One day I'll have it all. // Williamson

Gym session

"That woman is crazy," I said, hiding my mouth under the high collar of my coat, my hair covered by both a beanie and a hood. My hands were in my pockets, yet still, I had gloves on.

"You'd think she'd had least put sleeves on, but no," Caitlin said, walking next to me towards one of the gardens surrounding the training center, the crisp snow under her feet squeaking.

"I swear, she's part penguin or something. I've never seen anyone so unfazed by the weather."

As we approached the training ground, the sight of Katie already on the pitch, in short sleeves and a pair of shorts no less, was enough to make us shiver. She spotted us. And a mischievous smile instantly invaded her lips. She crouched down, taking snow in her hands and forming a ball out of it.

"Oh no. I'm definitely not playing that with her." Caitlin immediately said.

I chuckled, watching Katie prepare her ammunition as she locked eyes with us. Caitlin, seemingly less enthusiastic about the impending snowball fight, raised an eyebrow at me.

"Are you seriously considering this madness?" Caitlin questioned her tone a mix of disbelief and amusement.

I smirked, pulling my beanie lower to shield my face. "What? I never had a snow fight in my life."

Katie launched the first snowball in our direction, and I instinctively ducked, the cold projectile missing me narrowly. Caitlin, on the other hand, let out an exasperated sigh, trying to evade the incoming onslaught.

"She's relentless," Caitlin muttered, her breath forming visible puffs of cold air. "You're new here. Trust me. Snowball fights are not fun when you play against Katie. I'm lucky I missed this one." She said, and a few seconds later, I felt someone jump on my back, their legs wrapped around my waist, and a snowball in their left hand. I immediately recognized Leah's perfume. And she immediately threw the snowball right in Caitlin's face.

Leah's mischievous laughter filled the air as Caitlin stood there, snow-covered, with an incredulous expression. I couldn't help but burst into laughter at the unexpected turn of events.

"Seriously?" Caitlin groaned like a child, while both Leah and I kept laughing, being joined a few seconds later by Katie, who had run to join us.

"Aye, she got you good, lad," Katie said, and Caitlin rolled her eyes, hiding her smile as best as she could.

"Alright, alright, let's go inside, or I'm gonna freeze to death." She said, and I chuckled, nodding my head in agreement. I gently tapped on Leah's thigh, and she got off my back.

We began walking to the gym, Caitlin and Katie a few feet in front of us.

"Hi," Leah told me. We hadn't seen each other yet today. Nor yesterday.

"Hey there," I replied with a warm smile, the cold air creating visible puffs of breath between us. Leah's eyes held a playful glint, and I couldn't help but notice the light dusting of snowflakes in her hair. "I missed you yesterday," I confessed, and that immediately drew a large smile on her face. She was beautiful.

"You did?" She asked me, and by the tone of her voice, I knew it wasn't teasing. It was a genuine question.

"Yeah, I did," I admitted, glancing at Leah as we walked through the snow-covered garden. The sincerity in her question mirrored the vulnerability I had witnessed the day before. The playful banter, the shared laughter – it all felt like a prelude to something more profound. I wanted to ask. To ask if she was insecure, or why, or what had happened before me. But I couldn't. I wanted to respect her boundaries. She will tell me once she feels ready.

"I missed you too," she confessed, her voice carrying a sincerity that resonated within me. The unspoken connection between us seemed to grow stronger with each shared moment.

As we entered the warmth of the gym, leaving the winter chill behind, Leah's words lingered in the air. Maybe I was inexperienced, but it felt so easy with her.

In the locker room, the entire squad was already there. I sat next to Beth, while Leah sat between Kim and Alessia. I changed into my training kit, while animatedly talking to Beth, asking her about what she did on our two-day break.

Beth rambled about the two days she had spent at home with her dogs and with Viv. Nothing too exciting, but Beth seemed to like cozy evenings and lazy days.

As Beth shared the details of her cozy break, Leah's laughter resonated from the adjacent bench. I couldn't help but steal glances at her, the playful spark in her eyes adding a layer of warmth to the locker room. Alessia, Kim, and Leah exchanged banter.

I finished changing into my training kit, the anticipation for the upcoming session building within me. I was always the worst one in the gym. It just wasn't my thing. I had built up muscles of course, but lifting weights and running on a treadmill just seemed useless to me. And I hated plyometrics with a passion.

But I couldn't complain. At least we weren't forced to train in the snow.

Luckily, the session at the gym passed rather quickly. I was the least advanced of the girls on the subject so I had a coach constantly by my side. I was having less fun than the girls, but my sessions were very fulfilling.

I did plyometrics with the rest of the girls, though. We tried our best to focus, but with a group so healthy, it was hard to spend even half an hour without joking around.

We still managed to get the job done, though. And the session ended after a good 3 hours.

I was lying on the floor, after having stretched my legs for a good five minutes, when Katie's and Beth's heads appeared above me, huge smiles on their lips.

"Oi. We need to talk, lad."