[ I'm just gonna say sorry for this one... But hey three updates since Wednesday? That's gotta be a new record. Another one is probably coming tomorrow! ]

Time had been flying during her time with the United States Women's National Team as they traveled Australia to compete in the FIFA Women's World Cup. They had gone through the group stages with a breeze, scoring quite a few goals to top their group. Their first game in the round of sixteen was a solid two-nil win over France, who were one of the few teams to be contenders for the championship game. They continued into the quarter finals against Germany, Casey earning another shutout with a one-nil win.

They were now onto the semifinals, which was going to be against whoever won between Canada and England. If Canada were to win, it would be a rematch of the 2012 Olympic semifinal match, where they went into extra time to scrape out a four-three win. This time, Christine Sinclair was not a part of the team, for she had retired after the 2020 Olympics, where Canada took another bronze medal. If England were to win, it would continue to fuel the rivalry between the two teams, for the United States had defeated them in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup to take their fourth title.

"Alright ladies, are we ready to head to the field?" Vlatko asked them as they all congregated in the lobby, waiting to get on the bus to go watch the quarterfinal match between Canada and England. There was an array of 'yeahs', which he took as a sign as they were all set to go. Casey and Alex had been talking all morning about anything and everything, both of them having too much energy compared to the rest of the team.

"What the hell is up with you two?" Ali asked when they got on the bus, Ali and Ashlyn turning around and facing them as they broke out into a fit of laughter.

"Casey just showed me a video of her drunkenly stealing a traffic cone!" Alex told them as quietly as possible, but anyone who was in the back of the bus heard her. Casey and Alex could not breathe because they were laughing so hard, she had to hand her phone over to Ali so they could see what they were laughing at. Eventually the entire back of the bus had seen the video and they were all laughing.

"How old were you when this was taken?" Ashlyn asked in between laughs.

"I don't know, it was after a bonfire at my friend Jenna's house, so probably seventeen? Eighteen?" She told them with a laugh. "I promise I was drunk for some sort of celebratory reason, but that doesn't mean I remember what."

"Yeah because you were probably blackout drunk!" Megan said from behind them.

"No, I remember the video being taken. I just don't remember what led to the drinking. I promise I never party like this unless it's for a good reason." She defended, and they all believed her, for she only drank on special occasions, when her close knit group was drinking, or after they won a game and wanted to celebrate. They all also knew she was not a lightweight, so it must have taken a lot to get her as delusional as she was. She never drank much until she started dating her favorite bar owner about a year ago.

"Please tell me there's more videos like this." Ali pleaded, causing Casey to laugh even harder.

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see because there definitely are a few." She wheezed out, trying to think of where other videos would have been buried. She knew there were a couple videos of her and Alessio buzzed as they danced around the kitchen, but those videos were for her.

"Please send that to me." Alex said softly, and she chuckled, sending the fifteen second clip to the group chat she shared with Alex, Ali, Ashlyn, and Megan. It might have been a bad idea, but at this point it was oh well, and they had all been friends for so long now that she did not really mind if they had the video. She was going to miss them all when they retired, because she knew the time was coming, and it would be after their victory tour that they hoped to have. She just hoped she would have some more time with them.

"Casey we're here." Alex chuckled with a nudge as they pulled up to the field, pulling her out of her thoughts. She laughed again as she saw Alex rewatching the video for the umpteenth time.

"Are you ever gonna stop watching that?" She asked her with a laugh.

"No, I don't think I will." She responded with a shake of her head, getting a light shove to the back from Casey as they got off the bus. Once everyone was off, they were guided through the back of the stadium and up into the field boxes so they could watch the game without being bombarded by the press and fans. There was an unlimited amount of food and beverages supplied for them. Casey, Alex, Megan, Ali, and Ashlyn got seats in the front row of seats along with a couple other teammates, and they were the life of the party as they waited for the game to begin, both teams just coming out to warm up. Music played in the stadium, and they all danced and sang along. After this game, they would head back to the hotel to discuss tactics based on the game they were watching, then they would be up and early to get a conditioning session in before breakfast, then head over to the stadium to get another light training in. After that afternoon, they would have four days until they played the winner of this quarter final match.

"Alright ladies group pic!" Vlatko called to them as he stepped out in front of the group, having just enough room in front of them to get everyone in. He loved to post his own pictures on Twitter and Instagram for his followers, so they obliged. They knew their media crew would be taking their own images while they enjoyed their day off.

Eventually the match began, and the twenty-three of them settled down to actually pay attention to some of the best soccer there was on the planet. Casey studied both teams, especially their offenses so they could see how they would defend against either team. Both teams were trying to put up high pressure like they typically played, which would force them to limit their mistakes on the backline. They had not conceded a goal yet, but anything could happen. She also studied the defensive lines of either team to see how they would need to line up offensively. Vlatko liked to pick her brain about these things due to her sports management studies and how much of a soccer brain she really had. She was extremely gifted when it came to talking tactics and studying the way teams played their games, and her teammates knew that. They all thought she was one of the smartest soccer players in the game, even at such a young age. She could not believe she was turning twenty-two in a little over a month, and they could not believe she was only going to be twenty-two.

The first half of the game came to a close, both teams frustrated as they went into the locker room scoreless. Chatter picked up among all of them as the music was kicked back on in the stadium.

"Hey Case, do you think you could go grab us some more Gatorades?" Alex asked, and Casey shrugged.

"What does everyone want?" She asked as she got up. They all said either red or blue. She chuckled, being one of the only players on the team who liked the yellow ones.

"What was that about?" Ali asked looking over to Alex as she made sure Casey was out of earshot.

