Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Somewhere deep within the jungles, just outside of the Encanto, there was a Chameleon. The beautiful reptile with green and yellow scales had laid 20 eggs in her home. She waited days and nights for them all to hatch. She couldn’t wait to see all of her beautiful children,

The day they all finally hatched was the best day for the Chameleon. With each egg that hatched, a beautiful green baby emerged. Some had full green scales, others had a mix of green and yellow, but regardless, each one was beautiful. Well, almost all of them.

When the last egg hatched, the new mother Chameleon had expected a green or a green and yellow mixed baby to come out, but what she got instead was a Chameleon with pure white scales. But despite her unnatural color, she looked very healthy and looked just like a normal Chameleon. But not to her mother.

When the white baby Chameleon attempted to rub against her mother lovingly, her mom turned her away, pushed her aside and gave all of the attention to her siblings instead. This left the baby Chameleon confused. Why was her mother paying more attention to her siblings, but not her? Had she done something wrong?

The little Chameleon tried to get her mom’s attention again, but everytime, her mom would push her out of the way with her tail. The baby tried to squeeze her way into the pile that was her siblings, but as soon as her mom noticed her, she picked her up and put her aside, returning to her siblings. She was sad now. Why doesn’t her mom like her? Why did she keep turning her away? Did she not want her?

When the baby tugged at her mom’s tail, that’s when her mother lost all of her remaining patience. She let out a noise of anger, wacking her baby with her tail, sending her flying and out of the place she called home. The baby watched in horror as her mom shunned her away, quite literally throwing her out of her home. She watched as her once mother went back to what she was doing, taking care of her brothers and sisters, but not her.

The baby Chameleon lowered her head in pure sadness. She then noticed that her scales were pure white instead of the green color that her mother and all of her siblings had. Had her mom rejected her because of how she looked? Why? That wasn’t her fault, she was just born that way. She couldn’t help what her pigment looked like. She was still a bit too young to learn how to change the color of her skin, but she’ll learn. She would. But her mom didn’t seem to care.

With her head hung low to the ground, the white baby Chameleon left her former home. Even if she tried to go back home now, her mother would toss her out again. There wasn’t any point in trying. So, she left. She would have to learn how to take care of herself all alone out there in the big, scary, new world.

Weeks had passed since the baby Chameleon had been rejected by her birth family. She had slowly made her way over the mountains and found a small town called Encanto. Perhaps there she can find her forever family.

The first night she was there, she stayed out of sight from the villagers. Her scales being pure white made it pretty useful for her to camouflage on the stone buildings. The only food sources she had available to her were whatever bug she could catch and occasional fruits that had been accidentally dropped onto the ground, half eaten, or were left behind by the stands that sold them. Her favorite fruit in particular had to be mangos. She also likes an occasional orange slice because she could make a goofy smile with it then, but her favorite would always be mangos.

During her time in Encanto, she learned how to blend in with her surroundings. This became handy for her whenever potential dangers were around. So far, the colors she learned to change were yellow, green, orange, turquoise, and magenta.

Another thing she learned while she was there was all about the Madrigal Family. She learned the history about how they were given a miracle and all about the family’s magical powers. Each family member had their own unique gift. There was Luisa, who had super strength, Isabela, who could make beautiful flowers bloom, Dolores, who could hear a pin drop from miles away, Pepa, who could control the weather, Julieta, who could magically heal you with the food she cooked, and Mirabel, who, while not having a gift of her own, was just as special in her own way from what the baby Chameleon could understand.

But one person she heard about that caught her attention was a 10-year-old boy named Camilo, who had the ability to shapeshift. A shapeshifter? Was that like color changing? Was he similar to her in some way? She wanted to find out more.

On one particular day, when the Chameleon had only been a couple of months old, she found him. She had found the Camilo Madrigal, a young curly haired boy with green eyes and a bright personality. She had found him in the jungle, sitting on a fallen tree branch with an orange in hand. Why was he sitting out here? The baby Chameleon didn’t know. She turned her scales green so she could blend in with the grass. Slowly, she approached the young boy until she was staring up right at him.

