Between Soup And Speed

"Luca, I do not understand you. What are you saying?!" Luca's mother demanded, her voice sharp with confusion as her hands, gloved in thick baking mittens, brought down a steaming pot of soup from the stove. Shifting her gaze from the bubbling pot, she looked over at her two children, seated quietly at the counter. Luca was helping his younger sister, Sophia, with her homework—a usual occurrence, considering how often she resisted studying, even at her age. Her books were spread haphazardly across the counter as they both focused intently, waiting for dinner to be ready.

"Mom, this is the third time I've said it," Luca repeated, "We should drop the charges; there will be no lawsuit." He didn't look up as he spoke, his fingers steadily wrapped around a pencil as he worked through the problems with Sophia. It hadn't been long since he graduated from high school, so much of the knowledge was still fresh in his mind, making it easier for him to guide his sister whenever she needed him to help.

Mrs. Rennick ungloved her hands, letting them rest on her hips as she stared at Luca in disbelief. His statement was shocking—especially coming from him—considering the family stood to gain a significant restitution if they pursued the lawsuit. "That I have heard three times as well. What I want to know is why? Why would we drop any charges?" she snapped, punctuating her frustration by literally snapping her fingers.

"I'm dropping the charges. I'm the one who got hit, and, Mom, I'm legally an adult," Luca muttered, still not breaking his focus as he directed Sophia to jot something down. Finally, after making sure Sophia understood, he looked up at his mother, meeting her wide-eyed expression..

Mrs. Rennick's mouth hung open in shock, her eyes widening at Luca's bold proclamation. For a moment, she was at a loss for words, because, technically, he was right. He was an adult, and she had never imposed her decisions on him, trusting that Luca always thought things through on his own. Shaking her head, she muttered in frustration, snapping her fingers again before muttering a curse under her breath. "You're doing that thing of yours again," she mumbled, turning back to the stove to dish out the soup into plates.

Luca could feel the tension rising in the room, his mother's anger radiating even from a distance. He understood well that his decisions usually held the most weight in their home, ever since he had crossed the threshold of puberty into adulthood. And when Mrs. Rennick or Sophia wanted their way, it often came through emotional appeals—his mother through stern reasoning, and Sophia through her usual tears. Luca was certain that after dinner, his mother would revisit the issue in a more composed setting, probably when Sophia was asleep. She'd try to reason with him, maybe even plead with him to reconsider this sudden change of plans.

"I haven't told you why," Luca said, watching her erratic movements.

"Well, I asked that a while ago, didn't I? Did you answer?"

Luca ignored her harsh tone, turning back to Sophia and guiding her through a series of questions from her homework before finally addressing the looming conversation. "I've been recruited to Grey-Husson's Academy," he said calmly, his voice steady. "It's an academy that trains future Formula 1 racers. I've got an agent, and I'll be flying out there this week."

His mother froze mid-action, a spoonful of soup suspended in the air, her hand paused over the pot as she slowly turned to face him. Even Sophia's head jerked up, her wide eyes staring at her brother in shock. "You're being what?" the girl asked slowly, breaking the silence sooner than Luca anticipated.

"I applied, I'm recruited, trained, no matter the word, I'll be groomed as a racer onwards. That was the deal I made," Luca said with a shrug.

"And... you accepted?" Mrs. Rennick's voice trembled, her words barely steady as she tried to process what she was hearing.

"I didn't just accept it, Mom," Luca replied evenly, meeting her gaze. "I brought the deal to them. They agreed." He then turned to Sophia, who had a wide, amused grin spreading across her face. "You finished?" he asked, trying to shift the focus back to her homework.

"Are you serious? You'll be racing—like mom said Dad did?"

"Yeah, if you put it like that."

Clank!

Mrs. Rennick's soup spoon dropped back into the pot with a clang, followed by the soft thud of the plate she had been holding as she hastily set it down. Her movements were quick and agitated as she wiped her hands and stomped out of the small kitchen, passing behind Luca and Sophia without a word, retreating to her room.

Typical mom, Luca thought with a sigh as he stood up, making his way over to the pot of soup to finish what she had left behind.

