#bruno madrigal one shot
Note
nelly. nelly please.... im begging you...... for fathers day headcanons at casita in the lmfe universe 🥺🙏
YAAAAAAASSSSSS I’ve been dying to write this scenario! This will mostly be Bruno-centric, but please enjoy!
The events of this one-shot will be canon to the LMFE Universe.
Ruana: a Father’s Day Special
Bruno was sulking.
He sat by the counter while you and Julieta hustled about in the kitchen; taking plates from your hands as she scrubbed them clean of leftover cake, handing them to the awaiting boards of Casita to dry, and finally putting them up on the cupboard in a neat pile. You raised an eyebrow at Bruno’s disposition
“Oye, tonto. What’s the matter? You were so jolly during Agustín’s party earlier,” You carried a large pot near your husband’s feet and dusted your hands off. Your nose scrunched as he let out a long sigh. “...you can help us out, you know.”
“I know, I know. Sorry, amor,” he leaned forward and rested his head on his folded arms, burying his nose on the cloth of his sleeves as he picked at the loose ends of the fabric. “You don’t have to worry, I promise.”
You dried your hands on your skirt and ran a hand through Bruno’s locks. “Is this about the triplets?”
“N-no! Not at all, really!” He sat up abruptly and waved his hands in front of him. He knocked on the wood three times and mumbled to himself whilst his fingers weaved together; a sign that he was nervous.
“You and I both know that you can’t lie to me,” you hoisted him up his feet, straightened the collar of his ruana, and hoisted the pot over and put it in his hands. He let out a silent oomph as the weight buckled him down, but he managed to regain his composure and scrunched his nose at you. You smiled cheekly and pinched his cheek. “I’ve known you since we were babies. Plus, I’m your wife. I know when something’s bothering you.”
From behind you, Julieta rolled her eyes playfully and made a face. “Ay, not in my kitchen please. Go do your cheesy business elsewhere.”
“We didn’t complain when you and Agustín were all touchy-grabby in the middle of the celebration, didn’t we?” You stuck your tongue towards Julieta and pushed Bruno beside his sister. He stumbled on his own footing—he always did walk on two left feet—and balanced himself before he could hit the counter. Luckily, Casita was there just in time to catch him before he fell. You scratched your cheek and muttered out a quick apology.
“Oh hush. You can’t complain when it’s his birthday.”
“But still. You’re gross.”
“I have seen you and Bruno behind the garden and being frisky with each other. Do not tempt me to tell Felix.”
“You saw that—! You know what, of course you did.”
“What else did you expect?" Julieta laughed and took the pot from Bruno’s hands with ease. “Now that’s done, go and meet with Felix and Agustín in the courtyard. You’ll be cleaning the mess this morning.”
“Even Agustín?” Bruno asked with a cringe. Julieta shrugged and waved him off.
“Yes, including Agustín. Just because he’s the birthday boy doesn’t mean he’s exempted from his chores. And have some bonding time with your hermanos while you’re at it.” Just as Julieta dismissed Bruno to do his chores for the day, Casita moved its floorboards and handed Bruno a broom. Your husband sighed and picked up the broom with a disheartened look on his face.
Before he can go to the courtyard, you reach out to grab his shoulder and give him a big kiss on the cheek. He was stunned at first, but eventually his frown turned into a dorky smile. You giggled. “The triplets remember, amor. Just give them time. They would never miss Father’s Day for the world.”
“...was I really that obvious?” He played with the broom in his hand. You cooed at your husband and caressed his cheek.
“I could read you like an open book. Now quit sulking and get to work.”
“Yes ma’am.” He grinned slyly and stole a kiss from your lips. You had to resist the urge to punch him on the arm as your cheeks warmed up.
When you were sure that Bruno was out of earshot and had preoccupied himself with talking with your brother-in-laws, you turned to Julieta and gave her a thumbs up. She returned the gesture and washed off the suds from her hands and opened the cupboards to take out special plates just for today. You cupped your hands over your mouth and let out a tiny whisper.
“Dolores, it’s almost time. The boys are in position.”
⧗
“Let me guess, you too, huh?” Agustín laughed as soon as Bruno stepped into the courtyard. He chuckled and waved at them, slightly raising his brow at the amount of bee stings on Agustín’s face.
“Are you—are you okay?” He asked. Agustín blinked and chuckled before fishing out an arepa from his pocket and plopping it in his mouth. The stings immediately subsided as he shrugged.
“The bees were just greeting me with a happy birthday, no big deal.”
“It is a big deal bro,” Felix chimed in, a bucket full of water and a mop at his sides. “They’ve been chasing you since your party. You were lucky Javi and Nacito used their gifts to drive them away.”
“They have some pretty great teamwork, those two,” Agustín picked up a charred flower from the ground and grimaced. “Ignacio does need some bit of control over his fire breath, though.”
“I agree,” Bruno started to sweep up more charred flowers from the floor. “But I’m still so proud of them nonetheless. He managed to control his breath even if he’s still six years old! I mean, how cool is that, right? And mi Javier is such a smart boy—talented with his gift too! Who knew he could come up with a plan to get those bees away from you so quickly. And mi Angelita—oh! Isn’t she just the sweetest little angel that you could ever meet—”
“Hermano, you’re doing that thing again.” Felix laughed boisterously while wringing the mop dry. Bruno blinked and felt his face warm, his hand instinctively grabbing the sides of his hood in embarrassment. Despite this, he still had a proud smile on his face.
“Heh. Sorry. I just get so carried away.”
“No need to apologize,” Agustín draped an arm around Bruno’s shoulders and gave him a reassuring pat. “I do the same with my daughters too. It’s hard not to become a proud dad when your children are so talented.”
“And gifted, too,” Felix laughed. “Literally.”
“Speaking of proud dad,” Agustín immediately deflated as he said that. He removed his arms from Bruno’s shoulders as he trudged his way towards a chair that Casita graciously slid towards him. “No one greeted me a Happy Father’s Day today, not even Julieta! I know it’s technically my birthday and we already had our celebrations, but it’s odd that even Mirabel forgot to greet me.”
Bruno perked up and nodded in agreement. “Y-yeah! Even the triplets didn’t greet me! They’re usually very very active when there’s an occasion and I found it incredibly odd.”
Felix shrugged and continued to mop the flower stains from the floor. “Not me. Camilo gave me a card this morning. Although Dolores did look a bit upset at the now that I recall…”
The men looked at each other weirdly; as if a silent solidarity was passed between the three. Their work momentarily stopped as they thinked at the timely coincidences.
“...has anyone seen any of the kids after the party?” Felix and Bruno shook their heads.
Suddenly, three chairs were dragged across the tiles and forced the men to sit as they were dragged seated against their will. They all screamed and held on to the sides of their respective seats as Casita practically kidnapped them from where they stood. They all ascended up the second floor and abruptly stopped in front of Ignacio’s room.
“Wh-what’s going on? What’s happening?!” Bruno yelped and held on for dear life. “Casita?!”
The three of them found their eyes covered with a soft cloth from out of nowhere. But Bruno could tell that it was controlled by Javier’s masterful handling of his gift from the green glow that coated the items and the golden specks that were left in their wake. Bruno didn’t have the time to pry the blindfolds away from his face when Casita had started to drag their chairs again, but this time, they had a vague idea of their destination.
Cool air met their skin as they were taken against their wills. They heard the chirps of crickets in the distance, as well as the soft lull of water and grass. They smelled the calming scent of campfires and the delicious aroma of freshly cooked food that can only be made by none other than Julieta. Agustín would know—he had spent most of his time in the kitchen with his wife to help out with the cooking.
When Casita had stopped them, and the blindfolds now untied and floated away from their eyes, the three men gasped at the sight that laid before them.
The first thing they saw was a giant banner splattered messily with paint of varying colors with the words Feliz Día del Padre! written on the top. The eternal night that made up Ignacio’s room was lit up with more torches than they could count. In front of them laid a table that was skirted with intricate foldings that could only be the handiwork of Alma. She always had a way of table skirting, and this one was more intricate than the one that they had seen in Agustín’s table during his birthday celebration early this morning. There were custom plates for each of them, all drawn with unique designs with their names inscribed on the sides. And finally, standing before them were their families. They all had a grin on their faces as the men gawked at them in a mixture of shock, wonder, and adoration.
“Feliz Día del Padre!”
Garlands of flowers of each man's color were draped on their necks as soon as the celebrations started. They danced and partied the second time that day, now with more enthusiasm to their steps as they swayed to the beat of Agustín’s masterful playing of the piano. Isabela grew flowers left and right, all in the colors of her papa’s clothes to celebrate this wonderful day. Even Alma had joined in the dancing and helped little Mirabel with her steps. Slowly but surely.
In the middle of it all, the triplets ran to their father’s side and hugged his legs tightly, Chica the lamb trotting close by with an occasional bleat. Floating above them was a big green box tied with a pretty white bow. There were doodles on the side of wings, fire, and sparkles—a tell-tale sign of his darling children’s handiwork—and a card on the top with messy writings of his name. But Bruno knew from the heart that it was Angelina’s handwriting.
“Papa! Happy Father's Day!” They all squealed. Bruno was nearly sent to tears when he ducked down to scoop everyone in a tight embrace. You watched from the side with a heartfelt smile as Bruno gave all his children a kiss to the forehead, laughing out loud when Ignacio refused to accept any of Bruno’s infamous beard smooches.
“Did you rascals prepare all this?” He asked. They all nodded with glee.
“Yep! It was nuestro prima Dolores who thought of everything!” Javier answered with an adorable smile. You cooed at how similar he looked like his father when they were together.
“And I helped with the banner!” Angelina smugly grinned. Ignacio stuck his tongue out to Angi.
“You spilled paint all over the banner.”
“It was better that way! I wanted it to be more colorful!”
“Baa!”
“See? Even Chica agrees with me.”
“Angi, Nacio, no fighting.”
“Sorry Javi.”
You giggled and ruffled your menace children’s little heads and nodded your head to your husband who was clearly eyeing the present floating above them. “Didn’t you all have something to give to your papa?”
With a cheer, they all fished the present above them and hurriedly presented it to Bruno with wide grins. You had to hold a laugh when Angelina tried to cover up the missing tooth from her mouth. Bruno accepted the gift with teary eyes and gave all the kids a kiss to the forehead. This time, Ignacio accepted it begrudgingly.
When Bruno opened his gift, the man felt roguish tears escape his eyes.
There, folded neatly inside, was a ruana. Although similar in design with his current one, there were messy embroideries sewn to the sides depicting bright stitches of orange and red fire, a blue wing with a cloud at the side, and an hourglass and a yellow sparkle. They were all clearly the work of his darling children, and he couldn’t be more proud.
“Did you—did you make this?” Bruno asked while wiping his tears. The triplets grinned and nodded, all pointing out the various designs that they had sewn meticulously to the sides. They were loose, some ready to untangle by the seams, but Bruno could only see the most beautiful artwork he had ever seen.
“Mhm! And mami helped us too!”
“She did?” Bruno looked up at you with what you could only describe as utter adoration. Smitten, to be precise. You giggled and shrugged.
“They wanted to make you something instead of buying anything, so they helped me make a ruana for you,” you went forward and knelt with Bruno to be on eye level with your children. You held Bruno’s hand and gave him a warm smile. “Now look at the inside.”
When Bruno flipped the ruana, he found the neat embroidery of his wife near the seams of the fabric forming a single sentence; No scorching sun nor freezing cold will stop us on our journey. To promise and to laugh, to love for eternity.
Overrun with emotions, Bruno leaned in to bring you in a deep kiss. He didn’t care about how his brother-in-laws snickered and followed suit with their wives nor the fake gagging noises his children were making beside him. All he could care about was satiating the itch that came with showering you with his love.
When you parted, Bruno immediately scooped the children up in a tight embrace and kissed their cheeks with more fervor than before. They all whined and tried to escape, but it was no use; they were trapped in the arms of their father’s love.
Bruno spent the whole day wearing his new ruana proudly.
⧗
Bruno blinked his bleary eyes open. The dust that flew as he slowly rose to stand tickled his nose unpleasantly. He trudged his way forth to his lonely, beaten up table and sat in front of his drawn plate while grabbing the utensils laid beside it. He quietly listened as the familia sang songs in the courtyard, away from the dining hall from where he sat. He could vaguely hear the sound of his darling son playing the tiple and Angelina’s boisterous giggles as she sang, probably dancing in the air like she always does when there were songs. He sighed and fished an arepa out of his pocket, put it on the center of the drawn plate, and hummed along the jolly tunes from the courtyard.
“Ah, I almost forgot,” he stood up and stretched, removing his ruana and draping it up his lonely chair. He carefully brought out a big green box with children’s doodles at the side, now albeit faded from age, and gently brought out the ruana the triplets gave him years before. His movements were delicate, almost meticulous, as he dusted the fabric. He had to shoo away the rats that seemed to take an interest in the box and put it back on the highest shelf where they couldn’t get to it. He was careful not to break any of the stitches that the children had sown in just for him.
He sat in front of his table again, but this time, he had a grin on his face. He swayed his head to the tune of Ignacio’s tiple and ate his arepas with a hum.
The triplets belong to the amazing @cheesy-cryptid! If you haven’t checked her out yet, go see her works NYEEEEEEEEOW!!
If you wanna see more Love Me for Eternity content, check out my Ao3!
#bruno madrigal#bruno madrigal x reader#father's day#happy father's day#bruno encanto#Encanto#encanto fanfiction#love me for eternity#lmfe#JAVICATTOOOO#JAVICADO🥑#🔥✨IGNACHO✨🔥#🧀✨ANCHEESELINA✨🧀#🥑✨JAVICADO✨🥑#bruno madrigal one shot
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The question, Do you believe in miracles? was redundant in the Encanto. Of course every resident of their hidden valley believed in miracles and believed in magic: a miracle saved them so long ago and magical blessings were the norm with los Madrigals at the helm.
Julieta lived under the protection of a miracle born from her father’s sacrifice and her mother’s need. Sappy as it may have sounded, she believed each of her daughters was a blessing, magic or no magic. It was a miracle of its own to have such a wonderful family.
But magic and miracles came with prices: stress, responsibility, fear…Her brother vanishing for ten long years.
A curse for Julieta, such a personal one, as if the fates contrived to come up with a special torture for her. What better way to break her heart than to tear apart her family?
*
The Madrigal triplets reunite, and Julieta has a lot to reflect on.
#i'm back on my madrigal triplets bullshit#i believe in madrigal triplets supremacy#encantobigbang#the madrigal triplets#madrigal triplets#madrigal triplets my beloved#pb&j triplets#pb&j encanto#julieta madrigal#pepa madrigal#bruno madrigal#my writing#new story#one shot#update#encanto#encanto fanfic#encanto fanfiction#fandom event#encanto fandom event#encanto big bang
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Hey guys! I have something besides art for you to indulge on, a lil’ writing ficlet so I hope it’s still up to par
I thought about what a scenario for Mirabel’s arrival might be like and how Bruno dealt with the complications, situation of her birth, and the death of his wife etc. This one might be unlikely and least likely to happen since him and his wife would be living in Casita, but I just thought that maybe during her pregnancy she’d want to stay at her childhood place of origin near the Encanto and Bruno decided to stay with her.
Mentions of childbirth and blood TW:
Enjoy the angst!
Bruno couldn’t take the clenching of his soul as he had kneeled over his lover’s bed, pleading for her to wake up to see their new baby, but she never moved a muscle after the bebé had come into the world, bleeding too much and too fast for Bruno to run and get help from his sister.
The loud thunder and cracking in the sky shattered Colombia as rain pelted the ground in heavy sheets. Bruno was far from the Encanto—at least farther away in his mind than it actually was. He took his wailing child in his arms and huddled her close to his ruana in hopes of shielding her from the beating rain that stung his eyes like a thousand bees. The hood of his ruana did no good as the wool had already been soaked.
He stumbled over his sandaled feet as his eyes tried adjusting to the darkness of the night, the lightning and small lantern his only source of light as he ran through the jungle of trees in his path. He panted heavy, trembling at the deafening cries of his daughter—the howling wind, the claps of thunder, the water rushing and beating on the earth were too loud for her new ears to take in.
He briefly stopped to rest his aching limbs, exhausted from the long hours he spent by his wife’s side during labor and now the loss of his only love—the only one he ever knew.
He leaned against a well shaded tree, looking down and waiting for the flashes of lightning to reveal her shrouded face in the damp blankets despite the covered lantern resting at his feet.
She was beautiful and shining with features that strongly resembled her mother, making Bruno clench at the thought. He shifted the baby in his arms once again and bolted back onto the path.
His daughter didn’t stop wailing. She hadn’t eaten and was weak. An empty stomach with new sounds and terrifying conditions would never calm her, even pressed tightly against her Papá who felt a world of guilt surrounding him.
The rain didn’t cease as he kept on, his entire body practically soaked, his hood no longer useful as it laid heavily over his head, gladly allowing the wind to blow it off his soaking hair when a gust hit him at full blast. He kept begging and pleading for the Encanto to keep visible through the dense jungle, his mind restless and wired. He stopped again when he was losing his grip on the soaked blankets cradling his baby.
“Shhh shhh, lo siento, hija. Papì está aquí. We’re almost there.”
He fixed his hold on her, standing there breathing heavily and taking in the sight of her trying to stay as close as possible to him. He felt tears well up in his eyes when he thought of his beloved lying in the bed, unresponsive to him trying to show their baby to her again. In that moment he was shattered to pieces and thinking of it made him tremble.
He pressed on once again, having put her entire body under his ruana completely so she at least had a bit more coverage despite everything being soaked.
Bruno exited the jungle in relief and went around the village even though he knew no one would be out to see him in these conditions. He stumbled several times in the dark before slowing down as he approached the large doors to the casita.
