What if Isabela was Antonio's Mother

Antonio's Gift Ceremony

Isabela's pov

I walked into the room full of people and stood on the side of the stairs. I should be up there waiting for him, but Tia Pepa is in the space where I should be. I'M HIS MOTHER! I should be there. I want to be there, to be close to him, to hug him and never let go, he's my son and I want him. 

But I can't have him

if I did Abuela would go crazy

I will get him back one day... Probably... Hopefully.

Dolores came to stand beside me and comfort me. I looked at her and felt the tears well up in my eyes and I started shaking with sobs I wanted to let out but couldn't. She nodded at me understanding as best as she could and stepping back offering me her hand to squeeze, discreetly comforting me in the best way she could think of. 

I take a deep breath and nod at her. The lights dim slowly until they are off completely all except for two witch turn toward Antonio, and the floor turns the tiles around making a path for him to walk down. 

He doesn't move. 

He glances at me and I motion with my head that he should move up the stairs. The tiles under him move urging him to step forward. He looks to his left to the inside of the flower curtains that I made earlier. 

I made sure to make them red irises, I thought it might comfort him to have something from me with him even though I wouldn't be waiting for him at his door. I mean he had the one flower that I gave him earlier but who wants one flower when you could have thousands.  

His head is turned so I can't see what hes saying but he whispers something to the left side of the curtains. I grab Dolores's shoulders to ask what he said but before I can my sister steps out and holds his hand bringing him up to the door. 

Gasps are heard throughout the crowd and I say a silent thank you to her for delivering him to his door safely for me. 

She stands up next to him at his door in my place and watches him get his gift. 

He grabs his doorknob and the door starts to glow gold. A bird fly's down and lands on his arm

"uh-huh uh-huh, I can understand you!" 

"of coarse they can!" 

He agrees to let 'them' come and I have no idea who that could be until a group of birds fly into the house. Followed by some brown raccoons? (I have no idea what those things are called so just go with it)

"We have a new gift!" 

All the animals and people flooded into his room. A jaguar scoops him up and takes him on a ride around his room. Up the path to the top of the tree and sends him flying downwards and I gasp but he lands on a hammock and looks fine. relief and joy spread across my face and he fly's down a slide into a river and swings on a snake to avoid the water and lands back on his jaguar  riding under a waterfall and back to the front of his room with the rest of the family. 

We run to hug each other but his 'parents' get to him first. He looks to try to hug me again but abuela turns him around "I knew you could do it, A gift just as special as you." she says brushing his cheek. and all i can think is 'GET AWAY FROM HIM, your the reason I cant have him so why should you get to be near him if I cant'

"we need a picture" 

I run to stand next to Antonio before anyone else can and Camilo stands in front of me. We start off close but as the picture is taken abuela's hand comes in between us. I make a trail of flower petals in the air and make sure to make some red ones for Antonio as well as my usual purple pink and white. 

After the picture Antonio finally runs up and hugs me "how could I forget my favorite prima" he says. there is a chorus of aww's and I hug him tighter, the line breaks my heart but he means well. 

I put him down and he drags me to the dance floor so fast that I almost fall over. Flowers grow on top of my head and everyone laughs at his eagerness. "Oh before we start the music" Antonio interrupts what everyone was doing "thanks for the little peace of you it helped" he said pulling out the red flower "Now you need a little peace of me to keep you company" more aww's sound from the crowd. 

I laugh "I dont need any luck Tonio" he goes over and plucks a leaf off one of the vines that covers the wall. "oh its not for luck" 

"really whats it for" I ask "a visual reminder to the big dumb hunk over there to keep his hands OFF my prima" he says glaring daggers at Mariano as me and the crowd erupt into a fit of laughter 

Once I stop laughing and the noise dies down I say "Well how could he when I already have a dance partner" as is if on que the music starts again and spin I him onto the dance floor everyone watches us dance for a few minutes before gradually joining us.

After a few fleeting moments of real fun the 'big dumb hunk' walks over and replaces where Antonio is dancing. He moves Antonio to the side and gently. I hide my disappointment by plastering on a fake smile and dancing with him. Out of the corner of my eye I watch Antonio dance he has some pretty sweet moves. Behind me Felix is trying to get abuela to dance and she does following his moves only to be interrupted by my sister yelling. 

"THE HOUSE IS IN DANGER" 

Everyone stops dancing and she starts rambling about the house and the candle until abuela finally says "show me" 

we all follow her into the courtyard and look at the perfectly fine house.

I sigh and roll my eyes and take that as an excuse to walk back to my room successfully avoiding Mariano on the way. 

~~~

Just like always there is a knock on my door 

Ever since Antonio was a baby he hasn't gone to sleep without me tucking him in. Or at least me coming by to say goodnight. He likes to lay on me and listen to my heartbeat he says 'it calms him' whenever he says that I always ask 'doesn't your mamis heart sound like that' and he says 'No yours is different... its more calming... it always makes me feel better whenever I have a bad feeling, you know...'

The knock isn't as urgent as my Tia's usually are so I guess he's come alone. 

"come in" I say gently towards the door as I sit up in bed.

He opens the door and I hear small footsteps carefully walking across flowers, my assumptions are correct. He peaks his head around my door into the little hallway at the entrance of my room. I smile at him and hold my arms out for a hug, he immediately returns the soft smile with a big grin that spreads across his face.

He has no idea how much he looks like his father, it almost hurts. 

he runs down the path to my bed up the stairs and jumps into my arms with so much force he makes the bed swing up into the air in the direction he was running. He squeezes me tight and I hug him back. 

He looks up at me with puppy dog eyes and says "you didn't come to say goodnight" I think for a moment "no I didn't did I" he looks down "Am I to old for that now?" 

I grab his chin and make him look at me "No Tonio never, you'll never be to old for me to say goodnight to you." 

"really because you don't say goodnight to anyone else in the family." I boop his nose with mine and scrunch it up "I say goodnight to my mother" I start to tickle him "are you older than my mother" he starts to laugh and squeals out a "NO" as my vines pick him up by the foot hold him upside down and take my place in tickling him relentlessly. 

I get off my bed that is still swinging lightly in the air. My vines put Antonio safely back in my arms and stop tickling him. I walk him back to his room up the path and start climbing the tree/steps/mushrooms up to the top ware I put the now sleeping Antonio in his bed and kissed him on the forehead. 

When I started to leave he stopped me before I could get to the steps without opening his eyes he said "stay with me" in a whisper tone holding out the hand closest hand to me.

I whisper "ok" back in the same quiet tone and lay down next to him. He moves to lay his head on my chest and sighs.

I grow his signature red flowers in his hair till I fall asleep.