Max was exactly what she needed right now.

~•~

"Why do you have the alarm clock on when it's a night for drinking and having fun?" Max asked. His voice sounded tired and muffled, his head buried in the pillow. Freya would be lying if she said his morning hoarse voice didn't do anything to her, because it did. It sounded very sexy.

Max's body comfortably settled next to Freya's, as if it were folding into a familiar puzzle, where each piece found its ideal match. His hand, firm yet gentle, draped over her belly, pulling her close, even though he seemed to be lying on his stomach, his energy still on full throttle, ready to stay in bed until eternity.

Freya turned to him with a smile, although the fatigue still lingered in the shadow of her eyes. She heard Max's questioning voice, piercing through the veil of sleep and dreams. "Because unlike you, those sports kings, I have to keep an eye open for all those little details hidden behind the walls of the countryside morning," she replied with a touch of sarcasm mingling with the tone of reality.

Max's hand became a kind of solid anchor in the flood of exhaustion that engulfed her. She felt his warm touches awaken a sense of security and comfort in her, the kind she could only find in his embrace. She was tired, too tired to resist the temptation to stay in the embrace of sleep, but the promise she made to her father was like a firm anchor in a stormy sea.

"Animals endure," Max repeated, as if it were the key phrase to the world they both shared. His words sounded like encouraging melodies in the darkness of early morning.

Freya smiled, although there was a hint of pity in her smile. "Maybe, but I'm only human. And sometimes when I'm hungry, I'm as ugly as a drunk bear," she admitted with a smile. "So please let me feed them before they turn into that beast."

Max's heart beat rhythmically in harmony with Freya's voice. It was a sound that had the power to awaken in him the desire to protect, care for, and love her, in every moment they were together.

Max's body leaned on the pillow, whose fibers seemed to have forgotten any form of order, letting them dissolve into a confused labyrinth among his hair. His eyes, usually shining brightly with energy and enthusiasm, now revealed a strangely faded gleam, as if a mysterious darkness lurked within him, a darkness he himself did not want to delve into.

Freya leaned against the edge of the bed, observing Max with a gentle smile on her lips. It was just a small reproach she could feel in the space between them, touching unspoken words, but in her eyes reflected a tender concern, willing to reach out even in the darkest moments.

"Will you come back?" Max finally asked, his voice softer than usual, as if seeking refuge in her answer. His eyes, speaking more clearly than words themselves, pleaded for the certainty he could not find on his own.

Freya smiled, although there was a hint of sadness in her smile. "I promise nothing," she replied softly, as if her words were a fragile voice in the night. Carefully, she freed herself from Max's embrace and slipped out of bed, her movements hindered by exhaustion, but still trying to maintain her dignity.

The pair drank less in the evening than the others. Max because he never overdoes it with alcohol, and Freya because she knew she would have to get up early for the animals. Therefore, they were much better off than the others in the house, but even so, they looked tired – after all, they went to bed around half past three in the morning.

Max's body remained motionless, as if afraid that movement could dissipate the fragile moment between them. His hands rested calmly on the sheets, while his mind wandered between memories of the past and an uncertain future. Freya took advantage of this, grabbed her sweatpants, and quickly changed by the window. She simply put on Max's Red Bull hoodie over her top and grabbed her phone from the nightstand.

Freya stood by the bed, heavy blankets falling like a reminder of a sleeping world. With a slight smile, she leaned down and kissed Max on the cheek. "Just sleep, Sleeping Beauty," she murmured softly, as if it were a secret between them, and then quietly stepped out into the dark morning.

Max's heart seemed to skip a beat at the warm touch of Freya's lips, although his eyes remained closed. It was a kiss full of tenderness and care, reminding him that even in the darkness of the night, there could be light somewhere.

Freya didn't linger long at the brunette's bed, still immersed in his dreams, and stepped out into the world where different kinds of company awaited her. In the cool morning light, however, every step seemed to be a challenge of uncertainty that stretched like a shadow around every corner.

The first stop was the cows, whose collective silhouette emerged in the dim light of early dawn. Freya opened the gate to them with calm consistency, as if the animals were her old friends, and didn't hesitate to let them out into the vast pastures. Only then did she turn to the slightly more delicate ritual of feeding, prepared with the meticulousness imprinted on her memory by her father, as a reminder of the old legacy she carried on her shoulders.

