Back Where It Started
The hardest part wasn't saying goodbye.
It was turning around.
Leah stood in the security queue at JFK with her passport in one hand and her boarding pass in the other.
She'd hugged Elle.
Kissed her.
Promised she'd text when she landed.
Everything normal.
Everything they'd done before.
But this time...
Walking away felt impossible.
She turned around one last time.
Elle was still standing exactly where she'd left her.
One hand tucked into her jacket pocket.
The other lifted in a small wave.
Neither of them smiled.
Not because they were unhappy.
Because smiling made it feel like goodbye wasn't difficult.
And it was.
Leah blew her a kiss.
Elle caught it dramatically before placing a hand over her heart.
That finally made Leah laugh.
Hopeless.
Absolutely hopeless.
She shook her head and disappeared through security.
...
Eight hours later, the captain was home.
Rain greeted her at Heathrow.
Of course it did.
Leah looked out of the taxi window as familiar roads appeared.
England.
Grey skies.
Green fields.
Home.
Her phone buzzed.
Leah smiled.
The reply came almost instantly.
By the time the taxi pulled onto her driveway in St Albans, Amanda's car was already there.
Leah frowned.
"Mum?"
Amanda stepped out of the front door before the taxi had even stopped.
"There she is."
Leah climbed out slowly.
Her ankle was much better.
Not perfect.
But better.
Amanda hugged her tightly.
Then held her at arm's length.
"You've lost weight."
"Mum."
"You have."
"I've been winning trophies."
"You've also forgotten to eat."
Fair.
Very fair.
Inside, the house felt exactly the same.
The familiar smell.
The photographs.
The piano in the corner.
Her own space.
She hadn't realised how much she'd missed it.
Amanda appeared from the kitchen carrying two mugs of tea.
"You look happy."
Leah looked down at her cup.
"I am."
"Happier than I've seen you in years."
The words settled quietly between them.
Amanda had watched every version of her daughter.
The fearless teenager.
The ACL.
The tears.
The self-doubt.
The captain.
The European champion.
But this...
This was different.
This wasn't happiness because of football.
It stayed.
Leah looked around the room.
"I think New York changed me."
Amanda smiled knowingly.
"No."
Leah frowned.
"No?"
"It reminded you who you were."
Silence.
Real silence.
Because somehow Amanda always managed to find the exact sentence Leah needed.
They spent the afternoon unpacking.
Amanda washing clothes despite Leah repeatedly telling her not to.
Leah pretending to complain while secretly enjoying every second of being looked after.
At one point Amanda picked up one of Elle's hoodies from the suitcase.
She held it up.
"This isn't yours."
Caught.
Leah laughed.
"No."
Amanda folded it carefully before placing it on the sofa.
"When's she coming over?"
Leah blinked.
"I don't know."
"But she will."
It wasn't a question.
"No point pretending anymore, Leah."
Amanda smiled.
"I've seen the way you look at her."
Leah felt herself blush.
"I don't look at her differently."
Amanda simply laughed.
"Oh sweetheart..."
She walked over and kissed the side of her head.
"You've been looking for home your whole life."
Leah looked confused.
"I thought football was home."
"It was."
Amanda smiled gently.
"But people can become home too."
That evening, after Amanda had gone home, the house felt strangely quiet.
Leah wandered into the living room.
The piano sat exactly where she'd left it.
She ran her fingers gently across the keys.
Then began to play.
Halfway through the piece, her phone started ringing.
FaceTime.
Elle.
Leah answered immediately.
"There you are."
"There you are."
Neither said anything for a few seconds.
Just smiled.
God.
She missed her already.
"How's England?"
"Wet."
Elle laughed.
"I knew it."
"And New York?"
"Too quiet."
Leah leaned back against the piano stool.
"I was thinking..."
Dangerous words.
Elle immediately smiled.
"Were you?"
"I've spent almost two months living with you."
"You have."
"And now..."
Leah looked around the empty house.
"...this place feels very big."
Elle didn't tease her.
Didn't make a joke.
She simply nodded.
"I know."
The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable.
It was thoughtful.
Like both of them had arrived at the same conclusion.
Neither wanted to say it first.
Eventually Elle broke the silence.
"You know..."
"What?"
"We've become quite good at living together."
Leah smiled.
"We have."
Neither of them realised it.
But somewhere inside both of their minds...
The same tiny seed had just been planted.
Maybe the hardest part wasn't saying goodbye anymore.
Maybe...
It was having two places that both felt like home.