She was running through the orphanage, cackles and taunts following her. The familiar halls would usually be calming, but instead they were dark and shadows moved on the walls.

"You'll never be anything perrita!"

"You should just give up perrita!"

The nickname repeated and repeated and repeated. It seemed to be getting louder and louder and tears began to stream down her face. The voices were all right. She was nothing. Then she turned a corner and ran into Senor Rojas. She hit the floor with a thunk and looked up with eyes full of fear.

"Aye perrita you shouldn't have done that," he raised his hand and she flinched back.

"Claudia?"

"Please, please no sir," she begged.

"Claudia."

"I didn't mean to senor, please not again. PLEASE!"

"Claudia!"

And she opened her eyes and bolted up. Tears filled her eyes but she blinked them back. They didn't help anyways, they hadn't done a thing since she was little. Wait, where was she? This wasn't her room. Where was-

"Claudia, are you-are you ok?"

That's right, she had gotten married, and of course she had woken her new husband with her nightmare. She quickly brushed the unshed tears and smiled, before turning to look at Bruno. 

"Yea, I'm fine. I'm good. Nothing but a little nightmare." 

Bruno didn't seem reassured. In fact he seemed a bit worried, which surely couldn't be the case. After all, waking someone up was more of a nuisance than anything else.

"You sure? Cause you were talking in your sleep and well-".

He awkwardly laid a hand on her back causing her to flinch back. He quickly removed his hand, but not before feeling the bandages underneath her nightgown through the fabric.

"Are you ok? Do you need some of Julieta's cooking? Because I can run to the kitchen. It just seemed like maybe you needed to talk cause it sounded like you were begging someone not to hurt you. But it seems like you're already hurt and now I'm rambling and-"

Claudia cut him off. "Please,  just….just ignore it. I don't wanna talk about it right now. I don't really wanna talk about it ever. You dont...you don't have to pretend to care because we got married, ok? I'm sorry for waking you."

She turned to the side of the bed where he couldn't see her face.

"I wasn't pretending-"

"Please just forget it alright?"

".....alright."

They both laid back down, but Bruno's mind raced. What had happened to her? Maybe, just maybe if he had kept pushing he could have helped. Or was she too afraid of him like everyone else was? He took a quick peek at her. He had sworn he had felt bandages, but the Rojas hadn't mentioned her being hurt or they definitely would have moved the wedding back.

 All these thoughts spun inside of his head until he eventually fell back asleep. 

*****

Claudia awoke early as usual. She quickly snuck out of the bedroom and into the main room. Her clothing was still in boxes, so she chose the first dress on top. She tied her hair into her usual tight braid bun. Then she headed out of the tower and to the kitchen, and was surprised to see she wasn't the only one up.

"Oh Claudia, I didn't expect you to be awake yet. What are you doing up already?"

"I came down to help make breakfast but if you want some time alone then-"

"Nonsense I would absolutely love the help. Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one who cooks. If you wouldn't mind, could you cut up what I left on the board over there?" Julieta smiled at her and Claudia instinctively nodded. Then she got to work mincing.

"How was your first night? Did you sleep alright?" Julieta asked as she stirred something in a pot.

"Oh...well kind of I guess."

"Maybe you'll get more sleep tomorrow. I know being in a new place is scary. Anyways, what do you think of my brother? I know you hadn't really met or talked until yesterday, but you know. I figured you've got to have a first impression."

Claudia thought about that. She didn't know much, but she did know enough as she explained to Julieta.

"He doesn't seem at all like what I've heard people describe him as. He seems…..shy but sweet."

Julieta smiled as she turned to Claudia.

"Shy but sweet. That's my hermanito. Oh be careful or you'll-"

"Ow," Claudia looked down to see a small cut on her hand. That's what she got for using something sharp while distracted.

"Oh here, eat this." Julieta stuffed a piece of cheese into Claudia's mouth, and proceeded to look confused when nothing happened. 

"That's never….what?"

Claudia shrugged. "You get used to it."

"But how-"

"Good morning chicas," Alma appeared in the doorway.

Julieta smiled. "Good morning mama!"

"Good morning Senora Madrigal."

"Oh please dear, you're part of the family now. You needn't be so formal as I've said before. Anyways, I'll get the others up so that we can start breakfast."

Twenty minutes later they were all seated at the table. 

"So what are you children planning on doing today?" Alma asked from the head of the table. 

"Well Pepa and I were thinking of doing some gardening and we were thinking maybe it would be fun if our new sister in law joined us. After yesterday I'm sure she'd love some girl time"

Julieta smiled over at Claudia and Claudia gave her a small smile in return. At least her sister in laws seemed nice. 

"That sounds wonderful, girls! Claudia, what do you think?"

Claudia honestly thought that this would be the thing that would make them realize how unlucky she was, but that's not what she said.

"Sounds great. I've never had a girls' day before."

"Then this will be fun!" Pepa's smile was radiant.

"Brunito, what will you be doing today?" 

Bruno looked nervous as all the attention turned to him. 

"Well I haven't had a long vision day in a while so I was thinking that maybe I could spend today in the vision tower."

"Ugh the vision tower. Why does it have soooooooo many stairs!?" Pepa looked annoyed as a tiny cloud appeared over her head, "Even worse is that he-" she pointed at Bruno,"-knows an easier way up and won't tell us."

"Well maybe I...I don't want you to see me when I have a vision. I've been told I look scary." Pepa's cloud quickly disappeared. 

"Aye hermanito, you know you could never scare me. You're as scary as a gatito."

The table chuckled.

"Mama, what are you doing today?" Julieta asked.

"I'm planning on helping Senora Hernandez. She's been feeling under the weather. Do you know anything about that Brunito?"

"Well I umm….you see...she may be pregnant?" Bruno looked worried as he admitted it.

"Pregnant! That's wonderful! I shall inform her immediately. Your visions can be such a blessing sometimes."

"Yea well," Bruno awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't quite believe that, but it was nice of his mother to say.

The rest of breakfast was full of chatter and teasing. It was kinda nice from Claudia's perspective. Everyone was chattering and talking like it was easy. She wasn't used to family breakfast, but she thought maybe she could get used to it. That was until Pepa directed a question at her.

"Aye Claudia how was sharing the bed with my baby bro? Is he a cuddler?"

Both Claudia and Bruno turned bright red, and the two quickly turned their eyes to their food and shovelled a bit into their mouths so they wouldn't have to answer.

"Pepa! Don't embarrass your sister in law. Weren't you girls planning on gardening? You can gossip then."

"Yes mama."

Thank god that line of questioning was over she thought as she got up to rinse her plate in the kitchen. She wasn't prepared or used to that kind of teasing. She was scrapping her plate off when Bruno entered the room.

"Don't mind Pepa, she likes to tease," he said as he rinsed his plate next to her. 

"Oh it's okay. She's been nothing but nice to me so far."

"Well anyway I hope you….well have a good day. I'm just gonna uh…" and he left the kitchen.