Chapter Text
"Tío Bruno, Tío Bruno!" Mirabel called excitedly as she shook her sleeping uncle.
"Hm? What is it?" Bruno asked groggily.
Mirabel's response was to take Bruno's hand and press it against her stomach. "I felt him move!"
Bruno was instantly awake. "You did? That's wonderful!" He waited with bated breath for his son to move again, but a full minute went by and nothing seemed to happen. Finally he asked, "What did it feel like?"
"It was sort of a fluttering kind of feeling," Mirabel explained. "I guess that's not such a big deal."
"Nonsense, Novia," Bruno countered. "You felt our son moving inside of your body. That's incredible, regardless of whether or not I'm able to feel it too."
"I haven't felt the twins move yet," Camilo muttered with a sniffle.
Bruno turned and laid a hand on Camilo's stomach. "That's not surprising, Único. You're not as far along as Mirabel is."
"But I'm bigger than her," Camilo argued.
"The only reason you're bigger is because there are twice as many babies in here." Bruno rubbed Camilo's belly indicatively. "They're developing at the same rate, you're just a bit behind because Mirabel was already pregnant when the twins were conceived."
Camilo sniveled. "I wish I could know they were okay."
Bruno sighed and pulled Camilo close, burying a kiss in his hair. He wanted to reassure his nephew that the twins were going to be fine, but he didn't know that for sure, so he said nothing. Bruno had learned his lesson; any time he considered lying, he remembered how painful a leopard's bite was and immediately decided against it.
Mirabel pushed herself up and moved to Camilo's other side so he was between her and Bruno, snuggling up to him and kissing his head as she laid a hand on his belly.
Bruno chuckled when he heard someone's stomach growling only a few seconds later. "C'mon," he said, stretching, "let's get those babies fed. We have to wish your brother a happy birthday, too."
When they arrived at breakfast, Luisa was feeding Ephraim mashed yuca. He seemed reluctant to eat it unless she made silly noises while swooping the spoon through the air on its way to the baby's mouth.
"Morning, hermana," Mirabel greeted as she walked over. "Good morning, sobrino," she added, laying a hand on Ephraim's head. A moment later, she gasped and put her other hand on her own stomach. "He moved again!" She turned excitedly to Bruno, who shot her a wide smile.
"Gah bah pah pah bah." Ephraim giggled, food dribbling down his chin as he hadn't swallowed all of it before he started babbling.
"Ephraim," Luisa sighed as she dragged the spoon through some of the spitty vegetable on her son's chin and scraped it up into his mouth.
Recognizing his name, Ephraim stopped staring at his aunt and turned to face Luisa. "Mamá, thbbbp," he blew a raspberry at her, the yuca she'd tried to feed him from his face coming right back out again.
"I know, I know," Luisa said in a soothing tone, "you don't like yuca-"
"Yucka!" Ephraim yelled, banging his fists on the table.
Luisa continued as though she hadn't been interrupted, "But if you finish this up, you can have some banana."
"Bababananumnum!" Ephraim shrieked with delight, banging on the table again.
Mirabel smiled at her nephew. "I keep meaning to ask: how old is Ephraim? Do we know?"
"I don't think he's quite a year yet," Luisa replied absently, her attempt to scoop more yuca into Ephraim's mouth foiled by him turning toward Mirabel after she said his name. "Maybe in another month or two."
"We'll have to pick a birthday for him at some point," Mirabel observed. "Unless… We don't have any idea where Señor Santos is?"
"Haven't seen him since he gave me Ephraim," Luisa told her, positioning the spoonful of yuca so when her son looked back at her it slipped right into his mouth. "He kissed his head and then disappeared before I even had him securely in my arms."
"There's the birthday boy!" Bruno exclaimed when Antonio walked in. "¡Feliz cumpleaños, Antonio!"
"Hey, hombrecito!" Mirabel went over and pulled Antonio into a hug. "Happy birthday!"
"Happy birthday, hermanito," Camilo said mildly, vigorously rubbing his hand back and forth on top of Antonio's head.
"Argh!" Antonio grunted, recoiling, as he raised his arms to try to protect his hair. "Ow! Why do you have to be such a meanie?"
Camilo shrugged. "I'm your brother. That's my job."
"You look more like a sister right now," Antonio snarked, lightly poking Camilo's belly.
Camilo's face fell. "Now who's being the meanie?"
"You said that was a brother's job," Antonio pointed out, but the boy's grin vanished when he saw Camilo's frown. "What…? What did I say?" he asked uncertainly. Their light banter had never bothered Camilo before.
"Nothing," Camilo tried to reassure him, but his smile was obviously forced. "I'm just…"
"It's okay, Único." Bruno wrapped his arms around Camilo from behind and kissed his cheek before telling Antonio, "Being pregnant can make people extra sensitive. You didn't say anything wrong, it just hit him harder than it normally would because he's pregnant."
"Oh. I'm sorry, Camilo," Antonio apologized sincerely. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Honestly, I think it's really cool that you're gonna have babies. I know you're still my brother though."
That brought a fleeting but genuine smile to Camilo's face. When Bruno released him, Camilo pulled Antonio into a hug.
"Do you know what you're going to call them yet?" Antonio asked curiously as he laid a hand on Camilo's belly.
Camilo tilted his head. "I haven't really thought about it much. Did you have any suggestions?"
"No. Well, I mean…" Antonio bit his lip. "I like the name Oscar, but your babies are girls."
"Oscar is a nice name," Mirabel piped up. "What do you think, Tío Bruno? Shall we name our son Oscar?"
Bruno nodded. "That sounds good. Oscar it is."
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Less than two weeks later, a letter showed up at la casa Madrigal:
Dear Ephraim Madrigal,
Today is your first birthday! We haven't met before, but I am your father and I love you very much.
I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you during your first year of life, but you are in good hands now. I know your family will raise you with love and care.
We will meet someday, I promise. Until then, be a good boy for me. Mind your Mamá; she loves you dearly and only wants what's best for you.
Love,
Papá