#krissy stop

Bruno was sweating bullets, tugging at the collar of his brown shirt as he descended the steps from his tower. It was almost dinner time for the Madrigals, and he was about to announce his absence from the daily family event.

He had only recently rejoined his family after years of isolation, years of sitting in the walls of La Casita watching his sisters raise their children and his mother growing older. At last, he was finally welcomed back and as he entered the dining room, he saw a plate with his name on it already set in front of his seat.

Dolores was already seated, laughing as she watched Camilo shifting his physical form between himself and Alma for her amusement. Julieta and Mirabel were running frantically between the kitchen and the dining room, bringing with them a new plate or pan or bowl with the family’s dinner. Bruno giggled to himself, admiring how his niblings had grown, taking after his sisters’ respective quirky natures. It was going to be hard to excuse himself from dinner.

Alma walked in carrying Bruno’s favorite tamales, followed by his brothers-in-law. Now was as good a time as any.

“Mama,” Bruno said just above a whisper.

“Hm?’ she said, setting down her baking dish without looking up.

Bruno took a breath and let it out.

“I’m not coming to dinner tonight.”

The entire room stopped what they were doing and stared at Bruno wide-eyed. All except for Félix and Dolores, who smiled at each other with a knowing look.

“What?” Alma asked in complete shock.

“I’m not joining the family for dinner tonight. I, uh, I have plans – dinner plans – with someone,” he replied, punctuating his sentence with a nervous laugh.

Alma looked taken aback. She loved and missed her son dearly, despite years of refusing to say his name. She unsuccessfully tried to hide her disappointment while fiddling with the placement of her cutlery.

“I see,” she said, “and who will you be joining for dinner this evening?”

Bruno was flustered and struggled to answer. Félix, however, was happy to help.

“He’s going on a date with the thick mamí that lives next to the bakery.”

The room erupted into whistles and teasing bouts of “Oyeee!” while Bruno tried to hide his face in his ruana.

“Es el tomando mi pelo? I didn’t hear about that!” chimed Dolores. She’s lying, of course; she hears everything.

Alma was unamused. She sat down in her chair and magically whisked Bruno’s chair away from the table with a flick of her wrist. The teasing banter settled down and Bruno came out from his poncho.

“You will be missed, mi hijo,” she said.

“Sorry, mama,” Bruno said.

***

Bruno made his way to your house, so nervous that he forgot to ask Isabela to make a bouquet for you. He didn’t want to show up empty-handed, so he ran into the bakery and got some pandebono, hoping it meshed well with whatever you were cooking.

He finally arrived at your door and knocked three times, whispering to himself, “Knock, knock, knock on wood.”

You answered the door wearing a flour-dusted apron that you felt did not flatter your body. You stared wide-eyed at your crush who was smiling and nervously holding up a bag of bread.

“Bruno!” you blurted out. “I wasn’t expecting you – uh, how are you?” You took the bread from his hands.

Bruno frowned. Did you forget about their date?

He looked down to meet your eyes and mustered up the courage to speak.

“I’m good, yeah, yeah, I’m good. It’s just we had a da- I mean, you invited me to dinner. It’s seven o’clock, haha.” He wanted to curl up and die.

“Oh, Bruno,” you said with a small laugh, “dinner’s tomorrow. I’m preparing everything now.”

Bruno couldn’t possibly be redder. He didn’t know what to say.

Above, the clouds rapidly began to cover the sun and sky, a few drops beginning to fall.

“Oh, it’s raining! Hurry, come inside!” you said, pulling Bruno in by his free hand. He nearly tumbled over, but you were quick to catch his scrawny frame with your broader body. You helped him get to his feet, smiling ear to ear at his embarrassed face.

You turned to grab some water and a plate for him since he’d already made the trip over here.

