Avoiding Fate

The hospital visit

When Alexia Emma and I arrived at the hospital, I was sent straight for an X-ray, after that I was sent to a room where my team doctor and the hospital doctor came into the room after about an hour to tell me that the ligaments in my ankle were in a bad way and there was small fracture, but due to the damage in my ligaments I was going to require surgery, which I'd have to schedule when I went home tomorrow,

This also meant my thoughts I had before I left the pitch were confirmed,

When I heard what the diagnosis was, I instantly started to cry that's when I felt someone walk over and just held me whilst all the tears came out, this person was well the only other person there Alexia,

When I was looking up at her I thought of my younger self who had heard of Alexia and everything she has done for Women's football, but it's not like she's wanted to have all the attention she didn't like the attention, she was a footballer who just wanted to play the sport she loved and dedicated to and keep her life outside of football private, which I totally understood I'm like that with my relationship with Alessia because I had a relationship that was very in the public eye, that was the young and naive part of me,

I was also very shocked to see this side of Alexia as in the football community, she has this reputation of being this great high up untouchable figure that every footballer looks up to, but right now I didn't see any of that I just saw Alexia, a genuine caring and loving person,

I cried for a good 20 minutes in this time everyone left the room, so it left just me and alexia, she started apologising

AP: Elizabeth I am so sorry for what I did, that challenge was so stupid

EB: ¿Por qué dices que siento que me hayas atacado accidentalmente? Fue en el calor del momento, no te culpo por esto (Why are you saying sorry you accidentally tackled me it was in the heat of the moment I don't blame you for this)

AP: ¿Hablas español? (You speak Spanish?)

EB: si, I just wasn't going to tell you that you were adamant that you were coming with us and hey I won't argue with Alexia Putellas

AP: I hate that reputation I have, especially on the pitch, people who only know me as "La Reina" don't treat me like they do my other teammates, like they'll go soft on me, where I believe you must do everything for the badge on the front of your shirt, because if you do that and give everything for them you will gain trust of the fans, and what is football without the fans, that's what I did

EB: you remind me of our captain Leah Williamson, in England she's very much like you but in terms of Arsenal whereas your Barca focused, which I'm glad because in my eyes Barca and Arsenal are two of the greatest clubs in women's football, Leah has taught me to live my playing career by a quote that you basically just said "play for the badge at front and they'll remember they'll remember the name at the back, 

Alexia and I had more of a conversation about how life being a footballer feels like that is until Emma comes back in and says we can go back to the hotel as we have to fly back this evening, alexia helped me up then she started to take her top off and said "¿Podemos cambiar las camisas? Quiero tu camisa" (can we swap shirts I want your shirt) I just nodded my head and started taking off my shirt I handed her my shirt and she handed me hers I instantly put hers on and she did the same with mine, it blows my mind that Alexia Putellas has my shirt, as we were walking out someone took the picture of the back of us so it was alexia in my Bennett 8 shirt and me in her alexia 11 shirt, but it's also me walking out on crutches and in a moon boot in my left foot with my red air force one on the other foot,