a forever type of love

back to normal

i knew it would take a while to get leahs trust back but i was trying my best

as part of the deal of coming home, i had to get some help to deal with my anger and today was my first session but first we had training

i drove both leah and i to the training centre for the first time in a while

it felt weird to be back here after such a long time away from it but i felt comforted in the sense i was closer to returning to football

obviously, due to my injury, i was only allowed in the gym whilst the girls went out onto the field

as nice as it was to be back, being the only person in the gym was lonely. hearing the laughs from the girls on the pitch fueled me with jealousy

there's nothing more i wanted than to be back out on the field

as it was my first day back, jonas had arranged a meeting once training was complete

my exercises in the gym focused on strengthening my leg to gain full mobility

the girls finished training on the pitch after what felt like forever and i was called into jonas office

i knocked on the door with my hands shaking due to my nerves

i entered and sat myself down on the chair on the opposite side of the table to jonas

"it's great to have you back" he said with a smile

"it's good to be back" i said, smiling back at him

"i wanted to talk to you about your rehabilitation and how this injury will affect your future" he explained

i nodded my head slightly

"as you are aware, there are only a handful of games left of the season. due to the timing of your injury, i don't think you will be fit enough to play in those games and i don't want to rush your rehab. i think it's best if you continue working in the gym during your days here and we will go from there" he continued

as much as i didn't want to hear those words, i knew he was right

"if you continue making progress at the rate that you are, you will be fit enough for pre season and fully prepared for the challenges of the new season in october" he spoke

i nodded my head in agreement

the fact i wouldn't play for the rest of the season tore me into pieces but i couldn't risk any further injuries

"keep up the hard work" he smiled

"thank you jonas" i said before getting up from my seat and exiting the room

i knew he wanted what was best for me but not being able to do what i love most in this world really broke me

i headed towards the changing rooms to see the girls for the first time in a few weeks

the chatter from the girls echoed down the corridor of the facility

when i reached the door, i felt nervous for some reason

the same nervous feeling i had when i very first met them. it was strange. they're my family but i guess because i haven't seen them in so long, i didn't know how they would react when i walked through the door

i sighed deeply before opening the door, revealing the girls scattered around the room

at first the girls were too engrossed in their conversations to notice me. that was until katie announced my arrival

"there she is" she yelled in excitement with her thick accent. she ran up to me and threw her arms around me

the girls greeted and welcomed me back individually until it was just viv and leah left

viv pulled me into a warm hug and squeezed me tightly

"it's so good to have you back al" she said softly

"it's good to be back vivvy" i admitted with a smile forming on my face

as she pulled away, i made eye contact with leah

she walked over and i wrapped my arms around her waist

"good session?" i asked her

"could've been better if you were there" she said sadly "i heard jonas called you for a meeting, is everything okay?"

the girls surrounding us quietened down in order to hear my response

"well not really" i sighed "he said i'll be out for the rest of the season"

"oh baby i'm sorry" my girlfriend said softly and placed her head on my chest

"i knew it was coming but it still hurts. he said i need to keep going with rehab until pre season starts and then he'll see how i'm doing" i explained

"you've got this al" viv said and she placed a comforting hand on my shoulder

"we're all here for you" beth joined in

the girls expressed their support for me which instantly made me feel better about my injury

this is why i love arsenal so much. it's more than just a football team, it's a family. a bond like no other

i spent a little while talking to the girls, catching up with them about what i'd missed during my hospital visit

as the conversations died down, the girls left the changing rooms one by one

i waited for leah to finish getting ready before saying goodbye to the remainder of the girls in the room and took her hand in mine to walk to the car

"i don't know if i can do this le" i mumbled as i put my seatbelt on

"baby i know you may feel hopeless right now, and i'm not going to beat around the bush and tell you that recovery is easy because it's not. but i know you. i know you're strong and i know you can get through this. you know i'm here every step of the way. i may be your girlfriend but i'm also your teammate, every single one of those girls are looking out for you and rooting for you in your rehab" she assured me

"i really needed that le, thank you" i said with a smile

"don't thank me. i'm your girlfriend, that's what i'm here for" she replied

"how did i get so lucky" i whispered, in hope leah wouldn't hear me because her ego was already big enough

"what was that baby?" she asked

"nothing don't worry" i replied

the familial comfortable silence filled the car

"if anything, i'm the lucky one" she smiled, turning her head towards me

"you wasn't supposed to hear that" i giggled

"i hear everything my love, don't underestimate me" she laughed

"i wouldn't dare" i said, my voice filled with sarcasm

she rolled her eyes at me and chuckled

"hurry up or you're going to be late for your first therapy session" she remarked

i placed my hands in hers, wrapping my fingers in between hers and started the car

slowly but surely we were getting back to where we were before my accident. the sarcastic jokes, the physical touch, the comfortable silence

i wanted nothing more than for things to go back to when leah trusted me and i was going to do everything in my power to make it happen