#woso x child reader

[jade4956]

Aunty Sam and Kristie

“Be good for Aunty Sam and Kristie, okay?”

Leah crouched down in front of Aria, brushing a strand of her soft blonde hair behind her ear. The four-year-old nodded, clutching her stuffed kangaroo, one Sam had given her months ago, with wide eyes.

“I will, Mummy,” Aria promised.

Kelsey, standing beside them, smiled. “And listen to what they say, alright? No causing trouble.”

Aria giggled. “I’m never trouble, Mama!”

Sam snorted from where she stood next to Kristie. “That’s a lie, and you know it, kiddo.”

Aria stuck her tongue out at Sam, who did the same right back. Leah shook her head with a grin, pressing a quick kiss to Aria’s forehead. “We’ll be back tonight. Love you, bub.”

“Love you too, Mummy!”

Kelsey kissed her next. “Be good, monkey.”

“I will, Mama!”

With their goodbyes said, Leah and Kelsey finally left for their much-needed day off, leaving Aria in the capable (and slightly chaotic) hands of Sam and Kristie.

As soon as the door shut, Sam clapped her hands together. “Alright, kid, what’s the plan?”

Aria’s face lit up. “Can we go to the park?”

Kristie glanced at Sam, who shrugged. “Sure, kid. But first, breakfast. Can’t have an adventure on an empty stomach.”

“Chocolate chip pancakes?” Aria asked hopefully.

Kristie sighed playfully. “You are so spoiled.”

Sam ruffled Aria’s hair. “One hundred percent.”

Aria just grinned, knowing she was going to get her way.

After a breakfast filled with sticky fingers, chocolate-covered cheeks, and Sam stealing bites off Aria’s plate, the three of them headed to the park.

Aria ran ahead, climbing onto the jungle gym with all the energy of a kid hyped up on sugar.

Sam and Kristie sat on a bench nearby, watching as she ran from the slides to the swings and back again.

“She’s too cute,” Kristie commented, sipping her coffee.

“Yeah,” Sam agreed, then grinned. “But she’s also a little menace. Just like her mum.”

Kristie laughed. “Which one?”

“Both,” Sam said without hesitation.

As if proving Sam’s point, Aria suddenly called, “Aunty Sam! Push me!” from the swings.

Sam groaned dramatically. “Oh, now you need me?”

Aria gave her best puppy-dog eyes. “Please?”

Sam sighed, setting her coffee down. “Fine, fine.”

She spent the next fifteen minutes pushing Aria on the swings while Kristie sat back, enjoying the show. Sam pretended to be exhausted every time Aria shouted, “Higher!” but the grin on her face gave her away.

The rest of the day was a whirlwind of activities.

From the park, they stopped for ice cream (because why not), then went back to Sam and Kristie’s place, where Aria insisted on playing dress-up with Sam’s soccer jerseys.

“Look, I’m Aunty Sam!” Aria giggled, wearing an oversized Matildas jersey that nearly reached her ankles.

Sam gasped. “Oh no, there can’t be two of me. The world isn’t ready!”

Aria struck a pose, holding up an imaginary trophy. “I’m the best football player ever!”

Kristie smirked. “Not even gonna argue with that, babe?”

Sam threw a pillow at her. “Shut up.”

Aria giggled, running around the living room in the jersey, yelling, “Goal!” every few seconds.

By the time dinner rolled around, she was finally starting to slow down.

Kristie helped her into pajamas while Sam cleaned up the trail of toys left in her wake.

“Alright, kiddo, bedtime,” Kristie said, lifting Aria onto the couch.

“But I’m not sleepy,” Aria mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

Kristie raised an eyebrow. “Sure, you’re not.”

“Tell me a story please?” Aria asked, curling up against Sam’s side.

Sam sighed dramatically. “Fine. But just one.”

Halfway through the story, Aria’s blinks got slower and slower until, out like a light.

Kristie and Sam shared a look. “That was easy,” Kristie whispered.

Sam grinned. “We’re just that good.”

When Leah and Kelsey arrived later that night, they found Aria fast asleep on the couch, curled up against Sam.

Kristie held a finger to her lips, whispering, “She knocked out during story time.”

Leah smiled, brushing a hand over her daughter’s soft hair. “Thank you for watching her.”

Kelsey kissed Aria’s forehead before gently lifting her into her arms. The little girl barely stirred.

“Any trouble?” Kelsey asked quietly.

Sam smirked. “Nothing we couldn’t handle.”

Leah rolled her eyes. “Somehow, I don’t believe you.”

Kristie chuckled. “Hey, she survived the day. That’s a win.”

Leah and Kelsey thanked them again before heading out, Aria sleeping peacefully in Kelsey’s arms.

As the door shut, Kristie stretched. “That was fun.”

Sam sighed, flopping onto the couch. “Yeah, but I am knackered. How do they do that every day?”

Kristie laughed, curling up beside her. “Magic, probably.”

Sam groaned. “Respect to all parents. That was harder than a World Cup.”

Kristie grinned, resting her head against Sam’s shoulder. “But you love her, don’t lie.”

Sam let out a tired chuckle. “Yeah, yeah. She’s alright.”

And with that, their quiet night officially began, finally kid-free.

—————————————————————————

I hope you liked the fic guys, I do need requests at the moment because my brain has stopped I do have one for the awards night but I can’t seem to do it so it’s gonna take a while

[leahsgf]

— SAFE HAVEN

leah williamson x teen!reader | masterlist

⤷ as much as you try to deny it, you’re having some issues sleeping, and it just so happens that your annoyingly observant captain is your roommate.

part of the superstar universe! loosely linked to this

୨୧

your nerves still hadn’t quite settled after your ‘chat’ with leah. they had however, definitely eased a little bit, and things were starting to run a bit smoother for you, from you happily (forcibly at first) joining the rest of the girls for a meal for the first time, to you actually starting to speak to them - creating a bond which then translated onto the pitch and grew your confidence there massively. despite this, there had been a few moments were your anxiousness was at an all time high - especially as you followed the blonde down the hallway to your shared room.

whilst it had definitely been a shock to the system when you’d originally found out that you were being called up to the lionesses - the captain herself insisting on rooming with you might have just out-done it.

“just wanna keep an eye on you, kid.” she said softly with her signature easy smile - ruffling your hair like you were a small child. “make sure you settle in alright, you don’t need to look quite so frightened, i won’t bite your head off”

-

that had been a couple of days ago. and so far - you would say that you’d been doing a pretty good job with pretending that everything was alright. like the weight of wearing the england badge wasn’t pressing down on your chest, almost limiting your breathing, and like you weren’t tossing and turning every night without fail, staring at the ceiling whilst your thoughts ran wild - whilst you begged for rest that you knew wouldn’t find you.

however, as in denial as you were about everything, leah had noticed. of course she had. she noticed everything - something you should’ve realised by now.

-

“y/n” she said into the dark casually on one particular evening after lights out, making you jump out of your skin - having assumed that she was long asleep, like she usually was (or so you thought) by this time of night. “you’re not sleeping well - are you?”

your stomach twisted, dropping at her words. you couldn’t believe that your struggles had been so obvious not just once but twice now - and your cheeks flushed with an almost shame. you were nineteen years old. technically an adult - yet stuck feeling like such a baby. “i-”

“and don’t lie to me - you don’t have to, you know. not at all. and besides, i can hear you shuffling around when you think i’m asleep.”

you chewed on your lip, staring at the blanket that you’d been holding tightly around your legs, thanking the universe that you were having this conversation with the lights off - so you didn’t have to face her, face that caring look in her eyes that no doubt matched the softness in her voice, that had never and would never fail to make you completely crumble. you felt completely and utterly ridiculous. “i-i just….i struggle with it i guess. sleep.”

upon hearing your rather mumbled response, and almost sensing your previous thoughts, leah flicked her bedside lamp on, allowing a warm light to flood the room, and giving her the chance to study you properly from across the room, propping herself up on her elbow, eyebrows furrowed. “struggle how, exactly?”

you hesitate, your throat suddenly dry as you stare at the ceiling, and your shoulders curling in slightly as you attempted to string together an answer. “i don’t know, i’ve um- always been like it i guess. my brain sorta doesn’t switch off, and when or if it does, i have these….nightmares, or whatever, and then i can’t get back to sleep. so it just feels a bit- it’s silly.”

tears pricked at your eyes as you processed what you just said - closing them for a second, as if waiting for the incoming laughter from the older girl. it certainly felt like it deserved it - it felt mortifying, and like you should be better, more mature than this.

but the laughter never came. nor did the teasing. leah just hummed and nodded, like it made perfect sense, like you’d just told her the day of the week it was.

“why didn’t you tell me earlier?” she asked, causing you to shrug gently.

“i didn’t want to be a problem.” you whisper, so quietly that if she wasn’t so focused on you she would’ve missed it.

she sighed, shaking her head. “look at me, sweetheart. you’re not a problem, there’s zero judgement here i promise. i mean- i used to have to room with gee and she slept with jungle noises on at a stupidly loud volume.” she grumbled the end of her sentence, remembering those nights all too well - before sitting up properly in her bed, and running a hand loosely through her hair.

“look, and you can tell me if it’s overstepping, but if it helps you can sleep in my bed with me. sometimes it’s easier when someone’s there - at least i find.”

your face burned as you looked at her, making eye contact for the first time in this whole ordeal, something you were awkward with at the best of times, never mind in situations like this. “no, i c-couldn’t do that. that’s s-silly. childish.” you answered almost robotically, and in a way that made her heart break, like you’d been told those words so many times that you believed them. which you had.

she didn’t take your answer personally. in fact, it checked out - she had already checked in with your u23s teammates after your panic attack, and asked for their advice about how to make you comfortable, and therefore knew that this was something that helps you but you would probably be too embarrassed to ask for. meaning she could’ve pushed and got you to cave, but she wanted the decision to come from you.

“it’s not silly,” she said firmly. “but it’s completely your call - just know that the offer’s always there.”

you nodded profusely, very grateful but far too stubborn to accept, feeling like you had something to prove to yourself now. you could handle this. you needed to.

