Three Times for Luck

Chapter One

Catalina's POV

"Catalina! Could you fetch the measuring tape for me?" Amá called from the other room.  Gingerly setting down my invention, I hastily stand up and hurry to the fitting room, skidding to a stop beside my mother. Dusting off my skirt, I handed the measuring tape to her.

"Holá, Señor Alvarez!" I greeted the portly man, who was being fitted for a new suit. 

"Hello, Catalina!" he replied, grinning. "Paula wanted to extend a special thank you to you for the beautiful embroidery on her dress. She always did have a soft spot for pink river dolphins." Señor Alvarez and his wife had always been one of my favorite customers. When he came in a couple weeks ago wanting a new dress to surprise Paula with for her birthday, I asked him if I could do a bit of embroidering around the hems. He gave me full reign, and I had spent nearly all my time getting the ripples in the water to look just right. I'm lucky I didn't accidentally drip any blood on the fabric from all the times I had pricked my finger.

"You're too kind, Señor Alvarez. I'm glad that Señora Alvarez liked it!" I respond demurely, giving him a genuine smile, my heart swelling at the compliment.

"Accept the praise, Catalina! All of Encanto knows that you're the best embroiderer around." At this he jokingly leans toward me, stage whispering. "Some say even better than your father."

Papá pokes his head in from the front of the store, chuckling at the older man's joke. "Of course Catalina's better than me! Why, she's my daughter. She learned from the best!" He does an exaggerated wink before turning back to adjusting the displays. 

After Señor Alvarez leaves with the promise of his suit being delivered in a week, I helped Papá with evening cleanup of the store, and then headed back home alone, since he wanted to double-check our inventory. Just as I was stepping out of the threshold of Garcia Clothing & Alterations, a bucket of blue dye was emptied onto my head, soaking me. 

"Camilo Madrigal! I know that was you!" I screeched, accusatorily. Sure enough, a head of dark curls popped up from the roof, smiling maniacally and holding an empty tub. 

"Why, Catalina! Fancy seeing you here, hmm?" Camilo called from above, crooking an eyebrow. "If I don't say, mi amor, blue is certainly your color." A light flush creeps into my cheeks, and I mentally thank the world that it's too dark for him to notice.

"I'm not your anything, Camilo." 

"You wound me, my darling!" he says dramatically. I can practically hear the smirk on his lips. 

Rolling my eyes, I turn around, and continue on my way. From behind me, I hear him jump down from the roof of my parent's shop and run back to the Madrigal home, the empty bucket of dye bouncing against his leg. 

 It's common knowledge that Camilo Madrigal is a very attractive boy. Every girl in the village follows him with their eyes whenever he comes to the town marketplace, admiring the curve of his face and the bounce of his hair, swearing that he flirts with them if he even casts them a glance. According to them, having dye dumped on your head by Camilo Madrigal would have been the highest of honors.

I scrubbed my hair and face for a full twenty minutes trying to get the blue off, with moderate success. I swear some strands of my hair are going to stay blue forever. I didn't even bother trying to clean the dress, which is a shame, because I quite liked the flower garden I had embroidered onto it. 

The next morning, I woke up earlier than normal, and left a note for my parents to let them know where I went.  After carefully shutting our front door, I run through the streets of Encanto to La Casa del Madrigal, a large trunk in tow behind me. Maribel was already up, sweeping the cobblestones in the courtyard. Smiling, I waved at my friend.