"I'm not sure about this, mi amor."
I look over at Bruno, my eyebrows creased with confusion. We are sitting on the floor, side-by-side, leaning against the wall of his hidden room. My left hand is clasped into his right while my other hand is softly tracing designs along his arm. Chiquita sits in my lap, curling into herself and snoring softly.
"What is there to be unsure of, Bruno?" I ask.
"It's just…risky. Someone else might catch me hiding in the hall. And I really don't believe Pepa will want me back. She'll likely just scream about her wedding being ruined and flood the room. I know from experience."
I sigh. "We'll never know until we try. I think she misses you; she's just not the greatest at showing it."
The conversation dies for a moment, both of us deep in our own thoughts. I let go of his arm and lay my head on his shoulder, snuggling into his side. He adjusts, wrapping his arm around me, placing a kiss on the top of my head.
"Maybe you can just sing them into forgiveness," Bruno suggests with a laugh.
I scrunch my nose up at him before laying my head back on his shoulder. "So manipulative, Bruno."
"I know, I know. It's a pretty solid plan B though, I'd say." I giggle before falling into silence again. My mind dwells on the moments I've had with the family so far in relation to Bruno. I think on the desperate longing in Julietta's voice the morning she found the door glowing, once again, with magic. The sweet words of love that she had for her hermano. I think of Pepa's dejected expression when she apologized to me for snapping when Bruno was brought up. The sensitivity that she had when he was mentioned.
"I think we should try for tomorrow."
Bruno is silent for a few minutes before taking a deep sigh. "Tomorrow," he says.
With my heart pounding in my chest and my hands shaking, I walk into the kitchen. Julietta and Pepa are standing beside the counter, discussing something in mumbled tones as they wait for Julietta's next meal to finish cooking. As I enter, they both turn toward me.
My expression must have given away my fear because Julietta immediately asks, "What's wrong?"
"Oh-um, it's nothing! I just…had a question." My face heats and I nearly want to smack myself in the head. Leave it to me to make this so awkward.
"Out with it then, Es!" Pepa demands jokingly, a small smile on her face.
I take a breath. "Well, if you don't want to talk about this just stop me, but…I wanted to ask…about Bruno." All the strength in me is used not to mumble those last two words.
Pepa's expression hardens. "Why do you want to ask about him?"
My fidgeting intensifies. "It's just, sort of about the other day. I was just wondering…if he happened to show up, return, that is, do you think he would be welcomed back in the town? In…well, the family?"
Julietta's eyebrows shoot up, "Of course, Estrella! He's family and always will be. All is already forgiven."
"You've forgiven him!?" Pepa screeches, her face turning pink and a cloud forming overhead.
"Of course, I-"
"After everything he's done, you would just act as if nothing happened?"
Julietta takes a step away from her hermana. "What do you mean, Pepa? He's our hermano!"
Pepa crosses her arms, every inch of her body is tense and angry. She stomps her foot to accentuate her next words. "He has hurt so many people, Julietta. I know you're always so quick to forgive but there is a time when forgiving is only enabling the person to continue doing the wrong thing. He ruined my wedding, my special day that I had planned for over a year. I had practiced meditating for months just so that I could keep the weather calm that day. He destroyed it all because of that stupid prophecy! If he had never told me, it would have never come true. It is the same story for many others in town. He tells them the future, they try to avoid it by his suggestion, and it leads to it all happening in the first place! His gift is hurting people and he practically relishes in it." By the end of her words, rain is pouring in the room. I wrap my arms around myself to fight off the fear and the cold. I glance back at the doorway, knowing that Bruno is hearing every word. I wish a door stood in the way that I could slam to protect him from the harsh words.
Julietta grabs her shoulder, "Pepa, you don't know any of this! I don't believe for a second that he wants the damaging visions to come to fruition. That has never been his heart."
"It's always been his heart! That's why he got the gift in the first place! You're caring and compassionate, so you heal others; I'm an emotional-wreck so my feelings control the weather; he is a mon-"
Pepa finally halts, stopping to stare at the doorway behind me, her eyes wide in shock. I turn slowly, knowing the expression on the man behind me will crush my very soul. Nothing could possibly prepare my heart for what I see.
