SPARKS FLY ╱ JACK HUGHES
꒷꒦ · ˚.‧ . written by liv . . . © -wonderhaze
𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 ━━━━━━━ ❛ 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵 ❜

TW: Mention of death, mention of anxiety and stress, domestic violence, mention of toxic relationships, abuse, etc. Please do not read this chapter if any of these topics trigger or affect you.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Seeing your child grow up is something every parent dreams of. Seeing his daughter grow into a beautiful person was all Christopher Hill wanted. However, the universe had different plans for him. Instead of seeing his daughter grow up, he was instead stuck watching her up from above. The disease that he had been diagnosed with just months before her fifth birthday ended his life 11 years later. He had never been able to process what was happening to him, but the pain went away when he was with his little girl. Only now, he could only dream and remember the moments he shared with her all those years before. He saw the big smile on her face as he taught her how to play soccer. He saw the same smile on her face as she walked alongside the Hughes family into the 2019 NWSL Draft. And all he could do was smile as well, knowing that she would be okay and no matter what life threw at her, she would get through it with Hughes by her side.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The small, brunette-haired girl followed slowly behind her dad, carrying a soccer ball in her small tanned arms. She wasn't sure what they would be doing but she still smiled brightly. Being by her dad's side brought her so much happiness and there was nothing that could stop that.

"Okay Brie, can you come help me place down these cones?" The older man asked, turning to look at his confused daughter

"What for?" She asked in a confused tone, not understanding what the cones were for.

"We are going to work on your passing and dribbling today, and to do that, we use these bright orange cones," He answered, hoping that his daughter understood what they were going to be working on.

"Dribbling?" Brielle wondered with a slight lisp, not understanding what the word meant.

"Okay, um remember when Danny was passing the ball between his feet when running down the field earlier this season?" Chris tried even though he didn't think it would work

"Is that...dribbling?" Brielle guessed with a confused look on her face.

"Yep, and it'll make more sense after you try it out yourself," he told her as he placed the last bright-colored cone down.

Brielle continued to wear a confused look on her face as they started to practice. She understood the basics of dribbling but every time she tried, she ended up tumbling over the ball or her own feet. And while she got up every time, her scraped knee and elbow hurt more than they ever had before.

Pushing through the pain, Brielle kicked the ball through the first two cones before continuing through the third and fourth. A shocked look appeared on her face as she continued through the last four cones without any tripping or falling. Brielle wore a bright smile as she ran over to her dad, who smiled at her. She jumped into his arms and he swung her around as his arms wrapped around her back.

"I did it! I finally did it!" She giggled as she was swung around.

"I'm so proud of you, Brie." he said before adding, "You showed how dedicated you were to getting the skill and how much it meant to you,"

He was so focused on Brielle that he didn't even notice the pain in his chest. The pain that would eventually end his life.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The thought of losing someone was something every person dreaded throughout their lifetime. The thought of losing her dad was the one thing that scared Brielle Foudy her entire life. When it came to the day he had his heart attack, Brielle was terrified. She didn't know how to help her dad and that scared her more than anything else in her entire life.

Now? The only thing that scared her was the NWSL draft. It was a shock to everyone that she was even considered eligible for the draft considering she was still enrolling at the University of Michigan. But here she was two months after the draft entry, preparing to go in the first round as the first overall pick.

"Brielle?" A familiar voice exclaimed, bringing Brielle back to reality. She wasn't with her dad playing soccer like she wanted to be.

Turning around to face the girl, Brielle couldn't hold in her excitement. The last time she had seen Callista Browne was when they were competing in an all-star game together months prior.

"Callie!" Brielle exclaimed as she rushed towards the girl, wrapping her in a tight hug.

Callista was one of the first people to reach out to Brielle after her dad's passing, even though the girls didn't know each other at the time. Now, they were best friends despite the challenges that came between them. It was difficult being hours away from one of the only people that kept you sane throughout everything.

"It feels like it's been ages, how are you?" Callista asked with her thick English accent.

Brielle hesitated for a second. She didn't want her answer to be a lie but she also didn't want to share what was running through her mind every day. The thought of her dad was in her mind constantly and it only got worse knowing who would be attending and hosting some of the draft.

Seeing her mom for the first time since she moved at the most important event of her life was not something she wanted. But like always with her mom, she didn't get a choice. So like always, she went with the automatic simple answer, "I've been okay, busy but okay."

"That's good! I haven't been doing much other than practice lately since I'm still playing for the Manchester team. I'm hoping the draft goes well considering I was even expecting to be eligible for it," She rambled as she pushed her long chestnut hair behind her ears.

"Why wouldn't you be eligible? Aren't you attending university right now?" Brielle found herself asking, not knowing why her friend wouldn't be eligible.

"I had to take a step back because of the stress it was causing. It just became too much and I couldn't handle it in the long run," She answered, trying to hide the embarrassment appearing on her face. She didn't care what other people thought of her, she was embarrassed in herself for letting the pressure of a sport overpower school and learning in the end.

"That's okay, we all have limits. I know that I wouldn't be able to handle it, I'm hardly managing waiting for the draft and my enrollment in Michigan," Brielle gave Callie a reassuring smile before wrapping her in one last hug. "I have an interview in a few minutes so I need to go but I'll find you after,"

Brielle didn't wait for a response, knowing she was already running slightly behind. She felt bad leaving Callie behind like that but she needed to put herself first in this situation. Being late for an interview or anything right before someone was choosing her for their team wouldn't be a good look and she couldn't risk losing her spot because of it. She could only hope she wasn't leaving too late.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If there was one thing Brielle hated most, it would be interviews. For years, she was forced to sit in front of a camera and talk about her life and her parents. It all just seemed pointless to her. She understood if it was for a player or an actual game but otherwise, she felt like it was important to just leave everyone alone. They had their own lives and it didn't need to be put on the internet every single day.

But her opinion didn't truly matter in the end. She could refuse to do interviews but it would only hurt her in the end, so she sat and suffered through them. Even if it truly killed her to do so.

"Brielle, how are you feeling about this upcoming experience and opportunity?" One of the interviewers asked after making short eye contact with the predicted first pick.

"Um, the feeling is truly indescribable. I've been dreaming of this since the league started a few years ago, and to even have the opportunity to play with all of these amazing women, it's kind of insane to me. I'm both excited and anxious to start this new journey." Brielle answered in a breathy tone. She truly didn't know how to describe how she felt, it was an overwhelming amount of emotions.