He must have spotted her because before he could pop the orange slice he had in his hand into his mouth, he lightly gasped and was looking down right at her. The Chameleon froze with fear. Guess she wasn’t that good of a hider after all. But Camilo didn’t back away. Instead, he stayed right where he was, fascinated by the tiny reptile before him.

“Hey there, little guy.” He said. He looked at the orange slice in his hand and brought it down to the Chameleon. “Want some?”

She backed away from him, a bit hesitant to take the offering from him. But, very slowly, she approached him again, looking at the orange slice in his hand. She stretched her tongue out. It immediately stuck to the orange slice and she popped it into her mouth.

Camilo stared down at her, like he was expecting her to do something. She looked up at him, stared at him for a moment, and then out of nowhere, she grins widely, the orange slice still in her mouth. He laughed at the Chameleon’s silliness.

“You’re funny!” He exclaimed. He extends his hand down. “Wanna climb up?”

The Chameleon looked at his hand and then up at him. She did this for a few more seconds before extending ehr front foot slowly, placing it onto the boy’s hand. She did the same with her other front foot, and then her back feet were next. 

Camilo slowly lifted his hand up so he could get a better look at the Chameleon. He stared in awe at her.

“I’ve never held a Chameleon before.” He tells the reptile in his hand. “Abuela doesn’t usually allow us to have pets. Or for us to bring in wild animals.” He suddenly whispers to her. “I tried doing that once. It didn’t go well.” He giggled. “Sometimes I wish I could shapeshift into animals, but all I can do is people. It’s not all that bad, though! Look what I can do!”

He suddenly wasn’t Camilo anymore. He shifted into a completely different person. He was a grown man and not a child. The Chameleon lost her green color at that moment. She went back to her original white color, jumping in the air in fear and breathing heavily.

The man laughed, but it was still Camilo’s voice she heard. “Don’t worry, it’s only me.” He tells her, shapeshifting back into his true form. “See?”

The Chameleon’s breathing calmed down and settled in his hand again. Camilo tilted his head to the side very slightly as he looked at her again. She realized in that moment that her green camouflage she was using to make herself look like a normal Chameleon was gone, and she was exposing her true color to him. Her pure white scales, the same scales that made her mother reject her in the first place. He was probably going to reject her, too. She was expecting it anytime soon.

“Wow…” Said Camilo, a bit shocked by the Chameleon’s appearance. “I’ve never seen a Chameleon with white scales before! Were you born that way?” He didn’t look disgusted in any way. He smiled at her, a few of his teeth were missing, most likely had gotten loose and came out on their own time. “You’re so amazing looking! Your scales are so unique and special! It’s so cool!”

The Chameleon looked up at him, shocked by his answer. He thought she was… unique? Amazing looking? Cool? It made her feel…. happiness. She had never once been told that her scales were unique or amazing looking. Her mother had rejected her because of her weird scales being the color that they were, and this boy was…accepting her for who she was.

“Sometimes…” Camilo spoke to her. He suddenly sounds sad as he looks down at her. “I wish I could be myself. I’ve always been told since the moment I got my gift to be someone else. I’ve always been told, ‘Camilo, we need you to be José,’ ‘Camilo, you need to shift into Juanita to babysit her baby for her while she takes a nap,’ ‘Camilo, be this person,’ ‘Camilo, be that person,’ it’s sooooooo tiring.” He frowns and places the Chameleon on his right thigh. “Sometimes… I don’t feel like… I don’t get to be who I am anymore.”

The little Chameleon looked up at Camilo with wide eyes. Hearing him talk about his problems, it reminded her of herself. Since learning how to change colors, she was always using this advantage as a way to cover up her birth defect. She tried to fit in with the world around her by making herself look more like a real Chameleon, rather than one that looks sickly pale all of the time. 

