Disappeared once or twice

19. The wait is over

"What is going on?" Alberto rubs his eyes as he sleepily asked his question. "Where even am I? Who are you?" He sat up straight, way too fast, his dizziness knocked him back down in the bed. "Alberto," Luca started. "You're safe" The boy was too tired to reply, instead he smiled happily instead. "Now, Alberto eat this." Julieta offered him her arepa.

"I don't take things from strangers." 
"Alberto." Giulia and Luca sighed in unison. "Fine, I'll eat it jeez." He chewed the food a couple of times when he started to notice he felt gradually less tired. His nose stopped being clogged up and his body temperature lowered. He felt healthy again. "Wow! This is some sort of wonderstuff." Alberto exclaimed taking another bite. 

"That's my tía for ya!" Camilo proudly stated. Julieta looked back and forth, from Camilo to Alberto, who had started to get some more color on his face. Mirabel appeared and stood by the door, "I see you've blown your cover primo!" She giggled. "Oh shut up." The cousin in question replied. "Never, however this is the perfect timing to tell about our family!" She smiled as brightly as the sun. 

"I- uhh, am kinda overwhelmed." Alberto said, stuttering. He searched help by his friends, they confirmed that they were a bit overstimulated too. How could they not? A long journey, Alberto falling ill, meeting this amazing family. They hadn't even had a good night of rest. "Who are you guys and why did this piece of dough heal me?" 

"Well I was about to tell you wasn't I!" Mirabel got it her way after all. "Pay attention, I'll start with the background story. Long ago my abuela had suffered through a major loss. By a magical force her triplets were granted powers, stimulated by a candle. Their kids got powers too! Except for me though, but I like to call myself the housekeeper. So what happened next was the appearance of cracks throughout our magical home. I needed to fix it, so I broke into my uncles tower, kind of saved him from his loneliness. House broke either way, so we rebuilt it and now we're here!" 

The three Italians just nodded. They hadn't really followed, but they didn't really care also.

"So to introduce everyone. My tía Pepa handles the weather, it changes depending on her mood. This wonderful woman here is my mom, her power here is to heal everything with just one bite of her delicious cooking. This stupid goof can shapeshift." Camilo flipped her off, Mirabel just kindly smiled in his direction. 

"My sister Luisa is super strong and my other sister Isabella can grow plants and flowers. Camilo's sorella Dolores can hear practically everything and his brother Antonio can talk to animals." Mirabel continued her summary of everyone. "Oh and not to be forgotten. My tío Bruno can see the future." 

"Bruno?" Alberto looked up. That was the last name he'd thought of hearing. Luca and Giulia were equally shocked. "Yeah, the man downstairs that demanded to speak with you." "I can vaguely remember that." Luca said. This meant that Bruno knew about Alberto too, no doubt about it. These two have some fucked up history and it has to be fixed or they will both lose their minds.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking." Giulia didn't even have to finish her sentence or the two boys were already nodding their heads. "Wait, now I am not following." Mirabel was very confused to say the least. "Well, you want the detailed story or the summary." Luca asked the confused Madrigal. "Summary should be fine." 

"Alberto and I always used the name Bruno for the voice in our heads. We wanted to know where that name came from and why it was so familiar to Alberto." Luca started and Alberto continued. "You see, my parents left me. So I hoped to find Bruno so I could find my papa too." This was new for his friends, he had just recently told them that he never wanted to see that guy. "We searched and found some clues that he might be in Encanto, trip went well, but as you all know I fell ill and that's where we are now." 

"Well then." Julieta definitely knew what was going on by now. "I'll get Bruno, so you can have a little chat. Camilo, Mirabel, you coming?" The Madrigals stood up and left the room, still a little confused but thrilled by this new discovery too. Minutes passed and there was still no sign of Bruno nor was there a sign of Julieta. 

Another minute or so passed and there he finally was, the man they did all this effort for. Bruno Madrigal. Julieta peeked her head through the door. "Can I speak to you alone Alberto?" The boy nodded, he was nervous about leaving his friends and following complete strangers, but he felt like he could trust these people. His gut never lied to him before, so why now?

Julieta brought them to the dining area, pulled three chairs for them and sat down. The two males followed her example, too stunned to speak. "Well then, since you guys haven't seemed to notice. I think you're related. You look a lot like your mama, Alberto." This woman was straight to the point, no fooling around with this one.
"I do?" How did this woman knew his mom, he didn't even know her himself.
"Julieta, what are you saying?" Finally Bruno spoke up. "I'm saying that I think this might be yours and Adelaide's child." 
"WHAT." Both of them were beyond confused. 

Alberto was confused because he had heard of the name Adelaide before, but couldn't place or process the information and speculations, Julieta was giving him, yet. Bruno was mainly confused because his memories of her started to restore themselves. Her smile, the way she danced, the way she would twirl her hair and her face. A face very similar to the kid in front of him. Had he been a father for 15 years without his knowing?

"One way to find out I guess." Bruno sighed, a paternity test.

:o and :]