“Casita, please let us in… I-it’s Bruno! It’s an emergency! Don’t wake anyone up…”
The house tried its best to show concern as it quietly opened the doors for him. He maneuvered around the wet areas where the rain fell inside, staying under the awnings and quickly making his way up to Julieta’s room. The baby had ceased her crying, but she was still whimpering weakly.
He approached her door, dripping wet, his sandals covered in mud with his feet uncomfortably squelching it between his toes as he walked.
He knocked with trembling hands, a million possible things to say spiraling in his brain as he panicked inside. He hadn’t seen her in over a year after his wife got pregnant.
He stopped knocking, hoping the wind, the rain and the thunder didn’t keep her from hearing his knocks. Thankfully the door opened slowly and Julieta poked her head between the crack of it, eyes looking exhausted as it was the middle of the night. They suddenly widened when she locked eyes with her brother, taking in his disheveled appearance and trembling body. She blinked several times as if trying to make sure that she wasn’t dreaming and her gaze fell to the lump under his ruana.
“Bruno?” Thunder cracked overhead.
“Julie… I-I need your help… please.”
She ushered him inside quietly as not to disturb Agustín who was still asleep. Thankfully he was a heavy sleeper, but Julieta expressed great concern towards Bruno when he revealed what was under the ruana. He started to breathe heavily through tears he tried to hold back, voice breaking.
“She needs help, Julie… I’m—I–I don’t know what to do…”
She approached him, eyebrows knit in worry as her jaw slacked, mouth hanging open. She gently motioned to take the baby from his arms and he slumped against a nearby chair with a heavy sigh, kicking off his sandals. Casita had them cleaned up in no time.
“Hold on a second… where…where did you find her?” Julieta swallowed thickly as the baby squirmed against her. She quickly moved to replace the soaked blanket she was swaddled in and dried her.
Bruno swallowed hard, fumbling with his hands in front of his chest, trying to make himself look smaller as he watched.
“S–she’s mine, Hermana…”
Julieta shot him a shocked glance and shook her head slow after her face fell.
“Oh, Bruno… Julia? The Mamá…?” She was almost scared to ask.
Bruno buried his face in his hands and tried to compose himself as he kept trembling. It took him awhile to answer as he fumbled with the words, but he managed to start.
“Oh, Dios, she didn’t make it… s-she was bleeding so much. The birth… it was difficult. She had so much trouble and I was there for all of it. I–I should’ve—I should’ve come to get you, but she begged and begged me not to leave her. She told me she was fine. The midwife’s hands… dios…. Covered in blood. When she was born, my beautiful Julia—was already gone.”
Julieta was frozen as she listened to his breaking voice. He was so exhausted from head to toe. She felt deep sorrow for him and came over to lay a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“She didn’t get…to s–see our baby, h–Hermana…”
“It’s okay, Bruno, it wasn’t your fault. I… had no idea she was even pregnant. Is that where you’ve been? In that village with her?”
Bruno took a deep breath and let it out with a big sigh.
“Y–yes, I—she didn’t want anyone to know, not even the familia. I didn’t understand… I–I guess in a way she didn’t want to be burdened.”
Bruno caught glance of a stain of blood on his ruana and let a tear fall.
“She was in labor for a whole day…I’m n–not sure exactly, I lost track of time after the midwife announced the baby was turned the wrong way. She was coming feet first…”
He choked on his words as he told the story.
“She pushed and pushed… for hours it seemed and the midwife—no, she couldn’t turn her the right way… Julia… was in so much pain, she just… wanted it all to end. She was sick, and she went into labor early… Th–the baby hasn’t been fed. She’s so new, so small…”
The realization of his wife’s death hit him, but Julieta wanted to help him stop thinking about it. She nudged him and placed the baby back in his arms. She fussed, but was too tired and hungry to cry and scream anymore.
“Try to relax… I’ll have to go down to the kitchen and make some formula. You can come down with me or stay here.”
Bruno’s eyes were locked on his child, pressing her close to him.
“I-I’ll stay. Don’t want to wake everyone.”
Julieta nodded and quietly left on quick feet.
Bruno let his tears fall, finally able to see his daughter in the full candlelight, and soon enough in the sun.
“You look just like your Mamá… my sweet mariposa.”
She was still too weak to fuss and Bruno knew she needed help fast. The birth had been hard on her too, coming feet first like that. His other hand not supporting her took her little fist and she uncurled her fingers to wrap around his larger finger.
“You need a name, hija.” He cooed quietly.
He though on several for awhile, but then one seemed to click and he said it out loud while looking down at her.
“What about… Mirabel? My little miracle.”
There was no apparent response, but Bruno already knew it was perfect. She squirmed again, unsettled most likely from the hunger.
“Shh, shh shh, just a little longer, hija.”
It didn’t take Julieta very long and when she quietly came through the door, Bruno shakily took the bottle from his sister.
Julieta gently helped him hold her properly and guided the bottle to her lips with his hand in hers.
“…Like that. She should settle once she’s got a hold of the bottle. You should also unbutton your shirt so you can get some skin to skin contact. It’ll help her bond with you.”
Mirabel made little whimpering sounds as she started suckling the bottle. Bruno did as his sister suggested, causing his emotions to flare up. She immediately snuggled comfortably against his skin, suckling softly on the bottle.
“There you go… she’s hungry alright.”
Julieta stayed and watched the scene until little Mirabel had finished her bottle, tiny eyes blinking slowly as if the light bothered her.
Bruno couldn’t keep his eyes from watering. He shakily handed the empty bottle to his sister.
“I—I can’t believe she’s mine, Julie…”
She smiled sadly.
“Have you picked a name?”
“Mirabel. Her name is Mirabel,” He sniffled.
Julieta could see the exhaustion in his frame. She kneeled beside him and placed her hand on his back. He shook as he took in a deep breath.
“Oh, Bruno it’s a wonderful name. I know you’ll be a good Papá.”
He nodded and quickly wiped his eyes.
“You need some rest and so does she. I have Luisa’s old crib over here, I’ll just lay her in there okay? She’ll be fine.”
Bruno allowed her to take little Mirabel in her arms again, his eyes heavy but trying to stay open to watch her lay her in the crib.
Julieta was struck with the contagious emotions her brother had cast on her. She sniffled quietly as she tenderly laid her in the crib, laying the old blanket of her own children over her for extra warmth. She wiped tears away before they could fall on Mirabel.
“I’m so sorry, little one…” she whispered before turning back to Bruno, letting go of the little hand that had snagged her finger.
He was already half asleep, but Julieta held his cheek and kissed his hair, whispering praises and condolences before blowing out the candles.
She moseyed on back into bed beside Agustín, wide awake as her mind ran on and on, wired up. She couldn’t believe Julia was gone. How would the rest of the family react? And to Bruno suddenly becoming a Papá?
As she continued to lay there with her face to the ceiling, it seemed she wouldn’t be getting any more sleep that night.
#encanto#bruno madrigal#Julia Madrigal#julieta madrigal#mirabel madrigal#encanto brainrot#papa bruno au#dad bruno au#la familia madrigal#encanto fic#short one shot#these poor babies…#addaxwrites#love and loss
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Side Story: Blessing of The Almighty And What Comes After
TW/// Blood and Graphic Description of Violence.
Alma couldn’t believe what had happen...
Her husband, her precious Pedro, the love of her life. Gone... Just like that. She helplessly watches as he is struck down by the damnable machete. The world seemingly moved at a snail's pace as she watched his body falling into the river. His blood runs and mixes through the water current. Turning the transparent water crimson red.
And then his beloved partner, Butterfree. Against her and his wishes. Fly and try in vain to save him. Only to be struck down as well. As she wasn’t a battle trained Pokémon. She can only watch as she was burnt to a crisp and ripped apart by the Houndoom’s the despicable men brought with them. Tearing into her like a lamb to a slaughter.
Raw crack screams tore through the night. Until she realizes that it was her own as her throat burns. Anguish and despair fuel her scream filled sorrow. Hand reaching out as if she can save him. The hopes and dreams of the future she envisioned with him flashes before her eyes, slipping away and cruelly taken before her very eyes.
And when all hope felt lost, a miracle happened.
Through the blurry vision from her tear filled eyes, her and Pedro’s wedding candle began to shine. Golden light shines bright from within the candle before bursting out. A sense of warmth and calm washed over her. Taking away her pain and sorrow. And through the numbness and ease, a voice speaks to her.
“Be not afraid Alma Madrigal, spouse of Pedro Madrigal, for I come to save thee and thy children.” A voice below, tone commanding and imposing, and yet there was gentleness and fondness in it as well.
She looks up and her eyes widen. As the visage of God, Arceus stands before her. Bath in a golden halo of light. Standing tall and dwarfing her. The world seemed to pause for his magnificence. The millions of Unown circling above them, circling around them in a ring formation. Spinning in a circle with a different variety of speeds.
She was never once a believer. She had all but given up on believing in his name. For the suffering she and her family had gone through for years, their prayers unheeded and unanswered, even when they begged and pleaded on their knees. Never to be answered. Leaving her bitter and angry. And hurt.
So she asked. Voice small and cracked. Tears trailed down her cheek. “Why... Why now?” Why help now when my Pedro is gone?
And the God, Arceus. Answered. “Thou had suffered through many trials and turbulence, one’s that not many are able to handle. While thou has lost faith in my name. I have not abandoned thee. Thou and thy family will bring change to this region. And in time, the world as whole. Thus, I granted thou and thy family fragments of my power. My gifts.”
She was rendered speechless by his declaration. Her family… Important?
“Live on Alma Madrigal. Raise thy family full of joy and kindness. Thou and them are important, to him and the world.”
And with those parting words. The world began to shift and rumbled. As if it was molded and reshaped like clay in the hand of a sculptor. The light in the candle intensifies before bursting out and pushes back the vile men away. Sending them flying off to who knows where. And as he worked, the world seemed to sing to him, a symphony of creation and destruction in harmony. Bending and weaving to his will.
And then the candle light - that shines brightly as a million fireflies - converges into one spot and seemingly seeps into the ground, illuminating it. And as quickly as it enters, the light roses, taking shape into a large house. It then disperse, and all that remains is the house.
And just as suddenly as he appears he disappears. Leaving her a house and candle blessed by his power.
But that’s not what she focuses on. Meeting the God of the world was the last thing on her mind. Even after people that were with her give her their gratitude - their relief - to her.
It wouldn’t bring back her husband.
So here she was... In an empty house too big for a single mother, her three infant children, and a single Pokémon. Entering a golden door that has her face carved on it. Letting her children rest in her bed as she sits by the open window.
Alma can only stare out in shock as her world falls apart. The cold and haunting feeling of despair grips onto her, clinging onto her like a parasite. Eating her on the inside. Not even Lampent warmth, her glassed cased pressing into her as she tries to comfort her. The soft jingle of her voice going from one ear and out the other. Her worry was unheeded. Ignored.
And just as she felt like she would plunge deeper into despair. A cry startled her out of the downward spiral.
Her children... Julieta, Pepa, Bruno. All three of them are crying.
She looks back and watches as her children cry loudly, wanting her attention. All three wiggled in their respective blankets. She numbly began to move back to her bed and cradle them all close to her chest. Trying to calm them down despite her heartbreak. Trying to shush them gently but all that came out of her mouth was a sob. Tears began to leak and slide down her cheek. But this time for a different reason.
It wasn’t fair... Her precious children… They were going to grow up without their father, not knowing just how much he loves them. How much he was looking forward to raising them with her. Watching them grow up together with her. To be the happy family they always dreamed of becoming.
It wasn’t fair… He said that her family is important then why didn’t he save her Pedro? Then why didn’t Arceus save him too? He was family too.
It wasn’t fair… She wants her husband back, she wants Pedro back.
She’s scared.
#encanto#encanto au#abuela alma madrigal#julieta madrigal#pepa madrigal#bruno madrigal#Lost Constellation Au#side story#set before the main story#one-shot
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Bruno Month Week Three: Crossover
Am I doing this right?
Tw for trauma and abuse but Moon Knight crossover whelp
#encanto#encanto bruno#bruno month#week three: crossover#moon knight crossover#What if Bruno Madrigal was Marc Spector: the fanfic#how do i even tag this#one shot posted as part of a series#wdtajn#I know it's Mirabel centric but#notice me pls
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Something New, Something True - 3
Synopsis: Newly married and newly pregnant? Ay, life is never simple for Isabela Madrigal...
Turning his head to bury a kiss in his hija’s hair, Agustín smiled when she mumbled something incoherent in her sleep and nestled deeper into his embrace. It was rare she let him hold her like this, rare she fell asleep on him, but she was going through so many changes and she was so worn out at the minute that it surprised him little and he certainly wasn’t going to complain. She and her hermanitas were all so grown up now, even Mira was only a matter of months away from turning twenty which he tried not to think too much about, and none of them were all that eager for his company nowadays and so when they wanted him it pleased him to no end.
He pulled the blanket his daughter brought with her a little tighter around her, not wanting to her to get cold, and when he looked her way again he sighed. It was still hard for him to get his head around the fact she was going to be a mamí before the year was out. In his mind, she was still his little girl and even though he was so impatient to be an abuelo and watch her blossom as a mother he also hated that time had gone so fast. He felt he took for granted her younger years, that he didn’t spend as much time with her as he probably should have done since he was so ocupado and Luisa came along not long after her, and it was something that he regretted.
He remembered everything about the night she was born as though the events only took place mere days ago. Juli was in slow labour for almost three days with her, unable to sleep or think about anything other than the pain she was in, and seeing her like that and being unable to do anything for her was absolute torture for him. It only got harder for him to remain calm as her labour went on and he heard her start crying out, but luckily he had Bruno and Félix there with him and they both managed to keep him from punching a hole in the wall. He doubted doing so would have scored him many points with his mother in law, so he was thankful to them.
It must have been the early hours of the morning when the doctor came to him and told him that it was over. He could remember running from the room the second he heard the baby was born and going upstairs, almost slamming into Alma somewhere along the way, and his whole life changed when he crept inside the bedroom. Julieta had to tell him to go and join her on the bed, he spent so long standing near the door because he was truly unsure as to what he was meant to do in that situation, and the moment he sat down he saw their lovely little girl’s face. He cried unashamedly then, both from relief and sheer happiness, and he still didn’t care at all.
He thought he knew what love was when he met and then later married his wife, but the love he had for their daughter was like something he had never experienced before in his life. It was so intense it left him unable to form a coherent sentence and he made Juli laugh with his stammering. It was when she let him hold her in his arms that he truly fell in love with her, her warm weight and tiny hands and gentle little squeaks, and he made a promise to her then and there that he would always love and keep her safe. Of course, she had no idea what on earth he was going on about back then and she still had no idea he made that promise, but he honoured it.
He honoured that promise to her the same way he honoured it to her hermanitas.
He adored the three of them, that was all there was to it, and he would spend his entire life doing so.
Her moving in his arms with a soft murmur of discontentment pulled him from his thoughts after a while and he looked her way again, smiling at seeing her looking up at him from where her head rested on his shoulder. “Ay, I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” She chuckled, her voice still rough with sleep as she brushed her hair out of her eyes and sat up a little. “Lo siento, Papí, I haven’t been getting much sleep at night and so I’m tired a lot.”
He shook his head. “Don’t be sorry, mi princesa, your mamá was the same when she was pregnant.”
“How can something so tiny be giving me so much trouble already?” She smoothed a hand across her belly.
“Being a papá has taught me it’s sometimes the smallest things that cause the most trouble.” He smirked.
“Perdóneme, I was a delight when I was little.” She feigned hurt.
He laughed at that. “For me, you were always un ángel but you and Lolita liked to scare your mamás to death sometimes. I remember once, the two of you decided to play hide and seek without telling them and they both spent hours looking for you. You were only about three or four at the time, so you were still inside the house, but you were both so small back then that you managed to squeeze into the tiniest space and they couldn’t see you. You gave up hiding in the end and I remember you being so contenta that you won, but your mamá and tía were so upset with you both that neither of you got any galletas that night. You never did it again though.”
“You could have snuck me a galleta,” She pouted. “You always used to do it and still do!”
“Ah, but that would have gotten me into trouble with your mamá too and I wasn’t going to do that.” He said.
She snorted. “Don’t tell me she scares you.”
“I love her, I really do, but you have never seen your mamá get so upset with someone that she starts speaking full español,” He shuddered. “I have only ever seen her do it twice, but that was genuinely more than enough.”
Shaking her head at him, she moved closer to him on the sofa and curled into his side as her head fell against his shoulder again. It made her smile when he placed a kiss on her forehead and she draped an arm across his stomach, curling a hand into his waistcoat. “I was brought up so well and I am so thankful to you and mamá for all you taught me and all you did,” She told him in a quiet voice, letting him put his arm back around her. “I know I was hard work while I was growing up and…and I know I gave you a hard time sometimes, but you were always so patient with me and I want to be like that with mi bebé. I want to be as good a parent as you.”
“Amor, you are going to be a brilliant mother,” He soothed. “And you are going to make us all so proud.”
“But how can you be so sure of that?” She tilted her head back on his shoulder and looked up at him again.
“Because you have never done anything but,” He smiled, stroking her cheek. “Never…”
#julieta madrigal#agustin madrigal#isabela madrigal#luisa madrigal#mirabel madrigal#pepa madrigal#felix madrigal#dolores madrigal#mariano guzman#camilo madrigal#antonio madrigal#bruno madrigal#abuela alma madrigal#alma madrigal#casita#la familia madrigal#the madrigal family#the madrigal triplets#madrigal family#encanto one shots#encanto fanfiction#encanto fanfic#Encanto thoughts#encanto one shot collection#one shot collection#encanto post movie#family fluff#domestic fluff#pregnancy#romance
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For this month’s Encantober!
Encantubre: What It Means to Me
Uno: Caterpillar
Sometimes it feels like Alma has been waiting to become a butterfly all her life. But she can’t move, not really. She sometimes feels like she hasn’t been able to move for fifty years, not since the night when Pedro…not since The Night.
