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Thunder boomed and lightning followed after. The early summer storm had taken the Nocedas by (varying degrees of) surprise during a hike in a nearby park and Camila soon regretted not checking the weather forecast before hitting the trail. Vee had – of course she had – and smugly removed a jacket from her bag. Hunter always carried a full pack with him, and offered his raincoat to Luz, who was lamenting the absence of her cloak. After some good-natured big brother ribbing, she accepted.
The parking lot was close enough that returning to the car was probably the best course of action. Their route was relatively safe, as these things went — in a valley, away from tall trees. Hunter still urged them not to stay too close together in case of a lightning strike, so they did their best to spread out on their way back.
Luz led the way, with Vee following behind. Though Hunter wanted to take the rear, Camila put her foot down.
She needed to see her children get to safety.
Camila smiled as Hunter’s head kept turning between checking on her and the girls. She tried to reassure him with a cheery wave, but he didn't seem to buy it. Still, he pressed on, eager for everyone to be ensconced in the car as soon as possible.
She was grateful her jacket was water resistant, though it wasn't exactly waterproof. Her hair was going to be so frizzy by the time they reached the car, but despite that, Camila couldn't be annoyed at the rain.
After all, all three of her children had first come home during a storm much like this one.
***
First there was baby Luz.
It wasn't until they were carefully strapping the floppy newborn into the enormous-looking car seat and on their way home that the full reality of parenthood began to set in. The hospital had been so sterile and bright with a constant stream of nurses who cheerfully barged in at all hours to ask about diaper counts and breastfeeding – the wrinkled little thing with her and Manny was just part of that alien experience.
But now they were pulling into their driveway and there was this new tiny creature that they needed to keep alive.
Alive and preferably dry – the clouds had opened up sometime along the 20 minute ride from the hospital.
Camila still felt exhausted and wobbly after their hospital stay, so Manny unbuckled their precious new bundle and wrapped her in his jacket (neither Camila nor Manny had remembered to pack an umbrella in their hospital overnight bag).
"Why aren't you taking her in? She'll get wet and get sick and–”
"It's just barely sprinkling," Manny assured her. "Let the rain kiss her face, querida."
Camila swallowed her protests, heart full to bursting at the sight of her husband carefully holding their daughter. Their daughter!
Some sprinkles managed to land on her little face, but Luz just blinked curiously before letting out a yawn.
"Welcome home, Luz Noceda,” Manny whispered.
A ray of light emerged from behind the clouds, and Camila could just make out a faint rainbow.
***
Then there was Vee.
Of course, Vee-as-Luz had been back from camp for a couple weeks, but it wasn't until Jacob kidnapped her that Camila knew the truth about who had been staying under her roof.
Even though Camila’s heart had been ripped away along with Luz’s reflection, she didn't have time to wallow in her grief. Not with a child to take care of — no matter that the child wasn't of her flesh.
She looked curiously at the demon, who seemed entirely unaffected by the rain pouring down on them. In fact, Vee was giddy, almost euphoric consuming those playing cards. (Camila’s gut twisted imagining how long she had been malnourished. She decided then-and-there to scavenge more decks from the museum as soon as she could manage it — no child would go hungry in her care!)
When they reached the porch, Camila touched Vee’s arm — such an interesting texture! — and their eyes met.
Yellow eyes gave a slow, uncertain, sideways blink.
"Welcome home, Vee," Camila whispered just as lightning flashed, and there was something charged about the word "home".
(Vee slipped and called her “Mom” by accident less than a week later. Soon enough, she started calling Camila “Mom” and “Mamá” on purpose.)
***
Lastly, Hunter.
Who would have guessed that she'd find a son among that ragtag group of soaked teenage refugees?
(Not that she was the sole parental figure in his life these days, but after a not-a-childhood with an abusive guardian, she couldn’t resent anyone who wanted to shower him with all the love and affection he had missed out on before. Still, Hunter was a Noceda on all his not-quite-legally obtained Human Realm paperwork — Eda had some interesting connections — and she was his only Mamá Camila.)
It had taken him a while to warm up. He knelt and bowed and cleaned and stammered and apologized and flinched, but he (eventually) smiled and laughed and joked and hugged and sewed and volunteered at the vet clinic and devoured Cosmic Frontier with a passion she hadn't seen since Manny.
It was drizzling the day Hunter returned — along with Willow, Gus, and Amity — to retrieve what they’d left in Gravesfield. He took the longest to pack, and lingered out front after the others ran back to the shack — and portal — to escape the rain.
“Thank you for welcoming us into your home, Mrs. Noceda. I will always remember my time here fondly,” he said with a level of formality Camila hadn't heard in months.
Luz promptly jabbed Hunter with her elbow. “You sound like you're not coming back here every week. I told you — you're family.”
Vee nodded vigorously beside her.
Hunter blinked at them, then looked to Camila. “C…can I?”
“Hunter. Mijo.” She ruffled his (somewhat damp) hair, trying to find the right words. “I know you want a life in the Boiling Isles” — Camila shot a quick glance at Luz before meeting his eyes again — “but you will always have a home here with us too.”
His whole face began to wobble, and soon enough Hunter was enveloped in a four-way Noceda hug.
Some tears may have mingled with the raindrops.
***
Three children, three species, three different ways of finding their way home to her. Yet somehow all three had been baptized by rain in the process, and all three were now Nocedas (even if one of them had more last names than she could count).
They had a chance at a new life straddling two realms. And it was her privilege to care for them and watch them grow.
As the gentle rain continued to fall, Camila treasured her memories and pondered them in her heart.
(And made everyone some hot cocoa — lactose free for Luz — as soon as they got home.)