Woman- A Formula 1 Fan Fiction

Chapter 26

I watch the sky turn from dark blue, purple, pink, and finally to sky blue through Lando's window while I lay tightly in his arms. I look at this sunrise differently to the others I have witnessed, as this one resembles a new beginning for me- a beginning that symbolizes my desire for forgiveness and regrowth. I know I have qualifying today and that I must focus on my job at hand, but I truly want to work on my outlook on others and mediate my anxiety throughout this Saturday. It is the least I can do to ease my mental health, and possibly the others around me.

I crawl slowly out of bed, being careful to not wake up Lando as I move his arms from me. He groans a little and turns to his side but stays quiet as he drifts off into another deep sleep. I decide to leave him a little note before I go to my room to change and get ready for the day, as I feel bad to just leave him alone without any idea where I am going. We both had a rough night, and I really do not want him worrying about me much more. I tiptoe to his desk where there is a notepad and a blue pen. I sink into the desk chair and start writing, the morning light illuminating the white paper.

Lando,

I must head to my own room so I can get ready for the day, and I do not want to wake you as I leave. Thank you for being there for me last night, I truly cannot express enough gratitude. Your selflessness is an attribute I wish I could acquire, but it is so rare to find. I am so glad I found you. See you at breakfast, and hopefully it is a lot calmer than yesterday.

Hugs,

Han

I fold the note in half and place it on top of his phone so he can see it right away. I scurry out of the room, with my phone in hand, and head to the elevator. I groan as I know that I must exercise in a couple of minutes- but I understand it will bring me a good burst of energy for the day. And I really need energy.

I get changed speedily and head to the gym as I do almost every morning. Usually I am only one of a couple people working out at the gym, and as I walk in, I see a familiar face. In the floor to ceiling mirror, Alex Albon and I make awkward eye contact as he is using weights. He is wearing his Red Bull team kit, a stark contrast to my own Mercedes one. I give him a little smile and move to the treadmills quickly, as I do not really want to talk to George's best friend. Instead, he speaks first.

"Hey Hannah. Are you feeling okay after, you know, everything?" he asks timidly. I start walking on the machine as I turn to him and smile warmly.

"Depends if you're asking if I'm okay mentally or physically." I respond giggling a little, my fingers dancing over the treadmill settings. I continue to walk at a quicker pace to warm up, and Alex awkwardly stands in silence next to me.

"Okay, how about both?" he inquires, still looking nervous. He looks to the floor as he's talking to me, and I remark on his awkward stance.

"Albon, come on, I don't bite. I know you are friends with Russell, but I am just trying to move forward now. Yesterday was a low point for me, and I should not have acted in that manner, we all know that." I say as he looks up at me hopefully. I grin as I continue. "And to answer your question, I am physically fine, only a little sore. As for mentally, I need to work on that a bit more."

Alex smiles at me sympathetically, before moving towards the treadmill to speak quieter. "I'm glad to hear you're okay, but I really need to talk to you." he says slowly in his accent. I give him a confused look, raising my eyebrows slightly as he leans over the treadmill to speak even softer. "It's just about George. I understand if you do not want to hear it, but I think it is important for you to hear. I am just about done my workout, so do you want to meet at my room after you are done? I think we should have time to get to breakfast without raising any suspicions."