Where life leads us

Chapter 13

After a short night I got up at seven. Maria was still asleep, so I retreated to the balcony. Tired, I put my head on my knees. Again, and again I saw the pictures of underwater in front of me and felt my lungs fill with water. I tried hard to hide from these thoughts and memories. But no matter where I ran, they would come with me. Desperately, I rushed my left hand through my hair, it didn't help.

Silently, Maria sat down on an armchair next to mine and looked the same to the rising sun. None of us said a word, for which I was grateful. From time to time she had only seen a little more, but then looked forward. She had known me for three years and knew if she should leave me alone. There was just such a moment again.

Carefully, Maria got up and gave me another kiss on the forehead before disappearing into the interior of the room. When I heard the room door, I knew she had gone. Even now, I didn't move. Even if I was still didn't packing, because I would already be flying with my mum today. Dad had given in as always, so I would fly to Barcelona with my siblings immediately after the race with Luca and Mum. Actually, I was looking forward to the beach and the sea. Now it was horrible for me to go showering alone. I had probably developed a water phobia, although I had always been a water rate. They always had to get me out of the water because I didn't want to get out and now, I could barely see it.

"Princess we have to go to racetrack soon... You haven't packed yet," Dad had probably just entered my room, "Princess? Princess?" Looking around the room, he looked around before getting out onto the balcony. I sat in the corner on the upholstery group a little longer and just looked into the distance. The sun had disappeared behind clouds, which I hadn't noticed, because I was completely different with my thoughts.

Not responding to him, Dad knelt in front of me: "Princess, what's going on?" I just waved off and got up. Without paying attention to Dad, I started to put my stuff in the suitcase, apart from the things I wanted to carry today. With these in my hand, I disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door.

Dad had seen me from the balcony door but said nothing. What could he have said if I didn't say anything? Unfortunately, he couldn't read thoughts yet, but it was better. If he had known what was going on, he would have been rested.

I showered as quickly as possible, as the memory came over me. So, I probably didn't need two minutes to shower, even if it had become awkward through my arm. But So slowly I already had the spin out with the shower, nevertheless I was already looking forward to it when I could shower normally again. But it would be quite a while until it was ready.

Awkwardly, I put on my clothes and wrapped my hair in the towel. I brushed my teeth quickly before packing everything together in the bathroom. With the toilet bag and my pajamas, I left the bathroom and went back to my suitcase. There I also threw these things in, which my father only looked at shaking his head.

"You can also pack your suitcase beautifully. You know how your mom looks at something like that," I went back to the bathroom and got a hair dryer out. Through the mirror I could see my father looking at me. Slowly he came closer and took the hair dryer out of my hands. I just let him do it. As a little girl, I loved dad's doing my hair. The fact that he's been doing it again for a long time felt like I was going back in time.

He lost his mind and dried it: "Where is only my little girl gone. She had always told me everything, even about the worst dreams." At that time, I had mostly slept with him in bed when he was not visiting women. Before anyone blames him, he was just twenty at the time. Every man had women to visit, it was obviously difficult for a four-year-old to understand, but Nonna had always looked at me.

"The girl is an adult," my father nodded sadly. Our eyes had met through the mirror. I could see how he regretted losing his little girl. But what should I do, I was twenty? I'd love to go back to my carefree childhood, but I couldn't. I had to learn how to deal with it the same way as he did.

Because my hair was dry, he put the hair dryer on the shelf and turned me to himself. He put his hands on my shoulder, so I couldn't turn away. His eyes had a slight glow, I had never seen Dad like that. He wasn't an emotional person other than football, and then he was more likely to rest.

"No matter how old you are, you can always talk to me. Even if it's about guys, I just can't promise that the boy will stay healthy," a slight smile adorned our lips at the end. I didn't know what to say, so I just hugged my dad. We did this far too seldom, but we shouldn't overdo it. So, I quickly broke away from Dad and went to my suitcase again, I quickly brushed my hair through. Since I didn't want to get out without an eyelash, I took them out and applied them carefully.

Dad had waited patiently for me and finally took my suitcase when we left my room. I ran to the elevator, and he came after me with my luggage. It was just before noon, so I was already a bit hungry.

"Because today you go to your mother, we can still go to Mc Drive quickly", my mum was a vegan. Everyone had to go to her home, so I tried not to be at home for meals. But she couldn't tell the dogs in front of tables. But since she was usually not at home for dinner, there were many exceptions from Luca. He also liked meat at times, so there was something right to eat.

