Bruno ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He jumped over bushes and sped past trees. Time was running out. When he made it to the forest's edge he crouched to hide while he caught his breath. Surveying the area, he could see that this was the best place to enter town undetected.
Lifting his hood, Hernando quickly and quietly ran toward the first house hugging the wall. A few people walked by, but did not see him. Once they passed, he threw salt and ran across the street between two other houses. A little further and he would be near the center. There would be a lot of people to handle, but he had no choice but to endure.
When he reached his destination, he stuck to the shadows of the church, as he watched his family in the open space conversing with people in town. Suddenly, the people quieted down, and the moment he had come for was happening. He pulled his hood off and held his breath in anticipation.
In the distance, Bruno watched Mariano get down on one knee. Dolores smiled excitedly as he asked, "Will you marry me?"
From afar, Bruno could not hear her response, but he could see her nodding. Mariano stood and slipped the ring on her finger. Everyone cheered loudly, making Dolores cover her ears. Bruno couldn't help but cheer and clap with them.
Bruno was worried that he was pushing himself too hard in leaving Castia, but it was worth seeing his niece's engagement. He just hoped no one found out. Julieta would be disappointed the most. She had spent months getting him into a good mental head space.
In the beginning, it took weeks for Julieta and Agustin to get him on a regular eating and sleeping schedule. Eventually he got brave enough to shower, as long as he went faster than the memories came to haunt him. And not long after that, he was able to sleep in his own room again.
Bruno moved the bedroom portion of his room to the door just before the sandfall so he could be closer to his family. Like in his vision, Mirabel warned him that moving his bedroom to the bottom was going to make it easier for everyone to bug him. But it was what he wanted.
Things were looking up. Bruno was sure he could live happily and normally. Especially now that he was back to creeping around and spying on his family. It was as if Andre had never happened. Although sometimes the bad memories would bother him, but his family was always there to help him through it.
After a while of watching his family from afar, Bruno decided it was finally time to head home before someone noticed him. But when he turned he was stopped by a stranger. "Aren't you Bruno Madrigal?" the man said curiously. He was a few inches taller than Bruno, and he looked middle aged.
The man looked average, so he wasn't intimidating. But Bruno was scared anyway. Ideas of revenge and kidnapping went through his mind. The man stepped close to him, getting in his personal space and crowding him against the wall of the church.
"I haven't seen you around in a long time," The man said with a grin. He put his hand against the wall leaning over Bruno. "You're a lot cuter up close." he chuckled. Bruno stared at him with wide fearful eyes. "I was wondering," the man said then paused to get closer, to whisper in his targets ear.
Before he got the chance to finish what he was saying, Bruno jammed his fingers into the man's eyes causing the man to yell. The sound gathered the attention of the people around them, including his family. Bruno made a mad dash from the people and the screaming man.
Going the way he came, he managed to make it to Casita. The doors opened to let him in. Once inside he jumped into the hammock that hung in the courtyard. His plan was to act like he had been napping this entire time.
Bruno felt like he should be scared over what had happened, but he was actually elated. Not only had he managed to make it to town to witness Dolores getting engaged, but he had defended himself. He knew he could go back to town if needed. Although he knew it would be hard to go undetected, he might stick with his family next time.
His family arrived back home not long after he did, which gave Bruno the suspicion that they might know he was out. He decided to keep up the pretense that he had done nothing wrong, just in case they didn't know.
"Bruno," Julieta called to him then made her way over to the hammock with the rest of the family following. Bruno opened his eyes, stretched, and gave a obviously fake yawn.
"Oh, everyone's back?" He said looking around to see some amused faces.
"You're a terrible liar," Pepa said standing next to her sister. "We know you were there!"
"There?" Bruno asked hopping out of the hammock, opposite of his sisters. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"We know you were in town," Abuela said coming to his side and blocking his escape.
Bruno sighed, he should have known his trickery would not work. "Okay, fine! But to be fair the other guy started it-" His mother hugged him then.
"Brunito," She said, "I'm so proud of you." As she squeezed him, he could see the others smiling at him.
"I feel like I missed something important," he said out loud in confusion.
"We're just happy that you're out and about," Agustin assured him.
"And you kicked ass," Felix said pumping his fist.
"Don't encourage that," Alma scolded then added, "Lorenzo sends his apologies. Apparently he was making a bad attempt at flirting." This news made Bruno feel a little better to know that the man wasn't malicious.
Bruno's family had worked hard to care for him, and they knew eventually he would gain some independence. It would not be out of obligation to be useful, but just because he liked his time alone. Julieta sensed it coming, two months after she scolded him for going into the woods to play with the children.
Bruno was beginning to wonder off on his own more. He spent more time alone. At night he didn't crawl into Julieta and Agustin's bed for comfort. He became more energetic and joined in on more conversations. So, it was only a matter of time until he left the house, and everyone was happy that it didn't end in disaster.
.=.
That evening, the family celebrated Dolores's engagement. They drank and talked about the wedding plans. And half way through the evening, Bruno unveiled his wedding gift to her. The family was gathered in the court yard as Bruno brought out a large box.
He set up a few things to make it look like a theater and then whipped out a picture he had painted depicting a man and a woman. There were holes where their faces should be. He placed two rats on the theater's stage and then leaned the cut out against the rats with their faces going though the holes. "You're finally going to tell the whole telenovela?" Dolores asked excitedly.
"Oh course!" he said. "Well, just this episode. It's a series." Casita brought chairs out and Dolores sat at the front excitedly. The whole family sat around his theater to watch. Although Alma thought it was strange, she found herself amused by his story. He went on to tell of an aunt who fell in love with her nephew.
"In the end, their love could never be," he told them when they made it to the end. "But not because she got her memory back, but because she was pregnant with another man's child." Bruno gave a bow to his fans as everyone clapped and cheered.
"I don't think this is appropriate for Antonio," Pepa whispered to Felix.
"Don't worry, mi vida," Her husband responded. "He fell asleep."
As the evening progressed, Felix encouraged Bruno to join in the drinking. And it wasn't long after that Agustin was drunkenly playing the piano while everyone danced around. Bruno got drunk very easily due to his small stature. He wobbled around trying to keep up with them as they danced.
Eventually, Bruno started to feel dizzy. He looked around among his family as they blurred into the background. He felt someone take his hand and lead him to sit in a nearby chair. "Are you okay little mouse?" a familiar voice asked. Bruno looked to his right to see Andre crouched down to face him.
"I'm better than okay," Bruno told him as he disappeared. It wouldn't be the last he'd see of Andre, nor any of his abusers. The memories of them would be with him forever, and in weakened moments like this he would see them. But they did not matter anymore.
Those memories of his abuse were cut with the caring and kind moments of comfort he had had with his family. His abusers had raped him, but his sisters had cuddled and cared for him. His abusers beat him, but Felix could keep them away. Andre had starved him, but Agustin and Dolores had fed him. Those monsters had haunted his dreams, but Pedro protected him.
Even when Bruno harmed himself they were there. He tried to kill himself, but Camilo and Mirabel were there to help him. He tried to hurt himself, but so many of them were able to stop it. If he ran, hid, or was kidnapped; they would always find him. Even with the worst of his memories, it could be offset, with something his family had done for him.
He watched his family dance and celebrate as a mix of good and bad memories swirled around in his mind. It was overwhelming, sad, and comforting. He felt both unlucky and lucky to be in this moment. But maybe all that mattered was being here, with his family. It was all he ever really wanted.