A/N: Helllooooo! I'm so sorry for the hiatus. We had a great end of summer and beginning of the school year. You can check the author's note after the chapter for more info, updates, and exciting news! Without further ado, Chapter 29.
Chapter 29
Nobody expected Bruno to be at breakfast the next morning. In fact, no one really expected anyone or anything for breakfast, after the previous nights' events. Julieta and Agustín fully expected to prepare some healing food for the town in companionable silence before leaving for the morning.
But somehow, by some unspoken agreement or weird, synchronized pull, the majority of the family stumbled their way down to the breakfast table. Pepa, without saying a word, her eyes barely opened, ground and prepared the coffee. (Julieta knew better than to greet her before she'd had her first sip.) Félix squeezed some fresh juice. Mamá came down next and helped set the table. And slowly the children came down as well. The only two people not at the table were Bruno and Antonio, which was fine – Bruno deserved the sleep and even if Antonio was a little late for school – after the events of last night, no one would question it.
After everyone wished Isabela a happy birthday and spoke briefly of their plans for her party in the evening, breakfast was strangely quiet as everyone ate - until Mirabel broke the silence with a prolonged "Soooooooo…."
Her eyes darted around the table and landed on Dolores. "Are you – ah – are we – congratulating? – or – is there - ?"
"Is there gonna be a proposal part dos?" Camilo interjected, piling several pieces of fruit onto a plate already loaded with eggs and arepas.
Dolores hunched her shoulders up at the attention, but she smiled into her coffee. "Well – ah – we are – I mean, technically, we're betrothed, right? Everyone who needs to know knows that we're planning on getting married. But – Mariano does want to try again. He wants it to be special. Memorable. And – preferably not interrupted, next time. Pobrecito amor. Maybe third time will be the charm?"
Camilo smirked. "I don't think you can get more memorable than that. I didn't think anything could possibly top his Disaster Proposal with Isabela, but last night – ah - " he made a face as he snatched his plate away from a tendril of one of Isabela's vines. "It's definitely up there."
Isabela gave him a dirty look but let it go. He stuck his tongue out at her in return.
"Are you upset, cariño?" Pepa asked, leaning forward to get a better look at her daughter.
Dolores tilted her head and narrowed her eyes in thought. "I'm not – upset. It happened, we did what we had to do, I'm glad no one was hurt. But – I do wish Mariano had been able to finish his proposal," she admitted quietly, a slow blush creeping over her cheeks.
Pepa gave her a sympathetic look. "He did put so much work into it, bebé. But I'm sure it will happen again soon. It's just a formality at this point, but I still want that magical memory for you, mi querida."
Dolores smiled at her madre, then her expression shifted into a frustrated frown. "That's what the town is saying, too," she mumbled. "There's an awful lot of chisme about what happened last night, and believe it or not Mariano's proposal isn't even close to the top of the list."
The family exchanged glances.
Dolores blinked and explained. "It's mainly about Alonso, the motorcycle, Osvaldo, our family - "
She was interrupted by the sound of Bruno's quick, heavy trod down the stairs, and then he practically careened around the wall and into the dining room, still blinking himself awake as Casita shuffled itself to help him keep his balance.
He froze and stared at them and they stared at him.
He slowly straightened and swallowed, brushing invisible lint from his ruana. "Ah – so. Everyone's – everyone's up, I see. And still here. Eating. Buenos días."
"Buenos días, Bruno," they said.
"Um – I was just – wondering. I wanted to ask - " He caught Julieta's eye. "What – ah – what day – is it?"
Julieta frowned. "It's Monday, Bruno. Isabela's birthday. You didn't sleep that long."
His mouth shifted up into a little, disbelieving half-grin and he looked around the table at all of them. "It's Monday."
"Sí."
"So…the day after Sunday."
"…that's when Monday typically occurs, sí." Camilo muttered, open and closing his palm at Luisa to indicate he wanted the bowl of eggs when she was done with it.
"So…just to clarify…yesterday. Yesterday was Sunday and that – all that – everything yesterday – it really happened. Right?" He asked softly.
Julieta's expression changed and she smiled at him. "Sí. Everything really happened, querido."
"That's right, bro, you're taken now! You've got yourself a new amor!" Félix leaned back in his chair to give Bruno a thumbs-up and wiggle his eyebrows at him.
"Tío Bruno's got himself a no-vi-a," Camilo sang quietly to himself, spooning more eggs onto his plate, swaying both to the tune in his head and in anticipation of more breakfast.
"Congratulations again, hermano," Julieta said soflty.
Pepa nodded decisively in agreement as she sipped her coffee.
Bruno grinned and slid into the empty seat. Agustín poured him a glass of juice and Luisa handed him a cup of coffee. Mamá put an arepa on his plate and when Camilo was done, Isabela scooted the bowl of huevos pericos a bit closer so he could help himself. He smiled down at his food for a long moment.
"I know it looks good, but you've still got to actually eat it for it to do any good, you know," Pepa said.
He shook his head and gave her a look before taking a sip of juice, but the little smile never left his face. "Gracias," he said softly to everyone.
After another moment, he frowned. "So…last night…with the vision…that's – that – that all happened, too." He took a bite of arepa, chewed, and then set it back on his plate.
"Sí." Dolores said, still focused on the conversations around town.
He groaned and rubbed his hand over his face.
Dolores continued. "As I was saying before, there's a lot about what happened with Alonso, but aside from a handful of people – mostly the council members – there's not a whole lot of talk about you, Tío."
"Really?" He asked hopefully.
Dolores kept her expression neutral as she zeroed in on Tatiana Valencia muttering her suspicions about what had happened last night to her husband over breakfast. 'Did you see the way he was rolling on the ground muttering 'I'm sorry'? Last night was – hmph. I'm telling you, querido – we're just lucky the rest of the family was there to intervene, they need to -
"…really. But! Although the vision happened outside of town, a few people still saw you shouting out directions to the family and – ah – apologizing afterward. There's not a lot of speculation about your involvement, but - " she grimaced apologetically – "there is some."
"But that's good, isn't it?" Mirabel said. "Isn't it good that they're speculating? We can tell everyone how Tío Bruno saved the day – er - night! He saved Osvaldo Ortiz! He saved Alonso Jiménez!"
She looked around the table and her hopeful expression slowly faded at the serious looks on everyone else's faces.
"Right?" She asked in a small voice. "I mean – Tío Bruno is a hero - "
"Nope!" said Bruno.
" - he is," Agustín said gently, laying a hand on her shoulder. "He is absolutely a hero. He saw - " he paused and frowned, adjusted his glasses, and peered at Bruno. "You saw two outcomes, didn't you? You searched for a second when the first was…" he let his voice trail off and gestured vaguely.
