ғᴏᴏᴛsᴛᴇᴘs | ᴋᴍ ✔︎

She's My Hero

"Hail, ya indomitable heroes, hail!
Despite of all your generals ya prevail."
-LANDOR, Walter Savage.
(1775-1864)

| Alex |

"You can stop staring, and worrying about her." Christen nudges my shoulder with her own. "She's doing well for her first camp."

She's not wrong. Cody settled in far sooner than anyone else during their first call up. She's practically floating around the field, setting up anyone in space. She's not shy and retiring, she's got one of the loudest voices during this training session, and it's refreshing to see a National team rookie that isn't afraid to let herself be heard. But I'm biased.

"I know." I mutter, watching Tobin set up the corner before I see Press make the run. The ball glides off her head but Ash gets a hand to it, pushing it over the bar.

"Ready, Old Timer?!" Cody yells from the opposite side of the field from Tobin, earning chuckles from the team. I smirk at my daughter and give her a soft nod, and she sends the ball into the box.

This time Harris doesn't get anywhere near the ball, and I listen as Cody cheers from the side.

"Woo! That's my mom!"

It's a huge relief to see Cody smiling, the news of her break up being all over the internet hasn't helped her with keeping her mind focused on the task at hand, which is why she sat on the bench for the game against Australia. Jill didn't even glance at her, but Dawn has continued to keep a watchful eye.

She was upset to not get any time out, understandably eager to make her National team debut. It didn't help that Jack got an assist against the Aussie's, setting me up for the equalizer in the second half before the game finished at 1-1 after Kerr scored in the opening twenty minutes.

Word from Carli and Becky is that Jill is thinking of starting Cody against Sweden, which worries me for the obvious reason - Lena, but also because Twitter blew up with news that Pernille Harder is in the States to cheer on her 'girlfriend'.

| Cody |

The day before the Sweden game, my mom and the other veterans decided to go out for lunch. I opted to be alone, feeling the need for space and time to let my mind process everything that's happened in the quickfire few days I've been here.

I wait for a half hour before I leave. I don't have to worry about Jack spotting me leaving, knowing that she has a FaceTime date with Ellie, who flew out to Spain with the rest of the Australia team. Exiting the hotel, I stroll through the quiet streets before I stumble upon a dead-end diner, and knowing nobody will look there for me, I enter.

"Whaddaya want?" The woman behind the counter asks, and I order coffee before sitting in a booth. She eventually brings me my order, slamming it on the table causing it to spill.

"Hm. Okay." I mutter to myself, not bothering to clean up the mess on the table that reflects how I feel on the inside.

I turn off my phone, desperate to ignore the world around me, as I drown in the pool of my mind, overrun with memories swirling in my head. The conflicting theory of her betrayal clashing with the presumption that she was happy with me. I give up trying to figure it all out, and let my head fall, thumping against the table.

"Careful. Don't wanna ruin that pretty face of yours."

"What are you doing here?" I ask her, my head still on the table.