My Formula 1 System-Chapter 564: An Early Summer?

By 3:15, Luca was back in Berlin as if he had never left, the city’s afternoon welcoming him with the same calm he remembered leaving in the morning.

Returning to the same booked hotel, Luca dropped his things and told Manuela he would be heading out in a couple of minutes for something personal.

From the way he said it, Manuela understood she wouldn’t be tagging along.

She wasn’t fully sure, but she had a hint that he might be going to see Isabella, since Isabella had been questioning her nonstop recently about certain things.

This arrangement was good. It was better if Luca arrived at his destination alone.

After a quick shower, Luca changed out of his sports casual and into a plain brown T-shirt that hugged his frame and a pair of long blue jeans that made him appear much taller.

Ready at last, the time read 3:55, meaning he would be late, not showing up at exactly 4 as promised.

A last call came through from a waiting Isabella. She sounded both impatient and worried, but Luca assured her he hadn’t flaked, saying he was just walking to his car. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

True to his word, he had just left the hotel, entering a sporty black Ferrari Vance had prepared for him, carrying nothing more than his phone and card key before driving off.

~~~~~~~

In the Brahms duplex in Grunewald, Isabella was already there with the family, waiting for Luca’s arrival.

In fact, she had been there since morning, being the head of preparation for the little party in the backyard.

She directed the placement of furniture, the organization of ornaments, and what kind of food was to be cooked.

Her sleeves had been rolled up most of the morning, her mind and heart set on making everything just right.

The entire family was present, from Laura’s cousins who filled the house with chatter, to her uncles and aunts who sat together reminiscing, to her sister, who was Isabella’s direct helping hand.

Even Laura’s mother, who was pretty old, was in the house. She sat with nervousness because it wasn’t usual for the Brahms household to be this full or to throw a party.

Most of these family members had come because it had to do with family, but Isabella could sense that their enthusiasm was really about Luca’s promised presence.

How on earth would Luca Rennick, the F1 driver of this country’s only F1 team, be here in this duplex?

"No, not there, Evelyn. Put this one here, and shift that one just a little to the left," Isabella corrected softly when Evelyn tried to place one of the floral jars on the long wooden picnic table.

Playfully, Evelyn rolled her eyes, but she still adjusted the jar. She slid it down until Isabella nodded.

"Perfect. Now, help me with the napkins—stack them by the plates, not on top of the cutlery, while I give them that spinning design," Isabella instructed, mindful of each detail.

Evelyn complied, though she found it amusing how Isabella appeared more invested in the gathering than the family itself.

The two proceeded with the finishing touches, while the other family members chatted or had fun.

Side by side, Evelyn and Isabella took several steps and inspected the backyard: the table and benches, decorations, the white parasol that provided shade, the outdoor fridge, and the grill.

Everything turned out perfect, like the typical Sommerfest of Germans.

Turning to Evelyn, Isabella said, "Alright, I’ll leave the rest to you—I need to take a bath and change. Luca’s already on his way, and I don’t want to look like I’ve been working all morning when he gets here."

Before heading upstairs, Isabella made a detour to check on the mother and child who were at the center of today’s gathering.

Laura sat comfortably in the living room with her little one in her arms, and the simple sight eased Isabella’s heart, knowing this was what the whole day was about.

~~~~~

It was a twenty-five-minute drive to Grunewald for Luca. The clock had already ticked past 4:30 when he called Isabella, telling her he had arrived in the district and was currently searching for the address.

Luca’s phone had buzzed several times along the way, calls that wanted to derail him back to business matters and other engagements.

He answered a few while he left some to ring out. It seemed his stay in whatever Isabella had planned might not be long, but he wanted to make sure he attended, no matter how short.

While driving through Grunewald, Luca couldn’t help but wonder what the heck his girlfriend was really doing here.

Did she suddenly find a home she wanted to buy? Or maybe she had discovered some long-distance relative of her father living in this neighborhood?

Stunned, he rolled his Ferrari to the address she had sent, finding himself parked before a duplex that looked no different from the others in the estate.

However, two familiar figures suddenly emerged from the side of the house, likely from the backyard, walking up to his car on the one-way street with wide smiles on their faces as though they had been expecting him all along.

Luca immediately recognized them. They were Simon and Ester, Laura’s two cousins.

They were the very ones he had been using as a bridge to support Laura, her child, and the family in general, richly.

Luca already had a half-smile on his face because their cheerfulness was contagious. He leaned out with his window rolled down.

"What’s happening...?" he asked.

The two cousins didn’t answer; they only chuckled.

"Come on, we’ll show you where to park. Just forward to that field over there."

Luca complied, rolling his car to the field and parking in the dedicated spot Simon and Ester pointed out.

Stepping out, he shook Simon and slightly hugged Ester. They exchanged pleasantries before they began walking down the street back to the house.

As they strolled together, the cousins finally explained what was going on, and with each story of the narration, Luca became more and more dumbfounded.

~~~~~

At the word of Luca’s arrival, the Brahms household scrambled. Everyone wanted to be settled and composed before he appeared.

But it wasn’t easy hiding the anticipation that had been built all day. Chairs were adjusted, plates were straightened, and the children of the uncles and aunts were hushed.

Worse of all, Martin had begun to cry for some reason.

But Isabella didn’t mind; she believed it was still a beautiful atmosphere as the sun dropped into the evening sky.

Dressed in a light blue and pale green sundress with floral prints, Isabella Schafer was stunning.

She knew why she dressed that way, and to complement it all, she sat elegantly on the wooden bench at the edge of the backyard.

Alone there, she kept her gaze fixed toward the backyard entrance, patient yet restless for the moment Luca’s tall frame would emerge into view.