She thought she was alone in the world, the only one who hated who she was and tried to change herself. And while this human didn’t hate who he was, he was always asked to shapeshift into others and never truly felt like himself. It’s exactly the same way that she feels. This human, who she had just met today, knew what it felt like to be different, to be someone you’re not, whether it be to cover up your true identity (which was in her case) or to be someone else for the other person’s pleasure.

She places her tiny foot onto his hand, which had been resting on top of his thigh this entire time. She looked up at him with both sadness and also reassurance, like she’s letting him know that he isn’t alone. Camilo looked down at her and smiled.

“You understand that, don’t you?” He asked her. “You know what it’s like.”

She climbed up his hand, up his arm, and then onto his shoulder. He lifted one finger up to her and gently pets her head, which she leans into.

“Do you have a name?” Camilo asked the Chameleon. He knows she can’t answer, but still asks anyway. “Can I call you ‘Blanca’? You look like a Blanca to me.”

Blanca, huh?  She had never been given a name before. Come to think of it, she never had a name period. But she liked this new name he gave her. It suited her.

“Hey, Blanca?” Camilo asked her again, this time using her new and official name. “Do you wanna be friends?”

To answer his question, Blanca changed the color of her scales to a bright yellow and nodded her head, like she’s saying, “Yes! Let’s be friends!”

Camilo laughed. “Okay! We’ll be best friends forever!” He said with a bright smile. Forever? She could get used to that. “I’m Camilo, by the way! You and I are going to be the best of friends, Blanca! Just two little shifters! An unbreakable bond!”

Blanca sits on Camilo’s shoulder, listening to him talk about literally anything that was on his mind. He told her about how his mamá was expecting a new member of their family anytime soon and how excited he was to be a big brother (he hopes it’s a boy, but he’ll also be happy with a girl). He told her all about the town and he likes putting on a show for anyone wanting to watch. He told her all about his family. He told her all about his older sister and how Mirabel was his favorite cousin but he’s never told anyone else that (“Shhh! That’s only between you, me, and Mirabel, okay?”) He tells her everything and she never once misses a single word.

And finally, for the first time ever in Blanca’s life, she felt like she had found her forever family.

Chapter Text

Casita had collapsed. And when it did, their gifts went down with it. They had lost the miracle, their home, everything. What made things even worse was that Mirabel was still nowhere to be found.

She had run away soon after Casita’s collapse. The whole family and even the village searched for her, but there was no sign of her anywhere. Camilo had sat down on one of the broken pieces that used to be his home. He had tired himself out after searching hours for his cousin. 

He can still hear the distant voices of the rest of his family calling out Mirabel’s name. Luisa and Isabela were searching the mountains around Encanto, his Tío Agustín and Tía Julieta searched near the crop fields, and his papí and hermana looked for her around the wreckage, but as far as Camilo is for certain, they already checked there and she wasn’t anywhere to be seen. His mamí had taken Antonio somewhere into town, and Abuela… well, he’s not so sure where she is right about now.

He signed quietly to himself, staring down at his feet. Blanca, his best friend and companion for life, came out from her hiding spot under his ruana. The once baby Chameleon was no longer a baby anymore. She was 5 now. About five years have passed since the 10-year-old Camilo, who is now 15, took her in and made her a part of his family. Although no one really knew she existed, the only people knowing being Dolores, Mirabel, and Antonio, she was still a Madrigal and a member of the family, and is very important to Camilo.

Blanca has been there for him through everything. When he was feeling down or alone, she would be there in a heartbeat. When his gift became too much for him, she would change into his favorite colors and remind him of who he is. When he wanted someone to talk to, besides his sister or other family members, she would listen to him. Even when he just wanted someone to hug him, she would snuggle up to him. Chameleons weren’t normally considered very cuddly creatures, but Blanca proved that wrong.

“Hey, girl.” Camilo said with a sad smile as he pets her head. “Still no sign of Mirabel yet.”

