Seb was waiting for Sam to respond. He wanted to know more of her as one of his fans, but he didn't want to think much if that could lead to something more between them in the future. Then, he looked at her as she was about to speak.
"Yes, I'm gonna go outside," Sam smiled slightly.
He and Stefan got up from the couch. Stefan helped Sam to stand and walk until Seb held her. Then, he brought her out of the house. There was a wooden garden swing there. He helped her to sit down before he took his own seat next to her.
Seb could feel that Sam was quite nervous. "Hey, don't be nervous. I won't bite."
He tried to break the ice with throwing a joke with the hope that she wouldn't be too shy to talk to him. And he succeeded. He could see her laugh.
"I just... I still can't believe that my favourite driver comes to my house and... wants to talk to me. It feels like a dream. It must be a dream for all of your fans."
"It's not a dream, Sam," Seb laughed as well. "By the way, since when did you follow Formula 1?"
"My father is a big fan of your team since 70s, if you still remember what he said in Zandvoort. He always watches the races at home and he's the reason I like F1 as well. Maybe I'm a bit late, I started noticing you after you won the 2008 Italian GP and supporting you since 2010."
"That was 10 years ago! It's quite a long time, Sam."
"Yeah," Sam smiled. "Abu Dhabi GP that year was really intense. My father definitely supported Fernando, while I still believed that you would end the season as a champion. We even bet! If you became the champion, he would buy me your champion t-shirt, and vice versa."
"You should thank me because I won the title, so Stefan bought you the t-shirt."
Sam knew that she was supporting the right driver. He had an amazing personality. He knew how to make her laugh. "Yes, you're right. Thanks for working so hard until you got 4 titles in-a-row. Those are amazing achievements and I'm really proud of you."
Sam didn't know that Seb blushed as he was praised by her. "I'm glad that I can make my fans happy and proud. What about your husband? Did he like F1 too?" When Seb realized that he had probably upset her, he apologized, "Sam, I'm sorry that I-"
"Don't be, Seb. My husband didn't really follow Formula 1. He liked football more, especially Bundesliga. But he obviously knew German drivers such as Schumacher, Rosberg, and of course you. He also knew that I support you. He always accompanied me whenever I watched the race."
Seb smiled miserably. "I know that it's hard to lose someone you really love. I've lost my grandparents and it still hurts."
"I agree, Seb. I never imagined that I would lose my husband so soon. But thankfully, I still have my own parents, Flo, and also Jonas' family."
Seb frowned. "Flo?"
"Florentia, our daughter," Sam told him.
"Oh," Seb nodded. "She must be as beautiful as her name."
"Thank you," Sam smiled as Seb praised her daughter's name. "Florentia means flourishing, prosperous, and also flowering. Jonas and I always hope that she will be beautiful inside and out, just like the blooming flowers."
After knowing that Sam had lost her husband and they were blessed with a daughter, Seb didn't know if he would have a chance to get closer to her. Jonas must be irreplaceable for her, he thought to himself.
Seb slowly shook his head. He shouldn't have to think about that yet. He had just known her. He was an idol to her and she was a fan to him. He would let their relationship progress slowly.
---
Magda was going back to the kitchen to bring one more glass of orange juice because Seb's one had been drunk by Sam to calm herself down after her sudden overflowed emotion.
So, there were only Stefan and Antti who were still in the guest room. To break the silence, Stefan asked Antti to have a conversation.
"Antti, to be honest I still don't understand why the store didn't just contact me to pick up the merchandise. Why should it be Seb who gives it to us?"
Antti was thinking before he said, "I don't know exactly what his reason is about it. After the event finished and all fans had left, Seb asked Britta and I to wait. We saw him coming into the office room. We didn't know that Seb wanted to ask the supervisor about you and Sam. When an employee there found your e-mail address, Seb asked him to give it to him. A few hours later, he asked Britta to send you an e-mail as we were still in this city. But as he said before, you haven't read it until today,"
"In the end, he asked me to help him with using my Instagram. Actually, the store only gave a baseball cap and an autograph card that were signed by Seb. But, when we found out about her condition, he added it with his own sunglasses and he also wrote a letter for her. Maybe you or your wife can read it for her. Please don't tell Seb that I've told you this."
