Chapter 37
C H A P T E R3 7
The Greatest Gift of All
Cade
The Present
I had been celebrating Día de Muertos for the last three years with Ella. It was a special traditional holiday in her culture to honour their ancestors.
The night after Halloween, me, my family, and some close friends were gathered at my girlfriend’s home to partake in the occasion. The Cordova mansion was decorated in bright festive colours, calaveras , papel picado , and an enormous ofrenda —home altar—in the foyer. We had dinner, drinks, and listened to their family share funny anecdotes and stories of their dead loved ones.
Francisco and Silvia Cordova kept giving me warm smiles throughout the evening, as I sat next to Ella at the formal dining table. Somewhere in the last two weeks, they’d come to genuinely accept me as their daughter’s boyfriend. Ella told me they saw the errors in their ways. In the past, I’d said that nobody’s opinion mattered to me, but I’d be lying if I said that having their blessings didn’t fill me with gratitude. It was a silver lining and made me feel even more comfortable about the future Ella and I would create.
“You should join us next week on our hunting trip, Cade,” Francisco offered politely.
Uncle Vance stared at me with pride from across the table.
Although I wasn’t into hunting innocent animals, I gave him a nod. “I’d like that.”
It was the closest we’d come to a truce. The relief in the room was palpable. Aunt Julia was teary but hid it by taking a sip of her tequila and Ella’s mamá just seemed plain happy.
My girlfriend squeezed my hand under the table with a soft smile.
“You’re beautiful,” I mouthed to her when nobody was looking.
Ella was dressed in a rich orange gown that made her tan skin glow, her black hair was straightened, and she wore the aquamarine heart-shaped necklace I gifted her over the summer. The one she swore to never, ever take off again.
“So are you,” she mouthed back with a playful wink.
A lopsided smile bloomed over my lips at her compliment.
After dinner, I was headed to meet Ella when I suddenly found myself tucked under the grand staircase with Olivia. Apparently, she and the kids were playing hide-and-seek. She saw me walking by with a glass of champurrado and pan de muerto and ushered me over with a whispered, “Cadie, come here!” Now I was on my knees next to her little form, dunking pieces of sweet bread in the hot chocolate and feeding it to her. Turns out, she wasn’t excited to see me. She just wanted my dessert.
“Thank you.” Olivia munched on the last bite with enthusiasm, then brought her finger to her lips in the universal shh sign. “Don’t tell Emi I’m hiding here.”
“I won’t, Livvy.” I chuckled. “All done or do you want some more?”
She patted her full belly. “All done.”
Olivia was adorable in her pink ruffled dress with a skull painted on her face. I couldn’t resist kissing her chubby cheek and ruffling her hair. “Don’t get into too much trouble while I’m gone, okay?”
“’Kay,” she whispered cheekily and went back to her dark hiding spot.
Shaking my head, I left with a smile, no more pan de muerto , half a glass of my favourite champurrado , and towards Ella. I walked down a hallway, passing by a few giggling kids, past the formal family room where all the adults had migrated with drinks, before reaching the foyer.
My girlfriend stood in front of the ofrenda . It boasted clusters of marigolds, candles, water, candy sugar skulls, favourite foods of the deceased, and picture frames housing photos of those passed on, allowing their spirits to crossover.
Ella’s back was to me, so she didn’t see me approaching. She fussed over the altar and adjusted the flowers and copal incense.
Just as I came to her side and wrapped an arm around her waist, she placed a little hand-knitted onesie on the altar.
“Is that for…” My throat tightened.
Ella turned to me with a sad smile. “Yes, for our angelito .”
For our little angel. My heart gave a painful twist.
I kissed her forehead. “One day, we’re going to have that family you always wanted. I promise.”
She sifted her fingers through my hair, kissing my jaw. “And you never break one.”
“Never.”
Her blue-brown gaze was warm tonight, glowing in the candlelit space. “I want to show you something. Will you follow me?”
I would follow you until the ends of the earth, sweetheart.
Nodding, I let her wordlessly guide me to the solarium, my hand twined with hers.
“Close your eyes,” she said with a tinge of mischief.
We walked deeper into the room and she pressed on my shoulders, silently asking me to sit down on one of the couches. I obliged and kept my eyes closed, feeling her move around the space and set some things into place.
I heard the flick of a Zippo and the smell of fire wafted in the air.
“Open now, please.”
When I saw a cake sitting on the coffee table before me, lit with nineteen candles, I grinned wide.
Ella took a seat next to me and murmured, “Happy belated birthday, Cade.”
She missed mine and this was her way of righting some of our wrongs.
“Thank you, Ella.” I kissed her knuckles. “This is so sweet.”
“I made you your favourite yellow cake with chocolate frosting.” She laid her head on my shoulder and gazed up at me. “Make a wish, querido .”
“What should I wish for?” I cupped her face and polished my thumb over her chin. “When I already have everything I desire?”
