McFoord One-Shots

-The Big Move-

Caitlin had anxiety from a very young age, growing up she always relied on her sister Jaime to talk for her, Jaime was more outgoing and social. Caitlin always struggled opening up and talking to people. But with Jaime, she felt comfortable and like she could tell her anything and Jaime would know how to help. But when she was always away for soccer that became really hard. Luckily for Caitlin she had Mackenzie, and Alannah who had pretty similar personalities to Jaime. They both quickly became Caitlin's safe haven when Jaime wasn't around. Caitlin could speak to them about her anxiety, and they knew how to help her.

But again that became hard when Caitlin moved overseas, everywhere she went she always found herself clinging to a outgoing, social butterfly. In America it was Lindsey Horan, Australia it was Macca and Alannah, so when she made her move to arsenal she quickly found herself leaning on Katie McCabe, to talk for her. At first Katie just thought Caitlin was shy, but soon she started to notice, Caitlin would pick the skin around her fingers and on her arms, she would shake her leg up and down, she would zone out, she would leave the room and ring her sister, than come back with teary eyes. It all became too hard for Katie to ignore.

Caitlin was really struggling with her move to arsenal, as much as she loved the team and playing for such a big club like arsenal, she was homesick and wanted to come home. Caitlin had been at arsenal for almost a month and she wanted nothing more than to pack up and go back to australia. Caitlin rang Jaime every night and the call always started the same way, "Jaime, I can't do it" caitlin would say crying into her phone, "I just want to come home". Jaime always calmed her down, just like she used to, she would then tell caitlin to wait a little longer, and if she still didn't like it than she could come home. This happened every night for the whole month caitlin was there. She knew she hadn't given Arsenal a real shot, but she couldn't stay.

Caitlin had rang her sister up in tears again one night, nothing unusual for Jaime. But something about seeing her sister so distraught was heartbreaking, and it was becoming harder to convince caitlin to wait it out. "Cait you CAN do it, you wouldn't forgive yourself if you left now, I can't let you do that. I'm so proud of you, just wait a few more months and trust me you'll be thriving over there" Jamie said to her sister who was packing up her belongings on the other end. "Jaime I can't, I have waited and I hate it here. I'm coming home. I'm sorry" Caitlin said balling her eyes out.

- 1 week before -
Katie got to training late one morning, as she ran inside to the meeting room she past a figure sitting in the chill room on her phone crying. She stopped in her tracks and looked through the door to see , Caitlin balling her eyes out on her phone. This wasn't the first time Katie had noticed caitlin crying while on the phone, so when caitlin finally stopped crying and walked out of the room Katie stopped her, "Hey, are you okay" Katie said even though it was obvious she wasn't. "Yeh fine, thanks" caitlin replied smiling as she tried to walk off, "who were you talking to, on the phone" Katie said making caitlin realise she saw her crying, "Oh um, just my sister" caitlin smiled again without her eyes. "You know I'm here if you ever wanted to talk, same with the rest of the team, we all know how hard it is to move to a new club" Katie said with a comforting smile, Caitlin just nodded and walked away.

Katie hadn't been able to get that and all the other little interactions she's had with Caitlin out of her head. It made her think of when she had just joined arsenal back in 2015, she struggled massively with the change, she was going to go back home to Ireland after a few weeks and if it weren't for Emma Byrne she would've. Emma had come over randomly one night to Katie's apartment, she brought take away food, Katie and Emma spent the whole night talking and laughing. Katie could never forget how welcomed that made her. So one night after training Katie went to pick up some takeaway food and drove to Caitlin's house. She knocked on the door, when Caitlin answered she had tear stained cheeks and red puffy eyes, she was also on the phone to someone, Katie assumed it was her sister.

