The Surrogate

Life goes on

Sunday September 11th. Monza, Italy.

Life has to go on and Seb has a final season to complete, one that will be filled with memories - happy or sad.

Neither Mark or Britta know what else they can do to make Seb feel any better. All they can do is be there for him and try to make life as easy for him as possible - at the race track anyway.

Behind the scenes it's more difficult. No one had anticipated heading to Monza in his motorhome with his sister and baby daughter in tow, the plan had been to have Emilia and Holly travel with him to Singapore and for all the remaining, long distance race weekends. But, understandably, he wants his six week old daughter with him now that her mother has left.

Stefanie and Emilia have been staying in the motorhome, in a secure compound just a short drive from the circuit, while Britta and Mark have been booked into a hotel. Seb has been spending every spare minute he has with Emilia and if he's not been feeding her, bathing her or changing nappies then he's just been sitting, holding her in his arms or dozing on the bed with her sleeping on his chest. He's been subdued and lacks a little of his usual focus at the track but considering his circumstances, neither Mark or Britta can blame him for not being his usual self.

He's been trying to keep up a facade while at the track, trying to act like nothing is wrong because no one outside of his family, apart from Britta, Antti and Mark knows of his daughter's existence yet and Holly's sudden departure has left him more protective over Emilia than ever before.

He's heartbroken and his little girl is the only thing that's keeping him going right now.

Race day has arrived, the last race day in the triple header and everyone is understandably looking a little tired, Seb even more so after a difficult night with Emilia which meant both himself and Stefanie were kept awake for a large chunk of the night.

Even though he's got his sister with him for support, he's still been insistent on doing everything himself, something that Stefanie is keen to point out after a concerned Britta has noticed her driver looking particularly tired, "he just wouldn't let me help," she says quietly, worried that Seb might hear her even though he's outside with Mark, "he barely puts Emilia down, I literally had to prise her away from him last night before we went to bed. I think he wanted to have her sleep with him in his bed but it's not very safe when she's still so small. Any little noise she let out, he's out of bed and hovering over her moses basket and then she had this awful spell between about half two and five this morning when no matter what we tried, she just wouldn't settle. He thinks Emilia is missing her mum."

"Well, at least we'll be heading home tonight," Britta sounds relieved as she quickly glances towards the open door of the motorhome in case he comes back in, "he's got a bit of time to himself then and I really think he needs that."

"Do you think he'll go after Holly?" Stefanie asks.

"I honestly don't know," Britta replies thoughtfully, "I just don't know what he's thinking when it comes to her. How she can just walk out on him and her own child is beyond me."

"She's ill," Seb snaps as he walks in, having caught the last bit of their conversation.

"Sorry Seb," she immediately apologises and pulls a grimacing face at Stefanie because they've been caught talking about Holly.

"We're just worried about you," Stefanie points out while he stops and peers down at Emilia who's catching up on last night's sleep.

"I've got my daughter, I'll be fine," he replies in an almost monotone voice that doesn't convince either of the two women, "and once this season is over, I'm never leaving her again. Now, shall we go?" he looks behind himself at Britta, one brow raised in question.