Florence Bonsee was focused on Wimbledon and her budding tennis career. What she least expected was Charles Leclerc colliding into her life and the impact they would have on one another.
TMZ: Charles Leclerc spotted in Milan for the first time. Leclerc and Bonsee may be the real deal.
***warning for trauma, car accident, and miscarriage
Italy was more special with Florence. Seeing the life she built in Milan after moving away from her home made the town seem new and livelier. Her flat was a work of art. Everything being mismatched but the most welcoming home. I wasn't surprised she wanted to get back here a few days earlier.
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After arriving late in the afternoon, Florence took me out for dinner and drinks in her neighborhood. The energy of the blocks surrounding her apartment was cozy with small store fronts, restaurants , and coffee shops. The way the people in the area treated Florence was similar to the way I felt in Monaco. People were excited to see her, but it was welcoming. There were no phones or people disrupting her privacy. Just a hello and warm greeting if the opportunity presented itself.
When we were eating I had asked Florence if she noticed changes in being home for the first time since winning the US Open. She shared that when she first got back there were some lingering reporters that never had bothered her before. According to Florence, she credited her neighbors and the local store owners for scaring them away on top of boring content. It sounded very Italian of the shopkeepers, something we had both come to love.
While her and I played language games often, we often settled in English without thinking about it. Listening to her speak Italian at home made the language seem impossible to speak even though I was fluent, the dialect flowing freely through her every word, making the language even more beautiful to me.
We enjoyed the physical connection after being apart for a few days. Both of us left in bed, late at night, and content. After quickly freshening up before bed, Florence was already sound asleep in my arms. She had many talents, but her ability to fall asleep in what felt like under a minute always seemed impressive.
I closed my eyes, my brain relaxing as I felt the warmth of Florence beside me again. However, I've been having issues sleeping for the last week and tonight was no different.
An hour later and I was still wide awake, my eyes staring at the lights flashing through the window. I gave up on sleep, sliding out of the bed and taking my turn to explore Florence's home the same way she did mine.
With the bedroom being lofted, I made sure to turn on a lamp in the kitchen underneath the room. It gave the main level a glow, with the furniture revealing it's dull color with the low light. The space was entirely open unlike mine which had separate rooms. Florence had shown me the one closed off room which had laundry in the hall leading to the one guest bedroom with a door, so instead I ventured through her main living area as quietly as possible.
There were many books and board games taking over the shelves. Mixed in was a small plant that had clearly shriveled from neglect. It reminded me of the tomato plants I tried one summer. While coming home always felt nice, our life was in other countries in hotels. Having things like plants, pets, or gardens was a dream to leave behind.
