AUTHOR'S NOTES: I wanted to use the modern au again because not only does it make for a twist on the movie, but also because of the way it helps this particular story line, especially with newcomers entering the valley. Also, this story won't have a traditional structure. It's mostly going to be a series of vignettes surrounding Bruno and his family.
ENCANTO: Love Is the Language the Blind Can See
(Modern AU)
A shriek of horror echoed through La Casita Madrigal and brought Pepa and her mother running to the tower room belonging to Bruno.
Inside, Alma led the way towards her son's vision chamber, stopping as she saw her 'eldest' child, Julieta, dragging a nearly unconscious Bruno towards them. "We need to get him to the hospital!" Julieta cried, tears streaming down her face as Pepa gasped when she saw that their brother's face and hands were covered with blood.
"Yes, of course," Alma agreed, going to the door and holding it open for her daughters to carry her son out and onto the landing.
As Felix and Agustin stood at the bottom of the stairs, Felix looked up at his wife and asked, "What can I do, Pepi?"
"Go start the car," Pepa ordered, picking her brother up with ease and sprinting down the stairs. "It'll be faster than calling an ambulance."
"Alma, Juli, and I will follow you in my car," Agustin chimed, snatching up his own keys and following his sister-in-law and brother-in-law out of the house.
Once at the hospital, Julieta attempted to shift into 'doctor' mode as she provided a brief report to the other medical staff on duty. As Bruno was hurriedly taken into a trauma room, Juli paused at the doorway, observing her colleagues as they began to treat her brother. With great hesitation, she moved to rejoin her family, and after sitting down in the waiting area, she shared what had happened. "Bruno tried to claw his eyes out," Julieta whispered, feeling nauseous just recalling it. "He ripped the eyes off one of the relief sculptures outside his vision cave... His fingers and nails were all torn up... Before he passed out, he muttered that he was trying to make them stop."
"Were the rats the ones who attacked him?" Alma guessed, remembering the rodents her son kept as pets. Julieta shook her head and took a deep breath. "It was the visions, Mama. I-I think he believed that... if he removed his eyes..." Suddenly standing up, she rushed to the nearest trash can and vomited, sobbing hard.
"I don't understand why Bruno would do something like this—Pepa, can you please manage your emotions and your clouds? You're really too old to be having episodes like this," Alma admonished, frowning at the storm cloud hovering over her daughter's head.
But instead of trying to calm herself down, Pepa straightened up, lightning crackling in her cloud. "Bruno wanted to stop the visions because all they ever do is hurt him!" she snapped, angrily. "Whether it's people in town getting upset because of what he sees or the headaches or not being able to sleep... He wanted to get rid of his 'Gift', Mama!"
"Julieta?"
After wiping her mouth and accepting a cup of water from Felix so she could rinse her mouth, Juli turned to Hector Sandoval, a trauma physician who had been tending to Bruno. "How's my brother?"
Hector shook his head before giving a shrug. "It's not good news, Juli. Those quick-dissolve tablets we use helped heal some of the damage, but Bruno's going to need surgery. I don't think we'll be able to save his left eye, but the right still has some of the optic nerves mostly intact. I have to warn you, though... even if we can repair the damage, it's unlikely your brother will regain his sight."
Slowly sitting down as she listened to Hector and Julieta talk, Alma tried not to give in to the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. It was her duty, after all, to be the strength of the town so that she could protect them from harm...
And yet, she couldn't even protect her own family.
Hearing squeaking noises, Alma looked up as Hector handed over a bag containing Bruno's bloodied clothes... and several rats who seemed distressed that their 'papa' was missing. Reaching a tentative hand towards the creatures, she gently stroked one of them, smiling faintly as another nuzzled her.
"I'm going to go home and pick up some fresh clothes for Bruno," she declared, standing up. "And I'm certain that the rest of his little friends will want to know what's happened."
Agustin gave Julieta a quick kiss on the cheek before following Alma. "I'll drive you back. Juli needs a change of clothes as well," he added when his mother-in-law looked about to refuse his offer.
"Three of Bruno's rats were hiding in a pocket of his ruana," Hector noted to Julieta, a faint smile crossing his face. "They startled the nurses when we removed his clothes, but they seemed to understand that they couldn't stay with him."
Julieta nodded, thinking of her brother's beloved pets and friends. "He's had the rats in the house trained for 8 years now. Even the baby rats seem to grow up knowing that Bruno will take care of them. Hector, after Bruno gets out of surgery... what then?"
