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now and always

Summary:

Pepa names her son.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

"Name this child," Padre Flores intoned, and paused, waiting for Félix and Pepa to respond.

It was Pepa who answered, taking a deep breath. The family had heard the baby's name before, of course, he was a month old. But never his full name, not until now, and with good reason. She and Félix had had many hushed conversations in the past month, whenever they were sure Dolores was in her room.

Dolores, proud to be named as godmother, stood beside her father, carefully holding her baby brother. Did she know? They'd done their best not to let her overhear them, unsure themselves of their final decision until recently. But her daughter heard everything.

Félix grasped her hand.

Pepa took another deep breath. "Antonio," she said. The sun was shining and it was drizzling all at once, but her voice was steady. "Antonio Bruno Espinosa Madrigal."

The church had already been quiet, but the silence that followed was so loud Pepa could hear it ring.

Padre Flores almost dropped the prayer book.

Agustín nearly fell out of his seat. Julieta steadied him, a hand over her mouth.

For just a moment, Camilo was a tall, glowing green figure with a wicked grin.

Flowers sprouted out of Isabela's hair.

And Mamá....Mamá had her hand over her heart. In the brief moment that Pepa risked looking at her, her eyes were closed. Pepa looked away before she opened them.

Padre Flores coughed loudly, several times, and cleared his throat. "Right!" he said quickly. "Okay, uh, do you, Félix and Pepa Madrigal...."


Dolores made a point of talking to her baby brother like he could understand her and loudly calling him by his full name. Her parents assumed the former was because she was excited to have a baby sibling, and the latter was to get them all used to his name.

Bruno wept.

Notes:

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