"Usnavi?"

Usnavi turns around from the box he was packing in his store. "Y/N. Uh, hey."

You pause. How should you start this? "I, um, didn't know you were moving. To a different country. Tomorrow."

"Well, I've been wanting to move back to the Dominican Republic for a long time. It's where my parents are from." He continues adding cups to the box. "And I've been thinking about it more lately, then Abuela wins and gives some of the money to me. It just seemed like a sign."

Like a sign?

You suddenly forget about the whole "finally telling him how you feel" thing and think about the fact that he's leaving forever and just told every single person he cares about one day before.

Who the heck does that?

"Oh." You take a deep breath, trying to keep your erratic emotions in check. "How long have you known?"

Usnavi looks at you.

"How long have you known that you're going to move?"

He looks away quickly, avoiding eye contact. "Only since last night."

"... You decided to move last night? "

He nods, distracted once again by packing.

"Don't you think that decision is a bit... rushed?"

Usnavi stops what he's doing and straightens his back, looking at you. "You don't... think I should go?"

After all these years of not telling him how you feel, it was finally time to be honest and direct with him. "No. I don't think you should."

His eyebrows form a straight line."Why not?"

"Well, I..." You want to tell him how you feel. You really do. But your deep fear of rejection stops you. So, instead, you say, "I don't think you've really thought this through."

A frown makes a rare appearance on Usnavi's face. "Y/N, I've thought about it for a long time. Getting the money now is just helping me make it happen. I don't have a reason to stay." He pauses for a moment. "You know that this has been my dream since my parents died." He studies you hard. "Why aren't you supporting me?"

You look away from his intense gaze. "I just..." You decide to be angry, to replace how desperate you actually felt. You look back at him. "You can't just tell the people you've known your whole life that you're moving to a different country the day before."

He looks at you in unbelief. "Well, what am I supposed to do? Cancel my flight and unpack everything just because you'd like to be given a year's notice?"

Usnavi had never gotten mad at you before. And you had never gotten mad at him before. But now, you were genuinely mad. You had to at least mean something to Usnavi. Telling you one day before he was moving away forever? How could he do that? "Yes, that would be nice. We're your family! "

"I'm sorry! I thought you'd be happy for me!"

"You're leaving forever, and I'm just sitting here, inutil! I can't do anything!"

"Do anything? To stop me?"

"Yes!"

"To stop me from doing something I've wanted to do my whole life?"

"Yes!"

"I-I don't understand!"

"Usnavi, you-"

"Usnavi, Y/N."

You both turn away from each other and see Kevin in the doorway.

"Atencion. Abuela Claudia passed away at noon today."

Usnavi's face pales. His lips part, but no words come out. He looks crushed.

You feel like someone ripped out a part of you. Abuela was your role model. She was family. And now she was gone.

Usnavi begins to walk towards the door, and you hurry after him.

"Where are you going?"

He pauses. "To Abuela's."

"I'm coming."

He nods, and both leave to Abuela's, where you found the paramedics outside.

Usnavi asked them a lot of questions. He looked like he couldn't fully accept what happened- that Abuela Claudia was gone for good. That she wasn't coming back.

You couldn't accept it either.

Once Usnavi finishes talking to the paramedics, he goes over to you.

"What did they say?", you ask, barely able to talk.

"She was found and pronounced... at the scene. She was already lying in bed. The paramedics said that her heart gave out... I mean, that's basically what they said. They said a combination of the stress and the heat...why she never took her medicine, I'll never understand." His voices breaks. "I'd like to think she went out in peace with pieces of bread crumbs in her hand. Abuela Claudia had simple pleasures. She sang the praises of things we ignore: glass Coke bottles, bread crumbs, a sky full of stars. She cherished these things, she'd say: 'Alabanza.'"

Your heart breaks at the sound of the word Abuela liked to say so often.

"Alabanza means to raise this thing to God's face and to sing, quite literally: 'Praise to this'", Usnavi remembers aloud. "When she was here, the path was clear. And she was just here! She was just here..."

Usnavi looks so desperate and so terribly shaken down to his core. You couldn't stand to see him like this.

You intertwine your hand with his. "Alabanza."

He glances at your hands, then at you.

"Alabanza a dona Claudia, senior. Alabanza."

You give him a small smile, and he manages one back.

Nina, Daniella, and Carla come over together, and join in.

"Alabanza. Alabanza a dona Claudia, senior."

Sonny walks over, and Usnavi gently ruffles his hair. "Alabanza," Sonny joins.

Camila and Benny walk over, Camila standing on one side of Nina, and Benny on the other. "Alabanza. Alabanza a dona Claudia, senior."

Vanessa and Kevin join next, and Kevin stands next to his wife. "Alabanza. Alabanza."

Soon, the whole neighborhood was saying "alabanza" to Abuela Claudia. It was a really beautiful scene to witness, and you felt proud to have started it. For Usnavi.

After a minute, everyone gradually stopped saying alabanza, and it was quiet.

Then, Usnavi's broken, downcast voice breaks the silence. "Alabanza."

His voice was so real, so heart-wrenching, so much more different, and so lonely in this group of people.

You look at Usnavi, unconscious tears running down your face.

He gently rests his head on your shoulder, and warmth spreads from where it was. "Y/N, I don't feel like I can ever get over this", he whispers so quietly that you wonder if he wanted you to hear. "How can I?"

You tilt your head towards his ear and mutter tenderly, "Paciencia ye fe."

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