Chapter Text
Alma sat holding her babies as her body stopped shaking. This new house, the people, at that moment all of it faded away until it was just her and her babies. They were safe.
She felt herself breathing. Deep breath in, deep breath out. She wanted to go to bed.
Her sweet babies were still asleep.
Eventually she looked around herself. This house. Her room. It was just hers now.
Everything made her think of him.
Every single thing.
But especially this room. It was their room. It was supposed to have been their room.
Holding her kids just a little tighter she finally allowed herself to cry.
She cried, desperate for any form of comfort. For a single sign that maybe her eyes and heart were playing a trick. That maybe, her Pedro would walk in the room, hurt but alive, and give her another kiss. Another smile. Another day together. Anything. Her crying didn't stop for a long time. She tried to quiet down when she felt a little hand grab at her nose and a little gurgle grace her ears. One of their kids, her kids, was awake and smiling up at her. Oblivious to anything outside of that very moment. Oblivious to what they had just escaped and to what had been lost.
Julieta, her first born…oh how excited Pedro had been to hold each of them. He would probably be smiling down at their kids. He should be. The kid started babbling and woke her siblings. To Alma's surprise, the redhead had tried talking to her. Her son was not responding to his sisters but grabbing at her braid instead.
She let out a wet chuckle as she had to get Bruno to not eat her hair, watching her two girls “talk”. Pepa already made a mess of the front of her clothes. They needed to be changed anyway. She felt hope looking at her three babies. She had been saved by a miracle, by Pedro, a miracle, and by her babies. She doubts how she would be if they hadn’t been born yet.
And so she was able to smile still crying. She was still able to smile. “Hola, mhm. I’m happy to see you all awake.” She kissed each of their foreheads. Smiling more at the delighted laughs her kids made just because she was with them.
…
The next morning she got out of bed. The weight of reality weighing on her. Her babies were still asleep so she asked Casita to make sure they’re ok as she went downstairs to make all of them something, no it was for her. She’s the only one old enough to eat solids. She bit her lip at the realization. Today she would have to help everyone. They needed to sort everything out. She needed to keep busy.
To her amazement Casita wanted to help her.
“Buenos días Casita. Woah!” She stumbled as the house happily rumbled its tiles. “Today I will have to leave you, but maybe we will be back before night.” The house gave her what she needed as soon as she stepped in the kitchen.
Looking around herself she felt safer, the room with the morning light was warm and her breath caught at the sight of butterflies, “You are a wonder, Casita. I’m so happy we found you. Thank you.”
They cooked together and she was silently grateful. The house was filling a bit of the vast void where Pedro once stood. He still stood. She stopped herself from staying on that thought. She had to move her feelings aside to be helpful but how? How could she do that? He was her everything.
When the food was done she found herself crying again.
It wasn’t for long. A part of her worried if it would ever be long again. If she would ever be able to get out all the pain.
…
Hours later she left Casita to go to where everyone slept for the night. Her shawl was on tight and her babies were held even tighter.
They were up and about when she reached them.
Some were hurt, most were looking for whatever food had been grabbed before they all had fled.
An older man, one she knew Pedro talked to but could never remember the name of, came up to her, a small limp to his walk. “Señora, are you ok? The kids ok?”
She nodded, “We are as okay as we can be, you?”
He shrugged, “Hurt my ankle somehow. But I’ll be fine. We have to find shelter. Come, come, this way. Some of us were starting to make plans.”
She followed him tentatively, Bruno babbled to his sisters as Julieta played with her hair. She was amused at how her youngest two mainly just made noises with spittle and smacks. It was kind of nasty. Oh and her Pepa, the little girl’s face was just covered in drool. She liked having her hands in her mouth.
When she looked up she was met with worried faces.
“Alma, we all have been talking. You created this place. I think we should make sure our ideas are ok with you, right?” She got what her friend Mariana was getting at. And the thought of what position they seemingly already put onto her made her head spin.
“Pedro and I did. This.” She looked around. Really looked around. “This is an Encanto, the land, the people who will live in it, we all have a duty to make this new life something precious. So, I will do anything I can to help everyone. Any issue you all may have can be brought to me. If you or anyone else needs to stay in Casita, our doors are always open.”
The others looked glad.
“Firstly, we need all who are fine to work to follow me, there is a river over there, see?” They followed her pointing finger, “That means food, life. Any and all who know how to cook and hunt will live near there ok?”
They didn’t say anything against it.
“Anyone who knows first aid stays here for the day. Help everyone else. All of us who know sewing or crafting or building will live closest to Casita. I will make sure everyone gets clothing and supplies.”
A man, Señor Flores, who was already good on his way to balding, spoke up, “We will need a bridge, a church, and eventually at least one farm, señora.”
She hummed, bouncing her kids gently as Julieta yawned, resting against Alma's collar.
“I know. But that is later. This is now, okay? We need to get back on our feet. We will be okay. But we have to work everyday to ensure it.”
They all set off on their tasks. Anyone who had an issue definitely didn’t come to her first.
They did eventually run into a problem.
First month went by as smoothly as possible. But Alma was running on fumes.
She held her babies close, shawl loose, as she rested besides a small child.
The kid was making faces at her own and she smiled weakly as she watched her kids laughing and trying to grab at the kid.
When the kids mother showed up she said her thanks. The Guzmáns were good people.
Most had a home at this point. She had a meeting with some of the oldest members of their community and she could tell it wouldn’t be pleasant. At least not for her.
And it wasn’t. But it was necessary.
“Why are you leading us Alma? You are young, a mother, and you look like you will drop dead any moment. At least for a little, let us help you.”
Alma felt something new, or at least new in a visceral sense. “I don’t think I heard you right.”
Mariana spoke up in his favor, “Just for a few weeks? You should be with your familia, you and your babies need to rest.”
Alma’s smile was strained, grateful but tired, “I know. But you all are my community. Yes? We have each other. I trust once everyone is settled in and as our homes grow and families become stable again, I will fall back and only do what is needed. Okay? I just want to help you all first.”
The man didn’t really agree and she hadn’t expected him to. All that mattered was making a home for everyone. A foundation that was to be unshakable and safe.