☆
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎Three breakdowns in one day▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
☆
*María's POV*
After running into Camilo and helping him up I finished the washing (laundry) early enough. I hung them up on the washing line. The sun was shining bright so I knew they would dry quick. Unless Señora Pepa changes that.
After that I check my work list. I crossed off washing (laundry), I scan through it. I see I must go get the usual groceries. I grab my brown basket and then head to the kitchen. When I enter it was empty, except for the arepas that where laying on the counter of Casita. I smiled when Casita brought the plate closer to me. I took one.
'Thanks Casita' a few tiles clap against the floor in reply. Before I properly turn around a small little rat crawled out from underneath the table and stared up at the arepas. I chuckle. I grab another one and give it to the little rat. I turn around and grab the shopping list and the brown pouch that was filled with golden coins. I happily skip out of the house. 'Adiós Casita!' I wave at the house and Casita replies by banging it's windows open and closed.
I walk around Encanto's marvellous markets. I walk up to the butchers. 'Hola Señor Lopez' I greet. He turns around d to me and smiles.
'Ah, María! Good to see you again!' He says.
'You too Señor Lopez' I smile at him. He smiles back.
'Now what can I get you Cariño? (sweetheart)' He asks.
'Ehm' I pull out the list out of my basket. I scan through it before I found what I needed. 'Pork chops, steak and chicken breast please' I smile and look up from the list.
'Por supuesto un momento (of course one moment)' i nod and he turns his back towards him. When he turns back around he had everything I needed in his hands. He hands them to me and I place them in my basket. I open the brown pouch and pull out three gold coins and hand it to him. He shakes his head. 'For you putting up with my daughter, it's free' I laugh at his reply.
I put the gold coins back in the pouch. 'Gracias Señor' I say before walking to the fish stall.
'Hola Señora Díaz' I greet. The short plump women turns around with her usual smiley face.
'Oh! María! My most hermosa (beautiful) young customer, what can I do for you?' She asks. My face heats up a bit at her compliment.
The rest of my morning I was going from stall to stall greeting the people behind them with joy and them replying with the same amout of happiness as me. I shared a few laughs and jokes with them. By around eleven o'clock I was done shopping and had a basket full of goods for us all to feast on. While walking up to Casita I pass a dark ally and down there I heard quiet sobbing. I furrow my brows.
'Hola?' I ask. When I speak the person stops sobbing and stays quiet. I walk down the ally cautiously. When I reach a stack of crates I looked behind it and the sight crushed my heart. Luisa sat there with her arms wrapped around an elephant teddy and her knee were to her chest. Streaks of tear rushed down her face. She tried to wipe them away so you couldn't see. 'Luisa?'
'I-i know, i-i look l-like a w-w-weakling right n-now but that's b-because i-' I didn't let her finish. I carefully placed the basket on the ground and fell to my knees. I wrapped my arms around her broad shoulders. Her head fell into my chest. She sat there for a moment before bawling her eyes out again. I just sat there making sure she knew I was here and that there was nothing to worry about. She wrapped her arms around me squeezing me a bit. She started to lose her breath and started shaking, I knew this wasn't going to end well unless I don't calm her down now. The only thing I could think of was sing mi Mama's favourite song, and the song I sang to Antonio.
💛
Sleep little one~
Close your eyes~
Your body's cooling, with the night~
Let your worries, slip away~
Tomorrow brings a brand new day~
Shimmering moon and satin sky~
Soft wind breaths it lullaby~
Your dreams are here to set you free~
Till dawn will bring you back to me~
The dawn will bring you back to me~
-Themla Plum (Maddie's lullaby)
💛
Lusia's breathing slowed and her shaking stopped. We sat there for a little while just melting into each others embrace. After a bit Luisa pulled her head up out of my chest. When I looked at her she still had that sad expressing on her face.
'I-im sorry' she says.
I raise a brow. 'Why are you sorry' I ask and wipe a few of her tears.
