Serendipity

59

Emma's POV

"Alright." I hear my English cousin say as I wait outside our locker room at the Arsenal training facility. "I need all of you to sit in your lockers with your hands on your legs palms up."

We're back at training and I'm introducing Shadow to the Arsenal ladies today

"Alright Emma." My cousin says. "We're ready."

"Come on Shadow." I say then my service dog and I walk into the locker room.

"Woah." I hear one of the girls say.

"When Shadow gets to you let her sniff you then when she sits at your feet say your name or nickname, which ever you think she'll be use to hearing." I say. "I'll demonstrate with Julie."

Everyone nods so I look down at Shadow.

"Shadow meet." I say then I point to Julie.

Shadow yips before she walks to Julie and sniffs the defenders hands then she sits down.

"Julie." Julie says.

Shadow sniffs one more time before she rests her head on Julie's right hand.

"Hi Shadow." Julie says as she scratches my service dog's head.

"Just do that then I'll explain everything." I say.

Everyone nods so Julie stops petting Shadow.

Shadow then moves to the next person down the line and one by one she meets everyone in the team.

"Thanks." I say as my service dog returns to my side.

"When'd you get a service dog?" Steph asks.

"Once we came to London I decided I wanted to look into getting a service dog so I didn't have to rely on a medical marijuana pen and get in trouble because of my weed pen."

"Yeah."

"My families been training with Shadow since after our training camp at the end of August." I say. "She permanently became a member of our family a day after our Secret Santa party."

"Is she coming everywhere with us?" Daan asks.

"Hopefully." I say.

"Well then we need to get her some Arsenal gear." Daan says making me smile.

"And maybe some England gear." Jordan teases which starts a battle of who can get Shadow the best national team gear to wear.

"Woah." Joe says as he comes into the locker room. "What's with all the arguing?"

"They're arguing on who can get Shadow the best gear from their national team." Kim says.

"You all do know that Shadow's only gonna wear US national team stuff or Canadian National team stuff...right?" Leah says.

"I mean your not wrong." I say.

"Well I just came to tell all of you that training is canceled for today and most likely the rest of the week." Joe says.

"Why?" Julie asks.

"The pipes under the training pitches burst and fucked up the fields so they have to be repaired." Joe says. "We're looking for an alternate training site, but for today training is cancelled."

"Aww." I mumble.

I haven't been allowed to touch a ball in a month so needless to say  I was really looking forward to training today.

"I'll text you ladies when I know something." Joe says then he leaves.

"Come on Shadow." I say as I grab my keeper stuff and my tiger blossom penny board. "Lets go home."

Shadow yips then we leave the locker room and head outside.

Once outside I hook Shadow up to her leash then I get on my penny board.

"Car Shadow." I say then I push off and let Shadow pull me to the car.

When we get to the car I put my board and bag into the trunk then Shadow and I get in my car and wait for Christen and Julie. Once Christen and Julie get in the car I head for home.

When we get to the apartment building I park in my parking spot in the underground parking lot then the Christen, Julie, and myself grab our bags and head upstairs.

Once on my floor we get off the elevator then head to my penthouse.

"Jessie." I say when we walk into the penthouse. "We're home."

"The fuck?" Jessie says as I remove Shadow's vest.

"Hi?" Tobin says as she peers into the hallway.

"Hi Toby." Christen says then she walks to her wife and kisses her.

"I thought you had training." Crystal says as we walk into the living room

"The pipes under the training fields burst and messed up the training pitches." I say as I sit down next to Jessie. "Hi princess."

"Hi Sharky." Jessie says before she kisses me.

"Kids napping?" I ask and Jessie nods.

"You three are just in time to watch the NWSL College Draft." Tierna says then I notice the draft being streamed on the living room tv.

"What picks do we have in the first round?" Christen asks.

"2nd, 3rd, and 7th pick." I say.

"What happened to the Kansas City team picking 2nd?" Julie asks.

"We swapped picks and traded them a player to be named later so they're picking fourth."

"And the seventh?" Crystal asks.

"That's one of the picks we got in the trade for Kelley."

Kelley put in a trade request so we traded her to Washington.

Washington got Kelley and we got Ashley Sanchez, the Spirit's first round pick, and allocation money.

"Here's the first pick." One of the announcer people says then they look to the podium.

"With the first pick in the 2021 NWSL draft, Racing Louisville selects....Gabrielle Carle, Defender from Florida State." Lisa Baird says.

"Fuck yes." I say.

"Why's that good?" Christen asks.

"Because they fucked up and left the best player in the draft on the board." I say as I get a text from Amy LePeilbet

Amy LePeilbet: FUCK YES.

Me: THEY FUCKED UP.

"They're announcing the pick." Jessie says so I look to the tv.

"With the second pick in the 2021 NWSL draft, Real Miami select...Catarina Macario, forward from Stanford." Lisa Baird says.

"Oh wow." Tobin says. "Louisville did fuck up."

"Idiots." I say.

"Here's the third pick." One of the announcer people says then they look to the podium.

"With the third pick in the 2021 NWSL draft, Real Miami select...Malia Berkely, Defender from Florida State." Lisa Baird says.

"Nice." I say.

"Do you not have any say on who their drafting?" Tobin asks.

"Amy's told me who she wants and I agree so I'm letting her control the draft."

"Do we have a GM?" Christen asks.

"Not yet." I say. "We're gonna start looking after the Draft."

"Here's the Seventh pick." One of the announcer people says then they look to the podium.

"With the seventh pick in the 2021 NWSL draft, Real Miami select...Emily Fox, Defender from the University of North Carolina."

"Fuck yes." I mumble.

"Damn Emma." Tobin says. "That's one hell of a first round."

"Amy did good." I say. "Amy did very good."