Right Where You Left Me

5. Birds

Life will make you grow
Dreams will make you cry, cry, cry
Everything is temporary
Everything will slide
Love will never die, die, die

- Imagine Dragons

05

Max was on the plane that was supposed to arrive at Nice Airport. He didn't get much sleep, celebrating his victory with his team. When he finally let himself fall on the bed of his hotel room, sinking into the mattress with a sigh of exhaustion and his eyes closed, his phone rang and Charles called him.

He booked the first flight he found and left for Jeddah airport without thinking. Now that he was on the plane, he would have to reschedule appointments, ask for a change in his plane ticket to Melbourne, and explain himself to his girlfriend who he told he was going straight to Australia.

Despite all these unpleasant constraints, Max did not regret for a single moment having made this decision. He was a little anxious to meet the Monegasque again in his family home, but he was also happy to see him again.

Charles' absence from the paddock for the whole weekend had left a void in him and despite his win, the excitement had been blackened by the absence of one of Formula One's best drivers.

So during the party with his team, while he had drunk a little too much champagne to try to forget the feeling of oppression and imposture that had not left him for a week, he had sent Charles a message, a stupid question about the photo album he had entrusted to him.

He had completely forgotten that he had sent this message until Charles called him and asked him to come and help him consult the album. Despite his tiredness, Max had not managed to close his eyes since he knew he was going to see Charles again.

If Charles had called him a week earlier, before the accident, Max knew he wouldn't have picked up. If Charles had asked him to come, he wouldn't have come.

He watched out the window as the plane landed at Nice Airport. He took a big inspiration when he found himself outside and the wind caressed his face before heading for the first available taxi to take him to Monaco.

The sun was already setting and he admired the view for a few minutes before informing Charles with a text that he was coming soon.

He first went by his apartment, Penelope and Kelly were not there, Penelope spent the week with her father and Kelly was abroad for work. Max dropped off his suitcase and quickly took a shower. He didn't want to go to the Monegasque with his last night's clothes.

When he was ready, he took a box of chocolates that had been offered to Kelly and that she hadn't touched, she wasn't eating chocolates anyway. He also grabbed the trophy he had just won in Jeddah and took his car to find Charles.

He found himself a little too soon to his liking in front of Charles's family house, and frankly hesitated to turn around and go home. But Max didn't drive all the way from Jeddah just to lose his nerve now. He hadn't canceled and rescheduled important meetings just so he wouldn't go to see Charles.

He took all his courage in his hands before stepping out of his car, with the chocolate box and his trophy in his other hand.

He walked slowly to the front door and hesitated for a few seconds before finally ringing the bell. He felt that there was movement on the other side of the door, and his heart began to beat a little faster in his chest.

When the door opened, Pascale's smile quickly washed away his anguish, and he forced himself to smile a little in return.

"Max, it's good to see you again! Congratulations on your victory yesterday!