But lying in the darkness of her old house within the new, she remembers what it was like to live, to thrive. She can replay those dreams as often as she needs to, in the hope of teaching her own little ones the way.
This is her chrysalis. But it’s big enough to be their world, and she watches her children spread their eager wings in safety.
It doesn’t matter if she never leaves—not all butterflies make it, after all.
(In the end, the Song of Songs giving itself to her one more time, she wonders how she could have ignored the sunlight for so long.)
* * *
“Pepa, under no circumstances am I making empanadas out of bugs.”
* * *
They’re kind of squishy. Some of them are poisonous and sting you if you try to touch them. It tickles—feels like a little lightning.
And that’s really about the extent of her thought on the matter.
She is the storm incarnate. She is the sunshine, she is the whispering wind. She has enough trouble reminding herself not to be; it only hurts people when she goes too far. But the little critters hide in the woodwork, in the shadows of leaves, on the ground among the grasses. They, of all things, are safe.
And she’ll make sure they stay safe, but it’s for more selfish reasons than you might think.
As a bringer of chaos, as an influencer of micro-meteorology within a very small part of the rainforest—as something beautiful that is crushed all too easily by those who don’t really see that her power doesn’t stop her from being just her—Pepa feels a particular kinship with butterflies.
* * *
Bruno gets…other kinds of visions, sometimes.
Not just the sand. There are times when it feels like he’s just staring into space, and then a part of him will just click into place and suddenly he’ll know something he honestly shouldn’t. Something from the future, although sometimes the future is mere seconds away. Like parts of his brain are reorganizing themselves without his consent. Those are the hardest visions to explain, but oddly enough they’re among the least damaging to him.
He doesn’t bother with it too much. But he takes heed of his mamá’s stories, the songs she half-whispers, half-weeps to them as lullabies. There is a metamorphosis ever-ongoing, and with him it’s just taking a little longer than it should. He really does need a safe spot to change, though; he’s not as quick about it as his sisters have been.
Ten years behind the walls, and Bruno finally gets to romper a crisálida of his own.
* * *
“Um, hermanito, I really wouldn’t touch that if I were you—”
* * *
“Come on, Félix, it’s just a tiny little wormy thing! You should see the size of the bugs back in Bogotá. Besides, is it at all likely to be more dangerous than a bee Félix I can’t feel my fingers.”
* * *
“Ew, no! They eat my plants! And they look like bird droppings! What are they doing here?”
Quite unconsciously, Isabela spends the next seventeen years trying to banish the look her abuela gives her from her mind. Some days, she almost feels like she’s succeeded.
* * *
“Lola? What’s the problem?”
Whimpering, Dolores whispers as loudly as she dares in her papá’s ear.
“Huh. Really?”
“They’ve got so many little feet and they don’t stop moving and they don’t stop eating—”
Papi cuddles her tight.
“Ah, lo sé, conchita. But it’s only so they can grow big and strong, and learn to fly away to where they’re needed.”
“Would it kill them to do it more quietly?” asks Dolores, and she’s not entirely sure why her father bursts out into silent giggles but the rumble is as comforting as Mami’s thunder. (Well, as comforting as it usually is. Which is a lot, surprisingly.)
* * *
“Is this absolutely necessary?” queries Padre Flores, who did just happen to be passing by.
“Yes,” says Dolores in equally absolute seriousness.
Luisa, genuine eagerness her face, holds the two up in her hands—and anyone who saw the seven-year-old pick up a bridge five minutes ago might have been surprised that she could carry two tiny bugs between finger and thumb and keep them whole—and tries hard not to look expectant. (Luisa Does Not Expect Things Of People.)
Padre Flores sighs.
“Oh, alright. Only for you, Luisa.”
She beams.
“Dearly beloved…”
* * *
“Isabela said I could use them however I wanted, so let’s make empanadas!”
“Camilo, mi nieto precioso, I am not making empanadas out of bugs.”
* * *
It’s odd, seeing the memories like this, wrapped in chrysalis mist. But it’s also oddly enlightening.
For Mirabel, her grandmother has always been a rock. She keeps—kept—the encanto together, she didn’t budge or change. It never occurred to her that it was because her abuela really couldn’t change, or felt she couldn’t. Until now. Now, with the crisálida impenetrable rota, standing by a river that washed away bodies but made memories sink into the ground.
And suddenly there’s a lightness in the air. Abuela loves her. Abuela is human. They’re all human, and they’re together, and they’re alive.
All this time, she’s been munching away on leaves in a secret garden, never quite realizing how much more there was to the world. And now, seeing the place she called her home from the outside in more ways than one…
There’s so much more to learn. So much to do.
And they can do it. All of them.
Together.
Doce oruguitas.
* * *
“Her name is Babilonia and you’re not allowed to eat her!”
#fanfic#encanto#encanto fanfic#encanto 2021#tiles on the roof#one shot collection#alma madrigal#julieta madrigal#pepa madrigal#bruno madrigal#felix madrigal#agustin madrigal#isabela madrigal#dolores madrigal#luisa madrigal#camilo madrigal#mirabel madrigal#antonio madrigal#encantober#encantubre
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Rebellious Teen Madrigals! Get your Rebellious Teen Madrigals, here!
This is a prequel to my first ever fic, Simplicity, which might still be my favourite.
For fifteen years, the three Madrigal kids have had a very particular image. Perfect, obedient, useful, upstanding. But that's not the entire truth, as their Mamá is about to discover.
Bruno was gonna ruin everything.
He was gripping his left arm with his right, and his shoulders were bunched up tight against his ears. Both sure signs he was nervous. Julieta elbowed him in the ribs. “Stoppit,” she hissed.
“Stop. It,” he hissed back, overdramatically popping the ‘p’ and the ‘t’. Mamá was always telling Julieta to enunciate more. And she did. For the most part.
In response, she thwacked her brother on the arm. Bruno kicked her in the back of the leg. Not hard – never hard – but they both knew how this went. And a slap fight just outside of Mamá’s room would be just as bad as…well, what they did last month. Which Mamá was still to find out about.
Pepa forced her way between the pair, gripping their wrists to stop them lunging for each other. “You two need to pipe down,” she whispered, “or I’m gonna start thundering. I hate when you make me the responsible one.”
The three Madrigal children stood together, listening in at Mamá’s door, waiting for their cue.
“Yes, Señora Pezmuerto; I’m sure while you’re here the children would love to show you their gifts in more detail. Anything you need from us, the Madrigals are happy to provide…yes, they turned fifteen this year, I can’t believe it either…”
“Did she bring her weird daughter?” Pepa asked. Bruno shuddered.
“Yep. Fish Girl.”
“Be nice,” Julieta said. “You’re one to talk anyway, Vision Boy.”
“Oven Girl.”
“Rodent Breath.”
“Senorita Perfecta –”
“Oh, come on Brunito,” Pepa said, draping herself over her brother’s shoulders. “You know Ozma liiiiikes you. ‘Oh, Bruno; come see my prize-winning fish…’”
“H-how does a fish win a prize anyway?” Bruno asked, shrugging his sister off him. “Y’know, I think there’s such a thing as being too obsessed with your pets.”
Julieta and Pepa shared a long look over Bruno’s head. Just last week they’d had to usher him back upstairs after he drowsily came to breakfast with at least one rat peeking out of his bedhair.
“Ah, yes,” Mamá was saying. “You’ve noticed my photo collection. I like to document the children’s milestones; yes, that’s Brunito handing out his very first vision tablet…”
“I-I was five, Mamá!” Bruno groaned softly, pulling his ruana hood over his eyes.
“And there’s Pepa conjuring a rainbow for Mother’s Day last year…it was a little faint, compared to her usual work, but still beautiful…”
A tiny, growling thundercloud appeared over Pepa’s head.
“And here’s my Juileta feeding the town on…o-on…”
The triplets shared a panicked, delighted look. Finally, it had happened. Right above the photograph of Julieta feeding the Encanto last Easter – smiling with her huge table of treats inside the church, Señor Flores’ hand on her shoulder – was one of the pictures from the time last month when they stole Mamá’s camera for the afternoon. Specifically, the photo of the three of them squashed together, making faces into the lens. Bruno was pulling down the skin under his eyes. Pepa was sticking her tongue out as far as it went. And Julieta was smushing her cheeks together, eyes crossed. They looked ridiculous. They looked stupid. They did not look like Madrigals.
“Children? Come in here, please?” Mamá, said, her voice cold, deliberate and utterly furious. “Now.”
Bruno, Julieta and Pepa Madrigal looked at one another, nodded once, and ran.
“Whose idea was it to put a photo in her bedroom?!” Julieta shrieked as they ran, legs windmilling underneath them, down the hill into town.
“YOURS!” Bruno and Pepa roared back. Bruno, always the quickest of the three, stuck his arm out behind him for Julieta to catch.
“We’re in so much trouble,” he panted. Julieta leapt forward and grabbed his hand.
“Not if she doesn’t catch us!”
“Yeah! You’re right! We’re running away, Encanto!” Bruno yelled, waving at the townsfolk who gawped at them as they raced past. “You’ll never see us again! Fare thee well!”
Pepa just grinned, snatching up her sister’s hand as the Madrigal triplets tore into the jungle, whooping and hollering like demons. Right then – and for the two hours they sat in a tree, dirty and shivering and hysterical – nothing else mattered. It didn’t matter how much Mamá would yell, how long they’d be grounded for, how many times they’d have to apologise to her, to Señora Pezmuerto, to her daugher, to the town as a whole. They had each other. And that was all they needed. All they’d ever need.
#encanto#encanto fanart#la familia madrigal#Bruno Madrigal#pepa madrigal#julieta madrigal#pensandpizza#I left my memory stick at work so I couldn't work on Nettle & Daisy#So have another one shot instead
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October 17
(Aka my birthday fanfic for Julieta, Pepa, and Bruno. If you’re thinking it’s out late, that’s because it is. But I ended up deleting a large chunk of it and having to rewrite most of it from scratch and memory, so I hope you will forgive me. I still couldn’t bring myself to abandon this story because the triplets deserve their birthday fic the same way the primas-hermanas do and so I had to give it to them. I hope you all enjoy nevertheless!)
Isabela peeked around the corner. “Is the coast clear, Dolores?”
Dolores chirped then gave a thumbs up to her prima-hermana. “The coast is clear as a whistle.” She squeaked.
Isabela grinned. “Great! Now’s my chance!” She ran to the kitchen, she knew it was now or never, if only she hadn’t procrastinated. But someone stopped her.
Before Dolores could tell Isabela to abort mission and turn the other way, before she could even call “code yellow”, she was too late. Because Pepa was there in the kitchen.
“Oh, hello, mi amor!” Pepa chirped with glee as she bent down into the cupboard, Isabela praying that she would never open the one with the surprise in it. “Just getting some desserts to take to Bruno’s room. We decided to have a triplet sleepover reunion, you know how it is.”
Isabela gave a stilted nod in response, not wanting to ignore her tia but not wanting to answer and occasionally give away the secret either.
Pepa tilted her head to the side. “Is everything all right, Isabela?”
Isabela nodded once more. Pepa continued to look at her confusedly.
“Yup. Totally. I’m fine,” she responded, making sure that Pepa knew she could speak, unlike her girlfriend Monika.
“Okay, that is great, mi sobrina.” Isabela almost had a heart attack as Pepa opened the cabinet right next to the pantry was in and took out two muffins. “I’ll disappear and get out of your way for the night. Love ya!”
“Love ya too, Tia Pepa.” Isabela waved as Pepa walked off. She looked up to the upper floor on the other side, where Dolores gave her a thumbs up.
She had to hurry quick and get to work, carefully opening the pantry, Isabela took out the birthday cake and placed it gently on the kitchen counter. Then she used her vines to open the refrigerator and take out the yellow, green, and blue icing.
Placing them next to the cakes, she picked up one at a time and used each of them to write “¡Feliz cumpleaños, Pepa, Bruno, y Julieta!” Pepa was written in yellow. Bruno was written in green. And Julieta was written in blue.
When she was done, Isabela wiped her brow. Phew. And she didn’t get caught.
But then she noticed that she had squeezed the blue icing a little too hard, and now there was an ugly blue smudge next to Julieta’s name. Isabela winced. What was she going to do?
“Isabela? ¿Mija?”
Uh oh. Isabela panicked, scrambling to hide the icing and cake behind her back as she stood awkwardly in a manner that blocked it.
“What’s the matter, mi vida?” Julieta was standing there, looking confusedly at Isabela with an eyebrow raised.
Isabela shrugged.
“Nothing? You don’t know?”
Isabela shrugged again.
Julieta smiled. “You sure that’s not a birthday cake behind you?”
Isabela was sweating bullets at this point as she rapidly shook her head.
“Oh,” Julieta said, somewhat let down. “Well, that’s a disappointment, because I was so excited to try it. I guess mi familia doesn’t care about me after all.” She lowered her head sadly.
Isabela felt very ashamed and disappointed to see her mother in such a state of sadness. But she knew she had to keep it a secret. The rest of her sisters and cousins were counting on her.
Isabela sighed. “Look Mami, I’m sorry. But you don’t want your birthday surprise to be spoiled, do you? Just trust me and let me plan a birthday for you and the triplets that you’ll never forget. Please?”
Julieta smiled. “I understand, mi vida. Mind if I give you a hug? I promise I’ll keep my eyes shut so I don’t take a peek!”
“You promise?” Isabela asked suspiciously.
“I promise.” Julieta’s smile seemed to be sincere.
“Oh, Okay!” Isabela extended her arms. “Get in here!”
Julieta walked over to her daughter with similarly outstretched arms, and hugged Isabela warmly, her eyes being closed, as promised. The hug lasted for about a few seconds, however, before she was abruptly shoved aside as Julieta’s big, greedy eyes took in the birthday cake.
“Aha!” She cackled.
Isabela watched in astonishment, gaping. “Mami!” She roared. “You promised!”
“I promised myself that I would have some of this delicious cake!” Julieta sneered at her daughter, taking off some of the icing with her finger and sticking it in her mouth. “Mmm! Green and sweet!” She bent down into the cupboard to get a knife, fork, and plate. “An early birthday present for moi,” she was saying as she giggled, shoulders heaving, and started to cut the cake. “It’s what I deserve for being the best mother the world has ever known—“
“CAMILO!” Isabela screeched. “What are you doing?”
Julieta sighed, then shapeshifted back into her nephew. “So you finally figured out it was me, huh?” He grinned. “Gotta say, I’m pretty disappointed in you Isabela. You need to be more perceptive and better at keeping secrets.”
“You need to be better at not snooping!” Isabela roared. “This is exactly why we didn’t invite you to be part of the plan!”
“Well, you did a bad job of trying to hide it from me!” Camilo mocked, sticking out his tongue. “And anyway, I think I deserve a slice for being so unbelievably smart and funny and sneaky and handsome—“
“Do NOT DARE take a slice!” Isabela hissed, vines erupting out of the ground and tightening themselves around Camilo’s wrists, cuffing them together. He winced at the pain. “Or you will feel my wrath.”
“I’m not scared of you,” Camilo lied.
“Get out.” The vines pulled Camilo out the door, forcing his feet to skitter towards the exit.
“Woah!” Camilo squeaked, as he made it past Isabela, who couldn’t help but notice that some of the icing had somehow spontaneously ended up on his face.
“And clean off your nose before you look suspicious,” Isabela ordered.
“Will do, big prima.” Then, with a grin, he shot forward, touching noses with Isabela’s, until her face had green icing and crumbs on it too.
“Urrrrrrggghhh!” She growled, wiping it off. But Camilo soon left the room.
Gazing sadly at the messed up cake, Isabela sighed as she continued trying to fix it before putting it back in the pantry.
💙💛💚
“So we’ve got the gifts,” Mirabel said while in her new room with Luisa. “And we’ve got the presents and ribbons too. All that’s left is to sign the card, which Antonio has. And then we’ll be good to go.”
“All right!” Luisa was very pleased. “We should start wrapping then!”
The two sisters started wrapping. Bruno’s wrapping was green with brown hourglass patterns on it. Julieta’s was blue with cupcakes on it. And Pepa’s was a yellowish-orange with teddy bears on it.
Wait—
“Umm, Luisa…” Mirabel paused skeptically, then gasped. “Luisa!”
Luisa looked up. “What?” She asked confused.
“That’s the wrong wrap for Tía Pepa! Don’t you see?”
Luisa gave Mirabel a blank expression, then turned her head down. She gasped as well. “Uh oh. Mirabel, you’re right. This is Antonio’s gift wrap!”
“We have to go to his room and find the right one. But we’ve gotta hurry and be discreet!” She rose to her feet. “Or—“
But Mirabel was cut off by a rhythmic knock on the door.
Knock knock knock-knock knock.
Mirabel and Luisa exchanged a fearful, worried glance. That knock was code for “we have an emergency.” And not the good kind of emergency.
They raced towards the door, Mirabel opening it. And Dolores stood there with a worried expression.
“Code orange.” Dolores said. The granddaughters and Antonio had a unique code for every form of emergency and to let the others know who was in their vicinity. Code yellow was for Pepa. Code blue was for Julieta. Code green was for Bruno. Code orange was for Camilo.
“Excuse me?” Mirabel gawked.
“We have a code orange,” Dolores repeated. “The chameleon is onto our plan. He ruined the cake for Isabela. And he’s trying to ruin or plan for the triplets! We’ve gotta stop him.”
“We do!” Luisa whispered, agreeing. “But how?”
“And we’ve got another problem on our hands!” Mirabel took the wrapping paper from Luisa’s hands and showed it to Dolores. “We need the correct wrapping paper for Pepa! Otherwise we’re in for a birthday disaster!”
“The we’d better get from your room—“ Dolores turned and pointed ahead to Antonio’s room. “To across there to Antonio’s room fast. Without the chameleon being hot on our trail.”
“Then let’s go, now!” Mirabel hurried over to Antonio’s room, and Dolores and Luisa followed.