-

(spoiler alert - you couldn’t handle it.)

tonight had been worse than usual. much worse. the nightmare itself had been unsettlingly vivid, a slap in the face reminder of all of your worries - with flashes of failure, letting everyone around you down and you inevitably ending up alone. you all but jolted awake just as dream-leah told you that you were nothing but a burden to her, perhaps your worst fear of all, tears streaming down your cheeks.

you sniffed, pressing your face into the pillow and curling into yourself as you took in the overwhelming, almost suffocating silence of the room, desperately trying to cling onto the remains of your resolve and breathe through it.

but of course, it didn’t work - it never did.

which meant, against every voice in your head screaming at you to just suck it up and deal with it, you slipped out of bed, and before you could stop yourself you found yourself stood next to leah’s, trembling.

she was fast asleep, the only noise in the room being her soft breaths, which made you second guess your decision, looking back over your shoulder at your duvet which had clearly been discarded to the floor during the course of your thrashing.

“lee?” you whispered - voice cracking almost painfully through your silent cries.

for someone who prided herself on being such a heavy sleeper - and someone who loved her sleep, taking every moment she could to nap - surprisingly, the blonde stirred immediately, blinking up at you in what started as confusion, before it immediately morphed into concern. “what…hey, hey, what’s wrong?”

you swallowed harshly, the lump in your throat feeling as big as ever, suddenly finding it impossible to utter a word - now beyond embarrassed as well as upset. but leah didn’t push, and whether it be out of understanding or sheer tiredness, she said nothing, just simply shifted over, lifting up her blanket. “c’mere bub.”

you glanced back at your own bed for a split second before climbing in beside her, the tension in your body melting away the moment she wrapped her arms around you, drawing you into her warmth protectively.

“there we go.” she murmured, her voice thick with sleep. “you’re alright, i’ve got you.”

you tucked your face into her shoulder, matching your rushed breaths to the steadiness of hers, instantly feeling yourself calm down.

it was stupid. and you’d probably regret disturbing her in the morning and panic yourself into a hole over it, and the fact that you should be grown up enough to handle this on your own. but leah didn’t make you feel silly - she never did. she just continued to hold you, drawing slow circles into your back until your breathing eventually evened out.

—

the next morning you woke up in a way that you rarely did, slowly blinking awake, feeling more rested than you definitely ever had at a camp - and arguably even ever. the blonde was already sat up awake beside you, scrolling on her phone and grinning when she noticed you beginning to stir.

“best sleep of your life, wasn’t it?”

you rolled your eyes, unable to fight the small smile creeping its way onto your lips. “maybe..”

“told you it wasn’t silly.” she chuckled, ruffling your bed hair teasingly.

“shut up.”

-

from then on, it just became a thing. every camp, every trip - you didn’t even bother with separate beds, and leah never complained. if anything, she seemed to like it just as much as you did, very much feeling like a big sister looking over her little sister - like she had her own ‘giant teddy bear’ (her words).

and no matter what, no matter how nervous or uncertain you felt, she was always there, like some kind of safe haven.

-

they say write what you know right? (typing this at 2am. i went to bed at 10pm.)

hope you’re all enjoying this lil series so far! more to come i promise <3 send any ideas you’ve got my way & thank you to my beloved anons who already have - i see you

- el x

[samkerrworshipper]

bar-ca

alexia putellas x reader x putellas!child

no warnings just my first kidfic so no judgement

The sound of the bottle sanitizer whirring hurts your brain.

The four month sleep regression is no joke, the non-stop crying, the no sleep, the teething pain. It’s the pains of motherhood that nobody has ever brought up to you.

Everything hurt.

Your head from the lack of sleep, your boobs from constantly being sucked dry, your body from rocking a baby all night who had no intentions of going to sleep.

You just couldn’t understand why little Lili wouldn’t sleep.

You’d tried it all, sleep training, sleep school, nannies, co-sleeping.

None of it worked, Liliana was just set on running yours, and her other mothers life.

You groaned as the machine pinged, signalling that it was done cleaning out the bottles.

You grabbed the one closest to you and poured the water you’d already warmed and the scoops of the formula into the bottle.

Formula really was your saving grace, although the effort to put it all together was something tat you felt was unnecessary, it was the expense of giving your boobs a break.

You were grateful enough that Lili took formula, because according to most of the women in your mothers group you were very fortunate.

You shook up the bottle until the formula had all dispersed evenly.

You would be lying if you said that you didn’t take a moment to yourself, setting the bottle down on the counter and leaning over, enjoying the rare moment of silence in the putellas household.

You knew that you should be grateful, grateful that you were in a position where you could spend so much time with your newborn, that you could spend so much of this valuable time with your biggest treasure, but it didn’t make it any easier.

You were the main parent, Alexia had a football career, games, trainings, media commitments, leaving you at home with Lili constantly. You were starting to get some cabin fever, and a little bit of annoyance with your baby who was always crying.

You’d thought it was croup, but no, Lili just cried and cried and cried, and a lot of the time you cried with her.

There were good moments, but that didn’t change the everyday constant exhaustion you had. The most annoying part though was that you were so attached to Lili that you couldn’t leave her for longer than an hour. You couldn’t explain it, but every time anybody had offered, Eli, Alba, Mapi, any of the girls of the team, and you’d tried to leave Lili with them you’d gone through the worst mom guilt imaginable. So, you were stuck, with a broody baby attached to your hip, pretty much at all times. It didn’t help either that Lili had been significantly premature as a baby, so not only had she been sick, but she’d also craved the constant skin to skin contact in her first weeks of life, only strengthening your connection to her.

Alexia tried her hardest to take the pressure off of you, but at the end of the day you were the one breast feeding, you were the one who had sacrificed her career for motherhood, you were the one with the stretch marks and body that had been wrecked by your daughter.

You picked up the bottle, knowing that the silence across your house would very quickly be replaced by screaming if you didn’t get the bottle to your hungry daughter soon.

You walked slowly through the house, making your way to your shared bedroom as slowly as possible.

You stopped in the hallway when you heard the sound of babbling and an occasional giggle coming from the inside of your bedroom.

The giggling was new, but it made the moments a little bit sweeter when you got to hear it, although Alexia was the one who mostly got it out of your daughter.

You turned the corner and smiled at the sight in front of you.

“It’s not funny liLI, i know you can do it, say it for me, bar-ca.”

You stopped yourself from laughing at the serious expression on your wifes face as she stared at your daughter expectantly.

All Lili did was laugh at her.

“It’s in your blood, you’re a culer, c’mon, you can say it.”

It was another new thing, the little babbles of syllables that would leave your daughters mouth, it was cute, and you’d been aiming for mama, but clearly Alexia had other intentions.

Lili just giggled again at Alexia’s pointed finger and the seriousness on her face.

“You can do it, do it for me, say it, cu-ler, or bar-ca.”

Lili contemplates for a second, before babbling something completely incomprehensible.

“I thought we were aiming for mama first?”

Alexia looked up at you, like she’d been caught red-handed.

She flushed red, and then laughed, and when Lili laughed along with her you didn’t have it in you to even try to tell her off.

“Barca is basically her mother, both of her mothers are curlers, culer is in her blood.”

You rolled your eyes effortlessly at Alexia, she wasn’t wrong, in fact the when you’d seen your daughter for the first time after waking up after birth, instead of being dressed in the previously picked outfit she’d been decked out in a miniscule barca jersey.

“I’m also her actual mother and I would like it if all of the sleep I’m losing to her would be used to at least say my name.”

Alexia nodded, she couldn’t really argue your point, it was smarter for her to just agree with you.

You stepped up onto the bed, looking at Lili, who was uncharacteristically bright for this time of day. You were hoping that you could get her milk drunk and hopefully she’d pass out, but you also were aware that your chances were slim.

You reached for her, noticing the way that her face immediately dropped as you lifted her from Alexia’s arms.

Just as she looked like she was about to burst into tears, you pushed the bottle nipple into her mouth, watching as her face immediately relaxed.

You sunk back against your pillows, happy now that she was able to hold herself up without fully relying on leaning on you.

Alexia leant over, pressing a kiss to your hairline.

“How about I take her to training with me? She can sit in the gym with me and one of the staff or injured players can watch her whilst were out on the pitch. You can get a shower, sleep, go for a walk if you want, go see your mami or mine?”

You shook your head.

“You insinuating that I smell, Putellas?”

Alexia shook her head against your forehead.

“I’m insinuating that you need to give yourself a break, let me take her for the day, it’ll be fine, I’m just as much her mother as you are, take a break for yourself, si?”

You felt sick at the idea, but you couldn’t deny the need you had to get some proper, undisturbed sleep.

“Plus, you know how desperate all fo her aunties have been to see our girl, she’ll be saying the words barca by the end of the day.”

Your eyes shot open.

“Alexia Putellas Segura, I am not joking, if she says any words besides mama as her first ones than you will be on night duty for the next month, away games be damned, am I understood?”

Alexia pouted.

“I can’t help it if she’s destined to be a barca player and already knows it.”

You let one of your eyebrows raise.

“Alexia.”

She frowned again, but nodded her head.

“You let me take her, and I’ll get her to say mama, deal?”

You bit your lip, as much as parting ways with your daughter terrified you, as needy as she was, you were so desperate to get a proper run in, or a proper workout, or some proper sleep and proper food that wasn’t ordered off of your phone.

“I want her back in one piece by the end of the day, and with the same amount of barca memorabilia she already has in her wardrobe, and I want her aunties to not indocrinate her, okay?”

Alexia smiled, already bouncing out of bed.

“Finish her feed and we’ll be off, we’re going to have such a good day lili baby, just you and mommy day.”

You rolled your eyes, looking down at the baby in your arms, who was looking at her mommy curiously.

“She’s crazy lil, don’t you listen to her, your mama’s forever, even if you cry for the rest of your life.”

