Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

 [The way of love]

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Mirabel Madrigal would never have imagined that behind her cousin's prankster façade, something else could be found. The first time she had the feeling that something strange had happened to him was during the reconstruction of the house. She had spent hours working with the others on the stairway to the second floor, while she learned from the builders on the job. Afterwards, she walked to the pond under the acacia trees a few meters from the house with the intention of resting there for a while.

She breathed out pure air as she regained her strength. It was a real luck that this corner had not been destroyed during the tragedy. Possibly because it was one of the few places on the property that didn't have any kind of human or magical intervention. Mirabel observed the green mantle of the trees, and the mirror of water surrounded by stones in front of her, while the fish came to the surface from time to time.

"Mirabel" Camilo said, as he approached her. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "Resting," Mirabel replied. "And you?" she asked. “I didn't see you at the house. No one knew what had become of you," said Camilo, "it's not the first time it has happened this month."

Mirabel fell silent and turned her gaze back to the pond. She had been missing for almost a week in the woods near Encanto. Her family probably thought she would do it again.

"You can tell our grandmother that I'm not going to run away, if that gives you peace of mind" Mirabel said feeling annoyed, since she felt a slight tone of reproach in Camilo. “It wasn't Grandma who sent me to find you. I decided to look for you” he replied. It was clear then, that he was angry ."Perfect, you know where I am, then, we can go home now" said Mirabel, who wanted to end the discussion quickly.

"Which home?" Camilo asked as he let out a cruel laugh. Mirabel pursed her lips, turned around, and headed back toward town. She wasn't in the mood for this. Mirabel knew that after the loss of magic things would take a long time to return to normal, but she never imagined that it was Camilo who would have the most trouble accepting it.

"No answer?" he asked as he followed her "you just run and you don't even dare to answer me" he said annoyed. "I don't know what you want from me," said Mirabel who would only move forward. She wanted to go faster and faster so he wouldn't have time to reach her. Unfortunately, He was quicker and grabbed her forearm.

“I don't know what I want from you either,” Camilo answered as he firmly took her by the forearm. “I only know that I am here, broken, without magic and without a home. The only face that keeps appearing in the midst of that disaster is yours” he said furiously. Mirabel started to get scared, because he never behaved that way. Camilo was the joker of the family, that confident and secure person to whom life seemed to go by easily.

“Do you want me to go away?” she asked, as she felt her voice crack at such a question. Camilo was surprised, as he opened his eyes wide and released her very slowly. “Of course not, none of us want you to do it” replied Camilo who avoided his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck “the family would kill me if they knew I am telling you all this”.

Of course, with Bruno's return, his reconciliation with Grandma, and the house being rebuilt, no one had dared blame Mirabel for the house's downfall. She knew that the loss of magic was not her fault. If anything, it was the fault of everyone in the Madrigal family who had remained silent in the face of the possible tragedy of the impending cracks in her home. 

However, Mirabel decided that if this belief gave Camilo peace of mind, she would do whatever it took to make him feel better, even if it meant carrying guilt that didn't belong to her.

“I am very sorry about what happened, if there was a way to repair…”

“It is not possible to do it, everything good in Camilo Madrigal is lost”, Camilo answered with a broken voice and tight lips, in such a way that she could barely maintain the intensity of his gaze. “Don't say that” Mirabel said, lowering her tone of voice, and preparing to gently encourage him “surely you have something special beyond your gifts. Camilo you just have to…”

“Easy for you to say, you've been completely ordinary all your life. A person like you has nothing to offer the world, but I had something, something important” said Camilo pointing his index finger towards his chest. Mirabel was petrified.

Their relationship never recovered since she was five years old. However, Camilo never spoke to her like that. Mirabel took a deep breath. She had had to deal with multiple bullies in her life. She had learned that the worst thing to do in these cases is to give in to provocations, since it was a path of no return. Mirabel turned and left.

"Mirabel!" Camilo yelled. She walked for hours, to the point that she had already walked every corner of the town several times.

Mirabel knew that her family was trying. After all, by now almost everyone had understood that the cracks in the house were an entirely different matter. She felt like a freak as she crossed the town's main square. She had never been as aware of the looks of others as she was at that moment.

She walked down the street to the San Andrés park at one end of town. Mirabel sat there. She looked up at the sky and bit her lip holding back the urge to cry. It didn't matter what Mirabel did. It wasn't enough, it would never be enough. She was considered by many  a failure. A phenomenon in the midst of an exemplary family. Mirabel swung her legs back and forth as she looked at her shoes. As if she were the same girl who was waiting for her mother at the gate of the municipal school after a particularly difficult day.

She should have left, despite her grandmother's words, she should have continued walking until she reached the neighboring village. There was no place in Encanto for someone like Mirabel. Camilo was one of the people who never felt any particularly strong emotion for her and now he seemed to hate her. Maribel couldn't blame him. He did not do anything different to comply with each of his grandmother's wishes and expectations, but he lost his powers due to a disaster that Mirabel precipitated. In this difficult situation, it was easy to blame her.

Suddenly, Mirabel heard a group of male voices. She knew who it was. Victor Valenzuela's group always chose that park to spend their time. There were very few people that Mirabel despised. One of them was Victor himself. She never understood what his problem was. Many of his friends no longer found it fun to torment Mirabel. Since she had served them countless times in her mother's kitchen, or she gave embroidery classes at the church community center to their younger siblings. However, Victor always had a cruel word for her.

Mirabel remembered those days. Luisa and Isabela took turns accompanying her. Luisa was always good to her. She protected her from bullies and bought her cheap melcochas at the candy stand in the main square. Mirabel remembered herself walking hand in hand with her older sister. Looking at her with pride and love. The days when it was up to Isabela to take care of her, she never came. She still remembered how furious her mother had been after she had come home with her glasses broken and her face covered in blood because of one of the children at school.

Things began to change when she turned thirteen. Some of those kids just grew up and some became juvenile delinquents, too busy to spend time with her and the others just grew up, all but Victor Valenzuela. Mirabel heard the voices getting closer. Her first impulse was to get out of there. However, she did not wish to do so. Mirabel was not the same girl with dirty shoes who had to be protected by her older sister. She wouldn't move from there.

“But it is nothing more and nothing less than Mirabel Madrigal”, Victor said as he approached her. Mirabel couldn't help but notice that the others would fall behind as he advanced. He had hardly changed over the years. He was a boy of medium build with pale complexion and short curly black hair.

“Hello Mirabel” said Javier, the son of a builder with whom she had spent most of the day working. Mirabel couldn't help but notice that he almost seemed embarrassed by Victor's behavior, just like everyone else. "Hello Mirabel" greeted the shoemaker's son. Mirabel had taught his younger sister to embroider.

"My favorite victim," Victor said as he sat down next to her on that park bench. “Leave her alone, she's had a rough day, Victor. She worked with me and dad throughout the day,” Javier said. "You're right" supported Victor while shamelessly putting his arm over her shoulder. Mirabel felt petrified. She didn't even dare to move. Her most basic instinct told her that she must prevent him from hurting her at all costs. “Mirabel” said Victor “there is a party at my house. It is the birthday of one of my sisters. you should go with us.”

"Yes, Mirabel" he replied to the shoemaker's son, smiling at her "I assure you that we don't do it with bad intentions". "Yes, let's go Mirabel," Víctor insisted, who took her shoulder forcefully. She knew the other boys very well. Gone were their days of teasing and cruelty, but Victor was very different. He was still as mean as he was when he was seven years old. "I don't think it's a good idea, my family doesn't know I'm with you," Mirabel said as she left Victor's side and stood up.

The other boys insisted until they convinced her. After all, a few minutes ago she had complained about how lonely and isolated she felt. Now she had the opportunity to attend a party where she could meet many of her acquaintances. Victor lived in a nice big house a few blocks away, with an internal patio and a fountain in the center. She sat on the edge of the fountain while one of the boy's sisters offered her a drink.

“Mirabel, come dance with me” he said as he led her into the living room that had been transformed into a dance floor. The two of them moved around the room as the town band performed a couple of popular songs. Mirabel felt very uncomfortable dancing with that person. He had made her life hell, and she wasn't sure she wanted to forgive him just yet. But this was his house, he had invited her, and she couldn't turn him down.

"What's going on?" he asked “Am I making you uncomfortable?”. "I don't like you," Mirabel answered, immediately regretting being too honest. "Mirabel" he began almost asking, " why are you here then?" she asked. "I don't know, maybe because I had no place to go," Mirabel replied.

That was an excellent question. She never really wanted to go to that party. The only reason to accept his invitation was to stay out of the temporary house where they were living, since she did not want to face Camilo and his reproaches. Mirabel got a glass of wine. She never drank, that was one of Agustín's strictest rules, since she was underage.

"Why do you like to hurt me?" she asked Mirabel to Victor who was sitting next to her, while she slurred her words thanks to the alcohol. I don't know, "I just thought it was funny" Victor replied as he shrugged. “I have never understood that,” Mirabel said.

"what?"

“To people like you, who hurt others just for the fun of it. I guess I always want to understand the reasons, even though sometimes there aren't,” Mirabel said as she rested her jaw on her fist. “Have you ever felt more powerful than someone else?” Victor asked. "No," Mirabel replied. "There you have your answer, that's why you don't understand me" said Victor "Do you want to dance again?" he said as he took her hand and guided her to the dance floor.

Mirabel already felt the effects of alcohol. She was underage, she should never have drunk like she did. "I don't know, maybe I should go, my family doesn't know I'm here," Mirabel said. "Come on, let's dance one more song, this town is very small, very soon everyone will know that you are here, with me," Víctor insisted. Mirabel could not refuse, after all, no one had asked for her company in that way.

"Okay" Mirabel replied,  who felt flattered by the attention. Mirabel and Victor danced a couple of songs, until she decided it was time to go home. "I'll go with you," Victor said. "It's too late now, I'll get in trouble with my parents if I don't." Mirabel rolled her eyes, "In this town nothing ever happens, there will be no difference" she answered. "But, I want to do it, I want to go with you" he replied. Mirabel silently nodded.

They walked in silence to the other end of town where the temporary house where the Madrigal family lived was located. Mirabel and Victor barely exchanged a couple of cordial words all the way. She was beginning to realize that beyond the jerk she always thought she knew there was a young and somewhat silly boy, who didn't know how to treat women, who cared a lot about his sisters and had dreams and plans for the future.

“I would like to study in the capital,” Victor said. "I wish you luck, since that sounds like a great plan," Mirabel replied. He looked at her in surprise. "I gave you the perfect opportunity to get back at me and laugh at my plans, it's amazing you didn't take it." She smiled "I'm not like you" she said. "That's lucky, I'm really no good, and there shouldn't be two like me," Victor replied with a smile. "May I give you a kiss?" Victor asked. Mirabel felt herself blush, no one had asked her for a kiss, and she never imagined that he would do it precisely among all people. "Y-yes," Mirabel stammered. She narrowed her eyes slowly as she felt him getting closer very slowly, to the point that she could almost feel his breath on her lips.

"What are you doing to Mirabel, asshole?" Camilo asked who also arrived at the house and pushed Victor away from her. Mirabel was startled, but she was not surprised. Camilo knew very well that she was one of the favorite victims of his gang, and he had defended her on many occasions. He probably believed that he was going to hurt her.

“Nothing she hasn't allowed me to do” said Victor who raised his hands in peace. “It must be a joke. Mirabel would never accept you after everything you've put her through” answered Camilo who looked really upset. "No, Camilo, stop," said Mirabel who tried to hold her cousin by his shoulders. “He offered to walk me home. I was at his sister's birthday party and I…”

“Did you go to his house? After everything he has done to you?" Camilo asked furiously, "I spent the whole afternoon looking for you, I never would have imagined that you were in this jerk’s house." Victor seemed offended, "hey, I know better than anyone that I'm not perfect, but you have no right to treat me like that" Victor defended himself. “Camilo, leave him alone, he hasn't been rude today” said Mirabel. Camilo took her hand, gave Victor one last resentful look, and they went into the house.

“Have you gone crazy?” Camilo asked as he closed the door, and headed towards her. “That guy has been very rude to you, he loves to humiliate you”, Camilo said. "Wouldn't be the first one," Mirabel replied as she crossed her arms. “No, no, no” Camilo started “you're not going to turn this around. I might have been the bad guy of the day, but he's been so mean to you for years, you can't be thinking of accepting him as a potential boyfriend,” he said.

"It was just a kiss," Mirabel said. "Nobody had shown interest in me." Camilo rolled his eyes, “Of course not, because this is a town in the middle of nowhere where there are hardly any people our age, but that's no excuse to jump on the first idiot who shows interest in you, just because. you can't help but please everyone don’t you?. Don't you have self love?” Camilo said. Mirabel felt herself flush with anger. Isabela had told her something similar, but this was too much.

"How dare you?" asked Mirabel, who had never been this angry with Camilo. Especially, since she had to admit that he had a point, and this was killing her. "What is happening?" Julieta asked, as she approached the door. "Mirabel was about to kiss Victor Valenzuela" Camilo replied. Mirabel bit her lip. She had complained over and over about how cruel Victor had been, so her mom must have thought she had lost her mind.

"I thought you didn't like him," Julieta said. "Today he was very kind to me and people can change," Mirabel defended herself. “He invited me to a party, and I accepted because I was very sad because…” Mirabel said. However, she decided not to continue as Camilo's panicked face made her understand that he would get into serious trouble with her aunt if she told her about their fight. "I was sad because there's a long way to finish the reconstruction of the house" Mirabel lied.

“Mi amor, Camilo is right. Victor Valenzuela has been very mean to you. Do you remember that time he broke your glasses? He made you hit your face and you arrived covered in blood, it was truly terrifying,” Julieta asked. "I know it can be flattering sometimes when a boy pays attention to you, but he doesn't seem like a nice person." Mirabel bit her lip. She  was annoyed because everyone in that house seemed to think that she was a pathetic craving for attention. “I don't plan on marrying him after a date,” Mirabel replied as she stormed down the hall, across the internal patio of that house to her bedroom on the second floor.

Mirabel felt humiliated by the reaction of Camilo and her mother. It was clear that everyone in that house thought she was a poor, pathetic, stupid girl. However, this time, Mirabel was not interested in proving them otherwise. She could only think of the hours she had spent dancing with Victor, in his nice house, in his nice family. Perhaps one day she would find a way to get out of there, and find someone who would allow her to have her own home away from the Madrigals.

The next day, Mirabel left the house in the company of Isabela. They had to go to the market for some groceries. However, just as they crossed the main square, Mirabel ran into Víctor who was looking at her from one of the corners in the company of his friends.

"Hello, Mirabel" he said as he came running towards her. Mirabel felt Isabela's gaze fixed on her. Her sister seemed to want to run away. Probably, her mom and Camilo had already warned her, because she looked at Victor as if he were nothing more than an annoying insect. "I remember you" Isabela said to Victor. "You are the idiot who broke Mirabel's glasses when they were children, you are always humiliating her in public" she said. Victor blushed "Well, Miss Isabela, we all deserve a second chance, if it wasn't like that, you wouldn't come out so well either" he replied.

Now it was Isabella's turn to blush, because he was right. People in Encanto had rarely seen the difficult side of Isabela, who seemed to have nothing but cheerful smiles for everyone. However, she gave him one of the worst looks in her arsenal. "We have things to do, the best thing is for you to stop bothering us, brat" Isabela said. Mirabel blushed, took her sister's arm and started to pull her away. "I'm sorry Victor, we'll talk later, '' Mirabel yelled as they left.

"You are very rude, Isabela" Mirabel said to her while they did the shopping. “I can't believe you're even contemplating going out with him, after everything he's done to you,” Isabela said. "He's right, people deserve a second chance," Mirabel replied. Isabela shook her head, but she didn't continue the conversation. It was evident that she thought the same as her mother and Camilo: for her Mirabel was nothing more than a little girl hungry for some affection and attention.

Isabela remained silent as both walked through the market square looking for fruits and vegetables. However, her sister gave her a concerned look from time to time.

"This is our fault," Isabela murmured suddenly. Mirabel was very upset. She knew that her sister was still thinking about Victor, so she decided that she would not back down.

That afternoon, Mirabel was working with her family and other members of the town on the reconstruction of the Casita. She looked out from one of the windows under construction on the second floor, and there she saw Camilo talking to Victor. “Mirabel isn't here, she's busy, don't look for her anymore” her cousin said. "Come on, everyone knows that she is working in this house, if she wants to give me a chance, I don't understand why all of you don't want to do it" she replied.

“Get out of here,” Camilo said. Mirabel had already realized that her cousin had no intention of letting him in, so she opened and looked out the window. “Hello Victor, wait a minute” Mirabel said while Camilo gave her a grimace full of annoyance.

Mirabel let Victor in, and he offered to help her put up the ornaments in the bathroom on the second floor, and when she arrived in the afternoon, he invited her to walk with him by the acacia pond. Mirabel would not say that she was getting in love with him. To tell the truth, she still felt too resentful, but if she had to choose one feeling, she would say that she felt flattered. She returned home when it was already dark and her family was eating in the dining room.

“Grandma, you have to tell her something, it is completely incomprehensible that she goes out with him. She must have gone crazy, probably one of Casita's tiles hit her on the head when it fell” Camilo opined. "I don't understand why there's so much fuss" Bruno said "as far as I remember, the Valenzuelas were a good family, they're good people" his uncle said. “The problem is not the Valenzuelas, the problem is Victor. He has always been mean to Mirabel. I have a feeling that this must be a cruel joke or something like that,” Luisa opined.

“He has never been nice to Mirabel, I don't understand the sudden change either” said her grandmother. “ Luckily for him,  Mirabel is not a spiteful person, otherwise she would not even speak to him.” her grandma concluded. Isabela sighed, “I think she's just flattered by all that attention. Mirabel is not used to that, but I wouldn't want to see her hurt” her sister said. "I think we shouldn't interfere, if we pressure her we will only make her want to go out with him even more" Bruno opined.

“We can't let her go out with him. You don't know that boy like we do. I've talked to her mom over and over, he leaves her alone for a while, and then he's back at her again." Julieta said, annoyed. "I'll take care of going to talk to his father, but I've already done it countless times, and nothing has changed," Agustín said.

Mirabel entered her room, feeling no desire to eat anything that night. Everyone saw her as the laughing stock of her family and it was killing her. Mirabel went out with Victor again the next day after she finished working on rebuilding the Casita. He invited her to go to the river in the company of all his friends and some of their girlfriends. It was the first time he had gone out with her in front of everyone.

Victor and Mirabel were not as well received as she had thought. Even Victor's friends seemed annoyed with him. They also thought that this was just another one of his pranks. They were chatting on the river bank when Mirabel was met by a familiar voice.

"Mirabel" said Camilo. “We have to go home. Grandma has been asking me about you all afternoon, we have to go." Mirabel was annoyed when she saw him. Her family denied Victor entry to the house, and had often  gone so far as to deny that she was there, but it was Camilo who seemed more aggressive. Probably because he had always witnessed firsthand everything Victor did to her. "Don't be like that, you should stay with us and keep us company instead of ruining the night" Victor said. “Let's go, Mirabel,” Camilo said without giving Victor a second glance.

"I'm so sorry" Mirabel told Victor before leaving with Camilo. “I don't understand you,” Mirabel muttered as they walked toward the house, “you never pay attention to me, but when something good finally happens to me, then you want to ruin it,” she said. Camilo turned in her direction, and looked at her full of anger. "Do you think that's good?" Camilo asked. “You can't expect everyone to be happy for you. That guy has done nothing but make you suffer for years. I don't know what happens to you, first, you go to the mountain for days, you could have died, you could have lost yourself. And now, you insist on going out with that jerk, I bet you don't even like him that much."

Mirabel didn't want to answer, so she turned around and went home. Things didn't change for another couple of weeks. The only difference was that Victor seemed kinder to her every day. Often Mirabel sensed certain gentle glances, or that he watched her a little more than necessary. This made her feel really nervous, since she couldn't feel anything really strong for him.

“Are you going to the patron saint festivities?” Victor asked one day as the two of them walked along the river. "I never go, I feel a bit uncomfortable there" Mirabel replied. "Well, there is always a first time for everything, there will be a party the first night, we could go together" Victor replied. Mirabel accepted. She had an unfinished dress that she had worked on for a long time, so she decided to grab her sewing machine and finish it. Mirabel rarely prepared herself for parties, but this was different, this time the stakes were high, and she wanted to look beautiful.

As the days passed, Mirabel was filled with hope to attend that party. However, she was careful, no one could find out about this, as her family still did not approve of Victor whom they considered to be a jerk. Mirabel had gone to work rebuilding the Casita just a couple of times. She didn't want to admit it, but she was somewhat upset with her family.

Mirabel looked at herself one last time in the mirror. The two were supposed to meet a few blocks from Mirabel's house, since neither of them wanted her family to see them. The streets of Encanto always looked even more beautiful during party nights, with the lanterns lit, the fireflies hovering, and the colonial-looking houses adorned with veraneras and begonias of all colors. Mirabel stopped in front of a small bridge in one of the most deserted corners of the town. It was one of her favorite places, since the water stream that ran below was beautiful. However, today all that landscape had an even greater meaning.

"Mirabel" Victor said as he ran towards her. "Are you ready?" he asked as he approached. "Yes," agreed Mirabel who was still looking at the river under the bridge. “Maybe we should just spend a moment here just the two of us,” Victor said. He was silent for a few moments while they listened to the sounds of the cicadas and the water. “This is my favorite place in the whole town,” Mirabel commented. "I think from now on it will be mine too," he answered. Mirabel looked at him smiling. It made her uncomfortable to admit it, but the truth is that despite all the time they had spent in the last few weeks, she still didn't have such strong feelings for him. Mirabel felt very guilty, as he seemed to love her and he had even endured the disdain of the Madrigals just for spending time with her, while Mirabel still didn't know what to think or feel.

Mirabel felt his hand on the small of her back as he leaned down to kiss her. She would have wanted to say that it was a special moment, but the truth is that it did not meet her expectations. She had probably spent so much time reading romance novels and listening to radio novelas and nothing satisfied her. Still, she reciprocated that kiss with enthusiasm.

"So this was the reason why you stood me up" said a girl who was at the end of the bridge with her arms crossed and giving them a look full of annoyance. Mirabel looked at her carefully. It was Marlene Rivera, with whom she had barely exchanged a couple of words in her life. She also saw Camilo who was looking at them as if he had been hit by a train. They both looked well dressed, so Mirabel guessed they were heading to the party as well. "Marlene, I'm so sorry, I…”

"Don't you think this 'joke' has gone too far, Victor?" Marlene asked. "I imagined everything, except that you would leave me for Mirabel Madrigal, precisely her, she is not happy with destroying her family, she also had to destroy our relationship," she said. Mirabel wanted to think of a quick, witty response, but she couldn't. She stood there, silently feeling humiliated, but that was nothing for what was about to come.

"What relationship? Marlene, we only went out a few times," Victor said. “Oh, that wasn't what you said the night of your sister's birthday party. You told us that you bet that in a couple of weeks you could make Mirabel Madrigal accept you as her boyfriend, so you can dump her the night of the patron saint's party, but, in the end, it turns out that you stood me up. instead of this simpleton,” Marlene said. Mirabel still couldn't answer.

"What?" Camilo asked, annoyed. “You did what? repeated his cousin who looked close to killing someone. Mirabel crossed her arms and prepared to go back to the house, or perhaps hide in the last corner of the town to cry, stay there and never come out again. She was a fool, everyone had seen it except Mirabel.

“Mirabel, let's go home” Camilo said as he took her by the forearm. “Don't go, Mirabel. She's right, this started out as a joke, but it's been so much fun spending time with you, what we both have is special…” Victor asked. Mirabel looked up and pressed her lips into a thin line. “Both of us have nothing. You have been nothing but cruel all your life, and I don't want to talk to you again. My family was right, you are bad, and I am an idiot” replied Mirabel. “Don't say that, Mirabel, let's go home” Camilo said gently, as he tried to get her away from there.

“Wait a minute, Camilo Madrigal” said Marlene. “Are you going to stand me up too? she asked her. "You promised me that you would go with me to the party."Camilo rolled his eyes, “I'm not going anywhere with you. We're going home, Mirabel,” he said. “I don't understand you two, seriously, I don't understand either of you. You, Victor, you did not stop talking about how pathetic Mirabel Madrigal is. And you, Camilo, you spent hours telling me that she was to blame for everything that was happening, that you didn't understand why your family acted as if they owed her something, that you understood why she hadn't received a gift, because everything she touches ruins it.” Marlene yelled. Mirabel got rid of Camilo's hold and prepared to turn around.

“I know I said it, but it wasn't true, Marlene” Camilo replied. Mirabel stopped, she wanted to listen to him, even if he didn't say more than simple excuses, anything was better than keeping Marlene's speech in her ears. “All of us knew that the magic of the house was failing, that our powers were failing, I myself felt my powers becoming more and more chaotic and unpredictable. Luisa felt weak, mom could barely control her cloud, and the others had problems too. The difference is that Mirabel was the only one of us who had the courage to face the problem, to talk about it. Unfortunately, by the time she tried to fix it, it was already too late. All of us prefer to ignore it, and we pay for it with our powers, but it's easier to blame Mirabel, as it takes the burden off us to accept that we should have spoken earlier." Camilo confessed while he avoided everyone's gaze.

Mirabel turned around and walked back towards the house, without waiting for Camilo, or even seeing how all that drama had ended. "Mirabel, please wait, it's the last time I'll do something like that to you, I swear it's the last time I..." said Victor who followed her and took her by the shoulders. "Go away from me. You're right, it's the last time I allow you to even speak to me” Mirabel replied.

She walked up to the house, but she had no desire to go in there, so she ran up the hill where the half-built Casita stood. Mirabel walked to the pond surrounded by acacia trees and sat there. It was already too late to walk to the river where she reconciled with her grandmother, so she preferred to stay in that place.

Mirabel looked at the forest around her. She should have stayed there and never come back to Encanto, for there was nothing there for someone like her.

Chapter Text

[Chapter 2]

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Mirabel had spent so much sitting under the acacia by the pond, that she had almost forgotten about the time. She didn't want to go home, but she didn't know where she could go either. “Mirabel” Camilo yelled as he approached her. “I've been looking for you everywhere, I should have guessed you were here,” Camilo said. He looked relieved.

“Leave me alone,” Mirabel said as she wiped away her tears. Camilo ignored her and ran to sit next to her. “Please don't cry for that jerk. He's not worth it” Camilo said as she put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "Leave me alone," Mirabel repeated as she pushed him hard. “Surely you are happy. Silly goofy Mirabel got what she deserved for taking away your magic, sure, everyone thinks that way” she replied. “Mirabel…” Camilo sighed, “Please don't say that, none of us wanted to see you hurt, that's why we didn't want you to go out with him in the first place,” his cousin replied. "No one could be happy to see someone like you suffer for a guy who is not worth it."

Mirabel stared at him, and a strange feeling of anger and pride washed over her. "You didn't have to worry about me, in any case I guess we all knew this was the expected ending" Mirabel replied giving Camilo a fake smile. She stood up and started walking in the direction of the Madrigals' temporary home. “M-Mirabel” Camilo stammered as he struggled to his feet and followed her. Mirabel heard him apologize with familiar phrases "I didn't want to...", "I didn't mean to...". She listened to them all with a serene and false smile. In the end, Mirabel didn't even remember what she answered, but she was sure that at some point she told him that there was no problem, that she was fine.

Mirabel still couldn't give that feeling a name, the only thing she knew was that all those apologies were empty, they meant nothing, and she wasn't interested in hearing them, because in the end, maybe he was right, maybe everyone was right. There was nothing in her,  she was ruining the family. "Are you listening to me, Mirabel?" Camilo asked. "Yes, of course,"Mirabel replied, who gave him a smile. He responded in an almost nervous manner.

"Are you going to tell the family about what happened with Victor?" Camilo asked. "Yes, I will, there is no point in denying it, the whole town will know very soon" Mirabel replied. She noticed that her cousin was getting more and more nervous by the minute. “Don't worry, I won't tell them about the other news Marlene said to me,” she said. "thank you very much, everyone will be very upset if they find out about all the nonsense I said to that gossip," Camilo replied.

They arrived home, where no one was awake anymore. Mirabel took a short bath and got into bed. She sat there in the dark for a long time, as she watched the trees sway outside her window. She must have left. As much as she thought about it over and over again, it wasn't Victor who bothered her the most, but Camilo. Sadly, she wasn't even mad by everything Marlene told her, she couldn't do it, since they were nothing but truths.

It was the first time anyone had said that to her without evasion. Mirabel had thought about it  over the years, and that speech seemed to have been recited in a more discreet way by her grandmother, by Isabela and even by her aunt Pepa's family, in the way they treated her day after day. The only thing that really angered her was that she had to hear it from a person as unpleasant as Marlene, because Camilo didn't even have the audacity to say that to her face.

Mirabel slept for a couple of hours at dawn, and then she was a bit late to wake up the rest of the family, so she decided not to. She preferred to get dressed and go to Casita and work there. Perhaps, she could work on what she had broken. 

“Stop it, Victor. You know you're my friend, but this has never been fun. Mirabel is a nice person and I don’t want to see her suffering. The best thing would be for you to go home and stop bothering her” said Javier, the builder's son. Mirabel hid behind one of the half-built beams and peered around the corner.

“Victor” Mirabel called him. Victor looked up, his eyes widened, and he held his breath. "Mirabel, I was wondering if I could talk to you," he said. Mirabel nodded and indicated for him to follow her. The two of them sat in the corner of the acacias, while Mirabel looked at the pond. "You wanted to talk, then talk," she said. Mirabel heard again the same empty excuses that Camilo had given her, "I'm very sorry...", "I didn't mean to". However, once again, she felt nothing.

The truth was that Mirabel had never felt truly attracted to him. Probably, he had been so successful in reaching her because Mirabel was hungry for some acceptance and love. She felt flattered, and she didn’t want to turn him down. However, something had changed in her during the previous night. She couldn't let everyone keep trampling on her, not her grandmother, not Isabela, not Camilo, and of course, Victor was also on this list.

"Are you listening to me, Mirabel?" asked Victor who seemed fearful. "Yes, of course I forgive you, to be honest, I can't be angry about something that was completely predictable," Mirabel replied. "Does that mean we can continue dating?" he asked. "Of course not. I can't do it, I don't want to” Mirabel answered and got up, that conversation was over. "But I really like you. Mirabel, you are such a special girl..." Victor began. “It would be better for you to leave, I wouldn't want you to meet other members of my family, especially Isabela or Camilo. He should have already told everyone what happened last night,” Mirabel said.

“I guess Camilo also told them what he did,” Victor answered. "I don't know, I don't think so," Mirabel said. Victor rolled his eyes, “Of course not. I can't believe you're not angrier at him. I have never been the best person, that is clear, it does not surprise me that everyone expects the worst from me, but he is your cousin. he shouldn’t have gone around saying all that to a gossip like Marlene, there is something called loyalty, and it's clear he doesn't have it,” Victor said. Mirabel remained silent for a few seconds. "Camilo is very upset about the loss of his magic and he has to find a culprit for all this, I guess it makes him feel better" Mirabel replied. "I was surprised by what your cousin said, I never thought that the Madrigals hid the fact that their powers were weak for months. They acted as if you were crazy at Antonio’s party. And now, they are putting the blame on you, I understand now why you wanted to leave" he said. “I don't want to talk about this, please go away, Victor. I don't want to have any more problems."

He stood up, took her hands fimly, and looked into her eyes. "Please tell me you'll think about it, tell me you'll give me a chance, please, Mirabel, I really like you, and I can be good for you too. Maybe in the future, I can take you from that family of yours, it’s clear they don’t love you. You’re a burden to them," Victor asked. “I don't want to,” Mirabel answered, as she broke free of his grasp and turned around.

Mirabel questioned over and over, if she had been too harsh with him, but she didn't care. Camilo was right about one thing: She had always felt as she had to please everyone, and she had discovered that she was completely fed up, and she didn't want to keep doing it. She didn't want to go out with Victor anymore, she didn't want to be the first one up to wake them all up just to make herself seem useful, and she didn't want anyone to keep treating her like a disposable object, because she wasn't.

The family returned home just at lunchtime. Mirabel was very hungry, since she hadn't had breakfast. However, she almost lost her appetite. "Who told you that?" Julieta asked, muttering in a corner of the kitchen in the company of Isabela. Irene Morales. Apparently, Marlene was very upset, since in the end no one wanted to accompany her to the party. Everyone in the village is aware of this,” her sister answered quietly. “I already knew that horrible boy couldn't have good intentions, we all knew it, but I don't know what happened to Camilo, she disappeared for a week, and I'm worried…” Julieta whispered. Mirabel stomped her feet so they would know she was home and stop whispering behind her back.

“Hello, I was wondering if you made lunch?” Mirabel said with a smile. "Yes, of course, there is meat, potatoes, salad, soup, whatever you want," Julieta replied. Mirabel gave her mom and her sister a look. They had forced smiles, and looked at her as if she was going to break at any moment. Very soon, the whole family was found at the table, while everyone shared the discomfort. It was obvious that they all knew what had happened. However, Mirabel did not want to talk about it. She just ate and chatted happily with Antonio as everything was just perfect. 

