Epilogue Part 1

Guillermo
A month later

"Why dinner at your parents’ house on a weekday?"

I glance at her and notice she’s restless. My little rocket seems ready to take off at any moment.

"You can barely sit still, can you?"

"Of course I can. I’m not anxious, just trying to understand."

"Beautiful, you’re the worst liar in the world."

"Alright, maybe I’m a little anxious, but only because I don’t like surprises."

"And lies only make it worse…"

"I could punish you for keeping secrets."

Whoa!

"What kind of punishment are we talking about?"

Now I’m paying close attention. If it’s a sex strike, the idea of a surprise will be quickly reconsidered.

"I’ll think of something, maybe tie you to the bed and give you pleasure indefinitely."

"That sounds more like a gift than a punishment."

"God, you’re a relentless negotiator. Now you’ve got me."

"You should have offered something more like a trial, because love, being with you naked giving me pleasure, even unable to use my hands, is my definition of heaven."

"I give up."

We’re stopped at the light and I pull her in for a kiss.

"Actually, we’ll have two surprises today."

"Oh my God! You must be trying to give me gastritis with all this anxiety."

I drive in silence for a while, seeing her agitation grow. When we finally reach my mother’s house, before she can jump out, I scoop her into my arms.

"Hasn’t anyone told you that waiting can be more fun than the surprise itself?"

"For people who don’t suffer from anxiety, maybe. Not my case. There’s nothing I can do to convince you to tell me?"

She wiggles in my lap, teasing.

"Why tell me when you can just see?"

We stare at each other in silence for only a few seconds, then she cups my face and kisses me. First softly, and in the next moment, we’re burning.

"My God, love." I pull back to catch my breath. "How do you do this to me?"

"What?" She also looks a little dazed, lost in our world.

"You drive me crazy too fast."

"We drive each other crazy, you mean. I’m dying to take your clothes off right here."

"I’m not sure that would be a good idea." I turn my head toward the house, and when Olívia sees Joaquín approaching, she jumps from my lap like escaping a fire.

"Jesus, how embarrassing!"

The annoying jerk of a brother taps on the glass. When I open the door, he says without ceremony,

"Aren’t you guys a bit old to be making out in the car?"

Now Olívia’s cheeks look like two red stains.

"Good evening to you too," she says with a scowl.

"Hi, sister-in-law." He ignores her bad mood. "Come on. We were waiting for you, and someone’s impatient to see you."

We walk to the entrance and my heart races at what’s about to happen.

When the door opens, Olívia freezes.

Nina is standing, upright.

"Oh my God, love! You did it!"

Nina had been practicing steps for days, but only last night did she finally take her first ones. Today, Mom said she hasn’t stopped.

Responding to Olívia’s excited greeting, she starts walking, wobbles, and sits down.

Her beautiful forehead wrinkles in a frustrated frown, but before anyone can help, she gets on all fours and rises again.

"That’s it, my darling. You’re so clever. My determined little girl."

Olívia kneels and opens her arms. Valentina hesitates, unsure, but only for a moment, then takes tiny steps to reach her.

When my girlfriend hugs her, their emotions show differently.

Nina laughs, triumphant.

Olívia cries, kissing my daughter’s head.

I finally feel complete. My whole world gathered: Nina, the best part of me, and Olívia, the woman I chose to live with until the day I die.

"Sweetheart, come with Daddy for a moment."

I kneel beside them and take the little box I’ve been keeping in my pocket since we got back together. Nina starts walking toward me. Olívia was already rising, but I hold her arm.

"Not yet, love," I tell my woman. "Princess Nina." I begin, and she laughs. I don’t know why, but every time we call her princess, she bursts out laughing. "Can you give this to Olívia and ask if she would do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Valentina holds the little box, clueless, but Olívia understands.

Unlike all her previous reactions, this time it’s as if she’s moving in slow motion.

She looks from me to Nina and back to me.

"You will be mine now," she says.

This time, she steals my words. What she says is far stronger than a yes. Olívia is declaring to the world that she won’t give up on us.

"Never doubt that, love."

We join in a triple embrace, and I alternate kisses between her and my daughter.

Our family applauds, Nina smiles, and Olívia and I lose ourselves in each other’s eyes.



"And so, when will the wedding be?" Mom asks.

"We’ll need to double down on security." Yes, you guessed it. That was him. Joaquín.

"Con-gra-tu-la-tions," Dad says with effort.

He’s improving. It’s a slow process, but my father is a warrior.

"I’ll be the best man," Rafe declares. "I’m the bride’s best friend."

"I’ll be the best man," Gael interrupts, on a video call.

He’s finishing his new film but insisted on joining the dinner, even remotely.

Only Martina is missing for the joy to be complete.

I thought about waiting for her, but since she’s delayed returning home several times, I gave up. I hope she arrives in time for the wedding because I’m not willing to prolong the engagement a single day more than necessary.

I look at the woman who holds my heart.

"Hey." I take her hand, squeezing it lightly.

Nina is in her lap, and Olívia hasn’t stopped smiling for a single minute since the proposal. This might make me sound caveman-like, but seeing the engagement ring on her finger feels amazing.

As I fall silent, staring at her doll-like face, she takes the initiative.

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing’s wrong. I just don’t want to wait. Even if you want a glamorous wedding for a thousand guests, just tell me what you need and it will be arranged, but I don’t want to wait too long."

She starts laughing.

"A thousand guests? Where did you get that number?"

"Doesn’t matter. I just need you to know the wedding will be however you want. Complete freedom for everything, but I want to get married in no more than two months."

"I don’t want a wedding for a thousand guests, but I insist it be in a church. Wait. Can you get married in a church?"

"I’m a widower, so according to Catholic dogma I could, but anyway, there was no religious ceremony the first time. With you, I’ll do everything properly."

"It’s not about the party itself, but about the blessing, Guillermo. I have a lot of faith."

"Whatever you want, little rocket."