Epilogue
Camila Flores
March 26th - A New Beginning
Life in Alamo Peaks has been a dream come true.
When I learned I was pregnant with Ava, I decided to stay in London because I thought being in a big city would give me plenty of opportunities to find a job to raise her. And it did. I’ll always be grateful for everything the city gave me—a job, a roof over my head, food, and even Mrs. Evans, who ultimately led me to my husband.
But the past six months in this small town have been nothing short of amazing. Vicente’s family has welcomed Ava and me with open arms, treating us as part of the family from day one.
Everyone at the vineyard—and in town—are nice and always have a smile on their faces.
Ava’s doctors are fantastic. They’ve done a great job—not only providing everything she needs during her blood transfusions but also becoming part of our extended family—always making Ava, and us, feel at home whenever we visit the hospital.
I stand by the window, looking out from our room in the house we built when we moved here last year.
The house is big and spacious. Vicente insisted we needed at least ten bedrooms—not just to accommodate guests but for all our future children. I chuckle every time he brings it up. He’s such an amazing dad. He always listens to Ava, plays with her, and reads her stories at bedtime until her eyes flutter closed.
The marble floors, the surround system throughout the house, and the state-of-the-art kitchen—with its double oven, where I can bake as many cookies as I want—are all amazing perks that have slowly grown on me.
I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I didn’t grow up with all the luxuries Vicente did. It’s been an adjustment to have all these commodities.
We’ve been living in this house for a couple of months now, and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of the views of the mountains. Rows of vines extend as far as the eye can see. The vibrant green of the vines clash against the blue sky, creating a beautiful picture of what our life is here in Alamo Peaks.
We’re renewing our vows today in front of our family, and I couldn’t be happier to tell Vicente that we’ll officially be a family of four by the end of the year. Ever since we moved here, he’s been dropping not-so-subtle hints about wanting more children.
Initially, I wanted to wait until the chocolate business was up and running, but once I hired my team, I felt more comfortable in my role as manager of Contigo, the Godoy Group’s artisanal chocolate line.
Currently, I have ten employees: two administrative assistants who help me run the business and eight operators who process the cocoa beans and produce the two types of chocolate bars we’ve developed so far—one infused with red wine and the other mixed with grape pieces.
We’re waiting for the sanitary inspection to be completed before we can start selling our chocolates. For now, we only make small batches for tasting and the only way to get one of our chocolates is a free treat from the vineyard store.
But as soon as we get the permits, we’ll scale up production and hope to sell the chocolates nationwide.
I know it’s an ambitious project, but my team is second to none. Everyone is as dedicated to seeing this succeed as I am.
That’s why I felt comfortable enough to stop taking birth control and let things happen naturally. Who would have thought my husband would knock me up after just one month of going off the pill? His ego is going to grow tenfold—like he needed more reasons to think he’s a stud.
I chuckle at the thought.
A quick glance at my watch reminds I need to head to the first peak soon. Vicente wanted pictures of the two of us before the ceremony.
But first, I need to check on Ava.
Summer has definitely been tough for her. With the humidity being so high here, she has to stay hydrated and indoors as much as possible. Even though she doesn’t want to admit it, she feels better on the days she takes it slow instead of trying to run around in the heat.
“ Hola, hola. Are you awake, mi amor ?” I ask, entering her room.
“Hi, Mummy,” Ava says from her desk.
She’s been working on a present for Vicente and me, but it’s super secret.
“Don’t come any closer,” she warns. “I’m putting the finishing touches on my masterpiece.”
I chuckle at her dramatics but follow her directions.
“It’s okay, baby. I just wanted to see if you were almost ready. Remember, we’re going to take some pictures before the ceremony.”
The moment I say “pictures,” Ava shoots up from her chair and springs into action.
“Oh, Mummy. I have the dress on, but would you help me with my hair? I’d like a plait around my head—like a headband,” she says as she comes to me and hugs my middle.
She may be petite for her age, but she seems so grown up. Her chubby cheeks are gone, and she’s starting to look like a big kid.
“Yes, mi amor . Let’s wet your hair, and then I’ll plait it. Then, I have to go make sure everything is ready.”
Ava nods as she heads to her bathroom, and I help her wet her hair. After making a beautiful plait, I spray her hair with product so the hairdo won’t mess up as soon as she starts running around.
We look at each other through her vanity mirror, and her smile matches mine.
“Are you happy?” I ask her.
She nods excitedly. “Yes, Mummy. I have you and Daddy. We live in a beautiful place. We got an even bigger family with Abuela Carla and Abuelo Gonzalo, Tía Karina and Tío Luca, even baby Enzo. I’m so happy, Mummy, I think my heart could explode from happiness.”
I grin at her, my heart filling with love at the sight of my daughter’s happiness.
“And remember, Mrs. Evans is coming, and she’s staying with us for a month,” I say.
Ava’s eyes light up. “That’s right. All the people I love will be here,” she says, bringing her hands close to her chest.
