The day had dawned radiant, the family was preparing breakfast enthusiastically, and Abuela had told me that this was going to be a special day; however, I couldn't pay attention to any of it: my mind only relived over and over again the feeling of Bruno's chest rising and falling easily under my head reminding me that, if only for that night, he would be with me.

A relaxing and longed-for sensation that, at the same time, left me with a bittersweet taste. A sad air enveloped us during those hours in the sand, and accompanied us that morning to the table.

"Tell me, who is the pitiful little man sitting next to your grandma?"

Of all the guests we had, why did Mr. Smolder have to be the one sitting next to me?

"Bruno? He is my mother's brother."

"Your mother's? Weren't they triplets? He looks a bit younger."

"Ah… he keeps himself pretty well. He exercises a lot."

"Yes, the truth is that he has the look of an old man."

I took a deep breath concentrating on not putting a whole mango in that cocky's mouth for talking about Bruno like that.

"So, why is your hair full of sand like his?"

Oh, no.

I brushed my hair instinctively hoping no one else had noticed and was met by his mischievous smirk.

"What?" I asked somewhat more aggressively than the situation demanded.

"Nothing, but… I think that today, after breakfast, you have a date with me."

"I'm not…"

Eugenio raised an eyebrow and I understood that I had no choice. If I wanted his silence, I had to stomach him.

"Fine, you win."

"I thought so."

"Family and friends," Abuela began to speak standing up. "I hope you are all enjoying these days of meeting. Today I bring two excellent news. The first is that Isabela, Dolores, and Luisa have confirmed that they are back to stay. Do you know what that means?"

"Welcome party!" Félix answered happily dancing on the spot.

"Exactly. It is a bliss to have you back, queridas."

Finally some good news.

"The second one is that I have received a proposal that I think you will all find surprising but impossible to reject."

"What is it, mamá?" asked Pepa not losing the smile that her daughter's return had painted on her face.

"The Gutiérrezs' are interested in their daughter getting to know better our dear Brunito.

Abuela caressed Bruno's stunned face while she smiled excitedly as if she were giving him life for the second time and I felt my soul escape from my body. It would be a joke, right? They wanted to marry Bruno?!

"Uh… mamá… I don't… I don't think it's a good idea," Bruno replied hesitantly and returning the beat to my heart. "I… I don't know how to deal with women, and… I'm not comfortable with the idea."

"What nonsense is that? Of course you know how to deal with women, you live surrounded by them. And, Brunito, mi niño, it is normal for you to get nervous when you meet a woman; you'll get used to it. Little by little you will relax and you will be able to enjoy her company."

No, no, no, no, no!

"But, I don't…"

"But, why now, mamá?" asked my mother surreptitiously fighting for me the battle in which I could not get involved. "Ramona has never wanted a partner, and she is already older than us."

"His parents are already very old and she has no offspring. I think she's afraid of a solitary life. But she is a beautiful woman, inside and out, and even if she can't leave us offspring, I think it would be good for Bruno too to have someone to share his life with."

Bruno subtly averted his gaze until he met mine and pursed his lips. What would he be thinking? Would he want to accept it? Maybe this was his chance to find happiness… But, I… I couldn't believe that that was happening. It hurt to think of never being able to have him, but as long as there was no other person, it would not be a losing battle.

"Okay, I'll try."

No…

"Perfect. Well, get ready then, I'm going to settle the appointment for this morning."

My tears threatened to rush out and tarnish that moment, but I couldn't allow them to show. If he wanted to fight for his happiness, he was within his rights.

I could feel how my parents made sure not to look at me at that moment so as not to make my mood obvious, and how Dolores lowered her head. I could also feel Isabela kick me in the shin under the table. What did she expect me to do? I couldn't hold him back just to wait for an impossible love; I had to let him go.

"Good luck with your date, ehm… Bruno?" said Eugenio standing up suddenly and winking at him. "Now, sorry to interrupt, but Mirabel promised me a date and I can't wait any longer."

Oh, no. Things can always get worse.

"We going?"

He took my hand, tugged at it knowing I didn't have the strength to answer, and happily dragged me through the entire Encanto until we reached the side of a small cornfield that bordered the last house in town.

"Why the rush?" I asked fatigued.

"Wow, have you seen the look on his face when he saw you leave there? Something's up here!"

"Nothing's up; there is nothing here. You've already seen it. He's going out with Ramona, isn't he?"

"And, are you going to tell me why that makes you want to cry?"

"Why do you think that makes me want to cry?"

"Wiping your cheeks would make your retorts a little more convincing."

Eugenio sat on a rock and invited me to sit with him, so I sat on the ground, in front of him, making clear the distance.

"You don't have to be afraid of me. Not that I expected anything to happen between us, you know? You're cute, but I'm not interested in you."

Why wasn't I surprised?

"And, what was all the show of the tireless seducer about?"