Bruno didn't look up from his plate. "I always see more than one, now. After Mirabel and – and the new miracle," he said softly. "I just have to look for it."
Mirabel let out a frustrated huff. "Exactly! He saw – he helped – why are you all acting like this is such a big deal?! I mean – it is a big deal, he did something amazing - but it's also – I mean – why is it so hard to just tell everyone about the amazing thing that happened?"
"Because," Alma said quietly, looking intently at Bruno, who was steadily avoiding eye contact with her. "People don't always listen to the whole story. They hear part of it and make up their minds based on what they already believe or have already decided. It is – hard to change a story once it gets started, and it's already started. Dolores?"
"It hasn't gotten very far, and it's nothing…too bad right now - " Dolores lied, hoping Tatiana's suspicions would get no further than her husband's ear, "but -"
Dolores knew how gossip worked. She'd heard it all since she was five years old. If there was no talk about it, it would also be easy to ignore and pretend never happened. But there wasn't none and there wasn't already a set story that everyone in town knew, so today was critical for shaping the towns' view of Bruno's part in the events of last night. She hated it…but that's how it worked.
Alma nodded. "We can…shape the story, if we need to."
Mirabel looked at them incredulously. "This story is already perfectly shaped! It's truth-shaped! And wouldn't - wouldn't us - announcing what actually happened be the perfect way to 'shape' it?!"
Dolores winced. "Unfortunately, a large announcement about Bruno's heroic vision after a near-disaster would be taken as well as Camilo standing in front of a broken vase with his arms spread saying 'nothing to see here'. He didn't cause it to happen, but it would look like we're trying to cover it up. We need to be a bit more subtle than that. Señor Osvaldo is…loudly piecing together that Bruno was shouting about Isabela's vines before her vines – ah – saved him." She paused. "And – Josefina is – still talking about it with her madre and abuelo. She was – one of your most vocal supporters last night." She gave Bruno a small smile.
His brows knit together. He smiled to himself before gently rapping his knuckles on the table. "Yeah. She – she was – ah – very excited. If everyone reacted like she did, none of this would be a problem."
"If everyone reacted like she did, your head would be the size of a watermelon," Pepa muttered, but she was smiling into her coffee cup.
"But why is it a problem at all?! We know what happened last night, and it was all because of Bruno!" Mirabel was still bent on joyfully proclaiming what had happened last night in the same spirit as Josefina.
"Run that thought by yourself one more time, kiddo," Bruno said dryly, sipping his coffee.
Mirabel's brows drew together.
Camilo swallowed his bite of food, clearing his plate. He sat back with a satisfied sigh and patted his stomach. "He's talking about - " he shifted into Mirabel, but with an ominous look on her face – " 'we know what happened last night, and it was all because of Bruno!'" he repeated in a sinister tone.
Mirabel propped her elbows on the table, groaned, and let her forehead drop into her palms. "Thas-not-what-I-meant," she mumbled.
"I know. But the truth is," Bruno sighed, "that my history with the village is complicated. I've been in this cycle before. I see good, or how to prevent something bad, and it's 'wow Bruno is so cool and mysterious, let's ask him ALL the things', and then – when I can't – see what they want, it's all – 'Bruno must hate me, he can't see anything good for me, he's cursed me, he's creepy and he kills our pets."
Mirabel shifted her face in her hands and blinked at him. "You're – you're still hung up on that goldfish, aren't you."
"It's – it's not about the goldfish!" Bruno exclaimed, his eyes wide and his shoulders slowly creeping up to his ears. "It's about people and what they think and how they treat me. And now, also – how – how they treat the people I care about."
Like Lucía and Josefina, now, who weren't exactly used to the attention the Madrigals received on a daily basis.
"I just - " he sighed. "I just – everything was going so well. I just don't – I don't want to complicate it by – by – by – being in the spotlight again. If people think – if they think I can shape or control the future just because I see two outcomes now, that could end – badly."
Everyone was quiet for a moment.
"You've already been doing visions on a referral basis," Mirabel pointed out after a moment. "We're set to make the contract official at the next council meeting. Maybe we can put in a – a note about involuntary emergency visions like that?"
"Or! Or - and here's a thought - we can just...leave that part out?" Bruno suggested, his expression still hopeful and pleading. "Not - talk about it at all? It might never happen again!"
The faces looking at him ranged from mildly unimpressed to concerned to outright disapproving.
Camilo was the first to oppose him out loud. "Yeah, because not talking about Bruno worked so well for us in the past," he said sarcastically.
"Well what do you suggest then?" Bruno narrowed his eyes at him.
Camilo leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and stretched his arms behind his head. He met Dolores' eyes briefly over the table and then grinned lazily around the table. "Easy. The truth. Bruno had a vision, he helped us stop Señor Too Cool from killing himself, no one got hurt, Isa and Luisa and Tío Agustín and Papí are heroes, Bruno helped but it was minor – a small piece of the night. If anyone asks, he just – saw Isa's vines catching a motorcycle. We heard the motorcycle, we realized it wasn't slowing down and came to the logical conclusion and took it from there – everything else was just chance. Papí and Tío Agustín just – took control to get people out of the way, Bruno told Isa to use her vines and she did, and Luisa was in the right place at the right time. No one needs to know why all of it happened just the way it did."
"But it wasn't – it wasn't 'a small piece'," Antonio said in a small voice from the doorway. His stuffed jaguar dangled from one hand while he rubbed the sleep from his eyes with the other, and then climbed up on his madre's lap. "He told everyone what to do and if he hadn't Señor Alonso would have gotten hurt."
"And so would a lot of other people," Pepa added, glowering, letting a small clap of thunder accentuate her point. Antonio cuddled into her and her cloud dissipated as she nuzzled her face against his.
"But no one needs to know that," Camilo said. "We tell the truth, leave out just how much Tío Bruno saved the day, and bam! Everyone's happy. Give 'em what they want to hear, it's mostly true, and Bruno stays out of the spotlight, just like he wants to."
Everyone mulled it over, silently.
"I mean – I guess," Mirabel said slowly, obviously unhappy with the suggestion. "But -"
Dolores squeaked, her eyes wide as she listened to something outside of everyone else's range of hearing. "Unfortunately, I think that particular cat is out of the bag."
Everyone looked at her.
"Josefina," she explained wryly. "The girl did not just 'let' the cat out of the bag, she forcefully pulled the cat out and is waving it around above her head for all to see - she's telling everyone she meets on the way to school all about how la familia Madrigal was so awesome last night, and that Bruno is the best and most amazing person of us all. It's a very – detailed account."
Bruno groaned again and rubbed his face with his hands.
