Chapter 66
blue, red, and a future together
VICTORIA
Night has fallen over the island, bathing it in that magic that sparkles like stars.
All around me, the guests are dancing and having fun to the beat of a Maluma song, drinking and gathering with their friends to celebrate a moment that, for me personally, has been unforgettable.
My feet are exhausted from all the jumping and twirling, and my heart is pounding with a strength I haven’t felt in a very long time.
From where I stand, I can see Elena smiling and laughing with her brother, enjoying herself and twirling her dress with her hands.
Weddings are like that—unique. No matter how many times you attend one, each one has something special, and in this case, perhaps it’s the fact that we’ve all come together after so many years apart.
With a glass of champagne in my hand, I take a sip and glance behind me.
The sea roars as it crashes against the cliffs, and from the hotel’s observation deck, I can smell the scent of salt and freedom.
I don’t know how many times over the years I’ve wished to be right here, with my eyes closed and my heart at peace.
I know I needed it and that I forbade myself from finding my own peace, and now I know that the problem I had was that I had torn away a part of myself that was indispensable to my daily life.
Not seeing the kids, not being able to spend vacations with them, not being with Elena…
it was all painfully damaging, and I suffered in silence.
I was submerged in a depression that not even I recognized.
Before my eyes, the moon paints the world with silvery sparkles, and these cause my mind to wander in its own thoughts.
I still don’t believe I deserve this gift; I have the chance to start a new chapter in my life, with new dreams to fulfill, with the people I love close to me, and on the island where I’ve always wanted to live.
It won’t be easy for me to start from scratch, to take my work from here, but I know I’ll do well and that I’ll adapt because that’s what I want right now.
Besides, I’m lucky to be able to share my days with the woman I love…
though, for that to happen, I still have one thing left to do.
As I turn and take a sip from my glass, I find Elena looking me straight in the eyes without blinking.
Without me saying a word, she moves closer and lets me see those curves that have been accentuated by the dress she’s wearing—a dress that left me speechless and my heart racing.
She’s beautiful—I’ll never tire of telling her that—and as soon as she’s by my side, I greet her with a kiss that she returns with the love we’ve always shared.
“I thought I wouldn’t find a moment to be alone with you,” I whisper against her lips once we pull apart. “Aren’t you tired from all that dancing?”
“I still have plenty of energy left,” she replies, and her smile makes me laugh. “Are you tired? We can go home if you want…”
“No, no, I’m in the perfect place right now,” I add, wrapping my arms around her waist, leaning against the railing, and feeling the sea breeze brush against the back of my neck. “Being with you is the only thing that matters to me. You know that, right?”
“I’ve always known that,” she admits, looking up at the sky stretching out above our heads.
“Although I suppose I was partly to blame for how certain things played out,” she tries to explain.
“Besides, the misunderstanding… well…” She shrugs.
“I’m sorry I believed it; I shouldn’t have let my fears speak for me. ”
“Sometimes it’s impossible not to.” I stroke her cheek with one of my hands. “But that doesn’t matter anymore, because now we’re together and everything else takes a back seat.”
“Have you thought about what you’re going to do about the job? Do you have any ideas?”
“A good friend got me a position at a news agency, and honestly, I think I’m going to take it,” I say with an excited smile.
“I won’t have to leave here except for occasional trips, nor will I have to work full-time, and I’ll be able to start a family if I want to.
” Elena looks at me and bites her lower lip as she scans for the rest of the group.
“And I’ll be here for as long as it takes to help you and live the life we’ve both wanted so much. ”
“It’s a shame that in the end you had to give all that up…”
“Well, sometimes you have to let go,” I say as I pull her much closer to me.
“And they didn’t act right either. I would have stayed at the newspaper if they’d given me other options.
You know it was my dream, but, well… in the long run, I’m sure things wouldn’t have changed, and I couldn’t afford to lose you again.
And what can I say? I don’t plan on being away from you any longer. ”
Elena smiles, and as I look into her eyes, I realize that my words have made them shine with a magical intensity I haven’t felt in a long time.
“And where do you want us to start? Because…”
“I want to marry you.” I stop her from continuing.
“Although that’s up to you…” I add, searching her eyes for a hint of refusal.
“I know we’ve spent a long time apart, that we have to learn to live together again, that we’re not the same people anymore, but…
” Elena leans in, and before continuing, she kisses my lips with a confidence that overwhelms my senses and freezes time.
“We already are…” she murmurs just as she pulls away from me. “I never left you, Vicky. I’ve stayed connected to you all these years, and it doesn’t matter whether or not we have a signed piece of paper—I’m still your wife.”
“Well, then, you’ll have to take this…” As I move, she steps away from me, and I reach into the pocket of my dress for a black jewelry box I’d kept with me as a memento of what we once were.
“You can’t have kept them…” she exclaims, and I nod a couple of times once I open it in front of her and show her our wedding rings. “Why didn’t you throw them away?”
“I guess I was also holding onto the hope that someday we’d find each other again.”
“This is our second chance…” she reminds me, holding the ring between her fingers. “Do you realize how lucky we are?”
“I know,” I say, reaching for hers to look at it and remember the day we said ‘I do.’ “It’s not the first time I’ve done this, but I still feel my knees go weak,” I explain, holding her hand and sliding that band of diamonds onto her finger.
“From now on, let’s forget the past and rewrite our story.
There are so many things we haven’t done together yet. ”
“Like what?” she asks as she seals our union by slipping the ring onto my finger.
“Adopt a dog,” I reply, raising an eyebrow, and she bursts out laughing.
“Then we’ll have to make a list,” she warns me. “Because I want to do some things, too.”
“Like what?”
“Become mothers,” she says, and my heart starts racing. “I’ve always wanted to do that with you. Fill our house with children… can you imagine?”
“Of course I can…” I assure her with a smile. “But first, before that, let’s make up for lost time and enjoy the days ahead.”
“Sounds perfect to me.” In a matter of seconds, our voices blend with the music and the noise, putting an end to a past filled with fears and suffering, and beginning a story that I’m eager to live to the fullest.