Mía's POV

It had been nearly a month since that day, and along with the uncertainty and fear of what would happen next, the cold was also starting to fade.

On that day, there was spectacular sunshine that warmed the air to a pleasant twenty degrees. I couldn't help but enjoy it from the stands. Nevertheless, I didn't have work again for a while, and I had already organized all my papers and plans for the day, as well as each of the sessions I had scheduled for later.

Alexia had returned to training with the team almost a week ago. She was radiant, full of energy. She was simply perfect.

I still struggled to make sense of waking up with her that very morning, just like many before. The blonde told me that she also found it hard to grasp. Perhaps the reason was that I had imagined so many times waking up in her arms, making it feel as if I were still asleep, like in a bubble before everything breaks. One that never burst and kept floating in the air, just as fragile, gracefully avoiding all the furniture, all the corners that could make it explode.

Alexia came over to grab some weights for a strength exercise, right next to the bleachers where I was sitting, enjoying the Barcelona sun and, also, my own sunshine, which discreetly watched me amidst the heads of all the players. I relished the chance to look at her without fear, hidden behind my sunglasses. Before she left, she winked at me, forcing me to press my lips together and not let out a foolish smile that would give us away completely. She was very beautiful when she was happy, she was very beautiful when she was mine.

After a good half-hour of pretending to read a book and flipping through pages at random while watching the blonde kick around the grass, I decided it was time to return to the office, pretend to prepare some things even though everything was more than ready.

I picked up my book and stood for a few seconds until I could see Alexia looking at me. A silent farewell, a see you later.

She had perfectly understood and managed the complicated situation we were in, as she had promised me. And, in a way, it had its good side, being able to have our own parallel world, our own ways of saying goodbye, of finding each other in the midst of so many people. I felt truly happy, very, very happy.

We had promised each other not to talk about the future for now, to see where all this would lead us. And that had given us the peace of mind we needed to truly enjoy having found each other, getting to know each other, all the first times. It wasn't that I hadn't thought about the possibility of leaving the club, waiting for a while, and seeing how everything turned out, but it felt extremely risky, almost suicidal. As much as I felt like I was on the highest cloud I had ever been on, paranoia and fear always appeared when I was about to do something crazy. The future was complicated, we both knew that, it involved too many changes, too many risks. Why not enjoy the present as much as possible?

I took the final flight of stairs and put my sunglasses in my bag. The enjoyment was over, at least until the end of the shift, as I didn't have a session with Alexia that day. I grabbed the doorknob and just as I pulled it down, a hand grabbed my shoulder.

Joan Laporta took the last step to reach my height.

"Mía! I finally found you," he smiled broadly.

"Hello, Joan," I greeted. "Is something the matter?"

"I wanted to discuss a couple of things with you, if you have time, of course."

For a moment, the idea that he had discovered my relationship with Alexia crossed my mind. It was completely impossible; we had kept it a complete secret, no mistakes, no unusual interactions.

"Of course, come in. Jana won't be here for about ten minutes," I said, moving the door with my body and giving my boss room to enter.

Joan took a seat in the chair in front of my desk, as if he were just another patient. I sat down, trying to decipher his expression. As always, a friendly smile. Nothing to indicate what he was up to.

"I've been talking to some of the players, hope you don't mind," he explained with his hands raised, trying to apologize for what he had just said. "And all the feedback I've received about you has been very positive, unanimously."

"It's great to hear that."

"I had my doubts about Alexia, you know?" I swallowed. "She was very inconsistent. Missed sessions, then attended, then didn't. I thought maybe this wasn't for her. You know how she can be sometimes. You'll probably know better than anyone."

What?

"What do you mean? Why me?"

"As the club's psychologist, I imagine you have some sort of mental image of each of the players," he chuckled. I tried to go along with it, still digesting the previous scare. "How is she?"

"Alexia?" The president nodded. "Well, she's doing great, full of energy, training with the team... I see her happy."

"Happy, huh?" he repeated, nodding. "So, she hasn't mentioned anything to you? Anything about her teammates, the coaching staff... I know you can't tell me what, but I'd like to know if everything's okay."

I furrowed my brow, trying to remember if Ale had mentioned anything about it. I think I would remember. The question was strange.

"As far as I remember, she hasn't told me anything."

"Oh, well. Okay then. Everything seems fine," he said, clapping his knees energetically and getting up from the chair. "I'll leave the seat warm for Jana. Anything you need, you know where to find me." I nodded at his words and walked him to the door. "Keep it up, Mía. You're doing a great job."

With a pat on the shoulder, Joan disappeared up the stairs, walking quickly.

Could Alexia be having issues with her teammates and not telling me? Everything seemed normal in training.

"Hello, Mía!" Jana exclaimed from the other side of the hallway, startling me.

"Jana! You look stunning. How was that weekend getaway you told me about?"

Jana bit her lip as she twirled around, entering the office.

"An absolute dream," she sighed.

"Romantic?" I laughed, taking a seat.

"Very much so. Jill's going to end up killing me."