"Babe, are you ready?" Carli asked her girlfriend, poking her head into the bathroom. The goalkeeper, half dressed, gave a thumbs up and slid her dress the rest of the way up. It was almost time for the draft, and Hope was beyond nervous. What if she wasn't in the first three rounds? What if no team wanted her? 

Carli sensed her anxiety and walked over to Hope, hugging her lightly. It was the first major thing she had done in a while. At least it was a step in the right direction. 

Carli checked her phone quickly and nudged her. "Hope, we have to go. The draft starts  in twenty minutes..." She sighed softly and smiled at Carli, closing up her tube of mascara and dropping it into her pouch. "Okay," Hope said. "I'm ready." 

The conference room seemed so much bigger than it had the night before, and it was odd considering there were three times as many people. The circular tables that had been covered in food last night were now polished and had nametags for all the women hoping to be drafted to the NWSL. 

Hope located her nametag and found it was across the room from where the guests sat and she kissed Carli goodbye, sitting down between two other women. 

"Nervous?" one of them asked, beaming. Hope shrugged, but the look on her face was enough of an answer. The woman on the other side of Hope laughed loudly at their interaction and both turned to look at her. She had short, brown hair and a mischievous expression. Unlike most everyone else, this woman wore a black suit with a bow tie and slicked back hair. 

"I'm Abby," the woman introduced herself, broadly shaking Hope's hand. "Hope," Hope responded, smiling grimly.

"Cool!" the other lady said. Hope and Abby turned to her. "You are..."

"Amy! Amy Rodriguez," Amy grinned, punching Hope's bare arm lightly. She tried to hide her wince. Thankfully, Amy and Abby didn't catch it. 

"What position do you play?" Abby asked Hope. 

"Goalie. You?" 

"Forward," Abby responded nodding in approval. "Oh, me too!" Amy said, smiling at Abby.

A slight pound on the mic signaled for quiet. Leigh McLuhan, the president of the NWSL, stepped up to the mic and beamed at everyone. "Good afternoon, ladies, gentlemen, and future NWSL athletes!" A round of applause and cheering echoed the room. 

"On either side of me," she gestured to two long tables filled with people. "We have the coaching staff for all ten of our National Women's Soccer League teams." More cheering followed. "Without further ado, let the drafting begin!" 

The first round began as the Boston Breakers, the team with the first draft pick huddled around a laptop next to the head coach. The minutes ticked by on the board. Hope could feel her heart speed up. Finally, the name, "Abby Wambach," echoed through the large room and the woman sitting next to Hope stood up with a large grin. She made her way to the podium Leigh McLuhan had stood at moments earlier and accepted the Boston Breakers Scarf that was draped around her neck. 

"Woah, first draft pick," Amy Rodriguez said in awe of the girl she had been talking to before. Hope nodded, watching the timer reappear on the board as the Portland Thorns took the stage. 

"Mia Hamm," rung and a woman with short brown hair in a red dress approached the stage. 

The Seattle Reign was up next and Hope closed her eyes. 

"Hope Solo." 

The goalkeeper's eyes bolted open so fast that it hurt, and Amy patted her on the back not so gently. As Hope made her way to the stage, she could hear cheers coming from where Carli, Opal and Christen were sitting. She smiled at Laura Harvey, the head coach of the Reign, as the woman laced a blue scarf around her neck. 

After saying a few words, thanking her family, friends and saying how excited she was for the season, Hope made her way through a door into the backstage. Moments later, she was bombarded by Abby Wambach and Mia Hamm who beam at her and offered their congratulations. 

"Seattle, huh?" Abby asked, pretending to choke herself with her Boston scarf. Mia rolled her eyes. 

"Yeah," she responded. "That's where I grew up, so it works out perfectly." 

The forward shrugged as Amy Rodriguez tumbled out of the same door Hope had emerged from. Identical to the goalkeeper, Amy wore a Seattle Reign scarf. "Seattle?" she questioned. 

"Seattle!" Amy beamed, bouncing up and down a little. 

"Ladies," a voice interrupted them. A few men and a woman with a camera motioned them over to where a NWSL backdrop hung. "Please come over here so we can get some pictures!" 

Abby went first, striking a goofy pose while holding her scarf in front of her. The cameras clicked and Hope took her place with a genuine smile. Moments later, Carli and Christen appeared and hugged her so tightly that the wind was knocked out of her. 

"Oh my gosh, Hope!" Christen laughed. "We're so proud of you!" 

Carli's pride seemed to be too great for words for all she could do was press her lips against her girlfriend's and kiss her tightly.