AN: So here's the first chapter. I have the order picked out for the characters already and have been working ahead so, hopefully, there will be no long delays for this fic. I hope you like this and thanks so much for reading :)
Disclaimer: Disney owns Encanto.
The morning was going about as well as can be expected. Julieta was in the kitchen working on breakfast while everyone else was off doing their own thing. It was Dolores' turn to set the table and she was just reaching up to the cupboard when a loud crash sounded from behind her where her younger brother had been fooling around. The sound caused her ears to ring painfully and shivers to shoot down her spine as she sank to her knees, hands pressed firmly against her ears. She sat there, tears in her eyes until she felt hands press against her upper arms and begin to rub reassuringly. Forcing her lids open, the young woman came face to face with the worried eyes of her tia.
"Dolores, cariño, are you alright?" Julieta asked, helping her sobrina to her feet before gently guiding her to a nearby chair.
"My head..." She moaned in reply, ears still covered. "It hurts."
"I know, I know." The older woman murmured lowly, making sure to remain as quiet as possible.
"Lo siento, Dolores. I didn't mean to knock over that vase." She heard her hermano say in a near whisper, worry apparent in his voice. "I should have been more careful."
"Está bien, don't worry." The brunette gritted out, wincing as another wave of pain assaulted her head.
Running soft fingers through the curly hair of her niece, Julieta turned her kind eyes on Camilo.
"Why don't you go find your mamá and tell her what's happened. I'll take care of Dolores." The elder said.
Upon receiving a nod, Julieta turned her attention back to the problem at hand. It was moments like this where she really wished her cooking could heal things other than injuries. Unfortunately, sicknesses were outside her capabilities to mend with her food. With a sigh, she walked over to the sink and soaked a rag in cool water before turning and placing it against the younger woman's forehead.
Dolores held the rag in place, the pain easing slightly as the cold soaked into her skin. Moments later, she heard the sound of her mother rushing through the house before coming to a halt in front of her chair.
"Mi niña pequeña," Pepa spoke with a worried tone, though made sure to keep her voice low. "What happened? Are you alright?"
"Si, mami, I'll be fine. It's just my head." She reassured, gripping her mother's hand as she felt a few raindrops fall. "There was a loud noise... I wasn't expecting it."
Pepa glanced at her sister, waiting for an explanation which was quickly offered.
"Camilo accidentally knocked over a vase and it shattered on the floor less than three feet away from Dolores." The elder sister informed, nodding towards the shattered glass which had yet to be picked up. "I'd better get that cleaned up, the others will be down for breakfast in a few minutes."
With that said, she moved to grab the broom and dustpan while Pepa fussed over her daughter.
By the time the rest of their familia had gathered for breakfast, Dolores was able to act almost normally, only wincing at particularly loud sounds. She had hoped to escape her room after finishing her food but it seemed like Abuela had other plans. Before she was able to make her retreat, the matriarch turned to address her.
"Dolores, I heard about the events that transpired earlier. How are you doing, nieta?" The elder spoke, not revealing any emotions.
"Estoy bien, Abuela." She replied, wishing she could just leave.
"That's good to hear." The gray-haired woman responded, shortly.
The matriarch then rose to her feet to address the rest of the family, a serious expression on her wrinkled face.
"We must go out and use our gifts to help the people of Encanto, they are depending on us whether or not we are having a bad morning." Here she turned a pointed look on Dolores before continuing. "This is how we earn our miracle. If you are all finished, I suggest you make any preparations you deem necessary. We will be leaving shortly."
With that said, the old woman turned and left the table. Dolores looked pleadingly at her mother only to have her turn away with a worried frown. Sighing in defeat, the brown-eyed girl rose and headed towards her room to grab her things. As she exited the dining room, she noticed something stuck to the banister of the stairwell. Approaching slowly, her eyes widened when she realized it was a small piece of paper. She picked it up as she passed, not reading it until she was safely within the confines of her room with the soundproofing activated. Glancing down, she felt a small smile appear on her face. The words on the paper were exactly what she needed to hear. Somehow, they always were.
