"Come on girls, let's do it one more time!" I know they must probably hate me by now and I can see how exhausted they are but they won't improve if I don't push them. And I secretly know they love it anyway. "I'm gonna hit flies now. Try to catch the ball before it lands on the ground. And I don't care if it means you have to dive, Just do it ok?"

Of course Sandra starts pouting, she's not a diver, she hates having her uniform all dirty and the only time she actually needed to slide, she ended up badly burning the skin of her ankle. I go easy on her...she's our pitcher after all.

They all miss....one after the other...I'm getting frustrated and impatient but it's the first time we've started playing out again, so maybe they need to readjust. Also I may have rushed into this practice, telling them to be on the field on a Saturday afternoon as a slot got free. It's just such a beautiful spring day and I wanted to make the most of it. Instead of shouting at them I keep a smile on my face and tell them they'll do better next time...being now actually as we're doing the whole drill once again. I know I promised it would be the last one but I always lie about that. The girls line up again, ready and I hit, less hard this time. I don't want them to go home frustrated as well. Gosh I wish Juliette were here, it's a drill she loves and she would actually enjoy throwing herself on the ground and getting all dirty. Maybe in a few months...

"Ok girls, go fetch the balls ! We're done for today!" I sigh, looking at my watch. "And do it running! You're not allowed to walk on the field!"

I smile to myself as they all rush to gather all the balls inside the bag, tossing their gloves next to it. They sit on the floor to stretch before changing into their sneakers. Sandra just lays flat on her back, her arms above her head, and grunts. "Gosh coach, that was a hell of a training...any news from Ju?"

"Nop, I haven't seen her in a few days. She just moved in with Amelia. Maybe we should all pay her a visit. I know she misses us. Hum, talking about the devil's girlfriend." I say, looking at the screen of my phone.

"Amelia, hi, what owes me the pleasure? You need any bedroom tips?" The girls laugh but I hush them on hearing Amelia's worried tone.

"What do you mean she left ! Where?"

...........

"You don't know ?! What happened?" I stand up and walk away from the group of girls.

...........

"Come on...Something must have made her leave. Have you checked her medication?" I say in a low voice, not wanting the team to understand what's going on with Ju.

...........

"Amelia who the fuck is that chick?"

...........

"The one from the club? You must be joking right! No wonder she left. For fuck's sake Amelia!"

...........

"Of course I'll find her. I'm not sure I'll bring her to your place anytime soon though!"

I hang up, too angry to listen to the explaination she's trying to feed me. It's 4pm...where the hell can she be? There's only one place that I can think of. I quickly take off my spikes and put my sneakers on, and leave the field running.

I hail a cab and give the driver the direction, hoping I'm right. We drive downtown and stop near an iron gate opening on a park. I pay the driver and run straight ahead, knowing exactly where I'm going from having walked on the same gravel path so many times long ago. As expected I make out Juliette's figure and I stop sprinting, afraid I might frighten her so I walk. As she hears footsteps behind her back, she turns around and feebly smiles.

"Hey babe. I thought I might find you here." I come behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. She tilts her head to the side to give me access to her neck and I press a soft kiss on her cold and wet skin.

"This is not what she wanted." Juliette tells me, sobbing, and nodding at the tombstone in front of her. "I hate them so much for not respecting her last wishes."

"I know babe." I have the impression I'm brought two years back...to this place Juliette and I would spend so many hours , her shaking body pressed tightly against mine. I thought she'd moved on, finally. But it's clear she hasn't.

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I know it must be Amelia and suddenly I remember why I came here in the first place.

"Want to tell me what happened?"

Juliette sniffles and brushes her tears away but they come rushing in as she opens her mouth to tell me. I take her to a bench nearby and we sit side by side, her head resting on my shoulder, a position we are so familiar with. As her sobs subside, she starts speaking.

"I was sitting on the couch reading when someone rang the doorbell."

.....................

"Baby ? can you get that? I'm about to start a conference call!" I roll my eyes, annoyed she couldn't tell that pig of a man to piss off on a Saturday, but apparently it was an emergency for another commercial and she promised it would only last a minute.

I have no idea who's calling our penthouse from the sidewalk, so I press the intercom button and ask who it is.

"Amelia, it's me, open the door please?" That's odd. I don't remember that voice from anywhere... But she clearly knows Amelia so I let the woman in.

As the elevator doors slide open an elegant dark-haired woman walks in as if she owns the place.

"Who are you?" She asks, frowning.

"I'm Juliette. And who are you?"

"Jennifer."

Jennifer... I wish my auditory memory weren't that good sometimes. What is it this guy said at the Superbowl ? "the woman who's all over Amelia...", his words come back to my ears.

"Hey baby what did you.." Amelia comes to a stop when she realizes who is in her house and she stares between that woman and I, with shock on her face.

"Amelia, it's been a while..." the woman says in a sultry voice, walking slowly and seductively to Amelia. She places her hand on her hip and leans into her to press a kiss on her lips. "I was in the neighbourhood and thought we could catch up." She adds, winking at her.

Amelia clears her thoat and shakes her head, as if to wake up her numb body. She slightly pushes the woman away and finally stares into my eyes. I know mine don't betray anything right now apart that I'm dumbstruck.

"Juliette..."

"Is she the stupid thing you did back in December?" She nods.

"Hey watch your mouth ! " the dark-haired woman shouts.

"Jennifer, you have no right to show up here uninvited. You and I know where we stand and this is inapropriate."

"And fucking me to forget the bitch that dumped you isn't?"

"Juliette is my girlfriend, you have no right to walk in here like you possess me, you perfectly know you don't."

"This" she motions in my direction "is your girlfriend? Gosh Amelia you're aiming so low."

"I refuse to hear you disrespecting the woman I love. Leave before I do something I may regret."

Amelia ushers her inside the elevator and bangs her fist on the button to have the doors close. "Don't ever come back here." She warns between gritted teeth.

"Just call me when you want a good f" *ding*.

"Juliette?" I'm boiling in rage and somehow my hearing has stopped working. I see Amelia following me but I don't hear her pleads. Her lips are moving but no sound is escaping her lips. I check on Lily who is still napping and grab my purse to leave...I need air. Amelia's fingers wrap my wrist but the look I give her is enough to make her let go. I'm on auto pilot and realize where I am once I start shivering from the cold.

.....................

I put my jacket on Juliette's shoulders, she's shivering and from what she just told me, she must have been out with just a tshirt on for two hours. I rub her bare forearms to warm them up and hold her tight, but her body keeps shaking. And she's sweating. I put the palm of my hand on her forehead to check whether she has a temperature, but she doesn't.

"Can I tell you what I think about all this without....you getting mad?" She nods and I need a moment to sort out my thoughts before saying them out loud.

"Did Amelia tell you about that woman?"

"Yes...one night, she told me she had done something stupid while we were broken up. I gathered she had slept with another woman."

"And? How did you take it?"

"I was fine with it, we were broken up."

"Do you have any reasons to suspect Amelia slept with that woman since you've been back together?"

"No..."

"Did you let Amelia explain herself?"

"I don't know...I don't remember. I was so mad I...I coudn't hear the words coming from her mouth."

"Ok...hum...are you maybe....do you think that possibly, you might have overreacted ?"

"Maybe..." she says in a barely audible sigh. We're going somewhere!

"Come on let's get you home. Amelia is worried."

I grab my phone to text Amelia and tell her Juliette's safe and we're heading home, but I notice she's been calling and texting. I read the latest and understand what's happening.

I quickly reply we're on our way.