Summary:

Bruno has a heart-to-heart talk with his sisters.

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Written in Bruno's POV.

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Words have been said and apologies exchanged. My family welcomed me back with open arms, though we were faced with the new challenge of rebuilding La Casa Madrigal. The loss of the magic meant the loss of our home, but thankfully, the whole Encanto pitched in to help. It's been a few days since we started, and we still have a long way to go.

"There is nothing broken that we can't fix together," Mirabel told everyone, and I agreed then.

So why do I still feel like something is missing?

"Brunito!" Pepa calls me as I finish laying out the foundation of sand for one of the rooms. I turn to see my sister beaming at me. "There you are."

"Hm? Hey Pepita," I greet her as I nod to one of the villagers who's helping me out. "What's up?"

"How are you holding up…?" She asks cautiously. I blink at her as she follows me around. "I mean, it's been a long time since you…were outside, you know?"

"I mean, I'm doing much better," I hedge. It's been a while since I've talked to my sister. I realize how much I missed it. "Why are you following me around?"

She shifts her feet. Pepa rarely gets flustered, but when she does, it's obvious. "I'm not. I'm just checking up on my baby brother."

"Again, you're only older than me by a few minutes." I roll my eyes at her. "You're acting very weird. Is something on your mind?"

Pepa gasps and looks up, expecting a cloud. She sighs when she realizes that we don't have our gifts anymore. "Is it still very obvious?"

"Still obvious even without your clouds!"

Pepa and I turn to see Julieta chuckling, holding a plate of warm arepas. "Hi, hermanito. Come take a break with us. You've been working all afternoon."

"I…um…" I gulp. Pepa grabs my hand and I squeak in surprise. "Stop being so jumpy." She offers me a smile. "We missed you. It's been a while since we last talked. Please? For old time's sake."

I think about it. It'll be a thankful distraction from my thoughts. "Fine. I'll join you guys." I concede and let my sisters drag me outside. "Where are we going?"

They both exchange looks. "It's a secret." Julieta winks as we walk towards the mountains, hand in hand.

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The cool breeze blows as we watch over the whole town from where we're sitting. I was surprised they found time to set up a little picnic for us three. Julieta hums as she braids little flowers into Pepa's hair. I lean against my sisters, reveling in the sight. It's been too long since I've watched the sunset. Time moved too quickly or too slowly in the walls.

I feel like we're sixteen again, looking forward to our futures. It's like we never grew old at all.

We stay quiet for a moment before Pepa finally breaks the silence. "So…Brunito…"

"Hm?"

"Do you…" Pepa breathes as Julieta looks over at both of us. "...know about…what happened to Gabriela?"

I immediately stiffen at the mere mention of her name. I pull my knees closer to my chest. I knew this question would come sooner or later. "Is this why you both were hovering around me earlier?"

"Yes and no," Julieta murmurs. "You've been working so hard since we started rebuilding the house. We really thought you could use a break. I've asked Pepa to call you so we can all talk like we used to when we were kids."

I press my mouth into a thin line and Pepa apologizes. "What…Julieta says is true. We just…wanted to talk to you. To catch up on all those years we missed…and…well, we wanted to ask you about what happened between you two."

I stare at my sisters who look at me with worried faces. I fidget with the corners of my ruana as I tell them the truth. "I'm sorry, hermanas," I exhale when I finish the tale. "To answer your question…yes…I overheard everything on the day we both disappeared."

Silence.

"Why…did you leave in the first place?"

I look up from my hands and see Julieta trying hard not to cry. "You wouldn't have suffered alone had you stayed."

"I was afraid, Julieta." I burrow my face into my arms. "Terrified. I didn't understand what Mirabel's vision meant, and I didn't want her to suffer the same fate I had. People always…shunned me away. And her not having a gift…well, that worried me. So I left."

"But didn't you think of coming back home?"

"I did, but…the damage had already been done. And…I thought you'd be mad at me," I admit. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that."

Julieta nudges me and I look up to meet her eyes. "I'm not, Bruno. How could I be angry at you? I'm just happy you're okay. And…of course, I would do anything for Gabriela. She's like a sister to me and Pepa. I know you'd do the same for Agustín or Félix if it was the other way around. That's the kind of person you are." She sighs. "Though…I'm sorry I wasn't able to…save your child, you know?"

"You saved my beloved," I whisper. "That's more than I could ask for. Though…I still feel terrible about it. It was in our futures, you know?"

My sisters gasp. "You…gave her a vision?" Pepa asks.

"I did. Just so I could see if it was worth taking the risk, and it was." I pull out Gabriela's ring from the inside of my shirt, dangling on a chain that I've been wearing around my neck. The sunlight catches it and it gleams. "That's when I asked her to marry me…but when I left, I took this. I didn't want her to wait around for someone who wouldn't come back. I never expected to in the first place, but now here we are."

Pepa reaches over to squeeze my hand. "You're very brave, Bruno, for putting our family first, but you're also quite stupid."

"I'm not even sure if you're trying to compliment me or annoy me."

"Could you let me finish?"

If Pepa still had her clouds, she would've struck me with lightning for interrupting. I huff. "Fine. What do you mean by it anyway?"

Pepa clicks her tongue at me. "You're really clueless sometimes."

"Are you going to tell me or not?"

"I am," She flicks my forehead. "You're an idiot for letting Gabriela go. She loved you so much, you know?"

I stare straight ahead, praying that I don't break down and cry. "I know. I know I'm an idiot. But…I did what I thought was best for everyone at that time. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about her. Dolores has been looking for her in secret for ten years, and we never came any close to finding her. I wish…I knew where she's hiding. I would apologize and beg for her forgiveness. I don't mind if she doesn't take me back. I just want to know she's okay."

"Oh, Bruno," Julieta exhales. "Do you really mean it?"

"Mean what?"

"That it'll be okay with you if she doesn't love you anymore?"

The thought crosses my mind. My sisters hug me when I choke back my tears. "I thought so." Julieta pats my hair. "It's okay, hermanito. You can cry."

I squeeze my sisters in a tight embrace. "It hurts to think. Of course, I want her back, but if it means she'll be happier without me, then I'll bear the pain for her. I love her, hermanas. So much. I'm still madly in love with her. I would give anything to see her again."

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