"She must be somewhere, Brunito."
It was the first thing Alma said to her son, but she could see that he needed it. They were searching for over thirty minutes, and they still had no clue about Linas whereabout.
"I know, but… We have to find her before the townspeople do." Bruno closed his eyes while he took a deep breath. Lina knew the jungle and she knew the river, maybe even better than him. So, where could she possibly be?
"Mamá, how did you find us?" He suddenly asked, turning around to his mother.
"The cottage…We could see it from far away when we got here before the threes and mountains were that high. We thought that people might live here, but it was already abandoned."
Bruno frowned. "So, Samuel also knows about this place but forgot about it."
He didn't have to say another word; Abuela understood why they had to hurry. Then, suddenly, the sound of a neighing horse disturbed the sound of rippling rain coming from the river. Alma couldn't keep up with her son, who instantly dashed through the jungle, hitting every branch out of his way. The neighing was getting louder as they got closer, and with every sound the horse made, Bruno ran faster.
Finally, they could see it standing directly at the shore; something was lying before his hooves. Alma made the cross sign when she realized the girl they were looking for was lying on the ground. She could see Bruno pulling the girl into his arms, but Lina wasn't moving.
Abuela rushed to them, praying with every step that the girl was alive. Her son was still lying on the ground when she reached him, holding his daughter close to him while he cried. It didn't take Alma long to notice that the girl was breathing, but her eyes were closed. She had some cuts and bruises on her face and hands, but no other injuries were visible. Whatever caused Lina to pass out, it wasn't the fall.
Alma grabbed the reins from the horse standing next to her and handed them to her son. "Bring her to Julieta; I will get Elena."
Bruno hesitated, then swung himself on the horse's back, keeping Lina close to him. He tried to say something, but Alma signaled him to hurry.
Bruno took the path he knew was wide enough for a horse, not stopping to gallop for a second. He wasn't the most skilled rider, but Parvel was a gentle horse with a deep bond to the little girl. Somehow, it seemed like the horse knew how to avoid his rider from falling.
Low-hanging branches kept hitting Bruno's face, but he didn't notice them. He reached the town faster than ever, not caring for the few people that had to jump out of his way. The rain got heavier the closer he got to the Casa Madrigal. It was a clear sign that Pepa was indeed responsible for the weather. A strong wind blew him into the faces when he stormed into the Casita, still holding Lina in his arms.
"Bruno Madrigal! Come here that I can rip your head off!" He could hear Pepa angrily screaming at him from the second story but ignored her.
"Julieta! I need your help!" He shouted, hoping that his oldest sister was indeed at home.
"Julieta!"
Pepa stopped her rant when she came down the stairs, finally seeing the little girl in his arms.
"What is going on?" Julieta whipped her hands off her apron when she came from the kitchen but immediately rushed to her brother. She held her hand against the little girl's forehead; it was burning hot.
"Bruno, what happened?" She questioned, grabbing in her apron for something that could help. "Who is the girl?"
He hesitated while she dripped some strange liquid into his daughter's mouth. The clouds about Pepa's head were almost completely gone. "Is she Elena's kid?"
Finally, he was able to talk again. "Yes, Pepa. But she is also my daughter."
For a second, Julieta starred at him in disbelief, but somehow she managed to focus on the little patient before her. "Bring her to the kitchen, but you have to explain to us everything."
"Her fewer will sink, but you know that I can't do more than lower the symptoms." Julieta wrapped her arm around her brother, who didn't leave the side of his daughter for a second. Cuts and bruises on the little girl's face were gone, but she didn't open her eyes yet. If Bruno didn't explain her the basics already, Julieta knew by judging the symptoms that Lina must be a Madrigal.
"She will be ok, Bruno. Remember, I had the same kind of fewer, and we could even hide it from Mamá." She tried to comfort him, but they both knew that this time, it was different.
"She is 6 Julieta, not 18," Bruno muttered, not looking at his sister. "Also, you woke up the moment we came back, only feeling a little bit tired for some days."
Julieta sighed, knowing that her brother was right. "I don't know what is holding her back, but she is stable right now. She has to do the rest on her own."
Bruno tried to say something but held his tongue when he couldn't find the right words. So instead, he thanked her, not only for helping Lina but for staying at his side. Finally, they heard the front door opening.
Under every other circumstance, Pepa would have been thrilled to see a pretty woman into her brother's arms, but this time it only broke her heart. Elena cried, begging for her daughter to be ok. Bruno tried to be strong for her, but Pepa could see how much he struggled to fight away the tears. She knew how it felt to pray for a child, and she wished she could hug Bruno as he and Julieta hugged her when she feared for her unborn Camilo. But this moment wasn't the right time for a triplet hug; it only belonged to Bruno and Elena.
"So, the girl is really Tío Bruno's daughter?"
"Camilo! "His mother glared at him, and a mini thunderstorm appeared over her head. It was the same burning question she had, but other than her teenage son Pepa knew that it wasn't the right time to ask.
"She is." Everyone on the second floor turned their head towards Abuela. Her hair and clothes were still wet from the rain outside, and she looked tired. "I don't know the circumstances, but the way he looks at Elena and Lina… Bruno is most definitely her father."
Félix tried to ask something, but Pepa punched him with her elbow in his side. They would be able to ask their questions, but now wasn't the time for answers.
