Encanto: Family Madrigal One-shots

The Triplets First B-day without Bruno prt.1

Thank you @YourLocalAtheist for this request. I was happy to write it and I hope this is what you were asking for. Anyways here it is! :)

Bruno= 41yrs   Julieta=41yrs    Pepa= 41yrs    Felix=41yrs    Agustin=41yrs   Maribel = 5yrs      Camilio = 5yrs      Luisa = 9yrs      Dolores = 11yrs       Isabela = 11yrs  

Start:

Julieta sat on her bed and glanced out the window for the hundredth time. The sky had been switching between sunshine and clouds all day. Pepa was trying to force the good weather and act all happy, but she was just as upset as Julieta. They were turning 41 tonight and it was the first birthday they didn't get to celebrate with Bruno. He left and now it was just the two of them. Julieta looked back at the picture in her hands. The image was hard to focus on because Julieta's hands were shaking ever so slightly. Still she could make out her young self staring up at her and standing next to Bruno and Pepa. The photo was taken just after their tenth birthday. Everything was more simple back then.

"Julieta, may I come in?" Agustin asked, politely with a knock. Julieta turned to the closed door and smiled. Of course her sweet husband asked to enter his own room on days like today.

"Of course." Agustin then slipped inside and made his way over to the bed. He sat next to Julieta and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He didn't say anything at first and instead just gathered Julieta in his arms and held her close. "I miss him."

"I know," Agustin soothed, stroking her hair in a calming way. "I miss him too. Things just haven't been the same since he left."

"I told Mama that I didn't want a party this year, Pepa said the same..." Julieta sighed. "I don't want to celebrate without him. He's been there, our whole life. My whole life he's been there. Everyday. Now he's not and it's been hard. But to celebrate while he's not around..."

"It highlights that he isn't..." Agustin clarifies. "I know that's the last thing you want to do. It's the last thing Felix and I want to do."

"Mama acts like he betrayed everyone, but he always wanted to leave. I just never thought he would." Julieta takes a shaky breath and Agustin holds her tighter as she silently lets the tears she's been holding in fall. 

Pepa was pacing in her room. Back and forth. Back and forth. She was upset, but she couldn't be upset. It would rain if she was upset. Clear skies. Clear skies. Clear skies... Sun shone through the window and Pepa exhaled. She hated her gift sometimes. She hated how all her emotions were constantly on display, and how she wasn't allowed to feel awful until people wanted her to.

"So are you really feeling better or just forcing yourself to?" Felix asked, causing an instant storm cloud to form about his love's head. "Faking it, understood."

"I just don't understand it!" Pepa snapped as she began to pace again. "I told her, 'Mama, I don't want a party this year.' 'Mama, I'm not interested in celebrating with Bruno not around,' 'Mama, stop planning this forsaken celebration' and what does she go and do? She plans a huge party and invites the whole town because 'we have to show that we're strong even with him.' Him! She won't even bring up his name and she's drilled that sentiment into everyone's heads."

"Deep breaths, mi vida," Felix tries to calm Pepa, but he knew it was basically futile. "I understand that you're upset, but there's no way to call off the party now."

"Of course, but everything has to be perfect now!" The wind started to pick up in their little room and papers flew from underneath their paper waits. It was a mini tornado in their bedroom. "One simple request, ignored. Now I have to dress up Dolores and Camilo, stop them from asking about their Tio and tell them that everything's fine when I would rather be ignoring today all together. This isn't something to celebrate, Felix. I thought she would agree most of all!"

"Yes, well, everyone handled Bruno's disappearance differently. Your Mama is just trying to cope!"

"Even so, she has no consideration for what Julieta and I really want. It's our birthday, why are we being forced to celebrate!" Pepa exclaimed in frustration. It wasn't really a question, more of a simple complaint. Felix sighed. He missed Bruno too.

"Amour, there's nothing that can be done. Please, it's getting windy in here." Felix tried to comfort Pepa in the raging windstorm of their room. Then a knock on there door and the sound of Camilo's voice calmed the weather.

"Mama, I have something for you." Camilo knocked again and Felix went to open the door. Camilo smiled up at his father, holding a cup of tea. "I saw the sky and thought this might cheer you up. I always see Papa making you warm drinks and I got Dolores to help me with this one." Pepa's annoyed expression faded to a sincere smile as she knelt down to try Camilo's tea. It didn't taste the best, but she was happy nonetheless.

"Thank you, Camilo," Pepa kissed her son's forehead. This was what kept her sane. Her family.

"Can I ask something?" Camilo nervously questioned.

"Of course," Felix replied.

"Are you upset because Tio Bruno isn't here anymore?" Camilo didn't understand the gravity to his question and Felix shot a worried look in his wife's direction. Still, no real cloud appeared above Pepa's head.

"Yes, that's why I'm upset, hijo." Pepa placed Camilo's tea on the floor and pulled him into a hug. "I miss him."

"But why don't you want to celebrate your birthday?"

"Because I've always celebrated with him. It's not the same as you and Dolores. You've had her at all your parties, but she's a guest. Tio Bruno, Tia Julieta, and I all have the same birthday so it doesn't feel right to celebrate when today is his just as much as mine and Julieta's. Do you understand?" Pepa pulled out of the hug and smiled at her son.

"I'm sorry, he can't celebrate with you. I hope you can still have fun though. Birthdays are meant to be fun." Camilo looked to his father with a silent question and Felix shook his head.

"How about we go get you ready," Felix says, nodding to Pepa who smiled gratefully. Once Camilo and Felix were outside Camilo voiced his silent question from before.

"Why can't I transform into Tio Bruno, why wouldn't that make Mama happy?"

"Because hijo, it would only hurt her more to know that it wasn't the real Bruno standing at the party. Your gift can do a lot of good and make a lot of people smile, but pretending to be someone who's gone is never okay." Felix tried to explain it in the only way he could. Luckily Camilo nodded with a little grin. "Now go find your cousin Maribel, she doesn't like birthday's either and I know spending time with you would cheer her up." Camilo nodded, happy to be useful. He skipped off and Felix sighed. He hated how upset this was making Pepa and he hated how upset he was. Bruno was his friend, his brother... now he had to pretend like Bruno wasn't missing his own 41th birthday party. He just wished that Bruno was around, he missed the days when he was.

Part 2 is the last part, so I hope everyone likes it. I hope everyone has enjoyed this part as well. Thanks for reading and have a great day everyone.