Fighting Society

Close your eyes kiddo

The time had reached for Leah to return to the pitch once more, having been named in the starting line-up against Liverpool for the first time since her injury. She was captain for the game, with Kim being out for a little while due to a small injury she had picked up in training, meaning the older girl would be leading the Arsenal out at the Emirates stadium for their midseason game. 

Jessica had found herself sat on the subs bench once more, squashed between Steph and Kyra, her head resting up against Steph's shoulder. She would be lying, if she said she wasn't nervous about seeing her sister back on the field once more. The nightmares hadn't exactly stopped for the young girl, neither the anxiety after watching her go down, but they had certainly been eased, especially after their conversation before the game.

~

"Bug! Come here for me for a second."

The whole team was in the changing rooms, preparing for the game about their usual antics. Jessica was only slightly quieter than her usual self, nothing that was concerning for anybody, as she simply listened along to the music overhead. It was only when her sister beckoned that she moved for the first time in a while, making her way over to the older girls locker, who was tapping her knee, indicating for the young girl to sit on it, which she took with no hesitations.

"How you feeling?"

"Good."

"Are you sure my girl?"

"I don't know."

"That's okay. It's okay to not know."

She leant her weight back slightly, so that she was leaning with her back against Leah's chest, still sat on her lap as the defender moved to twirl her fingers in her younger sisters hair.

"Do you remember what we spoke about?"

"What, the fact you couldn't be bothered to do the washing so you wore your dirty training gear twice in a row last week?"

"No, Jessie don't say that so loudly, oh my God-"

Her younger sisters statement caught the attention of both Lia and Laia, who were sat on either side of Leah, the two releasing a small chuckled at the younger girl making the statement with confidence, watching as Leah's cheeks turned bright red.

"That's not true-"

"It is, you just collapsed on the sofa and were like-"

"Well it's not what I meant kiddo. I meant when I return to playing."

"Oh."

"I'm okay, kiddo. I'm healthy, I'm safe, and I am okay to play. You're healthy, you're safe, and you'll be okay as well."

"I'm nervous Le."

"Why are you nervous, my girl?"

"What happens if it happens again? You haven't played in a game-"

"It's okay. We spoke about this, remember? The likelihood of it happening again, is low, but this job comes with injuries. And that's okay, because you'll never be on your own. These girls, they've got you almost as much as I've got you. But they probably won't need to, because at the end of this match, I'll walk of that pitch, and will make my way straight over to you, and give you the biggest hug. Deal?"

The younger girl only grinned, returning her sisters high five as a response to her question, hopping off her lap as she watched her sister jump up from the bench after her.