A lucky find

Ten

*

"Euro qualifiers here we come".

"Alright Lis, hold your horses. It's their first go at the qualifiers, let's not go too hard on them" Molly replies, "nae but we're in a group with Albania again" the forward complains.

"Nothing I can do about that, luck of the draw" Corsie says from the seat opposite; not looking up from her phone.

"Why are you so against Albania anyway?" Molly asks.

"They made that last game so nervy and I wanted to qualify soooo badly for the World Cup" Lisa replies, "well lucky for you, we have Cyprus to focus on before we think about the rest of the group" Leanne pipes up.

"How long we got till training".

"Ten minutes. Have you remembered everything this time Lisa?".

"I dinnae know what you mean" the Arsenal player says, crossing her arms and turning her head, "you forgot your shin-pads yesterday and a bobble the day before lassie" Molly explains.

"Oh yeh" she smiles, "thank you for lending me that Molls, lifesaver".

"Alright girls, time to get on the bus" Leanne says, standing up as Shelley appears in reception accompanied by her assistant manager and some players, "dinnae won't to be late again do we Lisa?".

"Would you all stop picking on me please?!".

"Nae. It's too fun" Mitch says, appearing from the lifts and walking with them to the coach, "word of warning, you've got incoming" Corsie says, grabbing Molly's elbow slightly before slowing down to walk behind with Lee.

The defender mentally prepares herself for the interaction, her heart still seeming beating rather fast as this is the first meeting since the World Cup, the beginning of starting again.

"Hey".

"Hi".

"So, I believe we agreed on starting again. I'm Claire and I play for Orlando Pride" the forward says, sitting down next to Molly who unfortunately for her but much to the amusement of Corise and Lee; has got the window seat.

"Molly and I play for Arsenal" the twenty three year old replies, taking Claire's hand and something both girls can't explain corses through them.

"It's nice to have a normal conversation with you Molly. I've missed this".

"Me too".

*

"I see you and Claire have been getting on pretty well since you came back. Does that mean that your back on?".

"Back on?".

Molly looks confusingly across at Caroline, "ok, it's not just me that has noticed the change in both your moods, the feel around camp and the little interactions you two have been having" the forward smirks.

"Dinnae what you're talking about".

"Oh come on Molls! Are you really that oblivious?" Caroline asks but Molly just looks blankly at her, "you're telling me you haven't been flirting with Claire more than you were before, just because you two have made up?".

Molly shakes her head.

"Nae, I haven't" she replies, "well maybe you should tell her that your feelings aren't as developed as hers yet, because she has fallen for you, hook, line and sinker".

The City player returns to the magazine she was reading and her words repeat themselves over and over in Molly's head:

'Fallen for you'.

'Hook, line and sinker'.

"I'm going tae see Rach" the Gunner announces and Caroline doesn't even lift her head, this event so much of an occurrence now it doesn't really need acknowledgment, "ok" she mutters under her breath as Molly opens the door.

Walking three steps across the corridor, she knocks on room 203 and prays that Lee and Rachel are decent.

"Who is it?".

"Molly".

The door opens to reveal the Scotland captain fully clothed, thankfully and Molly steps inside to see Lee sat on the bed nearest the window.

"Tae what do we owe the pleasure Molls?" the Aberdeen-born defender asks.

"Claire and I dinnae know what to dae about it" she replies, "calm down and we can have a good ol' haver about it if you want. Girn about Caz if you need too as well" Lee says, handing Molly a bottle of water.

The defender gladly takes it and gulps down quite a bit as if it was alcohol.

"Noo, what's on your mind".

"Caz said that Claire has stronger feelings for me than I do her, that she has and I quote, 'fallen for you, hook, line and sinker".

Both Rachel and Lee smile at this, "I think Claire fell for you a while ago and it's taken you this long to realise it" Corsie says, "don't listen to Caz, I know you have the same feelings for Claire as she does you, they're just hidden away".

Without a backwards glance at the couple, Molly bounds down the corridor and hammers on Claire and Lizzie's door like her life depends on it, which in some ways; it does.

Upon the opening by the Orlando player, the defender cups Claire's face in her hands and kisses her.

"I love you too".

*