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Isabela wasn't really sure how to interact with Abuela anymore; no longer feeling the need to be Señorita Perfecta, Isabela knew she was no longer what Abuela expected of her. She kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, to do something so un-perfect that Abuela would give her that look and she'd understand where she stood.
And yet as time went on, it never came.
It hit her suddenly, watching Abuela tentatively ask questions about the cacti Isabela had planted, that Abuela was trying. The same way that Isabela was trying with Mirabel, and if Mirabel could try with Isabela, maybe Isabela could try with Abuela too.
Honestly? It was actually really... Nice. Abuela let her ramble about the different plants she was growing, even when it was obvious that Abuela didn't really understand what Isabela was talking about, and after their gifts came back, Abuela was first in line at the potters to buy specialty plant pots for some of Isabela's more sensitive creations. She was even talking with some of the people in town about where best to let Isabela's sundews grow! Not to help the town, though Isabela didn't mind doing so now that there was no pressure, but so that Isabela could have her carnivorous plants without hurting anyone. (Or anything, in the case of Tío Bruno's rats.)
But despite all the effort they were making, having Abuela ask if they could talk later, in privacy, was still nerve-wracking. Especially since Abuela had shooed Dolores off on a date with Mariano. It wouldn't mean Dolores couldn't hear, but she would definitely be distracted.
It became even more nerve-wracking as Abuela looked just as nervous as Isabela felt, inviting Isabela into Abuela's own room for their talk. "I've noticed," Abuela said, gesturing for Isabela to sit down, "That you've been spending a lot of time with Sofia recently. Would you like her to come to dinner?"
Isabela blinked. Sure she was spending a lot of time with Sofia, but surely not so much that it had been noticed, right?
Abuela continued, taking Isabela's surprise as some sort of a sign, but a sign for what, Isabela wasn't sure, "Isabela, please understand, all I've ever wanted for mi familia was for you to be happy." She cupped Isabela's cheek in her hand, "And I'm so, so sorry that I made you feel like you couldn't say that you weren't."
"Thank you," Isabela said, still not entirely sure why Abuela has brought Sofia up, but appreciating the sentiment.
"Anyway," Abuela said, folding her hands in her lap, "I don't want you to feel pressured, and I don't want you to feel rushed, but we've been having Mariano around a lot more since he and Dolores started going out, and I was wondering if you wanted us to start inviting Sofia over more."
It took a moment for Isabela to connect the dots, but when she did, an explosion of pink flowers popped into being in her hair. "Abuela, I'm not - I don't -" she cut herself off, feeling the flush rise in her cheeks.
"You're not?" Abuela said, but before she could continue, Isabela cut her off:
"Wait, why do you think-?"
"Lo siento, Isabela." Abuela paused, the started up again, halting, "But when I see the way you look at her, all I could see was the way my Pedro looked at me."
Isabela gaped her her Abuela, before turning the words over in her head. Getting up to pace, she tried to put all of her time with Sofia into some sort of order, into some sort of understanding. She though Sofia was pretty, but who didn't? She liked Sofia's smile, but that was normal, right? She tried to find excuses to go over to visit, but that was because Sofia was kind, and liked Isabela's plants, even the carnivorous ones. A thought came unbidden now that Abuela had put it in her mind - was this how Pepa had felt on her wedding day, with a thought you could no longer control? - She wanted to be the one to make Sofia smile, and to hold her hand while they went over Isabela's plants.
She wanted... She wanted to kiss Sofia in a way that she had never wanted to kiss Mariano.
"Mierda..." She whispered, before realizing Abuela was still in the room, and was watching her looking a bit alarmed.
"Isa...?"
"You can't invite her to dinner. Not yet. But maybe next week? I just need sometime." Isabella knew she was babbling but she couldn't keep the words in. "I didn't realize."
"Oh, oh, Isabela," Abuela stood, and pulled Isabela into a hug. "No matter what happens, I am so proud of you, as long as she makes you happy."
"She does. Do you think that she...?" Isabela pulled out of the hug to look her Abuela in the eye. She wanted - needed to know the truth.
There was a pause, and Isabela could see that Abuela was trying to find the right words. Delicately she said, "Isabela, it's obvious that you make her extremely happy."
There was a rush of flowers as the two of them were covered in petals as bright as any blush, and Isabela groaned. "Everyone will know what it means when you invite her for dinner," she muttered, looking at the petals with dismay.
"If anyone has a problem with it, they can bring it up with me." Abuela promised her, "Now I believe she takes a lunch around this time, so why don't you take over some of your mother's cooking, and I'll sweep up the petals."
"Thank you, Abuela," Isabela said, before giving Abuela another hug, and rushing out the door. Apparently she needed to talk to Sofia about her little misunderstanding. Hopefully Sofia would find it funny.