"Personally. I don't know why you go to have your fortune read anymore. I have sworn it off."

"What do you mean?"

"Well haven't you noticed? What Bruno tells us are usually bad things. And then they always happen! It's like he is sealing your bad fate!"

"Yeah that's a good point…. Maybe it's better to just… Don't."

"I have said it for years! That boy is bad luck."

"yeah... You're probably right."

It didn't really matter who had this conversation. There were so many conversations like it between all the townspeople. Men and women. Young and old. Every corner… Every house.

And often people would look at Bruno with very suspicious eyes. They would treat him nicely of course. He was part of the Madrigal family and no one would ever dare go against Alma Abrigal who basically ran the entire town.

Bruno was of course. The man of the house of Madrigal now! Of course he was! He was the only male in the entire house!

Not that he was anyone's idea of the ideal man. He was small, skinny, awkward, skittish, and would sometimes twitch.

But he would be damned if he was going to drag his family down! So he would ignore any whispers. Tell his family he was just fine when they asked him and move forward as he was also the face of the family Madrigal and he would not disappoint his family.


"Are you serious?" Father Mendoza groaned. "Lose all my hair? You can't be serious!"

Bruno looked at the priest in front of him. "From what I remember your father doesn't really have hair either. Maybe it runs in the family?"

"My mother is well into her sixties and has amazing hair!" Father Mendoza objected clearly deeply offended. "And why would you comment on my hair? That wasn't even what I was asking about!"

"I'm sorry! It's just what the vision showed!" Twenty-year-old Bruno held up the jade slab. "Take it or leave it!"

Father Mendoza did not take the slap. He huffed as he stood up and turned around only to groan as he exited the room. "Is it just me or are the stairs out there getting longer?!" he asked.

Bruno closed his eyes and stopped himself from retorting that maybe… Maybe it was that way so people like Father Mendoza wouldn't even bother going up here in the first place!

Finally the priest left and Bruno exhaled deeply as he sank back. Madre dios! And then he fell down on his back. Uuuuurghhh.

Could Bruno just stay up here? And never go down so he wouldn't have to talk to another person in town?

No… Of course not. If he didn't meet up for dinner Mama would be mad. He was twenty but that did not change the house rules. Alma had always been a strict enforcer... And well it was her house thus her rules... Great.


Julieta had started to notice recently. That at dinner… Bruno started to smuggle pieces of food into his ruana.

Why he would do that was honestly a mystery. Her brother had some funny habits. He would often knock under the table or chairs while mouthing some sort of little chant.

He would do it very subtly and clearly thought that no one noticed. But yeah… When you do it this often enough and for so many years. Siblings are going to notice.

This taking pieces of food though was a strange one. It was not like they ever lacked food! And Bruno knew that! There was always extra food available in the kitchen in case someone from the Encanto got hurt and needed it.

The mystery was solved a few days after when Julieta heard the yell through the house.

"Brunito!"

Their mama sounded mad. And in a real scolding mood. It also startled Julieta but she followed the voice to see what was going on and finally found her way to the entrance hall where Bruno looked beyond guilty while holding something in her hands.

"Feeding the rats. Feeding the rats?!" Alma shouted. "I am very disappointed in you Brunito! This is beneath you."

Julieta's eyes widened and she noticed it was true. There was a rodent in Bruno's hands, peering out. Its black little eyes looking at them.

"You are going to take that outside. Right now!" Alma demanded and Bruno looked beyond horrified by the suggestion. "And I mean far outside! Not just the backyard. The forest outside of the Encanto! You hear me?"

And Bruno hung his head. Looking more like a little kid than an adult man. "Si mama." he whispered.

"We'll talk about a punishment later," Alma said. "For now. Get rid of that thing!"

And then Bruno walked out with a bowed head. Clutching his rat… And it looked like he was indeed leaving through the front door to go to the forest as he had promised.

However that evening… Bruno was stealing food again and Julieta croaked an eyebrow.

The same night… Julieta approached Bruno's room. She looked at the glowing door and the illustration of her brother. She was just about to knock… But then decided against it and slowly opened the door as she snuck inside. Then she heard her brother's voice.

"Here you go," Bruno whispered as the small sounds of a rodent sounded. "If you just stay in here from now on. Mama shouldn't find out… I hope."

Julieta gaped as she stepped inside and saw her brother sitting on his own bed with crossed legs and his back to her and… A rat on his lap.

Julieta blinked. "Bruno?"

"ARGH!" Bruno shouted loudly as he jumped up. Even though his name had been spoken so softly and he swirled around to face his sister. Then Bruno's face paled as he shoveled his hands and thus the rat behind his back looked up at Julieta. "Ju-Juli!" he exclaimed. "Hi. What owes the pleasure?"

Julieta frowned deeply. "Bruno… What are you doing with that rat?"

"Rat? What rat? I don't know anything about any rat!" Bruno exclaimed.

And Julieta's frown deepened even more. "Really?" she asked.

Bruno froze as he looked at her and then it was like his entire body just sunk together in defeat and finally he showed his hands and the rat resting in them.

Julieta shook her head. "Why Bruno?" she asked. "You know Mama won't like it. And rodents belong outside anyway. We don't have to kill it. We can just let it outside." she gave him an encouraging smile. "I can walk with you to the forest if you want." she offered kindly.

"Tha-That's okay." Bruno stuttered then he swallowed. "Do… Do we have to though?" he asked. "I mean what's the harm?"