He couldn’t help but admire how beautiful you looked, despite your messy hair and disheveled clothing. Your apron was tied tight around your plump figure and Bruno could see every roll and curve of your body. He knew he probably shouldn’t be undressing you with his eyes right in front of you, but you just looked so delectable and somehow, so motherly.

“She would be such a good mamí,” he thought, quickly shaking the notion from his head so you wouldn’t notice him lusting after you.

You turned around again to face Bruno and nudged your head to the side, signally him to follow you. You led him to your small dining area and placed down a plate of the bread he brought with a glass of water.

“I’m sorry I don’t have much for you now,” you said bashfully.

“No, no! My fault…I probably should’ve looked at a calendar, ha,” said Bruno.

“Well regardless, I’m glad for the company,” you said smiling. You walked back to the kitchen to continue getting ready for the large dinner you planned for the both of you. Lord knows that poor boy needs to eat.

“How is tu familia, Bruno?” you called from the kitchen.

In the seconds since you left him, he had stuffed two balls of bread in his mouth and was working on a third. He panicked for a moment trying to respond you, causing him to choke.

“Bruno?” you called out to him again. There was no answer.

You wiped your hands clean and rounded to corner to check on him and saw as he beat his chest with a closed fist. His face was beginning to turn blue, and his eyes could practically pop out of his head from how wide they were.

You ran to his side, unsure of how to help. You tried to give him a rough couple of pats on his back, but he continued to choke. He looked so scared, and you began to cry from the fear of losing him.

“What do I do, what do I do?” you tried to ask him.

Bruno grabbed at your hands, turned around, and drew your arms around his waist so that his back was flush against your torso. He tried to cross your hands over his stomach, and you quickly got the message. You began squeezing his tiny body in short spurts, eventually dislodging the bread from his throat.

Bruno fell to his hands and knees, coughing and struggling to breathe. You took the glass of water from the table and knelt next to him, offering the cup. He put a hand up, letting you know that he was okay, and pulled himself up on feet using the table for leverage.

He swayed and brought a hand up to touch his head.

“Ay, I’m dizzy,” he said.

You snaked your arm around his and led him to your bedroom to let him rest.

***

Around two hours later, when you had finished preparations for tomorrow’s meal, you took off your apron and went back to your room to check on Bruno. He was lying awake and had the hood of his ruana up, covering the majority of his face.

You gently rapped on your open bedroom door, leaning against the doorframe.

“Knock, knock,” you said.

Bruno pulled his hood further over his face and mumbled a soft, “I’m sorry,” into the fabric.

You walked into the room and joined him on the bed, awkwardly sliding your body behind him, and wrapping an arm around his waist.

“You know you have nothing to be sorry for, right? Accidents happen, amor,” you whispered to him.

“Bruno is stupid,” he said.

You huffed a small laugh and slid your fingers up and down his chest.

“Why is Bruno stupid, Hernando?” You played along with his little act. Bruno loved to bring out Hernando when he was ashamed.

“He ruins everything,” he responded.

“Bruno didn’t ruin anything. Like I said, accidents happen,” you said, sighing a little. “I was so worried about you.”

You could feel Bruno’s heart thumping hard from under his clothes. You knew Bruno liked you, but you were waiting until he was comfortable enough around you to make your move. You planned to confess your feelings to him at dinner.

“Did I ruin it?” Bruno asked all of sudden. You looked at him confused.

“Ruin what, Hernando?”

Bruno pulled off his hood and sighed.

“Did I ruin my chance with you?”

You could cry, he was so sweet.

“No, but you sure know how to keep a girl waiting, amor.”

Bruno shuffled around to face you without you having to move the arm that encircled his waist. He was trying to be brave for you.

“I think you’re beautiful, (y/n),” he said.

You couldn’t think of anything to do or say but kiss him. His lips were soft, warm, and plush against yours. You closed your eyes tight, enjoying the passion between you two, but you could tell Bruno’s eyes were wide open from the green light somehow penetrating your eyelids.

