Phone Swap » Lando Norris

Daddy's little girl

Song » Scared to be lonely by Martin Garrix and Dua Lipa 

Liv stroked Micky's head when she placed her head on Liv her stomach. The beagle was laying next to Liv on the couch in the garden. Micky was like a baby to Liv, she considered Micky as her child.

"Olaf," the deep voice of Giuseppe filled Liv's ears. "Move."

Liv looked up and faced her father. She lifted her head. Giuseppe sat down next to her, and she placed her head on his legs. "Yeah," she said.

Her father looked at her and smiled. "How are you?"

"Fine. Why?" She closed her book and threw it on the coffee table. Micky looked up and shared an innocent look. "It's okay," Liv mumbled and stroked her small head again.

"Nothing. You are just so quiet for the past two weeks. Are you having fun and did you enjoy Italy?"

"Dad, don't worry about me. I'm fine, I'm having fun, and I loved it here. I don't want to leave," she answered. "I'm just not feeling it to be surrounded by people these days."

He nodded and let his fingers glide through her brown, wavy hair. "Hmm-hmm. You sure?"

"Yes, sir," she smirked.

It was quiet for a few minutes. It was a pleasant, comfortable silence. Being surround by her father was good enough. Liv and her father had a good, tight father-daughter relationship, more like best friends. Liv could say she was her dad's little girl. The bond with her mum was also good, but it was better with her dad.

"What is going on in your crazy mind?"

"I...I don't know. A lot happened in a few weeks," she shared.

Giuseppe squeezed his eyebrows together. "In a positive way, right?" She nodded. "Are you happy?"

"Yes." She closed her eyes. "I don't know. I think so. It's just...I don't know how to feel."

"About what?"

"I think I like someone."

A smile grew on his face. "But that is something positive, Olaf."

"I don't know." Her voice was soft, almost fragile, scared to be positive.

"Who is he?"

And this will be the moment my dad will get excited. "Promise you will not tell anyone, and with anyone I mean anyone. Not mum, not Jasper, not the rest. Not anyone about this."

He stuck out his pinky. "I promise I won't." She hooked her pinky in his. "This will be between us."

"You know Lando, right?" She asked. "Of course, you do. But you know the story of the phones. We're talking since that moment, and I can't stop thinking about him."

"Lando Norris?"

"Yes, the F1 driver."

"But what is holding you back?"

Liv could see her father was holding his excitement back. This was about something serious and not about jokes or other stuff. She looked up at the sky and sighed.

"It feels like...I don't know. Jasper has a girlfriend, Marco is happy with his girl, Giulia with her girlfriend, Boris, with his fiancee. I...I..." Her throat felt tight. "I don't know if I can be a girlfriend to someone. He's sweet, funny, good looking, extremely kind. I am...me. I don't know why he is still texting me."

Giuseppe nodded and stroked his hand through her hair again. "Darling..." He parted his lips, trying to find the right and wise words to tell his daughter. "I know every dad would say this about their own daughter, but you are the sweetest, funniest, kindest, most beautiful woman in the world. This is the next step. I know it feels odd and unfamiliar, but this is what love is."

"I can't..."

"You know you can be happy, right? You...She wants you to be happy. She wants you to move on, Liv," he softly said.

She swallowed hard. "I can't be happy if I promised her she would give approval about him."

"I know you did, love. But she can't do that, not from here. She is watching you, I know she does. And I'm sure she would adore him if she would be here," he comforted her. "Don't be scared. You will not be alone, I promise." 

"How do you know?" She sneered and looked him in the eyes.

"Because I know. And I knew her." He grabbed her hand. "I will give approval about him, if you want, if it makes you feel better."

Liv let their hands rest on her chest. The two weeks were meant to be happy, but yet she managed to think and talk about the darkest period of her life. She slowly breathed in.

"Thanks, dad."

"This is a hard time, I know. But you are doing fine, you are so strong, and I'm proud of you. Being in love is part of your personal growth. You will make mistakes, fall, but you will rise and learn from it. Even without her. Know she is in your heart, she is here."

Liv bit on the inside of her cheek. "I know." She groaned. "Who in the fuck authorised emotions?" She let Micky go when she got up and was about to jump off the couch.

Giuseppe smirked stroked with his thumb over the back of her hand. "Welcome to the real world."

"I'm absolutely not ready for that."

"What do you think of Micky and Henky? You mother wants a dog too," he asked to change the subject. Giuseppe noticed how close Liv was with the two dogs, she had a real connection between them. And the two dogs of his parents adored Liv too.

"Well, erm, I don't like them. They are annoying," she sarcastically let out and looked painful at her dad.

"W...what?" He said confusedly.

"Well, if you don't want a sarcastic answer, then don't ask a stupid question. Of course, I love them, and I absolutely do support mum in this idea."

"Oh," he said quietly, and he rolled his eyes. "This is sausage to me."

It was silence for a second before they both burst out in laughter. It was a joke between Giuseppe and Liv. In Germany they don't say 'I don't care', but 'das ist mir Wurst'. They picked it once up when they were in Germany, and it stuck around ever since.

"I remember when I was in Germany when I was a kid and-are you even listening to me?" He looked at her, Liv was already zoned out, but still laughing. He pocked her cheek to get her attention.

"Hmm, yes. It just takes me a while to process so much stupid all at once." Liv was trying to relax her face, and she tightened her jaw.

Giuseppe nodded. "Alright, thanks, Olaf," he said, quasi offended.

Peals of laughter rolled over her lips.

"Giuseppe, Liv, we have waffles!" Jasper yelled.

Liv sat up and looked at her dad. They both got up and ran towards the house. Liv grabbed his wrist to slow him down. Giuseppe laughed.

"I will win this."

"No!"