Chapter 16
That last week passed quickly and suddenly Erin and Ella found themselves packing their suitcases.
Ella had just zipped up her bag when her phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Ella…”
“How many times do I have to tell you I don’t want to talk to you!”
“Ella please… I know I don’t deserve it but can I please just get one minute. If you still don’t want to talk to me I promise to leave you alone.”
Erin looked worriedly at the forward. Ella wanted nothing more than to hang up but she heard something in her mother’s voice that she hadn’t in a long time.
Ella gave Erin a look and the keeper nodded hesitantly, knowing what she wanted. Erin left the room to give Ella some privacy.
“Go ahead.” Ella spoke flatly, hearing a sigh of relief on the other end of the phone.
“I’m getting help. I know it’s a little late but… I’ve been sober for two weeks now, I’m getting the help that you told me I needed, and I’m so sorry that it took me so long to admit that I had a problem. I know that there is nothing I can do to take back everything I’ve done to you, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life feeling awful for everything.”
Ella’s eyes filled with tears, she could never forgive her mother, but knowing that she was getting the help she needed so badly made her so happy.
“I’m glad that you’re getting help mom… really.”
“I’m doing it for you Ella. I know that you might never forgive me, but I really hope that one day we might be able to have a relationship again… If that’s something you want, I’d understand if you still don’t want to talk to me, but I just want you to know that I’ll always be here waiting if you do.”
Ella was speechless, part of her still wanted to hang up, but knowing that her mom really was trying… she couldn’t just walk away.
“I’d be lying if I wasn’t holding in a lot of things that I want to say right now… I really am happy that you are doing this but you need to know that I will never be able to forget the things you did and I’m not sure if I’ll ever really be able to forgive you.... But you will always be my mom, and I can’t tell you how much it means that you are finally getting better…”
“Do you think that maybe we could talk again? I’m not really allowed to leave this place during my first two months but I can call whenever…”
Ella could hear the pain in her mother’s voice, expecting to be shut down.
“I… I think I need some time. I… I got called up to another national team camp… I’m going to New Jersey tomorrow for a month. Maybe when I get back we could talk?”
“That’s… that’s amazing Ella. You’re going to do great things. I would love to talk when you get back if you want.”
Erin peeked into the room to check on Ella and saw her sitting on the bed with a sad smile.
“Thank you… I uh, I have to finish packing so I should go but… I’m proud of you mom.”
“Goodbye Ella. I love you.”
“I… I love you too mom.”
Ella hung up the phone and looked over at the keeper standing in the doorway.
Erin walked over and wrapped the forward in a hug.
“She’s getting sober Erin… she’s finally getting help.”
“That’s great baby.” Erin smiled and just held onto Ella for a little while longer.
“We should get some sleep babe, going to be a long day tomorrow.”
Ella pulled away from the keeper momentarily and looked into her eyes. “Not tired.” She whispered as she kissed Erin hard. Erin laid down on the bed as Ella straddled her waist, deepening the kiss.
Ella quickly peeled off the keeper’s shirt and sports bra, and Erin followed; removing Ella’s top, and unhooking her bra, sliding it off her shoulders.
Soon there was nothing separating the two girls, and they both took a moment to admire one another.
“I love you.” Both girls whispered at the same time.
Erin fell asleep with a naked Ella laying across her chest, running her hands through her thick dark hair, dreading waking up the next morning and having to leave her forward.
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“I don’t want to say goodbye to you…” Ella whispered out, holding onto her keeper for dear life.
“Hey,” Erin pulled away to look into the forwards eyes. “I love you, and this isn’t a goodbye, it’s a see you soon okay? You are going to kill it at the camp and the time will fly by I promise.”
“I love you too Erin… so much. Thank you for everything that you have done for me, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”
“You never have to thank me for any of that, and I’m proud of you for taking this chance. Your flight gets in before mine so I’ll call you when I land okay?”
“Okay.”
Erin lifted Ella’s chin with her thumb and kissed her gently. “I love you Ella, go kick some ass.”
“I love you too my crazy keeper, and I know that you’ll kick ass too.”
Ella pulled away finally after one last lingering kiss. She slowly walked towards the gate and walked out of Erin’s sight.
The forward boarded her flight and took her seat. When she opened her backpack to grab headphones Ella found a bunch of envelopes stuffed in her bag. She pulled out one and on the front it read “Open when you’re on the plane<3.” Ella smiled as she read the titles of the other letters. She counted ten in total.
“Open when you’re missing me.”
