When all you want is to sleep comfortably,
A/N: apologies for disappearing for so long but I had a lot to do for college. I'll try to start posting again but I can't make too many promises.
"Goodnight mi flor," Julieta whispered kissing Isabela's head.
Once julieta left, Isabela tossed and turned in her bed, trying to get comfortable but unfortunately she got wrapped up in her loose nightgown.
She groaned before she sat up and yanked the pink fabric over her head and tossed it to the floor by her bed. As soft as it was it was too loose and kept getting tangled around Isabela. Mere moments after the annoying fabric had landed on the floor the eldest madrigal had fallen into a deep sleep.
Down the hall Dolores was getting ready for bed when her mother came in to check on her and tell her goodnight.
"Mi bebé, I came to say goodnight," Pepa said stepping into Dolores's room.
"Mama?" Dolores said emerging from her closet.
"I'm right here lola, come sit," Pepa said patting the 12 year olds bed.
"can I ask something?" Dolores asked sitting on her bed.
"ask away mi vida," Pepa said
"it's nearly my time, and I was curious about a few things I've been feeling," Dolores said shyly, still unfamiliar with her cycle despite having it for almost a year.
Pepa assured her that having questions was normal and answered them, remembering how she had to go digging for this knowledge on her own.
"Its perfectly normal to get cramps in your thighs from your period, trust me tia Julieta said it herself," Pepa assured tucking her eldest into bed.
"Ok mamá goodnight," Dolores yawned curling into her blankets.
Pepa kissed her niña's head, and closed her door with a light click. Before Dolores truly settled in she peeled the yellow fabric of her nightgown off and then snuggled into her blankets clutching her fluffy owl to her bare chest. The feeling was odd since she had never slept without a nightgown before. Dolores enjoyed the feeling and curled into her blanket and fell asleep within minutes
The next morning Pepa was in charge of waking up the kids. Camilo and Mirabel had a sleepover in Camilo's room so Pepa gave a knock, then stepped in to get the pair woken up and dressed. Once she'd sent them down to Julieta she made her next stop at Luisa's room. She opened the door and gently patted Luisa's hip until said girl had finally opened her eyes, "buenos dias tia," she sleepily mumbled reaching out to hug Pepa.
Luisa was always her favourite to wake, because Luisa loved cuddles in the morning so she could have a moment to spend with her sobrina wrapped up in happy cuddles.
"Buenos dias mi sobrinita, I need to wake the other girls, get dressed and I'll be back to do your hair," Pepa said sitting Luisa down on the short stool by her dressing table. Believe it or not, Luisa is light for her age, even with her gift. And she takes full advantage of her light build. She loves when Julieta lifts her onto the counter to sit while she makes arepas, or when Agustin gives her piggyback rides. She especially loves when Pepa wakes her up and carries her around her room for a little while while they cuddle, and sometimes if Pepa hasn't dressed, she'll help Pepa pick an outfit, all while Pepa holds onto her in a soft warm cuddle.
"Ok tia," Luisa yawned in the affirmative, and Pepa left to go wake the eldest two.
She started with Isabela,since she was right beside Lu.
A knock at the door proved that Isabela was definitely her mother's daughter sleeping like a rock until she either got up on her own or was forced awake by someone else.
With that Pepa opened the door to Isabela's room. She walked towards the bed and isabela had shifted in her sleep tossing the cover off herself. Usually Pepa wouldn't be surprised by this but when the blanket was thrown away from Isabela all she saw was skin. No nightgown, no camisole. Just Isabela's bare chest, which wasn't a big deal since it was Pepa waking her this morning, but what if it had been tio Felix, or her father. None the less she woke Isabela up, and Isa immediately pulled her sheet to her chest as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Isabela didn't say a word at first, but she didn't have to because Pepa was the one to break the silence.
"Isa, there's nothing to be embarrassed over, trust me. It's just something of a phase you go through, I will say, you got lucky this morning since it was me, but be careful when you sleep like this ok," Pepa said reassuring Isa that sleeping in her underwear or fully nude was normal, just to be careful and choose when she slept like this wisely.
"You get dressed, I'm going to wake up Lola," Pepa told noticing that roses bloomed on Isabela's chest for her to hide in until she had an actual top or dress on.
"Ok tia," Isabela said as Pepa left her room.
She took the short walk to Dolores's room and gently opened the door. Her daughter was wearing her head wrap and was sleeping soundly. Her blanket was thrown off her top half much like Isabela, but she was sleeping on her stomach so her chest was pressed into her mattress.
"Lola," Pepa said quietly as she coaxed Dolores to wake up.
"Buenos dias mama" Dolores said as she reached to her right to grasp Pepa's hand and give it a squeeze, a little habit she has picked up as a child.
"Buenos dias mi niña, sleep well?" Pepa asked trying to brace the subject of her sleepwear, or lack thereof.
"I slept well mama," Dolores said sitting up, she pulled the yellow nightgown discarded the night before over her head as she pushed her head wrap up to uncover her eyes.
"Seems you did, is this the first time you've done this or just the first time I caught you," Pepa asked being a bit more straightforward since Dolores had no shame or embarassment about her body. Yet.
"First time I did it, it felt weird, but in a good way," Dolores said stretching.