[mcf00rd]

biggest supporter || mcfoord x child!reader

in which katie and caitlin’s daughter bella maeve will always be their biggest supporter.

an: this is my first fic! any feed back would be greatly appreciated. requests are open as well!

To say bella maeve was the light of katie and caitlin’s lives would be an understatement. The almost 2 year old always knew how to put a smile on their faces no matter their mood angry? annoyed? sad? She always knew how to cheer them up, and always does it when they are needing it the most.

katie’s pov:

it had just turned around 5:15pm in France. Bella and I were on our way to the stadium to watch and cheer on caitlin and the matilda’s who were playing the usa in the olympics. Australia hadn’t had it easy with them losing their first game against germany 3-0 and then going on to narrowly beat zambia 6-5 (it wasn’t good for everyone’s nerves). But now today came another big challenge. The usa.

when we got to the stadium bella was in her pram still napping from when she fell asleep when we met caitlin’s mum,i gently started to smooth my thumb over bella’s cheek trying to wake her up (in a good mood) bella started to stir and open her eyes

“no mammy no wake yet” she said grumpily through her dummy. chuckling at her grumpiness “come on princess, you’re mummy needs her biggest supporter to cheer her on” i said to her which made her open her eyes wide. “me ‘oing to cheer mummy on mammy!” she said with a mixture of her irish and australian accent “come on then princess let get you out of your pram hm” “ye’s out mammy” she said while i started getting her out. once i got her out we walked to our seats with the rest of caitlin’s family and friends.

Shortly after warm ups, it was time for both the teams to walk out, And before we knew it, Bella started cheering (screeching) when she saw caitlin walk out of the tunnel. “mammy ook’ mummy there I see mummy!” bella said. “yeah mummy’s there princess are you going to wave at her?” I asked her “ye’s i wave at mummy,mammy” she said while waving over at caitlin who waved straight back over and blew a kiss with a massive smile across her face. Shortly after, the game kicked off.

after the game kicked off in the third minute sam coffey received a yellow card, but as the first half went on in the 43rd minute, USa scored putting them 1-0 up before the break, which Bella was not happy about. “NO! Mammy! NO!” she shouted.

I placed her on my hip and took her into the inside lounge. “I know princess I know, but mummy and your aunties have a lot of time to score after the break, we just need to be patient princess”.

“Shall we go get some food princess” “Ye’s Mammy food ease”. “Okay, let’s go get you food princess” I said as I took Bella to get food.

After bella ate her food we made our way back to our seats. Bella wanting down and went over to her grandma “granny” she said “yes munchkin” “mummy not winning right now” bella said with a pout on her face “i know munchkin, but she still has time, and we know who will be cheering her all the way” “who? Bella said with a confused face” “you silly, you’re your mummy and mammys biggest fan” “ye’s i am” Bella said, wanting down from her knees and made her way back over to katie ready for the second half to begin.

when the whistle blew for second half to begin bella was cheering right from the start again ‘go mummy! go!’ “mammy do you see mummy” bella asked “i do princess yes” in the 77th minute usa scored again making the scoreline 2-0 and bella turned her face right into my neck “mammy don’t like it” “want mummy mammy” she said to me “i know princess,i know you can see mummy soon i promise” i got bella’s dummy out her bag and gave her it. it got into the first added minute of the 90 when alanna scored for australia and bella was estatic “mammy they scored! goal mammy goal!” “i seen princess”. shortly after the final whistle went. “see mummy now mammy” bella asked me through her dummy “yes princess we will see her soon” soon after caitlin made her way over to everyone i kept me and bella behind so she could see her mum first. but bella was getting impatient and we finally got to see her.

“mummy!” bella said “hi my princess” caitlin said “mummy i cheer for you!” she said ‘i know baby i heard you” ‘mummy not win tho me sad” bella said to her “don’t be sad princess it’s okay to not win sometimes” “mummy we go home now” “yes princess we are, let mummy go get changed and then we will go home okay” she said kissing bella’s cheek “ok mummy but be quick, me want cuddles” caitlin laughed “okay princess i’ll be quick for you”

caitlinfoord just made a post

liked by katiemccabe,bethmead and others

not how we wanted this tournament to end💔 grateful for the fans continuous support and love💛 and especially grateful for my biggest supporter! mummy loves you so much💛💚

katiemccabe: we are both so proud of you❤️

like by creator

samanthakerr20: keep your head up!! Xx

liked by creator

fan1: so proud of you caitlin💛

[silverb0wties]

Lemonade - Part 5

leah williamson x alessia russo x child!reader

Summary: When something bad happens to your Mummy and Daddy, you end up living with your Aunty Lessi and Aunty Leah.  But is there room for you considering they have a new baby on the way?

Chapter Summary: the aftermath of your concussion

Warnings: pregnancy, self-harm, disordered eating, bullying

a/n: sorry if this chapter is a little bit dark in parts. if you're still reading the series, thanks so much for sticking with me. I appreciate it more than you know.

|| Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 ||

PART 5

You woke up on a plastic bed in a room that smelled like the awful cream your Mummy would rub on her legs after Netball, surrounded by a million different kinds and colours of sellotape.

You could hear voices, and you looked over to the corner of the room to find your Aunty Leah consoling your Aunty Lessi as she cried.  She looked distraught, her eyes red and puffy with tears.

“I should have known it would overwhelm her.  I was just so excited to share this with her…”

“Babe, she’s going to be okay.  We’re still learning all this, yeah?”

“But we’re meant to protect her, and… and I- I…” Aunty Lessi choked on her words before Aunty Leah cut her off.

“And I should have had a tighter grip on her when I saw she was panicking.  Like I said, we’re both still learning how to do this.  The medics said she’s got a bit of a concussion, but she’ll be alright.  We know how concussions work, so we’ve just got to keep our eyes on her and make sure she gets lots and lots of rest.”

There was a quiet knock at the door, before an important looking lady with a clipboard came in.

“Less, sorry but we need to know if you’re going to play the second half or not?” she asked.

As your Aunties turned toward the door, they realised that you were awake.

“Oh Bunny, sweetie, you’re awake.  How are you feeling?” your Aunty Lessi rushed over to you, her hands coming down to gently cradle the sides of your head.

You looked up at her a bit stunned, rather confused about why you were where you were and why everyone seemed so upset.

“Does your head hurt?  Do you feel sick or dizzy at all?” she asked, her hand softly brushing through your hair.

You tried to think about if you felt sick or dizzy, but all you could really feel was a powerful throbbing rattling through your head.  You also felt really, really tired.  But you had just woken up, so that could perhaps explain that.  You don’t remember going to sleep though, which was starting to concern you.

“I feel okay,” you replied, trying to brush away your Aunty’s concern.

“Alessia, sorry, we need t-” the lady at the door began to ask again.

“I won’t be playing, sorry.  My family is more important right now,” Aunty Lessi told her.

“Less, you should go play.  I’ll stay with Bunny and make sure she’s-”

Your Aunty Lessi whipped around to face Aunty Leah. “No, Leah.  I’m not leaving her.  She’s hurt.   We’ll get a car to take us back to the training centre so we can go home early,” she insisted firmly.

Aunty Leah replied with a sad smile and a nod.  “I’ll go get our stuff packed up then, yeah?”

“I’m okay Aunty Lessi, you should play!” you tried to insist.

“No Bunny, there would be no point in me playing anyways.  I would be so distracted out there and worrying about you I would probably kick the ball into the wrong goal by mistake.”

By the time you finally got back home that night, your head was still pounding and you were struggling to stay awake.  You were trying your hardest to be big and brave and pretend like you were okay, but as soon as you stepped into bath, your whole façade fell apart.  As the warm water lapped at your tense muscles, which you now realised you’d been clenching in an effort to distract from the pain in your head, your resolve melted and you began to weep.

You brought your knees up to your chest and dropped your head forward, your hands entwining at the back of your head as your little body shook with each sob.  The tears and jagged breaths only intensified the pain in your head though, which in turn caused more tears and jagged breaths.  You tried your hardest to stay as quiet as possible, but you were aware that your cries were becoming increasingly vocal.

There was soon a soft knock at the door, followed by your Aunty Lessi’s voice.  Whilst making sure you still got clean and dressed, your Aunties had always tried to give you your privacy while bathing and dressing, which you appreciated.  They were your Aunties, but it still felt weird being undressed around people who weren’t your parents.

“Bunny?  Are you okay?” she called through the closed door.

“It hurts” you cried in response.

“What hurts honey?”

“Everything.  My head hurts most.”

“How about we give you some medicine to make it hurt less, yeah?”

“Okay.”

“And then we can get you to bed, and you can try and get some rest, alright?”

“Okay.”

There was a short pause.  You’d assumed your Aunty had gone away to get the medicine, but then you heard her voice again.

“Bun, you don’t always have to try and be big and brave y’know?  If you’re hurting, you can tell us.  Always.  I promise you won’t be in trouble or we won’t make fun of you or anything.  We just want you to feel okay.”

“Okay.”

You didn’t fully believe her.  You wanted to, but a part of you still believed that there was only so much love and affection to go around and you needed to space that out at least until Lemonade arrived.  You didn’t want to use it all up on this incident.

So you tried your hardest to push the pain down and away as you quickly washed yourself.  You managed to get yourself up and out of the bath and wrapped in a towel before there was a knock at the door again.

“You can come in,” you mumbled, making sure the towel was secured tightly under your arms.

Your Aunty Lessi entered with a little cup filled with pink medicine and a cup of water.  She kneeled down to your height as she offered it to you.

“Now it says strawberry flavoured on the bottle, so hopefully it won’t taste too bad.”

You gingerly took the cup and gulped the medicine down, wincing at the distinctly fake strawberry taste.  You quickly grabbed the cup of water from your Aunty’s other hand and skulled that down to wash away the lingering flavour.

“Good job, Bun.  Now let’s get you into your PJ’s and into bed, yeah?”

By the time you were under the covers, arms tightly wrapped around your beloved Arthur, the pain in your head had dulled to only a mild ache.

“Goodnight sweet girl” your Aunty Lessi whispered, kissing the top of your head.