Hector shrugged as he considered his words. Julieta would give him an earful if he tried coddling her in any way or giving the family false hope. "Your food to help heal the injuries... antibiotics to prevent infection... and we'll start having Bruno work with an occupational therapist."
Feeling her cloud start sprinkling, Pepa waved it off for a moment as she fixed the doctor with a look. "You really don't think Bruno will get his sight back, do you?"
"Honestly? No, I don't," Hector replied, simply. "I'm sorry."
As Julieta watched her colleague returning to the trauma room, she sat down once more, staring at the dried blood on her hands and clothes. "Did you see the expression on Mama's face?" Pepa whispered while sitting down next to her sister, wrapping an arm around her and drawing her in closer. "After all the times we've tried explaining to her what Bruno's 'Gift' has done to him, she never believed us... But it's hard to ignore your own son tearing out his eyes, I suppose." Silent tears streamed down Julieta's cheeks as she listened to her sister for a few moments.
When Pepa's words trailed off, Julieta pondered softly, "Do you think it will work? Do you think Bruno won't experience visions anymore if he's blind?" Voicing her thoughts, Julieta straightened up before bursting into tears. "I don't want Bruno to be blind! I want him to be happy and smiling and... Pepa, what are we going to do? I-Is Bruno going to become a recluse? He's hardly involved in town as it is! A-And now everyone is going to be staring at him even more when they see him!"
Holding her sister close and murmuring a few words of comfort, Pepa waited until Julieta's sobs subsided into quiet sniffles before pulling away slightly. "I think if Bruno is blind, he'll likely withdraw for a while as he tries to understand what that means for him. We'll all need to adapt to the situation, regardless, and if he's still able to see, we should help him engage more with the community. And if he continues to have visions even while being blind, someone needs to be there with him to keep him safe."
Letting out a dry laugh, Julieta wiped her nose and eyes before she smiled at her sister. "How can you be so calm about this?"
"Only one of us can fall apart at a time," Pepa replied, shrugging. "Someone's got to hold it together."
"I think I can hold both of you together if you need to fall apart, too, Pepi," Felix assured his wife, knowing how she liked to hold her feelings in until she practically exploded... or caused a hurricane.
Smiling with relief, Pepa hugged Julieta once more, sharing her sister's tears as they wondered what the future would hold for their brother.
Bruno's head was throbbing and his face and eyes stung fiercely as he slowly returned to consciousness.
Feeling someone holding his hand, he squeezed it lightly, wondering why it was so dark.
"Brunito? It's Mama."
"Where am I?" Bruno asked as he registered a beeping sound and a sharp pain in the crook of his elbow. Using his free hand, he reached over, frowning as he felt the IV. "I'm in the hospital?" he guessed as his mother raised the back of the bed a bit. Feeling something covering his eyes, he touched the bandages, his anxiety growing stronger as his last memories started creeping back. "Mama... Did...? Did I hurt myself?" Gesturing to the bandages, he pressed, "Did I do this to myself?"
Feeling his mother squeeze his hand, Bruno squeezed back, able to read the answer in her silence. "I'm sorry, Mama. I-I know I'm supposed to use my Gift to help-"
"Shhh... Don't worry about that right now, mijo," Alma assured him, touching his cheek with her free hand. "I know that what happened was because you wanted the visions to stop. I'm the one who needs to apologize, Brunito. Your Gift became a dreadful curse and I made you use it when you didn't want to... when it began to hurt you. I don't care if you never have another vision again, Bruno."
Drawing in a deep, yet unsteady, breath, Bruno felt uncertain about wanting to hear the answer as he asked, "Is it bad?"
Alma, momentarily forgetting that her son couldn't see her, nodded. "They had to remove your left eye, mijo. We still don't know if you'll be able to see from your right eye."
As his anxiety intensified, Bruno propped himself up as best as he could and insisted, "I-I want to go home. I-I want to be in my room. I-I promise I won't attempt to use my Gift, I just... I don't like being in the hospital."
"Your doctors need to keep you here while you recover," Alma explained, trying to soothe Bruno. "They have you on antibiotics to prevent infection and also medication for pain relief."
"What about my rats?" Bruno inquired. The thought of his little friends helped distract him from the hospital environment, and he wondered if he could train them to help him get around both at home and in town.
Feeling grateful that Bruno's heart rate and breathing were settling, Alma smiled as she answered, "Felix and Agustin are working on teaching your rats how to guide you. Pepa is ensuring they stay clean, and Julieta is taking care of feeding them. I know I often overlooked your companions, but I can see now how important they are to you."