'I'm supposed to be the strong one, the one everyone relys on, the one who you come too to shed tears too, not the other way around' she says.
'But Luisa-' she cut me off before I could go further.
'That's what my gift means, to carry everyone's burdens that they can't handle, and I must live up to it, I strong so I can carry all these things' she rants.
'Luisa' I say softly trying to catch her attention. She loosens her grip on me but continues talking.
'If that's the gift the miracle gave me than I must use it! You know! Like if Abuela says something to me I must keep that between us or its "my burden to bear" as she always says' she says using her fingers in quotation marks. 'I-i just don't get what they want from me' she says and stops. I look at her to make sure she is done before I speak.
'Luisa, your gift isn't for holding burdens' this captures her attention and she looks at me properly. 'Your gift is to help people with things they can't do!, like lift churches or round up cattle! Your gift is amazing! Just like you! And don't ever think anything different, you don't need to live up to it you have it already and that means you have it already in your grasp. Just because your emotional state isn't as well known to you jts hard to understand but that is nothing to be ashamed of, bueno?'
She looks at me in awe. 'Gracias María' she says and gives me a bone crushing hug. I smile.
'Cualquier momento (anytime) Luisa' I say as she releases me. 'If you ever need me for just a long cry or something is bothering you please come and get me, I don't care if its in the middle of the night, I'll talk with you all night long' I say. She nods.
'I don't know how it's so easy to talk to you like this, I have only known you for what three days now' I smile.
'I guess it's my miracle gift' I say softly. She chuckles and nods. She then walks out of the allyway with a bright smile on her face. I follow shortly after but in the opposite direction to her.
After finishing up in the kitchen I went outside to check the washing (laundry). When I touched the dresses and shirts they were completely dry. I smile in satisfaction. I take them off the clothes line and start to sort them into different piles for the different familia members. I fold them neatly and place them in the big wicker basket. I walk back inside Casita and start to go to each Marigal door and place their fresh clean clothes on their beds as neatly as I could. To be honest it was my first time entering each room. In Señora Pepa and Señor Felix it was various types of weather in ea h corner of the room. In Dolores room it looked like a cloud as the room was stuffed with white thick cotton to block out the sound. In Julieta and Señor Agustín's room was a kitchen and on the walls were recipes of everything possible. In Lusia's room it was a bunch of weights and treadmills scattered around the place. Camilo's room changed every five seconds, one second it was a theatre then it turned into a bakery, it was awesome. Mirabel and Antonio slept in a gorgeous blue coloured room as neither of them have gifts. The last door I had to open was Isabela's.
When I opened it the smell of roses and tulips started wafting out of the room. A small sneeze escaped my nose. When I walked through her room all you could see were perfect flowers for miles around, although they were pretty they seemed a bit boring and well....perfect. Ignoring my negative thoughts I walk towards Isabela's bed ready to place her dresses and undergarments on her bed when I see her purple figure sprawled acrossed the bed. Her head in her hands but tears still escaped her hands and fell down her wrists.
I put the basket of her clothes at the base of her bed. I slowly approached her, I then sat on the bed, she didn't seem to notice the bed dip, I then placed a hand on her shoulder. This caught her attention and she jumped up. When I looked at her my heart squeezed in sadness. Her mascara ran down her cheeks and her lip gloss was smudge all around her cheeks. She sat there eyes wide before I quickly pulled her into a big hug. She sat still for a moment before wrapping her arms aroundme and crying into my shoulder. I started humming the tune I have sang to two Madrigals already.
Her breath steadied a bit, and pulled away slowly. She looked down at me since I was a bit shorter than her. I could tell she really didn't want to talk about it. I nodded in understanding. I tucked a bit if her chestnut brown hair behind her ear to see her properly.
'I'm always here if you ever need me Isabela' I say with a smile. That instantly puts a smile to her face.
'Gracias María' she says attempting to wipe the mascara of her face. We both laugh at her.
