Work Text:
Mirabel bit the inside of her cheek to keep her sigh of frustration within. She kept her focus on the pattern she was embroidering, doing everything to ignore the scene just a few feet to her left.
“C’mon Antonio,” Pepa cooed, crouched down to be level with her nearly year old baby boy, “Say ‘Mama’. Ma~ma. … Mama!”
Mirabel hissed as she accidentally stuck her finger with the needle, quickly checking to make sure no blood was forthcoming before returning to work. Her tia had been trying to get Antonio’s gurglings to become words for the past hour and the second-youngest Madrigal could feel herself unraveling like a dropped spool of thread with each attempt. But she didn’t want to leave the sitting room; she had been there first. Just like she had been in the nursery first. And she would be darned if she gave up her spot so easily for ‘Little Tonito’.
“Who’s Mama’s favorite little angel? Is it you? Is it Toñito?” Mirabel couldn’t stop her eyes from rolling, glad her tia’s back was to her. “It is! It is Toñito!”
Angel. Right. An angel that takes up half of the nursery and keeps me up at night with his crying, Mirabel thought bitterly before sighing, outwardly this time. It wasn’t fair for her to be mad and she knew it. Still, knowing and being able to do something about it were two very different things. She was only eleven but even she knew that much.
Accepting defeat, Mirabel began piling her sewing kit back together. Maybe Casita would help her onto the roof; she was sure to find some peace up there.
She stood as Pepa continued trying, double checking that no needle had gone astray. She didn't want her father to sit on one. Again.
“C’mon, Antonio… For me? For Mama?”
The curly haired toddler looked up from the teething ring he’d been working on this whole time and seemed to focus on his mother. His lips scrunched up, as did his little brows.
“Mm... Mm!”
“That’s it! C’mon baby! You can do it!”
Mirabel grabbed a spool that had somehow gotten wedged between the cushions.
“Mma!”
Satisfied, she began walking towards the doorway.
“Mmma!
“Just a little more~!”
Her foot crossed the threshold-
“Mira!”
Mirabel froze, half in and out of the sitting room. She looked back over her shoulder at her primo and jaw-dropped tia.
…Did he just?
“Mira!” The baby squeaked, gums showing in a toothless grin.
Mirabel blinked and pointed a finger at herself, utterly dumbfounded. “Me?”
“Mira! Mira!”Antonio squealed again, waving his ring; thrilled to have gotten his prima’s attention. Pepa had the barest hint of a cloud above her head, no doubt bummed her baby’s first word hadn’t been her, before all became sunshine and rainbows once more.
“That’s right, Toñito!” she cooed ecstatically. “That’s your prima, Mirabel! Can you say her full name? Mirabel? Mira~bel?”
“Miramel!” Antiono’s prima’s jaw dropped; along with her sewing kit, but that wasn’t important.
“Aye, bravo Toñito! You are so smart! Yes you are! Yes you are~!”
“M-me?” Mirabel stuttered again. “His first word was…Me?”
“Well I probably shouldn’t be surprised,” Pepa laughed, tickling Antonio’s stomach to make him join in. “You two do spend a lot of time together in the nursery. You're the last person he sees at night and the first one in the morning. Of course he would know you!”
Mirabel walked over to her giggling cousin, embroidery completely forgotten. Kneeling next to him she called, ever so shyly, “...Toñito?”
Antonio opened his eyes, having closed them while his mother had tickled him, and squealed with joy at seeing his prima right in front of him.
“Mira!” he cooed, tiny arms outstretched, begging to be lifted up out of his seat.
Grinning Mirabel acquiesced, lifting him up and spinning around as he hugged her chest, Pepa watching with glee.
“That’s right! I’m Mira!” She stopped so her little roommate could lean back and look her in the eye. She felt the tiniest tear come to her eye at the sheer love on his face, realizing that it was all for her.
Plain, giftless, little her.
“I’m Mira,” she said again, silently swearing to herself to protect that love no matter what. “And I’m your prima.”