18. No

“No,” Pepa said flatly, crossing her arms.

The villagers that had turned up at the house when Julieta and her family didn’t show up in town, scowled.

“It’s very important-”

“No.”

“I need-”

“No.”

“She promised-”

“No.”

“Now really-”

“No.”

“Mami? Do they need me to explain what ‘no’ means?” Antonio asked innocently from behind Pepa. “I figured it out long ago so I can help!”

A few villagers flushed at the boy’s words. Pepa smirked.

“They might need that but not now Antonio. Right now, they need to leave so that your papá and I can finish breakfast.”

“Pepa-”

“No. Listen, my hermana and her family are on vacation for the next two weeks. That means no one is allowed to bother them,” she pointed at them threateningly as the cloud above her rumbled. “If there is genuinely healing that needs to be done, there’s a stockpile of food that we can hand out. But that doesn’t mean it's for papercuts and scratches. I mean actual injuries like broken bones. Or dangerous cuts.”

They glanced at each other.

“I have a black eye,” one guy mumbled.

Dolores poked her head out the door. “You shouldn’t have started a bar fight while drunk then,” she told him sweetly and he flushed.

“Do any of you have a genuine need for healing?” Pepa asked sharply and they all shuffled awkwardly again.

“I need Isabela’s help with my garden,” one stubborn woman spoke up.

“You mean you want Isa to make it look perfect so that you can claim the credit again?” Dolores asked with an innocent smile. “Like my mamá said, no.”

“Do the work yourself for once,” Mirabel added from somewhere behind Pepa.

Were all her niños listening in?

“Luisa was going to help with the church-”

“For fuck’s sakes you don’t need morning sunlight for every service you whiny old priest! Just deal with it and stop working my prima like a slave!” Camilo shouted from inside the house and several people flinched at the words.

Pepa watched them shift uncomfortably and clearly struggle to find arguments when they were now being confronted about their blatant taking advantage of Juli’s family, when another voice spoke up.

“Excuse me, pardon me, I was polite now move.” One of the mothers from the village pushed her way through the crowd to the front, panting. “Lo siento Dolores,” she sighed. “Would you mind telling me where my hijo is? My idiota husband left the coffee in reach again and he’s run off on a caffeine high again.”

Dolores gave her a sympathetic look and tilted her head to listen. “He’s off running towards the farms.”

“Ay not again,” she groaned.

“Need some help?” Mirabel asked, poking her head out the door with Camilo not far behind her.

She looked at them gratefully. “If you don’t mind. I'll pay you in those biscuits you like.”

“Done!” Camilo darted out after Mirabel and ran off towards the farms, the poor mother following after them.

A few of the villagers gestured wildly in the direction they’d gone, expressions annoyed.

“What? She always asks instead of demanding. And she gives them something in return.

“Plus it's for a good reason,” Dolores added as she headed back inside. “That boy can cause some chaos if he isn’t found and entertained until his caffeine rush wears off.

Pepa nodded in agreement, waiting to make sure that Dolores had taken Antonio with her.

“In case I wasn’t clear enough in all this. Fuck off. Unless it's an emergency, don’t ask.”

She slammed the door closed and went back to making breakfast with Felix. They'd banned Juli from the kitchen for two weeks.

“Damn,” Pepa muttered, drawing Bruno into the kitchen.

“Everything alright?” he asked, looking around at the mess they were making.

Pepa and Felix could make meals, as long as they worked together on it. Otherwise, they were just as likely as Bruno was to burn the kitchen down.

“We ran out of eggs,” Felix sighed.

“I’ll have to run to town quick,” Pepa mused.

“Oh no no no, you two aren’t allowed to cook without the other,” Bruno reminded them. “I can go.”

They both froze and turned to look at him.

“Bruno,” Pepa frowned. “You haven’t stepped foot in that town in ten years.”

He looked away self-consciously and Pepa hurried to continue.

“Not that I blame you, with that group still walking free. What I mean is you don’t have to force yourself to go.”

“It’s fine,” he summoned up a smile for her. “I’ve been thinking about it. I should really just get this over with.”

Pepa’s frown didn’t disappear. “Bruno, even I still get anxious at the idea of you going,” she said worriedly.

He opened his mouth to say something, only to be interrupted.

“I’ll go with him mamá.”

She relaxed a bit at Dolores’ offer, her hija leaning through the kitchen doorway.

“I can say hi to Mariano while we’re there,” she added before Bruno could worry about putting her out.

A little reluctantly, Pepa told him how many they needed and watched the pair head towards the front door. It did make her anxious in all honesty. The last time he’d been near villagers, they’d basically tortured him for four weeks and then those monsters had been let off scot-free because her mamá was too focused on maintaining a good relationship with the village.

The thought was still enough to get her blood boiling and she had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself down before she started thundering.

“Mi vida, they’ll be fine. Dolores is smart and she knows who hurt him before. She’ll steer him away from any of them. And if she spots Mariano he’ll likely join them. He’s always been kind to Bruno,” Felix pointed out gently.

“I know,” Pepa sighed. “I just… I can’t help but worry. I never want to see him in a state like that again. And I know he’s still scared of those men after what they did…”

Felix moved up and pulled her into a hug. “If anyone does try anything, regardless of what Alma says, I’ll help you throw them out of the Encanto myself.”

Pepa allowed herself to relax into his arms, feeling the cloud fade away.

It would be fine. Because they knew what the villagers were capable of now. 

And the village knew what Pepa was willing to do to protect her family too.

They’d have to be prepared for a hurricane if they decided to touch her hermanito again.

Plus, she had a feeling that Juli wouldn’t be quite as willing to heal them next time.