Chapter 24:
(Camilo POV)
"I love you Liv," I was waiting for her reaction. Any reaction really. She leaned in closer and planted a kiss on my lips. She brought her hand to my hair as she deepened the kiss. This was the first time that she was the one kissing me. As we separated she whispered, "Just letting you know. I am still mad at you." I nodded my head, "But that doesn't mean I haven't been waiting for you to come back." She leaned back in and kissed me again when someone crashed into us.
It was one of the little kids from the church, "Olivia, why are you kissing Camilo Madrigal?" Wow this kid was forward. I took a look at her and smiled, "Hello Cecilia." I turned into her and raised my hand up into the sky, "Up top." She smiled and jumped up to hit the hi five. "Hi Camilo," she then took a step back and looked between the two of us "why were you kissing Olivia?" Suddenly the man who answered the door came downstairs, "Cecilia let's give them a minute. Where is your brother?" She shrugged, "I don't know." He sighed, "Cecilia if I go up into your room is he going to be tied up in your closet again?" Again? Cecilia looked at us and at the man, "I got to go, bye Papa." He was shaking his head walking up behind her.
"So who are they?" I asked Olivia. She gave me a look, "Hey you are in the process of forgiving me I can know now." She let out a breath. "Well that is Padre Sanchez's brother Mateo and his daughter Cecilia, who you clearly know and upstairs is her older by 2 years brother, Miguel. I don't know why the 2 years is important but it is apparently a thing." "And his wife?" I asked but she just shook her head, "Childbirth. They had kids later in their lives and their were risks." I probably already knew this but it was just sinking in.
I knew of everyone in town, I was there for every celebration and every funeral but the Sanchez's always seemed to remove themselves from the center of everything. They were always there just usually on the outskirts. I know that Tío Augustin talked with Mateo Sanchez in town every now and then but that was really all the interaction we had with them. Well that and when Papa would go into the butcher shop.
I shook everything off and refocused on Olivia, "Can we go for a walk?" I asked. I hated keeping her inside especially now that she would be able to see the world around her. She nodded her head, "Yeah, I'd like that." She went over to the door and we started to walk outside when she held onto my hand. I stopped and looked at my hand and back at her. She leaned over and whispered, "I can see the path fine. I just like holding your hand is that a problem?" I shook my head, "No."
(Olivia POV)
We were both quiet for a while. I think it was mainly because neither of us really knew what to say. We were walking through town and I knew that everyone was staring at us. It was the first time we were actually out in town as ourselves. In the past 2 months people had started asking more and more about me to Padre Sanchez and Mateo. It made sense for a town to be enclosed in a mountain having new people arrive would be strange, but then some people started to recognize me. And now I, Olivia Santiago, was walking hand-in-hand with Camilo Madrigal and I think they were waiting for the world to freeze over.
"You want to get out of town?" Camilo whispered. I nodded my head, "I think I might actually like to see Limbo." We turned down a side-street and made our way to the back fields. We were running through laughing as we kept looking back at the people who saw us and who were wondering what we were doing. Finally Camilo stopped, "Welcome to Limbo." I smiled back at him as I walked over to the tree we would sit under. I rubbed my hand against the bark and it felt familiar. I smiled at that. Before turning back to look at Camilo. He was smiling at me, "What?" He shook his head, "I just missed you." I nodded my head, "I missed you too."
I took a seat leaning my back against the bark and he sat down next to me. "I need you to explain to me why you did it?" I said looking at him. He took a breath, "I talked with my Mama and my Tía the night after you moved in with Padre Sanchez and they were worried that if while you were figuring out how you were going to live your life without your Papa that me being around would make you dependent on me." I shook my head, "That is the reason your Mama and Tía thought we should break up I am asking why you did it?"
He took a breath, "After talking with my Mama and Tía I wanted to talk to you. I came to his house the next day and you had me read that letter from your Mama. The way she talked about never getting the opportunity to figure out who she was alone and how she went straight from her parents house to your Papa's house and how miserable she was. She also talked about how she wanted better for you and how she wanted you to have the opportunity to do what she couldn't."
