«Good girl Chiara!» I said to her while she finished her whole meal for the first time.
Raising Chiara was a challenge. There were good days and bad days. Everything would have been easier if Charles was there to help me. I never knew when he was back in town. Sometimes he showed up at my house, spent a few hours with his godchild and left for God knows how long.
To Charles: Look! All done for the first time! (Pls don't look at the mess she made)
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He barely answered my texts. They were mainly updates about Chiara, just to make him part of it. I understood that his job often kept him away from home but I expected a little more interest from him. I sent the same photo to Hugo who, on the other hand, had been really helpful. Every other day he took her for a few hours, enough time for me to breathe and relax a bit.
From Hugo: Haha! Good job, really proud of little C.
Hugo is the one that invited me to dinner that night. Everyone was going to be there. I wasn't sure at first, I didn't want to leave Chiara. Now I know why mothers have a hard time leaving their children. Fortunately, Riccardo's parents were happy to babysit and promised to take her back to me first thing in the morning.
It was strange getting ready to go out. It had been months since the last time I went out to have fun. With everything that happened, I didn't want to go out and honestly, I don't think I would have been great company. I got out of my house just as Hugo was arriving. He offered to take me to the restaurant and insisted until I said yes.
«Can I say that you look stunning tonight?» I blush a little hearing his words. I thank him and he started driving towards our destination. We went to a beautiful restaurant in Menton. We were greeted by our friends who were already there. We all sat and I was really glad I decided to go. It almost seemed as if nothing had changed. Just as I looked over at the two empty chairs at the end of our table, Charles entered the room, followed by his new girlfriend Charlotte.
She had been hanging out with us for a while, she was good friends with Marta but I never really talked to her.
I lowered my eyes and stared at the plate in front of me. I didn't want to see him or talk to him. Hugo, who was sitting beside me, felt my discomfort and squeezed my hand. I smiled softly at him, silently thanking him for being there for me.
The evening continued as if nothing had happened. Everyone was happy to see Charles and to hear his amazing stories but I could see that he wanted to be anywhere but there. Monza had been a big delusion. He arrived fourth: he had to fight Norris and Perez just to close the race without a podium. I tried to cheer him up but, as usual, he ignored all my texts.
After dinner, we moved the party back to Monte Carlo, choosing Jimmy's to drink something. Charles wanted to go home but Charlotte insisted on staying. They fought for a bit, making everyone uncomfortable. It was late, almost 1 a.m., and one of my friends back in Italy called me. I went outside to answer and as I made my way back to our table Charlotte stopped me.
«Alda right?» I tried my best to not roll my eyes at her. «Alba» «I don't care - she said - it is not even a pretty name» Wow. That was nice. «Is everything ok?» I ask her, noticing her eyes focused on scanning my body. «Actually no. Stop texting my boyfriend. He loves me. You're just his friend»
Wow again. How could someone be so rude? I looked at her as she made her way back inside.
Once I got home I invited Hugo to stay over. The house felt so empty without Chiara and I didn't want to be alone. We talked about the evening and I told him what happen with Charlotte. «Really? She said that? Ah, putain...» I laughed as he rolled his eyes. I knew he never really liked her so it was even more funny every time he did that.
«Who does she think she is? Our queen? Nah-ah, Charles is going to hear about this» «Oh God, please no. He already thinks so little of me, he's gonna think I'm also a spoiled brat» «But what she did was not okay, Alba» I looked at him as he held my hand. «She barely knows you, she had no right to treat you like that»
I didn't know what I felt for Hugo at that time. I just knew that when I was with him I was at peace. We had been friends for a few years and he had been so much help with everything that happened. No matter what, he was there. Like the North Star. If I was lost I just needed to look for him.
The morning after we decided to have breakfast in the bar under my apartment. We saw Charlotte, beautiful as always, that walked dragging Charles by the hand. It was a pathetic scene to witness.
That afternoon I received an unexpected message.
From Unknown number: Bonjour chère Alba, I'm Pascale, Charles' mother. He gave me your number. Would you like to meet up one day? I would really love to spend an afternoon with you and the lovely Chiara. If it is okay with you.
Oh. That was really unexpected. I never thought about her. But I guessed it was normal for her, to want to see her new granddaughter. I answered her text, telling her that I am more than happy to spend the day with her. She deserves it. After that, I called my parents and invited them to Monaco to do the same.