Her expression softened and her silence spoke volumes as she caressed my wrist, over my pulse, in understanding.
Now that I had her in my life again, I didn’t need anything else.
Regardless, I still made another wish and blew out the candles.
She cut a thick slice and handed it to me on a plate. I fed her the first forkful before taking one for myself. “It’s delicious, Ella. Even better than the champurrado and pan de muerto that Olivia stole from me.”
That made her laugh. “I caught Olivia and Emilio sneaking chocolates behind the kitchen staff’s back.”
I fed her another bite of the cake. “Those two are going to be a handful when they grow up, huh?”
“Yes, they will.” Smiling, she stood up. “Wait here. I have some more surprises for you.”
“More than one?” I arched an eyebrow. “You’re spoiling me.”
“I’ll always spoil you from here on out.”
She repeated my own words back to me three years later and I beamed.
Ella dragged out a gift-wrapped square frame from behind the couch. I didn’t like her lifting heavy things even if she could. I grabbed it from her and laid it on the coffee table. “What’s this, Ellie?”
“Open it.” She practically bounced up and down with excitement.
I cut through the tape using my knife. Wrapping removed, I glanced down at the painting in awe.
The initials V.R. were painted in the corner.
Ella snaked her arm with mine and kissed my bicep over my suit jacket. “Your mom painted this before you were born. Your uncle helped me find it.”
Strong emotions coursed through me. I couldn’t breathe or speak. Only stare at one of the few artworks I had left of my mom.
Vera Remington had been a talented painter and renowned artist in the city. Her paintings used to be displayed in many art galleries. Most of her creations were already sold or had burned down in our last home, forever lost to me. Uncle Vance and Aunt Julia had some rare gems hanging around the Remington estate.
But this painting?
It invoked a maelstrom of feelings inside my chest, all warring between happiness and sadness.
The landscape was lush greenery with a sunset sky. A cottage style home on the left and the backs of three figures on the right, standing hand-in-hand, facing the glimmering water.
Ella pointed to the figure on the left. “That’s Vera.” To figure on the right. “That’s Ronan.” And then to the small figure in the middle. “And that’s you as a toddler.” She glanced up at me, noticed the moisture in my eyes, and grazed her knuckles along my cheekbone. “Julia told me your mom painted this after she had a dream…when she was pregnant with you. This is the kind of life she wanted for you all.”
Quiet. Peaceful. Away from this wretched world of ours.
I missed my parents now more than ever.
A tear unexpectedly fell down my cheek. Ella gasped under her breath and kissed it away gently. Unable to utter a single sentence, I crushed her to me, silently thanking her for giving me such a thoughtful gift.
Ella rested her head on my chest, hugging me tighter.
We stayed locked in an embrace for what felt like an eternity.
The world could end this very moment and I would be fulfilled with her in my arms.
“Thank you, mo chuisle .” My voice was thick when I found it again. “My parents would have loved you.”
It was the very truth. Mom and Dad would have adored the ever-loving hell out of Ella.
She wiped under my eyes with her thumbs and kissed my lips. “And I would have loved them too.”
Ella picked up a manilla envelope from the coffee table. She extended it my way. “This is also for you.”
I weighed it in my hands. It was thick and heavy. Ella watched intently as I opened it and pulled out a slew of documents.
It took me a minute to register the surprise.
And when I did, I felt speechless once again.
Deed to a property in Ireland under my name.
Questions buzzed through my mind, but all I could focus on was the four-by-six-inch photo tucked in between the papers.
It was a vast land with a beautiful home.
Just like the one from the painting.
Stunned, I just stared at Ella, my heart expanding in my ribcage with all the affection I felt for her. “Is this the exact place my mom painted?”
Ella nodded. “Yes. After I found the painting, Julia told me Vera was inspired by a particular place she’d seen on a family vacation in Ireland. I did some research, found it listed, and bought it for you. I hoped it would make you feel closer to your mom and dad.”
My voice was raw as I whispered, “Ella…”
“I wanted to gift you something meaningful and memorable. You always do so much for me and sometimes I don’t have the words to convey how thankful I am. But this? This is my way of showing it to you.” She framed my face with both hands, peering up at me with so much tenderness, my chest constricted. “You once mentioned that your parents had planned a trip to Ireland for your sixteenth birthday and you were looking forward to it…before they unfortunately passed away. They may not be here physically, but I like to think they’re still here spiritually. And while I didn’t have the privilege of meeting them, I also like to think that they would have wanted you to go on that trip.” She smiled at me. “So I say let’s do it. Go on the vacation you always wanted and stay at this very place, Cade.”
I was floored by the depth of love this girl possessed for me.
“I think that’s a fantastic idea.” I tightened my arms around her waist. “Thank you for giving me one of the greatest gifts.”
She kissed my dimples. “And what’s the greatest gift you’ve ever received?”
I smiled and kissed her right eyelid. “You, Ella.”