"Well, little piece of advice, be careful of when you do that, you got lucky since it was my turn to wake you this morning" Pepa said
"Ok mama, I'll make sure," Dolores said crawling out of her blankets to sit on the side of her bed.
"Alright, come down for breakfast when you're dressed," Pepa said giving Dolores a light hug.
She returned to Luisa and fixed her hair with a warm smile on her face, her thoughts racing with a desperate need to talk to Julieta. Once Luisa's hair was done, she and Pepa made their way downstairs.
Luisa was soon scooping Isabela, Dolores, Camilo, and Mirabel up from the living room to take them outside to play. Thankfully giving Pepa enough time alone to talk to Julieta, but not before a coffee.
"What's wrong mi hermana? I know you've got something on your mind," Julieta asked stirring together some cinnamon and sugar to sprinkle over the apples she'd just cut.
"Isa and Lola are going through that phase," Pepa grimaced
"Which one? We have a whole alphabet of teenage phases," Julieta said refilling Pepa's coffee mug.
"Let me put it this way, their sleepwear has changed," Pepa grimaced
"Ooh, that phase," Julieta sighed, "should we talk to them? I mean we went through the dormido desnudo phase when we were their age," Julieta reasoned pulling warm arepas off her cooktop.
"I know, but what do we tell them, if we tell them its wrong then they'll get the wrong idea of it and think its bad, its perfectly normal, but if we tell them that then they'll still do it, and we won't know when they do it, and that could lead to some awkward conversations or incidents." Pepa told weighing their options.
"I've got an idea," Julieta said
In the garden Luisa Isabela Camilo Mirabel and Dolores were kicking a ball around, when Dolores quirked her ear and said
"Cmon Isa Tia's calling us in," Dolores grabbed her older prima's wrist and ran inside with her, she had no idea why she grabbed her wrist but she did. Plus it was funny to hear isa yelling to slow down behind her
"You called?" Dolores said once the two were in the kitchen with Julieta and Pepa,
"Si, now its come to my attention that the pair of you are sleeping without your nightgowns?" Julieta asked
Both girls looked at each other and then back to Julieta embarrassed to admit their secret.
Julieta took that as a yes, and continued
"It's perfectly normal to experiment with sleeping desnudo, Pepa and I did it when we were your age. But to keep any awkward situations from happening, after breakfast Pepa and I will show you how to make a sign for your doors, that way in the morning, whoever has to wake you up will know to let Pepa or myself wake you." Julieta told to the blushing girls
"Can we make them now while the others are outside?" Dolores piped up
"Si mi nina, I'll go get everything you two will need, go ahead and sit," Pepa said going upstairs to grab her art supplies.
When Pepa returns with pens paper and string, she shows Dolores and Isabela what to do and leaves them to make their own designs. At Least now Pepa wouldn't be shocked to walk into one of their rooms and see an excess of skin
"Thank goodness mamá doesn't wake the kids, Isa would die if she did, and I truly dont like that isa has to uphold a perfect persona all the time when mama is around her," Julieta sighed continuing making breakfast
"I know, maybe we should let her sleep in one day when we know mama will be busy and give her a day to be herself, " pepa suggested
"You're a genius Pepa. We can do that probably tomorrow, mama has some plans with her amigas. We can keep the kids at home and make a day of it," Julieta said as she turned the sausages over
About a year later Luisa had her own sign to hang having also been caught, by Isabela.
"Look Julieta, Isa's showing Lu how to make the little door sign I showed her how to make," Pepa said as a small rainbow sprouted above her head at her nieces' interaction.
"It's good to see her talking to Lu and Mira, mama has her drawn so tight it's rare these days," Julieta said peeking out from behind her book. "Especially now since mama has her yanked tighter than ever with the perfect persona. I really hate that she had to stop wearing her favorite blue dresses in favor of more elegant pink ones to show her maturity"
Pepa agreed and continued smiling over her sobrinas.
Mirabel didn't quite get the chance to go through this phase at the same age her sisters did, due to Antonio being in the nursery with her. But when casita was rebuilt and she finally got her own room she was caught, her nightgown tossed to the chair and her chest against a pillow as she slept soundly.
"Mira, wake up," Julieta said.
The 16 year old slowly woke but once he brain had caught up she yanked her blanket to her chest.
"Mama! I-I" Mira studdered trying to explain
"Mi bebé, calm down, it's nothing to be ashamed about. All the girls went through it, even me and your Tia Pepa," Julieta told handing Mirabel her gown.
"Yes really. You wouldn't believe how many times I caught both your sisters sleeping on their backs with their chests in the air. And honestly, I don't blame them. Sometimes sleeping nude is a nice change of pace" Julieta said. "After breakfast, ask Isa to show you how to make the sign for your door, she showed Lu about four years ago."
Mira smiled and straightened her gown before heading downstairs.
"it's about time you danced on the wild side. Come on we can all make new ones together, mine just broke and Luisa and Lola's are on the verge of breaking" Julieta heard her eldest say.
Things changed after the fall of Casita, and Julieta has to say seeing her daughters act like sisters again is the best change of them all.
titsay
stormborns
janainaart
discoholicmusic
origamiaround
ellievsbear
theartofmadeline
jacobvanloon
