PARIS | lando norris

001. merry christmas

And despite the 2022 season ending in November with Max now having two world championships under his belt, he had to go and see lots of people before he could return home for Christmas.

"I've missed you, how have you been?" Marnie asked as the two let go of each other, Max stepping into the house behind Marnie.

"It's been good, saw my dad the other day so now I'm yours until New Years when we are going to Monaco to hang out with some drivers." Max explained.

"Sounds like fun, I can't wait." Marnie smiled. "How was you dad?"

"Happy I got the world championship but still picked apart my last race as per usual." Max shrugged. "Thought he was going to poison my drink to be quite honest."

"Wouldn't put it past Jos." Marnie commented. "You remember that time we went karting just before you left for Monaco and I had just turned fifteen so decided to do some drunk karting and Jos got so mad he gave us gone off food for dinner."

"I do." Max laughed at the memory. "Fun times."

"I have food poisoning for a week and he blamed it on a hangover." Marnie added, only fuelling Max's laughter.

"Oh gosh, I remember." Max shook his head. "I got a lecture about drinking too much that week, told me he'd never want me to end up like you, drunk and puking everywhere because you were hungover."

"Damn, I love it when I was the star of Jos' lectures. I'm literally such a bad influence." Marnie joked, making a face at Max, who laughed once more. If anything, Max was the bad influence and not Marnie. Despite the girl always encouraging bad behaviour, before the age of eighteen, she never suggested the bad ideas that Max came up with like sneaking into the go karting place at night for some midnight driving.

"You are now." Max quipped.

"Hey, I'm not a bad influence I'm just fun." Marnie defended.

"Uh, huh, whatever helps you sleep at night Marns." Max ruffled her hair. "Hey, where are your parents?"

"Oh mum's getting last minute snacks and dad is out back." Marnie told him.

Max nodded, the two walking out back to see Lorenzo Santos stood staring up at the trees. Marnie stared at him for a few moments. "Dad whatever are you doing?"

"Seeing what types of birds are in our trees." Lorenzo called over his shoulder. "I got distracted when I was trying to find the light up reindeer your mother wants to put in the living room."

"Yeah, next to the fireplace like every year. Traditions don't change, dad." Marnie stated.

"And yet I wish for them to every year." Lorenzo sighed. "The reindeer is ugly."

"It's not ugly, it's just... bright." Marnie defended it with slight hesitation.

"It is pretty ugly Marnie." Max piped up, causing Lorenzo to finally turn around at the sound of the boy's voice.

"Maximillian." Lorenzo greeted with a happy smile, moving over to hug the boy tightly. "Merry Christmas son."

"Merry Christmas Eno." Max smiled into the hug, all past tension from his body evaporating within a second.

A sudden shout and a horn beeping came from outside the house, causing all three of them to jump. Lorenzo let out a small sigh that turned into a quiet chuckle. "Your mother is home."

Marnie laughed at the statement. Everyone that Bianca Santos was not the best driver, in fact, none of them knew how she passed her test in the first place. Marnie remembered the day Max told her he was more scared of Bianca's driving than his dad and crashing in formula one combined.