Faulty Trust || Katie McCabe

36

To say January flew by would be the understatement of the century. It felt jam packed when in reality it really wasn't and some might've considered it our easiest month yet, but I felt like we were moving a million miles a minute. Everything was slowly building up until it all collapsed, but this time it wasn't in a bad way. It was the furthest thing from a bad day.

I found myself sat next to Amanda, Leah's mother, and Lia up in the stands of Select Car Leasing Stadium. Which is a mouthful to say if you ask me.

We were playing Reading away, but I'd picked up a strain in my calf that benched me for it. Missing games was something I absolutely hated; I hated sitting the the stands powerless. It would've sucked a lot more if there wasn't a special occasion today; I didn't have it in me to be upset about missing this game. I was sort of glad I got to watch it from the stands because it meant I could be emotional if I wanted to. Though I'd deny any tears shed.

I glanced over at Wally as the board went up illuminating five in red, and six in green. Could've sworn I saw tears in her eyes, but I didn't mention it. My own eyes stung slightly anyways.

Everyone on that pitch and in the stands had smiles on their faces, some more than others, but they all knew how big this moment was. Coming back from an ACL was never an easy task; it was brutal both mentally and psychically in ways you couldn't ever fully describe to someone who hadn't personally done it.

The roar of the crowd, fans from both clubs cheering, brought a wide smile to my face. And I knew Leah was probably fighting tears herself as she hugged Jen and collected the armband from Katie.

Even Katie had a wide grin on her face as she cupped the back of Leah's neck and pushed her further onto the pitch. The smile on my face softened, everybody knew how big this moment was.

I watched as she jogged into position like it was nothing, but it wasn't nothing. This was her last step towards playing the game she loved, for the team she loved, after nine months of hell.

Nobody deserved this more than she did, and I couldn't help but feel so proud of her. We'd grown a lot closer than I thought we would, but I wouldn't have it any other way. She'd become a person I could rely on to have a fresh perspective, to just simply let the both of us decompress. Even if we'd get slightly competitive on the golf course.

The whistle sounded and play resumed, my eyes flicked to Wally beside me again. This time I nudged her, "You aren't crying are you?" I teased, but there was no bite.

She didn't say anything, but the little smile on her lips told me everything I needed to know. Wally knew how much this meant.

As the match continued Leah integrated perfectly with the team like she'd never left. Which was partially true; she might not have been on the pitch physically, but her spirit definitely was.

She lived and breathed Arsenal after all.

My breath caught when she sent a perfectly weighted long ball over the back line for Beth. It was like no time had passed since she'd last done it. And when Beth slotted it into the back of the net I shook my head with a grin.

That's when the tears finally came, and I didn't even care anymore.

"Look who's crying now," Wally muttered beside me. I laughed, shaking my head in response, but I caught a glimpse of the bright smile Amanda had on her face and everything just felt right. Today was Leah's day, and everybody knew that.

—

"So," Kyra plopped down next to me after a particularly fun training session. It was light, just some simple scrimmages that didn't hold much value except recovering from the weekend match. Of course, they were still highly competitive because everybody on the team was overly competitive. Some even more than others.