How Times Change

Cuando una puerta se cierra-

The doctor was right, the baby was born on the 21st at exactly 12:00 at noon. It came out screaming just like his mother, kicking and pissing as it flailed around. But it was beautiful, that was something Bruno and Eva could agree on, with huge brownish gray eyes permanently pursed lips and a curly dark mop of hair quite far forward on it's skull.

Eva beamed at Bruno, handing the child over to him for him to rock her carefully, stroking his smooth, rosy, cheeks.

But

The newfound mother grasped her lower chest suddenly, crying out slightly and looking down at where her bump used to be as her eyes widened.

The doctor rushed back over at Bruno's nervous request and after only one look, explained to them that they had another one. Another child.

Bruno laughed to himself, it was a raw stiff laugh but a sure one.

And so, the doctor began again, as did Eva, and with the sufficient amount of pushing, a young girl with similar big eyes to the boy.'

'What shall we call them?' Bruno asked.

'How about Pedro for the boy? And hmmmm...'

'What about Mirabel?'

'Yes. Mirabel.'

'Eva.'

'Yes mi amor.' She doted.

'He's not moving. I can't-'

'What, no. Give him to me.'

They quickly swapped babies, the girl crying in Bruno's arms as her mother attempted to awaken the boy.

The Doctor took the child from her and in his words 'did what he could' but apparently the boy was gone by the time his sister was born. 'I'm sorry' he said and left with the priest.

Eva broke down quickly, she refused to hold her other child and would only talk to Bruno in one word answers for the next hour as he sat next to her. Finally she tore her hand away from his. Shocked, he recalled as well.

'You. Knew this was going to happen.' She spat, still staring at the floor below her. Casita had, within the last hour, painted the house a solemn gray to symbolize their loss.

Bruno wanted to deny it. He wanted to turn and run just like he wanted to all those years ago but couldn't.

'Yes.' He admitted.

'You saw. And you didn't tell me. Did you tell anybody?' Her face was completely still to the point where it looked like she wasn't breathing.

'No. I couldn't.'

'Why.' It was less of a question, more a command.

'I was- scared. I can't stand being able to- being me. I wanted to know if our children...'

'Did you know that too. That they were twins?'

He nodded.

'And that one?' She spoke, trembling through her voice.

'She's healthy isn't she? She can be happy as well.'

'No. What is her future? Her gift.'

'She didn't- she won't have one.'

'...'

'But that doesn't mean she can't be beautiful. Look at her. Look at me, mi amor, see what my gift has done to us.'

'Your gift? No Bruno, you. You were my only chance to finally be someone and now...'

'What? Be someone?'

'My family has despised me since my brother married that woman. Do you know every night over dinner my family talk about him? His success and then they ask me what have i done? The answer is nothing and i needed a way out.'

'How could you use me like this.'

'How could you not tell me about the children? And besides you never loved me either. You just enjoyed how people saw you with me: a failure turned to success just like me.'

'No. I- love you. You love me.'

'You don't understand. I did what i needed to do.'

'No, no no no. Eva... i don't- i can't believe this.'

'Of corse you can't. I never loved you, and deep down someday you'll realise that you never loved me either. You just wanted love and never thought about weather it was real.'

'But Mirabel... just because she won't have a gift-'

'I spent two years making this life, setting this up so that i could finally have something and that... child and your... visions have stopped me. I can't look at it anymore.'

'You can't. Everyone will know, you disowned your child, how will that look for the family?'

'See? You only cared about immpressing your family. Being seen as someone you arn't, but you are. You couldn't escape the prophecies if you tried.' 

And the worst thing was, he never really knew if she was right. He was ussured out of the room with his child who was quickly handed to Julieta to look after, and as hours turned into days it stayed that way. 

Eva spent the last two days of her life refusing to talk to her only child and her partner who became increasingly distent also. Bruno had tried his best to see the child as much as possible and even slept in the same room as her on some nights but Mirabel and Bruno never managed to click to the point where Bruno wondered weather she even knew he was her father. 

After those two days, Eva passed away silently with no signs of ingury or force about her, presuambly late at night. This was not a surprise by any means but that didn't make it any less of a blow for the family. They held the funeral only a few days after: small, quiet and without celebration, particually from her side of the family and once that was over Bruno never directly heard anyone talk about Eva again, though he could have sworn that people still talked about him behind his back. 

Yes. Bruno was even less than he was before. Was there even a word for less than worthless? Bruno didn't think so, but he could feel it every day, in the stares that people gave him in the rare occasions he walked down the street and in a solemn hugs his sisters would give him before he retired for the evening, back to sleeping in his own room.