The elders left the table and the Madrigal cousins stayed talking. “Mirabel” Isabela began, “I heard what happened yesterday with Victor Valenzuela, and I want complete permission to be rude to him,” her sister said, to which everyone laughed. “Please don't give it to her,” Camilo begged, “if she's this rude without even trying, I don't even want to imagine what it would be like if she tries. It would be like unleashing the Kraken, or the horsemen of the apocalypse,” he said. Isabela kicked her cousin under the table, making everyone laugh except Mirabel.

"I don't want you to do something like that," Mirabel said, as she couldn't stop looking at her own hands to avoid meeting her family’s gaze. "I don't want you to be rude to him, I don't want anyone else to have to go through that," Mirabel said. She got up from her seat and left. “I am going to work on the reconstruction of Casita.” Mirabel walked silently up the hill. She probably had been too hard on her sister. After all, she just wanted to help and make her feel better, but just like with Victor that morning, that feeling of guilt didn't last long.

When the night came, Mirabel returned to her house, had dinner while everyone around her chatted and sat down again by the window of her room. She looked at the mountains, maybe it would be best to leave as she had originally planned. However, she quickly remembered the reason why she had not continued. She didn't have a single penny to her name. Mirabel would need money if she wanted to get out of there. Suddenly, someone knocked on her door

"Can we talk for a moment, Mirabel?" Bruno asked from the other side of the door. For some reason, she did feel like talking to him. Unlike her parents or her sisters, he seemed like the kind of person who could understand her. Mirabel opened the door slowly, letting him in. He sat down next to her on the bed. "I heard what happened last night," Bruno said. Mirabel didn't have the courage to return his gaze, but instead she stood there, again, looking at her own hands, as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. "Which part?" Mirabel asked, thinking that he was only talking about Victor. “Everything, absolutely everything” Bruno replied.

"Uncle Bruno, I think it would be best if I left Encanto," Mirabel murmured. "Please don't say that," Bruno replied gently as he brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. “Please don't say that, Mirabel. No one wants you to leave” Bruno continued. "Then, why is everyone so mean to me?" Mirabel asked. “I don't know that boy, Victor, well enough to give you an answer, but I'm completely sure that Camilo's intention was never to hurt you,” Bruno said. “I don't think so. I don't think he intended to do it. After all, he never thought that Marlene would have the nerve to tell me all the things he said, but I think he's right…”

"No," Bruno said. “Please don't believe that for a second, it's not like that. The cracks came before you, they were always there, you know that, but when we finally decided to act it was too late”. Mirabel nodded, that was true, but she didn't feel much better for it. She felt the tears, but she resisted anyone seeing her cry. She  had endured so much in that family and she didn't want to do it anymore.

"Everyone must think I'm an idiot, it was obvious that no one was going to notice me, I deserve it for being so stupid" Mirabel said while her voice broke. “No one thinks that, no one wants to see you hurt” Bruno replied as he took her hand. “We all know that Mirabel Madrigal is a very young girl, very sweet and kind, but perhaps a little naive and inexperienced, who wanted to give someone a second chance. He missed his chance, that's his problem, he doesn't know what he missed." Mirabel smiled at him. 

"I think I liked to think that he saw something special in me, something worthy, I had never had that feeling," she said. Bruno took a deep breath, "I think he actually saw something special in you, otherwise he wouldn't have come looking for your forgiveness, finally, the one who fell into his own trap was him."

 "Do you think I should go back to him?" Mirabel asked. “No, that boy doesn't seem to be good, but I do think you should give someone who truly loves you a chance, and that's Camilo. He is somewhat upset and sad about the matter of magic, but he does not wish to make you unhappy.” her uncle said, while he gave her one last hug.

“Mirabel, please don't be sad, I promise you that everything will be better.  We are very worried about you,” Bruno said. He kissed her forehead, gave her one last smile, and left. Mirabel responded with a smile, if there was someone who could understand her, it was him. However, she did not plan to bury herself alive in the walls of the Madrigal family. She wanted her own life, her own house. That was probably what had drawn her to Victor in the first place, the thought that he might offer her a way out.

The next couple of days passed in the same sad calm. Mirabel would go to work at the Casita and return home without a second thought. She had hardly taken the time to walk through the town, as she had the feeling that everyone was looking at her. Surprisingly, many of Victor's friends greeted her kindly. Clearly, if anyone had ruined his reputation in the midst of all that mess, it was him. However, it did not stop him from trying to find her in endless opportunities. Mirabel refused to see him, and even her uncle Bruno, who normally seemed to inhabit a completely different plane of existence than the other human beings, came down to the real world to intervene. She hid by the living room window that faced the street.

"I'm not going to repeat it a second time, you must leave, you are not allowed to set foot in this house" Bruno said. Mirabel had not seen him so upset. “Please, I know if I could talk to her…” Victor began. "No, you're not going to do it, we're sick of telling you," he said. "Then you should let her speak for herself," Victor replied haughtily. “What do you want? How much more damage do you plan to cause us?” Bruno asked. “Our family suffered a great tragedy, we lost our house, our powers and we almost lost Mirabel. She spent a week in the mountains. We cannot afford to suffer any more losses. This has been an almost tragic season for all of us. Leave us alone, not just her, all of us." Victor was shocked by those words. “I hadn't thought about the magic, the house, and Mirabel leaving. I just wanted…” Victor stammered. "It’s very likely for someone of your age to just look at your own problems and ignore everyone else's, please leave us alone, and maybe, someday, when we're all healed, if you're still interested in her, maybe in that moment she will be able to think of you”. Victor nodded, excused himself, and left.

Victor left her alone, though Mirabel sometimes felt watched as she walked through town. It was clear that he was dying to talk to her. Although things with him seemed to have calmed down, the situation with Camilo had not. She was courteous to him, in a cold and distant way. Mirabel did not feel a great change. After all, they hadn't been particularly close in a long time.

The family was quietly having lunch. Mirabel got the impression that everyone except her and Camilo were eating quickly, which was a real surprise, since her cousin usually looked like a food-eating black hole. They all gradually withdrew, so she understood: they wanted the two of them to have no choice but to talk. Camilo slowly put the spoon down next to his plate of soup and gave her an awkward smile.

"Mirabel" he said. "I was wondering if we could talk..." Mirabel sighed. "That's what we're doing," she replied reluctantly. "I know you're upset, but I've already apologized, I don't know what else I can do, I just want everything to go back to how it was before" Camilo said while his voice broke. Mirabel looked up and bit her lip. She didn't know how she could begin to explain this. “I'm not mad at you, not anymore,” Mirabel began, as if she was walking on eggshells. "I don't know how to explain it, I just don't think things can be like they were before, I don't want them to be like before," Mirabel said. Camilo took a deep breath. "What I said that night is the truth, I don't think you have damaged the magic, I think we simply ignored reality, and...". Mirabel interrupted him “that doesn't matter, Camilo. It doesn't matter anymore. I can't just erase everything from my memory,” she said. Now it was Camilo's turn to bite his lip. Mirabel could clearly see that she was hurting him, as his eyes glazed over and he averted her gaze. But she couldn't lie to him and tell him that everything would be fine. He had always been very good at reading people, that was part of his talent as an imitator. Camilo would know in a very short time that she was lying. 

"I have work to do, we'll talk later" Mirabel said, as she got up from the table and left. She worked all afternoon on the construction of the house, until the afternoon came, even so, she did not want to return to the house. "You promised me we'll talk later," Camilo said as he approached her, while she was sitting by the pond. “It's too late now,” Mirabel answered. “And yet, you're still here and you don't want to go home,” Camilo said.

Mirabel was exhausted, from working, from talking about issues that her family had chosen to ignore for years, and above all, from feeling the way she had felt for the last few weeks. Mirabel was always working on some new project, her drawings, some school activity, some dress, a complex embroidery, and this helped her to keep her distracted from many of the painful realities she lived every day. However, in the last weeks she had to face them, and she already felt that the circumstances were overwhelming.

"What do you want to talk about?" Mirabel sighed, resigned to going through another painful conversation. "I want to confess something to you, the real reason why I told Marlene all that" Camilo replied as he sat on a rock next to her. "You already told me you're sorry, there's no need...". "Listen to me!" Camilo interrupted her. "Please, let me finish, what I'm going to tell you is not easy to confess, I can't continue if you interrupt me" Camilo told her  while he seemed unable to look at anything other than his shoes. Mirabel kept silent.

“I knew that Marlene was dating Victor. Javier told me it wasn't serious, but I figured if I messed with her, I could get him to drop the charade and leave you alone. Marlene knew what I was doing and she offered to help me. I was furious and told her all those lies to convince her, I wanted you two to break up no matter what, I couldn't bear to see you together” Camilo confessed. “Because you were upset about losing your powers. Sometimes when we're upset, what we're really feeling comes to the surface,” Mirabel said. Camilo grimaced, pursed his lips and rolled his eyes in frustration. "No, I wasn't upset, I was jealous," he said.

Mirabel kept silent for a few moments. "Do you like Victor?" She asked. “Oh please, Mirabel, Nobody really likes that idiot, that’s impossible. You know what I mean” Camilo complained. She took a deep breath. “Camilo, you don't have to lie about something so serious just to make me feel better,” Mirabel said. “Not all of us are like Victor. I'm not lying. I have had feelings for you for a while, and I was dying of anger to see you dating. I was an idiot, I started going out with Marlene just so you would see it, so he would see it, but it didn't work, and I started to get more and more annoyed with you, but I couldn't tell anyone the real reason. Nothing I said was true, it was just nonsense, I was upset for a brief period of time, but then those words bacame the ravings of a stupid and jealous teenager.” Camilo said.

"I'm sorry, but I still don't believe you," Mirabel said as she shook her head. "Mirabel, you know me. You believed Victor Valenzuela, but you don't believe me" Camilo answered. “Precisely because I believed Victor I can't do it now” Mirabel replied. "Do you still like him?" Camilo asked sadly. "No, you were right, I didn't feel anything really strong for him" Mirabel replied. “But what he did to me hurt me a lot, I thought he had seen something in me, something special, and I was nothing more than a joke." Camilo sighed, and she felt him caressing with the back of his hand across her cheek. He had never done something like this, something so intimate.

“Camilo, we will get into serious trouble,” said Mirabel. “Does that mean I have a chance?” he asked. "That means we'll get into serious trouble," Mirabel insisted. "Don't say that, you're not a joke, you're the most beautiful, kind and strong girl I've ever met" Camilo said. "You saved this family, if it wasn't for you, I don't know who would have raised us after losing our powers, because with or without you, we were doomed to lose them"

Mirabel stared at him. Now she understood, she truly was a fool to believe that Victor felt for her something similar to what Camilo seemed to feel. No one had ever looked at her like that, with such intensity. Mirabel gave him a smile. Without a doubt, the two of them were in serious trouble.

"You know that we can't be together," Mirabel said. “I know, I know”, answered Camilo. "Besides" Mirabel murmured "you never gave me any sign, I never would have imagined that you felt something like that for me". Camilo sighed, “I clearly couldn't say anything. Mom and Aunt Julieta would kill me. We both know that in towns like this, far from everything, sometimes cousins get married. In Encanto there are several couples like this,  but it's not common. Grandma wouldn't like it, the family wouldn't like it, and Grandma and Isabela were hard enough on you, I thought I didn't want to make your life harder. Not to mention one small detail,” he said.

"Which one?" Mirabel asked. Camilo gave him a sad smile.”You don't love me, like I love you. There was no point in having a huge conflict with the family, when I know that you do not reciprocate my feelings. Mirabel held her breath for a few seconds. He was right. She had never thought of him as a possible boyfriend. To tell the truth, Mirabel was not romantic. She was a realist, and there weren't enough people in Encanto, and it seemed that Mirabel would never flourish in the shadow of a sister as perfect as Isabela, and one as popular as Luisa. No one wanted her, so there was no point in wishing for something she could never get.

"Camilo, I beg you, if you're not honest please tell me now, I couldn't stand another cruel joke like Victor's, you would break my heart" Mirabel murmured as she took Camilo's hands in hers. "It's not a joke, I could never joke about this, much less when I spent months thinking that it would be completely impossible" Camilo murmured, while Mirabel felt that she was slowly closing the distance between them. He raised his hand, and Mirabel shivered as she felt his fingertips on her chin, guiding her ever so gently to lift her face and look at him.

"No, no, no," Mirabel said as she stepped away from him. "This is not a good idea, we will really have serious problems." Camilo walked away and looked down, "I know, I always knew" he said. “I don't want to hurt you,” Mirabel confessed as she took his hand and intertwined her fingers with his. "But this is completely impossible," Mirabel said. "I know," he replied, not daring to meet her eyes.

“Let's go home, Camilo” she said as she stood up and offered her hand again. Mirabel and Camilo returned home. As Mirabel walked home arm in arm with Camilo, she couldn't help but think that what she had said during lunch was certainly true, things between the two of them would never be the same again. However, they had not changed in the way she had initially planned.

Chapter Text

[Chapter 3]

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Camilo was never especially close to her, not even physically. To tell the truth, he always chose distant places during family dinners, he used to sit next to Isabela or his father. He preferred to spend time in town if he had any free time left after finishing his chores. However, the days following his confession. He seemed almost desperate to get away from her.

Unfortunately, he no longer had any chores to do, and the two of them had to work on rebuilding the house, so there was no reason not to see each other day after day. Despite the above. Mirabel caught him from time to time looking at her. Mirabel wondered what he expected of her. Unfortunately, he was right. She wasn't planning on fighting with the family over a relationship she had never wanted.

Despite the above, she still wished that things could go back to being similar as they were in the past, maybe then, she could get her cousin back. However, he only seemed interested in running away from her. Mirabel thought about how to undo that situation as she walked back to the temporary house where they lived. She walked through the central garden of the house and into the dining room where she found her parents and grandmother surrounded by bills and receipts while the three of them calculated.

“This is untenable, Julieta,” her grandmother said as she looked at her notes. "We cannot live forever on the charity of the people, and the expenses of this family are quite high." her grandmother said. "Mom, you know that the extra jobs we took were what kept us going, but without our gifts things will be difficult to say the least," her mom replied.

"What's going on?" Mirabel asked as she approached the table. "Nothing you have to worry about, Mirabu," her dad answered hurriedly. Mirabel knew that Agustín was always the first to run to protect her from everything. Unfortunately, the Madrigals had never faced financial problems like normal people, and Mirabel was quite knowledgeable about being a normal person, and not having a single penny in her pocket.

“Do we have financial problems? Mirabel asked worriedly. "I'm afraid so, not enough money is coming in," her grandmother answered without hesitation. Mirabel smiled, if anyone could say that without sugarcoating it, it was her. “I could work doing sewing jobs, I already have some clients, I have done some jobs during the school holidays” Mirabel said. "That's a great idea," her grandmother responded.

Alma didn't hesitate to ask her to talk to her former clients, so Mirabel immediately understood that the situation was desperate. Her grandmother had always liked her sewing skills. Especially since she had taught her everything she knew, but she treated it more like a hobby, something fun and moderately useful. After all, for her Mirabel was part of the decoration. Mirabel visited several houses and immediately received work.

However, one of her friends from her school took her to her cousin's house, where they were preparing for her grandparents' golden anniversary celebration. The amount of work on dresses in that house was enormous. Mirabel received the garments one by one, while she listened to the mother of the family argue with her daughters since no one had the ability to cook for all the guests, and they had not found someone who was willing to do it.

“I could talk to mom. She could lend you her services,” Mirabel said.

Everyone in the Madrigal house received Mirabel with joy, not only had she found a job as a seamstress, but she had found work for the whole family. Julieta took out her recipe notebook from the drawers and ordered the whole family to help her during the day of the party. Meanwhile, Mirabel sat in her room and began to work.

Mirabel worked until late at night, to the point that she was the only one staying up in the middle of the night. She thought so until she heard someone knock on the door. "Come in," Mirabel said as she stopped the sewing machine. Camilo entered the room very slowly, while he carried a tray with two black coffees. Mirabel smiled, that was just what she needed at that moment.

"Thank you very much." Mirabel sighed as she watched him approach the machine. She took the cup from the tray and they began to drink in silence. "I didn't imagine it was you who knocked on the door, after all, you've spent the last week avoiding me" Mirabel commented trying to make it sound casual. “I thought it was for the best,” Camilo said. “The family is in enough trouble to find out about my silly unrequited love,” he answered, not wanting to take his eyes off his cup. 

“Don't say it's unrequited, let alone that it's silly. The truth is that I still don't know what to think” Mirabel confessed, “but I couldn't help but to feel surprised, since I never imagined that you had feelings for me. You didn't even want to sit next to me at family dinners." Camilo sighed and smiled sadly without taking his eyes off his coffee cup. "That was intentional, I never sat next to you as I was afraid that you would notice and make you feel uncomfortable, so I decided to sit on the other side of the table, where I could at least look at you." Mirabel blushed, she tried to remember, and realized that he was right, he always sat on the other side of the table, usually in front of her.

"I never imagined you could think of me like that," Mirabel answered. "To be honest, I can't just erase everything Marlene said from my memory, but I don't want to make you feel bad…"

"No, no, no," Camilo interrupted her. Suddenly Camilo took her hand and stared at her. "Mirabel, I only want you to promise me one thing: I can bear that you don't love me, I could even understand if you decide not to forgive me, but I could never bear that you pretend to love me, as you did with Victor". Mirabel frowned, "How dare you?" She asked as she slipped out of his grasp. "I know you don't want him, I know you only accepted him because you were flattered by his attention, and because you didn't want to hurt him."

"Get the hell out of here" said Mirabel who went back to her work without hesitation. Camilo got up from his chair and fixed his gaze on her back, "I didn't mean to offend you" Camilo murmured. "But you did," Mirabel replied, "all you've done is offend me over and over again, remind me what a fool I am, go away, you don't need to do it again."

"Mirabel, please…" Camilo asked, sounding almost desperate. "Go away, I don't want anyone to treat me like that again" Mirabel said without daring to look at him, since she knew that she wouldn't resist seeing him hurt. "Camilo" she murmured as she heard the door open, "thanks for the coffee, I really needed it" she murmured, but she got no response, only    the sound of the door closing.

The next day, Mirabel turned in her first sewing assignments and left for Casita. She had already started working in the kitchen when her gaze met Camilo's. "You should go home," Camilo said. "Yesterday you didn't sleep, you should rest." Mirabel didn't want to hear it, “I'm not tired, and you don't have to act like you care” she replied. “First, I do care. Second, please, I beg you, let me be all alone today. Mirabel, despite everything Victor did to you, you don't know what it's like to be rejected, it hurts a lot." Camilo responded.

Mirabel stared at Camilo. It was true, she had rejected him, although she didn't want to admit it, he was probably right, she had hurt him enough. “I don't know if I believe you,” she replied. “I don't know if I should ever believe in anyone again,” Mirabel said. The two were silent for a moment until Mirabel sighed. "Okay, work at Casita, I'll go back to finish everything I have to do."

The two cousins never brought the subject up again. The two spent that week immersed in housework, until the day of the party arrived, in which Julieta asked the whole family for a hand, since the amount of work required was enormous, not to mention that It would take place in the neighboring town of Santa Rita, where the Madrigals had a terrible reputation. The only ones who would not make the trip would be her grandmother, Antonio, Félix and Agustín who had to remain in charge of the reconstruction works. Maribel went with Isabela and Luisa to deliver the dresses for the party, and then they returned home to start the trip.

Santa Rita was a much larger town than Encanto, although it was not much older, it had been recognized as a municipality by the government first, which meant that they had better services and more visitors than they did. Perhaps for this reason, they had an inn built in the colonial style with a beautiful internal garden decorated with a fountain and flowers and plants of all colors. Mirabel had to admit that whoever had chosen it as the venue for the party knew what he was doing.

Julieta took her place in the kitchen, which was completely deserted, while the rest of the family was prepared to help her. Mirabel cut vegetables, mixed the corn dough, sifted what seemed to be liters of blackberry juice, to the point that by the time the guests arrived she was exhausted.

"Mirabel," Julieta said. "Please take the jars of blackberry juice to the table." She nodded and took the two heavy mugs in each of her hands to avoid going to the kitchen twice. Unfortunately, she paid for her laziness, as she spilled the contents of one of the jars to the hall's entrance, onto the stone floor. Mirabel felt frustrated as she reached for a heavy bucket of soapy water to remove the stains from the floor.

As Mirabel cleaned up she noticed that the guests were arriving. She recognized some of the families who had traveled from Encanto in order to attend the party. They greeted her warmly. However, her good humor vanished when she saw the Valenzuelas. Mirabel greeted them with the utmost courtesy, since to tell the truth, everyone except Victor had always been very nice to her.

Victor stiffened at the sight of her. “Daniela, tell Mom and Dad I'll be meeting them soon,” Mirabel heard Victor whisper to her sister. "Stop it, Victor. Mom and dad told you they don't want any more problems with the Madrigals, you can't go on like this..." Victor's sister answered in a barely audible whisper. "Leave me alone, it won't be more than a couple of minutes" he replied. Mirabel became nervous as she saw he was approaching her.

"Hello Mirabel" Victor greeted her. "Hello" she replied without stopping mopping, despite that the floor was already completely clean. “We haven't seen each other since that day at the Casita. Your uncle kicked me out of your house without even letting me talk to you. I haven't been able to hear your answer yet” Victor continued, while Mirabel avoided looking at him. He took her forearm to prevent her from pretending to clean. "What answer?" Mirabel asked, as she withdrew her arm. "Please tell me you'll give me a second chance, that you'll still go out with me," he murmured. Mirabel frowned. "I had already given you the answer you were looking for, and I told you no, I don't want to."

"What are your plans, Mirabel?" Victor asked as he crossed his arms, in a tone that she knew very well, and reminded her of those days when he enjoyed bullying her. “Are you planning to stay in Encanto? I guess so. You don't have money, you don't have an education beyond basic secondary school, and by the way everything is going, your family will soon be without the money and influence they've always had. You're a girl, so you don't have many chances either. You should think about it." he said. Mirabel felt furious as her breath quickened and her cheeks reddened. "I already told you that I don't want to go out with you again" she answered. Victor turned around, and on the way, he kicked her bucket hard in her direction.

Mirabel got angrier when she felt the soapy water on her, but she wasn't surprised. That was the kind of thing he always did. She was completely soaked. "Where do you think you are going?" Camilo asked who approached them down the hall. Mirabel had rarely seen him upset. He was the kind of person who doesn't get angry easily. However, this time he seemed ready to force Victor out of there, so she stepped in his way. "Wait, Camilo, you can't make a fuss, they haven't paid us for the entire service yet, leave it, it's not worth it."

"You're right," Camilo said as he gave Victor a resentful look. "You have to take off those clothes, you're soaked" Camilo said as he gently took her shoulder. "Then, it's true what the rumors say..." murmured Victor who remained there. Mirabel saw in his eyes that malicious glow that she knew so well. "All the girls in town are dying for Camilo Madrigal, but he only has eyes for his cousin, his own cousin, disgusting" he muttered while Camilo stared at him with his jaw clenched. “I didn't know that you had the habit of listening to the rumors that are said in the town” Camilo answered. "Camilo, don't pay attention to him, let's go" Mirabel insisted, while Victor smiled. Mirabel knew him well enough to know that he would take advantage of this opportunity. After all, he was the kind of person who had the dubious talent of identifying his victim's weakness in order to hurt them. Unfortunately, Camilo had taken the bait.

“Yes, Camilo, listen to your cousin, better go away. I'm sure you're dying to help her out of those wet clothes,” Victor replied. Camilo did the worst thing he could have done at a time like this. He responded to his taunt, and tried to beat him. However, Mirabel was able to stop him before he did something foolish.

"What is happening here?" Bruno asked, as he approached, accompanied by Pepa. "I thought you'd leave us alone, Victor, don't make me call the police," he said. Pepa stood next to her and looked Mirabel up and down. "My God, you're soaking wet." she said as she gently cupped her forearm. Camilo snorted. "Why don't you ask him why she is like this?" Camilo asked as he pointed at Victor. "He kicked her bucket and got her wet."

At that moment, Victor's parents entered the room. " Señora Pepa, Señor Bruno, please forgive our son, it was all a misunderstanding..." Miguel Valenzuela apologized. "Miguel, your son is going too far, I've known you for years, and I don't want problems with your family, you are good people, but we can't keep putting up with this" Bruno warned while Pepa increased the force on her forearm. "Bruno, please be reasonable, you know how children are," Miguel Valenzuela replied, trying to reach an agreement with Bruno. “I'm sorry, but if this boy does something to Mirabel again we'll go to the police, this is going too far,” Bruno insisted.

“Please, I beg you, don't do it, he has excellent grades, and my wife and I want him to become a lawyer, it would ruin his career. I will remove my son from Encanto if there is a new incident” Mr. Valenzuela responded. “Make it a compromise, Miguel”, Bruno answered. Miguel Valenzuela took his son without any delicacy, and practically pushed him out of the inn while his daughter and his wife followed him.

"Come, dear, we'll get you dry clothes" Pepa said as she gently led her to the bathroom. "Camilo, please, lend me your ruana" Pepa asked. Camilo lent it without thinking twice. Her aunt accompanied her to the bathroom where she helped her take off her wet clothes while Mirabel did nothing but shiver from the cold. Mirabel waited for her aunt while she searched for dry clothes, for what seemed like hours. Finally, she brought her a set of skirt, blouse and shawl that belonged to the owner of the inn.

Maribel felt some warmth for the first time in a couple of hours. “Thank you for lending me your ruana,” Mirabel said, as he received it delicately and looked at it. “Do you want me to wash it before I return it?” she asked. "It's not that, it's just..." Camilo began while he blushed. Mirabel understood, making her blush too.

Mirabel didn't want to alert anyone in the family, since the setback had taken up more time than they had planned, but the truth was that she was beginning to feel a dryness in her throat and a throbbing pain in her head. The cold probably hurt her. However, the next day things were very clear: She had a cold.

"What's wrong, mi amor?" asked Julieta who opened the door of her room very slowly when she saw that she did not go down to breakfast. "I think I have a cold," said Mirabel, who was already completely ill, with chills, a congested chest and a terrible headache.

“I don't feel well, I think I caught a cold from last night's event,” said Mirabel, whose headache grew every moment. Julieta frowned. Colds were a quick and easy affair at the Madrigal house, but without her powers, Julieta would have to face the possibility of seeing one of her sick daughters for the first time.

Julieta treated her with all kinds of home remedies, Eucalyptus, hot liquids and vitamin C. Unfortunately, that afternoon, Mirabel was not much better. Actually, she was burning with fever. Isabela volunteered to take care of her overnight. Mirabel watched her sister moisten a small towel and place it on her head.

"Try to get some sleep," Isabela said, seeing that it was already past midnight. "I can't breathe very well, it's you who should go to sleep" Mirabel answered. However, a couple of hours later. Mirabel felt much worse, to the point that she felt floating in a black sea, unable to distinguish between reality and dreams. Mirabel thought she saw Isabela leaning towards her.

"Mirabel, please, don't do this to us, we already suffered enough misfortunes, please resist, please Mirabel" Isabela asked. Mirabel would have liked to respond, but she didn't have enough strength to speak. Her sister left the room without giving her a second glance. It didn't take long for her grandmother and her mother to appear.

"We have to call a doctor, she has done nothing but get worse, a moment ago she was muttering in her sleep, I think she's hallucinating" Isabela said with a broken voice. "I'll go look for the doctor," said Camilo who appeared through the door frame. “Thank you dear, please hurry up. She is very sick” her grandmother replied.

Mirabel passed a few moments in silence, while he was submerged in an ugly nightmare. Once again, the rubble of the Casita fell on them without Mirabel being able to do much more than watch it crush her. Suddenly, the sound of the door alerted her. The doctor examined her in silence while Isabela, her mother, and her grandmother observed. She was unable to find out about the diagnosis. she only felt the pain of a couple of injections in her skin.

"If by tomorrow night she hasn't improved, the most convenient thing will be to take her to the health center in Santa Rita, and if that doesn't improve the situation, we will have to take her to a hospital in Manizales," the doctor said. Mirabel didn't know if she would endure such difficult journeys through the mountains, but she didn't have other options.

The next day was not much different. Mirabel could barely distinguish morning from afternoon. She ate the broth that her mother offered her, since the fever continued to different degrees, and she still had a lot of trouble breathing. The kerosene lamps were lit in the house as the sun went down, and still, Mirabel still did not improve.

"I don't understand why so many misfortunes have to happen to us, just when everything was starting to get better," her grandmother told Julieta, who was sitting next to Mirabel's bed. “The cracks were our fault, I understand that, but this, this is too much,” Alma murmured. “And now Camilo had to go beat his face to pieces with the Valenzuela boy” Julieta answered. "No one can blame him, the truth is that I don't want to see him again either, I wish he would leave town and never come back" her grandmother murmured in a tone full of resentment that seemed to come from Isabela's lips and not from an old woman like her. “Don't say that, mom. A fight is not going to solve anything right now, plus we don't have our powers anymore, we can't do anything."

"Julieta" her grandmother began again. “We both know that Mirabel was the only one resourceful enough to get this family off the ground in Encanto. Without her, we will have a lot of problems,” Alma murmured. “I know mom. If something happens to Mirabel... I don't even want to think about it, she is my baby, the youngest of my daughters. You know better than anyone what it means to lose the youngest." Julieta responded with a broken voice. Alma took her hand while Julieta did nothing but sob. "If I survived ten years without my youngest boy, you could do it too, although it will not be necessary, since Mirabel will recover very soon, we will do what is necessary. And if the tragedy surprises us again, we will face it" she said.

Despite her grandmother's optimism, the fever returned at dawn, so the family had no choice but to take her to the municipal health center in Santa Rita. “I can carry her to the cart,” said Camilo who picked her up as he always used to do when they joked around. Mirabel watched the anguish in each of his features. Camilo seemed to tell her the truth, he really had particular feelings for her. At that moment, she would have liked to be able to erase everything from her memory, and feel in the same innocent way that she did in the past, to be able to fall in love without any distrust. But it was impossible, something changed in her the night of the party and she felt very broken. Mirabel gave him one last look as he helped her onto the cart, which he responded with a slight smile.

Mirabel could barely remember the trip, she was only aware of the tops of the trees on the road above the cart she was traveling in. In Santa Rita she was put in new pajamas, bathed and given more injections and oxygen. It didn't take her more than a couple of hours to know that the antibiotics were finally kicking in. Mirabel spent the next few days at the health center accompanied by her family. Camilo also came to see her on a couple of occasions where he always brought her her favorite sweets and flowers.

Despite the above, none of them was able to speak again about Camilo's confession, or about his fight with Victor Valenzuela. After all, he already knew his cousin's secret and that was very dangerous. However, Mirabel received a surprise when she saw Victor enter the internal garden of the health center.

Mirabel got up from her rocking chair next to her favorite flowers, and started to go back to the room, however he asked her to stay. "Mirabel, please, I've come to say goodbye, I couldn't leave without talking to you" he said. Mirabel sat back in the rocking chair, since her curiosity was stronger. “Say goodbye?” she asked, "Where are you going?"

“Mom and dad are furious, everyone in town blames me for what happened to you. They think I've come too far. My family decided to send me to a boarding school in Medellin to finish my studies there” he said without taking his eyes off the floor. “The truth is that I can't blame anyone for hating me. I've always had the ugly habit of letting my worst instincts take over me, I'm not proud of what I did to you, but I swear it was a harmless joke, I never thought you'd get sick like this”. Victor said. He took a chair and pushed it towards her.

“I accept your apology, but I didn't like what you said to Camilo that night,” Mirabel answered. "I don't like you spreading meaningless rumors." Victor smiled, “Those are not meaningless rumors, it's the truth. There is a group of people in the town who say that he has a crush on you. At first, I thought that it was just a jealous group, because Camilo did not reciprocate their feelings, but after spending time with you, seeing his reactions when he is with you, it is clear that he has some kind of romantic feelings for you. ” he continued as he took her hands. "But if I'm honest, I wouldn't want you to reciprocate. It would be catastrophic for your future. Your cousin doesn’t like you, he sees you as an inferior, just as the rest of the family. Do you really want that in your life?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?" Mirabel answered confused. “I'm sure you don't want to stay with your family forever. I wouldn't want to do it. They don't want you, they don’t love you, and if you choose Camilo, you know you'll be stuck with them” Victor said. "I'm not trapped by them," Mirabel answered. "We have our differences, but I don't feel trapped." Victor snorted. "A little over two months ago you tried to flee through the mountains," he said.

Mirabel stared at Victor intently. She had the feeling since the night of his sister's party that he was trying to make her feel desperate. It seemed to her that he was manipulating her, he wanted her to think that he was her best option, her only option. Mirabel pushed those thoughts away. After all, he was leaving and it wasn't even certain that they would see each other again.

"What are you supposed to be doing here, young man?" asked her grandmother who entered the garden in the company of Dolores. Her cousin gave Victor an irritated look, as if he was nothing more than an insect. However, her grandmother was not far behind, she seemed very upset.

“I was leaving, ma'am, I was just passing through. My parents should have told you that they decided to send me to a boarding school far from Encanto.” answered Victor who dedicated a last goodbye to Mirabel.