You pulled back, opening your eyes as the green light vanished from his.

Today, it was your turn to sweat bullets.

Dinner with Bruno went fabulously, and you two were practically inseparable ever since. Bruno would visit you almost daily, always bringing you little things that he thought would make you smile. Last week, he needle-felted a pair of rat dolls – one with an adorable little yellow sun hat and the other with a green poncho. A few days ago, he brought over his tiple and played you a little tune he wrote about what it would be like to be a bird. Today, he was bringing you to dinner at La Casita.

It wasn’t that you disliked the Madrigals; it was the opposite really. You loved catching up with Mirabel and Dolores. You brought Luisa lunch a few times a week, so she had to take a break from her chores.  Isabela and Pepa have even saved your personal garden on more than a handful of occasions. The entire familia Madrigal was delightful, but you’ve never been with them all together. The thought of going before your cariño’s family and being judged by them all in one room terrified you. What if they didn’t think you were good enough for their family? What if his mother disapproved of your relationship? Bruno loves his family and is very loyal – he would leave you no doubt if they asked.

Today you had to dress to impress.

You decided to wear a bright yellow, three-panel skirt that you hand-embroidered with the story of your family’s immigration to the Encanto, pairing it with a white off-the-shoulder blouse with puffy sleeves. You threw your hair into a classy low bun, pulling out a few locks of hair to frame your round face. You rouged your cheeks and lips so that your face said, “Innocence.” Señora Alma is a traditional woman, very much like your own mother; you knew exactly how to please people like her.

You ran through your head thinking of all the little things you could say to win her favor. You thought of how you could draw on your rapport with the rest of the family Madrigal or mention what an amazing cook you were and the countless meals you fed your Brunito when he came to visit. Speaking of food, you did not plan to show up to dinner empty-handed. You prepared a large baking dish filled with your infamous patacones topped with hogao. You once set these out as a snack for Bruno and he nearly proposed to you on the spot.

You were dressed, packed, and ready to face the Madrigals, but as you made your way to the foyer to meet Bruno, who was waiting to walk you to his home, you glanced at yourself in the mirror. You tried to ignore it, but sometimes you couldn’t help but hate the girl you saw in your reflection. Your nose was too broad for your liking, and you felt like your lashes could be longer and more feminine. You hated the way the velvet ribbons tying your huaraches to your ankles squeezed your thick calves, and the back rolls that were visible through your blouse. You knew your self-worth, and you knew that you were such a kind and loving soul, but you sometimes wondered what someone as beautiful as Bruno saw in you.

There are so many gorgeous, thin women in the Encanto. Women who were petite and graceful and seemed to hold the attention of every man, women, and child in the village. You, on the other hand, felt like little old you. Not bad, but nothing too special either. Nothing special enough to belong with the Madrigals.

***

Bruno was uneasy.

Today was the day that he got to formally introduce you to his family as his…whatever you guys were. He was so nervous and nauseous, but he knew that you would, “Wow,” them just as you did every time he heard you speak.

You had expressed to him your worries of not fitting in with his family, so he came extra early that afternoon to be with you and help assuage your fears. He was so sure that everyone would love you but…his mother may be a problem. Alma has never mentioned anything about disliking you, but she never seems pleased when Bruno would leave La Casita to be with you.

As Bruno waited for you to finish getting ready for dinner, he had grown more and more paranoid about the way things could go down tonight. He began pacing, shaking salt into his hand to toss over his shoulder, and jumping from floorboard to floorboard in your kitchen while trying not to step on the gaps between the wood. He had half a mind to run to the lake just outside the mountains surrounding the Encanto and look into the future, but he couldn’t leave you alone all nervous and panicky – it was his job to be nervous and panicky.

He hopped to another floorboard, wobbling when he balanced his weight all on one leg, as you rounded the corner into the kitchen. Your sudden presence frightened him, causing him to trip and fall. You giggled at this clumsy man and did a little run over to help him up.

