Once Upon A Time In Colombia...

Una Reunión Muy Peluda

This might, yet again it might NOT, be the last chapter.

But one thing's for sure, in case you couldn't tell from the title...

In this chapter...

Oscar is COMING HOME! By the time he gets home, the "All Of You" sequence ends. And just for a bit of outside information...

Mirabel hesitates to put the doorknob in because she misses Oscar too much (Abuela DID feel immense guilt for driving him away, in case you'd like to know). She doesn't want to do it without her best friend.

I tugged at your heartstrings, now CRY!

Song featured: "The Climb" originally sung by Miley Cyrus.

..........

That catastrophe turned biggest life accomplishment that happened two weeks ago... But it felt like only yesterday! For anyone who'd like to know, Gamberro and that anaconda went their separate ways after Ignacio died. But them parting was mostly because they didn't dare mess with Tawney anymore. Gamberro said he "wasted enough time with that wacko. I have a squadron of my own to dote on." And the snake... I haven't a clue where he is now. Not that I care much.

Anyway, Yesterday, I thought about my last day at the Encanto for a few hours. In a good way. I wasn't putting myself down anymore. My thoughts... Temporarily, I forgot that... Abuela lost her home... lost everything... She's suffered so much, by herself, so it wouldn't happen again.

But even though she put a lot of pressure on the family... We were saved because of her.

We were given a miracle because of her.

We were a family because of her.

And if Mirabel taught me anything, it's that nothing could ever be broken that we can't fix together.

I know, it's not an excuse for her to put a lot of pressure on us... But that's the thing. It's NOT an excuse. It's more like an explanation. There's a difference. Like me being scared of almost everything (at least I used to be) wasn't, and isn't, an excuse for me to try new things. After all, I did just save Tawney's life, however inadvertently cause the death of my father... This whole wilderness adventure was a new thing for me.

Was I scared at first? Of course! But once I met my childhood friend Tawney, I had no fear of being alone. I guess that's my life lesson... There isn't much to be afraid of once you're accompanied by someone.

"Something on your mind?" Tawney asked behind me. "Yeah, actually." I answered with a slight nod, taking in the jungle environment in front of me. "In the months that I've been living out here... with you... I learned that Mirabel was actually right; I AM braver than I thought I was. I mean, I just went up against my obsessive father! I saved your life, after you saved mine."

"You sure did. And I'm proud of you for that."

A loud noise interrupted our moment. It almost sounded like... Barking? It progressively got closer and closer, until we heard galloping footsteps, and a large white perro (dog) emerged from the bushes. It was completely white in color, with dark eyes. And even with my newfound bravery, it scared me! I don't do well with dogs! "Ah! Dog!" I screamed, hiding behind Tawney, who growled at it. "Now, hold on un minuto! I know what you're thinking; what is an Argentinian Mastiff doing out here in the Colombian wilderness? Right? Isn't that what you're thinking?"

Tawney and I shared an awkward glance. "¿Sí? And what about that?"

"Well, you see, I can explain everything. In as few words as possible." The dog said. "First of all, my name is Fuerza, I'm the Guzmán's dog from the Encanto."