TW: slight mentions of homophobia
"Don't" Alma held onto Isabela's arm to keep her from packing "You're not taking anything"
"I-"
"No. You made your choice, now look at everything you'll lose"
"A-Abuela -"
"Izzy I'll go" Elena whispered carefully "This is your home...your family"
"No I... I don't want you to go"
Alma laughed "Please, this is ridiculous. If you want to go Isabela do it now, but don't try to come back when you realize how wrong all of this is"
Isabela met her grandmother's eyes with sadness trying to find even a hint of compassion
"What are you waiting for?" Alma grunted "You want to leave? Then leave"
"I didn't think you'd give up so easily on me" Isabela looked away
"And I-" Alma paused, anger visible on her face "I don't even want to see you right now, you-"
"Mamá?" Julieta's sudden voice startled Alma quiet, none of them had heard her approaching "What's going on?
"Julieta" Alma cleared her throat "I'll handle this"
"Handle what?" Julieta gave her mom a wary look as she stepped closer to Isabela and Elena.
Alma let out a sigh of frustration "It's better if you don't get involved"
"Mom I need to tell you -"
"Isabela stop" Alma immediately raised a hand to interject
"Isabela is my daughter mamá" Julieta scowled "So if something is happening I need to know"
"Well then" Alma nodded "Go on Isabela tell your mother who you've been sleeping with"
"Mamá" Julieta raised an eyebrow in deterrent "That's Isabela's intimacy...we shouldn't pry"
Alma opened her mouth then quickly closed it again after hearing some movement outside the room "We need to discuss a serious situation, but I'd rather have this conversation in my room" She knew the proximity of Mirabel's room and how much her young granddaughter liked to meddle around.
"Okay" Julieta gave her daughter a reassuring look before following Alma out.
-
"Julieta...you might want to sit down for this"
Julieta shook her head confused
"Mamá we need to let Isabela be, she's an adult and we can't control her decisions"
"Huh. Do you want our family to be the talk of the town?"
"Why... is she with a lot of men?" Julieta looked a little surprised but not scandalized
"No, the problem is that there's no men at all!"
"What? I don't understand what's the matter then"
Alma's knuckles were turning white from gripping the once discarded envelope
"Your daughter is-" She took a shaky breath and faced her daughter "She is..."
"She's what mamá?"
"It's hard to even say it" Alma sighed troubled "It's something quite shameful"
"Tell me what is going on you're worrying me"
Alma placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her daughter and to steady herself "Isabela is...she's sleeping around with women Julieta" There was no beating around the bush.
Julieta's eyes widened "W-What?"
"I caught her in a compromising position just moments ago...with Elena"
"They sleep in the same bed" Julieta carefully spoke "It must just be an innocent misunderstanding"
Alma gave her an incredulous look "Don't be that naive"
"I don't-"
"Look" Alma interrupted her by handing her the envelope "If you need more proof than Isabela's own confirmation..."
"She confirmed it?" Julieta gaped at her while trying to get the letter out
Alma nodded with deep sorrow "That girl has Isabela wrapped around her finger" She let out a loud exhale before continuing "I fear that Isabela is too far gone to understand the gravity of her actions"
Julieta slowly read the letter, her eyes finally falling on the grainy but without a doubt deeming photographs.
Her daughter was kissing Elena
"She wants to leave the house Julieta, we need to get her under control. Elena has completely brainwashed her and if we don't fix this...it'll be entirely too late to have her back"
Isabela liked women?
"D-Do...do you think that this was the underlying reason she didn't want to marry Mariano?"
"Don't be ridiculous Julieta, Isabela wasn't like this before"
"She was never interested in boys" Julieta muttered as memories flooded her mind
"That doesn't mean anything" Alma grudged the prickling thought "We would've found out if she had those kind of tendencies. I would have noticed it"
There were things Julieta did notice...but she didn't realize they were exclusive to this outcome.
"I need to talk to her" Julieta's voice trembled
"Of course you do! She doesn't want to listen to me"
Alma began to walk behind her but Julieta stopped her "No...mamá I need to talk to her alone"
"Julieta she needs to see authority-"
"She'll listen to her mother" Julieta seemed determined and Alma reluctantly nodded
"Okay, if that's what you want I'll give you space...but if you can't make her understand -"
"I know, let me at least try"
°
"Isabela" Julieta kept her voice low as she gently pushed the door open "Your grandmother told me about what happened"
Isabela looked terrified and when she tried to speak her words came out in a sob "I-"
Julieta shook her head with a small sigh
"I'm sorry mamá"
"Sweetheart no" Julieta's eyes brimmed with tears and she quickly rushed to envelop her daughter in a tight hug "It's okay" She whispered softly "Everything will be okay"
"But I- I can't change who I am" Isabela glanced at Elena, her mother knew everything so there was no point in trying to hide it anymore, the truth was out in more ways than one "I love her mom"
Julieta took a step back to look into her daughter's eyes "Isabela" She started to speak but Isabela had to tell her now before she lost the nerve to do it.
Alma had probably shown her mother the handful of photographs and accused Elena of being responsible for everything.
Isabela had to let her know her feelings before Julieta made up her mind about Elena.
"I never tried to look for love because I felt like it was wrong...that I was a shame upon our family" Isabela moved away from her mother to stand next to Elena "But...when I met her I-I lost all control of my feelings and without intention I fell completely in love with her"
Julieta noticed how her daughter's eyes began searching for Elena's
And the way Elena looked back at her as if she was her moon and stars.
