Chapter 13

5 years before Encanto

9 months after Bruno left


Thunder crashed as Félix ran through the rainforest, his eyes squinting through heavy rainfall and wind as he sprinted after his wife. Lightning flashed, lighting up Pepa's silhouette as she ran ahead of him. The sounds of birds and monkeys shrieked around them.

Félix's breath was heavy and his heart thumped loudly in his chest as he ran, his feet splashing and slapping against the wet ground as he struggled to keep up with Pepa.

Dios, she was fast.

Pepa nimbly ducked under hanging branches, sidestepping trees and avoiding rocks as she ran ahead of him. Félix couldn't help but grin as he watched her. Pepa's body moved so easily, as if it were a dance. Félix jumped over the hanging branches behind her and let out a high pitched trill, his voice ululating and echoing out through the mountains to join in with the thunder. It was exhilarating to run wildly through the trees with Pepa. Félix remembered doing this when they were teenagers. Under happier circumstances, of course.

As Pepa pushed through the thick wet foliage ahead, she didn't see the ground become a wet and rocky decline. Her feet slid out from under her and Félix winced as he saw her tumble, her body hitting the ground below with a wet smack as she rolled to a stop. Thunder crashed loudly and the rain became torrential.

Pepa pulled herself back up and Félix exhaled in relief. She disappeared through the trees and Félix hurried down the rocks, quickly as he could without falling himself. It was no easy task, as rainwater flowed down the rocks like a river as the storm worsened.

Félix reached the bottom and pushed his way through the dripping foliage, searching for which way Pepa had gone, but he'd lost sight of her. Félix continued forward, hoping Pepa had run in a somewhat straight line. He continued in the same direction he'd seen her disappear, following the contours of the land where it seemed she most likely would have headed.

"They don't call it a rainforest for nothing, ay amor?" Félix called out playfully to her over the wind and rain. "You gonna let me find you?"

Félix listened hopefully for any sign of Pepa, his eyes searching, but there was nothing. Lightning flashed and lit up the silhouettes of the trees as they swayed and groaned in the wind. Birds flew past squawking, passing a bush in front of him.

Félix perked up as he saw someone hiding beneath the bush. He hurried over with a grin and lifted the leaves, but his face fell as he discovered a capybara. It stared back at him with a calm, neutral expression as the storm raged around it. Félix groaned and let the leaf drop back down.

It's still raining. Felix reassured himself as he continued to search. As long as the weather keeps up, you know she's ok. Félix exhaled, trying to keep a level head as memories of Antonio's birth started to play over in his mind. Pepa's cold limp hand in his, her blood in puddles on the floor, the stillness of the air around them as the weather disappeared along with her breath.

Félix quickly shook his head, tapping his cheeks. You got this, muchacho. Come on.

He ran through the trees into what he thought was going to be a clearing but then gasped, abruptly skidding to a stop as the ground dropped off into a cliff face that looked out over the rainforest below.

Félix stopped, catching his breath.

He could see the storming sky for miles now, framed by the mountains. The sky glowed purple and magenta and flashed white with lines of lightning that streaked down as thunder rumbled over the land. The clouds swirled and swelled, flowing across the sky like waves along an ocean, blotting out the sun. Félix stared up in wonder at the sky as it thundered. It was an impressive sight.

Walking along the cliffside, Félix found Pepa.

He approached her slowly and with caution, not because he was afraid of his wife, but because he was afraid for her. She was standing right at the edge of the cliff.

Pepa's eyes were fierce and bright as she stood staring out over the abyss, her dirty face streaked with tears. Her loose hair and ripped dress blew and flapped in the wind as the storm swirled wildly around her. Pepa's muddy and bleeding legs were shaking from exhaustion and small sparks of electricity ignited from her hands as she held them tightened into fists by her sides.

Félix couldn't help but stand back and admire the power that his wife was emitting - and he didn't just mean her gift. She looked powerful in herself. Pepa was angry, but she wasn't holding it back. She stood her ground and was completely owning who she was and how she was feeling, something Félix rarely had the privilege of seeing.

Pepa screamed up at the sky and it lit up around her, the thunder crashing and wind howling through the trees.

Félix watched in amazement. He stood close enough to be able to help if needed, but not close enough that she'd notice and stop what she was doing. He wanted his wife to know she was allowed to have her emotions, that she was allowed to let go.

Pepa screamed again, the rage in her voice projecting out into the storm that raged around her.

The wind blew wildly and Félix slipped, losing his balance in the rainwater and falling to the ground. Pepa turned abruptly at the sound, then stared at him with wide eyes. Félix stared back, slowly getting back up to his feet.

Seeing his wife's eyes start to soften in shame, Félix quickly stepped forward.

Standing next to her, Félix turned to look out over the stormy abyss. He took a deep breath, then screamed at the top of his lungs. The sound was long and powerful, echoing against the thunder. He then turned back to Pepa. She looked at him in surprise.

Félix grinned, before turning back to the storm and howling like a wolf. The sound echoed and carried with the wind. Felix laughed, then howled again, embracing and loving the raw exhilaration of this moment.

Félix felt a hand take hold of his.

He turned to see Pepa smiling at him, her eyes warm with love. Félix smiled back at her, gently interlocking his fingers in hers.

Félix turned back to the storm and screamed again, but this time Pepa screamed with him. The storm thundered and flashed brilliantly over their heads as their screams echoed out over the mountains of the Encanto.


