Who You Are: Camilo's Story (After Encanto)

Come Back Stronger

"Wake up, Camilo!" Dolores demanded.

She had walked into her brother's room and was standing over him with her hands on her hips and tapping her foot impatiently. Camilo moaned and covered his head with his pillow. Dolores rolled her eyes and said, "Oh! Okay! I guess you don't want to have breakfast with Hanna this morning."

Camilo's eyes shot open, and he hurriedly tried to get up from his hammock. But he moved too fast, causing him to fall out the other side and onto the floor with a thud.

"Owww!" Camilo groaned.

Dolores shook her head at him. "For goodness' sake," she said, sounding much like Pepa.

Camilo rubbed the back of his head as he stood up and slipped into his sandals.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"It's a quarter 'til eight," Dolores answered. "Now, come on! We're all waiting for you!"

Camilo checked himself in the mirror and then turned to look at Dolores's reflection as she watched him.

"I know it's pointless in me asking this," he said. "But you heard everything last night, didn't you?"

Dolores frowned at him and said, "We can talk about that later. Right now, Hanna is downstairs in the kitchen."

Camilo was about to follow her out of his room when he asked, "Why were they fighting? Hanna and her sister."

"You're so impatient," Dolores said, annoyed. "But if you must know, one thing they were fighting about was you!"

Camilo froze. He looked at her in confusion. "What?" he asked.

"Amalia knows," said Dolores. "She knows about you and Hanna's relationship. She figured it out last night. And she was not happy about it. Oh, by the way, she did see you when you went to their house, prancing around as Mirabel. Just as I thought! On top of that, she saw you and Hanna kissing last night!"

Camilo looked down at the floor as he processed everything she said.

'Miércoles!' he thought to himself.

"Now, are we gonna stand here and keep Hanna waiting? Or are we gonna go join her?" Dolores asked.

"No, I'm coming. I'm coming," Camilo said. He added under his breath, "I'm not the only impatient one, today."

"I heard that," Dolores said.

When they came downstairs to the kitchen, Camilo saw Hanna sitting with Bruno on one side and Antonio on the other. Julieta was busying herself over the stove. Pico the toucan was perched on the back of Hanna's chair. Camilo looked over at Bruno, feeling very uneasy. He remembered that it was from this very room that he overheard about his uncle's strange vision. But he shook his head, trying to push it out of his mind for the moment. Julieta came over with a plate that was piled with arepas and set it down on the table.

"Eat as much as you want, Corazón," she said, gently patting the back of Hanna's head.

"Thank you," Hanna said, politely. She then looked up to see Dolores and Camilo entering the kitchen and smiled. As Camilo was saying good morning, Bruno got up to move down one seat, making a space for him. Camilo nodded in thanks and sat next to Hanna. Julieta then came back with Dolores and Camilo's plates full of food.

"Gracias, Tía," Camilo said. He then looked around.

"Where is everybody?" he asked, noticing that his parents, Alma, Agustín, and all his cousins were missing.