Chapter Text

[Chapter 4]

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“I could easily carry her, Camilo,” Luisa said as her cousin prepared to carry Mirabel from the cart. "Don't worry, I have everything under control" answered Camilo. Mirabel patiently allowed herself to be led to her bed on the second floor of the house. Her chest still felt heavy and her mouth tasted strange as a consequence of the amount of medicine they gave her at the Santa Rita health center.

“We are so happy to have you back, dear” her mom said with tears in her eyes. However, it was her father who seemed most affected by the whole scene, since he did not stop sobbing. "Thank you mom" Mirabel replied, barely voiceless. Mirabel spent the next hour in her bed, receiving visits from many of the Encanto residents, who brought her flowers and fruit baskets. 

However, the visit that made her happiest was from the group of children who used to follow her around the town while she sang songs or invented games for them. Mirabel received the drawings from them, as she felt overwhelmed with emotion. They really seemed very pleased to see her, and it touched her heart. On the other hand, the most uncomfortable visit she received was from the Valenzuelas who did nothing more than to apologize, wish her good health and thank them for not going to the police after everything that had happened.

“We hope that studying in the city will do Victor good,” Mrs. Valenzuela said. Mirabel could barely smile, before her grandmother came to rescue her and ask them to leave so she could rest, since she had not had a minute of peace since she arrived at the house.

Mirabel recovered very slowly over the next few weeks, but despite everything, she couldn't wait to see how the rebuilding of the house was going. After much begging, Mirabel finally got permission to go. Her aunt Pepa believed that the dust in the air would be bad for her lungs, Isabela believed that the smell of paint would irritate her throat, and her grandmother that the weather would not be good for her. Despite each of the objections, Mirabel finally obtained permission to go, under the condition to stay away from the construction, and always in the company of Dolores and Camilo who would be her bodyguards on her little excursion.

Mirabel knew that she could convince Camilo to let her go wherever she wanted, but the things with Dolores would be very different. Even without her powers, her cousin didn't miss a thing, so she couldn't escape from her. "Dolores, can we go look at the fabrics that Doña Flor's warehouse received this week?" Mirabel asked as they moved forward.

"Maybe we could on the way back..." Camilo said, but he was immediately interrupted by his sister. "I don't think it's a good idea, the wind is not good for you, the best thing  for you is to go home and protect yourself from the cold, we don't want you to get sick again" Dolores answered. That said, Dolores would not let her escape. They arrived at Casita where Félix and Agustín were already working. However, Dolores's attention was completely diverted when she saw that her father and her uncle were with Mariano.

"Camilo, stay with Mirabel, but you two must return home soon and not deviate for any reason" she warned. Mirabel couldn't help but smile, Camilo was a specialist in bending and playing with the rules to his liking, it would be easy to convince him. Mirabel walked through the construction, while everyone greeted her and told her how glad they were that Mirabel recovered from her illness. However, she soon became agitated and preferred to get away from the dust of the construction site. The two cousins sat next to each other at the pond.

“Thank you for taking care of me, Camilo,” Mirabel said as she focused her gaze on a couple of butterflies flying across the pond. "I've hardly been able to do anything for you," Camilo answered. “It's not true, you've been with me through all of this, and that means a lot to me,” Mirabel said. "I didn't want anything to happen to you, or for you to leave me thinking that I only felt resentment, because it's not true, Mirabel, but you already know that."

"I don't know anything" Mirabel answered, "I hear what you say, but I don't know if your words are true, I have no way of knowing" she continued. Camilo stared at her, "I understand it's still too early for you to trust me again, but I won't give up, since everything I've told you is honest" he replied.

They kept silent for a moment, while the butterflies continued their dance across the pond. Mirabel looked at Camilo for a few moments. She felt very grateful for everything he had done for her in the last few weeks. He may have been upset at the loss of his powers, but still, it was clear that he was trying to put those feelings aside and heal their relationship to what it was in the past.

Mirabel let her head fall onto Camilo's shoulder, and she laced her fingers with his. She felt his gaze upon her, but she didn't want to explain. Mirabel only wanted to remain in that eloquent and kind silence forever. 

"Dolores is distracted, could we go to the fabric store?" Mirabel asked. Camilo shrugged, “yes, why not. Dolores can be very strict, if you want, we can stop by the ice cream parlor and drink a glass of cold oatmeal with cake” Camilo suggested. Mirabel smiled, if there was someone who could be her accomplice it was her chaotic cousin.

Mirabel spent the next few weeks sewing and spending short periods at the Casita, where reconstruction work was progressing by leaps and bounds. Mirabel did not want to let the Madrigal family falter, so despite her delicate state of health, she sought a way for each one of them to feel useful despite not having their gifts. This family had to rise up, and she would make them do it.

She knew well that the cracks had not been her fault. Probably, her only real fault had been taking this matter solely into her own hands, with no one else to help her. Mirabel took on burdens that did not belong to her. And maybe that was what motivated her to help repair that house as soon as possible.

Her  plans of freedom would be postponed until the reconstruction was finished. Mirabel would wait until the family was on their two feet to make a decision. In any case, the economic situation of the Madrigals would not allow her to do something unforeseen.

The house was finished, during a sunny afternoon. Mirabel hadn't expected the rest of the family to have this surprise for her. However, just before putting the last detail in Casita, Bruno handed her the doorknob for the door. Mirabel watched her reflection in it. Suddenly, she understood. Julieta was right, the problem was that Mirabel had never been able to see herself as a valuable person. She walked through her life trying to please everyone, trying to be something she wasn't.

That’s why Victor had it so easy to use and manipulate her. However, Mirabel could not continue living like this, there had to be something for her beyond those magical gifts, there had to be a life outside those limits, a love for herself, without having to strive to be someone she was not.

Her eyes filled with tears before she opened the door very slowly…

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Mirabel silently thanked the miracle. She had done it: she had somehow managed to get her family to survive without powers, and to return the miracle to its original place. Mirabel had never felt as much peace as she did at that moment. She knew that if she made the decision to leave she would not be like a rat abandoning the sinking ship. She fulfilled the promise she made to herself and undid her mistake, now no one could blame her for anything.

"Let's dance," Camilo said as he practically dragged her to join the other couples. They danced without resting for a long time, while Camilo occasionally went off to joke with his friends.

Mirabel joined the group of friends in the middle of laughter and celebration. It was clear then that they were planning something. "Hey, Mirabel, come with us, see what we got, but don't tell anyone" Javier said as they all chuckled. Mirabel looked at the bottle, surely one of them had stolen it from some family pantry, and now they thought they were very “bad” for having the opportunity to try alcohol for the first time.” Mirabel wanted to laugh.

"Do you want a little bit?" one of the girls asked. “I don't think so” Mirabel replied, “Dad is very strict about that, and doing it in front of him would be nothing short of suicide” she said as she laughed. At that moment, Camilo approached them and shamelessly put his arm around Mirabel's shoulders. "Don't insist, she's a good girl, besides, Uncle Agustín would punish her for life if he found out" Camilo said.

"What about you? won't you get in trouble?" the girl asked. “Bah, everyone knows that I am the “difficult one” in the family, this will be one of my shenanigans” Camilo answered.

"How many have you taken?" Mirabel asked when she saw her cousin's averted gaze and his reddened face. “Maybe one” Camilo replied, “or maybe ten” Javier replied who let out a loud laugh. At that moment, Camilo took her with more force. “Let's dance, Mirabel. During the last party you disappeared all night and you didn't dance with me, not a single song, I won't let you disappear again tonight "Camilo replied.

He practically pushed her onto the dance floor where he fulfilled his promise, and they danced three songs in an erratic manner while Mirabel didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the pitiful state of her cousin. “You're terrible Camilo Madrigal, that's why Uncle Félix says you're his favorite toothache” Mirabel said. "I guess you're glad you got your powers back," she continued.

“Of course I'm happy about that, but there is another thing that makes me very happy: to see a certain person smiling at me for the first time in months, after all,  I thought you would hate me forever,” Camilo said as he pulled her closer to him . “I don't hate you, I don't know how you can think that. I feel betrayed, but I don't hate you,” Mirabel murmured. At that moment, Camilo buried his face in her hair as they danced. She felt alarmed by that. That gesture was too intimate, it would surely arouse concern in those who saw them dance.

Mirabel immediately separated from Camilo, took him by the hand and led him off the dance floor where no one could see him. "What are you doing? We were having so much fun, don't be like that” Camilo complained as she pushed him towards the second floor. “Stop Camilo, you'll get us into trouble,” Mirabel said. She intended to leave him in his room so that he could sleep there, but he pushed her towards one of the back balconies of the house, where they were sheltered from the view of guests.

"I've been thinking, Mirabel, and I think I will take back what I told you that night" Camilo stammered, "What do you mean?" Mirabel asked, "I don't care if you pretend to love me just out of pity, or if you want to fool me, anything would be better than knowing that you despise me" Camilo continued. Mirabel exhaled slowly "Camilo, you don't have to continue with this, you already have your powers back. You don’t need to keep saying you have feelings for me, you don't have to continue with this charade."

He took a couple of steps away from her and looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "Do you really think I was lying to you, Mirabel?" Camilo asked. "So it's true what you told me that night, you're not capable of trusting anyone," he said. Mirabel didn't dare answer, but he was right. Mirabel had decided that the best thing was from now on, for her to put a barrier between her feelings and the others, after all, she couldn't continue allowing people to walk over her.

“I know you've been thinking lately that we're all against you, but we're not. I'm not perfect, I said things that I still regret, but I never wanted to hurt you, Mirabel," Camilo said. Mirabel stared at him. She wanted to believe him, she really wanted to do it, to put aside all her doubts and love him, but it was very difficult.

Mirabel never knew why she did that. Probably, because the two of them had grown up in a secluded place in the middle of nowhere, or because she barely had any experience with boys, or because Camilo was actually the most charming person she had ever met, or maybe it was the silence of the forest next to the balcony, the flowers that fell from the hanging plants in the midst of the song of the cicadas. But, the truth is that she couldn't help but step forward and kiss him. Camilo took her by the waist and brought her closer to him.

She was the first to walk away from him, because that kiss was a very different experience from the one she had with Victor.  She had to control her feelings, otherwise, she would find herself in a very unpleasant position. "You should go to sleep and forget we had this conversation," Mirabel replied as she turned around. However, he took her hand. "I'm not telling lies, Mirabel, this is too serious to lie,"Camilo said .

Mirabel couldn't sleep that night, Camilo's words continued in her memory. The truth was that if things had turned out differently, it would be easy for her to return his feelings. After all he was good to her, handsome and they had a lot of fun together. However, after years of fighting against everything in her life, Mirabel was finally tired. The best thing would be to graduate from school and go to another city to make a new life. In a place where no one knew her, where she would avoid making bonds with other people who in the future could betray her as it has already happened to her.

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"It's been a long time since you played hide and seek with me in the banana plantations" Antonio complained as they talked during breakfast time.

“We can play this morning,” Mirabel said. “Can we invite Camilo?” Antonio asked. Mirabel barely smiled. She knew that she could not refuse, because that routine was not strange. The three cousins often used to play hide and seek in the banana plantations, often alone or accompanied by the other children who followed Mirabel, so she had no reason to eliminate Camilo from the game.

Since the night of the party, Mirabel had tried to keep herself as far away from Camilo as possible. “Do you want to play with your brother and me in the middle of the banana plantations?” Mirabel asked Camilo. "Yes, of course," Camilo agreed. Mirabel had to admit that she had so much fun. It had been a  long time since she had laughed like that. The three cousins had already played for about an hour when the clock struck twelve o'clock. The sun was high, while Mirabel took shelter under the large banana leaves in the middle of the field. She walked over the green mantle between the trees. Suddenly, she heard footsteps.

"We have to go home, the game is over, your mom must have lunch ready by now" Camilo said, as he suddenly emerged. "Yes, you're right, I had a lot of fun, but now I'm hungry" Mirabel replied as she stifled her laughter. She took a couple of steps, but he took her hand and didn't let her go. “Don't leave me so fast, you haven't given me any chance to be with you since the night of the party” Camilo said. "Please, nothing happened that night, I don't want any problems" Mirabel replied as she leaned her back against the trunk of one of the trees.

"You were the one who kissed me, and yet you act like nothing happened, you can't do that to me," Camilo said. “We'll be in serious trouble if anyone finds out.  I think Dolores already knows everything, it's lucky that she hasn't told anyone, "Mirabel replied. "Look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t want me, and I promise you that everything will be as before,  I will not insist again," he said. Mirabel met his eyes, but she didn't have the heart to reject him again. She wanted to believe him, she wanted to think that all his words had been nothing more than a gigantic mistake.

"Can't you do it, Mirabel?" Camilo asked. She shook her head very slowly, so he gave her a triumphant smile. “I won't let you down, Mirabel, no matter how difficult things are, I won't abandon you” Camilo promised. She had no words to answer him, but she felt her eyes fill with tears. Mirabel leaned down and placed a kiss on his cheek. Camilo smiled too and stepped forward as he kissed her on the lips.

"Camilo, Mirabel, it's late, we have to leave," Antonio said as he turned towards them. Mirabel pushed Camilo hard, and he let her do it, since they both knew that Antonio would not hesitate twice to tell Aunt Pepa. "What were you doing? Are you two hugging? You are finally reconciled!” Antonio exclaimed happily.

"I'm so happy, I didn't want you to fight anymore, mom and dad were very worried too," Antonio said. “Yes, Toñito, we're back to being friends, everything is how it used to be,” Camilo said happily, while Mirabel forced herself to smile.

Everyone celebrated the reconciliation of Mirabel and Camilo during lunch, since Antonio did not hesitate to communicate the news to each of the family members. However, Mirabel felt Dolores' gaze go from Camilo to her. Her cousin must have known everything, and while Mirabel was scared, on the verge of a nervous breakdown, Camilo seemed happy and rosy. He was an excellent liar, and that scared her.

The school year began while the secret romance between Camilo and Mirabel continued. As far as she was concerned, it didn't help that Camilo was the most popular boy in the class. He had it all, he was a good student, people liked him, and he was very handsome. Mirabel didn't have many admirers like him, but still, they continued to choose each other day after day, while Dolores didn't take her eyes off them. Despite all this, everything remained calm until that terrible night came. 

“Everything of yours is very delicate,” said Camilo, who was sleeping on her neck, while he played with the lace bow of her pajama. Mirabel and Camilo often slept next to each other. Until now, things had never gotten out of hand, despite the fact that the kisses and caresses they shared were less and less innocent.

That night, the chosen place was Mirabel's room, who no longer had to share a room with Antonio. She felt his fingers undo the knot in the ribbon, and trace the lines of her collarbone, while her lips brushed the dangerous border between the fabric of her nightgown and her skin.

"What are you talking about?" Mirabel asked. " about this ribbon, this embroidery, this lace, the pretty butterfly on your clothes, your lips, your skin, the way your blue earrings fall on your neck," he murmured. "God, how cheesy," she laughed. Camilo kissed her again while Mirabel got used to that burning feeling in her chest. She felt a smile grow on Camilo's lips. It was clear that he was enjoying this encounter as much as she was. To tell the truth, she had never seen her cousin as excited as he was on that occasion.

" A person like you has nothing to offer the world " Camilo's voice murmured in her memory. According to Camilo, she had nothing, but somehow she was good enough to let him put his hand under her nightgown, to give him pleasure, and play to be his clandestine girlfriend, Mirabel thought bitterly. At that moment, she felt used, like a kind of object that is used and discarded when it is convenient. “Stay away from me,” Mirabel said as she pulled him away from her. It took him a few seconds to understand what was happening. “Get away from me”, she repeated, so Camilo stepped aside and went to the opposite end of the bed.

"What's going on? What did I do wrong?” Camilo asked, looking scared. At that moment, it seemed to Mirabel that the air in that room was impossible to breathe. She needed to get out of there, so she got out of bed and left her room without even bothering to find her espadrilles, or adjust the collar of her pajamas. Mirabel ran to the pond at the back of the house, while she felt that the branches and stones on the road cut her feet. She didn't want to see Camilo anymore. This was just what he wanted. Probably, he wanted her to have those strong feelings for him, the same ones that gave her restlessness and joy when she was with him, and filled her with that fire in her chest, only to mock her and discard her like everyone else. 

Isabela was right, her problem is that she tried too hard, if she hadn't lost control of her feelings this wouldn't have happened. Mirabel looked at the pond. "Mirabel!" Camilo called her and followed her to the pond, "Mirabel, you can't leave the house like that, please tell me what happened, why are you feeling like this?" Camilo asked.

"The day I started dating Victor, you told me that I had nothing special, that there was nothing I could offer the world" Mirabel began. “Please, Mirabel, I've already told you that was…” Camilo muttered. "Listen to me!" Mirabel interrupted him. “You told me that I had no value, but now it turns out that I do. Now, when I let you into my room in the middle of the night, when I let you touch me and kiss me. Before, I had no value, but now that you can use me as an object, then I am important.”

Camilo's eyes widened in shock upon hearing that, as he sat on the rock by the pond. It was clear that he did not know how to respond to Mirabel's accusations. “I never would have imagined that I broke you like that…” Camilo muttered. "That's not true, Mirabel, I don't know how to make you understand," he said quietly. “I know what you were planning. You wanted me to have these feelings, you wanted me to fall in love with you, and now you want to take advantage of my love” Mirabel accused him. "You love Me?" Camilo asked as he slowly got up and walked over to her.

"Of course I do, but it shouldn't be like that, I know you don't love me, why would you do it? you think I'm useless, worthless" replied Mirabel who felt herself falling into a spiral of panic. He took her by her shoulders. "That is not true. I don't know why you think that, but it's not true. Maybe we need more time, if you don't want to sleep together again, we won't, and if you don't want to kiss me, we won't either, I don't want to force you to do anything, but please, Mirabel, I don't know how to convince you that things aren't just as you imagine them” Camilo said.

“How are things, then?” asked a third voice. Mirabel felt real panic when she saw that it was her uncle Bruno. She had never seen Bruno angry, he seemed to be a man completely oblivious to reality, but at that moment, he looked truly furious. "What are you supposed to be doing here?" Bruno asked “I saw Mirabel run out of Casita, and now I find myself in this conversation. What is going on here? Camilo?”

"No, no, no, uncle Bruno, this is not what you imagine, he didn't do anything wrong, we both had a fight" Mirabel said. It was then that Bruno got it, he looked from Camilo to Mirabel and understood everything. "For God's sake," Bruno groaned as he rubbed his face. His uncle took off his ruana and gave it to Mirabel. "Cover up," Bruno ordered her, "but…" she said. "Now," Bruno insisted. Mirabel did not put on the ruana, but pressed it tightly against her chest.

“How long has this been going on?” Bruno asked. “A couple of weeks before school started,” Camilo answered. Bruno's eyes widened. "That long? and you…?” Bruno dared to ask . Mirabel and Camilo frantically denied. “We have to go back to the house, if the family finds out about this it will be disastrous” said Bruno who walked them home.

Bruno left her at the door of her room, before leaving with Camilo. "Wait for me in your room, you and I should talk, miss" Bruno said. “But it's late and I…” Mirabel stammered. “It's an order, Mirabel,” Bruno answered. She kept silent, since in the short time that she had known Bruno she never imagined that he could also be the authoritarian uncle if necessary. Mirabel entered her room, sat on her bed and prepared for the worst.

Chapter Text

[Chapter 6]

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Camilo sat up on his bed as he watched Bruno in a deep state of concern. He had spent a lot of time living under this false pretense of his menacing and mystical Uncle Bruno. But, in reality, all he had in front of him was a middle-aged man confused and scared by something that he did not know how to solve. Unfortunately, Camilo couldn't offer many solutions either.

"I don't know what to say," Bruno muttered. “We could go to sleep, and talk tomorrow” Camilo began. "No, we'll talk today," Bruno replied. “But, you said you had nothing to say,” Camilo answered. "A couple of months ago I was peacefully hiding in the walls of this house, it wasn't the best situation, but at least I didn't have to deal with two horny teenagers."

“Mirabel and I are not…” Camilo started, but the expression of disbelief on his uncle's face silenced him, because he was right, they were.

“Camilo, I think the path that you and Mirabel have chosen is not the easiest. Sometimes these cases do come up, but they're not exactly common, and people won't go easy on you,” Bruno began quietly. His uncle got up from his seat and sat next to Camilo. Suddenly, Bruno put an arm around his shoulders in a kind gesture. “You and Mirabel are very young, maybe you need to meet other people, travel, study, all that will open up new horizons for you. The economic situation of the family is improving, surely mom will have no problem sending you to finish school in a better institution, a place where you can meet new people. All small town boys usually go to the cities to finish their studies, you would not be the exception” Bruno said.

Camilo looked carefully at his uncle. He wanted to convince him that it was best for him and Mirabel to separate. Camilo got rid of his hug quickly and got up from the bed. “I don't want to go anywhere, I'm not going to leave Encanto. What I feel for Mirabel is genuine,” Camilo responded. Bruno looked at him with a worried expression. “I know you think that, but you are very young. If only I could find a way to make you understand…” Bruno said.

His uncle was right, they were both too young to engage in such a hasty affair. Besides, Camilo knew that he would eventually have to study away from Encanto. After all, he was the only male in the family, and that was expected of him. Camilo had heard rumors that it was fashionable to send girls to technical colleges and universities. Isabela and Luisa hadn't counted on that possibility, but Mirabel could surely do it if she wanted to.

Suddenly, Camilo felt a chill run through his entire body. He was quite sure that Mirabel would want to leave. She seemed to want to run and never looked back at her past. Unfortunately, Camilo was part of that past that she surely wanted to forget. “I really love Mirabel very much” Camilo murmured as he looked down at the ground. "I'm sure you do," Bruno answered while giving him a smile.

"Mirabel doesn't know it, but her smile is like Aunt Julieta's food, capable of curing all diseases,” Camilo continued because he never had the opportunity to confide those feelings to anyone, since this was his biggest secret. “ When did you start to feel like that, Camilo?” Bruno asked. "More or less a year ago. At first, it didn't start out as something romantic, it was more like curiosity and attraction. I think she's cute, but after all this time I can't help but think that we have a lot in common, and that we could make a good couple” Camilo stammered.

He stared at his uncle Bruno, who looked worried, but not upset. “It must have been hard for you to have that inside you for so long,” Bruno replied. Camilo looked up from him. He didn't expect that reaction from his uncle. Suddenly, Camilo felt as if something was broken inside him. He wanted to talk, for someone to finally hear everything he had hidden for months.

“I know you think it's just a whim, that I'm too young to feel anything real, but the truth is that falling in love with Mirabel has been truly painful. She doesn't trust me, she doesn't trust anyone” Camilo said. Bruno frowned. "What are you talking about?" he asked. “Mirabel has been very strange since the house fell, what happened with Victor affected her a lot. Tonight she ran off to the pond with no explanation, and she started yelling that I really wanted to use her, that she wasn't good enough, and that I probably just wanted to discard her. She seems very hurt, broken in a way that I don't know how to help her,” Camilo explained.

Bruno took a deep breath. “As I told you before, probably the most convenient thing for you two is to go away from home for a while. She needs space… ”Bruno started, but Camilo didn't let him continue, because he couldn't keep listening. "You're wrong, if she leaves here, she will never want to come back" Camilo answered. "Maybe it would be best for her," Bruno continued. Camilo got up from his bed furious. He didn't want to listen to that nonsense anymore. Mirabel couldn't leave, he wouldn't allow it.

“With all due respect, Uncle Bruno, you don't know anything, you don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about. We all love Mirabel very much” Camilo said. “Contrary to what you think, boy, I know this family very well, and I know that despite everyone's good intentions, Mirabel has not had it easy. Maybe it's time to let her choose what she wants” Bruno replied. “If she does, she will surely decide to leave me behind. She says that she loves me, but she doesn't trust me. She doesn't love me like I love her” Camilo confessed with a broken voice.

Bruno's gaze changed immediately and it was filled with sorrow. “Camilo, I'm so sorry you feel that way, but you can't force someone to reciprocate your feelings,” he said. Camilo looked down from him. The last thing he wanted was to have to face Bruno's pitying gaze. Surely he thought he was a jerk for falling in love with Mirabel. “I don't need pity,” Camilo said. “It's not pity, it's understanding. I know you are in a very painful situation, but if you persist, you will also end up very hurt, ”Bruno said, as he looked into his eyes.

“I'm not going to insist any more tonight, but I want you to think about what I've told you, Camilo” said Bruno, as he got up. His uncle left. Camilo spent the night looking up at the ceiling. At that moment, Camilo regretted that the Casita had filled that place with mirrors and masks of marimondas and other carnival masks, since now that he thought about it, his room was truly terrifying.

Camilo would have liked to run back to Mirabel's room, get into her bed next to her and enjoy her warmth, but it would be very risky. Mirabel's kisses were still on his lips and her skin on the tips of his fingers. However, the conversation they shared before Bruno showed up was too disturbing.

She didn't trust him. Actually, she didn't trust anyone. Camilo couldn't blame her. After all, the family had always been especially hard on her, and the whole Victor thing hadn't done her any good. Camilo sighed. She said that she loved him, and that was a real comfort in the midst of all this mess. After all, what Camilo really wanted was to feel that she loved him. He didn't want pity, he wanted love.

One of the aspects of the relationship between Mirabel and Victor that had bothered him the most was that his cousin clearly did not reciprocate his feelings. Mirabel seemed to have been trained to please anyone who wanted something from her, and that was all she did with Victor. He didn't seem to mind, Victor seemed perfectly content with an empty relationship, in which she simply felt compelled to reciprocate his feelings. But Camilo didn't want that, he wanted something genuine, something true.

Camilo barely managed  to drag himself to the dining room table, where the family was having breakfast. He had a single serving of eggs and proceeded to poke it with his fork. Suddenly, Camilo looked up and found Dolores who was staring at him from the opposite end of the table, with her huge brown eyes.

Dolores had a very characteristic way of looking in which she widened her eyes and pressed her lips together tightly as she watched him. Camilo used to call it: “ the look of I know what you did, it's wrong and you should stop ”. It was ironic, Mirabel complained all the time about having a "perfect" sister,  if she thought that was bad, she should try having a "know-it-all" sister, which was even worse.

He ignored Dolores's look, and went over to Bruno who seemed more nervous and eccentric than usual. Camilo was surprised, as he would have thought that a man who had spent ten years living in hiding, had a talent for keeping secrets. Across the table Mirabel looked pale with huge dark circles under her eyes. It was clear she hadn't slept more than a couple of hours either.

Camilo took a cup of coffee, adjusted the collar of his shirt and gave the world one of his traditional smiles full of confidence. Everything was fine, if he acted like it was. He walked into town and did a couple of babysitting jobs and came home without a hitch.

As Camilo crossed the town's main square, he observed Mirabel who was walking surrounded by children, with a market basket in her hands. “Would you like a hand with that?” Camilo asked as he took the basket without even letting her refuse his help. Mirabel gave him a worried smile, but she let him walk with them. Camilo did not share Mirabel's enthusiasm for the children, but if she was happy, he was nobody to criticize her.

"Goodbye Mirabel, goodbye Camilo" the children said goodbye as they entered the house.

"Thanks for your help" Mirabel said as she tried to take the basket from his hands. However, Camilo was faster and moved it before she managed to do so. "Wait a minute, we still haven't talked about what happened last night, and I won't let you avoid me for days like it has happened in the past." Camilo answered as he gave Mirabel a smile. She didn't reciprocate. On the contrary, Mirabel looked to each side and became even more worried. “We'll get into trouble,” Mirabel answered.

“I've thought a lot about what you told me, Mirabel, and it's not true. I've said a lot of nonsense, but you're special to me, I…” Camilo began. "Stop, you'll get us in trouble" Mirabel repeated. Camilo 's smile disappeared. “Last night you told me you loved me, I guess it was a lie,” Camilo said. Mirabel's expression softened. She lifted her hand and caressed his cheek. "What I told you is real, but so are my fears," Mirabel replied.

Camilo put his hand on Mirabel's hand on his cheek, and they stayed like that for a moment, until they heard the voice of Agustín who was advancing through the corridor in the company of Julieta. They quickly walked away from each other, while Camilo barely paid attention to them. His heart began to race a thousand miles an hour, since they had come very close to being discovered twice in a couple of days.

His uncle Agustín was on his way to collect honey from the honeycombs a few miles away. No one wanted to go with him, since everyone knew perfectly well how everything would end.

A couple  days passed without Camilo or Mirabel daring to approach each other, since neither Bruno nor Dolores took their eyes off of them. However, everything changed one sunny afternoon when Mirabel was watering the plants in the second-floor hallway. Camilo leaned on one of the railings while he enjoyed the sun that filtered through the central patio of the house.

“What are those flowers called?" Camilo asked as he pointed to the plants that Mirabel was watering. "Some people call them Villa Helena" Mirabel said as she held up some velvety red flowers in her hand. Camilo knew those plants very well, since they were his grandmother's favorite flowers, which is why they flourished in all the sunny corners of the house and the garden. Camilo found those plants very amusing, since they had small bulbs full of seeds that burst when they grew large enough. Mirabel and Camilo used to squeeze the larger bulbs with their fingers, as it was incredibly satisfying to pop them. However, he had never been curious enough to ask the plant name.

"Do you remember how we used to play when we were little?" Camilo asked. Mirabel looked up and gave him a smile. "Grandma always said that we would ruin her plants if we kept playing with them," Mirabel replied, smiling. “But it never happened. In the end, we spread so many seeds that the entire garden is covered with those flowers” Camilo said. "That's right," Mirabel murmured.

She looked up at him, and Camilo saw excitement and dreamyness in her eyes. It was the same look that many of his admirers in the town gave him frequently. Mirabel was in love with him, or at least she seemed to feel something. The question was: Would her fears be stronger? Camilo linked his hands with Mirabel's. “Uncle Bruno told me that it would be a good idea for the two of us to go to study in a city. What do you think? Would you go away?" Mirabel asked, sounding almost scared. “I won't, if you don't” Camilo replied. They remained 

silent for a few seconds, without letting go of the other's hand, while they enjoyed those moments of stillness.

 "Mom and the rest of the family are waiting for us in the dining room" said Bruno who suddenly appeared down the hall while he was walking with Dolores. Camilo looked at his sister, and he was met with the worst specimen of the look "I know what you're doing, it's wrong and you must stop ". He tried to ignore his uncle and Dolores. Instead, Mirabel seemed completely terrified. After all, she was used to keeping quiet and trying to please everyone, such a transgression was inconceivable for her cousin.

Mirabel released his hand without a second thought and she went downstairs to the dining room. Camilo panicked when he saw her leaving. He couldn't help but wonder over and over again how far Mirabel would go to avoid a conflict, or if the feelings she seemed to have for him would be strong enough. What he did know was that everything indicated that so far he had everything to lose.

Dinner went smoothly until it was time for dessert. When Dolores finally broke her silence. “Grandma” Dolores said “Do you remember when Isabela and I were at the school we wanted to finish our education in a technical school, a university or something like that?” Dolores asked. "Yes, I remember," Alma replied. “It's a shame that those kinds of places usually don't admit more than a couple of women. It was almost impossible to get a place,” Isabela interjected.

“Now there are new technical schools for women only, there are many girls studying there. Mirabel is at the perfect age to attend one of them” Dolores said. Camilo saw many emotions on that table in just a couple of seconds. Her grandmother showed interest, Julieta, Agustín and Luisa were filled with curiosity, Mirabel was surprised by the sudden comment, and unfortunately, Isabela looked truly envious as her cheeks flushed and her lips pressed tightly into a thin line.

For his part, Camilo felt fear. Now everything was clear. Bruno and Dolores seemed to be on the same page. Camilo looked at his uncle and his sister. It was not unusual for the two of them to work together. After all, they had spent the last ten years serving as each other's accomplices. Dolores seemed to share Bruno's idea that it would be best to send them away to study so they would forget about their relationship. Camilo never felt so betrayed by his sister as he did at that moment.

"That sounds like a great idea,” said Alma, who clearly wanted to keep listening to Dolores. "What do you think, dear?" his grandmother asked Mirabel. Her cousin smiled sheepishly. “I always thought that I would make a good elementary school teacher, I like children,” Mirabel answered and Alma’s smile grew wider, “yes you will”. Camilo felt that as a stab straight to the heart.

"Surely these are private schools, those must be very expensive" Isabela gave her opinion as she smashed her fruit salad to juice using only her fork, with much more force than necessary. “Some of them are private technical schools, most of them are run by the Catholic Church, but they are not as expensive as it seems. Uncle Bruno and I took the trouble to write to one of them in a town near the capital and request information. It would be nice if at least one of us could have a trade or profession,” Dolores responded. Camilo felt even more betrayed. He didn't even want to spare his sister a glance, for he didn't understand how she could be so cold.

“Sounds like a great idea” Isabela said as she shrugged. “Mirabel has no gift so she's not much use here, we'd barely even notice her absence” Isabela continued as she took a ravenous bite of her dessert. The family seemed to freeze for a few seconds. It was as if time had stopped in the Madrigal house. That comment had fallen like a bomb in the midst of everyone. This was cruel and aggressive at a time when the family could not afford to tolerate such behavior after all the misfortunes of the last few months.

Suddenly, Mirabel stood up from her chair and left the dining room before the stunned gaze of the family, which seemed to wake them from their reverie. "Very well, Isabela, there is nothing more charming than a bitter envious" Luisa said. Camilo was surprised, since Luisa rarely used to intervene in family fights. His cousin always seemed too busy to pay attention to any other than her work.

