Camilo x Reader -Broken Reflection

Chapter 5 (Freeloader)

Y/N POV (First-person pov)

The next day was hectic. I was starting to get used to living with the Madrigals. They were kind to me and it felt good to finally have a friend. Camilo barely spoke to me but I was fine with that- it spared me the stress of trying to figure out how he felt about me.

The morning went as it usually did- everyone woke up at around 8 in the morning and Julieta made breakfast. We ate at the table and I sat next to Maribel while Camilo avoided me like the plague even though we sat in front of each other.

But today was different- as we were clearing the table, Pepa stood up and moved to help Antonio clear his dishes.

"It's okay, Mama, I can do it myself," He chirped and lifted his plate. I watched Pepa observe her youngest son walk to the kitchen followed by his usual herd of animals. All was well for a few more moments until the rain started.

Most of the Madrigals had already gone inside and it was only me, Camilo, and Félix who were still outside. Both of them rushed to Pepa's side when they noticed that the weather had changed because of her.

"Deep breaths, Mami," Camilo soothed as he clasped her hand in both of his. I scoffed and hurried inside with the rest of the dishes. It was still weird to see how loving and gentle he was to his mother. As I peeked out of the narrow window above the sink, I saw large clouds form over the house and within moments, a heavy rainstorm had developed.

The dishes nearly broke when I dropped them in the sink and rushed to the door to grab an umbrella. Camilo and Félix were heading inside but Pepa would only bring the weather in with her if she entered the house.

"What are you doing, Orchid?" Camilo shouted at me as I rushed outside with my umbrella open. A harsh gust of wind nearly took me off of my feet and I felt Félix's meaty hand lightly grab my arm.

"It's dangerous!" He said to me but I only shook my head and pulled away, slipping on the mud that had surfaced from the grass.

I found Pepa near the breakfast table. She was completely soaked and her curly hair clung to her skin as a mop does to tiles. Her dress looked like a wetsuit and I wondered why she didn't invest in waterproof mascara considering her unusual gift.

"Pepa!" I called to her and she turned to the sound of my voice. Her eyes widened when she saw me struggle against the wind. From afar, I could hear a few of the Madrigals calling for me. I knew it was unsafe but the thought of Pepa having to stand outside until her mood passed didn't sit right with me. It was just as dangerous to be outside for her as it was for me.

Finally, I reached her and lifted the umbrella a little higher so that it covered her too. She had to lean down to be sheltered.

"What are you doing?" She asked. She still had to shout over the sound of the downpour. I leaned in closer to her ear.

"Antonio is growing up fast," I said to her. More tears streaked with black ran down her face as she nodded.

Neither Félix nor Camilo were able to calm her down because they didn't know what had upset her. They didn't get what it was like to watch a young boy growing up from a motherly point of view. I could tell how she felt just by watching her interactions with Antonio and from personal experience.

"I had a little brother," I told her and gestured to the grass. We both sat down and huddled on the thick green ground despite how muddy it was.

"His name was Julio and he wasn't that much older than Antonio," I continued. Pepa listened to me while I spoke about how he used to follow me around town while I did my errands. "He grew up quickly just as Antonio is," I told her. "But that doesn't mean he'll ever stop needing you. There will always be a place in his heart for you." While I said it, I wondered if it was Antonio who I was speaking of. Perhaps I was just saying it to convince myself of what I wanted to be true.