fail by design

A Revealing Party

If seeing your father come back from the dead wasn't enough of a mixture of hurt and shock, consider your "sister" telling you that she "knew he never left" and that she "heard him every day" more of one.

Dolores had no right to keep that from him.

Bruno had left.

For ten fucking years.

Camilo was furious. It wasn't as if he spent the last ten years grieving over a man that he thought was dead. It wasn't as if he grew up for those ten years with little knowledge of him. Ha. Fuck Camilo, right? He doesn't matter.

And apparently he never did, if the last few months proved anything. The entire village gathered round the Madrigal family, explaining that it was time that they gave back. So little by little, day by day, Casita was rebuilt. It wasn't perfect, some bricks weren't level, paint meshed in weird areas, the little garden that Isabella had set up was barely holding on.

That wasn't important. What mattered to Camilo, was that his father was avoiding him. For Mirabel. Yes, Bruno was helping out, the entire family adored him and he did something special with each of them.

Isabella's garden was helped by Bruno. Abuela doted on her only son through profuse apologies. Dolores gossiped about telenovela with him. Luisa relaxed in the grass and told stories with Bruno. His tías and tíos were relieved and excited to have the older man back in their lives. Even Antonio got to spend time with Bruno, and the rats apparently.

But that wasn't what truly pissed him off.

It seemed that Mirabel became Bruno's favorite in a matter of weeks. Whenever he wasn't with the rest of the family, he was with her. They were basically tied to the hip. Whether it was just talking, helping rebuild, sew new clothes for the rest of the family or walking around and helping the village; they worked as a team. His father smiled and joked with Mirabel, seemed okay with hugging her and complimenting her on everyday tasks. He became her source of friendship.

Papa, do you remember what you sewed into my gift? Do you remember my gift? Do you remember me? I missed you so bad, and yet you don't seem to care. That's supposed to be me. You aren't his child. Why did he so easily disregard me?

But him? Anytime Bruno became aware that Camilo was within reach, that was a sign that he needed to leave. No matter how much his own son called out to him, he was ignored.

There was a nasty inner part of Camilo that grew bigger every second that Bruno seemed to shy away from him. It made his chest ache in envy, filled his mind with poison and he hated every second that it was there to remind him.

Why are you walking away? Was it something I did? Am I that disappointing of a son, that you can't even bear to be around me?

So there was the nasty side of Camilo that he kept hidden, but the side that seemed to overload that hatred and jealousy...was just overwhelming, painful loneliness. He didn't have anyone to be around. He couldn't help out. He was too weak without his powers, he wasn't funny enough without his powers. He was never enough.

And that was the worst part. Feeling that you aren't enough for someone. But the agony that Camilo felt at seeing every interaction between his father and Mirabel...eventually became numb, just like before. The void that was so quickly filled by the knowledge that he was alive, barely processing any of the emotions to still having no personal conversation. He'd built himself and his life around the belief that he was someone who just didn't get to have a father. How do you reconcile with someone who basically faked their own death?