Christmas Eve 2023 - French Alps
The air was still when you woke to a fresh dumping of snow on the mountain. The window provided a picture of tranquillity and the embers in the fire gave a peaceful glow to the dark wood walls. Charles had disappeared at dawn for a morning ski with Arthur and you squinted against the white glare to try and find them on the mountainside.
You probably could have gone back to sleep if it wasn't for the door crashing open and the sudden weight of a child on your legs. Penelope crawled up to the headboard with a squeal and jumped into your arms as Max just reached the bedroom door.
"P, watch out for auntie's tummy," Max reminded. She now had to watch out for yours and Aunt Vicky's tummy, since your sister had announced her pregnancy a few weeks ago. "Sorry, she slept the whole flight so she's full of energy. I tried to get her to play with Luka but she wanted you."
"That's okay," you said as she burrowed under the blankets and put her cold feet on Lando's back. "Are you excited for Christmas?"
Penelope nodded eagerly while Lando slowly woke and you were grateful he was wearing a hideous pair of santa-themed pyjama pants. With even more children around for Christmas this year, everyone had taken to wearing pyjamas. It was good for moments like these, but bad for quick access when you were spooning in the night.
"Papa let me open some presents early!"
Max disappeared out of the room with a wave, heading back to his suite with Kelly down the hall. The small mountain retreat had been completely rented out for another combined family holiday and at the rate the Norris', Leclerc's and Verstappen's were procreating, an entire resort would be needed to host you all next year. Your bet was on Max and Lorenzo becoming fathers next.
"How exciting! And what did you get?"
Penelope held out her arm to show a mermaid inspired charm bracelet. "That's beautiful!"
"It's got Ariel!" she exclaimed, pointing to a red haired mermaid as she bounced excitedly.
"Is that an earthquake?" Lando asked as he scooped the little girl up into a hug. "No, it's little P. Why are you waking your favourite uncle up so early?"
"You're not my favourite," she said with a fit of giggles.
Lando hung his head and shook it with fake sadness. "Kids are brutal."
"Kids are honest," you corrected before kissing his pout away.
"Gross," P said as she screwed up her face and started to climb off the bed to find 'Maxie'. She did a sudden u-turn and scrambled across the bed to gently touch your stomach before leaning closer and whispering, "Bye-bye, baby. Love you."
She was gone again, this time the door swinging shut as she left with no farewell for you or Lando. He let out a little chuckle as he pushed you back into the pillows and drifted down the bed, taking the blankets with him.
"Hello, baby," he murmured softly to the bump. At just more than half way along your bump could no longer be mistaken for overindulgence or bloating. "You are looking lovely and round this morning."
"Wow, you really know how to sweet talk a lady," you chuckled as you combed your fingers through his hair.
"Shh, I'm having a conversation with my daughter, no eavesdropping," he warned with a smirk before brushing your shirt up and pressing a kiss to your skin before continuing his conversation. The moustache and shaped beard he was slowly but surely growing thicker tickled with each whispered word, the movement of his lips dragging the coarse hairs over your sensitive skin until goosebumps prickled.
"I can't wait to meet you," he said with a smile as the door creaked open and Charles walked in with wind-kissed cheeks. "I just want to hurry up and hold you."
"Patience, mon cher," Charles said with a grin, depositing the second layer of cashmere he had worn under his ski jacket on the coat hook. "It's only four more months."
Lando groaned at the reminder before shifting on the bed to make space for Charles.
"Anything you want to add this morning?" you asked.
You reached for the hem of the shirt, ready to pull it down if it was a no when a knock had you freeze. No, it wasn't a knock. The thud hadn't come from outside, but inside . You dropped the shirt and stared at the jut of your hip, right where the skin went soft as it stretched up to your ribs. That soft tissue bulged ever so slightly as you felt the strange sensation of pressure and it drew a gasp that shocked your boyfriends.
"What? What is it?" Lando asked, his voice thick with concern.
"Give me your hand," you ordered, already reaching for one of each as you placed them on the spot. "Shhh, just shhh."
You felt it again and Charles exhaled a shaky breath that ended in a joyous laugh before grabbing Lando's hand and shifting it slightly.
"Wha-"
"Shh," you urged as Charles pressed a finger to his lips. The silence grew and everyone held their breath, waiting.
The air wooshed from Lando with an exclamation, "No fucking way!" His eyes grew wide and he stared at his palm as if the imprint of his daughter's foot was permanently held on his skin. "Holy shit! She...she...kicked."
Charles wrapped an arm around Lando as their shimmering eyes met yours. Pure happiness saturated the room, spilling out into the hall as the door opened and Oliver appeared a little worried. "Everything okay? I thought I heard Lando screeching."
"Everything's perfect," Lando grinned, ignoring the joke he had heard since hitting puberty.
