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"Cásate conmigo!" A young Camilo grins at you. His cheek is painted brown from mud, and his hair is dusty from playing in the sand with you, but neither of you care.
"What does that mean?" You tilt your head in curiosity. Your blink; The two of you are no older than three at the time.
"I don't know!" Camilo smiles. "But I saw someone say that to a girl, and the girl started crying! Mi mama says it's something that you say to someone you love."
You pout cutely. "You love me?'
"Yes!" Camilo's smile rivals the sun's, and you beam.
"Then, I will!" You beam.
The sun shines a little brighter that day.
--
"Cásate conmigo!" Camilo's a little older this time. He's finished receiving his gift, and he hands you a ring made of paper.
"Is that a ring?" You peer at it in awe.
"I made it at Señorita Rodriguez's place earlier!" He grins. "I have one too!"
"It's pretty!" You smile.
"Mi vida," He bows. "Cásate conmigo!"
You grin. "Si!"
He slips the ring on your hand, and he drags you through the marketplace. The image of two children dancing under the sun remains in the village's memories. You remember Camilo's hair shining under the sun.
"If you call me mi vida, then what should I call you?" You slow down in the dancing.
"Call me..."
You stare at the way his lashes are lighter under the sun.
"Mi sol!" The two of you call out at the same time.
"Mi sol! Let's dance some more!" You grab his hand.
"Of course, mi vida!"
--
When the two of you turn seven, Camilo's taught what 'cásate conmigo' means.
"Cásate conmigo!" Camilo holds up a small flower ring he made. The stems of the flowers stick out a bit, but it's the size of your finger. His smile's a little flimsy, and he's missing one of his front teeth.
"What does Cásate conmigo mean again, mi sol?" You try and take the ring from him, but he insists on putting it on you himself.
"Mi mama told me that you tell it to someone you're going to spend the rest of your life with." He places it on your ring finger. "Voila!"
"What does Voila mean?"
"I don't know," He shrugs. "Señora Guzman uses it when she's excited."
You admire the flower. "Did you get it from Hermana Isabela?"
"No," He hums, and he lowers his voice, eying the people around him. "I stole it from her room."
You gasp. "She's going to kill you!"
"Anything for you, mi vida," he smiles. "I'll get you a bIIIG emerald when we grow older!"
You gasp. "You don't need to!"
"You deserve the best, mi vida!" He cheers.
"Camilo!" You hear Isabela call for him.
"Te quiero!" You wave bye, and he transforms into another person to mix into the crowd.
"Yo también te amo!"
--
The next time he proposes to you, the two of you are ten. You're missing a couple teeth, and Camilo's already got his front tooth back.
"Cásate conmigo!" He holds up a metal ring, and you gasp. It doesn't look like any particularly special metal; rather, it looks like the metal used in the things around town.
"Mi sol, where did you get this?" Regardless of material, you still found the ring to be pretty. Another one to add to the collection.
"I asked Señor Gonzales to teach me how to make a ring." He grins.
"How did you even pay for it?" You ask, eyes wide in confusion.
"I helped him out for a day," He smiles. "So your answer?"
"Si," You stare at his hands as he places the ring on your finger.
"Can we get some food? I'm hungry," Camilo mumbles, his stomach rumbling.
"I'll pay!" You grin. The two of you make it down the plaza, and Camilo grabs an ear of roasted corn.
You place a handful of cocoa beans on the stand, and she smiles. "I'll give it to you two on the house today."
"No!" You shake your head. "Mi mama says that business has to be honest."
She smiles. "Then, you can pay me back in the future."
You nod slowly. "ok! Thank you, Señora Garcia!"
Camilo leads you to under a tree, and he breaks the corn in half. "For you, mi vida."
You grin. "Thank you, mi sol."
You fall asleep on his shoulder, and he takes you home that day.
--
The next time he proposes, both of you are fifteen, and Antonio's gift ceremony is bustling with people.
"Cásate conmigo!" Camilo's on one knee, and your eyes are wide.
"We're at your brother's gift ceremony!" You hiss, trying to get him to stand up.
"I need an answer, mi vida," He grins playfully.
"...si..." You mumble. "now please get off of your knee-"
You help him up, and he slips the ring on your finger.
"What's this made of?"
"Wire," he grins. "I thought it suited you."
You stare at it. He managed to make his initial with the wire, and he drags you.
"Let's go see Antonio before the ceremony!" He pulls you with him, and you yelp. The two of you weave your way through the crowd, and he pulls you behind the curtain.
"Antonio!" You hug the young boy. "You can do it. I believe in you."
"Can... you walk me down the hall?" He mumbles weakly.
"Yes." You hug him. "Anything for you."
"Aw... mi vida," Camilo pouts. "Not for me?"
You give Camilo a side-eye in amusement. "I walked you down the hall too."
Camilo sighs. "Come find me after."
You nod. Camilo places a kiss on the tip of your finger.
"Can Mirabel walk me too?"
