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Mirabel gives a couple of gentle knocks on Isabela's door. Casita is quiet; everyone is settling in for bed after dinner, so this is the perfect time to talk to her older sister.
Isabela opens the door, looking Mirabel up and down. "What is it, sis? Shouldn't you be getting ready for bed?"
Mirabel wrings her hands, pausing, before answering, "Can I come in?"
Isabela nods, opening the door wider.
Ever since she had found out how to 'feel the shiver of something new' (her words), the room had completely transformed. Instead of rosy pink covering every surface, the room is like a jungle, thick with plants of every genus.
Mirabel actually likes being in here now. The smell of fresh growth reminds her of her sister and their newfound relationship. She stops to admire a purple geranium, leaning in close to give it a sniff.
Isabela smiles a warm and genuine smile. "Pretty, isn't it? I grew all kinds of different colours this season."
"It's amazing." Mirabel smiles back. "You're amazing."
"Thanks." Isabela looks away with a hint of shyness, before turning back to her. "So? You wanted to talk?"
Mirabel nods, and suddenly the weight of what she's about to do makes her feel sick. What if… What if the whole family rejected her all over again? No, that wouldn't happen. Right? She swears if she was her tía Pepa, they'd be up to their ankles in water.
Isabela must see the turmoil on her face, because she gestures to her to come to the bed. Mirabel starts to feel teary as she settles down on the blankets.
Already, really? Come on, keep it together, Mirabel thinks, gripping the sheets anxiously.
"Are you okay?" Isabela looks deeply concerned now, hand resting on top of Mirabel's to give it a soft squeeze.
"Well, I came here to tell you I'm… I'm…" Mirabel's vision blurs with tears as her mind imagines every horrible way this could go, and she blurts out, "gay!" before she can change her mind.
It feels like the whole world comes crashing down around her at the admission. She's torn between sitting there in uncomfortable silence and sobbing grossly until she passes out, but instead she picks the option smack-dab in the middle and cries quietly, hot tears dripping down to her skirt below.
Suddenly, the roaring in her brain goes completely calm as Isabela wraps her in a tight embrace, fingers combing through her hair so delicately that the whole world slows down. She kisses the side of Mirabel's head soothingly.
"It's okay, Mirabel. You'll be okay," Isabela murmurs, and her voice warms Mirabel from within. It feels like everything really is going to be okay.
But then…
A distinct eep noise sounds at the door, and Dolores is right there, eyes wide as she's spotted by Isabela. She leaves the room in a hurry, and it feels like Mirabel's heart stops in her chest.
She's going to tell everyone. Dolores is going to tell everyone what she just said, and then everyone is going to know, and Abuela is definitely going to send her packing. She'll have to live out in the mountains alone, gay and alone. Seriously, could she get any more traits that isolated her from her family? Why did everybody else get to--
Isabela holds a hand out in front of Mirabel's face, sprouting a fistful of lavender. The scent washes over Mirabel, calming her heart, if only a little. Her other hand grasps Mirabel's with a reassuringly tight grip. "Stay calm, sis. I'm with you."
Tears prick Mirabel's eyes at the unwavering support, and it almost makes her completely miss the presence of two other people entering the room.
It's Bruno and Luisa. They're both offering gentle smiles, as if trying to appear nonthreatening. Mirabel is a bit dubious as Bruno comes up to her. "Hey. It's okay, kiddo. We already knew."
"What… What do you mean, you already knew?" Mirabel lifts her glasses to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"I, uh… Well, I had a vision," Bruno begins, and when Mirabel looks panicked again, he quickly says, "It's okay, I didn't show anybody but your sisters!"
"Then what happened with Dolores?" Mirabel demands.
"I asked her to listen and tell us whenever you decided it was the right time to come out. I didn't want to force you to with a vision," Bruno explains.
Mirabel's lip wobbles. "So you aren't mad?"
"No way." Bruno offers an encouraging smile once more.
Luisa comes to stand beside him, holding out a hand, which Mirabel takes after a moment. "We knew a long time ago. We just wanted to make sure you were ready."
"How in the world did you see a vision of that?" The thought makes Mirabel's face hot. Hopefully it was nothing embarrassing.
"Your sisters came to me. They were worried about you, said you seemed off." Bruno rubs the back of his neck. "So, I let them see the vision with me. Turns out, part of the vision was you kissing a girl. We were all pretty surprised."
Mirabel buries her face in her hands, blushing down to her roots. "Ay Dios mio, you have got to be kidding me!"
"The good news is, there's nothing to worry--" Bruno is cut off as Mirabel grips Bruno's shoulders tightly and shakes him.
"Let me see it. Who's the girl? I need to know!" Mirabel stares at him intensely.
Luisa grabs her hands, and of course the grip that felt so firm a moment before may as well be a baby's as they're removed from Bruno's shoulders. "Do you really think it would help you to see that? You'd be running around town looking for her all day."
"So, she's in our town?" Mirabel's eyes glitter with mischief.
"I didn't say that," Luisa warns, releasing her hands.
"It will come naturally, sis," Isabela speaks up, resting a hand on Mirabel's back comfortingly.
"Wait… You guys really didn't tell mamá and padre? Or Abuela?" Mirabel feels her heart flutter at the thought.
"Of course not. It's your decision. We saw something that we weren't supposed to see, but we wanted you to know you had our full support." Bruno gives her an affectionate nod.
Mirabel feels like her body deflates at the news, finally relaxing. "I can't believe you knew this whole time."
Isabela hugs her from the side, and Bruno and Luisa join, wrapping her in a loving embrace. She can't help but smile, feeling more loved than she ever had been.