Chapter 409 - Seven Years Later - mdfour
Roland
I watch my wife finish getting ready. At forty-four, she's more stunning than ever, with a bit more flesh, but it suits her well. I still desire her, and she can still get me hard like no one else. We still make love in every possible way.
"Stop looking at me like you want to devour me; we don't have time. Stop being so lewd." I smiled. "And that charming mature-man smile won't be enough to get me to spread my legs this time."
"I didn't say anything." I smiled. "I'm satisfied with this morning's quickie." She spun around to show me that she's a beautiful woman in her forties, and I'm in my fifties.
"You're still the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth."
"Thank you." I saw her sadden. "Dad would have loved to see his grandkids graduate."
"That's life, Beautiful. I'm worried about Mom. She's been sad ever since my father-in-law passed away two years ago."
"Yes." Verónica is deeply affected by deaths. "But having all the festivities at Las Alondras has cheered her up quite a bit."
"We need to go. We have just enough time to get to San Antonio."
"You know, you still haven't told me what you did to our kids as punishment. You still haven't told me."
"I'll tell you later. Maybe tomorrow."
"You've been saying that for two years." She complained.
We went downstairs. My four children were waiting in the living room. My princess was about to receive her veterinary degree, following in her mother's footsteps. Liam was an international musician and concert performer, but we tried to keep him from going out much. When he did, one of us accompanied him; he was too noble.
We were thrilled when his last exam showed he was fit to start a family. His syndrome was mild, and psychologically, he could handle it. It's hard to say, but of my four children, he was the only one still a virgin. He said he'd wait for his wife.
"And don't think about it, Roland. Don't think about how much I want to kill my princess's current boyfriend, that useless, idiotic, pretty-boy Barbie doll."
I know something happened two years ago, and there's a precious reason that keeps reminding me. In that ruckus between all our kids, we decided not to intervene, not to take sides, on the advice of the family elders. It was the best decision; they have to live their lives, and we just have to guide them.
Enrique completed two degrees simultaneously, architecture and business management. A couple of years ago, I handed everything over to him, and since then, I've only focused on my ranch and Jaque Mate's operations.
Dante... let's see in the chess game we have pending if he sees what I need him to see so I can hand over Jaque Mate's direction. My eldest graduated in psychology, focusing on human behavior. He also knows everything about the ranch empirically and loves horses.
"It's time to go."
The graduation was at a university in San Antonio. A few days ago, I had asked Cooper for permission to leave, and the response I got was that I was free for good behavior. It felt so good to have the two microchips removed from my body. Now I'm free, and I have a big surprise for Verónica.
"Dad, we can't all fit in the car," Enrique said, always the show-off, as his mother calls him.
"I'll go with him," Dante said.
"Me too," Liam said.
"Princess?"
"I'll go with you guys, you spoiled ones." Verónica smiled.
Watching them graduate, Liam and Enrique with honors, though they are all excellent students. Verónica couldn't stop crying beside me, and I didn't, so as not to lose my status as an unyielding and serious man. I just clenched my butt to avoid showing weakness. I'm more than proud.
Never in my damn life did I imagine I'd be so happy to be a father. Every day, I regret and ask for forgiveness for having suggested to Verónica that she solve that problem. And seeing them now on that stage, receiving their professional diplomas, makes my chest swell impressively. I now understand my friends who have already gone through this.
Three men bigger than me, my two intruders who are the pillars protecting my princess and my special one... my special one, love made human. It's true what they say, that if you're given a special child, it's because it's a blessing. I got the greatest one. Because without a doubt, they are all my greatest blessing.
That time they burst into the barracks, when I was beating Jhon, which I regretted because they made me realize that revenge leads nowhere. I was going to be prosecuted and sentenced to three life sentences. It was just my ego wanting to show him I was better.