"On the one hand, she's a child," Dolores continued quietly. "Kids exaggerate, they make things a bigger deal than they actually are. On the other hand, kids don't always understand the big picture around them. Some people will hear her talk and think she's just overly excited about the entire evening. Others will hear her and think she misunderstood the situation she was in and Bruno's part in it, and draw their own conclusions about what happened last night." She took a deep breath and willfully relaxed her shoulders. She was used to relaying information, not giving her opinion on it - but that was changing, and so was she. She had a lot of experience with this kind of situation. From a purely observational standpoint, of course.
They needed to reiterate that Bruno did not control the future. She kept scanning the village, focusing on the people who were talking the most about the night before – Josefina, Tatiana, and Osvaldo, though others were joining as people began interacting more as they started their day. Josefina made Dolores sigh with affection and exasperation. She had such an innocent enthusiasm that unintentionally complicated matters. Telling Josefina to stop talking about it would only make her question if it was bad to talk about – if Bruno or his gift were bad - and that wasn't a road anyone was willing to go down anymore, thankfully. Dolores quickly moved on to the other two. Tatiana and Osvaldo's speculations were already branching out like ripples in a pond; Tatiana's ripple was spiteful and suspicious; Osvaldos' was curious and enthusiastic.
Meanwhile, Pepa narrowed her eyes at Camilo. " 'Mostly true', mmm? Something tells me you've used this strategy before, mijo."
Camilo froze. "Ahh..."
"Just how many times have you told me part of the truth, you smooth-talking estafadoro?"
Camilo and Mirabel exchanged looks.
"Uh..." Camilo darted a glance to his hermana. "Dolores taught me."
It took her a minute, but Dolores realized what he'd said, gasped, and straightened, shooting a nervous glance toward her parents. "I did not."
He snickered. "You did. You just thought I was Isabela at the time."
"Camilo!"
"Dolores!"
"Isabela?!"
"That's enough," Alma said firmly, and everyone looked to her.
"Bruno?"
He looked at her with wide eyes and said nothing.
She looked at Dolores and then back at her son.
She sighed.
"Dolores, what do you recommend we do?"
Dolores looked surprised, and looked to her madre with a question in her eyes. Pepa smiled and nodded at her in encouragement.
"Well," Dolores said slowly. "I think you should let Mirabel and Josefina be excited about it. Don't make them try to hide their enthusiasm; it will seem as though we're trying to hide something. Let Camilo roll his eyes and shrug it off as no big deal. If we try and make him tout Tío Bruno as a hero - "
"Not - not a hero, and don't want to be." Bruno interjected.
Dolores continued, frowning. "If we try to make Camilo – or anyone else in the family - react a certain way and they're obviously acting – again, it will seem like we're trying to hide something. Let Mamá threaten anyone who comes near her brother with dirty looks and a clap of thunder. Let Tía Julieta scold her and give people vague but honest answers about how much he helped."
"So you're saying - "
" – don't try to control or manage the family's reactions to Tío Bruno. It only makes people suspicious. Like – like when you were insisting the magic was strong, when…" Dolores let her voice trail off and stared at her plate. "Let the children react how they like; Josefina is already a force of her own – for Tío's good! – and Antonio is particularly bad at hiding things." She paused. "So is Mirabel."
"Pffft! You say that like it's a bad thing!" Mirabel laughed nervously.
"So we do nothing?" Camilo scoffed.
"I'm not finished yet. We should still - " Dolores pressed forward, and then paused. "Tío Bruno - what do you want us to say about last night? When people ask? Because they're going to ask."
"I want for this whole thing to go away," he said stubbornly, and after a moment, his shoulders drooped and he sighed, resigned. "But – I'll settle for a 'this is not the gossip you're looking for' Dolores-Jedi-mind trick."
When everyone looked at him blankly, he sighed again. "You'll understand in a few decades."
"In OTHER words," Mirabel cut in after an awkward pause, leaning over the table to give everyone as much eye contact as she possibly could – "This is exactly what I was saying before! Bruno's a hero and that's what I'm telling anyone who asks! Tío Bruno's got a gift, it works, it helps, and it's his business. One thing we're united on is that his gift is part of our miracle and he is a part of our family. If anyone has a problem with him they've got a problem with all of us!"
When Mirabel finished talking, her palms were pressed to the table and she was looking around the table with a determined look on her face.
There was stunned silence for a moment.
"So….no threats? No bribes? No super-secret, behind-the-scenes manipulation to make people worship Tío Bruno? No fishy shenanigans?" Camilo complained, shifting into Scary Bruno, Isabela, Padre Tomás, and Señora Pezmuerto as he went through his list.
Dolores shook her head. "We just – tell everyone who asks that tío had a vision that helped but that it's his business and he doesn't want to make a big deal out of it. It's not a guarantee everything will go smoothly," she said apologetically to Bruno, "but it's our best chance at making this all pass quickly."
Bruno smiled tiredly at her. "I'll take it, Lola. Gracias."
"Sounds an awful lot like my plan, but of course when Dolores sells it everyone eats it right up," Camilo muttered. Mirabel nodded in solidarity, feeling the same way about her own plan.
"You wanted to deliberately mislead people, which wouldn't have worked because Josefina was actually there and is already talking about what she saw. Mirabel wanted to celebrate his vision, which I may personally agree with but the town is not ready for yet, and if we force it - well - force is not a word we want associated with us. I'm just saying we acknowledge what happened while supporting Tío Bruno's desire for privacy."
Camilo sighed. "Fine. But for the record, my way would have worked too…probably. But," he said suddenly, snapping his fingers, "All this is a moot point unless tio stops apologizing for his gift."
Pepa raised an approving eyebrow at her son and then directed the look toward Bruno. "He's right, you know. No apologizing for what happened last night, eh?"
Bruno swallowed. "Okay. I'll - try."
Alma blinked, her lips pressed into a small smile. "La Familia Madrigal?" She said softly, meeting Mirabel's gaze.
"La Familia Madrigal!" Mirabel threw her hands in the air and the family responded in kind, beginning to rise from the breakfast table. Mirabel, Camilo, and Antonio left for school and the rest of the family went about their day, doing their jobs around town and preparing for Isabela's birthday party in the evening, all the while monitoring the talk of the town and beginning their (mostly) quiet support of Bruno.
Bruno opted to stay home, in his room, with his rats.
And nobody blamed him.
That evening, Lucía and Josefina, along with Señor and Señora Rodriguez, came to Casita to celebrate Isabela's birthday. Victor and Camila Rodriguez owned a small shop in town and lived above it. There were other tailors and other seamstresses in the Encanto, but Victor and Camila were known for their reasonable prices and quality, sturdy stitching. They were not the most fashion-forward; they didn't waste time or money on experimental fashion; but they were the most affordable and down to earth. Victor was a tailor and Camila helped design the clothes and helped with seams, hems, and repairs. They lived comfortably off of the income their shop generated, and when the Encanto trade and supply run group returned with an extra person in tow one year – a gangly young teenager who'd arrived with a broken arm, a sprained ankle, a black eye, and a whole host of swollen bee stings – Camila had taken a shine to him and they'd welcomed him into their home, stuffed him full of Julieta's food, and taught him their trade.
