The day had come: it was my last day in New York...for now.
For the past two weeks I had spent almost every free moment I had with Camila. It had been one of the happiest times I could recall and my heart was a little heavy knowing that I was going to board a plane tomorrow and not be able to see my girlfriend for a while. At the moment, something else was heavy as well and that was my breathing.
In a very spontaneous way, Camila's teammates from the Western New York Flash had arranged a small soccer game. They had met up in their training facilities and I was welcomed to join. It was for fun and I had immediately agreed to do it for many reasons. I felt like it would take my mind off the imminent separation and also test how far I had come with my training.
The other nine women, including Camila, were on the same team so I was the clear outsider but I liked being the underdog. Their expectations were probably low due to my lack of experience lately but I was determined to prove them wrong. We were playing five against five and it was incredibly fun and exhausting at the same time. The most exhausting part was the fact that Camila was playing against me though.
Perhaps it was the fact that I hadn't played professionally in a while, or maybe it was the fact that Camila was absolutely out of this world. As if her skills didn't make her almost unstoppable already, her pace definitely made it sheer impossible to get the ball from her. The difference between her at a younger age and now was subliminal. She was in great shape. Physically she had gained more strength and stamina had never been an issue with her.
But it was my burning ambition that made me want to play well against her. Of course it was all playful since none of us wanted to get hurt in the end. Yet there was a small part of me that wanted to prove that I was still capable of measuring up. Granted, for the most part I had played with Camila and not against her. Now I understood how difficult it truly was to simply get the ball from her!
My girlfriend was seemingly dancing with the ball at her feet. It was effortless how she passed her teammates with just the right amount of pace. She slowed down as she approached me and I noticed a little smirk on her face before focusing on the ball quickly. At this point it was all instinctual because you couldn't figure out what she was going to do. But going off of my intuition, I defended the best way I could and anticipated her moves.
Trying her signature dribbling skills, she attempted the step over to trick me into thinking she was going to run in the opposite direction. I wasn't sure how but I managed to get my foot in between and finally stopped her. The girls on my side of the team cheered and I started the breakaway so we were able to score without a problem.
Turning back around to run back to the other side of the field, Camila passed me and chuckled.
„Damn you, LJ10," she glared at me playfully.
„I know the mind of CC7," I teased her right back and heard her laugh gently.
We continued playing until all of us were too tired to keep going. I was grateful for the opportunity of playing with them before joining my own team. It was a welcoming gesture that I appreciated.
Later that night, we were back at Camila's apartment. We had had dinner with Lara and watched a movie together like most nights the past two weeks before the inevitable was coming. I was packing my suitcases while the other brunette was cleaning up in the kitchen. Folding my clothes, I noticed someone walking in. The steps were soft and I wasn't surprised to see the little girl with light-brown hair standing by the door.
„Hey," I said softly. „I thought you were already in bed."
„I can't sleep," Lara explained and looked at my suitcases. „Can we watch another movie?"
