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Mirabel was there when Antonio was born.
She was in the waiting room of the local clinic, ten years old, and not allowed by the adults to come in. Camilo was there too, covering their ears, not wanting to hear their mothers wails and the loud thunderstorm brewing a few rooms away. Julieta and Camilo leaning into her, holding her, and keeping her calm, though she could tell they were both sweating bullets as well.
Dolores wasn’t around right now, couldn’t be, because her ears were positively ringing with all the noise. As soon as it started, she raced upstairs to her nice soundproof room, covering her ears the whole way. Camilo seemed to be torn, wanting to see his mother but also wanting comfort from his big sister. He seemed to settle with staying with Julieta and Mirabel, Julieta being the designated babysitter while everyone else was busy with Pepa.
Casita tried to entertain them too, bringing them cookies and sweets to keep them calm. Though nothing quite made their worry for Pepa go away. The loud storm spoke to all their worries, multiplying them. Until finally, after a few hours of waiting and worrying, it grew quiet. Julieta grew more concerned the more time went on, the quiet making her more nervous then the noise. “Babies,” Julieta told Mirabel much later, “Are never quiet.”
Then, a loud, unfamiliar shriek pierced the air. And Julieta let out a loud sigh and leaned back in her chair, putting her face in her hands. A tired smile graced her face, and Mirabel knew that everything was ok. Camilo was still leaning into her. They paused for a minute, seeing Julieta’s smile before speaking. “Is everything ok Tio Julieta? Is my Mamá ok?” They asked, growing more frantic as time went on with the noise.
“Oh yes,” Julieta said. “We just can’t go in right now. We could make the baby sick if we all were in there. The baby is very new, Camilo, and they needs a bit before they’re ready for visitors.” Camilo pouted, but didn’t say anything. After a bit, Abuela walked out of the room, looking practically dead on her feet, but still smiling with joy.
“It’s a boy, Julieta,” Her face soft. “A beautiful baby boy. He looks just like his father.” She said proudly. This only made Camilo and Mirabel more excited to see the baby, tugging on Julieta’s sleeve and whining about how they wanted to see him.
Julieta ignored their pouting, turning her attention to Camilo. “Camilo, you're going to be a big brother!” she said excitedly. “How do you feel?”
Camilo gained a absolutely starstruck look on his face. Mirabel guessed that it had really just sunk in he had a little brother. What a strange feeling, Mirabel decided. To love someone without even knowing them.
—————-
Mirabel’s first look at Antonio was a very blurry one. Her mom had made her shut her eyes and open them when she said to. This backfired spectacularly because her mom had forgot that Mirabel is a bit farsighted, so she couldn’t really focus on him very well. Still, She gazed upon a sleeping blob of brown and yellow and thought “Oh, I love him.”
Camilo was a few rooms away, bawling. He was allowed in before Mirabel, being his brother, and he had cried to her about how cute he was. He had mentioned how curly and soft his hair was (“Just like mine!” He said with a proud smile.) and honestly, Mirabel was a bit curious. So, she stuck out her hand and soft held his face. Not needing to see to know how much she loved the bundle of joy.
Pepa was sleeping along with the baby, so she couldn’t tell her not to. The only reaction to this was a whispered “Be careful!” From Félix.
And, as Mirabel held Antonio’s blurry face, she gained another person to love.