Félix lay on his back by the cliffside with Pepa on top of him as she watched the sun slowly begin to return though the clouds. Their bodies were soaked with sweat and rainwater. Félix's hand gently stroked Pepa's face and body, his fingers carefully tracing around the scrapes and bruises that were starting to appear from her fall. He clicked his tongue.

"Tut-tut-tut. Look at you amor." He sighed. "What will I do with you?"

Pepa smiled but didn't reply. She was deep in thought as she looked out over the mountains. Félix watched her, stroking her hair.

"Thank you." Pepa said quietly after a while, glancing back him with grateful eyes. "You helped me," She kissed his chest and smiled. "Mi cielo."

Félix laughed breathlessly, rubbing Pepa's back. He still felt exhilarated by the memory of that storm.

Pepa propped herself up with her arms over Félix's chest, so she could gaze down into his face. Her eyes were full of affection as she leant down and kissed him. The sun shone brightly behind her. Félix chuckled, his chest rising and falling under her as he admired the calm and grounded energy she was radiating.

"You run fast, mi vida." Félix laughed as he looked up at her. "You sure you're almost 50?" He reached up and affectionately stroked Pepa's hair back from her forehead as she frowned. "I think somebody got the numbers wrong. I've never seen an old Abuela move like that before."

Pepa slapped Félix's chest scoldingly, her eyes now wide and furious, but the lack of clouds told Félix she was bluffing. Felix laughed, his fingers tickling Pepa until finally she broke into a smile.

"Or maybe it's these long legs." Félix said with a twinkle in his eye, lightly slapping a hand to her knee then rubbing her thigh, carefully avoiding her grazes as he did so. Pepa pushed his hand off playfully and Félix laughed, rolling her over so he was on top and gently pinned Pepa down beneath him.

"You won't let me see them?" Félix asked playfully, kissing her neck as Pepa squirmed, a rainbow appearing above them. "Hm?"

Félix reached to touch Pepa's leg again but she quickly took his hand in hers.

"Stop, cariño!" Pepa laughed. "We are on a cliff! I don't want to die like this."

Félix stopped thoughtfully, then nodded in agreement, standing up.

Before Pepa had time to get up too, Félix promptly bent down and picked her straight up off the ground, flipping her over his shoulder. Pepa shrieked in surprise, then laughed, rainbows floating over her head as Félix carried her into the rainforest.


Later


Pepa swam in the river, enjoying the cool feeling of the water against her sore body. She gently washed away the dried dirt and blood from her skin and cleaned her wounds. Gently touching a hand to the bruise in her hairline, Pepa winced. Not good. She would probably need to have some food to heal soon.

At the thought of her sister, Pepa's heart suddenly became very heavy with guilt as she remembered why she was here.

Pepa had run away from home, away from her problems, away from her family... And away from her sister. Julieta had told her how much she needed her, and instead of supporting her, Pepa had abandoned her. She had abandoned her the same way Bruno had abandoned them. Pepa sunk down into the water in shame. She and her brother always did share the gift of messing everything up.

As Pepa's thoughts darkened, so did the sky. Rain began to fall down, pattering across the surface of the river. As the rain started, Pepa instinctively flinched. Her body tensed up as she quickly reached for her hair.

Then she stopped, slowly letting herself relax as she remembered no one was around to scold her. It was a strange feeling.

Looking up, Pepa saw birds chirping and flitting around on the branches above her, puffing their bodies and shaking their wings as they washed themselves in the rain. Nearby capybaras sat peacefully under the clouds, watching Pepa with neutral expressions. Coatimundis splashed together playfully, jumping from puddle to puddle as they chased eachother through the rain and up into the trees.

Pepa sighed in relief. There was no running and screaming, no judging eyes - The weather was just a natural part of the rainforest.

She looked up and watched the rain as it fell down through the leafy canopy. It felt like she belonged here. Her gift was so linked to nature that being surrounded by it made her feel grounded and peaceful.

Pepa heard Félix's voice dramatically bellow out from above. She looked up to see that he'd climbed to the top of a tall rock and had his arms reached up to the skies, calling out to the rain like the king of the forest. Pepa shook her head at him and laughed, her eyes full of adoration as the clouds faded away.

Félix leapt down from the rock, somersaulting before hitting the water with a giant splash, soaking their clothes which they'd hung under the shelter of a nearby tree to dry. Pepa rolled her eyes.

Félix swam under the water and resurfaced right in front of Pepa, making her jump in surprise as he leapt up, flicking his head back and sending more water from his hair onto their wet clothes. Pepa scoffed, glancing over at them.

"Ay... What are we thinking, amor." Félix said solemnly, his voice filled with fake concern. "Your clouds and my splashes. At this rate you're never getting back into that dress."

Félix couldn't keep a straight face. He burst into laughter at his own joke.

Pepa sighed with an endearing smile.

"Maybe we should just stay here?" Félix teased, but then his face softened as he could see the concern on Pepa's face as she thought of the family.

"They will be worried." Pepa said quietly, her mind returning again to Julieta as rain began to fall. Her head dropped in shame. She felt embarassed for having a good time here instead of being with her family who needed her. Pepa felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked back up to see Félix's reassuring smile.

"If you are ready to go, then we will go." He said in a sure tone. "Ok?"

Pepa nodded.

"Let's go home, then." Félix said with an easy smile, placing a hand to her cheek. Pepa put her hands on top of his and looked back at him, grateful that he always listened to her.

Pepa looked into Félix's beautiful face and smiled as a rainbow appeared over his head.