“I'll go talk to her,” Camilo said, not expecting anyone to stop him. He knew the obvious choice to comfort Mirabel would be Aunt Julieta or Bruno, but he didn't care as he knew exactly where to find her. Mirabel was sitting on the rock by the pond surrounded by acacia trees. She stood up as soon as she heard his footsteps on the gravel. "Mirabel..." Camilo sighed when he saw her reddened eyes and her cheeks swollen from crying. She practically jumped into his arms, and Camilo didn't think twice before returning the gesture.

Mirabel felt warm and sweet in his arms. Mirabel kissed him with great intensity. Camilo had never seen her as full of desire and need as she was at that moment. "Tell me you really love me" Mirabel begged her as she kissed him. “I really love you” Camilo answered without hardly stopping to breathe. "Please tell me we're both getting out of here," Mirabel asked. Camilo felt petrified for a couple of seconds. “If that's what you want, then we'll do it” Camilo responded immediately before kissing her again.

"Camilo," murmured Isabela. Her cousin took Mirabel's hand and pulled her away from him "What are you doing to her?" Isabela asked in a low and calm tone that had a note of menacing hidden danger. “Nothing,” Camilo answered quickly. "It's not his fault, if anything, it's our fault" Mirabel intervened. Camilo had seen Isabela and Mirabel fight, but that expression of fear and confusion on Isabela's face was completely new.

"Silly girl" Isabela sighed as she took Mirabel tightly by her arm and shook her. "Silly girl, look at the trouble you've gotten yourself into again," she continued. Camilo saw Mirabel cover her face with the palms of her hands and cry silently. "A couple of months ago you were about to die for getting involved with a guy that wasn’t good for you, and now this" her cousin yelled as she raised an accusing finger at Camilo. “He filled this town with rumors about you. He told Marlene all those horrible things fully knowing she is a gossip, you were the laughing stock of this town for weeks, if it wasn't for the fact that we got the magic back, everyone would still be talking about you. How can you be so stupid? Isabela asked. Camilo felt that he should intervene, since Mirabel wouldn't stop crying, but Dolores did it first. He was so busy watching Isabela that he hadn't even noticed that his sister had arrived.

"Enough of this, you don't have to be so harsh with her" Dolores intervened as she separated Mirabel from Isabela and dried her tears with the palms of her hands. “It's nauseating to hear how you talk to her. Besides, you're wrong, Camilo has no bad intentions” her sister said. "It's hard to believe it after all the horrible things he said about Mirabel, the worst thing is Mirabel doesn't even know half of what was said about her because of him" Isabela answered.

Camilo felt red when Mirabel's sad look fell on him. Isabela was absolutely right. He said really despicable things to Marlene about Mirabel. The truth was that Camilo had no real excuse. He was just a jealous idiot boy who had used a fit of rage to tell all kinds of lies about Mirabel. Suddenly Camilo felt the full weight of his words on his head, he would never have foreseen that he would hurt Mirabel like this.

“Stop spreading your poison everywhere, Isabela,” Dolores said furiously. "It's practically impossible to hear you say a kind word about anyone," her sister said. "Excuse me?" Isabela asked, offended. “I was not the one who practically sold Mirabel  in front of our grandmother at my engagement dinner with Mariano. You were able to keep Uncle Bruno's secret for ten years but you couldn't keep the prophecy thing quiet for one afternoon. Admit it, what you really wanted was to ruin the engagement, and you didn't hesitate to throw my sister to the wolves” Isabela said furiously.

Dolores held her breath for a few seconds. Camilo looked at his sister, because he had never contemplated that possibility, but now that Isabela said it, it was completely reasonable. “That's not true,” Dolores stammered, clearly lying. "Besides, you ran as fast as everyone else to accuse her" Dolores defended herself. “That is none of your business. Your problem is that you couldn't stand being in second place forever, and you didn't mind putting my sister at risk."

“Second place?” Dolores asked furiously, as Mirabel who had stopped crying, filled with anticipation, as things had escalated really fast. "You know what I mean" Isabela said with bad intentions in each of her words.

"It may be so" Dolores accepted without taking her eyes off Isabela's. “It is lucky for me that in the end you are just a bitter hateful person, because after knowing you better, I am the one who ends up winning. Even your little sister prefers me”.

Camilo prepared to jump to separate them, since Isabela and Dolores prepared to escalate this to something physical. He knew that the fight between his cousin and his sister was a quiet and hidden affair. They never fought like Mirabel and Isabela, but a quiet rivalry grew day after day between the two of them, which had only been worsened by the whole Mariano and Mirabel thing.

“You get away with it, just because I allow it,” answered Isabela.

"Enough," Bruno said as he walked down the path that led to the house. “I came to solve a problem, but I never imagined I would find this one. Ladies, we have to talk, come with me”, Bruno indicated to Dolores and Isabela while he pointed at them with his index finger. 

Isabela turned around, but before following her uncle, she spoke to Camilo. "Get away from her. Mirabel knows nothing but trying to please everyone. But you know the truth. In the end you are a golden and selfish boy who will get away with it, while she has barely lived with the precarious tolerance that granma offers her, only because mom forced her to do so. She will be the one who ends up losing in all of this.” Isabella said.

“Leave my brother alone,” Dolores answered. "Shut your mouth," Isabela replied. "Enough!” Bruno yelled, interceding between them. “We're going home right now” he said as he took them by the elbow and pushed them towards the house. "Damn will be my luck, I didn't have children to avoid this kind of nonsense and now I have a bunch of troublesome nephews," Bruno complained.

Mirabel left before Camilo could reach her and provide some kind of explanation. He knew that Isabela’s words would be a blow to the little trust that Mirabel had given him. Camilo would have wanted to reverse time, erase all those words and lies that he spread through the town. He didn't even know why he did it, he just knew his blood boiled every time he saw Victor visit the Madrigal house, touching her, smiling at her. Perhaps Isabela was right, perhaps the best thing for Mirabel would be for him not to continue with that madness, even if his heart was broken along the way.

Camilo fell heavily on his bed and stayed there until the sound of the door alerted him. It was Dolores who entered without being invited and sat on Camilo's bed. “I hate to say this, but Isabela is right. Mirabel and you cannot continue with that relationship. Grandma wants to change, but you know that if something goes wrong, everyone will point the finger at Mirabel,” said Dolores. “Nothing will go wrong. She wants to get out of here, and I want to go with her. We both love each other” Camilo said, who was sure that it sounded more naive than planned.

"You guys are too young" Dolores answered, who looked exasperated. “Camilo, I don't want to be the one to break your heart, but I think Mirabel doesn't have all her love in this. Nobody can blame her, after what happened with the other boy…” Dolores started, but he didn't let her continue. "Is different. Mirabel didn't love Victor, but she does love me” Camilo said, almost desperate to believe his own words.

“But she doesn't trust you” Dolores said, while Camilo felt an invisible knife in his stomach. "She will not leave, she will not accept the proposal to go to study" Camilo insisted. “You sound overconfident, but we both know she has a lot more to gain if she decides to leave. Here she is in the middle of a family in which she does not feel completely comfortable, and she is heartbroken. Mirabel doesn't trust you. You heard her, she wants to be a teacher and this could be the perfect opportunity for her to do something different with her life. Not all girls are as lucky as she might be,” Dolores said.

Camilo held his breath for a moment. He would have wanted to disappear, since what Dolores said was completely true. This was a unique opportunity for Mirabel, considering that very few families decided that the education of her daughters was worth so much money. Now, he forgot another detail: Isabela. His cousin said terrible things to Mirabel, and surely she would distrust him even more.

“If I were you, I would forget about Mirabel as quickly as possible,” Dolores said. "It's very easy for you to say it, according to what Isabela said, you got away with it", Camilo replied. Her sister pursed her lips and frowned. It was obvious that he had hit the target.

"That's precisely why I'm telling you that Isabela is right. If anything goes wrong, Mirabel will be blamed. Look how the whole engagement thing ended, I almost caused Mirabel to die lost in the middle of the mountain. You should think of someone else, for a change" Dolores said. " I say the same about you," Camilo answered. Dolores let out an exasperated snort and stood up.

"Okay, do what you want" Dolores said as she headed towards the entrance. "But when she breaks your heart, don't come crying to me. Mirabel will prefer Grandma's offer. It's a great opportunity. Mirabel won't refuse, much less after what you did" her sister said.

"Dolores" Camilo called before she had a chance to leave. "I just want to ask you a question," Camilo said. "Go ahead," she replied. "I just want to know why you did it? Why did you use Mirabel to ruin that engagement?" Camilo asked. Dolores smiled sadly as she shrugged.

"For the same reason you spread all those rumors about Mirabel, because we're both idiots."

Hello everyone. He wanted to narrate Camilo's perspective in one episode, but this became quite long, so this chapter is only the first part. Next time we have a flashback. Thank you for reading.

Chapter Text

[Chapter 6]

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Needless to say, Camilo did not sleep that night. He kept thinking about her, over and over again. Camilo knew that he shouldn't go to see her, since the two of them were vigilated. They have been careless, but still he wanted to give her an explanation.

" What explanation are you going to give her? Dolores is right, you have no reason other than you are a jealous fool " Camilo said to himself.

Camilo tried to remember the moment when all of this had begun, and how things had turned into such a mess. It all started as soon as he turned fourteen. The girls in the village began to notice him and he began to notice them.

One of his friends used to tell him that his good luck was to be "caribonito", which meant that he was handsome. To be honest, He did not consider himself that way, there were other boys in the town and with a greater presence. However, the girls did not seem to think so, since love letters and gifts were an everyday thing.

However, it was the very person Camilo enjoyed spending time, who would never have seemed interested in him. Unfortunately, the heart is a treacherous one that always insists on wanting what it can never have. Mirabel was never one of the most beautiful girls in town, nor the most charismatic or intelligent. But without a doubt, she had a special light he loved.

Camilo remembered a party to which they were both invited. That night was the first time he saw Mirabel in a different way. This was the first party they had attended without the supervision of adults or their siblings. Camilo was older than her by a few months, so it was up to him to take care of her. As it was her first party with the boys her age, Mirabel took great care of her appearance  and made a set of blouse and skirt in a beautiful salmon color that contrasted with her skin. She also made embroidery with barely visible flowers on the cloth. Later, Mirabel asked Isabela to decorate her hair with flowers of the same color.

Mirabel went out dancing with several guys while Camilo could barely take his eyes off her. He knew that her cousin often felt incomplete, like something was wrong with her. Why couldn't Mirabel see herself like everyone else did? She was perfect. 

There was fire in Mirabel's soul, and anyone with two eyes could see it. That night, to the rhythm of the drum, Camilo felt true attraction to a woman for the first time. Maybe it was the movement of her hips, the pure and simple smile on her lips, or the way her curls fell over her shoulders. The song ended, so Mirabel approached him in the midst of giggling caused by some joke from her friends.

"Let's dance," Mirabel said as she took him by the forearm. He didn't refuse, he put down his drink, and together they walked to the dance floor. Camilo saw Víctor Valenzuela giving them a look over Mirabel's shoulder. He thought that perhaps he was preparing to play a trick on Mirabel, as was the custom, but there was something in that gesture that he did not like in the least.

Mirabel and Camilo returned to their chairs without giving the school bully a second glance. Unfortunately he made his presence known. He took his foot out without thinking twice, so Mirabel was about to fall to the ground if it hadn't been for Camilo's help. "Nice dress, Mirabel, did you get it from your grandmother's closet?" Victor asked.

"You should go to eat something that you already know about," Camilo suggested as he led her to her chair. Mirabel looked at herself. She sure wondered what was wrong with her outfit, to get Victor's attention like that. The truth was Camilo Couldn't understand either, since it was an ordinary dress, typical of the region and she looked pretty. He would wanted to say that things ended there, but they both had to leave the party as Victor kept pestering Mirabel with comments about her appearance.

Mirabel didn't say anything about the incident, but a couple of days later, Camilo found the skirt ready to be turned into cleaning rags. Camilo would have wanted to cross town to confront Victor, but he knew that would make it seem too obvious. He preferred to take those clothes out of the trash and put them away. After all, He knew how much work those garments had, so it would be a shame if they were lost because of that cretin. Camilo kept the dress in a trunk in the attic, in case one day she needed it.

Remembering that, Camilo decided that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep if he didn't get to talk to Mirabel first. He left his room, crossed the hall, but realized that there were voices coming from Mirabel's room. Isabela was still talking to her. Camilo knew that it wouldn't be a good thing to interrupt, so he preferred to go down to the kitchen for a glass of cold water.

The adults had arranged a few rocking chairs and a table in the middle of the central patio, where they played cards quietly, without imagining the disastrous night their children had. Camilo came out of the kitchen and looked at his uncle Bruno. He was the only person in that group who didn't seem amused by the game. On the contrary, his uncle Bruno rocked silently in the rocking chair while he held a small glass of aguardiente next to his chest.

"There is an old saying that says: to whom God does not give children, the devil gives him nephews" Bruno said as he drank the contents of his small cup in one gulp. “Are the pelados causing you trouble? Felix asked. “Just the normal problems of people their age,” Bruno replied. “Surely Camilo is to blame for your headache. I love the boy to death, he is my blood, but he is quite troublesome,” Felix said. Bruno didn't say anything, but he gave him a smile. His dad definitely knew him too well for his own good.

“Hey, dad, I'm here” said Camilo who joined the adults while he looked at his dad’s lousy hand of cards. “What is going on with you? You are very strange. I bet you are hiding something ”Pepa said while she gave him a sideways glance. “Nothing,” Camilo lied. "Don't worry, Pepa,"his grandmother intervened  while she dealt the cards with great mastery. “Eventually you will find out. You all used to keep secrets from me, and it always came out in the end” his grandmother said.

“I never kept any secrets from you” Bruno defended himself. "Lie. Sixth grade. You falsified all the report cards for that year just because Mr. Manrique had a very similar handwriting to yours. I eventually found out. And you lived for ten years hiding on the walls, but that’s another thing” Alma said. "I was a very quiet girl," said Julieta. At that moment Pepa let out a loud laugh.

“You were the perfect mama's girl, always helpful and kind. I was the problematic one” Pepa said. "But when you screwed up you did it big," she continued. They all looked at Pepa curiously. “Julieta and Agustín had a terrible fight when they were still dating. He got a new girlfriend and Juli suffered the worst jealousy attack in history. She looked for the first idiot who came her way. Unfortunately, it was Cesar Lopéz, a good for nothing. Julieta came very close to escaping with him." Pepa narrated.

"Oh, I remember it," Agustin complained. "I had forgotten, or probably blocked it from my memory," Julieta remembered. “Mom begged me not to go away with him, that he would ruin my life, and she wasn't wrong, the last time I heard about him, someone told me that he steals cars in Pereira,” Julieta said.

Camilo looked up at the second floor, and saw Isabela finally left Mirabel's room, while she dried her tears. Camilo knew that this was his opportunity. He excused himself, crept up the stairs and very slowly opened the doorknob.

“Can I come in, Mirabel? Camilo asked as he opened the door. "Go ahead," Mirabel replied. He continued into the room, and found Mirabel sitting on the ledge of her window, looking out over the garden. “I wanted to talk to you about Isabela's words,” Camilo said. "Was she lying?" Mirabel asked. "No," Camilo confessed.

“Just how I imagined it,” Mirabel answered without even turning to look at him. Camilo was reaching a point of desperation. Anything he said to Mirabel would sound empty. She didn't want to hear false excuses and empty promises. Mirabel knew perfectly well the opinion her family had for a long time, and anything he said would sound completely absurd.

“Mirabel. You told me you wanted to leave here with me,” he said as he took her hands and sat on the ledge across from her. “Please don't change your mind all of a sudden,” Camilo begged. "Isabela is too harsh, she doesn't measure her words, she probably should have thought better before saying all that" Camilo continued. “Isabela can be harsh, but no one can deny that she cares about me. We both know that she tells the truth” Mirabel said as she crossed her arms.

“Yes, I admit it, I said horrible things, I said that we had been destroyed by you, I said you were pathetic because you had no powers, and that you probably knew that Victor was playing with you, but you did not care because that was the best you could do and aspire with your appearance and your lack of gift. However, all those words were nothing but complaints from a jealous fool. What really killed me was you chosing him, while I didn't even have the consolation of having my gift” Camilo admitted.

"I know what you said is a lie" Mirabel. “I don't care if someone like you thinks I'm not pretty or pathetic, because I know there's more to me than just being an object of desire. Despite what you told me that day in the garden, I know I also have something to offer the world” she replied.

Camilo didn't know what to answer. There were times when Mirabel would disarm him. What he did know was that his cause was lost, and perhaps this would be best for both of them. "Can I stay tonight with you?" Camilo asked. “I know you're going to leave, you don't need to say goodbye. I also know that it is best for both of us, but I would like to spend this last night with you” he continued.

Mirabel remained silent. However, she stood up, took his hand very gently and led him on. Together, they lay down on the bed. Camilo heard the creaking of the wooden floor and the metal bed, but he didn't dare to say a word. He simply closed his eyes and immersed himself in the curve of Mirabel's neck and the scent of her curls. Camilo knew that this would be the best, but it didn't make it any easier for him to accept it.

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[six years later]

1952

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Mirabel used to drink coffee in that cafeteria in the center of Bogotá. It was a small place, very close to the Palace of Justice, where the lawyers and judges used to go for coffee between breaks in their respective trials. She used to sit at a bar in the back of the place, in front of a wall where the manager used to put clippings from specialized newspapers for lawyers to read while having their cup of coffee. Mirabel always sat next to the tax news, since she was interested in those.

Many asked her why she insisted on going to that place, where she didn't know anyone, but the truth was that this was one of the few places where she could find good coffee. It was so good that it would be a shame to even ruin it with sugar, just like the one that was planted in the Encanto. She looked at her pocket watch, she still had half an hour before her interview.

Mirabel took a paper napkin and a pen. Afterward, she began to draw a blackbird on the paper. Those birds reminded her of her first days at the boarding school for young ladies of the Sacred Heart of Tuenza. Mirabel arrived in the middle of the school year, and her new classmates didn't know what to do with that new girl, who came from a place that barely appeared on the map.

One of the teachers saw her drawing that bird as a decoration for one of her notebooks, so she asked her to draw one for the posters for the next bazaar to collect funds. In a very short time, Mirabel went from being the new girl to being that girl who knows how to draw very well, then she became "that girl who knows how to embroider" and finally: "that girl who also has a lot of talent for mathematics".

Mirabel had never been anything other than the embarrassment of her family, so she was very happy to feel that she finally had something special, just as Camilo said, something to offer the world. Mirabel completed the line of studies necessary to become a primary school teacher, but her life had taken her on a very different path.

“It's about time”, Mirabel took a small mirror from her bag, painted her lips and used powder for her nose. She briefly examined herself in one of the cafeteria windows, and felt pleased with her appearance. That day, Mirabel chose an office outfit with a black pencil skirt and jacket of the same color with a white blouse and heels. If she had learned anything, it was that people in the Capital never thought that you were badly dressed if you wore black.

Mirabel crossed the street and entered the Candelaria neighborhood where the school was located. This was an important job interview. She was very different from that girl who had just arrived from the countryside, feeling very uncomfortable with leather shoes, since she was not used to wearing them. 

In fact, Mirabel arrived at her new school with a suitcase of new clothes that her grandmother and her had packed in a hurry, since all of her clothes were typical of a country girl, and nothing was appropriate to wear in a private school full of snobbish girls. The first weeks were difficult. Mirabel could hardly bear the cold of that small municipality near the capital since the climate in Encanto was warmer, to the point that she had to use a hot water bag on her legs while she attended class. Her classmates had been together for years while she was "the new one", and the level of the classes was too advanced for someone from a rural school. Not to mention that broken heart that barely beat for someone she left behind.

"Are you Miss Mirabel?" The Principal’'s secretary asked as Mirabel waited in the small waiting room next to the office. "Yes, ma'am," Mirabel replied. "Please follow me to the office," said the secretary.

"You have a very impressive resume,"  The principal said, as she looked at her curriculum. "Thank you very much," Mirabel replied with a smile. “It says here that you were preparing to be a teacher, but you started your accounting studies almost by accident, in a vacation class”. 

"Yes, ma'am, but my goal has always been to be a primary school teacher," Mirabel said, as she recalled the vacations the principal was referring to. Mirabel took a couple of years to finish high school, and another three to become a certified teacher, since she studied at a technical school. During the first two years she always returned to Encanto at the first opportunity. However, after one special painful event during a Christmas vacation, Mirabel decided not to return.

Mirabel took a breath and didn't let her smile fade, since it wasn't worth remembering at a time like that. The only thing certain was that she had started a course to become an accounting assistant as an excuse to not have to go on vacation with her family.

"However, here it says that despite a couple of internships in rural schools, you do not have real experience as a teacher, you have always worked as an accounting assistant" the principal said.

Her parents made the trip from Encanto with her grandmother to attend her graduation. Alma Madrigal seemed to shine with emotion when she saw Mirabel receive her diploma. She was the first educated woman in her family. However, a very awkward discussion took place after the ceremony ended. Julieta and Agustín wanted her to return to Encanto immediately. Ironically, her grandmother supported her, saying that it would be a real waste of Mirabel's education.

After a heated discussion. Grandma got a three-month stint for Mirabel. If she didn't get a job in three months, she would have to go back to Encanto. Mirabel couldn't help but think it was fair. The family had already invested enough money in her education, and now they would bear the cost of keeping her in the expensive city for three months. She had to find a job or go back to Encanto and face her painful past.

“Yes ma'am, at that time I was a newcomer to the city, I didn't have a job, my family paid for the first months I spent here, I knew I couldn't depend on them forever, so I started working as an accounting assistant. But, I have always dreamed of working with children again” Mirabel said smiling.

The first two months passed, and Mirabel had already resigned herself to returning to Encanto and looking for work as a rural teacher. However, everything changed the day she received “the letter”. Again, Mirabel refused to think about that, she couldn't afford to feel sad at a time like that. She just remembered how she took the first job she found.

“Miss Madrigal, I don't understand why you want to do that. Here it says that you worked in a transportation company for a few months, and that your boss decided to take you with him as soon as he got a better position in a tax firm,” the principal said. "Children are not easy, parents are even worse, surely the salary is not as good as the one you have" the teacher continued.

"But" Mirabel stammered.

"Miss Madrigal, I thing you would be an excellent math teacher, but I am quite sure that you will tire of it in a couple of months and soon return to the comfort of your office, it is clear that you have a great career ahead of you, It would be a shame to throw it away." the rector said.

"But but but…

"Good afternoon, Miss Madrigal" the Principal said goodbye while practically expelling her from her office.

Mirabel found herself in the street as she felt the first drops of rain on her head. Mirabel took her umbrella out of her bag and prepared herself for her daily dose of Bogota’s rain. She walked, took a bus to the neighborhood where her best friend lived. After all, she had the whole afternoon off. Sandra Diaz and Mirabel connected since they met at school while they were preparing to take on their roles in the school Christmas play, and have been inseparable ever since.

"What you need is to go out dancing and have a few drinks to drown your sorrows" Sandra said as she pushed Mirabel out of her apartment. Just as Sandra had promised, they went to a dance hall where Sandra ordered a half bottle of aguardiente for both of them.

“She told me it would ruin my career. What she doesn't know is that I ruined my career myself” said Mirabel who had more and more trouble speaking as the drinks went by. "What are you talking about? It seems to me that you are doing very well” Sandra asked, surprised. “My plan was to go back to Encanto and try to get a job as a rural teacher there. Near Encanto there are many corregimientos with empty schools since any teacher wants to travel to such remote towns” Mirabel said. "Why didn't you do it?" she asked. "Because I allowed the same jerk who has broken my heart countless times to do it again" Mirabel answered barely without thinking.

Mirabel returned home in the company of Sandra who had drunk much less than her. Her friend dropped her off at the door of her apartment building. She looked at the stairs to her apartment on the second floor, and wondered who put them there, since she could have sworn that they weren't there that morning. Afterwards, she spent the next half hour trying to insert her key into the lock, until she finally got in.

Mirabel had adopted a couple of cats months ago, although the right word would be "kidnapping", since it was a cat with her offspring that were hanging around the garbage dump of the building where she lived. She walked to the kitchen and took a piece of shredded chicken from the fridge to serve the cats. Unfortunately, as she was putting the food on the tiny plates, she lost her balance and her bump fell ungracefully to the kitchen floor.

She settled on her back as she watched the lightbulb on the kitchen ceiling, as her cats kept licking her fingers with their scratchy tongues through her nylon stockings. Finally, Mirabel gave herself permission to think about the person her mind always avoided: Camilo.

The truth was that once she looked at her entire relationship with Camilo through a rear view lens, she had a hard time understanding the reason for their fight. All that drama surrounding the lies her cousin told the town gossip seemed absurd to her adult self. Mirabel knew when she started studying at the boarding school that she was still in love with Camilo. The truth was that despite the lies and problems, her cousin was a special and charismatic person, so she felt an attraction for him that she could hardly explain.

During his first two years in the boarding school nothing happened. Camilo also left Encanto with the intention of studying in the capital of the department, which was much closer to town. Mirabel fondly remembered the first Christmas they spent together after meeting again. They snuck off to the river where they shared more than a couple of kisses, though they never spoke of it again.

However, things changed in the third year after her departure. Mirabel received a letter from her mother in which she told her that Camilo finally seemed interested in finding a future wife, which was encouraging, since he was the older man in the family. Mirabel read it horrified, but not surprised. After all, she couldn't ask him to settle for sporadic kisses and encounters during Christmas.

Mirabel decided that in the following holidays she would not be the loser in this whole matter. During that time, Mirabel was already sharing classes with the students of the Men's Normal School, so she invited the first boy who smiled at her to spend Christmas at her house. Mirabel felt nothing but friendship for Fabian Mendez, but she introduced him as her boyfriend.

In the end, Camilo didn't care much, since he spent the Christmas holidays flirting with all the girls in town, giving them his well-known charming smiles, while he ignored her. The night of the candles was the most important party in the Madrigal house. Mirabel and Fabian attended and had fun. Mirabel was chatting in a corner of the central patio, when she saw Rosa Tellez, one of the many girls from the town, going into her cousin's room with him.

At that moment, Mirabel decided that this had been a mistake. She didn't want to stay in Encanto, just to see Camilo marry someone else, that would break her heart. Mirabel did not return to Encanto for the next four years. She used as an excuse an evening accounting course that she started with the sole purpose of not going home.

Mirabel never spoke to Camilo again, and as far as she knew, he was already engaged to another girl. That fateful letter informed her. She had also gone her way, and she even had a couple of boyfriends during that time.

The doorbell rang at that moment. Mirabel got up with great difficulty from the kitchen floor and walked towards the entrance. She looked at herself in the hall mirror and realized that she looked very different from that afternoon. Her make-up had completely disappeared, her normally defined curls were shattered and by this time her nylon stockings had been ruined by her cats, it was then when she contemplated the possibility that she was a little bit drunk. The doorbell rang a second time.

"I'm coming, I'm coming" Mirabel said sullenly, because she was sure that It would be, once again, that irritating neighbor who always complained because her heels made too much noise on the stairs.

"Hello Mirabel" said her uncle Bruno who was wearing a heavy green ruana and horrifying white socks under his sandals. "Hello Uncle Bruno" she replied. Mirabel had spent the last four years without seeing her uncle Bruno. Both constantly exchanged letters, but he rarely left Encanto.

“Can I come in?" Bruno asked. "Of course," Mirabel replied who moved away from the entrance. However, Bruno approached her and sniffed her. His uncle snorted in exasperation and continued into the kitchen completely uninvited. "I don't know what would become of me if I had a little less troublesome nephews, I'd probably be in a retirement home resting quietly playing domino and drinking coffee and aguardiente all day with other old people. I'll make you a strong coffee, you're as lit as a damn Christmas tree" Bruno complained

"Ave Maria," Bruno murmured sullenly as he shook his head. Mirabel sat down on a rickety chair in her kitchen and gave him a smile. "Thank you very much, uncle Bruno, I am very happy to see you again, I love you very much" said Mirabel. Bruno gave her a smile. "Please, don't talk like that, your drunkness is more noticeable" Bruno answered.

Mirabel went to sleep that night. It was lucky that the next morning was Saturday, since she felt as if she had been run over by a truck. Bruno greeted her with a bowl of hot rib broth. The perfect meal for a hangover. Both went for a walk in the park as soon as Mirabel felt better.

"I guess you're surprised by my visit," Bruno said as they walked down. "To be honest, I'm very surprised," Mirabel answered. “ I wish I could say that this is a disinterested visit, but it is not true. Mom sent me to talk to you. The family really needs you back in Encanto” Bruno confessed. Mirabel remained silent and let her uncle continue talking.

“Mom, she is sick, and we all fear for her health. Julieta and Agustín took charge of the administration of the house and the farm for a few months, but I think they were not so successful. As you know, Camilo is an agronomist, and he has managed things better. However, mom is convinced that you are the only one who can help him so that the house does not fall apart.” Bruno said.

The truth was that what Mirabel wanted most was to return to Encanto. She was sure that she could have the quiet life and the job that she always ambitioned. Besides, her grandmother was right, she could be of great use managing the household. It was the opportunity she always desired. However, even though she didn't want to admit it, Mirabel didn't want to end up heartbroken again.

Several years had passed since she had had feelings for Camilo, but she didn't want to expose herself. “I know you don't want to come back, and I know why," Bruno said suddenly. Mirabel looked up, for she didn't know what to say. “The only thing I can tell you, Mirabel, is that I beg you, the family needs you more than ever” Bruno murmured.

Hello everyone, thanks for reading. I think I need to give an explanation. I got the idea of technical schools from my grandmother and her sisters. To be honest, I don't know how technical schools worked in the 1940s. I don't even really know how they work nowadays. But according to what my grandmother told me, they studied a couple of technical subjects in high school to finish their studies faster. My grandmother and her sisters received technical studies in tailoring, and they were very useful.

Chapter Text

[Chapter 7]

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It took Mirabel nearly a month to get all of her business settled in the city before returning to Encanto. She had to sell her furniture, quit her job, and say goodbye to every single one of her friends. Mirabel also got a couple of large cages for her cats, as she had not the slightest intention of abandoning them, so when the day of her trip arrived, she was completely ready.

“The plan is to travel along the new highway to Manizales,” Bruno explained. “Now there is a new road to Santa Rita, and then… well, we will see, because you know how difficult it is to get to Encanto” he said. Mirabel sighed, since she knew that all of that would be little less than three days of traveling through the mountains, and doing it with luggage and two cats would be quite an achievement.

Mirabel still had acquaintances from her days as an accounting assistant in a transportation company, so she found a driver interested in taking them to Manizales. That would make the trip much more comfortable than in a public service vehicle. Mirabel put her belongings into the truck and she released her cats into the cabin while they slept soundly on the makeshift bed she made for them.

Sandra said goodbye to her with teary eyes, and promised to visit her as soon as she had the chance. Mirabel gave a last goodbye to the city and thanked it for everything. She left with her heart full of melancholy. The trip was as horrible as she had expected. The roads were still under construction, and there were sections where the hand of the man seemed completely unable to reach. The mountains were no place for the faint of heart.

After a day and a half of traveling through all kinds of climates and ecosystems, Mirabel finally arrived in Manizales. Bruno paid for the trip and found a hotel where cats were allowed. Mirabel decided to wear a pretty yellow dress with a wide skirt, short sleeves and a white collar. She bought it in a very expensive store downtown. The silhouette was trendy and looked like something out of a fashion magazine. Although,  the dress was an irresponsible purchase, since it was not suitable for the climate of the capital due to its shape and color.

However, that day was perfect for her to use it, since the weather in Manizales was a bit more benign and she wouldn't look so strange wearing it there. If anything, Mirabel knew she would look a little overdressed. She put it on, and walked out to the front door of her hotel, while she was wearing a little white hat and matching white gloves. Mirabel looked up and enjoyed  the pale mountain sun, as she felt herself being watched.

Mirabel looked to her left, and saw a large shiny black car, and a man standing next to it, as he gazed down the street with his hands in his pockets. Mirabel did not have her glasses on, since she took them off to enjoy the sun on her face. But, as far as she could see, he was a tall, very handsome man, with fair skin and dark curly hair tamed down with gel, wearing an elegant dark gray suit, and a hat of the same color.

Suddenly, he seemed aware of her presence. Mirabel felt watched and admired, so she did not hesitate to stay there, to flirt with him discreetly, while that man's interest seemed to grow every moment. Mirabel pretended not to notice anything, until he started walking towards her. He probably wanted to find a lame excuse to talk to her, like asking her the time or something. Her heart began to beat harder and harder as he got closer.

"Mirabel Madrigal, is that you?" the man asked. Mirabel  put on her glasses very quickly and looked at him carefully. All the excitement  in her went down like air in a balloon. “Hello Victor, long time no see,” Mirabel replied, trying to look happy to see Victor Valenzuela, her former school bully. “I thought you lived in the capital, I heard you didn’t want to return to   Encanto. Camilo told me so. As soon as I arrived at the town, I went to your house to see you, but you weren’t there, and your cousins and sisters are quite disagreeable,” Victor continued. Mirabel was surprised to hear that, because she never would have imagined that her cousin talked about her with other people. But of course, her family was disagreeable with him since he was close to killing her. 