'Deja que te ayude (let me help you)' I say and drag her over to her vanity. I start of by wiping off the makeup that was streaming down her face with a wipe. I then start to put on her foundation and then blush, bronzer then onto her eyes, I did a natural look and then applied some lip gloss. She smiled brightly when she saw herself in the mirror.
'Gracias María!' She squeals and hugs me tight. I wrap my arms around her torso in reply.
'Of course! Anytime!' I say.
'How is it so easy to talk to you?' She asks curiously. I giggle.
'Its just my miracle gift I suppose' I reply and she throws her head back and laughs out loud. Suddenly we hear Señora Alma calling Isabela's name. We giggle before I place her clean clothes on her bed then joining Isabela at the door with my empty basket in hand. We walk down the stairs of Casita casually talking.
'Isabela! María!' Señora Alma calls from behind us. We turn around and give her a polite bow. She smiles. 'I have been looking for you everywhere Isabela! We couldn't find you anywhere either María!' She says.
'Muchas disculpas Señora (many apologies Ms), I got carried away in the markets and then I met Isabela in her room as I was putting her clean dresses in there, we just started talking' I say and give a small bow of apologies. A warm smile spreads across her features.
'No need to apologise, we were just concern for you both, now Isabela we need to talk' she says and takes Isabela by the arm. I give a small wave.
I turn the opposite way to them and continue on with my duties for the day. Please let Isabela and Lusia be okay....
(Dinner time 😋)
I sat at the end of the table next to Olivia and across from me was Victoria and Sofia. Today it was Olivia's day to cook. She decided to make some sort of.....soup?. It didn't look like soup it look like a pile of shit in a bowl. It looks disgusting. I see the rest of Madrigals not going near it just the arepas that Julieta made before hand. I look around the table and realise one person was missing.....one person in particular.
'Lo siento (sorry) Señora Pepa?' I ask down the table. Both Felix and Pepa turn to me. 'Where's Camilo?' I ask. A small frown spreads across their perfect features.
'He said he didn't want to come down....' says Pepa in a concerned voice. Felix places a hand ontop of hers with the same concerned face. A light bulb 💡 goes off in my head.
'He may not want to be here but I'm sure he's still hungry! I'll bring some arepas to his room for him and check up on him too!' I smile and stand up from my seat. Pepa and Felix give me very lively nod of their heads. Julieta hands me a plate full of arepas. I smile. Just when I'm about to go Olivia turns to me.
'Don't forget to give him this!' She says excitedly. I raise a brow at the brown liquid with white things floating in it.
'......I can try...' I mumble. Dolores laughs at me. I carefully grab the bowl in my other hand making sure I don't trip or fall on the way to Camilo's room. When I leave Olivia's sight I hand the bowl of......watery shit....to Casita and she throws the whole thing in the bin.
I walk up the stairs to Camilo's room hoping and praying I don't drop any of the delicious arepas. I knock on Camilo's door but no answer came. I start to worry and I knock again and again, by the fourth timeout me knocking the door swiftly opens then closes behind me. I look into the dark room.
'Casita can you open the windows...' I mumble. Casita gladly does so. The windows open and the moonlight streams into Camilo's room. The one thing that worried me most was a weeping Camilo. He also was shape-shifting like crazy. I was frozen in place for a moment before I ran to him. I carefully future the arepas on his bedside table. I then practically pounced on the boy. I sat in his crossed legs, my legs wrapped around his waist and my arms wrapped around his torso while my head layer on his chest. He quickly as possible wrapped his arms around my lower waist and he rested his chin in my neck.
We sat there for who now how long. He wasn't calming down much as he kept shape-shifting. I rub the palm of my hand up and down his back and I hum mi Mama's favourite melody. He slowly starts to calm down but he was still stiff and crying. I take it a step further and start to sing......again......