“So silly, Brunito,” you said to him.

He didn’t respond, wide hazel eyes looking up and hungrily devouring your appearance.

“What?” you asked.

“Hermosa.”

Your felt your cheeks get warm as you helped Bruno settle on his feet. He couldn’t stop looking at you and admiring the little details on your skirt or the way your neck and shoulders were deliciously exposed. He sighed deeply, attempting to slow his accelerated heart rate.

You attempted to draw his attention back from wherever his mind went by brushing a salt and pepper coil of hair from his face, your hand gently caressing his cheek and landing on his stubbly chin.

“Are you ready to go, amor?” you asked gently.

His hand rose to cover the hand on his face, gently removing it so he could kiss the inside of your wrist.

“Ready when you are.”

***

The walk to La Casita was lovely. The sun was just beginning to set, and the weather could not be more perfect. You almost felt sad that you couldn’t enjoy more of the joyous day outside with Bruno.

As you two reached the cobblestone path that led to the house, you realized that you had never actually set foot in Bruno’s home. Bruno always came to visit you, and the rest of the Madrigals could always be found in the village, making themselves of use to anyone in need. You never had a real reason to visit until tonight.

“The house is beautiful, Bruno,” you said.

“Yep, and she’s really nice too. Never told anyone that I was in the walls.”

You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion but laughed anyway.

Reaching the house at last, you put one foot forward to climb steps leading up to the front door, but then you felt something hit your foot. You jumped back out of fright, and Bruno began to laugh.

“Say hola to Casita first,” he responded.

Confused again, you looked up at the majestic house, and gave an awkward greeting.

“Hola, Casita?”

The house began to come alive; the bricks on the front steps started jumping, the wooden shutters on all the windows began to swing wildly, and the terra cotta shingles on the roof began to dance. The blue front doors of the moving house swung open, and you felt the stones on the path rise to cup the back of your ankles. Casita physically pulled you into itself, Bruno being pulled in not far behind.

The magical house dropped you and Bruno in the center of the room, and you clenched the white fabric over your heart.

“The house has magic too?!” you exclaimed.

Bruno smiled down at your thrilled face, watching you as you excitedly spun around several times to take in the details of the house.

“You’ve never been here? The doors are open to everyone, you know.”

You stopped your child-like observation of the house and looked at Bruno.

“I’ve never had a reason to come. Your family is always conveniently around when I need them,” you said with a smile.

Bruno returned the smile and took from you the glass baking dish you carried.

“I’m going to set this in la cocina and then we can go on a little tour of Casita,” he said.

You nodded and watched as he disappeared into what you presumed was the kitchen.

***

“…and this way is my room,” Bruno said as he ushered you up the steps to his tower.

“Do I actually get to go in this room?” you teased.

He let out a single laugh and nodded his head.

Bruno had shown you all over La Casita but couldn’t allow you in anyone’s room. Instead, he pointed to each door and told you whose room was whose and described what the inside of each room looked like. You were having a hard time believing that one little boy essentially lives in an expansive jungle terrain filled with all sorts of exotic plants and animals, but then again, the house is alive. Anything could happen here.

As you reached the top of the stairs, Bruno turned around to look at you, back facing his ornate door.

“Sooo, it’s been a while since I’ve had a visitor and I’ve just moved back in really, so my room isn’t…the best. Plus, Casita can kind of sense my overwhelming need for space, so there might be –,” Bruno confessed.

“I’m sure it’s just wonderful,” you tried to assure him.

Bruno turned back around to face the door, mumbling something under his breath about hoping you still felt that way. You wondered how many pairs of socks he’s left strewn about the floor.

Bruno pried his door open, and a gust of sand flew out the crack. He coughed and shoved door until it was wide open for you to enter. You walked into the small room, admiring the beautiful hourglass wall with a gorgeous waterfall of sand behind it.

