Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

What happened?

The little girl looked at her Abuela, nervous and confused. Her door should have glowed, right? Where was her door? Her confusion increased when she saw her Abuela retreat from her with a face that she would not know how to decipher due to her young age. She at least was sure that wasn't a happy face. She looked around for someone to tell her what was happening, but her tías and primos had the same face as Abuela, and primo Camilo was hugging her mother's leg. They exchanged confused looks.

Where was Daddy? She looked around nervously, trying to spot the green ruana, though to no avail.

Not knowing what else to do, she began to cry. The little girl left and ran to the room in which she had been sleeping until that day, the nursery. She stood on tiptoes to reach for the handle, opening and entering quickly, pushing the wood until it closed.

Mirabel hurried to her bed, hugging her pillow tightly when she landed in the bed. She barely understood what had happened, but she was sure of one thing: the adults were angry with her.

She kept crying until she eventually fell asleep from exhaustion ... Not knowing that someone else had accompanied her that night.

Mirabel snapped awake, sitting up and hyperventilating at her own memory. She looked right at the wall, seeing the now familiar green glow.

No, it hadn't been a memory… it was a vision. That was exactly what happened.

Mirabel flopped back on the bed, covering her eyes with her hands. She couldn’t let her primo Antonio see her like that. She took several deep breaths to calm herself, gradually diminishing the intensity of the glow until it was completely gone.

Mirabel sighed, exhausted. It was the third night in a row that a vision crawled in her dreams. Knowing better than to try to sleep again, she struggled to keep her eyes open.

In her fifteen years, she has Seen a lot. She Saw the wedding of her tía Pepa, the hurricane that was summoned by her, Bruno just trying to warn her that she was creating a cloud.

She also Saw the gift ceremony of the triplets, the surprise of the guests from the town when her Papa got a vision and nobody could shake him from his stupor, complicated even more by the tornado from her tía.

Ah, yes. She never could forget her Papa, because she was constantly having visions about him and his life. The true problem of that, though? Her Abuela and tías were very convinced that she didn’t remember. Julieta was her mother, and that was what she had to pretend all her life… because they don’t talk about Bruno.

Honestly, that was a weird rule, at least for her that Saw almost every piece of their life. What has her Papa done to deserve exile? He was kind, almost every time rushing to Pepa to help her calm down before their Mama could discover the mess in her room, or hiding his most gruesome visions from the townspeople and her Mama to protect himself.

Mirabel almost puked when she Saw a group of angry people hitting her dad. He was saved later by Julieta, and her vision ended with Bruno crying himself to sleep in her sister’s lap.

The most important vision about him, though, was the one that made her aware that he was still in Casita.

Mirabel got that vision when she was nine. In it, Bruno had just talked to Abuela, and she asked him not-so-kindly to look into his daughter future after the failed ceremony. He went to his tower and did just that. She didn’t See well what that vision was or why he would look so nervous, so sad, but she then knew that he hid on the walls.

That night, she got up immediately after the vision ended, and found the entry behind the frame right away. Bruno watched her wordlessly, surprised by seeing her bright green glowing eyes illuminating the narrow passage.

After a very long session of cuddles and tears, he taught her how to relax. That would help her to be able to "turn off" her eyes again after the visions. (He laughed when he said that, and she decided then that she wanted to hear her Papa laugh like that many more times).

Returning to what Mirabel would like to call the present, she loves her Papa. She really does. That’s why she gets up, keeping her movements very quiet to prevent Antonio from waking up.

See, that was a plus of “her mother’s” gift, she knows how to cook. And she cooks for her dad.

A full plate of arepas later, she takes it and knocks on the family tree mural, smiling when it creaks and opens, Bruno slightly nervous and watching before letting her in.

He helped her with the arepas, putting them on the tiny table before helping her pass through the gap, smiling at her.

“Um… H-hi, mija… Another restless night?”

