Love Me for Eternity || Bruno Madrigal

Chapter 16: A Date

Your father had never seen you so happy before.

From a distance, he could faintly see the outlines of the dear children that he had so lovingly raised alongside his best friend's wife, Alma. He saw you hide behind some bushes only to be promptly pushed out by Pepa and Julieta. You almost landed face first to the ground, but you managed to catch your footing. He sneered at the fact that Bruno had taken the initiative to tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear and give you a singular rose after.

He fumed. That damned brat—

No, no, Mateo. You have given the boy permission to court your daughter. No need to be violent.

He plucked the hilo grass under his hand to the root, and you know damn well that hilo grass was practically impossible to unearth from the root.

He wanted to punch the boy in the face. Ay, if only he didn't look like Pedro, he would've bashed his face in already—

Calm breaths, Mateo. Calm breaths. They were already adults.

" Ay , Alejandra. It's a miracle I managed to survive the life of being a father to such a beautiful daughter." He sighed while staring at the lazy clouds that passed by.

Mateo Alcantara was a widower at the tender age of twenty five, a single father of a rambunctious young woman, the watchman of the Encanto, and the shepherd from the outskirts that provided wool and veal. Despite those titles, he could not be more prepared to give to some... guy—even if it was the magical descent of his late compadre. He was not prepared to let you go and have your own family just yet. It only seemed like yesterday that he held you in his arms and for the first time; you were such a wee thing. You were definitely one hell of a crier, that's for sure. But you were his precious daughter—your loud cries were such a blessing for him to hear.

His eyes seem to rest on you once more as you took the rose from Bruno's outstretched hand and fidgeted in place. You were now a blossoming adult, ready to be placed in the ranks of the Encanto. That little girl who hid behind his legs was no more. You were much taller now, definitely stronger, and you were ready to leave his care soon.

He didn't want to let go. He desperately didn't want to let go.

But he needed to; for your sake.

Mateo's thoughts drifted to Alma—was she having the same struggles as he did? Did she also contemplate on the revelation that her children were soon going to have their own lives? Did she also stare longingly at the triplets while her heart breaks at the realization that the moments where they would rely on her would cease?

Was Alma ready to let go?

Mateo swam through his own reverie; Alma had changed, that was a fact. The way she changed from the cheerful village girl he once knew to the strict town matriarch was... frightening. Mateo couldn't help but think Alma had lost a part of herself to the process—or the lack thereof—of her grief. Now that they were given a miracle, Alma held onto that candle like a lifeline; like it was the only piece of memory she had left of Pedro and a momentary comfort to her sadness. She treated the triplets' gifts as if they were the debts that needed to be repaid—not the children she was supposed to nurture.

Alma held on too tight. If she doesn't let go, the whole familia would fall apart.

—

On an early Saturday morning, you waited patiently under the shade of your home while swaying from side to side. The breeze was fresh, the clouds were incredibly few and far in between, and the temperature was just right; not too hot, not too cold.