Bruno stands in the doorway, his eyes dead and face drooping with grief. Tears streak down his ashen cheeks, stemming from the blood-shot eyes of a man completely broken. He glances at me, eyes boring into my own, before turning and running away. Chiquita hops off of my shoulder and scampers after him. I cry out his name before moving to do the same, but a hand snatches my wrist, clamping down on it painfully.
With clenched teeth, Pepa speaks. "emWhy /emdo you know him, Estrella?" Her grip tightens around my wrist, and I hold back a wince.
"I-I found him not long after I got here and-"
"You didn't tell us? Even when I…" The looks of betrayal on Julietta's face sends a serrated knife plummeting into my heart and then harshly wrenches it out of place, leaving torn flesh and spattering blood in its wake. Tears build up beneath her irises, only making their descent when she clenches her eyes shut and turns away from me.
"I have been trying to encourage him to come to you on his own. I felt like it wasn't my place-"
"You…you…you BITCH!" Pepa screams.
"Pepa! What is with all of this screami- Estrella, what have you done now?!"
The matriarch rushes into the room, now filled with pouring rain and a raging hurricane. The scene before her is undoubtedly incriminating for me. Julietta is turned to the side, tears streaking down her cheeks, shoulders shaking, while Pepa has a death grip on my arm, screaming profanities until her face is blood red.
"I wasn't trying to-I, uh-," I say, tears welling up in my eyes. I don't know what to do. I don't know what I can do.
"GET OUT!" Señora Madrigal screams. "I warned you not to hurt my family! This is the last straw! I want you out! Now!" Storming over to my side, she yanks my arm out of Pepa's, now loose, grip. The matriarch drags me away with a strength I never knew she possessed. Before I know it, I am pushed out of the door. I land in a heap on the ground outside of Casita. The rest of the family, hearing the commotion, stops whatever they were doing to approach the scene, staring in fear and confusion. Julietta stands behind her madre, two hands covering her mouth and eyes filled with regret. Pepa even seems to have calmed down and stares at her madre, eyes widened in shock.
Alejandro and Camila rush around the corner. "Mamá!" they cry before running toward me. Señora Madrigal holds them back. "No, you two. You stay here."
"What do you mean? Give me my children!"
"No. They may stay here and live with the rest of us. You, though, must leave. Immediately."
Tears pour down my face. "You can't just take my children from me!" I cry out, voice crying in desperation.
"You would have them sleep on the streets just so that they stay by your side? What a selfish woman. How could you possibly take care of them?"
"Mamá!"
Every head in the area swivels to see the form of Bruno Madrigal, standing tall with a fierce anger in his eyes, Chiquita sitting on his shoulder. He stares down his madre, unrelenting. "What are you doing?!"
"B-Brunito, you're back?" The woman asks.
"Yes! All because of the woman that you are trying to get rid of. Why would you do this?"
The matriarch's shock morphs into hatred once again. "She has been nothing but trouble since she's gotten here. She shouldn't even be here in the first place."
"Well, I sure am glad she is, because she's the woman I'm going to marry." Gasps and murmurs fill the area in response to the shocking reveal.
"W-what? You?"
Bruno steps forward, grabbing the hands of Alejandro and Camila before leading them to my side. I throw my arms around each of them, wiping away tears from their faces. Standing on my feet, I face the matriarch. Bruno wraps his arm around me, holding me close. "If you kick her out, I'm leaving too. Leaving the family, leaving the town. Wherever she must go, I will go."
"How will you take care of them? You may lose your powers if you leave."
I feel Bruno tense around me. "Then I'll pick up a plow and take care of my family just as any man would."
Señora Madrigal's eyes widen. "Why are you so attached to her, Bruno? You could have any other-"
"I love her Mamá."
Silence is the only response as many minutes tick by. Everyone in the area stares up at the matriarch, waiting for her to reply.
"Just let her stay," Pepa whispers. I hide my surprise at her words.
