Due to my laptop crash, I forgot that I had a part of the final chapter already written. Back then, not sure whether to use it or not.
What I came up with felt very appropriate for this story, so I decided to post it anyway.

Chapter 23 (bonus)

The de La Vega children and grandchildren were sad. Their mother passed away six months ago after a short illness.
They also had to accept that with her death, a part of their father had died. It didn't surprise any of them that their father died shortly after their mother, today, two weeks ago. The children of Victoria and Diego had always known that the love between their parents was deep, and nothing in the world could separate them.

The eldest two daughters, Felicia and Maria, had found the courage to start sorting out their parent's personal belongings.
Together they stood in the bedroom their parents had shared since their wedding day. And the women glared at the painting on the wall that resembled their mother at a younger age.

"It's always been a favourite of our father," remarked Maria, looking at a striking resemblance of their mother, their father had painted before their marriage. Although, their father had developed into an avid photographer. He had insisted until his death that the painting remains in the bedroom.

"I have always thought it was a beautiful painting. We could suggest Alejandro hang it in the library for everyone to see?"

"Yeah, I like the idea of being able to watch mother when we come to visit. It will look great there."

Felicia, the taller of the two, climbed onto a chair and reached out to carefully get the painting off the wall. She handed the painting to her sister, who looked at the back of the painting, and Maria blushed.
"What is it?" Felicia climbed off the chair and was startled at her sister's reaction.

"See for yourself." Maria placed the painting on the floor, face against the wall.

Felicia was dumbfounded.
Another painting became visible on the back of the painting. Also, from their mother, but naked.

Victoria lay flat on a piece of red, luxurious-looking fabric. Maria bent over to see if she could detect any date.
"June, eighteen hundred and nineteen," she muttered. "Then they had just been married for about a year. Mom was pregnant when this was made."

And indeed, if you knew it, your eye fell on the slight curve of the belly.

"She looks radiant, don't you agree?" Maria looked at Felicia.

"Yes, something is lovable about it."

Victoria wore her emerald ring on her left ring finger. In the same hand, she held a black piece of satin with two holes through which her skin showed. The narrow piece of fabric playfully covered a part of the hip.

"Do you think mom knew this?"

Felicia smiles and casts a sisterly look at her sister, two years her junior. "What do you think? Mom and Dad had no secrets from each other, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was her idea and she posed for it."

Maria couldn't help but laugh a little. "Yes, you're probably right. But what do we do with it? I like it, but it is not so suitable for hanging in the library."

Felicia shrugged. "Why not? Entire churches are decorated with images of naked persons and angels."

"Felicia, those are saints and portray a story."

Felicia laughed, "We will suggest Alejandro, he'll hang the painting on the decent side in the library. But I stick with it, personally, I like the other side better."

The two women continued to sort things. In a dresser, they found a rather large box beautifully decorated with carvings. The initials D and V, on each side, were artfully connected. Both ladies recognized it. When they were younger, the box was always on their mother's dressing table. They knew their father had made it for their mother for a birthday years ago. Victoria had always cherished it and claimed she kept her most valuable possessions in the box.

Maria opened the box and discovered it was full of letters from their father to their mother. She took out a few and unfolded the top one. It was a poem.
Maria and Felicia both read some. The most beautiful they found they read to each other.

The letters that seemed to be the oldest were all poems. The later ones all differed. There were short poems of a few lines. But also longer letters without any rhyme. Which were only an expression of the deep love their father had felt for their mother.

At the top of each letter, in their mother's handwriting, was a date. The oldest had dates with a few days or weeks in between. Felicia and Maria could tell from the date that these were written before Diego and Victoria were married.
After that, giving the dates, it turned out that their father had given their mother a letter once every year. Only the data puzzled them. It was not their wedding day and also not another special date as far as they could remember. The date seemed random, but it kept coming back every year.

Curious, Felicia looked for the poem from the year she was born.

My love,
On the day I came back from Spain and laid eyes on you, I was in love.
All I ever wanted since was to call myself yours.
When you promised me to share your life with me, I was the happiest man on earth.
I believed, only marrying you could make me happier.
I was wrong. On the day, our daughter was born.
I knew I am truly in seventh heaven.

Speechless, Felicia stared at the text describing how happy her father had felt after her birth.
She awoke from her thoughts when Maria discovered the last letter their father had written. A month after their mother had passed away. She started reading it falteringly.

"Since you are no longer next to me. I have been living in the autumn of my life.
It feels cold after 46 years of a long, wonderful summer.
I find joy in seeing our children and grandchildren having a life of their own.
Every minute I long for my winter to begin, and I may close my eyes forever.
Knowing when I wake up in the morning, it will be spring again.
And I will find you again, waiting for me.
From the moment my arms wrap around you, our summer will last forever."

"That is beautiful." A tear trickled down Maria her cheek.

Felicia had to struggle to find her voice again. "Maria, we might have lost our parents. But I'm thankful they have reunited again."

.

.

A while ago there was a TV show on, and it showed a painting of a woman. The painting was pretty, but nothing special. When you turned it around, it revealed another painting, of the same woman, but then naked.
I remembered it because I thought it would be funny when Diego and Victoria shared a secret like that.
An ordinary painting until you turn it around.

Those of you who are curious about the date Diego gave Victoria a letter, in my mind, it is the date Zorro proposed to her in the cave.