Work Text:
As much of a blessing as her triplets were, their bedtime was one of Alma’s favorite times of day.
It was tiring, running around after three seven year olds (three seven year olds with magic, at that) and being responsible for an entire community.
She adored her babies, but she had almost no time to herself.
Until her children went to bed at eight o’clock.
They were now at the age where they didn’t need attention throughout the night, and Julieta and Bruno slept soundly.
Pepa was a different story.
She never slept well, even after she was weaned and, theoretically, should have started sleeping through the night.
She took hours to fall asleep, and woke several times throughout the night, crying out for attention and affection.
Not only had Alma been exhausted from her own broken sleep, but concerned for Pepa’s health.
Even at the age of four and five, Pepa would still be awake past midnight, claiming that she couldn’t sleep because “her brain was too loud.”
Alma was so worried that she brought Pepa to the doctor, who said that she obviously had a very active little brain, and she would grow out of it.
She still hadn’t, and Alma feared Pepa being awake during the night, wandering the house and left to her own devices.
She wasn’t exactly aware of dangers, either, and almost burned the house down eighteen months ago trying to light the stove.
Herbal remedies, teas, milk, hot baths and stories all failed, and so Alma was forced to accept that this was simply how Pepa’s brain was wired.
So she had come to an agreement with her middle child; if she couldn’t sleep, she had to play or read quietly in her room.
No loud noises, no wandering around, and no waking her siblings.
Things got better after that; Pepa was more often than not still awake when Alma checked her children before retiring to bed, playing quietly with her toys.
Or reading a book.
But Alma could sleep knowing that Pepa wasn’t going to do anything dangerous.
It wasn’t ideal, as seven year olds needed their sleep, but it was working for now.
Today had been a tiring one, with a certain redheaded child of hers testing the boundaries at every opportunity.
She’d spent more time in the time out corner than out of it, and had recently reverted back to biting behaviour.
Bruno was her target at the moment, and she’d bitten him no less than five times.
Pepa had been defiant for the entire day, challenging everything and Alma was just glad to put her to bed that night.
She half expected her daughter to finish the day's antics by trying to leave her room, but that didn’t happen.
At eleven o’clock, after some time to unwind, she went through the usual routine of checking her babies were safe in their rooms.
Julieta and Bruno, as usual, were fast asleep in their beds.
And shockingly, so was Pepa.
Her room looked like a tornado had hit it, with toys and books everywhere, but she was cuddled up with her stuffed alpaca, clearly sleeping.
Admittedly, Alma didn’t like the stuffed animal much.
He was cute, and not an inappropriate toy for her age, but she had gotten so attached to it that losing it caused major meltdowns.
Just last week, she left him at Agustín’s house and hadn’t realised it until it was almost bedtime.
And of course, retrieving it couldn’t wait until the morning.
That had been a very wet walk in the rain and the dark to the Rojas’ house.
All for a stuffed animal.
Alma lingered a few minutes to watch her daughter sleep; it was rare to see Pepa this calm and peaceful.
Usually, she ran around with endless energy, or she would throw the worst tantrums, raining and storming and mad at the world.
It was nice to see her so content for once.
She tucked the blankets tighter around her baby and kissed her forehead.
At least Alma would be able to rest easily tonight.
Or so she thought.
Less than an hour after falling asleep, she awoke with a feeling.
A feeling that someone was watching her, and it filled her with complete and utter panic.
She jumped backwards when she saw Pepa’s face inches from hers.
“What are you doing here!? What do you want!?” She snapped, and then instantly regretted it when she realised her reaction.
Her voice softened.
“Ay, Pepi. Are you hurt? What’s the matter?”
Her daughter stood at the side of her bed, her beloved alpaca in her arms, and tears rolling down her cheeks.
She was slowly getting drenched from the cloud above her head.
“We need to go to the alpaca farm.” She sniffled.
In her still sleepy state, Alma was even more confused.
“It’s midnight. We’re not going to the alpaca farm.”
“But they’re trapped in a net!” Pepa sobbed, her voice laced with urgency. “They’re crying for me!”
As she put two and two together, Alma breathed a sigh of mild annoyance.
“Querida, you’re dreaming. They’re safe on the farm with their mami.”
“No I’m not!” The little girl stomped her foot in frustration. Her eyes were a little glazed over, still not fully awake herself. She was convinced that her dream was real. “I can hear them crying! We have to go get them out! They need me!”
Blinking the last of the sleep from her eyes, Alma got out of bed and carried her daughter over to the window.
She was getting wet in the process.
“Listen. Alpacas cry really loud. We would hear them from here.”
They probably wouldn’t, but she hoped that Pepa would believe her, for both their sakes.
“I can only hear the rain and crickets.” Pepa mumbled.
“See? They’re okay. We’ll go and see them tomorrow and you can see for yourself, okay?”
Pepa’s cloud disappeared, and she nodded.
“And they’re not in a net?” The little girl slurred her words in her tired state.
“No. No net.”
Too drained to carry Pepa back to her own room, Alma tucked her in beside her.
She didn’t usually allow this, but it wouldn’t hurt just for one night.
Pepa cuddled up to her Mamá and Alma’s heart melted.
“I love you, mami.”
“I love you too, mi amor.”
Yes, Pepa could be a handful, but she was her handful.
She fell back to sleep to Pepa’s huff of breath.