Faking it || Lando Norris LN

47

We woke up the following day and went to my family's apartment to have breakfast with them. Gianna and Davies had sent us a message saying they wanted Lando and me to post something online with my family, and since I had already planned to have breakfast with them, I told Lando he could join us.

"Is it okay with you?" He asked once we were both showered and ready to head to their apartment. "I can just join for a quick picture and then leave if you prefer. I don't know if it's a problem for them that I'm there at... I don't know, an intimate moment like family breakfast at their place."

"It's not a problem, don't worry about it," I shrugged off, but he still looked a little fidgety.

I furrowed my brows as I looked at him, slightly confused at his off-character jitteriness. He'd spent time with my family before —both with and without me. Then the penny dropped. Knowing the things I did about the way he was raised... Had he ever had breakfast with his own family before?

"You're not a problem," I said, making his eyes snap back up from the floor to meet my gaze. "They'll love having you there."

A shy smile unfolded across Lando's lips before giving me a quick nod. As soon as we got to my family's apartment, we were greeted with a shower of tight hugs and loving words. Jorge —my youngest brother— rushed to move out of his spot at the kitchen table to leave a seat for Lando between David and him. Papá held my face between his hands and stared at me with proud eyes while David put down the plates over the table, and Mamá yelled for Jorge to get the beverages out of the fridge as she stirred salsa in one of the pans over the stove.

The apartment was practically identical to my place, but here, as my family rushed from one place to another, putting down plates, getting things out of the fridge, adding pinches of salt to the food, and talking over the sizzling sound of the pans... Jesus, the whole apartment was overflowing with life. 

I could feel the walls smiling and the sun dancing with joy as it teamed with my family's smiles to light up the apartment. The windows were open, allowing the soft morning breeze to send the delicious smell of Mamá's enchiladas across the whole place.

I hugged Papá tightly and then pulled away. An instant smile was drawn on my face as my eyes landed on Jorge, already interviewing Lando about some overtakes he'd done yesterday during the race.

"Sorry to interrupt, but," Lando apologized as his eyes wandered through the floor near him, "where should I put my shoes?"

"What for?" Jorge asked, mirroring Lando's confusion until Lando's eyes realized all of us were still wearing our shoes.

"Oh, we don't really do that in Mexico," Papá said with a slight laugh, his thick accent peeking through the words.

"You can take them off if you wish to, but, yeah. It's not something we usually do," David replied, smiling as he took the plates with enchiladas Mamá gave him and placed them over the dining table.

"What?" Lando furrowed his brows, smiling at me with atonement. "What about the dirt?"

"We are not fans of... feet," Mamá chimed into the conversation, pausing after each word with her thick accent as she handed David another plate of enchiladas to take to the table.

Lando looked at me again, trying to hold back his surprise from his cultural shock.

"Yes, we very much rather sweep our floors more often than see or smell each other's feet," I told him as I tried to hold in my laughter. "Mexican people? Not fans of feet."

We all laughed and then sat together to enjoy the delicious enchiladas on the table. I took a short video for my Instagram story bragging about the food, where you could see Lando talking with my family. Papá said a prayer before we began eating. Even though Lando didn't speak Spanish, I could see how intently he was listening to my dad as he almost began tearing up while talking about how proud he was of his family.