Blanca climbs her way up her owner’s arm and perches herself on his shoulder. She looks up at him with both concern and sadness written on her face. Seeing Camilo upset made her upset. Whatever he felt, she also felt. If he was happy, she was, too. If he was, she felt that, as well. Their bond just worked that way.

“I don’t know what to do, Blanca.” He tells her. “Without my gift, w-what am I? Who am I? I can’t shapeshift anymore and…” He signed. “I don’t know what to do about it.”

The truth is, she doesn’t know how to answer his question. She’s seen him at work with his gift, she’s seen all of the amazing stuff he can do. She’s seen him in action with the kids in town and how he contributes to the community. She knows that he’s considered his gift both amazing and also troubling. 

All those years ago when they first met, he told her how his gift made him feel like someone he wasn’t, and while yes he did occasionally feel that way, he’s found ways to enjoy his gift. But now that he doesn’t have it anymore, he was just plain Camilo. No shapeshifter, just Camilo.

All of those years ago, he had saved her when she was only just a baby, alone and defending herself in the wild. Now, she still felt like she needed to return the favor to him. Even if she gave him her undivided attention, she still owed him her life. And even with her strange birth defect, he still accepted her for who she was and didn’t make her feel different from every other Chameleon. She knew she had to thank him. If only Antonio still had his gift, she could tell him all the things she wants to tell him.

Camilo brought his knees up to hide his face. “I miss Mira…” Balance heard him whimper out. He sounded like he was on the verge of crying. “I miss my gift… I never thought I’d say that, but I do…”

Blanca was sad now. She felt awful for Camilo and she wanted to help him feel better. She didn’t know how yet, but she wanted to do something. But what?

She then gets an idea. Crawling off of his shoulder and down his arm, she scurries away, leaving Camilo confused. Before he could even ask where she was going, she was gone and out of sight. He just sighs and goes back to moping.

A few minutes later, Blanca returned, dragging along an orange she had attached to her long tongue. Camilo lifted his head up right as she placed the fruit in front of him. He gave her a sad smile and picked it up, peeling it immediately.

“Thanks, girl.” He said, offering her a slice.

She stretched her tongue out again to capture the orange slice and pop it into her mouth. She looks up at him and smiles, the orange slice still in her mouth. The action made him smile, not a sad one, but a genuine one. And he laughed, too. It was the first time since the fall of Casita that she had seen him truly happy.

“You always know how to make me feel better, Blanca.” He says, extending his hand out for her to climb onto. Once she’s fully seated in his palm, he carefully lifts her up to his shoulder and she sits herself back up there.

The two ate their orange in peace. Although they could still hear the distant cries of the rest of the family calling out Mirabel’s name, they still enjoyed the moment for now. Camilo knows he will have to resume his search for her, and he will, but right now, he just wants to relax with his reptile amiga, who he doesn’t even consider a pet anymore.

No, Blanca was more than that. She was more than a pet, she was his best friend , his partner in crime, together forever and always, the queso to his arepas, his little theater buddy, the one friend who truly understands him.

And to Blanca, Camilo was more than just her owner and caretaker, he was her best friend, too. He’s the person who took care of her, raised her in his bedroom, shared his arepas con queso with her, watched him shine brighter than all of the other Madrigals, and was so proud of him every step of the way.

To each other, they were one of a kind. There wasn’t another person out there. All Camilo and Blanca ever need are each other. An unbreakable bond that will never, ever break apart.

Chapter Text

A huge fiesta had been held in the courtyard after everyone had done their part to help rebuild Casita. There was music, dancing, and delicious food provided by Julieta. 

Camilo watched everything from upstairs. He watched as Isabela finally got to be herself and no longer had to live by her “Miss Perfect” title. She was experimenting with her new powers, using her powders to change the color of her dress and the yard. Some of the kids got caught in the splash zone of her powder, but they loved watching her put on a show so they didn't mind.

