Epilogue

EPILOGUE

LUIS

I t had been Luis's mother's idea to hold the wedding on the same beach where he had proposed. He'd had to ask her to repeat herself because he could hardly believe it. His mother was a very traditional Catholic woman. He was all but certain she would insist the wedding take place in a church. In fact, the first wedding had already been booked in a Catholic church. But his mother had taken him aside and given him some advice.

"Your marriage is going to be full of compromises. Ask your father if you doubt me." She smiled and reached out to put a stray hair of his back into place. No matter how big, how important he got, she would always be his mother. "Start now. She will remember, and you will set the tone for the rest of your marriage. Trust your mother."

"You know I always do." He'd hugged her tight and took her advice.

Now that he saw the venue, he knew his mother's advice had, once again, been perfect. The beach was beautiful, and his bride glowed with the memory of the proposal he had planned for her here. The ceremony was the perfect mix of Colombian and American traditions. Clara wore the dress she had picked out since she still loved it, and he wore a guayabera suit, which is mother had cried upon seeing. "My boy has become such a beautiful man," she said, dabbing her eyes.

They had live music and a small ceremony. Only family was in attendance because, for once in his life, the last thing Luis wanted was a spectacle. He wanted his wedding to be the kind of intimate affair Clara had always dreamed of. He took great pride in making her childhood dreams come true. Now he'd given her love, motherhood, and a beautiful wedding, and he couldn't wait to tackle every last fantasy she ever had for the rest of their lives together. The wonderful side effect of this, of course, was that Clara was making his dreams come true, too. Sometimes they were dreams he didn't even realize he had until she brought them to the forefront of his mind.

He'd chosen his family over his business and taken a step back, handing the bulk of the reins to the previous owner of Dog Days, who he knew was going to run things better than he ever could have. At first, maybe his shareholders wouldn't be so happy, but they were not his family. He'd always known this, of course, but having a daughter had clarified it in his mind. Luna was the most important thing in his life, and he wanted her to see how important family was. He wanted to take her frequently to visit Colombia and teach her all the things his own mother and father had taught him. He understood, now, Clara's desire to be a full-time mother because all he wanted to do since the day he first saw his baby daughter's face was be a father who was there.

The adorable little toddler now ambled down the aisle alongside her cousin, who carried the ring. She had dumped her basket of flowers and begun zig-zagging all over the aisle, and Luis couldn't stop grinning at her. Stan and Dawn tried to corral their own son along with Luna without much luck until the boy reached out and took the flower girl's hand. It wasn't perfect but it was memorable, and that was exactly what he'd wanted his wedding to be. Without a doubt, he knew Clara would want the same thing.

The image of his beautiful bride standing against the backdrop of the bay while his own daughter and new little nephew toddled down the aisle toward him would be burned in to his memory, and he couldn't have been happier about it.

After the wedding, the party grew to include more friends, traditional music, and a whole lot of dancing. Luis took his bride to the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her. "Are you happy, Clara?" he asked.

She nuzzled into him and answered, "I couldn't be happier if I tried."

The two toddlers sat at the edge of the dance floor, laughing at the lights, the music, and the spectacle. Luis knew they wouldn't remember this, but he hoped somewhere in their subconscious minds, the memory of this night would live and remind them that they came from a place of love, happiness, and family. He kissed Clara while onlookers cheered for them and finally joined them in the dance, and Luis had to admit that the dance was better in the midst of a crowd.

Life was not meant to be lived alone in a penthouse overlooking the city. Life was meant to be shared with those he loved and even those he didn't. It would be messy, sure. No family was ever perfect or without its complications, but he was convinced they could overcome anything if they just kept their priorities straight. He knew he would never forget what really mattered. And the way Clara beamed any time she was with his family and her own — he knew without a shadow of a doubt she would share these values with him for the rest of his life.

Luis stopped dancing mid-song, took a step back, and tilted Clara's chin until she was looking into his eyes. He flashed back to the day he'd met her at the bar — such a low point in his life — and he remembered how beautiful she was even then. Her bright blond hair, her lively blue eyes, and her sweet smile. Now that she was the mother of his child, she was even more beautiful. And the knowledge that any future low points in his life would be lived alongside her made them somehow bearable, even though he couldn't predict what all of them would be.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" he asked her.

"No," she answered with a gorgeous grin, "but you'll have the rest of your life to show me."

"I can't imagine enjoying anything more," he said, and he bent down to kiss her again, his precious wife, the woman of his dreams, and now, the woman of his reality.

The End