AllFreeNovel
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When the team walk off the pitch later that day, narrowly avoiding relegation, the mood amongst us is intoxicating. It’s the last game of the season and we scrape through by the skin of our teeth, but we all say the same thing as we huddle together on the pitch one last time: next season we don’t want to find ourselves in the same position and we’re prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure we don’t.
As always, we stop to greet our fans and sign autographs on our way back to the tunnel. Something Luke said to me, weeks ago now, about the way these young girls look at me, stands out today because a young girl—she must be around six—is watching me carefully, her little sister bouncing up and down by her side.
“Hi, I’m Natasha.” I hold my hand out to the young girls.
“I’m Amy and this is my little sister Ruby,” she explains as they take their turns shaking my hand. “I’m going to be a goalie when I grow up.” Her smile is so proud.
“Well, Amy, if you’re going to be a goalie, you’ll need some gloves.” I pull my gloves out from under my arm. “Here.” I take a Sharpie from Brooke who is signing next to me and sign each glove before passing the pen back. “Now I want you to promise me when you’re older and playing for Wearside, you’ll remember me and bring me a pair of your gloves with your autograph, okay?”
I hand her the gloves and she nods, her eyes wide and excited. She throws her arms around me in a hug, and warmth spreads throughout my body as she thanks me repeatedly. I glance at her mam over her shoulder who mouths “thank you”with tears in her eyes. I sign Ruby’s shirt and pose for photos with the sisters before making my way down the line of fans, taking selfies, listening to their stories and signing memorabilia until I get the nudge to get back to the dressing room.
As soon as I reach my locker, I’m pulling my phone out to text Luke to find he’s already one step ahead of me.
I know it’s hard for him to watch me play without remembering his mam, but the fact that he’s here, supporting me every single match day means the world to me. Therapy is looking promising for both of us as we learn to navigate our relationship.
“Texting lover boy?” Brooke teases when she spots me grinning down at my phone like a lovesick teenager.
“Obviously,” I say with a roll of my eyes.
“I honestly didn’t peg you for the swoony type. Is this what happens when you have a man to worship the ground you walk on and give you mind-blowing orgasms on the regular?”
“Yup,” I agree happily.
After I shower, blow dry my hair and apply a little bit of make-up, the lasses and I make our way up to the hospitality suite reserved for friends and family of the club.
As the team disperse throughout the ballroom to find their friends and family, I’m excited to see Luke sitting at one of the large round tables with Aaron, Bailey, Jordan and Bridget. Our other friends, Kieran, who plays in goal for the first team and Sam, former Wearside superstar, who now plays for Brighton, also sit chatting away to my boyfriend as if they’re old friends.
I’m so eager to get to Luke that I almost don’t notice the familiar older couple sitting at another table talking animatedly with Coach.
“Mam? Dad?” I ask as I approach them. They stand to greet me with matching smiles on their faces. When they hug me, I’m so stunned I can’t even raise my arms to return their embrace. I just stand there, stiff as a board as they hug me. “You’re here?”
“Oh, sweetheart,” Mam says, her voice soft and affectionate as she looks over at my dad teary eyed. “We’re sorry for the pressure we’ve put on you.”
“You were fantastic out there,” Dad says, uncharacteristically. “Unstoppable! You made us proud.”
Emotion engulfs me and I dive into my dad’s arms again, a sob escaping me as he says the words I’ve always wanted to hear. He rubs my back, comforting me, and I feel Mam’s gentle touch too. Am I dreaming?
“I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Your boyfriend gave us a good talking to, said we’d lose you completely if we didn’t get our act together,” Dad says when I pull back. I look across the room to Luke in surprise, and he shrugs with a smile before coming to me and wrapping his arm tightly around my shoulder. “This chap seems like a good man. He looks out for you and isn’t afraid to stand up for you, even to your grumpy old dad.” Dad laughs and claps Luke fondly on the shoulder. I look between the men and wonder what twilight zone I have entered. I wish I’d been there for that conversation. I flash Luke a look that says,you better tell me everything.
“Can you excuse me for a second?” Luke asks, kissing my cheek softly before striding after Bridget, who appears from nowhere, tapping him on the shoulder.
“Better take our seats, your parents are safe here with me, you go on with the others,” Coach says, rubbing my arm, and myparents take their seats next to her while I make my way to my seat with my friends.
“What’s going on?” I ask suspiciously as Aaron pulls Brooke into his lap, making room for me to sit with them at the table next to my parents. As far as I know this is meant to be a quickwell done for not completely suckingdrinks reception. Not something secretive and fancy. After all, had we not won the game it would have been ayou’re shit, here’s some booze to numb the painparty.
“No idea,” Aaron replies, but the excited grin on his face says differently as he nods his head, indicating for me to look towards the stage.
Right on cue, a clinking of glass ensues, and the room falls silent. “Well, everyone, I would like to raise a toast to our wonderful lasses,” Bridget says. “We’ve learned a lot this season, we’ve experienced great losses and great wins and we live to fight another season in the WSL. We’ll go into next season stronger than ever; the other teams won’t know what’s hit them. Cheers!” She raises her glass, and the room follows suit, echoes of cheers resounding throughout the crowd.
“We also have another announcement to make,” Luke says when the applause fades out, taking Bridget’s place at the mic. “For those that don’t know me, I’m Luke Ramshaw and I’ve been hanging around the club for some time now researching a game I’ve been designing. Today, I can announce that I’ve been granted full funding to put this game on the market. So, without further ado, I present to you, WSL: The Legends.”
The lights dim when Luke steps aside and a video begins to play on the projector screen. It’s the first time I’ve seen the CGI footage from our day at the visual effects studio and I’m blown away at the quality. From our movements, Luke has been able to pull together a three-minute demonstration of the game, with graphics so lifelike, if I didn’t know differently, I’d swear it was a video recording.
When the lights come up again, he steps forward to the mic and I’m on my feet with the rest of the room, clapping in sheer amazement and bursting with pride.
“I’d like to say thank you to Head Coach, Mel Libbey, and everyone else at the club for the time and effort you all put into helping me achieve this dream in honour of my late mother, Lauren Ramshaw. And finally, I’d like to say a huge thank youto Natasha Borthwick, the absolute love of my life. None of this would have been possible without you.”
