This place has my heart | Charles Leclerc

Finally back

SOFIA POV

The decision to move here was a difficult one to make but I couldn't be happier that I did. Two years ago, I came here for the first time and fell completely in love with the place. Everything about it fascinated me and I only remember the feeling of not wanting to leave that I had throughout my stay. Marina was very welcoming and showed me all around the Côte d'Azur, she lives in Monaco so that's where I stayed and it was from there that we visited all the other places. Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Menton, Grasse and many others. She's super passionate about all these places and made me fall in love with them too. We spent the last two years talking about when and how I was going to go back and now here I am.  

Marina and I met in college, when she came to do Erasmus in Porto. Marina is French and I'm Portuguese, so when she came here we became friends and I showed her around my city. She had a room that she shared with some other Erasmus girls, with whom I also became friends, but she spent most of her days at my house. She was practically adopted by my family and we all loved her and treated her very well.  We became closer and closer, she became part of my group of friends and when she returned to France we never lost touch again, we always maintained a very strong bond and we visited each other several times. I went to spend a week with her in Paris, then I got to know her hometown and later I met her in Monaco, when she had already moved there. She came back to Porto a few times to visit my family and the rest of the friends she'd made, and later we both went to Lisbon. 

My flight landed in Nice at around nine and I went straight to my apartment in Monaco. I can't believe this is going to be my home from now on. I'd always thought about coming back here, but I'd never thought about staying. The idea of living here still doesn't seem real in my head and the fact that I can spend time with Marina every day and have her help and presence in my life doesn't seem true. The incredible work she's done on this apartment, it's just too beautiful. I have to put down my suitcases, take a shower and get ready because in no time she'll be waiting for me to go shopping, as we had arranged. I tied my hair back to make it quicker, put on my black dress with some sneakers, because I'm exhausted, and ran off towards the mall.

Marina: I can't believe you're finally here! - She hugs me.

Sofia: We're finally together for real. You'll have me nagging you every day from now on! - I say as I hug her tightly.

Marina: Did you like the apartment? I decorated it as if it were for me, with lots of love!

Sofia: It's absolutely beautiful. You've done an incredible job, babe.

As we continued shopping, we talked about the opening of my store. Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved jewelry and growing up I remember always thinking that one day I would have my own jewelry store. Last year, my grandfather passed away and left a good portion of his inheritance to me and my sister. When I received this money, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to finally be able to fulfill my dream of opening my own store and also pay tribute to my grandfather, who always supported me in everything. When the idea came up, I called Marina who advised me that Monaco would be a great place for me to open my store and since then we've been working hard to make it possible. A year later, with a lot of dedication and effort, here I am ready to finally open the doors of my store next week.

When we left the mall, we went to Marina's apartment so she could drop off her things and pick up the suitcase she needed to take to her boyfriend's house, where she was going to sleep. We both headed towards her boyfriend's apartment, which is on the same street as mine, so neither of us went alone. When we reached his entrance, I said goodbye to her and continued up the street to my entrance. I was already inside and the door was starting to close when I saw a man start running towards the elevator. I pressed the button to open it and he got in.