That was very anticlimactic. Anyway, I guess the Monza curse continues ugh poor Danny. Maybe we'll see it with Max next year? 👀 Kidding ✌🏻
Enjoy!
*****
Lorenzo's house was a beautiful two-storey home that had a huge backyard. As I walked to the front door, I could vaguely see some of Callie's toys and a football that Marcus always used for practice. I was a bit early, about fifteen minutes, and I didn't reply to Lorenzo's message since that would give rise to questions. I already knew he was going to ask me why I showed up without Charles so I figured it was best to talk about it only once.
I knocked on the door and then a few minutes later, the door opened after I heard a small squeal from the other side. Already knowing what who was about to greet me, a smile formed on my face.
"Nadi!" Callie exclaimed when she saw me on the other side of the door and she didn't hesitate to run towards me, arms wrapping around my legs.
"Hello, melek." I smiled, crouching down so that we'd be on the same level. "I heard you made pizza?"
"Yes! Papa let me use rollers." She said, grinning up at me as I couldn't help but laugh. She most likely meant the rolling pin but forget the correct term. "Where's Chal?" She asked, using the nickname she's given him. Callie was still having a hard time with her r's so she's decided to stick with Chal instead.
I quickly hid the frown on my face and brushed away a few strands of brown hair that had moved over her eyes that continue to halt me every time I see her. She and Marcus may have gotten Lorenzo's brown hair but they had their mother's striking blue eyes. "I'm sure he's on his way."
"Calliope!" Lorenzo's voice boomed from inside the house and I stood up, granting Callie's silent request as she raised her hands up to reach me. I settled her on my hip as I entered the house and saw Lorenzo. "Oh, hey Nads." He said, greeting me with a hug and a smile. "I thought you and Charles were going to be late since I didn't hear from you."
"Chal's coming!" The little one cheered and I saw confusion flood over Lorenzo's face as he looked behind me to see no one there. When his eyes met mine once again, I shrugged my shoulders and gave him a sad smile.
"While we wait for Chal, why don't you go wake up your brother?" Callie moved closer to me and I laughed as her father gave her a stern look.
"Go on, melek. We'll play later." I said, putting her down and patting her head. She smiled at me but pouted at her father before running to Marcus' room.
"Everything okay?" He asked as Callie's footsteps faded as she ran farther. I could see the worry in his eyes and I wanted to reassure him that there was nothing to worry about but I knew Lorenzo would only see through me.
"Nope." I said, popping the 'p'. "We had a row and I left him at my office. I was planning not to go but then you sent me Callie's photo and I just couldn't resist those blue eyes."
Lorenzo gave me a sad smile and led me to the kitchen. I could already smell the food and the place was clean of any mess. I sat myself on one of the bar stools in front of the counter as he opened a bottle of wine and brought out two glasses. Lorenzo listened as I told him about our entire day, from Charles' checkup until the article Gabby sent me. He listened intently, even shaking his head in amusement at me every time I mentioned my frustration for his brother.
"Do you think he's still coming?" I asked after telling him the events of the day.
He shrugged his shoulders and put away the glasses of wine. "Right now, I can't really gauge—"
A knock from the front door cut him off and we both moved our eyes in that direction. From the windows, you could see Charles' Pista parked in front of the house and I guess that answers my question.
"I'll check on the kids." I said and Lorenzo nodded at me, knowing I was using it as an escape.
I heard low voices as I neared Marcus' bedroom and when I opened the door wider, I smiled upon seeing the two siblings interact. Callie was sitting down on the edge of Marcus' bed while he held up a bunch of shirts and shorts in front of him, asking his little sister which looked best.
"Need some fashion advice?" I asked and Marcus' head turned to me, a smile forming on his face.
"Hi, Auntie Nads." Marcus put down his clothes and moved to where I was, head leaning against my stomach as I pressed a kiss on his forehead. "Callie was just helping me."
"I see." I smiled, ruffling his hair and sitting down beside Callie who immediately leaned into my side. "What do you think, melek?"