“Well, this is nice,” you said, trying to be kind. His room was very small and did not have an ounce of furniture. You briefly wondered if Bruno just curled up on a pile of sand to sleep at night; that would explain why he’s always covered in it when he comes to visit.

With a light chuckle, Bruno took your hand and led you to the falling sand.

“Close your eyes, duck your head, and bend your knees,” he instructed, doing just that and pulling you in after.

Once through the entryway, you two skidded down a dune of sand and the room opened up into a huge cave with what had to be hundreds of stairs. You looked up completely bewildered; you really didn’t believe him when he said the rooms were bigger on the inside.

Bruno saw your baffled expression and thought to cut through the tension.

“Yeah, I know…it’s a bit much.”

“A BIT??”

“You know, once you get to walking, you really don’t even notice the stairs, ha,” he said bashfully. “Come on, let’s get started.”

He had to practically drag you from where you stood; you and cardio weren’t the greatest of friends. You started to march up the stairs, panting and out of breath by the time you reached the seventh step. You could see Bruno holding in his laughter as he watched you struggled to climb, leaving you very embarrassed.

“Mira, it’s okay. Took me a while to get used to them when I came back.”

You gave him a thumbs up.

When the treacherous journey came to an end, you could barely stand.

“Are you okay, amor?” he asked.

“No,” you wheezed, hunched over.

Bruno really thought that now would be a good time to make a move on you.

“Here, Cariño, let me carry you.”

So, here’s the thing: Bruno Madrigal is maybe 100 lbs soaking wet. You, a thick and voluptuous woman, were much broader and heavier than him in comparison. You thought it was really sweet of him to offer but…you could snap him like a twig.

“I’m good, Brunito,” you said.

But he was insistent.

“No, no, allow me,” he said, bringing one of his scrawny, little arms around your shoulders.

“Bruno, I would really appreciate it if you did not do that,” you huffed. By now, you had finally caught your breath.

Bruno was devastated, not that he let that show. Did you really think so little of him? Did you really find him…well, little? Bruno was not a very machismo man, but he still had some pride, and right now, a very bruised ego.

“Did I do something wrong, mi amor?” he asked softly.

“No, no, I’m just too – I mean I just don’t want you to – ugh,” you said standing up.

Bruno understood, choosing instead to gently take your hand in his as he moved to your side. He turned and quietly led you to the ominous circular door that stood down the hall. You passed these cryptic sculptures of Bruno on the wall, one with gaping holes where his eyes and mouth should be.

“Bruno, what is this place?” you asked.

“It’s my vision cave.”

You reached out a cautious hand to grasp the bar handle and pulled it to the side. The door opened with a whoosh and you peered in.

Inside the dim, circular room the walls were lined with a familiar tribal pattern from the crown molding to the baseboards. The floor held a similar pattern, barely visible through the small piles of sand that seemed to be everywhere. You looked around, counting maybe 6 clay pots painted in various shade of brown all about the room, before you looked up and noticed the small blue hammock that was pressed against the far wall.

You were quiet for a while – mostly because you were terrified of the room, but also because you were disheartened at how little things Bruno owned. You wondered if he just hadn’t had the opportunity to fill his room with all the little things that made him happy, or if he didn’t think he deserved more than this.

“Truth be told, I only really come up here for visions. I still…I still sleep in the walls,” he said.

“Why?” you asked bewildered.

“Eeeh, you know. It’s where I feel comfortable, I mean it’s been ten years,” he said with a nervous laugh. “Plus – plus, it’d be a bit of a hazard for the little guys, right?” he rambled as he pulled a rat from underneath his ruana, holding it up for you to see.

“Uh, Bruno –”

“I’m really nervous about being home with my family and people are already hounding me for visions, and, I mean, I missed my family and all, but I’m not much of a people person,” he said rapidly, all in one breath.

You smiled at this absolutely ridiculous man that you had fallen for.

“You can always come stay with me.”