"I-this cannot be allowed to..." Bruno stares the woman down, courageous and unrelenting. I secretly wonder if Bruno has chosen to morph into Hernando at this moment to give him the strength he needs to stand up to his madre.
"Fine," the abuela states, turning to fly back into the house, doors slamming behind her. Her departure is followed by a flurry of action. Julietta runs forward to hug her hermano, kissing his cheek, then turning to hug me and apologize for getting so upset. I apologize to her for not telling her sooner and she responds with another hug, crying out, "It's fine, it's okay." I can tell she is still hurt by it all, just putting on a brave face. It may take a while to heal the relationship we were building but I will do everything in my power to earn her forgiveness.
Pepa stomps forward, bringing a rain cloud over the family that has crowded around Bruno and me. Her tearful apology is barely understandable as her sentences are speckled with hiccups, cries, and sniffles. I step forward, placing a hand on her cheek and singing a cheerful song. Within moments, her cloud disappears and she is smiling bright. Wiping away the tears from her face, she catapults forward, tackling me in a hug.
"Where have you been all my life, amiga?" I laugh, though it is watery and shaky from the crying.
"Pepa," Bruno says. With a sniffle, she turns toward him. "I need to apologize to you…I'm so sorry about your wedding. I wasn't telling you a prophecy that day…I just meant to make a joke to lighten the mood because you were so worried and I…I just wanted you to know that I love you and I want you to be happy."
It's now Bruno's turn to be tackled in a hug. Bruno nearly tumbles over and the family laughs.
The next morning, I lay in my bed, still exhausted from yesterday's events. With a tired sigh and a stretch, I pull myself out of my bed. After changing my clothes and walking out of my room, I head toward the kitchen. Inside, I make myself a small cup of coffee, snuggling into the steam and watching the trees from the window. A calm feeling sets over me, soothing my soul with its sweet embrace. A small breeze blows in, fluttering through my hair. I take a breath.
Bruno is reunited with his family. I've found a home in Encanto, with the Madrigals, with Bruno. I don't know what the future may hold, but I'm excited to see it through with him.
"Estrella."
I turn to see the serious expression of Señora Madrigal, who has now entered the kitchen as well. She is, in all honesty, the last person I want to see right now. My shoulders tense. Placing the cup down in the windowsill, I take a few steps forward, clasping my hands together in front of me, and wait for her stinging words.
"I have done some thinking in the night. I have not fully accepted that you have stolen Bruno's heart, or so he claims, and that you emmay /embecome a part of our family one day," I feel my teeth clench, though my expression stays motionless, "but I am willing to try."
My jaw drops. The same woman who has fought, tooth and nail, to never see anything good about me, is willing toem try/em to accept me. It's more than I thought I could ever ask for and it's being dangled right in front of me, waiting for me to reach out and snatch it u-
"But if I find you have hurt my Brunito-"
"Enough with the threats, Señora." The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. Something inside me snaps and I am no longer sure I want to stop them. Maybe it's the whiplash from having one of my greatest hopes offered and then immediately dashed. Maybe it's the knowledge that I have a wonderful man behind me now, that'll support me until the end. But, whatever it is, that something has finally given me the courage to hold my ground at the sight of this woman's army of insults and bitter animosity. "I love your family and would never want to hurt a single one of them. If I ever do, it would not be intentional, but, Señora, I am only human. Mistakes happen, misunderstandings may pop up every once in a while. It's the working through those hard times that makes a relationship, that makes a family. I would love to be able to fit your every expectation and meld to the mold of the type of woman you want for Bruno and for this family, but I can't. Your standards are far too high, and I've never come close to being perfect, nor will I ever. All I ask is that you look at me for who I am, and not who you've decided me to be. Then, judge me on the same scale you judge everyone else on. If you still hate me then, I guess there really is nothing I can do."
The matriarch looks down at me, with an expression I've never seen on her face before. Though her eyes are sharp and steady, unwavering in their gaze, a glimmer of respect shines behind her dark irises. After a few moments of a silent stare-down, the woman nods and I sigh with relief.