Once she has her dress and shoes on, we head toward Carla and Gonzalo’s house to meet with the family.
The vineyard is closed to the public today because we didn’t want to deal with tourists on our special day—not to mention, there are three billionaires on site. My brother-in-law, Gabo, is here with Isa, along with Gio—one of Vicente’s closest friends—and Luca’s brother, who came with his wife, Ruin.
We couldn’t attend their wedding last year, but they came to spend Christmas here in Chile, and Ruin and I quickly became friends. She’s such a sweetheart, and her voice is beautiful. She’ll be singing a couple of songs for us during the ceremony.
“Oh, there’s the bride and the flower girl,” Carla exclaims with glee as we enter her house.
“Abuelita,” Ava says as soon as her eyes land on Carla, making a beeline for her. The two of them disappear, and I wonder if they’re planning something—those two are as thick as thieves.
“Is it time yet?” Karina asks as I enter the living room. Baby Enzo sits on her lap, playing with a cute giraffe.
“I think it’s about time for Vicente and I to take pictures, but I have a few more minutes.” I reply as I pass my hands down my dress.
I know there’s nothing to be nervous about, but for some reason, I am.
“You look stunning, Cami. So gorgeous,” Karina says, scanning me up and down. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say you have an extra glow about you.”
She squints her eyes, and I press my lips together.
“No way!” she shouts, standing up from the sofa and rushing to hug me—baby Enzo between us.
I hug her back as I chuckle nervously. “He doesn’t know yet. So please don’t ruin the surprise,” I say as I see her eyes watering.
“This day just keeps getting better and better,” she finally says as tears spill from her eyes.
I frown at her, but she simply widens her eyes.
“No way!” I shout as she bursts into laughing, bouncing in place.
“Yes way! We’ll be pregnant together.”
I hug her again, and suddenly, my nervousness disappears.
Today couldn’t be a happier day.
Vicente Godoy
The moment I see Camila walking down the hill to me, my heart starts beating faster. She looks like an ethereal creature with her flowy, off-white dress. There’s nothing really fancy about it, but the way she wears it—with elegance and poise—makes her look even more stunning.
“Camila, mi vida , you look…” I trail off as she stands next to me.
“Thank you, you look very dashing too.” She gives me a quick peck on the lips.
I hear a click. When I turn to look where the sound came from, I see two photographers.
“Please, carry on,” one of them says with a smile on their face. “We want to capture the essence of your relationship. So please forget we’re here.”
I nod as I take a deep breath. There’s something I want to run by my wife before the ceremony.
“I’ve been thinking about a way to make Ava part of our ceremony today,” I begin, and Camila looks at me with rapt attention.
“Remember the day she asked me if she could call me Daddy?”
Camila nods, emotion shining in her eyes.
“Well, I was thinking that a good way to include her in today’s ceremony would be to officially adopt her.”
Camila gasps as she throws herself at me, and we melt into an embrace.
We’ve talked about it before, and Camila thought it’d be a great thing to do—if that’s how I truly felt. She never wanted me to feel pressured to give Ava my last name. But there’s nothing I want more.
“I take that as a yes?” I ask, and Camila chuckles.
“Yes, mi cielo . I think that’s a great idea. She’s going to be so happy.” She kisses me again, and I lean her down as I kiss her back.
“That was a beautiful pose. I think we have all the pictures we wanted in this location,” the other photographer says.
I hold Camila’s hand, and we walk through the gardens that separate our home from the vines.
“I can’t believe you set everything up. Thank you for including our girl in today’s event,” Camila says, squeezing my hand.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I wasn’t sure if the documents were going to be ready on time, so I didn’t want to say anything until everything was set. I just heard from the lawyer last night,” I say as we get in place to walk to the makeshift altar outside the tasting room.
All the flowers decorating the altar’s arch are grown here at the vineyard—a mix of reds, oranges, and whites that will look stunning at sunset.
“I was saving this surprise for later, but since you surprised me…” Camila says quietly as our family takes their places.
I turn to face her. “I’m all ears.”
Her eyes crinkle, and her hands are sweaty. I wonder what it could be.
“Well, I know we haven’t spoken about this, but I’ve taken note of the way you melt when I’m holding baby Enzo.”
My eyes widen as my lips spread with a smile. Is saying what I think she’s saying?
“Well, I decided to stop taking the pill last month and...”
I don’t let her finish. I sweep her into my arms and kiss her with abandon.
“You didn’t even let me talk,” she says in a fit of giggles.
“I know everything. We’re having a baby!” I practically shout. My heart feels so big and so full, it’s about to burst.
“Yes, mi cielo . We’re having a baby,” Camila confirms as she wipes the moisture from my face. I didn’t even realize I was crying.
“Before I met you, I never thought about a family of my own, but now, I can’t imagine my life without you. Thank you, mi vida . You’ve made me the happiest man on earth.”
We kiss again as thunderous applause erupts around us.
It turns out, you can have it all.
All it takes is to be resolute.
THE END