I sighed, "Camilo that is still not why you did it? You are giving me reasons that other people gave you. You aren't even saying I, when you are talking about it." "That's the thing though, I was so focused on everyone else's reasons that we should break-up. I didn't want to hold you back and I really didn't want to turn into your Papa so I figured I would give you space. It was killing me to do it and I hated myself for doing it but..." I leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek, "I appreciate that you were looking out for me. That being said, please don't do that agin. Because in trying not to be my Papa you ended up making a decision about what was best for me without even listening to what I wanted." He let out a long breath, "You know that wasn't what I was trying to do." I nodded my head, "I know, but that's what ended up happening."
(Camilo POV)
"I'm sorry," I said and she intertwined her fingers with mine as she looked up at me, "Just promise me you will talk to me next time." I nodded my head, "Because if you break up with me 'for my own good' again we are not getting back together," she added. I smirked, "So does that mean that if we break up for another reason there is still a chance."
She shoved my shoulder slightly, "Camilo." "What I need to know how careful I need to be with our relationship in the future?" I said jokingly. "Oh we are back in a relationship?" She asked and I cocked my head to the side, "That's not funny Liv." She laughed, "Neither was your joke." "Hey I'm funny," I said she shrugged, "Debatable." "You wound me Señorita Santiago," I said. She gave me a half smile, "I prefer when you call me Liv. You know you are the only person I let call me Liv." I couldn't help but smile, "I'm honored." She gave me a soft kiss.
I closed my eyes and sighed. "Liv I need to know, what have you been doing in the church?" She looked at me surprised this was my question, "Seriously. That is your burning question." I thought it over in my head, "One of them: yes. It is also the one that is least likely to make both of us upset right now." She knew what subject I was dancing around and I saw her smile dip for a moment. She sighed, "Señor Sanchez is a teacher in town and he is helping me learn to read." I smiled at her, "You're learning to read." She nodded her head, "You know how much I love stories. I want to be able to read them to myself." I brought my hand to my chest, "I'm becoming obsolete." She shook her head, "No, I'm becoming independent. Isn't that what you wanted?" I rolled my eyes and brought her into my chest.
"Do you think that we are ever going to be ready to talk about everything?" She asked me and I knew what she was talking about. I nodded my head, "Yeah. We will. I'm going to get mad at your Papa, myself, the world, you are going to be sad and we will probably leave the entire encounter crying but, when you are ready for that we will." She nodded her head, "That doesn't need to be right now though?" "I just got back together with you. You really think I am stupid enough to do that now?" I asked. "Well," she started, "You are mean Liv." We were both laughing and I realized how much I missed having her in my arms. "I'm really sorry Liv." She smiled, "I forgive you."
(Olivia POV)
I don't know how long we stayed in Limbo but as we talked through everything I began to feel better. "I forgive you," I said with a smile. I looked back at him and he had this big smile across his face. I leaned up, "Have I mentioned that I love you too, yet?" He shook his head, "Not today at least." I smiled, "I love you too." I planted a soft kiss on his lips, "Now we better head back before everyone in Encanto thinks I tried to kill you." "No one is going to think that you..." He started but I interrupted him, "A Madrigal and a Santiago have been gone from town for a few hours and were last seen together." He nodded his head, "Yeah we should head back."
I stood up and took his hand to pull him up, but then I had an idea. "Camilo can you do me one quick favor?" He shrugged, "Yeah anything." "Can you turn into Cameron for a minute?" I asked. I saw him frown for a minute looking at the ground and back at me before nodding his head, "Um yeah, sure."
(Camilo POV)
I always loved that Olivia never asked me to be anyone but myself. Why did she want me to turn into Cameron, a fictional being I made up to spend time with her 2 years ago. I took a breath though and nodded my head, I would do anything for Liv, "Um yeah, sure." I reluctantly started to change into Cameron and I looked Olivia in the eye. She smiled at me. Why was she smiling at me when I wasn't myself? Did she like Cameron better than me? Is it different now because she can see?
Before I had the time to process all the questions that were running through my head, I felt her arms surrounding me, "Thank you for introducing me to my best friend Cameron. It was the best birthday gift I ever got." I felt myself changing back as I wrapped my arms around her, but then I leaned back and looked at her, "Wait. I met you on your birthday?" "Shhhh don't ruin the moment," Liv said. I continued to hug her and smiled to myself. "Thanks for talking to me that day Camilo. I didn't know how much I needed it until now," she whispered. I brushed my fingers across her hair, "Thanks for always saving me a seat."
