"Deal?"

"Deal."

One year. A whole year had already passed since the day Casita came back to life; a year rebuilding ties, getting to know each other better, being, finally, a complete family.

Time had passed in those months seasoned with a mysterious mixture of calm and quiet and energy and excitement. The days were short and busy; the nights, calm and slow; mornings, a breath of fresh air.

Every day I lived with joy in the new vibe that enveloped the family; I laughed with everyone, I felt valued, and I saw how each one showed their true colors. Isabela ceased to be a princess clearly more attracted by the title of queen of evil; Luisa began to recommend to the people of the town that they reinforce the fences or that they let the donkeys go free at the same time that she took her tasks in a much more lax way to unsettle of some and amuse of others; Dolores and Mariano were rarely seen, and when they did, he always had more lipstick than she; and, well, Camilo… he continued to be Camilo.

Antonio, for his part, became much more independent and a bit cheeky. It was clear that it would not take long for him to become a heartthrob.

Mom and Dad continued as usual: pampering, drooling, cuddling, showing mischievous laughter... It was as if the intimacy of the room accompanied them wherever they went. And, tío Félix and tía Pepa… oh… they really had to be sent to their room if we wanted to prevent Antonio from learning certain things ahead of time.

Abuela changed from head to toe. Her smile accompanied her wherever she went, she lived relaxed and attentive to everyone at the same time, and she always had a caress or a kind word for whoever crossed her path. If it hadn't been for how radical the change was due to the incident with Casita, I would have thought that she was starting to be senile.

Bruno… Well, he wasn't the picture of calm, but he managed to take the changes little by little and enjoy the love of his family.

And about me… I gradually got used to the respect of the family, the affection of Abuela, the amusing despotism of Isabela, and that there were always donkeys and rats roaming everywhere. However, there was one thing I couldn't get used to: Bruno.

That man had not only turned my life upside down, but he had also turned me. His silly smile, his puppy dog eyes, his indomitable curls, his unkempt beard, his two unbuttoned buttons… The lump in my guts when I saw him drinking pouring from a distance while tiny droplets fell down his neck, the tingling in my belly every time he looked me in the eye, the dead words in my throat every time he whispered nonsense in my ear… His jokes, his care, his patience, his love for rats, his dedication to his family, his passion for talking about his interests, his inability to lie, his hand taking mine…

If being attracted to your uncle was wrong… I wondered how terrible it would be to be completely in love with him.

But there was nothing I could do, neither to have him nor to forget him, because, every night without fail, after dinner, when the day's bustle came to an end, he would meet me on a small hill on the edge of Casita, we told each other the comings and goings of the day and, immersed in the warmest of sensations, we were silent and watched for a while how the stars were watching us from above.

"I'm glad to have you back, tío."

"I never left your side, kid."

"Mamá, have you seen tío Bruno?"

"He's gone out with Abuela to collect some orders for the anniversary celebration. I don't think it will take long for him to return."

There was no way: I couldn't see him all day, and, mysteriously, that night, Bruno didn't come to the hill.

"Mamá…?"

That morning, the morning of the day we would celebrate the first anniversary of our return to Casita, my mother received me with tears in her eyes.

"Ay, mi vida… It's Bruno…"

My heart twisted in on itself at the sound of his name.

"What about tío Bruno? What happened to him?!"

My mom didn't say a word; she just handed me a note crudely written on a napkin with a piece of charcoal.

I took it with trembling hands and discovered a truth that would mark me forever:

'I can't keep living like this.

I'm sorry.

I love you all.

Bruno.'

"Mamá… what…?"

Were there words? Had the way of expressing in words the terror and pain that my soul suffered really been invented?

"He's gone, Mira. For real this time."

"It can't be… why would he do something like that? He adores his family!"

"Maybe because of that…"

"Do you know why he's left?"

Again, she did not answer. She hugged me tightly and wept bitterly at the loss of her brother.

I didn't cry. Bruno was going to come back. I would find him. Surely he was in his hole with the rats, or at the bottom of the infernal staircase of his room, or hidden behind a plant… Bruno wouldn't leave us. Bruno wouldn't abandon me…

The following days were plunged into a terrible storm.

Bruno had abandoned me.