Louis planned the grandest wedding the country had ever seen. He invited everyone. His eyes would water when Maria asked his opinion on any wedding detail. While he accepted she was a grown woman, he saw Maria as the little girl who didn't want him to leave her bedroom at night because of the monster that lived underneath her bed.
Louis and Julia interacted only when needed. He went about business as if nothing had happened, fueling Julia's rage. To her, it was his fault that she ran to find comfort in another man. The years of making everything a priority over her drove her to Juan's arms. She felt lost and didn't know which direction to turn. She appeared normal on the outside, but on the inside, she felt dead and alone. She had learned she had family in the United States and decided after the wedding she would leave Paraguay and never return.
She envied Maria's happiness; it was a constant reminder of her love for Juan. Her emotions would shift from calmness to jealousy while looking at Maria's face, displaying pure joy and excitement, whenever she mentioned Victor or discussed the details of her wedding. This also added fuel to her hatred for Louis.
Maria was oblivious to Julia's relationship with Juan and the details of his death were never discussed, but she greatly valued Julia's opinions. Do you agree with the all-white theme? Should we release the doves into the sky before or after the ceremony? I want both Solono and my father to give me away. Do you think that's a good idea? Maria's interest in Julia's opinions made her feel somewhat of value so she made it a priority to make sure that Maria's day was the most beautiful day anyone could imagine.
Cloud nine was worn down by the constant weight of Maria. She couldn't have been happier. She had finally met the man of her dreams and couldn't wait to be Mrs. Bordón. There would be days when she would stay up all night and share the elaborate details with Solono about her big day. Solono took pleasure in helping the new couple select certain items on the menu or what musicians would partake in the ceremony. He thought Mauricio Cardozo Ocampo was a good choice. Maria agreed.
Maria thought it would be a good idea for Solono to get to know Victor better so the two of them went fishing, played golf, and rode bikes throughout the city. Solono especially enjoyed beach volleyball with Victor and his friends even though it was clear he wasn't very athletic.
One evening, the three of them built a small fire on the beach and sat under the stars. They drank wine, giggled and shared their plans for their future. Solono listened with delight as Maria and Victor talked about raising kids in a beautiful cottage somewhere off in the country. Solono found it amusing when they argued over how many kids they wanted; Maria wanted two and Victor wanted ten.
"That's something you better figure out, don't you think?" Solono said.
"Either way, I look forward to giving my love children," Maria said while gazing happily into Victor's eyes.
Maria wanted her sisters to be her bridesmaids and her mother and Julia to be maids of honor. Her mother couldn't conceal her excitement. Every time she was around Maria her eyes would swell up and tears would form. She missed her tremendously. Now that she had all of her daughters, her heart felt complete. She was given the assignment to design and knit the dresses, a task she felt honored to complete.
Her sisters would visit her home and they would sit and talk about their childhoods. They would listen in awe at Maria's stories about living with the President. They couldn't believe that all this time they had a sister living in the grandest house in the country.
Maria fell in love with her beautiful nieces and handsome nephews and requested that they be a part of her wedding, too.