Letters to Camilo

Letter #9

ALNSFJCIDKDJ GUYS I POSTED THIS CHAPTER ON AO3 LAST WEEK AND FORGOT TO POST IT HERE, I'M SO SO SORRYYYY 😭😭

Also sorry for the gap in posting, I had a whole month of exams 🥲

But anyways, here it is!! Enjoy!!

Dear Camilo,

How are you? I hope that you are happy where you are. That's what's most important, that you are happy.

I never got any letters back from you, but it's okay, I will still continue writing, no matter what happened with our letters. Maybe you didn't get mine, maybe I don't get yours, I don't know. All that I know is that I will never stop writing to you.

Today, in this letter, I have some very good news to tell you! 

After 3 years of Dolores and Mariano being boyfriend and girlfriend (papá told me it's a thing called dating), Mariano decided to propose to Dolores! He asked her to marry him! Of couse, she said yes, they love each other a lot! 

Everyone was very surprised and happy for them, me too! The happiest one of all was obviously Dolores, she couldn't stop smiling the whooooole night! And she still was smiling and happy today too. Mamí had a rainbow and her and papá gave Dolores a big hug and lots of kisses and they told her how she was growing up too fast.

She then showed us her engagement ring one at a time. It is very, very, very pretty. It is gold with a small red jewel heart in the middle. On each side of the heart the ring makes one twist, with one small diamond in the centre of each loop made. The ring isn't big, just how Dolores likes it. It suits her very much! She said that it is perfect.

Abuela was very surprised by the engagement. Last time that an engagement was supposed to happen was when Mariano was going to propose to Isabela, but then a lot of stuff happened and Casita broke down. Last time the engagement was going to happen during dinner with our entire family watching, but this time Mariano and Dolores went together alone to do it.

I don't know if Abuela was a bit mad, but papá said that Mariano had told him before for his permission to propose to Dolores. When he said this, Abuela looked a bit more relaxed.

Yesterday, after Dolores came back home and after everyone's excitement and excited shouting, she made us sit down in the living room to explain how the proposal went.

She knew that they were going on a date that night but she didn't know that Mariano would propose. If she knew, it wouldn't have been a surprise!

She said that they walked for a long time, but the walk was very much worth it. They walked to the opposite end of the town, where there is a lot of peace and quiet. He did that so that she could relax a bit and not hear everyone's voices so loud. She would still obviously hear them but not too loudly. When Dolores was saying why he took her to where they were, she got this dreamy look on her face and her cheeks were red, which Isabela said is called blushing.

Mariano took Dolores on a hill, where they could see the whole town from. He prepared a blanket and lots of candles for them to be able to see in the dark and make it more "romantic". He took some food he made with him and they had a picnic. They talked and had lots of fun together, with Mariano telling her some of the poems he recently wrote. She said that some of them were about her!

Then, Dolores said, he helped her stand up and then he went down on one knee. She said that she then knew what was going to happen and almost passed out from excitement and happiness! She also covered her mouth to stop the laughter from how happy she was that was about to escape her mouth.

He said a lot of lovey dovey stuff to her and how much he loves her, and then asked her to marry him. She said that she started crying from the happiness and of course said yes. Then they kissed. For very long. Ewww...

And now Dolores is here, very very happy with the ring on her finger and everyone is also very happy for her, me too. 

Abuela asked her when they will get married to start preparing (because a Madrigal wedding will have to be a grand wedding, she said) but Dolores said that she wants to wait a little bit and not do everything all at once. Maybe next year or the one after! 

There is going to be a lot of planning to do for the wedding. Mariano will have to move in Casita too when they get married, like papá and tío Agustin did. I hope that he doesn't snore very loudly or else Dolores won't be able to sleep! And a tired Dolores is a grumpy Dolores, which nobody really wants.

This morning, she was still very happy, and I don't blame her. If I were her, I would be very happy too!

Today was her turn to come with me to help the townspeople, and she was smiling almost all of the time while looking at her pretty ring. 

With my gift, I am helping a lot of people, not as much as tía Julieta or Luisa but I still help. I do have some fun while doing my chores because I get to spend more time with my animal friends! I also play a bit with them when no one needs my help at that moment or so the little kids can gently play with them too.

What I did today so far was finding a lost cat (she was sleeping behind a bush and so took a long time to find her) and had some animals get a ball from out of a very high tree. Then I had to go with Dolores for her turn to help the people with her gift.

Even though years have passed since Isabela and Dolores told me that someone will come with me to do my chores, someone always still comes with me when I go outside. I'm not a little kid anymore!!

Don't they trust me?

Oh, mamí is calling me to go down to have lunch so I have to end this letter here.

I still miss you and love you a lot,
Antonio ❤️ 

And one last thing because I almost forgot, Dolores will really want you at her wedding, so will you come? At least for that and then leave again if you don't want to stay? You don't even have to talk to us if you don't want to, just being there will be enough I think. 

I really hope that you will come :)

Dolores's engagement ring:

Did I really make a 2 year timeskip between the last chapter and this? Yes, yes I did.

Thank you soooo much for reading and for being patient and don't hesitate to leave a comment on what you like so far or on what I can improve on. See you in the next chapter!! ❤️