blackout - Alexia Putellas

37.

random ramble: i just wrapped up watching the eras tour movie, and it was fantastic. but while watching, i caught wind of some drama involving Korbin Albert. can someone fill me in on what went down? i seem to have missed the details. after listening to Alexia's interview yesterday, i'm leaning towards the belief that she'll stick with barça, given what she said. anyone else get that vibe too?

enjoy. and please don't say 'you hate me', because even though i know you don't mean it, it still hurts. ☕️✍🏼

Erin's gaze remained fixed on Alexia, her heart heavy with dread as she watched the scene unfold before her. Eli's silent anguish mirrored her own, while Martha's fiery outburst echoed through the stadium.

"No. Por dios te lo pido," the older woman whispered, her voice choked with emotion, "Not again."

As the medical team rushed onto the pitch, Erin felt the weight of the moment pressing down on her. The hushed silence enveloping the stadium magnified the gravity of the situation, every eye trained on Alexia's athletic form crumpled on the ground.

No.

Overwhelmed by a surge of emotions, Erin's breath caught in her throat, her hands trembling uncontrollably, and the world seemed to blur around her as panic threatened to engulf her.

It was Martha's voice that broke through the haze, "Erin, do you think-" but Erin's response was swift and urgent.

Very urgent.

"Martha, move!" she exclaimed, her voice strained as she scrambled to her feet and, with a desperate urgency, Erin pushed through the crowd and up the stairs, her vision narrowing as she raced towards the nearest door of the VIP section.

Barely making it to the restroom in time, the therapist collapsed before the toilet, her body wracked with sobs, and the sound of her retching echoed off the tiled walls.

She couldn't help it.

She couldn't control herself when triggered like that.

As Erin knelt before the toilet, her body convulsing with each retch, she felt the salty tears trickle down her cheeks, mingling with the bile in the toilet.

In that moment of vulnerability, the therapist couldn't help but wish for a simpler time, a time before the weight of Alexia's life rested heavily on her shoulders, a time before the blackout.

But the sound of the restroom door opening shattered the solitude of her anguish, and Erin hastily wiped her mouth with toilet paper, her breath hitching in her throat as she braced herself for the intrusion.

"Sweetie... are you okay?"

The voice was soft and gentle, carrying a note of concern that pierced through Erin's despair. And slowly, the blonde turned to face the source of the voice, her eyes red and puffy, her heart heavy with sorrow.

It was Alexia's mother that stood in the doorway, her smaller form framed by the dim light filtering in from the corridor. Her hazel eyes were filled with empathy, reflecting the pain etched in Erin's features.

For a moment, the therapist hesitated, unsure of how to respond. But as she looked into Eli's eyes, she saw a glimmer of understanding, a silent acknowledgment of the turmoil raging within her.

"I... I'm sorry," Erin stammered, her voice trembling with emotion as she wiped her tears. "I just... I couldn't... this-"

"It's okay, guapa," Eli murmured, her voice soft and soothing. "You don't have to explain."

As Erin knelt there, vulnerable and shaken, the older woman approached with a tenderness that caught her off guard. With gentle hands, she pulled Erin's golden hair back into a bun, her touch soothing against the blonde's scalp.