The three days flew by quickly. Celia was training with Max's trainer, since she didn't have one of her own.

Getting back into intense workouts was tough and left her feeling exhausted, but she knew she had to push through and adapt before the summer break ended. Max was always there, making sure she took enough breaks and used the feedback properly without injuring herself.

Celia also grew more comfortable with the car's speed, getting closer to Max's pace and even leading a few laps, though only briefly.

There was still a lot of work to do, but one thing was clear: Celia had undeniable talent. She was exceptional at racing, keenly observing both her own car and others, which helped her make the right decisions during intense moments in races. With enough practice, she could even surpass Max, as Christian had suggested after one of their trial races.

Celia stood in front of the Red Bull team at HQ on their last day before the mandatory two-week break issued by the FIA. She felt it was important to express her gratitude. "I just want to thank you all for taking extra time out of your breaks to be here and for being so welcoming, helping me get back into my groove. I can't thank you guys enough, but I hope it pays off, and I can contribute by helping us win the WCC this year. That's the goal now," she said sincerely.

Christian smiled and agreed, "Well said," as the team clapped and cheered in support, boosting Celia's spirits. Christian then added, "Now that the break begins, let's all focus on relaxing and enjoying ourselves, taking our minds off racing for a while. Remember to take care of yourselves, and send postcards if you want. See you in the Netherlands!"

With more claps and cheers, everyone began to disperse. Celia hugged Nico goodbye and bid farewell to Christian before she and Max headed to his car. Harper had been staying at Victoria's for the past three days, and now they were off for a family dinner there before flying back to Monaco to enjoy the rest of their break.

˖⁺‧₊˚ ˚₊‧⁺˖✮------------✮˖⁺‧₊˚ ˚₊‧⁺˖

As soon as Max and Celia walked into the house, Harper ran to them excitedly. "Mama, Dada!" she called out.

Celia scooped Harper up into her arms, "Hi baby, how are you? I've missed you."

"I missed you too," Harper replied, then quickly jumped down to hug her dad.

Celia turned to Victoria with a smile and asked, "Has she been good?"

Victoria answered, "She's an angel. I love having her here with us."

Max added with a grin, "She loves visiting, especially because you're not strict with her. Don't think I didn't notice the giant lollipop on her bedside table when she FaceTimed me last night, Vic."

Victoria quickly mumbled, "Umm, I think I hear the oven, excuse me," and hurried off, causing Celia to chuckle.

Turning to her daughter with a playful scowl, Celia said, "You know too much candy can make your tummy hurt, Harp." Harper buried her face in her father's chest.

They soon gathered at the dinner table where Victoria and Tom served the food, and Max and Celia took the chance to catch up with their daughter.

Just a few minutes into dinner, Harper suddenly announced, "I'm done, see you later!" and rushed upstairs to play with Luka and Lio.

Victoria laughed, turning to Max and Celia, "She loves playing big sister, always mediating between the boys. They listen to her more than they listen to me."

Celia agreed, "She misses them a lot when we're away. She keeps asking when we'll visit again. I think she just wants to be around kids her age. Hopefully, starting school next year will help."

Tom suddenly asked, "Have you guys ever thought about having another kid? Maybe Harper would feel less lonely at home if she had a sibling. She clearly knows how to be responsible and caring with younger kids too."

Victoria quickly cut him off, glaring at her husband as she noticed Max and Celia's discomfort.  "Tom, come on," she said.

"What? I mean, we're all adults here and you are co-parenting for her, so I thought," Tom tried to explain, "and I'm not saying you two need to conceive a baby—there's adoption and stuff—"

Before Tom could finish, Celia's phone rang. "Um, I need to take this, excuse me," she said, getting up from the table and stepping out onto the balcony to answer the call.

As soon as Celia answered the FaceTime call, she said, "Dad! You have no idea how happy I am that you called right now," which made her father laugh.

"Why? What happened? Using me to get out of something again?" he teased, knowing his daughter well. "And here I thought you were just happy to talk to your old man."

"You know I am," Celia replied, rolling her eyes at his dramatics. "So, what's up?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to catch up with my dearest daughter," he said, but Celia raised an eyebrow at him.

"Come on, Dad, I know you too well to believe you called me way past midnight just to chat. So, what's going on? Did you and Mom have a fight?"

"No," he trailed off, "quite the opposite, actually."

Seeing Celia's puzzled expression, he continued, "Last week, we went to the church to renew our voiws, and we discovered that technically, we're not married. We eloped in Vegas and never filed for a marriage certificate. Your mother is mortified, and I want to cheer her up. So, I was thinking of proposing to her again and asking her to marry me properly this time. What do you think?"

"Dad, that's so sweet," Celia said with a fond smile. She loved that even after nearly 30 years together, her parents still had such deep love for each other, something she hoped to find for herself one day.

"I think it's a great idea," Celia agreed, "Mom loves surprises."

"So, will you fly down here and help me plan it? I want to make it perfect for her this time, and I could use your help," he asked.

"Of course, Dad," Celia replied with a big smile, "but I'll need to check with Max if he can-"

"Ask me what?" a voice came from behind. Celia turned to see Max walk onto the balcony and approach her.

"Oh, Maximo, hi," he greeted her father on FaceTime. "How're you doing?"

"Great! I'm remarrying!" Maximo replied with a big smile. Max looked confused, which only made both Celia and Maximo chuckle.

"Long story, I'll tell you later," Celia said. "But Dad wants me to fly to Argentina, and I was going to ask if you'd be okay flying back with Harper alone—"

"What? That's nonsense, estimada!" Maximo interrupted. "Max, you and Harper are coming with her. Understood?"

"Dad—"

"I'm not taking 'no' for an answer," Maximo declared, making Max chuckle.

"Of course, Maximo, we'll all be there," Max said.

"Alright then, I'll be looking forward to seeing you guys soon. Adiós," Maximo said with a big smile and hung up before Celia could protest.

"Why am I surrounded by such stubborn men who never listen to me?" Celia pouted, making Max laugh at her expression.

"Because you're too stubborn and never agree to ask for help or a favor," Max replied, as Celia rolled her eyes.

"So, he's getting married again? What does that mean?" Max asked, still confused.

"Apparently, my parents never issued a marriage certificate because they eloped, so they're technically not married. Mom is really upset about it, so Dad wants to propose to her again and ask her to marry him properly this time," Celia explained, and Max listened with interest.

"That's... really cute," Max said after a moment. "And he wants your help?"

Celia nodded, so Max suggested, "We can fly directly to Argentina instead of Monaco, right?"

"Yeah, but you know you don't have to go, right? I know you were looking forward to the break and—"

"And I'll still enjoy my break, just in Argentina," Max interrupted, gently cupping her face with his hands to make her look at him. "We've been in each other's lives for too long for you to think it's an issue for me to do something for you. And Maximo is family, so if he needs help, I'd like to be there. Plus, Harper should see her grandparents' wedding. Not many grandkids get to witness that," he joked, causing Celia to laugh and easing her worries.

"Thank you," Celia said softly, as Max let go but continued to smile at her.

"Anything for you, Lia."