***

The two of you had made your way to the dining room to join the rest of the Madrigals for dinner. The whole family sat in their seats, beaming up at you as Bruno chivalrously pulled out your chair and gestured for you to have a seat.

“Hola, everyone!” you said, sitting down.

Everyone responded to you happily, except for Alma, who offered you a brief nod. You tried to keep your composure, but you were freaking out inside. You never realized how large Bruno’s family was.

“Thank you for joining us for dinner, (y/n),” said Alma. “Bruno has told us many wonderful things about you.”

Her words were kind, but her tone was cold. Bruno was sweating, reaching out for your hand under the table to calm his nerves.

“I’m glad to hear that, Señora,” you said, offering a smile.

The room was tense. Mirabel and her parents were smiling so hard, hoping it would alleviate the awkwardness of Alma’s clear disapproval. Isabela and Luisa had gone ahead and started eating, focusing hard on their food so they wouldn’t have to witness the tragedy that was occurring. Dolores was whispering to her parents, who both leaned in to listen to what she had to say, all the while Camilo wasn’t paying attention, eyes trained on his fork like he was trying to bend it with his mind.

You looked around at all the Madrigals when you noticed someone was missing.

“Where’s Antonio?” you asked, beginning to poke at your food.

The whole table looked up at you surprised. Even Camilo stopped practicing his “budding” mind powers to take notice of the topic.

“Yeah, where is Antonio?” Camilo asked.

A rain cloud began to form over Pepa’s head as she shivered in panic. Félix attempted to calm her by running his hands along her shoulders.

“He’s by the Rosarios,” Dolores piped in. “His jaguar scared their daughter, Sofía, so he brought her a stuffed capybara to say sorry.”

Dolores leaned her head to side, trying to hear what Antonio was up to.

“Sounds like he’s on his way back,” she said.

Pepa let out a great sigh, the cloud above her beginning to dissipate. Félix let out a hearty laugh and soon the rest of the family had erupted into laughter over the needless worrying. All except for Alma, whose lips were pressed into a thin line and had not taken her eyes off you since you joined the table.

The laughter died down and the family dug into their plates. Before you even noticed, the patacones you brought had gone. Not too long later, Antonio joined the table, apologizing for his tardiness. He told the table how he and Sofía had lost track of time while he introduced her to some smaller, more palatable animals. Dolores teased Camilo that Antonio had gotten a girlfriend before him, which made Antonio hide in his shirt.

Hoping to draw him back out of his shell, you asked Antonio about the capybara plush that he had given to his new friend, and he happily talked about his new-found love for sewing and doll making. You nudged Bruno’s shoulder, telling Antonio that he must get his love of crafting from his tío. Bruno gave you a sheepish, lopsided grin.

For a while, the family enjoyed each other’s musings about this and that. You kept sliding more and more food over to Luisa because you knew she missed lunch today; she smiled at you with her cheeks stuffed. Mirabel mentioned something about your skirt, and you got to excitedly tell her how you were inspired by her. When Isabella managed to pull your attention away from her sisters, she gave you some gardening tips because she noticed your begonias were dying again. The night had turned around and the atmosphere was perfect – you were ecstatic.

 Seizing the moment, Bruno cleared his throat loudly, drawing attention from everyone.

“Uh, hey,” he began, “I thought I’d take the chance to, uh, properly introduce (y/n). We-we’ve been seeing each other for a month or two, and yeah.” He threw out a nervous smile, one that was returned by his sisters and his lovely niblings. His brothers-in-law were smirking at him, wiggling their eyebrows teasingly.

Alma was still stone-faced, not even bothering to look up from her food.

“I’m happy you two are…happy together,” she said.

“Th-thanks, ma,” Bruno returned.

***

After dinner, you, Bruno, and his sisters decided to stay back to clean while everyone else went about their evenings. Pepa and Julieta were absolutely delighted that Bruno was finally seeing someone. You three would giggle or go back and forth sharing cheesy little stories about Bruno while he tried to hide himself in dish soap bubbles.