“Night Aunty Lessi” you mumbled back.

It was the first time you slept through the night without waking up to a nightmare since the fire.

--

You woke up to the smell of Aunty Lessi’s lasagne wafting through the house.  However, as you opened your eyes and came to your senses, you immediately panicked. 

You were not in your own bed. 

You were in your Aunties bed.

You had no idea how you’d come to be in their bed.  The last thing you remembered you were lying on the floor in the loungeroom studying one of the books the Arsenal girls had given you about football.  You were trying to understand where all the different positions were on the pitch and what responsibilities each position had.  You had been figuring out the difference between a centre-back and a full-back when you had… fallen asleep.

Bad. Bad. Bad.

Whilst it had been a few days now since your accident and you’d had a couple of days off school and your head no longer hurt, you were still feeling extra extra tired from your concussion.  You’d spent most of that day at school trying to hide your yawns from your teacher and classmates.  When you’d been given some free time after finishing one of your activities ahead of the rest of the class, the same group of students that always seemed to catch you at your weakest had caught you dozing off in the corner of the room where you’d been reading.  They’d tied your shoelaces together and were starting to draw on your arm when you woke up.  You hadn’t realised they’d also put rolled up pieces of paper in your hair braid until your Aunty Leah pointed them out when she picked you up.

You’d tried to brush it off and said it was just a game all the kids were playing with each other, but the concerned frown your Aunty gave you implied she didn’t quite believe your lie.

“You know you can tell us if there’s anything going wrong at school, yeah?  If anyone’s picking on you or calling you names or anything?”

You just nodded.  There was no way you would ever tell your Aunties what was really happening at school.  You would just deal with it like a big girl.  Push through.  Be brave.  They had bigger things to worry about than some kids putting paper in your hair and saying mean things.  Your Aunty Leah was growing a human AND mending her busted knee for heaven’s sake!  You could deal with some silly paper in your hair.

When you’d got back to the house, you went straight to your room to undo your braid and pluck all the little pieces of paper from your hair.  You’d counted them (23 in total) before scrunching them up and throwing them in the little wastepaper basket beside your desk. 

As the paper hit the basket, a tiny ball of raging heat began bubbling in your chest.  You didn’t know what to do with it or how to describe it, but it made you want to stomp your feet and hit a wall and scratch at your skin.  You’d never been the best at describing emotions, but you were pretty certain this wasn’t sadness.  Perhaps, this was anger? Frustration? Disappointment? 

The tiny ball continued to bubble and grow as you lunged for your bed where Arthur lay.  You attempted desperately to use your tried and tested method of rubbing his ear against your cheek to calm the feeling, and whilst it felt nice, it did nothing to soothe your need to stomp or hit or scratch.

You searched your room urgently for something else to ease the searing heat in your chest, even gulping down the remnants of a cup of water on your bedside table.  But nothing worked.  You needed to stomp or hit or scratch.  You knew couldn’t stomp your feet or hit a wall, because that would be loud, and your Aunty would hear and come ask what was wrong.  So, you decided to scratch. 

You had to pick somewhere not too visible so that if you left a mark, nobody would see and ask what happened.  So, you tugged up the hem of your school dress and pushed down your tights and began scratching at the skin at the top of your right thigh.

The relief was instant. 

The second your nails dug into your flesh, the little ball of heat in your chest began to cool.  You scratched and scratched, and scratched some more until it finally, finally disappeared.  By the time you eventually stopped, your skin was stinging, and your fingers were cramping.  But the little ball of heat was gone, and that was all that mattered.

There was a gentle knock on the door as you speedily pulled your tights back up, wincing as they brushed against your newly tender skin.

Your Aunty Leah popped her head in through the door, “Bun, do you want a snack? I got some blueberry muffins from the bakery…”

“Oh… um, yeah, I’ll be right down, just getting that paper out of my hair,” you mumbled, quickly running your fingers through the ends of your messy blonde mane.

“Alright, I’ll pop them in the microwave to warm them up,” she replied before heading back downstairs to do so.

As you heard her footsteps fade away, you turned around and pulled your tights down again, trying with all your might not to release a pained noise as the fabric ripped away from your newly raw skin.  The area you’d scratched was an angry red colour and the skin seemed wet, but there was no blood, which whilst a relief, made no sense to you.

Not wanting to keep your Aunty waiting, you hastily pulled your tights the rest of the way off and threw them in your laundry hamper.  The house was warm enough, but you decided to grab your soft little blanket that had purple and grey clouds, as well as the book on football you had been reading and the little notebook you’d been making notes in (and Arthur of course), and head downstairs.

“Perfect timing Bun, just took them out of the microwave.  Do you want a drink?”

“I’m okay.  Thank you, Aunty Leah, this looks lovely” you replied, climbing up onto a stool in front of the kitchen bench where a little plate with a yummy looking blueberry muffin sat.

“Well, we all know the kitchen is Aunty Lessi’s domain.  That woman can cook like a dream!  But I’m not too shabby at picking out a good pastry.  I guess you could say bread and bread-adjacent foods are my domain,” she teased.

You giggled as you tucked into your muffin, appreciating your Aunty Leah’s silly jokes about how bad at cooking she was and how limited the range of foods she ate was.  Your extended family often seemed to tease her a bit about being a picky eater and she would usually laugh it off or join in on the joke.  But you knew it was something she was actually a bit self-conscious about. 

A few days into your stay here you’d gone to the fridge to grab some milk for your cereal and had accidentally knocked a container off a shelf.  As you bent down to pick it up, you noticed a little letter stuck to the lid that read “Leah, my love, it’s okay if you can’t eat this.  I know you tried and I’m proud of you.  Please just make sure you eat something or at least have a protein smoothie.  For you and for ‘L’.  Love you – xx Less.”  You’d immediately felt guilty for reading it as you rushed to put it back on the shelf, knowing you’d intruded on a bit of your Auntie’s privacy.  You’d seen a few similar little notes stuck to containers since then.  At the time you’d been very confused about what “for you and for ‘L’” meant, but you had since figured out it meant ‘for you and for Lemonade’. 

When you finished your muffin, you wriggled off the stool and headed over to place your plate in the dishwasher.

“Are you done with your plate too, Aunty Leah?” you offered.

“Oh, thanks sweetie, you didn’t have to do that,” she replied as she passed you her plate with a smile.  “Feel free to watch something on the telly if you want.  I’ve got a bit of boring adult housework stuff to catch up on before Aunty Lessi gets home.”

“Is there anything you need help with?” you asked.

“No, no.  I’ve just got to do a couple of loads of laundry and there’s no way I would make you deal with Aunty Lessi’s gross smelly training socks!  It’s bad enough poor little Lemonade is stuck with me and can’t escape from it,” she laughed, jokingly shielding her belly from the smell.

“Is it okay if I just read in the loungeroom?” you asked.

“Of course it is!  Just remember if your head starts to hurt or you’re feeling too tired or anything, to have a rest, yeah?” she smiled at you, stroking her fingers affectionately through your hair.

“I will, thank you.”

So, you made yourself comfortable in a little spot on the loungeroom floor, surrounded by a couple of cushions, the blanket you’d brought down from your room and, of course, Arthur.  Soon you were laying on your belly, nose deep in the book and jotting down notes in your notebook all about what a penalty shootout was and what circumstances led to one.  You drew a little picture of the goal and the line markings and where the goalie had to stand and where the other players had to stand, before turning back to the book to read about in-game penalties when slowly but suddenly you… were… asleep.

The next thing you knew you were waking up in your Auntie’s bed to the smell of your Aunty Lessi’s lasagna.

The realisation hit you like a hundred bolts of lightning.

You’d slept in someone else bed.

Bad. Bad. Bad.

Bad things happen when you sleep in someone else’s bed.

The last time you’d slept in someone else’s bed, your house burned down, and your Mummy and Daddy had died.

You jumped out of the bed as though it was burning you, panic rattling all through your little body.

“Bad. Bad. Bad.”

Your right hand began hitting at the side of your head before you even knew it was happening.

“Bad. Bad. Bad.”

Your other hand clawed at the skin of your neck, scratching determinedly at the tender skin there.

“Bad! Bad! Bad!”

You tried so hard to stop them, but your feet began to stomp loudly, your whole body seemingly moving with a mind of its own.  Everything around you seemed like it was spinning.  You thought you could smell smoke and when your eyes began to water you weren’t sure if it was because you were crying or if it was because there was actually smoke. 

You vaguely heard a commotion and saw the door swing open, but everything around you continued to spin making you feel like throwing up.  You couldn’t throw up in your Auntie’s bedroom!

“Bad! Bad! Bad!”

“Bunny?  Sweetie, what’s going on?”

You could hear your Aunty Lessi’s voice and feel her presence, but the only word you could think was ‘BAD’.

“Bad! Bad! Bad!”

The word kept falling from your lips and you continued to stomp and hit and scratch.

“Okay, Bun.  I’m going pick you up so you stop hurting yourself sweetie.  I need to make you nice and safe, alright?”

Again, you heard your Aunty but all you could think was ‘BAD’.

“Bad! Bad! Bad!”

Carefully you felt your Aunty wrap her arms around you, trapping your arms and lifting you off the ground.  You struggled as your body fought to keep hitting and scratching and stomping, but she gently tugged your hands away from your neck and head, tucking them tightly against her chest.

“You’re okay, lovely.  You’re safe, I promise.  It’s just you, me and Aunty Leah here okay.  Nothing bad is going to happen alright?  We’re safe.  You’re safe.  Everything’s okay…”

“Bad. Bad. Bad.”

“What do you mean by bad, Bun?” Aunty Lessi asked.

You shook your head, unable to explain yourself.  All you could say was “bad.”

“Oh sweetie, you haven’t done anything bad.  You’re not in any kind of trouble.  I promise.  And nothing bad is going to happen either, okay?” she whispered.

You began to slowly unclench in her arms, comforted by the soothing way she was swaying gently.  Eventually you opened your eyes to see your Aunty Leah standing in the doorway watching on, her face red and blotchy as though she’d been crying.

