Chapter 26

Camilo sighed at the sight of the basket of arepas he offered last time, being eaten by stray cats and dogs at her doorstep.

Dolores told him that the woman had never bothered to leave her little workshop not even once, which made him grow increasingly worried for her health.

"Shoo! Shoo! Go away!" He shooed the animals away, placing a new batch of food for her to hopefully eat.

He stared blankly at the wooden door, that God-forsaken wooded door. It was literally the only thing that was separating the two of them -he so badly wants to kick it down, but he knew he'll only make the situation worse for the two of them.

He sat on the ground, hugging his knees -probably a few inches away from the door. "I miss you." He spoke, watching the stray dogs fighting over the basket of stale arepas in the distance.

"I miss you every day, every second, every hour, every night." His eyes felt so tired from crying each night, but not once did he care.

"If you don't want to see me right now, I understand -I'll give you all the space you need! Just, just, please... Take care of yourself, eat."

Maybe he'd become rather observant nowadays, I guess being apart from her had made him realize things, notice things he hadn't before. But he could've sworn he heard shuffling from the other side, but he still refused to face the stupid door -he had grown to hate her front door the more he continued his fruitless visits.

"Please at least eat food, so for the most part you, you won't get sick."

He buried his face in-between his knees, with a muffled voice he spoke once more: "I only have one of you, so please take care of yourself for me -if not for me, then for your family."

A small wave of silence ensues, Camilo still continued his one-sided conversation.

"Never once in my life did I feel like I deserve you, you were like that falling star that I just couldn't somehow reach, despite how close you are to me." he chuckled, yet the laughter did not reach his eyes, now pooling with a new set of tears; they await their free fall.

"So when I finally got to have you, in my arms; Kiss you, for real..."

He wants to run away and start over, wipe the slate clean.

"I felt so, scared to lose you."

He wants begin again like a blank white canvas.

"Because I knew in my heart and mind -my entire being, that you deserve someone better. Yet I just couldn't in my heart to just, y'know... Forget my feelings, I just couldn't let go."

Sometimes, when people yearn to be selfish, it's because they've been too selfless for too long.

Camilo Madrigal. The talented, enthusiastic Madrigal, who greets guests with a bright smile. Truly had been reduced into a broken lonely man that he is,

"Please, just let this selfish man of yours see you one more time!" His eyes widened as he turned to look at the door, only to be met with the woman he longed to see.

She stared blankly at him, salty tears falling from her reddened cheeks -as if she tried agressively rubbing shameful tears away.

He slowly stood up, his vision blurred from the tears rapidly -and threatening to fall from his freckled cheeks.

"Can, can I touch you, please?" He's scared, so scared she might say no, so scared to hurt her again.

With a silent nod, she raised her arms: gesturing for a hug.

The floodgates had opened, tears now shamelessly shed with relief.

He ran to her for a hug, stumbling a bit as he cried, sobbed, and wept. Her scent filled his lungs once more,

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" he muttered.

"I'll never hurt you again, I'll never be stupid again, I promise, please, please don't leave me." He muttered again and again.

Tears kept falling and falling from both their reddened cheeks, they both missed the warmth that each other had brought. They both felt so empty without each other.

"I- I, I was so, scared. You scared me, Camilo." She struggled to say amidst her sobs and hiccups. She held him a little tighter, her hand wandering through the thicket of his curly hair.

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm so, sorry." He pulled away slightly, taking a good look of her face. His hand rubbing gentle circles on her the side of her face of which he accidentally hit, he did not miss the small flinch she did when he touched it. It shattered his heart even more, how could he let himself come to this?

"I'm sorry... I'll never do it again. Never." He said in-between kisses he smothered her face with, mostly focusing on the area he hurt.

"I love you, I love you the moon and back." He whispered as they slowly kneeled on the floor, he buried his face on the crook of her neck -he sobbed like a child who went through a horrible nightmare, clinging to his mother for comfort.

"I love you too, from the skies and to the galaxies beyond, "

Dolores heaved a sigh of relief, "They made up, all is good now. Everyone can stop holding their breaths already."

"Does that mean we can pester Camilo to propose to her, so Pepa won't make the entire village flood because we lied?"

"Bruno!"