A/N: Dolores has trouble falling asleep, and Felix helps. Over and over.

Encantober Prompt Day 11: Door

"And then, Pablo PUSHED Eduardo, and Eduardo grabbed onto his collar, and they both fell into the mud and were rolling around and wrestling and Señora Domingo was having trouble separating them so I told Señora Muñoz about it and she went to help her pull them apart and then she ended recess early so she could 'handle them'." Dolores relayed with wide eyes as she bounced lightly on the edge of her bed.

"Well, it sounds like it was an eventful day at school today," Félix said, distracted as he searched the drawer for his daughter's nightgown.

"Ah – could you – put this on, mija?" He said as he handed her the pajamas he'd finally found.

"Sí," Dolores lisping slightly around her missing front teeth. She'd lost both in the span of two weeks, and it was adorable.

"And then it's time for bed," Félix said for the tenth time, as Dolores animatedly talked about everything she'd heard at school that day.

"Sí, sí, Papa, okay. But I'm too tired to go to sleep. I've got too much wiggle worms in me to sleep right now."

"Well, you're going to have to try," Félix said with gentle sternness. "Because tomorrow is a school day."

"Another one?!" Dolores made a face. "How may more days until it's over?"

Félix chuckled. "Only about a hundred."

"A HUNDRED?!" Dolores sat straight up in bed. "But that's practically forever!" She whispered.

Félix coaxed Dolores to lay back down and tucked her in again, giving her a kiss and smoothing the covers over her. "It seems like it, but you do only have two more days until the weekend. No school on the weekend, querida."

"Yeah, that's still two whole days." Dolores sighed. "Can we go on a picnic to the lake this weekend? It's so nice and quiet there. Well, not quiet, really. But different sounds. I like it there."

Félix paused. "Is your gift bothering you, mija?"

Dolores shook her head. She'd had her gift for over a year now, and she seemed to have adjusted as well as could be expected. In fact, she was prouder than she'd ever been of it, because she had been the one to recently announce that her mamí and tía were both pregnant. "It's not bothering me today. I just wanna go on a picnic."

Félix smiled at her. "I'll talk to your mamí and your abuela and see what we can do, then, okay?"

"Okay!" Dolores whispered cheerfully.

"Now go to bed!" Félix said with a smile as he closed the bedroom door behind him. "Mamí will be in in a minute to kiss you goodnight, too."

The sound of little feet passing overhead made Félix look up to the balcony.

"Dolores?"

"Just need a drink of water!" She said.

Félix waited until Dolores had gotten said drink of water from the bathroom, and then ran back to her room. "Good night, mija!" He whispered. "Don't forget to shut your door."

She paused at her door. "…Okay. G'night, Papa!"

"Can I have some?"

Félix, Pepa, Julieta, and Agustín looked up from the kitchen table, where they were nursing cups of weak coffee and eating some sweet and sticky torta des tres leches, talking over the day and discussing the plans for the weekend. Pepa was further along than Julieta, but they both seemed to be over their morning sickness and neither was so large that a picnic by the lake was unfeasible. They'd invited Bruno to sit with them, but he'd mumbled something about needing his beauty rest and escaped to his tower. He'd been avoiding them all with increasing regularity these past few months. Maybe a picnic at the lake with the family was just what he needed, too.

Dolores stood, twisting the hem of her nightgown in her hands, eyes wide and looking hungrily at the cake on the plate.

"Hungry, mija?" Félix asked softly.

"Sí," Dolores said. "Just a little."

"Okay, a little piece, corazón, and then back to bed," Pepa said, and patted her lap for her to climb up and sit with her.

Félix had just finished getting ready for bed himself and was leaving the bathroom when he nearly ran into Dolores.

"Dolores, mija, is everything okay?" He whispered under his breath. It was unusual for her to be out of bed this late. She preferred the quiet of her room after a long day.

She blinked up at him. "Oh! Um, yeah. Sí, Papa. I just – uh – I have to go to the bathroom."

Félix moved out of the way. "Okay, mija, and then I'll tuck you in again."

"So, having trouble falling asleep tonight, mija?"

Dolores flopped down onto her bed, hiding her face behind her hands. "I think I might be a vampire!"

Félix choked on a laugh and quickly swallowed it, sitting down on the edge of the bed beside her. "What?"

"I'm just – so tired during the day and then I'm so awake at night!" She curled her hands to imitate claws and lifted her lip in a snarl and hissed, pretending to show off her fangs. She then gestured to the air around her, giggling. "I belong to the night!"

Félix shook his head and ruffled her hair affectionately. It was nice to see some of her former spirit returning. Her gift had taken away some of that cheerful silliness and made her so incredibly subdued for months. "You do not belong to the night, Dolores Madrigal. You belong here, in this family, in your bedroom, asleep at this hour. But – why are you having trouble sleeping, mija? You have been tired lately. Have you…have you been hearing something at night? Did something you hear bother you?"

Félix tensed slightly. They'd had a lot of trouble navigating Dolores' gift this past year. She'd heard things no child should ever hear. But her room was her safe haven; it was completely quiet in here with the door closed. He'd spent many days and even nights in here with her, helping her to adjust.

Dolores hesitated. "No."

"Because you can always tell me if you hear anything you - "

"It's not that, Papa," Dolores said softly.

"Oh. Well – querida – what is it?"

"I just – I want to – hear you."

Félix blinked. "You want me to spend the night in here with you tonight? Or sleep with Mamí and I? You can if - "

Dolores shook her head. "Mamí snores now that she's got a baby in her belly. And that's too loud to be next to her."

Félix snorted. "Ah – um – yes. So - "

"Just – leave the door cracked? That way I can hear everybody. Just for tonight. I like hearing the baby's heartbeats. I like hearing you and Mamí talking before you go to bed. I like hearing Tío Bruno's sand. There's – there's enough quiet noise in Casita that I don't have to listen to anything outside if I don't want to. Sometimes – I like the quiet in here, but sometimes – it's too quiet. And when it's too quiet in the room, my brain thinks too loud."

"Ahhh," Félix nodded in understanding. "You like soft noises to help you sleep?"

Dolores nodded.

"Well, I think we can figure something out for you then, mija. Tomorrow. Tonight, I'll leave the door cracked. Okay?"

"Okay, Papa. Thank you."

"You're very welcome, mi amorita." Félix kissed her goodnight.

When he left, he left the door cracked open.

She was asleep within five minutes.

A/N: Inspired by real life conversations with my own children XD

Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful day!