Next came the journey to the pigs and horses, where she immersed herself in work with such dedication that she would have forgotten about time if it hadn't been announced by the chilly breeze winding through the Swedish pastures. Every movement was precise, and every enclosure was relocated with careful attention to detail.

As she approached the chicken coop, she spotted the brunette standing by the fence with the dogs. His black clothing blended into the early darkness, but his figure stood out as a guardian of the night's tranquility. Freya approached him with a gentle smile, reflecting a reflection of her own world.

"Sleeping Beauty awake?" she asked with a touch of sarcasm mixed with gentle affection.

The brunette smiled at her words, his eyes shining with the warm glow of the morning sun. "Those extra two hours got me," he replied, "but that kiss on the cheek helped me a lot with that sleep."

Their words sounded like secrets shared in the quiet dawn, like melodies in harmony with the first rays of light piercing through the veil of darkness. It was a meeting of two worlds, coming together at the moment when the night's silence turned into the morning song of life, even though the clock showed a little after ten o'clock, so the morning was already here and there.

Freya smiled at Max with gratitude mixed with a gentle touch of nostalgia. "Well, I'll try to make it happen more regularly, because we don't want our champion to be tired," she said with a gentle touch of love in every word, before giving him another kiss on the cheek. "But now excuse me, as the chickens are waiting for me."

Max smiled at her, his eyes shining with brighter reflections of the morning sun. "I'll help you," he said, and with a gentle gesture, he walked towards the chicken coop. This ritual was already familiar to him, as he had been helping with a whole range of tasks on the farm for the past week. He was a true pillar for Freya's family, always ready to provide help wherever it was needed. Sometimes he woke up earlier than Freya and, along with her father, took care of the horses and cows. He even learned how to milk cows, a skill he borrowed from her father. He was really good at everything – except cooking, but Freya decided to fix that too.

"Are the others still asleep?" Freya asked as she followed him to the shed next to the chicken coop, where all the necessary things for the chickens were kept.

"I think I heard someone go to the bathroom, but I didn't see anyone, so I don't know who it was," Max chuckled. "I don't even know which room that someone came out of."

"I was thinking about preparing breakfast for them, but with all the work I had here, it's more complicated," she told him.

"You don't have to prepare anything," Max said, "if you want to be a good hostess, breakfast is the last thing anyone cares about. Everyone is just glad you let them be here and celebrate Lando's victory."

Their words sounded like a quiet defiance against the pressure of time pushing them forward, and a reminder of the value of simple moments shared together. It was like a promise of an oasis of calm amidst the turbulent sea of obligations and expectations.

"I'm glad they're here because I'm finally having fun again," Freya told him and stepped into the shed with a sense of liberation, as if she had returned to a world where she felt alive. Max, her companion and support, followed. His gesture to take the basket was a silent expression of solidarity, evidence that he was there for her, that they were there for each other. Freya sighed with gratitude as she poured grain after grain into the basket, as if each one symbolized a small piece of freedom and joy.

"You deserve it," Max said softly, rushing towards the door. His fleeting embrace caught her off guard, gently touching her shoulders, yet bringing her warmth and security. It was different from before when they first met. Freya knew that something had changed, but the change was welcome. This Max was exactly the one she felt drawn to, the one she wanted to surround herself with.

"After all the media says about you, you deserve to have plenty of friends who believe in you," Max added as he opened the door to the chicken coop. His words were a balm to her wounded soul, a reinforcement in this difficult time. Freya smiled at him, grateful for his support, and entered, waiting for Max to close the door so she could open the coop.

"I have evidence that it was him who forced me to have an abortion, but it's in the phone, which is completely broken, and the repair shop told me they can't do anything about it," she explained to him, with deep sadness in her eyes. "So my only evidence is forever destroyed."

"Do you still have the phone?" Max asked, with a spark of hope in his eyes.

"It's in the drawer in my room, why?" Freya replied, pointing to the window leading to her room.

"Could I borrow it when I go to Italy? I have a few friends who might be able to help," Max offered with a smile.

"Feel free to take it, because I can't do anything with it anyway," Freya nodded with relief. Eventually, she opened the coop and watched as the hens and rooster flew out, aware that they were waiting for feeding, and that Max would take care of it. Meanwhile, Freya collected all the eggs the hens laid over the past few days.

