Forever family

The final

Grace pov

The harsh phone policy is increased to no phones till after the final period. Mom Isn't allowed to talk to us either. I am being specifically watched so I do t talk to t. And even if the staff wasn't this strict mama would be.

She still has flip. And I have a stuffed tiger that has many jerseys. Right now my tiger named titi is wearing a number nine Netherlands jersey.

Loading the bus for the final is strange. I thought the bus to the game against Sweden was bad but I was wrong. Even dann jill and Shanice are quiet. I wouldn't say calm but it's not normal.

All other games I didn't dress the other backup did. I don't know why they let me dress now not in previous games but shall things go south a almost nineteen year old will be naming the net against the most feard wemons soccer team in the world.

I take a steadying breath looking at the starters. Everyone seems antsy. Everyone except mama and sari. I don't know how sari could be calm with the likes of lavelle Rapineo Morgan and Heath. I don't know how mama was calm with sauerbrunn and naeher in her way. But they are calm and they have some of the most pressure on them. So I take a deep breath and go to mama.

We have a pregame ritual that not even our team knows about. We sit I listen to mama telling me I'm a good kid and that she loves me and she listens to my heartbeat. We started this after my first scare and the I love you'd have made it so the scares don't happen.

I know that mama can hear my fear but her words calm me and I know I should say good luck but anything that happens on that field will be anything but luck.

I stand with the other subs. I'm between jill and shanice and I look to see t in the sun line for this game. I take a deep breath and tap my shoulder three times. I look at her and see her do the same.

The first major pice of action is Sheridan getting a yellow in the tenth minute for a bad tackle and we can all admit It. Then in the thirtieth or so minute saurbrunn their great defender goes down hard. Trainers are on the field immediately. The USA calls for a penalty but the ref has a mind and sees that it was fair game. Sari comes up big with a double save. The American Dalkemper gets a yellow that was very close to being a red if saurbrunn hadn't been there to smooth it out. Lieke and O'Hara go up in the air and collide hard both hiring the ground holding there heads. It seems that they will both be fine but halftime my prove wrong.

Nothing else happens in the half and halftime proves poorly for the Americans. O'Hara is subbed out for Tierna. I have to try to not cheer but still find jill holding one of my hands so I do not clap.

Lieke is charging toward a highball. She stretches to get her boot to it. She hits the ball sending in toward mama but her knee collided with saurbrunn. She falls play continues. She kneels and points to the gash on her eyebrow. Naeher collects the shot and the whistle blows. Trainers quickly get her off the field to care for her eye.

Stefanie gives a high boot in the box. They shout for penalty. I know they deserve a penalty. Stefanie gets shown a yellow and Megan rapineo stands over the penalty Morgan earned. It goes right above sari's top glove I see her brief moment of cracking but then she shouts " move now." That's the chant of the keepers this tournament.

Eight minutes later lavelle gets a scary run. She's running like a well tamed bat out of hell. She cuts around not one but two or our defenders and she fakes out sari and another defender doubling their lead.

I can see everyone's heads slowly starting to drop. Lieke is subbed out for jill. Anouk gets subbed out for shanice. Dunn makes a run up the left cuts right dark saves us from a larger defeat.

Rapineo gets subbed out for a slightly younger much faster press. Heath runs she goes down calling for another penalty. No we are rewarded a free kick. They run out sari distributes the ball quickly. Heath is then subbed out for the one and only carli Lloyd.

When the whistle blows I don't know who to run to. Should I run to my mentor crumpled against the post. Should I try and help my sobbing mother at half field should I hold my friends who fought so hard or should I go and hug my girlfriend who play to large of a part for me to ignore.

I choose to go to my mother. I sit next to her. I want to comfort her but before I say a word she says " I knew we wouldn't win but this still hurts." " I know mama I whisper. She must notice my eyes wondered to the dog pile. The lanky brown haired girl with stormy eyes with a smile brighter than I had ever seen.

That sight brings tears harshly to my eyes and onto my cheeks. My mother noticing quickly ushers me to the tunnel but no further knowing I want to watch them get their medals before we must get ours.

That medal going around her neck makes her smile grow. As she makes her way toward her family also closer to me I see tear streaks on her cheeks. And it makes me smile. Because they are not the stains I have so often seen but slim and long and not furiously whipped away but welcomed.

I accept my medal proudly but sadly.