The Jackson Racing signing ceremony was Luca’s first stop immediately after he set foot in London.
And after the event, fully sealing his addition to the English team, Luca weaved his way through the throng of press with Chico’s help and got into the car.
Next destination was Clapham. Luca had yet to rest and unwind, even after the long flight. His luggage still sat untouched in the trunk, a reminder of how fast everything had been moving.
He leaned back against the seat, exhaling slowly as he turned his gaze to the window. Outside, the cityscape blurred past, but what caught his eye was the snow that was falling.
Soft, steady flakes were drifting down from the grey sky, layering the streets in a thin, growing sheet of white. It brought immediate satisfaction to Luca and he was glad the snow had finally found a pattern these past weeks.
He wondered if this late winter would affect the temperature readings when the season began. Cold tires could be a problem for the first two or even three races.
Luca had heard that Ferrari had developed some highly durable tires, and F1 in general had better compounds than F2, so maybe it wouldn’t be an issue after all.
As his mind drifted back to the reality of being part of Jackson Racing, it suddenly hit him that he was going to be based in London!
Unbelievable. What a turn of events.
From planning to become an Outback driver and settle in Australia, to believing everything was secured with Nevada, only to find himself circling back to where it all started.
Now, London—the city he grew up in. Luca could very well call London home. The city was the place where he, his mother, and his sister sought refuge after the calamity, enduring the rest of their hardships.
At least now, there’d be no need to spend money shipping his Jaguar overseas. He could continue his driving lessons at the same school with no need for a transfer. And he could still fence with Adrian in his free time.
What was that saying about London again? London is a roost.
After a ten-minute drive, they arrived in Clapham, cruising through the neighborhood until they reached the house.
As the car rolled to a stop, Luca pulled out his phone and called his mother to let her know they’d arrived.
Stepping out, he moved toward the trunk to grab his bags, but before he could reach for them, Chico had already swooped in, effortlessly lifting them as if they weighed nothing.
Luca smiled, nodding in appreciation, then turned and led the way to the porch. Behind him, Vance carefully parked the car behind the Jaguar, which had been sitting idle since Christmas.
He knocked twice on the door, and within seconds, Mrs. Rennick swung it open, greeting them with a warm and cheerful welcome.
She then stepped aside, ushering them in with a bright expression Luca believed looked forced.
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Luca stepped in last and closed the door behind them, taking off his coat. He took in a deep sniff of the house’s warmth, relishing the way it smelt like tea, lavender and just a hint of disinfectant.
Chico neatly placed Luca’s bags by the hallway before joining the others on the couches.
Since they were seated orderly, Luca took a moment to introduce each of them to his mother, offering his best remarks after their names. Mrs. Rennick received them warmly, expressing her delight at welcoming Luca’s team into her home.
She asked what they would like for refreshments, and after taking their requests, she disappeared into the kitchen without hesitation.
Luca, however, was too exhausted for light snacks. He needed something substantial—real, heavy food—but that would have to wait until after they left.
For now, he excused himself, mentioning he was heading upstairs to freshen up, and grabbed his bags on the way.
Seconds later, he was in his room. It was still neat and tidy, the bedsheets so clean and the bed neatly made. There was no sign of dust nor dirt, and the floor, sparkling clean.
He knew his mother had expected him, but the state of the room suggested she had always kept it this way, waiting for whenever he might return. Today, it seemed, she hadn’t even needed to put in extra effort.
Luca exhaled, setting his bags down before unpacking only the essentials for now. His priority was a hot bath and a change into something comfortable while the others enjoyed their refreshments downstairs.
Almost an hour later, Luca made his way downstairs, dressed in a simple black t-shirt and relaxed grey pants.
He noticed his team had finished their refreshments, and Mrs. Rennick had already cleared the plates. Feeling a bit thirsty, he made his way to the kitchen to grab a cup of water and check on her.
Barefoot, Luca entered quietly, but his mother didn’t notice him. She stood at the sink, silently washing the dishes, her focus fixed on the lather as she scrubbed and rinsed.
Leaning against the counter, he sipped his water, watching her closely. He knew his mother very very well. He knew something was off about her and she wasn’t herself.
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To confirm his suspicion, Luca moved to the drawers, checking for something he knew she always neglected when she was troubled.
The sudden sound of the drawer startled Mrs. Rennick. She jumped slightly and turned, seeing Luca peering inside.
Just as he suspected—she had stopped taking her medication. He knew the reason. The scandal that had shaken their lives just a week ago still weighed on her. But that didn’t mean she could afford to neglect her health.
"You haven’t been taking your drugs," Luca said calmly.
"I have," Mrs. Rennick responded quickly, but he could hear the lie in her voice.
Luca used to buy these same drugs back when they lived in the apartment. He knew exactly how many were supposed to be left in the pack by now.