Worry about yourself before you worry about others, they'll understand.
No one knew who wrote the notes, that was a simple fact her family had all come to accept. They had suddenly started appearing around the house years ago. Always left when no one was looking and only when the encouraging words were most needed... though they've been getting more frequent as the years go by and the pressure on her family grows.
Even knowing it was unlikely, Dolores turned the note around in her hands, searching for any indication that would reveal who'd written it. It was blank, as she'd expected it to be. With a small huff of amusement, she thought back to the sound of pen scratching against paper within the walls. She'd heard it even before the first note had been found, though she never brought it up. It wasn't her place. There was a reason for everything, it's something she believed wholeheartedly and, by now, the sound was one she'd grown accustomed to. It was soothing, familiar, in the same way that falling sand was. She just hoped that a day would come when she'd be able to thank him. Maybe she'd even be able to return the favor. With that final thought, the brunette rose to her feet. Stealing her nerves, she grabbed her bag, tucked the note in her pocket, and left the room.
-XXX-XXX-XXX-
The day had been hectic and loud and very, very overwhelming on Dolores' poor head. She'd been forced to listen out for a lost child (they were near the bakery), two donkeys who'd strayed from the herd (down by the river), and the gossip that Señora González wished to know about her neighbor down the road. She was at her wit's end and it wasn't even noon! With all the stress she was feeling, the brunette was having more difficulty blocking out the noise than she normally would. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. After apologizing profusely to the elderly gossip-monger, the stressed Madrigal took her leave, heading for home. At this point, she simply couldn't deal with the commotion that was happening around her.
Upon reaching Casita, Dolores raced through the house, heading with purpose towards her room. All the while her hands held tight to her ears to block out the intrusive sounds attacking from every corner of Encanto. It was too much. It had been too much for a while now. She knew that Abeula would be disappointed with her later but right now, all that mattered was reaching the sound-proof confines of her sanctuary. She knew it was a bad idea to go out today after the accident that had occurred before breakfast. Now, after nearly half a day of putting up with the noises of the town and its people, she was on her last legs. It was too overwhelming and she could feel a panic attack coming on. Her head pounded as she took the stairs two at a time, tears running in streams down her face.
'Please stop!' The young woman screamed internally, trying in vain to ignore the cacophony of sounds assaulting her ears. 'Be quiet! Shut up! Please!'
Sighing in relief, her door came into view and Dolores made a beeline for the golden glow of the wood... only to stop short as she noticed another piece of paper pinned just above her doorknob. Not taking the time to read it, she ripped it from its place and hurried inside, letting her back slide down the wall as she sank to the floor... the world fading to silence.
She sat there, trembling and attempting to control her breathing for an undetermined time before remembering what was clasped in her hand. Slowly, her curiosity peaked, the young woman glanced down at the crumpled piece of paper. Silent tears leaked from her eyes as she read what was written.
If you feel overwhelmed, remember to take a moment to breathe... things will get better.
Slowly, a calm feeling spread throughout her heart as the tears in her eyes fell faster. She'd been so worried that she was a disappointment, especially with how easily she gets overcome by all the sounds she puts up with. This note proved that someone understood. Someone realized her struggle and acknowledged it, told her it was okay and that things would get better... and that meant the world.
-XXX-XXX-XXX-
She'd stayed in her room the rest of the day, only coming out for supper where she purposefully ignored the glares her abuela sent her way. The next morning, Dolores walked downstairs feeling a lot better than she had the previous night. She met her family at the breakfast table, both notes carefully folded in the pocket of her dress and a smile on her face as she took in the morning gossip as the town awoke.
"Today's going to be another busy day in Encanto," Alma spoke up, taking her place at the head of the table. "I hope you are all well-rested and ready to use your gifts to better the community."
And just like that, her good mood evaporated into thin air.
"Hey, you okay, hermana?" Camilo whispered, doing his best not to draw unwanted attention to them.
She nodded, stealing her nerves before smiling softly at her younger brother. "I will be."