She placed the eggs on the shelf inside the shed with a slight flutter, as she was drawn to the sight of Max, who seemed to be in his element – as if he were not a Formula One driver, but a farmer his whole life. Max was smiling, his face illuminated by the sun, as he playfully scattered grains around and watched the hens eagerly indulge in their food. His enthusiasm and joy from everyday moments with these animals were contagious. Even though he had seen this scene countless times before, it still brought a smile to his face and brought him as much joy as if it were the first time. It was a sight of a boy discovering the world, although Max had experienced this "zoo" many times in the past weeks when he often helped her father.

"To her, my army!" Max exclaimed with a smile and threw a handful of grains directly towards Freya. Her surprise was immediate, as she didn't expect to be bombarded with grains. The hens quickly gathered around her as if they were on a mission to save every seed.

"You little rascal!" Freya exclaimed, trying to fend off the hens that were determined to eat every last grain.

Fortunately, Freya didn't show any anger towards Max. On the contrary, even though she might have scolded him, she laughed, and in moments of apparent calm, she even surprised Max by quickly grabbing the basket and returning the gesture with a multiplied amount of grains.

Meanwhile, as the pair entertained themselves with the chickens, guests began to appear on the terrace of the house, disturbed from their sleep. Among them were Charles, Alex, Lando, and Rebecca.

"Are you seriously trying to tell me there's nothing more than friendship between them?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow in question. First, she caught Max's gaze, and then she directed her gaze to Lando and Charles, who witnessed their conversation in the Jeep yesterday.

"Supposedly, they're just friends," Lando shrugged with a slight sigh, his tone revealing that even though he didn't want to admit it, what he saw wasn't indifferent to him. "But when I see them now, I find it hard to believe."

The pair didn't stop their game with the chickens; grains were flying through the air, and laughter filled the space. Their movements were so synchronized, so perfectly coordinated, that it was hard not to notice they belonged together. You could hardly find a sight that better illustrated the words "perfect couple."

"Do you find it hard to believe they're a couple?" Charles asked, but he essentially answered his own question. "I would easily think they're married. Just look at them. I haven't seen Max this happy since those reports came out about his relationship with Kelly being all PR. Since he withdrew from the public eye, this is the first time I've seen him enjoying himself like this."

"Married? Let's see how long it takes for little Verstappen to appear," Rebecca chuckled with a hint of irony directed more towards romantic notions than any real prediction. "The way Max looks at Freya is exactly how Carlos used to look at me. I know that look. The boy is head over heels in love."

"Freya is too, but she doesn't want to admit it," Alex nodded, revealing an awareness of the situation that could only come from the deepest conversations. "We talked last night, and she didn't deny it. Max likes her, but he knows it would ruin his reputation if they started something now. At a time when all those rumors are swirling around her name, about her tormenting Roberto and her being the one who had the abortion, even though Roberto wanted the child."

"But it's not true," Charles interjected, knowing it's not always easy to distinguish truth from the false stories that spread.

"It's not," Alex sighed, her words carrying the weight of a true story that was much deeper than the superficial opinions of the media. "She was the one who was mentally abused, and even though she wanted the child, he allegedly literally dragged her to the doctor to have the abortion." Her voice sounded like a warning about the dark reality that not everyone dares to confront.

"Poor thing might never be able to get pregnant now, all because of some arrogant footballer who occasionally kicks a ball but doesn't want to take responsibility," Rebecca shook her head with an anxious expression on her face. Her words carried an undertone of anger at the injustice that was painfully evident in this story.

"That's why I think she should go for Max," Lando suggested, his words carrying a tone of compassion and a desire for justice.

"I agree," Charles added, his voice sounding like a positive note in the dark symphony of the story. "Max would treat her like the most precious treasure. Just look at how he treats her now," he pointed at the pair.

It was interesting that everyone around ignored Freya's hoodie, which was literally Max's clothing.

Freya laughed as Max held her around the waist with one hand and sprinkled the remaining grains over her head with the other. Despite how it might look terrifying, it was just fun for both of them. Laughter filled the air as if washing away the dark shadows of the past, and Freya realized that she was finally living again.

In that moment, she felt so alive, so full of joy and love, like never before. In Max's embrace, surrounded by chickens and with hair full of grains, she found the refuge that had been missing for long weeks devoid of joy and freedom. Her mother always told her there was no time for fun, that she had to train and work until she became a champion. But now she understood that in this short break from reality, in these moments with Max, she found the true meaning of life.

Max was exactly what she needed right now.

~•~