As far as breakups went, Caitlin and Lia's was fairly calm. It was mutual. There were plenty of tears between the two of them, but no yelling and fighting, no name calling. Lia even helped Caitlin moved her stuff and bring it to her car and ended with the two of them giving each other a hug.
They didn't tell anyone right away, but their teammates started to notice them driving into work in different cars, not leaving together, not warming up together and basically avoiding each other at all costs. And then there were some clues from Caitlin's insta story of her posting pictures in Jordan's apartment. Eventually they told some of their closest friends and the rest of the team found out what happened, but seeing the two exes being able to coexist was enough for the team to let them be and never talk about the new dynamic.
Of course there were some weird moments that made them question if they made the right decision to end it. The main one just happened to be capture on video meaning that they would both see it on endless repeats on their social media. The moment Lia went down in the Everton game with a nasty ankle injury after a rough injury there wasn't a single other thought in Caitlin's mind beside waiting to be by her side. It didn't occur to her that maybe someone else besides her ex should be holding her hand until too late. But that second of doubt faded as soon as she heard Lia gasp out in pain and squeeze her hand harder. Her main focus was Lia now. She tried to keep her calm and whispered reassuring things to her while holding out the oxygen for her to breath. Lia in turn was so happy Caitlin was next to her. Although they hadn't spoken for weeks, she needed the comforting presence next to her. Caitlin knew how to be that person, so she focused on Cait and tuned out everyone else until they transferred her to the stretcher to be carted off.
This event led them to start texting again, just little things mainly Caitlin checking on Lia asking if she could bring over anything for her. This continued on and off for a few weeks. Lia was starting to get bored being home all the time with her injury, missing the girls every day at practice. What Lia didn't know was that she was also missing how close Caitlin and Katie were becoming. To the girls at practice it was hard to miss that there was something going on, but to Lia all she knew was that Katie and Ruesha had recently broken up. Beth had told her that at dinner at Lia's house, but seemed to leave out the part about Katie and Caitlin's friendship developing into something no one was really sure about yet.
After glasses of wine one night right after the season had ended, Lia decided to text Caitlin again. Her ankle was feeling much better she would be okay for the world cup and would start running again soon, but for now she was still cooped up at home. She didn't know what she expected when she asked if Caitlin wanted to come over for some dinner. And the wine may or may not have added a few flirty tones to the text that could be detected if you read into it too much. Was she just bored? Lonely? Want someone to talk to? Or did she want something more perhaps something Caitlin and her used to be really good at? She really didnt know what she wanted, but after weeks of Caitlin checking up on her she figured it was worth a shot to see what would happen. The last thing she expected was a text back that said "Er sorry Lia I can't"
Maybe she'd understand if Caitlin had already had plans and said she was busy, but what does she mean she can't come over.
She didn't respond after that. Then Caitlin and Lia stopped talking altogether. She had seen picutres a week later that Caitlin was in Ibiza with Katie and Jordan. She wasn't shocked by this, they had been friends before and now all three girls were single. She didn't fail to notice that Caitlin and Katie were sharing clothes, but thought that it was just a friendly thing? But then Lia caught herself zooming in on pictures and seeing that they were a little too close for her liking. But then something caught her eye. Something that made her cry. In one photo, Katie's claddah ring was facing 'in a relationship' while she was hugging Cait. Lia knew this didnt confirm they were together, but she had a feeling. She immediately went to her instagram and deleted all pictures with Caitlin. Then unfollowed her and Katie. She didn't need them to distract her from the world cup coming up and her mental health was already a bit weak.
Lia didn't know if anyone else on the team knew about them, but she knew she would seem like the jealous ex if she asked around so she didn't and before she knew it she was off in Switzerland training and then on her way to Australia. It was the night before her first game that she saw a name on her phone she hadn't seen for a while, Caitlin Foord Incoming Call. She knew Australia just finished their first game beating Ireland 1-0 so why in the world would she be calling her.
"Hello?"
"Lia, hi um do you have a second?"
"Uh yeah you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine listen I'm just going to say this all at once. Katie and I are dating. We haven't told anyone on the arsenal team yet, but their was some drama with Ruesha after our game and I am sure it will be all over socials, so I just thought you deserved to know but the truth gets spun out of proportion. "
"you don't think I didn't know that from your vacation trip already? Did you even think about how this will impact the team? Hope she's worth it." And then she hung up. Lia didn't like to be an angry person, but that's all she could be right now.
It was then that Caitlin, and Katie who had been sitting next to her during the phone call, realized Lia had unfollowed the both of them. Which didn't help the night already having to deal with the other ex.
The rest of the world cup remained drama free, but then the Arsenal girls all reunited in Germany for preseason and tensions were high. Lia actively avoiding Katie and Caitlin. Leah being the protective best friend and giving the couple the cold shoulder as well. It felt like the team was splitting down the middle. Katie tried to comfort Caitlin who felt like it was all her fault, but Caitlin could tell it hurt Katie just as much to lose Leah and Lia's friendship after so many years.
Throughout the first part of the season, it was just more of the same. But Lia was slowly turning around. She noticed that Katie and Caitlin, although definitely touchier and spending more time together tried to avoid making Lia uncomfortable. She noticed that Caitlin's smile was bright and her eyes sparkled, something she had only seen at the beginning of their relationship. This was different Caitlin was in love and Katie seemed to be doing a great job at keeping Caitlin's smile bright. And somewhere, deep down, behind the jealousy and anger that had previously been there Lia was happy for Caitlin. After a much needed Christmas break, Lia came back with a new attitude. She didn't go out of her way to speak to the couple, but she didn't actively avoid them either. In fact she would laugh at Katie doing something stupid in the locker room every once in a while just like she used to. She could feel the tension in her own body start to release slowly every day as she just started to accept that that this was the new normal.
Call it a new year's resolution to be better or maybe it had something to do with a certain Barca player helping her through her past. She had given it some thought and decided she should tell Caitlin about her being with Mariona. Maybe she would care, maybe she wouldn't. But something was telling her to do so. So after practice one day, while Caitlin was waiting for Katie in the shower, Lia walked up to her and took a deep breath.
"Got a second?" she asked as Caitlin looked up to her confused and put her phone down.
"Of course whats up?"
"I just thought you should know I am seeing someone now. Mariona from Barca. I don't know if you'll even care, but you told me before it was over socials which I did appreciate. I know it didn't seem like it at the time, but I thought I'd offer you the same courtesy."
To Lia's surprise, Caitlin was happy? smiling?
"Ah thats awesome Lia! Hope she treats you well and lucky you get to travel to Spain all the time now, better weather than here." As Caitlin gave her a hug Katie walked in from the shower. Lia thought Katie would have a bad reaction. I mean seeing your girlfriend and her ex hugging in a locker room alone? But instead Katie looked unphased, instead much more worried about what the exciting news was. After Lia nodded that Caitlin could tell her Katie too looked easily excited for her. And even invited her out to coffee with her and Cait. It definitely wasn't 100% back to normal for the three of their relationships, but coffee wasn't awkward. She could tell they were avoiding certain stories of their relationship as they were catching up but it was just so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable as they tried to keep the conversation neutral. At the end of that day Lia knew she wouldn't be going to coffee with the two of them every day, but she was happy they were back to being friendly. She could handle that.
