Disastrous night led to...

Chapter 4

Agustín had been the quietest. He... he didn't know what to do. He couldn't do anything at this very moment. He's never been in this situation. He doesn't know... anyone who has been, in this situation. No one in the entire town of Encanto has ever been through this. Until now that is. Agustín was never a violent man. Everyone knows that. But right now he'd want nothing more than to punch the bastardo (bastard) for even laying a hand on his hija. His youngest, fifteen year old hija. She should have never experienced. No one should have. His mariposa was so innocent and for someone to just take advantage of her made him sick. He felt a flare of anger shoot through him at just the thought of him.

NEVER in his entire life has he EVER felt so helpless. It's his job. As a father. To protect for your niños. Something he's already failed at, not protecting his youngest. He couldn't do anything as he watched Julieta fuss over their hija, getting her settled properly on her old bed in the nursery. It scared him to see how drowsy and limp she looked when unconscious.

But he has to be there. He has to be there for Isabela and Luisa, with Isabela putting Antonio to bed and Luisa's body wracking with sobs, muttering to herself. Something about not being strong enough to protect her only hermanita. He puts his hands on Luisa's arms, guiding her to the spare bed, knowing she wouldn't want to leave the room, leave Mirabel. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, bringing her head to his shoulders. He couldn't do anything. Did that make him weak? As a father?

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Isabela had put Antonio to bed, much to his annoyance. She left his jungle of a room but not before warning all the animals to not tell him anything and to keep him in there all night until someone comes to get him in the morning, to which they obeyed. This caused Antonio to pout with a look of betrayal on his face towards his animal friends. The animals just complained to him she scares them. Isabela then left his room and closed his door quietly, before letting the tears escape once more.

She failed. Once again. She. Has. Failed. Her hermanita. Her youngest hermanita. The more she thought about it, the more choked her sobs became as she slid her back down Antonio's door, leaning on it, bringing her knees to her chest. Since the day of Mirabel's failed ceremony, she had vowed to herself to protect her hermanita, comforting her with Luisa and Dolores as their parents, Tia and Tio were having an 'adult discussion' downstairs in the kitchen.

Twice has she broken that vow. TWICE. And she will NEVER forgive herself for it.

She grabbed clunks of her dyed blue dress in her hands, breathing heavily before she let out a piercing scream, forgetting her primo in the room behind her and her prima with the enhanced hearing, two doors down. She screamed in agony, fingers gripping at her hair. Doors swung opened as she didn't need to look to know it was her Tia Pepa and Tio Bruno, judging from where the sounds came from. Mariano kept Dolores back in her room, putting a pair of earmuffs on her ears. Back outside, Pepa and Bruno looked at each other before they made their way towards her. Their sobrina buried her face in her knees, not caring if anyone heard her sobs (right now), not noticing flashes of yellow and red that came to sit beside her.

Isa felt an arm around her shoulders as they pulled her closer towards them. She froze as she felt another hand laying on her hand, not intertwined, just laying there on top. She saw the red ruana of her primo through the gap between her knees. Looking up, she felt the tight curls of her other primo lightly brush on her face. Surprised, she jerked off and wiped her tears, embarrassed her twin primos had seen her cry.

"It's okay, Isa." Camilo softly spoke, putting an arm around her again and leaning his head on her shoulder. Carlos put his hand on her hand again, not really knowing what else to do as Pepa and Bruno looked at each other again before deciding to go the nursery, Félix following Pepa from inside their room.