Page 81 of Hate That Blooms

I told her years ago that one day she would be my wife. I wantus. Forever.

The ceremony wraps up, and we all pile into the car to head to the party. Cora and Nat are meeting us there, along with Thiago, who proposed to Cora last year, and they ran off to Hawaii to get married on the beach almost immediately after. I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she realizes what’s been happening behind the scenes.

We get to the house, and Mireya is practically bouncing out of her seat, urging me to hurry. “Come on,Papa!Let’s go seeMama!”

I laugh, catching her hand as we walk toward the door. “Alright, alright. But you gotta be quiet. This is a surprise forMama, remember?”

She nods seriously, though I can tell she’s bursting with excitement. We sneak inside, making our way to the living room, where everyone’s waiting. Gabby is sitting on the couch, talking with her Cora. She’s laughing, her hair still a little wild from the ceremony, her gown slightly rumpled from the long day. But to me, she looks perfect.

“Surprise!” I announce, stepping into the room with Mireya at my side.

Gabriela’s head whips around, her eyes widening in surprise. “What is this?” she asks, her voice soft with disbelief.

“Close your eyes,” I say, my heart beating faster as I step forward.

She looks at me quizzically but does as I say, closing her eyes and tilting her head slightly. Mireya takes a deep breath, looking up at me for reassurance, and I give her a nod.

“Okay, now hold out your hands,Mama,” Mireya says, her voice sweet but urgent.

Gabriela opens her eyes just in time to see Mireya hand her a small, velvet box. Her fingers hesitate for just a moment before she opens it, and the moment she sees the ring inside, her breath catches in her throat.

Her eyes meet mine, wide with surprise, and I feel my heart race as I kneel down in front of her.

“Reina,” I begin, my voice a little shaky, but it’s only because I’m so damn sure about this moment, aboutus, about everything we’ve built. “I know we’ve talked about the future, and I know we’ve always had this unspoken understanding about what we want. But I need to say it out loud because I can’t imagine my life without you in it. You’ve been my family, my home, from the moment you gave me a second chance. And now, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to marry you. I want to be with you—with you—forever.”

I look up at her—the world slowing down for just a moment. Her face, her eyes—God, they’re full of love and confusion, and maybe even a little shock. I want to say more, but I’m not sure what else needs to be said.

Gabriela's lips tremble slightly, and for a second, I think she might start crying. Her hand hovers over the ring, then she looks at me again.

“Yes,” she says, her voice small but strong. “Yes, Joaquín. Of course. Yes.”

Mireya lets out a small squeal of joy, running into my arms as I slip the ring onto her finger. The room bursts into applause, everyone cheering and clapping as Gabriela hugs me tight, her face buried in my neck.

“I can’t believe it,” she whispers into my ear, laughing through the tears. “I thought this was just something for the graduation. But this—this is everything. You’re everything.”

I hold her tightly, my chest swelling with something I can’t even explain. This moment is ours—our future, our love, our family. It’s all coming together in a way that feels more right than anything I could have imagined.

And when I pull back just enough to look into her eyes, I know without a doubt that I’ve made the best decision of my life.

“Happy graduation,Reina,” I whisper. “And happy future.”

She smiles, her eyes sparkling with tears. “It’s the best future I could have ever asked for.”

Mireya, still holding on to my leg, looks up at us both, her face bright with excitement. “Mama, Papa, we’re gonna be a family forever, right?”

Gabriela laughs, wiping her eyes as she crouches down to Mireya’s level. “Yes, sweetheart. We’re gonna be a family forever.”

And in that moment, everything feels complete. Not because of the ring on her finger, not because of the graduation ceremony, but because in that room, surrounded by the people we love, I realize we’ve already built everything we need.

We’ve built a family. A future. A life. Together.

And I know, with everything in me, that this is just the beginning.

Epilogue Two: Gabriela

It’s a little after seven when I hear the familiar rumble of Joaquín’s truck pulling into the driveway. He’s been working long days lately—long hours as a lineman for the energy company—and I know he’s probably exhausted. The job is tough. There are days when I don’t hear from him until well after dark, when I’ve already tucked Mireya into bed and the house has quieted down.

I glance at the clock, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear as I finish adjusting the resistance bands on the floor for Mireya’s occupational therapy. Eight years old now, she’s making improvements every day. It’s been a long road since her diagnosis. Autism doesn’t get easier, but we’ve learned to adapt. The work we’ve put into this together—it’s paying off.

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