Bruno caressed her cheeks lovingly, his nervous smile betraying how happy he was of having her there.

“Yeah, the visions are getting annoying nowadays”

Her first true smile of the day shone somewhat darkened; she truly was exhausted. Her dark circles were beginning to resemble her father's in that sense.

Bruno wanted to reassure her, tell her that it would get better… But if her power was like his, it wouldn’t get better. He didn't want to lie to her daughter like that.

The days passed, then weeks and then months.

Antonio’s gift ceremony was today.

One of her jobs as a “giftless” Madrigal was waking up everyone, so she said goodbye to her Papa, hugging him tightly, and made her way out of the walls. Once she got out, she went to the kitchen to have the breakfast dishes ready, and went door by door calling out every one of her family.

That would be a difficult day, after all.

Chapter Text

Mirabel was finishing making breakfast when she heard footsteps outside, soon followed by giggles. Leaning out the window, she laughed softly when she spotted three village children, one of them with a cup of coffee in hand.

"Hey, what are you three doing there?" She asked, amused, noting how they jumped when they were discovered.

"Hey, when’s the magic Gift happen?"

"My cousin’s ceremony is tonight" she answered them, putting plates back on the table.

"What’s his gift?" she giggled, they obviously didn’t know how they get their gifts.

“We’re going to find out!” was her cheeky response, carrying plates to their places based on the name written on them.

“What’s YOUR Gift?” asked the one with too much coffee, a maniac expression on his face.

"Who’s asking?" she deflected the question quickly, being an expert at it. Anyone except her father would assume it was to avoid talking about her lack of Gift, after all.

“US!” yelled all three at the same time, making Mirabel giggle a little.

“Well, ‘us’, I can’t just talk about myself… I’m only a tiny part of the amazing Familia Madrigal!” He said, smiling towards the children, pointing her hand towards the mural with his family tree.

“Who’s all the Madrigals?!” they yelled again, one smiling, other kind of annoyed, and the last one overly nervous because of the coffee.

Well, there she was again. She gave various orders to Casita, who helped her with the last details on the breakfast.

This is our home, we've got every generation

So full of music, a rhythm of its own design

Mirabel started, going for the second (and hopefully last) round of knocking on everyone’s door, the signal that the breakfast was ready.

This is my family, a perfect constellation

So many stars and everybody gets to shine

Everyone but her. At least that was what everyone thought of her family, and that was how it should be kept, or so said her Abuela.

But let's be clear, Abuela runs this show

She led us here so many years ago

Don’t get her wrong, she loved her Abuela too.

Her first vision ever was about her, after all. It was only two days after her failed ceremony, she Saw her Abuelito Pedro and Abuela, sitting on the edge of a fountain, just talking about their days. It was a little thing, really. But for a five-year-old girl, it was very confusing. Even more when she saw her glowing eyes in a little mirror when she noticed some strange green light and didn’t know from where it came. She thought that she didn’t get a Gift.

And every year our family blessings grow

There's just a lot you've simply got to know, so

She opened the gates of Casita, while the kids watched in awe the entire family leaving and taking the path to the village.

Welcome to the Family Madrigal

The home of the Family Madrigal

Where all the people are fantastical and magical

I'm part of the Family Madrigal

She winked her eye to them, and they seemed to like to hear even more.

“Oh my gosh! It’s them!”

“What are the Gifts?”

“I can’t remember all of them!”

“And I don’t know who’s who!” she started to get a little nervous for all the questions.

“Okay, okay, relax!” tried to calm them down.

“It’s physically impossible to relax!!”

“Tell us everything! What are your powers?”

“Just tell us what everyone can do!” exclaimed nervously the coffee boy, and that was her limit. She reached out and took his mug away.

“And that’s why coffee is for grown-ups” she said, rolling her eyes.

When kids got that curious, she felt like if they knew her Gift, she couldn’t get out of Casita without getting tormented by everyone.

Mirabel guided them toward the mural with her family represented, where she could explain more easily.

