Mal's POV
As soon as Morgana walked away from me, I immediately went online and made a dinner reservation for tonight to celebrate. I invited a few of our Red Stars teammates, and called up a few important people.
Once she was off the phone with Hatchy, she gave me a quick recap of how it went, and then she went to call her grandma again so she could talk to her cousins.
"Do you mind if I go to Emily's for, like, an hour? She needs help moving something." I asked.
"No, go ahead. Be careful, please."
"It's not heavy stuff, she just wanted help."
"'Kay." She said, and walked into the kitchen to talk to her grandma, who'd been waiting for her to call. "Bonjour, grand-mère." I heard as she rounded the corner.
"Don't forget to feed Champ in 15 minutes, love!" I said as I grabbed my purse and keys.
"Oui, j'ai compris!" She yelled to me.
"I don't know what that means!"
"I got it!" She translated, and then I walked out the door with a sigh.
I had a plan, and I was absolutely going to go through with it tonight.
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Morgana's POV
Talking to Hatchy broke my heart. The call was short because she was still processing everything, so I didn't make her talk much.
Then I talked to my grandma again.
After she retired, she moved back to France for two years with her daughter, my aunt, and my uncle and cousins. She hasn't been back to America since, except for Lena's funeral, but she wanted to be back here for whatever reason. I can't help but selfishly think it's because of me. She's the one who introduced me to soccer. She used to take me to the fields to watch all the older kids when I was little, which is what really inspired both Lena and I to play. It's been hard with her living so far away and in such a different time zone so we haven't talked as much as I would have liked to.
It was nice that she knew I would get the call today.
I heard the rest of my family go crazy in the background of the phone call which made me laugh. I talked to my cousins for a few minutes before my grandma took the phone back. My cousins are relatively close to my age; Elias is 17 and plays soccer for PSG's academy team, and Gisele and Genevieve are both 22, so just a bit older than me, the former playing at PSG and the latter plays at Real Madrid Feminino. So clearly, soccer runs in the family.
The twins told me that they hear about their roster tomorrow. Both of them had been called into camps since last summer (right after we played France in the SheBelieves, which would have been fun to play up against my cousins), and while Gisele had started quite a few games recently, Genevieve was afraid of being dropped from the squad. She only felt they needed her when a ton of injuries hit the French national team, so she didn't have high expectations.
Then I chatted with my grandma, and just like every time we talk on the phone, it hits hard how much I miss her not being around. I'm so happy she's moving back. While we won't be living close it's better than living across the Atlantic Ocean.
When I got off the phone with them all, it was just Champ and I.
"I'm going to the World Cup, Champ. I'm going to the World Cup." I said, sitting down on the ground and squeezing her face. "I can't believe I'm really going to the World Cup." I laughed, and she started licking me all over my face.
I sighed and leaned my head back against the kitchen cabinet closing my eyes and laughing a little bit. While there was a lingering sadness about Mal and Hatchy, I felt like I really, really made it. I can't believe it really.
"Wanna go for a walk, Champ?" I asked as I stood up. She ran to the door so I grabbed her leash and attached it to her pink collar. She yanked me out the door and we went for a nice, long walk. Mal got home before me, and she called me to tell me off for not being there.
"I'm on my way back!" I said as Champ yanked me home.
"Good think you took her for a walk because we're going out tonight to celebrate."
"Oh god, Mal. Where?"
"You'll see."
"Are we going into the city?"
"Yes we are."
"So I can wear that new outfit I bought?"
"Yes." She laughed. "I think it's perfect for tonight."
"Yay!"
"How far are you?"
"About five minutes."
"See you then."
She hung up and Champ and I finished the rest of our trip back home. When I walked in, she had a huge smile on her face.
"We're going out to eat and Alyssa, Emily, Tatumn, and Ella are coming with us." She said.
"Nice!" I bent down and took the leash off of Champ's collar and she ran off. "That'll be fun."
"I know. That's why I did it."
I laughed and we both went to get ready. I took off the makeup I was already wearing and redid it and put my long blonde hair in my signature loose curls.
I wore a white dress with a black leather jacket over it and high white socks that were visible above my ankle under my white sneakers.
Mal wore a white sweater over a black skirt with white sneakers as well.
We all drove together in Emily's big car. The restaurant was placed right near one of the pretty lakes that we got to see the sun set behind. When everyone was fighting over who would pay, Alyssa and I were immediately left out of the conversation since we had made the World Cup roster. The other four fought for a good five minutes before I stopped them and made them settle it like adults: a rock paper scissors tournament.
Mal won and paid for everyone, which had been her original intent coming into it. Then we all split up for whatever reason. The other four wanted to walk in the other direction, but I had voiced that I wanted to go walk around the lake, on the sand.
There was a wooden dock that went out into the lake a little bit. It was all lit up and cute. We went out and stared out at the lake, the city lights behind it. I was obsessed. I couldn't look away.
I heard some people on the beach behind us, but I ignored them. I put my head on Mal's shoulder after she put her arm around me. We talked about the World Cup as we stood there. I think she'd finally come to terms with the fact that she can't go to the World Cup, and I think she's about as okay as someone in her situation can be about it.
"I'm so proud of you, Morgana." She said. "And I don't think you know at all how proud I am."
"I'm so proud of you too, Mal. I mean, your rehab is hard."
"Morgana, you're going to the World Cup."
"I'm so excited. But..."
"But what?"
"We're gonna be apart for so long." I sighed. "I mean, you can't come right away. And...I don't know. I'm gonna miss you too much."
"Well I mean..." She trailed off and let go of me. "There is something I can give you so we don't feel that far, you know?"
"What is it?"
"Well, Morgana, I know we started off not the best of friends, but we've been playing side by side since we were 12 years old, and I've been nothing short of lucky to still be playing with you. We're the best duo in the whole world. You're my partner in crime. And I want to keep it that way forever."
"What-" I cut myself off with my hand flying to my mouth as soon as I noticed she was on one knee (the good one, of course).
"So, Morgana Jeannette LaRue, will you marry-"
"YES!" I said before she could even finish.
At that moment, I wasn't thinking about anything else. It was Mal and I and the beautiful lake, the wood under our feet and the hug I'd pulled her into.
"I love you." I whispered in her ear.
"I love you too."