Casita Madrigal was more busy than usual, exploding with the colors and life of a party. Not just any party, but the triplets' 51st birthday.
Of course, the three Madrigals were the life of the party, making the rounds to everyone in the village who stopped by (which was pretty much everyone).
Everyone was having fun, especially Félix, who was always Senor Fiesta. But even Bruno was having fun, and this wasn't very much of a Bruno event. But still, he talked with the townspeople, all of them asking where he had been.
A few hours in, although the party was still thriving, Pepa and Félix sent their youngest off to bed. He didn't want to go, but he needed some sleep, anyways.
He curled up in his hammock in his big jungle tree, relaxing to his animal sounds that drowned out the noise of the party.
At around the same time, Bruno, who had been enjoying his night, was starting to get tired. No, not tired. Well, a little worn out.
Socializing had always been hard for him, but after living in the walls for 10 years, it was even harder.
He was proud of himself for doing- what had it been? Two-and-a-half hours? That was pretty good for a first time. But he was starting to feel a little overstimulated.
"Hey Juli?" he said, walking up to his sister. "Do you mind if I go up to my room for a bit? I'll try to be down later, ok? I just need... a break."
From behind him, he heard his madre's voice. "Brunito. Por favor. Whatever you need, Mijo." She rubbed his back, and he turned to head up the stairs.
To get to his room, he had to pass Antonio's room. And as much as he loved his own, now nicely redone, he did love Toñito's selvita.
He carefully crept in, trying to see if his sobrino was asleep.
"Tío Bruno?" a small voice said, and then the tips of the niñito's hair and hand popped out from his hammock.
"Oh, sí, sorry kid. I didn't mean to wake you up."
"I wasn't sleeping." he climbed down the ladder on the side of his tree, before hopping down. "So, what ya wanna see?"
"Oh nothing, sorry. I just like the jungle sounds. They calm me down a bit, you know?" Bruno waved his hand around Antonio's room.
Antonio laughed. "I love my room, too!"
"Maybe you should head to bed. I can hang out down here, but you need some sleep. Don't you think?"
"No! No sleep for me!" Antonio said, smiling, as a lora landed on top of his head.
"Well you look tired."
"I'm not tired!" the five-year-old insisted, although it was obvious that he was.
"Hey, I don't think I've seen that one before." Bruno vaguely gestured with his head towards one of the bookshelves near the door. A rana sat on top.
"Oh, him?" Antonio asked. "Who are you again? Are you Víctor or- yes, yes, that's right, Evelio, that's who you are."
He picked it up and brought it to Bruno.
His tío panicked. "Those... those aren't poisonous, are they?"
"No, Tío! Everyone's good in here. Plus, Tía Julieta's food helps with poisonous frogs. Trust me, Cami knows."
Bruno laughed, before startling again, seeing Parce, Antonio's jaguar, running towards him. "Ay mío don't kill me please-"
Antonio stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled, before climbing up on Parce. "He's friendly Tío, see? Come on, get on!"
Carefully, he jumped on its back, behind Antonio. With a little wobble, he hopped right back off. "Maybe it's best to do this some morning, ok? Ok."
The jaguar purred, before curling up in front of the bookshelf that the frog was once on.
"Tío... he wants you to lay with him." Antonio said from behind Bruno.
"I... I don't know- woah!" Bruno exclaimed, being pulled into its furry body by its long tail. "I guess we're staying here tonight."
Bruno promised himself that he'd only stay for a minute, but soon, he was pinned by his sobrinito jumping on him.
He nuzzled his head, his hair and all, right up into his tío's chest. It was pretty evident that he wasn't going to be getting up any time soon.
Within a few minutes, the little one was fast asleep, peacefully dreaming, using his tío as an almohada.
Bruno also promised himself that he wouldn't fall asleep, too, but only a few minutes after Antonio went, he went also.
Everyone at the party just assumed that he fell asleep in his bedroom, and everyone knew that he needed the rest.
And it made Pepa's face shine- literally- when she walked in to wake up her hijo the next morning, and found him, her hermano, and a jaguar all curled up, still fast asleep, together.
