16. Pepa

Pepa stared at the green glass resting in her hands. Her brother looked like he was about ready to faint, but he was smiling at her. Pepa found it hard not to instantly say that this vision was... not great. But her brother looked so proud of his accomplishment.

“Isn't this great?” Bruno asked, trying to stand up from where he had been sitting cross-legged on the floor, but instead falling over to the left and choosing to stay on the ground. Pepa looked down at the image embedded on the glass in her hands.

There were the three triplets, each with children standing next to them. Julieta with two girls, Bruno with one, and Pepa with one girl and two boys.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to pull her hair out. She couldn't... she couldn't get pregnant. Not even once! Just imagining the terrible weather her mood swings would cause was enough to make her want to bury herself in the sand that filled her brother's room.

Bruno had taken back the glass, and was running his fingers over the face of the young girl standing next to the older rendition of himself. There was joy in his eyes as he looked at what had to be the newer members of their family. Mamá would be happy. She'd already begun talking about finding Pepa and Julieta husbands...

But Bruno wasn't the one who would have to carry the child inside of him. He could just sit back and watch as the women in his life struggled with making a new person. Pepa stared at the children that Bruno had shown her. She wanted children, yes, but... she hadn't actually thought about having... them.

Bruno's eyes were glued to his own girl, and he whispered, “I... I can't wait to meet her.” He looked up into Pepa's eyes, and said, “Do you think I'll make a good father?”

Pepa tore her thoughts away from her own dread and looked into her brother's eyes. At twenty-one Bruno wasn't the most... responsible person. He was accident-prone, awkward, nervous... His reputation around town was steadily declining, and he just... didn't seem to be a 'take care of children' type of guy.

She knew that her brother valued truth, and, at that moment, she didn't really care all that much about his feelings. So she was shaking her head before she could really think it through.

Bruno's face fell, but he looked down at his vision and said quietly, “Well... If I won't make a good one... then I'll just settle with doing my best.”

Pepa felt her heart seize up. Her relationship with her brother was... strenuous to say the least. She'd always suffered the most from his pranks and jokes, but... he sounded so sad yet determined. She reached a hand out towards her triplet, but Bruno shook his head. “I'm fine Pepi,” he said quietly, then whispered, “Thank you for being honest.”

He stood up, swaying a bit and pressing a hand to his temple. He walked past Pepa and held the door open for her. “Thanks for coming,” he said, and gave her a small smile. “I haven't been getting many visitors recently. Now since Señorita Pezmuertez's fish... you know... flipped upside down. Which, was not a prophecy. Did you see how little she fed that thing!”

Pepa stared at her brother's indignant look. He had been friends with Senorita Pezmuertes, at least until he had told her about her terrible fish-keeping habits. And Pepa had thought that farmers could hold grudges...

She passed her brother, who closed the door behind her and joined her on their way down his staircase. Bruno was gripping the railing tightly with his right hand, the vision held close to his chest by the left.

He looked the happiest she had seen him in a while when they got back to the main part of the house. She would grow to miss that smile.

They didn't talk about Bruno. That had been a rule for ten years. The third Madrigal triplet was a thing of the past. He was still represented in the family pictures, but... they didn't mention him. He was a blemish on their family. The dishonor that no one dared mention. A bad dream.

And no one knew that better than Pepa. Not that she had been the one hurt the most by his betrayal. No. That was Agustin and Julieta. But... whenever she even heard his name her powers started acting up. It was hard to think about your deadbeat brother if you got scolded anytime you felt negative emotions.

So when Mirabel, the little girl that Pepa's horrible brother had kidnapped, came home, Pepa was caught up in a swirl of emotions. Which meant that there were clouds. Clouds full of rain and thunder and... that would lead to a snow... and then a blizzard...

But Mirabel was nice. She was so kind and considerate. Pepa found her positive emotions towards the one niece she didn't know overcoming her negative emotions towards her brother.

Mirabel had gotten Mariano to get her a towel. The only other person who ever cared about her like that was her husband and children. The closest people in her life. Not even her mother cared for her like that. And now Mirabel, a girl who barely even knew her, was paying attention to her needs. She was so kind and gentle. Like her mother.

But she didn't know that Julieta was her mother. At least, she hadn't. She had been brainwashed by Bruno. Had he really been so selfish that the moment he had found someone like him he had to steal her? Did he have to lie to their niece? Did he have to ruin their lives!?

Sometimes Pepa wished that they were just twins. Just her and Julieta. It would have made their lives so much easier.

But then again, no she didn't. Back when they were younger she could always count on him to make her laugh at his corny jokes. He didn't have a great sense of humor when compared to others, but he never failed in at least trying.

It was those memories that made the betrayal so much worse. It was those tainted memories that made Pepa firmly believe it the rule 'We don't talk about Bruno'.

Even though she tried to school her emotions, she still freaked out when she heard a voice inside the nursery say the name “Bruno”. She found herself standing in the nursery with a basket, with a thundering cloud hanging above her head.

There was her niece, sitting on the bed that just two days ago had belonged to Antonio. Mirabel's eyes were wide, and she scrambled up onto the bed when she saw Pepa standing there, anger and shame building up inside of her.

“Tia Pepa... Uh... you've... got a cloud.” Mirabel said, pointing above Pepa's head. Pepa glanced up and sighed with frustration. “Sorry, sorry... I was just coming in here to grab the last of Tonito's things... then I heard the name we do not speak.”

