Crushing On A Madrigal | 𝐄𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜

·8·

"Half a Day in the Life of Dolores Madrigal"

Dolores noticed both her little brothers were gone, but she managed to get a glimpse of the older one, Camilo, skipping happily towards the town.

The girl smiled at her brother and shook her head at him, making her feel envious. Shrugging, Dolores squeaked and turned away, going back upstairs.

Dolores lays on her bed and closed her eyes, doing what she does most; hear.

Listen.

Hmm hmmm hmmm hm hmmm...

She could hear someone hum, leaves, and twigs breaking in their slow steps. Immediately she knew who it was, making a small smile creep to her face as she starts to recall the time when she realized her brother had a little crush on the girl.

It was just a few years ago. Camilo was grumbling things under his breath and it made Dolores frustrated since she would always hear him bite his nails and groan in irritation out of nowhere.

"Alright, what is it?" Dolores asked with a sigh, nudging her brother.

"What? What are you talking about?" He questioned, averting his eyes and making his sister roll her eyes at him. "Why do you keep grumbling, tell me what's bothering you." She says, crossing her arms at him.

""Why does this always happen to me?","Stop thinking about it.", "What does it even mean?"" Dolores said, trying to mimic her brother's voice to his annoyance but was still met with nothing other than a groan of complaint.

"You're not gonna budge are you?" She asked, looking at him as he stays silent, stubbornly waiting for his hermana to give up on him but Dolores was quite persistent.

The two of them sat there in silence, waiting for one another to break.

"It's just every time she smiles I get this weird feeling in my stomach even if I'm full," Camilo finally explains to his sister along with some aggressive hand movements. "And whenever she looks at me I get nervous."

"Do you mean Estella?" She asks, painting a slightly surprised face on her brother's face. "Yeah..." Camilo paused, "How'd you know?" He asked.

"Well, she is the girl you spend the most time with these days." She mentioned in a matter-of-fact kind of tone, looking at him with pursed lips. "Have you ever considered the fact that you might have feelings for her?" She asked, making Camilo have an epiphanic moment.

"Mhm, there it is," Dolores said as she observed how her brother's face started turning red right after his sudden realization.

Dolores couldn't help but smile to herself as she relives the memory of her embarrassed brother. He was ten when he realized his feelings but Dolores had a feeling he liked her for longer than that.

The pretty girl exits her room, the sounds of overlapping chatter and different noise rushing to her ears. Though she can still hear everything in the Encanto, her room helps the sounds die down a bit to her benefit and to make it comfortable enough to make her sleep.

Dolores hears frustrated panting from one of her cousin's rooms and knocks on their door. "Isa, you doin' okay, prima?" She asked, coming inside the room, her nostrils getting attacked by the fragrance of the flowers.

"Dolores," Isabela let out, "I-I'm fine." She says, trying to compose herself, dusting her light purple dress.

"Is it about the five babies?" Dolores questioned, a short laugh coming out of her lips. "I was only messing with you, you know." She says, trying to lighten up the mood.

Isabela gasps, "Betrayed! By one of the only people I trust." She huffed, playfully pretending to turn her back on Dolores as a sign of anger.

"Lo Siento, Lo Siento." Dolores chuckles, rubbing Isabela's still tensed-up shoulders as the two of them smile at each other.

They were far from happy today, but they still smiled, hoping to hide their true feelings from each other. Both not wanting to disappoint.

"Are you nervous?" Dolores asked softly while Isabela had no choice but to nod her head in response. "Do you need some time alone?" She asked and received another hesitant nod from her cousin.

Isabela swallowed down her anxiety. Could this really be the path she's taking for her life? Would this help her help their family? Is this really the right decision to do? A lot of questions flooded her head, but she was still determined to make her family proud. 

Happy.

Neither she nor Dolores wants her to marry Mariano. The only thing that's stopping them from speaking is the fear that keeps dragging them down – the fear of disappointing the family and the overwhelming pressure each family member feels deep inside.

As Dolores exits Isabela's room in defeat, she could hear the voice of none other than her beloved Mariano. She's had feelings for him for so long, even before he became one of the most desired bachelors in the village because she falls in love with what she hears; the poems he writes, the songs he sings, the love and adoration leaking from his voice whenever he speaks to his mother.

He was practicing the song he was going to sing for tonight's dinner, in hopes to impress his soon-to-be betrothed, Isabela Madrigal. The town's beloved graceful angel.

Dolores rests her arms on the railings on Casita, viewing the town and the chatting people, trying to find something else to listen to when she got distracted by her brother, skipping happily towards Casita.

At least he had a great day.

She thought to herself, feeling jealous about her brother's luck in love when all of a sudden her ears started to hurt. The sounds of rumbling, cracking cement, thudding, and falling sand rush to her ears as she clutches her head, trying to block them out even though she knows she can never block out what she hears.

It's part of her gift but sometimes she feels like it's just a burden she has to bear for the rest of her life.

When the sounds finally managed to die down, she quickly runs back to her room – her safe haven. Dolores's breath was shaky and her ears started to ring. She lets out a frustrated sigh and looked at herself in her vanity mirror.

"You'll be fine." She muttered, looking at her own reflection straight in the eyes. "You'll be fine." She repeated this time sterner and commanding as she lets out another breath.

"I'll be fine."