But on the way there, they saw the very last person they wanted to see.
Camilo opened the door to his bed room and yawned. Blocking their way to Antonio’s room. “And just what do you girls think you’re doing?”
The granddaughters gulped. This was not good news.
“Camilo, it is frankly none of your business,” Dolores spoke up first. “Just let us pass and we can—“
“Oh, I don’t think so, my sweet sister!” Camilo cut off with a creepy giggle. “The three of you are up to something, and I am going to figure out what it is.”
“Cami—“
“Oh wait!” Camilo interrupted Luisa. “I already know what it is! You three are trying to plan a birthday surprise for Tia Julieta, Mami, and Tío Bruno. And apparently Antonio is in on your little plan. Well, rest assured that you won’t get away with it that easily. Once the triplets find out about what you’re trying to do, the birthday surprise will be ruined! And you’ll all have made fools of yourselves! Isn’t that right?”
“Why are you even trying to do this?” Mirabel demanded. “Why can’t we plan something for the triplets? What is your problem? What does it cost you?”
“Why am I trying to do this, mi querida primita? Because I can, that’s why! Because it’s fun!” Camilo laughed. “Seriously, why else would I do it? Although maybe if you had included me in your plan we wouldn’t—no, you wouldn’t—be in this situation!”
“This is literally why we didn’t include you, Cami!” Mirabel groaned, facepalming. Unfortunately, the hand she used to attempt a facepalm was the one behind her back, with Antonio’s wrapper in it.
Oh no.
“What’s that? Gift wrap?” Camilo reached to snatch it, but Mirabel quickly put it behind her back.
Camilo circled the three of them like a hawk as the girls awkwardly rotated so that they were facing him. It got to the point where they had to hide the wrappers under the bottom of their dresses.
Except for Luisa, as Camilo snatched Julieta’s birthday present wrapper from her hands.
“Hey!” Luisa angrily growled.
“Ha!” Camilo laughed out loud at the girls’ angry, disappointed faces. “It’s mine now! Sorry you don’t have anything to wrap your gifts in, what a disappointment! But it’s not like I care!”
Dolores pushed Camilo aside and forced open Antonio’s door, not even bothering to knock like she always did. Mirabel and Luisa glared at Camilo as they followed their dear older prima.
“Antonio, come quick!” Dolores said, not knowing where Antonio was in the jungle that was his room.
But before she could step in, Antonio came out riding a Jaguar, with armadillos surrounding him and Parce. “I got the birthday card!” Then his smile disappeared as he noticed his older brother giving him a shit-eating grin. “Oh no.” Awkwardly, he was about to hid the gift behind his back, before Camilo snatched that from him too. “Camilo, no!” Antonio cried.
“Camilo yes!” Camilo shot back. “Sorry not sorry, hombrecito, but this is my birthday card now!” Camilo couldn’t wait! It was a good thing the others hadn’t signed the card yet, aside from Antonio who had signed it in pencil because he was too little to use pen, because now he could put his name! All he had to do was erase Antonio’s and replace it with Camilo! Yes, this was all going perfectly as planned.
“Well, I love you all, but I have a gift to go make. And I know it’ll be much better than all of your gifts combined. Later!” He ran away.
Everyone blinked, unmoving for a second.
“Oh no,” Mirabel lamented. “What are we gonna do?”
Luckily, Antonio had the answer. Climbing back onto Parce’s back, he pointed at Camilo.
“Charge!!!”
Parce roared, and made a beeline(or a jaguar line, if you will) towards Camilo, the girls screaming angrily at Camilo as they joined him(Dolores covering her ears as she screamed along).
“CAMILO! GIVE IT BACK!” Luisa roared.
“Camilo, don’t you dare go into my room!” Mirabel commanded. She knew this boy like the back of her hand. The rest of the gifts were in there, wrapped and set to be presented to the triplets on their birthday. Camilo was probably going to use the wrapping paper to wrap his own gifts. If not pass off the girls’ gifts as his own. And with the birthday card, who would know otherwise?
Being the second oldest and the most reasonable, Dolores instantly took to calling the shots. “Antonio! Try to sneak up on him!” She whispered in her youngest brother’s ear. Antonio sped off. Luisa was about to join him.
But that’s when someone else got in their way. Abuela came out of her room and stopped the trio in their tracks.
“Hello, mis nietas,” Alma folded her hands formally. “I’m so sorry to bother you now, but I really need help trying to plan a birthday gift for mis hijos. Care to lend a hand?”
Dolores, Luisa, and Mirabel blinked awkwardly, twiddling their thumbs as they looked past them to Camilo, Antonio, and Parce, begging internally for Alma to get out of their way so that they could finally stop Camilo from ruining the surprise for everyone!
Isabela saw what was happening from below. Gasping in horror, she knew exactly what to do.
Spontaneously sprouting figs from the floor underneath Camilo’s feet, she caused him to gasp in shock as he tripped, tumbling and trying his hardest not to fall, but that wasn’t enough as he got back on his feet. The figs rolled behind him and strategically around the granddaughters, Antonio, Parce, and Abuela, leaving them out of harm’s way.
Alma looked down, raising her dress as she watched the figs roll. “What in God’s name—?”
That’s when Isabela noticed Antonio slowly rising to his feet on the jaguar’s back, eyes dead-set on Camilo and ready to pounce like the animals he learned from.
Isabela saw this as an opportunity. With quick thinking, she summoned a vine that attached itself to the ceiling. It was now or never.
Dolores saw the vine, and instantly has the same thought as Isabela did. The primas-hermanas were like twins, and their mental link was out of this world, something that no one could match.
“Antonio!” She called out over Abuela’s shoulder. “Swing!”
Abuela blinked. Then looked behind her.
Antonio didn’t need to be told twice! He grabbed hold of the vine and propelled himself, like Tarzan, over to the target. With a war cry, he landed himself on Camilo’s shoulders, forcing the older boy to give Antonio a piggy back ride.
Camilo glared up at Antonio as Antonio tried to snatch the birthday card from his hands.
“Stop this nonsense, Antonio!” Camilo growled. “Just let me have the card.”
“Never!” Antonio protested.
“Boys!” Alma stomped over to her grandsons. “Stop this madness at once.”
“Please!” Camilo begged with tearful eyes, before his expression grew irate. “I am your older brother. You MUST do as I say!”
“Not this time!” Antonio tried to lean over Camilo’s loose curls and grab the card. Suddenly a Venus Fly Trap gripped hold of Camilo’s left wrist. Once again, he cried out in pain as he knew who was responsible for this predicament.
As he tried to wrestle himself free, a thick, low vine, almost easy to miss, grew at his feet, tripping him by the ankles as he toppled, Antonio hollering in fear. Not to worry though, as a pile of pink roses showed up to cushion him from the rough ground.
Antonio continued to wrestle the card from Camilo’s hands, whining as he did so, Camilo holding the card in the air as he grinned down at his little brother.
And that’s when Antonio started to cry. Loudly. So loudly that Dolores had to cover her ears. Luisa comforted her as they and Mirabel made their way over to the grandsons and Alma.
Mirabel pointed angrily at Camilo, who was instantly apologetic of his actions, and glanced up at Alma in cowering fear, desperate to prove himself innocent. “You…” she uttered in a low, gravelly tone. “Will…pay.”
“What on earth do you boys think you’re doing?” Alma glowered at the two from above. “Am I raising civilized young men? Or am I raising a zoo?”
Mirabel walked past Abuela, and glared at Camilo. Somehow, that scared her older male cousin more than Abuela’s reprimanding did. Antonio got the hint and moved out of the way, even though he still didn’t have the birthday card. And Mirabel realized…Camilo was still holding it.
“Camilo…GIVE ME THE CAAAAARD!” Mirabel leapt, pouncing at Camilo, as she took her turn in the ring with him, wrestling him for the card, Camilo squealing in pain and in protest. Alma merely rubbed her temple.
“I am getting too old for this…” she murmured. “And I’m sure my Pedro would agree.” She turned on her heels and walked away. “Make sure you clean up this mess.”
Between Antonio’s crying, Mirabel’s hollering angrily at Camilo, and Camilo’s moaning and groaning in pain as he tried to force Mirabel off of him while still keeping the card, it was all too much noise for Dolores to take.
“SHUT UP AND GIVE HER THE CARD!” Dolores yelled.
And she wasn’t the only one who couldn’t take it.
The door to Bruno’s room opened. “Is everything all right out here…oh.”
What Bruno saw was a complete and utter spectacle. Antonio crying at the top of his lungs like the toddler he was, Dolores’ ears being drowned in Antonio’s wails as she covered her ears, Luisa hugging her and patting her head, Mirabel trying to knock Camilo’s lights out as she tried to force something out of his hands, the two roughhousing in a pile of pink roses that could only be Isabela’s creation. And a Venus Fly Trap that snapped at Camilo threateningly. Bruno blinked, the others looking up at him in shock, Camilo smiling with glee.
Mirabel snatched the card from him and stood up, making her way to stand beside Dolores and Luisa with her hands behind her back.
“Wh—what is going on?”
Camilo sprang up. “They were doing—“
“Rehearsal for a play.”
Everyone turned to look at Isabela, who had swooped in on a vine from downstairs to stand next to Camilo.
Camilo glared at Isabela.
Bruno’s eyes lit up. “Ooh! A play! Que interesante, what kind of play?”
“Well, it’s a really exciting story, filled with adventure, danger, and suspense,” Isabela explained. “Camilo is the villain, you see.” She ruffled Camilo’s hair, and he glowered. “A pretty but daft young fellow lacking in all manners of cleverness or good judgement. At least that’s what he lets people believe so as to get away with his acts of thievery.”
“Woah!” Bruno exclaimed, clearly impressed.
“He only steals from the rich, so as to make a fortune for himself. But he’s so sneaky and manipulative that he gets off the hook all the time. Or almost all the time.”
“Seriously?” Camilo grumbled to her quietly.
“Yes, seriously,” Isabela whispered back, using Camilo’s head as an armrest.
“But Tío, you don’t understand,” Camilo proclaimed, desperate for the girls and Antonio to be caught in the act. “Do you know what Dolores, Mirabel, and Luisa were doing??? They were chasing me because—“
“Because they, along with me, are the heroines of the story,” Isabela cut off, flipping her long raven tresses. “Wealthy, cultured Spanish aristocrats by day, fearsome and brave fighters by night. Nobody would guess it from us elegant noblewomen, but the truth is we work as spies for the king and our job is to assassinate crooks and scoundrels. With Camilo being our current target.”
“And I’m guessing Antonio’s the king?” Bruno looked down affectionately at his youngest nephew.
“You’re right!” Isabela chirped, realizing that Bruno was making this all too easy. “We have to assassinate Camilo and bring him back to King Antonio, otherwise—“
“MY JAGUAR WILL EAT THEM!” Antonio roared. “Oops, sorry Dolores.”
“Yeah.” Isabela was sweating glands.
“Oh!” Bruno was not expecting that turn of events. “Well, hope you catch the criminal soon, if you don’t wanna be Parce’s dinner.”
Isabela laughed, the granddaughters and Antonio giggling along. “Oh, don’t worry, we won’t. Because after all—“
“DOLORES ISABELA LUISA MIRABEL AND ANTONIO ARE PLANNING A BIRTHDAY SURPRISE FOR YOU MAMI AND TÍA JULIETA!!!” Camilo yelled at rapid fire speed, slapping Isabela’s arm away.
That was when Pepa and Julieta came out.
Mirabel groaned. “All our plans were for nothing,” she grumbled, crossing her arms and stomping her feet petulantly.
“A birthday surprise?” Julieta said, eyes aglow. “You’d really do that for us?” She gasped.
“So that’s why Isabela wanted to use the kitchen?” Pepa asked. “Will there be cake?”
The grandkids—minus Camilo, who looked quite satisfied with himself—were silent and longing for death to take them as they shifted awkwardly and glanced at each other worriedly. Even Parce looked downcast as he let out a feline whimper.
Then at last, Mirabel spoke up.
“No, it’s nothing like that,” she confessed. “I mean, obviously there will be cake. Every birthday party has cake.”
“Mira!” Dolores hissed.
“Umm,” Mirabel stammered awkwardly. “Bht the real surprise is the…play…that Isabela and Antonio were just telling you about.”
“I can’t wait!” Bruno cheered, clapping his hands. “Well, I don’t want it to be spoiled for me. I want to see how it ends, and if the spies will get eaten by the king’s mighty jaguar.”
Parce licked his lips ferociously.
“Well, let’s go back inside, mis hermanas,” Bruno said as he ushered his sisters gently back inside his room. “Give the grandkids time to practice.”
“But they have to do it quietly!” Pepa said as she snowed.
“Yes, that’s right, quietly, yhear?”
“Yes, Tío Bruno,” they all said, even Camilo.
“Great!” Bruno waved. “Can’t wait for the show, bye!”
Then he locked the door behind him.
“Phew,” Mirabel wiped an eyebrow as Isabela collapsed into a giant sunflower which she used as a chair. “That went well, don’t ya think?”
“Yeah,” Dolores said. “Let’s get out of here.” She glared at Camilo. “And you,” she told him. “Don’t even think about following us.”
Then she left, her arms on each of Luisa’s and Mirabel’s backs as they too walked away with her.
“Guess you failed after all, Camilo,” Isabela said to Camilo’s downcast face, smirking as she did so. “Wait for us!” Isabela ran after her sisters, Antonio following on Parce.
“Bye big brother!” Antonio said before Parce sped off.
Camilo watched them leave silently, tears stinging at his eyes.
Only Dolores heard him cry. But she couldn’t care less.
💙💛💚
“I can’t believe that metiche tried to ruin our birthday surprise!” Mirabel snarled, pacing back and forth in Dolores’ room as she who owned the room, along with Luisa and Isabela, sat down on her bed, wrapping their gifts. Dolores was in the middle, with Isabela on her left and Luisa on her right. “Just who does he think he is? ‘Oh girls, don’t even think of doing anything good for the triplets! I’m gonna ruin it like I always do!’” She picked up the card which was on Dolores’ nightstand. “And it’s torn!” She huffed. “Can we even give them this?”
“Of course!” Dolores said as she finished wrapping Pepa’s gift with the correct paper, which was yellow with thunderclouds shooting lightning on them. “There’s nothing a little tape won’t fix. I don’t think they’ll be upset at it not being perfect. That’s something our family needed to learn, after all.”
Mirabel sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. But I’m just so mad at Camilo.”
“So am I,” Isabela agreed, sharing Mirabel’s uncharacteristically grouchy expression.
“Ay Ay Ay, when I find that little punk, I’m gonna—hrrrggh!” She made clenching motions with her hands. “He almost hurt Toñito too and he didn’t even care. What if Isabela hadn’t made the flowers?!” Mirabel bent down to Antonio’s side and cupped his face in her hands. “Ay, Toñito, are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Antonio said, rubbing his nose.
Mirabel smiled. “Oh, I’m glad.” She wrapped Antonio in a hug. Antonio returned it. Isabela smiled at this. Though not as emotional, sometimes Mirabel could take after her Tia Pepa in alarming ways.
“Thanks, Mira,” Antonio said. “And thanks for saving me, Isa.”
“No problem,” the sisters chirped in unison.
“Now, let’s sign the birthday card.” Mirabel opened the card and placed in on the nightstand. “Isabela, you get to sign first, since you’re the oldest.”
“Okay,” Isabela said. She signed the card in delicate cursive. Dolores followed in her own cute handwriting, then Luisa in round, bubbly letters, then Mirabel, who didn’t forget the hearts over her i’s.
The girls were astonished when they heard someone knock on the door.
“I’ll go see who it is,” Dolores said, walking towards the door.
But the moment she saw who it was, she slammed the door shut in his face.
“What’s Camilo doing here?” Luisa demanded. “Hasn’t he caused enough trouble for us all?”
The door knocked again.
Dolores opened the door. “Look, stop trying to come in. We are not letting you in! You already tried to spoil the surprise for us. You really think we trust you?! Go away, Camilo!”
“I just wanna talk,” Camilo uttered barely above a whisper, before a large cactus grew between them, forcing Camilo to take a large step back.
Isabela stormed over to the door. “Excuse me, prima-hermana,” she said gently, Dolores stepping aside so that Camilo was forced to really feel Isabela’s wrath. “What part of GO AWAY do you not understand? Listen to your older sister and leave! Now!”
“But—“
“I do NOT wanna see you and neither do the rest of us, you untrustworthy brat!”
“Please!” Camilo begged. “I just wanna say that I’m sorry!”
Isabela snorted. “Sorry for what?!”
“Sorry for…everything. I just…I’m sorry.”
Luisa and Mirabel approached just then, Mirabel carrying Antonio.
“Why didn’t you just plan your own birthday surprise?” Luisa asked genuinely. “Why did you have to ruin others’?”
“Yeah, make your own gift next time,” Mirabel said, still vexed at Camilo but lacking the adrenaline to yell and rant at him again.
Camilo sighed, fiddling with his ruana. “I don’t have a gift, all right?” he finally spat out. “I don’t have one! I procrastinated and now there are three days left until the triplets’ birthday reunion and I have nothing to show for it!” Despite the crack in his voice, Camilo went on. “It’s just that, when you girls started planning the birthday surprise without me I felt left out. So I tried to take your presents and pass them off as my own instead of buying a gift by myself. But now—“
Mirabel snorted. “Did it ever occur to you that we wouldn’t have gifts either, tonto?” She sneered. “Get real.”
Camilo resisted the urge to say “you don’t have a gift either, Mirabel.” He frowned. “But now I realize that was wrong. And I apologize.”
He looked down at the floor as his tears dropped onto his sandals.
“I’m sorry.”
“We forgive you, Camilo,” Dolores said graciously. “But we’re still not letting you in on our birthday surprise. You betrayed our trust, and that isn’t okay.”
Camilo hiccuped and nodded.
