Love Me for Eternity || Bruno Madrigal

Chapter 28: Apology Not Accepted

You were awoken by the rays of early dawn on your eyelids, forcing you to rouse from your delightful slumber. There was a weight on your midsection which caused you to groan a bit from the vice grip your husband had on your torso. He was sleeping so soundly, like a baby you wanted to pamper for the whole day. But alas, your shifting must have disturbed his dreams as soon as his eyes fluttered open and stared directly into your own with a sleepy, lopsided smile.

"Buenos dias, pendejo." he mumbled, burying his face deeper into the dip of your chest and sighing gleefully. You kissed the top of his head, weaving your fingers through his thick curls. He looked awfully at peace, a great contrast to the mornings of which he woke with deeper eyebags each day. You were reminded of the fact that you were in your old home, in your old room; where there were no stairs to climb, no sand that fell, and no vision cave to prepare for the afternoon.

"Buenos dias, tonto." you mumbled back in greeting. You felt his thumb drawing idle images on your back as he held you closely, burying himself deeper into the comforts of your embrace. You responded with your own caresses to his head, massaging the spots that you were sure would ease his mind.

You lay for a few minutes, just basking under the pleasant warmth of the morning sun that seeped through your open window. The air was cold, albeit crisp as it kissed your cheek in silent greeting. Bruno shivered from the draft, snuggling closer to you while you tangled your legs with his to provide him with much needed heat. You wondered what Pepa was feeling to conjure such pleasant weather for the morning, knowing that she had literally created the largest hurricane that you had ever seen her materialize.

Pepa. The wedding. The hurricane.

The reality of yesterday's events sunk to the forefront of your mind. Your hand abruptly stopped weaving through the tangled locks of your husband's hair causing him to whine and shift under your arms. You drew in a long breath, dreading the chaos that you and Bruno would have to face for today. He seemed to have noticed the raging turmoil of your thoughts as he pulled away and cupped your cheek in his hand in worry.

"What's wrong?" He asked in a breathy whisper, his voice still hoarse from the early morning. You shook your head and leaned in to his touch, seeking the much needed comfort.

"You'll need to talk with Pepa today, you know that, right?" You asked. His eyes fell, hand paused, and his body stilled at the reminder. He blinked once, then twice, then on the third time, he knocked on the wood of your bed frame five times and knocked on his head once. He held his breath and crossed his fingers, mumbling a mantra as soon as he was done. You let him do his little rituals with patience; you had married a superstitious man, after all. It helped him ease his mind before doing anything taxing. Plus, you admit that he looked very cute when he held his breath and puffed his cheeks like a rat who would stuff its cheeks with morsels of Julieta's cheese.

"Well—well yeah. I'll need to explain myself sooner rather than later, right?" He laughed nervously. His mannerisms betrayed the faux confidence he had on—wringing his fingers, playing with the blanket, eyes darting back and forth from your face to the dresser near the mirror—all tell-tale signs of the anxiety that stuck to him for today's events. You frowned as you reached out to cup his cheek, tracing the lines of his growing eyebags.

"Bruno, mi vida, I know you're nervous. The truth is, I am too. Pepa won't take so kindly with what happened yesterday," his eyes moisten with unshed tears. You couldn't blame him—the shy, kind man who you married wasn't big on confrontations, especially not with someone who wore their heart on their sleeve. "...but remember what I said. You are an amazing person who is more than just the gift that you are given. You'll have to learn to confront someone without my help. But don't worry, I'll be with you to support you, si? "