Lost and Found

twenty-two

I was on the bench for the entire game against Australia. I knew I was new to the team and I couldn't expect to play every match but I couldn't help but be frustrated sitting on the bench. Both Alex and Lindsey started though which was good and fourteen minutes in, Alex scored and finally got that 100th goal she had been desperately attempting. Scarlett was still not feeling it during the match so maybe it was the for the best that I was sat there to comfort her. Lindsey came off ten or so minutes into the second half and she tried to get me to just enjoy watching the rest of the match with her. Afterwards though, she went straight from the stadium to see her family meaning I didn't get to spend any time with her that night.

Alex and I had spoke about meeting the rest of my family and although on one hand I was terrified, on the other hand, Alex spoke about them all the time and I was genuinely intrigued about what they were like.  The one thing that worried me the most was the fact all of them were still in close contact with my biological father. Alex had said that he sometimes came to her matches but not very often and that she had spoke to him about me and the fact we had a relationship now, no thanks to him. I didn't want Alex to hate her father, that was never my intention, but I hated how he could choose to love three of his four daughter and it was clear Alex also couldn't stand how he had treated my mom and I in the past. 

As our next match against Belgium was in our home state of California, Alex saw this as a perfect opportunity for me to meet my other two sisters, Jeni and Jeri after the match. After thinking a lot about it, I decided I wasn't ready to introduce Scarlett to them yet, even though Alex had told me Jen had a little girl herself who was a bit older than Scarlett.  I waited until I had met Alex myself before I had introduced her to Scarlett just in case things had went wrong. 

Now, we were sat on the bus on the way to the Bank of California Stadium, ready to play. I was cuddling into Lindsey and Ali was looking after Scarlett, who had finally let some of her Aunties look after her and spend some time bonding with her.  Jill had told us the starting eleven and I was overjoyed to be back playing and starting with the team alongside Linds. Alex wasn't starting but there was a good chance she would come on for me at half time. 

Having Scarlett with me in the locker room gave me something else to focus on before the match and since the first camp I had attended, I was yet to have a panic attack before going out. Lindsey gave me a hug before we lined up and I could see the other girls watching us as she held me but we were quickly told to get ready to head out before anyone could say anything. 

As a team, we all came out firing on all cylinders. As always, we were hungry for a win and we had never played Belgium before so wanted to prove ourselves. Carli scored first off a free kick which instantly put the team in a good mood. Five minutes later, Ali sent me the ball and I ran down the pitch with it, avoiding of the Belgian defenders before sending the cross into the six-yard box and straight to Carli who headed it in the back of the net. I thought getting the assist would make my night but twenty-six minutes into the match, Pressy took a corner and Lindsey got her head to it. I thought she'd run at Christen to celebrate but instead, she found me and decided to celebrate her first goal of the year together. We seemed to be unstoppable as Sammy managed to bag herself a goal and get her name onto the scoreboard. As expected, Alex and I swapped at half time but I was more excited to see Ashlyn get subbed in for Alyssa and give her some time between the posts to take my mind off what was happening afterwards. Alex and Jessica both scored bringing the final score to 6-0 USA. 

By the time we got back to the hotel, it was already 9pm and I was regretting agreeing to meeting my older sisters tonight. I was thankful that Kelley and Lindsey had agreed to look after Scarlett in my room and put her to bed for me. She was exhausted after the match and had already fallen asleep on the back so I hoped she stayed sleeping for them. Meanwhile, I was in Alex's room pacing about while Alex went and met her sisters in the lobby and brought them up to see me.