Epilogue
MONTE CARLO, MONACO
Six Months Later
“God Save The King” blared from the speakers above Avery’s head. She felt goosebumps on her arms as she stood next to Stacey amid the Silver employees who had gathered beneath the stage. She squeezed her friend’s hand. “This is your win too, I’m so proud of you.”
Avery looked up at the podium, where both Teddy and her dad, who was representing the team, were standing, both men beaming with pride as they waved to the crowd below, the champagne bottles at their feet begging to be sprayed.
So much in her life had changed over the last year, but that feeling of pride when she saw silver and blue on the podium—that would never change.
Avery felt a lightness throughout her body as she caught Teddy’s unabashed grin beaming from beneath his Pirelli Tires cap.
Finally, the world was able to see how he lit up, how his eyes sparkled when his joy wasn’t rehearsed, and wasn't manufactured on cue. Avery grinned too. Had this win happened a year ago, he probably would have used his practiced smile, or would have stood there frowning, already thinking about the next race. But during the off-season, once Teddy had more-or-less moved in with her in LA, he’d started seeing a therapist regularly and working on mindfulness.
He’d been trying to stay in the present and not ruminate quite so much on his past trauma or future goals.
Today the hard work he’d undertaken on and off the track had paid off. Teddy had won his first F1 race. The storied Monaco Grand Prix, no less.
She turned to Teddy’s mom, Margaret, who was standing on the other side of her, and winked. The lithe, silver-haired woman smiled back, the twinkle in Margaret’s hazel eyes so similar to her son’s.
“I’m so happy you’re here to see his first win.
He wouldn’t be here without you,” Avery shouted in her ear to be heard over the deafening cheers.
While Teddy was slowly coming to terms with his past, letting go of his instinct to protect his family from publicity was proving to be a bit harder.
This was only the second race his mom had come to this season, and it couldn’t have worked out better.
“I don’t think he could have done it without you either. I’ve never seen him so settled, so grounded as he has been since you entered his life,” Margaret shouted back.
Avery gave her a little side hug as a steady, calm washed over her. Celebrating this moment beside Teddy’s mom while Teddy was celebrating with her father up on the podium felt so natural, like they were on their way to being one, big happy family.
She put her other arm around Stacey, who had literally been bouncing on her toes since the final ten laps of the race when it seemed like Teddy might really be able to win.
Stacey deserved to enjoy this win as much as any of Teddy’s loved ones.
She had spent her off-season in LA working with Teddy so he could stay in peak shape.
It had been a win-win for Avery; she loved having her best friend around the corner.
The national anthem ended, and the crown Prince of Monaco handed Teddy his sparkling trophy.
Stunning. Teddy triumphantly lifted it over his head to the roar of the crowd.
The Prince of Monaco had commissioned Louis Vuitton to handcraft the bespoke trophies, which were hand-painted with the fashion brand’s famous logo in the red and white colors of the Monegasque flag.
Teddy and the others put their trophies down and grabbed the champagne bottles at their feet, spraying one another with abandon. Drops of sticky, sweet bubbly drizzled onto Avery’s dark hair.
“I wish I had an umbrella right about now,” Stacey moaned, shielding her eyes.
But Avery didn’t mind, tipping her head upward to see if she could catch a drop on her tongue, savoring the taste of victory.
It was part of the fun of winning. Besides, she was going back to their hotel to shower and get dressed up before what was sure to be a wild night out at the Casino de Monte-Carlo.
Cody, the Archer driver who had caused Teddy’s crash last year, had come in third.
He was merciless, draining his magnum-sized bottle over Teddy’s head.
Teddy looked positively giddy trying to nail Cody right back.
Avery shook her head, grinning. No different than eight-year-old boys with water guns.
Teddy turned away from Cody’s onslaught and toward Klaus Erikkson, who had come in second and was stationed on Teddy’s other side. Teddy sprayed him, enticing him to join the fray. Cody, seeing Teddy momentarily distracted, stepped off his podium to go nail Teddy from behind.
But Cody’s toe clipped Teddy’s porcelain trophy as he stepped up onto Teddy’s first-place platform to douse Teddy from above. Avery bit her lip as the trophy wobbled precariously on the edge. It almost happened in slow motion, eventually toppling over and breaking into multiple pieces.
Cody looked down, mouth agape, until Teddy clapped him on the back, laughing. There were clearly no hard feelings between the racers.
“Oh no, oh my,” Teddy’s mom gasped in horror.
Avery shook her head and turned to console Margaret. “Don’t fret, they will fix it or make him a new one.” Broken first-place trophy? It was a good problem to have. You couldn’t have a broken first-place trophy without winning first place.
Margaret looked doubtful.
“Seriously, Mrs. Ross,” Chloe, a team engineer and a member of Teddy’s pit crew, chimed in. “It’s not the first time an over-exuberant driver has broken a trophy. Heck, it’s not the first time Cody has broken a trophy.” She rolled her eyes.