Agustín took to it like a bird to the sky, incorporating the trends from the city he left into their work. They'd become parental figures to him, and he loved them as deeply as if they were his own parents. While they sometimes butted heads with Alma, they attempted to stay out of the way the Madrigal family handled things and focused on supporting their adopted son and his family through listening ears and only the occasional sniff of disdain. They adored all three of their nietas, as well as their cousins, and were currently being charmed by Josefina, who was regaling them – her latest captive audience – with yet another retelling of how Bruno saved the day the evening before.
"-and THEN he JUMPED! VROOM! Outta the way of the motorcycle!" Josefina fell dramatically to the floor in a tuck and roll, and then bounced back up when Camila gasped. A small 'oh dear' escaped as the older woman placed her hand on her chest. "He was all curled up and he was extausted – egsaut – stegaux – he was really tired. From working hard and having that vision. And then telling everyone about it. Like how to save everyone. He was afraid he would get it wrong, but he was brave! Mamá said being brave is doing the right thing even when you're scared. And he didn't get it wrong! He got it right! So then..."
"Josefina," Lucía called from her spot beside Bruno. He sat in one of the armchairs in the living room, and she was perched carefully on its arm, her toes barely touching the floor and her elbow resting lightly on Bruno's shoulder for balance. "You've told Señora Rodriguez and her husband that story twice now. It's time for Isabela to open her presents. Come have a seat, cariño."
Josefina tilted her head and put her hand on her hip, pursing her lips and looking between her madre and the Rodriguez couple. She took a step toward Bruno and Lucía, and then turned back and whispered loudly, "I'll finish it for you later. I forgot to tell you about the candy I ate. And how my rock helped."
Camila laughed softly and inclined her head, and Josefina ran to Bruno and Lucía, not slowing down a bit as she jumped into her madre's lap. Lucía's eyes widened at the unexpected weight of her daughter in her arms and fell sideways off the armrest and into Bruno's lap, her legs sprawled over the edge of the armchair and Josefina scrambling around with her elbows and knees to get a more comfortable position.
All the air in Bruno's lungs escaped in a rush as Lucía accidentally elbowed him in the stomach herself. "Oh! Lo siento - Josefina!" Lucía gasped. "What was that?!"
"You told me to come have a seat. I'm findin' a seat, Mamá," Josefina replied.
"Lo siento Bruno, I didn't - "
"It's okay, it's okay, I'm fine, just ah – ouch - "
"Oops!"
"Josefina, please move for a minute - "
"There, better?"
"Much, thank you."
Lucía grinned sheepishly at him in apology as the three of them readjusted themselves to fit in the armchair, making themselves comfortable. Once they were settled, Lucía stared at him from the corner of her eye with a warm smile on her face.
Bruno flushed. "Ah…"
She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his cheek for a quick kiss, grinning at his flustered reaction, before shifting closer and resting her head against his. Josefina snuggled into her mother's arms, ready to watch Isabela open her gifts.
Isabela was thrilled at how carefully everyone considered her gifts. Alma had gifted her the cactus cross-stitch she had worked on in the evenings with Mirabel, and Mirabel had worked with her padre to make Isabela a new dress; one with less layers that was a bit more practical for her to wear as she experimented with her plants. Julieta made her a special treat - a new recipe utilizing some of the exotic fruits and vegetables from outside of Colombia that Isabela had been experimenting with. Camila and Victor told her they'd spoken with Señora Villanueva and explained that the older woman was looking for new colors for her shop, and they gifted Isabela materials to use to experiment with dyeing fabrics, just as she'd experimented with dyeing her hair. If she desired, Señora Villanueva was interested in contract work for her fabric dyeing. Luisa gifted her a book; Pepa and Félix, her favorite candies, and Bruno, a green vision tablet depicting the life of her dreams she'd always been promised that was now within her grasp. Lucía and Josefina gave her a small gift as well, a copy of a small book on herbology and a homemade card.
In the midst of the party, Marisol's family arrived to thank Bruno again and bid the Madrigals good-bye. There were tears, and then – laughter and prayers and hope as they watched the parents take their child on a trip that would save her life.
Later that evening, after all the visitors had left, Isabela and Luisa sat side by side in Isabela's room, carefully inspecting, smoothing, and refolding the white fabrics of various materials their Abuelo Victor and Abuelita Camila had given her. Mirabel had been with them at first, but Abuela had called her to discuss plans for the council meeting Thursday, and she'd bounded away. They'd all been discussing the events of the day and after she left, Isabela snorted, remembering Camilo's description of Alonso.
"Señor Too Cool…more like Señor Stupid Head…" Isabela muttered under her breath.
Luisa's hands paused. "Don't – don't call him that," she said quietly.
"What? Too Cool? Because you're right, he's not. But he is phenomenally - "
She cut herself off when she saw Luisa's hands clench in frustration. "Luisa - ?"
"It's not – it's not stupid to make a mistake when you're – in an emergency situation and under a lot of pressure, Isa."
Isabela froze.
"It's just – he – he was trying to help his friend, you know? And I - "
Isabela laid a hand on her sister's arm. "You're right, Luisa. It's – I was angry and I still am, that he interrupted Dolores' engagement and caused trouble for Tío Bruno – and something about him naming his motorcycle 'Mi Dama' makes my eye twitch but – he wasn't stupid for worrying about his friend and trying to help. I'm sorry and I'll – I'll stop calling him that."
Luisa snorted. "Thanks."
Isabela let the silence stretch for a moment. "I'm usually – I'm still – trying to find that balance, you know? Between being – not perfect, and speaking my mind, but I – crossed a line. I think. And I'm sorry I upset you."
Luisa reached over and squeezed her sister's hand. "Hey. It's okay. I'm still learning to stop pretending everything is fine. Thanks – thanks for listening."
They continued folding for a moment, Isabela watching Luisa out of the corner of her eye. "So – Alonso Jiménez. Not stupid. And maybe – not a bad looking guy, either?" She probed softly.
Luisa froze. "He's – not bad looking," she agreed after a moment, but her voice was strained. "If you're – into big brown eyes and dimples and – and – leather jackets and –motorcycles - " Her voice went up in pitch near the end and she cleared her throat.
Isabela smirked. "Sounds like you're into big brown eyes and dimples. And maybe even leather jackets, too?" She nudged Luisa with her shoulder.
Luisa didn't respond.