You immediately came back into your body, realising whatever you’d just done had upset your Aunty Leah.  You tried to wriggle slightly to free yourself from your Aunty Lessi’s grip, but she tightened her hold.

“Not yet sweetie.  I need to what’s going on?  What happened?” she asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed with you in her lap.

“I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry.  I didn’t mean to be bad and upset Aunty Leah.  I’m so sorry.  I promise I’ll be good.  I promise.”

“Darling, you didn’t upset me” your Aunty Leah assured you as she came over to sit next to Aunty Lessi on the bed.

“But your face is blotchy like you’ve been crying” you replied, your Aunty Lessi finally loosening her grip on her as your reached toward Aunty Leah.

“Well, it’s because I have been, but it’s not because you upset me.  I’m just worried about you is all.  Why were you hurting yourself?” she asked, taking your hand in hers.

“I just had to.  I don’t know.  I just did.  I was bad.”  You jumped off Aunty Lessi’s lap and started pacing on the floor in front of her and Aunty Leah.   “I woke up in this bed and I had no idea why I was in your bed and all I could think was ‘bad’ and I just did it without realising.”

“I washed your sheets and they’re in the dryer.  So, when you fell asleep on the loungeroom floor, I just put you in here for your nap.  I didn’t mean for it to upset you so much, sweetie,” Aunty Leah explained, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

“You didn’t upset me, I just I don’t want you and Aunty Lessi and Lemonade to die too!”

You heard your Aunties gasp at your explanation, but you just kept pacing, trying to figure out a way to stop the inevitable from happening.

“Bunny, oh my goodness, why would Aunty Leah and Lemonade and I die because you had a nap in our bed?”

“Because that’s what happened when I slept in Mummy and Daddy’s bed!”

You watched as your Aunties exchanged a series of looks.  The seemed confused and shocked, which was confusing and shocking to you, because it all seemed so obvious.

“Darling, your Mummy and Daddy didn’t die because you slept in their bed,” Aunty Leah tried to tell you.

“Yes, they did!  They did.  They DID!  I know they did!  It’s the only thing different I did that night from all the other nights.  I had done so so good all summer getting into my big girl routine and kept it up really well for the first couple of weeks of school.  But then… then I slipped up, and I was bad and I asked to sleep in bed with Mummy and Daddy that night.  And and th- the fire happened.  And if I had of been in my own room, I could have got myself out.  Because we’d practiced.  Daddy made sure we practiced.  And and and then… then Da-Daddy wouldn’t have needed to get me out and he could have helped Mummy because of her leg.  And they could have got out too.  But I was bad.  I slept in a bed that wasn’t mine.  When I should have just slept in my own bed, like a good girl.  Like a big girl.  And now they’re dead.  They’re both dead.  And it’s my fault.  And now what if you die too!?”

[starsjulia]

angel chapter one // calm before the storm

leah williamson x child!reader

masterlist

a/n : my first chapter in this little series i’ve been working on, decided to make the first one a short and sweet one, though i fear that’s going to change

warnings : none!

Leah Williamson stood at the edge of the football pitch, her boots planted firmly in the grass as she watched her daughter run across the field, her little legs pumping with all the energy she could muster. Five-year-old Angel was a bundle of life and laughter, her golden curls bouncing with every step. Dressed in a miniature version of her mum’s Arsenal jersey, with “Angel” printed across the back, she was the perfect embodiment of joy, brightening the world around her. Leah had made sure to get her a headband that matched her own, knowing that Angel loved to imitate everything her mum did.

“Mummy, Muma, watch this!” Angel called, her voice high and bright, echoing across the field. She kicked a small ball toward the goalposts, her concentration etched on her face. It wasn’t much of a kick, but it was enough to make Leah’s heart swell with pride. Angel had recently discovered the thrill of scoring a goal, even if it was just a soft tap against the grass.

“I’m watching, love! That was amazing!” Leah cheered, clapping her hands and glancing over at her teammates, who had gathered on the sidelines after their training session. The Arsenal Women’s team had become accustomed to Angel’s presence at the pitch; she had become their little mascot, the team’s ray of sunshine.

“She’s gets better every time,” Vivianne Miedema said, leaning against the fence with a fond smile on her face. The sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky, casting a warm glow over the pitch. “You’ll have her in the academy soon, Leah.”

Leah grinned, brushing a stray hair behind her ear. “Hell yeah, she’s already talking about playing for Arsenal one day,” she replied, her voice tinged with a mother’s boundless hope. “She’s got her head set on the Emirates.”

“Just like her mum,” Katie teased, giving Leah’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. The bond between the players was strong, forged through years of teamwork and shared dreams. They often joked that Leah was the team’s backbone, holding them together on and off the pitch. But today, it felt as if Angel was the glue binding everyone with her radiant spirit.

The other Arsenal players treated Angel like their own little sister. Leah’s best friend, Lia, always kept a stash of Angel’s favorite candies in their bags, while Lisa patiently taught her new tricks with the football whenever she came to practice. Every time Leah looked over at her daughter, she felt a wave of warmth wash over her. Angel had even started calling some of the players by the nicknames they used for each other. “Auntie Wally” was a regular visitor at Leah and Angel’s house, often coming over for dinners that inevitably turned into long evenings of cartoons and laughter.

“Can I try again?” Angel asked, running back to Leah with a determined glint in her eyes. Leah nodded, her heart swelling as she watched Angel’s tiny feet stampede back toward the goal. She stood tall, arms crossed, as if she were preparing for battle. Leah had never seen anyone so fiercely competitive, even at such a young age.

“Go on, Angel! You’ve got this!” Leah shouted, the words echoing off the surrounding buildings.

Angel took a deep breath, her face scrunching in concentration, and then charged forward. With a swift kick, she sent the ball sailing toward the net, where it rolled gently against the post and stopped just shy of the goal line. A chorus of cheers erupted from Leah’s teammates, and Leah couldn’t help but join in, clapping her hands and laughing.

“You were so close! That was really good baby”

“I can do it, Mummy! I just need to practice more!” Angel declared, her blue eyes sparkling with determination.

Leah planted a kiss on her daughter’s cheek. “That’s the spirit! You keep practicing, and soon you’ll be scoring goals for Arsenal!”

As they made their way off the pitch, Leah looked around, noticing the faded lines painted on the grass, the worn-out goalposts that had seen countless games, and the crisp, cool air that carried the promise of another beautiful day. This was their sanctuary, a place where Leah had spent countless hours honing her skills and nurturing her passion. And now, it was also Angel’s playground.

“Can we get please ice cream?” Angel asked, her voice bubbling with excitement.

“Sure sweet! Anything for my little champion,” Leah replied, laughing as she turned to the counter. They ordered their ice creams and found a cozy table by the window, sunlight streaming in and illuminating Angel’s face.

As they sat together, indulging in their sweet treats, Leah couldn’t shake the feeling of contentment. It was moments like this that made all the hard work worth it. She watched Angel, who was animatedly describing her favorite parts of the day—the goal attempts, the cheering teammates, and her plans for the future.

“Mummy, when I grow up, can I play for Arsenal and wear your number?” Angel asked, her eyes gleaming with admiration.

“I know you will, love” Leah explained, her heart swelling with pride.

“I’ll be the best player ever! And I’ll help my friends, just like you do!” Angel declared, her little voice brimming with determination.

As Leah listened to her daughter, she felt a sense of hope that made her heart soar. She promised herself that no matter what challenges lay ahead, she would be there for Angel, nurturing her dreams and instilling in her the strength to pursue them.

But as the sun began to set, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink, Leah couldn’t help but feel a flicker of unease. She wanted to protect Angel from any pain or hardship that life might throw their way. In that moment, she made a silent vow to be the strongest mother she could be, no matter what challenges lay ahead.

With ice cream smeared across their faces and laughter ringing in the air, Leah and Angel left the shop, hand in hand, ready to embrace whatever adventures awaited them. Even if they would be the toughest either would have to face.

[lvnleah]

could you please write a hc of mcfoord toddler maybe like readers first day of preschool and she gets hurt?

Tiny scrapes | Caitlin Foord x Katie McCabe.

word count: 700

Your morning started like any other, waking up to the soft sounds of your mums moving around the house. Caitlin was already in the kitchen, making you your favourite breakfast—pancakes with a little bit of syrup. You sat in your chair, still a little sleepy, as Mummy smiled at you.

“Ready for a big day at preschool, kiddo?” she asked, handing you a plate.

You nodded your head, “Mhm! I can’t wait to see all my friends.”

Katie came in a moment later, her hair still damp from her shower. She ruffled your hair as she sat beside you with her own plate of breakfast.

“It’s going to be a good day, kid. We’ll pick you up after training, so be good for your teachers, alright?” she said. You nodded eagerly between bites of pancake.

Once breakfast was done, Caitlin helped you get dressed and into your coat while Katie grabbed your backpack. The three of you headed out the door, and as always, you held both of their hands.

The drive to preschool was filled with the usual chatter. Caitlin asked you what you wanted to do today at school, and you told her about the swings and how you were going to be the fastest runner.

Katie laughed, “That’s my girl, the fastest runner on the playground.”

When you arrived at preschool, Caitlin knelt down to kiss your cheek. “Be good, little one,” she said, her voice soft as she hugged you tight.

Katie did the same, giving you a quick kiss on the top of your head. “We’ll see you later, kiddo. Have fun!”

The day started like any other at preschool. You played with your friends, built towers with blocks, and sang songs during circle time. Everything was going well until it was time to go outside for a break.

The playground was your favourite, and you were ready to show everyone how fast you could run. You darted around, pretending to be a superhero, your cape (which was really just a coat) flapping behind you.

But as you ran toward the swings, your foot caught on a tree root you hadn’t seen. Before you could stop yourself, you tumbled forward, landing hard on your hands and knees. The sting of the fall hit you all at once. You looked down at your knee, seeing a scrape with a bit of blood, and tears sprang to your eyes.

