~11 Years Ago~
"Hey, prima. Watch this!" little Camilo said, grinning mischievously. He snuck up behind Isabela, who was gliding gracefully around the Casita, decorating the walls with roses. He then shape-shifted into her and started mimicking her every movement. Little Mirabel covered her mouth with her tiny hands trying to hold back her laughter as she watched them. Isabela noticed Camilo behind her and stopped what she was doing to put her hands on her hips. "Cut it out, Camilo," she said, angrily. Camilo put his hands on his own hips. "Cut it out, Camilo!" he said, matching her tone.
"SHUT UP!" Isabela shouted.
"SHUT UP!" Camilo shouted back.
Mirabel was fighting to hold back her laughter.
Isabela snarled at him. "I'm warning you! If you don't stop-," she said.
"What are you gonna do? Throw rose petals at me?" Camilo asked, mockingly.
With the flick of her wrist, Isabela conjured a flowery vine that wrapped itself around Camilo's ankle and hoisted him into the air, upside down.
"Hey!" Camilo shouted.
Isabela smirked. "I did warn you!" she said.
Camilo then transformed into a full-sized version of his father. His now big ankle made the vine snap and he fell to the ground on his head. "OUCH!" he exclaimed. He transformed back into himself, rubbing his head as he sat up.
"Serves you right!" Isabela said, folding her arms.
At that moment, Alma appeared.
"Isabela!" she said, disapprovingly. "Estoy sorprendida! That kind of behavior is not like you at all! And Camilo, it's hardly been over two months since you've gotten your Gift. How many times do I have to tell you not to shapeshift into something too big for you to handle?"
Camilo stood up, still rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, Abuela," he said.
Isabela straightened up with her hands together in front of her and said, "I'm sorry, Abuela."
Alma looked at both of them and said sternly, "The guests will be arriving any minute now for the ceremony! The place must be perfect and ready. As Madrigals, you need to set a good example! Do you understand?"
"Yes, Abuela," said Isabela and Camilo together.
Alma then turned to see Mirabel in her little, white dress and gave her a warm smile. "Oh, there you are. It's almost time! Come!" she said kindly, taking Mirabel's tiny hand. "To the nursery. I have something to show you before everything begins, mi Vida."
~Present~
Camilo sat on the steps with his arms wrapped tightly around his knees. Dolores sat right beside him, shaken. While Luisa was carrying a fainted Alma into the kitchen, Pepa and the others interrogated Camilo about what had happened. When Camilo confessed that he transformed into Pedro, his mom was so livid that she got everybody wet from her storm cloud.
"YOU'RE LUCKY IT'S NOT A HURRICANE!" she exclaimed, loudly.
Now, she was pacing back and forth, clutching Antonio in her arms. Her cloud followed her every which way she went. Félix and Agustín were standing next to one another with their backs against the wall outside of the kitchen. Mirabel, Isabela, and Luisa huddled together. Mirabel looked like she was about to cry. Bruno was standing at the foot of the stairs where Dolores and Camilo were, looking down at the floor with worry.
Julieta then came out of the kitchen, and everyone looked at her anxiously.
"She's alright," she told them. "She's still a little in shock, but she's awake.
They all sighed in relief.
Julieta then turned to look sadly at Camilo. "She wants to talk to you," she said. "Right now."
Camilo looked towards the kitchen and slowly walked through the doorway to see Alma at the table.
"Sit," she said. Camilo did as he was told and sat across from her. She was clutching a hot cup of tea in her hands. He could see she was still shaking a little. Her face was still quite pale.
"Abuela," he said, quietly. "I am so sorry."
Abuela Alma looked up from her tea at her grandson.
"Well, I must say, I thought I was going to die on the spot back there," she said. "What on Earth was going through your mind when you decided to...?" She couldn't finish her sentence. Instead, she gave a shudder.
Camilo didn't blame her. "I...don't know," he said, avoiding her eyes.
Alma looked at him with disappointment. "Camilo, don't lie to me," she said. "After the horrific display, I'm afraid an apology is not enough. You owe me an explanation."
Camilo's palms started to sweat. Without looking up, he said, "I...heard you talking to Mami, Bruno, and everyone about the vision of Hanna's father and... the man with the scar. I was there, listening from the doorway. I heard everything."
