Chapter Fifty-Five Lily
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Lily
M y sister insisted on us getting ready for the engagement party at Lorenzo’s house because she thought it would save us the trouble of having to drive over there. We’re the type to run late to everything, so I agree.
Lorenzo paid for a team of people to help us with hair and makeup, so Dahlia, Josefina, my mom, and I get the full work-up. Josefina suggested I use the same people for my wedding day, and I nod along, knowing full well it will be a while before that.
I’m trying to take our relationship slow, although it doesn’t help that to the public, we’re engaged.
Lorenzo on the other hand has fully embraced his status as a fiancé, even going so far as handpicking my engagement-party dress. It is perfect, with the baby-pink dress nearly looking white in certain angles.
There is a note attached to the tag, and I escape into the bathroom to read it.
I couldn’t picture you wearing anything but your favorite neutral.
There is no signature, but I could recognize Lorenzo’s fancy scrawl anywhere.
My sister pounds on the door to remind me of the time, and I force myself to put the note away and get dressed. The midi dress fits like the seamstress had my exact measurements in mind.
When I step out of the bathroom, three gasps fill the air.
“Que belleza,” my mom says at the same time as Josefina’s, “Mira ese vestido.”
My sister says nothing since her mouth is hanging wide open while she gawks at my new shoes—another hand-chosen gift from Lorenzo.
“How are you going to walk outside in those?” she asks.
“I’m sure that was Lorenzo’s intention.” He loves for me to cling to him almost as much as he likes carrying me when my heels start sinking into the ground.
My mom checks her phone and shrieks. “We’ve got to go!”
“Relax,” Dahlia says.
“The party is right outside,” I remind them.
All three of them look at each other like a perfectly-timed sitcom.
“What?” I ask.
“The party isn’t here,” Dahlia responds without saying anything else.
Everyone ignores my questions as we all climb into Dahlia’s sedan and head toward the south side of town. Dahlia pulls onto Lopez Lane, which is pretty empty.
“Where is everyone?” I ask.
“They’ll be here in an hour.”
I’m too shocked by the time change to ask any more questions, so I stay silent as my sister parks in front of our house.
“Wait here for Lorenzo,” Dahlia says before disappearing into the house with my mom and Josefina.
It takes a few minutes, but my fiancé walks through the side gate with a breathtaking smile on his face, wearing a form-fitting, navy-blue sports coat and light-colored pants that bring the outfit together.
He also happens to be wearing loafers that remind me of the pair I accidentally ruined.
“Please tell me those are new shoes,” I say after he kisses me.
He laughs. “That’s the first thing you have to say to me?”
“Do you want me to compliment your outfit instead?”
He checks me out again, as if one pass wasn’t enough to get the full experience. “I’d much rather focus on yours.”
I kiss him again. “Thank you for the dress.”
He gives me a spin, and I stumble thanks to my stilettos.
“Shall we?” He offers me his arm, and I lock elbows with his.
“What happened to having the party at your house?” I ask as he leads me through the gate.
“I had a different idea.”
“Honestly I was a bit hesitant about asking everyone to remove their shoes at the door, so I suppose this is better.”
He hits me with another smile that makes him look way younger. Less…bothered, even. “I’m going to ask you to close your eyes.”
“Um…”
“Trust me.”
Reluctantly, I shut my eyes and allow Lorenzo to lead me through the grass. The ground beneath my heels changes from grass to pebbles, and if it weren’t for his arm gripping mine, I’d trip.
“Almost there.”
The soft sound of water rushing makes my heart stutter. I haven’t visited the fountain since the last time Lorenzo was here, so I have no idea why he—
“You can open them now.”
I want to, but I’m scared of what I might see. Lorenzo doesn’t push me, so I wait for what feels like a whole minute before I open my eyes.
My father’s garden instantly brings me to tears.
Gone are the dreary, half-dead hedges and long-abandoned flower beds, and in its place are flowers of all types.
Healthy hedges surround us on all sides, and the old, weathered bench has been replaced with a new one.
A white trellis hangs above, where healthy vines with tiny flowers are woven between the wood slates, providing some shade from the sun above.
Everything about the space is perfect, and it fills me with such immense joy to see my father’s garden thriving once more. It’s everything I could’ve dreamed of, and it reminds me so much of how it used to look back when my father took care of it.
Lorenzo shuffles us over to the bench with a golden plaque screwed to the seat. The metal is engraved with my dad’s favorite saying: Un Munoz nunca se rinde.
He wipes a water spot off the plaque. “Maybe one day, we can update the phrase.”
“What do you mean?”
“We want our kids to relate to their grandpa’s most important lesson too, right?”
My stomach flips. “A bit presumptuous of you to think these hypothetical children would take your last name.”
He grins. “It doesn’t matter if they share yours or mine, so long as the kids are ours.”
I sniffle, fighting against the tears building in my eyes. “How did you pull this off?”
He rubs the back of his neck. “An unhealthy amount of caffeine, working odd hours based on your schedule, and Manny.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “What did you offer him?”
He makes a face but is quick to smooth it out. “A weekend with my GNX.”
“Am I supposed to know what that is?”
Lorenzo looks at me like he might no longer want to be engaged to me. “It’s a car, Lily.”
“Wow. I never thought I’d see the day where you finally let him behind the wheel of one of yours.”
His gaze drops for a second. “I’m working on it with Doctor Martin.”
I hit him with an approving smile. “I’m proud of you, you know?”
“What for?”
“Investing in yourself for a change. You’ve spent so much time and money helping everyone else, and while that is fantastic, it’s nice to see you prioritize your needs too. Life is about balance, and I can see you working to find yours.”
Lorenzo blushes, and the sight of his rosy cheeks is glorious. He doesn’t let me enjoy it for long because he disappears, only to return with a small drawstring bag.
I pause. “What’s that?”
His smile is suspicious. “Open it and find out.”
My fingers are shaking as I reach for the bag and am surprised by the weight of it. No longer able to hold off, I slip my hand inside and pull out a gold coin.
I stare at it, my eyes wide as it catches the light.
“You got me…coins?” I close my eyes because I can’t cry twice in five minutes.
“I know this is something special you had with your dad, and I’m not trying to take anything away from that or replace his memory.
I just know how important he is to you, and if this helps you feel connected to him…
” He rubs the back of his neck. “And now I’m overthinking everything and wondering if I overstepped—”
If him being more vocal about his anxiety wasn’t reason enough to hug him, then him wanting me to have coins to make wishes is.
I throw my arms around him and kiss both of his cheeks before I press my mouth to his. “Thank you. For the garden and for the coins.”
He wraps his arms around me. “I know you said you wasted your last wish…”
“Yeah, I did say that, but it turns out he wasn’t the wrong guy after all.”
“No?” His grin is infectious, and I match it with my own.
“No. It took him a while, but he came around eventually.”
“Thank God he did, or else he would’ve missed out on being with the love of his life.”
My insides melt. “I like the sound of that.”
“Better than my future wife?” He reaches for my left hand and brushes his mouth over my knuckles.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself now,” I tease.
“Are you kidding? We have our sixty-year plan to get started on.”
“ Our sixty-year plan?”
“Yeah. Thirty years isn’t nearly enough time together—don’t you agree?” His smile is infectious, and I return it with one of my own.
“Why stop at sixty years when you can have forever?”
“I always knew you were smarter than me.” His smile is infectious, and I return it with one of my own as I wind my arms around his neck and seal our new arrangement with a kiss.
A passionate kiss that promises a future full of wishes, dreams, and maybe if we’re lucky, a family to call our own.