I Want You (Encanto)

60

"Very good job, Camilo," Felix watched as his son had quickly perfected the song he taught him. His fingers danced across the strings as gracefully as a swan on the water."You make your papa so proud!"

"Thank you. This is the song use played for mama?" He asked.

"Si," he replied."We were a bit younger, many years before Dolores was born. We sat on the bridge, watching the river when I suddenly found the courage to ask her to be mine forever. I didn't even have a ring, I just blurted it out!" He told his story fondly, with the happiest smile Camilo had ever seen on him.

"I took her hands and said,'Amor, you are the light of my life. Let's get married!' A cloud appeared above her head and it started snowing out of nowhere." He laughed.

"And she said yes?" Camilo questioned.

"Well, it took just a little convincing, with the song. Not long after, she agreed. That was the first time I saw your mother make a rainbow. It was the most beautiful rainbow I'd ever seen." He held his hand over his heart.

"If it was such a happy moment, why didn't she want you to teach it to me?"

He stuttered for a moment, scratching the back of his head with a nervous laugh."It's still a bit mature for your age. The lyrics, anyway."

"So...should I not play it for (Y/N)?"

"The melody is fine for everyone, but I'm not teaching you the words. Your mama will have my head." He set down his black guitar and stood up to stretch.

"You do know Dolores can hear, right?" Camilo smirked.

Felix huffed."Go and woo your lady like your papa taught you."

Camilo nodded and left his parent's room. Upon entering the hallway, he could hear giggling coming from the nursery.

Inside, Mirabel and (Y/N) sat on their beds chatting away.

"-my dad ended up catching me with the shards and told me we'll work together to hide it. He's like, 'No one has to know!' but all the way across the hall, Dolores is like, 'I know'. Immediately, we start panicking-"

(Y/N) laughs, holding her stomach and wiping away a tear.

"Dolores and I are locked in the most intense staring contest ever, suddenly Mariano shoves a bowl of avocado in my face and the next thing I know, she's whispering in Camilo's ear!"

"She's that bad at keeping secrets?"

"Yes!"

Their laughter died down. Camilo decided to give them their space and left the doorway.

"Will you spend the night again?" Mirabel asks, almost out of nowhere. (Y/N) avoids her gaze, trying to find a way not to answer."You're more than welcome to." She adds.

"That's very sweet. I doubt I can avoid them forever, though. I may as well rip the bandaid off and make a choice." She replied.

"You don't have to do it alone."

"I do." She said."This isn't something I'd want you to get involved in. I don't want you to feel responsible if something goes wrong."

"What could go wrong? It's just talking, right?"

Mirabel was right, in a sense, but who knows what will be said? Who knows how much those words will hurt?"I can't say for sure. Unfortunately, it does have to happen."

"You don't have to leave right now, do you?"

"No, of course not."

With a sigh, Mirabel left her bed to sit beside her friend, taking her hands and pulling her into a hug. Confused, (Y/N) wrapped her arms around the Madrigal girl."What's this?"

"It's called a hug, goofball." She giggled.

"No- I mean, what's it for?"

Mirabel pulled away, holding onto her shoulders while (Y/N) held her waist."It's my way of telling you that I care. I'm here for you whenever you need me."

Suddenly, a knot formed in (Y/N)'s throat. Her eyes sting from the tears forcing their way up."What is it with you and Camilo getting mushy all the time?"

"Hm?"

"Every time we talk, he always gets so serious. Now you're doing the same thing. It's funny how similar you are." She wiped the tears from her eyes before they ran down her cheeks.

"Ah, jeez. Not you too." She whined."People use to call us the Madrigal Twins when we were little, heh." She laughed.

"Oh my gosh, that's perfect! You look like you could be twins!"

Mirabel sighed, turning away from (Y/N) as she laughed and stood in a corner of the room, sulking.

•
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•

Thunder lowly rumbled, sniffles filled the silence in the room. Pepa held her town close to her face as her body was soaked with rain, eyes scanning across the page of her book. Deciding she needed a break, she marked her page before closing and setting the book down beside her.

Her attention was turned to the hallway when someone walked by, almost as silent as a mouse."Honey?" Her cloud disappeared as she followed after the young woman, Dolores, who crept into the dining room. Her dulled eyes were fixated on the jar, her feet moving on their own to carry her closer.

"Dolores?" Her voice didn't seem to catch her attention. She watched, confused as her daughter reached her hand out for the jar.

Her body was on autopilot, her mind was fuzzy and her eyes lacked their usual light. Her finger tips touched the jar, grazing the glass gently before wrapping her hands around the container, lifting it from the table.

"Dolores!"

"Ah!" Her mother's voice ringing in her sensitive ears startled her, causing her to drop the jar. They both watched in horror as the jar hit the floor....

And rolled.

"What are you doing?!" Pepa asked as she picked up the jar."You could've broken it! Do you want this thing to hurt our family again?!"

"N-no! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"How come you didn't answer me? You would ignore your mama?"

"Of course not, I just didn't hear you."

It wasn't until after the words left her mouth that Dolores realized what she just said.

"You didn't hear me?" Pepa questioned, a dark cloud appearing above her head."You can hear Mariano from miles away, you can hear rats talking in the walls, but you can't hear me calling your name?"

"I realize how backwards that sounds, but I genuinely didn't hear you. I'm sorry." Dolores clasped her hands together, apologizing to her mother.

Pepa scowled, eyeing her daughter curiously before tucking the jar under her arm."Fine. But you're not touching this jar again."

With that, Pepa marched away, her cloud still thundering.

Dolores sighed, knowing she'd made her mom very angry.

What's happening to me?