So'hara short stories

I love you always. No matter the distance

As Emily prepared for her 100th game in the NWSL, she couldn't help but feel piece of her missing.

Unbeknownst to her, that piece will soon be with her.

*********

Emily tied up her wavy blonde hair up in her usual trademark bun, taking a deep breath before heading out to the field for her match against the San Diego Wave. Tonight is a big one for her, mainly because she reaches her 100th appearance in the NWSL. Something she should have gotten last year if she hadn't been injured after the World Cup and Olympic qualifying tournament. She could've had this in Washington D.C, if she wasn't traded to OL Reign during the NWSL Draft.

That day in January is something that replays in her mind occasionally. She remembers the exact time and place where she was before her agent called her. It was in a hotel room in Auckland, the sun was shining through the windows, the summer heat at its finest. Ever since Kelley left for Gotham FC, and when Mark Parsons was announced as the Head Coach of the Spirit, she dreaded the day of her being traded. She was prepared for it, but it was still a shock when it happened.

But now she was here, in Seattle, ready to celebrate this big milestone with her teammates. She could feel the energy in the air in the locker room, her teammates, mainly Rose and Megan, were giving her the biggest hugs and talking about how proud they were of her. But she felt a piece of her missing, her family, and most importantly, Kelley.

She wished Kelley was here.

She wanted Kelley to be here with her.

Long distance relationships are hard, but Kelley and Emily's was especially so. They had been together since 2020, when Kelley told her to leave Orlando and come up to Washington D.C. Both of them were happy in D.C, they had their families not that far away, they enjoyed being on the Spirit, they had their best friends, they had each other.

But now it's different. One is in New Jersey, the other in Seattle. But still, Kelley was with her in spirit and was sending her a lot of love, good vibes and support.

Emily gave one last look in the mirror before making her way to the field, a big smile on her face, feeling ready to take on this match.

"Let's do this," she said to herself as she walked out to the tunnel with the rest of the team, ready to start her 100th match in the NWSL.

*******

Kelley let out a frustrated sigh as she sat in the locker room, quickly changing out of her uniform. Emily's game happened to start minutes before Kelley's match against Orlando Pride finished. Kelley had planned on flying up to Seattle to surprise Emily. The only people that were aware were Megan and Rose, who promised to keep it a secret. Her flight that she booked was due to leave in 2 hours, and she had just enough time to get her things together and make it to the airport.

She quickly grabbed her bag and headed out towards the door, her mind filled with thoughts of Emily, of the surprise, of the moment they would share when they finally saw each other. She smiled to herself as she thought of Emily's face when she saw her, she knew it would be worth the trip.

Kelley made it to the airport in record time and started to board the plane, the butterflies in her stomach growing with each passing second. She couldn't wait to see Emily and surprise her. She knew that Emily had been looking forward to this milestone for a long time and Kelley wanted to be there for her. During the flight, she had the Paramount+ app open, with the OL Reign vs San Diego Wave game streaming on the screen. She knew that it would take her around a few hours to land in Seattle, but luckily enough, Rose and Megan would keep Emily away from her apartment, so she could still surprise her. Kelley couldn't help but smile watching Emily run around at the backline, defending and attacking with the same energy.

By the time the plane landed in Seattle, the game was already over, and Kelley eagerly waited to unboard the plane and go straight to the baggage claim. As soon as she got her luggage, Kelley made her way outside to get a taxi. Luck turned out to be on her side as there was only one cab waiting outside. She gave the driver the address, "Can you get me here as quickly as possible please? It's an emergency" she quickly said.

"Yeah, sure thing. I'll get you there in no time."

The taxi driver drove at breakneck speed, but Kelley didn't mind it. She was too excited to be in Seattle, to be with Emily, to surprise her. Her phone buzzed with a text from Rose, desperately wanting Kelley to hurry up. "Are you done yet? We can't keep Em here at the bar for much longer!"

Kelley laughed, replying with a simple "On my way!"

The taxi driver made it to Emily's apartment in record time, and Kelley quickly paid him before running up the stairs. She was out of breath by the time she reached Emily's door, but still managed to pull out the right key and insert it into the lock, twisting it to unlock the door.

And she was in. Kelley could immediately smell Emily's scent, even though she wasn't here. She smiled to herself before walking in, heading straight to the living room, putting her bags down and rolling up her sleeves, ready to surprise Emily. "How am I going to do this?" She said to herself, thinking hard about how to surprise her. Suddenly, the door handle started to move and Kelley knew she was out of time. She quickly hid behind the couch, waiting for Emily to come in.

Finally, the door opened and Emily stepped in, and Kelley waited for a few seconds before jumping out from behind the couch, her arms wide open.

"Surprise!" She said, Emily's eyes widened in surprise, and a big smile took over her face.

Emily got a bit of a fright, but she couldn't help but laugh and smile. She quickly ran over to Kelley and hugged her tight, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were playing today," Emily said, still in shock at the surprise.

Kelley smiled, pushing a strand of Emily's hair behind her ear, "Yeah. But I decided to come up here instead. I wanted to be here to celebrate this special moment with you."

The look in Emily's eyes was all Kelley needed to know that she made the right decision. Emily hugged her tight, burying her head into her shoulder, and Kelley knew that no matter the distance, they would always find a way to be together. "You stink." Emily whispered, and Kelley laughed, the two of them standing there for a few more minutes, just enjoying the moment.

"I know I do. Let's take a quick shower, and I'll cook you a special dinner to celebrate." Kelley said, and Emily nodded, happy with the idea. They were finally together, despite knowing that Kelley would have to leave tomorrow. But for now, it was all that mattered.

*******

"God, I missed your cooking," Emily said, taking a bite out of the spaghetti bolognese Kelley had cooked for her. The two of them were now sitting on the couch, Kelley's arm around Emily's shoulder.

"Glad ya like it. I know it ain't much, but it's the least I could do to celebrate with you," Kelley said, kissing Emily's forehead.

Emily smiled, leaning into Kelley's embrace. It had been such a long time since they were together, and she was so grateful that Kelley had come here. She could feel the love in the room, and it made her heart fill with joy.

Kelley looked at Emily, admiring her beauty and loving the moment they were sharing. She knew that she had to leave tomorrow, but for now, she was just happy to be here with Emily, celebrating this special milestone with her.

"I'm so proud of you, Em. You've worked so hard to get here and you deserve every bit of it," Kelley said, and Emily smiled, her heart swelling with love and appreciation.

"Thank you," she said, her voice filled with emotion. "It means so much to me that you're here with me. I love you, Kelley."

Kelley smiled, kissing Emily's forehead again. "I love you too, Em. Always. No matter the distance."