"I have a reputation to maintain."

"The one of a cheeky flirt?"

"I have to divert attention from my real interests."

"What's their name?"

"What does that matter? She will never be mine."

"And why's that so?"

"My blondie… She is a good class lady. She doesn't act like she is, she's crazy, funny, she doesn't like outwarding appearance, and she always goes everywhere barefoot; but… but her parents will never accept me. I'm just a poor fool who can't forget about her."

"Huh, that sounds familiar."

"I bet it does."

"How does she feel about you? Do you know?"

"I think she likes me. I feel like there's something special between us, do you understand? But… I have never dared to really ask her. Instead, I just pretend I'm a womanizer out of reach so I don't get her in trouble."

"Sure you'll win over their parents that way…"

"Yeah… I've been thinking for a while that I need a plan B."

"Agree…"

"What about you? Does he know?"

"He rejected me."

"No, seriously."

"I'm serious! Why would I make up something like that?"

"And, why did he do that? It seems pretty obvious to me that he's got a crush on your bones."

"He… he just wants to protect me. He wants me to have a family, to find someone I can marry and have children with; he wants to protect my relationship with Abuela and my reputation in town. And he wants the man who gives me all that… not to be thirty-five years older than me."

"Thirty-five?! What's wrong with this family?! Why do you preserve yourselves so well?! What do they feed you?!"

I laughed when I realized that, actually, the reason was what they gave us to eat and he looked at me between surprised and intrigued

"Well, young lady, let's see how his date goes?"

"Do you want to kill me?!"

"Is that a no?"

"I didn't say that."

"Let's go, then."

Eugenio offered me his hand and I took it with much more pleasure than all the previous times. Perhaps I had not been able to see what was in front of my eyes. Deep down, he seemed like a nice guy.

The day was a real nightmare. We spent it hiding behind corners like someone running from the police watching poor Bruno flash the most false and awkward of his smiles and clumsily walk while listening to the thousand stories that Ramona seemed to have in store for him while looking around as if looking for a way out from her company.

"The man seems in trouble. How can there be someone who is so bad at dealing with women? What do you see in him?"

"Being bad at that is not a bad thing."

"You say that because it's convenient for you."

"Exactly. And I maintain it."

"And what is he looking for all the time? Do you think he's looking for you?"

"Why would he?"

"Maybe he wants to see you… or maybe he wants to know how our date is going."

"Why would that matter to him? Now he's building a life for himself," I said looking down at the ground.

"Yeah… Well, from the way he's looking at us, I'd say he's a little interested."

"He's looking at us?!"

"Don't look, just laugh as if I had said something funny."

For a change, I ignored him and looked over to where Bruno was. However, my eyes did not reach his; my gaze was riveted on how his hand was captured by Ramona's.

"Enough. Let's go out of here."

"Hey, wait… Mirabel!"

I didn't want to see that. I couldn't bear it anymore. She was just holding his hand, and he wasn't even paying attention to her, but… his hands… I wanted them to be only mine.

"Come on, he'll have to eat, or hug his family, or scratch his ass."

"On a romantic level, idiot! I mean I don't want anyone to touch them beyond friendship!"

"So, what now?"

"Nothing now. Now I'm going home to take indigestion of buñuelos."

"Look, Mirabel… From what little I've seen… I think he's doing it for you; so that you forget him and can make your life. He's not exactly a Dandy, but he seems like a nice guy. I think you should go for him."

"What makes you think he does it for me?"

"Well, to begin with, that he seemed to want to run away all the time; to continue, the pitiful face that he's done when he's seen you, and, to finish, that, as soon as you left, he has begun to feed the rats in the presence of Ramona. If that's not wanting to kill the atmosphere… I don't know anything anymore."

"Ah, the rats… That's the normal. They are his friends."

"You sure you want to be with him?"

"Leave me alone!"

"Well, anyway, Ramona didn't seem to agree with you."

"What do you mean?"

"You did what?!"

"They were hungry…"

Bruno answered with total nonchalance while he ate dinner under the amused gaze of the family and the shocked expression of Abuela.

"Of course she rejected you! What did you expect?!"

"Well, if she can't take the rats, our relationship might never have worked."

"Do what you want, Bruno, but, let me tell you that your priorities are terribly messed up."

Bruno looked up and shyly met my eyes.

"I don't think so."

Surely, I was seeing things where there weren't any, but… if that half-smirk didn't mean that he had done it on purpose… as Eugenio would say, I didn't know anything anymore.

"So? Are you going to give up on him?" Eugenio whispered in my ear.

"Not in a million years. What are you gonna do?"

"Well, if, after seeing how you don't give up with the scenario you have ahead, I'll go and give up myself, I would consider myself the most pathetic being in this world, so, thank you, savior, you've given me the push I needed."

"Good luck, faker."

"Keep the luck for yourself, My Lady: you're gonna need it."