All the players were now dressed in their game kits: light blue and white striped shirts with the team logo stitched neatly on the top left, matching shorts, long socks pulled up to their knees, and ankle-length cleats laced tight and many of them wore compression sleeves on their legs.
The locker room door suddenly burst open. A tall man strode in, tablet in hand, an earpiece snugly fitted in his ear. A second man followed closely behind him.
"Hey, coach!" the team chorused in unison.
The coach's deep, commanding voice boomed across the room. "Who's the lady in my men's locker room?"
"She's Little Miss Red Shoes!" one of the team members joked, earning a few chuckles. Jayden's glare could have frozen ice.
"Coach, she's my guest," Jayden said firmly, as if the coach had been informed beforehand.
"I don't know who you are to him," the coach said, scanning Emma with a calm, professional smile, "but welcome to this side of the world."
"It's my pleasure, Mr. Navarro," Emma replied politely.
"Oh, she knows my name," Coach Navarro chuckled lightly.
"Alright, guys," he said, his voice taking on its usual intensity. "We're twenty minutes from kick-off. Remember, when you step onto that field, play your game, but have fun. Take the opponents on a little joy ride. Show them what the United Blues are all about."
He moved around the room, pointing to diagrams on his tablet, highlighting formations and player positions.
"Jayden, you'll lead the front three," he said, tapping a spot on the tactical chart. "Derek, midfield control, make sure the passes are crisp. Alex, watch the wings, stretch them out. Defenders, stay sharp and anticipate their counterattacks. Remember, communication is key; eyes on the ball, eyes on each other. Timing is everything."
He paused, looking at the team with a steady gaze. "This isn't just about scoring, it's about precision, discipline, and taking calculated risks. If you do that, the win follows naturally. Play smart. Play together."
With that, the coach nodded to the assistant and stepped aside, giving the team a final minute to tighten laces, adjust sleeves, and psych themselves up. The locker room buzzed with energy, and Jayden shot a quick glance at Emma, a small, reassuring smile on his face.
"Gather round!" the coach called, his voice cutting through the chatter of the locker room.
Emma stayed seated for a moment, taking in the scene as the players formed a large circle in the center of the room. Her eyes followed each familiar face, some tossing playful glances her way, others focused entirely on the ritual.
The coach's gaze landed on her. "Lady, if you're in my locker room, you're a member of this team. So get in here!"
Emma chuckled softly, her cheeks warming as she leapt to her feet. Jayden immediately made space for her next to him, giving her a small encouraging nod.
The circle closed, the players leaning in, their hands stacked one on top of another in the center. One by one, each placed a hand atop the next, forming a solid tower of trust and unity.
"Alright, boys," the coach started, "this is our rhythm. You know it. Let's hear it!"
A chorus rose from the circle, deep and synchronized, starting slow and building in energy:
"Up Blues! Up Blues! Fight, fight, fight!"
The chant echoed through the locker room, bouncing off lockers and walls. Emma found herself smiling, swept up in the camaraderie.
"And... UP BLUES!" the coach roared, his commanding presence unmatched.
"YEAH, BOYS!" they all shouted in thick, booming voices, the room vibrating with raw team spirit.
Jayden glanced at Emma, his eyes bright with excitement. "Welcome to the team," he whispered, and for a moment, it felt like she truly belonged.
The rest of the team had filed out of the locker room, leaving just Jayden and Emma behind.
"Is Jenny here?" Emma asked, glancing around the now quiet room.
"Nah," he replied with a chuckle. "She's probably off having brunch at some fancy Spanish restaurant."
Emma returned the laugh, shaking her head.
"She's never around for my games, just the finals. Always wants to be in the spotlight," he added with a slight scoff, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as they stepped toward the door.
Just then, a man's voice called out. "Jayden!"
He turned slightly, the man was dressed casually in a shirt and trousers, and Jayden addressed him quickly, "If you want an autograph, make it fast. My team's lining up."
"I don't want an autograph," the man replied.
"Alright, then. Nice chatting with you," Jayden said, holding Emma's hand as they started to walk away.
"Who was that?" Emma asked, curiosity creeping into her tone.
"I don't know," Jayden answered quickly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as they continued walking.
"Are you really going to act like you don't know me?"
Jayden didn't turn around. His voice was low and steady. "I do not know you."
The man caught up to them, frustration and anger in his eyes. Jayden's heart pounded, not with fear, but with a storm of old pain.
"Jayden... son, wait..."
"You left us to suffer!" Jayden suddenly shouted, stopping in his tracks. "You abandoned Mom, me, and my siblings!"
"I didn't leave you," the man replied sharply. "Your mother took you and ran away!"
"Because you were abusive!" Jayden yelled, his voice cracking. "You hit her... you hit us! I've taken more beatings from you than anything else in my life!"
"Do you even know what it was like to go to school, hide bruises, hide fear, hide tears every single day because of you?"
"You hit Mom, hit me, hit my siblings... I've lived with that for years! I've carried the fear of you around like a shadow! Do you know what it's like to cry myself to sleep every night, praying you wouldn't come home drunk and angry?"
"I—" the man started, but Jayden cut him off.
"Don't you dare speak!" Jayden snapped. "I should've reported it then," he added, bitterly. "Maybe then you'd just be coming out now as a changed man."
"Do you know how many times I wished I could scream back, throw something at you, or just run and never look back? Do you know what it feels like to watch someone you love get hurt, and not be able to do a damn thing?"
The man sneered. "And look at you now—a coward. You couldn't do anything back then, and you'll be a coward on that field too!"
That was the last straw. Jayden lunged, gripping his father's shirt and slamming him against the wall.
"I couldn't do anything?!" Jayden yelled, his hands balling into fists. "I couldn't stop you from hitting my mom, couldn't stop you from hurting my baby sister, couldn't stop you from shattering my childhood... and now you waltz in here like nothing happened?"
The memories flooded him. Nights of hiding under his bed as his father screamed, slammed doors, broke furniture; mornings waking to the sound of crying and muffled sobs; the fear of going outside, pretending to be normal in school while carrying bruises no one could see. The anger he had buried for years boiled over like a volcano ready to erupt.
"You were the one who made me believe I was weak, that I was nothing!" he shouted, stepping forward and grabbing his father's collar, slamming him against the wall. "I've spent years proving you wrong, and now you want to waltz back in? To what? Remind me of all I went through?"
The man's voice roared, with no regret "I'm here to remind you that we're so much alike, son. I am a failure, sure...but I see myself in you. And you're as big a failure as I am."
Emma stepped forward, heart racing, and pulled Jayden back, holding his hand firmly. "Let it go," she said, her voice steady.
"I hate you..." Jayden shouted, tears threatening to fall. "You are not my father!" He screamed while struggling with Emma
"A father doesn't hurt his kids! A father doesn't make a home feel like a battlefield! A father doesn't let his children carry his failures like a weight around their necks for years!"
His father swallowed hard. "I failed, son... I know. But we're alike, so alike, I see myself in you."
"No! We are nothing alike!" Jayden shouted. "You made me fight to survive! You made me fight for respect! You made me fight for my own family! And I'm still fighting!"
She wrapped her arms around him, feeling his rage mix with the grief he had carried for years. Slowly, he let himself be guided forward, the storm in his chest softening as they approached the opening of the tunnel.
"Go show that man how much of a mistake he made by not believing in you," Emma whispered.
Jayden gave her a calm nod, his face still tense but controlled.
"Thank you so much, Emma," he said quietly, squeezing her hand.
"That's why I'm here," she replied with a soft smile.