My tía Pepa, her mood affects the weather

When she's unhappy, well, the temperature gets weird

Her tía was really warm when you got to knew her. Pepa had sudden mood swings, a disadvantage that she inherited with her Gift. That didn't stop her from loving her children and nephews nonetheless.

My tío Bruno-

(We don't talk about Bruno)

She eyed the townspeople, stopping the urge to roll her eyes. Come on, the man was out of their lives for ten years, and they haven’t forgotten yet? She didn’t care, she wanted the kids to know about him.

They say he saw the future, one day he disappeared.

Mirabel explained, keeping their secret, but also speaking correctly of him, without turning him into a kind of villain as the rest of his family had done.

And that's my mom Julieta, here's her deal.

The truth is, she can heal you with a meal

She addressed her as her mother, smiling towards her. She was very kind to everyone, fiercely protective. Mirabel loved her the most, because she also didn’t care about the taboo surrounding her Papa. If she wanted to tell her something about him, she did.

Her recipes are remedies for real

If you're impressed, imagine how I feel—Mom!

She exclaimed, embarrassed by the lady, who just kissed her cheeks lovingly. Mirabel wiggled out of her reach, laughing a little.

Two guys fell in love with Family Madrigal

And now they're part of the Family Madrigal

So, yeah, Tío Félix married Pepa and my dad married Julieta

That's how Abuela became an Abuela Madrigal

She introduced her “Papa” and tío, giggling when she saw then dance. Her adoptive father normally didn’t want to dance, as he was prone to accidents.

We swear to always help those around us

And earn the miracle that somehow found us

The town keeps growing, the world keeps turning

But work and dedication will keep the miracle burning

And each new generation must keep the miracle burning

She recited the words that her Abuela made sure each of them knew by heart. The town was first, then they could worry about themselves. Even better if it was alone and silently.

“Wait, who's a sister and who's a cousin?”

“There's so many people!”

“How do you keep 'em all straight?” The kids sounded confused, and Mirabel didn’t blame them. Getting to know her entire family in one go was a little confusing.

“Okay, okay, okay, okay” she was ready for part two: her primos.

So many kids in our house, so let's turn the sound up

You know why? I think it's time for a grandkid round-up

Mirabel smiled when the children chanted what she said, they were very excited with her explanations. Somehow it made her feel important.

Cousin Dolores can hear a pin drop

And honestly, that worried her. Mirabel didn’t know if she knew about her little secret. Or secrets, in plural.

Camilo's shape shifts, Antonio gets his gift today

He greeted Mirabel while cradling a baby in the shape of the mother, getting her comfortable and gaining her time to rest.

My older sisters: Isabela and Luisa

One strong, one graceful, perfect in every way

She loved her two adoptive sisters, even if one of them did not return that affection. Isabela was difficult to get along with, especially since she teased her continually over her false lack of Gift.

Luisa was gentle, despite her external appearance. Normally they had girl's night, where they would play and comb their hair… But some years prior, they stopped because Luisa was too tired to spend the night with her.

That's life in the Family Madrigal

Now you know the Family Madrigal

Where all the people are fantastical and magical

That's who we are in the Family Madrigal

“Adiós! Oh…” Mirabel tried to get away quickly after her explanation, but she was cornered by the children, who this time were more numerous. It seems that she managed to gather more from the village.

“But what's your gift?” asked one of them. She turned trying to ignore them and walking towards Casita.

“I never meant this to get autobiographical” she muttered quietly, realizing now that she should get rid of the children quickly.

She did not know what to answer them. The short and less troublesome answer would be telling them that she didn’t get one, but then she would be being judged by even more people. She had enough with the comments from the village adults and her family, and she knew how cruel children could be.

“Mirabel!” she tensed, looking up to see her Abuela’s disappointed face, one that she was sadly used to.

“What are you doing?” Abuela asked. She was about to answer her when a kid beat her to it.