"Knowing that your parents are and were well-known in this industry, would you say that added pressure as today has gotten closer?"

"No, I wouldn't say that. I think that my parent's being known in this industry is only pushing my goals and motivations to get where I'm at. I know my dad and mom are both extremely proud of me and my accomplishments so their being well-known doesn't change how I feel as today has gotten closer. I've felt pressure as the drafts got closer but my parents aren't the cause of it." Brielle stated after a few seconds, allowing herself to think of a mature answer. She wasn't in contact with her mom so she truly didn't know if she was proud of her or not but she did know that her dad was and in the end, that's all that mattered to her.

"There have been rumors that you are living with a family friend at the moment, do you have anything to say on that?"

"I don't because I don't feel like people must know where I'm living. It's okay to be concerned but I feel like that's invading my personal life and the things I'm dealing with privately. I'll talk and open up about it when I'm ready but currently, I'm still managing and dealing with the situation."

"Brielle, there have been rumors about you being chosen in the first few picks. If you had to choose between Gotham's jersey and Red Stars jersey, which one would you pick?"

"Um, I'm honestly not sure. I love both of them, but I prefer the black and blue of the Gotham uni's. I think either would be cool to wear though." Brielle wondered if she fully agreed with her answer but chose to ignore it, moving on to the next question.

"How do you feel about the rumors and talk that has been going around?"

"I mean...I hear the majority of what's being said about my career, my personal life, my relationship, the draft, and all of the other things. I don't pay attention to it though, unless a statement is needed, and even then I don't pay attention to it. I think paying attention to it would only get me in my mind and mess with me, so I guess I don't care about what's being said because I know the truth and I know what's going on behind the scenes. The public eye and people love to spin their own stories and as long as they don't create lies about who I am and those I care about, they can continue to do so," Brielle answered before looking down at her watch, looking to see how much longer the interview was.

"Would you say you are excited for the future of your career and the future of the NWSL?" A younger brunette interviewer asked, looking at Brielle with her dark brown eyes. She looked slightly familiar to Brielle but she couldn't quite place it.

"Yeah, for sure. I obviously can't predict how it's going to go but I have a really good feeling going into this next journey. I'm excited to show little kids and teens worldwide that you can do whatever you put your mind to and that anyone can do what I've done with practice. I'm just overall really excited for the future and I'm excited to see how everything plays out." Brielle smiled as she replied to the question, not realizing the alarm going off in the background.

"Okay, thank you for your time, Brielle," One of the reporters said before Brielle was rushed out of the room and outside, a car already waiting for them.

She knew by the way they were rushing that it was nearing the time for the draft and the feeling made her insides twist. She knew she would be okay but that didn't stop the panic and anxiety she felt.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Brielle wasn't the type of person to dress up and go out, she'd rather dress down and stay in. But the only exception to that was dressing up for the most important moment of her life. She loved the black puff-sleeve ruffle dress she was wearing. She loved the white heels that paired with the dark-colored dress.

The entire outfit made her feel a way that she didn't know how to describe. It had been months since she had dressed up like she was and it felt amazing to do so.

"There's my gorgeous girl," Ellen Hughes smiled as Brielle walked towards them, wrapping Ellen in a tight hug once she was close enough.

"Hey Mama Hughes," Brielle smiled as she hugged the one person that comforted her after her dad's passing.

"Happy draft day, Bri" Jim Hughes wrapped his arms around the small girl before adding, "How are you feeling?"

"Excited and Anxious, I honestly might throw up," Brielle's face was pale and it was clear she was nervous by how her hands shook.

"It's all going to be okay, nothing will go wrong," Ellen reassured as she grabbed Brielle's shaking hands, trying to calm her down.

"The boys and your friends went inside already so we can meet with them whenever," Jim informed as he started to walk towards the entry.

"We can head in," Brielle told them as she wrapped her arm around Ellen, leaning her head on her shoulder as they walked.

The last time she had seen them was two weeks ago and she missed them more than anything. The preparations and traveling overtook her entire holiday, making it difficult to see anyone. She had seen them for Christmas but that was it.

The Hughes family had been nothing but supportive and caring of her, which gave her comfort whenever they were near. They were the parent figures she needed after her dad's passing.

"Bri!" Someone yelled as they collided with Brielle's chest, hugging her tightly.

"Hey Lana," Brielle smiled as she hugged the petite blonde back, a sad feeling coming over her.

She had seen her friends just a few days ago but it felt different this time. This day was the day that would change her life forever and that was finally settling in her mind as she was bombarded with all of her friends. She quickly went through hugging all of the friends who showed up to support her, only stopping when she came to the Hughes Brothers. The three people were her built-in best friends.

"It's only been two weeks and you've grown so much," Brielle said as she wrapped Luke Hughes in a tight hug. The boy was freshly fifteen and he was towering over her, and it kind of shocked her. He was close to towering over his brothers too, which wasn't that shocking to her if she was being honest.

"Quinner, letting them outgrow you is sad," Brielle smiled as Quinn wrapped her in a hug, both of them laughing as her words.

Once released from the hug, Brielle turned and made eye contact with Jack, who stood awkwardly beside Quinn. Brielle felt her cheeks heat up as they stared at each other, evidently under the Jack Hughes spell. Whenever the two were around each other, Brielle couldn't function like a normal human being. She would stumble over her words, her hands would grow sweaty, her cheeks would heat up, and all she could do was stare at his smile and eyes. She hated herself for it because she knew he could never like someone like her but no matter how hard she tried, the feeling she felt when she was around him wouldn't go away.

What made it even worse was Brielle had finally moved on. She had a boyfriend that she was committed to and yet the feeling was still there and she could feel it as each day went on.

"Hey Ro," Brielle put on a smile as she moved forward, wrapping her best friend in a tight hug. The hug felt different, and not in a good way. The way Jack hugged her was way different from their other hugs. It was tighter and his head fell onto her shoulder, she could feel how tense he was. After a few seconds, she asked, "Are you okay?"

He didn't give a verbal answer, he just nodded against her shoulder. She gave him a tight squeeze before removing herself from the hug, knowing if they hugged longer, someone may start to think something.