“And quit crying please. It’s getting annoying.” Dolores sighed. Camilo wiped his face with his hands. “Look, we may not want to help you. But maybe Abuela will.”
“Why would Abuela want to help me?” Camilo asked flatly.
“Ask her and you’ll see.”
“Oh okay.”
“I think you should leave now,” Luisa said.
“I agree,” Isabela said. “You should.”
“Bye, Camilo,” Mirabel said.
“Bye,” Camilo said, walking away. The girls went back inside, closing the door behind them.
“Now, where were we?” Dolores said to the rest of the grandkids. They decided not to give Camilo the time of day.
“Wait, I just realized something!” Isabela pointed out.
“What?” Mirabel asked as they all looked at the eldest granddaughter.
“Tío Bruno genuinely thinks we’re putting on a play on their birthday. Even though it’s not a surprise anymore, that’s what he thinks!”
The girls took a while to process this fact, before realizing that Isabela was right.
“Oh no,” Dolores said, her face matching Mirabel’s expression of dread. “Just great. Now we’re gonna have to tell Tío Bruno that the play was a cover-up all along.”
But Isabela shook her head. “Not so. We can still put on the play! Do we really want to disappoint him?”
“Of course not,” Mirabel said. “But we only have three days? How are we going to plan it?”
“Three days is more than enough time to put on a play if you know what you’re doing!” Isabela retorted.
“But we don’t have costumes!” Luisa protested.
“I’m sure Mirabel has something extravagant that we can wear,” Isabela said. “And even if not, who needs costumes when you pull off a convincing performance?”
“But what about our lines?” Dolores asked.
“That won’t be hard!” Isabela explained. “And you’re the best at writing out of all of us. You could be the director and tell us what to say.”
The girls all considered it. “Hmm, it seems like a good idea,” Mirabel quipped. “What do you all say?”
“I’m in!” Antonio chirped.
“Well, if Antonio’s in, then I guess I’m in too,” Luisa shrugged.
“And if Luisa’s in, then I guess you can count me in as well,” Dolores agreed.
“Great!” Isabela hugged her prima-hermana! “Oh, this is gonna go excellently! And I think this the only birthday surprise that Camilo will get to be in on.”
“Oh, brother,” Mirabel groaned.
💙💛💚
Camilo hesitated, then knocked on the door to Abuela’s room.
“Come in,” said a seemingly sweet voice, but Camilo was still afraid. What if this voice meant trouble for him?
He opened the door to see Alma sitting on her bed, writing something down in a book.
“H-hi Abuela,” Camilo said, hesitating.
“Hello, well, if it isn’t my lovely grandson!” She patted the seat next to her. “Have a seat.”
Camilo hesitantly sat down next to Alma, who smiled generously at him. The smile reminded him of Isabela’s smile, but rather than putting him at ease(not that Isabela’s smile put him at ease either), it disturbed him. Why was she being so nice?
“Abuela…I’m sorry about what I’ve done and I’m sorry for behaving like…umm…an animal in a zoo. Please forgive me.”
“It’s all right, son. I was young and crazy once too!” Abuela giggled. “Anyway, what did you need?”
“A gift for Mami, Tia, and Bruno,” Camilo said, getting straight to the point. “But I don’t have any. Dolores said I could come to you for help. So can you help me?”
“Oh, well, what a coincidence, I don’t have one either.” Alma closed her eyes sadly as she lowered her head.
“You don’t?” Camilo gasped. “But you’re their—”
“Their mother. Yes. I know. But I have been so distracted lately that it just slipped my mind until the last minute. Or perhaps my age is failing me. Either way, I have failed to come up with a present to bestow upon my marvelous children, especially Bruno, who will be celebrating his birthday with us for the first time in ten years.” She buried her head in her hands. “I know things can’t always be perfect, I know that now, but I’m a failure of a mother.”
“No, you’re lovely at being a mother, Abuela. Listen to me! Eurgh, this is so weird. Look, I’m sure the triplets would tell you you’re a great mother. After all, where do you think your daughters learned to be such great mothers from?”
“I suppose you are right.” Alma smiled again at Camilo. And this time Camilo felt at ease.
“How about we plan a surprise for them together? And only the two of us have to be in on it?” Camilo whispered.
“I say that’s a marvelous idea!” Abuela hugged her grandson tightly. “Oh, ¡mi nieto es tan inteligente!”
“Awesome!” Camilo squealed. “I’ve always wanted to be a part of something.”
“I’m glad,” Alma laughed. “Well, shall we start thinking about it now?”
“Sure!” Camilo agreed. “What are you writing?”
The two of them got to work writing down gift ideas for the triplets. And while they were doing so, it suddenly occurred to Camilo that he never knew what gift his siblings and cousins were planning.
But he found that didn’t matter. He had his own birthday surprise to share with Alma.
💙💛💚
It was early in the morning, right after breakfast, that Isabela kidnapped Camilo using her vines.
“Ow!” Camilo hissed as he felt the pain jolt through his system. “Why, Isa? Why?”
“Shhh!” Isabela shushed. “Look, come with us! You wanna be part of our secret, right? Well now you’re part of the secret!”
“I don’t wanna be part of your secret anymore, Isa,” Camilo grunted. “I’m already part of another secret that you’ll never get to know. So there.” He stuck out his tongue.
“Well too bad. Because you’re part of the secret now.” With her vines, Isabela dragged Camilo into Dolores’ room and slammed the door.
Camilo looked around to see the rest of his cousins, his brother, and his sister. Dolores was sitting on her bed writing something on a stapled sheet of paper. Luisa was sitting next to her on her left and looking over her shoulder. Mirabel was on the floor, sorting through a bag. Antonio was trying on a costume that looked quite regal on him.
“The end!” Dolores said declaratively as she finished writing.
“Yay!” Luisa clapped her hands.
“Can I see?” Isabela walked towards Dolores and Luisa.
“Sure!” Dolores said, giving Isabela the paper to take.
Isabela walked over to Camilo and shoved the paper in his face. “This is the play we’re putting on for the triplets tomorrow. It’s called ‘Las Cuatro Hermanas y El Ladrón’. And the good news is that you get to be a part of it!”
“I don’t follow.”
“Remember the play I claimed we were rehearsing for yesterday? That’s what we’re going to do—“
“Oh HELL no!” Camilo turned on his heel and walked away. “I am not doing that!” He reached for the doorknob.
“Yes you are!” A sundew sprouted on the knob, and Camilo shrieked, pulling his hand back. “You have to! I already told Tío Bruno that you are the villain. And we can’t let him down! Besides, aren’t you a theatre kid? This is your chance to truly shine!”
“But you came up with that to make me look bad!” Camilo exclaimed. “Why can’t I play the leading role?”
“Because the leading role is a female role, Cami.”
“So? I can play a lady!” And just to prove it, Camilo shapeshifted into Isabela.
“But you’re not one. You’re playing the villain, and that’s final.”
Camilo shapeshifted back. “Can’t Mirabel and I change roles?”
“No. Here is the script, this is what you have to remember for the play.”
Camilo flipped through the script, annoyed. “This is so blatantly done last-minute, it’s saddening.”
“No duh, chico. But Dolores was the main writer, and she’s pretty talented and coming up with things rinitis on the spot. The rest of us still helped though, Mirabel and I came up with the songs, for instance, and Luisa did the fight scenes. And with you onstage with us, you’ll be able to help her vision come to life. Doesn’t that sound fun and exciting?”
“It sounds like one of Tio’s rat telenovelas.” Camilo grumbled.
“Well, whatever. Anyway, Mirabel already chose a costume for you.”
Mirabel pulled out a black ruana and matching mask, a shirt that looked just like Camilo’s, but deep magenta, and black shoes.
Camilo took a step back. “I am NOT wearing that. That looks embarrassing!”
“Come on, just say you’ll agree.” Isabela gestured to their little brother and cousin. “Antonio looks so happy in his outfit.”
Antonio twirled around in his regal cape and golden flower crown that Isabela had made for him. “I’m the king, Mira! Look at me!”
“Yes you are! Oh, and here’s your outfit, Dolores,” Mirabel said, handing Dolores an elegant red dress with gold and pink heart-shaped trim. “Fit for a princess.”
“Where did you get those?” Camilo demanded.
“From my closet,” Mirabel said. “Also from Dolores’ and my sisters’ closets. I just…did my magic on them to make them look really royal. Although I’m not finished yet. The king outfit however I stole from a trunk in your bedroom.”
Camilo wanted to eat his face off. “From MY bedroom?! That’s for the little kids I babysit when they come over, Mira! Why? How could you?”
“Sorry,” Mirabel shrugged, clearly not sorry. “But you tried to go into my room first. And besides, I did what needed to be done.”
“Camilo,” Dolores said. “Would you like me to paint your nails black for you to really complete your evil look? You’d look delightfully malicious.”
“No.”
“He’s lying, he would love to.” Isabela dragged Camilo’s body over to Dolores’ chair. “Sit down Camilo and let Dolores get to work.”
“Fine,” Camilo said, but only because he liked when Dolores did his nails. He had ever since he was a little kid. It was a fun way of brother-sister bonding even if most boys didn’t get their nails painted. Just like most boys didn’t play dress up with their older sisters. But Camilo didn’t care. He had found it fun.
He took a deep breath. Maybe this performance wouldn’t be as bad after all.
💙💛💚
Later that noon, the grandkids were all practicing the last-minute play for the triplets in Isabela’s room, which was by far the most spacious with the widest and clearest area to rehearse in. And most of them were having a good time.
“Wait, I just realized. Why do I have to die at the end?”
“Because you’re the villain, and that’s what villains do,” Isabela replied. “The villains die and the heroines triumph. That’s how it’s always been, since the beginning of time. And that’s how it will be, till the end of times.”
“Whatever,” Camilo said.
“I’m confused,” Mirabel said, walking up to Isabela. “When Dolores says this part, am I supposed to look up and run away, or am I supposed to run away and look up?”
“Either way is fine,” Isabela said. “You just have to wait for my signal before leaping up and grabbing the vine that I will send down to swing on.”
“Oh, I get it now. Okay!” Mirabel shot her a thumbs up.
“Let’s get into position!” Dolores shouted. “And action!”
“Go, Camilo, go!” Isabela shoved the sack of cotton in Camilo’s hands and ran away, Camilo running on “stage” as Isabela followed him.
“Stop right there, Carlos!” Isabela shouted as she pointed at Camilo. Then she grew a circle of cactuses around him, Camilo stopping dead in his tracks. “That money belongs to my family’s estate. I demand you give it back! Otherwise I shall have you hanged for your crimes!”
“We’ll see about that, Doña Ines!” Carlos sneered. “The truth is, you snobby members of the upper class have it too easy. You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Everything was handed to you, and not a thing was earned. If a lowly being like me wants to make his way in life, the only way to do it is to steal from the rich folk, such as yourself! Don’t act like you wouldn’t do the same if you were in my position.”
“I am nothing like you, you unscrupulous knave!” Ines fired back. “Do as I say, for I am of noble birth. Hand over the money at once, or—“
The door opened. “Camilo?”
“GET OUT!” All the granddaughters yelled at once.
“Nobody can see yet, it’s a surprise!” Mirabel exclaimed in protest as Alma came closer.
“Sorry, I gotta go, Alma and I agreed to go out.” Camilo pulled his hair out of its slick ponytail, shaking it left and right to revert it back to its original state. He then removed the mask.
“Go where?” Dolores asked suspiciously.
“Does it matter?” Camilo mocked. “It’s our surprise, not yours. Anyway, buh-bye.”
“Wait, Camilo, you still haven’t taken off your costume!” Luisa protested as Camilo ran out the door.
“Wait, Camilo, you have a musical number to sing!” Dolores called out.
“Camilo, you’d better not get it dirty!” Mirabel barked.
But Camilo wasn’t listening.
Mirabel sighed. “What do we do?”
Isabela turned to the director for instruction. “Should we just do the scene where the four of us report to the king?” she said.
“Sí. And then Mirabel and I will do our song and dance number for the scene where Luisa and Isabela get kidnapped by Camilo,” Dolores said.
“Perfect.” Isabela agreed.
“All right, places everybody!” Dolores commanded.
And so they set the scene.
Mariana, Ines, Lydia, and Lola curtsied before the king, their bodies trembling as they knew a reprimanding was exactly what they were in for.
“Have I not told you what is expected of you ladies?” The king gnarled, displeased with the women. “You are to bring back Carlos’ head. I don’t think that is too simple of an accomplishment. But if it is, let me know, so I can prepare a punishment for you.”
“It’s not that,” Ines, the oldest of her sisters, was the first to speak. “It’s just that—“
“I don’t want to hear excuses,” the king interrupted. “Have you slain Carlos?”
“N-no,” Lola said, “But I promise we are coming closer and closer to—“
“Enough!” The king rose from his throne, pointing his mighty scepter at the girls, and silence at once fell upon them. “I am getting impatient at this point. I trusted you ladies to deliver that…that…”
Dolores sighed. “Cut.”
Antonio scratched his head as he peered at his script. “What does this say?”
Dolores took the paper from him. “Vagabond.”
“Vaga…bond?”
“Yes.”
“What’s that?”
“You know, like a nomad?”
“What’s a nomad?”
“…Basically Camilo’s character wanders about without a job or a specific place to call home. He’s a homeless crook.”
“Oh.”
“Let’s start from the last line, and remember, it’s vagabond. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Aaand action!”
“I trusted you ladies to bring that…vagabond…to justice! And you have failed!”
“We’re terribly sorry, your highness!” Lydia apologized. “Give us one more chance. We beg of thee!”
The king was getting restless and irate at this point. But he still had some faith in these women. So he sighed and relented. “I will give you two more days to find Carlos, slay him, and bring his head back to me.” He stroked his jaguar’s fur, and the sisters’ blood ran cold. “If during that time frame you fail to complete your task, you will be devoured whole by my jaguar here!”
Little Mariana gasped. “Please, your majesty! You couldn’t. You wouldn’t!” She cried out in desperation. She was too young to die! She would never see her true love Yamilet again if she did!
“I can and I will!” The king stroked his jaguar, which growled. “Mi amigo, show them I mean business.” The jaguar obeyed. Lunging at the girls, they took a step back and embraced each other in fear as the large predatory cat bore its fangs. “Am I clear?”
The sisters nodded.
“Am I clear?”
“Yes, your majesty!”
“Good. Out with thee, out, I say!”
Mariana collapsed in Lydia’s arms, weeping bitterly and relentlessly, as they walked away, Lola and Ines hugging each other as they also awaited what was sure to be their fate with doom.
“Whatever are we to do?” Mariana cried out.
“Fear not, hermanita,” Lydia comforted. “God is with us. We will catch that criminal. And when we do, he will not escape with his life a second time.”
“More like a third time,” Lola quipped.
“More like a seventh time,” Ines shook her head. “Really, it is a wonder we haven’t been executed yet.”
“But we will find a way. I am sure of it.” Lydia said, looking up at the sky.
Abuela and Camilo came back just when it was lunch time.
“Hola, Mama!” Pepa came running and wrapped her mother in a hug. “Welcome home. “You too Camilo!” She bent down to kiss his cheek.
“Hola Mama,” Camilo said, smiling at Pepa. “We just went to buy you a—“
Alma nudged him.
“Food for lunch.”
“Already taken care of, chico,” Julieta smiled at Camilo from the kitchen. “But thanks for your generosity.”
“Oh, okay.” Camilo pulled at Abuela’s arm. “Come on, Abuela, let’s go wrap!” he whispered.
He and Alma walked up the stairs, giggling to themselves as they talked in hushed whispers. Even Alma was excited for the triplets’ birthday.
“Umm, we will be back downstairs soon, mis amores. Set the table!”
Then they disappeared.
“I guess Camilo really did plan something with Abuela for the birthday reunion,” Dolores quipped emotionlessly.
“Well, that’s good for him, I guess,” Luisa said. “By the way, remember to tell him about the changes you made to the play.”
“Oh, I almost forgot. Yeah, you’re right. I’ll tell him at lunch,” Dolores said as she put Camilo’s plate right next to hers on the table.
💙💛💚
“Aaand that’s a wrap,” Dolores said as the scene ended. “Wow, that change went more smoothly than I anticipated. Great work everybody.”
The vines tying Isabela and Luisa unraveled, and they stood up.
“Has anyone ever told you that you make a really good villain, Camilo?” Isabela asked.
“I hope they never do,” Camilo murmured.
“Well, I’ll be the first to tell you!” Isabela chirped, pretending to be oblivious. “You make a really good villain, Camilo!”
“Of course you would think that,” Camilo murmured.
“I can’t wait for tomorrow when we can rehearse this play again!” Dolores cheered as she changed behind a room divider. “It’s going to be awesome and I’m sure they’ll love it!”
“I know they will,” Luisa agreed.
The next day was spent almost entirely practicing for the performance. In fact, the grandkids did nothing else but rehearse for “Las Cuatro Hermanas y El Ladrón” religiously every time they weren’t eating or taking a shower/bathroom break. The only other exception was when Camilo would run off to do something with Abuela, but there were plenty of scenes without him anyway.
“Are you done yet?” Dolores demanded as Camilo walked back in.
“Yup.” Camilo said.
“Did Abuela ask you why you were wearing that ridiculous outfit?” Mirabel asked with a smirk.
The girls giggled, even Antonio joining in, and Camilo rolled his eyes.
“Let’s get on with it,” Camilo said, and Dolores laughed, wiping a tear from her right eye as she dragged Camilo by the forearm into his place.
And so they continued to practice the play. As Isabela and Luisa slept, Camilo kidnapped them in their sleep.
Before they knew it, the triplets’ birthday had arrived.
“Happy birthday, Tío!” Mirabel and Dolores, Bruno’s favorite sobrinas, said as they hugged him and kissed him on either side of their cheek.
“Aww, thank you both!” Bruno said with a laugh. He kissed Dolores on the cheek, then Mirabel.
