My Best Mates Sister

56.

Lando

I hear sobbing coming from behind me and I see Rosie barging her way through people in tears. I excuse myself from my team and jog over "Hey RoRo" I say once I get close to her and she looks up at me and I see the heartbreak in her face "Come on" I say leading her into hospitality towards my driver room. She keeps sniffling from beside me and I know she is trying to calm herself down. Once I throw the door open she takes a seat on the bed, taking some deep breaths "are you okay?" I ask her and she shakes her head "He hates me, he hates that I'm having my baby instead of having treatment" I gets out and I feel really confused "George?" I ask as I thought he had worked through all of that and was excited to be an uncle. She shakes her head "Charles" She tells me and I can't help the confusing "What? Rosie he loves you" She shakes her head again "He was just telling Pierre that I'm a burden, that he doesn't get to make any choices, that I'm allowing myself to die" I can't quite work out what has happened "I was going to apologise after our argument in the garage" She explains and I can't help but wonder where all of this has come from "Why did you argue Rose?" She looks down at her hands "I don't want him dictating my life, I'm banned from my garage before 9am, so that I work less. The thing is I don't want to work less, I want to do as much as I can manage for as long as I can manage it" I can tell that she is frustrated but I also empathise with Charles, he just wants to protect her "Rosie, I get it, this disease isn't your choice but you have made many other decisions and I know working less feels like you are failing but you need to put yourself in the number one spot now" She sighs "I know, but I love this job, I love being at the race weekends and I know that I have a very limited amount of races left" She starts crying quietly again "Rosie, you knew this wasn't going to be easy, you knew this was going to be horrible but you will get your baby at the end of it and everything will feel worth it" She nods "Can you try to make Charles try to understand?" I shake my head "Rose, that's for you to both discuss" She lets out a harsh laugh "Well we wont be talking for a while" She can be really stubborn.

Rosie

I leave the Mclaren hospitality building knowing that I need to be in my seat getting on with data analysis for the weekend. I step into the garage and immediately look to see if Charles is around "Rose!" Robbie calls and I get to my desk as fast as I can "Sorry Robbie, I wasn't feeling great" he frowns "Are you sure you don't want to go to the hotel?" I nod my head "Absolutely certain" He looks sceptical but doesn't argue the point any further. I sit there with last years data on the screen and push mine and Charles' argument to the back burner as I try to get the most out of the car for him this weekend. After about 2 hours I head over to Jake who is struggling with the screws in the barge board like he always does "Can I help?" I ask him and he laughs "Like you don't every week?" I laugh as well and get onto the board to slide under the car, my smaller fingers are perfect for this task "Are you and Charles okay?" He asks me after I've been working for a few minutes "We will be, if he can start to see things my way" I can't see Jakes face but I know the expression he will be using "Or you try to work together?" He suggests and I sigh "I want that but he cant see where I am coming from" I try to explain but I know he wont fully agree "Well then you need to communicate better" He mutters as I get the last screw in and push myself out "I know, I thought that was all we did pretty much" I comment and Jake wraps his arm around me "Over the team radio doesn't count, you do know that right?" I shrug and his attention moves to the other side of the car, I look over too and see Charles stood leaning against my desk. "I think you are needed elsewhere, thanks as always RoRo" Jake tells me kissing the top of my head.

I walk over to my husband who has a soft expression on his face and I know I dont want to be fighting with him anymore. I wrap my arms around his waist "I'm sorry" he mumbles into my hair and I cant help the tears that escape my eyes "Me too" I tell him and he squeezes me tighter "We do need to talk about it later though" He comments and I know he is right "Yeah, lets get through the rest of today first?" He nods against my head and I pull away looking into his eyes "I love you" I tell him and a smile crosses his features "I love you Mon Ange" he kisses the top of my head just before Mia shouts from him across the garage "my last interview is at 5, wait for me here?" He asks and I nod. He lets me go and goes over to Mia who gives me a wave before pulling him out of the garage. It's a long afternoon, me and Roberto focus on the set up for practise tomorrow, Monza is a power circuit and that's something our car is lacking at the moment so we are looking for anything that might give us some extra speed. I haven't even glanced at the time but out of the corner of my eye I see Charles enter them garage and the clock confirms that it is in fact 5pm "What if we adjust the front wing to reduce the downforce slightly more?" I ask Rob who shakes his head "We cant risk less grip or he won't be making it through parabolica" He jokes but I know he is being serious. "Hey! I have more talent than you are both currently giving me credit for!" Charles jokes from my side and he places his hand on my waist "Well we are just looking at your data from last year" I joke back and he chuckles "Fair enough, am I okay to take my wife now?" He asks Roberto who nods "Absolutely! See you both tomorrow" he says and Charles leads me out of the garage after a quick goodbye with Jake.