Epilogue
Eighteen months later
Lorenzo and all the Cress brothers stood together at the bar, watching their wives all gathered around Josephine’s sculpture of Lorenzo she called “Temptation.” Although plenty of her other works were displayed, ranging from sketches to paintings and photography, the sculpture drew the most attention. It was the undeniable star of her first exhibition. The men all shared long looks when their wives glanced back over their shoulders at Lorenzo before turning back to the sculpture with girlish giggles.
Leaning back against the bar made of brick, Lorenzo looked down at the polished black boots he wore with his hand-tailored black suit and a black shirt. His hair hung free and was naturally parted down the middle. His jewelry honoring his heritage in place.
“That’s way more of you than I care to ever see again, Zo,” Cole drawled, breaking the silence.
Lorenzo turned his head and sipped from his snifter of brandy to prevent the men he loved as brothers from seeing his smile.
Gabe was the first to chuckle. Soon, the rest of his brothers joined in.
“Don’t worry. You won’t,” Lorenzo assured the rebel Cress brother.
Cole raised his own snifter of brown liquor in a toast to that.
Lorenzo was immensely proud of Josephine. After setting up new social media accounts and a website to promote her art, she received several commissions from high-profile clients, leading to her getting signed by one of the top art agents in New York. She had resigned from her job at the bank and spent the last year preparing art pieces in the hopes of landing an exhibit. Dramatic photographs. Sketches of depth and quality. Paintings that drew emotions. All while completing the sculpture of him. She gave in entirely to her love of creativity, which was expressed in each of the fifty pieces of art by Josephine Cortez. Each was created with love.
He looked around the space crowded with art lovers, family, friends, and critics, wanting to view the beauty of her work. The way that he knew she could. The way he’d wanted their daughter to see her mother.
He smiled when he saw the back of her curly head that had grown long since their engagement. Her strapless gold dress hugged her curves, and when she turned, he loved that it, too, clung to her round belly. They were also celebrating the addition to their family in three months or so. Zoie was ecstatic. Alania had finally thawed her chill toward Josephine. His mother was all smiles. Josephine was excited for them to enjoy every moment of their new baby together.
And I’ve never been happier.
Life was good. Better than ever—personally and professionally.
Both he and Josephine were flourishing in their careers. They were about to begin filming the third season of his show, Cortez Cooks, where his mother always appeared with him on the first and last episode of the season to the delight of her newfound fans. Although Josephine’s agent thought she could get her work into any of the top art galleries on the East Coast, his wife of the last year had insisted on something more personal–the very building that housed her art studio. Lorenzo had indeed purchased not just the restaurant but the entire building. Once the multi-year lease of the clothing boutique owner was complete, he and Josephine decided to turn the large and beautiful space into a small gallery that mainly displayed the work of those artists who rented studios in the building. His restaurant, Cortez, was catering the event and was doing exceptionally well under his leadership and dynamic menu.
Lorenzo saw Josephine excuse herself and make her way over to him. He pushed off the bar and left behind the brothers to meet her halfway. “Happy, mariposa?” he asked her before bending to kiss the colorful butterfly she sketched and had tattooed to the top of her right shoulder.
“Very,” she said, pressing both hands to her belly. “I’ve sold so many pieces!”
He gave a quick glance at the sculpture. Seeing the Cress brothers’ wives had finally moved on from it, he looked back over his shoulder and found them all consoling their husbands with kisses and smiles. “And the sculpture?” he asked as he turned his head to look down at his gorgeous wife.
“Many offers,” she said, easing her hand into his.
“But?” he prompted.
“It’s not for sale,” she promised him.
Lorenzo chuckled. “Good,” he said.
They stared at each other with dreamy smiles.
“I love me some you, Lorenzo León Cortez,” Josephine told him. “For your belief in my dreams. For your love. For Zoie. And for our son, Sebastian, too.”
He looked down at her belly. His mother had been overwhelmed and emotional when they revealed they planned to name their son after his father–her Bas.
“And I love you, mariposa. Always,” he promised her. “I’m thankful that we could make our way back to each other. It’s more than I even dreamed of all those years ago.”
Josephine raised her toes in her heels, and Lorenzo lowered his head to capture her plump lips with his mouth.
“Listen, Bas, these two are always at it. Get ready.”
With their mouths still pressed together, they laughed before looking down at Zoie, bending over to talk near her mother’s belly. Their daughter, who seemed to have sprouted a full inch, looked much older than her fourteen years in a metallic gold tuxedo suit that matched the color of her mother’s outfit. She rose to her full height and ran her hands through her hair, which was blown straight and parted down the middle like her father and abuela.
“I’m your kid.”
He reached to wrap an arm around her thin shoulders as he remembered her announcement two years ago. Well, that kid had made him a believer in fatherhood. He adored her. Nothing thrilled him more than when they officially had her last name changed to Cortez.
With a kiss to the top of Zoie’s head that made her smile up at him, he wrapped his free arm around Josephine and pulled her to his side. He loved their family and was excited about the future for them all.
When he looked up, he saw his mother watching them across the gallery as she sipped from a glass of champagne. Her turquoise earrings dangled daintily as she gave him a nod of her approval before raising her glass to him and his family in a silent toast that warmed his heart.