The way YOU saved ME

suprise

*Luisa*

I stared in the mirror and saw an empty shell in front of me.

Marc hadn't kept his promise. At least not properly. He had promised to be there for me and the children, but when I had decided that we would definitely go back to Italy, he had hesitated. He had followed a few days later, but had largely avoided the ranch, which had made it difficult because I had moved there with the children.

Not only because I thought it was the best place to stay permanently, but also because it was safe.

We had left directly on Friday. They had canceled the race weekend after the news of the death. And that very night, when we got home, exhausted and completely distraught, reporters had been standing outside our house.

Tino had immediately turned around and taken us to the ranch.

He and the boys had taken our things from the house to the ranch over the following days. I hadn't yet managed to enter the house again. Just the thought of it made everything inside me tighten up.

I was sure I wouldn't be able to do it. I had locked all my feelings deep inside me and was just functioning again. Apart from the half hour I had spent crying in Marc's arms, I hadn't allowed myself any grief.

I had taken care of the children, organized the funeral and made sure that the children felt comfortable on the ranch. I had set up their rooms and tried to create some form of everyday life.

I didn't know how to go on, but it had to go on for the children. Somehow.

We had just finished the funeral and it had just been awful.

So many people had come to say goodbye to Enzo. The entire field of MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 riders had been there. They had all paid their last respects to him.

Now he was lying next to Eli again.

Everyone had been there and laid flowers at his grave. They had all said words of comfort, even if none of them would ever heal the wound.

The closest circle had come to the ranch, but I needed a moment to myself before the notary came for the will.

I couldn't take any more. I was at the end of my tether and really didn't know how I was going to stay upright.

The knock on the door made me flinch. "Hm?" I mumbled and then washed my face with cold water.

The door was pushed open carefully. Marc looked at me worriedly, "Are you ok?".

"Sure," I nodded.

He took a step into the room anyway and pulled me into his arms. I let him and sank against his shoulder.

It was comforting that he was there and yes, his hug did me good, but I actually needed so much more than a hug right now.

"The notary is here," he said calmly, "are you ready?".

Actually, I wasn't, but what choice did I have?

Mig and Cele had disappeared upstairs with the children, while the rest of us gathered in the living room.

I couldn't read an ounce of sympathy in the notary's face. He was only here to read the will. He didn't seem to care about the rest.

He opened his suitcase and took out an envelope. Marc placed his hand gently on my thigh. I barely noticed.

The notary cleared his throat and then looked directly at me "I assume you are Luisa Marchetti?" I nodded "You look a lot like your late sister," he remarked.

Yes, I'd heard that a lot since her death. I still didn't have an answer to that.

"Most of Signore Fernandez's property will be transferred to you." He looked at his note, "But I should probably fulfill the deceased's wish and play the audio file." He grumbled and took out a laptop.

He inserted a USB stick into his laptop, then made a few clicks and we all got to hear Enzo.

"Hey guys, if you're hearing this, it means Eli went before me and now it's me. I'm sorry. I'm sure it's not an easy time for you guys right now. Especially not for our children. I know you are taking good care of them and they are in the best hands with you. Please let them know that I love them more than anything. They are the most important thing I have. I have divided all the money I have left between the three of them. It should go towards their future. No matter what they want to do, please make sure that the money is spent on exactly that. And of course for all the costs that arise. Clothes, food, school. All that sort of thing. Because I... shit. Eli and I have thought long and hard about who we want to entrust our children to. Of course, we know you all will take care of them. And we are eternally grateful for that. But they need a home. They need people they feel they belong to. And we have... we have chosen Isa. I think you all understand that. She is the children's closest blood relative and we all know how attached the kids are to her. I'm sorry, Isa, that we're burdening you with all this now, but I know, no, we both know, that you will always act in the best interests of the children. You will take care of them. But we... We didn't want you to have to do this alone. And we decided that we would give custody not only to Isa, but also to Alex." Marc winced next to me.

I could see everything falling from his face "But I..." he started, but I covered his mouth so that I could hear what Enzo had recorded.

"It's important to us that Isa isn't solely responsible for three children and Alex was our choice because he comes from my side of the family. Even though we are not related by blood. Raul and Adrian, don't be angry with me, but you're just too young to have children. I needed a responsible adult." Enzo laughed at the sound recording "And Alex is that. I know, my brother, that you will care for my children as if they were your own. And I know you won't let Isa down." Now his laughter turned into soft crying "Shit, I'm having such a hard time recording this. I hope so much that no one ever has to hear this. I love you guys. You're the best family anyone could wish for. Thank you for everything.".

Then the recording ended.

Marc literally ripped my hand from his mouth "That's a bad joke. What does Alex have that I don't? I was much closer to him! I should have had custody!".

"Maybe he didn't give it to you because you're an arrogant asshole and he didn't want his children near you?" growled Tino at the other end of the room. He was tolerating Marc at the ranch at the moment, but it would have been a lie to say that he was overly enthusiastic about it.

"Shut your stupid mouth! That's not the point!" Marc hissed angrily.

"How are you talking to me? In my house? I'll put up with you here, for Enzo's sake, for Isa's sake, but I swear to you..." Tino stood up.

"What do you swear, old man? You can't do anything against me. You never could! I beat you when I was a rookie and I..."

"DON'T DARE TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!" Tino roared.

"I'm only telling the truth and it's only the truth that Alex isn't capable of raising children! They're my children! We're bringing them up together, aren't we, Isa?".

"No," I grumbled.

"What do you mean, no?" he snapped at me from the side.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Tino immediately intervened again and the argument started all over again.