Epilogue 1 We're going to win that prize!

Epilogue 1 We're going to win that prize!
Epilogue 1: We're Going to Win That Prize!

Alejandro is already three and a half years old. My son Alejandro is beautiful, very happy, smiling, and talkative. He loves all his grandmothers.

He adores Cristina, calls her Cristi, and gives her lots of hugs and kisses. He loves Mommy Rosalía very much and calls her Mommy. He accompanies Margaret on her shopping trips and calls her Margi, and he calls Alfred Grandpa. Hana and Eduardo are his aunt and uncle.

We now have our Rosa Alexandra, who is one year old. Valeria had a different pregnancy with her; she experienced dizziness and vomiting. Later, the pregnancy stabilized and continued without issues. The birth was beautiful; our baby girl was born just as we arrived at the clinic. When my daughter was born, I gave my wife another pendant, which represented our little girl.

Alejandro has my kind of eyes. What can I say, my genes are strong. My kids also love the chocolate cupcakes and cookies that their grandmother Rosalía makes.

Rosa Alexandra has blue eyes and Alejandro has black eyes. While he has hair like mine, Rosa Alexandra is very blonde, thanks to the genes from the White family, my maternal side, which annoys Valeria a bit since they don’t resemble her or her family at all.

We found out about Rosa Alexandra's pregnancy the same way we did with Alejandro. We went to inquire about birth control, as we were using condoms, and found out we were already expecting.

So we looked at each other and burst out laughing, then continued our lives, waiting for our baby.

When that little ray of light was born, our joy was complete. We had a boy and a girl. With my daughter, my happiness was complete. I felt the same emotion as when Alejandro was born.

My little one is already trying to say "daddy," although Valeria says it’s not true. She’s a beautiful girl, already giving kisses and loving her three grandmothers and two godparents.

She loves Hana and Eduardo a lot too, as they practically come over every weekend.

Alejandro had a hard time accepting that there was another baby in the house. He’s everyone’s favorite, but we taught him that he needed to take care of his little sister and got him involved in helping us with her.

Margaret and Alfred moved into the house that the young Spaniard bought near ours. He never lived there, so he sold it to them, and they no longer want to return to the United States.

They say they feel lonely in that country, and their children don’t have much free time since Ebony has become famous and very well-known, and their son is busy with the branch of Alfred’s company in another country.

We see Margaret and Alfred’s children at Christmas and New Year’s, but it’s difficult the rest of the year. So, the Collins see us as their own family, and even my eldest son Alejandro spends a lot of time at their house.

Rosa Alexandra and Alejandro are two happy babies who adore their uncles, all three of them, although Sofía is in college and they see her less often.

In the end, Sofía decided to pursue a degree in business administration, and she’s doing well. When she needs my help, we talk via video calls.

If there’s one thing I don’t like, it’s that the famous Guillermo also goes to that university. But I’ve talked to her about being careful and what guys might want from women. I worry about Sofía at university. She’s a young girl raised in a close family and isn’t used to the world’s malice.

Sofía is a beautiful young college student, well-focused on what she wants, and has many suitors. So, I keep an eye on my little sister; I don’t want any random guy thinking he can take advantage of her and her innocence.

Valeria tells me that Sofía is very mature for her age, but I remind her that Sofía has lived an adult life in a sheltered environment. That doesn’t mean she’s mature, and she might want to spread her wings at university without her family’s control.

“Dubois, I trust Sofi, and you should trust her too.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust her. The reality out there is tough, my love.”

…

Rosalía is a proud mom and a doting grandmother. She’s still the same, always insisting that we eat and try her grandmother’s or mother’s recipes. She has many recipes in her mind, not written down anywhere. I suspect they are her own recipes, but she doesn’t want her daughters to forget their maternal and paternal grandmothers, keeping their memories alive. She’s clever and sweet!

In a conversation we once had, she told me that we must honor our families. They were here before us, and thanks to them, we are who we are. We owe them everything for their work and effort.

