The Bull Prince | Max Verstappen

SEQUEL - Chapter 54

"Hello, Tommy." Joanna said softly, it was important to her to know every name of the people who worked for her in her own home, even though she sometimes had her troubles, especially with the twins that worked in the kitchen. "Please, open the door. I'd like to go on a walk." She added and for a moment, Joanna thought he would ask questions, or remind her to the awfully early time of the day, but he said nothing, just opened the front door for Joanna, before wishing her a lovely walk.

Slipping out of the might old door, Joanna looked over her shoulder to watch Tommy close it again. Thee door was so heavy, it took a great amount of strength from one person to open and close it. Joanna had thought about modernising the door, but Adrian had refused and Max didn't care enough about through which door they were entering their home, so he wouldn't get involved and alone against Adrian's stubbornness he insisted on keeping up, she decided it wasn't worth it.

Walking down the front steps, the snow made sounds with every step she took, while snowflakes danced in the sky, only to settle on her from the inside still warm skin to melt there. Lifting her hand, Joanna caught a few snowflakes, all of them melting instantly while her skin began to redded with the sudden cold, but she didn't care much. For once, silence and loneliness were welcome, as she moved over the snowy ground under which she knew was a gravel path. The forest was her destination.

There, once she made her way over the grass and past the many flower beds just behind the tree line was a little pound in a clearing, surrounded by tall trees and millions of tulips, which Joanna had asked Patrick to plant this autumn. Entering the little stone path, Joanna walked up what they created to be an aisle of stone leading to a pavilion. This was where she would marry Max. This would be the place where her life would take a different turn. A turn she never thought it would take.

Climbing up the three stairs to enter the pavilion, Joanna was out of the direct snow as she turned around only to sit on the small stone bench in the back of the pavilion. Looking down at the pound, between the ancient trees Joanna realised that this would be the view Max has when she walks down the stone bath, over the little bridge to cross the pound before passing their guests to reach him on their wedding day. All around them tulips blooming and blossoming.

It made her smile, but the smile died on her lips soon after, making place for sadness and nostalgia in her heart. Despite all differences she had over the years with her father, she would have wanted him to guid her down the aisle. She would have wanted him to be there and watch her marry Max.

Sadly enough, Henry would be too young to walk just yet come the time of the wedding, or she would have loved for him to toddle down the aisle before her, throwing flowers left and right, but that thought also delivered a blow to her heart.

The Austrian didn't want to think about Max's wish to have any more children. They've talked about it plenty enough, both of them sure in their decision, but Joanna feared a 'what if'. She was deadly afraid that Max would weak up one day and blame her from having one son and one son only. That he would regret choosing her, giving her everything she ever wanted while Joanna refused to give him the one thing which he thought would complete their family. More children, brothers and sisters for Henry. Maybe she was the wrong woman after all.

Her skin was reddened and cold to the touch, she had been out here for quiet a while, but she felt she didn't care. It was so peaceful out here. The only sound to be heard was when snow that had piled up somewhere suddenly grew to heavy before falling down to the ground and the cracking of the ice in the pound.

Mark had said something in Abu Dhabi that wasn't letting go of her. That she wasn't herself anymore and, in that moment, she wanted to laugh into his face, ask him if he hadn't learned anything over the years. If he thought she was stupid enough to return strongly, when everyone looking at her as a mother softened by her role wouldn't benefit her more. She was still Joanna Lauda, and she still knew how this game was played. No matter how badly off she was, high, drunk or depressed. Joanna always knew what her role in this world was, even if she tried to fight it and felt lost more often than not. Her destiny was set in stone by her father, there was no use fighting it.