"You've come…" I said in a whisper without quite believing what that meant.

He walked over to me and his huge, worn hands carefully lifted mine.

"If… if you agree… I will follow you to the end of the world if necessary. Wherever I can be with you."

He was real. He was there, for me.

"Bruno… there is something I need to tell you about the prophecy."

"No need to tell me: I've seen it."

"You…"

"Yes, I came knowing that I couldn't let you go and I saw you two kissing. I thought that the future had already arrived and that that was not my place to be, so I left; but…"

"You left?! So you think…"

"But…" he continued telling as if he didn't hear my words. "Each step away from you hurt more than the one before, and when I finally lost my strength and fell… I understood."

Bruno squeezed my hands and gave me the most intense look I had ever witnessed making me shiver.

"I don't want to give up on you."

He left me speechless. He had come for me. Even believing that I had given myself to Camilo, he needed me so much that, finally, he decided to fight for me. Despite everything, against everything, with me.

"I know it's selfish, but…what if I can cause a twist? What if I really manage to make you happy? What if I give you those triplets? I want them! I want… I want them to be mine… ours."

"Triplets?" Abuela and Camilo asked in chorus.

"They will be yours," I said raising my hand, still accompanied by his, to his cheek. "I have no doubt."

His gaze, like that of a hopeful child, fearfully asked me for an explanation.

"Bruno, what you've seen…"

"It was my fault, tío Bruno," Camilo interrupted making him turn around. "She thought she was kissing you."

Bruno's eyes widened progressively as he started figuring out the situation.

"What have I missed?" Abuela asked as Dolores struggled to contain her laughter.

"So…" Bruno said, returning his gaze to me at last without fear and all painted with thrill.

"So," I continued. "Are you gonna fight by my side?"

"Well, he's in a bad position if he fights against you," Camilo joked, blurting the honest-to-God truth and making us all smile.

Bruno looked around. Camilo and Dolores smiled at him making sure to transmit their support, Abuela continued with that look of bewilderment, and I… I looked at him with more hope than I had felt in my entire life.

Then, without saying anything to me and still holding on to my right hand, he took a few steps toward Abuela, filled his lungs, and opened his heart.

"Mamá, I love you, and I know that a relationship between Mirabel and I will not give the family a good image, and that it must be especially hard for you, and that all you want is to protect us, but… I love her, and she loves me too, and I'm not letting her go. It would be wonderful to have your blessing and not make us leave the family we love so much."

Did he just say all those things? My legs trembled in admiration in front of that man that had just chosen our love over everything else and my eyes were absorbed by his determined image.

Abuela, however, remained impassive. Since when had that woman become so tough?

"What if the mixing of blood causes the… triplets to be born ill?" she asked him as if submitting him to a test.

"Julieta will heal them."

"And what about marriage? Are you going to be parents outside the eyes of God?"

"Only if we have no choice. But we will try our best to make it be in the most proper way."

"And the age gap? Do I have to remind you?"

"Well, I may be a lot older, but not a lot more mature. We work well together."

"And when you're old and you become a burden to her?"

"If my mother is not here to heal him, I will take good care of him," I said coming to his defense when I saw how she attacked his weakest point. "He won't be a burden: he will still be the man I love and I will gladly take care of him. What would you have done with Abuelo Pedro if you had had the chance, Abuela?"

Bruno looked at me with a mixture of disbelief and relief and I gave him my best smile. The moment was complicated, but I felt immensely happy.

After a long silence and a deep sigh, Abuela smiled candidly and took our hands.

"I am glad that you have things clear: the path that awaits you is complicated and you are going to need a strong bond. Are you really ready?"

Really? Abuela was approving of our relationship?

Bruno and I shared a look of astonishment that soon became the picture of determination. It was settled.

"More than ever," we both said at once.

Abuela nodded, let go of our hands, and turned around.

"Well, please go home and clean up; there is one person we need to talk to."

"Abuela," I said not quite able to believe what was happening. "Are you saying that… you are okay with this?"

"Ay, Mirabel. I have never been against you being a couple. It was hard to take at first because I hadn't seen it coming, but when I saw you queridos together I wondered how I could have been so blind; I had had it in front of me all this time, from the very first day, and had not been able to see it. I needed time to digest the news and analyze the difficulties that may arise, but, Mirabel, Brunito, if being together is what is going to make you both happy, then it makes me happy too. We will fight for this love, as a family."

We both hugged her crying out of sheer relief that we wouldn't lose our family, anger that we hadn't known sooner, and fear of what was to come, and she rubbed our backs comfortingly until we felt calm.

"Ah, ehm… Bruno, first of all… I think it's only fair that you know: I didn't plan to leave without you. I was bluffing. I am sorry…"

If I wanted this relationship to work, I had to be honest with him.

"Ah… r… really?"

"Little scamp…" I heard Abuela mutter.

"I didn't see any other way out… Will you forgive me?"

"Actually, I'm grateful… Apparently, I needed something like that."

"He's a wimp…" Camilo mumbled.

"Bruno… I love you."

Suddenly, his innocent smile lit up every corner of this planet.

"I love you too, Mirabel. Say, do you want to be my…" He started nervously rubbing his arm and I almost couldn't wait to hear what he was going to ask me. "… my girlfriend?"

"Still have to ask?" I said teasing him a little bit.

"I want to."

"Are you crossing your fingers?"

"May… be… Would that make any difference?"

"I do."

His eyes widened as if that wasn't the easiest answer I'd had to give in my entire life and he came closer to me determined to kiss my lips.

"Enough, lovebirds," Abuela said starting to walk down the road. "My calves hurt and I still have to go back to the village; leave that for later."

C'mon! It's not that the world would have ended if Abuela had waited half a minute longer, damn it!

Bruno watched my annoyed expression and gave me a knowing smile that melt my young heart into a hot puddle. Okay, maybe that would help to wait a little longer.

"Uh, eh… Who are we going to see?" Bruno asked starting to follow her completely blushed just before holding my hand with that sure and warm grip.

"Brunito, mi niño, whom do you think?"