Storyteller (Encanto X OCish Reader)

CHAPTER 19 - Meanwhile

And that's how it went on. No words were needed, you understood each other perfectly without them.

As you parted from Mirabel to go and join Camilo, she observed the living room. It seemed as Félix, Agustín and your father were having some sort of conversation about architecture, Ethan was talking with Luisa about who knows what, Lily and Isabela were making flower crowns, Aiden and Antonio were running around, pretending to be different species of animals, Rose was quietly chatting and giggling with Dolores and your mother, Julieta, Pepa and Alma were engaged in a conversation. Once again, Mirabel felt a bit left out but then she noticed - Bruno was just awkwardly sitting in a corner. So, as simple as it was, she decided to go and join Bruno to make both herself and her uncle feel less left out.

As she did that, she passed your mother, who was currently telling her interlocutors about life before moving. You had lived in a village about a two week's trip from here. She told them how she grew up in that village and met your father at a festival.

But then Julieta had a question. "But why'd you move? Your old home sounds lovely."

Your mother fell quiet, glancing at you from the corner of her eye. She decided to trust her new friends but still lowered her voice a bit. "To protect her. She doesn't know it but if we didn't move, a big responsibility would await her and I don't want her to be pressured to be something she doesn't want to be. I just want her to find her own way and see what's best for herself."

Pepa frowned. "Not to pry but what's the responsibility?"

Your mother was about to say something but she stopped when your laugh cut through the air and reached her ears. It wasn't loud enough to disturb any of the conversations but still hearable. She smiled fondly at the sight.

"Oooh, they get along exceptionally, don't you think?" Julieta gushed, following your mother's line of sight to see you and Camilo talking and then hunching over the book, both mesmerized by the text. But she could've sworn Camilo looked at you for a bit longer before also looking down at the book.

Pepa smiled. "It's nice to see Camilo's making a true friend. He has had difficulties with that because he couldn't exactly find himself either a bit of time ago." She added the last sentence to explain why it was nice to see him making friends to your mother.

Alma nodded. "It's really great indeed. Y/n's a wonderful young lady, she's clearly raised well."

"Thank you," your mother smiled at the compliment. "But I assure you it wasn't only me. It was also Eric of course. And she reads a lot so she tends to absorb the personalities of the nice characters which has pretty much pieced together her own personality by now."

The others noticed how fondly your mother talked about you and realized that whatever made your family move must've been something important.

"But enough about my family. What's the story with... everything here?" your mother asked curiously. After all, adults are just kids in disguise.