Your teacher rushed over, helping you up and giving you a comforting hug. “It’s okay. Let’s go inside and clean that up.”

But it hurt, and all you could think about was wanting Caitlin and Katie. The teacher called them, and while you waited, she gave you some ice and a drink, but nothing felt right.

Not long after, Caitlin and Katie arrived. They both came rushing in, eyes full of worry. Caitlin was the first to scoop you into her arms.

“Aw, sweetheart, what happened?” she asked, kissing your head as she held you close. Her voice was gentle, but you could hear the concern.

“Fell over,” you mumbled, sniffling a little, “Knee hurts, Mummy.”

Katie crouched beside you, looking at your knee with a frown. “Ach, that looks like it hurts,” she said “We’ll get you home, get that all cleaned up, eh?.”

Katie carried you out to the car, holding you tight as you rested your head against her shoulder. Once you were in the car, Caitlin kept a close eye on you from the front seat, turning around every few minutes to check if you were alright.

Instead of going home, though, they took you to the training ground. You were feeling a little better now that you were with them, but your knee still hurt. When you got there, Caitlin and Katie took you straight to the medical room. The team’s medic was gentle, cleaning your knee while Caitlin kept you distracted.

Katie held your hand the whole time, “You’re a tough one, aren’t ya, kiddo?” she said with a smile. “Braver than most of the players, eh!”

Once your knee was bandaged up and you’d had a big cuddle from both of them, you felt much better. Your bear even got his own little bandage while you got a little crayon plaster.

Caitlin kissed your forehead. “There’s my brave girl,” she said proudly. “How about you stay here with us and watch training?”

So, for the rest of the day, you sat on the sidelines with a snack in hand, cheering whenever Caitlin or Katie did something amazing to you on the field. Caitlin would give you a wave every time she looked your way, and Katie always made sure to pull funny faces at you when she ran past.

By the end of the day, you’d forgotten all about your scraped knee. You had your Mummy and Mama with you, and that made everything better.

[insomniakisses]

alphas beth and viv with pup reader when she joins arsenal hcs pls?

-🩷

Moon, Mama and Pa

Warnings/Notes: Changed it from HCs to a little Hc / Drabble about living with them for Moon & Sunshine day. Omegaverse au, Alpha Beth x pup!reader, omega viv x pup!reader, Found family, pup!reader / child!reader

Moving in with Beth and Viv, had seamed daunting. Terrifying even. At least until you actually got there. The house was homely and welcoming just like its occupants. They showed you to the spare room the second they’d brought you back from that hell hole you called an apartment.

Beth had started dinner when you all got in, stating judging by the state of your fridge you needed proper food. Viv took you on a mini tour, stating that the spare room was yours now for as long as you wanted it and that you could all look for some decorations to make it more homely.

You were overwhelmed, truthfully, you never expected to be shown such kindness from strangers. Sure, they were your teammates but that didn’t mean that they were necessarily required to help.

Sure enough, by the end of the week you had gone shopping and picked out a few things with Viv. She was someone you found yourself gravitating to. She felt the same about you. It was strange, Beth was usually the friendlier on, always making friends and drawing people in. And you did like Beth. It was hard not to, but with Viv it was different. The immediate sense of family you had with her was unmatched.

You had found a home with them, with the whole team really but Beth and Viv took on the  most motherly roles with you.

Waking you up before training with food and forehead kisses, driving you to the training grounds, always carrying your favourite snacks and always so aware of how you were feeling.

It started as a little inside joke with you and the 3 that Viv was like a dad, she really did act like one even down to the dad jokes and mannerisms. But then the longer you stayed with them the more she felt like an actual parent.

The teasing “Alright dad” followed by a playful eye roll was soon replaced with a soft “okay, Pa” and a kiss to her cheek as you scurried of to do who knows what with Kyra.

The term was the Dutch word for “dad” and it had her routed to the spot mouth open slightly, Beth cooed beside her girlfriend giving her a soft shoulder squeeze when Viv’s eyes watered. Her soft murmurs of “pup….my pup… My pup..” making Beth melt.

The next time Viv saw you was at home, you having gotten a lift from Steph, and the second you entered the lounge you were pulled into a bone crushing hug from your Pa.

You couldn’t help but giggle, trying to wiggle free to no avail and you might have escaped if you hadn’t let a yell of “Mama help me!” escape followed by reaching for Beth.

Because now you had another set of strong arms encasing you as you were pulled to the couch. Forced to sit between a Mama and Pa sandwich getting face kisses and your head nuzzled.

A parental scenting ritual that relaxed you immediately soft pup purrs escaping as you grew tired, barely registering Beth tell you to sleep and that Mama and Pa would be there when you awoke.

After that the nicknames became common place, you were home with your parents, and you’d never felt happier and safer. And OFC they bragged that they got nicknames first.

[crochetnerdsworld]

Besties (Alyssa Naeher x Kellex Child Reader)

Y/N has adored her Aunt Alyssa since she was a newborn and always follows her around at camp. Chaotic toddler adorableness ensues.

From the moment Y/N Y/M/N O'Hara-Morgan met her Aunt Alyssa, the goalkeeper was her favorite aunt. Alyssa was immediately smitten with the tiny baby in her arms, swaddled in a pink blanket with soccer balls all over it. 

Y/N soon became a fixture at matches and USWNT camps. While Y/N showed love to all her aunties, adoring being held and played with, she would always go to Alyssa when given the choice. Even after many bribing attempts by other players, Alyssa remained her favorite aunt. 

Y/N, who just turned two, arrives for camp in Alex's arms, dressed in a white shirt with little overalls, and hair pulled back into pigtails. Kelley is behind them, lugging the bags. Y/N squeals as they enter the conference room where everyone is gathering. The toddler begins squirming, so Alex sets her down and chuckles as Y/N takes off, toddling her way toward Alyssa who is talking with Becky and Emily Sonnett, blanket clutched in hand.

"Hey Uncle, your bestie is here," Emily teases, pointing out the toddler. 

"Hey there, little one. Did you have a good flight?" Alyssa asks as she scoops up the toddler, smiling at Alex and Kelley as they join the small group.

"Someone decided that plane rides mean it's time to screech, so..." Alex sighs. "She was a total troublemaker. I blame Kelley for that side of her, though,"

"Rude! I thought you loved me, Alex!," Kelley replies, "Honestly, I'm just glad they didn't kick us off, though".

Soon, it is time for dinner. Y/N eats her mac and cheese happily, strapped into a high chair seat at a table with her moms, her Aunt Becky, and of course, her Aunt Alyssa. The night ends with Y/N waving bye-bye to everyone as her moms carry her up to their hotel room for bedtime.

******

"Y/N Y/M/N O'Hara Morgan! You get back here!" Alex calls after her toddler.

In the locker room post-warm-ups, she was attempting to put a Naeher shirt on Y/N for the upcoming friendly game against England, but the little girl heard a familiar voice in the hall and took off in just a diaper and pair of shorts. She giggles as she crashes into Alyssa's legs.

"Hi there, you little rascal. You can't be my mascot without a shirt on, can you? We'll match!," Alyssa asks, tickling the child's tummy. "Come on. Let's go see your mom and get your shirt on." 

Alex rolls her eyes playfully as she takes the toddler. Between her and Alyssa, they manage to get Y/N dressed in her shirt and velcro rainbow light up sneakers strapped onto her feet. They pass her off to the youngins, who delight in playing with her until it's time to walk onto the field. Kelley quickly puts a pair of blue sparkly noise-canceling headphones on Y/N, kissing her head and handing her to Alyssa.

"You excited, Y/N/N?" Alyssa asks, bouncing the small child as they walk onto the field.

Y/N grins throughout both national anthems, staring around with wide-eyed amazement. Alyssa sets her down when it's time for the mascots to get off the field, and she toddles towards Kelley, who won't be playing today. The game starts, and the next time Alyssa glances over in Y/N's direction, she is fast asleep in Kelley's arms, dressed in her little Naeher jersey. 

[wlwsoccerfics]

Dance Party(RachelDalyXSarahMaylingXKidReader)

AN: i know it's short but i hope you like it. If you do there will be more of them .

Summary: you and your moms have a fun dance party

You ran into your mommies bedroom. Your stuffed Giraffe 'georgie' in your arms .

"Mommy? Momma? Can we have a Taylor Swift dance Party?" You asked them. Climbing into bed with them. Giggling softly.

Your Mommies both cuddle you close.

"First cuddles! Then dance Party!" Your momma(Sarah) said. Smiling at you. You smiled back .

"i agree with momma!" Your Mommy(Rachel) told you.

"okay momma! Okay Mommy! And then Taylor Swift!" Three year old you replied.

You cuddled for around half an hour before you were ready to have a dance Party so you told Alexa to put on 'The Man' by Taylor. Which was one of your favorite songs. You climbed out of bed and started dancing in front of the bed, singing along. You moms watched you for a Moment before getting out of bed to join you. Singing and dancing around with you. This was so exciting.

"you are such a good Dancer, short stuff!" Your Mommy told you. You giggle softly.

"Mommy i am nots short! Momma always says i am a big Girl!" You answered and held your Arms Up in the Air, getting on your tippy toes. Both your mommies laughed softly.

"that's right sweet Girl! I do say that! But mommies sometimes have a hard time seeing their Babies grow up so they say things like that!" Your momma explained.

"oh! That makes sense! Mommy is worried i am gonna be taller then her and she has to sit in the carseat in the back of the Car!" You answered, smiling softly. Which got another round of laughter from your moms. You weren't exactly sure why. But you were quite glad that you made them happy.

It was now time for breakfast and you helped your Mommy make the scrambled eggs. While your momma Made the Pancakes.

"Mommy? Momma? Can i get a Hamster please?" You asked while mixing the eggs with a bit of milk and some spices.

"we have to think about that a bit more, so no promises!" Your momma answered.

"but we gonna take our time to discuss it!" Your Mommy stated.

"okay. That does sound fair!" You told them.

You all had breakfast together and your moms said you would go on a walk today before they had to leave for practice.

