ℂ𝕆𝕃𝕃𝕀𝔻𝔼 // ℂℍ𝔸ℝ𝕃𝔼𝕊 𝕃𝔼ℂ𝕃𝔼ℝℂ

𝓼𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴

Athena Schumacher

After the intense end to the season in Abu Dhabi and Charles' crash, coming back home to Monaco felt like a much-needed breath of fresh air. The atmosphere in our house was calm, peaceful, and familiar, though the tension from the crash lingered like a cloud. But Aylin, in her usual way, helped brighten the room with her infectious energy, and Charles was finally able to sit at home, away from the demands of the race circuit.

"I think we should order food, just so we don't have to cook," I suggested as we unloaded our things in the living room.

"Sounds good," Charles responded, walking around the living room on his crutches, a little slow but determined. He had a determined glint in his eyes, despite his injuries. "Pizza, maybe?"

I laughed at his simple suggestion. "You're right. Let Aylin choose, but I'll choose too. You get the basics; I'll make sure we don't end up with something weird."

"Okay, fair enough. Aylin gets the final say," Charles agreed, setting his crutches down for a moment as he made his way over to Aylin, who was drawing on her little playmat, completely absorbed in her own little world.

"Pizza!" Aylin said instantly, her face lighting up at the thought. "Papa, I want the cheese one!"

Charles grinned. "You've got it, little one."

Once the pizza order was made, we settled in on the couch, the soft hum of the evening air and the warmth of the home surrounding us. Aylin climbed up next to me, her little legs kicking with excitement as she eagerly awaited her dinner.

"It won't be long now, sweetheart," I said, brushing a stray hair behind her ear.

"Papa, can I have juice?" Aylin asked, looking up at Charles with wide eyes.

"Yes, yes, you can," he said, bending down to help her with the juice, his crutches resting beside him for the moment.

After we got Aylin settled with her food and we tucked her into bed, Charles and I finally had a few moments to ourselves. The apartment felt quiet again, but there was a tension in the air—something I couldn't quite explain, but it was the kind of tension that only we understood.

Charles stripped off his shirt, tossing it on the chair. "It's so hot in here," he murmured. "I think the air conditioning is broken again."

"You always say that, but it's not the air conditioning," I teased, smiling at him, trying to mask the heat rising between us.

Charles raised an eyebrow at me, his eyes darkening with a hint of mischief. "What is it then, huh?"

I shrugged, trying to seem casual. "Maybe you're just too hot."

We shared a quiet laugh, and Charles moved closer, sitting next to me. There was a quiet moment before I leaned in to kiss him softly, our lips meeting in a soft, sweet moment of affection. But as things heated up, we both knew Aylin could wake up any second, so we had to stop before things got too intense.

Charles pulled back, chuckling under his breath. "You know, I think I could get used to this."

I grinned and pulled away slightly, but the air around us seemed thick with unspoken words. "I missed this... us," I whispered.

"Me too." His voice was quieter now, a mix of tenderness and longing.

Just as we were about to get a little closer, Aylin's voice echoed from the hallway. "Maman? Papa?"

Before we could react, she appeared in the doorway, standing there in her little pajamas with the stuffed animal camel we'd brought back from Abu Dhabi clutched tightly in her hands.

"I want to sleep in between you," she announced, waddling over to the bed with a pout on her face.

Charles and I shared a look, both of us letting out a quiet sigh. We had hoped for a peaceful moment alone, but Aylin's adorableness was impossible to resist.

"Okay, ma petite," Charles said, moving aside to make room for her. "Come on, you can sleep with us tonight."

Aylin crawled between us, snuggling up against Charles, who wrapped his arms around her. Her soft breathing began to steady, and I watched as her tiny body relaxed in our arms.

"Goodnight, my little star," Charles whispered, kissing the top of her head.

"Goodnight, Aylin," I said, brushing her hair gently.

The two of us lay there in silence for a while, the room filled with the sound of Aylin's quiet breathing, her little hands clutching her dog tightly. The peacefulness of it made it hard to pull myself away, but I knew we had to eventually.

Once Aylin was sound asleep, I turned to Charles. The room had quieted down once again, and I felt that same electricity between us.

"Charles, I..." I started, unsure how to finish my thought.

"Yeah?" he asked, his voice low, his fingers brushing against mine.

"I missed our alone time," I admitted softly.

Charles chuckled, the sound low and warm. "I missed it too. But Aylin needs us."

"I know." I smiled softly, glancing at Aylin, who was curled up peacefully between us. "But... this is kind of nice too, isn't it?"

"Very nice," Charles said, his lips brushing against my ear. His voice was full of affection. "But I think we can still have some fun later, once she's asleep."

We shared a mischievous glance before the quiet chuckles faded into comfortable silence.

Suddenly, Aylin's little voice interrupted the moment. "Maman, Papa... what are you doing?"

We both froze, staring at each other. Charles tried to stifle a laugh, but his face was bright red.

"Nothing, sweetie," he said, trying to sound innocent, but the playful glint in his eyes betrayed him.

Aylin, however, wasn't convinced. "You're not kissing, are you?"

I burst out laughing, covering my mouth to stifle the sound. Charles, ever the dramatic one, rolled his eyes.

"No, sweetheart, just resting," Charles said quickly, adjusting his position. "Go back to sleep."

Aylin looked at us for a second longer, then snuggled back into her blanket. "Okay," she mumbled, her little voice still full of curiosity as she settled in.

After a few minutes, Charles and I exchanged a glance. The moment was gone—at least for now—but there was an unspoken understanding between us. The quiet moments, the laughter, the way we could talk without saying much, it was all part of the magic that made our little family feel complete.

I leaned in again, pressing a soft kiss to Charles's lips, this time without interruption. We didn't need much—just these stolen moments. The love, the laughter, the occasional chaos—it was perfect. All of it.