Year 1625
TW/CW: Death, Infant Death, Child Death
Whatever good feelings the end of 1624 had brought with it was quickly replaced with worry and uncertainty as plague began to spread like wildfire. The only ones of the household who were unconcerned were the children who were far too young to understand what that would mean.
While family to the West were falling to the plague news first reached Francisco's ears that Frideswide had been in an accident on stage and had sadly died. Adrian couldn't believe that she had passed from an accident when the plague was ravaging the world.
The brothers did their best to move on from their dear elder sister's death by giving more attention to the children, Osana, in particular. Something about holding the small girl made it easier to just focus on the ones still with them. Especially as news of more deaths came in. Including that of Frideswide and Aurelio's son, Hector, that April.
Alexis focused on the older children and cheered up the family by noting that despite the deaths some people reported marriages in Talia's tome such as Gabriella Jaleel who married into the Soto family.
Though in May, Karmine received word that her step-father and step-grandfather had both passed in the plague. The fear of losing her grandmother, mother, or siblings after losing her unborn children tore at her heart and while the city was turning away new arrivals in fear of a new bout of plague, Francisco told Adrian that he and Karmine would move to Karmine's family home once they could travel there. Adrian lamented the idea of them leaving when so many were dying all around them with Parnell and Terric's deaths in the spring, but he also understood that the Carlisles weren't their only family.
Frideswide's twins grew up into young teenagers and while Ferdinando took more after his father, the two of them managed to avoid the plague while their neighbors, the Uptons, lost two daughters in the wake of the birth of a son.
Though the Plague did not spare the Carlisle family in Tartosa as July brought with it both Piero and Alexis catching it. Given Alexis's werewolf immune boost the family was confident that there was a chance for her to fight it off but when Piero died on July 19th, all the fight seemed to leave her following his quick funeral.
It was of little surprise when Alexis collapsed in front of the family graves just a few short days later, the biggest surprise in Adrian's eyes was that it hadn't happened sooner. Alexis died July 27th.
Giulia couldn't understand what had happened in a few short weeks her brother and mother had gone away. Her aunt and uncle tried to explain that they had gone to heaven to be with the Lord above but all that did was make her start asking when they'd be back to which they had no words to comfort her further only hugs.
Osana was blissfully unaware of the goings on in the home she did miss her mother and brother but her age made it hard for her to even think too much on it. She was happy to be held by the other adults in the home so while she fussed for her mother she determined that her aunt, uncle and father were reasonable substitutes.
Vincente was a wreck after his wife and son's passing. He barely ate and when he did come into the house from wandering God only knows where, he'd be filthy. One time even coming home singed from the storm outside. Francisco was more than concerned. Of course it was a tragedy to lose his wife and child, he had lost a child of his own but the two girls needed their father and Vincente just wasn't there.
That being said, Francisco was more than happy and willing to give his nieces the love and affections they deserved. After the consecutive losses and the plague, he and Karmine were done actively trying again for a while yet but both him and Karmine had love to give children and their nieces were in need of parental love.
In the midst of the losses the plague took from the world, Guglielma celebrated her thirteenth birthday. It was a muted affair what with her aunt and little brother's passing early in the year but it was a celebration in the family nonetheless. The Robles family hoped that it was a sign that their tragedy would be over for the time being.
With it now being months since Alexis and Piero's passing, Adrian and Francisco were tired of Vincente aimlessly disappearing into the forests for days on end. It was more than just concerning. It needed to stop. It was understandable that he was hurt but hearing Osana look to Francisco and call him 'papa' was proof enough of Vincente's absence. Francisco was honored that his niece would call him that but her true father was still with them and was missing out on his living children while he mourned the dead and gone. Adrian was shocked to hear that Osana didn't seem to know her own father after the four months since her mother died but it made sense that she wouldn't since she hadn't yet reached a year, to her it was a long time. Too long. They had to do something.
After confronting Vincente when he returned home by throwing him into the bath, Francisco and Adrian told him in no uncertain terms that it was time for Vincente to come home and stay home. He had responsibilities and it wasn't as if Francisco and Karmine were going to be around forever since they planned on moving to care for Karmine's family soon though just her grandmother as her mother remarried and left with her siblings to a new town. They couldn't leave Vincente and the girls without knowing they'd be marginally alright though. They could tell the message hadn't really sunk into Vincente but he mumbled vague promises about being home more frequently. Francisco hardly believed him but it wasn't as if he could force his brother to come back to his family. He could only hope that he'd keep his questionable dismissive word and time would mend his younger triplet's broken heart.
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