Zane gently brushes my hair out of my face and sighs. “We’re your family,” he tells me. Sierra wraps an arm around me, and Raven presses a sweet kiss to my forehead. That’s all it takes for me to finally burst into tears, a sob tearing through my throat.
I’ve been trying my hardest not to cry, because today should be about celebrating her life, not mourning her death. Yet all I can think about is the gaping hole she’s left behind. My chest is burning, and I can’t control my thoughts. My knees give in, and I nearly drop to the floor, but Luca and Sierra hold me up.
Luca pulls me into him and wraps me in his embrace as I try my hardest to choke back my sobs, unable to keep my tears from spilling. My own tears trigger my mother’s, and Luca wraps an arm around her too, holding both of us tightly as we fall apart.
“H-how could she leave m-me behind?” I ask, unable to come to terms with the loss of the woman I loved most. Abuela passed peacefully during a nap she never woke up from, but it feels so unfair. I did everything in my power to give her the best medical care money can buy, and it still wasn’t enough.
“It was her time,” my mother tells me. “She… she’s with your abuelo now, sweetheart.”
Without my abuela, I’m lost. She was my rock, my only constant in life, and the only one who loved me unconditionally. Guilt fuels my thoughts, reminding me of each time I neglected her in favor of work, each instance a sin I will never be able to atone for.
I’m consumed by questions I don’t have an answer to. Why did I work so hard? What for? Why didn’t I spend more time with her? She once asked me what I’d have once I got to her age, what memories I’d have made. I realize now that she was asking me to live my life to the fullest, and I failed her. Luca holds me tightly, until my tears dry up. My heart has never felt this broken before. I’ve lost so much throughout the years, but nothing ever broke me like this did.
“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Luca tells me when the priest motions for me to step forward. As Abuela’s only granddaughter, I’m meant to share uplifting stories of her, as a way to honor her memory and soothe the pain of those that have gathered to celebrate her life. It’s the hardest thing I’ll ever do, but I won’t fail her. This is the last thing I get to do for her, after all.
Luca squeezes my hand before letting go, his eyes never leaving me as I take my place in front of the microphone. I have no idea what I’d do without him. He’s taken care of every single detail, right down to speaking to the insurance people and coordinating with the funeral home. He lent me his strength, and I’m not sure how to repay him.
“Thank you so much for gathering here today to celebrate the extraordinary life my grandmother has lived,” I tell the crowd. I see so many familiar faces, all of them with tears in their eyes. Abuela was my world, but it’s clear she impacted so many other lives, too. It’s like our entire neighborhood has gathered here. Almost every store near us is closed, because everyone is here.
“My abuela,” I murmur, my voice breaking. “She was everything to me. She was my role model, my biggest cheerleader, my best friend. The mere idea of navigating life without her guidance terrifies me, but I know that the lessons she instilled in me will carry me through.”
Luca looks at me with such pride, as though he knows how hard it is for me to stand here, and a little bit of the weight on my shoulders is lifted. “When I think of my abuela, I think of laughter, life lessons, warm hugs, and endless mischief. One of my favorite memories of her is actually a very recent one. Some of you may know that I got married a few months ago, and I wasn’t sure how to tell her. It was a relatively impulsive decision, and I was scared she’d be mad at me, or that she wouldn’t accept me eloping and depriving her of attending my wedding. Iwas trembling when I took my husband home, but the moment she found out we got married, she just laughed and told me it was about time. She taunted me and teased me, reminding me of all the times I’d secretly badmouthed my husband in the years before we fell in love. I didn’t realize it at the time, but she did what she could to make the situation as easy for me as possible, all the while giving me her unconditional support and acceptance, like she always has. That’s what she did, you know? She made you feel welcome and loved, no matter who you were. She treated everyone with that very same warmth.”
I take a steadying breath as those around me smile, and for a moment, it feels like she’s here with me, happy to hear me honoring happy memories instead of crying over her.
“Abuela and my husband thought I was unaware, but I know she called him all the time, checking up on me and telling him stories of my childhood. There were times he’d come home with specific snacks or small presents, and I’d know that he’d spoken to my abuela recently, because she was the only one who knew me that well. I didn’t realize it then, but she must have been passing down her role to him. She must have wanted to ensure I’d never miss out on the things I loved most, because she knew I’d never speak up about the little things that make me happy. That’s who she was. Most of you present here have experienced her kindness, her unique way of making you feel so special. She’d enter a room, and you’d smile, because you could never be sure what she’d say. She was unpredictable, funny, and so incredibly sweet. I wouldn’t be who I am without her, and I know the same is true for so many of you here too. She’s fed so many of us, and she was always there with a kind smile and even kinder words. I will always remember her that way, and I hope you do too.”
