Change- Camilo Madrigal {angst}

Epilogue

Well.

Things certainly didn't go according to plan. Julieta refused to take the candle alone, so finally, both Pepa and Bruno relented. The three of them held the candle until Mirabel turned 26. Abuela wouldn't let Mirabel take the candle at the age she did, because that had failed miserably. It was her dying wish.

Mirabel got training, directly under, for some reason, Isabela and Dolores. Apparently, those two had written out a rulebook because they'd assumed, by the way things had been going, Isabela would take the candle and the town responsibilities. Julieta, Pepa, and basically all the adults excluding Luisa helped in the process.

Camilo had his entire life uprooted, turned inside out, and stuck back into the ground upside down. It was surprisingly fun for a life-shattering event.

Abuela had passed away of old age, thankfully in her sleep. Pedro's and Abuela's fresh portraits were hung up at a small museum, courtesy of Luisa and Pepa. Turns out, Camilo's mama was an excellent painter. It was hard finding a solution to the... Erm, rain problem, but they found a way.

Things happened quickly, after Abuela passed. It felt like Camilo had taken the longest blink ever and found his sister married and pregnant with her third child, Luisa married happily and adopting, and Isabela getting engaged.

Oh. And Camilo stayed single through it all. Even Antonio found himself a partner before Camilo, despite Camilo being ten years older than his brother. His family teased him about it, but it certainly didn't bother him. If he found love, he found love.

Dolores's younger daughter, Rosa was having her gift ceremony. Unlike Abuela's public declaration, Mirabel opted to play her cards differently. It was hilarious, honestly. Mirabel made it excruciatingly obvious she 'didn't know whether to make the ceremony public or private' for a certain pair of four-year-old ears. By his mother's reports, Rosa had asked Pepa what public and private meant.

That breakfast, Mirabel made yet another ridiculously loud comment about the ceremony and Rosa finally spoke up.

"Can it be private?" she had said in that sweet, sweet, innocent voice, and Mirabel gave her a fond smile.

"It's decided, then. You see familia, couldn't you just have done that? It's not that hard to give your opinions, you know"

Camilo glared at her. She told them not to say anything about it. The glare melted quickly once Rosa giggled. Camilo laughed.

"I suppose you're right" 

They finished their breakfast relatively quickly. Luisa and her husband walked to the temporary home of the abandoned kid from beyond the mountains. Isabela and her fiance went out for a walk and to plan the wedding. Julieta walked back to the kitchen with Camilo.

He helped her clean the dishes, small talk sprinkled in the mundane chore. He quickly excused himself for the bathroom once he noticed the sink basin starting to fill up. After walking out, he went upstairs, talking to Rosa, who'd been left under the care of Tio Bruno, who was somehow rolled up in the carpet. After freeing the poor man from his torturous prison, Camilo walked back downstairs. Julieta laughed.

"You didn't really go to the bathroom, did you" Camilo peeked at the thankfully now empty basin

"No comment" 

Dolores walked by, apparently done with her walk with Mariano

"Nope"

"Hey!" Shouted an indignant Camilo

The two women just laughed, Dolores going to see it Rosa was okay after a particularly loud crash.

They continued with the dishes, and Camilo sat down while Tia made her daily two batches of arepas. Thankfully, his appetite had calmed down, due to him slowing down on the frantic running after children.

"So Rosa's ceremony is soon," Julieta said while flipping the first batch. "Kinda funny, isn't it. It's the first ceremony since Mirabel took over,"

"You're worried about her, aren't you" Camilo deadpanned

"Well you are too!" Julieta defended

"True. although it's more like pleasantly annoyed. I mean, it all started with Antonio's gift ceremony, it's just like our sentimental Mirable to end it all on Rosa's ceremony" he replied

"Also, I'm worried about the town. I'm not out there as much. I have no clue what's going on. I have half a mind to go kidnap a villager and take on their life-"

"Please don't" Julieta interrupted

"I won't, Tia. Just thinking about it" He gave her a wicked grin. The moment passed, and Camilo resumed

"I just.. Don't want the town to hate her. If they complain about Rosa's officially private ceremony enough, they'll start a riot" Camilo shuddered. The first town riot... It had been so stupid. Over the order of how to put your cereal in the bowl. Although he couldn't really speak. He was the general of the Milk First Army.

Julieta shivered

"Yeah, let's not repeat that"

"Definitely" Camilo replied

The gift ceremony, thankfully, did not start a riot. The town was annoyed, but the Familia Fiesta would occur right after it, so they got over it quickly.

things were wild, after Antonio's ceremony. Wilder than they'd ever been, but Rosa's ceremony only made that the expectation. What exactly did you expect when a five-year-old got invisibility as a superpower?

Thank god for Dolores's super hearing.