The Randomness of Chance (Max Verstappen)

THE ODDS OF RETURNING TO EUROPE

The week before the interview was one of the busiest Amelia had in a while.

She made sure to upgrade her CV, deciding to include all her previous babysitting experiences as well as her research work and some of her published articles.

She had e-mailed her former employers, kindly requesting them to recommend her for a babysitting position and had been pleasantly surprised to receive several positive responses, despite the holiday season.

"Don't fret about the time, Ames. You live across the street, literally." – she was on the phone with Michelle, having called to check – again – what time was suitable for her to show up.

The interview would be held in the Ricciardo household. Daniel's friend had made plans to visit him in Australia for a couple of days, before the two of them departed to Monaco to celebrate the New Year.

"You know my anxiety won't allow it, Mish."

Michelle sighed, already picturing the nail biting and the pacing that would eventually take place. She knew Amelia too well.

"Come over already. I'll let the boys know."

"What?! No, Michelle! That will make me look unprofessional!"

"You will work yourself into a mess if I ask you to wait any longer. Then, you will look unprofessional." – the defeated groan from Amelia only proved her right – "Just come over, Ames."

"Alright."

"Don't forget to check before crossing the road!" – Michelle chided cheekily before hanging up.

Amelia checked herself on the mirror one last time before leaving. Everybody told her she was the spitting image of her mother and with the passing of the years she could see it more and more.

They shared the pale complexion, the same dark hair and chocolate eyes and had the same face structure. Amelia was shorter and curvier compared to her tall and lean mother but she had learned to appreciate her figure.

The dark jeans and flowy blouse she wore did her justice. She decided that they gave the right vibe for this type of job – professional, but approachable and practical.

She grabbed her keys and phone and headed to the Ricciardo's, knocking softly on their door.

The door opened to reveal a grinning Daniel, who readily engulfed her in a bear hug and twirled her around.

"Amélieeeee!" – he was basically shouting and Amelia laughed at his antics. No matter his 31 years of age, he was a kid at heart.

"Put her down, Danny. You're going to make her dizzy." – Michelle scolded making Daniel pout – "Sometimes I wonder how come we haven't hired a sitter for you."

"Hey, I resent that!"

"Well, sometimes you look like you need one." – a different voice added.

Amelia turned around, only now spotting a younger man leaning against the doorframe. He was tall, with a lean physique that the comfortable clothes he was wearing couldn't conceal, and sand colored hair.

But his eyes, Amelia decided, were his best feature. They were amazingly blue and reminded her of the Portuguese skies during a summer day. She imagined they would look even more striking without the shadows beneath them.

She prided herself in her observant skills and quickly caught on his slouched shoulders and the strain in his voice, despite his attempt at humor. He was tired.

"Ah, mate! Not you too." - Daniel whined, making Amelia playfully hit his arm.

"No whining. You're just proving their point."