Isabela looked over to her and frowned, her heart stuttering in panic when she saw tears in Luisa's eyes. "Lu?" She asked softly. "I'm so sorry. What – it's okay if you're not into him, or if you are, or – whatever – I'm - "
"It wouldn't matter even if I was," Luisa mumbled.
"What – do you mean?"
"Because I'm not like you!" Luisa blurted suddenly, and then rapidly turned away, blinking back tears.
"Not like – what do you mean?" Isabela felt as though she had a cactus growing in her gut. "…Luisa. Tell me what you mean."
Luisa sniffed. "Nothing – it's – I'm fine, everything's fine, I'm just – being - "
"You're being honest with your big sister is what you're being," Isabela said firmly. She took the bolt of white linen from Luisa's hands and set it to the side. "Now spill. Before I have to threaten you with a carnivorous plant."
Luisa managed a dry chuckle at that. "I just – I mean – I'm not - " she swallowed thickly and stared at her hands. "Boys like him always seem to end up with – girls who are – you know. P-perfectly pretty."
Isabela's eyes grew wide and her jaw clenched and several cacti popped up along the back of her chair and the ground around her. "Did he tell you you weren't pretty?! Because if he did he's not just stupid, he's a complete jack-wagon! He's a worm and I -"
"He never said anything about my looks. He called me princesa and kissed my hand and smiled at me and – it was a nice smile, you know? He wasn't making fun of me at all." Luisa said, rubbing the back of one hand absent-mindedly. "Stop calling him names, Isa. You promised."
Isabela grimaced. "You're – ah – you're right. I did. Lo siento, hermanita." She took a deep breath in and out. "But why – why do you think you're not – pretty?"
Luisa shrugged. "I'm – do I have to say it?" She looked uncomfortable.
Isabela stared back at her.
"I know I'm not not pretty. I'm just - I'm big," Luisa whispered. "I'm big and taller than everyone else in the Encanto and I'm strong and I know it's a gift, but – that's all – that's all people see when they look at me. Well, not – not everyone, not anymore. But – a lot of people. And boys. The boys in our town – the ones our age – I'm – I'm still just – Luisa the Big Friendly Donkey to all of them. They're not mean to me, Isabela," Luisa said, exasperated as more cacti bloomed around her sister – "They like me. In a friendly way. But Alonso – he looked at me like I was a princess in a fairytale. He called me a princess. Not a knight in shining armor, not like most people would say. He was the first person to ever kiss my hand like that. He – he – he looked at me like I was beautiful and I want him – maybe him – someone – to look at me like that again."
Isabela leapt up and wrapped her arms around her sister, holding her close. "Luisa," she croaked out. "Lo siento. I'm – I'm so so sorry. Thank you for telling me. But - you're beautiful, Luisa. I'm serious. You're gorgeous. You braid your hair so beautifully and when it's down, it's rich and wavy and lovely. Your eyes are so expressive and you have a beautiful figure and you dance better than me! Way better than me! There are so many beautiful things about you!"
"Okay," Luisa mumbled into her sister's embrace, her face squished with the power of Isabela's hug. "You're being a little too much like mom right now."
Isabela gave her one last squeeze and released her, sitting down. "I'm sorry."
They sat in silence for a moment, and Isabela looked at the ground. "Is there – anything I can do to help?"
Luisa sighed and shook her head, looking at her sister from the corner of her eye. "I don't think – I don't think there is. Anymore than you already did, I mean." She smiled at Isabela, and Isabela smiled back. "I know I'm pretty, really. I mean – I feel like I am, most of the time. I like the way I look, I like how strong I am. I guess – I just want someone to notice me like they all notice you. Not everyone – just – someone."
Isabela sighed. "Believe me, being a princess is not all it's cracked up to be. I wish they saw me as less of a princess. And I wish everyone would notice more than my looks. You're friendly and kind and imaginative and a great dancer, and people are starting to see that more and more. They look at me and all they see is my appearance."
"Really? Even now? After – everything?"
Isabela sighed. "Even after everything. But now instead of 'classical perfection' Isabela I'm now – 'funky and fun beautiful' Isabela and I – I hate that we're the opposite sides of the same coin. I wish they'd talk about something besides my appearance. I just – want to be loved for who I am, not what I look like."
"And for who we are, not just what we can do," Luisa said.
"Exactly."
Luisa sighed and picked up a bolt of white wool, shaking it out, and they both admired it.
"I'm learning so much," Isabela said quietly as Luisa folded it back up. "About dyeing? There's a whole process, a whole science behind it. Which colors my plants create and how to get them to stay bright on different fabrics. It's not just – throwing color at something and making it pretty. I have to really think about it, plan it out – but – I feel like – no one notices that part. It's just – another thing that's centered on appearances. I'm almost tempted to take up blacksmithing or – or – beekeeping or – or sword fighting or worm farming as a hobby just for the sake of doing something no one expects."
Luisa grinned. "What's stopping you?"
After a moment, Isabela grinned too. "Well," she said softly. "Nothing, I guess." She paused. "And – if Alonso Jiménez noticed you, I guess he's not such a Señor Stupid Head after all." She bumped her shoulder against Luisa's arm.
Luisa smiled.
Tuesday morning brought with it several orders for Señor Hernandez' print shop and a toddler story time riled up with two, three, and four year olds attempting to 'play' La Familia Madrigal.
"I Luisa! I strong! Rrrrr!" Called a little girl, attemping to lift her friend off the floor.
"Paloma, cariño, please put her down. We don't pick up our friends at storytime."
"Whoosh! I you! Whoosh! I me! Whoosh! I Señora Moreno!" A little boy laughed and laughed as he spun in circles, pretending to shift like Camilo.
"Carlos, por favor, stop spinning and have a seat. You'll make yourself dizzy. You're making me dizzy!"
A little girl pulled the hood of her little ruana over her head. "Hahahaha! Bwuno!" She wiggled her fingers in the air menacingly. "Bwunooooo!"
Several children shrieked and laughed and Lucía swallowed. "All right everyone, sit down. We are going to read our story now." After everyone was seated, she paused. "But before we begin – I want to tell you something. Señor Madrigal – Bruno – he is not a scary person. He's actually very nice - "
"Bwuno spooky! His hood's scawy!" The little girl who'd played him argued.
"An' he glows green!" Added another child.
Lucía gave them a tense smile. "Well…you're right, I suppose sometimes his power can seem scary if you're not used to it. It works a bit differently than the other Madrigal gifts, doesn't it?"
The children nodded.
"But," Lucía continued softly, floundering in her attempt to explain, "the important thing to remember is that Bruno is not a scary person. He's actually – very nice, and a good man. He tries to use his gift to help the Encanto, just like the rest of the Madrigals."
"So he's a good guy?" Dora, who was not yet in school herself but the oldest and most mature child at the toddler story time, asked.