She took this time to take in Jack's appearance and it scared her when she took it in. He was wearing a suit and his hair was done nicely but everything else about him was disheveled. His skin was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes, giving away that he was stressed and exhausted. A frown slowly appeared on Brielle's face, her insides twisting in guilt. She hadn't been talking to him as much since she moved in with Matthew and it was having an effect on him.

She slowly moved towards Ellen and Luke, knowing they wouldn't lie to her about how Jack was doing. When she finally got over to them, she paused for a few seconds before asking, "Is Ro doing okay? He looks a little tired,"

Luke went to respond but was stopped by Ellen, "The stress has gotten to him recently, I think he's been talking to Trevor about it but I don't think It's been helping much. Maybe try talking to him tonight after we celebrate, you've always been able to calm him down," Ellen smiled before grasping Luke's arm and walking away, leaving Brielle alone with her thoughts.

Brielle pushed the thoughts that ran through her mind deep down, knowing that she needed to focus on the draft and herself first. She moved away from where she was standing and towards her group of friends. She only had three actual friends at the draft but she didn't care, she was just happy to have them there. They talked about the holiday and the plans they have for the summer they are going to spend together, but it was short-lived.

Yelling was soon heard from across the room, causing Brielle to twist and look back to see what was happening. Her stomach dropped at the sight of her mother across the room, causing a scene with Ellen and Luke. Ellen and Luke were trying to move away and Julie just kept yelling at them.

"Ellie," Brielle heard Jack say as he reached forward to stop her from moving, but she shook off his grasp, rushing across the room

"Mom stop, they haven't done anything," Brielle interrupted, grabbing her mother's forearm gently to pull her away.

"Oh hell they haven't, they ripped this family apart!" Julie snapped, her words slightly slurred. Brielle hadn't even noticed the drink she had in her hand, but the minute she did, her stomach twisted and she felt sick. She hoped that her mom would quit drinking when she left, but it was evident that she hadn't.

"Mom stop, please," She pleaded as she tried pulling her mother away once again.
However, nothing was stopping Julie when she was drinking, and Brielle knew that better than anyone.

"They have taken everything from us, they took you away from me," Julie yelled with her speech slurred, her voice becoming raspy from the yelling.

"Okay no, you are the reason I'm not with you anymore. Not Ellen, not Jim, none of them. You are the only reason," Brielle defended in a harsh tone, shocking herself in the process. It wasn't often that she stood up for herself.

"Don't blame me for their actions Briella Marie," Julie turned to face Brielle, an evident glare on her face as she did so.

"It isn't blaming when it's the truth. You fucked up your own life, no one else is to blame for your shitty parenting," Brielle was getting fed up with her mother's behavior. The draft was supposed to be an amazing day for her and now it was being ruined by someone who wasn't even supposed to be around her.

"Ellie, maybe we should just go," A quiet voice mentioned from behind the girl but she ignored it, her anger clouding her judgment and senses.

Brielle didn't like that she was adding fuel to the fire, but she couldn't stop herself. For years, her mom had treated her like shit. And now she was finally getting her payback, but all it was doing was hurting her even more. She could feel it in her chest. The way it felt like her lungs were failing every time she tried to take a breath.

The worst part about all of it was that Brielle would always be the villain in her mother's story and she was finally starting to realize it.

"Briella, I'm not doing this with you right now," Julie's words weren't as slurred as before but it was still evident that she was intoxicated.

"No, you aren't doing this. You need to solve the problems you've caused instead of running away from them every single time," The tone in Brielle's voice made it evident that she was mad, and it wasn't a surprise either. The tension had been building between the Foudy women for years, it was only a matter of time before it blew up.

"There are thousands of people here Briella, don't talk to me that way," The tone of her voice was rough as she spoke, the yelling and arguing causing her throat to become raspy.

The anger fueling through Julie was evident when she grabbed Brielle's hand, dragging her away from the forming crowd of people. Brielle let out a gasp as pain shot up her forearm, Julie's nails digging into Brielle's skin. She wasn't sure if it was on purpose or not, but that didn't stop the fear she was feeling.

She was being reminded of how bad her life got after her dad passed away. Her mom became an abusive alcoholic and she was forced to raise herself.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry please just let me go," Brielle cried as her mom dragged her into the girl's restrooms, checking around to make sure they were alone.

Julie released her grip from Brielle's arm immediately after the restroom door shut behind them. Brielle cried out as the nails dug across her arm, blood slowly being drawn from one of the nail wounds. The fear that was going through Brielle at that moment was something she had never felt before. She had been scared of her mom a few years prior but never to this extent.

"What the fuck!" Brielle exclaimed as she held her forearm, her sad emotion-filled green eyes finding her mother's dark and cold eyes.

"Next time you think about talking to me that way in front of my co-workers and boss, think about the consequences. You would think you weren't raised at all with how you act," Julie sneered, a hateful look on her face as she glared down at her daughter

"I wasn't raised! You stopped raising me the minute Dad died! I don't even know why you're here, you don't care about me" Brielle cried, her eyes starting to water as she got reminded of the constant pain she was in just a few years prior. She didn't mean what she said but her anger and emotions were getting the best of her.

"I'm not here for you, and, shockingly, you are even here after how bad you've played the last two and a half seasons," Her voice was completely unrecognizable to Brielle. It was full of hate and disgust, and all of it was towards Brielle. Brielle knew her mom had never been that fond of her but that didn't stop the hurt she was feeling.

"Mom...that's the alcohol talking, obviously you're here to support me and my accomplishments like I did for you. You're here because you're proud of me," Brielle choked as she pushed back the sobs trying to escape her.

She knew what she was saying wasn't true, her mom was right. She wasn't there for Brielle, she was there for the money and the job. She was there to get seen by the public eye, to keep up her act that she was this perfect and loving mother. Brielle knew that what people say when they are drunk is the truth the majority of the time, and knowing that was what hurt her most.

"Please tell me you are kidding, what is there to be proud of Briella? Seriously tell me why I should be proud of you after all of the shit you've put me through," Julie laughed as tears started to spill from Brielle's saddened eyes. "Don't cry, you have nothing to cry about,"

Those words only made Brielle cry more. She felt her chest start to enclose as she let out choked sobs. It was so evident that the words hurt Brielle and it was evident that Julie could care less. She continued to laugh at her crying daughter before she was interrupted by Brielle, "Is that truly what you think of me,"

Brielle could only stare at her "mom's" face with a sad and hurt expression. Julie had nodded as an answer to Brielle's question.

