Second Chances

Family

The next few races from my point of view were pretty standard. Lance was getting more and more confident in the car and it showed on track. My job was as uneventful as ever. Don't get me wrong, I loved Lance like a little brother and Williams had been great for the short time I'd been with them. But it just wasn't like working at Ferrari with my little family, Soph, Seb and obviously Kimi. Nothing was like working with Kimi. But as expected, after his issue in Monaco his mood wasn't fabulous. Normally after the race weekend he'd be crabby and then move on to the next race. None of the drivers could afford to dwell on what was. They had to move forward, but for Kimi, that race had stuck in his memory a little too long. He was bad enough to try and cheer up from my point of view, never mind what he was like at work. But Stefania has dealt with him for years. It'd just roll right off her back. Thank God.

.........

So the next track we found ourselves at was one I'd always looked forward to, but this year was the first time I was a little anxious of visiting. Silverstone. It was a special track two years ago when we came here, it was the time mine and Kimi's relationship turned up a notch, or well the beginning of it anyway. But the last time I was here, on the eve of our one year anniversary, it all ended.

My anxiety was growing the closer we got to this week. I was nervous how Kimi and I would be, whether he would keep having flash backs of the awful time we had here, and the crash he had too. But I knew Kimi, and I doubted that would be in his head for too long.

........

Jump to Friday, post free practice. I'd not seen Kimi all week, we obviously weren't sharing a hotel room now, hell, we weren't even in the same hotel. So tonight, now all the messy stuff at the track was done, I was getting ready in my room, on the phone with Sophia.

"what's the plan for tonight?" she asked me as I slicked on some mascara. I sighed in reply, "whats the matter?" she asked. "oh nothing." I said throwing my mascara wand into my make up bag. "I'm just being an arsey cow this week. Lance darent look at me incase I snap at him" I smiled, feeling bad for him. "you and Kimi okay?"
"yeah. We've hardly seen each other these last few weeks, it's harder now with me being at Williams, but this race, I dunno" I sighed, "I guess I'm letting old memories come back to haunt me" I shrugged. "oh... Yeah I guess I didn't think of that" Sophia sighed. "we're going out to dinner too. He insisted on it for some reason...but I'm not feeling it today. First time ever" I scoffed rolling my eyes on spite of myself. "and I miss my family" I said, knowing that was a big issue for me right now. "aren't you going to visit them this week?" she asked. "nope. After this weekend I'm straight back at the factory." I said, feeling some tears bubble up. "I'll see them during the summer break, but I just really wanted to see my grandad" I confessed.

I'd headed home after leaving Kimi a year ago, I spent some time there, trying to get my head right. Which is when I got the offer of joining Lance. It did me some good being with everyone, despite them all being sad I'd split with Kimi. Don't get me wrong, they'd only met him briefly when he came up to the hospital when grandad was ill. But they knew I was happy and saw that I was totally in love with him and he cared for me. That was enough for my mum. So when I explained I'd split with him, they gave me nothing but comfort. Family, it was everything to me. And I just wanted some time with them again.

.........

I spoke to Sophia some more before I had to leave to go meet Kimi, she perked me up a little, as best friends do, and I felt a little better. After all, I was going on a date with Kimi, that wasn't something we did all too often.

So, after finishing my make up and slipping on my dress, I grabbed my bag and headed on down to the lobby where my Fin would soon be arriving.

I'd chosen to wear something modest tonight, instead of clingy as I would usually choose. It was a baby pink chiffon dress with long sleeves. Cinched in at the waist with a pussy bow neckline. I liked to switch up my looks every now and then, and I still liked to look demure sometimes, not always 'femme fetale'.

So anyway, I made it down to the lobby with a few minutes to spare, but found Kimi already down there waiting for me. He instantly smiled at me, seeing me walk over to him. "hi" I smiled at him, blushing as he looked me over. "hello" he greeted me, finally looking into my eyes. I couldn't help but giggle a little at him. "you ready to go?" he asked me, taking my hand. "uh-huh" I nodded, gladly wrapping my fingers around his and then he lead me out to the awaiting car.

.......

We travelled the half hour or so into, actually I had no clue where we were. "bwoah..." Kimi shrugged, "Shakespeare..."
"we're in Stratford upon Avon?" I smiled, partly at the venue, it was a beautiful place, but mostly because Kimi didn't really have a clue where he was taking me. "if you say so" he shrugged, making me snort. "how did you know where to pick then?" I asked, amused at his uselessness. If we were at his home he'd be able to pick out the best places to go, but here, well, "I had a little help" he smirked at me. I wondered who the hell that was, but figured it didn't matter. "you look beautiful" he said, drawing me out of my ponder. I looked at him and smiled, "thank you. And you're in a shirt" I said, noticing he seemed dressed up tonight. He smiled at me, "I have to make an effort for you" he said, squeezing my hand. My heart fluttered. We held each other's gaze, me leaning in to kiss his lips, when the car slowed down.

We climbed out of the car and I found myself outside of a quaint little restaurant, Loxley's. It looked perfect. "looks good right?" he asked as he stood beside me. I smiled and nodded, "anywhere with you is just perfect" I said, I know it sounded cheesy as hell but that's how I felt. He winked at me which was a rarity for Kimi, "come, we are a little late" he said, then gently pulling me inside.

We stepped through the door and taken straight through the restaurant and out into their private courtyard. There were twinkly lights hanging from the wooden beams outside the building and on the walls surrounding us, sparkling silverware adorned the four tables and small tea lights sitting in their centres lighting up the cosy area. "oh Kimi it's lovely." I whispered almost not wanting to ruin the peaceful atmosphere. But then a rush of people came through from some doorway leading to heaven knows where and I was faced with smiling faces.

"mum?!" I couldn't help but burst into the biggest smile I'd worn all week. "hi sweetie! We missed you!" she beamed a smile back at me, rushing over arms spread to give me a hug. I couldn't believe my mum was here. "dad?!" I gushed as he appeared along with her. I couldn't believe they were here. I brought him into our hug and I had to hold back my tears. "I've missed you guys" I whispered as I was swallowed up in their embrace. "well you oughta thank that man over there" my dad said into my hair. I pulled away, looking up at him, who nodded over my shoulder.

I turned around and there he was, standing there all alone, waiting, watching me embrace my family. "Kimi?" I questioned. "he called us and invited us to the race weekend" mum whispered. I didn't take my eyes off my Fin as she told me. I bit my lip as I smiled crazily at him. Could I love him any more than I do right now?