"Of course," You smile. "Shall I get her?"
Mirabel waves from behind you. "Hey."
You smile. "Let's go."
La casita pulls the curtains, and the two of you walk him to his door. Mirabel's breathing grows ragged in fear, and you rub circles on her back. "It won't happen again."
You were right.
Antonio opens his door, and he grabs your hand. "Come."
You smile.
Camilo pushes the two of you in. "Come on, mi vida!"
"I'm coming, mi sol!"
--
The only time you turn him down, la casita breaks.
"Cásate conmigo," He mumbles. You know he's just as worried as you are, and you also know he's trying to lighten the situation.
"Camilo! Mirabel is missing; the house is cracking!" You plead. "Not right now, please. My answer hasn't changed."
Camilo nods. "I heard she's back."
You stare at the cracks in the hallway, and the two of you panic. The cracks reach where the candle is placed, and you watch as it falls over.
"Dios mio," The two of you jump over the fallen stairs and ceiling tile, and you manage to grab onto a roof tile, and you pull yourself up to catch up to Mirabel.
"Mirabel! It's not safe," You follow her up the makeshift ladder, and la casita pushes everyone out of the house.
"Mi vida! Mi vida, you have to get out of there!" Camilo tries to run up to where you were in la casita; you reach for Mirabel.
"I got the candle!" She panics, and you wrap her in your arms, shielding her from the debris falling.
"I got you," You whisper. "I got you."
La casita gives out one more miracle, and shields the both of you from getting crushed. You unwrap your arms around her, and Camilo runs to you. "Mi vida, are you ok?"
Your hair is dusty, and you cough out the smoke in your lungs.
"I'm alright, mi sol," You smile. "Mirabel? Are you ok? In one piece?"
"Yes." She mumbles. "I'm fine."
The three of you sit there, and you turn to help Julieta grab something to heal Mirabel.
"Mirabel?" You turn when Julieta calls her name.
"MIRABEL?!" Panic surges through your body. "MIRABEL!"
"Mi vida, calm down," Camilo pulls you in for a hug, running his hand through your hair.
"What if she's in danger?" You panic. "What if- dios mio, what if this is because of-"
"Mi vida!" Camilo cups your face. "This isn't because of that. It's just a house. I promise. "
--
The next time he proposes, you give him a ring.
"Cásate conmigo...?" He smiles sheepishly. He holds out a single flower, and you smile. "I don't have anything to give you because I lost my gift, but I thought I'd try anyways-"
"Si," You pull him in for a hug. "Si. It was never the gift, mi sol, it was never the gift."
Camilo takes you with him to help rebuild la casita.
"So..." A villager nudges you. "are you two dating?"
You furrow your brows. "huh... not sure."
"What?! You guys aren't dating yet?!" The girl shrieks.
You jump slightly, and she sighs. "Is he up for grabs?"
A mischievous thought pops up in your mind. "Yeah... I guess he is."
The girl gasps. "Can I... try asking him out?"
You shrug. "Up to you."
Hauling the can of paint, you make your way to the other side of the house to hand them to Mirabel.
"Can you help?"
"I have to make sure another Madrigal doesn't accidentally break a wall." You roll your eyes playfully.
"Have someone else try to help him." Mirabel eyes you with a grin on her face.
"Sure." You sit down, grab a paintbrush, and help her repaint the wall.
"Camilo?"
The boy turns around to a foreign face. "AH! You're Señor Pérez's daughter, right?"
'He knows my name?' The girl's eyes widen in surprise. "A-ah, can I help?"
"Could you call mi vida over?" He smiles.
"Mi... vida?"
"You know? The love of my life?"
"I thought you weren't dating?"
"We're married." He grins.
"Y-You are?!"
Camilo grins. "Mi vida! We're married, aren't we?!"
You stand up, and you excuse yourself.
"Pardon?"
"Cásate conmigo!" He grins.
"Alright," You smile. "Give me your hand, mi sol."
He raises a brow. You rummage your pockets, and you pull out a small wooden ring.
"Mi vida!" He gasps dramatically. "You love me!"
"You're late to the party," You smile. "I've been in love with you."
He beams, and he knocks you over with a hug. "MI VIDA!"
--
The last time he proposes, the two of you have been dating for years.
"Cásate conmigo?" He pulls out an actual ring with a genuine emerald in the center of it. "Mi vida?"
The two of you are well past your teenage years, and your eyes brim with tears. Just like the first time he proposed, the two of you are under the sun, the middle of the day. Unlike last time, Camilo doesn't have mud on his cheek, and he isn't confused about what he's asking you.
"Si." You smile. "Si, mi sol," You wrap your arms around him and sob into his shoulder. "Si."
Camilo wraps his arms around you, and the ring on your finger glimmers. The sun burns the back of your head, but you can't find it in yourself to care. In the back, you hear cheering, and you're reminded of who you're with.
I like shiny things but I'd marry you with paper rings