"She just started kicking," Charles explained with an equally bright grin, while you danced your fingers along your side, trying to tickle her foot.
"Core memory unlocked, huh?" Oliver laughed at his brother's eagerness, remembering the first kicks with his own daughters. "Breakfast is ready when you are."
"Thanks, we'll be there soon," Charles said as Oliver closed the door again.
"Do we have to?" Lando asked as he curled back down and stared at your stomach intently. "I could watch this all day."
"You can stay but I am hungry, and she is now shy," you teased as you pulled your shirt back into place and climbed out of bed. With a groan he followed you to the walk-in wardrobe, just like you knew he would.
"Is the powder good?" Lando asked Charles while they changed into some casual day clothes perfect for the warm interior of the retreat.
"It's perfect," Charles all but moaned, it was hard to believe they were talking about snow but both of them loved to ski. "Arthur wants to head back out after lunch."
Lando looked at you and you waved a hand. "Sheesh, babe, I'm not your keeper. You can go if you want."
Lando hated being away the most, not that Charles enjoyed it, but there wasn't the same level of separation anxiety that Lando had. "I don't want to leave you here on your own."
"On my own?" you laughed and slipped your feet into some simple flats before heading to the door. As soon as it opened the cacophony of everyone congregating in the great room down the hall spilled into your room. "I couldn't be on my own if I tried."
–
Round One - Bahrain 2024
Fuel fumes drifted up from the pitlane to the balcony you stood upon as the start of the season's first race grew closer. It was strange to look down the entire length of billboards and see no new faces among the driver line up. Fernando still filled the garage beside Lance, but you held no resentment for your replacement. He was making the most out of an opportunity and it almost gave you hope that even after leaving Formula 1, maybe - just maybe - there was a way to get back in.
Next year would be interesting with so many contracts up for renewal. It was a chance to see new faces on the grid, or perhaps some old faces returning if rumours were to be believed. You wouldn't mind seeing Sebastian make a return. For the moment, everyone was still too busy talking about Lewis and his move to Ferrari to give much thought to the other shocks that might come with the disruption. The open seat at Mercedes was going to be sought after by every driver stuck in a midfield car.
"You look deep in thought."
You broke away from staring at the starting lights to accept a cup of herbal tea from your mother. "Just thinking about how the grid will look next year."
"Gotta get through this one first," she reminded. "Speaking of...it's going to be hard having a newborn at home with those two away so much."
"I know," you sighed, resting your arms on the balcony rail as you blew the steam from the mug. The wall calendar at home was already marked with the first half of the season, all the nights Lando and Charles would be away circled in red ink. It had been collectively agreed that flying with a newborn wasn't a great idea so you would only attend the races you could drive to until she was at least three months old. "This year's calendar is fucking intense."
"I want you to know you can call me day or night, sweetie, and I'll be on the next plane." She reached for your chin and turned you to face her as your throat clogged with emotion. "I don't have to tell you how hard it is to do on your own, you saw it firsthand."
"You've got your own life, I don't want you to drop it all for me."
She laughed softly and wrapped you in a careful hug. "You're my daughter, you are my life, my granddaughter is too."
"Thank you," you sniffled and wiped your eyes, seeing the cameras in the pitlane pointed your way. "Gah, you made me cry. Now I'll be on fucking Drive to Survive. I can already see the subtitles 'Y/N crying as the season starts without her'. Wankers."
Your mother narrowed her eyes at the camera and flipped them off, making you choke on a laugh. "So much maturity for a grandmother."
"Yeah well I have been wanting to do that for a while, and I figure I can't get you fired since you're unemployed."
You shared a grin and thought maybe you had more in common than you realised. You thought your fight came from Jos but now you saw a flash of it in her protectiveness and your chest warmed.
"I'm not unemployed, I'm a Lady of Leisure." You laughed at the roll of her eyes before adding. "I might even get a Birkin for a push present to complete the initiation."
"What the hell is a push present?"
"It's a present a new mother gets for destroying her vagina pushing a baby out."
It was her turn to choke on a laugh. "That's a thing?"
"Apparently so."
"Does the baby not count as a gift?"
"Hmm, maybe you should go ask them?" you said as you jutted your head to the plethora of influencers walking around the grid taking selfies with everyone. She wrinkled her nose at the idea, quite content to stay out of the fray like you.
"No, thank you. Oh, there they are."
You scanned the crowd and saw Max, Charles, and Lando walking out to the grid together, their heads huddled close as they tried to hear each other over the crowd. They made a beeline to the strips of red carpet and Max stood between the other two as they took their places for the national anthem.
"Looks like the podium lineup to me," your mother whispered.
You chewed your lip and hoped the data from testing was as promising as it looked for McLaren and Ferrari. But you could never tell quite how much of it was real with the strategies and sandbagging. "I hope so, my boy's need a good start this year."