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"Really. Felix, are you sure he will be alright? How can you be certain! There are so many things that could go wrong" Pepa squeaked and threw herself into the armchair by the window, angled just so. She wanted to keep a view of the windows.
"Of course! You worry too much, Pepi. Come on, I'm sure the kids are having fun!" Felix settled on the armrest by her side. Pressing a kiss to the knuckles of Pepa's left hand, all the while trying to avoid getting caught beneath her cloud. Ducking just in time, when the snow above his wife took a turn for the stormy.
"No, no, not too much fun, of course!" he reassured quickly, looking over his shoulder to where Dolores and Isabela were sitting. "Our Camilo is a gentleman. And Luciana is a sweet girl. They're both good kids, mi vida. Right, Dolores? Tell your mami what Camilo and Luciana are up to."
"Uhm." Like an unspoken agreement, Felix and Pepa held their breath in anticipation. Waiting for their daughter's report.
"She just snorted some juice out her nose", his eldest informed softly spoken, yet grimacing, "the joke he told wasn't actually that funny. I guess she really does like him."
"So this wasn't a joke? You're really listening in on your brothers first date?" Isabela, next to her, had sunken so deep into the sofa cushions, made herself so comfortable; she looked about ready to pass out. Which was somewhat despite herself.
The younger cousin plain shrugged and brushed a curl from her face, "Luciana's mother asked me to chaperone... from afar."
And maybe, not even that deep down, she was a little nervous for Camilo, too. He had spent hours in front of the mirror that morning, and Dolores wanted to make sure that his effort was met by a kindred spirit. Even if it was just one date and they might never hang out again, Dolores wanted him to have a good time.
Luciana, a fourteen-year-old girl from down the street, had asked Camilo out while he was babysitting her little sister the other day. They had always gotten along well in passing, so he offered to take her out to dinner instantly. Of course, Pepa told him off later (which was a whole thing because he wasn't ' ten anymore, Mami! '), and he ultimately had to change their plans to Lunch in town and maybe a walk to the lake. If things went well. (Which wasn't so bad because none of the cousins had been on a date at his age. So he was bound to be happy about going in the first place.) Camilo wanted to tell her about the play he's been working on - which Dolores only knew because she overheard him talking to Mirabel.
"Oh, Felix", Pepa moaned again, eyes already watering, "he's all grown up. Our little boy! Mis pollitos están creciendo! He's becoming a man, and then we'll lose him forever. He will get married, have his own children, and it's just Antonio and us."
The last time she had said just that was when Camilo was 9 and insisted he was old enough to do his chores by himself - but later came running home weeping because he missed his Mami. Chores had been their bonding time until then. They had Antonion less than a year later.
"Sì, mi vida. Of course, Camilo is growing up. But that's good. Isn't it?"
"Is it?" She frowned and threw her head back, the snowfall ever-increasing above her. Most of her yellow dress and the armchair were already covered in white - resembling a blanket, at least at first sight.
Dolores rolled her eyes, shifting her focus back to her little brother. Something about an evil wizard- Oh, he was telling a story. Things must be going well, then. Just as- She jumped a little startled when her prima's head dropped to her shoulder.
"Isa?" Dolores whispered.
"Hmhm?"
Even after the miracle had been lost, and saved, and things around their casita had adjusted, it wasn't much like Isabela, to lounge around like this. Especially not in the middle of the day.
"Are you okay down there?"
The sun was up, they'd both had enough caffeine to wake a mountain giant, yet here she was.
"Oh, just tired", she sighed.
"If he isn't back in time, or worse, if he comes home early-" Pepa pushed herself out of the chair in favour of walking around, and Felix, following her, did his best not to slip on the ice and snow that heeded her across the floorboards.
Isabela yawned so loudly, so openly that Dolores raised her brows at her, starring. "You really are tired, aren't you? Didn't you sleep last night?"
"No, no, I slept perfectly", Isa's words were a little slurred.
"Dolores? Carino? What are they doing now? If she doesn't laugh at all of his jokes, I swear-" Pepa stopped right in front of them, and Isabela's eyes fully drooped to a close.
"Oh, I, uhm... I wasn't paying attention", her gaze darted back and forth between Isabela and her Mami. "She... She's telling him about... Oh, she's telling him about that time she rode a... a Donkey into town? I couldn't catch the context. But it sounds like he appreciates the story. Oh! They're skipping stones by the lake."
"See, Pepi? Camilo and Luciana are having a perfectly good time, just like I said." Felix cooed and reached up to massage her shoulder. Pepa, almost instantly melted into the touch - and with her some of the snow by her feet.
Isabela shifted, giving Dolores a little more space as she opened her eyes again.
"You still with us?"
"Excuse me?"
Dolores noticed Camilo complimenting Luciana's skipping technique - and the next thing she knew, the girl was telling him what a lovely time she was having. Oh, they were getting corny. Time to shift her attention elsewhere. She trusted her brother to be sweet enough - not that she could help from this far of a distance.
"Well, you said you'd keep me company while I chaperone Camilo's date." Even though Dolores hadn't actually given that detail before, she simply had been looking forward to hanging out with her prima again, "and you've been dozing off this entire time, Isa..."
"Oh..." Isabela averted her eyes, and a few petals flew from her hair as she sat up a bit straighter - eyes briefly scanning her Tia Pepa, "it... it's the snow."
"The snow?"
"It smells of winter air", she raised a palm to hide her yawn behind. "It's making me weary."
Dolores frowned, tilting her head. She had never noticed her mami's gift to have any effect on her prima. None of the blessings in their family really seemed to interfere with each other. Was there something wrong with the magic again? The Madrigals were doing all they could to be more open and communicative these days.
"That's new..." Dolores spoke carefully.
"Not really", Isabela stifled another yawn and pulled her legs up to get a bit more comfortable. "I just learned how to hide being tired, quickly."
"Oh." Dolores watched her parents walk circles into the floor for a moment, "and you never mentioned it to me?"
Isabela dropped her head back to where it rested on Dolore's shoulder earlier. "Of course not, honestly - it's way too weird!"
Pepa's cloud dissolved when Felix whispered something to her that only one of the cousins caught - and she really didn't want to repeat it.
"Clear skies", Felix smiled, and Pepa pulled him in for a lingering kiss.
Dolores rolled her eyes, looking back at Isabela, who stretched her arms out above her head, leaning back a bit.
"This is better", she commented, "I'm still a little drowsy, but no comparison to before."
Dolores wanted to comment on the strangeness of it all again, but a distant farewell stopped her.
"Camilo is on his way home."
"Oh!" Her Mami was right back on the coffee table in front of Dolores, "how is he, carino? Did she break his heart? If she did I will-"
"Pepi!" Felix called out, and the thunder stopped instantly.
"He's... humming", Dolores shrugged, "pretty sure that's a fairly good sign."
"He had a good time..." Pepa leaned into her husband, situated next to her. Clear skies turned to radiant beams of sunshine, and almost instantly, the table was covered in a full chaplet of zinnias.
Dolores shot her prima a look, but she just shruged. "Summer air."
Well, at least her family was still full of surprises.
"I'm home!" Camilo yelled, soon after, swinging the door open at full force.
Pepa jumped up with a start, but Felix held up his hands and stopped her in her tracks. Miming for her to breathe in deeply.
"Don't embarrass him, amorecita."
She just rolled her eyes and pushed past her husband, briefly hesitating as she straightened her back a little to appear more relaxed.
Isabela and Dolores watched the spiel with a shared giggle when Camilo called out again, "does no one want to know how my date went?"