Antonio was happy to have his gift back and he was currently playing games with the village kids alongside all of his animal friends. It made Camilo so glad to see Antonio enjoying his gift again and getting to be a normal kid for once.

Luisa had moved her hammock outside, between two trees that hadn't initially been in their yard. Her Herculean frame was relaxed into the gentle swaying of the hammock, eyes closed with a glass of juice stationed on another plant within arms reach. 

Dolores was resting on a picnic blanket with Mariano a good distance away from all the noise. Camilo was happy to see his sister following her heart and having those feelings returned. But from now on, he was gonna have full eagle eyes on Mariano. If he ever tried anything to break her heart (which seemed unlikely), there would be serious consequences.

Camilo glanced towards his mamí and papí. It seemed like those two could dance all night, lost in their own little world of shuffling feet and swaying hips, a blanket of sunshine and rainbows covering their section of the courtyard. He was glad that his mamí felt comfortable enough that she didn't have to keep her emotions bottled up. What made him feel even better was that she would no longer have her emotions be manipulated just so the townsfolk could have their crops watered.

He could see Tia Julieta and Tio Agustin slow dancing in a secluded corner of the courtyard, so in love and happy just being together. Similar to his mamí and papí, but not as public with their affections as they were. 

He could also see Abuela talking to some of the villagers close to the food table before she'd sat down. She looked happy, carefree in a way she hadn't been in a long time. He smiled knowing his Abuela was finally loosening her tight grip on their familia, content with just having her family with her and accepting them for how they are.

Even Mirabel looked so happy and carefree again. He hadn’t seen that side of her in so long. She finally didn’t feel like the family outcast anymore, the Madrigal without a gift, the giftless one, and so many other names the town referred to her as. With how Camilo had been so busy with his own responsibilities, he wished he could’ve defended her. She was currently speaking with Tío Bruno, who had been accepted back into the family. Perhaps later Camilo can reconnect with his tío who he had little to no memory of and get to know him again from scratch.

Tío Bruno also has his own animal companions, which were the literal rats in the walls he befriended while living in them. As gross as that was, at least Camilo wasn’t the only family member with an animal friend.

Speaking of his little Chameleon companion, Blanca had crawled up his arm and perched herself on his shoulder. She smiled up at him, seeing him so carefree along with the rest of his family made her happy. Knowing that he didn’t have the pressure on him that he had before made Blanca relieved that he wouldn’t have to feel that way ever again.

“Hey, Blanca?” Camilo asked the little reptile. “Can I ask you something?” She nodded her head at him. “How would you feel about meeting my family tomorrow?”

The next morning, the Madrigal family prepared for breakfast. Luisa brought out the table like she usually does, but this time she had the help of both of her sisters with setting up the table. While Mirabel helped set up the plates, silverware, juice glasses, and placemats, Isabela used her flowers to make the table look beautiful. Instead of the usual roses she used to do, she had a variety of all sorts of different flowers.

Julieta brought out the food with the help of her husband, Félix and Pepa. There was calentado, arepas con queso, breakfast tamales, and a variety of fruits. For drinks, there was your typical black coffee, or hot chocolate. All of it made Camilo’s mouth water. It all smelled so amazing and made his stomach rumble.

“Looks like someone’s got an appetite!” His mamí says, leaning down to plant a big kiss on his cheek.

“Maaaaaamíííííí!” He complained, but secretly loved it. The moment she turns her back away from him, he quickly wipes his cheek off.

“Hey! Don’t wipe off your mamí’s kisses!” His papí playfully scolded him, which in return, caused Pepa to place a dozen more kisses onto her son’s cheek, just to make sure he won't wipe them off again.

“Okay, okay! I won’t, I won’t!” He laughed. His mamí pulled away to help her sister set up the food.

Suddenly, Camilo hears a little noise coming from inside his ruana. Looking under where his arm is, he spots Blanca hiding, a bit scared.

“You ready, girl?” He asked, earning a nervous nod from her. “Don’t worry, they’re gonna love you!”

