That night:
You snuggled up next to Bruno in your bed and he played with your hair. He did this every night to help you fall asleep, gently curling a strand around his finger and then letting it fall. He was warm and you breathed in his familiar scent. It was very earthy. The most prominent smell was from the sand he carried in his pockets, but underneath that there was a slight hint of flowers. They grew all around the river near Casita and he would always pick off petals to feed to his rats. They seemed to enjoy it and you would often find dried petals scattered around the room or in his clothes. You loved that he did this, but never pointed it out because he got embarrassed very easily.
*Time skip: 1 month*
The energy around Casita was very hectic as everyone prepared for your wedding in three days. Everyone was helping to make sure it was perfect. The reception would take place inside where there would be space for people to dance and Julieta could serve her wonderful food, but the actual ceremony would be outside. Luisa and Isabela were in charge of creating the space for it.
Luisa was easily able to move things out of the way to create a clearing and Isabela used her gift to create a beautiful arch and adorn the surrounding trees with flowers that hung off them. This created a canopy which only added to the magical atmosphere. Maribel was in charge of your dress and just needed to add a few finishing details.
Dinner was usually a time where the family would talk and laugh, but not tonight. Hardly anyone spoke. Everyone ate as quickly as possible so that they could go back to preparations. Bruno's hand was placed on your thigh and he rubbing small circles with his thumb. He must not have realized he was doing this because when you placed your hand on top he flinched and pulled away. He was very anxious and even though you had been together for years he was still a little awkward around you sometimes.
Some would find this annoying, but this behavior only made you love him even more. You pulled his hand back and kissed his knuckles. He held onto your hand for the rest of dinner and he would occasionally give it a hard squeeze when he tensed up. He used to fidget with a loose strand on his ruana when he was nervous but at some point he started squeezing your hand instead. You found this to be endearing because this meant that he trusted you.
After eating two large bowls of ajiaco (a type of soup) you sighed and leaned back. This peace only lasted a moment before Maribel and Isabela dragged you upstairs. Maribel needed you to put on your dress so she could make a few alterations and Isabela was figuring out your bouquet. She produced different types of flowers and would have you hold them so she could examine them next to your dress.
In the past month you had grown a slight baby bump, but Maribel was able to conceal it through the design of her dress. The corset like top made it disappear, but thankfully it wasn't a real corset so you could wear it safely. Isa eventually found a combination of flowers that she said complimented your appearance. Maribel finished hemming the bottom of the dress and guided you over to a mirror so you could see the finished product.
It was the most beautiful dress you had ever seen and you wanted nothing more than to run and find Bruno so he could see. Unfortunately, you couldn't do this because it was bad luck for the groom to see before the wedding.
As for Bruno's preparations, he had acquired help from Antonio to include his rats in the ceremony. It might seem weird at first, but you knew how much he loved them and they were actually very smart.
Although he claimed not to have favorites when it came to his furry friends, there were two in particular that he loved just a bit more than the others. The first was a tiny white rat he found when collecting flowers that he had named Daisy and the other was a spotted grey one whom he called Juniper.
Over the past month he and Antonio had trained them to be little ring bearers. They quickly caught on thanks to lots of treats and pets and could now easily scurry down a pretend aisle with the rings in their mouths. When they reached the end the would stop and stand on their hind legs to offer the rings.
Bruno showed you this and when they did it successfully he would jump a little and start laughing. Both the rats and his reaction were adorable, so it immediately was added to the ceremony.
Mirabel had finally let you go and you tiredly made your way up to the room you shared with Bruno. He was slumped in the red arm chair, fast asleep. An open book lay on the ground before him and it was apparent to you that he was trying to wait up for you but fell asleep.
You kissed the tip of his nose and brushed a curl out of his face to wake him up. He gave you a warm smile as soon as he opened his eyes and yawned when he got up. The both of you curled up in bed as usual and talked briefly about the day before drifting off into a peaceful sleep.
Authors Note:
Thank you so much for the support and again if you have any ideas/notes for the next chapter please let me know <3
