Chapter Text
The first day of rebuilding Casita was strange for them all. They weren’t used to being without their gifts, so they kept doing tasks as if they still had them. They were all readjusting to something.
Dolores kept being easily spooked by someone moving in the corner of her eye that she hadn’t heard. Luisa kept forgetting to ask for help when lifting debris, nearly hurting herself on multiple occasions. Camilo would tell a story or a joke, thinking that he had shifted to someone else only to stop mid-sentence to stare at his hands for a moment before sheepishly mumbling, “Oh yeah.”
Even Mirabel had trouble adjusting to being without Casita because, while she hadn’t been given a gift, she had grown so close to their home. More so than the rest of the family because she’d been the only one without a room so she was always with Casita. They were strangely inseparable.
Abuela had trouble adjusting to giving them all a break. She had realised the mistakes she had made, the problems with their family and how badly they affected them all but it still took time to adjust her instinctual expectations. But she was trying and she would get there eventually. For that, everyone was grateful.
Then there was Bruno. Bruno was probably the only one who was relieved to be without the miracle. He felt bad for the rest of his family, all without something that was integral to their personality, to themselves. Technically, he was in the same position, only for him, his gift wasn’t a part of himself that he ever really wanted.
Of course he’d stopped doing the big visions, the ones forged in glass, long ago, excluding the one he’d seen with Mirabel. But he still had those little nagging visions that would find their way to him every so often and leave him with horrible migraines. Migraines that couldn’t be healed with Julieta’s cooking. They’d be even worse if he tried to fight them but he generally resisted them anyway because every now and then if he fought hard enough the vision wouldn’t come back.
So honestly he was thrilled to be without his powers. He was glad not to have to worry about them anymore, but that did make him feel a little selfish. His family was suffering and he felt bad for not feeling the same. Who wants to turn down a miracle?
But regardless of how they were all feeling they got to work with the help of the village to restore their beloved Casita. Magic or no magic.
The initial stages were really just moving the rubble so they could lay the new foundation. Mirabel stuck with Bruno as much as she could, obsessed with her tío, understandably considering what he’d done for her.
“Mirabel!” Camilo called in their direction from where most of the family was gathered. “Mariano’s family said we can have dinner at their house tonight!”
This earned him a sigh from Pepa who clearly wasn’t happy with his delivery of the message. “I meant to go over and tell her, Camilo. As in, use your feet and walk there.”
“Ohhh, right. Sorry Mamí,” he apologised, though he’d definitely known what she meant before.
By this time Mirabel had reached them, dragging Bruno along behind her. He looked unsure and nervous and like he was ready to run away as soon as Mirabel let go. He wasn’t sure if the invitation extended to him but he also wasn’t sure how to ask. If it did include him he would look weird for thinking otherwise and if it didn’t it would make everyone uncomfortable telling him so.
“Let’s go, I’m starving!” Mirabel said to him and he jumped slightly, not expecting the direct attention.
“Oh, uhhh,” he mumbled, now panicking at the need to say something quickly.
“Bruno?” Pepa asked, having not moved yet to follow Camilo and his desperation for dinner.
Bruno figured that that settled it then. She was confused why he would be joining them, so no one had expected that he would. That was fine he hadn’t been at a dinner with them in 10 years anyway. Not properly at least. There was no reason for that to change now.
Pepa continued speaking after his lack of response. He blushed slightly at the realisation that he’d just stared at her. She said, “You’ve gotta be starving right? Come on.” He felt a moment of relief and smiled meekly, nodding at her. “Plus we’ve got loads of catching up to do, you haven’t met Antonio!”
The idea of catching up seemed a little daunting to Bruno but he was excited to do it nonetheless. He stepped forward and they all made their way to the rest of the family at the front of the house who were waiting to walk to Mariano’s with them. Mirabel let go of him, reassured that he wasn’t going anywhere and he silently wondered how much they each knew about where he’d been or what had happened.
He wasn’t sure what Mirabel had said to his Mamá when he’d found them by the river but she certainly hadn’t said anything since then because she’d barely left his side all day, never far enough to be out of earshot. Then there was Dolores. She’d known all along where he’d been and she’d told the family that he’d never left but had she told them where he’d been? Or why he’d gone? Antonio had known as well so he could very well have told everyone what happened.
