Chapter 24
Ella walked out of the coaches room speechless. All of the hours spent on and off the field, all of the hard work, physical and emotional pain endured, it had all led to this moment; and every last second had paid off. The forward wasted no time in pulling out her phone to call Erin, her hands were shaky and she hit the wrong number twice before finally getting it right.
“Hey El what’s up?” Erin asked cheerfully.”
“I did it.”
“What’d you do babe?”
“I have a spot on the roster… I’m going to the world cup.” Ella spoke quickly, and Erin hardly had time to comprehend before the forward went off telling every detail of her conversation with the coaches.
“..... and then she just told me that even though we still have the next camp that as long as I stay healthy I basically have a secured spot for the world cup!” Ella ended, seemingly never having taken a breath as she recounted every last word that had been told to her.
“Baby I’m so proud of you this is awesome!”
“I can’t believe I really did it, Erin thank you so much for encouraging me to do this. I couldn’t have done it without you. I love you so much.” The forward started to tear up a bit.
“I love you too babe, you know I’ll do anything for you. This is crazy, this time next year both of us will be playing for our countries. I don’t even care that we’ll be fighting against each other, nothing can ruin how happy I am right now.”
“I know me too, I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.” Ella’s voice was so contented, Erin could practically feel her smiling through the phone.
“Me either babe, and I can’t wait for you to meet some of my family, they’re going to love you.”
“Of course they will, who wouldn’t?” The forward responded cheekily getting a laugh out of Erin.
The couple talked for almost two hours before Ella began yawing.
“You should head to bed babe, your flight leaves pretty early tomorrow.”
“Okay…” Ella whispered, alright starting to doze off.
“I’ll see you when your flight gets in, have a good sleep beautiful.”
Erin waited a moment for a response before hearing Ella’s light snores through the phone. The keeper ended the call before falling asleep with a peaceful smile spread across her face.
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Ella scanned through the crowds of people after she got her suitcase. After a moment she finally locked eyes with Erin and quickly made her way over to the keeper. The forward dropped her bags beside Erin and hugged her tightly. Erin returned the hug, slightly lifting Ella off the ground as he buried her face in the smaller girl’s neck.
“I missed you.” Erin whispered out after a minute.
“Mmm missed you more babe.” Ella spoke, pulling back slightly so she could kiss Erin.
Neither girl cared how many people were around them, they were both too content with being together again for more than one day this time.
“Let’s get going babe, time for me to show you around Canada.”
“I can’t wait, so who am I meeting today?.”
“Today you’ll just meet my aunty and uncle who we are going to be staying with, and tomorrow my sisters are coming in to visit.”
“Sounds good.” Ella smiled as the couple walked hand in hand out of the airport.
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“Erin!” The keeper’s uncle greeted her with a bear hug as soon as they stepped inside. “I’ve missed ya kid.”
“I missed you too Uncle T, where’s aunt Karyn?”
“She’s in the kitchen making up some dinner. You must be Ella then?” The tall man turned to face the forward with a huge smile on his face.
“Yes, it’s nice to meet you.” The forward stuck out her hand shyly, but the large man was quick to pull her into a hug much like he had with Erin.
“Sorry babe, I should have warned you he’s a hugger.” Erin said with a chuckle.
“Erin!” A petite blonde women came running to the door.
“Honey stop running you’re shaking the baby!” Erin’s uncle laughed pointing to her belly.
“Oh calm down, the baby will be fine! Now where’s my hug?” The women smiled, turning to Erin and embracing her as well as she could around her large baby bump.
“I missed you sweetie.”
“I missed you too, Ella this is my Aunt Karyn, aunt Karyn, this is my girlfriend Ella.”
“Ah it’s so great to meet you honey, I’ve heard quite a bit about you from this one,” Karyn winked giving Erin a nudge. “seriously, she never shuts up about you.”
“All good things I hope?” Ella said with a smirk looking up at Erin.
“Well of course, now uncle T said something about dinner, and I’m starving.”
“What else is new?” Ella asked winking at the keeper, and getting a laugh out of her relatives.
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After they ate dinner, Erin was in a conversation with her aunty, so Ella walked over to the deck where the keeper’s uncle was sitting.
“Can I join you?”
“Of course, grab a seat.”
After a moment of silence, Tedd spoke up.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.” The forward answered with a small smile, not sure what to expect.
“I’m assuming since she brought you here to stay with us that you’re pretty serious about each other yeah?”
“Yes sir, I love Erin.”
“First off none of that sir crap, you either call me Tedd or uncle T alright? But I’m glad to hear that, she’s a special girl and she deserves to have someone like you to make her happy.”
“I couldn’t agree more, Erin is the most amazing and genuine person I have ever met.”
That seemed to be the right answer and it got a big smile out of the keeper’s uncle.
“Well you seem like a great girl Ella, and I’d trust Erin with my life so I trust her judgement in picking a good one too, I can see in the way she is carrying herself that this is the happiest she’s ever been and I know a lot of that is you.”
The two continued their conversation until both Erin and her aunty joined them on the deck.
“What are you two talking about?” The keeper asked as she sat next to Ella, putting her arm around her waist.
“Oh nothing, but how come I never knew you had a mowhawk?”
“You showed her the mohawk picture??” Erin shouted, shooting daggers at her uncle.
“When I brought it up and she said you never told her I couldn’t resist!”
“Did he at least mention that I didn’t do it? It was my teammates I swear.”
“Whatever you say babe. I thought it was cute.”
“Sure you did…” The keeper pouted and so Ella leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.
“You girls will have to come up for another visit when we get this little gal out.” Erin’s aunty said happily patting her belly.
“That’d be great, we are both going to have camps again around the holidays so maybe we can come up then.” Erin suggested.
“Sounds good to me.” Ella agreed.
Every Time the keeper mentioned the future with Ella as a part of it, even if it was the near future she couldn’t help the smile and light blush that grew on her face. Tonight it led the forward to thinking about her future with Erin and having their own kids one day if that’s what she wanted.
“Well I think I’m ready to turn in for the night, it’s been a long few weeks, wanna head to bed El?”
“Yeah I could definitely use a good sleep after all those early morning training sessions.”
“Alright girls, you two have a good sleep, we’ll see you in the morning.”
As they were walking down the hall to the room they were sharing, the girls heard Erin’ uncle shout; “No funny business in my house!”
Erin smirked and shouted back, “I can’t make any promises!” Ella laughed and pushed the keeper into their room. Excited to be able to lay in the keeper’s arms again.
When they were settled in bed with Ella curled into Erin’s side Erin whispered. “Hey babe?”
“Yeah?” Ella responded in a sleepy voice.
“Do you want kids one day?”
Ella smiled knowing that she had already thought about that earlier.
“Absolutely… but you have to put a ring on it first.” Ella winked leaning up and kissing Erin.
Erin smiled before tightening her hold on the forward and pressing a kiss to her temple.
“Don’t worry babe, I plan on it.”