"You going to be okay Baby?" Lindsey asks.

The team is flying to Iceland for the January camp of 2020 and a friendly against Iceland. I'm pretty sure Jill did this on purpose.

"Yeah I'll be fine Love." I say and run my thumb over her knuckles.

"How long has it been?"

"Haven't been back since I left when I was 18." I say just as we touchdown in Reykjavik.

After we pull up to the gate we get off then go get the bags. Once everyone has their bags we head to the hotel. When we get to the hotel everyone gathers their stuff and I am pushed to the front of the group before we head to the check in desk.

"Halló. Hvernig get ég aðstoðað?" The check-in lady says. (Hi. How may I help you?)

"Freyja?" I say and look at my old friend.

"Cairo? Hvernig hefurðu haft það?" She says and smiles at me. (Cairo? How have you been?)

"Ég hef verið góð. Hvernig hefurðu haft það? Hvernig er Ragnar?" (I've been good. How have you been? How's Ragnar?)

"Ég er góður. Hann og ég giftist."(I'm good. He and I got married.)

"Til hamingju."(Congratulations.)

"Takk. Nú hvað get ég hjálpað þér með?" (Thanks. Now what can I help you with?)

"Við höfum fyrirvara undir nafninu Jill Ellis" I say and look to the team behind me who are intently staring at us trying to understand what is being said. (We have a reservation under the name Jill Ellis)

"Ég hef ykkur í 24 herbergjum og sal. Er það rétt?" Freyja says. (I have you guys for 24 rooms and a conference room. Is that correct?)

I look at Jill. "24 rooms and a conference room right?" Jill nods so I turn around. "Já"(Yes)

"Gott. Hér eru lyklar þín." I take the keys and hand them to Jill. (Good. Here are your keys.)

"Takk"(Thanks.)

"Auðvitað. Ef þú krakkar þarft eitthvað ekki hika við að spyrja."(Of course. If you guys need anything don't hesitate to ask.)

I nod and then we walk to the conference room.

"Who was that Cairo?" Ali asks.

"My old friend Freyja."

"How do you know her?" Abby asks.

"Her now husband and I use to work at the grocery store together and she would visit during lunch and we became friends." I say as we get to the conference room. Jill then hands out room assignment and I'm thankfully with Lindsey. We are told to go unpack then meet back in the conference room in 30 minutes so we do.

30 minutes later we are back in the conference room and Jill is going over everything. When she is finished everyone looks at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Where are you going for dinner?" Kelley asks.

"My favorite restaurant."

"Who's going with you?" Pinoe asks.

"I'm guessing by the way everyone is looking at me that everyone is going with me."

"Would you mind?" Becky asks.

"Nope, but there are some things I need to tell everyone first."

"Okay?" Kling says. 

"Okay first the dress code where we are going is dress for the weather so dress so you are warm and comfortable. 2nd don't complain about the food. If it doesn't look good just don't eat it...Okay?"

The team nod and then go get dressed and comeback to the conference room. We then make the ten minute walk to the restaurant and are seated immediately.

"Okay if you have questions on what something is ask me and when we order if you want I can tell the waiter the order or you can just point." I say then see someone I never thought I'd see again.

"Can you excuse me for a second?" I ask my teammates who all nod and I get up and walk over to the woman who made living here bearable.

I tap her on the shoulder and she spins around and her eyes widen and she gets teary eyed and brings me into a bone crushing hug.

"Halló Mamma." I say. (Hello Mama.)

"Cairo ástin mín. Hvernig hefurðu haft það?" My Icelandic mother figure says. Now I'm getting teary eyed. (Cairo my love. How have you been?)

"Ég hef verið góð. Hvernig hefurðu það?"(I've been good. How are you?)

"Ég er frábær nú að ég hef séð þig í eigin persónu." I look at her very confused.(I'm great now that I've seen you in person.)

"Í eigin persónu?"(In person?)

"Þú varst ekki að hugsa að ég myndi sakna einn af leikjum gerði þér?"(You didn't think I'd miss one of your games did you?)

"Þú sást?"(You saw?)

"Ég sá allt sem Cairo. Ég veit að ég spurði þig hvernig þú hefur verið, en þú veist það er ekki það sem ég meinti."(I saw everything Cairo. I know I asked you how you've been, but you know that's not what I meant.)

"Ég er ánægður Mamma. Ég er með stelpu drauma mína og ég hef loksins að fjölskyldan sem ég dreymdi alltaf um."(I'm happy Mama. I'm with the girl of my dreams and I finally have that family I always dreamed of.)

"Það er dásamlegt. Nú eins og Mamma þín ég þarf að mæta þessari stúlku og þessa fjölskyldu." Mama says and I nod, grab her hand, and take her over to the team.(That's wonderful. Now as your Mama I need to meet this girl and this family.)

"Girls." I say and everyone stops talking and looks at me. "This is my Icelandic mother. She took care of me for the 3 years I was here....Mama this is my family."

"It's lovely to meet everyone." Mama says and everyone smiles at her and some of them wave. "Cairo which one is she?"

I motion for Lindsey to come over and she does. "Mama this is my girlfriend Lindsey...Lindsey this is Mama." Mama hugs Lindsey and they exchange pleasantries. Mama, who I learned still owns and runs this restaurant, then takes everyones orders and takes them to the kitchen.

"Cairo she skipped you." Alex says.

"She is making my favorite for me."

"How did you meet her?" Tobin asks.

"She saw me digging for scraps one night then the next day she came to where I worked because she needed something and she started talking to me."

"What did you mean she took care of you?" Carli asks.

"She made sure I was fed. Before I met her I would go 2-3 days without eating."

The food comes out a few minutes later and my how I have missed Mama's cooking. After we've eaten I walk over to Mama.

"Er þessi hlutur hér enn?" I ask Mama. (Is that thing still here?)

"Já. Það er enn á sama stað sem þú vinstri það." Mama says. (Yes. It's still in the same place you left it.)

I nod then tell the team I'm going to the bathroom. Once they can't see me anymore I go to the place I left something here when I was 18 then take it and put it in my bag. I then head outside the restaurant where the girls are waiting.

"Can I take you guys somewhere?" I ask and everyone nods so I lead them to an open field with very little light pollution. Once there I see nothing in the sky.

"Good we made it just in time." I say.

"In time for what?" Kelley says.

"In time for this." I say and point upward.

Okay that was perfect timing what the hell?

"Whoa" Some of the team say dumbfounded.

"It's so beautiful." Julie says.

The team then stands around watching the northern lights for the next 20-30 minutes.

"Alright. It's almost curfew so we need to head back." Carli says and we do.