"I promise that I won't tell him that," Stefan promised to Antti. "Why I asked is because... it's still surprising me that a famous person, a 4-time F1 world champion wants to spare his time to come to his fan's house. I know that Sam is a big fan of him but, I really didn't expect this. I believe that this is the first time he's done that."
"You're right, this is the first time for him to do that. I know that Seb is very kind to his fans. He always gets a lot of messages from the fans and he always gives them his autograph cards in return. But for this one, coming to a fan's house to give the merchandise by himself is something new."
Antti always had a thought that Seb was attracted to Sam. He still remembered the talks among them, including Britta, when he explained about his meetings with her at Zandvoort circuit.
"Seb discussed about Sam with me and Britta after the race in Zandvoort," Antti admitted.
Magda was finally back to the guest room and sitting next to her husband. She heard what Antti said to Stefan. "What did Seb talk about, Antti?"
"Erm, besides telling us about how he met Sam there, he also said that he was curious to see her eyes, but she always wore sunglasses every time he met her. And he always felt that... there was something about her that he wanted to find out about."
Magda looked at Stefan who also glanced at her. She couldn't describe on why Seb was curious to know about her daughter. "Then, what else?"
"Do you still remember when Sam was missing in the paddock?" Antti asked, which was replied by their nods. "As Seb still didn't know about her blindness, he felt that it was so strange of her to be so panic. Don't get me wrong, I mean, as an adult, Sam could still try to search for you without a phone on her hand. But, I shared my opinion that she was probably very afraid of being alone or monophobia, so that was why she was panic. It turns out that she is blind and we were very surprised when we found out about that."
There was a moment of silence, but in the end, Stefan broke it. "Antti, to be honest, Sam didn't want Seb and other drivers to find out about her blindness when we watched the race there."
"Why?" Antti frowned.
"Because she doesn't want them, especially Seb, to feel sorry for her. She doesn't want him to see her as a weak person and... she also doesn't want to get so much attention from him just because she's blind."
"I've worked with Seb in the last six years, Stefan. I always know how he treats his fans. He never categorizes his fans. All are the same to him. Sam isn't the only fan who is blind. We've met others before and Seb always thinks that they are strong people."
"Yeah, I understand that. Sam often tells me that Seb is always very nice to his fans. But, I don't know. Maybe our daughter is overthinking about it."
"I guess so," Antti replied. "I'm sorry to say this. This is just my guess but, I feel like Seb has a feeling for Sam. I mean, he didn't have to bother coming here to give the merchandise away to you and Sam. He could have asked Britta to send it to your address. Or maybe, he didn't have to interfere at all because sending it was actually not his business."
"That's what we are thinking about right now, Antti. There must be something. But sorry to ask this, does he have a girlfriend?" Magda asked.
"No, at the moment."
Both Magda and Stefan knew that Jonas would be irreplaceable for Sam, but they actually didn't mind if someday she got together with another man, considering she had a daughter who still needed a father's affection.
But it would be crazy to think that Seb could possibly be the man who had a feeling for their daughter. He was a rich and famous person. He had a very privilege life.
"Is it possible if Seb likes our daughter? I believe that he has so many female friends in his life."
"As I said, Magda, this is just my guess. But it seems like he has a good impression about her."
"We never know what our future holds," Stefan said. "Sam has just lost her husband around a year ago, so I think that she won't accept someone new in her life for now. But if in the end they like each other, we as parents just can support her."
Of course it was something that they hadn't spoken with Sam because after Jonas' passing, her only focus was her family, especially Flo, and nothing else.
---
"If I may know, why did you and Stefan leave before the event finished?" Seb asked so because he remembered that a fan said that they seemed in a hurry.
