In the quaint town of Monaco, two childhood best friends, Charles and Avianna, have always had a special bond. Their parents would bring both of them to all the kart racing and formula races. Since then, the two have trained, grown, and dreamed toge...
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***** Avianna
December 25, 2024 - Venice, Italy
AS THE SUN SETS OVER VERNICE ON CHRISTMAS DAY, the vibrant sky transitions into a deep twilight, making all the stars above, the Christmas lights from buildings, and decorations glow over the city. Where the gondolas glide, the iconic canals, with their clear blue water, start to reflect the shimmering lights from everywhere. I couldn't help but smile seeing little kids with their families. If only I could be a kid again just for a day.
While walking the streets, I noticed how Charles would intentionally make his arm touch mine. I knew it was his attempt to hold hands with me, and so I did. "Is it hard to do this?" I mocked him, grabbing his hand tighter. As he smiled, I realized how his eyes were the sparkliest among all the lights lit on the historical pizzerias and shops with decorations.
"Same old? Felix's?" He looked at me, asking if we should eat at our favorite pizzeria in Venice. I gave him small, excited nods, reminiscing how we would always eat there right after our karting competitions with our families.
As soon as we stepped to the front door of the restaurant, the hostess raised her brows, surprised. "Re-reservation for two, Mis-mister. Charles Leclerc?" Stuttering, It sounded more like a question than a statement. I bit my lips to keep from smiling. The hostess was evidently panicking and starstruck seeing Charles. She even asked if she could take a picture with us after we enjoyed our dinner, and we assured her she could. "Enjoy your dinner and Merry Christmas, Mr. Leclerc and Ms. Carlos," the hostess said, smiling, after showing us the directions to our table.
As we were sitting down, I was intently looking at him with my head tilted, confused. "How come you had a reservation for two when we literally had no plans of coming here?" I raised my left eyebrow at him.
"I know you hate being put in the position of deciding where to eat, so while we were on our way here, I thought maybe you'd like to eat here," he said casually. "Do you want to eat somewhere else?" His excited eyes turned into worry.
"You're a full-time F1 driver and a part-time fortune teller, aren't you?" I gave him a wide smile. He's right. When going out, deciding where to eat and what to do is something I despise. I simply don't want the pressure of deciding, which is why when we were still together, Charles would always be the one to plan our dates– one of the things that I like about him the most. And even if we were on foreign trips, he would even have an itinerary prepared for us.
It is an intimate Christmas dinner for us, in a candle-lit restaurant that exudes the warmth of the festive. The soft flickering candlelight casts a gentle glow over our table set and the air is filled with the aroma of dishes and soft sound of Christmas carols. It helped me forget everything bad that has happened at least in this moment.
Charles and I were simply enjoying the food, but everything about our shared stories and laughter made it a perfect night. We talked about the things we hadn't discussed for so long since we separated ways.
