I flexed my fingers, eyes locked on the lights above. This was my arena, my battlefield. I focused on the car, my sanctuary, and the world narrowed. It was just me and the machine now.
Five red lights.
This was it.
They went out, and I launched forward, every thought, every doubt burned away in the white-hot clarity of the race.
* * *
The race ended in a blur of heat, sweat, and raw adrenaline. As I crossed the finish line, the checkered flag waving wildly, the roar of the crowd hit me like a wave. Second place. Not the top step, but damn close, and Matteo wasn’t far behind.
“P2, Alex. Hell of a drive,” Simon’s voice crackled through the radio, calm but brimming with satisfaction.
“Thanks, team. Good work today,” I said, my voice tight with exhaustion and relief.
My muscles ached, and the cockpit felt stifling as I rolled behind the marker indicating second place. Cameras swarmed the area, their lenses hungry for reactions, but all I could think about was getting out of the car and catching my breath. It was a lower-ranked driver that snagged first today, they drove damn well too. Theo was knocked back by a small crash on the twelfth lap, finishing in fifth. That gap in points would hopefully help my standing in the weeks to come.
I climbed out, greeted by the cheers of the team and the familiar claps on the back from engineers and crew. Matteo pulled in behind me moments later, his grin as wide as the Monza track itself as he got out of his car.
“Not bad, huh?” he said, his helmet tucked under his arm.
“Third place in front of your home crowd? I’d say more thannot bad, mate,” I replied, clapping him on the shoulder.
Together, we made our way to the podium ceremony. The champagne was sticky on my skin, and the trophy felt solid and heavy in my hands. But it wasn’t until I stepped off the stage that the real celebration began. As soon as Matteo and I walked back toward the paddocks, his family was there waiting. His parents, beaming with pride, engulfed him in hugs, while his mother fussed over his sweaty hair and his father laughed, shaking his head. They pulled me in with them, not letting me retreat back to my own team’s paddock.
And then there was Lucia.
She hung back at first, her gaze flicking from Matteo to me. When I caught her eye, she hesitated for a fraction of a second before stepping forward, her smile shy but warm, as if the internal war of whether to greet me in the public eye was the right decision. I let her make the move, not wanting to push her until she was ready.
“Congratulations,” she said, her voice soft but sincere as she grew nearer.
“Thanks,” I replied just as quietly, as if we were in our own little world. Our bubble was popped by a tiny version of her jumping up and down and chanting my name.
“Hey, kiddo!” I said, bending down and pulling her up to sit on my hip.
“You’re all sticky!” she said, poking at my race suit that was rolled down but drenched in champagne.
“Nonno and Nonna are here!” Gianna announced, and I turned to face them, a genuine smile bright on my features as I took them in. Matteo’s mother turned to me with an almost maternal concern that caught me off guard.
“You were brilliant, Alexander. Absolutely brilliant.” Her Italian accent wrapped around her words like a comforting blanket. “Do you have anyone here with you? Family?”
The question hit harder than I expected. The answer, of course, was no. I hadn’t had a family waiting for me after a race in years. A pang of sadness shot through me, wishing my dad could be here, that he had his memory and could see me now. My team was incredible, their cheers and pats on the back weren’t the same as this—this warm, chaotic bubble of love that Matteo and his family carried with them.
“No, just the team,” I said with a shrug, trying to play it off.
She frowned, her gaze softening, and before I could protest, she pulled me into a hug, Gianna giggled as she was squished alongside us.
“Well, you have us today,” she said firmly.
The words stuck in my chest, choking me up in a way I hadn’t felt in years.
Matteo’s dad clapped me on the back, a gesture that almost knocked the air out of me. “You’re practically part of the family, anyway. You’ll join us for dinner tonight.”
Lucia looked up to me, “you really can’t say no,”
14
LUCIA
