Gift Swap

Part Ten

TWs:
Notes: Written along side Camp_Gravity

It was finally time for Dolores' date and she was nervous and excited and scared and happy all at once. It was going to be her first date with Mariano and she hoped it would all be as fine as she hoped.

And she felt very confident in the way she looked, which was good. She had to stay positive and calm, but not too much that any sign of her mother's gift would show.

She waited downstairs to wait for Mariano.

Isabela and Mirabel hid upstairs, leaning on the railings to watch the scene unfold.

Mariano opened the door.

Dolores quickly put on a bright smile as she heard the door started to open. She would normally be able to hear his footsteps and while getting closer, but now it was Isabela who would've heard that.

"Dolores?"

"Who? I mean, yes? Yes, that's me." She nodded quickly while obviously still being a bit nervous.

He frowned. "Are you feeling alright?"

She nodded while taking a deep breath. "Yes, I am. I'm just really excited for this."

He offered his large hand. "We're going to go to somewhere quiet."

She smiled softly, noticing the kind gesture he offered her though it did not matter much at this considerable time. Dolores took his hand any way, accepting his offer after seeing how kind and understanding he already was. He knew about her normal, very sensitive hearing and took that into consideration when planning their date.

Dolores looked over at her cousins from above, noticing them give her an encouraging thumb's up before she looked back at Mariano with a grin. "Let's get going then, shall we?"

He nodded and the two started walking. He told her poems that he had written and told her make believe stories as they walked to their destination. She listened and was smiling the entire time. The best part of it was that all she heard was him. She only heard his soft voice and his compliments. Not along with their breathing and footsteps or the sound of animals or other people in the far distance. Just his calming voice, the voice she loved.

She out of all of them, had one of the worst gifts. Everything was always loud and her near soundproof room was the only safe place to get away from all of the noise. But her abuela did not like it if she kept herself in her room all day. That would not be helping others as their gifts should be doing, she would only be helping herself by locking herself away.

She and her cousins, aunt, uncles, and brothers seldom got the change to help themselves in their lives. They were expected to help the others, the ones in their community without gifts like they did, so everyone in the town would be happy.

But when would they ever get time to themselves? Time to learn who they wanted to be?

For Dolores, this was it. She didn't have her original gift but this was her time. She was with the person she loves and learning just how much she loved him.

Maybe this would be it for everyone.

Dolores was smiling brightly, quietly humming to herself with how great she felt about this moment. It felt perfect. Her hand was in his as he swung their hands as they walked in the cutest of ways.

She giggled quietly as she watched their hands sway, not noticing the small rainbow above her head, showing her happiness and joy at the moment.

He sat her down for a little picnic, playing his guitar for her in the softest of tunes. She listened happily while feeling the soft grass with her hands. She could only hear the song he sang and not the grass whistling with the wind like she normally would. It honestly felt like a huge sense of relief.

He played a few songs for her before they ate the food he and his mom made for them. They were having the perfect time and the sun above them only shined brighter the happier Dolores felt.

The date ended with a kiss and gentle goodbyes.

Even with all the chaos happening at home about everyone's gifts swapping, this had to be the best of Dolores's life so far. It was full of the magic she had always dreamed of.