Encanto: Bruno Madrigal x Oc

Chapter 2: La noche de fiesta

Emilia was abruptly awakened from her dreamless sleep by the familiar sound of rhythmic knocking at her door. Emilia figured that must have been the daily wakeup call from Mirabel, meaning it was time to get on with the day. With a groan, the older woman rose from her bed, splashed her face with water from the nearby stream in her room, and prepared herself for the day before setting out with her family to help complete tasks around the village. They all needed to work hard and get everything done quickly today; her youngest nephew, Antonio, would be receiving his gift that night.

While walking into town, Emilia smiled as she overheard Mirabel tell some local children about the family and what everyone could do. The woman's smile quickly dropped though, when Mirabel's mention of Bruno was quickly met with protests. One was not supposed to talk about Bruno. Emilia wished they would; words could not express how much she missed him.

It was not uncommon on nights when she could not sleep, to walk up to the tower and sit by the now boarded up door, waiting for him to come back. Sometimes, Dolores could hear her aunt talk to the door until the older woman fell asleep against it.

During days like this one, Emilia would often use her abilities to help collect more fish for everyone to eat.

After a busy morning of fishing, Emilia spent the afternoon helping prepare for Antonio's ceremony. She made sure, along with Julieta, to keep an eye on Mirabel. She knew that this would be a hard day for the teenager, and wanted to make sure she was okay. Despite Mirabel's protests of being fine, Emilia knew that her niece was struggling; she just wished there was more she could do.

Evening quickly came and the village buzzed with life and excitement as everyone made their way to the gift ceremony for Antonio. Emilia was so proud; this was a big event. Her youngest nephew was always such a gentle and quiet boy, so she knew it took a lot of courage to go through with the ceremony in front of so many people. She was also proud of Mirabel, for having the emotional strength to guide Antonio towards his door while all eyes eagerly watched to see what would happen.

When he finally managed to gain enough courage, Emilia and the crowd watched as Antonio touched the door handle, only to have a toucan land on his arm. Everyone watched in amazement as the small child seemed to communicate with the bird. Alma proudly announced to the crowd that there was a new gift and the ceremony was suddenly joined by a large variety of animals. Emilia thought about how exciting that must be; Antonio loved animals. Emilia also continued to wonder about her youngest niece; how was Mirabel feeling right now? Next, Antonio's door was opened, and everyone gazed in amazement at the enchanting jungle-like scenery.

The party seemed to quickly migrate to the new room, where everyone was enjoying themselves, Emilia included. She was not much of a dancer, but she had fun trying. It was hard not to dance with such captivating and energetic music. Before Emilia knew it, all the Madrigals were being called for a family photo. Emilia was going to join, before she noticed Mirabel off to the side.

Still worried about her niece, and not wanting her to feel left out, Emilia walked over to her and held the girls hands in her own. It was always Emilia's silent way of asking if someone was okay. In response, Mirabel slowly shook her head and released her hands from her aunt's gentle grip before quickly leaving the room. Emilia wanted to follow after her, when Julieta stoped her friend and suggested that Mirabel needed space. Emilia was reluctant to stay at the party, but she was assured that Julieta would have a talk with Mirabel later to make sure things were alright.

It was what seemed only moments later when Mirabel rushed into the room, frantically explaining that Casita was in danger; it was cracking and the candle had almost gone out. In an effort to restore calm, Alma asked Mirabel to show her. Alma and some others, Emilia included, followed Mirabel outside Antonio's room, only to find that everything was seemingly okay. Relieved, most people returned to the celebration. Emilia worryingly glanced back at Mirabel while silently wondering what was going on. Was her niece telling the truth? What did it mean?