Julieta frowned. "Hermano… What's really going on?" she asked now starting to feel honestly concerned.

Bruno turned his head and averted his eyes away from Julieta.

"Bruno." Julieta now said with more insistence in her voice.

"It's nothing," Bruno said in a deep sigh. "And it's stupid. You are gonna think it's stupid. So just forget it! It probably is stupid."

"It has my brother upset so I doubt it," Julieta said. "Now tell me. What's so special about the rat?"

"Sofia." Bruno finally said. "Her name is Sofia and… I like that I." he swallowed harshly. "I like that I can talk to her. I can tell her anything… Any vision I have I can tell her about. And she won't get mad or even disappointed and that's… nice." he looked up at Julieta with big hopeless eyes.

Julieta's eyes widened as her heart just seemed to drop and she stood frozen. "Oh." she merely said.

For a few seconds, she just stood there. Bruno was sitting with crossed legs on his bed. Nervously fiddling with his fingers.

"Bruno…" Julieta hesitated. "You do know you don't need a rat for that right?" she asked. "I mean… You can tell me you know."

"Can I?" Bruno asked with doubt in his voice.

"Yes!" Julieta said. "And the visions too. I won't get mad."

"You won't mean to get mad." Bruno corrected her. "But you will… That or disappointed or annoyed. You'll try to hide what you're feeling. But you'll feel. And I can see it. I have very good eyes." he reminded Julieta gesturing at his eyes that could flash green and see things hidden from everyone else.

"Oh...oh." Julieta lowered her head and she looked down. The shame filled her body. Then she swallowed and she looked up again with a new determination in her eyes. Then she grabbed Bruno's hand and pulled him up from the bed.

"WOAH!" Bruno shouted in surprise.

"Come on!" Julieta exclaimed as she pulled Bruno with him back out through the door into the main house.

"Ju-Julieta!" Bruno stammered. "Where are we going?" he asked as she pulled him with her out to the entrance and then to the kitchen where Alma was washing dishes making Bruno shriek as he tried and failed to hide behind Julieta.

"MAMA!" Julieta suddenly shouted making Alma turn to her with that stern look in her eyes that made Bruno bow together. "Bruno is keeping his rat!" she simply stated.

"Wha-WHAT!" Bruno shrieked. "Ju-Juli! Mama I didn't make her say this!" he stammered.

Alma's eyes grew harder as she looked from one to the other.

"No you didn't. But I am saying it. The rat stays! And her name is Sofia. Sofia stays." Julieta stated firmly and Bruno's eyes widened.

Alma turned to stand right in front of them. Her eyes looked very harsh and her face almost like stone as she stared them down.

Julieta though stood just as proud as her mother while Bruno was almost covering.

Then Alma's eyes fell on Bruno… It was impossible to read those harsh eyes. They seemed very stern and then finally she looked back up at Juliet and spoke. "I do not want to see that rat in the kitchen. The dining room or anywhere where there is food!" she said. "And I do not want to see any rat excrement's anywhere! Is that understood? Brunito?" she asked Bruno directly.

Bruno's eyes widened as slowly he stood up. "Si Mama." he whispered.

"Good. I expect you to keep a close eye on that rat. If I suddenly see rat feces in our cupboards you will be the first one I blame. I don't want an entire rat family to suddenly form and live in our walls! And I do not want it to become an infestation! You will keep a good eye on your rat and make sure this does not get out of control. Comprende?" Alma asked sternly.

Stunned Bruno looked at Alma again and he nodded. "Si Mama." he swallowed. "Thank you."

"And don't lie to me again Brunito. That is beneath you." Alma said and Bruno lowered his head.

"Si Mama."

And then Alma just returned to the dishwashing… As if nothing had happened. Nothing at all and Bruno gaped.

Julieta however smirked. "Sofia stays." she simply said as she took Bruno's hand again and pulled him out of the kitchen so they could be alone. Bruno turned to her. Shock covering his entire face.

"That wasn't so bad was it?" Julieta asked. Then she whispered. "You do know Mama has a big soft spot for you right?"

Bruno blushed as he looked down. "Sorry…" he whispered and then looked up. His big eyes meeting Julieta's. "I... Thank you," he whispered.

"Anything for my brother." Julieta smiled as she dusted some sand off him. Then she quieted. "I wish you would have told me these things though."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Bruno admitted.

Julieta sighed deeply. "You said that those rumors weren't getting to you!"

"And they are not," Bruno assured her.

Julieta frowned deeply.

"I promise," Bruno said. "Cross my heart." he gestured over his heart.

"Okay then." Julieta at last exhaled. "But if something happens. You'll tell me okay?"

"I mean… Sure." Bruno nodded.

"And since when have you gotten so many stairs in your room?" Julieta asked.

Bruno shrugged. "I didn't really notice myself," he said.

"Seriously?" Julieta asked and Bruno shrugged again.

"Don't make a big deal out of it please," Bruno said. "I just… I don't want to disappoint anybody."

"You're not disappointing anybody." Julieta sighed deeply. Then shook her head. "Fine then," she said. "Just so you know. If something happens. You can talk to me. You understand?"

Bruno nodded. "Yeah."

And Julieta smiled. "Give me a hug," she asked as she opened her arms and Bruno chuckled amused as he hugged his sister and as they let go they smiled.

It kind of sucked that Julieta's cooking couldn't fix everything. But it was a good thing that hugs could fix some of the things her cooking couldn't. She just hoped her brother would be better from now on.