“She was about to tell us about her super-awesome Gift!” yelled, smiling openly. Mirabel wanted the earth to open up and swallow her whole.

“Oh, she didn’t get one” her cousin Dolores said, peeking from the door. She squeaked softly and retreated.

The kids looked disappointed. Oh, more disappointed faces to her collection.

“If I were you, I would be really sad” said one little girl.

Mirabel knew she didn’t mean that badly. She was only a kid, after all. She felt her eyes wetting anyways.

Once she got her ‘super special (not special)’ box, she entered the house. Mirabel got the box to the kitchen, where Casita put the goods in their places.

Returning to the Nursery to get her custom made details for the doors, Isabela teased her again. She let it pass with a little bickering, wanting to get her things.

Once they were all in their places, Abuela started her. Abuela’s tapestry got on fire, and she felt the anxiety rising.

“Mirabel, maybe you should let the decoration to your cousins” She said. Mirabel felt her eyes fill with tears again.

“But these are special tapestries made by me” Mirabel tried to explain, but her Abuela didn’t let her continue. She walked past her, going to supervise the preparations.

At times, she didn’t love her Abuela so much.

Chapter Text

She retreated to her room after collecting back her tapestries.

“Mamá, be nice to Mirabel, please. Tonight will be hard for her, don’t make things even harder” she heard her adoptive mother say, making her eyes wet again.

Oh, if she only knew how hard it will be.

Abuela responded firmly about how hard it would be for everyone if the ceremony didn't go well, and she could only sigh.

Mirabel sat on her bed after closing the door, the multiple colorful fabric resting on her hands.

She wondered when her Abuela started being mean to all of them. The hazel eyed one recalled all of her short visions, being a complete memory when she stopped to collect her thoughts and more or less sewed each piece together with others until they made sense together.

Abuela suffered a lot. That was a fact. Losing the love of her life and having to raise three babies all by herself was hard. But Mirabel knows that, even if she had a bad time, it is not an excuse for her to treat them that badly.

Something fell from her eyes, wetting the embroidered and burned fabric belonging to her Abuela. She reprimanded herself, putting down her glasses on the bed as he rubbed her eyes furiously. It was not a day to cry, Mirabel had to be strong for Antonio.

Mirabel put the tapestries away, glad that she didn’t make a sound when she was crying, because she could hear someone under the bed.

She opened a cabinet, grabbing a gift box closed with several strands of multi-colored wool. The girl grabbed several of the threads and wagged the gift in front of the empty space under her bed.

“This present will self-destruct if you don’t take it in three…” she began, voice a little cracked, but she composed herself quickly.

“twooo…” stretched the words, waiting...

“ooone…” Mirabel saw amused how some little hands grabbed the gift quickly, disappearing under the bed.

She stood up just to crouch down, crawling under the bed next to his primito, who didn't seem too happy.

“Nervous?” she asked with a sympathetic smile. “You have nothing to worry about. You’re gonna get your Gift and open that door and it’s gonna be the coolest ever! I know it” said in a low voice, gently stroking her cousin's wild hair.

That was a gesture she had learned from her Papa. It had relaxed her more times than she could count as he stroked her hair, sometimes even braiding it.

“What if it doesn’t work?” Antonio whispered, concern tinting his voice.

Mirabel felt her heart stopping. She knew that it was impossible not to get a gift, she got one even when her door disappeared. But she couldn’t tell him about that, so she had to try something else.

“Well, in that… impossible scenario, you’d stay in the nursery, with me,” Mirabel told him gently, joking a little to try and cheer him up. “… forever” she added dramatically moving her hand. Her Papa’s telenovelas were having an effect on her, apparently. “And I’d get you all for myself” told him, tickling him until she heard him giggle.

“I wish you could have a door… And you were sad when you entered, I heard you” Antonio whispered softly, and Mirabel felt her eyes wet again. Oh, not again.

