A Slow Burning Candle *Main story completed, additional scenes to be added*

Chapter 21: Break

(Originally part of a longer chapter, but my test reader said that since I woke up and chose violence today, I should post it on its own.)

"Isabela said you needed to talk to me?" He looked confused, "I wasn't expecting you to come here."

"I know." She felt the full weight of all the eyes in the room on her, "I didn't think I would, but," She paused and took a deep breath, "I need to ask you to stop."

Bruno paused on his way down the stairs, "Stop walking?"

"No, stop whatever it is you've told your sobrinas and sobrino to do."

There was a general air of unease in the house at that statement. The parents looked around to their children, most of them being met with guilty glances or quickly averted eyes.

"I – " He didn't know what to say to that, "Didn't.." His voice trailed off, looking to his family around him.

Something was going on with the kids. They all looked like they'd been caught, except for perhaps Camilo, who just looked annoyed at the whole affair.

"You didn't?" She looked at him with incredulity, "I find that hard to believe."

"What's been going on?" Julieta eyed her daughters with suspicion.

"Someone has been making orchids appear in my house, la escuela, everywhere, every day for the last week."

"Honestly? That doesn't sound too out of the ordinary for us." Félix shrugged and Pepa gave him a look.

"It's a little scary when they just pop up out of nowhere and this morning, when I got back from the market, my entire apartment was full of them."

Isabela looked down at her hands, suddenly realizing what she'd done.

"I can't even get into my kitchen and I tripped on them and fell down the stairs." Luz looked at Félix, letting him know that no matter they had, falling down stairs by slipping on petals was not their normal.

"Oh, that was my fault." Isabela whispered, "I think I interpreted dozens as dozens and dozens, and – " She trailed off, thinking it over, "Sorry?"

"Are you okay?" The healer asked.

Luz put a hand to her brow, "I'm okay, I'll probably just have some bruises."

Julieta retreated into the kitchen and came back with a small bite of food. She tucked it into Luz's hand for later before walking back over to her daughters.

"I'm sorry." Bruno walked up to her.

"You didn't tell her to do that?"

"No," He held up his hand as if taking an oath.

Luz turned and looked at Julieta's youngest, "And he didn't tell you to say those things to me at the market today?"

Mirabel shook her head, "No."

"How did you know about the schoolhouse?"

Bruno looked at Luz, "Schoolhouse?"

"She asked what happened between us." She side-eyed him, "During the fiesta?"

"Oh." He looked slightly embarrassed for a moment before a quizzical look spread over his features, "Where did you hear about that, sobrina?"

There was a tiny squeak.

"Okay that makes sense." Luz had to concede and Bruno nodded, but the maestra still turned toward Dolores, "You still shouldn't have told anyone about that – it was a private moment."