"Right after you answered my question, my mother phoned my father to tell that Flo suddenly got fever. So, I wanted to get back home as soon as possible," Sam replied.
"Did you bring her to the doctor?"
Sam shook her head. "No, we didn't. When I was on my way back home, my mother gave her paracetamol and she drank lots of water to avoid dehydration. Thankfully, her temperature was back to normal although she was still quite limp. On next day, she was so much better."
"Glad to know that," Seb smiled. "I would love to meet her. How old is she now?"
"She is two years old. She is so energetic and cheerful. I'm so blessed to have her in my life."
Seb suddenly wanted to talk about her blindness. But he was afraid if it would upset her. He took a deep breath before he spoke to her.
"Sam, I don't mean to offend you but, why don't you want to consider doing the surgery? Don't you want to see your family's faces again, especially your daughter?"
Sam knew that Seb would question it. She sighed. "As I said, Seb, what happens to me is a punishment for me. If I didn't flirt and bother him while he was driving, that accident... would never happen."
"It isn't your fault, Sam, remember that," Seb said firmly as he didn't want her to blame herself. "You were the victim as well. You were in a coma for two weeks. Now, you have a second chance to live. Why don't you just do it and start a new life?"
The tears slowly fell from her blue eyes. Surprisingly, she wasn't angry at him for asking her about surgery. Usually, she was a little upset if her parents kept asking her that.
Instead, she wondered why he suddenly came to her life, cared a lot about her, and wanted her to open the new chapter of her life. He came when she was drowning in despair as she hadn't accepted the loss of Jonas. He came when she still had no idea what she was going to do with her life.
While, Seb was starting to panic. He felt that he had upset her. "Sam, I didn't mean to upset you. I-"
"I'll try to consider it, Seb," Sam finally responded. "Maybe not in the near time, but I'll think about that."
A slight smile on Sam's lips had made Seb relieved. He had successfully convinced her, although she hadn't decided if she really wanted to undergo the corneal transplant and when she was going to do that.
"I'm glad if you say so. Your parents will be very happy to hear it."
Her face turned slightly at him. "What makes you really care about me, Seb? I'm nothing to you."
He didn't expect that it would be questioned to him. He couldn't say anything about his feeling for her yet. "Of course you are something to me. I mean, you are my fan. You always support me all this time. I don't think that it's wrong if I do the same to all my fans. I've met some fans who are, sorry, disabled. But they are the same as the others. I always tell them to stay strong and keep fighting."
"I know since the beginning that I'm supporting the right driver. You are amazing, both professionally and personally," she praised him again.
"No need to praise me, Sam," Seb laughed a little.
Sam didn't know what she was feeling, but hearing Seb's little laugh made her heart warm. She closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. No, she must not have a feeling for him. He was way too perfect for her. And most importantly, he was a famous person. He surely wouldn't want to have a blind woman as his partner.
"By the way, can I visit you and your family again next time?" Seb asked.
She was stunned that he wanted to visit her house again. "Are you asking me that for real?"
Seb laughed. "Of course! Or you didn't want me to visit you again?"
"No, it's not like that, I'm sorry. Of course you can visit us again. The door will always be open for you. But, you know that you are very busy, Seb."
"I'm not busy every day, Sam. I have some free time that I use to go outside. I sometimes visit my family in Heppenheim or go somewhere else," Seb explained what he usually did in his spare time. "And as I said, Natasha also gave Antti your number. Can I call you next time?"
"Seb, please pinch my arm to prove that I'm not dreaming! I mean, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that one day I would get to know my idol."
"Again, it's not a dream, Sam. I can say that you are an inspiration to me. I know that your heart still breaks, but I can see that you are such a strong woman. It will take time to repair it, but I'm sure that you'll slowly but surely get there."
"Thanks for your kind words, Seb."
It always made Seb relieved when he saw Sam smile. He didn't know what his destiny would be like, but he was determined to always make her smile. And he hoped that her beautiful blue eyes could finally see him sooner rather than later.