"And I never thought I'd be this happy...I had accepted my fate -that I was going to spend my life alone and I was okay with that. But now I can't imagine my life without—" Isabela nervously took a deep breath "Without her"
"Forgive me for letting our family down, I know that I'm not the perfect daughter that you wanted but this is who...I've always been" Isabela added, her voice barely above a whisper.
"My baby" Julieta closed the space between them and wiped her daughter's tears away "You're perfect to me" Julieta smiled tenderly "The only thing that I want for my children is for you to be happy, nothing matters more to me.
I love you no matter what...
And if Elena makes you happy you shouldn't feel ashamed of that love"
Isabela choked back a sob as Julieta held her in her arms again "I was afraid that you'd hate me"
"Oh sweetheart! I could never in my life hate you. You're my daughter and I want you to know that nothing will ever make me stop loving you, okay?"
Julieta had seen a sparkle in Isabela's eyes, one that appeared when Elena came into her life. It was noticiable that her daughter had been happier these past few weeks.
Isabela had always been rather reserved while growing up and as much as Julieta tried to figure out what had her daughter always so frustrated Isabela would close off.
Now she knew that her daughter was hiding something...and she carried that burden for many years.
It made sense to Julieta, there were things that she couldn't quite puzzle together before and she felt completely guilty for not realizing what was behind her daughter's affliction.
Julieta wanted to have a deep conversation with Isabela regarding the situation - but she knew Isabela would tell her the full story when she was ready, she could sense that her daughter was emotionally exhausted.
"Thank you mamá, you mean so much to me I...I couldn't fathom losing you"
"My sweet girl I will always be here for you"
When Julieta let her go Isabela felt vulnerable but also happy and secure, her mother's support was something she'd dreamed of for most of her lifetime "I love you"
"Elena" Julieta motioned for the poor girl who had been caught in Alma's unruly wrath "Come here"
Elena didn't hesitate to walk into Julieta's open arms
"Mrs. Madrigal I'm sorry for-"
"No" Julieta didn't let her finish "You have nothing to be apologize for...Elena sweetie, you make my daughter happy and I can't thank you enough for that"
The revelation that her daughter was a lover of women was a bit of a shock but Julieta didn't think it was unnatural. For her it was simply different, but it was love.
"You have an amazing daughter Mrs.Madrigal" Elena shared quietly "She makes me beyond happy and I- I..." She paused, feeling overwhelmed by her own emotions, Elena could only hope that her mother would be so accepting as Julieta if she ever found out about her true identity.
Mrs. Madrigal made her feel safe.
Her maternal warmth was like a tender embrace.
º
The door was slammed open for the second time in the night and the once peaceful environment was loudly disrupted.
Alma's presence made Isabela instantly nervous but Julieta gave her hand a comforting squeeze
"Mamá I said I'd deal with this"
"I don't think you can fix this by yourself Julieta" Alma sneered at Elena "Evidently"
"Listen...we need to talk about this calmly"
"Calmly? How do you want me to talk calmly about your daughter being seduced by a depraved woman?"
"Hold on it's not like that-"
"No Julieta, we can't take this situation lightly, what has gotten into you? Don't you see the perversion that's going on?"
Julieta tried to speak but her mother silenced her "If you don't have the competency to set your foot down and discipline your daughter I will" When she finished she pointed a finger at Elena with ire.
"And you-"
Elena winced inadvertently
"If you don't get out of my house I can assure you...you'll regret it"
"Mamá" Julieta frowned "How can you say that?"
"I knew your softhearted nature would be a detriment to reason appropriately...but you'll thank me one day for setting this family in the right path"
Before Julieta could say anything Alma harshly grabbed Elena's arm.
"It's late mother! You can't possibly send her out to her house alone" Julieta moved to shield the door
"Do you think that I care about her safety?" Alma glared irritated as Isabela pulled Elena out of her grasp.
"You promised to her parents that you'd keep her safe"
"And I did! Didn't I? I tried so hard to make her feel at home, and how does she repay me? By manipulating my granddaughter into inmoral acts"
"Mamá stop it, what they have is not wro-"
"Don't you dare!" Alma's voice was loud enough to wake everyone up "I can't believe you"
Julieta knew that no matter what she said to her mother she wouldn't listen, Alma was angry beyond reason right now and if Julieta kept trying to debate her it would only make matters worse.
She had to simmer the situation out.
"At least let her stay for the night...and she can go back to her house tomorrow morning"
Alma glowered clearly against the proposal, but she knew that Isabela was set on leaving with her.
"Fine. But Isabela is bound to the house until we can cleanse her mind" Even though Alma had threatened Isabela about losing her title as a Madrigal she truly didn't want to lose her granddaughter.
"I don't want her to be alone" Isabela pleaded with her mother, Eduardo was locked away...but someone else was still after them.
That letter...
Who had left that envelope for Alma?
Isabela had no time to think about that in between all of the chaos, but now that the thought had entered her mind it was making her spiral into further panic-
The letter had been left under Alma's door...
Someone had been inside the house.
Before she could go deeper into that her mother's voice snapped her back to the present matters
"We will find a way okay?" Julieta whispered in a promise to her daughter "She will be back"
And Isabela believed her - still hopeful and unaware of the future.
But the tragedies were just about to start...