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4th november 2023, brazil
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"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MILLIE!" Ella cheered, kissing the little girl on the cheek with a warm hug. Millie thanked her nanny and began to eat her omelette. "Don't you wanna open your presents?" Ella asked, Millie nodded but asked if she could finish her omelette first.
"Present time!" Max ordered, "I have to be on track soon Princess!"
Millie obliged, and opened her birthday presents. Max had gotten his daughter an ipad, some new books, a jacket, pink converse and lots of her favourite sweets. Millie showered her father in hugs and kisses, she was so excited to wear her new shoes today. And she had been wanting an ipad for a while, and was happy to agree to her father's rules for it. She would have a screen time limit, and Millie could only play on it after her father or Ella had given her permission.
Ella gifted Millie a pink jellycat bunny as well as some pretty dresses and a pair of glittery nikes. Millie was very happy with her presents, and ran to go get dressed. "Princess, I have to go! You and Ella will meet me at the track later, okay?" He said, Millie pouted and got a bit upset, but Max promised he would see her very soon.
Millie had a bath, and Ella helped her pick out an outfit. She wore the blue, yellow and pink stripy dress and decided on her new pink converse for today, and she would wear her glittery shoes tomorrow for the race. Ella curled her hair for her and put on some sunscreen. "Okay do you want to play on your ipad while I go get ready?" Ella asked, Millie nodded.
Millie waited on Ella's bed in her hotel room outside the bathroom. Ella had a quick shower and dried her hair, embracing her natural curls. She decided to wear white high waisted trousers, a navy crop top with a brown belt and gold jewellery. She paired it with her white new balance trainers as her and Millie would be doing a lot of walking today. She put her chanel sunglasses on her head that Millie gifted her for her birthday, and packed a bag for each of the girls.
"Ready to go, birthday girl?" Ella asked, Millie nodded enthusiastically and put her ipad away in her room. Ella and Millie arrived at the paddock just in time for Sprint Qualifying. Millie greeted her father with another hug, and then her grandmother who had been waiting for her. "Happy birthday my sweet sweet girl!" Sophie gushed, handing Millie three huge bags of presents. Max had rolled his eyes at his mother. "I told her not to spoil her," he mumbled to Ella. "Of course I was gonna spoil her! Shes my only granddaughter and my oldest grandchild," Sophie whispered to her son.
Max said a quick see you later to his family and got into his car, Ella and Sophie watched Millie open her presents. "How are you Ella?" Sophie asked, giving her a familiar hug. Antonella and Sophie caught up with each other and then watched the practice session.
Max enjoyed his day of driving, but was more excited for his daughter's birthday dinner. At the restaurant, Millie begged to sit next to her grandmother. And so Max and Ella had no choice but to sit next to each other. Max could see the hesitation on Ella's face as she took a seat. "I'll take her to the toilet before the food arrives," Sophie winked at her son, and left Ella and Max in another uncomfortable silence.
"Thank you for getting Millie presents, you didn't have to." Max assured her, "I know I didn't have to. I wanted to. She's a great kid. Millie is really smart for her age, I can't believe she's only turning five today."
"I know, I'm so proud of her. Truthfully, it's because I felt so guilty about what happened with her mother and me not being able to be around I hired an amazing homeschool teacher. It wasn't until I met another girl similar to Millie's age that I began to feel guilty, I didn't really let her be a kid. So I fired the teacher, and hired you." Max explained, Ella nodded. She didn't know that Millie had been homeschooled before. Considering she was only 4 when Ella first met her, she was very young to be homeschooled. But it did explain how she was so clever.
"Millie is looking forward to the race tomorrow, she said in the car that if I win I have to bring her up onto the podium as a birthday treat," Max laughed. Ella giggled with him, and said it didn't sound like a bad idea.
"I don't want her to get covered in champagne, it burns your eyes!" Max explained, Ella took a sip of her drink and said she would have to trust his word, she had never been showered in champagne after being awarded a trophy.
Sophie and Millie returned from the bathroom, Sophie had noticed the change in relationship between her son and Antonella. But hadn't yet pried for more information.
The food arrived shortly after, Ella and Millie both enjoyed their pasta dishes while Max had a burger, and Sophie had a battered haddock. The food was lovely, and Millie was very excited for her cake. Sophie took videos as the restaurant sang happy birthday to the little girl. It was a wonderful evening, but silence took over the car ride home as Millie fell asleep.
"Do you ever get like a feeling?" Max asked suddenly, Ella turned to face him after staring out the window for ten minutes. "What do you mean?"
"I just feel like something is gonna go wrong tomorrow," he said, eerily. Antonella thought the worst, her mind always went to the gutter. "Did the car feel okay today?"
"The car felt great, I just... I don't know I have a feeling." Max couldn't explain it, Ella could tell he was trying. She understood what he meant; sometimes there were feelings you couldn't run from, no matter how fast you were.
"Everything will be fine," she assured him. Max nodded and hoped she was right, trying to calm the aching pain in his chest. But now Ella felt it too, and she hoped they were both wrong. She prayed everything would go smoothly tomorrow.
Max carried Millie to her bed, while Ella carried the presents in. "Thank you," he said kindly. Ella nodded and assured him it was no bother.
"Well goodnight," she smiled awkwardly, Max stopped her on her way out and embraced her in a tight hug. Ella welcomed it, she had missed it. He kissed her cheek gently and wished her a good nights sleep.
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