Mariposa Dulce, a girl with one foot, has know the Madrigal triplets since they were little. Now she's fallen in love with the youngest triplet, Bruno. Will their story be one for the ages?
No lemons, some strong language
"Good morning, Bruno," I called as I made my way to Casita.
Bruno turned around with a smile. "Mariposa!"
I stopped in my tracks. "What the heck, Bruno?"
"What?" Bruno rubbed his hands together nervously. "Did I do something?"
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I touched his face and he momentarily pressed his prickly face into my hand. "How long has it been since you slept?"
He rubbed his eyes, doing nothing for the bags. "I don't know... its Tuesday, right?"
"It's Thursday Bruno."
"Oh... "
"What is going on with you?" I grabbed Bruno's hands. "I haven't seen you this stressed in the sixteen years I've known you. "
"I figured out my gift," Bruno said.
"That's great," I smiled.
Bruno pushed my hands away gently. "No, it's a curse. "
"How so?" I asked as Casita brought me a seat. "Thank you, Casita." I sat, putting my crutches down.
Bruno began pacing. "I figured it out last week and ever since I haven't been able to go to sleep without the dreams plaguing me."
"The dreams?"
"About the future." Bruno knelt beside the chair. "They won't stop ever since I started sleeping in that room! And now that I know what they are... " He put his head in my lap and I blushed. "I haven't slept properly in a week... I just can't sleep in my room and Mami won't let me take more than a siesta on the couch."
I ran my hand through my best friend's scraggly curls. "It's okay, Bruno. If you need to leave Casita at night to sleep, my couch is always open to you."
Bruno looked up at me. "Thank you, mi amor..."
We both froze, neither daring to address the admission he'd made as he lay across my lap. Both of us we're red as I stared down at him. I ran my hand through Bruno's hair with a smile. "It's nearly lunch time. Is Julieta cooking?"
~ ~ ~
Bruno and I sat on the couch together as Rosa practiced her guitar.
"Wonderful, Rosa," Bruno clapped. "Wonderful!"
Rosa bowed playfully. "Thank you! Thank you! this next one is for my big sister! Love you, Mariposa! "She began playing again.
I laughed. Rosa had dedicated songs to everything in our home including her potted cactus. The pervious one had been dedicated to the memory of a broken picture frame. I stood up.
"Where are you going?" Bruno asked.
"Dance with me," I smiled, pulling Bruno off the couch.
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"What?" Bruno rubbed his hands nervously.
"Come on, mi amor, " I smiled. "I can't spin myself around with only one foot." I chuckled.
Bruno smiled as he put his arms around me. He spun me around, supporting most of my weight. At the end of the song Bruno pulled me closer and kissed me gently.
"Awe!" Rosa let out excitedly.
Suddenly, a knock came at the door. Bruno and I looked toward the door. Had his mom really figured it out the first night he left the house?
"I'll get it," Rosa said. She opened the door and Alma pushed her way inside.
"Mami!" Bruno said in surprise.
Alma looked at us disapprovingly. "You were always a bad influence..."
"What did I do?!" I asked, incredulously.
Bruno made sure I was safely sitting again before approaching his mother. "Mami," he said, looking up at her through his hair, "can we do this at home?"
"No," Alma said. She pointed at me. "You, Mariposa, have been nothing but trouble ever since your parents passed! Encouraging my boy to tame rats and sneak out! I should - "
"Stop," I said bluntly. "Not in front of my sister."
Alma looked furious that I would interrupt whatever her threat had going to be. "How dare you disrespect me?!"
I reached for my crutches. "Go practice in your room, Rosa. Mrs. Madrigal, we can talk outside."
Alma, Bruno, and I stepped outside, standing close together as it stormed above the oning over my door. "Look what you two did!" Alma scolded. "Now Pepa is upset!"
"What about me, mama?!" Bruno said, losing his temper now with two walls between us and Rosa. "It's always Pepa's feelings! We all know how she's feeling! Tonight was the first good night I've had in a long time!"
Alma looked offended for a moment before turning her attention back on me. "You stay away from my son," she growled.
Bruno stepped in front of me. "Leave mi amor out of this. Mariposa has nothing to do with you not caring about how I feel."
As soon as the words had left Bruno's mouth, I regretted it. "Oh, Bruno..."
Alma was taken aback for a second. "Well," she started.
In unison as though they'd practiced it, Alma and Bruno said, "if it wasn't for all the time you spend with that girl, you'd have figured out your gift already."
Alma stared.
"If it wasn't for Mariposa," Bruno said defensively, "I'd never have figured out how to use my gift of prophecy." I raised an eyebrow. He hadn't told me much about how his gift worked yet.
Alma's eye twitched. "Fine." She turned away from us. "Come home when you're ready." She left.
Bruno put his arm around me. "I'm sorry, amor."
I nodded. I knew well that family was the most important thing in the world to Bruno. "Come by tomorrow and you can sleep here during the day."
"Thank you, Mariposa," Bruno kissed my cheek before starting off into the rain after his mother.
A/N
The family resemblance! Young Bruno looks like Camilo and fully grown Bruno looks like his father! My heart!