Eventually Julieta poked Pepa, motioned with her lips toward you and Bruno, and then tipped her head, signally her to leave. They left the kitchen smiling while you two washed and dried the last of the utensils.

You were so engrossed in Bruno’s new telenovela for his rats. It was called, “The Horses that Could Never Be.” The plot was confusing, and one of the rats had to play a horse, but that didn’t matter. Seeing Bruno’s face light up with so much joy was the only thing that mattered in that moment. His eyes were so wide and animated, and he used different tones of voice to act out certain lines so you’d know who was talking. It was adorable.

When you put away the last fork, you turned to address Pepa, but saw at once that you and Bruno were alone.

Bruno, noticing that your attention had been drawn away from him, turned to see what you were looking at.

“Oh,” he said. “Didn’t even know they left.”

“Some oracle you are, Brunito,” you joked.

He stuck his tongue out at you and dried his hands.

It was silent for a moment when he turned back to look at you. You admired his beautiful salt and pepper curls in the candlelight that illuminated the dark kitchen.

“You look so handsome,” you said in a whisper.

You couldn’t see it, but a small flush of pink tinted Bruno’s cheeks. He had such strong feelings for you but was so worried that he would come on too strong and chase you away. He rarely kissed you, opting instead to caress your face or take your hand in his. He hoped that the gifts he brought you, the little tokens of his love, were enough to show you how he felt without being too overwhelming. Bruno very much preferred to move at whatever pace you decided to set.

You stepped toward him, closing the tiny gap between you, and brought your hands to his chest. He let out a shaky breath as you touched him, watching as you leaned forward to place a soft kiss to his lips.

He deepened the kiss, putting his hands low on your hips so you wouldn’t go anywhere. You moaned against his mouth, loving the way his breath tasted and wanting so much more of him.

Alma cleared her throat.

You two separated so fast, Bruno almost fell.

“Señora!” you gasped.

“Bruno, don’t you think it’s rather late? Señorita (y/n) should be getting home,” she said.

“Of course! Of course, yeah, let’s uh, let me walk you home,” Bruno blurted out.

Alma turned to leave the kitchen, taking a few steps before whipping her head around.

“Buenas noches, (y/n),” she said to you before turning to address Bruno. “I’ll be waiting up for you, mi hijo.”

Alma left the kitchen.

***

Bruno took you home, kissed you chastely, and practically ran to get home. You went to bed that night, butterflies in your stomach with a newfound heat that spread across your body.

When Bruno returned home, Alma was indeed waiting up for him.

“Mama, I’m home. Get some rest,” he told her.

“Brunito, I would like to speak with you about something,” Alma said curtly. She gestured for Bruno to sit on the bench next to her.

“Is something wrong, ma?” Bruno asked.

“Mi hijo,” she said, “(y/n) seems lovely but…I don’t know if she is right for you. Ever since you’ve started seeing her, well, I haven’t seen much of you.”

Bruno felt awful. Had he really been neglecting his family?

“I’m so sorry mama, I really didn’t mean to –”

“– and she’s beautiful, don’t get me wrong, absolutely hermosa, but she doesn’t exactly look like she…fits you,” Alma interrupted.

“What do you mean she doesn’t f –”

“– and believe me, mi hijo, I’m just looking out for you. And for what’s best for the family. That’s all I’ve ever tried to –”

“I love her, ma!” Bruno shouted. He immediately slapped a hand over his mouth, not meaning to have said that out loud, or have used that tone with his elderly mother.

Alma just stood there, frowning. She sighed, knowing she did all she could to help Bruno see her side of things.

“Mama, I love her. I want to be with her. Look, I’m sorry about not being more present with the family, really, lo siento, but she makes me feel like me. She makes my life and all I’ve been through feel like it was worth it,” he confessed.