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Pepa loved her sister. And her brother and her Mamá, obviously. But she definitely loved her sister, not more than the other two, obviously. But Julieta never handled Pepa, she asked how she was doing and always tried to make her feel better. Mamá just said “you have a cloud” or “Pepa the wind!” and never really asked how she was, unless she was all out crying or hurt but Pepa had big feelings so normally she just needed someone to listen. That someone normally being Julieta. Even Bruno could get a little freaked out, the wind would blow his rats around and his sand would get everywhere.
But Julieta was never like that. Julieta would offer her an arepa and then Pepa would sit on the kitchen counter kneading beating dough into submission and Julieta would listen to whatever she said. Nodding and humming when she was supposed to, calling other people the crazy one and agreeing that Félix was definitely hitting on her and not just “being friendly”. Eventually the storm would calm and Julieta would have dinner ready and Mamá would be ecstatic to eat in a dry dining room and Bruno with his rats hidden under his ruana would slip into his chair.
That’s how things worked. Pepa knew it. She liked it. She liked familiar things. She liked knowing what to expect. She even liked Bruno’s gift because it let her prepare for things to come. And that’s why she was in Bruno’s room. Because Julieta was acting weird all morning and when Pepa visited her stall in town, she’d been rushed away with a call of “Talk later!” so Julieta could fish a man out of the fountain and it was all very strange. Pepa didn’t really like strange.
Bruno’s vision showed them all having dinner, but there was an extra seat at the table? Okay, they have visitors all the time, and there wasn’t anyone sitting in the chair or even standing by the chair?? They all looked the same age as they do now so it had to be soon. But the thing with Bruno’s visions is that they don’t come with a date or any context. He had that look he always had when he wished he had more to tell someone, or something different to say so Pepa thanked him and they went downstairs where Mamá was making dinner because Julieta was still in town.
She put them to work immediately, fixing dinner and setting the table. Casita’s door slammed open and Julieta, 'calm-and-collected-healer-of-the-town’ Julieta was skidding across the floor so hard she bounced off one of the pillars. She popped up, righting herself as hair slipped from her braided bun all around her face, her dress was wet and dirty along the bottom, she was missing a shoe. Chest heaving and trying to smooth the stray hairs around her face, she straightened her dress.
“Mamá,” her voice cracked, her siblings looked at each other in confusion. Julieta cleared her throat. “Can, um, can a guest come to dinner? Tonight? As in, in the next few minutes, tonight tonight?” Mamá looked at the healer as she stirred a pot. A slow glance up and down then back to the pot.
“Get cleaned up, mija,” Julieta deflated, starting for the stairs and while her back was turned Mamá smiled at the other two. “Y mijo, set an extra place at the table,” she said. Julieta full on squealed, pumping her fists in the air and nothing short of flying up the stairs and into her room. Even Mamá chuckled and went back to cooking.
Just as the food was ready, Julieta was screaming from the balcony for Pepa to come upstairs. She finished pouring water into the glasses on the table, and went up, slightly concerned to see her even keeled sister so erratic. Julieta had changed into what Pepa knew to be her favorite dress, it was navy blue and was a little big so it hung off one shoulder and dragged a little but hugged her waist really nicely and had pretty purple waves embroidered on it. It had been a birthday gift from Pepa and Bruno. But the dress was beside the point because her sister dragged her into the room with all the strength of a hurricane.
“Pepa, my hair.” Julieta sobbed. Pepa put her hands to her mouth in concern, Julieta had a comb in one hand, and very poofy hair practically floating around her head.
“Juli,” she couldn’t even think of the right question as she pried the comb from her sister’s hand and forced her to sit in front of the mirror. She’d combed out all her curls and what remained was a little too frizzy for salvation or a bun. Pepa hesitantly started to part it, maybe she could put it into two asymmetrical braids and put a bow on the end? Julieta had tears in her eyes as she watched her sister begin to braid the right side.
“So who’s this special dinner guest?” Bruno appeared in the doorway, closing it behind him and locking eyes with Pepa when he saw how fluffy Julieta’s hair looked. She bugged her eyes back and went back to carefully braiding one side. Julieta’s face immediately flushed and she went to tug at one of the curls near her face before Pepa shooed her hand away.
“Be helpful,” Pepa hissed, handing the end of the braid to Bruno to hold as she started on the lower left third of Julieta’s hair.
“N-no one im-important. Just-just a friend from town. He- his, uh, Mamá is making his favorite food for dinner so I invited him.” She was avoiding their eyes in the mirror but her siblings locked eyes over her head.
