A Storm Is Brewing

Returning

Once again, Alex was able to know me well enough to know that it was weighing heavily on my mind that I was going back to a steady routine while she contended with a baby at home by herself.

She left shortly afterwards, announcing that she was actually half an hour late but would take the aggro from her mum as long as she knew I was settling back in alright. As the day progressed, I struggled a little more with each passing minute. It was different now, though; I wasn't struggling with guilt or anxiety; I just missed my two favourites. The team noticed it and teased me about it, but I refused to admit it, shrugging it off as having forgotten my coat and being cold. The contents of my kit bag were enough to make me feel closer to them both.

"I knew you'd bring a packed lunch because it was fish day." Rafa chuckled.
"I didn't actually remember it was fish day. Sophie made me my favourite lunch for my first day back." I smiled, not caring how in love I sounded.
"That's adorable. And even more cute that Sophie totally remembered it was fish day." Rafa nodded.
"Wait, like she made you packed lunch?" Katie cocked an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Last night when I was sleeping."
"Hold the fuck on a second."

I knew what was coming; the room was already laughing before Ruesha had even picked up FaceTime.

"I think you need to do a bit more for me. Sophie's out here making Leah packed lunch, and you sent me in with a half-drunk bottle of water from the backseat of your car." Katie joked down the phone.
"Fucking hell. That's a feast, Leah! Where can I find a Sophie?" Ruesha wriggled her eyebrows.
"You have a Sophie! I made you those noodles you like last night! Where's my packed lunch?" Katie continued.
"A pot noodle, Katie?"

It was moments like these that I'd missed—the girls just getting on like idiots, and every person in the room laughing along with it. We continued our lunch break, mostly consisting of me showing the girls pictures and videos of Teddy; pretty much all my camera roll existed of now.

I hadn't even noticed that Lia had gone anywhere until I set eyes on Sophie and Teddy, my stomach filling with butterflies as the two most important people in my life entered the room.

Once again, her arms were open for me. The hardest day became the easiest the second I felt her touch.

Just another perfect moment in my perfect life. I loved that I could be grateful now.

— — — —

Sophie POV:

The first day without Leah was strange; she had gotten up early that morning to help out as much as she could before training and somehow managed to forget her training coat. I couldn't call her to tell her because I knew she'd have a mini-heart attack when she saw my name on her phone. Today had to go smoothly, so I texted Lia in the hope that she would see it.

Sophie
Hey Lia, Leah has left her coat here, and I just saw on the weather that it's going to rain. Will she be able to get a spare? I don't want her to get sick x

Lia
Hi Sophie! :) She can get a spare, but we're about to have lunch in a half hour if you wanted to bring it for her? She is missing Teddy, but she won't tell us that!

Sophie
Of course she won't, she's too stubborn! I'll call down in half an hour, then x

Lia
No problem, see you both soon :) x

"We're going to see Mummy, mate. She's missing you."

Leaving the house was no longer a five-minute job; every possible outcome had to be prepared for, from nappy issues to bottles, right through to a complete change of clothes. I searched high and low for the Brazil teddy, sighing when I realised that one thing Leah was better at than me was finding things that shouldn't have been lost in the first place. Even if she was the type to leave her jacket behind on her first day back to training.