Camilo and Luisa were hugging Julieta. “Happy birthday Mami!” Luisa sang.
“Happy birthday Tía.” Camilo snuggled his face into her shoulder as he hugged.
“Thank you, thank you so much!” Julieta replied. “I intend to have the best birthday possible today.”
“And you will!” Luisa chirped. “We promise!”
Isabela and Antonio were hugging Pepa. That is to say, Isabela was hugging Pepa, while Antonio was being held by Pepa.
“Feliz cumpleaños, Mami/Tía! Te amamos!”
“Awww, thank you thank you thank you! I love you both too!” She kissed them both on the cheek.
“Everyone, to the table! It is time for the birthday dinner!” Alma commanded.
The rest were happy to oblige as they sat at the table, the triplets sitting in chairs at the head did the table where Alma normally sat. The three of them next to each other with Bruno in the middle, as they should be.
“Except for you, Camilo,” Alma said as she smiled, taking Camilo gently by the hand as she ushered him into a private area. Camilo nodded, grinning from ear to ear, as he stuck out his tongue at Dolores and peeled at his lower eyelid, showing the pink.
Dolores only rolled her eyes, but she grinned. She was happy that Camilo was no longer antagonizing his siblings and cousins and was able to plan a birthday surprise with Abuela instead. She couldn’t wait to see what the gift would be.
“Cumpleaños feliz, te deseamos a tí, feliz cumpleaños a los trillizos, feliz cumpleaños a tí! Que los cumpla feliz, que los vuelva a cumplir, que los siga cumpliendo, hasta el año tres mil!”
“Hurry up and blow out the cake before I sneeze on it!” Mirabel urged, privy to imitate her uncle’s tricks.
The triplets didn’t need to be told twice. They blew out the cake, and everyone cheered.
“Never mind,” Mirabel said, rubbing her nose with a grin. Bruno smiled at her, realizing what she was trying to do.
They cut the cake—well, Julieta, Pepa, and Bruno did, each cutting the first three slices with Alma joining them—and before long, everybody else was eating cake too.
“So awesome!” Camilo said as he chewed with his mouth open. “Will there be seconds?”
“That’s for the birthday triplets to decide,” Alma replied with a friendly grin.
“Of course!” The triplets all affirmed in eerie unison.
After getting over the uneasiness, they all laughed.
Camilo laughed too, and turned to Mira. “Hey, Mira. Remember when it was Isabela and Dolores’ birthday and you got cake crumbs and frosting all over your hands and dress, and on the floor, and on Tía’s—“
“Stop.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Does that remind you of anything Camilo?” Isabela grinned mischievously at her cousin. “Anything you did a few days ago that you shouldn’t have? At an age when you should have known better?”
“He messed with the cake?” Bruno asked.
“Sure did!” Isabela said.
Pepa laughed. “It seems like something he would do.”
“But it’s okay, because this cake is really good!” Julieta complimented. And coming from a masterful cook like her, it certainly was a compliment.
The granddaughters beamed with praise, as Dolores added. “You think so? Thanks! All four of us made it while you three were out! Hmm!”
“That’s right, we did!” Luisa added. “And it certainly is a masterpiece.”
“It tastes like one, too!” Bruno praised.
Later, after they had all had their fair share of cake and decided to pack some away for later, it was time for the triplets to unwrap the gifts.
“Are we ready for gifts now?” Bruno asked.
“Oh, I am!” Mirabel picked up her gift, which was for Julieta, and bounced up and down on both feet. “Eek! I can’t wait for you to see what gifts we have!”
“I had too much cake,” Camilo lamented, wiping his forehead. “I can almost feel the frosting pouring from my eyelids like tears.”
“Me too,” Isabela agreed.
“So, whose gifts should we open first?” Julieta asked.
“Here, Mami, open yours first!” Mirabel shoved the blue-wrapped gift in her hands before she could refuse.
Julieta giggled. “Well, I suppose I will.”
Julieta opened the wrapper, and Mirabel moved to stand by Camilo’s side, between him and Luisa. She crossed her arms and smirked at him.
“Now you’ll finally get to see what we got for the triplets,” she sneered.
Camilo ignored her, although don’t think she didn’t hear him huff slightly. And that’s when Mirabel knew that she had won. She chuckled and bumped his hip with hers.
Julieta gasped in joy. Her gift was a new pair of shoes, they were blue like her regular shoes, but they were a darker shade and much more beautiful. She had seen those shoes in the store for many days, but each time she asked for them, the store clerk merely shook her head and said that she was already saving them for someone else. Julieta was disappointed at first, but now she knew why.
“Oh, mis vidas…” was all Julieta could say.
“Do you like them, Mami?” Mirabel inquired.
“Like them, I love them!” Julieta wrapped Mirabel in a hug. As she was doing so, she extended a hand warmly for Luisa, Dolores, Isabela, and Antonio to join into the hug. “Thank you so much! Mwah!” She kissed each of their cute little heads.
Camilo moved towards the group hug, desperately longing to be a part of it, but Alma held him back with a firm grip on his shoulder.
“But Abuela, I want to get a hug too.”
“You’ll get a hug for your gift soon, querido,” Alma explained gently as Mirabel helped Julieta try on the shoes.
“Oh right!” Camilo beamed.
Luisa and Dolores were next to present Pepa with her gift.
Pepa opened it. It was a warm yellow blanket with cloud patterns on it. And behind each of those clouds was a pattern of a sun.
“This is wonderful!” Pepa wrapped it around her, snuggling in the blanket. “Now I’ll be nice and warm!”
“It’s for when you start raining or snowing especially,” Luisa informed her tia.
“Or hailing,” Dolores said, punctuating her add-on with a wince for emphasis. “Just because we don’t want you to get cold, shivery, and potentially hurt yourself or get yourself sick.”
“Awww, that is so sweet. And very smart of you children!” Pepa beamed.
“Wow, looks snuggly, I’m jealous.” Bruno scooted over to Pepa’s side, trying to warm his way in the blanket. “You know, there’s a saying that there are always two peas inside a pod. And maybe that means you and me could—“
“Shoo, Bruno!” Pepa resisted, shoving him off gently. The family laughed at this, Bruno pretending to look downhearted. “Only one woman fits inside my sheets. Although I second thought, you may be right…Felix, how would you like to—“
“Say no more, mi vida.” Felix snuggled under the blanket with Pepa and gave her a peck on the lips. The married couple was now warm and comfortable.
“Awwww!” Everyone but Camilo(who shielded his eyes and looked away) cooed.
“And finally, Bruno.”
Isabela placed the gift in Antonio’s hand. “Go on, hombrecito.”
“Eeee!” Antonio ran up to Bruno and handed him the wrapped gift. “Open it open it open it, Tío Bruno. Please please please please please?”
Bruno laughed. “Okay!” He took the gift and opened it. Inside it was a box. And inside the box were…tiny little costumes that not even Antonio could fit in.
“What are—“
Bruno gasped, cutting Camilo off. “Awww! These are for my rats! I love them!”
“It was Dolores’ idea,” Mirabel said, gesturing to her oldest cousin as Bruno wrapped Antonio and Isabela in hugs, once more carrying the youngest of he family.
Dolores smiled. “Yeah. I heard you lamenting that you no costumes for the rats to wear for your telenovelas! So I told Mirabel and we got to designing them together. And Mirabel ended up making them!”
“That is splendid!” Bruno gushed, admirably feeling the texture of the farmer’s wear, the princess dress, the cute little hats, it was all just so adorable and perfect. “This will be perfect for my shows!”
Dolores beamed as she started thinking about the show they were going to put on. She knew Bruno especially would appreciate it.
“And that’s not all!” Mirabel presented them with a card. “Open it!”
Julieta gasped. “You even made us a birthday card?”
“We sure did!” Mirabel beamed. “Now open it! Please!”
“All right, mi chica.” Julieta opened the card and read it aloud. “To the most wonderful set of triplets who ever walked the earth, nobody nurtures like Julieta’s warm words, Pepa’s smile is brighter than the sun, Bruno is a blessing to everyone. To the five of us, it is clear as day, you’re the most dynamic trio all the way! Signed, Isabela, Dolores, Luisa, Mirabel, y Antonio!’ Mis vidas, this is perfect.” Julieta smiled affectionately at the girls and Antonio.
Pepa wiped a tear from her eye. And more. And more. “You don’t know how happy this makes me!”
“Seriously, amores,” Bruno patted his chest. “I’m glad I’m seen as a blessing to this family.”
“Thank you!” They all said at once, bringing the grandkids in for a hug. Minus Camilo, who stood cross-armed next to Abuela.
“We forgot the card.” He sighed.
“Yes, but it’s okay,” Alma said as she rested a hand on his shoulder. “We still made up for it with our amazing presents. And I’m sure they’ll love them just as much.”
“I should have stolen their card while I had the chance.”
“You should have what?”
“Never mind.”
“Mijo, were you really going to—“
“Who’s next?” Bruno asked.
“Oh, that would be me and Abuela, who also bought good gifts to share with all of you.”
“That’s wonderful!” Julieta said.
“Thanks. Tía, you’re first, since you’re the oldest triplet.”
Abuela held out the gift for Julieta to take. “For mi hija.”
Julieta opened it. She gasped. “A trinket box?! For me?”
“Of course!” Alma said. “It was mi Camilo’s idea.”
“Yeah, Tía, because you always made such lovely trinket boxes for all of us, and yet you had none of your own. So we bought you this. Sorry we couldn’t make it, it was sorta last-min—I mean I’m not really gifted in that arena like you are.” Camilo scratched the back of his head, and Abuela stopped glaring at him and looked pleased.
“Well I love it!” Julieta said, opening her trinket box to admirably watch the little ballerina inside it twirl.
“And this one’s for Pepa,” Alma said, piking up another present and giving it to Camilo to give to his mother.
“Here ya go, Mami.”
Still wrapped in the blanket, with her beloved husband’s arm around her waist, she daintily unwrapped the gift.
Inside it was a snow globe.
“Shake it!” Alma and Camilo said in unison.
So she did.
“It’s lovely dears!” Pepa cooed as she wrapped her mother and son in a hug. “Thank you so much!”
Camilo had to resist the urge to squeal.
“And finally, Bruno,” Alma said, handing her son the gift.
Her grandson beamed, bouncing on his heels as he giggled. “I picked the best gift for you, Tío Bruno. We’re both theatre kids, so I thought you would love it!”
Bruno opened his gift. “A sketchbook?”
“Yeah!” Camilo chirped. “So that you can draw all of your ideas for your rat plays.”
Bruno scooped up Camilo in a hug, then extended a hand and dragged Alma to join in. “Thank you,” he wept.
“Relax Tío, you’re making me wet.”
“Sorry,” Bruno said.
“It’s cool just don’t use me as a living tissue next time.” Camilo smiled excitedly at Bruno.
“Camilo!” Abuela demanded. “Speak to your uncle with respect!”
“I-I—“
“It’s fine, mama,” Bruno said.
Agustin and Felix then joined in with their gifts. For Julieta they got her a cookbook(which Felix said his mom used to use), for Pepa they got her a portrait of herself(where she was dancing in the rain with grey clouds surrounding her in all her temperamental glory), and for Bruno they got him a new and cleaner ruana that actually fit him.
They got lots of hugs of course(and kisses from Pepa and Julieta).
“Now that we’ve done all that, do you know what it’s time for now?” Dolores asked.
“Music and dancing!” Alma proclaimed with her hands in the air. “Oh, it will be such a delight—“
“No,” Dolores cut off. “It’s time for our play!”
“The play!” Bruno remembered. “My, I forgot about the play! Well, let’s see it!”
“We’ll be doing it in my room, that’s where we’ve been practicing after all!” Isabela said.
They all went into Isabela’s room, the adults taking seats in the fancy pink flowery chairs that Isabela had set up for them.
“Wow, it’s like a real theatre!” Bruno whispered to Pepa.
“I know, tell me about it,” Pepa whispered back. “They really went all out for this, I just know it’ll be good!”
“And to think they did it all in only three days!” Julieta agreed. “I’m just prepared to he impressed.”
Meanwhile—
“Come on!” Dolores commanded as she ushered everyone around “backstage”. “Hurry up and put on your costumes.”
Mirabel twirled around in her dress. “I never cease to amaze me.”
Camilo admired himself in the mirror. “My hair looks so good in a ponytail!”
“Thanks for helping me, Luisa!” Isabela said as Luisa helped her tie the bow around her dress from behind.
“No problem,” Luisa replied, and then Isabela helped her with her hair.
“Now we look like real aristocrats!” Isabela said.
Meanwhile, Dolores helped Antonio into his own costume. “All right, i think we’re all set—wait, wheres your crown?”
Antonio felt his curls. Then panicked. “I can’t be a king without my crown!” His eyes watered and he started to sniffle.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay. Isabela, we need another flower crown.”
“Right on it, sister!” Isabela said as she created a new flower crown for Antonio. One with white lilies and yellow roses. “This one’s even prettier than the last one, if I do say so myself.”
“Yeah!” Antonio cheered, hugging Isabela. “Thank you, prima!”
“You’re very welcome, chico,” Isabela said as she kissed him on the forehead. He giggled and kissed her back on the nose, making her giggle too.
“Did you just—“
“All right, that’s enough, we don’t have time for sentimentalities! Let’s get in places! And remember, Ines, you have the introduction to do!” Dolores commanded.
Isabela nodded.
“Go go go!”
The sky around them dulled, as the room slowly grew dark. Pink flower vines used as curtains were opened slightly for Isabela to stop out and address the audience. A single pink spotlight was shining on her.
“Aww,” Bruno whispered before being silenced by Felix. “Sorry.” Felix nodded.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it is with great pleasure that I present to you all the play that me and my sisters and cousins have been rehearsing for the last three days. I hope you all find this very enjoyable, because we worked very hard on it with the short time span we have had to practice. This is a story of love and death, of joy and sadness, of tribulation and tragedy, of fierce warrior women, brave kings, and rugged scoundrels. Welcome, to the Madrigal grandkids’ first production, which of course was my idea. ‘Las Cuatro Hermanas y El Ladrón”!
The audience of six whooped and cheered, before the curtains parted and the play officially begun.
“Long long ago,” Isabela narrated, “in the faraway country of Spain, there lived a happy couple with lots of money and status, but none of that money compared—“ Isabela placed both hands over her heart and sighed. “—to the passionate love they felt for each other. Their names were Don Agus y Doña Juliana. And at the center of this story are their four lovely and noble daughters. The eldest, Ines…that’s me, the second eldest, Lola, though not theirs by blood, was taken in and loved by them all the same, and the two youngest, Lydia and little Mariana.”
The other three daughters came on stage and began dancing together as Isabela continued to narrate.
“They lived a lavish and charmed life, never happier than when in one another’s company, and not a force in the world could bring them apart, not even a man’s love. They were the quintessential picture of elegance, grace, and poise. However, there was a secret about them that nobody, not even their parents, knew. It happened the same way it did any other day. The king’s messenger came to them on horse and told them to come to his palace at once. There, they would be informed of what task they were to accomplish.”
The four ladies curtsied in front of the king as was customary to, and waited for the king to lay out their mission.
“This is a very important task, and I expect you not to mess it up,” King Antonio instructed.
“We won’t let you down, sire,” Mariana said.
“I hope not, because this is a man too dangerous to be left alive.”
Bruno leaned over in his seat towards Pepa. “Hey hermana, this is actually good!”
“I know right?” Pepa hissed back. “And the best part is, it’s like an actual play you’d seen in a theatre!”
“Yeah, I can tell they went all out even though—“
“Shhh!” Felix hissed again. “You’re gonna miss important stuff!”
“Sorry,” the younger two triplets both said at the same time.
“I want you to find the man that fits that description, kill him, and bring his head back to me!” The king demanded.
“Don’t worry, your highness,” Lola said. “We will!”
“We won’t let you down!” Lydia added on.
Throughout the entire production, the adults watched in sheer, unadulterated amazement as the grandchildren acted out their performance, from Carlos sparring with Ines and placing her in the very trap she set to capture him, to the sisters dancing at a fancy ball before Lola heard the sound of a painting being stolen off of the walls. It was all very amazing and impressive.
And then before they knew it, it was time for intermission.
Then the play returned.
Ines and Lydia woke from their deep sleep, looking at each other in confusion. Tight ropes were tied around them as they were lifted from their beds forcefully.
“Hermana, what is happening?” Isabela immediately fretted, trying to wrestle free from the vines, to no avail.
“My dear Ines, I fear that we may have been captured!” Lydia said, as she began to weep bitterly.
At this point, Ines started crying too, overcome with despair as Carlos carried them away. The two girls knew they were in deep danger, as Carlos was a cruel and vindictive man who would not hesitate to harm or even kill two lovely ladies such as them.
Carlos noticed their wailing, and before long, the two girls began crying for their remaining sisters.
“Lola! Mariana! Help! Please! We have been captured by that evil spirit Carlos! Please! You must free us!”
Carlos sighed, he didn’t have time for this. He took out a frying pan. “You two ladies make far too much noise.” He chuckled mischievously and grinned. “It’s time to go back to sleep. Goodnight.”
“Carlos, no, no! NOOOOO!!!” The girls pleaded, desperate for their lives to be spared.
But Carlos quickly silenced them. Whacking Ines on the head with the frying pan so hard that her eyes fluttered shut and she slipped into unconsciousness.
Lydia watched in horror as tears enveloped in her eyes. Before her attention turned to Carlos as she glared at him with the heat of a thousand suns. “You will not get away wi—“
CLANG! And just like that, poor, sweet Lydia was out cold as well.
Carlos grinned evilly at the two unconscious girls. Rubbing his hands together, he felt a twisted joy overtake him as he realized he was much closer to achieving his dreams. “Everything is going just according to plan,” he spoke aloud to himself. “With these two lives at mercy, Mariana and Lola will have no choice but to submit to my wants and make me the most powerful and wealthy man in ALL OF SPAIN! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!” He laughed, a horrific and monstrous cackle, screeching wickedly into the moonlit sky.
