The Agreement

Beautiful

The next day after catching an early flight, Penny sits and waits for her connection out of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to begin boarding. She decides to grab something to eat and look through social media while she waits. Kelley has posted some photos alongside her teammates, so Penny goes ahead and likes them. Soon afterwards her phone beeps with a message

New Message:

Kelley: What are you up to today?

Penny: Looking at pictures of my girlfriend and missing her.

Kelley: I know for a fact that your girlfriend is missing you as well and she really enjoyed seeing you wearing her name on your back.

Penny: Wearing it made me feel like you were there with me.

Kelley: I was and am babe; I'm always with you, no matter the distance between us.

Penny hears her flight being called to board.

Penny: I have to go. I love you Kel XOXO

Kelley: Love you.

Penny boards her overnight flight from Texas to London's Heathrow Airport, getting herself situated to try and get some sleep on the long flight. The next morning she drags herself off the plane and is able to meet up with Steph for a quick breakfast before her relatively short flight from London to Glasgow, Scotland.

The England Captain smiles when she sees the obviously exhausted goalkeeper. They hug before sitting down for breakfast.

"How've you been? How's Mum?"

"Mom is doing ok and I'm good, tired right now though."

"Yeah, I can imagine. So, you decided to take me up on my advice about flying to Scotland and surprising her."

"Something like that." Penny nods and smiles.

"What do mean?"

"I'm surprising her with a mini-vacay as well. I think we have both earned it."

"What are you planning on doing during this vacation of yours?"

"I'm not entirely certain, Corsie has been helping me with the planning."

"That could be interesting."

"I'm honestly just looking forward to having some one on one time with Kel. What have you been up to?"

"Just spending as much quality time with Stephen as possible before his symptoms get any worse."

"How is he doing? And how are you doing with everything?"

"It's hard you know, watching someone you have been in love with forever and in the prime of their life start to shut down. He's starting to show more symptoms and there's nothing I can do to help him."

"Steph, whether you believe it or not, you just being there with him is helping him."

"I'm considering withdrawing from the Lionesses to be around more for him."

"He won't let you do that Steph and you know it, he knows how much playing for your country means to you; he would never accept you doing that for him."

"I know, but I'm going to have to reassess my priorities after the World Cup."

"I get it, I really do; the choice between family and continuing to play is an extremely difficult one to make. I miss playing with you and the girls, but I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I chose soccer over my Mom."