Forever Yours

Chapter 5

The next day.

It's race day.

"Jules, amore, we have to go. We're running late." I say as I watch him run frantically around his room. It isn't until he turns around that I notice his watery eyes.

I instantly get down to his level as he runs towards me and I embrace him. "What is wrong, amore?" That sends him over the edge and he bursts into tears.

"I lost it, Mamma. I-" he interrupts himself to catch his breath as his tears continue. I squeeze him close. Trying to comfort him.

"My hat," he says loudly as more tears descend down his cheek.

"The Red Bull one?"

He shakes his head yes. " Oh, that's alright, amore mio. I'm sure it's here somewhere."

"I've looked everywhere, Mamma. It's not here." He points to his room as if to show me he's right.

"I'm sure it will show up. Maybe you left it at the track yesterday?" I pull him away so I can see his face clearer.

When Max and I got back to the RedBull garage for qualifying, Jules froze. Max tried introducing himself a bit more properly than the last time, but Jules was having none of it. He clung to me like a monkey and nuzzled his face into my neck. Once Max got in his car and Qualifying had begun. Jules relaxed. We watched as Lewis, Charles and surprisingly Lando, got the starting pole positions for the race. Max's car was having some type of engine issue during Q2 so he is starting in 9th. Once he got back to the Garage, Jules froze once again and refused to say a word until we left.

" Yeah, maybe you're right." He says between sniffles.

" Hey," I grab his chin so he looks at me. " We'll find it. And if we don't, I'll get you a new one today at the track."

"But it won't be signed by Max," He says as if it was obvious.

"Then we'll ask him to sign it again, duhhh" I laugh at the end " You're going to talk to him today. Aren't you?"

Once we got home last night, Jules was erratic. He wouldn't stop talking about all the things we had done, all the drivers he met, but he was mostly angry at himself for being a 'chicken', his words not mine, about not talking to Max. He said he just got scared but that today he was really going to talk to Max.

" I will, I will. No excuses."

"No excuses," I repeat. " Now we have to go or else we are going to miss the start."

"Oh no! I forgot." He slaps his palm on his face. He looks at me and grabs my hand.

"Come on, Mamma! We have to go." He starts pulling me down the hall, toward the stairs.

"Ok ok," I say laughing. God, I love this kid.

—-----------------------------

When we arrive at the track Jules immediately finds Daniel and jumps up into his arms.

"Hey there, Mate. Long time no see" Daniel laughs.

Jules seems to be hitting it off great with Daniel. I couldn't get him to shut up about it last night. I'm glad though. It's nice seeing Jules be comfortable around other people. He really only has me, Sebastian, and a couple of close friends from the track. Even then, mostly just me. I think that has a strong thing to do with the fact that he is so shy. I hope to change that soon though, he starts school this coming year so at least he'll go out more on his own.

"Hey Daniel," I say as he comes to give me a hug.

"Hey, there kid." He gives me a smile. "Max was actually asking around for you just a while ago. I think he went down that hallway." He points down a corridor.