Forever Yours

Chapter 4

It's Saturday, qualifying.

Jules didn't make it the whole week sleeping in his own bed. The first night we both fell asleep on the couch watching a movie so I gave him a pass. The second day he made it to around 4 AM until I felt him snuggle up against my chest. On the third day, I found him sleeping at the foot of my bed. I'll give him credit though, I fully believed he had stayed in his room. That was until I had gotten up to use the washroom that I noticed he had grabbed a blanket and was sleeping under my bed. The rest of the days were pretty similar.

I have been wanting him to sleep in his own bed since he moved into his 'big boy' bed. That was 2 years ago. Now he is 5 and still struggles with it. For some reason, he doesn't want to sleep in a room by himself. When he was a baby I would have to bring him into my room and put him in a portable crib so that he could sleep. As long as he saw me, he would be fine. Since it's just the two of us, it doesn't bother me but I kind of thought he would grow out of it by this point.

Regardless, he hadn't shut up about this weekend's GP for the entire week so it broke my heart thinking about telling him that we couldn't go. So I caved.

Which is why we are now standing at the gates of the entrance of this year's Italian Grand Prix.

I'm holding Jules' hand as we look at all of the people walking everywhere in a rush. I don't even know where to go.

" Do we just walk in?" Jules asks, squinting his eyes as he looks up at me. His hat doesn't seem to be of much use towards the sun at the moment.

" I guess so," I say hesitantly. We walk up to the gate hand in hand. We show the lady at the front our lanyards and she lets us in.

Everything is pure havoc. There are people running around everywhere. Cameramen filming, workers pushing big boxes, photographers everywhere, and security keeping everyone in check. Just as I remember it. In a way, it feels calming. Like a piece of home.

We start heading to the pit lanes when all of a sudden I hear a familiar voice.

"Florence?" Someone says behind me.

I turn around and see Daniel. I get this overwhelming feeling come across my chest as he runs up to me and gives me a hug.

"Florence," he says again as he pulls me away and holds my shoulders out in front of him. As if to get a better look at me. "It's been years!"

I nervously laugh. The happiness I feel is both filled with excitement and sadness. Seeing Daniel right in front of me has brought back so many memories I had tried so hard to keep hidden.

I go to speak but then feel a tiny pair of arms wrap around my leg. I look down and see that it's Jules. I laugh and pat his head a few times. The look on his face lets me know that he is nervous. Which is normal, especially for him when it comes to being around new people.

" Who is this?" Daniel asks. Just noticing Jules' presence.

Daniel crouches down to Jules' level and extends his hand as an invitation to shake it.

"My name is Dani-"

"Daniel Richardo," Jules says without removing his hands from the grip he has around my leg.

" You know who I am?" He smiles at Jules, then looks up at me and back at Jules.

" Yeah, you drove for McLaren last year but Mamma says you're at Red Bull now," he says timidly against my leg. The fact that he spoke in a full sentence lets me know that he isn't as shy anymore. Just be cautious.

" That's very true. Wow mate, you really know your stuff." Daniel laughs. "What's your name?"

"Jules," he says while letting go of my leg and extending his hand. There we go.