Minutes pass by as we sit in silence, neither one of us willing to break it. I grab my coffee and return to the window. The matriarch makes her own coffee and sits at the table. Though words are never spoken, I find this time comforting. We've gone from being two women that cannot stand to be in the same room, to two women in companionable silence. If that is not one step forward, I don't know what is.
"Estrella, mi amor, where are you?" Bruno calls from out in the hall.
"In here!" I cry. Señora Madrigal winces at the noise.
Moments later, Bruno comes stumbling into the room, nearly knocking over a tea pot on his way. With an apologetic grin, he straightens himself, taking a few steps toward me. In his hand and cradled to his chest is a vision tablet, though the front is facing away and hidden from view.
"Something incredible happened...just moments ago." Bruno says, between gasps of breath. "I don't know how it happened, but..."
Bruno reveals the front of the tablet. On its front lies the image of the family; together they pose and smile, as if a camera lies just beyond where the vision can see. Agustín has his arms wrapped around his two oldest daughters while Julietta is squatting down low to wrap her arms around Mirabel, cheeks smushed together in a tight hug. Beside them Pepa is standing behind Deloras, one arm wrapped around her while the other hand is clasped in Felíx's. Felíx's other hand, however, is shoving Camilo's head down, nearly out of frame, while Camilo struggles to stand, laughter on his lips. Señora Madrigal sits in the front, glancing back at the scene between Camilo and his padre with a small smile on her face. On the right side of the family are Estrella and Bruno. Estrella is bent low, planting a large kiss on Alejandro's cheek, while poor Ale tries to push her away, pink staining his face. In Bruno's arms is little Camila, whose arms are wrapped around Bruno's neck. She snuggles into him, a toothy grin on her face. Bruno is looking down at her, a small smile on his own features as well.
I look up at Bruno in confusion, "You looked into the future again?"
"No! We already had this one. It's Mirabel's vision."
My eyebrows crease further before revelation strikes me frozen, as if a glacier of hope has wrapped itself and solidified around my chest. "The vision changed?" I whisper. Bruno's smile is soft and expression light. A slight nod of his head is all it takes to break the ice. I fling my arms around him, tears pouring down my face. He stumbles slightly, trying to keep from dropping the vision, though laughter is evident in his voice as he says, "Woah, Estrella." I giggle, leaning back to look at him, tears filling his own eyes, before planting a kiss on his lips.
"What vision are you talking about?" the matriarch asks. We both freeze, remembering the other member in the family who is now standing a few feet behind us. We separate, though our hands are still clasped together, and look over at the woman.
Bruno is the first to explain. "Mamá...the night of Mirabel's gift ceremony, when you asked me to look into Mirabel's future...I did. I won't explain what I saw because it doesn't matter anymore, but it was bad. It was bad for Mirabel and I couldn't allow anyone else to see it...that's why I..."
"That's why you left," says the abuela, understanding in her eyes.
Bruno nods. "But this morning, something changed. I was organizing the old visions in my spare room, trying to get things a little more presentable in there, when a glow in the corner of my eye caught my attention. I walked toward it and found the vision of Mirabel, but it was transforming. The image that it held before slowly morphed into the one you see now. I'm not sure what happened at that moment, but it changed the future; it made things better for Mirabel."
At that very moment, Mirabel bursts into the room, a silly little grin on her face. Her eyes light up when she sees me and immediately rushes over.
"Last night, I had a dream that I performed a song on your stage! The whole town was there and..." Mirabel goes into detail, retelling the intricacies of her pleasant dream. Her voice runs a million miles per minute as she takes us on a wild adventure through her mind.
I glance up at Bruno, whose eyes are filled with love for his whirlwind of a sobrina.
Everything is going to be alright now. Things are finally going to change.
Dear Reader,
Thanks for reading. The epilogue will be posted soon, most likely today or tomorrow. If you enjoyed the story and don't mind clicking that like button, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you again for giving this story a try.
Yours,
The newbie fanfiction-writer who doesn't know what she's doing!
P.S. Y'all go have an amazing day!