Fixing the Past

Chapter 3

The family was gathered in the courtyard.

"Mamá, they aren't back yet and it's late! We need to go look for them!" Julieta said, worried for her hija amd sobrino.

"Very well. We will split up. Pepa and Felix. Agustin and Julieta. Isabela and Dolores. Luisa and Camilo." Just as Abuela began to walk away, Luisa pointed at the candle.

"Look! The candle, it's...it's glowing brighter!" She backed up.

Suddenly a bright light enveloped them all, and shot into the air to some unknown location on the edge of town. Everyone was on the ground, feeling extremely tired. Before anyone could protest, they all fell asleep.

Pedro came down the stairs. He couldn't have his family awake for this. He look at Abuela, sighing softly.

"Oh Alma...what have you done?" He whispered. Pedro walked out of Casita, who gently closed the doors.

As he walked through the town, he looked around. His family had truly help these people from the ground up. So why couldn't they do the same for themselves?

He watched the lights in the town flicker off. The drizzle in the air came to a stop and the moon was shining brightly.

He came up to the edge of town, he looked out towards the empty fields. Walking off the path, he spotted the pile.

Pedro walked up, staring down lovingly at the 3. Parce awoke, and looking at Pedro, gave a simple purr. Pedro helped the three onto Parce, and with that, they made their way back to Casita.

Pedro hummed a song, the ones on Parce's back smiling gently at the sound, cuddling closer, as much as they could while on the back of a big cat anyway.

Casita opened the doors, and Pedro walked in. Parce had followed him to a couch that Casita had brung to the courtyard. He could see that the house had also brung in pillows and blankets, covering the family.

First he sat Bruno down, and grabbed Mirabel, who was still holding Antonio. When he sat down, Bruno leaned onto his padres shoulder, and Mirabel layed out across his lap, Antonio on top of her, curled tightly to her chest.

He started petting Mirabel's curls, still humming "Dos Oruguitas".

Pedro sat like that, Parce still by the couch, curled in himself sleeping. It was quiet in the house, expect for the quiet purr of Parce, the soft snores of the family, and the gentle humming of Pedro.

__

As the sun shined high in the sky, the family began to wake and stir, sun kissing their skin.

Pepa was the first up, a cloud already forming. "It's day? Wh--?" She shook her husband, who shot up. "EVERYONE WAKE UP! ANTONIO A-AND MIRABEL--!" She screamed.

Everyone was up now, freaking out that it was day.

"Calm down, por favor. They're sleeping." A male voice came from behind them.

Everyone snapped their heads towards the voice. Silence. They were looking at the one person they never expected to see.

"P....Pedro?" Alma's throat dried up, and she stood in absolute shock.

"Hola, Alma." He smiled softly. He still looked young, the same way he did 50 years ago.

"Wait...th-that's....papa?" Pepa whispered, a large cloud forming. She quickly spotted the three sleeping on him, and tried to run over to Antonio.

Pedro help up a hand, and Casita pushed her back. After a few more futile attempts from her and some other family members, they stopped and Pedro had their full attention.

"Pedro...wh-what are you doing here, you're not...your supposed to be..." Alma stifled a sob.

"I know mi amor. But...its gone too far. I couldn't watch any longer." Pedro said looking down at his youngest.

"Abuelo." Isabela shifted uncomfortably. "Why are they...well, so young?"

Pedro looked up again. The family took in the features of the 3 sleeping.

Mirabel looked no older than 11. She was holding Antonio, who, based on Mirabel, was probably only about 1. He was cradled in a orange baby sling, held close by the older.

Bruno, was young by a LOT. He looked what, 13? Definitely younger than Camilo. His ruana was in a much more pristine condition.

Pedro sighed.

"You all must be confused. I will explain. Please sit." He asked politely.

Alma was the first to sit, and the family seeing their matriarch sit down, they followed. No one had seen Abuela so vulnerable.

Pedro looked at them all, love in his eyes, but also sadness.

"You all have done...damage. And these 3 were the main victims." He started.

"But how?" Julieta asked, pleading.

"Ah mija...that's the problem. None of you know why. Which is why this happened. You see, humans can only take so much. Humans can only hold so much in, so much damage. We have a limit. And when that limit is reached, people can change."

His gaze looked back down. "Take Bruno...mi hijo...my poor son. The town degraded him, took his energy, and his vigor. That bright yet shy 5 year old I watched grow up from above in the heavens. It was something I loved. He did all he could, for anyone. And his limit was reached when Alma asked for that vision. What he saw scared him so much, that he didn't feel safe enough, protected enough...to tell any of you. So he did what he knew." Pedro looked at the others, eyes glassy, but tears never falling. "He hid away. In the walls. My poor boy, he was so lonely. He only wanted to feel apart of the family. He'd pretended to sit with you all, I heard him every night. He always loved you and yet, you didn't love him back."

"Pedro, of course we loved him! I-I've always loved him." Alma looked at him sadly. Had he really thought that?

"Did you?" Pedro asked gently. "Did you really?"

Alma flinched. Of course she did she...she...

"And Mirabel...my poor nieta. She felt so neglected, so unloved. All too similar to mi hijo. She went through the same treatment. And after Antonio came along and he was under her care...it got worse. She stayed up countless nights, caring for the poor boy. So young. She was so thin, so malnourished. Unkept. Tired. Mi nieta thought what she was doing was going to make you all love her, after going so long without that love. Love that she should have had unconditionally. And the only ones who gave her that true, familial love, was Bruno and Antoñito. But after Bruno was forced to leave, it was just her and Antonio. And you all, you ignored her. And she raised this boy for 5 years...its no wonder he thought of her as her madre." Pedro made eye contact with Pepa and Felíx.

"You two can not possibly be mad at the girl. You both never spent time with your own son. I saw how whenever he would reach for one of you, you would turn away. Dios, I saw it all." He breathed.

"But...we did all we could and loved them all. W-we loved them a lot we just..." Pepa tried to defend herself.

"No, Pepa, mija. I love you. But you need to understand...these 3 have just reached that limit that humans have, and I've come to help you see that. To help you understand. I will not stay, but they will. And they will stay this way until you fix what was broken."

"¿Como?" Alma spoke up, looking into the eyes of her husband.

"You must bond with them. Treat them how they should have been treated. Love them. I can't say how you'll do that, you must decide yourselves. But I must say, before I go: They only have memories up until their physical age. But they will know each other like they've known each other their entire lives. Like siblings. Looking at it now, Bruno may be protective of Mirabel and Antonio. He's shy, but he won't let you all..." Pedro trailed off. "Anyway. You must fix this. Before it's too late."

Pedro stood, walking over the family, a faint golden glow over taking him. He kissed Alma's head, and hugged Julieta and Pepa. He walked back over to the 3 children, kissing their foreheads, earning smiles in return.

"I must go back now. But hopefully, you can help these poor babies." He waved, and hesitantly, the others waved back. Pedro then faded away, gold particles left in the place he stood.