𝒮𝑒𝑒 𝐹𝑜𝓇 𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻 <<Bruno Madrigal>>>

Chapter 21

One random night, a dream disturbed the man's peace. He was mumbling incoherently, having the same dream over and over to know that he's merely asleep. Even so, the panic couldn't leave him as he sees Carina dashing towards him, only to fall into a pit, a crack that had suddenly opened on the ground.

Only her name escapes his lips as Bruno tried to reach out to her in the dream, "Carina...."

"Five.... Four..... Three.... Two........... Two and a half..." she opened one half lidded eye to see if anyone is still out in the open, "....aaaaannndddd..... One! Ready or not, here I go!" Carina yelled as loud as she could. "Alright, I just have to find thirteen of them, this should be easy," though her back is complaining a little on that matter the more she aged, that didn't stop her from trying to be the best nanny in the village, especially since a new addition would soon be added to her list to take care of—and is actually going to be a full time gig.

She circled around the central where she mostly play with the kids ages three to seven to give free time for their parents. It's just one of the activities she has in store as their nana. After months and years of hide and seeking with her, Carina has managed to nurture pro hide and seekers already, not that anyone else cares about that achievement.

"Gotcha!" her hand slips behind a large flower pot where a little boy hid himself.

"Nice try," there goes another one behind one of the people sitting on the bench. She excuses herself from them and goes on to finding more and more children in the area.

"Found ya!" she says to one that hid behind a random house's open door.

"You're out!"

"Out!"

"Out!"

"Ooouuutttt!"

"Close, but nope."

"Knock knock."

"Get going."

"Another one down!"

There were only two left. Eleven of the kids had already piled at the central, with a few spectators also wanna join in the fun. Carina goes a bit farther and finds one hiding by the boxes, but doesn't know that the seeker was already behind her. She tiptoed until she was at a close proximity before grabbing the girl's waist for a tickle fight, "You think you can beat the queen of hide and seek? Do you?"

The little girl laughed uncontrollably, "Let me go, Nana!"

"What's the password?"

"Please, Nana! Por favor!" and with that, Carina removes her hands and stretches proudly.

"That's what I like to hear. Go on, go with the others."

Once the twelfth one was out of sight, she began looking for the last player, the oldest and most cunning out of all of them today. That boy is getting good, not that he's already near to beating her. Once the shadow of the palm tree reaches the tenth block out of the circular patterned pavement, the game ends. If he survives, that lucky boy gets to have a dessert from her.

Julio and Marina comes out for a stroll and sees Carina in another game with the children. The couple smiles as they too would want to see her take good care of their future child. His wife is already in her nine months, and is waiting for the day they finally get to see their first daughter born. A spread-out bump that sits high is supposed to indicate that you are carrying a girl, but no one can truly predict the gender just by that judgement. If Bruno is here, he would've probably gotten an accurate look into it.

"Getting good, Victor. Might as well let the meaning of your name speak for you," right as she says that, the rest of the children yelled praises and good luck to the last one standing. "It's almost time, don't you wanna come out now?" At first he'd yell out a response or simply come out as he was offered to do, but people learn from their mistakes, do they? "Alright, then let's—"

"Señorita Carina!" Catalina comes in to greet her. Carina was thrilled to see the woman, along with the guy following after her.

"I see you've finally found yourself a lover," the older woman whispered.

"I wouldn't have done it without your advice," she smiled in gratitude, showing her the ring, "Mateo proposed to me yesterday, and I can't help but seek you out as the first person for our invitation."

"To your wedding? So soon?" the woman looks back and forth at the two.

"We'd like to be tied down as soon as possible," he says.

"We've planned it out for two years now, and since we're finally engaged, everything else should go smoothly." Catalina finishes then hugs Carina, slipping in a little wrapped basket of arepas to her arms, "An early bouquet substitute. And also, I want you to be the Godmother of my wedding—if it's not too much for you, señorita Carina?"

To be the Godmother in a wedding is the highest honor that a bride can bestow to someone on the special event. (From what I've searched, Godmothers and Godfathers are similar to overall bridesmaids, maid of honor, and best man) Carina is beyond thrilled of the idea, no one had ever asked her to be a Godmother, "Catalina.... I... Of course! I'd be glad to!"

"Then that settles it! Next on my list is finding suitable Flower Girls and Page Boys."

"...When is the wedding?"

"In eight months."

Carina's smile falters upon having to wait for a bit more longer despite the excitement they just caused her, "It's a little early to be preparing everything, don't you think?"

"Mi amiga, it's never too early for wedding preparations," she winks playfully, then laughs along on an echoing laughter from both women.

"I guess you're right."

Just then, the palm tree reaches the block and all the children cheered in victory, including Victor who had snuck out of his hiding spot to celebrate with the others, chanting 'We won, we won!' over and over.

Carina chuckles and calls out to them, "No fair, I got distracted!"

Yes, way too distracted. She hadn't even noticed the darkening sky, nor the pain etched on Marina's face as she pressed a hand on her belly, followed by her own shrill.