Until my Last Breath

67

Austria

The reactions were... mixed.

Gavi had lifted me off the ground - literally - the second the words left my mouth, spun me in a circle in the middle of his room and nearly shouted "You're insane - this is insane!" before dragging me to McDonald's to celebrate. He made me order the entire menu and didn't leave my side for a second that night

Pascale cried. Not a soft, quiet cry either - a full teary voice note that made me cry. Arthur yelled "FINALLY" loud enough for the whole Leclerc house to hear. Lorenzo nearly dropped his phone. But still - it stung a little, having to tell them over FaceTime. I had imagined that moment differently, a long time ago. I had imagined hugs. Champagne. Jules.

Alex and Kika were screaming before I'd even finished the sentence. They flew all the way in, dragged me out the next night, heels too high and music too loud and shots that made my stomach turn but I danced anyway. With them, I always do.

Charles however, didn't say much. He congratulated me. Said he was proud. But something in his eyes was off - dulled. Not quite there. I try not to think about it. I try harder not to feel it. Because for the first time in a long time I'm... happy. Nervous. Scared. But happy.

And now - I'm here.

The paddock smells like petrol, sun, and old adrenaline.
It's loud - people rushing, cameras flashing, engines firing in the distance. I can hear mechanics shouting to each other in three languages.

It's home.
And yet, it feels like walking into it all for the first time.

My Red Bull uniform is still crisp. New. Too clean for someone like me. But the weight of it sits perfectly on my shoulders.

I tug the cap down lower as I walk past the media pit, trying to shield my face from the flashes. One month. It's been one month since the announcement and my feed still hasn't shut up. Some think I earned it. Others don't. And none of them really matter.

The past few weeks have been a blur - early mornings at the gym with Alejandro drilling me like I've been gone for years, contract signings with Christian that still don't feel real, and nights where I lie in bed wondering if this time... I'll really make it.

The familiar hiss of the Red Bull garage doors sliding open greets me. It's loud inside - laughter, clanking tools, someone testing the radio comms in the background. The scent of tire rubber, oil, and fresh wiring hits me instantly, comforting in a way only people like me understand. The place hums with its usual intensity, and I keep walking toward the back where I know my helmet's being prepped - until something slams softly into my legs.

I freeze for a second, blink down, and-

"Pi?"

The tiny bundle of sunshine is clinging to my thighs like I'm her long-lost best friend. She beams up at me with her two front teeth missing, her tiny arms wrapped around my legs as if I've just returned from a war.

"You came back!" she giggles, as if I ever left her, and I drop to her level instinctively, heart tugging at the sight.

I scoop her into a hug, arms snug around her small body. "Of course I did," I murmur into her honey-colored curls. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Her pink little sneakers kick against my knees as she wiggles in excitement. "Mommy said you're a real Red Bull racer now!"

I smile, squeezing her gently. "Mommy's right."

Before I can ask where Kelly is, I catch the shadow moving over us. A familiar voice follows - calm, dry.

"She's been looking for you since the moment she got here."