Do you belive in forever? (Max Verstappen)

Chapter 130

Max was already fast asleep in his bed, which was understandable after a race. We flew straight home afterwards, as none of us wanted to stay there any longer. But now I lay awake in our bed and couldn't close an eye.

There was too much going on in my head, even the letter from my father had come back to my mind. I had put it on a shelf downstairs in the laundry room without ever reading it. But now I couldn't let go of the thought that maybe it might be too late at some point. But what did I expect from the letter? I hated myself for the fact that a little hope sprouted in me again. Hope for reconciliation with my family.

Carefully, I climbed out of bed and crept out of the bedroom and down to the laundry room. At the shelf, I paused for a moment and wondered if I should really read the letter. But actually, there couldn't be anything bad inside, nothing that my mother hadn't already told me personally. She had already rejected me, so what else could my father have written in to break my heart again.

I hesitantly took out the letter and just sat down with it on the floor next to the washing machine. With my back against the cold wall and my legs bent, I opened the envelope. I took one last breath before I began to read:

My dearest daughter, Hanna

I can still remember the day you were born, it was one of the most beautiful days of my life. One could probably speak of love at first sight, because from the first moment, you were the center of my life. I swore to myself to protect you from everything and everyone, today I know I failed. I want to apologize for not being the father you deserved. That I couldn't spare you so much pain and added even more.

The only thing that calms me down is knowing that Max is doing a better job than I did. Since the day you were born, I've been afraid of the day when a man will snatch you away from me and you'll stop being my little princess. Now I know that this day had come long before Max. I had missed that my girl had become a beautiful and strong woman.

A young woman who has her own dreams and goals. It fills me with pride to watch you go your own way, even though I'm no longer a part of it, I'll follow every step of the way. I look forward to seeing where your journey will take you. How Max and you as parents will be better than we were.

You did what I couldn't. To free myself from the clutches of my family and thus protect my own family. I admire your strength and courage to walk this path and wish I had had the courage myself. But I can't and it breaks my heart to let you go, but I know it's the right thing to do. Max will be there for you and the kids, he loves you as much as I do. With this knowledge, I can let you go with peace of mind, because you will be better off without us.

I know it hurts, Hanna. But time heals all wounds and one day you may understand why I let you go. But before that happens, you will experience many beautiful, sometimes exhausting moments with your children. Enjoy them before they're over and you wish you were back to the days when you played roller hockey with the kids on the court. I may regret a lot of things, but the moments with you and your brother are not one of them.

I've always tried to show you your way, well, but you have to go your own way, mine doesn't lead next to yours anymore. One day we will see each other again, I'm sure. Until then, I will watch you from afar and proudly watch as you make your dreams a reality. How my grandchildren will be born and you will become the best mother.

Since I am no longer directly with you, I will now give you the last tips as your father. First of all, trust Max, he only wants your best. I know how thick your skull can be and how you like to get yourself into trouble, but you should listen to it so that Canada doesn't happen again. It's not a weakness, Hanna. It is a great strength to accept help and to get advice, probably I have always shown this too little clearly to you children. So listen to Max when he asks you for something. He always wants the best for you. Second, you're going to be a great mom, even if you don't feel it yet. We may not have been the best role models for this, but I am sure that you will find your way in this task as well. And just forget all the advice books. Listen to your heart, it will show you what you have to do. The last thing you have to do is just be yourself, don't let anyone change you. There will always be people who won't like you. You should never change in order for someone to like you. Just stay you, because that's how you're perfect the way you are. And don't let strangers on any platforms get you down, you're better than all of them combined.