Chapter 23

31 years before Encanto


After dinner, the Madrigals and Felix sat together in the sitting room, drinking tea as they chatted and got to know eachother.

Pepa lay in Felix's arms asleep, worn out by all the emotions of the day. Her fingers held onto Felix's shirt and her face rested against his chest as she breathed softly.

Felix smiled down at her, feeling grateful at how much she trusted him now. He gently brushed her hair back with his fingers and Pepa made a soft sound, but didn't wake up.

"She should go to her room." Alma commented. "Before it rains."

Felix looked at Pepa, then back to Alma in confusion. He didn't understand.

"She rains in her sleep." Julieta explained. "If she's having a bad dream."

"Which has been often lately." Alma sighed. "But luckily our casita has blessed us with a magical room that can keep Pepa's weather in. If she rains in her room, then it will not affect the rest of the Encanto. So she should go there now, before it starts to rain."

Felix looked down at Pepa sadly. There was so much shame and pressure placed on everything she did.

"I could take her to her room." Felix suggested kindly, glancing down at Pepa as she slept.

Alma hesitated.

"She can walk." Alma decided, wanting to avoid any uncomfortable situation. She then called softly to her daughter. "Pepa. Wake up, mija."

Pepa stirred at the sound of her Mama's voice and frowned, making a soft whimper in her sleep as rain began to patter down over them. Felix stroked her face in concern.

"You see?" Alma said to Felix, before repeating a little louder, "Pepa."

Pepa's eyes quickly snapped open. She looked up at Alma in worry. "Yes, Mama?"

"You have a cloud."

Felix felt Pepa flinch as she quickly sat up. She glanced at him in embarrassment before turning to the cloud, stroking her hair and muttering to herself under her breath.

"Clear skies, clear skies, clear skies."

Pepa glanced over her shoulder again, blushing in shame as she noticed Felix still watching her. The cloud thundered and she quickly turned back to it.

"Pepa." Alma sighed, gesturing up at the cloud. "You're going to wet your guest. Please, go to your room and try to calm down."

"Yes, Mama." She said softly, getting up off Felix's lap and heading off, her hands running through her hair anxiously as she walked.

Felix glanced at Bruno and his rats, who were watching him. Julieta gestured encouragingly with her eyes for Felix to follow Pepa, so he did.


Pepa's door glowed golden and Felix could hear the muffled sounds of rain and thunder coming from behind it. He knocked on the door.

"Do I need a password?"

The sounds of rain stopped.

Felix waited for a moment, then the door opened. Pepa peered through the doorway, her hair and ribbon dripping with water. She shivered a little as she looked at Felix in embarassment.

"Can I come in?" He asked gently.

Pepa considered, glancing back at her dripping room.

"You'll get all wet." She sighed sadly.

"Will I?" Felix grinned, reaching through the doorway and wrapping his arms around Pepa's waist, pulling her in for a hug. Her wet dress pressed against him and he embraced it, soaking his clothes against hers.

"Don't-" Pepa gasped breathlessly, then giggled as Felix playfully rubbed his face and hair against hers, the water splashing over him. He lifted her up, shaking water down onto himself as Pepa laughed. He then put her back down.

"Ok," Felix grinned. "Looks like I'm already wet. Can I come in now?"

Pepa smiled, her eyes warm. She nodded, holding the golden door open for him.

Felix stepped through and looked around. It was a very themed room. There were raindrops along the wallpaper, paintings of weather landscapes, and all the furniture and decor seemed to have something to do with her gift too. Felix noticed there was nothing in here that seemed to reflect Pepa's actual personality.

Pepa took out her yellow hair ribbon, wringing the water out of it with a frown. Felix watched as the water hit the floor and faded away, getting absorbed into the room.

He touched the quilt of her bed curiously, noticing that it too was beginning to dry up before his eyes. Increible.

"Don't." Pepa muttered, glancing at the wet bed as a cloud appeared over her head. "It's embarassing."

Felix watched her curiously as she looked intensely at herself in the mirror, her fingers tying her ribbon around her head as she whispered.

"Clear skies, clear skies, clear skies."

"What does that mean?" He asked.

Pepa turned to him, her eyes still intense. "What?"

"That phrase you keep saying." Felix explained. "What does it mean?"

Pepa frowned at him, unsure what to else to say. It was pretty self-explanatory.

"I know you use it to stop the rain." Felix continued, "But how does it work? Do those words hold a special meaning? Do you imagine something when you say them?"

Pepa paused. She'd never really thought about it before.

"It's just something Mama taught me." she said quietly.

"Is that what you think about, then?" Felix asked curiously. "When you say it? Do you think about your Mama?"

Pepa considered, then shuddered, memories of her childhood flashing before her eyes. She remembered standing out in the fields, crying as Mama instructed her to control the storm that thundered around them. She remembered the pain in her chest and the terror in her heart.

"Clear skies, Pepa." Alma's voice played over in her head.

