No Longer Solo

This Team, This Family

Your POV:

"Abby?"

"She threw me under the bus after the whole Sweden thing in 2016." She rolled her eyes. "Only reason I still talk to her is cause of you."

"That was 5 years ago mom. You're still upset?"

"She was a good close friend of mine. I trusted her and to hear what she said? What she thought of me? Of course I'm still upset. It's one thing to say it in private, but she did an interview." She shook her head.

"Ok so not Abby." I thought more. "What about Becky?" 

"What about Becky?"

"She's always had your back no matter what. She's always had MY back no matter what. Plus she's so done with all of Kelley's shit it'd be funny." She laughed.

"That might be a good idea. I'll talk with Kel."

I smiled. "So. How's everything with you? You good? Ready for the game?"

"Born ready." 

"I'm proud of you." She rubbed my shoulder. "My daughter. Captaining her team to another championship game. Mother of 2 wonderful boys." 

"Couldn't have done it without you." I looked at her. "I'd probably be on the street right now."

"I'm happy you're not. You changed my life, kid. In the most positive way possible."

"You changed mine too." She smiled.

We went back inside and then they went to their hotel. The team had another meeting.

*GAME DAY*

No one's POV:

"Almost 2 weeks ago the semifinals began. Today, those 4 teams have been reduced to the final 2. Houston Dash. Western New York Flash. The 2021 NWSL Championship coming up next, on FS1."

Your POV:

"I know some of you want to retire after this game tonight. But push all the to the back of your mind right now. Tonight, is more than a championship match. Tonight is your chance to truly put a mark on your careers. Everyone doubted us last season, we proved them wrong. They said we were nothing without Carli Lloyd. They were wrong. Henderson got traded, and we were "idiots" but they were also wrong. Look around you. At this team, this family. Tonight we prove them wrong once again, and we KEEP that title in Houston." Kealia finished. I stood up.

"Kealia is the motivation of our captain partner ship. I take a different approach." I said. "I'm not gonna sugar coat anything. Losing tonight would suck. It would hurt till the minute you spend onto the training field for preseason, and hey. It might hurt after that. I didn't fly ALL the way back here after the birth of my son to lose this game. To lose the last game I will ever play with the great, Lydia Williams."

The rookies nodded. Lydia put her gloves on. 

"WE didn't come here to get 2nd place. Not to a team that got here because of a dive in the box. That's NOT who we are. We fight till that final whistle and we win this fucking game because if we don't it will hurt till the final whistle of our first game next season." 

We huddled together. 

"This is a family. If one of us wants to give up, we pick them up and get through it, TOGETHER. Stay together, fight together, make our city, our organization, our fans proud. Make each other proud."

"DASH ON 3!" Kealia smiled.