“It’s a simple question. If you had the option to know everything about your past, would you want to?”
“Probably, yes. To know the story, I mean, but I don’t know about meeting my mother. She didn’t want me, so seeking her out could be like forcing the situation, you know? Besides, I don’t think I could see her as my mother. Ihada mother. A wonderful woman who did everything for me within her means. I never missed anything.”
“So you wouldn’t mind knowing about your origins, then?”
“I didn’t say that. Maybe out of curiosity, but blood isn’t everything. Valentina has my love, regardless of whether we work out or not, and she’s not my relative.”
He turns pale and seems like he’s about to say something, but Joaquín enters, interrupting, “Who’s this uncle’s beautiful little bee?”
Nina starts jumping on my lap and has now become a one-winged bee.
“Thank you,” I say to him with a stern face.
“Don’t be sour,” he retorts, which is so ironic coming from Joaquín that I start to laugh.
He walks over to where I am and kisses my forehead. “That’s much better. That angry expression doesn’t suit you.”
“I’ve been trying to dress her for almost half an hour.”
“She’ll be a unique bee. Nina doesn’t need to fly. Her uncle can carry her everywhere,” he says, spinning her around in the air as if she were flying, and our little girl laughs.
Since the incident with the false theft accusation, Joaquín occasionally sends messages to see how I’m doing. He’s still not Mr. Friendly, but I’ve kind of gotten used to his grumpiness.
“Is everyone ready?”
“I need to get dressed.” I give Guillermo a quick kiss and enter the suite’s bathroom.
The party is fun.
Even Stewart, the patriarch, has dressed up. He’s still young, and despite his difficulty in walking and speaking, he insisted on participating in the event with his children.
As expected, Martina didn’t come.
“Thank you.” Mrs. Isabel stands next to me and touches my face.
“For what? I didn’t do anything. You two are perfect together.”
“But you’re bringing joy back to us. After Stewart’s second stroke, we didn’t have many reasons to smile other than Valentina. So thank you for reminding us that life can also be good.”
“I should thankyoufor welcoming me here.”
Again, she gives me that indecipherable look, but this time, I’m not willing to let it go. “I always feel like you want to tell me something but give up halfway. Why?” I know I’m being bold, but I don’t like secrets, and my intuition has told me since the first day I met her that she’s hiding something.
“My son is very enchanted by you.”
I open my mouth, astonished. It was the last thing I expected to hear.
“He went through some tough months with Nina’s mother. I’m not saying Guillermo is perfect. God knows I’m not that kind of mother, but he was a good father and also tried to be a good husband, despite not loving Layla.”
Part of me thinks I should tell her to stop because if he wants to talk about his marriage, he can do it in person, butcuriosity wins, and I remain silent, waiting. However, before she can finish, Rafe appears dressed as Julius Caesar[4] and offers us popcorn.
I thank him and excuse myself.
Distraught, I try to move away a bit to think and head to the balcony. It’s quite cold, but strangely, the door is open.
I’m just about to close it and go back inside when I hear Joaquín’s voice.
“So, in the end, everything worked out.”