Mariana and Lola were scared out of their wits at this point, but they nonetheless knew it had to be done. Only they could stop Carlos from inflicting further harm on their beloved sisters. And if they didn’t act, not only would their fortune be stolen from them, but they would be eaten by the king’s most trusted feline companion.
To be fair, with them gone, they wouldn’t have to see their fortune get stolen, but that was of no comfort to them as Carlos would still win. And they needed to stop that from happening.
It hurt them so to see Ines and Lydia tied up as they sat back to back on the floor behind the wicked man that had caused them so much misery and suffering. With a determined finger, Lola pointed angrily at Carlos.
“You will give us back our sisters, at once!”
Carlos grinned. “I will.”
Mariana gasped once more. “You will?”
“Why yes, of course, my little one,” Carlos grinned, and Mariana knew he was not at all being truthful. Carlos went on. “But only if you do one teensy little favor for me! Give over all your riches, all your money, all your most valuable possessions, to me! I want them all!”
“Never!” Lola roared.
“Never?” Carlos said. “Well, if that’s how it is…” Carlos grabbed hold of the captured girls, who began kicking and screaming, and dragged them over to the fire he had set up. “You can say your last goodbyes to your sisters right now! Because I will be placing their heads in the fire unless you do what I say!”
“No! NOOO! No!” Ines and Lydia screamed in desperation, sobbing relentlessly once more as the stench of death could be detected right under their noses, beckoning them closer and closer.
“Not a sound!” Carlos screeched at them to be quiet, but they didn’t listen.
“Please, Mariana and Lola!” Ines yelled. “Just do what he says!”
“We can’t!” Mariana responded. “Don’t you see? It’s a trap! We can’t give in to his temptations!”
“I’d rather do without my riches than without my sisters,” Lydia said with a smile, her facade of joy tarnished by her fearful desperation to live. “Wouldn’t you? Wouldn’t you rather the four of us all be together?”
Lola let out a heavy, shuddering exhale. “All right, Carlos. You want our riches?”
“I sure do!”
And that’s when Lola drew her sword. “Then you have to battle me for them!”
Carlos grinned. “Challenge accepted!” He pulled out his own sword.
The two fought each other with their swords, Lola coming closer and closer to overpowering Carlos. However, Carlos was not privy to give up that easily.
Meanwhile, Mariana rushed to unravel Ines and Lydia.
The three girls hugged each other, and kissed each other’s faces, overjoyed that their lives had finally been spared. Then they put out the flames.
As the battle progressed, Lola was getting increasingly weaker, and was running out of stamina.
“Aha! Not so fierce and tough now, are you princess?” Carlos grinned satanically. “Fear not, for I will pierce through your aching and trembling heart with my sword, seizing the win and putting you out of your misery!” He laughed. “Adios!”
“Now!” Mariana yelled.
And that’s when the jaguar leapt out of the bushes, pouncing on Carlos and saving Lola’s precious life, just as Carlos was about to slay her.
“Please!” Carlos pleaded pathetically. “Spare me, I beg of you!”
But the jaguar knew no mercy. Tearing at Carlos limb for limb, the beast of nature feasted on his delicious body, until it left nothing but skull, bones, and tattered fabric behind.
The girls ignored Carlos’ blood-curdling wails of pain and agony as he was made a delectable jaguar meal. When the deed was done, the girls rejoiced loudly.
“We are free!” Mariana cried out, leaping and hugging Lola.
“Yes, we are!” Lola proclaimed with joy, leaving a sloppy kiss on Mariana’s cheek. “We are free and Carlos is no more!”
“And the best part is that we won’t be eaten by the jaguar!” Ines added. “Mariana, Lola, you have no idea how thankful we are for your quick thinking, fierceness, and brilliance. If it wasn’t for you taking away the king’s jaguar, we would be at the mercy of Carlos, and perhaps not live to see another day!”
“Sí, the king will be so proud of us once he realizes we have been victorious!” Lydia agreed. “We’ll have rekindled his trust and faith in us. I can’t wait for him to receive the news.”
The four girls were joyful as they hugged and kissed not just each other, but their good friend the jaguar too. They went home, jolly and in good spirit, and spent the rest of the night up in Lola’s room, gossiping and chattering away quietly so that their parents wouldn’t be aware that they were awake.
They had never been as proud of themselves as they were in that moment.
The adults watched, stunned, as Isabela continued to narrate the ending of the play. “The girls were elated that they had defeated the wicked thief Carlos, and the king was pleased with them. Although he had been enraged at them at first for stealing his jaguar, he very quickly forgave them after seeing just how efficient they were at carrying out his tasks set out for them. And they bestowed upon him Carlos’ skull as a gift, and as proof that he was indeed slain. And so the girls went on, continuing to be good friends and close sisters, and lived happily ever after. The end.”
The audience clapped as the characters all showed up onstage to take their bows. When they all showed up together, they received a standing ovation.
“Well, that was an interesting ending,” Bruno told his sisters.
Julieta nodded. “Yes, but you know Dolores. She always comes up with the weirdest and wildest of stories.”
“She’s a good writer though,” Pepa wiped a tear from her eye. “That’s my baby!”
“Definitely,” Felix and Agustin agreed.
Once the play was finally done, Bruno was the first to wrap Dolores in a hug. “You were stellar out there!” He told her, giving her a fist bump. “And honestly Lola was my favorite character! I loved her drive, her fire, and her spunk!”
“Thanks Bruno!” Dolores chirped. “I’m so glad! I put a lot of effort into the role.”
“I can tell!” Bruno hugged Isabela. “Great job everyone! And Isabela, that was a really good idea to put on a play for us.”
“No problem!” Isabela said. “I liked getting to do this, since we don’t do it often, but I just thought we ought to repay you for all the plays you have put on for us!”
“That’s true,” Julieta said.
“And it was an awesome idea!” Bruno agreed with a giggle.
“Was I a good king?” Antonio said, running towards them.
“You were an excellent king, mijo,” Pepa said, bending down to Antonio’s level and rubbing his hair. “And look at your pretty little crown.”
“Isabela made it!” Antonio said. “Tell them Isabela, tell them you did!”
“I did.”
“Yay!”
“Well, everybody did an awesome job!” Bruno agreed. “And I love the costumes!”
“I enjoyed it too,” Agustin agreed. “Especially when Carlos got eaten in the end. Rawr!” He made clawing motions with his hands, as the grandkids giggled at the praise. Except for Camilo, who rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, but a grin crept onto his face nevertheless.
“That was my favorite as well,” Alma said. “Along with the sword fight. She smiled at Dolores, and Dolores smiled back. It was certainly a good thing that Agustin and Alma agreed on something.
Mirabel yawned. “As fun as that was—“ she punched Isabela’s forearm jokingly. “I’m never doing a last-minute play again, no matter how good it turns out.” She collapsed into Luisa’s arms. “I’m tired.”
“All right, get some sleep,” Felix said. “It is almost midnight.”
“Yes, that is a good idea,” Alma agreed, patting Felix on the back. “Goodnight everybody.”
“Goodnight,” they said, as they all retreated to their rooms, the grandkids to their room, the triplets to Bruno’s, and the husbands to Pepa’s. Alma went to her own room of course.
That night, Alma pulled out a locket, and opened it to see Pedro inside.
She smiled warmly. “Pedro,” she said softly. “I just wish you could see your children today. They are so happy to be reunited, and their bond is stronger than ever. Each day they grow and Bruno is becoming more and more handsome like his father, Pepa is showing more and more of your wit and perseverance, and Julieta is displaying more and more of your love and kindness.” A tear slipped from her eye. “I wish you were here, mi amor. For you have given me the greatest gift of all. My children.” She kissed the picture inside the locket. “Goodnight Pedro. I will see you again one day.”
💙💛💚
The kids camped out in Mirabel’s room that night, Dolores and Antonio sleeping in a second bed, Isabela and Luisa sleeping in sleeping bags on the floor, and Mirabel and Camilo sleeping in Mirabel’s bed. Except only Mirabel was sleeping. Camilo was awake with the rest of the siblings, holding Mirabel protectively as she snored on his chest.
“Awww. She’s so cute like this. In the daytime she’s a total nuisance. Coochie coochie coo!” He wiggled her nose and mouth.
“Camilo, she is not a baby.”
But Camilo didn’t listen to Dolores as he played with Mirabel’s eyelashes, making her wince and rub her eyes but fortunately remain asleep. Camilo grinned and kissed her nose.
“That was a fun play everybody!” Isabela smiled. “I’m so glad I came up with it.”
“Of course you are,” Dolores said.
“My favorite part of the play, besides the ballroom scenes, was when Carlos and Ines fought one on one,” Isabela continued saying.
Camilo huffed. “And Carlos should have won.”
“So not true.”
“So true,” Camilo protested. “Carlos deserved much better than the story he was in. I mean, all he wanted was to not be poor and at the bottom of society, is that so bad? But no, instead he gets devoured alive by a jaguar just for wanting a better life for himself.” He sighed sadly as he absentmindedly combed Mirabel’s curls with his fingers. “That hardly seems fair.”
“Carlos may have been poor, but that still doesn’t excuse the things he did throw the story,” Isabela pointed out. “Like kidnap innocent people. Or try to set Ines and Lydia on fire unless Lola and Mariana gave over their wealth to him.”
“He wasn’t just looking for a better life, Camilo,” Dolores explained. “He was selfish and greedy and dishonest. Not to mention opportunistic. And in fact I wanted to have a scene where he even killed the sister’s parents and hoarded the wealth for himself, but I decided that was overkill.” Dolores paused. “Plus, I had nobody to play the parents.”
“But why didn’t the king help him?” Camilo asked as an arm was wrapped around Mirabel.
“It’s not like they’re brothers in real life,” Dolores answered. “And once again, he’s a criminal.”
“But—“
“Sounds to me like someone’s just upset at the role they were asked to play!” Luisa pointed out with a grin.”
“W-what?!” Camilo spluttered. “N-no I’m not!”
“Yes you are!” Dolores grinned.
“Nuh-uh,” Camilo turned around to face Mirabel. “I’m going to sleep. Goodnight.”
“Don’t forget that it’s your fault we had to do the play in the first place Camilo,” Isabela said. “After all, if you hadn’t tried to ruin the surprise we were planning for them, I wouldn’t have come up with that lie.”
“I said goodnight.” Camilo huffed, hugging a sleeping Mirabel closer and burying his face in her hair. He had to fight to resist a grin. Secretly he had liked being in the play. But he wasn’t going to give the granddaughters the benefit of the doubt.
“Goodnight Camilo.” Isabela smirked, rolling her eyes.
“Goodnight big brother!” Antonio whispered in the night.
“Goodnight Antonio.” Camilo said as he continued to snuggle with his cousin. It was times like these that made him happy that he and Mirabel were so close. Hugging her closer as he accidentally breathed in strands of her hair—not that that was a problem, since her hair smelled good—Mirabel wrapped an arm around Camilo as well, mumbling something.
Camilo closed his eyes.
“Anyway, I think he’s asleep.” Isabela turned back to the girls and Antonio, not knowing that Camilo wasn’t in fact asleep. “Anyway I really liked the play. Maybe we could perform it for the village as well.”
“That would be a good idea,” Dolores said. “Not tomorrow though, maybe much later in the future.”
“What if Bruno’s not okay with it?” Luisa asked.
“I’m sure he will be,” Isabela said. “After all, this play will remind him of the best birthday party he ever did have with his grandkids! I’m just glad we got to do something like this for them. Not just Bruno, but all of them.”
Luisa nodded. “It wasn’t just entertaining, it was a good way of showing our love for the family.”
“Yes, that’s true!” Isabela said. She pulled the blankets over her head. “Well, I’m going to bed now. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” Dolores said.
“Buenas noches,” Luisa said.
“Buenas noches!” Antonio said as he snuggled with Dolores the same way his brother was doing with Mirabel.
And the grandkids all fell fast asleep.
THE END
#october 17#encanto#fanfic#encanto fanfic#encanto one-shot#isabela madrigal#isabela my beloved#isabela is best girl#dolores madrigal#luisa madrigal#camilo madrigal#mirabel madrigal#antonio madrigal#julieta madrigal#pepa madrigal#bruno madrigal#alma madrigal#felix madrigal#agustin madrigal#grandkid roundup#pb&j triplets#birthday#encanto birthdays
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@enigmaticdoctorscully suggested a short one-shot where Julieta and Agustín share a brain cell and chaos ensues. Also, a GO LOOK AT THIS. <3
#encanto#julieta madrigal#agustin madrigal#pepa madrigal#bruno magridal#agustin x julieta#sibling bonding#sibling chaos#disney's encanto#squib fanfiction#encanto fanfiction#fluff#one shots#marina and I are sharing a singluar braincell
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Chapters: 5/?
Fandom: Encanto (2021)
Summary:
A collection of the prompts for One-Shots and drabbles I have gotten on tumblr.
Chapter 5:
An entitled and persistent villager comes to Casita, demanding a prophecy. Alma finally gets the chance to protect her son for a change. She also gets to threaten a bit of bodily harm. As a treat.
#encanto#encanto fanfic#encanto one shot#bruno madrigal#alma madrigal#abuela alma encanto#disney encanto#camilo madrigal#protective alma#Alma gets to go a little bit feral here#She deserves it#Alma madrigal tries
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I'm currently reading/watching Oedipus the King in my Theatre Appreciation class and now I'm imagining a scenario where Bruno has a vision so horrible that he rips his eyes out.
#can you tell i need help#bruno madrigal angst#bruno madrigal whump#encanto#bruno madrigal#disney encanto#an idea for fanart or one shot i guess#oedipus the king#bruno oedipus au#minus ancient Greece and incest/killer curse thing#encanto fanart#encanto fanfic#someone take my writing rights away lol
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Mirabel found herself in Casita’s kitchen, squinting at a recipe for orange and cranberry cookies. It was a new recipe book from the next town over and everything Julieta had baked from it so far was, of course, utterly amazing.
Mirabel wasn’t much of a baker, but she wanted to give her mamá a break, okay? A nice surprise. One less thing to worry about in the morning.
It’s just, you know, Casita was always so dang busy and Mirabel wanted this to be a surprise…So she was baking in secret at midnight.
Well, no one ever said it was a well thought out plan.
🍪
Mirabel wants to make a nice surprise for Julieta, but no one can ever accuse Mirabel of planning ahead. At least Bruno's happy to help her out.
Or: Mirabel and Bruno make cookies for Julieta, and Mirabel loves her family very much
🍪
For @junosaccount for the secret Santa exchange! Happy holidays 🎄
#small hours#secret santa#la familia madrigal#mirabel madrigal#bruno madrigal#julieta madrigal#the madrigal family#madrigal family shenanigans#encanto#encanto fanfic#encanto fanfiction#my writing#new story#one shot#update#nothing but wholesome fluff#which is rare from me!
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Your Past, My Present, Our Future
Summary:
Living is nothing but change. Ten years had passed for both Bruno and Gabriela, and they are more than ready to leap toward their future. Her sudden reappearance in the Encanto, however, sends the rest of the Madrigal family clamoring for answers.
–
A “What We Don’t See” One-Shot. The story events happen between the end of Chapter 45 to the beginning of Chapter 47.
++++
“Come back home to me.”
The words settled in deep within her soul, bringing her back to life. She had never expected in this life that she would be given another chance. There were many moments, and opportunities missed.
Living is nothing but change.
In the ten years that passed since she left home, Gabriela had lost almost all hope. She had felt isolated, desperate, and bitter. She had forgotten what love meant to be.
It was only when he returned did she finally see.
++++
The town was shaken by her sudden appearance in the middle of the celebration, having thought that she had left the Encanto (and her family, by extension,) or taken her own life. For a moment, everyone thought Gabriela was a ghost back to haunt them until Bruno had taken her into his arms in an embrace.
There were a lot of mixed emotions, but perhaps, no one was more surprised than Alma Madrigal herself. She almost fainted right into her sons-in-law’s waiting arms. With a shaking voice, she asked the question that was on everyone’s minds.
“Mija, is that you?”
++++
The room is quiet, save for a few sniffles coming from Pepa. After the shock died down from Gabriela's sudden return, Alma agreed to Bruno's request for the two families to talk.
The celebrations for the rebirth of Casa Madrigal could wait. There are questions waiting to be answered.
"Señora Alma," Gabriela began, her voice a little unsure. The old matriarch watched as her son squeezed his beloved's hand assuringly, and she wondered if anything had ever changed between them both. The circumstances that led to their separation were already acknowledged, but she never expected them to be still this devoted to one another.
But maybe she's not thinking very clearly. After all, Alma was familiar with the feeling. Fifty years may have passed, but her love for Pedro never wavered, not even for a moment, even in despair. She even prayed for help, an answer to save the family.
Mirabel was, and is, in every sense of the word, a miracle.
"Please, Gabriela, mija," Alma nods, folding her hands on her lap to stop herself from shaking. "I know it's been many years since you've disappeared from our sight, but I hold no ill will against you or your family. There is no need to be so formal."
Gabriela exhales a long breath. "I know, and I thank you, but…"
"But…?"
Alma steels herself, like the rest of the family while Gabriela chooses her words carefully. "...I haven't been honest with you and the rest of the Madrigals about myself, save for your triplets, who I had sworn to secrecy. My family hasn't been transparent about it either. We had thought it best to keep it that way for so long, but seeing as how things had turned out in the last ten years, I thought it best for me to come clean."
Secrets? The word made no sense at all. The grandkids shifted uncomfortably in their seats while the Madrigal esposos exchanged questioning glances at their wives. They all knew that it was impossible for anyone to keep secrets with Dolores' gift…
"It was before she even got one."
At that comment, Alma froze. "What?" She blinked. "How did you…?"
