Author's Note:
Hello everyone. Thank you all so much for all the support throughout this story. So this chapter is leading up to Camilo's gift ceremony and right before Mirabel's ceremony, but still all from Dolores perspective as the events happen (She is 12 turning 13 at the beginning of the chapter). There will definitely be another chapter after where Dolores says "Goodbye" to Bruno and the Quinceñera where Isabella and Mariano officially get together. Let me know if I should continue this through the actual events of the movie.
Chapter 7:
(Dolores POV)
- a little less then 5 years later -
Everyone was getting Casita ready for Camilo's ceremony, well everyone except Tío Bruno. He started keeping to himself and his friends the rats. He still made time for me when the others weren't around and Tía Julieta but, Mamá and him would fight if they were in the same room together for too long. Or Mamá would yell at him, Tío Bruno hated the confrontation and I couldn't help but feel bad for him. Life had gotten so complicated between the two of them I was worried that one day one of them would take it too far.
I shook off the the feeling as I made my way into Casita to help after being out in the fields listening for everything. I listened out to figure out exactly where everyone was. I could hear Camilo and Mirabel talking in the nursery, playing around before Camilo moved out and Mirabel would be alone in the nursery for the first time. Tía Julieta and Tío Augustine were in the kitchen. Luisa was moving the grill into the house's courtyard and moving some barrels. Abuela was walking through Casita to make sure everything was in order. Papa was trying to keep Mamá calm in their room as she balled about her children growing up too fast. I then heard Isabella upstairs working on decorations and went to go join her.
As we were finishing up the decorations, people began filing in. That was when I heard someone talking about flowers, "Isabella, someone said flowers." She nodded her head and descended from a vine making flowers as she worked her way down as I backed away into the shadows. Isabella was the shining star of the family and I tried to help her when I could. One thing we both worked on was her grand entrances, any mention of any flower I would tell her about so that she can make the perfect entrance. It was a real crowd pleaser.
I continued working upstairs as I heard Abuela call Isabella her, "My perfect floricita." I sighed as I continued. It was a well-known secret that Isabella was her favorite, although Abuela would deny that to her grave. I knocked on the nursery door, "Hermano you should head downstairs. It's almost time for your moment. Mirabel, you can come with me if you want. We are all going to stand together downstairs." She nodded her head and turned to Camilo. She gave him a hug and whispered, "Good luck. I know your gift is going to be amazing." She tried to be quiet enough I wouldn't hear her but I did and couldn't help but smile. She turned back and came towards me taking my hand before stopping for a moment and turning back to Camilo. She ran up to him and tapped his shoulder, "Tag, you're it." She laughed before running downstairs.
I laughed as I watched her run off without me to her parents. I shook my head before refocusing on Camilo, "You ready?" I asked. He gave me the same cocky smile he always wore, "Me. Please." I cocked my head to the side, "You are nervous." "Wh-What..." He stuttered out and I shrugged, "Your heartbeat is racing, your breath is quicker than normal and you just stuttered." He put his hands over his heart, took a deep breath and scowled at me, "I don't like that you can hear all of that." I shrugged, "I'm not always the biggest fan of it either, but it comes in handy. So why are you nervous?" He shrugged and sat on his bed, "What if I don't get a good one and people in town hate me too?" "Too? Who are you talking about?" He looked down at his hands as he muttered, "Tío Bruno." I sighed, "Tío Bruno doesn't have a bad gift, none of us do. Some are just easier for everyone to understand than others."
I went over and sat next to him giving him a half-smile, "You know some people call my gift the dud." He looked up at me shocked, "What?" I nodded my head, "They didn't see the value in it and for a while I wanted to get rid of it. Even tried to see if Tía Julieta's cooking would stop me from hearing everything." He looked up at me, "So when did you stop wanting to get rid of it?" I knew I wasn't going to lie to him but I didn't want to scare him either, "Sometimes I still do want to get rid of it, but whenever I do, I think about all the good things I never would have heard without my gift." "Like what?" he asked. I smirked, "Like your's and Mirabel's first laughs, words, steps," I shoved him slightly and he quirked his brow, "Seriously." "I am being serious, they were some of my favorite sounds ever, like this..." I said before I started tickling him. He started laughing, "St-st-stop Dolores." I eventually did and he was still smiling, "Mirabel was right, your gift will be amazing." I said standing up and walking out of the room, "Wait how did you... Dolores." He said realizing what happened I just said, "Casita make sure he isn't late."
I went downstairs and stood with the family when I heard the Guzmáns make their way inside. I looked over and saw Mariano. We had drifted apart after the night of the festival. His family was a pillar of the community and, like Isabella, he was a town favorite. I missed spending time with him but we led different lives not to mention that he was 15 now and was also working in the community where Isabella was during the day when I was out in the fields. Isabella and him weren't that close either, but the few times I was in town with her I could hear his distinct sigh in her direction. I stopped myself from staring and focused, today was about Camilo.