💛
Sleep little one~
Close your eyes~
Your body's cooling with the night~
Let your worries slip away~
Tomorrow brings a brand new day~
Shimmering moon and satin sky~
Soft wind breaths it lullaby~
Your dreams are here to set you free~
The dawn will bring you back to me~
The dawn will bring you back to me~
-Thelma Plum (Maddie's lullaby)
💛
His head lifted from my neck. His eyes swollen from crying but his eyes held kindness, fear and.....love. I kissed his nose. His body seemed to relax more when I did that.
'W-who am i-i María?' He asks suddenly. I raise a brow before I cup his face with my hands, I then place my forehead against his.
'You are the amazing Camilo Madrigal, the Madrigal who can bring laughs and smiles to the people of Encanto, the Madrigal who brings the life to every party, the Madrigal who can make any awkward situation the funniest thing ever, the Madrigal who will always flirt with me and every other girl possible' I explain. He chuckles at the last one. 'You are Camilo Madrigal, the one and only, you are not Mr Hernandez or Mr Lopez, you are you, and dont ever think otherwise' I explain. I close my eyes while my forehead was against his.
He puts one of his hands on my cheek, that was enough for me to open my eyes to look into his chocolate ones.
'How are you so easy to talk to? And so nice to be around?' He asks as he caresses my cheek. I lean into his touch.
'I guess it's my gift' I mumble.
He chuckles. 'I guess it is...' He replies. He slowly starts to lean down and I lean up. Just as our lips were about to touch his door slams open. We quickly turn to the door. We see lying on the floor was Luisa, Isabela, Mirabel, Dolores and Antonio all ontop of each other then Pepa, Felix, Juliet, Agustín were peaking there heads inside and Alma stood back but still peering into the room. I could tell I turned bright red.
'Mira que lindo!! (Look how cute!)' Pepa and Julieta said in union and Pepa pulled out a camera and too a photograph. My mouth hung open. Luisa, Isabela, Mirabel, Dolores and Antonio started laughing and teasing us as the started standing up off the floor.
'Camilo's got a girlfriend~' Isabela cheered.
'So did you ask her?' Mirabel asks teasingly to Camilo.
'I will never let you live this down' Luisa says.
I curiously looked up at Camilo. He also had a red face. He tried to hide it though. I giggled. He looked down at me. He must have also noticed my dusted red cheeks. He then pulled me closer to his chest. I squeaked in shock. Then everyone's teasing went quiet. Camilo's grip tightened at my waist. I looked at him he had a stern gaze facing forward then I turned my head to see Alma standing in the door frame with a serious gaze. That serious gaze broke and a small chuckle escaped her lips and a big bright smile broke out too.
'I greatly approve of this' she says. I feel my face heat up even more. Camilo let out a breath into my ear. 'You two would be an amazing couple, I told you they would be fit for each other perfectly' she gives us a cheeky wink before shooing everyone out of the room closing the door.
I buried my face in Camilo's chest as I was a flustered mess. He just laughed.
'At least we have Abuela supporting our relationship' He says cheekily. I raise my head from his chest and smack it. He chuckles again and pulls and pulls closer to him again. If that was possible.....
'That was embarrassing....'I mumble.
'But at least we have Abuela's blessing' He says. I laugh at him.
'True...' I say quietly. My eyelids begin to get heavy. I wrapped my arms around Camilo's torso again. He's so warm. His warmth aided my aching bones. He must have caught on to my tired state as before I knew it we were laying down not sitting up. My head still rested on his chest but my hands did too. He rested his head on mine and wrapped his arms around my hips. 'Is it okay if I sleep here tonight Cami....?....'
'Por supuesto princesa (of course Princess)' He replied. 'Buenas noches amor (goodnight love)'. After that I quickly drifted off to sleep in his arms.
▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
Another chapter today! Wahooo! I'm on a roll! I am so proud of this chapter it is my longest one yet at 3433 words! Hope y'all enjoyed! I also might not be able to post as much after today as I'm going back to school tomorrow but I will try and get a chapter out for ye ant my normal-ish time.