Chloe was one of Avery’s first hires in her new role as Silver Racing Director of Equality and Sustainability.
Brandon, the team principal, had been so impressed with Avery’s work at the gala and her commitment to creating more equality and opportunities in sports, that he’d offered her the newly created position.
With each additional day at work at the team factory, instead of the family office in Santa Monica, she felt herself grow more confident in her new role, knowing she had a real part in shaping the future of the team like she’d always dreamed.
While it had been hard to relinquish control of the foundation, she knew that Caroline would do an excellent job.
And she couldn’t pass up an opportunity to make a real difference within the Silver organization.
Her first order of business had been to recruit top female engineering talent.
She was working to build a pipeline of opportunities, starting at the karting level, for youth from all socioeconomic backgrounds to get involved in the sport.
She hoped that other teams would follow suit.
Avery looked up one last time at the podium before her gaze wandered to the crowds around her, which were noticeably thinning as fans returned back to their real lives.
Avery was happy that she too, had a real life to return to once the race was over. Racing was a huge part of her life and always would be. But she loved that it was now a part of the life she was building with Teddy, and not their whole life.
The team reconvened in the pit lane in front of Silver for hugs and photos before going their separate ways.
Avery stood on the periphery of the small crowd that had formed in front of Teddy’s garage, content to watch Teddy accept the never-ending congratulations and well wishes from a distance.
She intended to let him shine; I’ll get my time with him later.
But as soon as he spotted her, he jogged over to where she was standing, pulling her close and lifting her up for another celebratory kiss.
It reminded her of their first kiss in Austin, the euphoria, the way his lips felt soft and full, yet firm.
But the similarities ended there. Gone was the uncertainty about his motivations.
There was no holding back, no hiding her feelings.
She didn’t wonder if it was for the cameras, or who had captured the moment.
They’d tried to keep their private life private for a few months after the gala, but their friends and family had all known they were together.
And while they’d never made a public declaration that they were back together, their coupledom was old news by now, even on the internet.
She pulled her lips off his, reluctantly. She could have gotten lost in his embrace, his broad shoulders so familiar they felt like home. “You did it. Teddy Ross, F1 race winner. Congratulations, handsome,” she said, beaming. “I can’t wait to celebrate with you tonight.”
“No, we did it, and I can’t wait for tonight either,” he said, eyes shining at her.
* * *
Avery grabbed Teddy’s hand to still it as they walked through the restaurant where they’d celebrate Teddy’s win with the team over dinner before going to the casino.
He’d been fidgety the whole way there, buttoning and unbuttoning the top button of his crisp white dress shirt, tugging at the sleeves of his blazer.
“Hey, the hard part is over. This is the fun part,” she encouraged him. “I know all eyes will be on you, but let loose tonight. For once.”
He nodded, but didn’t say a word. Tugged on his sleeve again.
“Is the jacket too small?” she asked.
He shook his head.
“It looks great,” she added. “You look great.”
“And you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he said, one-upping her compliment. “I love that dress.”
She ran her hands down the smooth blue silk. She knew she looked great. And her mom was right, she’d found an occasion to wear the sexy, summery gown.
“I don’t know how I’m going to keep my hands off you in front of everyone.” His hand lingered.
Her cheeks heated.
Teddy held the door open to the private room at the back, where candles were lit, casting a romantic glow over a table set for ten. They were the last two to arrive, and the room went silent at their entrance.
Avery stopped in her tracks. What was her mom doing here? She hadn’t come to the race.
Avery paused and turned her head, looking at the rest of the faces around the table one-by-one.
Her Dad. Teddy’s mom. Expected.
Stacey. Of course.
James. Made sense.
Ben and Adam. What on earth?
Caroline. She hadn’t been at the race.
Her pulse ticked up and she turned her head toward Teddy, eyes wide.
He cleared his throat. “Everyone, if I could have your attention, please? ” He turned to her, and their eyes locked.
“Avery Silver. My bella. Months ago, as the rain was pouring down on us in your brother’s garden, I made a vow to myself that I would spend the rest of my days on this earth showing you how much I love you.
From the moment we met in the paddock, we were inevitable.
And while it wasn’t the easiest path to get here, I don’t regret a single thing that happened over the last fifteen months because it led us here to this moment. ”
He lowered himself to one knee.
Her hands flew to her lips in utter disbelief as she gasped. I’ve dreamt of this moment. Someday in the distant future. Avery’s eyes filled with tears. Of course.
“Happy tears?” Teddy asked, stopping himself.
She nodded through her tears and fanned herself, trying to dry them. “Keep going!”
The gentle laughter of everyone she loved most in the world filled her ears
“I told you then, the night of the gala, that I wanted to experience all that life has to offer with you by my side. And I don’t want to wait another day to make it official. Avery Silver, will you marry me?”
His hands reached into his shirt poached and he pulled out the world’s most perfect ring - a single, oval shaped diamond on a platinum band.
“Yes. Of course, yes,” she couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. They fell down her cheeks as he slipped the ring on her finger.
THE END