“Open when you have a bad day.”
“Open when you need to know how much I love you.”
“Open when you can’t sleep”
“Open when the distance is too much”
“Open when you’re doubting yourself”
“Open when you need a distraction”
“Open when it’s your birthday”
“Open when I tell you to…”
She carefully placed the letters back in her bag except for the first one. Ella put in her headphones as the plane took off and opened the letter.
~Ella,
I hope you like my little surprise and I hope that they can put a smile on your face whenever you need one. I remember you telling me how much you hated airplanes when they take off so I thought reading this might distract you. I wish I could be there to hold your hand. You just left but I already miss you like crazy. You have to promise me you won’t get impatient and read all the letters okay? Because I know that’s something you would do;) You are going to do amazing at this camp baby and I can’t wait to hear all about it. I’m so proud of you.
It’s going to be weird sleeping without you in my arms at night but I know that this time apart will only make being together again even more special. You are so special Ella, and words can’t describe what you mean to me or how much you’ve changed me for the better. Check your suitcase when you get to your hotel, I may have left a couple more surprises;)
I looooove you so much and will talk to you soon beautiful.
-Love your keeper xoxo~
A few tears escaped the forwards eyes as she read the letter a second time before putting it back into her bag with the others. Ella loved how much thought Erin put into everything she did, and she knew that these letters would be exactly what she needed to get her through the month without her keeper.
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Erin boarded her flight an hour later and took her seat. She pulled out her phone and headphones, putting on her playlist she had made of songs that reminded her of Ella and quickly fell asleep.
She landed in Montreal two hours later and after getting her luggage, Erin called Ella.
“Hey babe.” Ella said happily.
“Hi, how was your flight?”
“Not bad, I’m on a bus with some girls from the team heading to our hotel right now. How was yours?”
‘It was good, just got in, our hotel is right across the street from the airport so I’m just about to walk over there and- oh my god.”
“What is it?”
“Christine Sinclair. She is right over there, what do I do she’s getting closer.”
“Stay calm Erin, you’re going to be spending a lot of time with her.” Ella chuckled, it was cute how nervous the keeper was.
“Clearly you haven’t seen Carli Lloyd yet, or you would know how I feel right now.”
“Okay fair enough. I have to go now babe, we are just getting to the hotel, I’ll call you in a little bit when I’m settled in okay?”
“Alright baby I’ll talk to you soon, love you.”
“Love you too.”
Ella hung up and felt someone nudge her side. She turned to the girl next to her who she quickly recognized as Megan Rapinoe. “That your boyfriend?” She asked with a wink.
Ella stuttered a bit before replying. “Um, my girlfriend actually.” She finally got out, blushing slightly for being so nervous around the defender.
“Oooh, my girlfriend is all the way in Seattle, so I know how tough the distance can be. Don’t worry though, we’re like a family here, always someone to keep you company.” The small blonde smiled at Ella, and the forward immediately felt welcomed.
“So where is your girl?” Megan asked.
“Well, she is actually in Montreal right now, um she is at the Canadian National team camp.”
“No way! That’s crazy, how’d you two meet?”
“She moved to Chicago a little while ago, so we met at school.”
“Awe, that’s cool and kind of crazy that you both got call ups so young; assuming you aren’t any older than eighteen since you’re in high school. But you know that means she is automatically our enemy.” Megan said with a serious face before breaking out in laughter.
“I’m sixteen actually, my birthday is in a couple weeks though.”
“Geez I feel like a grandma now, good for you though, obviously you deserve it, it’s not every day they call up a sixteen year old, I hope you aren’t a defender though… wouldn’t want a young one like you to swipe my spot on the team.”
“No worries, I’m a forward so you’re safe.” Ella winked, she was surprising herself with how open she was being with someone she had just met.
The bus arrived at the hotel then and Ella made her way inside and checked in, Megan told her the rest of the team had arrived yesterday, so her roommate was probably already there.
The forward was nervous to see who it was, she took a deep breath before unlocking the door to her room.
“Hi! I’m Ali-”
“Krieger.” Ella finished her sentence. “Sorry.. I uh, I know who you are.” Ella gave a small smile.
“Okay you are adorable and super young, so who are you?” Ali gave her a big toothy smile.
“I’m Ella Masar, I’m sixteen, well almost seventeen, it’s my first time to a camp.”
“Wow, first camp and it’s a world cup selection camp… you must be something special kid.”
Ella just smiled and brought her things over to her bed. When she opened her suitcase the first thing she saw was a journal. It had a note taped to the front.