"Oh don't look at me that way Briella. The minute you moved out of that house, you were no longer my daughter. You may be my daughter by blood and you may have my last name but you are nothing to me," Julie said with her voice full of hatred, causing Brielle to flinch. The two stood in silence before Brielle pushed past Julie, exiting the bathroom and running to find the one person who could give her comfort at that moment.

The Hughes family was confused when Brielle came running at them, but everything started to make sense when she fell into Jack's arms, doing nothing but crying into his shoulder as he held her in a tight embrace.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Brielle wasn't sure how long she cried after leaving the bathroom, but it left her with a migraine. She could feel it behind her eyes as she was led to her seating section. She cursed under her breath as she quickly reached into her purse to grab her medication. Tossing the dosage into her mouth, she grabbed her bottle of water to help her swallow the pills.

The bitter taste from the pill coating was left in her mouth as they continued to walk to their designated seats. Brielle already knew the migraine was from the stress of her mom and the draft.

"Migraine?" Jack asked as he held his arm out to make sure she was okay as they walked.

"Mhm," Brielle mumbled as she took Jack's hand, closing her eyes immediately after. The light and noise weren't helping her head at all.

Brielle felt Jack place his hand on her back, helping lead her to the seats. She wanted to smile but any facial movement only caused her to grimace in pain. Quickly finding their seats, Brielle sat down and continued to keep her eyes closed. The pain was starting to fade pretty quickly but she still felt queasy at the loud noises.

"Please welcome to the stage the president of the US United Soccer Coaches Association, Lesle Gallimore," One of the commentators said into the overcom, causing everyone to turn their focus to the podium or stage.

"Good morning everybody and welcome to Chicago! Boy, has this changed since seven years ago, in that little room in the hotel where no one was allowed in and we kept all with our ears to the door to see who the first pick would be and once in a while, someone would pop out and give us a little a nugget of information," Lesle Gallimore said, her voice mixed with a formal and non-formal tone. It was evident she was trying to make the night a little more fun and not as stressful.

"Um, It is so great to see the growth of the NWSL going into its seventh year. Uh, a big thank you to the NWSL on behalf of the United soccer coaches for their partnership with us. Thank you to the owners, and the coaches of all of the clubs in the NWSL for investing in the women's game in this country. Thank you, big round of applause for the owners." Lesle said before becoming quiet, allowing the arena to be surrounded in applause.

"Special congratulations to the North Carolina Courage on their championship this last season. What a great year it was for the league and what a great year it was for soccer. The level of play has risen to the point where we now have the third-ranked team, a professional team in FIFA behind PSG and Leon, both teams that Paul reassured me they beat so I don't know how we came in third there but um that's, that's saying something. Uh, I want to say thank you to the staff, and everyone that has put on this event here, it's just it's tremendous to see," Brielle heard Lesle say before she completely zoned out, the migraine still lingering in her head.

Speeches were always long at events like these, Brielle understood and knew that. But that didn't stop her from growing tired and annoyed as the speech ran for over 10 minutes. She knew it was important for them to speak and congratulate everyone but she wanted nothing more than for the night to be over. She was already exhausted mentally and physically and the speeches were just making it worse.

"First and foremost, the draftees, the potential draftees, what an exciting time. You've earned this opportunity, I know you're sitting over there with your families and friends, anxiously awaiting for uh...your name to be called. If it happens today for you, congratulations. If it doesn't happen today, don't stop dreaming, and don't stop chasing your dream because there is so much more opportunity in this day and age for women's soccer, uh that you owe it to yourself to keep after it. So without further ado, let's get the party started, yeah? Let's go," Lesle finished as she exited the stage, allowing the next speaker to walk on stage.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, managing director of the National Women's Soccer League, Amanda Duffy," Another commentator shouted through the overcom, causing everyone in the arena to start clapping and cheering.

"Welcome. On behalf of all of our owners, our partners, our players, and our great fans, welcome to the 2019 NWSL College Draft. Thank you Lesle Gallimore, Lynn Burlingmanual, and the wonderful team at United Soccer Coaches for your support and for once again, hosting the NWSL College Draft at this year's United Soccer Coaches Convention. Today marks the start of the league's historic seventh season, a season that will be extraordinary and will continue to raise the global standard for women's football." Amanda spoke with a formal tone, the arena was now silent as the hundreds of Athlete's finally realized what was going to happen that day. Those who got drafted would have their lives changed forever.

"Looking back, 2018 was pretty special. The league grew stronger when we welcomed Deloitte Hanson and the Utah Royals. During the club's inaugural season, in addition to building a foundation that positions it to be among the leaders, in accelerating the growth of NWSL, Deloitte and his team invested significantly in facilities and resources and saw the second-largest inaugural home game crowd in the league history when more than nineteen thousand fans attended the Royals first game at Rio Tinto Stadium. Congratulations Deloitte, Stephanie Lee, Laura Harvey, and the entire Royal's organization for your achievements."Amanda continued, only pausing for the applause after her last sentence.

"We strengthen our relationship with the NWSL Players Association as the league formally recognized the Players Association as the exclusive bargaining representative of the NWSL players. We look forward to that continued collaboration. More fans came to see NWSL games this year with over six hundred thousand fans supporting the players and clubs, pushing their league's regular season average attendance to over six thousand fans per game, making it the highest average attendance in league history and marking a more than forty percent average attendance increase since the league's inception. The 2018 NWSL Championship showcased the excitement of the fans, the Portland fans, and the growing support of the league to cap another season of record-setting attendance for the Thorns. The club hosted the largest-ever crowd for a women's professional soccer championship, breaking a seventeen-year-old record when more than twenty-one thousand fans came to witness North Carolina Courage and the Portland Thorns competing for the league's title," Amanda added as she looked up at the large crowd of supporters in front of her.

"We again thank Merritt Paulson, Mike Golub, and the entire Thorns organization for their word leading up to enduring a memorable week in Portland. 2018 though, in many ways, belonged to the North Carolina Courage. The club, in its second season in NWSL, brought a resolve into the 2018 season that guided it to setting single-season records for goals, wins, points, and goals against. The club captured the first women's ICC championship and became the first team to win the NWSL Shield and the NWSL championship in the same season. Congratulations Steve Malek, Kurt Johnson, Paul Riley, and the entire Courage organization, you're setting a new standard for our competition in NWSL and you continue to drive the culture of our sport through your consistency and results," The crowd once again started to clap once Amanda paused, only stopping when she started to speak again.

