Chapter 10
6 months after Bruno left
5 years before Encanto
It was late at night and Dolores was sitting in the kitchen, her head resting in her hand as she stared longingly out the window with a smile.
"Good day, huh?" Bruno mumbled through a mouthful of food as he approached, but was immediately silenced as Dolores held a finger to his mouth, not looking away from the window.
"What is it?" Bruno whispered nervously, ready to rush back to his secret room. "Is someone else up? Is it Abuela?" Bruno spoke quickly, tapping his knuckles over the table, chairs and his head. "Knock, knock - knock on wood..."
"Shhh!" Dolores frowned in frustration, putting a finger to Bruno's lips again, before turning back to the window. "You're ruining it."
Bruno stopped, taking another arepa from his pocket and taking a bite as he watched Dolores in intrigue. She was listening in on something important. Bruno sat next to her, trying to figure it out.
Dolores propped both her elbows up on the table and rested her head in her hands, closing her eyes with a smile as she listened deeply. She sat like that for a while before finally sighing.
Bruno watched in surprise, thinking he might have figured out what it was. He waited for a moment, but then his curiosity got the better of him.
"So..." Bruno asked slowly. "Who was that?"
"Hm." Dolores smiled, standing up from her seat. "Ok, I'm going to bed, goodnight." Dolores left the table and headed off without another word.
"Wait!" Bruno turned in surprise. "You're not gonna tell me?"
"Uh-uh."
Bruno watched Dolores leave and shook his head.
This was Pepa's daughter, and Bruno had seen his sister in this same mood many times over. He recognised that same smile and tone of voice from when Pepa was Dolores' age, and knew exactly what it meant.
"What's his name?" Bruno called out after her.
Dolores stopped abruptly at the doorway. She hesitated for a moment.
"It's a boy, right?" Bruno pressed, trying to sound supportive. "Is he cute?"
Dolores turned back to Bruno, her face glowing with an excited smile. She nodded quickly.
Bruno grinned back, having never seen her eyes sparkle like that. Bruno enjoyed seeing Dolores so happy.
"Well, come on!" Bruno laughed, patting the seat beside him. "Let's hear about him! I'm all ears, kid."
Dolores squeaked, flitting back over to the table and pulling up a seat beside Bruno.
"His name is Mariano." Dolores whispered, her eyes full of excitement. "He writes poetry, and every night he reads his poems out to his mother, to help her to fall asleep." Dolores' eyes were warm and longing as she described it. "He really looks after her, he cares about her so deeply. And he wants to start a family of his own someday." Dolores squeaked again. "His mother and he talk about it often. He wants five kids."
As Bruno watched Dolores speak, he couldn't help but smile brightly. He remembered sitting at the table like this with Pepa when they were younger. She'd still be in her party dress, flowers braided through her curly hair. She'd take his hands in hers and with that same excited voice, she'd tell him about the boy she'd danced champeta with all night. Her eyes would sparkle with innocent joy as she spoke, rainbows dancing over their heads.
Bruno smiled, feeling bittersweet. Sometimes he missed Pepa so much it hurt.
"He's a musician too." Dolores continued, bringing Bruno back to the present. "He plays the piano and the accordion and the tiple."
Bruno watched Dolores speak, feeling a strong sense of adoration towards her. Good for you, kid.
"He writes his own songs," she continued. "And que lindo! They are so beautiful... He speaks his mind, and he sings with his heart."
"How long have you been listening in on this guy, exactly?" Bruno asked carefully.
Dolores squeaked softly with a knowing smile, but she didn't reply.
Bruno paused thoughtfully.
"You know... You gotta be careful using your power on stuff like this, kid." Bruno warned. "It, uh... Doesn't always end well."
Dolores considered what her Tío said, but was unsure if she agreed with him.
Mama uses her powers all the time, and Papa is always encouraging her and accepting mama for exactly who she is. Dolores wanted that for herself too. She didn't want to be careful, or hold her powers back around the person she loved. She'd seen the damage that can cause. Dolores wanted someone who would see her for who she was, and love her for it.
