“TWENTY YEARS LATER”

"Are you nervous?"

That's what Lara asked her husband Joaquin after she fixed his tie.

Joaquin sighed and then looked at her lovingly.

"Mom, Dad, let's go?" Quin was the youngest of their two sons.

"Okay, son," Lara said then looked up at her husband's handsome face again.

"Come on and your daughter might think that you don't want to walk her to the altar," she joked to her husband who didn't even answer as she could see the still slightly sad on his face.

It was the wedding day of their oldest daughter, Callie.

She understands her husband's feelings because Callie is their only daughter.

In over twenty years they have been blessed with two sons. Caleb and the youngest, Joaquin Antoni III, who looks just like his grandfather, Joaquin Sr.

After the incident at the beach resort, just like Joaquin said, he fixed everything. Everyone who deserves to be punished has been punished. Robert and Selena were there, even the middleman Boying who really set the cottage on fire.

Cortez who was their former personal security was helped by Joaquin. Just like what she wanted to happen before.

His child's surgery was a success. Now that child is a full-fledged nurse and works in the same hospital where her heart surgery was performed before.

Her father, Cortez, was given capital by Joaquin and started a small rice business that grew exponentially.

When she thought that, Lara smiled.

Just like what Joaquin wanted to happen before, she started her own business. But that's because she and his father, Rodolfo, dreamed of such a business long ago. She built it right in the yard of their house. Eventually, that became a hobby of her father who now even at the age of over seventy and is still strong.

The same is true of her father-in-law. He is still strong, almost the same age as her father, Rodolfo.

"Dad, why don't you seem happy? Our sister is getting married today," Caleb joked to his father.

"Your daddy just can't accept that later after the wedding, the last name of his princess will no longer be Antonio," Lara continued, which was laughed at by their two sons.

They reached the church a few minutes later. At that point, the sadness in her husband's eyes became even more noticeable to Lara even though he was smiling at the guests.

"I remembered when we got married," she said to grab her husband's attention.

"Yeah?" he said to her.

"Thank you because you never got tired of loving me for a long time," Lara passionately revealed to her husband.

Joaquin nodded and then bent down and kissed her on the forehead. "Maybe on our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, you will agree to a grand wedding that I have been wanting to give you for a long time?"

Lara smiled at what Joaquin said. Because she decided not to go ahead with her and Joaquin's grand wedding plan. Because for her it is no longer necessary. Even if it is said that Joaquin married her without knowing what his true identity is, it is no longer important to her.

She loves her husband and that is not measured by how grand a wedding is.

And speaking of marriage. That's when her former and loyal suitor, Ramil came into her mind.

Ramil now lives happily in America with his wife Tessa. Well, those two came back to her memory.

Cynthia, her best friend, was also lucky when she got married. None other than their former boss and owner of the boutique shop they work at, Randy. While Patrick has also been successful in his own business. Finally, Tanya's family was able to accept him. Now the two have four children. While Cynthia and Randy are two. And Ramil and Tessa are three.

"Maybe then. Renewal of vows" answered Lara.

"That's for sure. Maybe later you will take it back as you did before," said Joaquin.

"Hey, you still can't move on there? Even though it didn't push through, we didn't break up, did we? We stayed happy and loved each other. And blessed with two handsome sons who look just like you," she said to her husband who seemed to be sulking.

At that time, Joaquin grabbed her hand with a smile, then raised it, and then kissed it sweetly.

"I love you," Joaquin said to her.

"I love you too," Lara replied.

A few moments passed and the bridesmaids began to line up.

Caleb was the Best Man while their daughter's best friend Camia was the Maid of Honor.

"Are you ready?" Lara asked her husband when the sponsors' presentation was over, signaling the bride's entrance.

Joaquin nodded then took his place in the aisle where they would wait for their daughter to approach.

The corner of Lara's eyes immediately warmed up when the door of the church opened and a beautiful Callie greeted them.

It seems only yesterday when always asked her who her real father was and when he would come home.

At that point, Lara glanced at her husband.

He saw the tears he was holding back from falling. But in the end, when Callie got close to them, they also started leaking. And that's exactly what happened to her.

"M-Mommy," Callie's voice rasped as she hugged her.

"Sweetie, you are so beautiful," she said, hugging her daughter tightly as she continued to cry.

"D-Dad," Callie said when Joaquin turned to her.

"I love you, princess," said Joaquin who wiped away his tears afterward.

"I love you too, Daddy," Callie said to her father.

"Are you ready?" Joaquin asked their daughter after a while.