Hearing the door open, Bruno turned in that direction, wondering who had come to see him.
"How are you feeling, hermano?" Julieta asked as she approached the bed as her mother stood up, patting Bruno's shoulder.
"Scared," Bruno admitted, reaching out for his mother or sister. When he felt someone take his hand, he waited until Julieta said his name before he elaborated. "I don't want to be alone right now."
"I'm right here, Bruno," Juli assured him, squeezing his hand. "And, uh... I have news. I got some blood test results back this morning. Mine," she specified to her mother and brother. "Mama... You're going to be an abuela."
"Mija, that's wonderful news!" Alma exclaimed as she hugged her daughter. "A new generation of Madrigals."
"Congratulations, Juli," Bruno chimed, trying not to think about the timing. It was bad enough that his family would be trying to take care of him but for Julieta to do so while she was pregnant?
"Hermano, this doesn't mean that I'm not going to be able to help you," Julieta promised, squeezing her brother's hand. "You're going to be a tio. You've got new responsibilities now."
If he could have, Bruno would have rolled his eyes at his sister as he asked, "Like what? Teaching my sobrina or sobrino how to not bump into walls?"
Not to be deterred from her attempts to cheer up her brother, Julieta smiled as she corrected, "Like telling them bedtime stories. Teaching them how to take care of your rats. How to put on a one-person play." As Bruno let out a yawn, Juli touched his forearm with her free hand as she murmured, "Get some rest, Brunito. I'll be right here when you wake up."
Laying back, Bruno listened to his sister singing quietly until he eventually fell asleep.
The rain that fell upon Encanto the next week felt different to the people in the valley.
Somehow, it seemed to fill everyone with a pensive feeling and those without essential jobs preferred to stay inside and reflect.
Inside La Casita Madrigal, Alma didn't question what had caused her daughter to create such strange weather, nor did she pressure Pepa to control it.
Looking outside as she sipped her first cup of coffee of the day, Alma's heart ached as she thought about Pedro.
In the few weeks her late husband had known his 'middle' daughter, the two seemed to bond instantly, and whatever Pedro felt, Pepa reflected. If he was happy, she was smiling. If he was scared, she cried.
After Pedro was murdered, Pepa was inconsolable and nothing Alma did helped soothe her daughter.
Eventually, Pepa was able to sleep quietly, but whenever she saw her father's portrait she sniffled and tears fell down her cheeks.
After getting her Gift, Pepa would 'talk' to Pedro's picture, and would create rainbows in the hopes that he could see them and know that everyone was okay.
When Pepa was allowed to just feel her emotions, the weather was a little unpredictable but mostly consistent.
It was only when Alma insisted on complete control that Pepa's anxiety started to trigger clouds and other meteorological problems.
Julieta felt that her biggest failing was that her Gift couldn't heal everything, leading her to become a doctor at the valley's hospital. But even still, when a patient died she insisted on taking full responsibility. When someone was diagnosed with a chronic illness, Julieta would bring them her food, hoping that it would eventually cure them.
It wasn't a god complex, by any means, but rather something that Julieta felt she should be able to fix but couldn't.
Hearing footsteps behind her, Alma pulled herself out of her ruminations and turned to see Pepa coming in wearing a hooded raincoat, the cloud above her head drizzling as she set a worn box down on the table. "What's all this?"
"I've been cleaning Bruno's tower," Pepa murmured, softly, a choke in her voice. "Mama, you... you need to see these."
Setting her coffee cup down and looking in the box, Alma's eyes widened as she saw almost a dozen vision plates.
"I-I... I also found the last vision Bruno had," Pepa added, setting down a bag of broken pieces.
Together, mother and daughter worked for several minutes to piece the vision together, looking at one another in confusion as they finished.
"This doesn't make any sense," Alma said as she sat down. "Why would a vision of having a family cause Bruno to try and tear his eyes out?"
"Because it wasn't the first," Pepa replied, pulling a journal out of the box and handing it over. "The past few years, he's been getting glimpses of his future, but he didn't think they were real. He thought his Gift was taunting him or something."
"'Why would anyone want to fall in love with me? All I am is bad luck. My- My visions only hurt people, including me.' Ai, Brunito..." Alma sighed, tears falling down her face as she read on silently. Turning to the last page of the journal, she read aloud, "'I have to make them stop. If I make the visions stop, then they can't torture me with images of me having a family. If I can't see anything, maybe my Gift will get the hint that I don't want it anymore. And if I...'"
