“Oh, honey,” my mum cries. “I couldn’t be prouder of you.”
“For not wearing a cap? Mum, I just won a Formula One race.”
She nudges me. “You know what I mean. I’ve got my Niki back.”
After my interview, which mostly consists of me celebrating my team, family, and talking about my plans for the future, I rush to Rosie on my route to the podium stairs.
“Are you sure you’re willing to give all this up for me and Tabi?”
“I’m not giving anything up. I’m embracing my future, and I’m lucky enough to do it with you, Tabi, and Graham by my side. Are you doing okay?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, this is a lot to be part of. Nearly a year ago, you didn’t like racing, but now, you’ll be on news sites and gossip pages.”
“A year ago I met a man who changed my life. I thought I wanted to be seen as a woman who wasn’t just a mum, but you, the guy that had the audacity to tell people to get their hands off your wife, taught me what it is to love every aspect of myself and that things happen in life that don’t define you. You define you. You showed me a love I didn’t know I deserved while declaring everything about me is sexy.”
“I sound incredible.”
She shrugs. “You’re all right.”
I kiss her giggling mouth hard, sliding my finger into the ring around her neck. One day I’ll have her wear a ring around her wedding finger, but not yet. Although I’m her future, we still have a long way to go before I make her my wife.
But I will.
And I’ll tell every fucker to get their hands off her, because she’s mine.
“We’ve got to go,” Senna shouts at me. “You’ll see her again really soon.”
I squeeze Rosie.
“Sing loud, Niki. Lap every second of this day up, because you earned it,” Rosie says as Senna pushes me up the stairs.
And I do.
I stand on that podium and sing the national anthem.
My fans are decked in Coulter F1 Racing shirts, singing along, but it’s Rosie, wearing my name, that captures my heart.
Epilogue
ROSIE
“We finally got you out for a drink,” Tawny says as we clink our glasses in a circle.
“Tell me about it,” I giggle. The vodka hits quicker than I expected.
“I can’t believe we’re trusting Connor and Niki with Tabi,” Jacs adds. “Even Graham is more competent than those two when they’re together. I hope you’re okay with your girl finding out how far she can fly from a trampoline when they jump on it simultaneously.”
“That happened once. My mum grounded them as soon as I landed,” Senna says. “Not that she could ground Connor, as he wasn’t hers, but she did anyway.”
I choke on my drink as bubbles from the mixer fizz in my nose.
“For real?” Sasha asks, peeking warily at me as Senna nods.
“Niki’s always so good with Tabi. I’m sure it will be fine,” I say, although my voice wavers.
“But you have to worry when the two of them get together,” Jacs replies, tipping her head.
