Bruno Madrigal Snippets

Helpful

The first thing you noticed about your husband, even before you became his novia, was that he really wants to help people.

When he was young, he felt helpful giving out fortunes. Not wanting to disappoint anyone, he'd often wear himself out by doing several visions.

It took him a couple of years to even try other tools he was gifted with. You had to help him figure out when to use his hourglass and his tarot cards.

Sometimes, he still needs help with that.

After his gift stopped feeling very helpful, he wanted to help his sisters with their chores. It didn't go so well because some of the villagers were wary of him.

He did help his Mama with her duties; nobody gave him problems when she was around.

Then he began dating you. When Bruno wasn't busy with fortunes, or helping his sisters, he was with you.

If you were cleaning your house, he was there with cleaning supplies. If you were helping your Mama, he was there alongside you. He'd even help you, and your Papa gather requests and villagers wares to sell.

Sometimes he'd help you gather ingredients for your bath products or help you write out orders for your stained glass projects. He liked to help you deliver your wares as well. He'd seen you struggle with some of your larger orders or have to make multiple trips from your house to the shop owners.

If you had to make trips to the market, Bruno would be beside you, holding your basket. When you ask, he would simply smile and say that he just wanted to be with you.

It never mattered to him what you were doing, just that you were together. You would just smile back and lean over to kiss his cheek. With that you'd go to the market while chatting about anything that came to mind.

There was a construction boom when you got engaged. There was still danger on the other side of the mountains. This time it was mostly newlyweds and engaged couples that came to the Encanto.

These couples came from four separate villages. Some of the newlyweds had horror stories of ruined weddings and honeymoons.

One pair spoke of their reception being ruined by soldiers, while another couple had barely gotten through the 'I do' part. The honeymoon couple had watched their friends being struck down, just like Pedro had been years before.

Two pairs of engaged couples had come from the same village. One couple had been on a date, and the other had been celebrating the engagement with their families. Soldiers had torn through the village, and burned down homes, and attacked people. The couple were the only survivors from their families. Including his pregnant older sister and her 10-year-old brother. Both were killed right in front of them.

When Alma asked them how they found the Encanto, they learned that something amazing had happened.

Despite the distance between the villages, the couples had somehow converged together. They had made it through a jungle and to a river.

They all said that they had seen the image of a young man, in his mid twenties, and he had guided them through the mountains.

Alma sucked in a startled breath when one couple described the man. It had been none other than Pedro.

Since her husband had led them here, Alma allowed them to stay.

This is what led to the work in the village. Men worked at the construction sites, and women worked to gather provisions for the new villagers. Clothes, blankets, and food.

Pepa was helping the farmers collect as much food as possible, and Julieta was tending to the injured newcomers.

This left babysitting to you and Bruno. You gathered all the kids to Casita, to keep them away from the construction.

You were making food for the kids, and Bruno was entertaining them with stories and skits.

The kids loved Bruno's story time, and always felt disappointed when they had to go home. However they'd perk up when they were told they would be back the next day.

After the kids left, he'd spend the evening helping you make batches of shampoo, body washes and lotions. The shops would be quickly depleted from the new villagers as well as the construction workers needing to clean up from the hard work.

The next morning saw you both taking the prepared batches to the shops before heading to Casita for another day of babysitting.

Now you were married and Julieta and Pepa had their first borns. You and Bruno were usually left with your baby sobrinas while they went to work.

"Practice for when you have your first baby!" Pepa called out the first time she asked you to babysit Dolores.

Dolores and Isabela were polar opposites. Even at two months old, Dolores was a quiet baby, with soft cries when she was hungry or needed a diaper change. Isabela however wailed loudly when she needed attention.

This was where you were now. Fixing bottles for the girls while Bruno tried his best to calm them.

As you brought the bottles for them, you realized that you were no longer hearing Isabela's wails.

You walked into the living room and found a scene that made your heart melt.

Bruno was sitting on the couch, holding both girls and telling them a story. Both babies had their large eyes glued to their tio.

You already knew his was a natural born storyteller. He was amazing at it and here was proof of it. This was also proof that he'd be a good Papa.

You smiled as you walked into the room. He looked up and grinned at you as you sat beside him. You sat the bottles down, taking Dolores from Bruno so he could feed Isabela. You both laid burp rags over your shoulders, and you prepped to feed the girls.

He continued talking to your sobrinas even as they drank their bottles. Once you burped the girls, you laid them took them to the nursery for a nap.

His sisters would return and Bruno would talk animatedly about how Dolores and Isabela loved his stories.

You would watch him blush and grin sheepishly when his sister's would thank him for babysitting. The blush would darken when Alma commented on him as a Papa.

You knew Bruno would enjoy helping you care for your own children. As much enjoyed time with his sobrinas, you knew he would look forward to having his own.

You hoped that you would be able to make that a reality someday. To have children with Bruno is something you really wanted.

Maybe someday you would get your wish.