, I surged forward, my foot connecting cleanly with the ball. The world seemed to slow for a split second, the stadium holding its collective breath as the ball sailed through the air, spinning toward the top-right corner of the net.

Hannah dived, stretching as far as she could, but it was no use. The ball hit the back of the net with a satisfying thud, and the stadium erupted into chaos. Arsenal just won.

I stand frozen for a split second, the realization not yet sinking in. And then, before I even think about it, I'm running. I'm sprinting towards the one person I want to share this moment with-Caitlin.

My feet barely touch the ground as I cross the pitch, my body moving on pure instinct. Caitlin sees me coming, her face breaking into the widest smile I'd seen in months. And then, before either of us can think twice, I throw myself into Caitlin's arms.

Caitlin catches me, lifting me effortlessly off the ground, and in that instant, everything-months of tension, uncertainty, unspoken feelings-collapses. My hands find Caitlin's shoulders, gripping tightly as if I never want to let go. The adrenaline, the emotion of winning the cup, of the match, all combined into one overwhelming surge.

I don't hesitate.

We lean in, my lips finding Caitlin's in a kiss that feels like both a question and an answer. It's soft at first, tentative, but the emotion behind it is undeniable. It's a kiss that carrys all the weight of the past year-the hurt, the longing, the connection that never really disappeared.

For a second, it feels like time stopped. The noise of the crowd, the celebrations around us- it all fades into the background. It's just us, wrapped in each other's arms, suspended in the moment.

Caitlin freezes at first, shocked, but only for a heartbeat. Then she kisses me back, her arms tightening around my waist as if anchoring me there. The kiss deepens, a rush of all the feelings we'd buried, finally pouring out. Relief, joy, and something unspoken but unmistakable-a promise of what could be.

When we finally pull back, breathless, our foreheads rest against each other's, our eyes locked. The world around us slowly comee back into focus, but neither of us moved. We stay like that for a moment, letting it sink in.

"We did it," Caitlin whispers, her voice low but filled with emotion.

I nod, my lips curving into a small, shaky smile. "Yeah, we did."

Our teammates surge around us, celebrating the victory, but even as we're pulled into the joyous chaos, neither of us let go of each other's hand. It's a silent acknowledgment that things had changed. We'd finally found our back to each other.

And in that moment, standing together with the FA Cup in our grasp and the weight of the past year behind us, it feels like we're finally where we're meant to be-together.