“The circumstances have changed. My uncle Bruno says I'm needed in Encanto, so I decided to go back” Mirabel said as she saw a spark of interest appear in Victor's eyes. “If you're on your way to Encanto, I can give you a ride back,” Victor suggested as he gave the car a pat. Mirabel smiled, noticing for the first time the small national crest that dangled from his lapel. Victor probably worked for the government, and his blue tie spoke volumes about him.

"I do not want to bother you. I travel with my uncle Bruno and with two cats that I adopted, it will not be comfortable,” Mirabel replied. She wasn't sure it was such a good idea to give someone like Victor such confidence, after so much dirty water had flowed between the two of them. “It’s nothing, for me there will be no problem, I also love cats. Besides, everyone in Encanto misses Miss Mirabel, it would be great for me to take you there” Victor joked. Mirabel laughed, but she was kind of upset, since this left her with no choice but to accept.

“ We have to stay for a week here, nobody wants to take us to Encanto. I found a vehicle, but he told me it will be leaving next week… Oh hi Victor, I hadn't seen you” Bruno said. “You don't have to worry, I can take you there this afternoon. There is a new road to Santa Rita, while the road to Encanto is not yet paved, but this car is new, and I make the trip at least two to three times a week” Victor replied.

"Oh, that sounds good," Bruno answered very slowly as he gave Mirabel a nervous smile. It was clear that neither of them wanted to get in the car with Victor. Unfortunately, there was no real reason to say no. After all, it would seem stupid to reject him just because of a fight that took place when they were teenagers.

The three of them got into the car, along with the cats and luggage. Victor opened the passenger seat door for her, while Bruno rode in the back seat. Victor seemed in excellent spirits as he drove his car up the new highway toward Santa Rita. Mirabel told her uncle and Victor about her life at boarding school, and her career.

"As you already know, I finished school and graduated as a lawyer in Medellin," Victor said after narrating a little about his own career. "Then I started working with the government," he continued. "Victor worked for the Monster’s administration," Bruno said in a grave and gloomy tone. Mirabel immediately understood who her uncle was referring to. It was the last president, who had to resign after suffering several heart attacks the year before. Apparently Mirabel hadn't been wrong about Victor. " The monster " Victor repeated in a mocking tone. "I do not understand why the members of the other party have given the president such a nickname, that’s very offensive"

“Well, he certainly has earned it, there were 51,931 deaths in 431 days, courtesy of his civil police, and now he is offended by the groups of bandits on the other side of the snowy mountains and the plains, trying to protect themselves, it was a matter of time for people to respond to violence with more violence, which will surely generate even more violence,” Bruno said as he settled back in his chair. Victor gave his uncle a resentful look through the rearview mirror, while Mirabel grew more and more nervous. "But hey, I'm just the town madman, who spent ten years hiding in the walls of his mom's house, I don't know anything about anything" Bruno said quietly as he shrugged.

Suddenly, the oldest cat began to meow, which was really lucky, since Mirabel could change the subject of the conversation. "Pass her to me, uncle, she must be nervous, this trip has been very hard for her" Mirabel said, while she received the animal. "Victor, this is Sarita, the vet said she's five years old," Mirabel continued as she picked up the cute gray tabby with green eyes that she pulled from the dumpster a year ago. "The other one over there is Bonita, Sarita's daughter, she is only a little over a year old."

Victor's smile returned to hers, and he gave Mirabel a very brief glance. "They are truly charming, like their owner," he said. After that conversation the three remained silent until they finally reached the nearby town of Santa Rita. Mirabel couldn't help but notice that in the years since her departure, people were wearing more modern dresses and not the traditional country folk outfits. Suddenly her uncle became alarmed as they entered the town's main square.

“Victor, please stop at the park. Our truck is there, Camilo or Agustín must be nearby” Bruno said. Victor did as his uncle asked and pulled into the park next to a dark blue truck parked there. Julieta wrote to her some time ago that thanks to the new roads the family had finally bought a small truck to transport the harvest to the scales.

Bruno and Victor got out while Mirabel returned Sarita to her crate. Victor opened the door for her, offered her his hand, and helped her out. She thanked him, while she felt overwhelmed and somewhat confused, as she didn't know how to feel about the apparent kindness of her school bully. Suddenly, Mirabel only noticed the person she had in front of her: Camilo.

Her cousin was casually leaning against a wall while he was holding a cup of coffee in his hand. He too seemed surprised to see her, as he slowly straightened up as he watched her. Apparently, her cousin looked like a regular man in the region, with beige pants, a white shirt and a white aguadeño hat, but Camilo was still as handsome, or even more than he used to be when he was young. He smiled at her and Mirabel couldn't help but reply.

“Oh, there you are, Camilo,” said Bruno. Mirabel felt as if she had thrown a bucket of cold water at her, since that strange magic of the moment was lost.

“I thought you would arrive next week,” Camilo said, sounding surprised. "We were lucky to find Victor on the way, he offered to give us a ride," Mirabel replied. Camilo seemed to notice Victor's presence for the first time. It was evident that he had not left the past behind them, because the change in his expression was immediate.

“Thank you Victor, but you didn't need to go to all that trouble, I could have picked them up, although it would have been easier having a decent road from Encanto to Santa Rita,” Camilo said as he crossed his arms and gave him a hard look. Victor rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Again with that, man, I've already told you more than a thousand times that it's not that easy, they need to approve the budget," he replied. "Yes, yes, yes, whatever" Camilo replied.

“Victor works with the departmental delegation of highways and roads, and Camilo has been obsessed with that issue since he got home from college,” Bruno murmured to Mirabel. "I'm not obsessed, it's just not fair that we're the only municipality in this part of the department that doesn't have a damn road."

"Camilo" Mirabel interrupted, "The important thing is that we are here, and Victor did us a big favor by giving us a ride, the least we can do is thank him," Mirabel said. “Your cousin travels with two cats and her luggage, besides, look at her, she already looks like a city girl. Do you really think she would ride in a beat up chiva?” Victor commented. Mirabel felt flushed. She had chosen that elegant dress because she wasn't planning to travel that day, but Victor made her look like she was a pompous child.

“I…” Mirabel started, but Camilo didn't hear her. He simply walked sullenly to Victor's car and began loading the truck with Mirabel and Bruno's luggage. Mirabel thanked Victor one last time for his help, while behind her Camilo kept honking the horn.

“The idea is to leave today,” Camilo yelled from the cab of the truck, while some of the passers-by shouted profanities at Camilo because of the noise. "I'm so sorry, Victor." Mirabel apologized. “You don't have to, but if you really want to thank me, I'd appreciate it if you'd join me for the governor's dinner in a couple of weeks,” Victor said with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Mirabel bit her lip, that sounded like a terrible idea, but she had no real reason to refuse. "Sounds fun, although I think I should go right away" Mirabel lied while Camilo did not stop making noise. "Yes, that would be best," Victor replied.

“You should be ashamed of yourself, young man,” an elderly woman passing by told Camilo who kept honking his horn, “I am so sorry, I promise it won’t happen again” Her cousin answered. “Hey, asshole, who taught you how to drive? Did you get your license in a tamal?” a man yelled from the window. Camilo stuck his head out the window and screamed; “It was your mother, why? Do you have a problem?”. Mirabel pushed him back into the truck before getting in. "Stop! stop causing trouble, I was just saying thank you."

Mirabel remained upset for a few minutes. Although, to tell the truth, she wasn't that interested in having this dispute for no reason.

"Camilo" Mirabel began while she felt the breeze from the road hit her face. “What Victor said is not true. I did not expect to make the trip today. I only wore these clothes because I supposed I would spend the day in the city, ”Mirabel said, who still felt somewhat uneasy at the thought that her cousin would think that she had deliberately sought out Victor. Camilo looked at her for a few seconds, very surprised. Afterwards, he looked back at the road. "What are you talking about? Do you think I'm upset about you not traveling in a public service bus?" Camilo asked quietly. “Mirabel, you don't have to give me explanations. I know you better than anyone, I know how intrepid you are, and I know that you would be able to make the trip with your cats and your luggage without any problem. You're right, it was a good opportunity to pass it up, though, I still think he's a jerk. I just happen to dislike him very, very much,” Camilo said, putting enfasis in the last words.

“Aren't you going to introduce me to these handsome boys?” Camilo asked as he gave the cats a quick glance. Mirabel smiled and immediately took her cat out of the cage. The conversation carried on animatedly during the trip. She had forgotten how easy it was to laugh in the company of her cousin who seemed in such a good mood as always. Bruno's mood also seemed to lighten when he heard them joking around, it was as if the tiredness of the trip had dissipated in the wind.

Mirabel arrived at Encanto in the late afternoon. Her town hadn't changed much in three years. Probably, the only difference was the increased wiring on the streets from the new telephones installed in some houses. “Aunt Julieta will die of happiness when she sees you,” Camilo said as he got out of the truck. Mirabel took the two cats in the cages and very slowly entered Casita. A warm feeling nestled inside her as she saw the central patio of the house decorated with vines, billetes, and of course, Villa Helenas. She gave Camilo a quick look, but he didn't notice.

"Family, I'm here, I have a surprise" Camilo yelled as he took off his hat and began to fan himself with it. The first to approach was Toñito, who was with his jaguar. Mirabel had always heard that time was always reflected strongly in children, and that was proof, since her cousin looked much older.

"Antonio, you have grown so much," Mirabel said as she gave her cousin a big hug and he did not hesitate to respond. They exchanged a couple of comments about the trip, until her cousin's attention was drawn to her two cats. Antonio released them from their cages without a second thought. “Don't worry, there's chicken in the kitchen, and soon I'll bring you a box with sand, you'll be very comfortable here” Toño said very animatedly. “Mirabel, your cats are very worried about whether they will be safe in this house. The trip has been horrible for them, but Sara told me that they are happy to be with you because you rescued them, and they can trust you” her cousin said.

"Did I save them?" Mirabel asked in surprise, since Mirabel had always thought that her two cats were perfectly capable of surviving on their own. “That sounds very Mirabel-like” Camilo commented. “Yes, the litter had three cats, she had already lost two, and she said that thanks to you she has a nice home” Antonio continued. Afterward, his cousin addressed the cats again. "I'll take you two to Mirabel's room, you'll feel very comfortable there."

"Mirabel!" Grandma said as she walked down the stairs. “I'm afraid you've come at a bad time. As you know, Isabela continued with your idea of making money organizing parties, and I'm afraid that everyone is involved”, said the grandmother as she led her to the kitchen where Camilo, Bruno and Mirabel sat down to drink coffee and eat. Her grandmother forced her to spend the next few hours telling her every little detail of her life and her journey, until they reached a difficult topic.

"I guess you've given up on the idea of being a teacher," her grandmother said sadly. For a moment, Mirabel thought this was a scolding in disguise. However, her grandmother looked almost sad. “I wouldn't say I've forgotten, Grandma, but it's been easier to find work as an accounting assistant” Mirabel replied, making her grandmother's face light up right away. “That means there is still hope for us in this town,” her grandmother said as she looked at Camilo.

“The town has been without a teacher for months, and the Ministry has not yet sent one. The children from Encanto, and from the nearby rural areas have had to attend school in Santa Rita, it is almost two hours on foot” Camilo explained. Mirabel couldn't help but smile, as this was too perfect to be true.

Suddenly the noise at the entrance announced the arrival of the rest of the family. Everyone received her with great enthusiasm, including Dolores and Mariano who took the opportunity to introduce her one-year-old daughter, Lorenza, whom Mirabel did not know. Julieta took her back to the kitchen with a bright smile, while Isabela told her the latest news. "Luisa is getting married, but please pretend you don't know, she wants to announce it herself" Isabela said. "And Camilo…" began her sister who suddenly fell silent.

"What happened to him?" Mirabel asked. She had a feeling that she knew exactly what was going to happen. It was no secret that Camilo was in a stable relationship, and that he was most likely engaged. Julieta had told him in letters long ago. However, she had stopped asking, and her mom never brought it up again. "I don't know if I should tell you," Isabela said. Mirabel rolled her eyes exasperated, "That happened many years ago, tell me", she insisted. Isabela bit her lip until she finally decided to speak.

“Camilo is engaged,” Isabela said. Mirabel took a long breath, but she was silent and let her sister continue as if nothing was happening, as if it hadn't hurt like a fist in the stomach. “Mom hadn't told you since everyone in the family had reservations about that marriage. I'm not even so sure it's going to happen,” Isabela muttered.

Mirabel got closer to her sister while she felt completely anxious to hear the rest of the rumor. "What are you talking about?" Mirabel asked. Isabela looked from side to side as she made sure Dolores was too busy with her daughter to pay attention to her conversation. “Grandma does not approve of that marriage. She thinks that Camilo and his girlfriend have nothing in common. They don’t like eachother very much. And to be honest, I think the same. Also, they have been engaged for more than a year, but they say they still haven't found the perfect time to get married."

Mirabel agreed with Isabela, engagements didn't usually last that long without a date or a resolution. Her cousin seemed to have doubts, and probably his girlfriend too. "Who is Camilo's girlfriend? Where did they meet?" Mirabel asked impatiently. Isabela bit her lip again and frowned, "You're not going to like it…" her sister muttered.

Suddenly, the kitchen door opened and Camilo reappeared again accompanied by… 

"Marlene?" Mirabel asked as she got up from her seat. "Hello Mirabel, I heard you were in town, that's why I came to greet you" said Marlene as she walked around the table and greeted Mirabel with a kiss on the cheek that she responded with all the hypocrisy in the world.

Mirabel quickly realized that Isabela was not lying, nobody wanted Marlene in that house. Everyone seemed to have forced smiles while she was present. At least, during all of Mariano's drama, the boy was very well liked by the family. Camilo seemed to ignore all this with polite contempt, although to tell the truth, he didn't seem to behave like the lover he was supposed to be either. They all went to the dining room and took their places.

However, as the dinner progressed, Mirabel met Camilo's gaze for the first time. He turned his gaze from her immediately. Mirabel understood that her cousin somehow understood  he was making a mistake. They were so close, and so far apart. She couldn't help but wonder what had driven him to such a rash decision.

"Hey, Mirabel, I have something very important to tell you, Alfoso and I are going to get married" Luisa said excitedly. “Ah, that's great, congratulations” Mirabel replied, feigning surprise. Luisa stared at her for a few seconds after which she kicked Isabela under the table, "You're a gossip, you couldn't keep the secret for two seconds' ' Luisa said laughing. "Ouch, it's not my fault that Mirabel is such a bad actress," Isabela complained, making the three sisters laugh.

At the end of dinner, Mirabel went to the pond under the acacias, where she sat on the trunk that was still in its place.

"I knew I would find you in this place" Camilo said, as Mirabel turned around to meet his gaze. She slowly got to her feet.

"It's overwhelming to come back to this place and go through those old memories again and again," Camilo said with a smile. Mirabel felt frustrated, and for the first time she let her jealousy get the best of her. "Those memories don't seem to have much value for you, because your fiancée is the same person guilty of that silly fight. Surely you're still telling her rumors about me so she can tell everyone in town" Mirabel complained as she felt that her cheeks burned and her heart pounded with anger.

She decided at that moment that the best thing would be to leave and take a deep breath before doing something stupid. However, she was unable to move forward as Camilo grabbed her wrist and stopped her. "Wait a minute, I haven't heard from you for three years. The last time I saw you, you were with that guy Fabián, or whatever his name was. Aunt Julieta kept talking about the boyfriends you had in the capital, and now you blame me for getting involved with one of the few women in this town" Camilo answered. Mirabel knew he was right, but she didn't want to admit it. Right now the last thing she cared about was being reasonable.

"You know well how I feel about Marlene, you better than anyone know everything she did to me," Mirabel replied as she released his grip. "Everyone here expects something from me, I'm the eldest son in this family, I'm supposed to get married and this small town doesn't have many options." Camilo answered. 

"Do what you want," Mirabel muttered, completely frustrated.  He got in her way again. "Please don't go, don't hate me again. Mirabel, I spent nearly three years without a word from you, and I thought that beyond what happened between the two of us, you and I were friends above all else, and to tell the truth, I need you" Camilo said.

Mirabel felt her anger descend like foam. She sighed deeply. "I think you're making a mistake, but that's your problem, you're the one who's going to marry her, I'll be able to return to the city in a couple of months when we've solved everything" Mirabel said. Camilo held his breath for a few moments, But he finally nodded, "Yes, you're right, the best thing would be that we solve everything quickly so that you can quickly return to your life. The last thing I want is to think that I'm taking away your freedom," Camilo answered seriously.

"Camilo" Mirabel started again. "Yes?" Camilo asked. “I'm very sorry I didn't keep my promise, I'm very sorry I didn't keep in touch, despite everything, even though I knew you would eventually have to get married, but it was too much for me” Mirabel confessed. Something in Camilo's expression told him that he didn't believe her, maybe it was the way he bit his lip, or the way he crossed his arms.

"Mirabel, that doesn't matter anymore, the truth is that if I learned anything from all this, it is that you should never force things, from the beginning it was clear to me that you didn't feel the same way I felt about you" Camilo murmured. Mirabel would have wanted to tell him something, tell him how she ended up feeling about him, that she didn't want to leave him, but she didn't, there was no point, because they would only hurt each other more. Camilo was right, the wisest thing would be to finish the business that had brought her to Encanto and leave, never to return.

I'm sorry for the delay, I had set myself a goal, I wanted to publish this chapter with a new fic that I have in the oven, but I couldn't finish the first chapter. I want to write it a little better. 

Two things :

One. Now you know my kitties names. Yes, those cats exist, they are the love of my life, and I couldn't resist the urge to include them in one of my stories. I did not rescue them, I adopted them, and they are not mother and daughter. I adopted Sara when she was very young. They found her in a garbage dump with her little brothers, the vet says that she is the healthiest cat in the history of cats. I also adopted Bonita because her mother rejected her but Sara treats her like her baby.

ejem… about other things, In my fics I have subtle details (on Mirabel’s Journey the details weren’t that subtle, especially on the last chapter, but still) but this time I wasn't so subtle. The numbers come from the book by Gustavo Lopéz Ramirez, Los Dormidos y los Muertos (The sleep and the deaths). The guy's grandson is still alive, and he's running for president in the next election (may 29). Hopefully none of the 3 people who are going to vote for him will read this and be offended.

Chapter Text

[Chapter 8]

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Mirabel spent the first two days  at Casita without any setbacks. Her cats seemed happy to spend time in that gigantic house full of plants and flowers to play with, while her mother dedicated herself to feeding her as if she had spent several years without tasting a bite.

However, as the afternoon of the second day passed, Mirabel received a surprise. She wasn't sure if it was good or bad, but she was very surprised for sure. A bouquet of flowers arrived at the Madrigal house, and unfortunately it was received by Isabela, who placed it on the dining table and looked at it as if it were a disgusting tarantula.

“That idiot sent this to you,” her sister told Mirabel. "If you ask me, they are in terrible taste, surely he bought them at the cemetery" Isabela commented. Mirabel found nothing distasteful in a common bouquet of white roses, but of course, they were insignificant to Isabela. Mirabel took the card and immediately understood the reason for Isabela's annoyance.

"Victor sent this," Mirabel muttered. She bit her lip “he wants to invite me to dinner with his family tonight. They hadn’t chance to apologize for what happened years ago,” Mirabel explained. "Are you planning to go?" Isabela asked. Mirabel remained silent, so she had no choice but to insist. "Mirabel!" Isabela exclaimed in alarm, "He's crazy, you can't go to that house, you shouldn't even contemplate the possibility of giving that asshole a chance" Isabel said.

“Please, it was just a teenage fight. Victor had no way of knowing that I would be sick like that,” Mirabel insisted. Suddenly, Alma Madrigal appeared through the dining room door. Mirabel did not remember her grandmother moving as slowly as she did at that time, clearly her health had deteriorated.

"Who sent these flowers?" Alma asked seriously. "Victor Valenzuela" Isabela hastened to answer. "Isabella!" Mirabel yelled "you're a gossip" she said. "Grandma, Victor invited Mirabel to his house tonight, and she is seriously thinking about attending," Isabela said, while her grandmother looked at her in dismay.

"Mirabel, come, I need to talk to you" her grandmother said. Mirabel gave her sister one last angry look and walked down the halls with her grandmother until they both reached the garden. “Mirabel” Alma began very seriously as the two walked through the flowery paths “are you really thinking of taking Victor's invitation seriously? Do I need to know why?” she asked her. Mirabel bit her lip, for she already knew the battle to come.

"It's not what you're thinking, Grandma, I just don't want to fight with Victor anymore, and if you want me to be very honest, I want to ask him for a favor," Mirabel admitted. “He works with the government, maybe he could meet someone to help me get into teaching, and be the teacher that Encanto needs. I've always wanted to be a teacher, but I never found the opportunity, and this one is just too perfect to pass up,” Mirabel said. Alma frowned. “I have to be very honest with you, Mirabel. Victor is not the same silly teenager you knew. I'm afraid he might be involved with very powerful, and very dangerous people,” Alma said.

"What do you mean, Grandma?" Mirabel asked with increasing concern. “ You know that we have managed to stay out of reach of both political parties for more than fifty years. I fear that Victor represents the interests of all those who have not been able to lay hands on our land. Unfortunately, very few believe me,” Alma explained.

"Why?" Mirabel asked. “I don't know, maybe because I'm too old, maybe they think my judgment is clouded by the resentment this family feels for the Valenzuelas, or maybe they're too scared to accept the truth. This town has been a haven of peace for years in the midst of so much violence, and I would like it to continue to be that way,” Alma said.

"What should I do?" Mirabel asked, feeling a great determination. The miracle of the Encanto was so much hers that it was completely tied to her existence, she would not let it drift. “You don't have to rush, we don't know if he's dangerous or if…” Alma began. "Grandma, what should I do?" Mirabel insisted, having no intention of backing down. “I just want to confirm my theory. I want to know if it's true or if I'm just a decrepit old woman who sees ghosts where they shouldn't be,” Alma said.

"I can do it, Grandma," Mirabel agreed. Alma smiled momentarily, though after that her face turned grim. “Only under one condition: you won't get in trouble,” Alma said. "Of course not," Mirabel answered.

With her grandmother's permission, Mirabel ran to get ready for her dinner. The rest of the family did not take it well at all. Even Uncle Felix who was always in a good mood thought it was a terrible idea. "He knows you're too nice for your own good, I wouldn't trust him," Uncle Felix said in an almost fatherly tone as he took her by the elbow and led her through the central courtyard. "I have an idea" Felix said "why don't we wait for Camilo and ask him for his opinion?" said her uncle who tried to seem reasonable, but Mirabel knew the truth: her cousin was one of the most dramatic people she had ever met, for sure, he would make such a scandal that finally she would give in.

Mirabel shook her head and released herself from Felix's grasp. "No, I've already made up my mind," Mirabel insisted. She ran into her room and put on a cute light blue dress that she always wore at such events. Mirabel looked at herself in the mirror and was pleased with how she looked. One side of her brain refused to go, the same one that remembered all the humiliations that Victor made her go through, but the other, was much more petty and immature, and was completely sure that Camilo would not take it well, this will make him suffer as she was suffering.

Mirabel hated to admit it, but she knew that Camilo had planned to go out with Marlene that afternoon, and this would be the best way to ruin their party. Mirabel went downstairs very carefully not to get tangled up in her heels. However, her surprise was great when she saw that Julieta and Bruno were at the end of the stairs looking very upset.

"Bruno will take you to the Valenzuela house and will bring you back at ten o'clock, not a minute after that,"Julieta said. "Mom…" Mirabel began. "Not one more minute," Julieta insisted. "Mom, I am already an adult woman, I am not a girl who has to be escorted to the house of her classmates"

"I don't care," Julieta insisted. "I don't want Victor to think that we have forgiven his terrible actions, nor that he is welcome here, so you will go accompanied, and thank your uncle, because my plan was to go myself and say a couple of things to that young man" Julieta practically growled.

"Come on Mirabel" said Bruno who seemed resigned to carrying his troublesome nephews on his back for the rest of his life, as if they were a set of especially heavy and uncomfortable shackles. "I feel ridiculous, I don't know what your mother is up to with this. It's true, you're not a girl, but you'd be surprised how stubborn Julieta can be" Bruno commented as the two walked through the streets of Encanto. Mirabel immediately regretted her heels, as they were not the best option on the cobbled ground of the town.

Bruno rang the bell of the Valenzuela house. A worker opened the door. Mirabel entered and she led her through the central patio that had a beautiful fountain in the center and hundreds of flowers that decorated the garden. She walked to the living room of the house. Mirabel still remembered the last time she was there, it was during the party of Daniela Valenzuela, Victor's sister. On that occasion she also agreed to go to that place since she was furious with Camilo. It was then that Mirabel wondered if this was a bad idea.

"Mirabel Madrigal" said Victor who took her to his family without thinking twice. He looked very handsome, with his impeccable tailoring and neatly arranged hair, for her it was a real shame that she felt such repulsion towards him. Mirabel smiled and greeted everyone, as his family seemed excited to see her. The house was beautifully arranged as if the family had expected a very important guest. Mirabel could only feel flattered by such a welcome.

The dinner passed quietly while Mirabel felt more and more overwhelmed by the kindness of this family. “What did you used to work on, Mirabel?” Miguel Valenzuela Victor's father asked. "I worked as an accounting assistant for a firm, Mr. Valenzuela," Mirabel replied. "She studied to be a teacher, Dad," intervened Victor. Mirabel didn't say anything but she had already understood what kind of family the Valenzuelas were, much more uptight than the Madrigals. This was definitely not the right place for her.

"It's good that you're home again, at home, in your rightful place, dear," Mrs. Valenzuela said, while Mirabel couldn't even bring herself to answer. She could only force herself to smile politely. Mirabel looked at the clock after dinner and realized that it was already nine o'clock, so she decided to say goodbye without thinking twice, because she didn't want Bruno to pick her up at ten as he had threatened.

“Let me walk you home,” Victor said as he took the hat from the hanger. Mirabel insisted that it wasn't necessary, but as expected he ignored her. After all, he seemed to be impatient to spend even a few minutes alone with her. Mirabel still hadn't quite understood Victor, he had spent his childhood and adolescence making her life miserable, but now he was all courtesy and kindness.

Mirabel had that strange feeling that she had already experienced that scene before, as she walked through the village with Victor. It was clear that this moment reminded her of that night of the party in which both had started dating."It's lucky you decided to come back," Victor said as the two of them walked. “Grandma is not well. Uncle Bruno says the family needs me” Mirabel replied. Victor took a deep breath. “Your grandmother did a lot of good things in the past for this town, but I think it is time to put her to rest, great things are happening all over the country and it is time to join the change” Victor said.

Mirabel preferred to remain silent, something told her that he was not the kind of man who would appreciate being contradicted in something like that. She didn't know why, but he filled her with anxiety and scared her a little, her grandmother was right, there was something really intimidating about him. “I still can't believe that a person like you managed to work in such a big firm as an accounting assistant,” Victor said. Mirabel was immediately offended, "What do you mean by that?" she asked sullenly.

"Don't be offended. Well, one can't say anything nowadays, one can’t even have an opinion, because girls are offended by everything" Victor commented. “What I'm trying to say is that you always seemed like a different personality to me, I never thought you had the discipline and the head to work on something so… different from you” Victor said.

Mirabel had gone through times in her life when she felt so offended that her words failed her, and for a moment, she was paralyzed, because she didn't even know how to respond to that. “I…” Mirabel began stammering. "I like art and I like numbers, one person can do both" Mirabel murmured, not knowing what else she could say.

"Yes, yes, of course, I just didn't think you were capable of it," Victor said. Mirabel slapped him in her imagination, but in real life she preferred to do nothing as she remembered the important task her grandmother had entrusted to her.

Fortunately, they arrived at the Casita, where they met Camilo who seemed to be returning from town, with a tired expression and his hands in his pockets. Camilo opened his eyes wide when he saw them, almost as if their presence offended him to no end. Mirabel held her breath and braced herself for the storm.

“I don't have time for this today, Madrigal, so don't waste your energy on me” Victor said before Camilo could open his mouth and say a word. "Yes, whatever, go back to the hole in the ground where you live by day, and don't bother me anymore" Camilo answered. Mirabel was relieved to see that neither was in the mood to engage in a fight, and despite the two of them giving each other a couple of angry looks, they continued on their way.

"Camilo..." Mirabel began. For some mysterious reason she wanted to give her cousin an explanation. “Not now, Mirabel. I have a lot of work to do, I don't have time for this” Camilo said as he hurriedly walked towards Grandma's study. Mirabel watched him go, while she thought that it must be something very important, if he had to start work that late.

Mirabel decided to go to sleep and wait until the next day to report her grandmother. She put on her nightgown, pushed her covers aside so the cats could climb onto her bed if they wanted, during the course of the night, and fell into a deep sleep. She didn't know how much time had passed, all she knew was that she suddenly felt several pairs of little paws on her chest. Mirabel knew immediately what it was, and she groaned loudly as she heard a chorus of meows.

There were nights when her cats would get up at three or four in the morning to ask for water or food. It didn't happen all the time, but when it did it was the most irritating thing in the world. Mirabel knew right away that they wouldn't leave her alone until she had gotten up, so she stood up, and she walked with the cats to the kitchen.

"Have little patience" Mirabel said as she served the food on the plates. The cats wouldn't stop meowing. “Leave that. Qué meow ni que meow , silence!” Mirabel muttered sulkily as the cats gave her an offended look before attacking the plates. Mirabel prepared to return to her room. She went out into the hall and was surprised to see the reflection of light in front of the door of her grandmother's study. Camilo had to continue working there. She walked over and opened it very slowly, and just as expected, she found her cousin at her desk, trying to operate a calculating machine.

"Camilo" Mirabel said as she entered the room very slowly. "What are you doing?" she asked. Her cousin lifted his face and looked at her with a tired look. "Taxes. Grandma used to make them with her accountant, but the guy was older than her. He got retired, and now I am all alone facing this. I don't have the slightest idea what I'm doing” Camilo complained as he flopped down on the back of the chair.

Mirabel took a quick look at the invoices. “I can help you with that,” Mirabel said. Camilo looked up with eyes full of illusion. "Could you?" he asked. “Of course I do,” Mirabel answered, “that has always been my job”. Camilo hurriedly got up from his chair and made way for Mirabel's seat. “Do you want coffee, arepas, yuca bread, cookies?” Camilo asked frantically as he left the room.

“Coffee and arepas,” Mirabel yelled before he ran off to the kitchen. They worked together until dawn. Or rather, Mirabel worked until dawn since poor Camilo was so tired that he fell on the table exhausted. She watched him sleep and felt a little sorry for him. Reading the accounting, Mirabel realized that the family was practically subsisting thanks to Isabela's business, in which Dolores was her partner. However, since her arrival, Camilo seemed to have made up his mind to recover the old business. Camilo seemed to be in front of everything, and that must be exhausting for him. Especially since his cousin's personality didn't seem to match all those pressures and responsibilities.

“I'm afraid we'll have to pay a fine” Mirabel said, causing Camilo to get up in alarm. "What? no, that's not possible” Camilo complained while with sleepy eyes he looked at his accounts. "You should have paid the statement on day 1, not day 2. I guess you got confused because you paid a lower amount" Mirabel said while she explained step by step how she did it. "Don't worry, we can go through a conciliation and reduce the fine, plus we can agree on a payment plan" Mirabel said happily.

Camilo raised his face, stared at her and gave her a big hug. “I'm very lucky to have such an intelligent cousin,” he said as he pulled away from her. “I had been trying to do this for weeks, but hadn't found a way,” he explained. At that moment, the study door was flung open, and her grandmother entered.

"Working so early?" the old woman asked. "Grandma, Mirabel managed to make the declaration, she already has everything ready to present it" Camilo said with a triumphant smile. "Your granddaughter is very smart, she deserves a special dinner," he continued. His grandmother smiled “I knew you would make a good team. Let's have breakfast” Alma said.

Mirabel, who had always wanted everyone's approval, couldn't help but rejoice at those compliments. However, there was something inside of her that she no longer felt as hungry for acceptance as in the past. The years away were more beneficial to her than she initially thought.

The family had a lively breakfast, until her sister had to ruin it all. “How was dinner with Victor and his family, Mirabel? Isabela asked her with ill intent shining in her eyes. "Did you go to dinner with the Valenzuelas?" she asked Mariano, who was holding his daughter on his lap, “I thought nobody wanted you to have a relationship with them. After all, a few years ago you almost died because of their boy, and… ”Mariano continued, until Dolores gently took his hand and looked at him and shook his head.

Mariano was still as slow as she remembered him. Her cousin's husband had the best of intentions, he was a good dad and and a great person, but he was dumb as a rock. Mariano's words were received as the sound that a broken record would make. They were  staring at her, as if they were expecting her to say at any moment that she had no intention of having anything to do with Victor. The only one who did not seem to expect this result was her grandmother.

“Ah…” Mirabel stammered as her fork slipped out of her hands causing a loud crash. However, not even the scandal distracted the family. "Victor Valenzuela is not a good idea, Mirabel" Pepa commented as a dense black cloud began to form over her head. "It was just a childish joke, I'm sure he didn't mean for it to end like this" Mirabel commented as she took a piece of bread and frantically smashed it on her plate of changua. Everything, to avoid looking at her family  "

“Have you gone crazy?” Camilo asked, annoyed, without taking his eyes off him. "Victor Valenzuela is a jerk, and after studying he got even worse" his cousin said, while he seemed to gain momentum to make a whole scene. Mirabel closed her eyes, took a deep breath and prepared herself for what was coming. It was completely ironic that she found herself so prepared to fight for a guy that she didn't quite like.