"Hey" Katie said as Caitlin said bye to the person she was on the phone to and looked at her, "Katie? what are you doing here" Caitlin replied embarrassed Katie had seen her like this. "Just was wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me" Katie said holding up the bag of Thai food she just bought. "Uh, I mean I'm kind of busy" Caitlin said shyly, making Katie laugh, "Surly you can find time to eat with me, what are you doing anyway". Katie said looking around Caitlin's apartment that was filled with boxes, "I'm uh.. packing" Caitlin said scratching the back on her head, "Packing? You moving out?" Katie asked confused still standing in the doorway, "Uh no, home actually" Caitlin said picking the skin around her fingers, "What, why" Katie asked letting herself in and placing the food on the kitchen bench. Caitlin didn't know what to say, "Cait, don't do this, you'll regret it, trust me" Katie said grabbing Caitlin's hand to stop her from picking at it. "How would you know that" caitlin said annoyed because her sister had said the same thing to her everyday for the last month. Katie took caitlin to the couch and sat her down.

"Growing up I shared a room with three of my sisters, so if I needed someone to talk to, one of them would always be up. We could have a debrief, or just a chit-chat until we fell asleep. Then I would wake up and they would be there, I loved it. I never had a minute on my own, and I never needed it. But at Arsenal? I was alone. I didn't know anyone there like I knew my siblings. When I got benched, I was wondering what I was doing wrong. My mind was spinning. Wondering what I had to change? Have people forgotten about me? There was no psychologist there at the time, and I wasn't good at opening up to the players I knew. Six weeks after signing for Arsenal, I didn't even like football anymore.  One day I was sitting in my room on the phone with my older sister Vanessa with tears streaming down my face, "I can't do this. This isn't for me. I miss you guys, I miss everyone. I'm not playing anyway so why am I doing this!" I said into the phone. Really, I just wanted to come home. Vanessa had actually predicted that, that would happen, because she knew how much I loved my family. She told me "Katie ... first of all, stop crying. Just breath. You're fine. Give it another six weeks. You've worked so hard to get here. Don't pack it in just yet." She calmed me down, but I didn't listen to her, after just 8 weeks at arsenal, I asked to go on loan to Glasgow City. I made my move not long after and I'll never forget how much it pained me watching Arsenal lifting trophies, playing at the emirates stadium, doing all the things I had always dreamed about and had right at my fingertips. I'll always remember thinking about how I was the reason I wasn't there with them, and I might be the reason I never will be.  Luckily I got the chance to come back and play for Arsenal again and I'm so beyond grateful for that. So Caitlin if you really want to, you can go home, but trust me when I say your going to regret it. I know exactly what your going through, same with most the team. We are all here to help you. You just have to talk to us. We've all been in your position". Katie finished looking up to Caitlin who was now balling her eyes out, "I don't know what to do" Caitlin said, Katie lifted up her chin, making Caitlin look at Katie, "Caitlin. Stay. Have dinner with me. Talk to me about everything that your struggling with. And in a months time, if you still feel like you need to go home. Than re consider it. Don't leave yet. Please. For me" Katie said as she brought Caitlin into a hug. Caitlin finally opened up to Katie about her anxiety and how she relied on her sister back home. Katie comforted Caitlin, while she cried.

Katie and Caitlin spent the rest of the night watching movies together. Katie cracking jokes to lighten the mood. They laughed and talked while eating the dinner Katie brought. The next day when Caitlin rang up her sister for there daily catch up, Caitlin wasn't crying, "So I take it your coming home" Jaime said to her sister who was smiling for the first time since being in London, "No, I've decided to stay. Wait it out a bit longer and see how it goes" Caitlin said smiling to her sister. "I'm so proud of you cait, So is mum, We love you" Jamie said.

Katie and Caitlin became closer since that night, Katie made sure Caitlin felt welcome in the team, just like Emma did for her. And it worked, not even a month later, Caitlin was thriving at Arsenal, she became friends with everyone in the team, she felt comfortable around them all and never once felt like she had to rely on someone to talk for her. It was the first time Caitlin felt like she could be herself in a long time, and it was all because of Katie.