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"Mholo, this is Kalliope Yeong-Su. I would like to officially announce to you all, my much anticipated debut in Formula 1. I will be joining Jaguar TCS Racing for the 2023 season, racing alongside my own brother, Kaylen Kumalo. I would like to thank you all for following my racing career as I led up to this. Being in Formula 1 was all I trained for as a child, so to finally be here is so refreshing. I'm so thankful to Jaguar for giving the opportunity to fullfil my dreams. I'll see you guys soon."

"Come here, babygirl," Kallie smiled, picking up her daughter from the car seat. "You ready to see mama at work? I'm so excited. Even if it's just filming." She spoke, grabbing the diaper bag and pulling it over her shoulder. She walked around to the boot of the car, and pulled it open, struggling slightly. "Did you need some help with that?" She turned around at the new voice, her eyes landing on one of the other drivers on the grid, he was the new rookie, Oscar Piastri.

"Uh, yeah, thank you so much. I usually have my brother with me, but he's running late." Kallie said, and the Australian driver quickly ran over to assist, his girlfriend smiling proudly. He grabbed the stroller and pulled it out, his girlfriend ran over to help him set it up. "Is there another baby I don't know about?" He asked, noting how it had two spots in the stroller.

"Oh no, this is my sister's, she has two so I'm borrowing it until my new one comes in." Kallie explained, setting tired her daughter into the stroller, and putting the bag in the empty spot. "Thank you for your help. That was very kind of you." She spoke, bowing her head politely. "Oh, it's not a problem. You're welcome. Have a good day." Oscar smiled, and the young couple returned to their car.

She shut the car, locking it up and pushing the stroller onto the sidewalk. She entered the building, today she was here to shoot for the F1 intro, and other things. Plus, she had to film some stuff for Netflix, and do some fun stuff for YouTube. She walked into the elevator, pressing the button to the correct floor. "Hold it please!" She quickly stuck her hand out to stop the doors and a man ran in, huffing and puffing. "Thank you for holding."

"Which floor?" She asked, looking to the buttons.

"Uh, that's already the right one, thanks," he said, and she nods, backing up but keeping her head down and watching her baby. He studied her face, he recognized that tattoo behind her ear. He remembered kissing it. "Kallie?" She hums, furrowing her brows and turning to look at the man. Then she froze. Of course she was in an elevator with Lewis Hamilton. That was not on her bucket list, considering what happened the last time they were in an elevator together.

"It's been a long time. How have you been?" He asked, a bright smile on his face, genuinely happy to see her after all these years of them almost crossing paths. He might have been a little thrilled when he heard she was going to be on the grid this year.

"I've been pretty good. A lots changed since then," she chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. "I can see. You're a mum now." He said, looking at the sleeping baby in her stroller. "She is yours right? Or did Keziyah have another secret baby?" She chuckled and shook her head in amusement, "nope, she's mine. This time I'm the one with a secret baby."

"Well, she's adorable, clearly takes after her mother. What's her name?" He asked, the baby smiling at him now.

"Thank you, her name's Kamiyah. She just turned 2. And she seems to like you, because she never smiles at strangers." Kallie chuckled, her daughter wrapping her hand around her tattooed finger. "You mind if I hold her? Totally okay if you're not cool with it. I'm technically still a stranger." He said. She laughs lightly and nods, "it's okay. You can hold her. But if she smacks you, that means she doesn't like you."

Kallie picked her up and handed her over to Lewis, the driver holding her with a bright smile. "Hello. I'm Lewis, nice to meet you." He extended his hand and she smiled, wrapping her whole hand around his pointer finger. "I wanna say you look like your mum but you honestly look like a baby Keziyah." He says. Kallie smiled, "yeah, I've heard that a lot. It's so weird because her daughter also looks like a mini version of me."

"You're family does have amazing genes. Does the father have good genes?" Lewis asked, silently wondering if she was taken or secretly married.

"Uh, I'm not sure. He's no longer with us. I don't know much about his family or him. I can't even remember his name if I'm being totally honest." Kallie admitted, chuckling awkwardly. Lewis frowned, he didn't expect that at all. "Oh, I'm really sorry about that." She shrugs carelessly, "it's fine, I'm over it. He wasn't really a good person anyways. Just met him in a club, and the next weekend he died in a shooting at said club."

"Oh, wow, that's...unfortunate. At least she's got an amazing mum," Lewis replies, the singer smiling as he handed the baby back to her. "Yeah, she's my everything. I would do anything for her." Kallie pressed a kiss to the baby's cheek before setting her back into the stroller. "It's good to see you so happy. It's all I ever wished for you," Lewis met her eyes, and he could feel everything coming back. The yearning, all the memories of that magical night they spent together. It was all coming back to him.