“Well, she won't be the only one with bad taste in this family, hjm…” Dolores commented casually as she shrugged. Her cousin always had that talent for launching comments like a bomb, in a silent and almost discreet way, but with as much destructive power as Isabela. It was clear as the day that she was talking about Marlene.

Camilo closed his mouth, and started to mentally grumble while breakfast progressed.

“Mirabel” Camilo called her that afternoon while she finished helping her mother with her dirty dishes. "Yes," Mirabel asked, drying her hands. “Do you want to go with me to the coffee scale? I am quite sure that your help would be completely invaluable” he said as he put on his hat and the carriel that he now used when he went to the fields. Mirabel was glad to hear that, but she didn't quite understand what she could do that would be useful on the scale.

"Yes, of course, although I don't know how to distinguish good quality grain," Mirabel said. “No need, I'll explain on the way, come with me” Camilo replied. Camilo drove her through the trails to the scale as he told her a complex story about how he had pretended to be one of the coffee collectors only to discover that the family tenant was stealing money from both the coffee collectors and her family.

“Dad and Agustín are good, but they lack some necessary malice. Grandma's tenant was good, but he was older than Grandma and the accountant combined, so he is also retired. Your dad hired another one, but it didn't work out, so I've been doing this myself for a couple of months, I selected the coffee, I weigh it, I pay the collectors, I do the accounting, I sell it , I weigh it, it's a lot of work, but I know a very clever and intelligent girl who could pay the collectors, do the accounting and help me.” Camilo said, who was clearly flattering her to agree to help him. Mirabel smiled, because Camilo didn't need to ask twice. She had always wanted to be useful, and he clearly needed her help, so if they worked together the farm could go back to what it was when her grandmother ran it.

"I'll be happy to give you a hand" Mirabel answered with a smile on her lips, which Camilo answered immediately. The work required great concentration. She now understood why accounting was so messy. Camilo was unable to do everything at the same time. The drive home was lively, even though they were both exhausted. Camilo turned on the radio and they listened to the faint music that was coming from the only station that Santa Rita and Encanto shared.

The two of them got out of the truck in a rush of joy and hope, after all, things seemed to be going very well, and just like Grandma said, they made a great team. However, when she reached the door of the house, her joy faded when she saw a familiar black car. "Here again?" Camilo asked in a bad mood. "It would be nicer if the rust had reached the coffee plantations, but not even the rust can reach Encanto because of the highway that we don't have," his cousin continued. Victor rolled his eyes, "calm down, Madrigal, I'm not here to see you" he replied as he looked at her.

"Come with me, Victor, let's talk somewhere else" Mirabel said as she motioned for him to follow. Mirabel led him to the acacia pond. She felt strange bringing that person for whom she didn't know whether to feel anything but anger, to that place that kept so many memories for her.

“This is a nice place,” Victor commented as he watched with polite disinterest. “I'm sorry about all this Victor, but you must know that you are not very welcome in this house. My family still resents you,” she said. Victor took a deep breath and prepared to reply.

“I can't say I'm surprised, because it's not true. The entire town was terrified that you might die. The tragedy that the Madrigals were experiencing at that time was already shocking enough to add your death to it. However…” Victor continued as the tone of his voice changed slightly. “ It has always impressed me how hard your family is with you, Mirabel. It's true, they allowed you to go live in the Capital, which is something that my sister Daniela has always wanted, but you can imagine what dad is like. But still, I don't know how you stand it, I don't know how you have the patience to agree to everything they want. Just look at Camilo, he has the nerve to say who you can go out with, but he's getting married, I think it's unfair. Don't you think so, Mirabel?" he asked. Mirabel fell silent and hesitated a few seconds before answering. “Mirabel?” Victor repeated.

"Yes, yes, it's not fair" Mirabel answered in an exhalation, and almost out of obligation, since she didn't want to share her true feelings with him. "Is that what you came to tell me?" Mirabel asked as she put her hands on her waist. "No, actually I wanted to invite you to be my date at the birthday party that Estela Ramos is having next week," Victor said. Mirabel would have wanted to refuse, but she didn’t. "Yes, it sounds like fun," she said, smiling.

“Perfect, then I'll pick you up on Friday at seven, it'll be fun. Estela is dying to see you again, she told me herself” Victor commented before putting on his hat, saying goodbye and leaving. Mirabel never had particularly strong feelings for Estela, she was a simple girl who was kind to her and nothing more. However, her relationship with Victor was taking on a strange twist.

Mirabel returned home as she pondered Victor's venomous words. Something told her that just like years ago, this was a simple manipulation to turn her against her family. However, this time it had penetrated much deeper than the previous opportunity. Victor was right, Camilo did nothing but annoy her when he himself was about to get married. Mirabel was angry, since her cousin could not have chosen a worse bride. Probably, if she had at least chosen a girl like Estela Ramos, for whom she had no feelings, and whom she had always politely ignored, the offense would not have been so strong.

"Mirabel" Camilo said, annoyed as he approached her as she entered the house. "We need to talk. What you're doing is dangerous, that jerk is no good, I'm serious. I swear this has nothing to do with the past, I just have a bad feeling about him. You know very well, for “who” he works for, and this town has always been on the sidelines of this type of thing, you could get into the lion's den." Camilo continued as he practically chased her across the courtyard.

"That's it, that’s enough, I don't interfere in your life, don't interfere in mine. You went more than four years without sending me even a letter, and now it turns out that you care. You want to marry Marlene, perfect, do it, but leave me alone ”Mirabel replied as she felt a pair of eyes watching them from the second floor of the house.

“Mirabel” her grandmother called her. Mirabel had gotten used to the fact that when her grandmother talked, everything automatically revolved around her. Camilo and her stopped their fight immediately. The two of them looked up like a couple of scolded kids waiting to be reprimanded for breaking a window or something.

"Mirabel, please come, I need to talk to you" said Alma. Camilo was not able to look at Mirabel again. Instead, he apologized quietly and ran as quickly as he could. She went upstairs feeling like a child and quietly entered her grandmother's room. Mirabel sat in the chair her grandmother had next to her bed.

Alma gently placed her hand on hers. "Mirabel" Alma began in a tone laden with concern. “I know I told you I wanted to know what that boy is up to, but to be honest I don't feel comfortable thinking that it could put you at risk or, at best, in an awkward situation,” she said.

"What are you talking about?" Mirabel asked somewhat annoyed. “I just don’t want you to feel pressured. Believe me, I learned my lesson with Isabela. I don't think you like that boy, and I don't want you to feel like you have to go out with him just because of what I asked you to do. Camilo is probably right, the most sensible thing would be…

"No" answered Mirabel, annoyed. At that moment, something snapped in her. Mirabel had spent years being underappreciated and ignored. Her grandmother always made comments like that to her. She had always thought that Mirabel was good for nothing. However, she was wrong. Mirabel didn't need her approval.

“I know you think I'm not enough,” Mirabel murmured. "No, no, no, it's not that, that boy is not good for you, I think you should..." her grandmother answered quickly, but Mirabel didn't let her continue. "I always end up doing what you want, what all of you want, I don't want to continue like this," Mirabel said. “Amor, you know that this has nothing to do with that, that boy almost killed you years ago, I know you are perfectly capable of finding out what he is up to, but I prefer not to know if it means that you will get into serious trouble. Please, my dear, I may be wrong, it may not be dangerous, but I am absolutely sure it will not be a good match,” said her grandmother.

Mirabel didn't answer anything. She was fed up with everyone's condescending tone. The only one who could make her decisions was her. So, she got up and went away. 

Hello everyone, I hope you like this chapter, bye.

Chapter Text

[Chapter 9]

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Mirabel walked across the town's main square while she undid with her fingers a pink cotton candy. Every Sunday, Encanto held the town's market day, in which farmers from nearby villages came down to town to sell their products.

That day was ideal to be noticed, since everyone was present. Many greeted Mirabel, even the children she used to spend time with ran to greet her. “Is it true that you are a teacher?” Cecilia asked. “Yes, I am,” Mirabel replied as she broke off a large piece of her cotton candy and she shared it with the children. "You could be our teacher," one of them said, so the others nodded.

“I don't understand, despite being so far away, Encanto never had any problems, we always had teachers at the school. What happened?" Mirabel asked. “I don't know” one girl replied “a few months ago Professor Ramirez simply told us he had been fired. The mayor's office could no longer pay his salary, and we would be relocated to the Santa Rita school”

“I hate Santa Rita School” one of the children complained. "It's very far from here and we have to go through the forest trails. This week, Juanchito walked away from the main road and was bitten by a snake" other boy answered. Mirabel frowned. At that moment, a van with a loudspeaker passed nearby.

"This is an invitation from the Mayor's Office of Encanto, for all citizens to come to the community action board today at three, we will be waiting for you" the voice of a narrator said again and again. "I don't want to go," Isabela said.

Mirabel almost jumps since she hadn't realized that her sister was there with her. And she wasn’t alone, Camilo was next to her. "Why not?" Camilo asked, annoyed. “If you don't go with me, I'll have to go by myself. You know very well that dad and Agustín are not the right people to go. Not to mention your mom and my mom. Grandma would be perfect, but she is not feeling well.” Camilo complained. "I'm not going to a meeting to listen to you complain for two hours straight about the highway," Isabela replied. Then she gave Mirabel a look, “that idiot Valenzuela is a jerk, but I have to admit that he has been very patient with Camilo” her sister said.

"Patient?" Camilo asked, offended. “All the towns in this region have a decent road, but us. Don't you think there's something weird about all this?" he asked. "Anyway, I'm not going," Isabela said. "I'll go," Mirabel intervened. Camilo smiled and nodded “Thank you very much, Mirabel. I can't handle all of this alone. You will be of great help” he said.

Mirabel smiled. The truth was she wanted to go to the community action board for a slightly more selfish reason. The mayor would bring up the subject of the school teacher, and it would be the ideal time to apply for the position and find out why the last teacher left.

Camilo and Maribel walked towards the meeting hall of the school. The room was packed with people, while on a long table on the front the mayor, the municipal councilors and Victor were sitting next to each other. She had barely exchanged more than a couple of words with him since his visit to the Casita.

The meeting went by peacefully, although from time to time Camilo would launch a malicious comment about the road. Victor just took a deep breath and listened to him with his arms crossed. Isabela was right, despite everything, he was very patient with her cousin.

"Now, changing topics, regarding the subject of the teacher…" the mayor began. However, his voice died at the sight of a lone hand floating above the audience. "Miss Mirabel, do you have something to say?" asked the surprised mayor. Mirabel got up very slowly and cleared her throat before speaking. “Yes, sir, I don't know if someone has informed you, but I am a primary school teacher, I graduated from the Normal school of Nuestra Señora de Tuenza, they specialize in rural teachers, maybe I could help”.

“That sounds wonderful” someone said in the audience.

“My daughters love her, she taught the girls how to embroider, it's a great idea” someone else said.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please calm down," said the mayor. “You know very well that there has never been a budget from the Ministry of Education for Encanto,” he continued. “Encanto has been around for more than fifty years, how is it possible that we always had a teacher, without the Ministry having a budget for us?”

"I can explain it," said an elderly councilman. Mirabel knew him. Ramiro Gonzalez was one of the original inhabitants of the town, one of those who had arrived with her grandmother as an older child. “At the beginning, Encanto was not recognized as a Municipality. However, one of the first buildings we built was the school. We didn't have a teacher, so we decided to create a voluntary contribution from all citizens to pay the teacher's salary, over time, things stayed that way, we all paid it as if it were a tax and we never had any problems, until six months ago” Ramiro continued as he took a sheet of paper.

“When we became a Municipality, the Ministry gave us this school and we abandoned the old building, but we still had no teacher. That wasn't a problem for a long time, but this letter says that if we want to pay the teacher's salary we can't do it in a public place, it would be something like a private school, and we need permission for that. They had never pressured us like that, I don't know what could have changed." the old man said.

Mirabel looked at Camilo and she realized that her cousin was annoyed as he listened attentively, with tight lips, a frown and a set jaw, as he looked at a particular point.

"I could intervene," Victor said, suddenly. "Could you do it?" the mayor asked. “Yes, one of the main problems that the Ministry has when bringing teachers is that they have to pay for the trip, and a couple of months' rent, but if Mirabel is the teacher, that won't be necessary. I could talk to some people.”

Mirabel felt Camilo's hand on hers. "No, Mirabel, don't accept," her cousin whispered. "Maybe I could get you an interview with the departmental education secretary," Victor suggested out loud. Mirabel looked at her cousin. She saw no reason to reject such a generous proposal. Besides, this was what Mirabel had always wanted, she couldn't refuse.

"It sounds like a great idea. Thank you very much, Victor”  Mirabel replied happily.

Mirabel met with Victor after the Gathering and thanked him for his help. "It's not a fact yet, all I'm doing is getting an interview, but you have to convince them," Victor said while Mirabel couldn't do anything but smile. "I know, I know, but still, you don't know how much this means to me."

"Mirabel, let's go home, everyone is waiting for us," Camilo said unusually annoyed. “What is your problem Madrigal? Are you upset because we finally found a teacher?” Victor asked. It was clear that his patience had finally run out. "Yes and no. I am upset because we have been without a teacher for almost six months, a boy was bitten by a snake last week while he was walking to Santa Rita. If you had the solution to this problem, why didn't you do something earlier?" Camilo asked furiously.

"Mirabel lives in this town, the Ministry will only have to pay her salary and nothing else, they will surely accept her" Victor answered. “You said there wasn't a single penny to pay the teacher, and now it turns out that there is money appearing from the thin air, another miracle I guess,” Camilo answered. "What are you suggesting, Madrigal?" Victor asked again, this time, calmer and lowering his voice dangerously as he crossed his arms.

“Everything got worse for this town six months ago, since you came back. The phone company stopped working on the Encanto lines, everyone has new roads except us, and now we don't even have the right to pay our teacher with our taxes. Something very strange has been happening since you came to this town” Camilo said. Mirabel knew immediately that if Grandma's suspicions were true, Camilo was doing nothing but looking for trouble.

“That's enough, Camilo, stop talking nonsense. You're just upset that I won't be able to help you on the farm in the same way. But don't worry, I will work half day, I'll help you in the afternoons ”Mirabel said as she linked his arm with Camilo's. "Goodbye Victor" Mirabel said as she practically pushed her cousin away.

The two of them walked silently the first part of the way until Camilo couldn't take it anymore. “It's crazy Mirabel. I'm sure they'll hire you, and you'll be in debt” Camilo said. "If this is the only way I can work as a teacher, then let it be," Mirabel replied. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?" he said as he exhaled deeply.

“I know you don't believe in me, and to tell the truth, something tells me that you don't believe in any of us, but we are not your enemies, and jumping into the arms of the first person who gives you a hand is not a great idea” Camilo said. Mirabel knew that in the past that comment would have irritated her, but now she couldn't feel a thing. “It has nothing to do with you, I just want to work as a teacher, maybe rent something, save money and…

“Go back to the capital” Camilo completed her unfinished sentence. Mirabel fell silent and they just kept walking.

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"You can't go to the party in that dress" Isabela said exasperated, when she saw Mirabel looking at herself in the mirror. "Why not?" Mirabel asked, offended. "I bought this dress in a very famous boutique, it's the latest fashion, it cost me an arm and a leg" replied Mirabel who loved her pink dress.

“That's exactly why you can't go to Estela's party in that dress. Now everyone in town says that you've become a conceited city girl, because you don't wear traditional outfits anymore, with that it will be even worse” Isabela answered. Luisa, who was sitting on Mirabel's bed, snorted. "God, why do you have to be so nasty?" Luisa muttered. “It's not that, Mirabel. We simply believe that it would not be wise to arrive at Estela's party wearing a better dress than hers. She will be very sad” Luisa said.

Mirabel looked at herself. Luisa was right. “This is all the clothes I have. I wear office outfits because there is nothing in my old closet that fits me anymore” Mirabel answered. "Well, you have to find something that fits you, you can do it yourself" Isabela said.

Mirabel looked at her sister and felt like biting her arm, like she used to do when she was six and her older sister was trying to take back  the doll that she had stolen from her room. On those occasions the two ended up crying while they remained in time out sitting in front of a wall. Mirabel couldn't help but wonder what would happen to her if she did it again as an adult.

Luisa must have felt that something was wrong, since she, without thinking twice, stepped between the two. "We should calm down. Maybe mom has something more casual" suggested her sister who clearly wanted to avoid a pitched battle between her two sisters.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door, it was Camilo. "Luisa, Eduardo is looking for you at the door, I think his dad wants to hire your services, and to be honest, you would help us a lot if you worked with him, we need the money," Camilo said, pleading with his eyes. Suddenly, he gave Mirabel a brief look. "Why so fancy?" He asked. Mirabel told her dilemma to her cousin.

"I have the solution, come with me" Camilo said as he left the room. Mirabel gave her sisters one last confused look, but she finally decided to follow him. Camilo and Mirabel walked down the hall and up the stairs to San Alejo's room, where the family kept all those forgotten objects.

Camilo knelt in front of a trunk full of old clothes, she saw some of his baby clothes and even the yellow ruana that he used to treasure years ago. Suddenly, she saw a familiar salmon-colored outfit. It was that skirt and blouse that she had spent weeks making and embroidering. "I thought I had lost it. I threw it away after Victor laughed at me at that party”.

"I know, that's why I decided to get it back. I never understood why he was so rude at you that night, but I saw you working hard on that dress. I knew you'd regret it, so I kept it and decided I'd return it to you as soon as you want it back" Camilo said. Mirabel looked at him carefully. Her cousin might seem like a very carefree person, but in moments like these, he surprised her a lot. He reserved much more for himself than it seemed at first glance. That secret person that Camilo hid inside him had been able to come back and do his best, even against his own character, and  even sacrifice the feelings he had for her just to make things better. She understood that despite not having a gift, she was not the only one who had it hard.

“Thank you very much Camilo, thank you for thinking of me” Mirabel replied as she took a step forward and gave Camilo a big hug. He circled her and responded to her gesture as he buried his face in the arch of her neck. Mirabel quickly realized that this gesture was much more intimate than she had initially planned, and if she wasn't careful she could end up heartbroken all over again. She walked away from Camilo very slowly, cleared her throat and smiled at him.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to fix this, I have to make a few modifications, since I'm sure it won't fit me" Mirabel commented. Camilo, who was still flushed from her embrace, put his hands on his waist and gave her a nervous smile. “Yes, of course, now you're taller, and that… yes… I'd better go” Camilo stammered. He left the room quickly without giving her a second glance.

Mirabel had to make a few adjustments to her outfit. She had gone a long time without touching a sewing machine but she was glad to know that she still had that skill. Her family seemed pleased with her result when they saw her go down to dinner. However, the compliments quickly turned into warnings.

"I'll wait for you back at ten," Julieta said. Camilo couldn't help but let out a laugh “At ten o'clock? Aunt Julieta, Mirabel is not fifteen years old, this is not a children's birthday, she is already an adult, besides, you know perfectly well that the last party in that house was so good that it lasted until six in the morning. Everyone wants to see Mirabel, she makes them curious, they won't be satisfied if they see her just for a while” Camilo commented.

At that moment, Julieta stared at Bruno, causing her uncle to let out an exasperated snort. "Don't look at me, sister, I'm not going to pick her up, I'm not going to chaperone either, I have better things to do than go to a party with a bunch of brats" Bruno said. Julieta rolled her eyes. "I guess you mean you plan to spend the afternoon with other old guys in the town bar playing domino and drinking" Julieta answered. “Could be...” Bruno agreed. "Agustin, you're going to pick her up" Julieta said as she looked at her dad. Agustín frowned, because he was the type of person who preferred to go to bed very early.

"Luisa and I are going to go, mom," Isabela said. That comment sounded seemingly harmless, but Mirabel knew the truth, her two sisters had already decided not to let her spend more time with Victor than necessary. Mirabel hated to admit it, but she already had the date for the interview at the secretary of education, so seeing Victor did not bring her any happiness. He was part of a very painful past that she would have wanted to leave behind.

Luisa, Isabela and Mirabel arrived at the party on their own, while Camilo had reluctantly detoured with the intention of picking up Marlene and arriving at the party together. Luisa and Isabela left her alone as soon as they entered the room. Despite the promise they made to Julieta, Luisa left with her boyfriend and Isabela with her friends. None of this bothered Mirabel, on the contrary, that left her free to go to wish Estela a happy birthday and talk to some of her friends.

Mirabel wandered around the Ramos family room as she chatted with some of her old friends. She remembered the last time she wore that dress. Victor bothered her all night. Now, if she looked on the bright side, it was lucky that he felt that revulsion for her dress. That would probably keep him away.

“Hey, Mirabel” Victor called out to her as he approached her. Mirabel sighed deeply and braced herself for a long night. “I went to your house after I got home from work but your family told me that you had already left. We had agreed to arrive together,” he said. Mirabel blushed. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry Victor, I forgot" she apologized. He gave her a complacent smile. "Never mind, let's dance," Victor said as he pulled her onto the dance floor.

Mirabel and Victor danced for a while, until she noticed that he was beginning to yawn. "I'm sorry, Mirabel, I got from work and came straight here, I didn't get to eat anything, I'm starving," Victor said. "You know that in these types of parties the food is served very late," Mirabel answered. "I would have had dinner, but I didn't because I had to pick up my partner who stood me up," he replied. Mirabel blushed again. " Sorry".

Victor was really hungry, to the point that all he could do was drink shot after shot. "You'll get drunk if you keep drinking on an empty stomach," Mirabel muttered. Mirabel walked away for a moment and offered to find a couple of snacks for Victor.

Despite the above, Mirabel couldn't help but get distracted chatting with her old friends. She grabbed a few mini empanadas on a plate and headed back to where she left Victor. He didn't seem bothered by her absence either, to tell the truth, he was also chatting animatedly with his old group of friends. "Hello Mirabel, I haven't seen you since you came back" said Eduardo, the builder's son.

Mirabel stood there chatting, while Victor looked at her with a smile on his face as he ate the empanadas she had brought him. Mirabel realized that he was much more intoxicated than she thought. It was at that moment that she knew it was time to run.

"Leave me alone, I am fed up!" Marlene yelled from the dance floor as she pushed Camilo away from her. Her cousin looked around and went away fast.

To Mirabel's surprise, the guests did not seem surprised. Quite the contrary, it seemed that such outbursts had become something almost usual. Mirabel remembered one of the secretaries with whom she worked, who every day at lunch had real pitched battles on the phone with her husband. For the newcomers it was a somewhat uncomfortable and unprofessional show, for the others it was something of the day to day.

"Your cousin and Marlene again…" Eduardo commented with disinterest. "Camilo has always seemed to me like someone who enjoys attention, but this is absurd, every single market day or party has been ruined for them. Their fights are something else." Eduardo said. "she used to be your girlfriend, wasn’t she?" Eduardo asked Víctor, who gave Mirabel a quick glance.

"That was a long time ago. Marlene is friends with my sister, she spent a lot of time at our house, so it only made sense that I would eventually go out with her. Fortunately, that didn't last long, and now she's someone else's problem." Victor replied.

Mirabel pretended to look at her wristwatch. "Wow, it's too late. I think it's time to go. Mom must be really worried" Mirabel said as she put the glass of drink next to her. She left as fast as she could, to the point that no one could say a word to her.

"Mirabel, wait" she heard Victor shout as he crossed the central garden. Víctor and Mirabel left the house, towards the village street, which was completely deserted, since it was very late.

"Mirabel, please wait" asked Victor, who looked really desperate to reach her. Finally, he managed to grab her forearm. Mirabel faced him and he laughed in a disoriented way. Probably, as a consequence of the alcohol. “You're getting revenge for everything I did to you, aren’t you ?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“I don't know what you mean,” Mirabel replied. “You stood me up, you despise me and you don't even care about me. And I would even go so far as to say that the only reason Mirabel Madrigal even bothered to speak to me was because she needed to get a job interview at the Secretary of Education,” he said.

"It's not like that…" Mirabel lied, since truth be told, Victor had easily seen through her. "You don't have to deny it, it's no secret to anyone that I was horrible to you" he commented as he got even closer. "I may be silly, but I still remember that dress" Victor started again. “You wore it to a party many years ago, you looked gorgeous. I remember making fun of you all night. But you know, I've always had that ugly habit of breaking apart  what I can't have. I've really tried to change, Mirabel.  I felt so angry that night, I realized that you would never give me a second look. During that party you danced with everyone, but you never stopped even for a moment on me” he said.

"Are you suggesting that it was my fault?" Mirabel asked, offended. “Of course not, I would never say something like that, I just want you to know the truth. I know I've made a lot of mistakes, but I just want you to give me a second chance. I'm sure I'm not as unpleasant as your family thinks” he requested. Mirabel stared at him for a moment. Victor had struck a chord with her. She couldn't help but feel pity, and some understanding, because if anyone knew how tough the Madrigals could be, it was her.

"Camilo, you can't go on like this, you have to..." said Isabela who ran out of the house. Her two sisters were chasing Camilo, while he simply ran in the same way Mirabel did moments ago. “Leave me alone, I'm tired of listening to what I have to do, I've already done everything this family wants from me,” Camilo complained. Suddenly, his cousin noticed the presence of Mirabel and Victor, so he couldn't help but laugh almost sarcastically.

“If you want to solve other people's trouble, here's one you can get involved in, and this one is pretty serious,” his cousin said as he pointed at them. "Why don't you guys take care of it and leave me and my insufferable girlfriend alone?" Camilo was quickly out of sight, so Isabela gave Mirabel an angry look. " We're leaving now!" her sister said. Mirabel could barely nod, since Isabela rarely looked so upset. Luisa and Mirabel followed the older one in silence while Isabela seemed to be in a worse mood.

“Isabella, I…” Mirabel began once they entered the house. Her sister raised her hand to stop her from continuing. “Not tonight, I don't want to hear it, and mostly,  I don't want to say anything I'll have to regret later,” Isabela answered. Mirabel decided not to insist, instead, she decided to return to her room and prepare to sleep the rest of the morning.

Despite her good intentions, her cats thought otherwise, as a couple of hours later she had them meowing as they begged for food over and over again. Mirabel got up from her bed in a bad mood and went down to the kitchen with the intention of feeding them. “If you keep pulling the curtain I will lock you out of my room. I'm serious, I'll lock the door no matter how much you meow." Mirabel went down to the kitchen. However, she was surprised to find the lights on. "Mom, is that you?" Mirabel asked as she wondered what Julieta could be doing up so late.

“No, it's me,” said Camilo, who was sitting at the kitchen table while he was drinking a little glass of water. "What are you doing here?" Mirabel asked as she caught a strong smell of alcohol in the air. “I couldn't sleep, so I went down to think,” Camilo replied. "If by thinking you mean drinking like there's no tomorrow, then I believe you," Mirabel muttered. Camilo smiled as he took out a bottle of aguardiente that he had hidden under the table. “Okay, you found me out. I'm afraid I owe your mom a bottle of aguardiente, this is the one she used to cook with” he said as he placed it between them. “It's not okay to drink alone,” Mirabel said as she poured herself a drink and toasted to Camilo.

"What happens?" Mirabel asked. “I think that my marriage with Marlene is a mistake,” Camilo replied. "Simple, end that relationship" Mirabel said as she shrugged. “I don't know, it's not that simple. You don't know Marlene's family, she doesn't have much money, but she does have many siblings, her parents are almost impatient to get rid of her, I would feel very guilty. Besides, I also have to get married, eventually I will have to, that's what everyone expects of me,” he said. Mirabel drank her drink again.

“Regarding Marlene, I don't know what to tell you. You are right, I don't know her family, I don't know how I could advise you. But, as for pleasing the family... Well, for a long time I was the shame of the Madrigals, maybe I still am, but I tell you that in the end that doesn't matter, there are worse things, like having to spend your life with someone you don't get along with,” she said. Mirabel reached his hand across the table and took Camilo's. "Don't be mad with Isabela and Luisa, we all want the best for you."

“You should listen to your own advice. We all want the best for you, and going out with Victor is a terrible idea” Camilo sighed. Mirabel laughed, she had already taken this charade too far, it was time to tell the truth. “I don't like Victor, I only accepted a couple of invitations as I wanted him to help me get an opportunity as a teacher. I know it's not right, but it's the truth. And to be even more honest, I'd like to know exactly what he's up to,” Mirabel admitted.

"Are you really not in love with him?" Camilo asked. Mirabel stared at him for a silent, intense moment. "No," she answered.

At that moment the kitchen door was flung open, and the smell of alcohol intensified. Mirabel saw her uncle Bruno stumble, while he wore a huge smile, which died as soon as he saw them sitting there. "Oh no, not again," Bruno complained as he rubbed his temples.

“It's not what you imagine, we're just talking,” Camilo said. Bruno sat down next to them and looked at the bottle on the table. "I know you think I'm a crazy old man, and that I don't know anything about life because I spent ten years locked up in the walls of this house, but I'm a few decades older than you, and if I've learned anything it's that old flames and alcohol are never a good mix, so I recommend that you go back to bed, this can't end well "

To tell the truth, Mirabel was feeling a bit disoriented from the alcohol, and her uncle was right, that couldn't end well.

Hello everyone, it took me a little longer than usual to finish this chapter. I finally got covid, and it was horrible. whatever, I'm fine resting at home but fine.

To be honest there was another little thing that stopped me. A couple of weeks ago we had elections in Colombia and there is a department that voted very differently, so much so that some were saying that they wanted to become independent. Everyone on twitter was laughing at this and I read a comment, something like: "What else can you expect from a department that was born from cousins marrying each other". and I was like “oh”. I know it was a joke, but I couldn't stop thinking about this fic. Anyway I'm over it and writing this has been a lot of fun so I'll keep going.

Chapter Text

[Chapter 10]

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A week after that party, Mirabel took a Chiva from her town to Manizales. She knew that the trip would be long and difficult, so she decided to stay that night in a hotel in the city to rest from the trip. She attended her interview at the department's Secretary of Education, presented her exam and other tests. In the end, Mirabel was very proud of her performance.

She returned to her hotel with the intention of resting. However, the owner of the familiar black car in front of her hotel door had a very different idea. Mirabel bit her lip as she realized it was Victor. She remembered Camilo's warning, now she was in debt, and surely he had already found a way to force her to pay.

"Hello Mirabel" Victor greeted her as he took off his hat in a kind gesture. "I went through the Ministry of Education, they told me that your interview was a success, they haven't graded your tests yet, but my contact told me that at first glance they looked very good, so I assumed you wanted to celebrate" Victor said kindly. "To tell you the truth, I don't really want to go out, Victor, I want to sleep, since tomorrow I have to go back to Encanto" Mirabel answered. Victor bit his lip.

"Would it change your mind if I told you it's a very special favor?" Victor asked. "What are you talking about?" Mirabel said feeling more and more curious. “ The day we met for the first time, I invited you to dinner at the governor's house, and it turns out it's today, and I don't have a partner. Please, Mirabel, I beg you. My boss is a bore, he keeps asking me why I don't have a girlfriend, it's very uncomfortable, I can't make it to dinner tonight by myself,” he said.

Mirabel didn't understand why he couldn't go alone. She'd also had a couple of bosses tease her about her boyfriend, but she never felt pressured, those were simply bad taste jokes. Suddenly, Mirabel remembered the political circles in which Victor moved, they were somewhat old-fashioned people who surely believed that he could not be a good official if he did not get married and have a traditional family quickly. It was at that moment that she decided that perhaps this would be the ideal way to pay off her debt.

"Sounds fun, there's only one problem, I didn't bring clothes for an event like this, I'll have to go downtown to buy a dress, something formal to wear" Mirabel said. "Oh, no problem, if you want I can take you, if you need money I can lend you, or..." Victor continued to be more and more excited. Mirabel smiled "No need to, I guess this is a good excuse to go shopping" she replied.

Mirabel was honest in the last part. She used that opportunity as an excuse to go shopping. Unfortunately, that city did not have as many options as the capital. Still, Mirabel found a nice dark blue dress, and a pair of high heels. Victor picked her up at seven that night, and they arrived at a very nice looking colonial house on the outskirts of the city.

Mirabel appreciated the place, with its stone floors and its enormous internal garden covered with flowers of all colors. She looked at the guests and realized that they were other officials, some of whom appeared to be recent arrivals from the capital. Mirabel understood why Victor did not want to go alone, since everyone had a partner. That seemed to be very important to those people.

“Victor” an old man called him. Mirabel recognized him immediately, as the mayor of the city, with his impeccable suit and hair cut. She had seen him in photos in the newspapers. She was surprised, since she did not expect to meet the mayor. “Mr. Mayor, it is an honor to meet you here. I present to you Mirabel Madrigal, she is the girl I told you about, she is back in Encanto and she will soon start working as a rural teacher, ”he explained. The mayor's eyes widened momentarily as he nodded. Something in Victor's speech had apparently caught the Mayor's attention.