"'If I...' what?" Pepa asked, looking alarmed by the stricken look on her mother's face.
"'If I die... that works, too,'" Alma finished, handing the journal back so that Pepa could read the rest of the entry.
The rain outside taped off a bit as Pepa numbly sat down, staring at her brother's journal. Flipping through it and skimming some of the pages, the rain started up again as she cried. "He thought we'd be better off without him," she said, not sure how to feel about the revelation. Before her mother could ask her if she was alright, Pepa left the room and headed upstairs to find Felix, hoping he could help her with a project.
"Pepa? Is that you?"
As she stepped into Bruno's hospital room, Pepa paused, astonished that her brother had recognized her. "How did you know it was me?" she inquired, perching on the edge of the bed and taking Bruno's hand.
"You smell like rain," Bruno answered softly. "I never realized it until now. Julieta has the scent of cornmeal."
"It must be all the arepas she makes for people," Pepa mused, chuckling softly. "What about Mama?"
Shrugging as he thought about it, Bruno finally said, "I don't know. I can't tell yet." Frowning slightly, he gestured to the bandages covering his eyes. Well, eye, technically. "Julieta changed the bandages this morning. I felt where my left eye used to be."
"Dr. Ignacio said that it could be a couple weeks before we'll know for sure if..." Trailing off, Pepa took a deep breath before changing the subject. "It wasn't your fault, hermano. My wedding? I know you were just trying to make me smile. I just got all worked up and..."
The idea that Pepa would prefer to talk about her wedding day hurricane over him not being able to see made Bruno laugh and he squeezed his sister's hand. "Oh, it was my fault, too," he argued, even though he was smiling. "I'd just come down with a cold and I didn't tell anyone that I had a fever."
As much as Pepa hated the myth that twins - or triplets - could read each other's minds, she'd always been able to tell what her brother was thinking. Not so much Julieta, but Bruno was always an open book, even when he was trying to be stoic and unreadable. In the past, it was his eyes that had given him away but even now, it was the way the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, as though he wanted to say something but didn't know how to phrase it. His right hand was drumming nervously on the blankets and his right foot was bouncing a bit.
Pulling her hand from Bruno's, Pepa reached for the gift bag she'd brought with her and handed it over. "The nurses and hospital staff probably wouldn't take kindly to you throwing salt, but hopefully this helps. Felix carved it."
Taking the bag and reaching inside, Bruno felt an instant sense of calm as he ran his fingers over the wood carving of a rat holding an hourglass. Tapping on it before rapping on his own head, he muttered, "Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock. Knock on wood." Taking a deep breath so he didn't start crying, Bruno smiled as he turned towards his sister. "Thank you, Pepa."
"You're welcome," Pepa replied, smiling back at her brother.
The only thing that made adapting to being blind easier for Bruno was that he'd always been a quick study. He'd grasped reading and mathematics much quicker than his sisters and even as a child, he'd shown that he possessed a photographic memory.
Of course, a photographic memory wasn't much use when you couldn't see anything.
Still, as Bruno navigated the small obstacle course in the physical therapy room, he wasn't doing too badly. The long cane he'd been given was helpful in detecting objects or people in his path before he bumped into them or fell. And Braille was fairly easy to understand if you practiced for a while and took your time.
Reaching the end of the course, Bruno smiled as he heard clapping coming from his left. "N-Not exactly record time, b-but it wasn't too bad, huh?" he said to Javier Morales, one of his occupational therapists. Sitting down on a bench nearby and folding up his cane, Bruno took a deep breath as he asked, "Mama's waiting for me outside, isn't she?"
"Senora Alma and Doctor Madrigal said they would come pick you up when you were ready," Javier replied. "And you may not feel ready, Bruno, but I think that's something that's only going to come with time."
Nodding in agreement, Bruno stood up, unfolding his cane and holding it out in front of him. Knowing that Javier would follow until he was with his mother and sister, Bruno headed towards the doors, waiting until he heard them open before walking through.
Heading down the hall, Bruno went to the corner wall and felt for the sign mounted on it, his fingers slowly tracing the Braille letters embossed there. Turning and heading to his right, he stopped, frowning as he heard crying nearby. "Javier, where's that crying coming from?"
"To your left," the therapist replied, quickly striding ahead of Bruno and into an empty exam room. "Ai Dios..."
"What's wrong?" Bruno asked, curiously as he came through the doorway. But hearing the crying again, he took a sharp breath. It was the sound of a child crying. A toddler, probably.