After Camilo got his gift he had a lot of fun touching people's shoulders as them and greeting them that way. They would be shocked at first but, quickly laugh it off. Everyone was celebrating having a good time and tonight at least people had the good sense to not say anything bad about any member of the family. Isabella and I had a signal planned if anyone did. I looked up at the tower and decided to visit Tío Bruno, who had come down for the gift ceremony before immediately leaving to go back to his room. I went to knock on his door when I saw that it was already slightly opened. I listened closely as I heard Mamá inside with Tío Bruno:
"Look I know that we have problems but you could at least be there for your nephew" Mamá spat. Bruno threw his hands and let them slap to his sides in frustration, "Pepa when I do come you yell at me, when I leave early you yell at me. Tell me what you want me to do." She scoffed, "Please, you are never here for this family and with your gift it should be easy for you too." "Easy," he exclaimed, "You think my gift is easy?" She put her hands on her hips, "Well it is a lot easier than mine." She said as the winds were picking up and sand was wiping around, "Besides it was your gift that ruined my wedding." He just scoffed, "Seriously, you are going there again. Pepa I didn't..." She tisked, "I don't want to hear it Bruno." He sighed "Get out of my room Pepa."
"Fine. But, stay away from my children. If you aren't going to show up for them then don't be around them." I could hear him release a breath, "Pepa, you know that I love them. I love the entire familia. You can't just cut me out of their lives." Mamá wasn't listening to this, "Please Bruno." He grabbed her wrist, "Come on. I am Dolores' padrino, you asked me to be. You can't cut me out." I could hear the eye roll in her voice, "Please I named you her godfather because I was exhausted and you were there for her that night, but where have you been for her since then? Hmm?" I heard his mouth open and close, "That's what I thought. Come downstairs don't. Make a choice but, know I am going to hold you to it."
She made her way to the door and I backed away as she came out with a storm cloud over her head. She turned and saw me and it quickly disappeared, "Dolores, why aren't you at the party?" I opened and closed my mouth a few times trying to think of how to best answer before I said, "I'm going to see Tío Bruno." Thunder began to rumble over her head, "Mamá?" She took a breath, "Not now sweetheart. Just not now." I looked down at the ground before saying, "He did come down for the ceremony." She turned around and faced me, "What?" I took a breath, "He came down and watched Camilo get his gift. He left after because, he wasn't sure if people in town were going to make a scene because he was there." I could see that she looked conflicted as she looked back and forth between his door and me before she said, "10 minutes and then you come back downstairs with everyone else."
I went up to his room where I saw him pacing back and forth, "Tío?" He turned to face me and an array of emotions came across his face, "Chiquilla... You shouldn't... Your Mamá..." I smiled as I made my way over to him, "She knows where I am. I have 10 minutes." He let out a breath and nodded his head. I took his hand, "Do you want to come back down with me. We can stay in the back? I don't like the crowds for theses ceremonies much either, but..." He sighed, "If I thought that it would do anyone any good I would come down." I could feel my eyes water as I looked up at him, "It would do me good. I don't want Mamá to say I can't see you anymore." He frowned down at me, "You heard that?" I nodded my head and sighed, "Besides Mariano and Isabella are both downstairs and I don't want to... I can't..." He nodded his head and took my hand, "20 minutes and then I am out. That should be enough time for your Mamá to see me without me causing problems." I nodded my head and we went downstairs together as I squeezed his hand. It was also in that moment that I realized that I could always count on him. He had my back and I had his.
- a few months later -
It was time for Mirabel's gift ceremony and Abuela was getting her ready in the nursery. I looked over at Isabella who was making guesses about what her gift could be with Luisa. Camilo was doing well with his gift as he figured out different ways to help people with it. He had always been a very social person who enjoyed making people smile so he figured out new and fun ways to use his gift to accomplish that. I smiled as I saw him quickly changing shape and form by the entrance as people made there way inside. Everyone was pretty calm going into this ceremony which was different from all the others. I couldn't explain it, but no one was nervous. Tío Bruno was helping Tío Augustine with decorations upstairs and I smiled. The entire family was finally together and I wished it could always be like this.
Everyone in town was coming in and I could hear their excitement. I heard a few talking about how Julieta's children had the better gifts again and thought about getting Isabella but, decided not to create a scene yet. There was still plenty of time in the evening for them to test my patience. It was time for everyone to take their places as the curtains separated for Mirabel and she began making her way up the stairs. We all stared anxiously waiting for her to touch the doorknob and receive her gift.