"Wait, wait, sorry... That came out all wrong." Bruno started again. "What I meant to say is, instead of just listening to Mariano, why don't you go out and talk to him? Hm? Start a little conversation? Eh?" Bruno elbowed Dolores encouragingly to emphasise his point. "Seize your moment!"
Dolores smiled and shrugged.
"Come on, kid." Bruno pressed, his voice serious now. "You spend all your life just listening, you're gonna listen to your life go by without you." He looked at her with genuine eyes. "Trust me."
Dolores looked back at him, feeling unsure. Dolores wasn't usually one to put herself out there, she took time to open up. And she was afraid of getting hurt. What if he didn't feel the same way? Dolores didn't want to give her heart out to somebody just to have it given back.
"Any way I could help?" Bruno smiled encouragingly.
Dolores sighed. She didn't know. She didn't like the idea of just taking a risk without knowing the outcome. If only-
Dolores stopped and hummed, having a sudden idea. She turned to Bruno hopefully.
"There is one thing." She said brightly.
Bruno chuckled.
"Name it, kid. I owe you my life." Bruno said genuinely. "Anything you need, it's yours."
Later that night
"Let's just say that after this, we are definitely calling it even." Bruno muttered nervously as they entered his vision cave. "Here I was thinking I was gonna knock on his door, y'know? Help you write a love letter..."
Bruno looked around the space anxiously. He had not been back into his tower since the night he'd run away. Sand sprinkled down from the tall stone walls and tinkled over a small exposed piece of glass. Seeing the tiny glow of green, Bruno hastily kicked sand over it with his foot, burying it again. He exhaled shakily.
"Everyone's definitely asleep?" Bruno asked again nervously. He'd had Dolores check multiple times now.
Dolores nodded confidently. Bruno gulped, tossing a handful of salt over his shoulder and whispering anxiously to himself as he prepared his space. The things he did for family.
Bruno went to light up the vision circle, but then he stopped, glancing back up at Dolores in apprehension.
Bruno had really been enjoying the friendship he'd built up with his niece over the past few months. He loved the fun they'd been having, the conversations, the games, the quiet moments of understanding... What if Dolores sees something in this vision that she doesn't like, and then she decides doesn't like him anymore?
Bruno watched her sadly, swallowing as he tried to stop himself from getting choked up. Dolores was the only family Bruno had left. He stared at her, realising in that moment how terrified he was of losing her.
"What is it?" Dolores asked curiously.
"Nothing." Bruno sighed, lighting up the candles. "Just... Pre-vision nerves, y'know."
Bruno slowly held his hand out for Dolores, and she took it with a smile. Bruno looked back at her sadly, before closing his eyes and feeling the wind pick up and rise around them. Ok, kid. Here goes nothing.
When Bruno's eyes opened again they glowed green. The glow spread and lit up the sand that swirled around them, the green light dancing in images around them.
A green image of Mariano formed in front of them. He was walking towards the Madrigal's casita with Abuela and his mother, his hands clasped together and their feet stepping in perfect rhythm with eachother. Dolores' eyes lit up in excitement and she smiled over at Bruno.
"Great!" Bruno called out over the sand. "What a vision! Let's leave it there, huh?" Bruno laughed nervously, hoping to cut the vision off before any bad news could appear.
"I want to see what happens next!" Dolores called back in excitement, an innocent smile over her face as she looked up and around at the sand in wonder, her hair blowing in the wind.
Bruno's face softened as he watched her, once again being reminded of Pepa. Ok, he decided. I'll do it. Anything for you.
They continued the vision. Images formed of Mariano knocking on the casita door, a young woman coming out of the casita to meet them at the door, Mariano pulling the woman into an embrace. Dolores watched with a squeak, her hands repetitively squeezing and releasing Bruno's hands in short little bursts to express her excitement.
The vision continued, showing Mariano holding the woman's hand, gently kissing her cheek. The images swirled faster until the vision settled on a final image of the family all gathered around the dinner table, Mariano kneeling down before the woman in a marriage proposal. As the image started to become clearer and the sand settled, Dolores leaned in, her eyes searching hopefully.