"There are high water marks set along the way, all contributing to new achievements that made 2018 special for NWSL. Congratulations to all of the teams for a remarkable season, but we're not at the finish line. Today, we embark on a season that will further elevate the women's game. A year that will have women's soccer stand at the forefront of global sports as the world's best athletes compete at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. As the women's game grows so will the visibility, expectations, and opportunities. Today, we announce that the NWSL senior rosters will expand to a minimum of twenty and a maximum of twenty-two players. We created four new supplemental roster spots, creating additional opportunities for these and other players to bring their talents to NWSL. The league has increased its base salary cap as well as the minimum and maximum salary figures. The sixth consecutive season in which an increase has been implemented. The league's permitted team assistance cap has nearly doubled from the 2018 season, allowing teams to spend additional amounts by providing players assistance outside of base compensation. Through all of these expansions and increases, we were able to implement, we have the owners operating each of the teams and their talented staff to thank for providing a home for the world's best soccer players and a showcase through which fans can admire these athletes and see the fulfillment of young girls dreams," Amanda paused for a second, allowing herself to breathe before continuing.

"In addition to thanking the owners, we must thank our fans. The significance of your unwavering and enthusiastic support goes beyond numbers and metrics. It is a driving force to the success of each of our clubs and the league. It's an inspiration to the players, who work tirelessly, who dedicate themselves, and who sacrifice so much to be a part of the foundation of this league. Lighting the path for future professionals illuminating future opportunities for girls and women in sports and providing inspiration along the way. Thank you to our federation partners, U.S Soccer and Canada Soccer, Dan Flynn, Jay Burrhalter, Lydia Walkey, and many others at U.S Soccer. Your support and guidance are instrumental to the success and growth of this league. Thank you to our partner, Nike, who has believed in this league since its inception and continues to be an important part of NWSL and its teams. A&E delivers exceptional broadcasts on lifetime, promotional sport, visibility, and exposure among many other things. Thank you to the team that brings the broadcast to life and our living rooms each week, Michael Cohen, Dana Rubin, Jen Hildreth, Allie Wagner, Dallin Cuff, and the team behind them. We also thank Thorn and Cutter for their continued commitment to the league. To the draft players with us today and watching from home, congratulations. We're thrilled to welcome you into the elite group of builders, who through their talent and dedication, have the opportunity to show uncompromising commitment, to challenging yourselves, and those around you to raise the bar. You inspire and exemplify possibilities, regardless of today's outcome, congratulations on your achievements that are nothing short of a success and a journey that remains ongoing. With all of that, I thank you all for being with us today. I thank you for your support, and I think we're ready to get started. The newly named NY/NJ Gotham, you are now on the clock," Amanda finished, exiting the stage as those around the arena cheered and screamed in excitement.

Brielle slowly opened her eyes, finally realizing what was about to happen. She knew she was being drafted first, it was evident the minute she first met the coaches of the Gotham Fc. But that didn't stop the anxiety running through her. This moment would be the thing that forever changed her life.

The one thing she worked her entire life for was finally here and she couldn't help but tear up at the realization. She had gotten into soccer because of her dad and now she was finally making their dream come true, even though he wouldn't be there to see it.

"With the first overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NWSL College Draft, the NY/NJ Gotham select, Brielle Foudy, from the University of Michigan," Amanda announced, causing the whole arena to erupt in cheers and screams.

A bright smile appeared on Brielle's face as she rose from her seat, immediately being wrapped in a hug from Ellen. That one moment was everything to her and having the people she loved most with her made it even better. Quickly moving through the line of friends and family, Brielle made her way to Jack, who sat at the end of the row, right next to her seat. He quickly wrapped her in a tight hug, her head laying on his shoulder as they hugged. Right as Brielle went to pull away, he whispered into her ear, "I'm so proud of you Ellie, go live your dream,"

As she made her way to the stage, she smiled and looked around at all of the people cheering and screaming. This moment was the thing she had dreamed about from the moment she learned what soccer was. Every minute spent on the field and in the gym was what led her to this moment. The moment when Briella Marie Foudy-Hill officially became a professional soccer player.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Nothing prepares you for the moment when your life changes forever. Whether you are graduating high school or college or whether you are starting a new career path, nothing will ever prepare you for the high you are in the moments and hours afterward. Brielle was finally starting to realize that as she was celebrating with her friends and family in downtown Chicago.

She wasn't exactly sure how to feel. As she watched her friends dance, she was happy and excited about the new journey she would be taking, but she was also extremely nervous. She had seen so many terrible rookie seasons in the last few years and nothing scared her more than having a horrible rookie year.

Her rookie year was the point where she needed to prove herself as a player and having a bad season wouldn't do that. The thought made her nauseous and it was evident as she stumbled off of the dance floor and over to the group's tables. The minute she sat down, she held her head in her hands.

She didn't even pay attention to the pair of bright blue eyes watching her from across the table. She couldn't look at him at the moment without completely breaking down. Jack was the one person who could tell when something was wrong with her and she knew he could sense her anxiety and fear from the moment she sat down. Still feeling his gaze on her, she picked up her head and looked over at him.

"What?" She asked with a slightly annoyed tone. She wasn't even mad at him, she was just annoyed with herself for overthinking every single thing she did.

"I know you Ellie, you are letting the stress of the draft get to you and allowing it to mess with your night," Jack said in a knowing tone, causing Brielle to groan in annoyance. She hated that he knew her well enough to read her like a book.

"Just...wait until we are done here to let your thoughts get to you. We can talk once everyone else is asleep," He added before stepping away from the table and going over to the drink bar.

Brielle contemplated what he said for a few minutes before deciding it was better for her just to leave the party. She grabbed her purse and jacket from the table before walking to the door. As she made her way outside, she heard the chime of the door from behind her. Quickly turning around, she made eye contact with a pair of bright blue eyes.

"What are you doing?" Brielle asked as she turned back around, making her way down the street.

"I'm not letting you go out in downtown Chicago at night by yourself," Jack stated as if it was obvious.

"I'm fine, you should go back in and celebrate," Brielle told him as she came to a stop on the sidewalk, turning back around to face the taller boy.