"Thank you. Same for you." The elevator opened and she turned the stroller around, giving him a small smile, "it was good seeing you again." He reached for her hand before she could leave, "wait, can we like grab dinner or something? Catch up? Please?" She pursed her lips, thinking it over, and she didn't want to come off as rude. "Uh, sure. I'm running late so just ask George for my number, he'll give it to you." She rushed out, before walking down the corridor, searching for the right room.

Luckily, her manager Maeanna found her first and led her to the dressing room where she had to change into her race suit. It took up most of her day, but dinner was waiting for her at the end of it, so that kept her going. And she had some fun doing the challenges for the YouTube videos. She was also there to mock George and Kaylen when they were doing their poses for the F1 intro. She loved how happy her brother was now. He previously drove for Williams, but they didn't resign him in 2022 so Jae-hyun made sure he had a seat in Jaguar for 2023.

"I will make sure it gets back to her. Have a good night, Kallie." Maeanna waved before putting her car in reverse and backing out.

"Just us, babygirl." Kallie breathed out, walking over to her car and unlocking it. Another car pulled next to hers and Lewis stepped out of it, a smile on his face. "George told me you were still here. You weren't answering your phone. Should I take the hint?" He questioned, chuckling awkwardly. "Oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry. My phone was off. Mae claims it's too distracting." Kallie explained apologetically, pulling open the boot of the car.

"That's fine, I get it. You need some help?" She nods in appreciation, pulling the girl out of the stroller. He picked up the bag and set it into the back before expertly folding the stroller up. She raised a brow, "you sure you don't have a secret baby, too?" He chuckles and shakes his head, stuffing the stroller into the boot and shutting it. "Nah, just lots of nieces and nephews. And my friend had this exact stroller before."

"Well, with all that experience, you'd be a pretty good dad." She said, pulling open the back door and setting her daughter into the car-seat. She buckled her up and put on some soft piano music before shutting the door. "My daughter has been begging for a sarmie, so I hope it's okay I bring her along. I don't think Kaylen's up for babysitting tonight." He smiled softly, nodding his head, "that's fine with me. I didn't expect you to leave her or anything. I had a reservation tonight, so I just added two more guests, if that's okay with you. They have sandwiches for Kamiyah, too."

"Oh wow, that's great. I'll just follow you," she chuckles.

"I'll text you the location in case you get lost or stuck in traffic." He adds, pulling open the driver door for her. She smiled, climbing inside, "sounds good." The door shut and she glanced in her mirror to check on Kamiyah. "Well, I knew we'd meet eventually. I just didn't expect for it to be today," she spoke in Xhosa, not that her daughter could even understand her that well because she didn't understand adult problems yet.

They got to the restaurant, and they sat in a quiet area, thankfully because she wasn't in the mood for cameras. "Ya know, this looks like...a date. Is that what it was? Did you have a date tonight?" She questioned, her tone filled with amusement. He chuckles, nodding his head, "I did, but I much rather have dinner with you and your lovely daughter than entertain in awkward first date conversation."

She set a hand on her chest in a dramatic manner, "well, we're very flattered."

"Sarmie," Kamiyah whined, pulling on her mum's sleeve. "Okay, okay, it's coming. I promise. You want some apple juice?" She grabbed the cup in her bag and poured some of the apple juice into it. The girl took it eagerly, forgetting about the sandwich. "Does she only understand Xhosa?" He asked, noticing how responsive the girl was with that language. "Uh, we think so. But she responds to English and Xhosa so we think she's bilingual. Kez said when she gets older she might understand Korean, so she could potentially be trilingual. But she's most responsive for Xhosa."

"Wow, that's really cool. I wish I knew that many languages when I was younger," Lewis said, and she smiled, taking a sip of her iced water. "I think it's because I had her in South Africa, so she's more familiar with that. I actually didn't bring her back to the states until maybe late last year. That was really my main concern about coming to Formula 1, all the traveling, but she really likes it for some reason. I am still gonna hate being away from her. That's the worst part about it." She expressed, subconsciously twisting the ring around her finger.

"At least she'll get to brag about how cool her mum is when she's older," Lewis says, trying to cheer her up a bit and it worked because he got a laugh out of her.

The food came and Kamiyah cheered at the sight of her sandwich. Kallie chuckles, taking the sandwich and removing the toothpicks. She took a knife and cut it into smaller bite size peices. She transferred it to a plastic container because she want her daughter to throw or drop the glass plate. "There you go, babygirl. Only eat what you can."