"It is missing this many," Luca said, lifting the pack slightly and tapping his fingers against it, "which means you haven’t taken this many."
Mrs. Rennick opened her mouth to protest, but then she hesitated, lowering her gaze.
"I know this past month has been hard," Luca said gently. "But that doesn’t mean you can just stop taking your medication. This isn’t some simple headache or fever, Mom."
In an instant, Mrs. Rennick broke down, her shoulders shaking as tears fell just like Sophia when she cried. Luca comforted her with a hug.
"I can’t apologize for Dad," he murmured. "But I know if he were here, he’d be begging for your forgiveness."
"Thank you," Mrs. Rennick said.
"Are you sure you don’t want to live in the villa I’ll be buying?" Luca asked as he filled a cup with water and handed her today’s medication.
They had discussed this before, and Mrs. Rennick had always refused, insisting she wanted to stay here until old age claimed her.
She said there had already been too many changes, and she longed for stability. Besides, she had been bonding with her neighbors.
"There’s a granny I visit down the street," Mrs. Rennick said before washing down the pill with a gulp of water. "She tells really nice stories."
With a cat as her only companion and loneliness surrounding her, Luca worried that his mother was slowly becoming a cat lady.
Her final reason was about him. Mrs. Rennick didn’t want to be a burden, especially now that he had joined a new team. She wanted him to stay focused, and she believed a house without family distractions would be best.
Luca smiled, grateful to have such a caring mother.
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It was dusk now. Vance and Chico had long since left to book a hotel, while Manuela remained in the living room, finishing up her work.
Mrs. Rennick mentioned that the house was running low on groceries, so Luca decided to take care of it himself.
He slipped on some slides, grabbed his coat, cap, and mask, then turned to Manuela. "Would you like to retire from here?"
She nodded and stood up, bidding Mrs. Rennick farewell before following Luca outside.
The snowfall had intensified, steadily covering the streets in a fresh layer of white. The cold air bit at their skin, their breaths visible in the dim evening light.
Manuela tucked her hands into her pockets for warmth as Luca wandered over to the Jaguar.
Brushing off the accumulating snow from the car’s roof, he tapped the key fob, and the sleek vehicle responded with a soft beep.
Manuela wondered if Luca was going to drive the Jaguar!
As his personal assistant, she was well aware that Luca wasn’t licensed yet. His schedule even had "Driving Lessons" marked in it!
Her eyes widened as Luca carefully attached the bright red L plates to both the front and rear of the million-dollar car.
"Mr. Luca, you aren’t seriously going to drive, are you?!" she exclaimed.
Luca glanced at her and let out a laugh. There was no way he was waiting another month before getting behind the wheel of his prized black beauty.
Besides, they rarely stopped cars with an L sign.
"Hop in," he said, sliding into the driver’s seat, sinking into the exquisite leather, and starting the nearly silent engine.
Manuela swallowed her nerves and climbed in, shutting the door with a cautious thud.
Luca already knew how to handle a car so driving in public wouldn’t be a problem. After all, learning quickly was just another life advantage granted by his system stats.
Vance forwarded the hotel’s location, and Luca drove Manuela there.
To her surprise, he handled the car remarkably well, all steady and all controlled. Even so, that didn’t stop her heart from pounding the entire ride.
Once they arrived, Luca waved her off from the driver’s seat.
"Have a good night, Mr. Luca. And please, drive carefully," she said.
Ha!
Luca was convinced he was the best driver on the road right now. And with a luxury car like this standing out among the sea of mid-range vehicles, he was having his own main character moment.
For a brief second, he considered driving all the way to Westborough just to shop at the market he knew at heart. But at this hour, it was too long of a trip. Besides, he didn’t want to keep his mother waiting.
Instead, he searched for the nearest store and pulled in, adjusting his cap and mask before stepping out with the shopping list in hand.
He estimated about 15 minutes of shopping, given the length of the list, and wasted no time getting started.
As he moved through the aisles, his attention occasionally drifted to the TVs mounted above, broadcasting a sports news segment—naturally, about motorsport.
At one point, the analysts switched topics, discussing the Signing Ceremony that had taken place earlier that day. They marveled at how, all of a sudden, Luca Rennick had become a Jackson Racing driver.
Same Luca Rennick in a grocery market mindlessly pushing a cart.
The discussion heated up as they analyzed what a duo of Marcellus Rodnick and Luca Rennick would mean for Jackson Racing against rival teams.
Luca smirked. They had a point. Rodnick was a top-tier driver. And him? An exceptional one. Together, they could be unstoppable.
Once he had everything, he headed to the counter, paid for the groceries, and added a generous tip. A store employee offered to help load the bags into the trunk, which he gladly accepted.
Moments later, Luca slid back into the car, shutting out the world as soon as the door closed. With a quiet exhale, he started the engine and began the drive back to Clapham, back home, where dinner was already waiting.