"Out for a Stroll"
Humming to a lively little tune, Estella plucks up different colored flowers, holding them with one hand making it look like a cute bouquet of flowers with the same color as the ones designed on her skirt.
Although it was mostly just violet when her mother first gave her that, she couldn't help but add just a few little touches. Tacita didn't mind anyway, she adored seeing her daughter try out new things since it reminds her of the reckless teenage years she spent with her husband. She feels like it was only yesterday when the one and only, Julieta Madrigal almost whooped their asses for breaking their bones in a dangerous stunt.
"Can you try flying it?" Estella heard a small, gentle voice ask faintly in the distance, causing her humming to come to a halt.
"Oh, be careful!" She heard them say as she turns in different directions trying to find the talking boy, walking towards the sound only to hear many more that were different. Chirping birds, squeaking animals, and even a soft growl from his jaguar.
Estella blinked multiple times and stood frozen still when she looked at the different animals surrounding the little Madrigal and caught their attention.
"Hi," She greeted hesitantly when the little boy turned his head in her direction along with the heads of all the other animals, making her tense up.
Antonio smiled, going toward her. "Hi." He echoed, looking up at Estella who couldn't help but grin at his cuteness and ruffle his hair a bit.
"What are you doing here by yourself, Antonio?" She asked, crouching to face the little boy properly.
"Nothing..." He mumbled, looking down at the ground and making Estella pout. "Mmm, are you sure?" She asked, looking at the animals as their gazes stay fixed on the two of them.
"You could always tell me if you want to." She smiled, making Antonio slowly tilt his head back up to look at her, hesitantly opening and closing his mouth multiple times.
"It's okay," Estella lets out, standing up properly with a smile. "Would you like to help me with something then?" She asked cheerfully, showing the bouquet of flowers in her other hand, catching everyone's interest.
"Ta-da," She said proudly, showcasing her successfully made flower crown at them. The birds and critters started making a lot of noise while scattering and coming back with more flowers, making the girl express a wide-eyed and surprised expression.
"Uhmm," She let out, turning her head to Antonio questioningly as the boy let out a giggle. "They think it's pretty," Antonio says, glancing at his furry friends before looking at her.
"And they like watching you make it." He added with an innocent smile, making Estella's cheeks earn a faint color of pink.
"Oh, well," She bashfully said, scratching her cheek with her finger as she averted her eyes. "Okay." She said in between her nervous laughter, "But I can't turn all these into crowns by myself." She added, eyeing the continuously growing pile of flowers before smiling sheepishly at Antonio.
★ ★ ★
The shapeshifter ran his hand through his hair, nervously jogging towards la casa Cortez in hopes to find Estella.
After the two separated last night, the party ended without them catching another glance at each other. Camilo almost ended up being sleepless like Estella because of what happened, to the point where he wanted to knock on Luisa's door in the middle of the night so he could ask her to knock him out just so he could some shut-eye.
Now that he's calm, he wanted to see her and apologize for last night. Even though he wasn't sorry for anything.
The boy might've even enjoyed what happened. He's been trying to show her his affection but to his dismay, she's been pushing him away every time she tries.
Camilo peeked at the window from outside, trying to see if he could spot his Bonita's sloppy half-bun-tied hair. He's disappointed about how she doesn't like putting effort into doing her hair since some of it gets left out and covers her face.
"Ayy, where could you be?" He pouted, walking closer to her house and shapeshifting into Estella so he won't get caught.
Randomly swooping into their house and going straight to their daughter's bedroom isn't exactly a good image, right?
But then again, so is pretending to be their daughter.
"She's not here." Estella's mother said in a sing-song voice, making Camilo stiffen up as he steps foot in their house.
"She's out in the woods somewhere, probably doodling in her notebook again." She tells him, dusting her hands as she exits their kitchen. Smiling, she puts her hands on her waist and stares at the boy who looks like her daughter.
"You don't need to shapeshift into Estella to come in, you know." She says as Camilo chuckles awkwardly in the presence of Estella's mother.
The two's attention was soon diverted towards Tacita's husband as he comes out from his art room, and greeted Camilo, thinking he was his daughter.
"Eh? Aren't you a little too early to be back for lunch, Mija?" He asks, getting nudged by his wife after a second as the words flew off his mouth.
"Seriously, Benito. You can't even tell the difference between your daughter and Camilo?" She asked scoldingly, tapping her foot at her husband, catching him dumbfounded.
Camilo shapeshifted back into his own self and smiled sheepishly at the couple, making Benito's jaw drop.
"But I thought– What was– huh?" He stuttered, struggling for words as he finds himself to be bamboozled once more by none other than Camilo Madrigal. His wife places a hand on her forehead and shook her head at him.
"Hola, Señor," Camilo let out, "Señora," He added, looking at Estella's mother as she smiles at him in response.
"Go on, go on. I'm sure you were planning on saying something important if it meant sneaking in our house." She pointed out, making Camilo sweat as she stares right into his soul.
"Ah, G-Gracias, Señora." He stuttered, rushing out the door but soon comes back and peeks his head from the side of the wall, "Adios," He added and smiled thankfully.
"How'd you know that was Camilo, Amor?" Benito asked, still in a state of disbelief.
"I saw him shapeshift into her just before he came in." She admitted, letting out a short chuckle. "If it weren't for that, I would've thought he was Estella." She says truthfully, before retreating back into the catching as she smiles playfully at herself.
"He even gets her posture right." She heard her husband mutter in disbelief.
"Well, at least she's got a boy to hang out with." She tells her husband, turning his protective father mode on.
"I know that tone." He says, wagging a finger at his wife as she giggled innocently at him.
"Estella's still too young." He said softly, pouting at the idea. "Tsk, you act like you're still a child. For goodness sake, Benito, it's not like she's getting married at fifteen." His wife lectured as his husband ignored her and kept whining, fearing the day when his little child would grow up and become a fine woman only to find a man to get married to, leaving him behind.
Camilo let out a sigh of relief as he walks away from Cortez's house. His knees still won't stop trembling from getting caught by her mother, it's a good thing they didn't think I'll of his occasional trespassing.
Camilo suddenly remembered how his prima, Isabella, never allowed him in her room since she absolutely adores her privacy. He remembers her scolding him when she caught him trying to go inside la casa Cortez without permission once. He had a hard time getting out of her vines.
He still does.
Camilo starts to roam around the woods in search of Estella. He didn't really care how long it would take to find her or how she may be headed back home, his day won't be complete without getting at least a glimpse of her and her smile.
And though he doesn't remember when exactly he started liking her, it just feels as if he's liked her forever.