You can't be my mum (a Lucy Bronze fanfic) - Book 1

Chapter 46 - the end

As a mother, the worst thing you can ever witness is your child in pain. Sometimes they choose to show their pain, and other times they don't. But the most important thing you can do for them is show them empathy. Not sympathy. Sympathy makes them feel belittled as you show pity for whatever they're going through. Empathy makes them feel that you understand what they're going through and are sharing their feelings. 

Throughout anything that Rosie has gone through in the past year, I have made her problems my problems so she wouldn't have to go through them alone. I don't know if she realises it or understands how much I care for and love her, but I only hope is that one day she does. My parents were the type of people who would say, "a problem shared is a problem halved". When I was younger, I didn't used to believe them. After all, how could a problem decrease in size just because you've told someone about it? Through meeting Rosie when she was born, meeting Keira and meeting Rosie again when she was older, I began to understand the logic of what my parents were trying to say. The actual problem doesn't decrease in size, it simply makes it easier to deal with because there are multiple people supporting you through it. 

Keira and I had been over to Barcelona to visit houses the previous weekend. Before we even went, we were pretty certain on the one we were going to buy. And our expectations didn't disappoint. As soon as we stepped inside the house, it felt like home. A home away from our home in Manchester. That day we made an offer, and the following evening it was accepted. We also went to the Barcelona FC buildings and met with all the owners of the club. Once again, just like the house, everything about it made us feel just at home. From the people to the buildings to the area itself, everything felt right. I could tell that Keira was feeling just as relieved as I was that we had clearly made the right decision. It would have been a disaster if we had disrupted Rosie's life only for us to hate everything in Spain. 

I was wrong to even think that moving to Spain would be an easy and simple process. A few months ago, my mind truly believed that we could all pack our bags and jump on the next plane. But life just seems to keep throwing problems at my family - almost as if it doesn't want us to begin this new adventure. Everything to do with the actual physical move was difficult enough, but a new injury for Rosie was the last thing we needed. It also meant that Keira and I would have to unload all of our things while training and playing as Rosie can't do any strenuous activity. 

She gave up football to put her mental health first. And now this injury just made a potential comeback into the sport even more difficult. I had already decided in my mind that I would inquire about getting Rosie to do physio therapy with the physiotherapists at Barcelona. That way we would all be in the same place and I would worry less than if she was at home alone. 

I know all about injuries having so many myself, but I never had such a serious injury at such a young age. Rosie hasn't even begun a professional career and already she's facing what would be a career-ending injury for some people. Even though injuries are invevitable, they are the most draining, painful aspects of being a footballer. You're struggling to gain fitness and strength back while everyone else is moving on and getting better and better. Despite all the negatives, they make you stronger in the long-term. You become so focused on returning to full health that without even realising it, you're in better shape than before the injury. All I hoped was that Rosie didn't completely crumble under this new, shocking news. 

Rosie's POV:

With the enlightenment of my back injury, it came with many thoughts and feelings. I began to understand why I was having so much pain and now I finally had an actual reason for it. My motivation had already been very low after the past few weeks and it only got worse. Conflicting opinions were running free in my body. My heart was telling me that I was exhausted and I needed to do something about it before I collapsed completely. But there was a very annoying part of my brain that was attempting to unleash a wave of mental strength and motivation -  encouraging me to recover as quickly as possible. At this moment in time, I had no idea which to listen to. My head or my heart?