USWNT: A New Era

Chapter 22: After The Final Whistle

We're deep into training for the Germany match, and the team is locked in. I'm pacing the sideline, focused on every movement, when my phone vibrates in my pocket. A quick glance shows it's Sakina: We need to talk. Now.

I frown, quickly typing a response. I can't. I'm training.

The reply is almost immediate: I mean it, Y/N.

I sigh, feeling the weight of her insistence. I wave over my assistant. "I need you to take over. Something urgent."

As I walk off, I catch Trinity and Sophia smirking at each other, raising their eyebrows in my direction. I laugh softly, shaking my head as I wave them off before heading into the locker room.

Once I'm alone, I dial Sakina's number.

Sakina's POV:

I sit on the edge of my bed, phone pressed to my ear. The line rings, and I'm rehearsing what to say, but nothing feels quite right.

Finally, she answers. "Sakina, what's going on? What's so urgent?"

I bite my lip, feeling the nervous tension build in my chest. "I need to tell you something. I'm... I'm not going to play the rest of the season with Red Stars."

There's a pause on the other end.

"Wait," she says, confusion clear in her voice. "You're not finishing the season?"

I exhale slowly, the words coming out softer now. "No. Once the Olympics are over, I'm retiring. I'm done."

Y/N POV:

I sit down, heart sinking. I knew Sakina was planning to retire eventually, but I thought she'd finish the season. "Wait... you're not going back to Red Stars at all? You're retiring right after the Olympics?"

"Yes," she says, the confirmation hitting me hard.

I lean back, running a hand through my hair, trying to process it all. "Sakina, I knew this was coming, but not so soon."

"I've been thinking about it for a while," she says quietly. "I just... didn't know how to tell you."

I exhale, feeling the weight of the situation. "So, you told me first. Not Katoto or Diani, just me?"

"Just you," she says softly.

A slow smile creeps onto my face despite everything. "Listen, Katoto and Diani took me out to brunch yesterday. They were grilling me with all these questions about you. They didn't know what was going on, but now I do."

She laughs quietly on the other end. "I may have asked them to talk to you..."

"Of course, you did," I chuckle. "But now that I know you're retiring right after the Olympics... it changes things. We can actually be together without worrying about any of this."

I hear her pause, a hint of hope in her voice. "You really think so?"

"Yeah," I say firmly. "When you retire, that's it. No more hiding, no more complications. You can move to Chicago, and we'll make it work. It's what we both want, right?"

The silence stretches for a moment before she speaks, her voice lighter. "I do. I want that."

I smile, feeling a sense of relief. "Then we'll figure it out. You and me."

We share a few more words, laughing about the future, and by the time we hang up, I feel like a weight has been lifted.

I head back to the training field, more focused than ever. Germany is in a few days, and we're ready. And after the Olympics? I know what's waiting for me.

Sakina. Our future. A new beginning.