As everyone grabbed a plate and filled it with all sorts of delicious foods and sat in their designated seats, Camilo’s usually being in between Tío Agustín and Isabela, Abuela sat in her chair at the head of the table.

“Family,” she begins. “We are gathered here today to not only rejoice at the returning of Casita and our gifts, but to also celebrate the union of our family bond as it has grown stronger than ever before! And,” she gestures to Mirabel, “for our wonderful miracle.”

Camilo notices the warm smile that forms on his cousin’s lips. Seeing her like this, so loved, respected, happy, and acknowledged made him happy for her. She deserved this after all she’d been put through in the past.

“A toast to our wonderful family!” Abuela exclaimed, lifting her coffee cup into the air. “¡La Familia Madrigal!”

“¡La Familia Madrigal!” The rest of the family exclaims and breakfast can finally commence.

Breakfast went on as normal. Everyone ate in silence, but there were occasional conversations here and there. Abuela would talk with her triplets who sat close by her. She had this loving look on her face as she spoke to Bruno. He looked nervous, but everyone could tell that he was happy to be a part of their family again. Dolores and Isabela would exchange quiet gossip between each other, Isabela being mindful that Dolores was sound sensitive. Mirabel would talk to Luisa about what chores she was going to be doing and what times she planned on relaxing and giving herself a break so that Mirabel could help her.

Not only was Mirabel actually being acknowledged more, but Abuela was also now letting the girl help out with the other family members with their chores, just to give her something to do. She would still have her job of entertaining the town kids with her singing and dancing, but she was going to be doing a lot more.

Félix and Agustín also had their own conversations about… whatever it was they talked about usually.

Camilo usually just kept to himself, occasionally he would talk to people here and there. He wanted to wait until everyone had finished breakfast before he introduced Blanca. He could see her poke her head out from under the ruana and he would slip her some arepas con queso and an orange slice. He wanted to make sure she was fed, too, especially because this was her first time meeting everyone that wasn’t Dolores, Mirabel, or Antonio, who Camilo had already introduced her to.

Usually, she would be inside of his room, waiting for him to come back. He would sneak her food from breakfast, lunch, and dinner and bring it to her. And whenever he would take extra food, not a lot of his family questioned it because they just assumed that he was a hungry, growing boy, which was actually quite true.

But not this time. He would no longer have to sneak any food up to his room for her, he would no longer have to hide her from Abuela anymore. He could finally show her to everyone.

“Everyone,” Camilo spoke, getting his family’s attention. It was time. “I invited a very special someone that I would like everyone to meet.” He extends his arm and placed his hand on the edge of the table. “C’mon out, girl. Don’t be shy.”

Everyone looked a bit confused, unsure of what Camilo was talking about. Slowly, though, the tiny little Chameleon with pure white scales emerged from his shirt sleeve. Blanca grew nervous as she could feel eyes on her.

“This is Blanca, my best friend and companion for life.” Camilo continued.

Besides Mirabel, Dolores, and Antonio, the rest of the family looked at the little reptile with stunness. They of course had literally no idea that he had a pet Chameleon this entire time.

“Wow…” Isabela says, lowering her hand so Blanca could climb up and she can get a better look at the Chameleon. “She’s beautiful.”

“She really is, Milo.” Said his mamí, using a nickname she called her son often. “How did you find her?”

“I met her when I was 10.” Camilo explained. “She was all alone with no one to take care of her. I felt this strong connection between us, like we were just… meant to be. So, I took her in, fed her, and showed her love.”

“I’ve never seen a Chameleon like her before.” Said Luisa as Blanca was passed down to her. “Pure white scales aren't a common color you see.”

“I do believe she was born that way.” He tells her. “My guess was that her mom either might’ve abandoned her or rejected her, which is why she didn’t have anyone in her life.”

“Well, I think she’s absolutely gorgeous the way she looks.” Said Julieta as she and her brother examined her. “Her scales are what make her unique and beautiful in her own way.”