"I'm not really in the mood to celebrate," Jack replied, grabbing the car keys from his pocket and adding, "I'm going to drive you home and then I'll come back later to pick up the others if needed,"

Tired of arguing and just wanting to go lay down, Brielle nodded before saying, "Fine, but we get to listen to whatever music I want to listen to,"

And that was that. The duo got in the car and drove to their hotel, Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift being blasted throughout the car. Brielle sang along to the lyrics of her favorite song, Sparks Fly, as Jack laughed.

Seeing her happy did nothing but make him smile. Her laugh and smile could make anyone feel better, and Jack knew that better than anyone. It wasn't until they were pulling into the hotel parking lot that Jack realized what he was doing. He was singing along to a song he hadn't heard before they got in the car.

Still in shock at what he did, Jack parked the car and immediately got out. Brielle wore a confused expression as she followed after him, the duo going up to their hotel rooms.

She didn't understand what changed from the party to the hotel but Jack was acting differently. She assumed it was because of the music and the fact that he sang along but she didn't say anything. Quietly following him into her room, the pair quickly got ready to talk.

"I was going to change; um if you want to go to your room and change that's fine," Brielle bit her lip awkwardly, standing between the bathroom door and the bedroom. She didn't know why she was nervous all of a sudden, all they were doing was talking.

Brielle ignored the anxiety as she quickly turned around, rushing into the bathroom. The minute the bathroom door was shut, Brielle slid down the door to sit on the cold tile floor. She wanted to bang her head against a wall for being so awkward when fully alone with him. He was just like every other guy.

Her stomach twisted at the reminder of her boyfriend, who sat back on their couch in Michigan. He had something to do for work that day and couldn't join Brielle for the draft.

Brielle sat on the floor for a few more minutes before pulling herself up and walking over to the bathroom vanity. Looking in the mirror honestly scared Brielle. Her undereyes were slightly darkened due to the crying earlier in the day. Her lips were chapped and bright pink, probably from biting them. Her hair and dress were the only things that still looked nice.

Quickly changing into sweatpants and an oversized tee, Brielle let her mind wander. So much had happened that day and it was all finally catching up to her. At the thought of her mom, tears slowly started to fall from her eyes.

"How did we get here," Brielle whispered to herself as she started to take off her makeup, tears still falling down her face

As she continued to think about her mom, she couldn't help but feel happy that her mom was finally out of her life. All her mom did throughout her life was cause pain and sadness, and having all of that gone was for the better. But that didn't stop the sadness she felt at her mom's words. They constantly played in her mind as she put her hair up into a messy bun.

You are nothing to me. you are nothing to me. you are nothing to me. You are nothing to me. You are nothing to me. You are nothing to me.

Brielle shook her head as if it pained her, quickly grabbing her stuff and rushing out of the bathroom. She couldn't be alone with her thoughts much longer, it was starting to physically pain her. As she walked out of the bathroom, she noticed a very relaxed Jack lying on the bed, his eyes closed. Though his peacefulness didn't last long; the minute he heard Brielle, he opened his eyes and smiled at her. The awkwardness between them completely gone.

"Sit down and talk, I'll listen," Jack told Brielle as she climbed onto the bed, sitting down to allow Jack to lay down across her lap. They had always sat that way, it was comforting for both of them.

"I want to prove my mom and everyone else wrong," Brielle mumbled as she played with Jack's hair.

"Why?" Jack pushed, knowing that she needed to let everything out before she burst.

"My entire life I've lived in the shadow of everyone in my family. I want to prove that I'm more than "Julie Foudy's Daughter". To prove to my mom that I'm capable of being a pro soccer player. To prove that everything she's ever said to me or about me was all a lie," Brielle answered as she continued to run her hands through Jack's medium-length hair

"Are you okay? I never asked you after what happened earlier," Jack rotated his head so he was looking up at her, his eyes on hers as she thought of an answer.

"No, but I will be. I don't care what she thinks of me anymore, it's her loss. I'm going to be successful and she won't be a part of it," Brielle replied, trying to hide the emotion she was feeling at the mention of her mom throughout the conversation.

"Do you want to talk about the draft?" Jack asked, knowing something about the draft and being a professional athlete scared her.

"No, I need to process all of it before I can even think of talking about it," She answered before remembering the conversation she had earlier in the day.
Jack had been struggling with anxiety and stress too but wasn't even acknowledging it.

"Are you okay?" She asked after a few moments of silence. She knew he would lie but it felt necessary to ask.

"Yea-" He tried before being interrupted by Brielle, "Don't lie to me right now,"

"I'm fine, nothing is wrong," Jack said but as he looked away, he felt Brielle staring at him intently. Her gaze caused him to turn and face her again.

"I shared what was wrong with me, now it's your turn," Brielle told him as she brushed her hand through his thick brown hair.

She knew he hated talking about his
feelings and emotions, but she also knew what would happen if he held it all in. She had held in everything after her dad's passing and it resulted in a mental breakdown in front of everyone. Brielle didn't want that for anyone, especially Jack.

"Okay...I just um..the stress is getting to me and I haven't been able to handle it," Jack replied with his head slightly turning downward.

"What kind of stress?" Brielle asked, wanting to try and help Jack out as best as possible.

"I'm scared that I'm not going to do well. I...I don't want to have a bad first year and I don't want to let anyone down," He turned his head to face her, but turned away at the sadness on Brielle's face.

"You won't let anyone down, Jack. We're all so proud of you," Brielle told him as she grabbed his hand and held it tightly.

"Not just you guys, everyone. They all expect me to be this amazing player from the start, and I don't think I can be the player they want me to be," Jack shared as he picked at the skin around his fingernails.

Brielle remained silent, not knowing how to respond. She didn't want to say the wrong thing but also didn't want to not say anything at all. Frowning, she continued to brush her hand through Jack's soft hair. The pair sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Neither one of them had the words to describe the stress and anxiety they were feeling.

"I'm just exhausted," Jack mumbled as he stopped picking at his nails. He turned his head to look at Brielle, but once again looked away at the sadness on her face. He couldn't handle seeing her sad.

The pair continued to stay silent as time slowly passed by. The silence made it kind of peaceful in the room. Though, it was short-lived by a group of people coming off of the elevator. Brielle went to get up but as she did, she noticed how slow Jack was breathing and how his eyes remained closed even with all of the yelling. He had fallen asleep during the time that they remained silent. Brielle slowly resettled herself in the bed, deciding that his sleep was more important.