Alma set her tea down on the table and looked at him sternly. "You're taking a leaf out of your sister's book? You should never have heard that," she said.
Camilo fought the urge to get angry and said calmly, "But... you were talking about the future of me and Hanna, despite Mami telling me that she wouldn't get Tio Bruno involved."
Alma's expression softened. "You must understand, Camilo. There are times when a mother would do anything to see her children safe and happy. Even if it means going back on a promise. I'm not saying what she did was right. Just don't be too upset with her," she said.
Camilo had no response to that. Instead, he just stared at the patterns on the wooden table in front of him.
"So," Alma said. "You heard about the vision. And then?"
Camilo took in a deep breath and said, "I asked Hanna and her sister about their Abuelo, and they told me...he's dead. At first, I thought the other man couldn't be him. But then I thought 'What if it is?' And what if I am shape-shifting in the vision? So, I..." his words faded, and his mouth became dry.
"So, you thought you'd see if you could shape-shift into a... deceased person. And not just any deceased person, but your Abuelo Pedro! And now, here we are," Alma finished for him.
Camilo bowed his head in shame.
"Clearly your Gift has more potential than any of us would've ever guessed," Alma added. Her voice sounded exhausted.
Camilo looked down at his upturned hands. "Well, this just proves it, right?" he asked her. "Something is going to happen to make me change into Hanna's Abuelo. And there's no stopping it."
"This proves nothing," said Alma. "We still don't know who that man is. There is still a chance that it's not you at all."
Camilo was not entirely convinced. Alma sighed and shook her head.
"But vision or no vision," she said. "You must promise me that, no matter what the circumstances, you will never use your Gift that way, ever again."
Camilo was still certain it would happen, whether Alma wanted it or not. But he knew she wouldn't let him hear the end of this conversation if he didn't give her the answer she was waiting for. He finally looked her straight in the eye and, without blinking, he said, "I promise."
Alma let out a sigh of relief and said, "Alright. You may go now."
Camilo stood up and slowly headed towards the doorway. But then he stopped to face Alma again and said, "Um...Abuela, can I ask you something?"
"Si. What is it?" she asked.
"After Abuelo Pedro... lost his life, how is it that you still found a way to keep smiling?" asked Camilo. "How were you able to stay so strong all this time after losing the one you loved most?"
He just couldn't fathom it. If it were him and he had lost Hanna in that way, or anyone in his family, he didn't know how he could ever smile again.
Alma looked at him in surprise. But she gave him her answer.
"Easy. I had my newborn children to think of at the time," she said. "And the people who had also lost all their homes. I couldn't let your Abuelo's sacrifice, and the birth of our miracle be all for nothing. It was important for my children to live the best and safest lives possible. And I convinced myself that our family and our miracle continued to thrive because I had made the right choice to work hard and be strong. But as you know, I held onto that belief too tightly which then led to our Casita's destruction."
Camilo remembered clear as day when Mirabel confronted Alma about her breaking their home. He failed to help save the magic candle because he lost his power and was literally thrown out of the house before it completely collapsed.
"But then we fixed our home," he said. "And now we're all happier than ever. Even you. Does that mean...you got over it?"
"Of course not," said Alma. "Any trauma or grief we experience in our lives, especially in our youth, doesn't just disappear. But as time goes on, we can choose how we let it affect us. If you let it consume you, you risk it influencing those closest to you in turn. After our home was rebuilt, I was finally able to make peace with Pedro's death. It is the love my family has for me that makes my grief more bearable."
Camilo was speechless. He felt even more guilty about what he had done. He walked right over to Alma to hug her.
"Lo siento. I'm so sorry," he whispered.
Alma hugged him back and said, "There, there. It's alright now," she said, lovingly.
When they looked at each other she said, "You ask very deep questions, Camilo. You can be childish and silly at times. But other times, you act very maturely for your age. I sometimes wonder if it's partially my fault because I forced everyone in my family to grow up too fast."
"Well," Camilo said, softly. "I'm not complaining. If anything, I am grateful to you. I'm alive because of you."
Alma smiled and put a hand on his cheek.
Camilo smiled back at her.
He and Alma then came out of the kitchen where the rest of the family was waiting. She told them all that they could go back to bed since they were all deprived of sleep. But everyone denied her offer, for they were just relieved she was alright and agreed to start their day early. This did not help Camilo's guilt, but he did not complain a word.
