Chapter 19 - LUCÍA’S SURPRISE
Alejandro sat at the dining table with the envelope in front of him.
Lucía stared at it.
“You found it.”
“The hacienda did.”
Her expression became shy.
“I forgot.”
Alejandro smiled.
“You had a lot going on.”
She climbed into the chair beside him.
“Can you open it now?”
He carefully tore the envelope.
Inside was a folded drawing.
Alejandro opened it.
His breath caught.
It showed a house.
Three figures stood outside.
Alejandro.
Lucía.
Renata.
But Mariana was above them in the sky.
Beside the drawing, Lucía had written a note in uneven handwriting.
Daddy,
I know Mommy can’t come to the wedding.
But I think she wants us to be happy.
I will try to love Renata because you love her.
Please don’t worry that I will forget Mommy.
There is enough room in my heart.
Love,
Your Princess.
Alejandro couldn’t speak.
Lucía watched him.
“Daddy?”
He covered his eyes.
She immediately hugged him.
“Don’t cry.”
“I’m okay.”
“You don’t look okay.”
He laughed through the tears.
“I’m happy.”
Lucía looked confused.
“Adults are weird.”
“Very.”
He read the note again.
Lucía had gone into that wedding willing to accept Renata.
She had not been jealous.
She had not been trying to sabotage anything.
She had been trying to make room for the woman her father loved.
And Renata had answered that kindness by locking her away.
Alejandro felt anger rise.
Then fade.
Renata no longer deserved space inside his home.
Not even as anger.
He folded the note carefully.
“I’m keeping this forever.”
Lucía smiled.
“Even when you’re eighty?”
“Especially when I’m eighty.”
Months later, Alejandro returned to the hacienda.
Not for a wedding.
For something smaller.
Lucía’s ninth birthday.
She had asked for it.
Elena thought it was strange.
Alejandro understood.
Lucía wanted to change the memory of the place.
The garden looked different without three hundred guests.
No cameras.
No elaborate altar.
Just family.
Friends.
Children running between tables.
A pink cake.
Music.
Lemonade.
Lucía’s old chair was placed near the garden.
Alejandro had kept the pink bow.
He tied it to the back.
The gold card remained too.
Reserved for Daddy’s Princess.
Lucía saw it.
She smiled.
Then she sat down.
Alejandro felt something inside him finally settle.
Mateo walked over.
“You okay?”
Alejandro nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Mateo handed him lemonade.
“You know, statistically, not every wedding ends with an attempted international boarding-school conspiracy.”
Alejandro stared at him.
“That was almost funny.”
“Almost?”
“Don’t push it.”
They laughed.
Lucía ran toward them.
“Daddy!”
“What?”
“Cake.”
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
She grabbed his hand.
“Now.”
Alejandro allowed himself to be dragged across the garden.
They reached the cake.
Everyone sang.
Lucía closed her eyes.
She made a wish.
Then she blew out the candles.
Later, Alejandro asked:
“What did you wish for?”
Lucía shook her head.
“I can’t tell you.”
“Why?”
“Then it won’t happen.”
Alejandro smiled.
“Fair.”
She leaned against him.
“But it wasn’t for a new mommy.”
Alejandro looked down.
“I didn’t think it was.”
“I already had one.”
His throat tightened.
“Yes.”
“And I still do.”
Alejandro kissed her forehead.
“Yes, you do.”
Lucía looked toward the sky.
Then she smiled.
That night, after everyone left, Alejandro stood alone near the corridor where he had found her crying.
The old wooden door remained.
He touched the latch.
Then removed it.
Completely.
He handed it to the hacienda manager.
“Throw it away.”
The manager nodded.
Alejandro walked back toward the garden.
Lucía was waiting at the end of the corridor.
“Ready?”
He smiled.
“Ready.”
She took his hand.
They walked away together.
But one final chapter remained.
Not about Renata.
May you like
Not about revenge.
About the promise Alejandro had nearly forgotten how to keep.