(Olivia POV)
- a few months later -
I smiled as I saw Camilo walking up towards the door. I got off the couch and was making my way over, "Wait. you need to wait for him to knock." Cecilia said. I rolled my eyes, "But I see him coming up." I said as I opened it up, "Hi." He sighed, "You are supposed to wait for me to knock." "But I saw you coming over," I said. "I tried to tell her Camilo," Cecilia called out, "But she wouldn't listen."
I mocked offense, "Traitor." Miguel came over, "I never really got it either," "Thank you Miguel," I said. "But I still would have waited for him to knock." He finished. "Where does this rule come from? I knew that Camilo was coming over. I saw him walking to the door and I opened it up and said Hi where is the disconnect?" They all started laughing and I let my head fall back, "Fine. I was wrong. Can we go please?" Camilo nodded his head.
I turned back to Cecilia and Miguel and saw Mateo and Padre Sanchez coming out from behind the, "I will see you all later." Miguel looked to Camilo, "Don't keep her out too late." Cecilia nodded in agreement, "Yeah and stay safe." I looked up at Padre Sanchez, "Anything to add?" He shook his head, "No they got it covered. You?" He turned to Mateo, "No. They really got it down pat now."
I laughed before turning to Camilo, "Let's go." He nodded his head and waved back at them, "So where are we going tonight? I asked. He looked at me, 'How would you feel about coming to a family dinner?" I looked at him. I had talked with his family briefly here and there but we hadn't actually talked again since that night I was brought back from the church, "Do they know I'm coming?" I asked and he nodded his head, "Yeah, they invited you." I took a breath and nodded my head, "Yeah, let's go."
(Camilo POV)
As we walked up to Casita and I could feel Olivia shaking slightly. I know that after the whole break-up thing she was convinced that my family did not like her and the more I tried to convince her that it wasn't true the more she believed it was. "Hey, if things get bad in there we will dip out and we can go to Limbo and we can spend the night star-gazing. Come on you love it when we do that." She nodded her head, "Yeah. Are you going to bring a book to read too?" I nodded my head, "Yeah but pretty soon you are not going to need me for that anymore. You are getting a lot better you know Liv." She shook her head, "I'm always going to need you around."
"WE'RE HERE!" I called out as I opened the door but then I saw Dolores, Isabella, Luisa and Antonio standing there, "You know I heard you coming for a while now. You didn't need to yell." I looked over at Liv and back at Dolores and gave Dolores a look. She shook it off and smiled at Liv, "Hi Olivia. It's nice to see you again." Liv smiled and nodded her head, "Nice to see you again too. It's been a while." I nodded my head, "Liv you remember my brother Antonio. My cousins Isabella and Luisa and you and my sister just exchanged pleasantries." They all nodded their heads along and Liv smiled and shook all their hands.
(Olivia POV)
I could feel things becoming tense and I wasn't even with the adults yet. There had to be something to get them more on my side, "You guys have a really beautiful home." Isabella and Dolores took my arms, "How about we take you on a tour? We can tell you some Camilo stories we know he wouldn't have brought up." I nodded my head, "Yeah I would like that." "I don't know if that is a good idea," Camilo was saying. I turned back to face him, "Oh." Did he think that it was a bad idea? Was he really just being nice? He let out a breath and gave me a smile, "I reserve the right to hear these stories. I'm coming too." I smiled at him and we all began walking around as they were showing me where all the different rooms are.
"So wait, Camila?" I asked looking over at Camilo, "In my defense. She did it to me." He said pointing to Dolores. She nodded her head, "Yeah it is true but it got to the point where someone was asking me to have tea parties, not the other way around." Everyone was laughing and I looked at Camilo, "Oh hey I'm always around to have a tea party with you." "How long until you let this go?" He asked. "I don't know it depends on what other stories I hear." He backed up, "What have I done?" He was smiling though.
Dolores then looked at us, "Dinner is ready." I nodded my head and went downstairs. I walked over to Camilo and he wrapped an arm around my waist, "Feeling better." I nodded my head, "Yeah I got your siblings and cousins on my side. Now I just need to work on the adults." He kissed my forehead, "They are going to love you." "I'll settle for liking me enough to not want us to break up again," I said mostly jokingly. "Come on," he said.