“You know what? You don’t have to worry about me, because I have an amazing family and an amazing house…” She felt the tiles move a little under her, Casita showing her support. “And an amazing you” she smiled gently, combing his hair a little more.

“And seeing you get your special Gift and your door, that’s gonna make me more happy than anything”

Bruno choked silently on tears as he heard, on the other side of the wall. Her little girl was breathtaking, he repeated himself mentally.

“But alas, I’m gonna miss having the world’s best roomie” Mirabel said to end the emotional speech, pulling the present to get it in front of her cousin’s face, pointing at it so he would unwrap it.

She watched happily how he held the plush, cuddling it almost instantly.

“I know you’re an animal guy, and I made this so when you move into your cool new room, you always have something soft to snuggle with” Mirabel pointed out, recalling all the nights when his little primito liked to sneak in her bed and cuddle with her the rest of the night.

They hugged for a little moment, before being interrupted by Casita, hurrying them.

It was time.

The town was very excited by the night, everyone were received by Luisa helping them to park their transport donkeys, or Camilo greeting them if they were coming by on their own.

Mirabel watched as all close family to Antonio greeted him and told him how proud he would make them when he had his Gift.

“Mirabel, you’re gonna make the family proud”

Resonated on her mind, the memory (or vision, she couldn’t say if it was one or the other, she stopped caring about that long ago) fresh on her mind. Specially today.

Antonio and Mirabel watched helplessly as they went to be by the side of the new door, the kid all alone when the flower curtains opened.

He seemed so tiny when she watched him under the stone arch… And he was afraid by the look on his face. So afraid of having to walk to the door alone. Mirabel knew that sensation. And when she got it, it was even better, because in theory she was absolutely certain that she would get a Gift.

In Antonio’s case, the possibility that he wouldn’t get one, was there. So, he was justified in being nervous. The light pointed directly at him, and he looked even more small than before.

He didn’t move. She was a little concerned, the townspeople were very cruel, the whispers were starting among the crowd.

More so when he wanted her to accompany him to the door.

“I can’t” she said in a low voice, sad to be telling him this, but it was for its own good.

“I need you” he whispered back, making an impossible sad face. Mirabel couldn’t resist that, so she inhaled slowly, trying to calm her nerves, and went forth.


She took his extended hand, giving a wary look at the people who were whispering even louder now. The disgrace of the family Madrigal, now with the new hope? Atrocious.

They walked slowly the path, then climbed up the stairs. It had to be slow, that was what tradition said. And no one broke the tradition.

When they were close enough to Abuela, she let go of him, whispering a “good luck” before stepping aside, next to Pepa, Félix, Camilo and Dolores.

Mirabel saw herself with 5 years again, taking the vows by touching the candle, and stepping until she was close enough to the door. She extended her arm to the knob and…

No, Antonio touched the knob. And the door erupted in light and magic. A couple of seconds later, he would talk with a toucan and so many animals entered Casita, and the entire town and her family rushed in the room.

Mirabel entered last, smiling softly. She was proud. She wasn’t sad. No, she wasn’t.

But she was left alone again in the nursery, just like she was 5 years old again.

Chapter Text

Mirabel saw as the room began filling with magic, the tropical-themed space being created rapidly. A big feline carried her primito in its back, up the tallest tree until they reached a hammock.

Then they came down, and the family reunited for a photograph, commemorating the happy occasion. They all looked radiant with their gifts, especially Pepa who was showing proudly a rainbow over her head.

All… Except Mirabel.

Don't be upset or mad at all

She inhaled sharply.

Don't feel regret or sad at all

Mirabel felt her eyes fill with tears.

Hey, I'm still a part of the family, Madrigal

And I'm fine, I am totally fine

I will stand on the side as you shine

She was exhausted. Not only because of her visions, but of the situation. She wanted so bad to tell everything that was happening to her, but was terrified of doing so.

