Becoming A Lioness

Young mums

The next couple of days was just spent getting used to my new life in Houston for however long I'm down here for. Rachel and Kristie have been nothing but amazing and somehow I feel myself growing closer to the pair already. Being only 18 has made this whole change a little more difficult; there's a lot of things I don't have the first clue about doing, take right now for example, as I'm currently sitting in  my new coaches office looking over the sum of money that no 18 year old should ever be earning.

"And that's everything you really need to know, if you just sign here then you'll be an official Dash member" James smiles at me sliding the pen and document my way.

I swallow the nervous lump in my throat and try to stop my hands from shaking as I pick up the pen and sign the biggest contract in NWSL history. Rachel places a hand on my knee sending it a comforting squeeze before I let the ink hit the paper and sign my name; Kate Harper Grant-Morgan, number 5. Well at least Kelley has some Aunt bragging rights now.

"We're excited to have you here with us Kate and we're confident you'll do great things for the club" James says with a little too much confidence for my liking but I just smile along and shake his hand before smiling for the soon to be released press photos.

After I spend the next hour or so being shown around the place, holding my new kit for the first time and seeing where I'll be sitting in the locker room (close to Rachel thankfully), I finally get to leave and back to the safety of my new apartment. I find myself slumping down in the passenger side and letting a large sigh escape my lips.

"I remember my signing with the dash, felt exactly the same although I don't think I had the pressure of being England's new wonder kid as well though" Rachel says as I send her a glare, her comment not helping the anxiety I'm feeling.

"But" She says with a roll of the eyes "I certainly didn't have a mountain of support behind me to help with the pressure, don't forget that Kate"

I stay quite in my seat, spending the ride and walk back up to our apartment thinking about how I'm going to go about this new chapter in my life. To be honest its all I've been thinking about for the past couple of months, everything has changed so quickly in my life. Getting dropped by Jill, Alex and Sev adopting me, playing for England, then getting dropped by Orlando and then sold to the Dash for way too much money.

I thought when I moved in with Alex 3 years ago all the moving around and uncertainty of where I belonged would stop, I finally had a stable environment to grow up in and really figure myself out. It just feels like the foundation I worked so hard to build for myself is crumbling right underneath me and I don't know how to patch it back up.

Finding Alex was the only thing that saved me mentally, my last foster home was probably the worst I'd experienced growing up and that was saying something since I'd never stayed in a place longer that two years before getting thrown back out. Philip and Andrea Meadows. God those people knew how to make your blood boil and insides curl up. It was like their whole purpose was to try and make your life living hell.

"Kate! I thought I asked you to clean the dishes before I got back home" Philips shout as I curse under my breath and quickly make my way downstairs seeing him standing over the sink.

"I did clean them all" I reply, gulping at his clenched jaw and pointed finger towards the kitchen sink.

"I don't need the cheek missy, the dirty plate and cup say otherwise" He scoffs out as I nervously step forward and see the remains of his meal lying in there.

"You've only just finished that though, how could I have had an chance to wash it?" I answer back, my anger over him trying to find an excuse to punish me stopping me from answering back yet again.