Chapter Text
Camilo had always been different, he wasn't strong like Louisa and wasn't able to hear a pin drop from a mile away like his older sister. He never had a special connection with animals, like his younger brother Antonio. Never even considered trying to preserve a garden much less successfully grow flowers like his prima Isabela. He was just different. His gift didn't benefit anyone. Sure he could make a few people smile or get hard-to-reach spots but ultimately his gift was useless. Ultimately he was useless. His Abuela had told him so, and she was to be listened to.
He recalls the day of his ceremony like it was yesterday, reaching onto that doorknob and glowing overtook his entire form. A tingly sensation in his skin started almost like one of his tíos rats walking on his hand. Of course, hearing the excited cheers that followed after he turned to his Mami in question, she was grinning ear to ear and he swore he could see a rainbow over her head. Looking at her in confusion for a moment until she motioned for him to look down, he shrieked as he noticed that these were not his clothes but his tíos! Having been looking at her, he then attempted to do it again, to his surprise it was more difficult than he had first imagined. His mama had smiled sympathetically crouching down and whispering in his ear "Hey hijo, it's okay just focus you got this!". His first attempt having failed this next time he concentrated solely on his mamá Pepa, before he knew it he was shorter and had a floppy braid going down his side!
"Mama! Papa! Tio! Look look!" His hands naturally started flapping in excitement as he shifted from form to form seemingly having less trouble now.
"And here you see it! The miracle lives on!" Abuela shouted into the crowd.
Abuela had said that yet he later found this to be a lie. Long after the party had ended she roughly grabbed his wrist and sat him down in his new room. Whole body practically buzzing with excitement, Camilo rocked and flapped his hands while his Abuela gave a stern look in return. "You are Camilo Madrigal, so stop acting like this and prove to this family you can be useful!" Abuela shouted while pinning his wrist against his chest, he continued to try and flap but ultimately she didn't have to have prima Louisa's strength to hold his frail body down. Before either of them knew it tears were streaming down his face as he cried for his Mami, Abuela merely hushed him as he shrieked more and more. Her words were hurting and all he wanted was to flap this bad feeling away. "Please...no, please... I wan Mami, I wan Mami!" His cries continued, no longer registering his surroundings. He didn't hear a door being slammed open, not the hurried footsteps that followed after. He didn't notice his Mami seizing him from his Abuela, nor her exiting the room. The only thing now registering was his Mami gently shushing him and running a hand through his curls. "You are alright my Pequeño camaleón, just concentrate on your breathing. Remember? Clear skies, clear skies..." His Mami whispered gently. He simply whined in return as he now flapped his hands again and again crying into his mami's shoulder. Pepa had no intentions of stopping him, just humming and holding him as he sobbed. They stayed like that until his crying had slowly turned into soft snores, and his hands eventually rested on her dress.
She gathered him up carrying him to her and Felix's room, softly resting him on their bed. The blankets pulled over his motionless body, the only sign of movements being the slow rise and fall of his chest. Kissing his forehead she stood up quietly exiting the room. Casita closed the doors allowing pepa to storm downstairs to where her own mamá was.
"What on earth were you thinking saying that to my child mamá!" Pepa shouted causing the rest of the family to look her way. A thunderstorm formed above her head as she motioned to her mother.
"Pepa you have a cloud, you're getting everything all wet now. Just calm down, I only said what was needed for that boy to hear." This had the thunder only increasing with each step she took towards her mother. Just as she was about to shout again she felt a hand grab her wrist, turning around she was met face to face with her husband.
"Pepa, we don't want to wake Camilo let's not shout okay cariño?" he said running his hand up and down her arm. She could now notice Julieta and Agustin hurrying the children upstairs, her sister looked at her in understanding before continuing.
Dolores let out a breath of relief, tutting once looking towards her mother again. The twelve year old had heard her hermanos cries at the harsh words her Abuela had said, though most everyone had. She hadn't understood but not wanting to get in trouble with Abuela or tía Julieta she hadn't intervened. Instead, she now sat with Isabel while they braided each other's hair trying to ignore the argument downstairs. Mirabel went to the nursery to sleep as they all took notice of the small cracks forming in the walls.
"Mamá, Pepa may be right about this... today was supposed to be Camilo's day. Instead, y-you shamed him, and well uh- made him cry." Bruno spoke softly. His hand's fiddled with his ruana as he felt the eyes shifting to him.
Abuela looked furious as she finally stood. "I did not make that boy cry, He cried because of something pointless not because of me! How is he supposed to help this familia with a gift like that? How can a shapeshifter help the town? He will grow up to become nothing more than mischief!" Her words cut like a hot knife as the triplets looked around wordlessly. Julieta stepped forward and took her mother's hand saying in a calm voice, "Even if that turns to be true, we will all still love him just as much. He is still your grandson and we can help teach his gift to be valuable and helpful." Pepa looked over smiling, her cloud now down to a light drizzle. Abuela looked content and nodded once sitting back down on her chair.
No one could have known that Camilo had woken up shortly after discovering his mother missing. No one could have guessed he would sneak to the railings and listen to their shouts. No one could tell his face was stained with new tears. He climbed back to the bed with casitas help and if he snuggled even closer to his Mami and Papi that night? No one could have known.