I'm not fine, I'm not fine

Mirabel finally admitted, going out of the new room. Instinctively, she slowly walked all the way to her father's tower.

I can't take another night up in my room

Waiting on a miracle

She sat on the stairs, hugging her legs and hiding her face in them. She couldn’t hide her tears anymore.

Can't keep down the unspoken invisible pain

Always waiting on a miracle, a miracle

It really would be a real miracle if she could let go of her secrets. She wanted her dad with the family. She wanted her dad, period. Mirabel needed him. He was her anchor.

Always walking alone

Always wanting for more

Like I'm still at that door longing to shine

Like all of you shine

Mirabel just wanted a door to make her family realize she’s not useless. Why didn’t she get a door? Was she cursed with a Gift but no door?

Imagine how her family would react if only they knew. Maybe they would be angry at her for not telling anything. All those years hiding it… She was sure that at least Abuela would be mad at her.

All I need is a change

All I need is a chance

All I know is I can't stay on the side

Maybe, just maybe, they would be sad. Sad for her. Perhaps they would realize how much pain was she enduring. The secret was burning her from the inside out.

Someone please just let me know where do I go

I am waiting on a miracle, a miracle

Mirabel turned, being face to face with the walls. She put a hand on the hard surface, unaware that Bruno was right there for her.

She didn’t notice the faint glow on the door, or the way her eyes were starting to glow, too.

Show this family something new

Who I am inside, so what can I do?

Mirabel would want to try and use her Gift freely. Perhaps she could control her visions, but she would never know. How could her, when she was constantly afraid that someone discovered her? She didn’t want to show them just so they decide that it was a useless gift, like they told her Papa many years ago.

Decided, she got up, whispering a quiet “Te quiero papá”.

I'm sick of waiting on a miracle, so here I go

I am ready

Come on, I'm ready!

I'm impatient to stand fast and steady

Bless me now as you blessed us all those years ago

When you gave us a miracle

She silently begged her Abuelo for a chance, for she was about to get back into Antonio’s room… but something stopped her.

Am I too late for a miracle?

The door was glowing. Bruno’s door was… glowing. Her Papa’s door.

Intrigued, she got closer. Putting a hand on the wood, she noted that it wasn’t glowing like the others doors. Little details, tiny butterflies around Bruno’s figure, were glowing on a pale green, similar to the color her eyes were when she had a vision. The parts that should glow in a golden light, were off, like ever since her dad apparently fled.

Mirabel couldn’t dwell on that for long, because she heard something break. Peeking from the balcony, she noticed a broken roof tile. She was about to go downstairs when a strong tremor stopped her, and when cracks began to appear over Casita, she panicked. What was happening?

Running to Antonio's room like she had planned, but with new and alarming plans for what to do there, she circled the balcony to get to the other side.

“Mirabel? W-what is happening to your eyes?” Luisa watched amazed at those glowing green eyes.

Oh, so it… was a vision?

Wait.

She actually noticed Luisa, and fully registered, silent, that she saw her.

Chapter Text

She was petrified. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t take her (glowing, she knew they were glowing) eyes off her sister-cousin, who was frantically but quietly calling her.

“Mirabel? Please, say something, you’re scaring me” she distantly heard from her, but couldn’t react.

Sensing that something was very wrong, Luisa did what she knew best, being a big sister. Gently, she lifted Mirabel from the floor and carried her outside Casita, letting her take some air besides a big tree.

She patiently waited for her to talk. Seconds became minutes, but some silent time later, she finally responded.

“I’m sorry… about scaring you” Mirabel said in a low voice, her eyes having returned to their normal pale green/brown. No signs from the glowing sickly green anymore. She hugged her knees, staring at the floor.

“Don’t worry about me hermanita. You want to talk about… you?” She asked, caressing her shoulder to try and give her some support.

Luisa certainly was scared back there, that was true. But not for her. She worried if something would be happening to her little sister. She was always more protective with her, as Isabela often ignored both of them to focus on herself.