"Blue one!" She cheered, pointing at the shirt Marcus was holding with his right hand. He immediately dropped the other one on the floor and put on the blue shirt. I shook my head at him and picked up the disacarded shirt, folding it on my lap.
"Which one, Auntie Nads?" He asked me, holding white shorts and another one in khaki.
"I like this one." I said, pointing to the brown one because I knew how messy he was when he ate and it'd be easier to remove the stains.
Marcus gave me a toothy grin when he finished dressing up and he moved to sit on my other side. "Is Uncle Charles here already?" He asked and I nodded my head, the seven year old's eyes brightening immediately. It only lasted for a few seconds before a frown formed on his face. "Papa says he's sick."
"He is." I said, giving him a sad smile. I moved Callie over to my lap so that I could talk to the both of them. "You know how your Papa forgets things sometimes?" I asked and they both nodded their heads.
"He always forgets to buy me berries." The cutest pout formed on Marcus' face and I couldn't help but chuckle as Callie patted the top of her brother's head.
"Uncle Charles forgot some stuff too, so I need you to be good, okay? He's a bit different." It was hard to explain exactly what happened to Charles since the kids were too young to understand what has happened. Even when they see Charles again, I don't think they'll fully comprehend the situation. "Just give him some time and he'll be back to the Uncle Charles you know."
"Chal!" Callie cheered and I thought she was just saying his name but then Marcus' bedroom door opened and revealed Charles.
He looked hesitant as Callie squirmed away from her position on my lap and ran to him, arms wrapping around his legs. A light chuckle escaped Charles' lips as he crouched down and smiled at Callie. I could see the amazement in his eyes from where I sat with Marcus. For him, this is the first time he's meeting Callie since his last memory was learning about the pregnancy. "Hello, there." Charles said, thumb brushing against her cheek.
"I'm melek." She grinned and I couldn't help but snort as Marcus and I stood up.
"Melek, no. That's not how you introduce yourself." I told her, smiling as a confused expression covered her face.
"But you call me melek." She pouted and I felt Charles' eyes move between the two of us.
I ruffled her hair and Callie grinned up at me. "That's because you're my little angel." I sent her a wink and she fell into a fit of giggles. "Now, what did your papa teach you?"
I watched with amusement as Callie tapped her cheek with her tiny index finger before her eyes brightened and she faced Charles again. "I'm Calliope Leclerc." She introduced herself, saying her first name slowly and missing the r in Leclerc.
A soft smile formed on Charles' face before he replied to Callie. "Nice to meet you, Calliope." You could see it in his eyes that he was trying so hard to remember the little girl but he failed. From his memory, Callie wouldn't have been born yet and if my calculations were correct, Alice, Lorenzo's ex-wife, had just announced her pregnancy to the family.
"Hi, Uncle Charles." Marcus tentatively said, one arm hooked around my leg. I gave him a glance and gently pushed his back so that he'd walk closer.
"Marcus?" Charles asked, eyes filled shock. "You're all grown up now."
Marcus smiled as Charles pulled him in for a hug and I saw him sigh at the familiarity. "Just a little." Marcus muffled against Charles' shirt.
"Has Lorenzo finally let you go karting?" Charles asked, a hint of mischief in his voice.
Marcus shook his head and Charles frowned. "You took me once before but I hated it...so I'm playing football right now."
"What– but how–" Charles was gobsmacked after hearing his godson's thoughts on football but after looking around at the football posters inside his room, he regained his wits. "I should be offended but I'm not."
The two talked more about football with Charles ending up sitting on the floor by Marcus' door as the latter followed his position. I busied myself with Callie who picked up a soccer ball and began throwing it around. I hovered over her, ready to catch the ball if ever it landed by her head, and I could feel eyes on me the entire time. I didn't let Charles' burning gaze affect me as I smiled at the three year old, taking hold of the ball before it hit her forehead while she giggled.
