Maria

The New Normal

Alma waited as all of her family sat down at the table.

Clouds filled Casita but they had gotten smaller since Alma had decreed that no one talk about Bruno.

It had been a week since the ceremony didn't work. A week since her son had left. And she was sure it had something to do with the vision she requested.

Before she could think more on that, she noticed something.

"Where is Maria?" She said.

Luisa and Dolores looked at each other and Dolores spoke up.

"She's out...looking for Tio." She mumbled.

"We don't talk about him." Alma reminded her nieta gently, before she frowned. "Still?"

Since the ceremony, Maria had left even before Julieta was awake and hunted well into the dark.

Luisa had to drag her home last night and Alma had foolishly thought that that would be the end of that. Apparently not.

Enough was enough.

"Luisa, Dolores, will you two go and find her? I need to talk to her."

Dolores and Luisa nodded. Luisa would be there to physically drag Maria home again if necessary, Dolores could tell Luisa where she was.

"Mama..." Julieta said as the family dispersed. "Perhaps me or Pepa should be the one to talk to her?"

"No Julieta..." Alma sighed a bit. "You two have work to do."

She didn't want a hurricane either.

Plus, if there was anyone that would even partially understand what Maria was feeling, and be able to convince her what the best thing to do was, it would be Alma.

Alma waited in Casita until she heard it.

"I know he's out there somewhere, and I will find him!" She supposed Maria would be screaming if not for the fact that Dolores was also with Luisa.

Maria was considerate about things like that.

"Maria..."

Luisa put the woman down and she tried to bolt, but Casita kept her there until Maria collapsed into a chair, expression still defiant.

Alma's heart went out for her daughter in law, really it did.

But this had gone on long enough.

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Maria had gotten over the shock and she was going to find Bruno. They always used to joke that her gift was always finding where he hid, that had to be the truth right? Right?

But so far her search had been fruitless.

Luisa had dragged her to the guest room where she had slept the month she was disowned and not engaged to Bruno, and was supposed to sleep now that her room was off limits.

She stared defiantly at Alma, who sighed. "Maria...querida...your husband is gone. It is better for the Encanto and for this familia if you move on."

"But...he's not gone! He's still out there...!"

"I know you don't want to accept it, but it is a fact. He left. Forget about him, life goes on." Alma hesitated before putting a hand on Maria's shoulder. "It did for me."