"Señora…the truth is," Gabriela's voice almost broke under the pressure. Her earlier bravado was chipping away by doubt and fear but the warmth of Bruno's hands reminded her of the reason she was here. "I have a gift of my own, and even before you say a word about it all…I know. I've always known."
"I don't…understand…"
"Señora Madrigal…Mamá Alma…I have the ability to read people's minds."
++++
About a week before the completion of the house, Gabriela found herself back at the doorstep of her old home. The lights were still on, meaning that her family may still be very much awake.
When she decided to return, she didn't think of the consequences or the reactions she'd get.
Gabriela clutched her throat. The coolness of the metal brushing against her skin made her feel hope, for once. The possibilities are endless, the future, divine. She was ready to storm through Casa Madrigal brandishing her ring and demand Bruno to marry her immediately.
But she just couldn’t do that, even if she wanted to. Not without asking…or possibly begging for forgiveness from her father. There were rules broken, much more pain inflicted than the time she came home broken beyond recognition. This time it was different, and if she needed to fight back she was more than willing to do so.
Gabriela tapped on the door and waited. Moments later a woman answered the door and immediately there was nothing but tears.
"Hey, Lucía, mi hermana, please don't…don't cry so much!" She whispered as she rubbed her sister-in-law's back to soothe her. "You're going to make me cry as well, and it's been a long day…"
"I just can't help it!" Lucía whimpers just as a little jittery boy interrupts their reunion. "Mamá, who is she? And why are you crying?"
Mamá?
"Juancho, go get your Abuelo and Papá, quickly!"
"But…"
"No buts. Now, por favor, or so help me…"
He scrambles away before his mother can scold him and comes back in a minute or two with the rest of the Álvarezes in tow. "Okay, I got Abuelo and Papá here. What's going on?"
The sight of her whole family broke her composure. Gabriela crashes straight into her father and brother's open arms. She had nothing but apologies and words that she wanted to say. They never said anything else, just content in knowing the prodigal daughter has come back home again.
She is more like herself, but life has changed. Her family had grown without her, and she missed a lot of milestones along the way. Gabriela kneeled to meet with Juancho's eye level. "Hello, Juancho."
He squeaks and hides behind his mother's skirt, suddenly shy. Lucía looks apologetic. "I'm sorry, Ella. I swear he's normally not like this."
"I can't blame him…" Gabriela trails off. "I mean, I look after the family from afar, but…it's not the same as being here."
"It certainly isn't," Julián teased, but he's still shaking, emotional over the return of his sister. "Oye, Juancho. Is that a way to greet your Tía?"
"¿Mi Tía?" Juancho's eyes widened. His eyes darted to the picture frame on the wall. Granted, it was an older photo of Gabriela in her late 30s, but she still looks the same despite the gray hairs that were starting to show. "Tía Gabriela?"
"Yes, that's me. Lo siento, mi bebe, I haven't been home as I should…"
Gabriela almost falls backward when Juancho tackles her and begins to talk her ear off. "I have so many questions! Papá said that you were supposed to marry Mirabel's Tío Bruno, but then he disappeared, then you also disappeared, and for a time people thought you both were gone…"
The gravelly tone of Señor Mauricio stops her sobrino's rambling. "Mijo, I'm sure you have a lot of questions to ask your Tía, but let's save them for tomorrow. It's getting late."
There is a hint of displeasure in the way he said it that all of the adults had picked up on. Gabriela tried to brush off the icky feeling. "It's fine, Papá, I'm not that tired…"
A glint in his eye stops her in her tracks and Lucía thankfully takes over. "Nonsense! Pá Mauricio is right. You must be tired from all that walking to get down from the mountains." She hooks an arm with Gabriela's and leads her upstairs with Juancho in tow. "Your room is just as you left it. Welcome home."
++++
It's been a while since she had a nightmare. Gabriela squirmed uncomfortably, her face twisting and turning as her past flashed behind her eyelids.
She woke up in a cold sweat before it could take a darker turn. The world outside was quiet, but her room felt overwhelming with her heart thumping loudly in her ears.
Why was Papá avoiding any mention of Bruno?
There was so much to think about, and Gabriela knew of the challenges she would have to face come morning. With trembling fingers, she opens the window to let the cool night air in. In the distance, she could make out the silhouette of Casita, and high above, her beloved's tower. At the back of her mind, the fears brewed. Will I lose what is left of me if I make this choice, or will I regain what should've been mine in the first place?
She will never admit it outright, but falling for Bruno all over again reopened old scars that never healed in the first place.
++++
"No."
Mauricio stood his ground, though he knew his reasons would not be taken well.
The morning had started innocently enough, that was until his nuera left the house with little Juancho in tow. He had expected it, the same fire that the love of his life had shown in the determination of their daughter.
But it has been years, and he is not willing to go down without a fight, even for a lost cause. There is a side of Mauricio that hoped maybe, just maybe, Gabriela would let it go.
She's the spitting image of her mother. Elena would've been so proud.
If only Gabriela could see his side, could understand what he felt all those years she had to hide away from the world. Their family was given a miracle of their own, but at what cost? He loved her more than anything else, from the moment they brought her into the world.
He's still her father, and that would never change.
"Papá," Gabriela said through gritted teeth. "I have made up my mind. There is no further reason to hate. Please."
It was difficult to take in her composed fury. Her statement was fair, he told himself. Reasonable and justified, but his fears were still there and so he would not be swayed. "No, Gabriela. I don't care if you've made up your mind, the answer is still no."
"Do you know what kind of hell I've been through? To have lost someone so dearly and to see my future falling into pieces?" She trembles through angry tears. "Papá, I LOVE this man. You may not believe it, but I still love him, even ten years later. He has made a ton of mistakes, and I've made mine, but don't you see? He's more than willing to do right by me this time, by his family…for all of us."
"How sure are you? I had lost my daughter once before, I will not lose her again just because of that wretched curse!"
The room fell deadly silent and Mauricio wished he could turn back time. He tried to approach Gabriela, but she moved away. "Mija, I…"
"No, you're right. You're right." For a moment when he blinked, he could've sworn she became someone else. "He is a wretched man, and I surely would be worthless and disgraced if I even push it further."
"Gabriela, I didn’t mean it that way, you're my daughter. I would never think…"
"But you do!" She accuses and his hand goes limp. "You never explicitly told me or even thought about it, but I know. I see it in your eyes when you look at me sometimes, how I'm a pitiful thing for having such a past happen to me. I know what I am, and I was a fool then, but it was not my fault."
"I never said it was your fault."
"Papá, if we were still back home…if we never left, would you have forgiven me?"
The question hung heavily in the air. Gabriela stood up to leave when she didn't get an answer. "I'm done trying to pretend for everyone else. Bruno Madrigal is a mess of a man, but he was the only one who saw through me. All of me…"
"Where are you going?" Mauricio helplessly tried to salvage the situation. "We are not yet done talking, Gabriela."
How did it come to this? Her next words made him feel dread, much worse than the time his daughter was brought home on his son's shoulders, half-dead. Way more than when he found out about her loss and she had changed.
This time, there was nothing in the way. She could walk out for good.
"I am. If we can't get your blessing, then maybe I'll have to find my own way."
++++
All eyes darted between father and daughter. Alma Madrigal cleared her throat, catching everyone's attention. "And how did she manage to convince you, Mauricio?" She asked. "I never knew you felt that way about my children…about my family."
Mauricio flinched for a quick moment, before sighing in resignation. "Your family has been nothing but good to ours, señora, but at that time…I was still dealing with my grief. You would understand, knowing you had your reasons."
Alma pursed her lips. The man had a point. She had held everyone too tightly, causing more pain than she ever realized. The more she held on, the more everyone slipped, just like sand.
Bruno discreetly squeezed Gabriela's hand to comfort her. The action didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of them. "Indeed I had," Alma stated, watching her son with renewed interest. "But I'm keener to know if you still feel that way. Because if you do, then I, too, will refuse."
"What?" Pepa's voice boomed along with her thundercloud, prompting Félix and Camilo to her side. "How could you, Mamá? Do you want us to lose my brother again?"
"Abuela, this doesn't make sense," Mirabel interjects when she notices Bruno sitting still with his eyes closed. Ever since she'd seen first-hand what a mess her Tío became from his years hiding in the walls, Mirabel felt it was her duty to be his champion and protector. "They're clearly meant for each other. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?"
"Don't blame her. She's doing what is right for your family."
Pepa and Mirabel stared in disbelief at Gabriela. "No one would want to agree to a wedding if it'll put the other party at risk." She continued. "I've learned it the hard way."
"Mija," Alma's jaw dropped, finding herself at a loss for words. The gift would take some getting used to. "I know it feels like I'm opposing you, but…"
"It's okay. I have no hard feelings about it, but I wanted to make my truth known." Gabriela's understanding eyes fell on her father. "My being here is an answer to the question Bruno asked me when he returned my ring. Papá and I may not have seen eye to eye on the matter, but I believe that I found the type of love I've dreamed of, just like the one he and Mamá had."
"And what is it?"
As soon as the question left Alma's lips, it dawned on Mirabel that her Tío was not mumbling any mantra. He was eerily calm like he had expected it to happen. "A love that was by chance, something so honest and pure and hard and messy." Gabriela winks at Mirabel who is left speechless by the possibility. "Real."
++++
She had thought it a lost cause and was all but ready to give up when a knock on the door broke her train of thought.
"Gabriela? Can I come in?"
The world would always be terrible and terrifying but she had survived going to hell and back. With a deep breath, she opened the door and gave her father a dampened smile. He quietly shuffles into her room, an awkward silence befalling them before Mauricio steeled himself and spoke. "Mija, I…I wanted to apologize."
There is no worse feeling than hurting the people you love. They knew that sometimes, the only balm is time. "I'm sorry I raised my voice and walked out on you, Papá," Gabriela sighed. "It's just…I got so frustrated and hurt and…"
"No, no. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Gabriela."
At that, she burst into fresh tears. "I don't want to lose my family, Papá, but I can't lose Bruno either. It's tearing me apart."
"I'm sorry I made you choose." He wrapped his arms around her. It feels just like yesterday that she was still young and small, but seeing the beginnings of gray in her hair made him realize that he couldn't hold her forever.
"He's not the perfect man, Pá," Gabriela nodded against his chest. "Bruno is an idiot. An idiot whose fault is loving too much that he's willing to put himself on the line without any care for how everyone else feels."
"But you love him either way, just as he loves you." He said with finality. "Gabriela, when you asked me if we were still back there if I would forgive you for everything?"
She stiffened. She had forgotten that she spewed the accusation in the heat of the moment, but it was what she felt.
What she always thought of herself.
So she was surprised when Mauricio gently brushed her tears and kissed her forehead. "How could you ask me if I hated my daughter, my own flesh and blood? Whatever has happened, mija, I never blamed you or Julián, but I blame myself because I failed to protect my family. I didn't need to forgive you, because you have done nothing wrong. I'm the one who needed to forgive myself."
It was time for him to let go.
"I will always be wary of any man, even the imperfect magical ones that see who you are within." Mauricio squeezed her hands and he was sure he could see his wife smile behind his daughter's eyes. "We will go to see the Madrigals first thing tomorrow morning, mi princesa."
++++
"Do you remember our first kiss? Right at this very spot?" Bruno asked Gabriela while they watched the stars, huddled close to each other on the roof.
"How can this be the same?" She exhales, letting her head rest on his shoulder. "Didn't Casita fall, and you all had to rebuild from the ground up?"
The tiles clacked, making the two of them chuckle. "Casita says she's still the same despite the new paint." Bruno laughs. "And she remembers that night well."
"Who knew, right?"
"Who knew?"
They sat there in comfortable silence, hands entwined.
"Bruno?"
"Hm?"
"Do you believe that we will finally get our happy ending?"
"I certainly hope so." He mused. "I'm sorry you and Señor Mauricio got into a disagreement."
"You would think that me being close to fifty, he'd trust me on my judgment."
"He's just…trying to look out for you. I haven't had the best track record with people."
"We're not exactly the perfect couple either. An awkward seer and a guilt-ridden mind-reader. What an odd combination."
"Is it? But I wouldn't change a thing about you. I love you just the way you are."
"Oh, Bruno Madrigal, you're being dramatic," Gabriela clutched her chest, falling into his lap. "Theatrical, I would say."
"It's true though," Bruno's eyes sparkled with fervent adoration. "Whatever lifetime we find ourselves in, I will forever want to be with you."
Gabriela grinned and her worries disappeared as she pulled him down to her. "Just shut up and kiss me, cariño, te amo."
The world felt right the moment their lips touched. "One week." Bruno hummed contentedly, letting his bride do whatever she wanted. "And it'll be official, mi vida. Your past, my present, our future."
++++
Glossary of terms (in order of appearance in-text):
Nuera - daughter-in-law
Main Fic | Previous One-Shot | Next One-Shot
#encanto#fanfiction#one shot fic#one shot#original character has a gift#mirabel madrigal#bruno madrigal#pepa madrigal#abuela alma madrigal#what we don't see#post canon#ao3fic#fluff and romance
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Becoming Madrigal
Ramiro was adopted at eight years old, and was given a normal room. However, when he saw Elena and Bruno as his parents and spoke the words, he became a true Madrigal.
Casita immediately had a rapport with Ramiro, the child enchanted by a magical house that helped him navigate the world. However, when given a chance Casita bestowed a power that made them able to communicate emotionally/telepathically with Ramiro. Ramiro can also feel the emotional history of objects.
Elena and Bruno are great parents, even though they sometimes forget they have to be more descriptive with their blind child.
Master comic list
Start from the beginning
One shots
#encanto#encanto oc#elena ruiz#bruno madrigal#bruno magridal#prophetic hijinks#encanto comic#fanart#Ramiro madrigal#Ramiromadrigal
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my fic recs masterlist
---
Bucky Barnes:
all bucky barnes
headcanon - blurb - one-shot - series
dbf!bucky - brothers bff - bff’s brother
neighbour - housewife reader
lumberjack - firefighter - bodyguard
priest bucky - college
football player - hockey player - boxer
professor - teacher - librarian/bookshop
coffee shop - soulmate - royal
other AUs - taboo
---
Stranger Things characters:
all eddie munson - all steve harrington
eddie and steve (x reader)
billy hargrove - jason carver - mike wheeler
dmitri enzo antonov - jim hopper
robin buckley - nancy wheeler
---
Outer Banks Characters:
all Rafe Cameron
all JJ Maybank
Rafe Cameron and JJ Maybank (x reader)
Pope Heyward - Topper Thorton
John B. - Sarah Cameron
Kiara Carrera
---
Marvel characters:
Wanda Maximoff - Kate Bishop
Natasha Romanoff - Yelena Belova
Peter Parker - Pietro Maximoff
Steve Rogers - Stephen Strange
Frank Castle - Matt Murdock
Moon knight - Steven Grant
Joaqín Torres - Clint Barton
Loki Laufeyson - Druig
Eddie Brock - Miles Morales
Miguel O’hara - Hobie Brown
---
Harry Potter characters:
Sirius Black - Remus Lupin
James Potter - Poly!Marauders
Lily potter - Cedric Diggory
George Weasley - Fred Weasley
Severus Snape - Tom Riddle
Draco Malfoy
---
Avatar (James Cameron) charachters:
neteyam - aonung - lo’ak
rotxo - kiri - spider
jake sully - neytiri - tsu’tey
tonowari - ronal - colonel quaritch
---
Top Gun chracters:
Fanboy - Hangman - Rooster - Bob
Iceman
---
Wednesday characters:
Xavier Thorpe - Ajax Petropolus
Wednesday Addams - Divina
---
Bridgerton characters:
Anthony Bridgerton - Benedict Bridgerton
Colin Bridgerton
---
Criminal Minds characters:
Spencer Reid - Aaron Hotchner
Derek Morgan
---
The Last of Us characters:
Joel Miller - Ellie Williams
Abby Anderson
---
The Devil All The Time characters:
Tommy Matson - Lee Bodecker
---
Uncharted characters:
Nate Drake - Sam Drake
---
Euphoria characters:
Elliot (Euphoria) - Fezco
---
On My Block characters:
Mario Martinez - Oscar Diaz
---
Modern Family characters:
Luke Dunphy - Alex Dunphy
---
Ted Lasso:
Roy Kent - Jamie Tartt
---
NHL players:
Matthew Ktachuk - Trevor Zegras
Nolan Patrick - Tyler Seguin
---
Actors:
Sebastian Stan - Joseph Quinn
Jamie Campbell Bower - Danny Ramirez
Drew Starkey - Rudy Pankow
Ben Hardy - Bella Ramsey
Jenna Ortega
---
Miscellaneous characters:
Eli ‘Hawk’ Moskowitz - Marcus Baker
Rodrick Heffley - Hunter Sylvester
Lloyd Hansen - Ari Levinson
Nick Fowler - Tangerine
Rhett Abbott - Hayden ‘Harvard Hottie’
Colin (Not Okay) - Min Ho (Xo, Kitty)
Ash (No Exit) - James Maguire (Derby Girls)
Jake Peralta - Nick Miller - Brian O’conner
Anakin Skywalker - Bruno Madrigal
Tadashi Hamada - Kakashi Hatake
---
Miscellaneous real people:
Billie Eilish - AEW Hook
---
*Updated whenever there’s a new character <3
#wintersoldierslover#fic recs#fanfiction#fanfic#bucky barnes x reader#eddie munson x reader#steve harrington x reader#eddie munson x reader x steve harrington#billy hargrove x reader#jason carver x reader#robin buckley x reader#nancy wheeler x reader#rafe cameron x smut#jj mabank x reader#jj maybank x reader x rafe cameron#wanda maximoff x reader#kate bishop x reader#natasha romanoff x reader#yelena belova x reader#peter parker x reader#pietro maximoff x reader#steve rogers x reader#stephen strange x reader#frank castle x reader#matt murdock x reader#moon knight x reader#marc spector x reader#jake lockley x reader#steven grant x reader#joaquin torres x reader
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