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She blushes. “Thanks. You don’t look too bad yourself.”

I’m wearing a simple black dress, with a hint of makeup and my hair down. It’s casual, but classy.

“Ready?” I ask.

“As I’ll ever be,” she says, taking my hand.

We head out to the Dawnbreak headquarters. The press conference is being held there, in the newly refurbished conference room.

When we arrive, Alycia is already there, talking to some reporters. She spots us and waves us over.

“There you are. You look great.”

“Thanks,” Lexa says.

“The conference will start in five minutes,” she says. “Just remember, keep it short and sweet. Answer the questions honestly, but don’t give them too much to work with.”

“Got it,” Lexa confirms.

I squeeze her hand, reassuring her. She squeezes back, grateful.

We take our seats at the front of the room, Alycia at the end of the table. The reporters start filing in, cameras flashing, microphones ready. I can feel Lexa tensing up, her grip on my hand tightening.

“It’s okay,” I whisper. “Just breathe.”

She takes a deep breath. “I’m okay.”

Alycia stands up, walking to the podium. She taps the microphone, making sure it’s on.

“Good morning, everyone,” she greets. “Thank you for coming. Today, we have a special announcement to make. As you all know, Dawnbreak Athletic is proud to support diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the game. And we’re especially proud to have two of our star players, Lexa Delvaux and Valentina Reyes, who are not only two of the best players in this league, but also a couple. They’re here today to talk about their relationship and what it means to them and the club.”

She steps back, gesturing for us to come up. Lexa and I join her. The cameras go crazy, capturing every moment. I can see the headlines now: “Power Couple Takes the Stage.”

I take the microphone, smiling at the crowd. “Thank you all for being here. We’re excited to share our story with you.”

Lexa clears her throat, then speaks. “Yeah, what she said. We’re just a normal couple, who happens to play football. Nothing special.”

I laugh, nudging her. “Don’t be modest. You’re a Golden Ball winner. That’s pretty special.”

She shrugs, blushing. “I guess.”

I turn back to the reporters, pointing at one of them. “Yes, you have a question?”

The reporter stands up, holding up his microphone. “How did you go from rivals to lovers?”

I grin. “We were never rivals-rivals. I always preferred the term friendly rivals. But to answer your question, it happened naturally. We spent a lot of time together, on and off the field. We found out we had a lot in common and the rest is history.”

Another reporter raises her hand. “What’s it like being in a same-sex relationship in the league? Have you faced any challenges?”

Lexa answers this one. “Honestly, it’s been great so far. Hopefully, it stays this way, but it’s too soon to tell. One thing’s for certain, the league, our team, our families, they’ve all been supportive. We know we’re lucky, and we want to use our platform to help others who might not be as fortunate.”

That gets some nods of approval, some murmurs of agreement. I’m proud of Lexa, for speaking up, for being honest. I know how private she can be, especially when it comes to us.

The questions keep coming, some serious, some silly. We answer them as best we can, trying to be open but not oversharing. Alycia steps in sometimes, deflecting or clarifying.

Finally, after about an hour, the conference winds down. Alycia thanks everyone for coming, and we stand up, ready to leave. But as we’re about to exit, a reporter calls out.

“One last question!” she shouts. “We’ve talked about all the love you received, but do you have a comment on the hate forums and accounts that have been popping up recently? They’re attacking your relationship, saying it’s unnatural, sinful.”