A lucky find

Eight

*

"Molly!!!".

Daan's scream across the car park stirs pigeons from a tree as she runs across to meet the defender, leaving Beth standing bewildered by the car.

"Hello Daan" Molly chuckles, welcoming the very long hug that the Dutchie gives her before signalling to Beth, who is unwillingly to help remove her from Daan's grasp.

"Why should I help? Maybe I want to leave her with you".

"Please Beth. She's crushing my ribs".

"Fine!" the England forward let's up, pulling her girlfriend from Molly's waist, "nooo Beff, I don't want to go!" Daan says. "You can still see her and you will be able to see her inside, it's not like we're going anywhere is it?" Lisa explains as Beth just looks exasperatedly at Daan.

"Exactly how hyper has she been and exactly how much sugar did she have for breakfast?"

"Err let me think about that, she's been hyper since the time after the final that she realised they got to the final even though they lost and she had a two teaspoons on her cereal" Beth says, holding the door open for Molly and the others to walk through.

"Beth, please dinnae tell me Daan had coffee as well?".

Arsenal's number 23 looks a bit sheepish, "I only went out of the kitchen for a second, Leah and Jordan were in there with her and she still managed to down the rest of Jordan's extremely strong cup".

"Oh for heavens sake, what have we told ya about giving her coffee, let alone sugar?" Kim says, "you know she's gonna be hyper for the rest of the morning and have a massive energy crash later" she adds.

"Good luck getting her home".

"Good morning tae you too" Mitch says from her usual corner, although know she's injury free; "who's going home?".

"No one yet, it's just Jordan here left her coffee out on the side and a certain Danielle van de Donk may have drunk it along with the two teaspoons of sugar she had on her cereal" Leah explains, giving a huge amount of side eye to her girlfriend.

"I honestly thought she wouldn't touch it. We don't give her coffee or leave it lying around for this precise reason" Jordan says in protest.

"Take ya wee argument somewhere else" Lisa replies, sitting herself in between Jordan and Leah, "I cannae be doing with this at nine in the morning. I have better things to be thinking and talking about, not Daan's energy high or Jordan's mistake".

"Here we go again".

Mitch's words bring Molly's attention back to the person whom they were trying not to talk about, "every fucking morning, she tries tae steal a protein bar or banana and clearly without Sari to keep an eye, she's taking advantage of the fact we're all busy talking" Emma explains.

"Beth please, I swear to god and I'm not even religious, take that banana out of Daan's hand before she takes someone's eye out" she pleads, but it's not Beth that gets there first; it's Jill.

"Oh great another mischievous Dutchie, just what we need".

*

"Tonight is initiation night for our newbies, so Jen, Manuela, Jill, Fran and Leonie, I hope you all have something prepared. Any of you can chose who goes first, off you go".

Molly steps down from the chair and returns to her own seat next to Lisa and Viv.

"Jill's planning something funny, according tae Daan anyway".

"Oh god. I really hope it's not too bad Lis".

The forward shrugs and Viv gives them both a comforted look as Jill is the first one up, dressed in a pink feather boa, cowboy hat and sunglasses. "She's not doing Steps, please no" Mitch mutters from the other side of Molly as music starts, "oh god she is".

The defender shrinks into her seat even more if possible, pulling her t shirt over her face, "let me know when it's over".

Much to Emma's disappointment, her fellow Scots quite enjoy Jill's rendition and then Manuela and Leonie's version of YMCA, but she does watch Jen's dyer and obvious choice of 500 miles.

"That was crap Jen".

"Thanks Mitch".

Fran now gets up and does her bit, but Molly isn't paying attention cause she is too busy thinking about Claire, Jen's choice of song did it and now the person she most wants in this world is over the other side of the Atlantic.

"Hey, are you alright?".

Lisa's hand waving in front of her eyes brings Molly back to reality, "it's not long until you'll see her again. A few weeks and then we'll be back in bonnie Scotland, back with the national team, Corsie and Lee and you'll feel alright again".

"I hope so Lis".

With the party now over, Molly retreats to her room and does some deep thinking before ringing Corsie.

"Hey Molls, are you ok?".

"Hey Corsie. I miss her" she replies and Rachel gives her a sympathetic smile, "she thinks about you Molly, I know she does".

"Lee and I find it difficult too, we struggled so much in the early stages of our relationship so I know what you're going through; it's a hard time. However just think about how in a few weeks time, you can start again and maybe you will be able to begin something".

Molly shrugs.

"I just need to focus on pre-season and think about some things and hopefully when I see her...".

"It's gonna be ok Molls".

*