What The Heart Wants (Sebastian Vettel)

76. Forza Ferrari

Seb cut the engine and glanced to his right at Jessie.  She looked pale, but he knew she wasn't sick.  This was nerves, pure and simple.  

After staying at the hotel for media day at Zandvoort she and Mollie were joining him at the circuit on the Friday.  They both knew that as soon as anyone saw her they would know she was pregnant.   At nineteen and a half weeks her bump was now obvious. 

He reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently in reassurance.

"Everything will be fine my sweetheart. Sure, there will be a bit of hype about it but that will soon die down."

"What if they think we were lying about the IVF and my supposed infertility? I mean, it was only in May we were telling people I couldn't have a baby, and then BAM! I'm pregnant!"

Seb sighed. She had a point. There would definitely be people who would question the pregnancy.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I should have let you stay at home.  I just..." His voice trailed off.  He'd been adamant that Jessie and Mollie had travelled to the Netherlands with him despite Jessie's reservations, and now he felt like a selfish prick. 

"It's ok," Jessie told him. "They'll find out sooner or later.  Perhaps I can get away with saying I'm just getting fat," she joked.

"Baby, you're not fat.  You're gorgeous and beautiful, and our baby is there inside you, and I love you so very much."

"I love you too."  All of a sudden there was a loud bang on the window on Seb's side.  Both of them jumped, startled by the sudden noise.  They looked to see what had made the bang.   It wasn't a what.  It was a who.  A grinning, curly haired Australian was looking in at them.

Daniel quickly jumped out of the way as Seb opened his door and climbed out of the car.

"Sebastian, how the hell are you?" he said. "Did you have a good summer?"

Seb grinned and nodded. "Yeah, it was pretty amazing," he said. "We went to the Maldives.  What about you and Lieke?"

"We spent it at my place in LA. Now where's that little princess of yours? I promised Lieke I'd give her a cuddle for her."

"Is she not here?" Seb asked, turning to open the back door of the car so he could get Mollie out. 

"Nah, she's visiting her parents.  It's their wedding anniversary this weekend."

Seb undid Mollie's harness and lifted her out of her seat.  He turned and handed her to Daniel, who began talking away to her in a baby voice.

"Hello there little Vettel, oh look at you!     You are so cute!  I'm your Uncle Daniel.   When you're older I am going to tell you so many stories about your Daddy and what we used to get up to."

"You are not corrupting our daughter Ricciardo," Jessie warned him. She'd got out of the car while Seb had been getting Mollie out.  She smoothed her pale yellow, knee length sundress down and waited for Daniel to notice her bump.  It didn't take long. 

"Jessie, hey how are you doing?  How was the Maldives?  I'm sure....oh my fucking God!"

"What's wrong Daniel?" Seb asked, a cocky grin on his face.  Daniel pointed at Jessie's belly.

"Jessie's pregnant!" he exclaimed.  Seb widened his eyes and pretended to be shocked. 

"She's what? And here I was thinking she was just eating too much junk food!"

"Oh man, congratulations both of you.  I'm so happy for you!  Wait until I tell Lieke!  How far gone are you?  Do you know what it is?"

Jessie and Seb both laughed at how shocked Daniel looked.  Jessie rested her hand on her bump.  "I'm nearly halfway.  Due on the thirteenth of January, and no we don't know, we both want a surprise."