Foolish one

Chapter 74

It was late February, the twenty-third to be exact. Five months since I had given birth to Martina. It was my first game on the rooster since last March. I had been out for almost a year. The last game I had played was a Champions league qualifier, pregnant with Martina, with a different team, but I had Alexia with me both games. This time, it was a league game, Martina was in the stands with Eli. I had new friends on the team, Fridolina and Ingrid.

Here I was, standing on the sidelines, next to the fourth official. My number went up on the sign, with green numbers. I was replacing Mapí. She tried to hug me as I went on, but I gave her a high five instead. I didn't want to cry on the pitch, especially not before touching the ball.

It was a game with high stakes. El clásico. Barcelona against Real Madrid. I was nervous, but mostly I was excited. I would be back on the pitch against them if everything went according to plan, which it did. I got five minutes on the pitch. That was more than enough. All I needed to do was to defend like my life depended on it, just like I did most games.

Alexia was way out of position. That was only so she could give me a high-five, with the biggest smile on her face.

For the next three minutes, well seven if you count overtime, we didn't let in a goal.

When the final whistle blew, the first tear fell. Then a second, and then several more. I lost count after the first two.

That was also when Alexia reached me and pulled me in for a soul crushing hug. Fridolina was the second person to reach us. She wiped my tears and hugged me tight. Soon enough, the whole team was engaged in some strange group hug. It didn't work well, as we were over twenty players and the coaching staff.

It was sweet how they all supported me, but if you asked me, I would have had no idea what anyone said to me.

"You are a beast Isa" Mapí told me. "Out for a year and you kick some Real Madrid ass" she continued with such a big smile on her face. "Now wipe those tears and go get your daughter" Mapí said while shaking me slightly. "I'll go get her" I said as I wiped away my tears.

I walked towards the section where family was sitting. Eli was there, so was Alba, but my entire family was there too. My siblings and their children, along with some friends. The support I got for my return was amazing, and I loved having them here with me.

As soon as Martina saw me, she smiled big and tried to wriggle her way out of the baby carrier on Eli's chest. When she saw me lifting her up and onto my chest, she was even happier. She laughed at me, and that laugh was so incredibly sweet. It reminded me of Alexia's laugh, just as innocent and light.

Everything felt better when I held Martina. "Martina has been amazing. She was asleep for the entire first half, but I can promise that she watched her mama play. As soon as she saw you run past her, it was all she focused on" Eli said when she handed Martina over. "Thank you" I whispered, barely even loud enough for her to hear.

I walked around the pitch, signing jerseys and taking pictures with Martina on my hip. She smiled at fans, but laughed whenever I pulled a funny face at her. I felt happy. I was back on the pitch, doing what I loved. What made it even better was that Martina was here. My daughter was able to watch me play, and I felt so proud and happy. This must be how Alexia felt, and I was jealous that she had gotten to do this for five months more than me.

Alexia joined us after speaking to her mother for a bit. This was the first game where I hadn't watched Martina, so I guess she wanted to check in on how everything went. I was more interested in greeting the fans and speaking to our teammates.

After a while, Martina found the whole interaction with fans to be a bit boring. So, when she was done, I was done too, or at least so I thought. I was ushered away for an interview, with Martina still on my hip. She wasn't heavy yet, weighing closer to six kilograms than seven, but carrying her for a while was a bit tiring for my arms.

"So, Elisa" one of the reporters asked. "You made your return to the pitch after being away for almost a year. How does that feel?" he continued. "It feels great. I miss being on the pitch, but spending time with Martina has made it all worth it" I answered him with a big smile on my face. This was the moment when Martina decided that she wouldn't be satisfied until she could touch his beard.

Holding back a determined five-month-old while doing an interview was a bit hard and very time-consuming. Luckily, Alexia saw how bad I was doing and grabbed Martina for a while. That meant I could speak freely, and the interview passed much smoother. But a few minutes later, someone was joining me. I could hear Martina babble, but I had no idea who was holding her. I knew it wasn't Alexia at least.

"I'll have to steal her from you" she said. Then I knew it was Mapi who was holding my daughter. "Sorry" I told the interviewer with an apologetic smile and followed Mapi towards the locker rooms. She was talking vividly about something, almost forgetting she was holding my daughter. "I'll take her back if you want to use your arms for explaining" I joked with Mapi, making her smile and chuckle slightly before handing Martina over.

"How did you even get her? Last I checked Alexia was holding her, but now I don't see her, and you have Martina" I questioned Mapi. "She needed to pee, so I got to hold the baby and I guess she's still in the locker room" Mapi explained before continuing with her vivid explanation of how her cat ended up on the refrigerator twice in a mere matter of minutes. I wasn't too interested in what she was saying, choosing to focus on Martina's cooing and attempt to find my hair and pull it as hard as she could.

We met Alexia in the tunnel. She was on her way to find us and make sure that Martina hadn't found her way into someone else's arms. That was not unusual, but it did give me a slight hearth attack every time she wasn't with who I thought she would be with. I guess that is one of the disadvantages of having a big team where everyone loved our daughter. There wasn't one time where she had been unsafe, but I still felt the need to always know where she was.

"You were great out there Isa" Alexia said once she reached me. She engulfed me in a hug from the side, making sure Martina who was sitting on my hip wasn't squashed. This new position gave Martina a great chance to pull at Alexia's hair. Even though she was still tiny, it hurt a lot to have her hands in your hair.

I guess this was Martina's way to find out what consequences was and what would happen in certain situations. The baby books I had read told me that much. It still wasn't nice, but we knew why she did it and it was for a normal reason.

Little Martina was doing her best to make sure she got our undivided attention, and since she couldn't speak, these little pulls and sounds she made were her only way of communication. For someone who wasn't her mother, it was difficult to understand what she wanted to say, but Alexia and I understood in most situations. We knew she called cats "Ca" because every time she saw Bagheera that was all she said. It wasn't words yet, just sounds but in a way so we could understand that she was seeing the environment around us.

"You played well too, love" I whispered in the hug, words for only Alexia to hear. "Today is about you, Isa. You returned from giving birth to our daughter and that is huge. We'll celebrate once we get home" she whispered back in a sultry tone. Her voice lower and I was sure her pupils were blown. I could read her like an open book, and I knew exactly how turned on she was.

"You have to wait until we're back home, the little one is asleep, and we have eaten dinner. But after we can celebrate as much as you want" I whispered back teasingly. I was nothing but a tease, but I wasn't ashamed of that. It was fun while it lasted, especially in public. Alexia didn't agree though, but I couldn't stop. I had way too much fun doing it. 

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One final chapter after this! How do we feel? I feel very sad and I cry every time I think about how this book is finished. 

Remember to vote and comment loves! That means so much to me!

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