"So, you're really going to be in an F1 car, zooming at a hundred miles per hour?" Sophia's voice bubbled with excitement as she closed her homework, clearly finished with it. She barely waited for him to respond before her words tumbled out again. "Are you even old enough? I thought you had an abdominal injury? Where's the Grey-Husson's Academy? You said you'll fly? You'll be on a plane?!"

Luca glanced at her and smiled, the kind of soft, reassuring smile that answered all her questions without needing words. He scooped the steaming tortilla soup from the pot, continuing where their mother had left off.

As he served Sophia her dinner, he watched her animated face as she slurped the soup, her voice still going a mile a minute, even as she drifted off to bed. She only stopped talking when her head finally hit the pillow, sleep taking her in mid-sentence.

Luca turned his attention to his own dinner, keeping it simple. He ladled a small portion of the soup into his bowl before assembling the rest: a few boiled eggs, a portion of brown rice, and a can of tuna mixed with steamed broccoli from what they had in the kitchen.

[This combination is essentially balanced and will provide exactly what's necessary overtime.]

Luca nodded as he devoured the food, draining the plate of his mom's soup clean as well, before he drank two cups of water. Is it me or has my appetite increased drastically?

[Host, this is a natural response. The routine I'm guiding you through is designed to elevate your energy demands. As your training intensifies and your body adjusts, your metabolism speeds up, thus requiring more nutrients.]

[This increased appetite is simply your body calling for more fuel to meet its heightened needs for recovery and growth.]

Luca washed off his plate before dishing out soup for his mother in a more regal bowl. He placed it carefully on a tray and made his way to her room. The door was open, and the room was dark, except for the faint glow of streetlights seeping through the window, casting dim shadows on the bed. He could see the outline of the sheets and knew his mother was lying there, likely deep in thought after what he had just revealed. Quietly, Luca walked over to the small table and placed the meal on it.

As he turned to leave, her voice stopped him.

"Lukey, please tell me you're bluffing," she said, her voice strained and weary, like always after a long day of waitressing. "You've always said you didn't want anything to do with the track."

Luca took a deep breath, turning to face the shadowy figure of his mother on the bed. "I know, Mom, but... with the changes in my life recently, it feels like this path is calling me. It feels like something I have to do."

"You know you will leave us? Me and your sister?"

"I know," Luca replied softly. "But, Mom, you know how lucrative F1 is. If I make it, we won't have to live like this anymore. We won't have to stay in this... shackle of a place."

There was a pause, the silence stretching between them as he waited for her response. Finally, her voice broke the stillness. "What if you crash? What if you... die, just like your father? What will happen to me and Sophia then? It will be me and her alone?"

Luca heaved. He had no straight response to that. Her question struck a chord, a sharp reminder of the danger inherent in the sport. It was a truth he couldn't deny. Death was always a possibility in F1—more than injuries, crashes often meant death. He stood there, speechless, unable to provide her with the comfort she needed. Instead, he offered a quiet goodnight and gestured toward the meal he'd left for her before quietly closing the door behind him.

He went through his nightly routine, checking that all the windows and doors were locked, securing the apartment as he did every day. As he moved from room to room, he wondered how his mother and sister would manage when he left—because he would be leaving soon. The announcement of his impending departure for Grey-Husson's Academy in Birmingham, despite how sudden it had been, was now his reality. They had to adapt, no matter how inconvenient it seemed.

Entering his room, he noticed Sophia was sound asleep, her breathing steady and peaceful. Luca made his bed and lay down, thinking over the events of the day. Another day, he thought as he turned off his lamplight and relaxed into his bed. He was just about to close his eyes when a sudden sound shattered the quietness, tearing away the sleep from his eyes.

[Ding!]

[Daily Quest has been issued!]

[-·-SEVENTY PUSH-UPS-·-]

[DURATION: COMPLETE BEFORE 11 PM]

[This will help enhance your upper body strength, core stability, and endurance, which are essential for handling the G-forces, steering, and long-duration physical strain that F1 racing demands.]

Luca's eyes widened as he stared at the notification. Are you freaking kidding me?!