Lucía smiled at her. "Sí, Dora. He is a very good guy."
After storytime ended, several parents lingered to ask Lucía a whole host of questions on a variety of topics, none of which related to printing or books and none of which she quite knew how to answer.
"I know you're friendly with him – did you see Bruno Madrigal's vision last night? I heard he told Isabela to use her vines to save Osvaldo. Did he see anything else?"
"What do you know about the boy on the – what was it – motorcycle?"
"Are Dolores Madrigal and Mariano Guzmán officially engaged now? Why didn't they announce it?"
"I heard Julieta gave the girl who painted the murales some of her arepas to take home. Was that wise, to send them outside the Encanto? What if more people try to come here seeking her food, seeking the rest of the Madrigal gifts?"
"Do you think the magic works outside the Encanto?"
"Well I think it was rather irresponsible to reveal the magic to the outsiders at all. There's a giant crack in the mountains! We were safe here, before. Who knows what will come through the mountains next, seeking out our village and the Madrigals? First motorcycles, next – who knows?!"
Lucía answered the questions as honestly and as vaguely as she could. La familia Madrigal had filled her in on their 'strategy' for monitoring gossip about the events of Sunday night. She was used to minding her own business and avoiding confrontation when she could, so the simple explanation that Bruno's vision had helped but he didn't want to make a big deal out of it was something that came naturally to her.
Deflect, distract, defend - and don't stand for slander – she could handle that.
As for the other questions, she was baffled as to how to respond to the attention from the parents, and did her best not to betray any confidences in her answers. She really wasn't sure how much she was supposed to say and how much she should protect the privacy of the Madrigals. Until now, her relationship with Bruno hadn't garnered a lot of attention. Now, everyone wanted answers.
It wasn't until the last parent had left and she'd begun helping her father with print orders that she realized none of the questions were about her relationship with Bruno. It seemed that in the chaos of Sunday evening, no one had realized they'd begun courting. It felt strange. Should she have told everyone about them? That was something she'd have to discuss with Bruno. She should have a chance to talk to him later. He was planning on coming by after school to sit down with Josefina and look through Alejandro's things with her.
Later that day, Lucía and Bruno sat on the sofa in Lucía's living room, Josefina between them, with papers and books and boxes strewn around them. Josefina had her mother's large storybook open on her lap and was explaining all of the illustrations her father had made to Bruno.
He listened attentively with a serious expression on his face until she stopped, smoothing out a page with an illustration of Cenicienta being transformed for the ball by her fairy godmother. "What's your favorite illustration in the book?"
Josefina thought for a minute. "It's – I like this one, but it's not this one." She flipped through pages, until she reached a page near the end, of a princess and prince in a garden full of roses. "It's this one. It's not my favorite story, but it's my favorite picture."
Her fingers traced the outline of the page, where thorny vines wrapped around its border. "It's so pretty, isn't it? The roses? And the way the princess and the prince look. And look! There's a little mouse hidden right here at the bottom of the page. Isn't it cute? Papá hid one on every page!"
Bruno nodded. "It's beautiful. And that's ah – that's very clever. Should we find all the mice?"
Josefina's eyes widened. "Yeah!"
Lucía watched as Bruno's brow scrunched up in concentration, mirroring Josefina's expression. He didn't even looked at Lucía, so intense was his focus on Josefina as he nodded and squinted at the pages. When Josefina stopped talking, he looked at her seriously. "That's great, Josefina. What's your second favorite page?"
Lucía fell a little bit more in love with him every time she saw the way he interacted with Josefina. She could sit here and watch them forever.
After Josefina had shown Bruno everything she wanted to, from the illustrations in the book to the boxes of his sketches, to dragging him up to her room to show him the murales of birds, butteflies, and flowers painted on one wall and then back down again when she remembered her doll Beatriz, still sitting on the sofa – she sighed. "What do you remember about mi papá, Bruno?"
Bruno hesitated and rubbed his palms on his knees, looking over the little girl's head at Lucía. She smiled at him, and her eyes crinkled at the corners, warmth and gratitude plain on her face. He gave her a small, nervous smile back.
"I – ah – I don't remember as much as you, or your madre, of course. But I – I do remember sitting for sketches, with him, way back before you were born. You know he painted a murales on Señora Díaz' shop before the last one, right? The one before the one with Antonio on it?"
She nodded.
"Well, back then…" he hesitated.
"Oh!" Josefina said. "We still have the sketches, don't we Mamá? They're…here…somewhere…" she jumped up and began rifling through one of the boxes on the floor, before holding a sheaf of papers victoriously over her head.
The papers weren't bound and fell, fluttering around her.
"Oops! Sorry!" She scrambled to pick them up, and Lucía knelt down to help her as well.
"It's okay, mi fresita. They weren't in any particular order."
Josefina paused and tilted her head. "Wow. This one has lots of eyes, Bruno. Are they your eyes?" She held out the paper, and sure enough – there were several sets of eyes that looked an awful lot like Bruno's, some shaded with pencil, others colored in various shades of dark or bright, glowing green.
"Huh. I – I guess they are." Bruno stared at the paper in his hands. "That's – that's – ah - "
The next page had his face in various expressions – mostly serious, some pained, some sad, a few almost noble - and in one – just one – a small smile on his face.
"He liked you," Lucía said quietly. "And he cared about you – about how people treated you. But he also may have – idolized your struggle. A bit."
Bruno exhaled as he flipped through some of the pages. "He noticed things," he said suddenly.
Josefina looked up at him.
"He was – scattered. A bit. In appearance. I mean – heh – I'm not judging." He looked down at his ruana and then back at the papers in his hands. "But his hair always – at least – when I saw him – stuck up a bit in the back. His clothes – his – he missed a spot shaving, and I noticed, because he kept scratching at it and I mean – I was sitting there on that chair for quite a while. But all his work things – all his materials for sketching and painting – they were always meticulous. At least, that's – what I remember?" He looked to Lucía, who looked a bit surprised, but nodded.
"He came to Casita to sketch the family," he explained to Josefina, absentmindedly rifling through the papers in his hands, eyes unfocused and his mind on a distant memory. "And he was so good with the kids. He did Mamá first, and he asked the grandkids to watch, just for a bit, so they would know what to expect. Camilo and Mirabel were so little – a few months from turning five - and Luisa wasn't much older. He explained how everything worked – the pencils he used, the paper, how they needed to make different faces for him."
He chuckled. "He told them to pretend they were smelling something stinky, to pretend they were trying to keep a really exciting secret, to pretend that they were angry because someone ate the last slice of cake, to pretend that they'd just had the most fun day ever – he asked them to describe it, and then – told them to pretend they were tired and happy and falling asleep at the end of that perfect day. I remember," he said, and he sounded almost surprised at himself. "I remember your padre gave Mirabel and Camilo some papers to sketch with, too, to keep them occupied. He gave them a drawing lesson. Mirabel drew a unicorn. Camilo drew a gorilla with a big butt."