After breakfast you put on some fresh clothes, a Paw Patrol Hoodie, some blue Jeans and some black High top Vans. And a Jacket, a Beanie and a scarf of course. It was really cold after all. You walked in front of your mommies. A football under your Arms. Running towards the entrance of the Park. Putting the ball in front of your feet and kicking it around happily. You actually were quite good and would start playing on a little Team soon.

"Mommy! Momma! Play with me?" You asked and kick the ball over to them.

"you really got such a strong kick, Angel!" Your Momma answered. You giggled softly.

"thank you! I got that from you and Mommy!" You replied.

"Sure Thing! You want to be a footballer growing Up?" Your Mommy asked. You nodded your head yes.

"uh yes! I want to be just like you and momma!" You told them.

You played for a little while before having to get Home and getting ready for practice. You were gonna join them today. Something you were really excited about.

[jade4956]

Off to England Camp

Keira Walsh glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall, her coffee mug warming her hands as she took a slow sip. 6:47 AM. They needed to leave for the airport by 11, which meant they had a few hours to get everything sorted.

“Kalani, love, you want toast or cereal?” Keira called over her shoulder, knowing full well their nearly four-year-old daughter was far too excited about today to care about breakfast.

“CEREAL PLEASE MUMMY!” Kalani’s voice rang out from the hallway, followed by the rapid pitter-patter of her feet against the hardwood floor. She sprinted into the kitchen, wearing her favorite Lionesses hoodie—three sizes too big. Her brown curls bounced wildly as she climbed onto her chair at the table, a wide grin spread across her face.

Keira set the bowl in front of her, ruffling her curls. “Excited, are you?”

Kalani beamed. “Yes! I get to see Auntie Gee! And Auntie Lessi, and Auntie Tooney, and Auntie Leah—”

“I get the idea,” Keira chuckled, exchanging an amused look with Lucy, who had just walked in, still in her pajamas, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “Morning, Mama,” Kalani added through a mouthful of cereal.

“Morning, baby,” Lucy mumbled, pressing a quick kiss to Kalani’s forehead before moving toward the coffee machine. “We still need to pack, don’t we?”

Keira groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

The bedroom was a mess, suitcases half-packed, clothes strewn across the bed, Kalani’s tiny Barcelona jersey somehow wedged between Keira’s England training tops.

“Kalani, love, we have to pack your bag too,” Keira reminded her as she folded a few extra pairs of socks into her suitcase.

Kalani gasped dramatically, as if she had completely forgotten. She raced over to her tiny pink suitcase and started stuffing it with random things, her favorite Lionesses shirt, one of her stuffed animals, a random book, and, to Keira’s horror, a single football boot.

“Baby, you need two boots,” Keira pointed out, laughing.

“Oh,” Kalani blinked, then shrugged. “I don’t know where the other one is.”

Lucy, already in full mum mode, started looking under the bed. “How do you lose one football boot?”

Keira sighed, grabbing Kalani’s England kit from the laundry pile. “Alright, we’ll figure it out later. What else do you want to bring?”

Kalani’s eyes lit up as she grabbed her England bucket hat. “This! So Auntie Gee knows I’m her biggest fan!”

Lucy smirked. “I think Georgia already knows.”

Kalani giggled, shoving the hat into her suitcase.

By 10:15 AM, they were nearly done. Kalani was bouncing around the house, too excited to sit still, while Keira and Lucy double-checked their bags.

“Mummy, Mama, hurry up!” Kalani whined, standing by the front door, gripping her little suitcase handle like she was ready to go alone if necessary.

Keira chuckled, crouching to zip up Kalani’s jacket. “Alright, alright, we’re almost ready.”

Lucy grabbed Kalani’s little hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Are you sure you’re ready for all the hugs you’re about to get? Because I think Auntie Gee might actually tackle you when she sees you.”

Kalani giggled. “I love Auntie Gee’s hugs!”

Keira smiled, adjusting her bag strap over her shoulder. “Then let’s go, love. Time to see the Lionesses.”

Kalani squealed in excitement, gripping both of their hands as they stepped out the door. England camp awaited, and she couldn’t wait for every second of it.

—————————————————————————

I’m not sure about this fic I didn’t exactly write it how I wanted to but I hope you liked it and I will write more if people want

[leahsgf]

LOSS - mcfoord

mcfoord x child!reader | ireland doesn’t qualify for the euros

little monster masterlist

the energy rippling through the aviva stadium could only be described as electric. the stands, filled almost to the brim by a wave of green, were almost shaking - the sheer noise of the fans bouncing off of every corner.

amongst the chaos and stress of the ireland fans, sat you, perched on caitlin’s lap in the designated ‘mccabe family’ box - a mini ireland scarf clutched in your grasp, and a flag painted on your cheek, now rosy with the sheer bitterness of the dublin air.

katie stood on the pitch metres below, proudly wearing the captain’s armband for her country, and doing what she does best - even if that meant making everyone watch whilst wincing as she teetered on the edge of a second yellow card within minutes.

even at two years old, you understood somewhat how important this game, and this team was to her. it was your entire life in fact - your mother’s bursting passion for her country was engrained in you, having been told one night as she tucked you into your ‘big girl bed’, in the softest voice, how much it meant to her to wear the green jersey, how her team’s hard work was slowly but surely paying off, and, how important it was that you pick ireland over australia, of course.

(the most katie mccabe bed time story imaginable)

and despite how much they both attempted to shield you from the pressure of football, and tonight in particular- you were very much sensing it.

“can you see your mammy down there? she’s doing amazing, like always” caitlin pulled your green (of course) ear defenders away from your head as she whispered in your ear, pointing down to the pitch - whilst rocking you softly, attempting to distract herself from the stress of the game as the minutes dragged on.

the match was only getting more and more intense, every single pass and tackle becoming a battle as ireland fought for a goal, for anything, and wales fought to hold them off. caitlin’s grip on you tightened as full time rapidly approached - leaning forward nervously, as if she could already feel the incoming devastation, as your little eyes darted around, watching every desperate throw in intensely (despite not having a clue what they were doing, you just thought it looked fun)

before long the final whistle blew, and the stadium fell into almost an eerie silence. even your family around you, who had been bellowing and singing the entire time - were completely mute, and that was something you’d never experienced before.

katie practically collapsed down onto her knees on the pitch as the reality sunk in - her face in her hands, sobbing - with many of her fellow players doing the same, their long awaited euros dream well and truly shattered. you simply couldn’t grasp why the cheers had stopped, or why they weren’t kicking the ball around any more.

“why mammy sad?” you turn in the australian’s arms, picking up instantly on her own saddened expression, your tiny voice sounding so loud amongst the quiet - almost piercing the tension with a knife.

caitlin’s heart ached, not only for her partner but also for you, breaking at the idea of explaining this to you when you’d been so excited for weeks about this - adoring absolutely everything that your mammy did, being her little double.

“she’s a bit upset because her team didn’t win.” she spoke gently, “she really wanted this, like she’s been telling you.”

you frowned, clutching your scarf tighter, whimpering slightly at the thought of her being sad without you with her to make it better.

“go there?” you point down to the pitch, shifting to try and climb down, leaning forward to grip the barrier in front of the seat - caitlin almost instantly pulling you back, earning a whine in response.

“let’s wait a little bit pudding, kay? she’s still on the field, we’ll go and find her soon, don’t worry” she stroked your hair softly, suddenly standing up with you balanced on her hip, taking you away from the seats and back inside, away from the chaos for just a moment, bouncing you lightly, knowing all too well that if you can see katie without being able to be with her for a second longer you’ll be quickly on your way to a meltdown.

-

after a short while, and the heartbroken ireland team slowly started to filter out of the locker room, not wanting to spend another minute drowning in the overwhelming sadness - katie remained planted in her seat. the sting of this defeat cut her particularly deep, not solely because of the loss, but also because of everything in her that she’d poured into this campaign, into being captain in general - the sacrifices, the hours of extra training, and the dreams of being the one to lead her country to something bigger, something they deserve - all of it.

sat on the bench with her head in her hands, her chest rose and fell unevenly, and tears continued to stream down her cheeks as every emotion under the sun swirled through her head.

the door swinging open broke her out of her train of thoughts - revealing a very concerned, almost tearful looking caitlin, with you bundled in her arms.

“katie?”

the irish woman’s head snapped up instantly, her red rimmed eyes meeting the piercingly blue ones of her girlfriend, getting lost in them like she always did. the mere sight of the pair of you - her family, of the little, now smeared ireland flag painted on your face, only made her tears flow faster, the remains of her resolve crumbling.

you wriggled in caitlin’s arms as katie stood up, collecting the remains of her stuff - not wanting to hang around anymore either, reaching out for her desperately.

her arms opened in an instant, allowing you to be passed over into them before even a slight whimper could leave your lips, burying her face into your tiny shoulder as she sobbed a little more, muffled by your warmth, holding you almost impossibly close to her chest.

“it’s okay mammy, no cry” you babble, your words accenting your wonderfully weirdly blended accent, patting her cheek softly, causing the woman to let out a shaky laugh through her tears. “you the best” your little brow furrowed as you continued, poking at the tears on her cheek, having not quite learned how to ‘wipe them away’ properly just yet.

“oh my sweet girl, thank you” she nuzzled her nose against your cheek, pressing a kiss to your forehead as the three of you made your way slowly towards the car, wanting nothing more than to just be away from all of this.

caitlin watched silently as katie buckled you into your car seat, tickling you softly and kissing your cheek, lingering for a second longer than usual, as if she was delaying the inevitable hard part, where she’ll have to process this without an innocent, clueless toddler to distract her.

“you’ve done so much, love, you’ve made them all so proud, you’ve made us proud. you’ve made that little girl so proud - all she’s talked about all day is you.” caitlin wrapped her arms around the irish woman almost immediately after she closed your car door, rubbing her back comfortingly.