Camilo kept himself busy all through that morning and afternoon in the village wherever he could. He hoped that his hard work would help Pepa forgive him for upsetting her so much. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel anxious because he wasn't able to see Hanna yet. By the time Dolores came up to deliver a message to him, it was already midday.
"Hey," she said, quietly. "Hanna says to tell you to meet her at the barn. She told her family she was going to practice her quena there. You should take this chance now. If anyone asks, I'll tell them you're...on babysitting duty. They'll be sure to believe me."
Camilo's eyes widened. "Thank you! You are the best sister ever!" he said, happily. He gave Dolores a hug and, just like that, he was out the door, not waiting for anyone. When he came up to the summer house, he shapeshifted himself into Luisa so that no one would think twice about the fact she was heading towards the barn where the donkeys were. As soon as the house was out of sight, he transformed back into himself and continued the path onward. He could hear the wooden flute as he got closer.
"Hanna!" he said to himself happily and he started to pick up speed.
Then, he found Hanna standing in front of the fence playing, playing her quena softly for the donkeys that were watching. She looked up to see Camilo watching her from a distance. She smiled and stuffed her quena in the bag she had placed by the fence post and went up to him slowly. Camilo ran up to her immediately and took her in his arms, hugging her tightly. Hanna sighed as she returned the embrace. Camilo then pulled back a little to look into her eyes before leaning in to kiss her. The moment his lips touched hers, he let out a moan. He had missed the feel of Hanna's soft lips. The sound of his voice made Hanna tighten her grip on his shoulders. Camilo took this opportunity to deepen the kiss which made Hanna sigh. When they broke apart for air, she shivered when she saw the piercing look in Camilo's eyes. After taking a minute to catch their breath, Camilo's gaze softened, and he gently kissed Hanna's forehead before resting his own against it.
"Finally, we're together again," he whispered.
"We weren't apart for that long," said Hanna.
"It felt like a long time to me," said Camilo, cupping her cheek in his hand. They went over to sit close together on the hay bales. Camilo wrapped his arm around her shoulders like it was a routine, and she laid her head on his shoulder. After a moment or two, Hanna broke the silence.
"Lia found it," she said, hesitantly.
Camilo looked at her, confused.
"She found the photograph," Hanna explained. "She must've stayed up until the morning, searching through every book. But she found it."
Hanna reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a photograph. Hesitantly, she gave it to Camilo.
"We think it was taken not long after our grandmother...passed away. There was no photograph of her, unfortunately," she said.
When Camilo took the picture in his hand, he turned it over. In the photograph were three boys and one man. The two, taller boys had light-colored hair. Cal, the smallest boy, was the only one with dark hair. None of the boys were smiling and stood very close to each other, straight and tall, like soldiers. Then Camilo looked at the man who was their father. Hanna's Abuelo was indeed like Cal. If it weren't for the scar that covered his eye, he probably would've been handsome. But he was a stark contrast to Pedro, who always looked so kind in his photographs. Hanna's Abuelo, however, did not look friendly at all. Camilo then focused on the man's face. 'So, it is him,' he thought with a feeling of dread. The truth was right in front of him now.
When Hanna saw the tormented expression on his face, she reached out to take the photograph away. Camilo handed it back to her and she put it in her dress pocket.
"I just...don't understand," he said while staring at the ground in front of him. "Why would I...?"
"I've been thinking about that too," said Hanna, quietly. "And it only raised more questions. What is it about...him that would make Father sad? Was Father afraid of him?"
Camilo scoffed. "Maybe," he said, bitterly. "He is pretty scary looking. I won't lie."
Hanna half smiled. "Yeah well...", she said. "It's just odd. I don't remember Father talking about his own family or his childhood at all! And he didn't keep any pictures! It's almost as if he was trying to...erase his past completely."
"Why does it even matter?" Camilo asked, irritably. "He was horrible to you your whole life!"
"Yes..." Hanna said, sadly. "But...I can't deny that after hearing about his mother and Bruno's vision, I'm starting to see him...in a different light. Maybe...he had it miserable too."
"So that makes it okay for him to make everyone else around him miserable?" Camilo asked.
"I didn't say that!" Hanna replied. "But...it could explain why..." She trailed off.