"Oh, it's a real joy that you finally brought a couple to one of these events" commented the mayor's wife who was hanging on his arm as she examined Mirabel "A truly lovely girl" the woman said while giving her a smile. "We have heard many rumors about your family, Miss Madrigal, it seems, we are dealing with truly exemplary people, isn't it?" the mayor asked

"That 's my family. They are special. Meanwhile, I am a normal city secretary, who wants to become a teacher" Mirabel replied as she shrugged. “Oh, come on don't be so hard on yourself, after all, what do magical powers mean if they're not going to be used to do truly exemplary things? Instead, you seem to be a truly ambitious girl, someone who is hungry for the world,” the mayor said. Mirabel was silent for a few seconds. She silently smiled in order to thank the mayor for his words.

“The band is going to play a couple of pieces, we should go have some fun before dinner starts” Victor said. The mayor smiled in an almost fatherly way, "ah, I would give everything to have the energy of these young people, go have fun." Mirabel and Víctor said goodbye before going to the dance floor in the center of the central patio of that old colonial house. Mirabel was silent as she danced with Victor. There was something deeply disturbing in the mayor's words.

She remembered her grandmother's words the day she asked her to investigate Victor. Alma Madrigal was much more perceptive in these matters than she had always pretended to be. Her grandmother probably knew very well that there were plenty of people interested in the Madrigals taking sides, or using their abilities beyond the confines of their own village. Mirabel knew that her grandmother was right, to do that would be to open the doors to all kinds of evils that Encanto had been spared so far. Mirabel gave Victor a look and wondered to what extent he shared the mayor's opinion, about the Madrigal family to be “more ambitious” and involved in matters bigger than Encanto.

She could not complain, because the dinner was a success, and she even had the opportunity to meet the governor, who, to her surprise, also seemed very interested in her family, as he had a good time asking about the powers and the land of the Madrigals. He also seemed very interested in the house and the control that Mirabel had over it.

Mirabel set out to return to her hotel shortly after midnight. She wanted to take a cab, or something, since the last thing she wanted was for Victor to think that she wanted to have a relationship with him. “Wait, Mirabel” Victor said as he ran through the house's front door. "I'll take you back to the hotel," he said. “Don't worry, there's no need, I was planning to take a cab,” she said. Victor smiled. “This is not the capital, Mirabel, taxis do not appear out of nowhere in this part of the city”

"Wait, I'll get the car out of the garage, and I'll take you to your hotel," Victor said. Mirabel looked out at the dark and deserted streets. The truth was that she didn't seem to have much of a choice, she just hoped she could slip away easily without Victor getting the wrong impression and thinking that she wanted to have a relationship with him.

“It was a great night” Victor said while he didn't take his eyes off the road, since it had started to rain, with such force, that they could barely see the street in front of them. Mirabel concentrated on the sound of the windshield, as it was beginning to make her anxious for some reason. “The food was delicious and the band played very well,” Mirabel agreed. “Everyone seemed to be aware of my family's existence,” she said without taking her eyes off the road.

“I don't know what you were waiting for, of course people notice them, even though Encanto just wants to be ignored” Victor commented with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. This time Mirabel looked at him carefully. "What are you talking about?" Mirabel asked. Victor laughed without humor in his voice. “Please Mirabel, you can stop pretending now. We both know that you are not as ignorant as you pretend to be. We both know things have been pretty tumultuous, to say the least, since that lawyer from the capital was murdered almost four years ago. The poor mob was uncontrollable that night” Victor began.

“You just can't kick a dog in the face over and over again and hope it doesn't bite you, of course they were mad. Many are still very mad, ” Mirabel commented as she remembered the riots in the capital four years ago. She was studying back then, and the principal of the school forbid to leave the campus in two weeks, but the news in the newspapers were almost unbelievable. They fell silent. Mirabel realized that it was the first time that she told Victor what she really thought, or that she even dared to talk about a more serious subject. He was probably surprised, since Mirabel never let slip that facade of the happy-go-lucky person who had helped her survive for so long. Suddenly he let out a bitter laugh. "I'm glad to see that you are listening to my advice and have finally decided to be a little more honest with me."

“As I was saying,” Victor continued. “Things are quite turbulent, and not far from here. Encanto is one of the few towns in the region that has not chosen a side, and that is making more than one person feel nervous, especially because the rumors about the powers of your family have spread” Víctor commented.

Mirabel was silent, but her mind did not stop working. Her grandmother was absolutely right. Encanto's future was at stake, and despite her advanced age, she had been the first to see it. Mirabel always had a lot of problems with her grandmother, but she had to admit that the matriarch always understood how the world worked and she knew how to survive in it. That was probably why she was still alive, and so many, including poor grandfather Pedro, were not.

The windshield kept rattling as it danced back and forth. Mirabel would have given anything to take it and break it in two to have some silence. Finally they reached the hotel and parked out front.

"Thanks for the ride, Victor," Mirabel said as she reached to open the door. Still, he reached out and put his hand on top of the door lock. “I guess this is the end for me, isn't it? can't you give me a chance?" Victor asked. Mirabel looked around and remembered that it was just after midnight on a completely empty street and no one knew that she was there with Victor. She also recalled warnings from each of her family members and Victor's reputation for being hot-headed and hot-tempered. So she couldn't help but feel the very feminine fear of rejecting the wrong man, in the wrong circumstances and ending up in a ditch. Perhaps it would be better not to end this immediately.

“Let me think it over,” Mirabel said as she put her hand back on the car’s door. Mirabel went down, Victor followed her and they entered the hotel lobby. Suddenly, she became aware of a man sitting there dozing. "Camilo?" Mirabel asked. Her cousin woke up very slowly and gave them a hard look “What are you doing here?” she asked indignantly. Camilo felt her annoyance and stood up.

“Ah, no, no, no, you have no right to be mad. Aunt Julieta spent the whole afternoon trying to reach you, but the hotel staff didn't know where you were. She was about to collapse,” said Camilo. "No need to worry, she was with me at a dinner at the governor's house," Victor replied with annoyance. "Precisely, That’s why Aunt Julieta was so nervous, she doesn't want you near Mirabel, none of us want you near Mirabel".

Victor put his hands on his hips and lightly lunged at his cousin. It was clear that he intended to argue with Camilo. However, Mirabel did not allow it, as she intervened between the two. "Enough is enough, Victor, please go home," Mirabel said. "But, Mirabel, he has..." Victor began indignantly. "I know, Victor, don't worry, I'll talk to him," Mirabel said. Victor nodded silently and gave her an indulgent smile. Suddenly, he leaned over to her and placed a kiss on her cheek. Mirabel didn't have a chance to act, otherwise she would have stopped him, since she didn't want Victor to touch her, and that would create a scandal with Camilo.

"Goodbye, Mirabel, have a good night, it's a pity that we couldn't spend more time alone. The evening was a complete success, and you are already rubbing shoulders with the most influential circles in this city, and even in the Department’s” Victor said as he looked at her with something akin to pride and patted her shoulder. Suddenly, Mirabel couldn't help but wonder if there was more than pride, there was a kind of triumphant feeling that he had been able to parade the daughter of one of the most famous and elusive families of that region through the governor's hall.

"Goodbye Victor, have a good night" Mirabel replied while giving him a fake smile. Victor finally left, leaving Camilo and Mirabel alone. “I'm sorry I ruined his plans” Camilo said with his voice full of resentment. Mirabel had rarely seen him so upset with her. "What plans?" Mirabel asked, rolling her eyes.

“He went straight to your room, as he wanted to spend more time alone with you,” said Camilo who changed the tone of his voice with the help of his powers to make it sound like a ridiculous version of Victor. “He doesn't… oh,” Mirabel began, but soon the phrase died on her lips. She couldn't believe that she had been so naive. Of course, Victor was already getting tired of these overly formal dates where she was nothing but cold with him. That explained why he seemed practically glued to her as they danced.

Camilo's gaze changed immediately and became somewhat more indulgent. “Ah, Mirabel, you can't expect him to continue behaving like a fifteen year old. It's clear that the other day you were telling me lies, you do have feelings for him” Camilo said. Mirabel didn't pay much attention to the sadness with which her cousin said that. Instead, she got upset.

"You have enough nerve to say that when you're engaged, and you refuse to break up with her," Mirabel answered almost without thinking. Until now, she had been very careful not to let her jealousy show. After all, she didn't want him to know how much it was affecting her.

"If that's your excuse to go out with someone like Victor, then you're dead wrong," Camilo answered, lowering his voice. Mirabel wanted to continue with that fight, to hurt him as much as he was hurting her, but she remembered that there were more pressing matters.

"Come with me" Mirabel suddenly said, "very important things happened tonight, and I think you are one of the few people who would understand," she continued. Her relationship with Camilo could be in serious trouble, but if anyone would understand her, it was him.

The two of them walked down the hall to the second floor of the hotel, which seemed to have once been a Casita-like family home. Mirabel entered her room. Camilo and her sat at a small breakfast table on the side of the room. It was there that Mirabel began to speak. She narrated everything at the party, the mayor's strange comments, and the insistent questions from the governor who seemed too interested in Encanto.

“I knew it…” Camilo muttered. "What are you talking about?" Mirabel asked. “This is one of my theories. I have discussed it with grandma and she believes that it is reasonable, but she is the only one. I have a feeling that what Victor is really looking for is for Encanto to choose a side” Camilo said.

"A side?" Mirabel asked, even though she clearly understood what he meant. “Think about it, Mirabel, things for Encanto started to get worse since he arrived. Grandma hasn't been to many of the council meetings, but she did attend a couple and told me that he had suggested we seek support from bigger politicians. I believe that Victor wants to push our people to choose his side” Camilo explained. 

"It makes sense, if that were the case, it would eventually make him the most powerful man in town, the only thing he would lack would be a way to keep the powers of the Madrigal in check, and that would be… myself" Mirabel began. She suddenly understood she was the missing piece in Victor's puzzle. Perhaps Camilo and her grandmother had understood it for a long time, and that's why they didn't want her to get close to him.

“Despite everything, even the people closest to Victor are against him,” Camilo said. “It wasn't Aunt Julieta who sent me here, it was someone from Victor's closest circle who warned me that tonight's party could put you in a very delicate position, they said it wouldn't be convenient for Encanto” Camilo continued. "Who told you that?" Mirabel asked. "I can't tell you. The person who told me made me give my word that I would never reveal it to anyone."

Mirabel fell silent for a few minutes as the weight of knowing that she was getting into something much bigger than she had anticipated seemed to sink her into a sea of confusion. "Hey" Camilo called her while he looked at her with a smile. He stood up and walked over to her and knelt as he held her hands. “Calm down, Mirabel, everything is fine, you haven't accepted anything yet, you don't have to feel obligated to continue a relationship with him if you don't feel comfortable. No matter what happens, we will all be here to protect you” Camilo said, taking her hands even tighter. "You too?" Mirabel asked with a dry throat.

"Me, more than anyone, and no matter what happens" Camilo replied. After her he got up and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Sleep well, Mirabel, tomorrow will be a long day"

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Mirabel got up the next day assuming that they would leave the city as soon as they had finished breakfast. However, Camilo had different plans.

"I thought since we're both here, it would be a great opportunity to visit some potential customers, there are a couple of people who want to buy the crop. Also, I would like to quote a coffee thresher, and I need someone who is talented with numbers" Camilo said. Mirabel must not have seemed very convinced.

“Please, please, my dear and sweet cousin, I don't know what I would do without your great talent for numbers, please, I need your help” Camilo joked asking in a pitiful tone. Mirabel couldn't help but laugh. “Okay, I'll go get my bag and we'll leave right away.

Mirabel and Camilo spent the whole morning visiting buyers and stores, until lunchtime arrived, when they crossed one of the many parks in the city. That day the weather was beautiful, the sun was shining, the pigeons were walking, and many passers-by were sitting on the chairs in the park enjoying their lunch hour. Mirabel looked at her wristwatch. "If we hurry we'll get to Encanto by nightfall," she said. Camilo took off his hat, fanned himself with it and looked around. “Let's stay one more night, I don't want to go back in the dark. Grandma will surely approve of this extra expense after the good deals we've gotten for the family. Let's celebrate at a nice restaurant." Camilo said.

He took her hand without a second thought and led her to a restaurant on the second floor of an office building. "Grandma definitely won't approve of this expense," Mirabel said as she looked at the prices on the menu. “Of course she will, we're both her favorite grandchildren now,” he said. Mirabel was petrified. It would never have occurred to her to think of herself in those terms. Mirabel had grown accustomed to being the awkward granddaughter she would hide during parties, and be gently told to step aside so as not to upset anyone.

"I would never think of that," Mirabel said as she sliced the lettuce into her salad like it was the most interesting thing in the world. “Grandma thinks very highly of you, she believes you are very capable, recursive and skillful…

“I'm not interested, Camilo” Mirabel interrupted him a little more aggressively than she had planned. “I don't know why you insist on forever seeing us as the bad guys in your story, especially when all of us have worked hard to change. We all know how hard we were on you, and we are ashamed…”

"Stop it, Camilo!" Mirabel interrupted him again as she dropped her cutlery onto her plate, to the point that the noise caught the attention of several diners at other tables. “You broke our hearts when we didn't hear from you for three years. Mirabel, and that's something that deserves an explanation. Grandma paid for all your education out of her own pocket and she didn't get a single thank you. Your parents were devastated knowing they would spend another Christmas, or another birthday without hearing from you. Dolores couldn't stop crying on the day of her daughter's baptism because you didn't even want to answer her invitation." Camilo said with a tremulous voice.

Mirabel stared at him as she felt her tears in her eyes. Camilo seemed to have contained that for months, and even years. However, Mirabel had also spent years holding back her feelings, and it was time for her to explode. "I gave them their powers back after that disaster, I brought Bruno back and I stepped aside as they always wanted, I don't know what else they want from me" Mirabel replied, annoyed. “Nobody wanted you to step aside,” Camilo said, alarmed.

“You more than anyone wanted me to leave and not return to Encanto,” Mirabel accused him. "You have the courage to tell me that, after that Christmas when you arrived with a new fancy boyfriend, after everything we lived in the river," Camilo answered furiously.

Mirabel remembered that. It happened in the second year after she left for the capital. Camilo and Mirabel escaped to the river one night while the whole town was celebrating the novenas the days before Christmas. They both knew that not even Dolores would be able to hear them behind the noise.

“You were the one who forgot all the promises we made to each other that night. My heart broke when I got that letter from mom telling me you were getting married. I was so stupid that I even paid for my friend Fabián's trip so he could pretend to be my boyfriend. I wanted to hurt you as much as you were doing to me, but I discovered that I didn't mean anything to you, it was like you told me years ago:  I am worthless” Mirabel said, unable to hold back her tears.

"What letter?" he asked. "Mom wrote to me months before Christmas to tell me you were looking for a girlfriend…" Mirabel began. “No, that's not true” Camilo said, “well it was true, but it was a misunderstanding. I think it happened one day over breakfast. Grandma and my parents knew I was going to college soon, so they told me I had to think about my future, about finding a wife, about the family name thing, and all that nonsense. I ignored them, but told them that I would hurry up just to please them. I never imagined that Aunt Julieta would tell you about that conversation, back then I thought it was nonsense.” Camilo said. Mirabel looked up from him and watched him through tear-filled eyes.

“I mean, you weren't really thinking about getting married? Haven't you forgotten about me?" Mirabel asked. Camilo smiled at her “No, of course not. I was far, far away from forgetting you”.

"That guy who came to the Christmas party wasn’t your boyfriend?" Camilo asked. Mirabel smiled and shook her head. "No, he was just a friend with whom I had exchanged a few words," she replied.

Mirabel saw Camilo hold his breath, as he too fought back tears. “I always thought you still had feelings for Victor. I hated him for treating you so poorly, and yet earning your love,” he said. Mirabel laughed, "Victor is nothing, I already told you, I only agreed to go out with him because I wanted an interview, and because I didn't want to feel like the loser in this story. You will marry Marlene, and you will be very happy, and I...

"I can't stand Marlene," Camilo confessed, laughing through his tears. “Our town is ten blocks from side to side, it was the best I could find, and I was the best she could find. She can't stand me and I can't stand her, but now we're up to our necks in this and it's not that easy to get out of it. I feel so guilty, I feel like I cheated on her, and dragged her down with me.” Camilo said in the middle of a laugh full of irony.

At that moment, the waiter arrived with the main course. Mirabel and Camilo tried to calm down, since those confessions hid endless possibilities. Mirabel still didn't know what to think. She had spent the last three years annoyed with Camilo, and now it all turned out to be a big misunderstanding, just like when they were fifteen. However, neither of them was a teenager, and they were already so deep in each other's lives that neither had any idea how to act.

Mirabel ate in silence. She felt sadness for the lost time, for all those times that she preferred to stay alone in the capital instead of attending family events, just because of the threat of meeting Camilo one more time. Mirabel studied her plate in silence. Maybe she had let the past haunt her for too long. Maybe if she hadn't let her pride control her she wouldn't have lost so much, she wouldn't have been as lonely and isolated as she was.

“If I hadn't been so spiteful and proud we would have settled this a long time ago” Camilo muttered suddenly as he pulled his attention away from his plate. Mirabel pushed the cutlery aside almost methodically, and she wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I think we both made that same mistake, I think we were both able to fix our problems much sooner than we thought." Mirabel responded.

"Do you think there is a chance for both of us now that we've talked about this?" Camilo asked, as he gave her a smile. “I don't know, what I do know is that we are a great team, we have a wonderful friendship and we are very compatible. Perhaps, only time will tell” Mirabel said as she gave him a smile through tears. Camilo answered it, and it was there that the two came to the silent agreement that there could be a bright future for both of them.

“I am engaged " Camilo said without this ruining the good mood in the environment. “I know it's a lot to ask, but I would like to beg you for some time to do something about it, ” Camilo said. Mirabel smiled, "Of course, from now on we have all the time in the world to know what the future will bring us," Mirabel answered.

They finished their lunch. Later, Camilo paid the bill and they walked to the park outside the restaurant. The day still looked beautiful, but for some reason it seemed even brighter to Mirabel. She raised her arm and linked it with Camilo's without thinking as she enjoyed his presence and his warmth. He smiled at her and briefly squeezed the hand she had on his arm. Then the two of them left to enjoy the afternoon in each other's warm company.

Hi everyone, I have a couple of chapters written. I took some time to see the story as a whole. I don’t know, I wanted to write a little more to see if the plot made sense. Hope you like it. Bye. 

Chapter Text

[Chapter 11]

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Mirabel continued with her work of folding the freshly washed clothes by the river, while she felt her frustration eat her away. She looked at the trees and the rest of the landscape. Encanto was one of the most beautiful places she had seen. However, it did not help her, since Camilo kept in her thoughts over and over again.

Two months had passed since Mirabel had presented the interview to the Ministry of Education, and her situation with Camilo had not changed. She hated to admit it, but despite telling him they had all the time in the world, she would have wanted a quick solution to that situation, since as long as Camilo remained committed nothing could change.

Mirabel felt ridiculous. The surest thing was to think that Camilo didn't feel the same way she felt about him. After all, he was not explicit or made any promises to her, and yet she felt mocked and humiliated as she had held on to a hope that would not come. Suddenly, Dolores came out of the house and ran towards her.

"Mirabel" Dolores shouted "Mrs. Remedios wants to talk to you" her cousin said. Mirabel looked up and cursed softly as she ran back home, for it was sheer bad luck that just the worst gossip in her family answered that call. She reached the living room, closed the door behind her and picked up the phone.

"Hello, Mrs. Remedios, it 's Mirabel" said Mirabel. “Hello dear, just calling to confirm that the last tenants have moved out, we've already remodeled a bit, and if you want to see the house you can do it this afternoon” the woman commented cheerfully. "That's great news!" Mirabel exclaimed ecstatically. “I'll be there at four, if you don't mind, of course,” Mirabel said. "Of course not, my dear, I'll wait for you."

Mirabel hung up the phone feeling completely excited and a little scared, as she knew what she was about to do was something extremely controversial: she wanted to move again. It started a month ago, after one of the many awkward dinners in which the family had been forced to share a table with Marlene. Everything was calm, until Mirabel got up at dawn to feed her cats, when she saw Camilo entering the house.

She was not a little girl. She knew that although the relationship between Camilo and Marlene was not a healthy relationship, they could have sex. Mirabel leaned against one of the kitchen walls and tried to make herself as small as possible so that he couldn't see her. Mirabel felt humiliated, like that third wheel in a relationship in which the husband swore over and over again to his mistress that he would soon leave his wife.

Mirabel sat at the wooden table in the kitchen and buried her face in her hands. She had been carried away by that dinner and by those revelations. And now, if she thought it better, that was empty nonsense. Mirabel had lost her way, she abandoned her life and her future for a family that she adored but in which she would never fit in, for a career that she was passionate about and made her very happy but that tied her to that town to which she should never have returned. 

Mirabel did her best to forget all those good thoughts she had during the lunch with her cousin, and focused on what she believed to be reality: Camilo told her everything she needed to hear that afternoon so many years ago at the pond, and now she was paying for having forgotten that lesson. The next day, Mirabel began searching. She wanted to find a new house in Encanto, or in one of the nearby villages. Unfortunately, there was not a large market for houses to rent in this region with so few inhabitants. In addition, the few who had a place available were discouraged seeing her.

It wasn't unusual for an adult child to want to be independent, but she wasn't just anyone in this region. Mirabel was a Madrigal and that implied that people would think twice before interfering with her family's wishes: “Does your grandmother approve?” someone asked. "Don't you think you could harm the magic of the house?" someone else asked. Mirabel would have liked to answer that both she and Camilo lived away from home for years, but she preferred to keep her mouth shut.

Finally, Mirabel found an elderly widow who really needed the rent money enough to ignore the Madrigals' wishes. She needed to wait for the previous tenants to vacate the place. At that moment, someone knocked on the door of the living room. "Go ahead," she said.

Dolores entered very slowly while she looked at Mirabel with an expression full of concern. “Mirabel, I don't want to be nosy, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Are you planning to leave?" Dolores asked as she sat on the couch next to Mirabel. Mirabel took a deep breath before answering.

"Yes, I want to have a house near the school," Mirabel admitted. “Oh my God, Mirabel, there are better ways to go than this. You know your mom and grandma will take this as a real slap in the face, maybe you should talk to them first,” Dolores said. Mirabel bit her lip. “I don't understand why I would. I went away for six years. I just got used to living on my own,” Mirabel admitted. Dolores was even more worried.

“I don't know how to explain it, for a couple of months you have been almost absent. We have all noticed, something very strange is happening to you” Dolores said. "This will simply be the final blow." Mirabel remained silent looking at her cousin. She never would have imagined that the family had noticed a change in her behavior. Truth be told, she was so used to no one noticing her that she never would have wondered.

“Nothing happens to me, I just think I need more space. I used to have my own apartment and I had my own office and a guest room, it was quite comfortable. Here I sleep in little less than a deposit, I can't even go to the bathroom without the whole family knowing ”Mirabel said as she shrugged as if it was no big deal. "Mirabel" Dolores began to get more and more serious. “Does this have to do with Camilo? Or with Victor?” her cousin asked. "Maybe, but not in the way you imagine," Mirabel answered.

Mirabel knew Dolores understood more than she seemed. Possibly she had already imagined that things between Camilo and her were quite tense, and as consequence of that, Victor was still on the scene for Mirabel's sole intention of getting revenge on Camilo, but she wasn't going to admit it.

"You know what? It's been a real pleasure talking to you, but I'm going for a walk, we'll talk later” Mirabel said as she patted Dolores's hand gently. Her cousin didn't get to answer, as she ran to her room, took her bag and left.

Mirabel walked, since Mrs. Remedios's house was near the other end of town, very close to the school, where she worked in the mornings. Mirabel waved at a couple of her students as she passed, until she came across a familiar black car. "Hello Mirabel,”  Victor said, who seemed to have arrived from work. "Did you leave the office early?" Mirabel asked, who to her own annoyance, already knew all of Victor's schedules. "Yes, I have to get work done, and I can't concentrate in the office, I'll do it at home."

Mirabel gave him a smile. "Do you have a little time for me?" Mirabel asked suggestively as she winked at him. Victor smiled and adjusted his hat. "Of course, you know you are the exception," he replied. Mirabel walked backwards, almost inviting him to come to her, and he took the bait right away, as he made his way to her. Mirabel and Victor continued on their way to Mrs. Remedios's house.

“I think you are crazy, Mirabel, '' Victor said after she told him about her plan. “The Madrigals won't be happy, the rest of the town won't either. There has always been the perception that their powers come from the family unit, they might think that if you leave the house their powers will be at risk,” he continued. "I already left home once," Mirabel answered. “ It's different, I don't know how to explain it, but it's different. You're turning your back on Encanto, and you're moving across town, it feels awkward."

"Are you taking their side?" Mirabel asked. Victor smiled. “You know well I won’t. They hate me. However, I think your grandmother will not be happy, there is something that feels inappropriate about all of this.” He said. Mirabel felt a wave of anger run through every member of her body. Her past came back to her forcefully, the discomfort, the rejection. She was completely tired of pleasing them all, starting with Camilo, who hadn't done anything other than lie to her from the beginning.

They arrived at the house of Mrs. Remedios. It was a simple country house with white walls and blue ornaments, one floor, three rooms, a living room and a small internal garden. Mirabel knew it was too much for her, but so far it was the only thing she had found. However, the third room was perfect for a small office with a special place to sew and work on Casita's accounting. Mirabel smiled for the first time in weeks and she felt something like hope.

Mirabel walked to the fence that separated the internal garden from the corridor and leaned on one of the beams. "What? What is that look about? Victor asked, seeing her smile at him. “It's perfect,” Mirabel murmured as she looked around. "It's too big for you, you'll have to hire someone to help you with the cleaning" answered Victor. “No problem, Grandma pays me a salary for all the work I do in the administration of the farm, and I can also pay it with my salary as a teacher,” Mirabel said.

"Well, I hope that from now on I can visit you," said Victor who stood in front of Mirabel on the beam. Mirabel looked at Victor, that scene could have been so romantic but she knew she couldn’t trust him. The afternoon light filtered through the small garden, among the flowers in the hanging pots that decorated the place. The truth was that she had no strong feelings for Victor, nor did she believe that he saw anything beyond Mirabel's usefulness as her ticket into the Madrigal family.

However, now that she thought better of it, being honest with her feelings had never led her to a good place. Her family always underestimated her sincere desire to please them and make them happy. Camilo did nothing more than kick her love, and lie to her. Maybe it was time to be more practical. Victor had a good job, a good salary, and relationships with very powerful people. He would surely receive a good part of his parents' money when they died. This could definitely be a very convenient relationship for her.

Mirabel hated herself for thinking like that. But the sensitive Mirabel, the sensitive fool who always wanted to please everyone, had to remain underground. She couldn't afford to be treated and discarded as in the past, and if Victor was going to make it convenient for her, so be it. She felt strange, as if a more cynical and miserable version of herself was taking possession of soul and whispering hateful comments in her ear about everything and everyone.

Mirabel stepped forward and leaned to kiss Victor. However, she stopped at the last moment. "What's going on?" asked Victor who had remained expectantly waiting for the kiss. “I don't know, I don't think…” she began. However Victor took her hands and looked at her carefully. “Aww Mirabel. I understand what happens, I can see it in your eyes. You still have feelings for Camilo, don't you?" Victor asked. Mirabel was petrified. Victor had realized a long time ago that Camilo loved her, but he didn't know she loved him back.

“Mirabel, you can't stay forever in love with someone who doesn't love you back, as far as I know Camilo will marry Marlene” he said. Mirabel didn't reply, but she tried to avoid Victor's gaze, since he was right. Victor lifted his index finger and guided her chin so that she couldn't take her eyes off him. "Oh, poor Mirabel, I thought that by now you were tired of being the laughing stock of the Madrigal family, but if you let me I can be very convenient for you," he said as he gently guided her chin

Mirabel watched Victor carefully as he moved closer to her, and let him kiss her. She didn't feel anything special, but it was comforting to know that someone wanted her, as he took her by the waist and kissed her enthusiastically.

"I don't understand you, Mirabel Madrigal," Victor murmured into her lips as he stepped away from her to recover his breath. “ A little over two months ago, after your interview at the Ministry, it didn't seem like you wanted to hear from me again. You ignore every call, and now look at you, so loving and sweet,” Victor said.

"A couple of months ago my family had convinced me to push you away, but I've decided I'm sick of always doing what they want," she replied. That was a half-truth, because despite the fact that Mirabel was tired of complying with the wishes of the Madrigals, what had really changed the circumstances was how bad her relationship with Camilo was.

Mirabel spent the first few weeks convinced that Camilo would end his relationship with Marlene at any moment. Once again, she became that dreamy fifteen-year-old girl who lived to please everyone, as she went from one place to another like a butterfly. However, with the passing of time, she understood that Camilo had made fun of her once again. It was really lucky that she hadn't broken up with Victor.

“I have always told you. Your family wants you away. I can give you the security you need Mirabel, if you decide to trust me” Victor said. Mirabel saw the same malicious intent in Victor's eyes as years ago, when he had tried to manipulate her, but she didn't care, since if she was completely practical, he was right, the two of them could give each other what the other wanted.

At that moment Mirabel felt him sink his hand into her curls and force a kiss to her lips. In another circumstance it would have made her angry, but she didn't care. After all, if things went their way, she would eventually have to get used to his temper.

“As much as I would like to stay here with you, we have to go back. Dolores already knows I'm here, and she probably knows what's going on between the two of us, too. I don't want to ask for more trouble than necessary,” Mirabel said. Victor smiled. "You're right, I'll take you back home, if we're lucky we'll run into one of the Madrigals and blow their heads off" he replied. Mirabel laughed, despite the years there was still something about Victor that reminded her of the little ten-year-old criminal who broke her glasses.

Mirabel and Victor walked through Encanto hand in hand upon the surprised look of many. They arrived at the square, where Victor met the mayor who insisted on speaking with him. Mirabel wanted to get home quickly, so she apologized and continued on her way.

That afternoon had been one of the strangest she had ever lived. Mirabel would never have imagined that she would do something as bold and radical as encourage Victor, or even contemplate him as a serious couple. Especially since the whole town had seen them holding hands. Suddenly, Mirabel saw Victor's sister walking across the street with Marlene. She raised her hand to greet her, after all, Mirabel did not want to have such a mediocre relationship with the Valenzuelas as the one Marlene had with her family.

"Hello Mirabel, wait, please, I want to talk to you," Daniela Valenzuela said. Mirabel nodded and waited for her while the girl crossed the street. She wanted to ignore the look Marlene gave her, but she couldn't. She wondered if she knew about her relationship with Camilo, since there was real resentment in the girl's look. Mirabel did nothing to try to make things better with her cousin's fiancée.

“Thanks for waiting for me,” Daniela said as she reached for her. "What do you want to talk to me about?" Mirabel asked. "Mirabel..." the girl began as she seemed to search for the words to continue. “I don't know how to say this, I know you're dating my brother, but…” Daniela began. "I guess you don't want me to go out with him" Mirabel dared to suggest, feeling somewhat offended. Apparently her reputation as the shame of the Madrigals haunted her. "It's not that," said Daniela, who sighed and prepared to tell the truth.

“To be honest, Mirabel. I know you consider the Madrigal family to be tough, and I can't tell you that it isn't, but you have a lot of freedom. I admire and envy you in equal measure. You want to join our family but you can't imagine what it's like. Dad is tough, Mom is even worse, and Victor… I'll just say he's the perfect mom's son. I don't want to scare you or sabotage my brother, because he's very excited about you, but I can't help feeling that you don't know what you're getting into” Daniela said.

Mirabel observed her for a few seconds. Unfortunately, Mirabel did have a vague idea of what she was doing. She had much more world than Daniela, and she knew the kind of man Victor wanted to be in the future. Mirabel remembered some of those great society ladies in the Capital. Many of them sleepy walking through life, living day after day in false charity work, walking their puppies while planning the next card night. Mirabel had told herself that she didn't want that for her future. She always wanted a life with something more content, with a purpose beyond being a simple decorative object. Probably, that was one of the few aspects that she envied about her grandmother, who always had a very clear goal: to make that community grow and prosper. Mirabel may not have shared her methods, but she deeply admired her vision and her strength.

However, by now, Mirabel had decided that this was nonsense. She was not her grandmother, nor did she have her strength. She didn't want to be the same resilient creature that had put up with everyone walking all over her. Mirabel decided that if Victor wanted to give her a comfortable life, in which the biggest worry she would have was the color of the curtains, then so be it, who cared if she had to please him, he would spend most of his time at work anyway, and she wouldn't have to spend much time with him, so she could graciously ignore her husband's misdeeds.

“Don't worry about me, Daniela, I know what I'm doing. I know Victor better than you think,” Mirabel answered. Daniela frowned, but gave him an awkward smile. “By the way, I guess you were the one who sent Camilo to pick me up during my interview,” Mirabel guessed. Daniela seemed surprised “Excuse me? I'm sorry Mirabel, but I don't know what you mean” she said. Mirabel watched her for a few minutes, at first she thought that she was simply denying it to get out of trouble, but upon seeing her better, it was evident that she was telling the truth. "Sorry, I think I got confused," Mirabel said.

Mirabel continued on her path until she reached Casita. Dolores was right, the news of her move would not be received with joy. She would not be the first Madrigal de Encanto to leave home, but the first one who, after having an openly hostile relationship with everyone, decided to leave to live just a few streets away, so she preferred to remain silent until the move was a fact.