She returned to her salad, and added her dressings. "You sure that's all you wanted?" He asked. She nods, "yes, I actually really like salad. I switch to vegan when I found out I was pregnant with Miyah. I wanted to be healthy, because of all the stuff I used to put in my body back then." She explained, and he blinks in shock, "that's exactly what I did, minus the pregnancy part, obviously."

She laughs softly, "didn't want the partying to catch up to us."

"We were really crazy back then, huh?" He smiled, the memories hitting them. They were always on news outlets, tmz, Twitter, all because of their clubbing. Lots of people compared the two as well. And ever since that night, people had been speculating when they'd finally reunite. So when she announced her debut in the sport, obviously that was one of the first things people thought of. Getting the reunion of the two drivers who partied like no other.

"Were? I don't know about you, but I can still party." She said, and he laughs softly, "I never lost it either. But I've certainly matured since then." Kallie smirked, nodding in agreement, flashes of that night in the back of her mind. "...yeah, I noticed that. I like the..braids." He looked up from his food at her words, both of them knowing the meaning behind what she said. "A very beautiful woman suggested I should grow out my hair. Every time I get it braided, I think of her and how much she would've liked it."

Her eyes softened for a few seconds, the butterflies returning, a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. "I'm sure she really likes it."

"Umama." She looked over as Kamiyah tugged on her sleeve, "ewe?" She lifts her small hand to point at Lewis, "baba?" Kallie's eyes widened slightly, and Lewis chuckles softly, very aware of what that meant. "No, no, umhlobo." She corrects and Kami frowned, looking at her sarmie with sad eyes. She cursed under her breath, rubbing her jaw with a hint of frustration. This was always a topic she hated. It's why she avoided dating or having her daughter around male friends, because she would assume one of them was her dad.

Lewis leaned forward, tapping Kamiyah's hand, the girl looking to him with hopeful eyes. "I'm not your dad, but we can still be best friends. How does that sound?" He spoke, and literally in perfect Xhosa. Kami smiled, nodding excitedly, making Lewis chuckle as she shook his finger like a handshake. "Yeah, we best friend's now." He gave her a small fistbump and she giggled, returning to her sarmie.

He turned back to Kallie, the look of shock still covering her face, so he decided to explain. "I started learning it after that night, same as Korean. Your dad taught me and occasionally your mum. You said you struggled with English, so I hoped that if I learned Xhosa, it would impress you and you would give me a second chance. It comes in handy when I visit South Africa. I plan to visit South Korea during break, so that'll definitely come in handy as well. Your parents are really good teachers."

"I'm still- I'm just processing that information. You learned two languages to impress me?" She questioned, blinking from shock, her daughter looking in between the two with confused eyes.

"If you're impressed, then yes. If you're not, then no." He answered, and cracked a small laugh. "I'm very impressed, yes. They are very difficult languages." She said, the thought of being that important to someone, really flattered her. "They really are. Your parents were very patient with me." Lewis responds, setting his hand on the table to which Kami reached forward to grab. He just snickered and moved it closer so she could play with his shiny and expensive rings.

"I wish you would've told me. I could've taught you myself." She said, taking another bite of her salad. Lewis shook his head, eyeing his hand as Kami traced his tattoos. "Nah, if you taught me, I would never be able to focus," he says smoothly, her head lowering as she tried to conceal her flustered expression. Even if he couldn't physically see her blush, he knew when she was. "Guess I wouldn't be able to focus either," she shrugs softly.

He cleared his throat, pushing back the way she made him feel because he couldn't exactly be that bold with her daughter present. "Is this little one the reason you took time off from racing?" He asked, smiling at the amused baby. Kallie nods, pushing her plate to the side as she was finished with it. "Yes, she is. The second I find out I was pregnant, I left. I didn't want to risk anything happening to her. I wanted a baby for so long, I wasn't taking any stupid risks. She means more to me than any race."

His eyes dazed off, part of him wishing he was the one to give this to her. "Motherhood suits you."

"Thank you. It really does." Kallie sighed in refreshment, her eyes scanning over her daughter, the girl growing more tired as time passed. "It's getting late. I need to get her in bed before she has a fit." Lewis nods in understanding, quickly calling for the check. She pulled out her card but he stopped her, "no, that's not necessary, I invited you out, so I should pay."

She looked uncertain, "are you sure?" He nods, "yeah, it's on me this time."

Kallie stood up and grabbed some baby wipes, using them to clean Kamiyah's face. Lewis grabbed a wipe and assisted in cleaning the baby's hands. The waitress came to pick up the check, smiling at the sight, "you guys are a beautiful family." Before she could be corrected, they looked up and she was already on her way, already scanning Lewis's card.

