IMAGINE. (wsl)

𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝘁 - 𝗵.𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗼

𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦: 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧, 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳
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it was the worst time to be sick.

with less than a week until the sky blues played united, i was still violently throwing up every second morning. i thought nothing of it, a stomach bug going around and i had been the unlucky one. but it was alanna's suggestion that made me think twice.

"maybe your pregnant."

the seemingly harmless words that she threw out caught me off guard.

"i'm gay alanna, there's no way i'm pregnant right now."

"but you did that ivf thing with hayley didn't you?"

"sí, but they said it would take at least two months. it's only been like, one month." we left it at that, me just brushing off the possibility of it being a reality. i preferred to focus on training for the match that was on saturday.

when saturday did finally come around, i was clutching my stomach in discomfort. the pain was synonymous to that of a really bad period cramp. but i refused to let that keep me from playing. i arrived at the pre game training we always had, greeting alanna and mary with a hug and hayley with a kiss. "hi baby." we all traipsed in to the field, dripping our gear off and joining the rest of the team.

the match was a friendly today, so no initial aggression, but that didn't mean we wouldn't fight for it. both teams lined up in the tunnel, and i was opposite ona. we were friends from when i had gotten called up for the spanish euros team with her.

everyone walked out onto the pitch and prepared to play.

——
half time, and we were up 1-0. united was definitely fighting for it but their defence wasn't strong enough to hold the shots out. we had a fifteen minute break until we were back on and i felt the pain spread it's way through my abdomen again. it really had the worst timing in the world, but i slid onto the floor of the changing rooms we were all in and held my knees to my chest. hayley came up to me and joined me on the floor.

"you okay?" she sounded really concerned but i managed a weak, "i'm ok." we both knew i was lying through my teeth but gareth had us up and back out onto the field then to keep warm.

the ref blew the whistle to start the second half and united had the ball first.

it was a gruelling forty-five minutes, even for a friendly, but i was subbed off in the last five to give me a break. i thanked gareth mentally because the pain of the game and in my stomach was really getting to me. when the whistle was finally blown to end the match i sighed in relief. we had won, just barley, by a second shot from alanna to make it 2-1. i congratulated everyone when they walked off, resisting the urge to throw up.

i spotted ona nearby and went to go comfort her. "well done, mija. you played beautifully." she turned to face me and managers a small smile. i put my arm around her shoulders, and we walked together. i knew that defeats were hard and i knew that ona would take some time to talk but i was there either way. while we were walking my stomach had sharp bolts of pain and my other arm curled around it.

"¿estas bien?" i winced and shook my head. "i've been sick for a week, throwing up sometimes and really bad pain in my stomach." ona looked horrified as i described my symptoms. "sounds like pregnancy. have you taken a test?" i shook my head. "it can't be, we only tried for it a month ago. they said it would be two." ona looked sceptical and urged me to take a test. after she kept nagging me about it i gave in and said i'd buy one after the game.

——
i was true to my word and i stopped off at a chemist on the way home. it didn't take me long and i was at home in the bathroom waiting for the lines to form. i checked the stick after a couple of minutes and my face dropped. two lines, i was pregnant.

i had to tell hayley.

"hello?"

"can you come over?"

"now? isn't it a bit late?"

"i need you, hayls. please." she agreed and hung up the phone, saying she'd be over soon. i was pacing the house with the rest in my hands. a knock on the door broke me out of the pacing and i answered it. "you're here." i was relieved and scared. she followed me into the 'living room' of my apartment. she sat on the couch while i paced some more until she pulled me down with her. i couldn't say anything but just gave her the test. she looked at it and was silent. but then, "it worked?" she sounded so hopeful. "it worked." i started to tear up as hayley pulled me into a tight embrace.

"we're having a kid!"

𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧

it was match day. i wasn't playing, it was hayley. she had spent the last couple of months working her hardest to win every game for the matilda's. and now they were finally here. quarter finals against france. i had wanted to come to show her my support, although she was hesitant. "you know you'll get lots of attention right?" i knew everyone would see. "i know, but they'll find out eventually." she grinned and agreed, quoting, "as long as you're sure."

and now it was game time. i loaded what we needed into the car and drive down to the stadium. finding a park wasn't easy but i found one, parked and grabbed the small backpack out of the backseat.

finally, we had made it to the stadium.

——
it had to have been the longest game i've ever seen in my entire career and my girl played almost all of it. i was so proud of her. it came down to the penalty shootouts and the crowd was so loud i was very glad that i bought earmuffs for the small child i nursed. i had given birth to the tiny girl only six months ago, but still insisted i come down to see hayley play. we had decided on the name emma, after hayley and my mom shared the middle name.

having the child was the best thing that happened to me and hayley, we were a small family and i loved every second of it. once i had found out i was pregnant, hayley told me i should pause my career until emma was here. we both knew how physical of a sport it is and something could easily happen. i agreed, and told gareth the news. he was happy for me, and told me i'd be welcomed back when i was ready to come back.

now it had been over a year and no one outside of our friends and family knew of the change. all the media and fans knew was that i had left. disappeared. dropped off the face of the earth, if you will. and now i was back.

i knew the cameras were limited at me as i walked down to the pitch where the girls were celebrating the win. hayley spotted me easily and ran over. "how is she?" she picked up our girl into her own arms. "slept the whole time. such an angel." the whole national team flocked around us and cooed at the baby in hayley's arms. it was adorable to see my two girls after a win and celebrating together.