The Star (Leila Ouahabi)

Trapped

March 2020

Leila's POV:

Tatiana was supposed to call with an update on her dad today. 

But it's been a few hours with no updates.

"Stop pacing." Patri sighed over FaceTime. 

"I can't." I kept pacing. "Tatiana is going through all of this alone. And I can't even fly out to see her because of this stupid virus!" 

"You need to relax." Patri said. "Pacing won't help her either."

"She was supposed to call. Patri you don't get it." I covered my face. "After the way, I treated her, when we were in Orlando. Her dad pulled me aside." 

Orlando SheBelieves Cup

"Leila." Her dad walked over. "Let's talk."

I nodded. "Ok." We walked away from everyone. "I have a feeling I know what this is about." I said. "And can I start with something?" He nodded. "I know I hurt her, and I don't know why I did that. But I did, and I acknowledge my behavior. I'm not going to make an excuse for why I did it, because it's inexcusable. I knew the way she felt about me, and I played with those feelings. And I ignored them. I also ignored my own feelings for her. But sir, I love your daughter. I will spend the rest of my life earning back not only her trust but yours. If that's as long as it takes." 

"That was what I was going to talk about." He said. "But I was also going to add that I know my daughter better than anyway. I knew about her feelings for you before she did. I welcomed you into our little family because I saw your feelings for her. You are both young, you will both make mistakes. People always promise the parents of those they love that they won't hurt them. But whether you want to or not, you will hurt her. She'll probably hurt you too. But acknowledging that your love for each other is stronger than all of that hurt? That's what I care about. Yes, you hurt her. But you said it yourself. You acknowledge it, you're not going to make up some excuse for it, and you care enough about her to spend however long it takes to get her trust back."

"I will." I nodded. "I really do love Tatiana." 

"I know you do, Leila. My daughter has spent her whole life waiting for something like her mother and I had. She will never have that. That was our love story, and sadly it ended too soon. She has her own love story waiting, hopefully, a long and happy one." 

I smiled. "Permission to be part of that love story?"

"Permission granted." He smiled. "You pulled her from the hole she was in with that terrible band." He said. "She lost her path. But I believe that her being on that path was for a reason. The reason? To meet you, Leila. And your wonderful friends." I nodded. "Make my daughter happy."

"I will, sir. I promise." 

Present Day

Tatiana's POV:

"How did it get this bad?" I looked at the doctor. He met me outside the hospital. "He was fine."

"A lot of patients were." He said. "We don't know why it gets this bad for patients. We don't know any of this."

"Is he going to get better?" 

"I can't give you an answer. I can tell you that we are going to do everything we can to make sure he's comfortable. He's getting the best care possible. I have to get back to my patients." He went back inside and I got in the car. 

I slammed the steering wheel. "Shit!" 

Incoming Call

Leila

I answered it. "Leila, it's not a good time."

"How's your father?"

"He's not breathing on his own anymore." I sighed. "It happened overnight. It just got so much worse."

"I wish I could be there. I hate that you're alone right now." She said. "I just want to be there with you and be there for him." I felt tears roll down my face. "Tati?"

"I can't do this." I mumbled. "I can't."

"Tatiana? Talk to me. Please."

Leila's POV:

"It isn't supposed to be like this." She said. 

"Tati, what can I do?"

"Nothing. You're there! I can't do anything! I can't even see him."

"Tatiana."

"He's alone."

"Tatiana."

"I'm alone too now."

"Tatiana just take a second and breathe." 

"I have to go." She hung up.

I sighed and threw my phone down.

"What are you going to do?" Patri asked.

"What can I do, Patri? What can I honestly do? I'm stuck here for who knows how long. I can't go to her. She can't come here. There is nothing I can do to try to help her or her father right now."

"The lockdown isn't completely started." 

"Leila. If you go there, you won't be able to come back. What about when we can go back to training?" 

"Keyword is when Patri. When we go back to training. We don't know when that is." I ran my hands through my hair. "I just want to be there with her, Patri. It's not fair that she has to quarantine alone and go through all of this with her father alone. It's not fair." 

"I know it's not."

"No, you don't! You and Carla are together right now, Patri! Lola got back to Carmen in time! Jenni and Alexia are together even though they think we don't know that! Mapi's with her cats! And the woman I love is trapped in another country alone! While her father needs a machine to breathe!" 

"You can't go back, Leila. It's too late. You won't make it. You just have to wait." 

"I don't know if we'll be able to."