When Abuela got to hold her, Blanca looked up at her and smiled. An orange slice had been hidden inside of her mouth this entire time. Abuela laughed loudly.

“Such a vibrant personality she has!” She says while laughing.

“Wonder where she gets it from?” Félix said with a smirk as he shot his eyes directly at his son, who scratched his neck.

Camilo thinks it’s safe to say that everyone loved her. He felt so relieved that he no longer had to hide her away from his grandmother or other family members. Blanca gets to finally be free and show herself to the world.

Camilo was in Antonio’s treehouse bedroom. He, along with Blanca, who was on his shoulder at the moment, were spending some quality time with Antonio and getting to see him in action with his gift. Next to Antonio was Chispi and some of her capybara friends, his jaguar Parce, a few coati, and Pico the toucan.

When Parce has first approached Camilo with Blanca still present, she got scared and hid, making the jaguar sad that he’d scared away a potential new friend. But slowly, Blanca had started warming up to him and got comfortable. She felt at ease knowing this large cat wasn’t going to eat her.

“How has your day been, Chispi?” Antonio asked the capybara and her pups. She grunts and squeaks and so do her children. “Oh, really? That sounds fun!”

“What did she say?” Camilo asked, getting his little brother’s attention.

“Chispi was just telling me how she and her babies were playing by the waterfall and how much fun they had!” He explained.

“That does sound like fun.” Camilo adds with a chuckle.

Camilo hadn’t realized it at first, but Blanca had started crawling down his arm and started heading her way towards where Antonio and his animal friends were sitting. He sees her climbing up onto his brother’s lap.

“Hi, Blanca! Do you want to share something, too!” Antonio asked the Chameleon as he let her climb up onto his lap. He cupped both of his hands together so she could climb up onto them and brings her closer to him.

Both Antonio and Camilo wait patiently to hear her response. Blanca looks like she’s trying to figure out what she wants to say, and once she does, she starts communicating with Antonio. Camilo has heard her make noise before, but he’s never seen her talk this much to someone other than him before. She must have a lot to say because she went on and on for quite some time. Antonio nods his head every time she finishes, listening to her very carefully. He can see the small smile growing on his brother’s face.

“So,” Camilo spoke after his friend had finished speaking, “what’d she say?”

Antonio giggles. “She says that she’s very healthy and so happy to have met you! She says she loves you a lot, that you’re the most important person in her life, and that she would’ve gotten seriously hurt if it wasn’t for you.” He said whilst smiling. “She says that her mamí rejected her when she was a newborn all because of her scales. She didn’t like them and forced her out of her home, leaving her all by herself and had to learn how to defend herself out in the wild. If you hadn’t taken her in when you did, she would have either been squished or eaten alive by a predator. She owes you her life and happiness, and says that she is grateful to have met someone who was just like her.”

Camilo felt tears brim in his eyes. Blanca really meant all of that? He had no idea she went through all of that with her former mamí. And he also had no idea he meant that much to her.

“She sees you as more than just her owner.” Antonio continues. “She sees you as her best friend for life, someone who she knows will be there for her until the day she leaves this world. She knows that when she passes, she knows she won’t be alone anymore, because she has you, and also her family that’ll miss her and keep her memory alive.” He smiled and handed Blanca back to Camilo, who felt even more tears threatening to fall.

“Blanca, I…” Camilo says, his voice getting a bit choked up. “I had no idea that… you went through all of that as a baby and… and how much I mean to you…” His lip quivers into a smile, not even bothering to hold his tears back, which were now trailing down his cheeks. “I love you, too, girl.”

Blanca nuzzled her face against his wet cheek lovingly. If Chameleons could cry, she would be shedding tears alongside him.

Antonio watched the two friends with a smile. Parce nuzzled his owner, to which Antonio replied by wrapping his arms around the jaguar.

At long last, Blanca finally got to tell Camilo, her best friend, her ride or die, and her companion for life, how much he truly meant to her.

The End