"I just got a text from Alessio, and he told me not to say anything, but I think he's flying out if we make the final. He just asked what stadium we're supposed to be at if we make it to the championship." She told them.

"I thought he wasn't going to make it?" Ashlyn asked, and Alex shrugged.

"I don't know, but it sounds like he is! I know she's been a little bummed that her dad and Alessio weren't going to make it at all." She answered as Casey came back over, handing them all their requested colors. She sat back down and they fell back into comfortable conversation, discussing the half of soccer they just watched.

The teams came back out onto the field and Canada and England were off again, both teams seeming to switch game plans. She watched as Canada continued to press high up the field, but they played with less urgency, not being aggressive on the ball. England on the other hand played a little more defensively, but they remained aggressive and on top of the ball as they went through the second half. The game was wide open, and it was not until the seventy-fifth minute that there was finally a goal on the board, Canada's Janine Beckie fired a shot from twenty-five yards out. Telford got her fingertips on it, but it was not enough to stop the bending shot from going in the back of the net. Canada celebrated the goal with their entire team before they were warned to get back onto the field.

The game ended one-nil to Canada, and they were getting another rematch in the semifinals, but this time it was going to be for a different gold medal. They left the stadium in good spirits to who they were versing, knowing this opponent very well. They had had several meetings with their northern rivals. It was going to be a must win game, as was every game they played. They went back to the hotel and went into the conference room that had been reserved off for them, and they sat down as Vlatko and the rest of the coaching staff sat up ahead of them.

For the next hour and a half they discussed tactics, Casey doing a lot of the speaking with the coaches compared to the rest of the team, but everyone had something to say, especially their starters who would be facing it all head on. They decided they would start with their same four-three-three lineup they had been using for most of the tournament. It allowed them to capitalize on the use of their outside backs in Krieger and Dunn, putting Ertz as a compact central midfielder like she enjoyed playing. They would run a few things in training the next couple days, but after a while of sitting, they were dismissed for the evening.

As they began to leave the conference room, Casey's phone started to ring. She pulled it out of her jacket pocket, seeing it was her father. She slid right on her screen and put the phone up to her ear as she followed Ali, Alex, and Ashlyn out of the conference room and toward the elevators to head back up to their rooms.

"Hey pops, what's up?" She asked. It was still relatively early in the morning back in Tampa, for she was fourteen hours ahead of her father.

"Casey, how are you?" A doctor she recognized as Dr. Henry said over the phone.

"Dr. Henry? I'm fine, what's going on?" She asked as she slowed her pace.

"Before I say anything, your father is in good hands, but he was in an accident this morning." She said, and this worried Casey tremendously.

"Oh my... is he alright? What happened?" She asked quickly. She froze in her steps, her teammates not noticing that she had paused behind them. She was not far from the lobby doors, so she went ahead and stepped outside into the evening air.

"A car went over the barricade on the interstate and went head on into your father's car. He's still in surgery." She informed her. Casey sunk down onto the curb, her hand over her mouth.

"No no no no...." She trailed. Dr. Henry was the same surgeon that had pulled the plug on her mother some months ago. She took a deep breath in before she asked the next question. "How is it looking?" She asked softly. "And please, give it to me straight. I need to know, I'm not going to be able to come home."

"Like I said, he's in surgery now, he's been under for about an hour. I'm not the lead on this one, neuro is, so I promise I will keep you updated. I have your father's phone, I will text you from my number shortly, alright? I'm sorry I don't have more for you, but I will update you as soon as I can." She explained to her, and Casey sighed.

"Neuro?" She questioned.

"Yes." Was all Dr. Henry said.

"Um, okay. I know there is a time difference here, but I will stay up to get updates, so please send them as you get them." Casey told her.

"I promise I will. Stay positive Casey, I'll text you now so you have my number." She said, and they said their goodbyes before she hung up. Casey felt numb, almost the same sunken feeling she had when her father had called to inform her that her mother was dying. She could not bear to lose her father too, especially in the middle of the World Cup when she would not be able to leave to say her goodbyes.

She quickly wiped her tears away when she heard the loud voices of Alex, Ali, and Ashlyn follow the sound of the lobby doors opening and closing.

"There she is!" Ashlyn called when they got closer. Casey took a breath in as her phone buzzed in her hand, an unknown number sending her a text.

"Casey? You good?" Alex asked. They had been roommates long enough to know that Casey was not alright. She took a seat next to her on the curb, looking at her with prying eyes.

"Uh, no, not really." Casey responded as she wiped another stray tear away from her cheek. Now Ali and Ashlyn sat with them as Alex wrapped her arms around her.

"What's going on, Case?" Ali asked.

"I, uh, just got a call. A car hopped the barricade and hit my dad head-on, he's in surgery right now." Casey got out before she burst completely into tears. "I can't lose him too." She said in between sobs. Alex pulled her in against her chest, trying to console her.

"Hey, hey. Relax Casey. You said he's in surgery, right?" She cooed, trying to calm her down.

"With neuro." She told them softly. Alex squeezed her a little tighter.

"Try to stay positive, alright? He's going to be alright." Ashlyn said, laying a hand on her knee to try and bring some comfort to her. Casey wiped away her tears and took a couple of deep breaths.

"I've got to go talk to Vlatko, tell him what's going on." She told them as she got to her feet.

"Why don't we come with you?" Alex suggested.

"No, it's alright. I think this is something that's gotta be a one-on-one thing." She said with a small smile, squeezing Alex's hand. "I'll meet you back in the room." She sighed before heading back into the hotel to head up to the coaches rooms.