Lewis pulled Kamiyah out of the highchair and smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder tiredly. "We're gonna get along great." Kallie chuckles, pulling the bag over her shoulder and grabbing her coat. "You sure you got her?" She questioned. He nods swiftly, "yeah, I got her." They walked out of the restaurant, heading over to the cars in the lot. She unlocked her car and pulled open the backseat door. Lewis bent down and lowered her into the car-seat, moving so Kallie could buckle her up.

She shut the door, and turned to the Mercedes driver. "Uh, what hotel are you staying at? I wanna make sure you get back safe," he spoke, obviously wanting them to be careful, but maybe he also wanted an excuse to spend more time with Kallie. "I forgot it's name, fuck. Uh, you can just follow me, cause I'll never remember what it's called." She chuckles, her hand placed on her head.

He laughs lightly, nodding in agreement with her proposal, "okay, I'll just follow you. You might be staying at the same one as me."

Coincidentally, he was not only staying at the hotel, but they were on the same floor...rooms right beside each other. God had a funny sense of humor.

Kallie pushed open the door and switched on the light, Lewis following after her with Kamiyah in his arms. She turned around and tried to take her daughter but she was refusing to let go. "Miyah, don't play with me. Let him go." She huffed, tried to grab her again but she held on tighter, the driver just giggling in amusement. "He is not a bed. Let him go." She scolded in Xhosa, the baby just ignoring her.

"Maybe it'll work if I put her down," he theorized.

Kallie sighed, gesturing for him to give it a go. Lewis walked over to the bed and carefully set the baby down. He moved the pillows away and smiled triumphantly as she snuggled into the soft duvet. Next thing he knew, Kallie chucked a pillow at him. "Jealous much?" He retorts, picking up the pillow with a snicker. "I'm not jealous. It's just- I'm not used to her liking other people. She usually just scowls at them."

"I told you, I'm a very charming person. Babies love me." He shrugged, tossing the pillow back onto the sofa.

"Do you always flatter yourself?" She asked sarcastically, plopping down on the sofa and unzipping her boots. "Don't act like you never compliment yourself," he shot back, sitting down on opposite end of the sofa. "I'm allowed to compliment myself. Have you seen me?" She mumbled, pulling her boot off and tossing it to the side.

He leaned back, a small smirk residing at the corner of his lips, "every inch of you."

She paused for a split second before unzipping the next boot and pulling it off. "Ten years ago."

"Nine, actually," he corrected, getting an eye roll from her. "Whatever. Same thing. I look nothing like how I used to. For example, I had a six pack. That's long gone. Courtesy of baby weight. And I honestly have zero interest in getting those abs back, because the way I got and kept them was far too unhealthy." She spoke, stretching her feet with a groan.

"Yet, you still look like you haven't aged a day." He pointed out, and he wasn't wrong, she practically looked the same, the only thing that changed was her body, but he honestly liked that even more. She hums, holding her head up with her hand, her sharp eyes meeting his soft ones. "You clearly have." He feigned offense and she snickers, leaning over to pat his knee, "don't worry, I like you better this way. You look more grown up and mature."

"Is that why you left? I wasn't mature enough for you?" He queried.

She went quiet, leaning against the armrest. She knew that would come up eventually. She expected it. A while ago, back in 2021, she prayed that he'd win his 8th so he could retire and she could come back and not have to worry about seeing him and being reminded of her bad choices. He was one of her bad choices. Not Lewis himself, but the choices she made when she was with him. She regretted leaving him that morning. She regretted being so scared. He was one of the few regrets she had in her life. And it haunted her.

"It's getting late. I have a flight to catch in the morning. You should go." She stood up, her expression growing colder until he reached out and took her hand, turning her around and standing up. She looked up at him expectantly, the closeness starting to feel suffocating. "Just- give me something to work with. I have nothing from that night, nothing but a card and memories. You didn't reach out. You completely avoided me like I was the plague. Did I do something wrong?"

"You did nothing wrong, and that was the problem." She blurted out, backing up and releasing a breath, "please, just go."

"You are impossible to figure out, Kallie, but trust me, I'll figure you out, eventually." He said, walking over to the door, she huffs, really starting to hate his determination. "Keep dreaming, Hamilton," she retorts, and he smiled, taking a glance at her before exiting the room.

She stared up at the ceiling with an incredulous look, "God, if this is your plan, I gotta say, I'm not a very big fan of it."

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a/n: kallie being the best mum ever <3 this chapter made me so emotional 😭

the drastic change in their personalities compared to the first chapter 😭 they're not young and dumb anymore

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