Dolores

You were walking Dolores home after a date, and silence had fallen for a few minutes. Not an uncomfortable silence or anything, just a lull in the conversation.

"Hey," you said. You took Dolores's hand, and she looked at you. "Want to know something I haven't told anyone yet?" you asked.

"A secret?" she asked.

"No," you said. "I want everyone to know this. But I want you to be the first."

She stopped walking and took your other hand with a smile.

"Tell me," she said.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

"I love you," you said.

Her smile widened and she kissed you.

"That's funny," she said. "I have a secret just like that."

"Oh?"

"I love you, too."

Luisa

"(Y/N)? I – oh. Are you asleep?"

You were trying to fall asleep, so you didn't answer Luisa. The two of you were cuddling in her room, and honestly, you were too comfortable to want to move for the next couple of hours.

"I guess you are," she mumbled. She pulled you a little closer. "That's all right. I'll tell you I love you when you wake up."

You opened your eyes and sat up. She jumped.

"(Y/N)! Were you just pretending to sleep?"

"I was half-asleep," you said.

"Then—"

You cut her off with a kiss.

"I love you, too, Luisa."

Bruno

You and Bruno were seated on the stairs in his room, about halfway up because your legs said no. You were in the middle of playing with one of his rats when you noticed that he had stopped inputting into the conversation. You looked up. He was giving you the same unblinking stare that he'd given you after you kissed him for the first time.

"What's up?" you asked. "You look like you got hit with one of Pepa's lightning bolts. Either that or an epiphany."

"I guess I did," he said. "The epiphany. I mean, I have been hit by Pepa's lightning, but it was the epiphany just now."

"About what?" you asked. "Did you figure out how you want to end this season of your telenovela?"

"No. I'm still stuck on that."

"I keep telling you, you shouldn't have killed off Ricardo," you said, handing him the rat in your hands. "Maybe you should have him come back."

"But they buried him!"

"How do we know who was in the coffin? No one ever opened it."

"That's—" He stopped. "You're distracting me."

"Sorry," you said. "So what was your epiphany?"

"I love you," he said.

You blinked, then smiled.

"I love you, too," you said, hugging him. "But seriously, bring back Ricardo. It'll save your plot."

"What if it was his twin who died, instead?"

"He has a twin?!"

Camilo

You arrived at the Casita to see your boyfriend, and Mirabel told you he was in the courtyard. Sure enough, Camilo was sitting with his back to a pillar, picking aimlessly at the ground with a frown on his face.

"Hey," you said, sitting next to him.

"Hey," he muttered.

"What's up?" you asked.

"Nothing," he said.

"That's a lie."

"So?"

"So tell me the truth," you said.

"Why?" he grumped.

You wrapped your arms around him, and after a second, he did the same.

"Because I love you, and I want to help," you said.

"You . . . you what?"

"I said what I said."

You let go of him, and you were pleased to see that his frown had given way to a faint grin.

"You know," he said, "you're making it awfully hard for me to be in a bad mood."

You kissed him, and his grin became more pronounced.

"That's the point," you said. "Now what's wrong?"

"I love you, too," he said.

"That's what's wrong?"

"No! God, no! That's about the only right thing that's happened today."

You took his hand. "Tell me," you said.

Mirabel

Mirabel almost always greeted you herself when you came to see her, but this time, no one was in site when you stepped into the Casita. Figuring she had just gotten busy, you headed for her room. Halfway up the stairs, though, you paused. Two people were having an argument upstairs, and one of them was Mirabel. You listened, trying to pinpoint the second voice. A boy, too old to be Antonio . . . so probably Camilo.

"Come on, Mirabel!" he was saying. "What's the big deal?"

"It's a big deal because I love her!" Mirabel snapped back. "I don't need my cousin parading about as the woman I love, all right? Weird things might happen!"

Say what? You started climbing the stairs again.

"All right, all right," Camilo said. "I won't do it again."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

You reached the top of the stairs. Mirabel stood only a few paces away from you, but she had her back facing in your direction. Camilo, however, spotted you over her shoulder.

"Thanks," Mirabel said.

"Not a problem," he said. He gave you a little wave, grinning. "Hi, (Y/N). I hope you were listening to everything she said just now, because she's been torturing herself trying to say it to your face for a week now."

He turned and fled into his room, and Mirabel turned to face you so fast that she almost fell over.

"(Y/N)!" she yelped. "When did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago," you said.

She groaned and sank to the floor. "Of course you did," she said, burying her face in her hands. "And you heard that, because of course. ¡Dios mío!"

"Hey," you said, crouching down next to her. "I think I got here just in time."

She parted her fingers and looked at you.

"I love you, too," you said.

She lowered her hands. "Really?" she asked after a moment.

"What do you mean, really? Of course really!" You grabbed her hand. "I wouldn't joke about something like that."

"Just checking." She kissed you.

Isabela

You and Isabela were sitting together on the central bench in her latest cactus garden, chatting.

"(Y/N)?" she said suddenly. "You know yesterday, how I said I really, really like you?"

"Yeeees," you said slowly.

"I lied," she said.

You dropped her hand. "Excuse me?" you demanded.

"I do not really, really like you," she said solemnly.

She waited just a second, long enough for you to wonder whether to call her an asshole or to start crying, and then snorted with suppressed laughter.

"I don't like you at all," she said. "I love you."

"YOU LITTLE—"

You tackled her with a hug, and she began giggling uncontrollably.

"I've been waiting all day to do that," she admitted.

"You know something?" you said.

"What?"

"You're lucky I love you, too, or else I might just push you into that cactus there."

She laughed again, and you kissed her.