𝙄𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙌𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩 𝙈𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 - 𝘊𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘥

𝙎𝙞𝙭𝙩𝙮 𝙁𝙞𝙫𝙚. 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦

It was lunchtime at London City Lionesses, and the usual chatter filled the air as the team gathered around the tables, laughing, joking, and enjoying their brief break. I sat beside Jess, picking at my food half-heartedly, nodding along to whatever conversation was happening around me, but I wasn't really there.

Jess, of course, noticed. She always did. She nudged me with her elbow, her expression softening with concern. "You alright, Els? You've been a bit off today."

I glance at her and force a small smile. "Yeah, just tired, I guess."

Jess didn't buy it, not for a second. She gives me a knowing look, one that says she isn't going to push but is keeping an eye on me. "Okay. But you know I'm here if you want to talk."

"I know. Thanks, Jess."

The conversation around us carries on, but I can't focus. My thoughts are miles away. More specifically, back at the apartment with Caitlin. That fleeting sense of peace we'd had, falling asleep together on the sofa... and now, being back here, it was like the weight of the distance had returned tenfold.

Without saying another word, I push my chair back and stood up. Jess looks at me, raising an eyebrow but doesn't say anything, just giving me that quiet support I appreciate. "I'll catch you later," I murmur before heading out of the room.

I find myself in the lounge, the one place where it's quieter, a little more secluded. Sitting down, I pull my phone from my pocket, glancing at the time. I hesitate, my thumb hovering over the screen. I don't want to invade her personal time—Kristie was busy, living her life in New York, and I didn't even know if she'd want to talk about this. But at the same time, I needed to hear from someone who understood.

With a deep breath, I tapped her name and brought the phone to my ear, listening to it ring. After a couple of rings, her familiar voice answered. "Hey, Elena! What's up?"

I hesitate for a second, unsure how to start, but then the words just spill out. "Hey, Kristie. I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but... I kind of need some advice."

There's a pause on the other end, then her voice softens. "Of course. What's going on?"

I exhale, running a hand through my hair. "It's... about Caitlin. About the long-distance thing, actually. I was just wondering... how do you manage? You and Sam... You're in New York, and she's in London. How do you handle it without going crazy?"

Kristie lets out a small chuckle, not unkindly, more like she understands exactly where I'm coming from. "Trust me, it's not easy. Long distance never is. But... Sam and I, we've been doing this for a while now. It's not perfect, but we make it work because we're committed to it. We trust each other, and we've found ways to stay connected, even with the distance."

I lean back on the sofa, chewing on my bottom lip. "Yeah, I get that. But doesn't it... doesn't it get overwhelming? Feeling like you're missing out on so much?"

Kristie sighs softly. "It does. There are definitely days when it's tough, especially when one of us is going through something, and the other can't be there in person. But the key is communication, Elena. We talk—constantly. And when we can't, we text, or leave voice notes. Just something to remind each other that we're still a part of each other's lives, even from a distance."

I nod, even though she can't see me. "Yeah, I try to do that with Caitlin. But I don't know... it's hard. Being apart from the team, from her... it feels like I'm missing out on everything."

"I get that," Kristie says gently. "But you have to remember why you're doing this. You're there for a reason. It's for your career, and you're growing as a player. And Caitlin understands that. She wants what's best for you, just like you want what's best for her."

I swallow, my chest tight. "I know. It's just... sometimes I wish we could have it all. The career, the love, the closeness. But it feels like something's always got to give."

Kristie's voice is calm, patient. "It's about balance. There will be times when you'll feel that way, but you've got to keep reminding yourself that it's temporary. The loan will end, and you'll be back together. Until then, you just have to find little ways to make the distance feel smaller."

I close my eyes, absorbing her words. "You're right. It's just... hard to see that sometimes."

"It is," Kristie agrees. "But trust me, it's worth it. You and Caitlin have something special. Don't let the distance make you forget that."

I smile faintly, feeling a little lighter. "Thanks, Kristie. I really needed to hear that."

"Anytime. And hey, if you ever want to talk, you know where to find me. We long-distance girlfriends have to stick together."

I laugh softly. "Yeah, we do."

Before heading back to the lunchroom, I find myself lingering in the lounge, Kristie's words still circling in my mind. I open my phone again, this time scrolling to Caitlin's contact. My heart squeezes, missing the easy comfort of being close to me, but instead of letting the distance overwhelm me, I decide to leave a voice message. Something small, something real, just to remind Caitlin I'm thinking of her.

I hit record and take a breath before speaking, her voice soft and sincere.

"Hey, baby. I was just thinking about you. I know things have been crazy with the loan and everything, and I've been... I don't know, feeling a bit off lately. I just wanted to let you know how much I miss you. I miss being there with you. But I know we're both doing what we need to, and I'm proud of us for that.

It's not always easy, but... we're gonna get through it, yeah? We always do. Anyway, I hope you're having a good day, and I can't wait to hear your voice later. Love you."

I hit send before I can overthink it, feeling a bit more settled now that I reached out. Just hearing Caitlin's response later would be enough to remind me that no matter how far apart we are, we're still together in the ways that matter.

With a deep breath, I stand up and make my way back to the lunchroom. Jess glances up as I return, a question in her eyes, but she doesn't ask it. Instead, she just smiles, and I smile back, feeling a little more sure of things.

I'd figure this out. Caitlin and I, we always did.