The Dutch Girl (An International Story)

Unsaid

November 2022

Daniëlle's POV:

"DAAN YOU IDIOT!" 

I looked up. "I might just put that on my jersey."

"Do not joke with me." Leah said. "What the hell!"

"What?"

"What did you do." Viv sighed.

"It's what she DIDN'T do." 

"What's that?" Viv looked at me. 

"You went on how many dates with Natalia since August? And you two STILL AREN'T DATING!"

"Seriously?" Viv turned to me. "What are you waiting for? For her to realize how annoying you are?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's none of your business."

"But it is."

"No, Leah. It isn't." I stood up. "I wish people would stop telling me how to do things in MY life. Don't worry about it. Natalia and I know what we're doing. I know what I'm doing. Stay out of it." I walked out of the room.

Natalia's POV:

"Why aren't you two dating yet?" Jordan asked.

I got my knee wrapped up and looked at her. "Cause we aren't yet." I shrugged. "Oh well."

"Ok but why?"

I covered my face. "Why are you so concerned?" My knee was finished and I got up. As I walked toward the locker room I ran into Daan. "If one more person asks why we aren't dating I'm going to fight them."

"Same here." She sighed. "Which reminds me. Dinner tonight. Your place or mine?"

"Will Jill be there?"

"Yes?"

"Mine then." I laughed. 

I got home and my phone rang. "Hey Mapi." I answered. "What happened? Yeah I'll be there as soon as I can." I hung up as someone knocked on the door. I answered it.

"Ready for date night? What happened?" Daan noticed my face.

"We have to go to Portugal." I said. "Mariana's brother just died." 

"Oh no." She sighed. "Ok, you pack I'll book the flight." 

I started packing some stuff and then we went so Daan could pack.

"Where are you going?" Jill asked.

"You remember Mariana right? The Portuguese player?" She nodded. "Her brother just died, we're going to Portugal to pay our respects."

"Oh man." Jill shook her head. "Give her my love."

We got the earliest flight and headed to Portugal. 

When we landed in the morning, we went to Mariana's family house, everyone was there.

"Natalia." Mapi smiled and hugged me. "Come on. Her parents are out taking care of the funeral and everything. Mariana's in the living room. Babe. Look who's here." 

Mariana was sitting on the couch. She looked at me and stood up.

"No." I walked toward her. "I come to you." I hugged her. "I'm so sorry Mari." I rubbed her back. She held onto me and I felt her start to cry. 

She looked at me. "Hi Daan." She hugged her. "Thank you for coming. You didn't have to."

"We did." Daan said. "We're not going anywhere."

Mariana sat back down and everyone just talked. She talked about her brother, we all talked about football. We were just together.

I watched how Mapi was with her. I felt Daan's arm around my shoulder and smiled. 

Love will get us through everything.

Daniëlle's POV:

We stood at the cemetery. I didn't understand anything, but I had to be here.

"Today we say goodbye to a son. A brother. A father. Gabriel didn't get the chance to meet his son, but he will live on in him. I will now ask Mariana to say a few words about her brother."

Mapi kissed the top of her head and Mariana walked up. "Gabriel and I were always close. He was my best friend. We bonded over our love of football. He played for Sporting, I wanted to play for them too. Of course, our father wanted that anyway. There was never any competition. If he scored 2 goals, I wanted to score 3 because I knew that meant he'd go for 4. We pushed each other. My big brother." She looked down at the grave. "My big brother." She started crying. Mapi got up and held her. Mariana just shook her head. "I didn't think I'd have to go on without him this soon."

Everything ended and I looked at Natalia. "Life is too short and nothing is guaranteed." I said as I watch Mariana. 

"I know." Nat nodded.

"Be my girlfriend."

"What?"

"I don't want to go another day without knowing you're my girlfriend. Who knows what will happen tomorrow. I can't leave anything unsaid." 

"You're asking me to be your girlfriend at a funeral for our friend's brother?" I nodded. "Daan you are a weird one." I sighed. "But I get where you're coming from. Seeing Mapi with Mariana this whole time. That love and support is what's going to get Mariana through this."

"So be my girlfriend."

"Of course I'll be your girlfriend you idiot." She shook her head. "Now let's go comfort our friend." We walked over.

Yes.

We became girlfriends at a funeral.

Deal with it.

Natalia's POV:

"We have to get back to London." I sighed and hugged Mariana. "You call me whenever you want. I will be here for you in a heartbeat." 

She smiled and nodded. "Thank you for coming. Both of you, seriously it means a lot to me and my family." She walked away and I stood with Mapi and her teammates.

"I met him at Roma." I said. "The world won't be the same without him." I shook my head. "I'll never understand."

"None of us will." Virginia sighed. "That's the side part of life. Live it to the fullest, no regrets, say what you want because you never know." She looked at her phone. "It's Nahikari. She's been calling all week. She couldn't get a flight. I'm gonna go get Mariana." She walked away. 

"I said it to Mariana but the same goes for you." I put my hand on Mapi's shoulder. "You need me I'm here."

She nodded. "Thanks, Nat. Thank you for coming."

"We're all going to get Mariana through this." Lola said. "It's going to take all of us."

I looked at Daan. "She'll get there." I grabbed her hand. "Just needs to know we're all here and we love her." 

Back to the funeral we go. Now Daan and Nat are officially dating!

But the big question is,

Is Natalia staying at Arsenal after this season?