Josefina laughed out loud. "What did Papá say?" She climbed back up on the sofa and asked eagerly, with stars in her eyes.
"He complimented them both on their creativity and style," Bruno said. "And then he sketched Julieta and Pepa and…me." He blinked and refocused on Josefina, smiling wistfully at her. "He talked to me the same way he talked to the rest of my family. Easily and respectfully and nicely."
Josefina sighed happily, flipping through more sketches of the Madrigals. "He was a good man, wasn't he?"
"Yes he was, cariño," Bruno said softly. "Yes he was."
Josefina was silent for a long moment, looking at her father's handiwork. "Then… why did he have to leave?"
"…I…I don't know."
Josefina looked up at her madre. Lucía leaned forward and pushed a strand of hair behind her daughter's ear, the familiar ache in her chest soothed by the presence of the man beside her. It would never leave entirely, but having someone who understood it and wanted to love her through it made the reality much more bearable. "I wish I knew, corazón, but I don't."
Josefina set Beatriz in her lap and stared at her, smoothing her doll's hair as her mother had just done for her. "Can your gift show us?" She asked quietly.
"No. I can't see the past. I can only see the future." And it seemed he was glad for that.
Josefina looked up at him, and – like a switch had flipped – there was a sly look on her face. "Can you show me my future?"
"No." Bruno and Lucía spoke in tandem.
When Josefina frowned at both of them, Lucía patted her knee. "Why do you want to see your future, Sefinita?"
Josefina shrugged, resuming her care of Beatriz. "I want to know if something amazing happens. Or something scary. Or just...anything."
Bruno nudged her gently with his elbow. "Well – ah. I can tell you - without a doubt - that amazing and scary and sad and wonderful things will happen to you." He waggled his fingers out before him mysteriously, the corner of his mouth pulling up into a tiny smile.
"How? Did you see already?!" Josefina looked up at him with wide, eager eyes.
"No. But - I've seen enough futures to know that those things happen to everyone -"
Josefina's smile faded and her brows lowered over her eyes as she squinted at him, obviously on to his trickery.
Bruno was not in the least swayed by her unimpressed expression. " -and they will happen to you, too."
Lucía caught on to what he was saying. "Josefina, we will make amazing things happen. When something sad or scary comes we'll be here for you to help you with it. When something wonderful happens we'll be with you to celebrate. Your life will be full of many, many amazing and boring and happy and sad moments."
Josefina rolled her eyes. "Sounds like you just don't wanna give me a vision."
Bruno straightened in his seat. "Visions," he said decisively, "are for adults only."
Josefina thought for a moment, and then her mouth turned up into a smirk and she raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "What about Marisol?" She obviously thought she'd got him there.
"Ah – well - I – I didn't do the vision for her! I did it for her parents."
"Hmmm." Josefina was not entirely convinced. "Okay. But if you ever do visions for kids you gotta do me first, okay?"
"Kid, that is not going to happen."
"Maybe it will."
"Don't count on it."
"I'm not counting, I'm just wishing."
"You know what I wish?"
"What?"
"That you would stop asking for a vision."
As they debated, Josefina shifted so that she sat upright on her knees, stretching herself up so that she was looking straight into Bruno's face. They stared at each other, eyes wide and unblinking, until Josefina's serious façade cracked and she rocked backwards, giggling. Bruno smiled at her.
The three of them looked up as José poked his head into the room. "Ay, niños!" He called, smiling. "I am looking for an assistant chef to help me cook dinner. She must be short, know how to slice papaya, and be able to tell me good stories that make me laugh as we work."
Lucía and Josefina looked at each other.
"Also," he said casually, "I'm partial to assistant chefs who wear my favorite color. It's blue."
Josefina looked down at the blue dress she was wearing and sprang up. "It's me! I'm wearing blue!"
José laughed. "Well then, you meet all of my criteria. You're hired!"
Josefina followed her Abuelo into the kitchen, leaving the sketches on the nearest box.
After they were gone, Lucía closed the space between herself and Bruno on the sofa, her knee brushing against his.
Bruno rubbed the back of his neck, a timid smile on his face.
She looked right back at him, warmth radiating from her expression. "Gracias, Bruno," she said. "You were wonderful."
He swallowed and chuckled nervously. "Was I? I thought – maybe I was a little – forceful, at the end – I don't want her to think I don't – that is, I don't want to give her a vision, but also – I'd do just about anything else for her, but - "
Lucía laughed. "You were perfectly fine. More than fine. She needs you to go toe-to-toe with her sometimes. If the answer is no – and it is no – then you need to be firm on that no. It's not a maybe later, it's not 'we'll see', it's no. You did great."
She slid a little closer and took his hands in hers. "You are great."
Bruno flushed slightly and stared at their joined hands. "Ah – um – gracias? You – you – you're great. And gorgeous," he breathed, and then his flush deepened. "I mean – I mean – did I – say that out loud? I mean you are but – but - "
"We're courting, Bruno, you're allowed to say I'm gorgeous. In fact, I'm very glad you think so."
"It's not that I think so, it's just a fact." He said plainly. "Sky is blue, Julieta's food heals you, Lucía Moreno is gorgeous."
"Mmmm. And Bruno Madrigal is devilishly handsome and makes my heart stutter whenever I look at him."
"Wha – wha – I – ah - " he stammered, his hands flexing subconsciously in hers.
"You are. It's just a fact." She said innocently. "And it is my duty and my great delight to remind you of that fact every day."
"Every…day?"
"I could make it every single time I see you instead, but that might get a little old. And a little embarrassing, depending on who we're around," Lucía grinned. " 'Oh, excuse me, Padre Tomás, there's mi novio over there, Bruno Madrigal, the Encanto's most handsome man, he's kind and perceptive and so sweet with my daughter, I love getting to know him and his heart. He has a very good heart, you know. Ah, Señora Valencia! I see you've run into Bruno. I've recently discovered I'm madly in love with him, you see, and his green eyes make me feel feelings when they look into mine.' "
Bruno snorted. "Ah – um – you – do you – you do -?"
"Do I feel feelings? Do I love you?" Lucía continued and laughed. "Sí. Without a doubt. Te amo, Bruno. And I'll happily remind you of why as often as possible, until it no longer embarrasses you to hear me compliment you out loud."
He reached up suddenly to brush his fingers against her cheek, moving back along her jaw to move her braid behind her shoulder, away from her face. "Te amo, Lucía," he whispered, his hand lingering on her arm. "And – and gracias."
