The Book of Love

2023 - Epilogue

October 14, 2009
Impresaria Doña Marta de la Reina passed away yesterday at her finca in Toledo at the age of 90. This was announced by the family in a press release distributed in the evening. "With Marta de la Reina, we have lost an impressive, warm-hearted and generous personality who was highly respected in many communities in Spain. We will miss her very much," the family officially stated. Marta de la Reina's long-term partner and wife said that her heart was heavy with grief. No one can measure the pain that has now seized everyone who was lucky enough to cross her path, said Doña Fina Valero (78).
For many years, Marta da le Reina and her brother Andrés de la Reina managed the perfumery and drugstore brand of the same name. After selling the company, which was repeatedly hit by crises, in 1986, de la Reina and her wife devoted themselves to the work of their foundation "Sueños de libertad de mujeres" and spent many years working to establish numerous centers throughout Spain to protect women from violence. The establishment of telephone hotlines for women is also one of her achievements. A considerable number of LGBTQ centers have also benefited from the foundation's support, which was largely funded by the de la Reina family.
Julia de la Reina, niece of the deceased, promises to continue the work of her aunt: "This is the true legacy of my aunts and the entire de la Reina family."

March 2, 2012
It is with great sadness that the de le Reina family announces the death of Serafina Valero Izquierda, long-time chairwoman and co-founder of our foundation "Sueños de libertad de mujeres," who passed away yesterday at the age of 80 from heart failure.
The funeral will take place next Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Finca de la Reina in Toledo, where Señora Valero will be laid to rest alongside her wife Marta de la Reina.
In accordance with her last wish, we ask that instead of flowers and wreaths, a donation be made to the foundation's account...

Julia stared at the newspaper clipping and the obituary and sighed. A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.
"Excuse me, querida, but the producers are about to arrive. I just wanted to let you know."
"Yes, thank you, darling."
"Is everything all right?" Inés asked, looking at her worriedly.
"Mhm... mhm... I'm just looking at old papers." Julia stroked the newspaper clipping and the open diary, in which Inés could recognize Marta's handwriting. "Do you think I've made the right decision?"
"I think so, querida. The income will benefit the foundation, and I'm sure Marta and Fina would like that. They cared about all the work, you know that."
"Sí, but if the producers decide to tell the story only halfway as it happened... they seem to be quite keen on drama."
"That's normal, querida. It's about suspense. Still, people will be touched by it. I mean by what it was like back then..."
"I think so too, but..." Julia sighed.
"But?"
"I just hope it's clear how passionately and bravely Aunt Marta and Aunt Fina loved each other. And that Aunt Fina wasn't just an appendage. That they both took such good care of each other. And of the foundation. That was their common concern and I'm not even sure if the whole program will run long enough for us to get there." Julia stroked the pages of the diary again and glanced at the rest of them, carefully lined up on a bookshelf next to the desk. "And I'm not even sure if the two of them would have liked so much attention."
"Selling the publishing rights will keep the foundation alive for another ten years, Julia. Ten more years! I am sure that would have been exactly what they would have wanted," Inés said firmly. "And I am sure that was the reason why Fina left you the diaries and everything in the first place. So that people would be moved by them, querida. And maybe so that a few more people would learn to understand that people like us... that we are no different..."
Julia nodded hesitantly. "You're probably right..." She kissed Inés. "But sometimes I miss being able to ask them for advice."
"I think the two of them, together with your mother and Luz, taught you everything a true de la Reina needs to know. You are warm-hearted, brave, loving, smart, and beautiful. So you'll know what to do." Inés wrapped her arms around Julia, who sighed. "I love you, querida. And I'm sure they'd all be proud of you." She gently kissed Julia on the forehead.
"I love you too," Julia replied, laying her head on Inés' shoulders. "I love you too..."

***

"Julia, come in," Fina smiled from behind the desk and beckoned her in. Her eyes were slightly red, as if she had recently cried, but her smile was sincere nonetheless.
"What is all this?" Julia pointed to the boxes scattered around the desk.
"Your aunt's diaries," Fina said with a smile. She wiped a tear from her eye. "Sorry. I still get a little emotional when I read them. But happy too."
"These are all diaries?" Julia looked around. There were probably at least twenty boxes.
"Hm... she probably wrote half of them at this desk. When I snuck into the house from time to time in the early years, Marta was often sitting here writing. However, it was easy to distract her, so some entries just stop." Fina giggled and winked at Julia at the same time.
Julia smiled weakly in return. "It's not fair that you had to sneak around. Or that you had to hide for so many years."
"No," Fina nodded in agreement. "But those were the times. And we were happy anyway. Most of the time, anyway. Your aunt could also drive me crazy sometimes. But I guess I did, too... Nevertheless, that is exactly why I wanted to show you the diaries. They are yours when I am no longer here. And if you find a way in which they could help people to be less prejudiced... or how they could perhaps even help the foundation... well, you can do what you think is right with them."
Julia stared at Fina. "Are you sure? They're probably very... personal?"
"Sí," Fina nodded. "But I trust you. Well, maybe there are some parts... you should leave out." A mischievous wink followed her words, before Fina stared pensively at some of the books. "When I was first allowed to read them, we had been together for almost thirty years. She was never one to be shy about telling me she loved me. But what I then read in these books... that was something completely different. Your aunt was a poet. She could have written books, really. When I read them, it's like I'm sitting next to her."
"You miss her..." It was a statement, not a question.
"Every hour of every day," Fina replied.
Julia's eyes welled up.
"Oh no, no... chica..." Fina stroked Julia's cheek. "When you're my age, you'll understand that there is joy in some sadness. Just because she loved me, I miss her so much. But her love still makes me very happy. People die, Julia, but love doesn't."
Julia nodded, then went over and gave Fina a hug. "I'm glad you had each other. And I love you, Aunt Fina."
"I love you too, sweetheart, I love you too..."

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( In 2024, after presumably several months of preparation, the series "Sueños de libertad" started on Spanish television. You may watch it on https://www.atresplayer.com/

This is it. I hope you enjoyed this little fanfic of mine. If so, your comment on it is much appreciated. You can still download the story as epub or pdf, for free of course, here: https://ko-fi.com/aczaha/shop )