TWO GHOSTS.
07. ❛ surprises, surprises. ❜
STUMBLING BACK AT THE FORCE, Sofia wrapped her arms around her friend in return, spinning around, "Hey, Ro!"
Aurora squeezed her arms tighter around her friend before letting go and placing her arms on Sofia's shoulder, "Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to see you!"
"What are you doing here so early?" Sofia laughed as she glanced at her friend up and down, "I thought you weren't coming until later?"
"Yeah, well, we just couldn't wait to see you." Aurora shrugged as she placed her hands on her hips, smiling wide, "Now, where's my niece?"
"'We'?" Sofia raised her eyebrows and looked behind Aurora, where she spotted Lando Norris giving her a wink, "Oh. You."
"Yes, me." Lando puffed out his chest and lifted his chin, "You've got a problem with that?"
"Oh, shut up, Lando." Sofia rolled her eyes before she pulled her best friend's boyfriend into a hug, dropping the act, "Come here."
Lando let the dramatics fade and laughed as he hugged the girl back, rubbing her back up and down before pulling away, "Man, it's been too long since we saw each other. I missed you."
"Not long enough." Sofia sighed but then laughed when Lando playfully pushed her shoulder back. "Okay, okay, I missed you too."
"That's more like it." Lando smiled as he placed his bags down, too. Both he and Aurora were going to be spending the next week with Sofia before he left for the next race.
"Enough chit-chat." Aurora interrupted as she giddily smiled, "Where's Jules?"
"Ouch, I'm hurt you're more excited to see her than me." Sofia held a hand to her chest playfully before walking back into the kitchen, where she pointed out her daughter, "She's in the kitchen. Jules, look who's here!"
Jules placed her utensils down and turned around, her eyes going wide with excitement as she caught sight of the two individuals. "Uncle Lando!" She squealed and jumped off her chair, running into the arms of the Formula 1 driver.
"Jules!" Landon squealed to match her enthusiasm and bent down to pick her up in a hug, swinging her around as they giggled together.
"Ouch," Aurora's mouth dropped in shock as she watched the six-year-old run into the arms of her boyfriend, "I cannot believe she's more excited to see him than me. It's not like I've known her throughout her whole life or anything."
"Now you know how it feels." Sofia winked at her best friend before returning to the kitchen, "Do you two want waffles? Jules and I made some, and there's still batter left."
"Yes, please." Lando nodded and set his "niece" down on the ground, letting her run to his brunette girlfriend, "Are they Belgian waffles?"
Sofia nodded and started making the waffles, "Yes, because Jules said that your waffles are, and I quote, 'so much more fluffier, like a cloud.'"
"As she should." Aurora chirped in, Jules now in her arms before she set the kid down in her seat, "Lando's waffles are heavenly. I don't know what he puts in them, but damn!"
"I sprinkle a little love in them just for you, love." Lando grinned and pecked his girlfriend on the lips.
Sofia cringed and rolled her eyes, turning away from the giggling couple, "Ugh, stop it, stop it, stop it. You guys are too cute, and it will make me vomit."
Aurora laughed and grabbed her plate with her waffle from her best friend, "You know, you would have the same treatment if you got yourself a boyfriend."
Sofia never really "moved on" from Charles after he left her on her wedding day. She tried to get with several guys, but at the end of the day, she'd give up because no one could ever replace the boy she fell in love with 11 years ago.
"Yeah, well, getting a boyfriend is overrated, and it's not like I can just go out there and find a perfect guy or something." Sofia sighed and handed Lando his waffles before sitting down.
"Oh, please." Lando chirped in as he thankfully accepted the waffles, "You have guys falling at your feet left and right. Did you forget who you are, Sofia? Your Sofia fucking Rinaldi!"
"Language," Jules smiled up at Lando as she took a sip of her water.
"Right, shit," Lando covered his mouth and shut his eyes as he tried to think straight, "Shit. Ahhhh, wait, blah, blah, blah, I can't think. Sorry, okay, moving on, didn't two celebrities recently just flirt with you? What were their names? Oh! Drew Starkey and Chris Evans?"
"I mean, yeah, but..." Sofia pursed her lips and ran a hand through her blonde locks, "They aren't really my type, I guess."
"So?" Lando shrugged and bit into his waffle, "Maybe you'll like their personalities."
"Sure," Aurora snorted as she shook her head, "But Sofia has a very specific type." She turned and smirked at her friend, "You know, tall, brunette, green eyes, strong jaw, slightly muscular, polite, a bit of a stubble when she feels like it, European, a gentleman, puppy energy, plays the piano, cuteness overload, lives life a little on the danger side, has a thing for red cars-"
"Okay, that's enough, Ro." Sofia cleared her throat and stopped her friend from describing a certain someone too much to the point that Lando would understand who she was talking about. "Point is, I'm not dating."
