As we arrive at Carlos's family home, a place I've only been once before, prior to us leaving for holiday, I realise there's nothing of me here.
This isn't my home, it's Carlos's and his family's, and the feeling of intruding hits me like a truck.
His parents are there, waiting for us with open arms and teary eyes. I'm a mess of tears as I rush to hug Reyes, her warm embrace a promising comfort. "Fue horrible, Lita... como nada que hubiera visto antes."
She hushes my tears, ushering me inside with the promise of tea and wine and hugs. Carlos follows close behind, his voice a hushed whisper as he explains everything to his father.
We've beat Elsie to the house, and as I sink onto the couch with a mug of tea and a glass of wine, the exhaustion finally hits me in full.
Carlos is pacing in the backyard, fielding nonstop calls once the media got ahold of the story. Ferrari completely failed to keep this under wraps, and with the summer break coming to a close and everyone desperate for a headline, every publication's taken this and ran with it.
Any call I've received has been immediately forwarded to Oceá, with Mikael taking the lead.
I haven't heard a word from him, I never do when he's in crisis mode, but I trust him to handle things better than those in Carlos's camp have.
In an attempt to fill the silence, Reyes has turned on an old VHS tape of Carlos's childhood, the happy videos of him zipping around in karts and toy cars soothing the anxious knot currently squeezing at my heart.
It's dark out by the time Elsie's brought to the house, her sleeping form carried in by Amira with Carlos hot on her heels.
"I've got a room for her, come on," he pulls me up from the couch, holding my hand as he guides us past a few offices and trophy rooms to reveal a series of bedrooms.
The one he brings Elsie, Amira, and I into faces the interior courtyard and is painted a gentle pink colour, a full sized bed adorned in pillows and stuffies sitting in the middle of it.
I can't bring myself to go past the threshold, hand over my mouth. Tears begin to form again as I watch Carlos remove the pillows and pull back the blankets to help Amira lay Elsie down. It's perfect. And it's certainly not something he put together in the last few hours.
This has been waiting for Elsie for god knows how long...and when Amira slips past us with a promise to come by in the morning, I can't help but pull Carlos into a tight hug. He holds me close, the two of us watching Elsie cuddle into a stuffed bear he'd placed in her sleeping arms.
"When did you do all this?"
"After Portugal," he whispers as Piñon pads into the room, nudging past me to settle down on a plush dog bed next to Elsie's bed. We leave the door propped open for him to leave if he so wishes, but the dog gives no indication of wanting to, instead situating himself in a way that gives him a view of Elsie and the door.
Carlos lingers in the doorway after I've turned to leave, turning the lights off and eager to go to bed and sleep this nightmare away. "Carlos?"
"Hm?"
"You're a good dad, I hope you know that."
YOU ARE READING
solo / carlos sainz
Fanfiction'you're allowed to be more than just a mummy' above all else, mara walsh is a mother. for as long as her daughter's been in her life, she's raised her all on her own and done a damn good job of it. so what happens when carlos sainz comes into her li...