She lowered her eyes from his gaze and smiled faintly at some long-ago memory. "I teased him – Alejandro - when he made those sketches." She inclined her head toward where Josefina left them. "I told him if he kept up like that, people would start saying looking into your eyes would bewitch them."
A short, bittersweet laugh escaped as her eyes met his. "I guess he wasn't entirely wrong, though," she said, and she wasn't sure if she was sad or happy or found the whole thing poignant or funny. "You've certainly bewitched me."
Bruno let out a bark of disbelieving laughter and then looked away and rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously.
She leaned back a bit, not intending to make him uncomfortable but genuinely wanting him to believe in his own worth.
"I think about you a lot," he said suddenly, his voice soft and thoughtful. "I – I – every – ah – lots of little things – remind me of you, all the time. And I always – I feel – happy – and like – I can't – I can't-quite-get-enough-of-being-with-you and - " he took a breath – "and if that's what it's like to be bewitched, I guess – ah – same. For me. With you."
He leaned forward slightly and he watched her until her eyes fluttered closed, and she leaned into his kiss, relaxed and warm and happy. It was firm and full of feeling but chaste, and when he pulled away, she rested her head on his shoulder. "Gracias for tonight," she said quietly. "Not many men would tackle what you did tonight. Remembering your novia's previous husband and talking him up to her daughter? Not an easy task."
He shrugged, having reached his capacity for accepting praise for the moment, and she paused. "I was asked a lot of questions, today at storytime."
"Oh?" She felt him tense.
"About Sunday night."
"I'm sorry - "
"Don't apologize, Bruno, it's not your fault. I told you - I knew what I was getting into, courting a Madrigal." Lucía said. "But strangely, although I fielded questions left and right about your vision and Alonso Jiménez and Osvaldo and Alma and Mirabel's plans for allowing people outside of the Encanto to utilize their gifts – or not – I did not receive one question about us. About you and I."
"…oh?"
"I was just – wondering. Is this – something to announce? Or something we just – let unfold?" She smiled to herself. "Do we just wait and see how long it takes people to notice we're courting? Would you prefer an announcement in the town square?"
Bruno rubbed the fabric of his ruana with his free hand. "Ah…" he sighed. "Mamá would probably prefer to announce it…and she'd have a point, it would distract from the whole - " he gestured vaguely – "emergency vision situation."
Lucía leaned back a bit to get a good look at him and raised an eyebrow. "With all due respect, mi amor, I don't see your madre here. What do you prefer? Distract everyone with the news of our blossoming romance, or keep things quiet and private for as long as possible?" She paused. "I don't really think it will be private for very long regardless. Josefina is focused on your vision for now, but she's going to start telling people about us soon."
Bruno chuckled, and then his eyes widened "Oh! I forgot to tell you. Selena still hasn't returned, yet, from San Cristobál. We're planning on returning her cart and donkey tomorrow. I'm – I'm going to have a vision to see – how it goes. They don't know – I'm just – I feel like – this is something I should use my gift for. We've never – I mean, aside from Mamá and Mirabel – we've never set foot outside of the Encanto. I want to make sure – it will go well, everyone will come home safe. And also maybe – make sure – we don't – loose our gifts?"
Lucía sat straight up and looked at him in shock. "That's a possibility? That could happen?"
Bruno shook his head rapidly and freed both hands to gesture as he talked. "I don't – I don't think so. What I mean is – we don't know if our gifts will work outside of the Encanto. Is the miracle somehow – linked to this location? If we go too far, will the gifts – not work anymore? And if they don't – if we leave and come back – will they work again? Or – or – or – you see, the possibilities, right? We're obviously not all going – can you imagine what a disaster all twelve Madrigals leaving the Encanto at once could be? Heh. It's going to be – it will be a stressful day. Mamá doesn't know I'm going to look – I think she's afraid to ask – I haven't done a vision for anyone in the family since – well, since I remade that tablet for Isabela's birthday, but she wasn't there for it, I made it myself - and before that – it was Mirabel. It's – ah – it's a bit of a sore spot. But I feel like I should, I know I should, and so, my point!"
He sat up straighter. "My point is that I'm having a vision and several Madrigals will be leaving the Encanto tomorrow and I'm fine – announcing or – or just letting it all come out on its own, like you said – but – whatever we decide – can it be – after tomorrow?"
Lucía gave him a worried smile. "Of course it can. I hadn't even thought - " she paused. "Do you want me to help? Do you want me to be there, with you, to see the vision? I can help, if you want it."
Bruno hesitated.
He still hadn't responded when Josefina poked her head back into the room to announce dinner was ready, and he was distracted for the remainder of the evening.
A/N: Well, I hope that was enough to get you semi-excited for this next arc of 'Just Your Ordinary, Everyday Miracle'. Gossip! Mistakes! Growth! Fluff! Lots of fluff and romance and sweet sappy moments! Sassy children! As of now we are on Chapter 29 of about 47 or 48. Sometimes, as you can tell, my chapters grow out of control and so that may change.
I HAVE ART! I HAVE ART! I commissioned Starfang's_Secrets to draw Lucia and she did a PHENOMENAL job! You can see it on Chapter 29 of Just Your Ordinary, Everyday Miracle on AO3 or on tumblr at: at DOT tumblr DOT com /16magnolias/ look-at-her-look-at-this-beautiful-lady-i-am-so/ ctxxk99qc05u
Just remove the spaces and change the DOT to . THANK YOU STAR YOU BEAUTIFUL AMAZING ARTIST YOU!
Also thank you to ChipmunkFanNo.1 for her prompt to have a discussion between Isabela and Luisa about how others perceive them/their femininity and how they think other people perceive them. If any of you have given me prompts for other chapters, I'm working on including them in the future. I haven't forgotten.
If you're not on tumblr, there's a big even coming up in October called Encantober, featuring daily prompts that can be fulfilled with writing or art! I probably won't do every single prompt but I will post the collection of what I DO end up doing here as well as on AO3. (Same username 16magnolias on all.). I'm also participating in an Encanto Big Bang event on tumblr! So lots of fun Encanto things coming up. Add to that the real life day to day stuff like kids going to school, dance class, play dates, birthdays and projects etc., and you can imagine it's pretty busy around here. I hope to continue to update weekly, but I cannot promise it. I think every 2 weeks will be a more realistic goal until after Christmas.
Thanks so much for your support. To my guest reviewer my-secret-garden that left long, lovely, excited, detailed reviews - THANK YOU! I cannot tell you how happy and thrilled and excited you made me! And to ALL my reviewers, whether you leave a handful of words or entire paragraphs: You guys are all amazing. I hoard every word like a dragon and they are all my precious treasure. Sincerely, from my heart, thank you. God bless you all and have a wonderful week!