𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 , charles leclerc

⇢ 12. tárte aux fraises

"If that's why you left, then why are you back?" Noémie grabbed the two pastries for Sofia; her brows furrowed with confusion.

"Aurora— I assume you remember her?" Sofia raised a brow and continued when Noémie nodded, "She's dating a Formula 1 driver for McLaren, Lando Norris. He got Jules and me tickets to come watch the race and Jules was just so excited to go, I couldn't say no to her. And anyway, I was thinking of moving back here. If I can establish the branch of my company over here as the headquarters, then I'll move back."

"Ah, I see." Noémie hummed before cracking a smile, "Well, if anything should happen or go wrong at the race, I'll always be here for you, Sofia."

"Merci Noémie. (Thank you, Noémie.)" Sofia smiled softly and kissed the older woman's cheek before walking away to her daughter, "I'll see you again before I leave."

Not noticing that her mother was already at the table, Jules gazed up at an old photograph hanging on the wall. A sepia-toned image captured a teenage Sofia with a carefree smile; a boy had his arms wrapped around her waist as he bit into the croissant with a smile Sofia was holding out. Beside them was another man, significantly older, and held a trophy in his hand, a beaming smile on his face.

Jules jumped slightly when she heard Noémie's voice chirp from her left, "That was your mom when she was still in high school."

"I noticed; she looks the same." Jules nodded, then pointed at the two boys in the photograph, "And who are they?"

"Well, that's Charles." Noémie pointed at the boy who was hugging Sofia. "They used to be best friends, always up to something or just messing around. And that's Jules." She then pointed at the man standing to the side with a trophy, "He was a very close friend of theirs; he was Charles' godfather. They all used to be regulars in here, coming in and out as they pleased, helping me around the place when they could. But they used to get too distracted sometimes," Noémie chuckled and lowered her voice to a whisper, "They weren't really that much of a help, but I enjoyed their presence; just don't tell your mum that."

Jules let out a childish giggle and nodded before turning to see her mum already waiting for her at the table. "Oh, it was nice meeting you, Miss, but I'm gonna go try my tart. Bye!"

Sitting in the cozy corner of the bakery, they sat surrounded by the delicious aroma and the subtle hum of conversations.

FOLLOWING HER MUM outside, Jules continued to look around the vibrant streets of Monaco as she followed Sofia past elegant boutiques and bustling cafes. "Look, fiorellina, that's the famous Casino de Monte-Carlo. It's like a palace for grown-ups," Sofia chuckled, pointing at the grand facade.

They wandered into one of Monaco's exotic gardens next, where Sofia shared tales of her own childhood explorations. "I used to pretend I was a princess here, with these flowers as my loyal subjects," she said, twirling a blossom in her fingers. Jules giggled, imagining her mom as a flower queen.

"You'd make a very pretty queen, Mamma." Jules complimented her and grabbed a red carnation flower before gesturing for her mum to kneel down. She placed the flower in her mum's hair and fixed it neatly; her brows furrowed in concentration before she backed up with a giggle, "There, you're my flower queen now."

Sofia chuckled and placed a kiss on her daughter's cheek before grabbing her hand and continuing on their way.

As they descended towards the harbor, Sofia recounted stories of the glamorous events she attended with her family. "The Grand Prix races were always so thrilling here. The roaring engines, the cheers of the crowd— it felt like magic," Sofia reminisced, her eyes reflecting the excitement of those moments. "I really do hope you enjoy it when we go."

"Of course I will!" Jules smiled excitedly and glanced at where the track was already assembled, "Who wouldn't love watching cars go around in the most difficult circles?"

"Some boring psycho." Sofia retorted with a grin and a shrug of her shoulders, making Jules laugh again. Sofia couldn't help the nostalgic tug that pulled at her heart when she inhaled the air scented of a mix of sea breeze and blooming flowers.

Strolling through the town square, Sofia pointed to a familiar fountain. "This is where I used to play with my friends. We'd pretend we were pirates on a great adventure," she chuckled, watching Jules's eyes widen with fascination.

"I wanna be a pirate! That sounds so cool!" Jules thought about it as she paused to mimic a pirate, "Stop there, Flower Queen! You've committed treason of the highest order—"

"Do you even know what 'treason' means?" Sofia raised a perfect eyebrow but just chuckled and raised her hands in mock surrender when Jules gave her a deadpan stare. "Okay, okay, sorry! Continue, young madame."

"You shall walk the plank!" Jules finished off her little theatrical play but frowned at the ruined atmosphere. She groaned and continued walking, "Mamma! Now it's not as dramatic! You've ruined it."

Sofia smiled and shook her head, ruffling her daughter's blonde hair, "Sorry, baby. But you know what they say— yo ho, yo ho..."

"It's a pirates life for me!" Jules finished with one of the biggest smiles Sofia's seen in a while as they approached a market.

"That's my girl!" Sofia threw a quick wink at her daughter before they started scanning the little market on display. The local market became a treasure trove for Jules, sampling exotic fruits and chatting with friendly vendors. Sofia paused to greet familiar faces, introducing Jules to friends who hadn't known of her and some who did.