That's why I fell without hesitation to impose power. I had already received justice; my issue was pride. That night, they gave me a great lesson. I watched Liam receive his diploma, and he would be the one to speak for his faculty.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen." He adjusted his glasses. "My peers chose me to give the words of thanks for a completed cycle and for being an example of perseverance." Veronica was going to dehydrate if she kept crying like that. "My father affectionately calls me his tagalong." Damn, I couldn't stop the tears from falling even if I tried.
"And I say, yes, I was; somewhere in another life, I realized what great parents they would be, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. It has been a joy to grow up in the family I belong to." I was done for, I pulled out my handkerchief. "They treated me as an equal. I never felt different or privileged for having Down syndrome, punishments, privileges, affections, and scoldings were all the same.
"Even my sister would hit all three of us when we deserved it, or if one of us made a mistake, she'd hit the other two so we'd learn from the other's error. Victoria Sandoval's exact words." The audience laughed.
"I'll share one of the many phrases my father has told me throughout my life. 'Liam, if your mind and your will tell you that you want to do it, and if it doesn't harm anyone, and it brings you the satisfaction of an achievement in your life... DO IT.' Despite the resistance outside my family, I would come home and recharge my energy.
"Because if I didn't succeed the first time, I had two siblings who would take the time to explain it to me again, a sister who would say, let's try again, and parents whose proud looks encouraged me to keep going because they believed I could." Damn, even my chin was trembling.
"Dad, Mom, today I graduate, and thank you for believing in me, for telling me daily, try until you succeed, we're here. Thanks to God, as my father calls Him, for letting me sneak into this family, because I am proud of the parents I have, of the siblings by blood and heart that life has given me.
"I tell you, don't let your surroundings tell you that you can't, if it doesn't harm anyone and your mind, soul, and heart ask for it, work until you achieve it, whatever your dream, your desire, your goal. God bless you."
The crowd applauded, his siblings hugged him, and I sat there like a crushed mushroom, crying silently in my chair.
"Roland." Veronica took my hand.
"After all, I wasn't a bad dad, was I?"
The arms of the woman who came into my life and turned it upside down wrapped around me. She is and will always be the angel who came to teach this demon how to love, and she undoubtedly succeeded in taming me.
"You've been the best father in the world. I love you."
The celebration moved to my mother's ranch. Everyone celebrated the new graduates. I looked at my son Dante, saw him glance at Dayana. Something happened between them after that incident two years ago, and now they don't speak. But that was my son's life; now I had to do something else. I approached him.
"Dante, come with me."
"Sure, Dad."
In silence, we headed to the basement, entered the elevator, and reached the command center. There was the chess game we'd been playing for the past two months.
"Do you really want to play now?"
"Just analyze the move."
While he did, I went to get what I came to give him. When I returned, he was scratching his chin.
"Well... I have you in check in two ways."
"And what else?"
"Are you evaluating me?"
"Just answer, son."
"If I take you with the queen, your knight takes her, and you're no longer in check, everything turns against me. If I take you with my knight, I... " His eyes lit up.
"It's been like this for eight days. And if you analyze the last games, you've had this possibility, but you were too focused on winning. Now that your mind is clear and not fixated on the game, you noticed."
"Could I have beaten you weeks ago?"
"Since you were nineteen, you've been able to do it. But you didn't see it." Dante moved the knight.
"Checkmate, Dad." It was the first time he beat me.
"That's right, son, you did it." I handed him the briefcase with my suit. "I'm retiring." His eyes widened. "I was just waiting for you to see what you just saw in the game. The art of chess is playing on two levels, not just knowing how to move your pieces, but playing with the opponent's strategies. How would they move? What would they think? What strategies would they play? Always, Dante, always have the enemy playing your game."
"But Dad..."
"It's time to dedicate myself to your mom, give her what she deserves, and for my past, I forced her to stay in these lands, by my side. For a couple of years, we'll only come at Christmas. You're in charge of everything now, Enrique in business, you here and at the ranch, keeping an eye on Liam and his performances. You're ready, play your game, son, with your mind, heart, and soul, without stepping on anyone. Power can be used for good. Now let's go back to your graduation party. From now on, Checkmate enters your era."
THE END