Best Mistake ︱Pedri González

66

Luciana's POV

I stepped into Dr. Sanchez's office, the familiar scent of lavender filling the air as I took my usual spot on the couch. My mind felt tangled, full of everything that had been going on lately—Dante's live stream, Pedri leaving me, and now, this new possibility of competing again. It felt like everything was spiraling all at once, and I wasn't sure what direction to go in.

Dr. Sanchez looked at me over her glasses, her warm, patient eyes waiting for me to start.

"How are you feeling today, Luciana?" she asked gently, leaning back in her chair.

I let out a deep sigh, running my fingers through my hair. "Honestly? I'm not sure. It's like... everything is happening at once, and I don't know how to handle it all."

She nodded, her pen poised over her notepad but not writing yet. She always waited, let me take my time. "Let's break it down. Where do you want to start?"

I hesitated. Part of me wanted to talk about Pedri and the mess with Dante, but another part of me was drawn to something else, something that had been on my mind ever since Juan brought it up.

"I might have a chance to compete again," I blurted out.

Her eyebrows raised in surprise, and she smiled slightly. "Compete? As in athletics?"

I nodded. "Yeah, Juan—my coach—he mentioned the European Championship. It's being held in Madrid this year, and... he thinks I could qualify to represent Spain."

For the first time in what felt like forever, saying that out loud gave me a little spark of excitement. But immediately after, a wave of doubt followed.

Dr. Sanchez leaned forward a bit, clearly intrigued. "That's incredible, Luciana. But I can see there's something holding you back. What's going through your mind?"

I exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of my insecurities pressing down. "I haven't competed in so long. After everything with Pedri and the drama with Dante... I don't know if I'm in the right headspace to go back to that. What if I'm not good enough anymore? What if I can't handle the pressure?"

She tilted her head slightly, her expression softening. "It sounds like you're feeling unsure of yourself, but let's unpack that. What made you fall in love with competing in the first place?"

I thought back to the countless hours I'd spent on the track, pushing my body to its limits, feeling the rush of adrenaline when I sprinted toward the finish line. There was something freeing about it—like everything else in the world faded away, and it was just me and the track.

"I loved the challenge," I admitted, my voice quieter now. "It was always just me against myself. I could push myself harder, see how far I could go. There was something so... pure about it. But after I moved back to spain and got involved all the distractions, I lost that focus."

Dr. Sanchez nodded, writing something down in her notepad. "It sounds like competing gave you a sense of control, something you could rely on, no matter what else was happening. Do you think getting back into it could help you regain that focus?"

I shrugged, unsure. "Maybe. But I'm scared. Scared I'll fail or that I'll get so wrapped up in everything else that I won't be able to give it my all."

She paused for a moment, letting the words sink in. "It's normal to feel scared, especially after going through so much in your personal life. But I think it's important to ask yourself—are you more afraid of failing, or are you afraid of what happens if you never try?"

That hit me hard. It was something I hadn't really let myself think about. What if I didn't try? What if I let fear and everything that had happened with Pedri and Dante stop me from doing something I once loved?