blackout - Alexia Putellas

24.

enjoy ☕️✍🏼

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror in the attic of her suburban Manchester apartment a couple of weeks later, Erin was brushing her teeth while the soft glow of the vanity lights casted a gentle illumination on her features.

The rhythmic sound of the bristles against her teeth filled the silence of the room, a comforting routine amidst the chaos of her day.

Today had been exhausting.

Just as the therapist rinsed her mouth, she noticed her phone buzzing on the countertop, vibrating with an incoming call. With toothpaste still lingering in the corners of her mouth, the therapist reached for the device, tired eyes lingering on the background picture for a moment, before she swiped to answer.

"Hola," she mumbled around the toothbrush, her words barely intelligible.

"Bon dia, Bonita" a calm voice greeted her from the other end of the line. "I've just wrapped up training and about to have dinner. How was your day, mi niña?"

Leaning against the bathroom counter after cleaning off her mouth, the therapist paused from her evening routine, her movements slow and deliberate. "It's been a tough day at the clinic," she confessed, her voice heavy with fatigue. "Some colleagues called in sick, so I ended up working overtime... just got home a while ago."

Tired eyes flitted to the wristwatch on the counter, the hands indicating the lateness of the hour, before her gaze shifted to the elegant Louis Vuitton leather bag resting beside a lush aloe vera plant and an array of skincare products.

"You've been working overtime quite often lately," the captain noted, her tone soft and comforting. "You need to take it easy, mi niña. Don't push yourself too hard."

"Coming from someone with your schedule," the blonde retorted with a wry smile, her fingers trailing over the smooth surface of a perfume bottle nestled inside the cosmetic bag. "One day you're jetting off to one country for national duty, the next you're off to another for Champions League. I don't know how you manage without collapsing from exhaustion."

Spritzing a hint of the fragrance on her slender wrist, Erin was captivated by the luxurious, floral scent of the perfume, a reminder of the woman it belonged to.

Even in the midfielder's absence, her presence permeated the room. Even when it wasn't her voice on the other end of the line, the blonde's mind was consumed by her. Even though she couldn't see her, it was Alexia's image on Erin's mind.

The power that woman held.

A soft chuckle drifted through the air from the other end of the line, creating a warm atmosphere in the otherwise silent bathroom.

"Wanna hear a secret, mi niña?"

"Mhm," Erin murmured, delicately spritzing a hint of the perfume onto her neck and, immediately, her eyes fluttered shut as she savored the floral fragrance.

"I've become accustomed to this level of pressure over time, but that doesn't mean I'm not exhausted," Alexia confessed, the sound of movement and a plate being lifted audible in the background. Soon, the faint thud of someone sinking onto a couch resonated through the phone, followed by the captain's soothing voice filled with excitement. "Did you hear any football news today?"

Continuing her skincare routine, the blonde pondered, "Um, I didn't... what did I miss?"

"Chelsea made it to the semi-finals, Bonita," the midfielder announced proudly, her enthusiasm palpable even through the phone.

Although the blonde couldn't see the grin on Alexia's face, she could sense it in her voice.

Processing the news, Erin paused the gentle massage of her temples with her cold fingertips, taking a moment for the realization to sink in.