Javier picked up the 2-year-old girl, trying to sooth her and frowning as she tried pulling away, fussing loudly.
"Let me try," Bruno offered, folding his cane and setting it on the bed before sitting on a chair nearby. As soon as the child was in his arms, he was amazed that she quieted down almost immediately. "There we go..." he said, bouncing the little girl a bit. "What's your name, carina?" Catching the scent of cornmeal and candles, he looked up as he heard two people come into the room.
"Bruno, what...? Who's this?" Alma asked as she gently took the child from her son.
"There's a note pinned to her blanket," Julieta said as she picked up the large square of fleece the little girl had been sitting on. Silently skimming the note, she gasped softly before reading aloud, "'I'm sorry, but I can't take care of my baby anymore. I have to leave and I don't want my daughter to live without a family like I did. Please find her a loving home.' There's no name for the girl or her mother."
Alma couldn't imagine just abandoning a child and part of her wanted to send people out to find the poor girl's mother. But what good would it do? She couldn't force someone to be a parent when they clearly weren't ready to be. Hefting the child up a bit, she gave her daughter and son a resolute look as she declared, "The Madrigals will give this sweet little angel a home." When the little girl began reaching for Bruno and whimpering, Alma added, "And I think that you, Bruno, have just become her new Papa."
"Mama, I can't even see," Bruno objected. "H-How am I supposed to take care of a child when I'm just starting to figure out how to take care of myself?" Feeling tears in his eyes, he quickly wiped them away as he murmured, "She should have someone who's not... Someone who can watch her grow up."
Julieta shook her head as she caressed the little girl's curly hair, picking her up before giving her back to Bruno where she snuggled into his shoulder, falling asleep. "She wants you, Bruno. I don't think she cares that you're blind. And even if you can't see, you can still love. That's what she needs."
In Bruno's tower room, Pepa, Agustin, and Felix gave the space a final walkthrough, making sure that everything looked ready for Bruno's return.
The layout of the room had changed drastically courtesy of the magic of the house itself, making the space look much like a normal suite with a sitting room, kitchenette, bedroom, and bathroom.
Seeing the rats gathered on the sitting room armchairs, Pepa gave them a look as she reminded them, "Remember-make sure Bruno can hear where you are. I don't want anyone getting stepped on."
Hearing the door to the tower open, Pepa looked up expectantly, frowning slightly when she saw that her mother was alone. "Where are Bruno and Julieta?"
"They're both fine," Alma assured her daughter. "They're still at the hospital. There was an unforeseen complication and Bruno will be staying there for another few days." Seeing a cloud forming above Pepa's head, she quickly explained the situation with the newest member of the family.
"How could anyone abandon their child?" Agustin wanted to know, shaking his head in disapproval.
"I doubt we'll ever know the full story," Alma replied, shrugging. "Julieta has admitted the child for a few days to conduct a full medical examination. In the meantime, I will be arranging the official adoption documents."
Looking from his wife to Agustin before turning to Alma, Felix asked, "Who are this little girl's parents going to be? Pepi and I would be thrilled to take care of her. Same for Agustin."
Smiling as she thought of the little girl's attachment to her son, Alma elaborated, "Bruno is going to be her father."
"Bruno?" Pepa repeated, blinking as she tried to imagine her brother taking care of a child. Thinking of his current condition, she brought it up, looking rather dubious about the choice.
"This was not my decision," Alma assured her daughter. "This little girl chose Bruno. She feels safe with him. I think it's best if we keep them together." Turning to look about the room, she said, "Casita? Our Bruno is going to need a space for his new daughter. Could you set up something appropriate? She's about two years old."
There was a clattering of floorboards as the house gave an affirmative reply and the magic rippled through the room, making a small nursery area with a sleigh-style toddler bed, a play area with picture books and toys, and two rocking chairs - one for Bruno and the other for a child.
There was a second rattling and Pepa gave her mother a raised eyebrow as she wanted to know, "What is the child's name?"
Alma shook her head, sadly. "I don't know. I told Bruno to think about what he wants to name her. Hopefully tomorrow morning he'll have come up with something."
"Moon!"
Hearing the little girl shout excitedly, Bruno made his way over to the crib where she was supposed to be sleeping. After some investigation, he realized that the shades were open, allowing his new daughter a clear look at the sky.
"Now how do you know that word, huh?" Bruno asked, picking her up and turning so he was facing the window. "Did your mother let you look at the sky before she went away?"
