A Storm Is Brewing

Christmas Eve

It was the final game before Christmas, and all of us packed into the stadium with numb fingertips but hearts warmed by the atmosphere as numerous Arsenal chants were thrown around. I watched as Leah's face didn't alter for the team photo, opting to keep it as stern as possible, almost as if she were staring into the faces of her opponents rather than a camera. I couldn't help but think back to just 12 hours earlier, when her alarm had gone off.

Flashback:

"Nooooo. Not now." Leah whimpered as the alarm rang out.
"Morning to you too, Le." I chuckled.
"Nope. I can't. Where's snooze?"
"Up!"
"Nooooo."
"C'mon, I'm getting up too." I pecked her forehead and swung my legs to the edge of the bed to get up.
"Gotcha!" Leah's croaky voice shouted, her hands interlocking at the front of my stomach.
"Leahhhhh. You need to get up; it's game day!"
"I can't. It's so early, and I need cuddles."
"You can have cuddles later, c'mon."

I reached over to kiss her forehead again, gently stroking the hair back from her face.

"Keep doing that; it's soothing." She smiled, eyes shut.
"You'll fall asleep."
"I won't, I'm awake. Look." She said as she flapped her hands about in the air.
"If I get in for five minutes, then you'll get up?"
"Absolutely."
"Fine." I rolled my eyes, secretly glad to be close to her again.

Ten minutes later, I attempted to loosen myself from her grip, but her arms held me firmly in place. Her eyes were shut, and she was making snoring sounds, but her lips were turning slightly upward, letting me know she was most definitely awake.

"Le, it's been 10 minutes." No response.
"You can't just pretend to be asleep." Still nothing.
"Earth to Leah?" That one got her.
"Leah? Not Le? Wow, you really are being serious about this waking up thing." She chuckled.
"Mhmm. So let go." I giggled.
"This is actually a workout; look how much muscle I'm using."
"Get up!" I said through my laughter.
"One more kiss, I promise." She put her lips into a kiss shape and closed her eyes.

— — — —

That Leah was gone, instead, the Leah that stood just a few seats away from us was tough, slightly aggressive, and looked like she'd never enjoyed a cuddle in her life. As the match began, Leah could be heard shouting over the top of the crowd, her direction and motivation aimed at those who appeared to be struggling at any point. Her eyes darted in time with the ball, taking tiny steps to the left or right that seemed pointless but left her in the exact position she needed to be in when that attacker approached. The score remained at 0-0 for the first half, with Leah's body disappearing down the tunnel as our group dispersed, some for the toilet and some for the bar.

As the second half got underway, Leah's voice had been overtaken by the chants of the crowd, desperate for the team to finish for Christmas at the top of the league. The ball rattled towards Leah at a speed I didn't think possible from a clearance. With a quick switch of the ball from her left to right foot, she began a short run towards the halfway line, picking out her player and lobbing the ball to Miedema, who blasted it into the net before being swarmed by her teammates for a celebration. The crowd began to chant Miedema's name. I loved her, and she had scored an incredible goal, but just as Keira Walsh had been overlooked for her perfect assist in the Euro 2022 final, I felt that Leah's level of precision had been overlooked in this case. Maybe I was overly protective because she was mine, or maybe I had some kind of point. Either way, the match finished 1-0 to Arsenal, leaving them top of the league heading into the Christmas break.

The team had organised a night out to celebrate the break they now had, it had been planned for weeks, so I knew that Leah wouldn't be home until the early hours of the morning. I used the opportunity to remove the Christmas presents I had bought her from the boot of my car, carefully wrapping them before I placed them back into the boot and out of sight of her. I smiled to myself as I recalled placing the Christmas pyjamas into the boot of my car when I had bought them for Amanda and Leah on that Christmas Eve. I hurried back in out of the cold, pulling the throw around myself and lifting the remote to find a film to entertain myself in the absence of Leah. Just as the opening credits began to play, my phone chimed, and my heart fluttered in my chest as I saw her name on the screen.