Hello! It's been way too long and I've been way too uninspired, but the news we received last week gave me a little idea to finally close this story.
I have a couple more ideas in my head, so I might end up publishing other books... but for now, hope you enjoy this!
Thanks for reading, voting and commenting!
Much love, HB3112
'Seb, we need to talk' Joey said, as soon as her husband walked in their shared hotel room. It was the last race of the 2019 season and they were both glad the year was over. Seb's relationship with Ferrari had been, to say the least, complicated and Joey had struggled to maintain her usually positive demeanour.
And now Joey really needed to have a sit down conversation with her husband and she had no idea where to start. She felt like a complete bag of nerves, she just wasn't sure how Seb was going to react to what she was about to tell him.
'That is never good' Seb eventually replied. 'Can't be worse than the meeting I had with Mattia earlier' he tried to joke. 'What's up? What did I do this time?'
'It's not something you did, silly' she finally laughed,feeling a little relaxed. 'Well in a way it is'
'Could you stop with the riddles and just tell me?' he chuckled.
'So... you know I had some people coming to me, talking about sponsoring for WSeries or even F3...' she started.
'Did they finally give you a seat?' he asked, excitedly.
'Yes'
'That is great news!' he beamed. 'Told you you deserved it over that annoying-full-of-herself woman whose name I will not mention'
'Sebastian Vettel! You are never this mean. I love the support, though.' she laughed. 'But... this is not the end of the story'
'Do go on, I apologise'
'I had to say no' Joey said, all in one breath.
'You what?' Seb asked surprised. 'I know you love what you do, but you said you've been needing a challenge...'
'Let me finish, please' she smiled. 'I had to say no, because I don't think Liam can work miracles'
'What do you mean? I am sure Antti can help you out, I can reach out to Hinsta...'
'Seb, please. I am trying to tell you something' Joey placed her hand on her husband's arm.
'There is something I found out... literally about 10 minutes ago... you know I was feeling shit and that and I thought it was food poisoning from that cheap takeaway I had before we got here?'
'The one I told you not to get? Yes I vaguely recall' he smirked.
'Well, I did some maths and there was something else that didn't add up. I thought with all the flying my period had got all messed up, but I then realised it's never been this late. So I... well you can see for yourself'
Joey handed over a sealed bag containing a white and blue stick. Seb looked at it for a few moments before screaming out.
'ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? IS THIS HOW YOU TELL ME? We are having a baby?? And you let me waffle on about Hinsta and Antti?'
'It was funny. I will tell Liam what you actually think of his abilities.'
'Shut up!' he blushed. 'We are.. You are.. We're...'
'In your own words, Seb' she teased.
'I... mein Gott!' he brought his hand to his mouth. 'We... you?'
'yes, I... we... you're gonna be a dad!' she beamed. 'wait, you don't look happy'
'I don't want to be the man who took your career from you' he said, looking serious. 'I know how much you love racing and how much you wanted to try single seaters.. I've just ruined it, haven't I?'
'It takes two to tango, my love' she smiled. 'And I think this is the best news I've had in a long while, I don't give a flying fuck about F3'
'are you sure?'
'positive. You can stop being sad about us having a child now, please'
'oh my God!' he jumped up from the bed he was sitting. 'what a stupid arsehole I'm being! Of course I'm happy!' he finally beamed. 'you're giving me the best gift of all! Oh fuck, I'm not ready.'
'you are the most dad non-dad person I have ever met. You'll be ok! I will be a mess, I can barely take care of myself' she laughed.
'you'll be an amazing mum' Seb finally pulled her into a hug. 'i love you' he said before sweetly kissing her lips.
~•~•~•~•
'I can hear two heartbeats here' the doctor told the expecting parents.
'two?' Joey repeated as if it were the first time anyone had ever said the word two in front of her. 'Seb, did he say two?' she asked in English.
'yes, Süße'
'as in two kids? As in.. twins?'
'or a baby with two hearts' he joked.
'not.the.time.for.jokes.Vettel' she hissed.
'guess they run in the family? Joseph and Pedro are the proof'
'thank you for the lesson in genetics, Seb. i know we have two twin nephews, but it was only fun when I wasn't the one having to push the two fuckers out of my va...'
'I will give you some time' the doctor finally spoke. 'I will get you some readings that might help'
~•~•~•
2022
'I hereby announce my retirement from Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 season.'
Joey watched her husband's first and probably last ever Instagram post with a tear. He'd taken the decision that she, his family and most of the fans didn't want him to take. He had told her about a few days prior, soon after she had told him that she was pregnant again. Their twins, Aisling and Sofia, now in the terrible two's and with another baby on the way, Joey wondered if he was stopping because he thought she was struggling to keep up.
'you've done it, it's official now. How did the team take it?' she asked, once Seb had returned to Aston Martin's hospitality.
'not well, I cried, they cried. It was emotional. They're good people'
'I know, I will miss the amount of food they happily give me' she joked. 'you ok, then?'
'yes of course' he smiled. 'I am glad the summer break is soon, it's been a long year' already. You ok? How's bean? Giving you aggro like the girls did?' Seb rested his hand on her still flat stomach.
'not yet, but I know it's coming' she replied. 'Can I ask you something?'
'of course'
'are you retiring because of me?'
'what do you mean?'
'are you worried that I'm such a failure as a mother that I won't be able to cope with three kids?' Joey felt a wave of emotions rise up to her watering eyes.
'where is this coming from?' he asked, surprised. 'why are you crying, baby?' he gently dabbed the tears with his thumb.
'i don't want to be the reason you are leaving the sport you love'
'you aren't' he reassured her. 'i have been Sebastian Vettel the driver for so long, I just need some time being a better husband and a better dad. Do you know why I'm leaving?' he asked her.
Joey nodded through the tears. 'because when I was leaving for Austria, Sofia came to me and asked me "why do you have to keep leaving, daddy?" And it bloody broke my heart. I am missing and have missed so much already... and for what? To fight for 1 or 2 points? No prize is worth the prize I already have at home' he told her. ' and I don't want to be one of those absent fathers for any of our children. And I don't want to be an absent husband to you'
'so you don't think I'm a terrible mother?' she asked.
'i think you're the most amazing mother and wife the girls and I could have asked for.' he replied. 'and I don't ever want you to think otherwise' Joey finally smiled. 'And also if any of the kids want to start karting, they'll need me to hold the bags whilst you train them trackside' he smiled.
'sure, because if our kids start karting they for sure will need lessons from me, not from the 4 time world champion'
'Hey, I'm retiring. You and Fab can do all the work' he laughed.
'Can I say, you seem happy. Happier than anyone else about this decision... maybe you're not as daft and reckless as I think you are'
'You are such a loving, supporting wife' Seb laughed. 'see what I put up with, kids?' he asked, as the girls had had enough of Auntie Britta and had joined them at the table.
'Don't try and get the kids to side with you, Vettel' Joey frowned.
'I have gotta go, now' he told her. 'see you soon, ok? girls, daddy will be right back, I promise' he told them in his native German as he bent over to hug them. 'i love you so so so much, keep mummy safe ok? See you later, Süße, be good' he sweetly kissed her lips.
'I love you' she whispered.
'I think we should just be friends' he whispered back, in his usual playful tone.
'focáil leat' she laughed, as he jogged out of the hospitality building. 'I hope you've done the right thing, Seb' she murmured to herself.