When he took my glasses off a year ago, it sounded like a goodbye. His being gave off sad and painful energy, but his actions conveyed the purest of emotions. I knew that I would never change his mind; that he would never give himself to me, but… the love that permeated my body during that night, gave me the strength to try for the rest of my days.

I wish I had the gift of soothing his eyes as he soothed mine. I wish I could take the weight of knowledge off his shoulders; I wish I could fill that look with joy.

On my 20th birthday, he didn't show up all day. No one knew of his whereabouts, so the uncomfortable memory of his disappearance began to make the atmosphere more difficult. However, the party continued. Bruno would be back: he had no reason to leave this time, right?

"He probably just fell asleep in a tree," I thought out loud as I felt the night coming on.

"Only you would do something like that, Mirabel," Isabela said placing an orange flower in my hair.

"Maybe he has fallen in some field and died. He is getting older and has always been a bit clumsy…"

"Camilo!"

"What?! I'm only presenting options."

"He is not in the fields, none of the animals have seen him around," Antonio said making Pepa's sudden hurricane disappear.

"Has anyone looked in his room?" my mother asked, calling for common sense.

"This morning he went up to his tower, but I haven't heard from him since," Dolores informed.

"So he's sleeping up there," Félix sentenced, downplaying the issue.

"Someone should go to check on him," I said really worried about him.

"Looks like we have a volunteer," Abuela commented looking at me with a grin.

"You all would let him die alone for not climbing those stairs, wouldn't you?"

They all laughed at what they thought was a joke and I left my own party to do a thousand stairs. Why was it that every time I entered his cave, it was higher and higher? I thought he had lost his fear of using his gift…

When I FINALLY reached the top, I found the door open. I went in calling softly his name in case he really had been sleeping and, as my eyes got used to the dim light in the room, my heart sank. Bruno was there, curled up on the floor, staring off into the distance, his eyes tired as tears ran down the sleeves of his shirt.

"Bruno! What happened to you?! Are you sick?!"

"Mirabel…"

Bruno looked up to meet my gaze and I felt a chill at what his eyes conveyed to me.

"Sorry, I think I've missed your party."

I crouched down beside him and gently caressed his face.

"Bruno, what's wrong?"

"I… I can't go down."

"Vertigo? Fatigue? There are a lot of stairs out there, you know?"

"No… It's la señora Romina. She asked me for a prophecy."

"What did she want to know?"

"Her cousin left the Encanto a few days ago. Apparently, he wanted to buy seeds to grow a juicier kind of corn than rumors told that was growing in the plantations outside."

"And?"

"Since he was late coming back, she asked me to look into his future to find out how he was doing."

That couldn't have a happy ending.

"So? What have you seen?"

Bruno picked up a vision lying beside him partially covered by his ruana and showed it to me.

"It's empty… What does that mean?"

"There is no future."

"So…"

"He's not coming back. He is no longer in this world."

"Oh, no…"

"I know I have to go there and tell his family, but…"

"It's hard to give bad news…"

"How am I going to tell her? He was her only family…"

"They should have told us and asked for help."

"I don't think that makes her feel better."

"No, but it's important for people to understand that the world out there is dangerous and that whatever brought us here is not over yet."

"You are right. I need to talk to them…"

"But you won't do it all alone."

"Yes, I will. It's my duty. No one else has to carry this weight."

"You are not alone… You don't have to carry everything yourself!"

"It took years for that woman to stop reproaching me for the death of her fish, Mirabel. I'm not going to let anyone else get punished for something they're innocent of."

"So… history repeats itself, isn't it? You are going to allow everyone to think that you are a sinister and dangerous being that brings misfortune. And tell me, how long will it take for you to leave me? How long will it take for you to succumb to the weight of carrying everyone's sorrows and guilt?"

Bruno bowed his head and remained silent.

"Don't you understand? That man is dead and you can bring his family the peace of knowing the truth. You didn't kill him, you didn't make him leave, it's not your fault and you don't have to carry it. Everybody knows! Everyone has realized their mistake! I understand that it scares you, but… I think this is something you have to face to realize that things have changed."

He nodded slightly and clenched his fists as he curled his toes once more.

"You have to face it, but you won't do it alone. Your family is with you, I am with you! Tomorrow we'll tell Abuela and the three of us will go tell señora Romina the news. Heavy weights are better carried between more hands."

"Luisa doesn't seem to agree with you.

"That big stubborn head… I can't believe she's still in the Encanto."

"It's hard to leave your family."

"It is. Don't do it again, okay?"

At last, he looked at me, and I saw with relief that the terror in his eyes had given way to sadness.

"Mirabel, would you sleep with me today?"

"You wouldn't expect to get rid of me on my birthday, would you?"

He didn't answer. Obviously, he wasn't counting on having me there on that birthday.

I tenderly hugged that little man who weighed around ten kilos less than me and began to stroke his head while humming an old lullaby. He rested his head on my chest and wrapped his arms around my waist. Then, one after another, small and stealthy tears began to soak my shirt giving way to a bitter but discharged silence.

That would not happen again. I wouldn't allow him to live another day alone and helpless. Whatever was to come, he would have me by his side, holding his hand.