We probably spent about five more minutes in Marcus' room before Lorenzo called us for dinner. I picked up Callie without a second thought, breezing past Charles who looked like he was opening his mouth to speak. I didn't mind him and instead headed for the direction of the dining room where Lorenzo had set up a delicious dinner. I heard the two Leclerc boys behind me whisper between themselves but I wasn't able to decipher their words.
The two kids sat on their usual seats which was on either side of their father. Lorenzo was sitting by the head of the table, leaving two vacant seats that were across from one another.
Great.
It proved difficult to avoid his eyes when Lorenzo tended to the kids and a silence fell over the table for a few minutes. I was waiting for him to grab some pasta first as I watched Callie but he didn't. When I made a move to take hold of the bowl, it was during this exact time that his hand reached out as well and we both retracted our arms immediately, not knowing how to act. It was when he gestured for me to go first that I took the bowl again, giving him a stiff nod in return.
The kids were a godsend because conversation mainly rooted from them. Marcus shared more about his football team as well as with school while Callie talked about the previous weekend they spent with their mom. It was convenient that Alice lived by the border between France and Monaco which meant the two parents were only less an hour from one another.
I volunteered to do the dishes, hoping to escape from having a conversation with Charles as they moved to the living room. I was left in my own world for a while as I rinsed the plates but that didn't last long when an arm appeared beside me to place the glasses by the sink. I didn't need to look back to see who it was since the Richard Mille watch was already a giveaway.
He didn't leave the kitchen, choosing to look at the magnets on the refrigerator and the crayon drawing that Callie made of her and Marcus. I had chosen to forego the dishwasher to be able to spend more time in the kitchen but turns out that was a wrong decision on my part. The heat of his gaze wasn't repelled by my silence, only strengthening it even more as I noticed him lean against the opposite side of the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest and ankles crossed over one another.
"Anything you'd like to share?" I asked when I couldn't take the silence anymore. I still had my back to him as I dried the dishes and gathered them in a pile a few inches from the sink. Silence welcomed me once again and I sighed before speaking up. "If you have nothing to say, I do." From his reflection on the window in front of me, I saw his head snap up in attention at my words. "Nikolai Drivas is a pain in my ass– always has been and always will be. Every time he's about to make a move, I immediately shut him down without a second thought. Our friends know this, your family knows this, and even the public knows this. There's nothing to worry about on my end, if that's what you're thinking." I dried the last plate and turned around to face him, placing the towel on my right shoulder as I leaned on the counter behind me. "You, however, need to be more careful. I know I haven't been sharing as much but neither have you. Am I right to assume that Rose welcomed you with a sweet smile and talked to you longer than she would with a regular customer?" I asked, my tone laced with as much sarcasm I could muster.
His continued silence was all I needed to know the answer.
With a frustrated sigh, I removed the towel from my shoulder and hung it on one of the racks. I've already extended an olive branch to at least talk this out but turns out he doesn't intend on saying a single word. I was about to walk out of the kitchen when Charles caught my arm and stopped me.
Green eyes met my brown ones as he stood up properly but didn't let go of my arm. His hold wasn't tight but there was a certain emotion I was getting from him and his body language. Charles' shoulders were sagged with his head hung low, eyes darting around the room as if he was having a mental battle with himself on what he should say.
I waited for him just like how I waited for him during those days in the hospital. His hand was still wrapped around my arm and when he made a move to loosen his hold, I stopped him by placing my hand over his. "You have to trust me." I whispered, intertwining my fingers with his.
"How am I supposed to trust someone I don't know?" I ignored the pain in my chest and pulled out the necklace I've been wearing ever since he woke up. I knew he was far from ready to wear his wedding ring so I've been keeping it safe, hidden underneath my clothes and attached to a gold chain.
"Trust yourself, then. Trust the part of you that chose to make this vow." I said as his eyes flickered to the gold ring.
The longer he stayed silent the more I lost hope that maybe our marriage just wasn't strong enough to survive this. I was debating whether I should let go when his fingers tightened around mine and Charles met my eyes.
"Okay."
*****
I don't know why but this was so hard to write 😂
✧Reese✧