Mon Amour | 𝑪.𝑳

Part 57

2005:

"Papa! Papa!" A small blonde girl rushed forwards towards a man stood in between two go karts. Holding a trophy in one hand and her helmet in the other. "I won! I won!"

"Well done sweetheart." Antonio Accardi grins, bringing his daughter, Lyla, into his arms.

"I told you that you'd be better than them all." Arden Accardi grins at his younger sister.

"I'm going to be the greatest formula one driver ever!" Lyla shouts.

A seven-year-old girl with a lifetime of dreams. Unknowing of the fact that the two boys who stood either side of her on the podium of that karting race would be the two people keeping her grounded to her reality. And that they still had as tight of a bond in 2021 that they did in 2005 - 16 years later.

"Lyla!" Her head snapped sideways when she heard a voice calling her name. "Well done!"

"Thanks!" She smiles, recognising the boy who'd stood on the third step of the podium. "Pierre right?"

"Yep!" he says happily. "Come meet my friend!"

Lyla looked to her father who just nodded, watching his daughter take the outstretched hand of the young boy with a thick French accent and run off into the crowd with her trophy clutched in her grip.

"Charles!" Pierre calls out, a small brunette boy with long hair turned around and smile.

"You were on the podium as well!" Lyla gasps.

"I was!" Charles says happily, a shy look on his face. "Your really good."

"Thank you." Lyla cheeks flushed red. "Look."

The two boys gathered around her as she let them look and touch her trophy. Unknowing of the parents eyes that landed on them when they heard their children's voices.

Their little conversation in their rather broken English was interrupted with the arrival of a slightly older brunette boy who looked significantly like Charles. They conversed in French before Charles handed his helmet off to the boy who ruffled his hair before leaving.

"You speak French?" Lyla asks quietly.

"You speak French!?" Pierre gasps. "But you were just speaking Italian!"

"My mothers French." Lyla says softly. "Who was that, Charles?"

"My godfather, Jules." Charles replies, looking after the older boy. "He races to but he's in the older category. He's going to be the best Formula One driver ever and he's going to drive for Ferrari and win lots and lots of championships!"

"Like Michael Schumacher?" Pierre asks.

"Better than Michael Schumacher!" Charles smiles.

2006:

"JULES! JULES!" Lyla rushes up to the side of the older brunette and begins tugging on his shirt.

"You alright Delilah?" Jules questions, seeing the looks of worry crossed over the face of his godson and young girl.

"Delilah's kart is broken!" Charles says sadly. "She can't race with us."

"I'm sure it's not to bad." Jules reassures, seeing Lyla's bottom lip begin to tremble. "Don't cry, Lyla."

"I won't be able to race Jules!" Lyla whines.

"Can you fix it?" Charles asks.

"I can try, but don't get your hopes up."

To eight year old Lyla and Charles, Jules Bianchi was like a god. He was able to fix everything and make anything that hurt stop hurting.

That was why he carried the young crying girl in his arms as Charles lead his godfather towards the Accardi family. They weren't quite as familiar with Arden Accardi as they were with Lyla because Arden raced in a slightly higher rank than Pierre, Charles and Lyla did.

Charles held Lyla's hand as they watched Jules, Arden and Antonio mess about with things neither child understood. Lyla's bottom lip kept trembling because she desperately wanted to be able to race.

When the kart started up after Jules did some messing around. Lyla and Charles were both shouting happily.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Lyla shouts, rushing up to the now laughing Jules.

"Anytime Delilah." He laughs, picking her up from the floor.

"Stop calling me Delilah!" She folds her arms across her chest.

"Never." Jules grins. "When I win my first F1 championship I'm going to dedicate it to little Delilah and little Charlie."

2007:

"I'm back!"  Jules Bianchi shouts as he walks into the Leclerc household.

Three sets of footsteps immediately echoed. The infamous accents of Charles, Lyla and Arthur sounding through the air. Charles was the first to reach his godfather, hugging him tightly before Arthur pounded into his side. Lyla slowed down slightly, allowing the family members to have their own little reunion.

"What are you doing Delilah?" Jules grins.

"Letting you guys have your family moment." She says softly, smiling as she spoke.

"Get over here." Jules shakes his head as Charles rushes over to his best friend and grabs her arm. "Your family to, don't you forget that."

Jules was attached to the sides of Lyla and Charles all afternoon. Chasing them around the garden, messing around with them in the pool, racing them up the trail at the back of the garden with Lorenzo and Arden. He took them inside when their screaming got to much for the parents outside.

"It's gotten very quiet in there." Talia Andre-Accardi mutters, looking into the house.

"Wouldn't surprise me if they've fallen asleep." Herve laughs. "They were wearing themselves out."

In agreement with him, Talia and Antonio grabbed their camera and followed the Leclerc parents into the house. Arthur was curled up on the sofa in the kitchen watching tv, Lorenzo had travelled upstairs to do his homework, Arden was in the guest room.

Pascale was the first to find the missing trio.

Jules Bianchi, Lyla Andre-Accardi and Charles Leclerc were curled up on the sofa together. The older boy held the other two close to him with Lyla and Charles finding themselves extremely comfortable in the safety Jules' arms provided them with. The tv was playing a random tv show which they must've been watching before falling asleep.

Many photos were taken of them before Herve gently shook Jules awake. Pascale pulled Charles up and away from his tired godfather whilst Jules hooked his arm around Lyla and pulled her up with him.

"Go get some sleep, Jules." Herve laughs.