~Hey babe, so this is surprise number one, I know I never told you that I kept a journal, sorry for keeping that from you, it’s just kind of my thing that I’ve never told people about. I couldn't think of a better time to share it with you though.
There is one condition. You can’t read it;) Not until the right time, and you will know when that is;) mwahaha more surprises. Love you babe… and DO NOT READ.
love your keeper xoxo~
Ella smiled as she put the journal in the drawer of her bedside table, she also took out all the letter’s that Erin had wrote and put those with it.
As she was pulling out her clothes and putting them in her small dresser she would occasionally find something that wasn’t hers.
When she was done, the forward had two hoodies, three t shirts, and one snapback that belonged to Erin. Each item smelled distinctly like the keeper. Ella pulled one of the hoodies on. taking in the scent that she already missed.
“Well somebody sure loves you.” The forward heard from across the room, breaking her out of her trance.
Ella blushed when she realized she was smelling the hoodie. “Um…”
“Hey I’m just kidding… but seriously tell me all about her!”
Ella’s eyes went wide. “How did you know it’s a her?”
“You keep pressing the button on your phone to stare at your lock screen which is definitely a picture of you and your girlfriend so I repeat. Tell me about her!”
Ella spent the next thirty minutes gushing to the defender about Erin.
“Awe you guys are so cute together, you’re awesome, we’re going to have so much fun together!” Ali squealed giving the forward a hug.
Ella smiled, maybe this was going to be even better than she had hoped.
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When Erin got off the phone she walked out the doors of the airport and across the street. She was just walking in the hotel doors when she heard: “Can you hold the door?” Erin turned and froze as she saw Christine Sinclair, struggling with her bags. Erin quickly snapped out of it and held the door open.
“Thanks.” The forward eyes Erin’s Canada jacket. “You here for the camp?”
“I uh.. I… yes.” She managed to get out, before composing herself. “Sorry, I’m a big fan… But I’m Erin McLeod, goalkeeper.”
“Christine Sinclair, forward.”
Erin smiled nervously, and the two walked over to the front desk to check in.
When Erin got to her room she walked into three other players sitting on a bed talking.
A small girl with short blonde hair who Erin immediately recognized stood up first.
“Hey I’m Sophie, I’m your roommate. This is Karina and-”
“Carm!”
“McStud! Long time no see buddy, look at you! All grown up and at a senior camp!” The curly haired defender jumped off the bed and nearly tackled Erin.
“Well clearly you already know ms Carmelina.”
“Are you kidding, McStud and I go way back, this little nugget was a freshman when I was graduating high school, not to toot my own horn but I’m kind of the reason she kept playing soccer sooo you’re all welcome that she is here.”
Everyone in the room laughed, including Erin. “Anyway McStud, Karina here is a keeper so you two will be spending a lot of time together.
Erin gave a nervous smile, she knew who Karina was, she had been following her since she got her first cap for the national team.
“Why don’t you two head back to your room so Erin can get settled in.” Sophie said, patting the keeper on the back.
“We’ll catch up later McStud!” Carm shouted as she walked towards the door with Karina following her.
“Are you ever going to stop calling me that?”
“Nope!” She shouted back, already half way down the hall.
Erin just shook her head and brought her bags over to her bed.
“Need any help unpacking?” Sophie offered with a smile, sitting cross legged on her bed.
“I’m okay, thanks.” Erin smiled back. Pulling some things out of her bag. On top of all her clothes in her suitcase, Erin picked up a framed photo of her and Ella that her mom took when they dressed up for their first real date. Erin was standing behind the forward with her arms wrapped around her waist and was kissing her cheek.
Before Erin could place the picture on her nightstand; Sophie was out of her bed and grabbing the picture.
“Oh my god. This is the cutest picture ever!”
Erin blushed and bit her lip nervously.
“Sooooo.” Sophie said with a wink. “What’s her naaame?”
“Her name is Ella.”
“Okay well you two are freaking adorable, and I can’t wait to hear all about her.”
Erin smiled at how welcoming her roommate was.
She unpacked the rest of her things, finding a few items that Ella had snuck into her bag just like she had done.
The keeper but on one of Ella’s hoodies and stretched out on her bed, sending a text to the forward.
//Just got settled into my room, I AM SHARING A ROOM WITH SOPHIE SCHMIDT. She think’s we’re a cute couple btw;) how could you not think that though;) I’m just relaxing now so you can call whenever you have time. Love you.//
Barely a minute later Erin’s phone rang.