“Luisa I… I don’t know if you should know about this” she answered honestly. “It isn’t about me, I knew that sometime I would be discovered…” her cousin perked up at that “… but you are carrying so much weight already, I don’t want to be an extra worry for you” Mirabel explained, tears gathering in her eyes until she couldn’t stop them anymore, and flowed freely down her cheeks.

Luisa watched and heard, furrowing her brow in concern as every word was piling on her, until she had to hug her sister, stroking her back and shushing her protests.

“Mirabel, I’m the strong one of the family.” She said, pulling from her a bit. “I… well, you’re right, I have been stressed lately, but that doesn’t mean that knowing about you is going to make it harder. It already is.” She told in an incredibly sad voice, with a smile that broke Mirabel’s heart a little more that it already was. She thought she heard a rumble, and gave Casita a fast glance. More cracks.

“Okay, I will tell you… But you have to promise you won’t tell anyone about this, especially not Abuela and Mamá.” Mirabel stated, serious tone that matched her hard stare into the other pair of eyes.

Luisa nodded as serious as her sister, making a crux over her heart as a sign of promise.

“Okay, okay… I can do this…” The younger said to herself, thinking where to start her story while she cleaned the tears from her face. Her visions often blurred the reality she knew and remembered, so she had to be careful not to say anything that would point to her Papa Bruno or any familiar secret. Luisa was sitting with her legs crossed, silent and ready to hear anything that her sister would tell her.

“It all started some days after my failed ceremony. I… was dreaming, but also not dreaming. My head hurt, and I was so little that I didn’t understand what happened. I was alone on the nursery, so no one noticed. As months and then years passed, I was beginning to understand, I… I can see moments of the past” she shifted her glance from the floor to her sister to see her reaction, her face was neutral but somewhat surprised. “Yeah, I know… Sounds pretty unbelievable, huh? Pretty boring too.” Mirabel gave a little self-deprecating smile, getting lightly punched by her sister, a thing that made her laugh a little more wholeheartedly.

“When I was fully conscious about my gift, I knew that I couldn’t tell anyone about this” she continued, getting a more surprised look by Luisa.

“But why, Mira? I don’t know about the rest of the family, but I would listen, any time” her cousin said, a little insecure.

“I… was scared, Luisa. You know what happened to tío Bruno, I didn’t want his same destiny” ‘and he didn’t want it for me, too’ was what went unsaid. “Imagine the consequences of the people of the village knowing that I can see the past. What... if I Saw something that they didn’t like? Would they hate me as they hated Bruno? I just preferred being cast apart for having no gift than being the one that the people hated” she explained as good as she could, and as she saw her cousin’s face, she knew what she was going to ask.

“Abuela is just a big no, we all know her. And Mamá… it’s complicated. It would break her heart if she knew that I was hiding this from her” added sheepishly, watching the stars over them. They reflected on her eyes, creating a pattern of brilliant dots.

They stayed silent for several minutes after that, Mirabel supposed that her cousin would need time to process all that she told her.

“I’m glad you listened, I kind of feel like I now have a confident” Mira said while looking at her with a tiny smile.

“I’m sorry for you Mirabel, I should have noticed that something was wrong… Argh, so many years, and you had no one” Luisa put her hands on her face, mentally cursing herself for being so irresponsible with her sister.

“But I’m curious… you have a gift” Mirabel nodded. “Then… why do you not have a room for yourself?”

Ah, that was a question that even Mirabel didn’t know about.

She was going to tell her just that, when a shout calling Luisa was heard.

“Oh… Sorry, I have to go, we will continue this talk later” the taller one reassured, but before she could go, she felt the touch of Mira on her wrist.

“Please, remember… Don’t tell anyone about me” she pleaded, scared eyes staring at hers. “And… thank you for listening, and understanding”

Luisa gave her a full grin, putting her big hand on Mirabel’s head and messing up her hair.

“Anything for my little sister”