“Night.”
* * *
Nothing could have prepared me for race day as a VIP. The lanyard was right there around my neck. I had changed my outfit like forty times before settling on this one. A black dress, tights, boots, and a leather jacket. It was safe, sure, but I had no idea what to expect, how dressed up the guests were.
I was terrified.
It was halfway through the race. I was on the edge of my seat. Gia was coloring while wearing her custom Moretti noise-canceling headphones. The race was a long time for her to pay attention. At home when we watched them from the comfort of our couch with a hundred blankets surrounding us, she would stay in the room but play with her toys and ask how Zio was doing every ten minutes.
“Who is this little one!” A kindly woman approached us. I peered up at her, trying to place the face.
“This is Gianna.” She returned my smile in kind and held out her hand to me.
“I am Carlos’s mother, Maria.” While I had yet to meet the other Moretti driver, I had heard a lot about Carlos Torres. Matteo had mentioned they got on but were not close friends, that many were not actually close with their teammates, regardless of how the PR made them seem. In truth, Carlos was Matteo’s biggest competitor.
Maria’s dark hair curled under into a bob, pearl earrings adorned her ears, and on the outreached hand, an impressive diamond was on display, catching on the lights of the garage.
“Lucia, Matteo’s sister.”
“Have you been to a race before?” she asked.
“This is the first one down here.” I motioned to all that was around us in the garage.
“Oh, how exciting. Do you live here?”
“No, but Gia and I are joining Matteo for the rest of the season.”
“On the road with a little one, what an undertaking!” Her eyes widened but settled back into a pleasant smile. “My Carlos was the same. His late father was a driver as well, so he begged to go to every race he could.”
“Oh wow!” I hadn’t really read up on anyone, a fact that was becoming quite apparent; maybe I should familiarize myself with the drivers. A legacy and a rookie for the Moretti team. I knew my brother had been lucky. He worked his way up, racing in lower levels and dedicating his whole life to motorsport.
“Matteo is doing really well.” Maria smiled warmly. I couldn’t help but fill with pride. Moretti had taken a chance on Matteo as a rookie. He had done well in his first year and he was scoring high points for himself in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.
The race continued, and I watched on the small screens for the live feed. Alexander was holding second and Matteo had dropped to fifth, fighting for fourth place with another team. It was invigorating to watch live, the sounds and bustle of the garage while the race was going. I felt a nudge before I realized Nicola appeared next to us.
Wanna escape?she mouthed. I nodded quickly. I could tell Gia could use a break from the constant noise, and honestly, I could too. She waved us to follow her. Once in our room, I let out an audible sigh of relief.
“It’s so loud down there,” I said, wide-eyed and overstimulated.
“Yep!” she said, popping theP. “You will get used to it, but the first day can be overwhelming for sure. I wanted to cry at the end of my first day.”
“I’m sure Gia will have a meltdown, this is a lot.”
“Okay, so don’t be mad…” Nicola starts.
“What?” I ask, my mind blank at what it could even be.
“I talked to my dad.”
“About?”
“You…” she said, looking stressed.
My heartbeat quickened. “About what?” I shouted, slightly shocked.
“Well, that to make his star driver happy, means his sister and niece are here the entire rest of the season, which means you need help, and I can help ’cause I am just floating around anyway. I also talked with Anna and we’re going to switch off so that you can enjoy yourself too!”
“Nicola…” I said, tears pricking my eyes. “That is seriously so kind.” I pull her into a hug. She’s stiff and awkward and pats my back in response, and I can’t help but laugh inwardly. Nicola was so aware of her surroundings and others’ emotions, so empathetic, but she seemed to stray away from anyone showing her love back. I understood it; I was of a similar strain, accepting love in return felt overwhelming, like I could give it in endless waves, but accepting it felt like too much, like I didn’t want to be a burden.