She saw Mama's face flash before her through the ages, a montage of disappointed moments and frustrated scolding as Mama grew older and older and Pepa never got any better. She remembered the storms, the hurricanes, the snow. The people in town staring and shaking their heads, or running and screaming. Mama sighing in disappointment, closing Pepa's door.

Pepa took a shuddering breath, returning to the present moment. She glanced around. For some reason her room now had too much rain in it and not enough air. She held her chest, taking another shuddering breath as she stared down, too ashamed to look at Felix. She watched as a tear dripped from her eyes and disappeared into the floor.

Felix gently put a hand on Pepa's shoulder and she flinched. She looked up to see Felix smiling back at her reassuringly. "Can I hold you?" He asked.

"Okay." She sighed, turning her head away.

Felix carefully pulled Pepa in for a hug. She resisted a little at first, then relaxed, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face against his shoulder as she began to cry.

Felix rubbed her back, holding her tight and letting her cry as the rain poured over them.

Pepa stayed like that for a little while, then quickly pulled away, wiping her eyes and groaning in embarassment as she turned away from him.

"It's ok." He reassured her.

Pepa groaned again in frustration. "It's not."

Felix watched Pepa as she twisted her hands together, whispering up at the clouds, exhaling heavily in frustration as it didn't work. She grabbed her hair and tried again.

"Clear skies, clear skies-" More rain poured down and Pepa gasped in frustration, slapping herself hard in the face. Lightning flashed. Felix's face softened as he rushed over.

"Ay," He said gently, putting his hands to her face. "Please don't do that again."

Pepa sobbed, trying to hide her face in shame, but Felix didn't let go of her. He smiled gently, his thumbs carefully wiping under her eyes.

"If only we had your crops here, hm?" He grinned as he saw Pepa's face soften a little at his words. "Those banana trees would be so angry if they knew how much water you are giving your room, and not them."

"I hate the banana trees." Pepa sobbed, then gasped as she caught herself.

Felix gasped playfully too, his eyes widening as he spoke in a dramatic voice, "Not the banana trees." He smiled and rubbed his nose against hers as Pepa laughed. "I'm going to tell them."

"Good." Pepa said breathlessly, wiping her eyes. "I hate all the crops."

Felix rested his head against hers. "Is that so, hm?" He said thoughfully. "Well then, me too. Let's stop eating them. We can have a protest."

Pepa groaned playfully, pushing Felix's face away with her hand, then looking back at him with a smile, her clouds gone.

Felix smiled too, his expression softening as he gently stroked the angry red mark across her cheek. He wondered how often she did things like that.

"What if," He kissed her cheek, "We made a new phrase that you say instead? Hm?"

Pepa quickly shook her head, her face worried and her clouds reappearing. Felix nodded in understanding.

"Ok," He smiled. "So it's clear skies, then."

The cloud above them rumbled suddenly and Pepa frowned. She didn't like it when other people said those words. Felix noticed, so he made sure not to say them again.

"So," He smiled. "I have a question for you, Pepa Madrigal."

She watched him curiously.

"What is it that makes you happy?" He asked. "You said your gift comes from your heart. So what makes your heart happy?"

Pepa smiled at him knowingly.

"Hm?" He pressed, "Tell me."

She grinned and shook her head.

"Is it the banana trees?" He asked.

Pepa laughed. "No."

"Ok," Felix smiled, gently brushing her fringe back behind her ear as he continued, "You don't have to tell me what it is... But you know what it is, and that's what matters."

He kissed her face, pausing to make sure she really heard him. Pepa watched Felix with bright eyes.

"So," He continued. "Next time you want the weather to change, and you say those words, I want you to think about that happy thing that you've just chosen." He smiled at her encouragingly. "Picture it in you head, what it looks like, what it sounds like, what it feels like... And I promise you, if you do that, the clouds will listen to you."

Pepa swallowed, her eyes tearing up. He really cared about her. He really wanted her to get better. He wasn't scared of her clouds, he wanted to help them.

She took a shaky breath, wondering what would happen if they tried to fix her and she didn't get better. Would he give up on her? Pepa's cloud started to rain over her as she worried.

"Look at that," Felix laughed, glancing up at the cloud. "Looks like it wants you to practice... You want to try?"

Pepa took a deep breath and nodded.

She closed her eyes.

"What makes you happy, Pepi?" He asked with a smile.

Pepa smiled too. She thought of Felix waiting for her in the field. Of Felix smiling up at her as he handed her his book. She remembered hopping along the rocks, Felix waving his stick and showing her how to catch the fish. She remembered him tonight, in her casita with her family, telling an animated story over dinner as they all laughed and listened intently.

Pepa felt Felix's hands take hold of hers.

"Can you say it?" He asked gently.

Pepa nodded, her eyes still closed. "Clear skies."

"Open your eyes."

As she did, Pepa gasped. All the clouds were gone, and her room was filled with rainbows.