He was snapped out of his thoughts by Mirabel tapping on his shoulder. “Tío?” she asked, a little worried by him having zoned out. He looked around and everyone was looking at him expectantly.
“Uh, yes?” he asked, nerves edging in again with the attention having returned.
“We were just asking if you were ready to go. You looked a little lost in thought.” She chuckled, relieving some of his anxiety as she had done so many times since she’d found him less than 24 hours ago.
He laughed back, his nerves dissipating more. “Sorry, zoned out. Not used to being spoken to I guess.” He smiled at her, unaware that some of his family had tensed up at the comment. “I’m ready.”
They all started walking into the village, Mariano and his family had already left along with a few members of their own family, namely Isabella, Luisa and Camilo who couldn’t wait any longer for his food. Not that he would be able to eat until they’d all arrived anyway. They each split off into their own conversations, while Pepa, Mirabel, Bruno and Antonio walked in a group at the back.
“Tío Bruno!” Antonio giggled, clearly very excited by his new family member. “Are you excited for dinner? Miguel said that you always like Tía Julieta’s food but we don’t get that tonight because Señora Guzmán is cooking instead. But I think Señora Guzmán is nice so her food will be nice too! But not as tasty as Tía’s,” he rambled as he walked alongside his Mamá, holding her hand.
“Who is Miguel?” Pepa asked, a little confused for a moment. She didn’t know of anyone in the town called Miguel who would’ve known Bruno, and it was an odd detail to be passed along to someone who didn’t know him. Normally the townsfolk spoke about his gift, not his love for Julieta’s food.
“One of my rats,” Bruno explained, smiling at his sister as if that was completely normal. Though, of course Pepa already knew of Bruno’s rodent friends. He’d always been fond of them. “And you’re right, I’m sure Señora Guzmán will cook a lovely dinner. She’s a very kind woman, don’t you remember when she made a tres leches cake when Isabela first started dating Mariano? You loved that.”
Pepa turned to him, silently questioning how he had known about that. She knew he’d never left the town, Dolores had said as much but that was an awfully intimate detail to know. He wouldn’t have heard that around town. Regardless, she stayed quiet, sure that he didn’t want to speak about his time away just yet, grateful that the rest of the family had the same sentiment, as she was sure that they had heard the comment.
Bruno and Antonio continued chatting away, now discussing the drama amongst the rats. Antonio was excitedly gossiping away and Bruno was nodding wildly beside him. “So Maria and Miguel had this big argument on the night of the performance! Maria was too upset to leave her hiding spot which is why Isabela had to star in the show!”
Mirabel snorted from Bruno’s other side. “You named one of your rats Isabela?”
Bruno blinked a few times, unaware of what the issue could be with naming a rat after the perfect princess of the family. “Well yes.”
This only made Mirabel laugh more and Antonio started giggling too. Even Pepa couldn’t hide the smile that was creeping on her face. She did however quietly comment, “I think maybe we should keep that little fact to ourselves. Anyway, what performance are you talking about?”
Dolores piped up then, from a few steps ahead, lingering between the two groups. “The telenovela of a lifetime Mamá!” Bruno smiled awkwardly but appreciatively, grateful that Dolores enjoyed the shows he put on. She elaborated as Pepa only looked more confused, “Tío Bruno has a telenovela with the rats, and in the last episode, the big finale, the main actress disappeared. Dios mio. Still the show went on, as it must.”
Pepa was ready to intervene again, still quite baffled even after the explanation but before she could Abuela knocked on a door and she looked up to realise they had arrived. Mariano opened the door dramatically and welcomed them all in. Dolores glanced at him and blushed, quickly rushing to her seat beside Camilo who was wriggling impatiently, desperate for everyone to settle so he could eat. As Bruno stepped into the house he knocked on the wooden frame a few times and then on his head. "Knock, knock, knock. Knock on wood," he mumbled.
Mirabel smiled and pushed Bruno ahead of her into the seat next to Dolores and took the seat next to him. He had paled a little since leaving the house, overwhelmed from the number of people around him and also just realising his hunger had caught up with him.
Everyone still standing took their seats until the table was overflowing with people. And then dinner began.