In the lobby Maria was already waiting for us, she couldn't come with us, but she still wanted to say goodbye to me. Which she did with a firm hug. Out of breath I could free myself from her arms, her perfume had not been exactly understated either. That's why I started coughing easily because it scratched my throat. Luckily, the blonde didn't take this badly, but just smiled at me.

"Don't forget to report you every now and then," my stepmother reproached me. I had a talent for not signing up because I just forgot it most of the time. Or then no desire to have a conversation with her or anyone else.

Now that we had said goodbye, we were able to go to the car. My mood was still at the bottom, which was probably due to the little sleep and the thing with Lando. The longer I thought about it, the stupid the decision seemed to me. His sad look alone felt wrong. I had hurt him, because of me he was sad. My plan to spare us with my withdrawal had not worked. Of course, I hadn't seen him since we spoke, so it was hard for me to tell him how he was doing. But if he was only half as shitty, it was bad enough.

With my burger in my hand, I ran next to my father. He had my suitcase, so I could eat quickly before Mum could see me with the thing in my hand. Just in time I pressed the last piece into my mouth when Luca came up to us.

Dad stopped and looked at me: "Have fun princess and watch out for you." I quickly thanked me and took my suitcase. As I said, emotions were not our thing. I had felt my father's gaze on me until I briefly hugged Luca.

Looking over my shoulder, I wanted to see my dad again, but he had already disappeared in the crowd. I had hoped he would still be there, that I could wave to him again. He wasn't such a guy dad; he was just waiting for me to be with my mother's husband. Now, from his point of view, it was Lucas's job to protect me. Even though he still didn't like him after 10 years, he accepted and respected him.

"Are you coming?" Luca had taken my suitcase and was almost back at the box. A little beside the track I just nodded and then went to him. He didn't even wait until I had completely caught up with him, so he went to the garage. Hesitantly, I followed him, because yesterday I had embarrassed myself in front of pretty much everyone.

"There's my almost intern," the team leader hugged me to greet me. She didn't have much time, so she quickly disappeared. Nicely, most of them didn't notice me and when they even saw me for a few seconds or just said hello.

Together with Clair I was allowed to sit outside in front of the pit lane. I was probably on George Russell's side, at least it looked like it for me. Not last, because his name was on the page.

Everyone seemed nervous and excited, all but me. This changed when I could see Lando in the picture, he had probably fought his way forward two places yesterday and started today from P6. A number in front of him was also Found Carlos. But I only got this on the sidelines. Because my thoughts had stuck with the Englishman.

When Claire screamed and cursed in frustration next to me, I came back to now. It had probably crashed right at the first turn and Robert Kubica was unfortunately affected. Nothing had happened to him and the Haas driver, but they both couldn't continue.

"Safty Car," a man next to me repeated over and over again. I didn't know what this meant, but I just had to sit down, it wasn't bad either. I'd probably find out right away, I was pretty sure. Since no one cheered it was probably nothing good, but it could not be bad, because no one cursed. Some of the team had probably set off to the first corner to pick up the car.

Focused, Claire looked at the screens, so I did it. The ranking caught my eye, and I quickly searched it for Lando. Unfortunately, he had lost two places again and had fallen back to 8th place. George hung had increased from 19 to 16. Well, was still second last, as there were only 18 riders left in the race. But he was always there.

Brave all the drivers were behind a pretty normal-looking car, this was probably this Safty Car. Since no one overtook, I assumed that it was also forbidden. I didn't want to ask; it would be a bit weird because I was working for this team from next week. Until then, I probably had to buff the rules a little bit, so that I wasn't completely lost.

When the normal car disappeared, the drivers again throttled and turned their laps. George won one place further ahead but lost it again a few laps before the end. What everyone cursed, the car was probably not fast enough. Even I could see this on loan. Everyone went into the box annoyed when George was back there with the car. I was still briefly behind and had searched the rankings again. Lando had managed another place forward, but it probably hadn't been enough for him.

"Laura! The plane is waiting," my mother was on the other side of the box. I broke away from the screens and hurriedly crossed the road. My mother immediately put a hand on my shoulder when I was with her. So, she steered me through the mechanics to the rear exit. There Luca was waiting with my suitcase.

In one hand my stepfather had my suitcase and in the other he held my mother's hand. Like a dog, I ran after them and briefly wrote Mirella a message not to worry. Again, and again I had looked up briefly so that I did not miss a turn.

After sending the messages to my best friend, my gaze had gone up again from my phone. I had looked directly into the most beautiful brown eyes in the world. Even though there were at least five meters between us, it seemed to me that he was standing right in front of me.

"Laura!"