“thank you baby, i needed that, thank you for being here. i know you’re probably exhausted.” she sniffled, knowing that her girlfriend flew straight from australia to dublin to be here for her - before moving around to the passenger side, an unfamiliar one to her - but she wasn’t in the headspace to be in charge of a vehicle, not right now.

the drive back to the hotel (that was more of a stopover before you all head back to london in the morning then anything) was an unfamiliarly quiet one, the mood that settled sombre in stark comparison to the constant loop of ‘baby shark’, a personal favourite of yours - that boomed out of the speakers in order to keep you content.

-

the evening drew in with a lot of tears and hugs from all three of you at different moments - curled up in the plush of the hotel bed, watching some disney movie you’d all seen a million times over - your parents trying to keep the mood fairly light for you, knowing the walls would come crashing down once you were asleep.

despite this, you could sense that your mammy was still sad. very sad. she usually was constantly playing with you, making you screech with giggles, even when you were meant to be getting ready to go to bed and calming down for the night, but tonight she was just quiet, barely saying a word as caitlin got you ready for bed.

“come on then sweetheart, sleep time for you, say goodnight to mammy” your mumma held you and your bottle in her arms, crouching down so katie can kiss and hug you softly.

“milk?” you ask, words muffled by the dummy between your lips as you hold out your bottle towards her, tilting your head - knowing that that was one thing that always made you feel better, and all you wanted to do was make her happy.

and with that, katie couldn’t help but smile, the loss sitting on her shoulder feeling just a little bit lighter.

“i love you, my beautiful little monster”

[greynatomy]

part 4/7 of life of baby preath! also the video is so cute, something tobin would do for her kid.

hope you like it!

-grey

———

163,838 likes

tobinheath gotta start em young! @/christenpress

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fan1 baby preath will be read for the world cup in no time!

fan2 do you think she’ll be a winger or a forward?

↳ fan3 winger for sure. You see that footwork?

christenpress i didn’t even know you started this when she was barely out my womb

↳ tobinheath gotta keep some secrets from mommy

liked by tobinheath, alexmorgan and 162,840 others

christenpress think we got a future soccer star? @/tobinheath

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fan1 this baby gonna have the best footwork and scoring abilities

fan2 imagine your parents being christen press and tobin heath

tobinheath pretty positive we do!

[mcf00rd]

biggest supporter 2 || mcfoord x child!reader

an/ just some instagram posts about bella maeve! enjoy😊

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baby girl…coming soon🩷👶

bethmead: congratulations guys!

mackenziearnold: congrats guys! can’t wait to be the favourite aunt😌

^

alannakennedy: macca let’s be honest i’ll be the favourite aunt😒

arsenalwfc: congratulations caitlin and katie🩷❤️

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isabella maeve mccabe🩷 in our baby bubble 🫧 we are complete🍼

katiemccabe: our baby girl🩷

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victoriapelova: bella maeve🥺🥺can’t wait to meet her🩷

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fan1: omgggg so cute

bethmead: can’t wait for snuggles🥹congrats guys!

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katiemccabe just posted a story

katiemccabe and caitlinfoord just posted

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we have a one year old🥹happy first birthday princess😘the craziest most sassiest girl but we wouldn’t have it any other way, mammy and mummy love you so much💕🎂

kyracooneyx: happy first birthday my favourite troublemaker, aunty ky loves,you💕

stephcatley: sweet girl😍happy first birthday darling

arsenalwfc: happy birthday bella maeve❤️

caitlinfoord: our baby girl💕💕

an/ not sure how to feel about this but just wanted to try out a social media type thing💕

[starsjulia]

angel chapter two // the diagnosis

leah williamson x child!reader

masterlist

a/n : all the chapters are around 1000 words, so sorry about that, but i have a few longer ones in the works

warnings : medical talk, medical equipment, cancer, brain tumor, the whole lot honestly

The headaches had started out as a minor annoyance—nothing more than the occasional discomfort that Leah thought was part of growing up. Angel would clutch her head with a little frown, but a bit of rest seemed to do the trick each time. Leah told herself it was nothing serious, just the tiredness of a child who loved to do everything at full speed. Angel was always running, always laughing, always eager to squeeze every last drop out of each day. But then came the dizziness.

It happened one morning when Leah was making breakfast. She’d turned away for just a moment to flip a pancake when she heard the soft thud behind her. Spinning around, she saw Angel sitting on the kitchen floor, a look of confusion in her big blue eyes.

“What happened, darling?” Leah asked, rushing over to scoop her daughter up, her heart beating just a little faster than normal.

“I don’t know,” Angel replied, rubbing her forehead. “I just felt… funny.” She shrugged, then nestled closer to her mum, as if trying to brush off the incident.

Leah held Angel close, her fingers running through the little girl’s curls. “You’re okay, love,” she murmured, though a twinge of worry had already begun to creep in. “Maybe you just stood up too fast.”

But over the next few days, the headaches grew more frequent, and sometimes Angel would complain of her vision going blurry. It wasn’t like her to be so quiet or tired, not when she usually sprang out of bed at the crack of dawn. One day after practice, Angel had even fallen asleep on the bench at the pitch—a place she would normally be buzzing with excitement.

Leah knew then that it was time to stop brushing it off. She scheduled an appointment with their family doctor, trying to stay calm as she explained the symptoms. They ran some tests, but when the results came back inconclusive, the doctor recommended a specialist to look deeper. Leah did her best to stay positive, to keep her voice steady as she reassured Angel that it was all just a check-up.

The specialist ordered an MRI, a word that sounded far too serious to Leah. Still, she kept a smile on her face, one that grew tighter as she watched her little girl lay inside the noisy machine. Angel’s tiny frame seemed to disappear beneath the vast, cold metal, and for the first time, Leah felt truly afraid. She didn’t know why yet, didn’t even know if she had any reason to be. But a mother’s instinct is powerful, and something deep in her chest tightened painfully.

The call came just two days later. Leah had been folding the washing when the phone rang, the number flashing on the screen a reminder of the doctor’s visit she’d tried not to think too much about. The doctor’s voice was gentle but strained, and in just a few words, Leah’s world cracked open.

“Miss Williamson… we found a tumor on Angel’s brain. It’s… it’s quite large. We’ll need to start treatment immediately.”

The rest of the conversation was a blur—a jumble of medical jargon, treatment plans, and reassurances that Leah could hardly process. All she could think about was that one word: tumor. It lodged itself in her mind, refusing to budge, as she sank onto the floor, the phone slipping from her hand. It felt like the room was closing in around her, the walls pressing tighter and tighter until she could hardly breathe.

How was she supposed to tell Angel? Her sweet, brave little girl, who didn’t even know what cancer was, let alone that she was about to start a fight for her life.

Leah had to pull herself together. Angel was due home from school in half an hour, and she needed to be the strong one now. She needed to find a way to explain this without shattering the world Angel knew.

When Angel came through the door, her backpack bouncing on her tiny shoulders, Leah knelt down to greet her, wrapping her in a hug that was perhaps a little too tight.

“Guess what, darling?” Leah said, forcing her voice to stay cheerful as she stroked Angel’s hair. “We’ve got another special appointment soon. The doctors just want to take extra good care of you.”

“Like at the hospital?” Angel asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. “I didn’t like that big noisy machine.”

“I know, love,” Leah whispered, swallowing hard. “But this time it’ll be different. They’ll help make the headaches go away, okay?”

Angel tilted her head, sensing something in her mum’s voice that she couldn’t quite understand. “Will you be with me the whole time?” she asked softly.

“Every single second,” Leah promised, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over. She wasn’t going to cry—not in front of Angel. “And so will Grandma and Grandpa, and Auntie Wally, and all of your friends from the team. We’re all going to help you feel better.”

Leah wished she could have given her daughter a clearer picture of what was coming next, but how could she? She didn’t even know what lay ahead herself. The doctors spoke of chemotherapy, surgeries, long hospital stays, and possible complications with a clinical detachment that Leah found almost unbearable. Every step of the plan felt like it was filled with a million different ways things could go wrong.

The first round of chemotherapy began two weeks later, and Leah felt a cold, helpless anger build inside her as she watched Angel’s little body endure the harsh treatment. It wasn’t fair that such a young child should have to suffer like this. When Angel lost her appetite, Leah would sit beside her for hours, coaxing her to take just one bite of her favorite pudding. When the nausea hit, Leah would rub Angel’s back and whisper soothing words, trying to comfort her in ways that didn’t seem enough.

Still, Angel showed a strength that took Leah’s breath away. Even on the days when she was too tired to get out of bed, she would look up at Leah with that same bright spark in her eyes, the one that had always made her seem so much older than her years. “We’re gonna beat this, right, Mummy?” she’d say, her voice no louder than a whisper. “Like when we win at football?”

“Yes, love,” Leah would reply, her heart clenching as she kissed Angel’s forehead. “exactly like that.”

After one particularly rough day, Leah found herself sitting in her car outside the hospital, her head resting against the steering wheel as she tried to gather the strength to go back inside. She hated feeling so powerless, hated that no matter how much she loved her daughter, she couldn’t just take this burden from her and bear it herself. For the first time in a long while, Leah allowed herself to cry, her shoulders shaking with the weight of it all.

When she returned to Angel’s room, she found her daughter asleep, clutching the small stuffed lion that Alessia had brought over earlier that week. The toy had been a favorite since it arrived, and Angel had named it “Little Leo” after her mum. Leah sat down in the chair beside the bed and took Angel’s hand in hers, marveling at how small and delicate it seemed. She had once thought of Angel as invincible, her laughter strong enough to ward off any shadow. Now, Leah knew just how fragile and precious life could be.

In that quiet room, with the hum of medical equipment in the background, Leah made a silent promise to herself and to Angel. She would fight for her daughter with everything she had. She would be the rock that Angel needed, no matter how rough the road ahead became. Because that was what a mother did—she protected her child, even if it meant standing firm in the face of the unimaginable.

[lvnleah]

okay sooo I need a little help from you guys! I’m currently planning a few things for Rory and was wondering how would you guys like her to be introduced to the lionesses? is there anything in particular you guys want to see? If so please send me some ideas!