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Luca
I walk into Valentina’s childhood bedroom to find the curtains drawn, her small frame huddled beneath the blankets. It’s been over a week, and she’s refused to leave her bed unless I make her.
A soft sigh escapes my lips as I crawl into bed with her and spoon her, my hand wrapping around her waist, her head against my chest.
She tenses for a moment, but she doesn’t say a word. It’s been days since we had a real conversation, and nothing I do or say gets a response. I’m growing increasingly worried about her, and it kills me that I don’t know how to make her feel better.
“There’s something I haven’t told you,” I admit, unsure if now is the right time. She doesn’t respond, not even when I tighten my hold on her. “A few days…before… I had lunch with Abuela. You see, the ladies she plays lotería with didn’t believe that you got married. She’d shown them news articles of me and bragged about her grandson-in-law being a Windsor, but they accused her of lying.” I chuckle as I think back to that day. “She called me and demanded that I come over right away. She sounded a lot like you do sometimes, the way she ordered mearound. I finally realized where you got that attitude of yours. From the way she was talking, it was obvious that she had me on speakerphone. I heard the ladies with her taunting her, saying how she was taking her joke too far.”
She turns a little, her eyes roaming over my face. It’s the first time she’s even properly looked at me in days.
“Naturally, I dropped everything to go see her. I took my most expensive car and drove to the community center she was playing lotería at, not in the least surprised to find her standing on the curb with her friends, waiting for me. I pulled up in front of them and left my car right there on the street, making a big show of it. I walked up to her and lifted her into my arms, twirling her around the way I would do with you. She laughed, and I think it’s the happiestI’dever been, other than when I’m with you. She looked so proud and vindictive as she introduced me to her friends. I’d never seen her that way, but I played along the entire time, and she loved every second of it.”
“Really?” Valentina asks, and I nod. She turns to face me, and my heart starts to race. She’s so close, but there’s never been more distance between us.
“That’s not all, though. About twenty minutes after I got there, the police arrived, telling me they’d tow my car if I didn’t move it. Abuela never knew, but I’d actually set up the whole thing. When she called me, I had a pretty good idea of what was going on, so I figured that if I was going to avenge her for the ridicule she had to endure because of me, I’d better do it right. So the police are there, right? But seconds later, Zachary Kingston pulls up right next to my car, a police escort with him. Instantly, the traffic police steps away and apologizes.”
Valentina stares at me wide-eyed, her gaze enraptured. “When we got married, Zach told me that something like marrying us couldn’t be used to repay the favor I did for him, so according to him, he still owed me one. I cashed it in thatday. He made a really big deal out of greeting me, and then he profusely apologized for being late for our meeting, saying that he’d struggled to make it in time because the meeting location changed so suddenly. He told all of your abuela’s friends that she must be incredibly important to me, and that they’d better never offend her.” A soft laugh escapes my lips as I shake my head. “We had no meeting whatsoever planned, but he played his role perfectly. So there Abuela was, with both me and the mayor standing by her side. Her friends all freaked out, and she was so insanely proud. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her happier.”
“Why did she never tell me this?”
I cup her face gently and press a kiss to her forehead. “When I took her home, she made me promise I wouldn’t tell you. As the excitement wore down, she felt embarrassed. She told me that she’d raised you to be better than she was that day, and that she didn’t want you to know how petty she’d acted. Abuela was worried you’d think less of her, so I promised to keep my mouth shut in return for a favor. I hope she’ll forgive me for telling you now.”
“What favor?” My wife asks, frowning.
I laugh and grab my phone. “I asked her to record a message for me I could show you if we ever had a huge argument. Something that would make you forgive me right away. Her condition had been deteriorating by then, and I wanted something I could hold on to throughout the years.” I show her the video, and tears gather in her eyes as I press play.
“Val,” Abuela says on the screen. “Don’t be mad at Luca, okay? That man loves you more than anything, but he is still a man, and they aredumb, Princesa.”