Chapter 23:
(Camilo POV)
She loves me? What have I done? "Liv," I started as my heart was pounding in my chest but she was crying, "Leave now." I wasn't sure what to say she started hitting her hands against my chest, "'Leave. Leave me alone. Get out." She let out loud sobs between each word. She started pushing me towards the door and I wasn't fighting her as I was confused. She shoved me out the door and slammed it shut. She loves me and I just blew it. Every fiber in my being wanted to go back in there and take everything back, but I couldn't do it. Because a part of me knew that she was learning to be independent and I didn't want to get in her way but, why did it hurt so much for both of us.
I walked back to Casita. People tried talking to me or asking me to shift, but I did not care today. I walked into Casita and closed the door. I let myself slid back against the door as I started crying. "I'm sorry Liv. I love you too," I said to myself. "Camilo," I looked up and saw Dolores and Isabella looking down at me. They came over to me as I tried to calm myself down. "I'm fine." They shared a look and wrapped me in a hug, "What happened?" I started to sniffle and cry again, "I did the right thing. I did the right thing." I just kept repeating.
(Olivia POV)
I was mad, I was sad, I was feeling everything at once. Why did everyone make these decisions for me? I kept waiting for him to come back through the door and tell me that he was wrong and that he was sorry, but he never did. Padre Sanchez came downstairs, "Olivia?" I started to cry, "He said that we needed to take a break... He said that I have been through too much and he wanted to give me some time." I kept choking on sobs as they reached my throat.
He looked at me, "Well..." "You're taking his side?" I asked as hot tears came down my cheeks. "No, no, Olivia. I am on your side. I have always been on your side. But maybe some space..." His voice teetered off. "Some space would be good for me? That's what you were going to say right?" He didn't say anything and he looked down at his feet. Unbelievable. "Why do all of you think you know what is best for me? I love him and I wish he would have had a little more faith in me instead of thinking that I would almost immediately become dependent on him like I was with Papa. None of you think that I can actually do this on my own do you?" "Olivia it isn't that. It is that everything in your life just changed and maybe..." He started but I stopped, "Yes. Everything in MY life changed. MINE. Why does he get to change another thing for me because he thinks that I need it."
I was so overwhelmed with everything that just happened and everything that happened within the last few days that I sat down on the couch stunned as I ran my fingers through my hair. I let out a breath and let myself silently cry to myself. Why did Camilo do this? Would he have done this if I was still blind?
Suddenly someone else came down the stairs, "Juan who is this?" I looked up and saw this man and he waved at me, "This is Olivia. She is staying with us for a while. Olivia this is my brother Mateo." I took a deep breath trying to compose myself, "Nice to meet you."
He nodded his head, "Nice to meet you too. You were just yelling at my brother about something?" I nodded my head. He looked at both of us, "Please continue. I'll start making breakfast for everyone." "Everyone?" I asked. Padre Sanchez nodded his head, "Yeah my brother here has 2 kids. He is also a teacher in town." He said tapping his shoulder, "And my brother the Priest makes the best scrambled eggs." "Yeah, yeah, I'll take over" Padre Sanchez said taking the spatula.
Suddenly there was a plate in front of me, "Things are always better after you eat something." Mateo said as he looked over at me. I nodded my head, "Thank you." He sat down on the chair adjacent to me, "So my brother has told me a lot about you." "He has?" I asked looking back and forth between the two of them. He nodded his head, "Yeah. He tells me that you give blankets to people in church." I nodded my head, "I don't know how good they were?"
He nodded his head, "He also mentioned that you liked books." I nodded my head, "Yeah, but I-I can't actually read them." He nodded his head again, "Well you see I am a teacher and if you want I can help." I looked up at him, "Really?" He nodded his head, "Yeah. I mean it will take some work but, if you want to I think you can do it." "Thank you, I would really like that," I said. "We'll start after breakfast," he said and I nodded my head. I then saw his son and daughter eating breakfast at the table.
(Camilo POV)
- 2 months later -
I saw Olivia in the church as I would pass by. She was with someone and I couldn't make out what she was doing. Every time she would turn to face him I would shift into someone else. This was torture. Isabella and Dolores kept trying to convince me that I should talk to her but I couldn't forget what Mama and Tía told me.
Still I snuck by the church and was looking at Liv as she was playing with these two little kids. She was so good with kids and was always really sweet. She looked over her shoulder and I shifted. She kept looking in my direction and then she was making her way over. What was going on? What was she doing?