After a few minutes, the yelling from outside stopped. Brielle quickly opened her eyes at the sound of her hotel room door being opened. She went to get up but remembered a sleeping jack had been peaceful against her. Cursing under her breath, she resettled in the bed and prayed that she wasn't about to be attacked.
However, after a few seconds of silence, the sound of someone falling in the room's hallway made Brielle realize who it was. Alana Washington had returned to the hotel room.

"Lana?" Brielle whispered as she slightly leaned forward, making sure that Jack wasn't waking up with the noise in the room.

"Sorry Sorry," Alana whispered as she peaked around the corner, pushing all of Brielle's stuff back in the suitcase she had tripped over.

"Just try and be quiet, please," Brielle told the girl before leaning her head back and closing her eyes, exhaustion slowly taking over as the clock struck midnight.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠

𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘏𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘳, 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭.

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗢𝗙𝗙

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Nothing would ever prepare Brielle for the flight home when traveling. She hated it every single time. The flight alone was awful but leaving the place you were traveling to was even worse. Flying home from Chicago to Michigan wasn't long at all, it was about an hour long. Though, it felt like an eternity. Brielle didn't mind it though; it meant she wouldn't have to face Matthew and his slight temper right away.

"Bri?" Luke whispered, pulling Brielle out of her thoughts.

"Yeah?" She asked, but her face dropped at the sight of fear on his face. She waited a few seconds before adding, "What's wrong, Luke?"

"I'm worried for Jack. He hasn't been this down in a while and I'm scared that being drafted this early is going to mess with him," Luke shared as he looked at Brielle, his eyes giving away that he was scared.

"Come here," Brielle whispered, pulling Luke closer to her; his head now leaning on her shoulder as she hugged him. She thought for a second before saying, "We're going to be with him every step of the way, and everything will be okay,"

"How do you know?" He muttered as he tried to get closer to Brielle in the hug

"Because...we're his family and no one understands him better than we do. We can help him throughout this entire process and if things become too much, we can help him," Brielle told Luke as she hugged him tightly, trying to comfort him.

The rest of the flight went by quickly. Brielle continued to hug Luke and he slowly started hugging her too. As they got off the plane, Brielle felt her stomach turn. She didn't want to go home but she had to.
Quickly saying her goodbyes, Brielle left the Hughes family and went to her car. Letting out a shaky breath, she loaded up her car with her luggage, got in, and drove home.

She wished she lived further away from the airport when it came to coming home. She didn't enjoy coming home and dealing with a temper right away. Letting out shaky breaths as she drove, it didn't take long for Brielle to get home. She pulled her car into the garage and quickly got her stuff out, rushing upstairs. She was hoping she would miss Matthew and just get a few seconds of peace. However, nothing ever worked in her favor.

"Hey babe," Brielle said, leaning down and kissing the top of his head before heading into their shared bedroom. She placed her stuff down before heading back into the living room, joining Matthew on the couch.

"Did you watch the draft?" She asked, a bright smile on her face as she leaned against his side.

"I was at practice," Was all he said as his focus remained on the video game he was playing.

"Oh...um have you eaten yet?" Brielle tried to hide the emotion and heartbreak she was feeling but it was evident in the way she spoke that she was choking down a sob.

"I went out with Courtney and Ben after practice," he answered emotionlessly, still not turning his focus to Brielle.

"Okay, I'm going to make myself something and then probably lay down," Brielle told him but when she didn't receive a response, she slowly nodded and headed to the kitchen.

Tears slowly started to fall down her face as she pulled the frozen packet of broccoli cheese rice out of the freezer. She didn't know why she was so upset, she knew he wouldn't watch the draft. But that didn't stop her from crying as she waited for her dinner to finish.

When the microwave beeped, Brielle pulled the rice package out and dumped it into a bowl. She quickly grabbed her food and a napkin, trying to rush into the bedroom. However, she was stopped right as she turned to enter the bedroom.

"Are you fucking Jack Hughes?" Matthew accused in a very dead rough voice, glaring down at his girlfriend.

Brielle couldn't believe what she was hearing. She understood she was close with Jack and that was probably shown throughout the years but she would never cheat on someone. To even be accused of it made her sick. Still in shock, Brielle looked up at her boyfriend, hatred written across his face as he glared down at her.

"What in the world are you talking about? I would never cheat," Brielle gasped in complete shock, still not believing what she was hearing.

"You know what I'm talking about Bri. Are. You. Fucking. Jack. Hughes." He asked again, this time grabbing Brielle's forearm to hold her in place.

"No!" She exclaimed as she tried pulling her arm away from his grasp, though it was too tight. She could feel it in her bone as he squeezed her forearm with all of his strength, his anger taking over. She gasped in pain before saying, "Matthew, you're hurting me,"

"Yeah, well I guess you know how I felt when I saw that you were with Jack Hughes all week," Matthew continued to squeeze Brielle's arm as he leaned down and got in her face, whispering, "Just tell me the truth Brielle and we can forget this ever happened,"

"I didn't do a fucking thing!" She yelled as she continued to try and get herself away from him.

"There are pictures of you guys holding hands and walking, obviously you are doing something with him!" Matthew responded, continuing to lean and push Brielle back toward the apartment's front door.

"He's like a brother to me, Matthew! I'm with you, not him, you." Brielle defended, fear running through her veins as her hands began to shake.

"Bullshit, tell me the truth, Brielle!" He yelled, causing Brielle to jump in fear. The bowl of rice slowly slipped from her hands, falling to the floor with a loud crash.

"And now you're making messes in my apartment," Matthew sighed, finally releasing his grip from Brielle's arm and walking off. He went into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.

Brielle finally let out the sob she was holding in as she fell to the floor, slowly reaching for the broken glass pieces. Her chest was physically hurting as she cried, never feeling that way when around someone. Her mom had never made her feel this way, not once in her entire life. Not even earlier that day. Matthew Knight had been the only one to truly hurt Brielle Foudy to the point of no return.

"We're done, I'm leaving," Brielle yelled out between a sob, pushing herself up and heading to the kitchen.

She placed the glass pieces in the trash before heading towards the bedroom. The door wasn't locked so she quickly rushed in, grabbing her suitcase and purse. She needed to get out of the house and away from him. Though, he was right behind her as she reached the front door.

"Bri, please," Matthew begged, his demeanor and tone completely different from how it had been moments before.