But as the image completed to reveal who the woman was, Dolores's face fell.
It was her cousin, Isabela.
Bruno gasped, watching Dolores in concern as she let go of his hands. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes stared sadly down at the floor as the sand dropped around them. Bruno headed over to her.
A green glass image of Mariano and Isabela had formed in Dolores hands and she stared down at it, standing very still. Dolores was in the vision too, sitting on the other side of the dinner table. Her eyes were wide and worried as she watched Mariano kneeling before her cousin. Dolores lightly touched the picture of her face with her finger. Her lip trembled but she didn't say anything.
Bruno hesitated, then put on a smile, attempting to lift the mood.
"We could smash it?" Bruno spoke up optimistically. "Hey? Hey? Always makes me feel better."
Dolores quickly shook her head, hugging the vision close to her chest and breathing shakily.
"Hey... Don't worry kid, we'll find another one." Bruno tried again, doing his best to cheer her up, but not quite hitting the mark.
Dolores stood silently. Bruno tried again, desperate to comfort her, but unsure of the right things to say. This time he put on his best rat voice. She loved his shows, surely this would make her laugh.
"The man of her dreams, just out of reach... Betrothed to another." Bruno spoke dramatically into the big echoing space of his cave, before turning back to Dolores with a smile. "That's some real telanovela stuff, right kid?"
Bruno stopped as he saw Dolores' face crumple. She looked at him with eyes filled with hurt and confusion before dropping her head down, closing her eyes in defeat. Bruno watched sadly, feeling regret.
"Sorry." He said, his voice soft and genuine.
Dolores didn't look up. Silent tears started to roll down her cheeks, dripping onto the vision and sliding down it's the green glass. Carefully, Bruno reached over and put a hand on Dolores shoulder, watching to gauge her reaction. When she didn't shrug his hand off, Bruno decided it was probably safe to pull her in for hug.
Bruno put his arms around Dolores and she hid her face against his chest, her body shaking as she quietly sobbed. Bruno sighed, knowing he had hurt her. He rubbed her back and wished there was something he could do to help her.
The walk back from the tower was silent. Dolores kept her head low, hugging the vision to her chest as she walked. As they came upstairs and reached the doors to their rooms, Dolores immediately opened her bedroom door and stepped inside without another word. Bruno swallowed, feeling a deep sinking feeling in his chest. This was it. This was probably gonna be the last time he'd see her.
"Kid... Wait." Bruno whispered suddenly, right before the door closed. Dolores stopped, turning and reopening the door. She stood in her doorway, watching her Tío with tired but patient eyes. She was holding back a lot of emotion and just wanted to go into her room and let it out. But she loved her Tío, so she waited patiently for him to speak.
Bruno hesitated, trying to find the right words.
He'd always had trouble finding the right words, trouble doing the right thing. He felt like his whole life was just a series of apologies. Saying sorry for the things that he saw in that cave, or for the things that he said. Well-intentioned thoughts that came out as insensitive or inappropriately timed sentences.
Bruno winced, his mind taking him back in guilt.
He saw Pepa in the church, wind swirling around her as she hid her face in her hands. He saw Julieta run over and kneel beside her sister, holding her tight and rocking her slowly, whispering comforting words in her ear as she sobbed. He saw Félix kneel down too, his hand on Pepa's shoulder as he glanced over at Bruno in disbelief, before turning back to help comfort Pepa. He saw his mamá approach, her eyes glaring at him with disappointment, before turning away in shame.
"Goodnight, Tío." Dolores sighed softly.
Her words brought Bruno back to reality, just as the door shut in his face. Bruno stared back at the golden glowing image of Dolores, feeling guilty as he wondered how long he had kept the poor kid waiting this time.
Bruno turned sadly and headed through his secret door, deciding he was probably gonna spend a lot more time alone in there for a while, out of the way, where he couldn't hurt his family.