“So there’s a 'him’ now?” Bruno drawled. If possible, Julieta’s face flushed even more, she opened her mouth but no sound came out. Pepa passed Bruno the finished braid and went over to Julieta’s dresser for a ribbon to match her dress.
“You’re one to talk about 'him now’?” Julieta snarked, lightly hitting her brother as Pepa came back to tie the bow. Julieta immediately jumped up, dusting off her dress and scrutinizing the braids before hugging Pepa and starting for the door. She stopped with her hand on it.
“Okay okay, because I know you two. Yes, there’s a him. Yes, he’s coming to dinner,” she said narrowing her eyes at the other two and setting her hands on her hips. “But no, you can’t do anything! Or-or I won’t feed you for a week! No! A whole month! A-A-” her siblings just hugged her, smirking behind her back. “I’m not kidding!”
“Alright, alright. We get it.” Pepa said.
“No shenanigans.” Bruno agreed.
Julieta had her eyes narrowed but nonetheless nodded and led the way downstairs. Mamá was already sitting at the head of the table and there was a knock on the door. Julieta glared, shoving her siblings towards the dining room so she could open the door. Her siblings sat, intentionally on opposite sides of the table, as Julieta walked back in with Agustín, beaming at him, and glaring at her siblings. She let Agustín sit next to Bruno as she sat next to Pepa. “You’re not clever,” Julieta hissed but Pepa was smiling her nicest smile and Mamá was already making polite conversation.
Dinner was peaceful. Pretty soon Pepa forgot this was supposed to be strange and that she wasn’t supposed to like it. Agustín was kinda funny and he made Julieta and Mamá laugh which was no easy feat so Pepa liked him a little more. She’d known him, of course. He was always at Julieta’s stall because he was always broken in one way or another, usually bee stings, but it seemed like he’d been around every day since forever so having him for dinner wasn’t new. But the way Julieta was acting was definitely new. And if his nervous chuckles and refusal to look at Julieta when she was looking at him was anything to go by then, something had changed.
“Pepa, the fog. You’re foggy,” Mamá said and Pepa chuckled nervously, waving an empty plate around to clear the fog. Bruno kicked her under the table, they locked eyes. His eyes shifted to Agustín, then back to her then over her head then to Julieta then her then finally Mamá. Ohhhh! A perfect plan. She nodded once. “Excuse me a moment,” Mamá said, looking at Bruno and Pepa with a raised brow and oh, she was definitely in on it. A rat scurried under the table, across Pepa’s foot and she yelped, a bolt of lightning striking Agustín’s hand. He yelped and Julieta was immediately on her feet. Something about “her room” and “be right back” and then she was gone, out of the dining room in a blink.
The remaining Madrigal’s grinned.
“So?”
“You and Julieta?”
“Best healer in town.”
“Clumsiest kid in town.”
“Sounds perfect?”
“A little too perfect.”
They leaned into his face and Agustín’s eyes bugged as he raised his hands in surrender.
“It’s not like that. She’s just funny and really sweet and-”
“Would you run into a burning building for her?”
“Sí.”
“Fight a jaguar?”
“I could try?”
“Flee your hometown with your entire life on your back and ultimately sacrifice yourself for her and your baby to live with no hesitation?”
“Sí.”
“Be a Madrigal and take care of this community?”
“Absolutely.”
“Never make her cry because if you do you’ll have to answer to me and my brother y nuestro Mamá?
"And Mamá can make you disappear so-”
“Sí.” He put his hands down, looking the siblings in the eye. “Mira, I’ve known Julieta for pretty much my entire life. She’s an amazing healer yes. That’s undeniable, her gift is amazing. But she’s amazing. When she’s talking to the kids in town or dealing with an angry client or anything she does it with this smile on her face. And she’s so careful and gentle and kind and loving. Mira, she may not love me and who knows exactly what our future is? Aside, from Bruno, of course. But, the point it, I promise, I want to keep that smile on her face for as long as I can. If that’s till the end of dinner or the end of our lives, I’ll take it.”
Pepa huffed into her seat, Bruno slowly nodded and sat, patting Agustín on his shoulder. “Ay, so mushy. ¡Tan dulce!” Pepa pretended to gag but she was smiling.
“Alright, if Pepa approves there’s not much I can do,” Bruno said. Then he tightened his grip on Agustín’s shoulder and his eyes glowed. “But I can see the future and if I ever see my sister crying over you, I’ll let Pepa go full Old Testament God on you, okay?” Agustín nodded, eyes wide just in time for Bruno’s eyes to stop glowing and the missing Madrigals to return. Julieta handed him an empanada.
“I know they’re your favorite,” she whispered as she adjusted her chair and tucked an imaginary hair behind her ear. Mamá smiled as the burn healed itself.
“So, what did we miss?”