Battle of The Gods

Quaranta

Anyone who loved Ferrari were still on the high from another historic win by the Hypercar team in Le Mans. Alessandra was one of them, and what was as special as witnessing the win happen in person, was being part of the celebrations in Maranello. She watched the hypercars being driven from her office, chuckling when Mick gave her a wave as he passed by, knowing that she would be watching, and then went to join the rest of the festivities at the Fiorano track, filled with champagne, finger food and endless speeches. One of those speeches were hers, but she just stated how proud she was of the team and how excited she was to see them do their best during the rest of the season and hopefully bring back the Endurance crown back to Maranello too.

She considered the Le Mans win a belated birthday present for her, not having celebrated her birthday because she was so busy working with the team to improve the car, plus be with her father whenever she could, that she had forgotten her birthday. Her friends tried to convince her to do something for her 28th, but she brushed them off, saying that birthdays don't really matter, and that she was too busy to celebrate. They were concerned with that statement, but they knew they shouldn't push her, so they let her be.

She had two priorities at that moment, and they were the team and her father, especially because the latter was entering a difficult stage in his treatment, and it was at that time more than ever that she wished that she could talk to someone about what she's witnessing her father go through. But she knew she couldn't, so she had to put on a brave face whenever she took her dad to appointments, fight back tears when she heard his screams whenever they entered big needles into him, and she would burst into tears when she was alone at home, finding it harder than ever to watch her father go through all that suffering, especially having to do it all alone.

The race weekend in Catalunya went well for the Scuderia, finishing the race with a double podium and a good handful of points for the constructors. She was pleased that they were slowly getting back into rhythm to lead both championships once more, and hope to keep the same momentum at least until the summer break. For the Mercedes side of the paddock, it wasn't the greatest of days for the team, having finished in the middle of the points grab when they had thought that they would have a decent race compared to the last three. For Toto however, he had a small personal win that weekend, and that was that Alessandra was no longer avoiding him or giving him the coldest glares, but instead were civil to each other, keeping the promise she made back in Le Mans after what seems to be angry sex. That's what they called it whenever they thought about it, but they didn't know that they shared the same thoughts for it.

It was time for the Austrian grand prix weekend, a track many loved, a country so beautiful, and it never failed to provide amazing racing. For Toto, it was a special weekend as it was his home grand prix, and he always enjoyed the atmosphere created by the fans that celebrated their love for the sport on his home soil. All he hopes is that the team manages to deliver a solid race as they inched closer to the end of the first half of the season.

It wasn't just Toto that was excited for the Austrian grand prix, but so was Alessandra. It was one of her favourite tracks on the calendar, always reminding her of the good times the team had, and she was looking forward to see what Italian team can do especially with the introduction of a new set of major upgrades. However, as much as Alessandra loved the track, her mind was in a constant whirlwind as she worried about her father, who was still getting more tests done whilst she was in another country. She hated nothing more than not being able to be with him, be a source of support and comfort as he went through the brutality.

It was tough for Alessandra, having to be the one to watch her father go through all the pain and suffering so he could finally be rid of the condition, the same condition that took his brother's life many years ago. She had no choice but to be there with her father, especially with both of her brothers living on each side of the world. It was times like these where she truly wished that her brothers could come back to Italy, so she could at least share the anxiety, the sadness and the pain that comes with taking her father to all his appointments whenever she was back home. She knew that her brothers had their own jobs and families to take care of, but she did feel that it was unfair for her to have to go through all of it alone, and not have anyone to talk to about what's happening in her personal life.