Callie nodded then put her hand on her father's arm. A few moments later and they walked together to the altar where Rodolfo along with Leandro, the man who was going to marry and was destined to be the husband of their only daughter.

"Take care of my daughter."

Those were the words Lara heard her husband say before he gave Callie's hand to Leandro.

"I love your daughter very much," was Leandro's polite reply.

Joaquin just smiled and nodded because of that.

"She will be fine," Lara whispered to Joaquin when they sat down and the wedding ceremony began.

Joaquin looked at her. That's when she saw the tears in the corner of his eyes. Lara rubbed them with love. "Just like you, Leandro also loves our daughter very much. Do you remember? They almost grew up together. Leandro is always with her and protects her. You know I think maybe God gave your daughter a good husband because you have been a good husband to me," Lara couldn't stop saying those words. After all, she wanted to ease her husband's sadness at that moment.

"Thank you," replied Joaquin. "And for sure our sons will also find women like you because you have been a good wife to me," Joaquin added in response.

That's when Lara tenderly leaned her head on the shoulder of the man she loved the most.

"We still have a lot to go through. We will witness many more weddings. So I promise that through all of that, I will remain the one who will sit with you in the church while watching the weddings of our children and course grandchildren," said Joaquin to her.

"I will expect that," said Lara.

When Joaquin bent down to kiss her on the forehead, she did not refuse. A few moments later the ceremony was over and they all went to a five-star hotel where the reception will be held.

Because the whole day was busy, they were both very tired in the evening.

At that moment, her father-in-law was resting. And so are their other two sons.

"Oh, why are you still awake?" she asked Joaquin when she came out from inside the bathroom.

She had just finished showering so she was surprised to see Joaquin still busy in front of his laptop.

"I'm just finishing an important report for tomorrow," he told her.

"Hey, you're really a workaholic," Lara commented to her husband.

"I'm always inspired to work because of my secretary," Joaquin answered her and then winked.

Yes, it is. Ever since she started working as Joaquin's secretary, the one she replaced has never returned. She is also quite old and it is better to retire from working.

And because her husband asked, Lara didn't refuse anymore. So since then the two of them have always been together. That's why she can't even count how many times she and Joaquin have had sex in his office. It has reached the point that her husband built a penthouse so that they can spend the night there if it is too late and there is a lot of work.

It is true that she is the luckiest woman in the whole world because Joaquin loved her. There are times when they argue. It's a normal thing for a couple. But after that everything will be okay. They go back to their old ways as if nothing happened.

Joaquin's past being a playboy ended completely when he married her. And that's one of the things she's thankful for. Maybe he really loves her so much that he was able to change to be worthy of her love.

"That's enough for now. I will do that tomorrow since I will wake up early," she said to Joaquin then she opened the component inside their room.

When a familiar and sweet song played, Joaquin immediately stared at her.

"Let's dance?" she asked him and then extended her hand to her husband.

A wide smile broke Joaquin's lips as he accepted her hand. Soon they were both dancing along to that special song.

That song was the first piece they accompanied back then at the hotel where something happened to them for the first time.

"Would you like me to make a reservation tomorrow at our favorite hotel suite?" Joaquin asked her.

"What is the occasion?" she asked followed by a soft laugh.

Joaquin shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing, I just want to refresh everything. It's as if we're still young," he said as his eyebrows moves up and down.

Lara couldn't stop laughing because of what her husband did. "We are there every month, aren't we? You know if we could just buy that suite, what do you think?" she said as the tone of her speech still did not change.

That's when Joaquin picked her up and then carefully laid her down on the bed. "If only I could buy that, I would have done it a long time ago. To make it exclusive to us," he said, starting to shower her with small kisses on her face.

"So you want to go wild again? Just like then?” Lara said teasing her husband.

"Why? Do you think I can't do it anymore?"

Lara's loud laughter filled their room.

"I didn't say anything like that," she said.

At that point, Lara immediately saw what seemed to be small flames in Joaquin's eyes. And they were familiar to her. Because for a long time that was always what she saw.

"I love you so much, Lara," Joaquin said as he bent down and brought his face close to hers.

That's when Lara gently wrapped her hands around Joaquin's neck. After that, before he could even move, she quickly claimed his kissable red lips for a passionate kiss.

"I love you too, Joaquin," that was all and their lips touched again.

As before, that kiss signaled the start of another passionate scene between the two of them.

And just like before, that scene was for no other reason than love. No matter how hot and passionate the moments they can share as a couple.