After a moment, she looked at Camilo and asked, "Are you...scared of the vision?"
"Yeah! I am actually," said Camilo. "Because...Why would I do it? It's just...so messed up!"
"Maybe," Hanna said, slowly. "But you never know! It might be for something...good."
Camilo looked at her in disbelief.
"How can something so... disturbing be a good thing?" he asked.
Hanna looked back at him and simply said, "Because it's you."
Camilo continued to stare at her, bewildered.
"Camilo," she said, hesitantly. "I don't know the meaning behind the vision any more than you do. But...I know that everything you do...comes from a place of love. So, why should the vision be any different?"
"Are you saying I might be...doing something good for him?" Camilo asked, almost angrily. "Why would I help him!? He doesn't deserve any kind of help from me or from anyone!"
"Maybe not!" said Hanna, imploringly. "But... ever since we came here, I now strongly believe that everything happens for a reason! I'm saying that whatever the reason for you doing this might be, it's because you care about something! That's just who you are, Camilo! You're someone who cares!"
Camilo didn't respond. When he looked up at Hanna, she smiled and asked, "So, how bad could that be?"
As Camilo thought about Hanna's words, he started to feel a bit better. Not a second later, however, he felt a twinge of despair when he thought about her walking away with someone else. But he remained silent. Instead, he sighed and pulled Hanna closer to him so that her head rested near his chest, and he wrapped both arms around her.
"Are you alright?" Hanna asked, concerningly.
"I'm fine," Camilo said in a gentle voice. "Just...let me hold you. Okay?"
Hanna hesitated but then said, "Okay." She closed her eyes as she snuggled up to him.
As they cuddled together, Camilo's mind began racing. Hanna said that he was someone who cares. But what he cared most about was her. If everything she said was true, maybe what he was doing in the vision was a form of payback for how horrible her father was to her. She wouldn't have asked for it though. She had never asked him to change into someone else for her. He would most likely do it voluntarily. But would she accept it? What if the thing Camilo was going to do in the future was for her, only to have it backfire, and then she would get so upset that she would leave him? What if the man she was walking away with was her father? 'No!' he thought. 'He wouldn't take her by the hand like that! He just wouldn't! It's gotta be...someone else!' He felt the knot in his stomach again.
'No!' Camilo thought. 'It...can't be anyone else! I won't let it!'
He had just gotten an idea. One that made him extremely nervous indeed. But it was the best way. The best way to ensure that they could never truly be separated.
"Hey," Camilo said. "I...have a couple of questions to ask you."
"Ask me then," said Hanna, still leaning into his chest.
There was a pause.
"Well," said Camilo a little hoarsely. "First, do you have a middle name?"
"Yes. It's Roslyn," Hanna replied with a smile.
Camilo swallowed hard before he asked, "Okay...my next question is...If...If I asked you to stay with me...like... forever..., would you?"
Hanna lifted her head up to look at him directly. "Forever with you?" she asked. "Are you...saying what I think you're saying?"
Camilo took a deep breath. He then got up from Hanna's side to stand in front of her. Hanna's eyes widened as he slowly got down on one knee and took her left hand in both of his, cradling it gently.
"I...don't have a ring to give you," he said, looking into her eyes. "But...since you came to the Encanto, every day with you has been...for lack of a better word, magical. All my life, people have asked me to be someone else for them. But the first thing you ever asked me to do...was to play the guitar. Not once have you ever needed me to be another person. And...I can't imagine myself without you anymore. So...Johanna Roslyn Engel...when we're old enough...will you marry me?"
Hanna's jaw dropped. She was completely stunned. And then she broke into a smile and said, "Yes! Yes, Camilo Madrigal! I will!"
Camilo gazed at Hanna as he took in her response. He then smiled hugely, stood up, took Hanna in his arms again to hold her bridal style, and spun her around in a circle. Hanna giggled in pleasant surprise, and he laughed out loud. He had no reason to doubt that he would be together with her now.
'Nothing can possibly separate us now! She is mine forever,' he thought to himself.
Back at Casita, Dolores let out a little squeak. She ran immediately to Mirabel who was in the courtyard.
"What's happened, Dolores?" she asked when she saw the look of shock on her cousin's face.
"You are not gonna believe what I just heard!" Dolores whispered.