𝙄𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙌𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩 𝙈𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 - 𝘊𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘥

𝙎𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙀𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝘐𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘛𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳

Caitlin's POV

The final whistle had barely blown when I felt my heart sink. I had been watching the game on the edge of my seat with Hayley, Sam, Alanna, Mackenzie and Steph by my side, my hands gripping the railing as the seconds ticked down. Spain's victory felt like a punch to the gut—not because I wasn't happy for them, but because I knew what this meant for Elena. I knew how much she had poured into this, how hard she had fought. And now, it was over.

I watched as she crumpled to the ground, her body language saying everything I already knew. She was devastated. My heart ached seeing her like that—alone on the pitch, the weight of the loss pressing down on her. I couldn't just sit there. I had to get to her.

Without thinking, I jump up from my seat. Steph tries to grab my arm as I stand, her face full of concern. "Cait, wait—" she starts, but I shake my head.

"I have to go to her," I say, my voice trembling. "She needs me."

Steph gives me a nod of understanding, and I quickly push my way through the stands, weaving past fans and officials, my mind focuses solely on getting to Elena.

I make it to the edge of the stands and headed straight for the tunnel, but security stepped in front of me, holding up a hand. "Sorry, ma'am, you can't—"

"I'm a Matilda," I blurt out, flashing my player pass. "Let me through."

The guard hesitates for a moment, but one glance at my badge and he steps aside. I don't waste a second, sprinting toward the players' tunnel. My heart pounds in my chest, my breaths coming in short, desperate bursts. I can still hear the celebrations from the pitch, but they feel far away, irrelevant. All I care about is finding her.

As I round the corner into the tunnel, my eyes find her. Elena. She's walking off the pitch, her head down, shoulders slumped, the weight of the loss heavy on her. My heart breaks seeing her like that.

"Elena!" I call out, my voice barely steady as I run toward her.

She stops turning to face me, and in that moment, I see everything—the pain, the heartbreak, the exhaustion written across her face. She looks so vulnerable, like the weight of the world had just came crashing down on her all at once. For a split second, neither of us say anything. She just stands there, staring at me, and I can see her struggling to hold it together.

"Elena," I whisper again as I reach her. I don't know what else to say. What can I say? There's no words that can fix this. But I don't need words. I just need to be there for her.

I pull her into my arms without hesitation. She collapses against me, burying her face in my shoulder, her body trembling with silent sobs. I hold her tight, one hand stroking her back gently, the other cradling her head as she lets it all out. I can feel her tears soaking into my shirt, her breathing ragged as she tries to hold back the wave of emotions threatening to break through. But I don't care. I just want her to know she isn't alone.

"I'm here," I whisper into her ear, my voice soft but steady. "I'm right here."

She doesn't say anything, just clings to me tighter. I can feel the exhaustion radiating off her, not just physically, but emotionally too. She'd given everything out there, fought until the last second, but it wasn't enough. And that was the hardest part.

I stand there with her for what feels like forever, just holding her. I don't care about the noise from the celebrations echoing outside. I don't care about the fact that Spain— Ona— is lifting the World Cup trophy just a few meters away. All that matters is her.

Slowly, Elena pulls back, her tear-streaked face looking up at me, her eyes full of pain and defeat. She opens her mouth to say something, but no words come out. I can tell she doesn't know where to start, doesn't know how to put into words what she's feeling.

"You don't have to say anything," I say gently, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "You were incredible out there. I'm so proud of you. No matter what."

She lets out a shaky breath, her hands gripping my arms as if she's still trying to hold herself together. "I just... I just wanted it so bad, Cait," she finally whispers, her voice breaking. "We worked so hard. I worked so hard. And it wasn't enough."

I feel my heart twist at her words. I know that feeling all too well. I'd been there, standing in her shoes, and I knew how much it hurt. There's nothing I can say to take that pain away. So, I just nod, my voice soft and steady as I hold her gaze. "I know. I know you did."

"Cait," she whispers, her voice thick with emotion. "I don't know how to process this. We were so close."

"I know," I reply, "You played incredibly. You gave everything out there. You're so talented, and this isn't the end for you."

"But I wanted this so badly," she says, her voice cracking. "We worked so hard, and now it's just... over."

I feel a wave of empathy wash over me, remembering my own heartbreak when we'd been knocked out. "I know how it feels, love. It's devastating, but you're not alone in this. You've got me. You've got your team. You've got so much support."

Elena wipes her eyes with the back of her hand, trying to regain her composure. But I can see the hurt still lurking beneath the surface. "I just... I thought we could do it. I thought I could do it for all of us."

"You did everything you could," I reassure her. "And I promise you, this isn't the end of your journey. You're going to come back stronger. You'll learn from this, and you'll rise again."

I watch as her expression shifts, just slightly, as if she's holding on to my words. She glances down at the medal hanging around her neck, and I can see the disappointment etched in her features.

"Take it off if you don't want it," I suggest gently. "You don't have to wear it. It doesn't define you, Elena."

She looks up at me, uncertainty clouding her eyes, but after a moment, she nods. With trembling fingers, she reaches for the medal and pulls it off, holding it tightly in her palm. I can see the relief wash over her face as she releases it from around her neck.

"That's it," I encourage. "You're not just a silver medalist. You're a fighter, a warrior, and you'll have your moment again."

In that moment, I feel a spark of determination in her gaze. It's a flicker of hope, something I wanted her to hold on to. "Thank you for being here," she says, her voice small but steady.

"Always," I promise, drawing her back into my embrace. "You're not alone in this. We'll get through it together. No matter what you go through from here on out, Els, I'm here to do it with you."

Elena nods as she wraps her arms back around me and pulls me back in to comfort her and as we stand there in each other's arms, I can feel the weight of her grief, but I also feel a flicker of resilience. I know it wouldn't happen overnight, but in this moment, I'm determined to help her see that the road ahead is still bright, even if it feels dark right now.

And as the echoes of the stadium celebrations faded into the background, I was there to remind her of all that she had left to fight for.