"Moon!" the girl repeated. "Book!"
Ahhh...
So the girl's mother had tried to do something right and had read to her daughter on a regular basis, allowing the child to pick up a few words. "I don't suppose your vocabulary includes a name, eh?" Bruno wondered aloud, hopefully.
"Moona!"
Laughing as he put her back in the crib, Bruno shook his head, playing with her curly hair for a moment before replying, "Moona doesn't work well, carina. How about... 'Luna'?"
"Moona!"
Laughing again, Bruno let out a sigh as he got his new daughter settled back down. "We'll work on that 'L' thing later. Sleep, little moonbeam." Sitting in the armchair stationed next to the crib, he began softly singing until he heard Luna's breathing even out.
Catching a faint scent of cornmeal, he stood and grabbed his cane, unfolding it and making his way towards the door, closing it behind him as he went out into the hallway.
"How is she?" Julieta wanted to know as Bruno leaned against the doorframe.
"Sleeping," Bruno murmured. "And her name is Luna."
"Well, her light blonde hair is sort of the same color," Julieta mused, thoughtfully. "I'll tell Mama her new nieta has a name now. But if you don't mind leaving her alone for a while, we need to talk about her exams."
Hesitating for a moment, Bruno nodded before he asked, "Can we stop by the nurses' station and let them know? If Luna wakes up, I don't want her to be alone."
"Of course," Julieta promised, letting Bruno take her arm before leading him to her office, two floors up. Once she'd guided Bruno to a chair and closed the door, she took a deep breath as she leaned against her desk, looking at the file she'd started. "Luna has a nutrient deficiency and she's underweight for her age... So, we can assume her biological mother wasn't feeding her properly. I'm waiting on confirmation that she hasn't had her immunizations either. It's like this girl has never seen a doctor since she was born. I don't understand. It's not like it would have cost the mother a fortune to take care of this."
"Maybe the mother came from a place where healthcare is expensive," Bruno suggested. "The note said that she didn't have any family. Maybe they hurt her and she was afraid they'd hurt her child."
"I suppose," Juli sighed. "There're no signs of trauma or infections," she went on after a moment or two. "I'm also waiting on the results of some genetic tests. We don't know anything about Luna, her parents, or the parents' family histories, so I want to see if there's something we might need to prepare for later on down the line." Studying her brother, she set Luna's file aside and reached for Bruno's. "Speaking of preparing for things... we need to talk about you, Bruno."
Lightly tapping his cane on the floor, Bruno shrugged as he wanted to know, "What is there to talk about? My left eye is gone and I'm totally blind in the other one."
"Well, for starters, we haven't talked about a prosthetic eye so you don't just have the empty socket," Julieta pointed out. "Also, there are contacts that could cover up the scarring on your right eye."
As he thought over it with a frown, he couldn't shake the feeling that his sister's advice was more focused on helping him appear more 'normal' rather than genuinely assisting him in feeling better about his circumstances. "You mean, you want to make it easier for the family to see me so that I don't remind them of my attempt—partially successful—to claw my eyes out." Bruno retorted, annoyed.
Leaning forward and tapping the dark glasses Bruno wore so that his eyes weren't visible, Julieta corrected, "Or... Maybe you'd want to keep your new daughter from getting scared when she looks at you without the glasses."
Pulling the glasses off, Bruno looked up, letting his sister get a clear view of his face. "If I'm going to be taking care of Luna, she'll need to understand what happened to me. She'll have questions when she gets older, Juli."
Julieta nodded to herself and shrugged. "You're right, Bruno. And you haven't been home to hear about it, but Mama has been... This has been eating her up inside. Seeing you after you'd tried ripping your own eyes out? And finding out that it was because of your Gift? Yes, part of wanting you to get an acrylic eye and special contact lenses is because looking at you hurts us. Because Pepa and I didn't help you more. We didn't stand up for you with the people in town. We didn't do more to include you when we were dating Agustin and Felix. You were dealing with everything alone."
"I wanted Mama's approval," Bruno whispered, feeling like he was suddenly a teenager again. "I wanted her to be proud of me. B-But my visions were turning bad and... That night, the headaches wouldn't stop, and I didn't want to have a vision, but my Gift wouldn't leave me alone..." Feeling tears falling down his face, he sniffled as he felt around for the handkerchief Pepa had given him, dabbing gingerly at his eye socket before wiping his right eye.
Moving so that she was sitting in the chair next to her brother, Julieta hugged him, tears sliding down her own cheeks as Bruno hugged her back.