Formula One - One-Shots Collection - Complete

12&25(2) - Daniel Ricciardo

"Look, Leah," Daniel was on the phone to his wife of 2 years. He was currently in Australia due to work and family, his wife was at their shared home in England where she was currently sitting in the loft sorting through boxes. "I'm sorry," he apologized as he leaned back against the chair he was sitting in. 

She let out a sigh, "It's getting a bit old now Daniel. All I wanted was," she stopped speaking when she pulled out the box full of Christmas decorations. "I can't believe you won't be home for Christmas," Leah's voice was sad as she opened the box and reached in at the first decoration they had brought as husband and wife. 

"We can still celebrate, babe."

"Don't babe me!" Leah snapped as she put the decoration back into the box before pulling out the tangled mess of white fairy lights. "You are in a different country, how exactly do you expect us to be together for Christmas?" 

Daniel groaned, "I didn't say we'd be together. We can certainly celebrate together though, Leah." He sat up straight as he got to his feet and paced the room he was in away from prying ears and eyes. 

Leah shook her head to herself as she glanced over at her phone which was sitting on the floor. She knew Daniel couldn't see her angry face as she listened to him but she hoped he could feel how mad she was about the situation. "You know what Daniel," she continued to pull on the lights angrily as she fumed at him. "If you think that spending time with your work is more important than being with your work then don't come home after Christmas either!" 

She didn't let him answer as she quickly crouched down and ended the call. "Fucking lights," she shouted before she threw them down the loft hatch to the landing below before she grabbed her phone and left the loft via the ladder. 

As she climbed down the ladder, she heard her phone start ringing. She ignored it as she got to the bottom taking her steps on the solid floor of the landing before she stared down at the lights. When she bent over to pick them up, she caught sight of something that reflected off the light from under the cabinet. Kneeling down, she reached under the cabinet before her hands touched whatever it was, then she pulled it out. 

Her eyes watered instantly when she looked at the item she was now holding. To many, the small shiny hair bobble might not symbolise much but to Leah, it was the world she'd lost. Slumping in a sitting position against the bannister, Leah held the band tightly as she stared at it, the tears that were watering her eyes blurring her vision as the phone ringing in the background seemed so far away.

XOXOX

It had been 24 hours since Leah had found the bobble, 24 hours where she didn't speak to anyone. She was currently in the living room, the bobble around her wrist as she struggled with the bunch of lights she'd gotten out of the loft yesterday. It seemed like a week ago since it happened, the time had moved so slowly since Leah picked up the small pink head-tie with a little glitter yellow bow. 

The Christmas lights in her hand were just a distraction, she'd be trying to untangle them around the past hour but she felt like she wasn't making any progress. The house was so silent, the walls were so bare and things were so clinical in the house Leah called home. 

Although the house was quiet, things were so loud in her head. Leah heard crying, she heard the soft-spoken words Daniel shared with her and their daughter. In the back of her mind, she could hear the loud whirring the Formula One cars made when they went past you, the sounds the radio made when it signed off at the end of the race. 

"Leah?" She dropped out of her mind as she looked up at Daniel. "What are you doing?"

Leah was not phased as she continued to tug at the string lights. "I can't untangle these god damn lights!" She was snappy as she spoke to her husband who seemed to have arrived home quickly. "What are you even doing here?"

Daniel knelt down next to her, "I knew I couldn't let you spend Christmas alone." As Daniel took her hands off the lights, he noticed the band around her wrist. "I..." He glanced from the bobble to her face, seeing the look behind her eyes. "I should have been here."

"Please don't," she looked away from her husband. Her insides were churning, she didn't want to think about any of it. "Daniel-"

She fell silent as he touched her cheek, she looked at him with sad eyes. "I'm so sorry," he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against him. "I promise, I'll never leave you at Christmas again."