That’s why I suspect those recipes she imagines are a way to ensure we don’t forget her ancestors.

Cristina can be described in one word: Happy! Since Sofi left, she moved into Rosalía’s apartment. One of my kids is always with them. If anyone has changed during this time, it’s Cristina. She’s more open, more confident, feels at home, and adores my children.
...

Right now, we're at Sweet Desserts for the cake competition. I convinced my girl and Sofi to participate, and she came especially to help Valeria. I've spent months perfecting a mechanical device for the cake she'll make in the competition. I know she'll be the winner.

We're the perfect trio: two bakers and an engineer, all going for the contest prize.

Everyone is here—grandmas, uncles, and kids—cheering for Valeria and Sofía. The girls start making the cake, which has themed decorations, lots of dolphins, and lotus flowers.

There are many professionals here. Valeria told me not to get my hopes up about her winning because there are professionals from all over the world, and she's really just an amateur.

I trust her. Her cakes are divine. My wife makes delicious cakes, and I have to keep exercising daily. I run a few miles in the morning and evening to stay in shape.

I look around and see true works of art, things I never thought possible. There's an elite group of bakers who are very haughty and look down on the other bakers.

At the end, in the center, is the device I've perfected. It's small, but it's a slide that ends in a fountain with a dolphin and water, surrounded by the cake. It's set up so the water runs down a slide with many colored lights and reaches the dolphin.

It works with a small motor and doesn't touch the cake but sits in the middle. We need the entire cake to be edible, and the slide to appear incorporated, so I added extra trays for the girls to place the cakes. It's the magic of engineering. I got excited and enjoyed this project a lot. The design was easy, and the construction took me back to my beginnings.

Right now, they're working on the cake. It must be decorated right there, the sponge cake already made. I'm on standby in case they need my help and recording the video. My mechanical device isn't a masterpiece of engineering; it's simple, but together it will look great. I know my wife's cake looks and tastes exquisitely good. She's been practicing all these days.

Valeria and Sofi have practiced together, and we've enjoyed many exquisite cakes. Sofi is on vacation, and that's where the idea to participate came from.

The judges are renowned bakers and chefs. I didn't know this contest was international. It's so important that it's being broadcast on national television.

I see my kids there, cheering to encourage their mom and aunt.

There's no trace of the old Dubois. I'm a Dubois who lies on the floor for his kids to pinch his ears and punch his stomach.

I've taught Alejandro to ride his tricycle. I dance and sing for my kids. In short, I make a fool of myself, and I don't care if people see me.

I also cook sometimes. I make cookies for my kids, especially when my friends come over. I still sit my wife on my lap and feed her, and she feeds me. That hasn't changed. I also keep my elegance in dressing well, which is something innate.

...

My wife and my sister-in-law have finished the cake. The judges deliberate, tasting a portion of each cake made by the many contestants.

They evaluate the taste, composition, use of ingredients, and the mechanical device, all framed within an overall composition, a design, to be precise.

I'm anxious. I've never felt this anxious. My doll is calm; you can see her tranquility. Sofi, on the other hand, is nervous. They're judging a skill I know they have. They demonstrate it every day. My doll hugs Sofi and whispers something in her ear, and they smile.

Before coming, my doll explained to me, "I started baking as a way to improve our income and help mom. She didn't want me to drop out of school, so I managed to help her that way.

At first, they were simple cakes. Then I started remembering what Dad taught me. He used to make desserts with me. It was his way of wooing Mom every day, and during Mom's illness, it was my way of escaping that reality. I don't need to be graded. This is my passion."

Nevertheless, my wife and sister-in-law were awarded that day for their creativity. It was the most creative design and the best-tasting cake. The judges loved the composition of that cake, the colors. It conveyed an unimaginable purity, and they captured it. It was art, simply art.

The joy of my wife and her sister was recorded in my video. Maybe she didn't care if she won or not, but that day, having others recognize her art was satisfying and motivating for Valeria and especially for Sofi.