Running From The Flames

Epilogue 2/2

Pierre had gone on the first airport run just after sunrise to pick up his parents before going back a few hours later to get mine.

"Thank you, my love," I said as I stole a fleeting kiss from him while I tried to make breakfast for Clare and dodge a half-asleep Addie as she made a protein shake. "Did you not sleep well, sweetheart?"

She had her own hotel room but since Sydney was the one with the blender she had sauntered across the hall barefoot with the tub of powder and grumbled a good morning to us.

"She was on the phone to her boyfriend all night," Sydney teased before catching the apple she tossed at him with the quick reflexes he got from his father. He was still laughing as he took a bite of it. "Yum, thanks, sis."

I placed the bowl of cereal at the table for Clare and pushed her chair in before putting the kettle on for a round of tea for their grandparents. "So Elias? He's a sweet kid."

"Not a kid," Addie corrected before the blender roared to life and I waited for it to turn silent again.

"Fair enough, he's a nice young man - like his father. Have you two been hanging out for long?"

Addie rolled her eyes as she poured the shake into a bottle. "No one says 'hang out' anymore. We have been on a few dates and yeah, he's nice, but it's just a bit of fun."

I winced at the word and looked around to see if Pierre had left the room yet and thankfully he had. "Don't let your father hear that. Just make sure you're being careful okay, sweetheart?"

"She means, make sure Elias wraps it before he taps it!" Sydney yelled from the living room.

An irritated growl rumbled from his sister as she slammed her bottle on the bench. "Shut up, Sloth!"

"Ma!"

"Addie, please don't call him that," I sighed as the recurring argument began, simultaneously with the headache that always joined it. "Syd, focus on getting ready. We need to leave soon."

—

It was a miracle everyone made it to the race track on time on Sunday. It may have been simpler to herd bulls than it was to coordinate everyone that had travelled across the world to witness Sydney's first F4 race.

It was only after leaving the hotel that the nerves finally hit me. I had no more distractions of getting everyone organised and suddenly I was young again as I remembered the worry of watching Pierre race. But this was much worse.

Pierre found me in the corporate boxes above the pit lane. Few people were there yet, but it would be full by the afternoon when the F1 race began.

"Relax," Pierre soothed as he wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. His warm lips softly brushed my cheek and I felt some of the tension leave my body. "He's smart like his mother, he's not reckless like I was."

"God, I hope Clare still wants to be a chef when she grows up. I don't think I could handle going through this again."

Pierre laughed softly and started to lead me back inside where the stairs to the garage were. "Be brave just a little longer."

There were more people in the garage there to support Sydney than there were mechanics and I felt emotion swell in my chest when Sydney walked in with his race suit on and helmet in hand. Clare was clapping wildly from Uncle Charles' shoulders and Addie broke out in a grin as she recorded the moment.

"Go fast, Flash," Addie said seriously, and he didn't even complain about the sloth reference as he nodded and returned her hug. "But drive safe."

"Will do," he promised before he turned to Pierre and I. My arms started to open and he dove into the hug as Pierre's arms came around us both. "I can do this, right?" he whispered.

"Of course you can. You can do anything you put your mind to, honey," I assured him as his father kissed his head and echoed the sentiment.

"We will be proud of you no matter what, mon fils. It doesn't matter where you finish, just enjoy the moment."

I watched how his sincere words eased our son's mind and Sydney stepped back with a nod, even managing a small nervous smile. My arm curled around Pierre's waist as we watched Sydney climb into the cockpit and pull his helmet on. "Have fun," I said after pulling my headset on. "We love you."

I could almost see his cheeks turn pink from beneath his visor but he managed to mumble a reply. "Love you too."

"Bri," Pierre groaned, "mon ange, my ribs."

"Shit, sorry, love," I apologised as I eased my grip on him. "I'm okay, I'm okay. I can do this."

"You just have to watch," Pierre laughed.

"Just you wait," I warned with a laugh of my own. "You say that like it's easy, but you've never been on this side of the fence."

Pierre fell silent as the single seater car left the garage and followed the other drivers around the track to stop at the starting grid. The formation lap speed already had my heart pumping hard but as that finished I knew it would be a whole lot faster in a few short seconds.

Five red lights set the mark.

Pierre's hand slipped into mine.

Four red lights.

His fingers trembled before squeezing tight.

Three red lights.

I chanced a glance at my husband and saw his bottom lip pinched between his teeth. "I'm scared," he whispered.

Two red lights.

I reached for the gold chain only to remember it was around Sydney's neck. The gold pendant with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe had brought me plenty of luck over the years and I prayed it did the same for Sydney too.

One red light.

Dropping my hand back to Pierre's, I squeezed him back. "He'll be okay. We'll be okay."

Lights out and away we go.