TWO GHOSTS.
02. ❛ home is where the heart is. ❜
ONCE CHARLES HAD TURNED seventeen, he dropped out of high school to further extend his career in motorsport, he did finish his education while on the road though. He and Sofia remained a couple even with the struggles of their long-distance relationship.
Their bond was so strong that no one would have ever thought their future would end up the way it eventually would. Whenever Sofia had her free time away from fashion school, she would go to Charles' races, and whenever he got a break, he would show up in Monaco to spend time with her.
Now, at nineteen, they were in their prime, both carving their paths to their future life. The setting was perfect. The gentle hum of the television filled the cozy living room as a rerun of a Formula One race played out on the screen. Charles Leclerc sat cuddled up on the couch with his girlfriend. They were wrapped in a soft blanket, the glow of the TV casting a warm light over their faces.
As the race intensified, Charles found his heart racing for another reason. He stole glances at Sofia, marveling at her beauty and how her eyes lit up with excitement as the cars sped around the track.
Feeling a mix of nervousness and affection, Charles shifted slightly, positioning himself to face Sofia. She looked at him curiously, wondering why he had changed his position during the thrilling race. Unbeknownst to her, Charles' heart was pounding in his chest as he searched for the right words.
"Sofia," he began softly, "You know you mean the world to me, right?"
Sofia smiled, nodding, and she paused the race before she sat up and straddled him, her arms going around his neck as she played with the ends of his soft hair.
There was when she came into his life and during. He didn't want to have an after. He didn't want to lose her. It's her. Nobody else makes sense to him.
Charles looked up at her with a dimpled smile and tucked a stray piece of blonde hair behind her ear, "I want to spend my entire future with you because you are my future. I'll love you either way, on your good days and bad. There's nothing you could say or do to make me love you less. You have a place in my heart nobody else could even come close to."
Sofia's eyes widened in surprise, and her heart skipped a beat. She reached out to gently caress Charles' cheek, her affection for him mirrored in her gaze. "Charles, I—" she began, but he gently placed a finger on her lips, shaking his head.
"Attendez, laissez-moi finir, (Wait, let me finish,)" he whispered tenderly.
"I may never find words beautiful enough to describe all that you mean to me, but I will spend the rest of my life searching for them if you'd let me. And I will choose you every time, over and over, without pause, without doubt. In a heartbeat, I'll keep choosing you because it's you, and no one else makes sense. Alors, tu veux te marier? (So, do you want to get married?)"
Sofia couldn't hide her big smile and blush, but she did hum, pretending to think, "Peut être. Peut être pas. (Maybe. Maybe not.)"
Charles furrowed his eyebrows behind his glasses with irritation, not liking that she was toying with him. "'Peut être'?" He repeated her words.
"Charles," Sofia started, her voice soft and gentle, "I love you, and you know that, but this is a huge decision. We're still so young and have our whole lives ahead of us."
"I know, but I wanna do this." He placed a kiss on her knuckles gently, "With you. We'll travel the world together and do what we love. We're young, but not that young. Some people are sixty-five and still feel young. Just because we have years ahead of us doesn't mean our love isn't going to last a lifetime. Then again, maybe we don't have years; everything could end tomorrow. But I will love you anyway. Every day, deeply, wholeheartedly, even if we are young, even if we are old. My love for you will be gentle but fierce and bold."
Face to face, body to body, heart to heart, soul to soul. They were both just admiring each other's features. Charles' eyes wandered over her face as if he wanted to remember every single detail, afraid he might have to recall it from memory one day.
After a long while, Sofia finally responded with a whisper as she lifted up his glasses, "Okay, I'll marry you."
Charles's eyes lit up brightly like a thousand cities as he heard the simple words slip from her lips. He let out a giggle and cupped her face, bringing her in for a searing kiss. Charles smirked when she broke the kiss, "Madame Leclerc, I like the sound of that."
"Uh, we're definitely hyphening, just for your information."
CHARLES AND SOFIA HAD never been happier than they were when they were engaged. Even with their extreme distance being year-long, they remained closer than ever.
In fact, he had just flown back to Monaco to surprise Sofia on a dark, gloomy day when he received the news. On July 17, Jules Bianchi passed away in a French hospital, nine months after his horrific crash at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Charles felt like all the air in his lungs had been taken out when the words reached his ears. He couldn't even think straight when he raised his fist to knock on Sofia's bedroom door.
His fiancée had swung open the door immediately, her once cheerful smile immediately fading once her soft blue eyes caught sight of Charles's tear-stained cheeks and his body wet and cold due to the pouring rain outside.
"I..." Charles' voice was barely above a whisper, afraid if he spoke any louder, he would break. "I really need someone right now."
"Oh, amore mio." Sofia's eyes softened dramatically as she pulled her fiancé into a tight hug, making sure that one of her arms was around his neck and the other holding his head securely, just like he liked it, "Come here."
Charles dropped his bags on the floor and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he let out a muffled sob. "C'est J-Jules, il—... il n'a pas survécu. (It's J-Jules, he—... he didn't make it.)"
"Dio mio," Tears welled up in Sofia's own eyes as she ran her hands through Charles' soft, wavy brown hair, guiding him to the bed where they sat down together, still entwined in each other's embrace. "It's okay, amore mio. Let it out."
The room was dimly lit, with the soft glow of candles casting flickering shadows on the walls. Charles clung onto to her, his body shaking with the weight of his sorrow. "I c-can't believe he's gone, Sof. He's gone."
Sofia listened attentively, her heart breaking for the man she loved. She knows that sometimes words are not enough to heal wounds this deep, but she's determined to be a pillar of strength for him.
"Viens t'allonger, amore mio," Sofia whispered softly as she invited him to lie down with her. She grabbed Charles' hand and tugged him to the middle of the bed, helping him under the covers. She cradled his head as he lay on top of her.
Charles snuggled his head on her chest and wrapped his arms around her waist, fearing he would lose her too if he let go. They lay in silence, the only sound being the muffled sobs escaping Charles' trembling lips. Sofia gently stroked his hair as she let out her own tears, staring up at the ceiling with her lip quivering. "It's okay, it's okay, I've got you."
"Promets-moi juste que tu ne me quitteras jamais, mon ange. (Just promise you won't ever leave me, my angel.)" Charles whispered, turning his head to look up with his reddened, teary green eyes. One of his hands traveled to her left hand, his thumb brushing over her engagement ring softly.
"Je promets. (I promise.)" Sofia smiled as much as she could, her hand going to his face to caress it softly, tracing every curve and nook, "Ti amo fino alla luna e a Saturno. (I love you to the moon and to saturn.)"