Siempre te voy a querer

Chapter 133

Isa walked down the familiar hallway of the facility, her footsteps echoing softly. She spotted Manuel waiting by the entrance to the field, a friendly smile on his face as he waved her over.

"¡Buenos días, Isa!" Manuel said, his tone light. "¿Lista para otro día de trabajo?"

Isa mustered a small smile and nodded. "Sí, Manuel, lista para lo que venga," she replied, her voice steady, but lacking its usual spark.

They walked side by side toward the field, their conversation flowing with the ease of routine.

"¿Que tal la fiesta de Edson anoche?" Manuel asked, trying to keep the conversation casual.

Isa remembered the scene from last night, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Estuvo bien. Los chicos se la pasaron genial. Hubieras venido."

Manuel chuckled, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. He noticed the subtle change in her, the way her eyes didn't light up when she spoke, the way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. But he chose not to mention it, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable.

"Sí, lastima que tuve que terminar unos papeleos," Manuel added, his tone warm and familiar. "Pero bueno, es nuestro trabajo, ¿no?"

Isa gave a small shrug. "Así es. Siempre impredecible."

Manuel hesitated for a moment, then smiled softly. "Hoy habrá unos ejercicios nuevos en el entrenamiento. Jimmy quiere mantener a todos en alerta."

Isa's smile grew a touch. "Eso suena interesante. Me hace falta un poco de cambio."

They walked onto the field, the bright sun hitting their faces as the sounds of the other players warming up reached their ears. Manuel wanted to ask if she was okay, but he held back. He knew Isa well enough to understand that she'd open up when she was ready. For now, he'd be there, just as everyone else would.

As Isa stood by Manuel, the players began jogging out to the field, each one taking their place for warm-up laps. The early morning air was filled with the familiar sounds of cleats hitting the grass and the low hum of chatter.

Memo caught sight of Isa first and nudged Piojo. "¿Oye, viste a Isa? Se ve... diferente," he murmured, concern lacing his voice.

Piojo glanced over and frowned. "Sí, como si estuviera en otro mundo. ¿Le habrá pasado algo?"

Orbelin, jogging next to them, overheard and added, "No sé, pero desde que llegamos se siente algo raro. A lo mejor es por Edson, ¿no?"

Tala, who had just joined the group, raised an eyebrow. "¿Qué tiene que ver Edson con esto? ¿Alguien sabe qué pasó?"

Chino, catching the conversation, shook his head. "No tengo idea, pero deberíamos preguntarle después, ¿no creen? No parece la Isa de siempre."

Before they could discuss further, Jimmy walked over, his expression serious as he looked over at Isa, then back at the team. He cleared his throat. "¡Vamos, chicos! Necesito que se concentren en el calentamiento. Hoy habrá nuevas tácticas, así que quiero a todos enfocados," he said firmly, though a hint of worry was evident in his eyes as he glanced at Isa.

Memo exchanged a glance with Piojo, both now more concerned than before. "Definitivamente algo pasó," Memo whispered, and Piojo nodded in agreement.

Jimmy smiled warmly at Isa, hoping to see a spark of life return to her eyes. "Isa, me puedes ayudar a entrenar a los chicos, mitad y mitad?" he said, trying to infuse a bit of energy into the morning.

Isa forced a small smile and nodded. "Claro que sí," she responded, her voice soft but steady. She looked toward the players, catching the group of Uriel, Jorge, and Alexis walking behind Jimmy. They made heart signs with their hands and blew kisses her way, their playful gestures bringing a brief smile to her face.