"Whatever you say, babe." Aurora threw a wink, then turned to Jules, who was occupied trying to braid her hair, "Jules, your mummy is a dummy sometimes."
"Oh, I know." Jules giggled behind her hand when Sofia's jaw dropped as she looked at her, "I'm kidding! I'm kidding, Mamma!"
Sofia narrowed her eyes at her giggling daughter, "You better be, young lady."
"Anyway," Lando drawled out as he picked up his bag, a grin slowly making its way onto his face, "I brought presents!"
"We brought presents." Aurora corrected with a raise of her eyebrow.
"Right, we brought presents." Lando chuckled and stuck his hand in the bag, reaching for something as he locked eyes with Jules, "I got this just for you, my best friend."
Jules' eyes lit up with excitement as she sat up in her seat, "I'm your best friend?"
"Of course you are!" Lando nodded, then excitedly pulled out a purple cap, handing it to the little girl. "Who else would be?"
"Dio mio." Jules' jaw dropped as she giggled and hopped off her seat, running to Lando, where she grabbed the Mercedes cap off his hands. "It's a Mercedes cap! Look, Mamma, look!"
"I see, fiorellina! That's amazing!" Sofia laughed and nodded her head, smiling at her daughter's contagious enthusiasm.
Jules immediately threw herself in Lando's arms and gave him a tight hug, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Uncle Lando!"
"Anything for you, Jules." Lando pressed a quick kiss to the girl's cheek before pointing at the bottom of cap, "And look, I even got Lewis to sign it for you."
Jules couldn't even form words as she let out a squeal before showing her Aunt Aurora and her mum. Jules only recently became a fan of Formula One two years ago when she met Lando, and Pierre had told her what his job was, and she has never missed a race week since.
She ensured she and her mum would watch every free practice, every qualifying, and every race. The only thing she skipped was the press conference since they asked the same questions all the time. Occasionally, Sofia would have to cancel everything on her Sunday schedules so that they could watch and discuss the race together.
"And look what else I got you," Lando wiggled his eyebrows as he pulled out something else from the bag. It was a replica of Lewis Hamilton's 2020 Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One car. "This is signed by Lewis too!"
Jules might've loved Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris with all of her heart, but Lewis Hamilton instantly became her favorite driver, much to Sofia's amusement.
"Omg! Omg! Omg!" Jules started jumping up and down as she hugged the replica in her arms. "Oh, thank you, Uncle Lando! You're the best!"
"Well, I also got something else for you and your mum." Lando bit his lip with a mischievous smile.
Jules giggled with a little gasp as she looked back in the bag and saw a black box with orange accents. Jules furrowed her eyebrows and took it out, opening it up to see that it contained lanyards with pretty-looking cards attached to the end. She ran over to her mum and pulled out the lanyards with a beaming smile, "Look, Mamma! For us! What are they?"
Sofia chuckled and grabbed the lanyards from her daughter's hand, then examined them, her smile slowly slipping as she saw they were VIP McLaren garage passes. "These are VIP garage passes..."
"Yes, I was able to get them for you." Lando nodded excitedly, "I have the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend, but you, Ro, and Jules are coming with me to the Monaco Grand Prix next week!"
"This is the best present ever!" Jules squealed as she ran around the kitchen, then jumped excitedly up and down, her excitement mirroring Aurora's as she too cheered even if she often went to Lando's races.
And all while Jules, Aurora, and Lando were celebrating, Sofia just sat frozen as she looked down at the passes, her mind racing with thoughts. Sure, it was a wonderful experience, but what if she saw him? What if Jules saw him? What if he saw them? Sofia couldn't go through the same pain she went through six years ago all over again; she couldn't, she wouldn't.
Sofia sighed and slid the passes back to the McLaren racer, shaking her head, "Lando, we—"
"It would be a wonderful experience for you and Jules, and you grew up in Monaco, so you'll get to visit family and friends. " Lando shrugged and slid the passes back, "Anyways, the tickets were free, and Jules finishes school this week, so I know you'll both be free. Both you and Jules love this sport, and it's only right that you two get to experience it in person and in the paddock. I even got Jules a ticket to do a hot lap with Lewis."
"Plus," Aurora butted in, her fingers intertwined as she leaned forward, "I've been wanting you two to go with me for ages." Seeing her best friend still against the idea, Aurora sighed, her eyes softening as she realized the real reason Sofia didn't want to go, "Everything will be fine, Sofia. Just trust me."
"Please," Jules looked up at her mum with wide green eyes and a slight pout, trying to convince her with the classic 'puppy dog' face.
"Okay, fine." Sofia gave in with a small smile tugging at her lips as she saw her daughter burst with excitement. She then turned to Lando and pointed a stern finger, "But next time, you ask me first."
"Deal."
Jules immediately looked up, her smile going even wider if possible, "Next time?! There's going to be a next time?!"