Despite the bad start with Amy and the day being grey and drizzly, the first half of that match against Greenbow was the best one of my life. I loved every moment. Everything went right. I’m not talking about the three goals I scored – they were just the icing on the cake. I’m talking about the feeling I had when I tracked the ball. The adrenalin rush as my crosses found Eve or Nika nearly every time. The elation at evading the Greenbow defence – dancing around one, two, three of them as they tried to close me down. The buzz as Eve linked up with me and we passed the ball forward between us until one of us had a shot at goal. I was playing out of my skin, and for the first time I didn’t care who knew it.
For once, Hannah didn’t swap me midway through the half like she usually does so that everyone has a chance of a game. I glanced across at her when she took Eve off, but she just stuck her thumb in the air for me to “Carry on” and leaned over to whisper something to Katie.
On the other side of the pitch, Dad was standing slightly apart from the rest of the parents, watching me intently. Even while I was on the ball, fully focused, I was aware of him and I knew he was proud. I knew he thought I was more than “not bad” today, and that was what I wanted. To show him what I could do. To make up for all the times he’d missed.
When the whistle blew for half-time there was a moment’s stillness. I walked towards the touchline, took a swig of water and tried to act normal, but my heart was bursting. I couldn’t wait to go over to Dad, but Hannah crooked her finger at me, pulling me away from the others. I gave her a shy smile.
“We need to talk,” she said.
“Sure,” I told her.
But she didn’t seem to know where to begin. I think she was trying to work out how not to scare me off, so that I wouldn’t become uncomfortable with her like I usually am.
“I let go,” I said, hoping that would help her out.
Hannah laughed then. “‘You let go’? Yeah, just a bit! Gemma, you were beyond awesome…”
“Thank you.”
“You know you’ve got a real talent, don’t you?”
I nodded. It would have been churlish to deny it.
“And you know you mustn’t waste it. You’ve got to go for trials next season, either with a big club that has a girls’ academy or at the new centre of excellence.”
“OK,” I said.
Her eyes widened in surprise. “OK? Really?”
“Really.”
“Well, that was easier than I thought it was going to be.”
I shrugged. “I’m … I’m ready now.”
Hannah pinched my cheek. “You were born ready.”
“What about Eve?” I asked, glancing around but not seeing her in the huddle. “Will she be able to come for trials, too?”
“Why not? We can’t split up the Dream Team, can we?”
“No,” I agreed; “we can’t.”
“Come on,” she said, putting her arm around my shoulders; “let’s get back to business.”