"No, I've given you a second chance before Matt. I'm not doing this again, you've hurt me again and I can't be with someone that does that. Please, just get some help,"
Brielle stood her ground as she swung the door open, rushing down into the garage. She quickly got her stuff in the car, and prepared to get out.

She got herself situated in the front seat before pulling out. She knew if she hadn't, she would have probably crashed from being emotional and in her head. Brielle closed the garage behind her as she pulled out, driving off immediately. She quickly made a call to Ellen to inform her that she was coming over and staying for a while, knowing that the Hughes family would be with her every step of the way.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠

𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳, 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘥𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘸 𝘒𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱.

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗢𝗙𝗙

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

5 months was all it took to change Brielle Foudy's life forever. It had been five months since she was drafted as the first overall pick in the 2019 NWSL Draft. It had been five months since her boyfriend had accused her of cheating on him and abused her. It had been five months since she found out he had been cheating on her the entire time they were together. It had been five months since she realized love meant nothing and everyone always used her or left her. It had also been five months since she moved in with the Hughes family.

Living with them was the best and worst experience of her life. She loved them and enjoyed being around them, but being around Jack after being accused of cheating with him made it awkward the majority of the time. She had gotten used to it and became comfortable as of recently but she couldn't be around him at the start. The sad part was that it wasn't until she was about to leave for the start of her soccer season and he was about to be drafted that they got along.

"Hello Vancouver! Whenever I come here, I admire the emotion and the passion. Wait, I have something for you, which I think will change the mood," Gary Bettman said after the crowd started booing him. After going backstage, Henrik and Daniel Sedin followed him back out onto the stage.

"That's better. Uh, it's hard to believe that it's been twenty years since these two legendary players were selected second and third overall by the Vancouver Canucks. It's also impossible to overstate the impact they've had on the Vancouver community. As good as they were as players, they were even better people," Gary announced, causing a large amount of clapping and cheering throughout the arena.

"We are honored to have Henrik and Daniel here and to have them help kick off the fiftieth season celebration of the founding of the Vancouver Canucks," Gray said before the arena erupted in cheers once again, just as a highlight video was shown on the screens.

"Wait, there's more. Daniel and Henrik, it is my honor to announce that this February, your jerseys will be retired as a part of a week-long celebration. Your sweaters will be raised to the rafters to join Canuck greats like Stan Smyl, Trevor Linden, Markus Naslund, and Pavel Bure. Congratulations," At the announcement, the arena erupted in cheers and yelling once again.

"Thanks, Gary. We're honored and humbled to be a part of such an elite group of Canuck legends." Henrik said, looking over to his brother once he was finished.

"We're excited to be a part of this very special season, the Canucks fiftieth. Thank you," Daniel said before turning the focus back to Gary Bettman.

"Thank you, Daniel and Henrik. On behalf of the NHL, let me formally welcome all of you to Rogers Arena and thank you all for being here for the 2019 NHL Draft. Okay, welcome to the viewers watching live on Sportsnet, NBCSN, and TVA. Those listening on the NHL Network and Sportsnet radio. And the fans that draft parties around the league," Gary then paused for a second, those around the arena booing him. He waited for a second before saying, " I can keep it up if you can. I want to thank the Aquilini family, the entire Canucks Organization, and the city of Vancouver for your hospitality. We are excited to be here,"

"Hundreds of young men have worked their entire lives for the opportunity to be here for this moment. To be a part of this draft and to perhaps become a player in our league. Their families have sacrificed in countless ways to support their hockey careers. And now we all get the privilege of witnessing their dreams come true. Much like Henrik and Daniel did," Once again, Gary stopped before continuing.

"So let's get started. The first selection of the 2019 NHL Draft belongs to the New Jersey Devils. New Jersey, you're on the clock." Gary announced before exiting the stage, allowing the arena to once again cheer as they waited for the first pick to come in.

Brielle quickly reached over and held Jack's hand, squeezing it tightly as they waited for the pick to come in. She knew Jack would do amazing in the NHL but that didn't stop the nervousness she felt. She knew he was an amazing player and would have success, but rookie seasons were always difficult and she didn't want to see him get hurt or stressed. He already dealt with that while playing for the USNTDP. As the devil's team made it onto the stage, Brielle squeezed Jack's hand even tighter.

"On behalf of the New Jersey Devils and our managing partners, David Bletcher and Josh Harris, thank you to the city of Vancouver, from the World Championships, and World Junior Championships, to the week of the draft. It's been fantastic, and gracious, and everybody's had a great time, thank you so much. And um..also the Aquilini family, thank you for your hospitality. The St. Louis Blues, it was worth the wait, Doug Armstrong, Craig Berube, and um to welcome the first selection in the 2019 NHL Draft to the Devils will be a hockey hall of fame, three-time Stanley Cup Champion, and um his jersey is retired by the devils in 2016, and we also want to say hope everybody down at Championship Plaza in Newark, New Jersey, having a great time, to make our first selection, Martin Brodeur," Shero said before moving back to his spot, allowing Martin to go up to the mic.

"With the first pick overall, the New Jersey Devils are proud to select from the US Program, Jack Hughes," Brodeur smiled as he announced the pick, seeing everyone around Jack jump up in celebration.

Brielle smiled brightly as she stood up, Jack immediately moving to hug his brothers. She stood back, allowing Jack to hug his mom and dad. The happiness she felt at that moment was indescribable. She couldn't even imagine how happy everyone else was for him. Brielle was pulled from her thoughts as Jack wrapped her in a tight hug. The pair hugged for longer than they should've. As they pulled apart, they smiled at each other before Jack made his way down the steps and to the stage. Brielle continued to smile as she watched Jack get his jersey and smile on the stage. She couldn't wait to see him improve and become an amazing player in the league.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

━━━━ liv speaks !

so this chapter is probably the longest chapter i've ever written....i'm actually losing my mind

this chapter took me so long to write but it was so worth it. Being able to fall in love with brielle and jacks friendship and relationship, being able to write brielle and the hughes family, etc. Everything about this chapter is just everything to me.

also let's ignore how i was going to publish this chapter when the devs season started two weeks ago....that didn't work out at all.

anyway I'm so excited for this book and I can't wait for you guys to see what I have planned!

Make sure to vote and comment! I love hearing from you guys and getting feedback.

Much love, liv!

━━━━━━━━━━ sparks fly,
© -wonderhaze, 2023

word count: 11,457. written: 10.5.23. published: 10.29.23