Mirabel froze, watching her Tia shoo away her cloud. She had a confused expression on her face, then she asked, “Why don't we talk about Papá...”

The cloud returned above Pepa's head, and Mirabel bit her lip to cut herself off. “I- Uh- I mean... Why don't we talk about Bru- Him.”

Papá. Mirabel was talking about Bruno like he was her father. It was natural for her. But it was confusing. Why would Bruno want her to think that he was her father? It didn't make sense. Unless he was hoping that she would never come back here. She knew that he made dumb decisions, but this was by far the dumbest.

“Mirabel, we don't talk about Bruno,” Pepa said in her mom voice. Mirabel nodded as she watched Pepa sit down on the floor to get at Antonio's things. “I just... I want to know why. As far as I know he hasn't done anything. What made living with him so bad? What was it like?”

Pepa opened her mouth to explain to Mirabel, but she was interrupted by her husband slamming the door open and proclaiming, “It was a nightmare!”

“Felix!” Pepa exclaimed, standing up and glaring at her husband. Felix shook his head at her and said, “She needs to know Pepi, she needs to know.”

Pepa sighed and said, “We don't talk about Bruno.”

“But why? What did he do?” Mirabel glanced between her Tia and Tio. Felix opened his mouth and Pepa felt a blush creep up her face. She knew exactly which story he was going to tell. It was the first one they ever said when asked how bad her brother is.

“It was our wedding day.” he said, and Pepa nodded. “The weather was perfect. Mi Amor was happy. Everything was perfect.”

Mirabel nodded, her eyes filled with a strange look. The look that all of the girl grandchildren got whenever a story of a wedding was told. The awestruck longing that was present in any girl. It appeared that even though she had been raised by a bachelor she had still retained that desire.

Pepa decided to take up the story from her husband. “Bruno said 'it looks like rain'. He knew that I was stressed out. I was doing a great job at holding it in. But as soon as he said that he flooded my brain. He made it so I was married in a hurricane.”

Mirabel nodded, then said slowly, “But... he didn't... make the hurricane-” Felix shook his head at her and held a finger to his lips, and Mirabel took his suggestion.

“That's not all...” The three Madrigals in the room looked over at the door, where Dolores was standing. “Growing up I was taught to live in fear. He was always stuttering, stumbling, and just... making noise. Any time he opened his mouth to tell about the future you were guaranteed to hear something awful.”

Mirabel gave them a look of confusion. “How... How often did he look into the future?” she asked, and received a shrug from her family members. “It seemed like he was always doing it.” Felix said truthfully. Mirabel's confused look grew. “But... he hates looking into the future...”

The four of them glanced around at each other, then Dolores said, “Do you want to hear some of the things he'd say?”

Mirabel nodded, and Dolores began a list of things Bruno had said:

“Señorita Pezmuertes's fish dying...

“Señor Desafortunado breaking his back...

“Señor Gordo growing a gut...

“Father Calvo losing all his hair...”

“But none of those were his fault!” Mirabel said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “He didn't go into Senorita Pezmuertes's house at night and strangle her fish! He didn't shove What's-his-face off a roof! He didn't do any of those things!”

Pepa glanced at Felix, who shrugged. Mirabel rubbed her temples and sighed. Then Pepa said with finality, “He kidnapped you. At our most vulnerable moment, he stole you. He only cared about himself.”

Mirabel froze. She looked at her Tia, then said, “Well...” Her eyes flew to the cloud hanging above Pepa's head. “I... that is a good reason... But... he had to have had some... reason... I don't think...” She froze, her eyes widening. “That's... No...”

She sat down on the bed, and Dolores joined her. Pepa watched her daughter wrap her arms around Mirabel, and for a moment she didn't care she was getting the floor wet with rain.

You're not coming back with me.

You've got to stay here.

I know what's best.

Papá... Papá didn't... he wouldn't have just straight up kidnapped her? He hadn't been lying to her for years? Right? There had to be a good reason why he had made her believe that she was his daughter. There had to be a good reason why they were... He had...

Mirabel wished he was here right now.

She stared at her Tia, who was raining slightly. She wondered how often Pepa got a cold. She probably got one a lot, but Julieta was always there. Julieta, the one who'd had her food stolen by Casa for the past ten years. Julieta. Her Tia who was actually her mother...

The confidence she'd had when she went into town was now completely gone. She wanted nothing more than to be with Bruno again, to throw herself into his arms and beg him to explain what was going on. Why he had stolen her. Why everyone hated him. Why he had lied to her about her parentage.

Tia Pepa grabbed whatever she was there for, and Felix followed her out of the room, telling Mirabel that none of this was her fault. Mirabel nodded, and looked at Dolores, who had her lips pressed in a thin line.

“Mirabel...” Dolores said, letting go of Mirabel. “Are you okay?” Mirabel forced a smile and said, “Yeah. Of course. I'm fine.” Dolores nodded, and looked at the door. “Do you want to... talk about it? I'm all ears.” Mirabel chuckled quietly.

An idea popped into her head. A strange idea. But it was perfect. She looked at her cousin then said, “I don't want to talk about it... but... I know what I need to do.”

Dolores nodded, then Mirabel said firmly, “I need to go into Bruno's tower. If there's an answer I can find, it'll be there.”