Thursday, November 10, 2022

Demien's Apartment, Bergamo

8:47 PM

The apartment was quieter than usual when Demien sat on the couch with his right leg elevated on two pillows, and the compression wrap was still in place while the dull ache was present but manageable after less than a day of rest.

Football was on television but the volume was low, and it wasn't a match—it was coverage with studio lighting and pundits seated close together around a desk, and the familiar build-up tone that always preceded an announcement filled the room even at reduced volume.

Sophia sat in the kitchen with her laptop open while working on something, and the only sounds were the television's murmur and the occasional click of her keyboard, and Demien's eyes stayed on the screen without much focus.

The England squad announcement segment began at 8:52 PM as the broadcast cut to a prepared graphic showing the Three Lions crest, and the lead pundit's voice introduced the moment with practiced enthusiasm that felt rehearsed.

"We're now ready to reveal Gareth Southgate's twenty-six-man squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar," the pundit said, and the camera held on his face for two seconds before cutting to the prepared graphics.

The names began rolling out position by position with clean graphics and professional presentation, and goalkeepers came first—Pickford, Ramsdale, Pope—and then defenders filled the screen in neat rows.

Demien watched without leaning forward, and his body stayed relaxed against the couch cushions while his hands rested on his lap, and he already knew what was coming.

Midfielders appeared next as the graphic updated with new names and faces, and the list ran through Rice and Bellingham and Mount and Henderson and Phillips and Gallagher and Maddison, and Demien's name didn't appear anywhere in the rolling text.

There was no pause for reaction and no dramatic beat, and the broadcast moved on immediately as one pundit began discussing squad balance while another nodded and mentioned the blend of experience and youth.

"Interesting selections in midfield," the second pundit said, and his hands gestured toward the screen, "because you've got the experience of Henderson and the creativity of Maddison while the defensive solidity comes from Rice and Phillips, so Southgate clearly has his tactical approach mapped out."

"Several injury concerns affected the final selections," the first pundit added, "because fitness was always going to be a key factor this close to the tournament, and Southgate has chosen players he knows will be ready."

The conversation redirected immediately toward discussing the forward options, and the midfield discussion ended without Demien's name being mentioned at all, and the moment passed faster than expected.

Demien reached for the remote and switched the television off before the segment ended, and the screen went black while the apartment fell into complete silence except for Sophia's keyboard clicking in the kitchen.

Not out of anger—just disinterest, because the decision had been made elsewhere and watching further served no purpose.

Sophia's keyboard went quiet, and she closed her laptop before walking to the living room, and she sat beside him on the couch without asking how he felt while her hand rested lightly on his shoulder.

Neither of them spoke for several minutes, and the weight of her hand was grounding without being suffocating, and Demien's breathing stayed even while his eyes stared at the blank television screen.

"You okay?" Sophia asked finally, and her voice was quiet.

"Yeah," Demien replied, and his tone was flat but honest, "because I already knew."

She nodded and her hand squeezed his shoulder once before releasing, and she stood and walked back to the kitchen where she began making tea without asking if he wanted any.

Social Media Response

Thursday, November 10, 2022

9:15 PM - 11:30 PM

The reaction online was muted but present as posts began appearing within minutes of the official announcement, and the England national team's official accounts shared the full squad list with photos and graphics while fans immediately started analyzing the selections.

Several posts on Twitter pointed out Demien's absence and referenced the injury, and the comments were sympathetic rather than critical while most acknowledged the timing had been unfortunate.

One popular England fan account posted that no Demien Walter in the squad was a shame because he'd been playing well for Atalanta this season, and another account noted that injury timing was cruel while his time would come in future tournaments.

Some fans said his time would come in future tournaments, and others moved straight into debates about who should have been included instead of Maddison or Gallagher, and the conversation shifted quickly away from Demien toward other selection controversies.

The news cycle didn't linger because it never did, and by 11:30 PM the discourse had already moved to discussing England's group stage fixtures and tactical predictions for the opening match.

11:47 PM

Demien's phone buzzed on the coffee table, and he picked it up to see a message from Luca that had just come through.

Luca: Saw the squad list. Injury recovery is all that matters now. Come back right. This isn't the end.

No advice, and no motivational speech—just presence and acknowledgment, and Demien read it twice before typing a brief response.

Demien: Thanks brother.

Another message came through three minutes later from Koopmeiners.

Koopmeiners: Take your time. Come back when you're ready. We'll need you in the spring.

Demien replied with the same brevity as before, and he set the phone face down on the table before standing carefully and limping toward the bedroom where Sophia had already gone to sleep.

Tuesday, November 11, 2022

Demien's Apartment, Bergamo

10:23 AM

His mother arrived the next day though her presence had been felt before that through a missed call at 8:15 AM and a voice note at 9:30 AM that Demien listened to while sitting at the kitchen table with coffee.

"Tesoro, I'm already packed and I'll be there this afternoon," Isabella's voice came through his phone speaker, and her tone was matter-of-fact rather than worried, "because I'm staying for a week to cook for you and keep you busy while making sure you don't rush anything, and I'll be on the 2:30 PM train so I should arrive around 5:00 PM."

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