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

Stool

When Leah fell asleep, I gently laid her down on my bed, carefully removing her shoes and covering her body with a blanket, before silently escaping the room, closing the door behind me so I wouldn't disturb her sleep.

I sighed silently once the door was closed, and walked back to the living room, sitting on my couch, my mind loud with thoughts.

Now I was certain, there was nothing I hated more than to see my girlfriend cry.

Seeing Leah vulnerable, her tears a poignant reminder of the pain she carried within, stirred something deep within me.

In that moment, I realized the depth of my love for her, and realized that if one day I was the one making her cry, I'd probably never forgive myself for it.

The thought of causing Leah even a fraction of the pain she had endured was unbearable, a prospect that filled me with a sense of dread and apprehension. I had no idea what had happened to her, but I could very well imagine how much it had broken her.

In that moment of clarity, I made a silent vow to cherish and protect Leah with every fiber of my being, to be a source of strength and solace in her darkest moments, and to never let her tears go unnoticed or unacknowledged.

And as I sat there, lost in my thoughts, my phone buzzed in my pocket, startling me a little. I sighed and took it in my hands, the screen opening to a picture of Leah at training, a big smile on her lips as she watched a ball fly in her direction.

The message I had received was from Katie. The girl had gradually started becoming my best friend on the team, even though she liked annoying me a whole bunch.

Katie: you got Discord?
Katie: bitch

I giggled at her messages, her silliness creating a good distraction from the whole conversation I had a few minutes earlier.

Me: Was the bitch really necessary?

Katie: Absolutely.
Katie: So, Discord?

Me: No, I don't have Discord

Katie: Well, get Discord. I'll send you the convo link when you do. You've missed out on a whole bunch of drama (and pictures of Vivianne snoring on the bus)

I chuckled at Katie's insistence, her playful banter a welcome distraction from the weight of my thoughts.

I downloaded the said app, while wondering why we weren't simply using WhatsApp, then made a profile quickly, not bothering too much with the name or the profile picture.

When I had done that, Katie sent me a link and I joined the Discord conversation, composed by basically every single girl on the team, though I assumed most of them didn't even talk on here.

Valentina: I am here.

Katie: took you long enough.

Valentina: @TheIrishGoddess bro, your @ is crazy.

Katie: thanks. Yours suck.

Valentina: I've been here thirty seconds you're already bullying me.

Beth: #freeVillanueva

Valentina: thank you @meado9. At least someone here is nice.

Viv: @ValeVilla323 you have seen the draw for the Conti Cup?