Chapter 14
I'm Ellie.
The youngest.
The last one.
The surprise.
I was born when my parents thought their family was complete.
But God had other plans.
I was named after Mommy Elena.
My full name is Elena Marie Vance-Ruiz.
But everyone calls me Ellie.
I grew up in a house full of love.
Full of laughter.
Full of family.
I have two older sisters who dote on me.
An older brother who protects me.
Parents who love me more than anything.
And a grandmother in heaven who I've always felt close to.
People say I look just like her.
The same eyes.
The same smile.
The same laugh.
I don't know if it's true.
But I like to believe it.
I like to believe she's with me.
In me.
I became an artist.
I paint.
Mostly families.
Mostly love.
Mostly hope.
My paintings hang in galleries around the world.
People say they can feel the love in them.
The hope.
The joy.
That's what I want to give people.
A reminder that love is real.
That hope is real.
That families are forever.
I never got married.
I never had children.
But I have a goddaughter.
Valeria's daughter.
Little Elena.
She's the light of my life.
And I have hundreds of children who love my art.
Who write to me.
Who tell me my paintings make them happy.
Make them feel less alone.
That's enough for me.
I live at the vineyard.
Full time.
I took over the old farmhouse.
I turned part of it into a studio.
I paint every day.
Surrounded by the vines.
Surrounded by the beauty.
Surrounded by the love.
Every night, I sit on the porch.
I look up at the stars.
And I talk to Mommy Elena.
I tell her about my day.
About my art.
About the family.
I ask her for guidance.
For inspiration.
And I always feel her answer.
In the wind.
In the stars.
In my heart.
People ask me what it's like.
Growing up in such a famous family.
With such a dramatic story.
And I tell them the truth.
It's wonderful.
Because the drama is in the past.
The love is in the present.
And the hope is in the future.
My family has been through hell.
But they came out stronger.
Better.
More loving.
And I get to be the beneficiary of all that love.
All that strength.
All that hope.
I'm the youngest.
The last one.
But I'm also the future.
The one who will carry the stories forward.
The one who will make sure the world never forgets.
Never forgets Elena.
Never forgets Marisol.
Never forgets Alexander.
Never forgets the power of love.
And the strength of family.
I'm writing a book now.
A collection of stories.
About my family.
About the pain.
About the love.
About the hope.
I want the world to know.
To learn from our story.
To find hope in our story.
Because if my family can survive everything we survived.
Anyone can.
If we can find love after loss.
Anyone can.
If we can build a beautiful life from the ashes of pain.
Anyone can.
That's my message.
That's my legacy.
That's my gift to the world.
May you like
From the Vance-Ruiz family.
With love.
