[Translations are at the bottom of this chapter]
{No POV}
~THE NEXT DAY~
The little boy was helping his mom by helping to harvest the produce that was ready as Mirabel neared the farm and saw Estrella in all her glory as the woman worked on carefully harvesting her produce.
The boy exclaimed in slight pain as he pricked his finger on a rose bush next to him while harvesting a strawberry.
[Don't come at me, I know flowers aren't grown within a certain distance of produce, but it's my story so whatever.]
"Pedro Carlos! How many times have I told you to leave the strawberries to me on Harvest Day?!" Estrella said helping her kid up quickly and checking his hands.
She sighed as her son looked at her guiltily and answered her, "A lot of times..."
Estrella sighed, "You're so much like your father honestly... Both of you are hard headed when it comes to listening to others..."
The boy looked intrigued at the new information about his father and Estrella patted his head and gestured for him to go inside the house.
"Go inside and tend to your fingers. I'll finish Harvesting the rest of the produce and the flowers and then we can head to feed the animals. Tomorrow we'll sell the produce and flowers in the market." Estrella said.
Pedro Carlos quickly agreed and Estrella got back to work as soon as she verified her son was inside the house, humming to herself.
Mirabel was then surprised pleasantly as she quickly got to work and Mirabel couldn't help but approach and begin helping her carefully and silently. Shocked to see her, Estrella stopped for a couple minutes looking at her in shock before quickly resuming her work with a solemn smile with Mirabel's help. When they were finished, Estrella took yellow roses that Mirabel had admired briefly and made them into a flower crown and put it on Mirabel with a kind smile. Then she led Mirabel into the house where they were quickly greeted by Pedro Carlos and Estrella made them some cafe and some orange juice for Carlos as Carlos and Mirabel talked and got to know each other and bonded. Estrella smiled sadly as she had Mirabel put Carlos who had fallen asleep down on the couch and led her to the dining room where they sat down and Mirabel awkwardly but happily broke the silence.
"I know why you had him give me over to Tia and Tio, but... why do you push him away now that he's back?"
Estrella took a steadying breath before answering softly and solemnly but fondly, "Ay, Mi Mariposa De Oro... I wish I didn't have to push him away... But I have to. You may not understand it fully, or maybe you will, but Bruno... it wasn't the fact he left but never really left that upset me. It's that he broke my heart by not even considering to get word to me somehow that he was leaving or at least that he had come back. He knew how hard it was for both of us when we lost our first two children and then when we had to have him give you to your Tia Julietta and your Tio Agustin... He knew I was pregnant when he left, and that it was a very risky and dangerous pregnancy to not just me but the baby. But he didn't think for a second to reach out somehow to us, or to look for us here in secret at the very least. I was always one of your father's dirty little secrets since the day we first met and I still continued to be until just yesterday. When I married him, I couldn't even wear the ring he gave me. When we had you, I couldn't even approach him whenever I saw him in town for comfort. Then when he left, I was alone, with no way of even hearing any news about him as he became a taboo subject in town. I've had to raise your hermanito without ever being able to tell him anything about his father or you because I was his dirty little secret that if it got out Carlos would be more shunned than he always had been just from being my son."
Mirabel listened in understanding of what she was talking about.
Estrella sighed tiredly but fondly as she rounded off, "I love your father, I really do... But sometimes, Mariposa, love isn't enough. I'm old now, Mirabel... I'm 50 years old, and I have been married since I was 18 to your father. Yet for all of these years I couldn't be with him in public unless it was long past everyone in town was fast asleep. He then left for 10 years and suddenly I was alone again just like before I met him when I was fifteen until I had your hermanito and he became my only company. I'm just really really tired now of being your father's long hidden wife. Of being the black stain to his name and I don't want Carlos to become another black stain to his name. That's why I'd rather just stay away from him from now on unless absolutely necessary. I'm too old now to chase for the approval of others or his time. I just want to live quietly and peacefully with my son while watching over you from afar."
Mirabel was surprised, but she could understand her mother's feelings and her decision better now.
Mirabel held gently and supportively Estrella's hands as she spoke calmly and assuringly, "I understand, mom. I know it must have been really hard for you all these years, and I know for a fact the rest of the family wants to get to know you and apologize to you for the pain they've caused you and that dad just wants to be with you and make up for all the pain he's caused you by never leaving you or hiding you again. I know you want to give up on him, on our family, but please... Please just consider giving us another chance. A chance to make things right to you and to Carlos..."
Estrella looked into Mirabel's eyes and after some hesitation she gave in, "Alright... Alright... I'll consider giving another chance. I can't promise anymore than that, Mariposa Hermosa."
Mirabel rejoiced and the two shared a loving and happy hug before Mirabel left promising to help her in town the next day with selling the harvest and keeping an eye on Carlos.
Estrella smiled fondly at Mirabel's excitedly-retreating figure from the doorway before closing up the house and getting Carlos to his bed noticing how late it was.
~THE NEXT DAY~
Estrella woke up calmly and groggily to Carlos shaking her and she picked him up and got up with him in her arms with a smile on her face thinking back to the fond memories she had of herself and Bruno.
Particularly of the scarce mornings where they would wake up together before dawn.
Then she refocused before her and Carlos loaded their cart and went to the market in town and began setting up their stall. When the stall was set up she with the help of Carlos began working on selling their products with the townspeople for the most part laughing in genuine kind amusement at Carlos as he did funny impressions while trying to sell things and others begrudgingly bought things from Estrella while insulting them almost under their breaths.
Almost.
Once it was an hour after they started, Mirabel ran up to them and hugged Estrella and Carlos excitedly before helping them sell the produce.
All three of them unaware of Bruno and Alma watching the three from afar as Estrella beamed happily and laughed occasionally while interacting with Carlos and Mirabel.
Mirabel and Carlos laughed as they nearly tackled Estrella in a hug while she worked begging her for them all to go to the fountain after she finished selling her current stock.
"Alright, Alright! We can go after I finish selling everything that's left. For now, you two should go play a bit with the kids nearby! They all seem like they want to play with you two."
The two complied quickly and soon Estrella was finishing up as Alma turned to her son with a kind smile.
"She's clearly a wonderful woman, Brunito... You should talk to her. Make a gesture to let her know that you're not ready to give up on her on them. That you want to make things better than they ever were before for all of you... Before she gives up completely." Alma said before leaving her son to go help Julieta and AgustÃn.
Bruno knew his mother was right, so he quickly came up with a plan and went to work getting everything he needed together and set up with minimal help from his family.
As he stood in the water fountain and worked on the finishing touch, he could only hope that his wife would give him one last chance.
TBC
Translations:
Ay, Mi Mariposa De Oro = Oh, My Golden Butterfly
Hermanito = Little Brother
Mariposa Hermosa = Beautiful Butterfly