A Lucky Break

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Hayley's POV:

I arrived back in New Zealand late on Christmas Eve. I stayed in a hotel in Auckland that night, before flying to Christchurch on the earliest flight on Christmas morning. Getting off the plane I was excited to see my mum and sister, who I haven't seen in person for months. I walk out of the security area to find them waiting for me. With a huge smile I hug my mum first before my sister, Taylor. "I missed yous," I say as I pull away.

"We missed you too," my mum says giving me another hug. "Let's go get your bags so we can get you home for lunch."

We collect my near empty bags and set off on the road down to the farm. We love about an hour south of Christchurch, so it gave me a good opportunity to catch up with both my mum and sister. "So how was your last week in England," mum asks after I haven't had time to call her since signing my contract with Arsenal.

"Really busy. Leah helped me move all my stuff, not that I had that much. Just finished up at the cafe and we went out after my last shift. I had dinner and stayed at Leah's the last night after she offered to take me to the airport, so that was nice," I summarised the last few days.

"Leah seems lovely," mum states.

"Yeah, she's been really helpful. She's also very reassuring I'm not invading her space because I feel like I kind of am, you know," I say as I look out the car window. How I missed the calm of home.

"I mean she obviously agreed to it," Taylor says.

"But did she make that decision herself or was she forced into it. She says she did and her girlfriend said that she did, but I guess it's just in the back of my mind," I explain with a shrug. 

"I get it. Just don't over think it," mum says. "Have you met anyone else in the team?"

"Just Jordan, Leah's girlfriend. She's on the team too. I think that's the part I'm most nervous about. Expect for not knowing what I'm doing the first day," I say.

"Just be you and everything else will work itself out," mum says.

-

When we arrive home, I am greeted by all my family, and I mean all. Including grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins. "Wow, everyone's here already," I say as we pull up the driveway.

"Yep. They didn't want to miss a second with you," mum explains.

"Have you told them about the contract," I ask her.

"Nope. Just thought that was your news to share," she answers.

I groan, "Great."

As the morning goes on I have caught up with all of my family, answering all the questions that they have asked me, but I haven't let the big news slip yet. I help bring all the food out to the long dining table where we can all sit and enjoy a meal together. I'm about halfway through my plate when Stacy, one of my aunts, asks, "So Hayley, what are you going to do now that you're back? Work? Study?"

I look over at mum and dad, who just give a nod, then to Taylor who has a smirk plastered on her face. I take a deep breath before answering, " I'm actually going back over."

The table goes silent, all you could hear was distant sounds of animals in the background but even they were drowned out. You could literally hear a pin drop. Stacy was the first to recover from the news, "Really? Are you still going to work in the same cafe?"

"Umm, no. I actually signed a contract for a new job, a different job. I start at the start of the new year," I explain slowly.

"Oh nice. Is it a different cafe or something," my cousin Lucy asks.

"Come on Hay, out with it," Taylor says with a smile.

I sigh. I knew this was coming, "Ummm, I... ah- I signed a contract with a professional football club."

"You what," almost everyone turns towards me.

"Since when have you been a footballer," another cousin, Matt, asks. He's big into his football so I know he's going to have a lot more questions.

"Since about a week ago I guess," I shrug.

"Well... what club? What position? How did you get in when you haven't even played before," he prompts.

"Arsenal. Keeper," I say with a smile which makes him roll his eyes. "And I have so played before."

"Those games in high school definitely don't count," he laughs.

By the time I have explained the situation and how the opportunity came about, we have finished dessert. Everyone was really proud of me and said that they would be watching through the year, despite complaints from Matt that I was playing for the wrong club. He comes over as we stand up and gives me a hug. "I'm really happy for you. Even if you didn't tell me first," he whispers in my ear. We have always been really close, born just a month apart and growing up together.

"Thank you," I mumble into his chest.

"I just don't know what I'll do when you play Man U," he jokes, giving me a playful shove.

———

A/N:
Apologies for not posting for a while. I work in healthcare and therefore work shifts so I can sometimes find it hard to have time to write.
I hope you are enjoying the story. If you haven't figured it out out by now, it's a story of an ordinary girl that ends up playing football.
I'm trying to follow timelines closely to make it as realistic as possible but I obviously don't know the private lives of players so that's just a guess.
Also any form of intimacy through the story will be with made up characters out of respect.
Any questions and suggestions? Feel free to let me know!!!