Their conversation trailed off until the end of breakfast when everyone was going their separate ways. Dolores was in charge of the dishes that day so, as the others left, she headed to the kitchen. She was distantly aware of someone following her though she paid it no mind as she heated the water and got started on her task. Her head still throbbed mildly with the after-effects of yesterday, though it was easy to ignore for now. She just didn't know how long that would last. After a migraine like the one she'd experienced, it usually took a few days to get back to normal.
"Do you still have a headache?" A mild voice spoke from behind her and she half turned to see that it was Camilo who had followed her.
He was frowning at her in concern, his arms folded against his chest as he watched the way her brow knitted at the sound. Even though he'd spoken quietly, there were a lot of other noises happening around the village.
"Un poquito." She admitted, slumping into a nearby chair as she rubbed at her temples.
This day would be hard to get through at the rate she was going. She'd been optimistic earlier but as soon as she'd heard that they'd been going into town again, that optimism turned to dread.
"I could shift into you for the day so you could get some rest." Her hermanito spoke up once more, rubbing the back of his head uncertainly.
The elder sibling felt her eyes soften as she watched her brother. He truly was a caring individual and she knew that, if she asked, he would do it without hesitation. Smiling fondly, Dolores reached out and took the younger teen's hand in hers, rubbing a thumb over his knuckles.
"That's nice of you to offer." She said, standing up in order to pull him into a tight embrace. "But you have your own work to do. If you try to take on mine as well, you'll end up overworking yourself and I don't want that to happen."
"But," He attempted to say, only to be cut off by his sister.
"No buts, Camilo." She said, pulling away to look him in the eyes. "I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me."
"Okay... just be careful. I know how you get when you're overwhelmed." The male reluctantly agreed. "If you need a break let one of us know."
She smiled fully, reaching out to playfully ruffle her sibling's hair.
"I will, promesa." The girl responded before shoving her brother towards to door. "You'd better go get ready. We'll be leaving soon."
With that, Camilo took his leave, sparing one last glance at his hermana mayor before exiting the room. It was only then that Dolores let her smile drop. She'd put on a brave face but the truth is that she didn't know if she'd be able to face all her duties after without getting overwhelmed. Still, she couldn't hide out in her room again. There was only so much slacking the family would put up with, Dolores knew, and she wouldn't risk getting them upset with her... especially not Abuela. Finishing the dishes with record speed, she readied herself for the day ahead. The relief she felt upon seeing a third note tucked into one of her shoes when she went to put them on was immeasurable. It felt as if the pressure building in her skull was finally alleviated and she found herself feeling genuinely happy as she read the words that were written in the distinct handwriting.
If you believe you can do it, then you're already halfway there.
Those words sent determination flowing throughout her body. Once again, whoever was writing these notes knew exactly what she needed to hear and delivered it in such a way as to give her the strength she needed to get through the day. She knew that there would be hardships, there always were, but she also knew she had someone in her corner... always there with a kind word whenever she needed it. That night, when she returned home from helping, she took all three notes out of her pocket and headed over to the large board the family had set up in the courtyard.
It was situated near the entrance to the kitchen, the second-story balcony providing protection from any weather they may experience (well, unless her mamá made another hurricane) and was full of previous notes that had been left throughout the years. Back when the family had first realized what was happening, they had decided to compare the messages that had been left for them. In doing so, it became apparent that the same person was writing every note and that the handwriting didn't match anyone within Casita. They had been worried about that at first but, as the notes continued to appear with no sign of ill intent, they decided that there was no harm done and left well enough alone.
"Thank you, escritor misterioso," Dolores whispered the nickname the family had bestowed upon the note leaver, a smile on her face as she carefully tacked the notes amongst the rest. "Your words truly helped."
Stepping back, she took in the scene before her, re-reading some of the previous papers that had been left. Her heart swelled at the sight. If this continued they'd need to get a bigger board as, once they were added, the notes were never removed... simply left there to be read by anyone needing a bit of encouragement.
AN: Thanks again for reading. Let me know what you think :)