She walked up to me, "What are you doing here Camilo?" "Camilo? As in Madrigal? I'm sorry but I'm not," I started but she stopped me right there, "Camilo you changed into me." I looked at myself and she was right. I shifted back, "Camilo, what do you want from me? You break up with me after everything that happened because you think that I need space and then you start coming around the church where I am spending my time. What are you doing?" I was having trouble figuring it out.
What was she even doing in the church again? Who was that guy she was with? "Who are you here with and what are you doing?" She gave me this look, "You don't get to know that anymore. You broke up with me." "Olivia, are you ready to continue?" The man in the church asked. "Yes I will be there in a minute." She looked back at me, "Bye Camilo."
(Olivia POV)
I hated this. It hurt so much but, I had to talk to him. I knew he was walking by the church everyday I saw him change into people nearby. Today though he turned into me and I had, had enough. What more did he want from me? I looked at him and just kept felt like crying. Still I maintained my composure as I talked to him. "Camilo, what do you want from me? You break up with me after everything that happened because you think that I need space and then you start coming around the church where I am spending my time. What are you doing?"
He looked flustered and then started pointing to Mateo who was sitting in the church, "Who are you here with and what are you doing?" Was he serious? Did he honestly think he had the right to know anything about me. He never even apologized for it. "You don't get to know that anymore. You broke up with me." "Olivia, are you ready to continue?" Mateo asked. "Yes I will be there in a minute." I said before looking at Camilo. I hated this, "Bye Camilo."
I went back to Mateo as he pulled out a book, "Ok we are going to try to read this again." I nodded my head, "The c-c-cat h-h-had a h-h-hat." I looked up at him, "That was a lot better Olivia." I sighed, "I really wish I could read this already." He sighed, "Olivia you have made a lot of progress. Remember you haven't been exposed to letters in almost 10 years and you were only starting to learn to read when you lost your vision. This is going to be a process." I nodded my head, "Ok, let's try again."
(Camilo POV)
I was pacing back and forth in Casita. What was I doing? Mama and Tía came over, "Camilo what is wrong?" I looked at them, "I can't do this anymore. I can't do this anymore." I kept repeating, "Can't do what Camilo?" I just continued, "2 months is enough space, right? She seems to be happy. I just want to know what is going on. This is killing me." I started crying and they wrapped their arms around me. They looked at me, "Camilo. We never wanted you to be unhappy?" "You told me that I was going to be like her Papa and make her dependent on me if I didn't give her space," I said. They looked at each other, "Camilo you are never going to be like Señor Santiago." "Then why did you tell me to give her space. Neither of us actually wanted it and now she is sitting in our row of the church doing God knows what and she was doing and now she won't even talk to me. So not only did I lose my girlfriend, but I lost my best friend and the only person who never asked me to be anyone but myself" I just kept talking.
Dolores and Isabella made their way over as well, "Camilo just talk to her." Dolores said. I shook my head looking at Mama and Tía, "What if I... what if I..." I looked over at Tía Julieta and she took a breath, "Your Tío Augustin and I started dating when we were young. Not as young as you, but we were still young. Everyone thought we were crazy but, your Tío told me that he didn't want to waste any time. I forgot about that for a while, but Camilo I'm sorry for encouraging you to do this if you think you are wasting time." I looked at all of them and nodded my head, "I'm wasting time. I need to talk to her."
I began walking to the house Padre Sanchez lived in. I knocked on the door and waited for an answer. Suddenly I saw the man from the church opening the door, "Oh Camilo Madrigal, how can I help you?" I took a breath. Don't jump to any conclusions, "Can I talk to Olivia, please?" He nodded his head, "Yeah of course. Come in." I came in and sat on the couch as he went upstairs. Olivia came down and she was wearing glasses framing her bright green eyes, her curly black hair was braided back and she was beautiful. "What do you want Camilo?" she asked. I took a breath, "I'm so sorry. I was wrong. We didn't need space. I was trying to make sure I wouldn't become your Papa but, I ended up hurting both of us."
I spoke so quickly and by her lack of reaction she didn't register anything I said. She walked over to me and looked me in the eye, "It has been 2 months Camilo. Why should I let you back in now?" "I love you Olivia, please, please, please let me back in," I started. I watched as she walked over to me, "What did you say?" I thought over what I said but I knew what I needed to repeat, "I love you Liv."