"Mirabel, I've been waiting for you for hours, where were you?" Camilo asked. Mirabel gave him a dirty look, like he would give a vermin and she continued on her way. “Mirabel, I know you're upset with me, but that's precisely why I asked you for time…” Camilo said. "I'm not in the mood for this" Mirabel replied as she rolled her eyes, "get to the point, because I have a lot to do, there are some invoices that I must legalize before finalizing the sale of the harvest" she continued.

“That is precisely what I want to talk to you about” Camilo said “I would very much like you to travel with me to Pereira to sell the harvest, I think you will be the perfect person to do all the tax paperwork, I also want to talk to our lawyer, and our accountant” he continued, realizing that Mirabel didn't want to talk about their damaged relationship.

"When do we leave?" she asked.

“Tomorrow,” Camilo replied. “I had planned to leave at four in the morning, it is a long trip and it has rained a lot, so we have to hurry, especially since we don't have a decent road,” Camilo said. "You're right" agreed Mirabel who reached the door of her room and took the knob, while Camilo leaned against the wall next to her door and crossed his arms.

“By the way, Mirabel, I guess if things continue as they are now, I'll have to send messages to that idiot through you,” Camilo said. Mirabel looked at her cousin. Camilo had a gesture full of sarcasm and a badly hidden anger. It was obvious that someone must have told him about her walking with Victor, as if she were her girlfriend. Mirabel looked into his eyes for a few seconds.

"You have a lot of nerve to come here and berate me for going out with him," Mirabel said through clenched teeth. “You said you didn't want to have a relationship with him,” Camilo replied. "And you said you didn't want a relationship with Marlene and here we are," Mirabel replied, annoyed. Camilo leaned over and took her by the forearms, “you know well that it's not the same. I've already explained it to you, ending things with Marlene is not easy. Victor, on the other hand, has hidden interests. You know very well that he wants Encanto to take sides, this could destroy the tranquility of this town. You don't know what you're getting yourself into” Camilo started, but Mirabel didn't want to keep hearing false excuses, or hearing him say how dumb they thought she was.

"Who do you think I am?" Mirabel asked, releasing herself from his grasp. “Do you think I don't have any kind of understanding or that I don't know anything beyond the limits of this house and this town? I know exactly who Victor is, what he wants, and maybe I've decided that I don't care, if he can be good for me, I can be good for him, that's fine. I don't have to stay in this town suspended in time forever, waiting for people who never cared about me to decide to change their minds and treat me with a little dignity,” Mirabel said.

Camilo stared at her for a few moments. "But the town... you, Mirabel, no..." his cousin stammered. He looked at her again with an expression of profound confusion on his face. "What happened to you Mirabel? I don't recognize you. If this is out of anger, I think you should calm down, because you could make a decision you might regret, it might go against your conscience,” he said. Mirabel laughed briefly. Her conscience had left her alone and without money, far from the capital, locked up in a town serving a family that did not respect her. Nothing she believed in or she loved was of any use.

“Leave me alone, Camilo” Mirabel asked her before opening her room and locking herself in there.

Mirabel went down to dinner, and then she remembered one of the problems of living in a small town: everyone knows everything. Her family gave her a curious look. Surely they would have already found out that she was looking for a new house to move to, or that she had walked around Encanto with Victor holding her hand. However, no one had the courage to say anything to her. Or so it seemed, until Bruno talked to her after dinner.

The two of them walked silently to the back of the garden. Where they sat on the pond. “No one in this house wants you to be angry. It is not normal to see you upset, the few times that this family has seen you angry, the consequences are not only magical, but we have also already understood that you are a person of tough decisions. Mom is afraid of how you might react. And to be honest, your parents and your sisters too.” Bruno began quietly. After her, he gave her a wistful look.

“However, you and I have a bond, which could only be created by having to live as the weirdo in the midst of so many amazing people. I've always thought you understand me, and  I understand you” Bruno continued. "Perhaps that's why, unlike the rest of the family, I'm not so surprised that you want to have something with Victor," he said.

"I don't know what you mean," Mirabel lied. Bruno smiled. "I can't blame you, I understand the position you are in. And I guess what he offers is tempting," He said, while Mirabel remained motionless, because something told her that, as always, Bruno had seen through her facade, and knowing that made her uneasy. “However, I know that you are not the same fifteen-year-old girl who found me living in the walls of this house, and that you are much smarter than you want others to see. You know who Víctor Valenzuela is, and you have an idea of what he wants, so Mirabel, I can only ask you with all my heart, will your conscience be clear if you decide to spend your life with someone like him?” Bruno asked.

Mirabel was petrified. Just a couple of hours ago she had planned to spend her life feigning ignorance while she lived a comfortable life. That seemed nice. However, Mirabel had no idea how to explain such a selfish and superficial plan to someone like her uncle. Bruno had spent ten years in hiding protecting a niece who didn't even remember him and a family who refused to even acknowledge his existence, if anyone was truly selfless it was him.

"I still don't know what to do with Victor, his attention flatters me, and..." Mirabel began, not knowing if it would be a good idea to continue. "And the person I love doesn't love me like I do," Mirabel said. Bruno looked at her with sad eyes and for the first time in many years he gave her a hug and a kiss on her forehead. “I'm very sorry, Mirabel, I only beg you to think about it very well, not to act guided by pride and anger, do you promise me?

"Yes, I will." Mirabel lied.

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Mirabel did not sleep that night. She would have thanked her cats for disturbing her sleep, but it didn't happen. Instead, she spent the whole night looking at the roof, and telling herself she had to sleep since the next day she had a very difficult trip ahead. However, none of this worked and she got up completely exhausted. Mirabel took a suitcase and put in it the most comfortable dresses she could find, as well as a pair of pants for the trip.

To her surprise, Julieta was already awake, and the kitchen was lit up and full of delicious smells. Mirabel didn't feel wide awake enough to eat a big breakfast at four in the morning. "Hey linda, what do you want for breakfast?" Julieta asked. "I have tamal, rib broth, chocolate and tinto, but if you want, I can make some eggs," Julieta said. "I'm sorry, mom, Mirabel replied, but it's still early, I can't eat, I think I'll be fine with clear broth, tinto coffee, and a little piece of papaya" Mirabel replied.

At that moment, Camilo went through the threshold of the kitchen. Camilo looked especially happy and handsome that day, with his white aguadeño hat with a black ribbon, and his carriel ready to face the difficult mountains that surrounded El Encanto. "Good morning to all. Mirabel, I recommend you to eat something else than that sad breakfast, because the trip will be difficult and you will get motion sick if you don't. For my part, I am more grateful to Aunt Julieta and I will accept whatever she wants to give me” Camilo said as Julieta happily placed in front of him a tamal, rib broth, hot chocolate, orange juice and bread. Julieta gave him a smile and Camilo returned her gesture with an expression of pure love.

“You're a pig, I don't know how you can eat all that so early,” Mirabel said. "It's the breakfast that our ancestors ate before going to work the land" Camilo answered almost ceremonially, in a way that made it very clear that he was making fun of her. "Yes, of course, when you die from reflux, don't come to me crying."

Mirabel went back up to the second floor after breakfast, took her things and went down to the first floor where she found Bruno at the door talking to Camilo in a low voice. Mirabel hid for a few seconds in the door frame, while she heard her uncle murmur. "You have to talk to her. Camilo, I know that if you don't do it you will regret it, and you will let her ruin her life… ”. Mirabel frowned. She knew they were talking about her. The problem was that Mirabel didn't want Camilo to feel obligated, she wanted him to give his feelings freely.

At that moment, Mirabel decided it was time to intervene. "I'm ready," she said as she left the house. Mirabel gave Bruno a kiss on his cheek, because no matter how much his interference irritated her, her uncle was one of the few who understood her situation. Bruno gave her a smile. "Behave you two, especially you Camilo, if you don't, I'll hang you from the closet like when you were a child" Bruno said.

Mirabel had very few early childhood memories, but Bruno hanging Camilo from the hall closet hook was one of them. Her cousin was always a difficult child, and the memories she harbored about him were always accompanied by screams, childish laughter, the sounds of flower pots and windows breaking into a thousand pieces by a football ball, and multiple scoldings. Unlike her, Mirabel was one of those people who was too busy creating a fantasy world through her drawing and sewing to destroy things. Perhaps that was why in her few and very blurry memories of his uncle, he was a kind and sweet person. Meanwhile Camilo remembered a frightening guy who would not hesitate to hang him from the collar of his shirt on the hook of the closet, in order to get him to stay still for a few seconds.

“I know he only hung me in the closet for three minutes, but I still think about it, Bruno looked really scary  and really tall,” Camilo commented as they both got into the truck and fastened their seatbelts. “I asked Aunt Julieta to give me this for you” Camilo said as he handed her a lunch box. “It's a tamal. I know you'll need a good breakfast at any moment, and I want you to be prepared,” he explained. Mirabel looked at the lunch box and then looked at her cousin. That gesture was typical of Camilo, who, despite being annoyed with her, always thought of her well-being.

"Thank you," Mirabel said. Camilo started driving in the middle of the darkness of the night. Pereira was a couple of hours further than Manizales. It was the largest and most commercial city of the three coffee cities, and it was where the farmers made most of the businesses related to the grain. However, the road from Encanto was a complete mess, and it didn't help that they were in the rainy season.

"You can tell your boyfriend to help us with this, this road is a disaster, the transportation is completely impossible" Camilo commented furiously as they jumped over a hole. "He's not my boyfriend, he's the guy I find myself messing around and flirting with, because I don't have anything better to do," Mirabel replied. “I thought you wanted to marry him,” Camilo replied. "I don't know, I still don't know what I want to do," Mirabel muttered.

“I have to confess something to you” Camilo began as he looked at the road “the reason why I haven't separated from Marlene is the money” He said. "I don't understand, I thought her family didn't have any money," Mirabel said. "That's precisely the problem. Marlene had savings, and she was thinking of leaving Encanto before we got engaged. I didn't let her do it, and now she's stuck in town penniless since she's paid out of her own pocket for the wedding arrangements. I promised to get a loan for her in exchange for her agreeing to break off the engagement, but now she wants the double.” Camilo explained.

“You don't have the obligation to solve their problems,” Mirabel replied. "Yes I have it, I got her into all this trouble, I have to help her, because otherwise my word will be worthless," he explained. “That's not important to her,” Mirabel said. “But it is important for me, for me it is important not to hurt everyone. Look what I did to you, I hurt you, and now her. I seem to ruin every woman I come across. I know I was wrong about you, I know I hurt you when we were young, and I don't want to be that person, I want to solve the mess that I create myself,” Camilo confessed. Mirabel bit her lip.

“I know, Camilo, I know your intentions are good. You are a good man,  but you're hurting me, and Victor offers me something real, something good for my future, you can't ask me to wait for you forever” She said. Camilo hit the rudder with both hands. "If Victor was someone good and you felt something for him, I wouldn't have any problem, but that guy is bad and you know it." Camilo responded by raising the tone of his voice.

“Camilo, those are all assumptions. We think he is bad, but the truth is that we have not seen him do anything suspicious. The only thing I have seen is a mediocre bureaucratic functionary of a party that is not my favorite, but nothing more” Mirabel replied. Camilo remained silent, because deep down she was right, neither of them had any real reason to distrust him. Mirabel felt guilty, because she also believed that Victor was a bad person.

"Mirabel, don't do this to me, please" Camilo asked after a good while in silence. "No, you don't do this to me, I saw you arrive at dawn the night we had dinner with Marlene" She said. Camilo was silent for a long time, it was evident that she had caught him. "I told Marlene the truth that night, I told her I want to break the engagement" Camilo confessed. Mirabel watched him in silence,she didn't know if she believed him or not, but Marlene's look that day in the street was precisely one of a wounded person. Either way, he hadn't broken off the engagement and she was still in limbo.

Suddenly, a metallic sound alerted them. A strong vibration moved the truck and the two of them screeched to a stop. “Carajo” Camilo yelled as he hit the rudder. “This shitty road…” he groaned as he got out of the truck. Mirabel followed him and noticed that one of the truck's tires had gotten stuck in a ditch. Mirabel looked up and a couple of drops began to fall on her head.

Hello everyone, this is a transition chapter, the next one will be a wild ride.

Something curious about this chapter (If I get some hate over this I will delete it, I mean it, if you want to fight, go to Twitter, leave me alone), while I was writing it I remembered an interview I saw years ago of a Colombian senator. She is married to an industrial/agricultural leader. They're both bad, and when I say bad I'm serious. Especially the guy, he has very strong allegations of having collaborated in the 90's with forced displacement of people, land theft, murders by paramilitaries forces allied with the extreme right gobernement and drug dealers, all of this ALLEGEDLY. To be fair, she apparently doesn't have such dirty hands. Well, she's in a party with trash, although she really doesn't seem to have anything really bad, but shitty opinions and spreading fake news for facebook aunties to share. I mean, I don’t like her at all, but she is not her husband. 

In the interview she said something like: “Yeah, I married him for money, why else would I do something like that? The worst thing is that he went broke after we got married”, “yeah, he is a very mal polvo (meaning he is very bad in bed) but he made me a senator”. She also has a photo going around on Twitter with another senator from her party (formerly a political influencer, and a professional Twitter laughing stock) while he puts lotion on her back, both in bathing suits. I don't know if it's real, but there it is. I have a weird sense of humor and I find all of this ironically hilarious. I can not stop laughing all over this. They are a trashy family, with a trashy past, trashy opinions and a trashy son who also shares his trashy opinions on twitter. I am sure you guys get why I relate this to the story. 

Chapter Text

[Chapter 12]

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The rain intensified while Camilo went to the forest to look for a couple of pieces of wood to raise the tire. Mirabel stayed at the truck while she started the engine again and again, hoping that by a stroke of luck, the tire would come out of the ditch.

However, despite her continuous attempts, nothing happened. Suddenly, Mirabel saw Camilo in the rearview mirror with a bunch of fallen pieces of wood. She grabbed her plastic boots and went down into the rain. Camilo and Mirabel had a lot of trouble getting the boards under the truck in the middle of the rain, and while the mud was practically up to their ankles.

“I think they're ready now,” Camilo said while giving her a triumphant smile. “Start the engine while I keep an eye on them,” he instructed. Mirabel nodded, ran to the truck and started the engine. The plan was a complete success. The wheel came out of the ditch with the help of the wood. Unfortunately, as it did, a great wave of mud rose up and washed him over  from head to toe. Mirabel watched him walk very slowly as if the mud barely allowed him to move.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't think it would end like that," Mirabel said as she used a rag to wipe the mud off his face and eyes. Despite that, Camilo looked radiant with happiness, to the point that he gave her  a big hug and lifted her off the ground. "We did it!" he screamed. Mirabel laughed too, and they returned to the truck, soaking wet, dirty, and drunk with joy.

“I would never have made it without you, the last time I got stuck on the road I had to wait eight hours before someone showed up” Camilo said, as he began to tell other stories. At that moment, Mirabel understood that his insistence on getting a road was not a mere whim, Encanto  really needed it.

They took turns to get dry clothes, and Camilo started the engine again. He drove while they celebrated their victory. "Do you have Aunt Julieta's tamal?" Camilo asked. Mirabel removed the banana tree leaves covering it and realized that it was already cold, but she was so hungry, and it looked truly delicious. At that moment, Camilo stopped looking at the road for a few seconds and opened his eyes wide with a pitiful expression "Can you give me the chicken leg?" he asked. "You had enough breakfast to feed a regiment" Mirabel replied as she tried not to laugh. "I'm very hungry," he replied. “Stop the truck and I'll give you the chicken” Mirabel said, but Camilo refused “it's not necessary, we'll waste time, put it in here, Ahhh” he said as he opened his mouth. Mirabel took the chicken leg and brought it closer to him while he continued driving. She laughed at the absurdity of the situation.

Mirabel and Camilo ate and laughed during the trip. She had always felt very comfortable with her cousin, as if she didn't have to pretend while they were together, unlike Victor, with whom she always had to be extremely careful.

They arrived at Pereira very late at night, and got a room with two twin beds. Mirabel and Camilo took a long and refreshing bath after that difficult trip. She fell heavily onto the bed, and stared up at the ceiling.

Mirabel and Camilo listened to a radio soap opera, played a hand of cards and went to sleep. “Mirabel” Camilo said suddenly. Mirabel opened her eyes, even though she was unable to see anything. "Yes?" she asked. Mirabel. "This reminds me of when we were little, and we shared a room," he replied. "Yes, it's quite similar," she replied. “I remember we had a lot of fun. Mom used to say that she would let me sleep with you in hope that one day your goodness would stick on me, because I was just a little bit naughty, I was very sorry when they separated us ”.

Mirabel laughed bitterly, “Of course you weren’t, how could you? After all, you received a wonderful gift and I was left sleeping at the warehouse, with the newborn who could barely fall asleep” Mirabel complained. She never said it to anyone out loud, but as much as she adored Antonio, it was very difficult to survive his early months of life. Mirabel didn't complain back then. They all simply believed that the baby slept soundly through the night unlike other children. she took care of him without anyone noticing, it was her way of making herself useful to everybody, her way of keeping everyone pleased. Mirabel had no value, but she could at least take care of the baby.

"What are you talking about?" Camilo asked “Antonio never had trouble sleeping” he said. "All babies have these kinds of problems and Antonio was no exception." Mirabel responded. “I know you don't believe me, but I did miss you” Camilo commented suddenly. "Don't worry, you don't have to say that just to please me, it's completely understandable if you were excited about your new room, I would have been" Mirabel replied.

“Why do you have to be like this? Why do you have to put words in my mouth?” Camilo responded angrily. “You do not believe me, that hurts, it has never stopped hurting, especially because I have been in love with you for years, although I know I have no hope, although I know that you feel nothing but resentment” he complained. “I love you too, Camilo, but it's hard for me to trust, and you know that” she replied.

Suddenly, Mirabel stood up and walked the short distance that separated her from Camilo's bed. She lay down next to him, hoping he would push her away, but he didn't. On the contrary, he turned around and took her by the shoulders next to his chest. Mirabel stood there in silence as in that brief period when they were both teenagers and hid their relationship from the family.

"Do you think we'd be in trouble if someone found out this time?" Mirabel asked. “ I don't know. Frankly I doubt it, we are already adults. I think  back then we were very young, and they expected us to finish our studies, but I doubt it is a real problem today.” Camilo said, full of hope. Mirabel sighed. "Perhaps, if you think about it carefully, the two of us revived the farm, we have been running the house for months, we, as a couple, could be very good for the family" Mirabel replied while feeling the pressure on her shoulder from Camilo’s grip.

"How much money do you have to get?" Mirabel asked as she enjoyed their closeness. "A lot, it's crazy, but I already have a few savings" answered Camilo. “You're a good person, Camilo, but she could take advantage of that,” Mirabel said. “Marlene is taking advantage of me, I know that, but if we're fair, I did too. I have to make it up to her. I owe her for all the wasted time while she thought I was honest." Mirabel remained silent with her head resting on his chest. She understood at that moment the true nature of the relationship between her cousin and Marlene. She remembered the look of resentment the girl gave her on the street, and now it was clear, since Marlene must be in quite a painful situation.

Mirabel and Camilo slept in silence, sharing a couple of kisses here and there, like when they were teenagers, and woke up in a very good mood. The day was a success, the grain was delivered to the buyers, the supplier of the coffee thresher established a delivery date and the accountant praised Mirabel's work. However, it was during her visit to the lawyer's office that she understood how ambitious her cousin really was. Camilo wanted to put his own brand of coffee up for sale. Ironically, the most successful grain was the cheapest used in commercial brands. Despite that, the finest and the most special always had problems selling, so he decided that he could get a premium brand.

"What do you think?" Camilo asked as he handed over the sketches for the new brand.  They were in a fonda, a small typical cafe where all the farmers in the area met to drink coffee or aguardiente and talk about business in the thick accent of their region, while listening to music. Mirabel looked at the art and felt his deep stare over her, as he wanted her to notice something. It was a blue butterfly flying in front of a candle lit on a window. Mirabel immediately recognized the candle and the window. She observed the butterfly and realized it was the same that decorated her favorite dress. Actually, all the ornaments on the picture frame were her embroidery, and the aquamarine blue on the package was the same color as her favorite skirt.

"Café la mariposa" Mirabel read while she understood that this was almost a love letter to her. "Where did that name come from?" Mirabel asked. Camilo just shrugged and took a drink from his cup. "Here and there..." he replied vaguely. "I think it's nice and it will be a success," she said as she smiled at him. Suddenly, Mirabel had a great idea. "Hey, we should go to the theater tonight to celebrate the success of the harvest," Mirabel said. Suddenly Camilo's eyes lit up. His cousin had always liked the school plays at Encanto, probably it had to do with his ability to imitate people, and his eternal desire to attract attention.

"That's a great idea," he replied. They attended the single play where they found tickets on such short notice. Afterward, they went out to dance. Camilo and Mirabel went to one of those many places with loud music and strong drinks. However, they decided to return to their hotel after midnight because a long trip awaited them the next day.

Mirabel looked down the street and she saw nothing but the night mist rising into the air. They walked a couple of blocks down to the parking lot where the truck was parked. “Someone is following us,” Camilo muttered. He took Mirabel's hand tightly and the two of them ran to the parking lot. For the first time Mirabel could see who was following them, it was a man in a suit and elegant hat who was running behind.

“Get in the truck” Camilo yelled as he opened the door and practically threw her in there. Mirabel found the truck's tool kit, took out a tool and gave it to Camilo in case the man had a gun. “Wait, please, I need to talk to…” the man started, but Camilo didn't listen, he was too scared to think, so he just hit the man in the arm with all his strength.

The guy fell in the middle of the floor in pain. Camilo prepared himself for a new blow but  he raised his hands. "Please wait, wait a minute, I'm not here to hurt you, I just want to talk" he said. Camilo lowered the tool and waited for the man to stand up. Mirabel looked at him carefully.  It was a man in his late twenties, pale and extremely thin. He didn't look like a thief, he rather looked like one of the many office people she had worked with in the capital.

"Who are you?" Camilo asked. "My name is Cesar, I work in the departmental direction of roads and highways" he said. Camilo slowly lowered the tool, and they shared a quick glance, for this was the same office Victor ran. "I've been trying to talk to you for a long time, but I've only been able to do it until now. I have a contact in Encanto who told me that you would leave town today, so I had to talk to Camilo Madrigal at any cost," he said.

Mirabel listened carefully, and two details caught her attention: first, he knew perfectly who Camilo Madrigal was, and second, he had someone who helped him in Encanto. "How do you know my name?" Camilo asked. “You have become famous, I have heard Mr. Valenzuela complained about you a couple of times, it may not seem like it, but your constant complaints are causing a dent in his reputation, some of those rumors have reached the central government in Bogotá, and I think you should have this information” Cesar said as he handed her a brown folder. Camilo read the documents briefly and then handed them to Mirabel.

She looked at them. They were a bunch of carbon copies of certificates and orders to build the road in Encanto, most of which were dated 1950. “The last boss signed all the permits before leaving office, the road was ready to be built, but Mr. Valenzuela ordered not to send them to the capital, the work is still suspended” Cesar explained. "Why? What does he gain from this? Camilo asked. “To put pressure on Encanto. I overheard a conversation I wasn't supposed to hear. Some of the department's political caciques want Encanto to get involved, and they want them to take their side. They want to fence off the town so they have no choice but to accept,” he continued. “I knew it,” Camilo muttered. “Why are you telling this to us?” Mirabel dared to ask. Cesar pulled his jacket away and showed them a tiny red flag that gleamed from back of the lavel. Camilo looked at him seriously. "We don't get involved in that, '' his cousin replied.

“I know, that's the point. However, I am worried because they have more plans” Cesar continued. "I have no proof, I heard them talking, they want to remove the health post from Encanto, and they want to do something with the river, I can't be sure what it is about." Mirabel was alarmed to hear the latter, since the river was the source of their miracle. “Look, I've been working in that office for many years and I've never seen as much negligence as I've seen lately. I just don't want them to be successful. What they do is not right”, concluded Cesar. The three remained silent for a few moments, as if they all needed time to understand what had just happened, until Cesar let out a groan of pain.

“You are injured, do you want us to take you to the hospital?” Mirabel asked, feeling very guilty. "No, thank you very much miss, it is not convenient that they see the three of us together" Cesar replied. Mirabel gave him a smile. “Please have one of Mom's cookies,” Mirabel said as she took a cookie out of a blue tin. Cesar received it somewhat confused, but he ate it more out of formality than pleasure. Suddenly, he looked surprised, it was evident that the pain had disappeared. "It seems like magic, that means the rumors are true" Cesar said as he seemed to look at them in a new light, his attention was suddenly focused on Mirabel. "Miss Madrigal, please be very careful" and with this warning, Cesar left, leaving them completely alone.

Camilo got on the truck and closed the door with a loud bang, while his breathing was very agitated. They fell silent for a few moments until he looked into her eyes, "There you have Victor, the good man you were defending a couple of hours ago" Camilo murmured before starting the engine and driving away. Mirabel was silent during the drive back to the hotel. The truth was that she knew Victor was no good, but these revelations put him in a completely different light. Perhaps, this was too much for her.

Camilo and Mirabel returned to Encanto the next morning. She no longer felt all that resentment towards him. However, there was still the issue of the house that she had rented, and Mirabel did not know for sure what she should do. They arrived at the house late at night. Camilo and Mirabel just said goodbye and went up the stairs to their respective bedrooms. However, when Mirabel arrived at her room she found the light on as Antonio, her mother and her father were sitting on the floor of her room. Mirabel only managed to say hello before seeing what the problem was: her cat, Sara, was very sick.

"She was bitten by an insect, that's what Bonita told me" Antonio commented. "We searched for her all afternoon, when we finally found her the vet told me it was too late, he gave Sara some medicine, but he doesn't think it can be cured" Antonio explained. "I'm so sorry dear" Julieta said as she patted her shoulder gently. Mirabel felt very grateful to her parents and  Antonio. She sat on the floor of her room for the rest of the night. Mirabel was exhausted, but she didn't want her cat to leave her without a last goodbye, or without having tried to take care of her.

Antonio helped her take care of Sarita for a couple of hours in the morning while she slept. However, just as Mirabel returned from lunch she found her cat unusually still. Mirabel put a hand on her little tummy and realized that she wasn't breathing. She heard an argument on the first floor, but she didn't care, as this was completely disheartening. Mirabel had been living with her cats for nearly two years. They had become her faithful company in the capital and even on that pointless trip to Encanto. They had been with her through the good times and the bad times, when she was happy and when she was sad.

Suddenly, Isabela ran into the room. "Mirabel, that idiot wants to talk to you, he says it's urgent" Isabela said, but she quickly understood the situation and her expression changed from irritation to sadness. "Oh, Mirabel I'm so sorry..." Isabela muttered. At that moment, Camilo arrived and also understood the situation. He knelt on the floor next to Mirabel, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"What happened?" Victor asked from the doorway. Isabela was startled to see him there. "I told you to wait outside, no one gave you permission to go into this house" Isabela said annoyed. "You left me outside alone, you said it wouldn't be for long but you certainly took your time" he replied. Mirabel looked at him for a moment “Hello Victor, did you want to talk to me? she asked without bothering to stand up or let go of her cat as she was rocking her lifeless body in her arms. "Yes, I wanted to invite you to a party tonight, it will be at the house of the mayor of Santa Rita," Victor said.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood, my cat just died" Mirabel answered, unable to hold back her tears. “Oh, I'm so sorry, Mirabel. Come with me to the party, don't cry over that nonsense, we'll have fun there and you'll forget about this” he replied. Mirabel didn't think that her cat was nonsense, for her it was truly sad. "I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood," she replied. "Oh please, you're not going to interrupt your whole life over this silly thing, don't be sentimental," Victor said. Camilo rolled his eyes towards the door and looked at him over his shoulder, “insist one more time and I'll reshape your face without magic” Camilo said. "Are you threatening me?" Victor asked.

"I don't threaten, I do things" Isabela said "you get out of here, now" she said as a bunch of thick branches began to come out of the pots in the corridor. "Okay, okay" Victor said "Goodbye Mirabel, we'll talk later" he said goodbye in a cheerful and jovial tone that put her nerves on edge.

Mirabel buried her poor cat, cried and spent the next few days feeling very sad. Meanwhile, She continued her work at the school. Before returning home from her work, she always stopped by the house that she had rented. Mirabel had not planned the move, since she knew that it would be a controversial decision, but she paid the rent, since that was an excellent opportunity just in case.

She walked slowly home, crossed the central garden and sat at the dining table where Isabela, Dolores and Marlene were talking. Mirabel didn't even have the energy to notice her cousin's fiancée. She just let Bonita sit on her lap as she started petting her. Bonita was also very sad about losing her mom. Unfortunately, the three girls were discussing preparations for her cousin's wedding, which didn't make her feel any better.

"I have a great idea for the centerpieces of your wedding: cacti" Isabela proposed as if it were the most brilliant and innovative thing. Dolores let out an exasperated sigh, “why do you always want cacti? We did it once, it was fun, but we can't do it all the time” Dolores said, speaking about the events they planned as part of their business. "I just think cacti are neat," Isabela replied. Suddenly her face lit up again, "I have an even better idea, I heard about a plant from the Putumayo jungles, it only has one problem: it is carnivorous, you have to treat it with caution" Mirabel, Marlene and Dolores could not answer, they just stared at her for a few seconds. "I think peonies would be fine," Dolores said as Marlene nodded.

At that moment Casita's front door opened again. Mirabel looked over her shoulder, and she saw Camilo crossing the yard, smiling while he had a cardboard box in his arms. Mirabel thought she heard something in the box but she paid no attention to it. “Good afternoon everyone, I have something for you,” Camilo told Mirabel as he smiled. Mirabel felt surprised and stood up to look at the contents of the box on the floor. She couldn’t believe it, it was a beautiful orange tabby baby cat.

"He's in perfect health, his mom rejected him, but I think he'll be great company for Bonita, his name is Pepito." Mirabel knelt on the floor and rocked him in her arms, he was absolutely gorgeous. “Thank you very much Camilo, '' Mirabel said as she felt herself smile for the first time in days. Camilo knelt on the floor next to her and wrapped her arms around her. Mirabel couldn't take her eyes off her new kitten, which was lucky, because  she couldn't see the look that Dolores and Isabela shared.

"You know what?" Marlene began as she took her bag "you can choose carnivores, cacti or peonies, I don't care, I'm going home, this doesn't make any sense" Marlene said before leaving. However, Camilo did not move. "Aren't you going after her?" Dolores asked, annoyed. "why? we always ended up fighting anyways” Camilo said. "Whether you like it or not, she is still your fiancée and you owe her some respect," Dolores said, annoyed before leaving for the second floor. Camilo reluctantly got up and left.

"This will not end well for you" Isabela said as she looked at her. Mirabel settled her kitten on her shoulder and decided not to pay much attention to that mess. "Do you think I don't know it?" Mirabel asked. "What are you gonna do about it?" Isabela commented, “Don't worry I'll find a solution, I always do it” Mirabel answered bitterly.

Whether she liked it or not, Isabela was right. Marlene was a time bomb ready to explode at any moment. Mirabel began to take her clothes little by little and to buy new things for her house. She knew that she had to hurry, since Christmas holidays were approaching and the school year was almost over. However, the disaster came the day she least expected it.

"Mirabel, Grandma says it's time for dinner" Antonio yelled from the first floor.

Mirabel went downstairs to find the whole family together, including Marlene. The atmosphere felt tense and inadequate, which was not rare when Marlene was at home. However, tonight there was something more, as she was unusually upset.

"Antonio" Julieta began smiling at him. “Do you want me to do something special for your birthday? I am planning the menu and I would like some suggestions” she said playfully. Antonio Smiled “sure, I can think of something” he answered with a smile on his lips. "I guess I'm invited to the party," Marlene said. "Of course you are, why shouldn't you be?" her grandma said at the head of the table, in that awkward and falsely friendly tone that Mirabel knew so well.

"Yes, of course," agreed Marlene. Then, she turned her attention to Mirabel. “Uhm, Mirabel” she called. "Yes?" Mirabel replied without even looking at her since her plate of food required her full attention. "I don't want you to take this badly, it's just nonsense, I promise I won't ask you for anything again, but I was wondering if you could go back to the capital, and spend the holidays there" Marlene murmured. Mirabel looked up very slowly and stared at Marlene as if she was speaking in some lost language. “I know you had a great life there, friends, boyfriends, it is clear that you had money, and an apartment and… all that, here people admire you a lot, and with good reason. I'm sure you'll have a great time there, away” she asked, stuttering in a sweet tone. Mirabel looked into her eyes and saw pure desperation. Her old self would have tried to understand Marlene’s situation, she would have taken her to a private place and resolved things in a mature and sensible way, but this new horrible little person who had taken over her in the last few weeks didn't want peace. 

“How dare you…” Julieta whispered, however, Mirabel raised her hand to silence her. “Why would I do something like that? I've been away from home for years, this is the first time I'll spend the holidays with my family in a long time” Mirabel said quietly. Suddenly, Marlene looked at the rest of the family "can we talk in private?" she asked. “I don't think so, you were the one who started this in the middle of a family dinner, go ahead, continue, finish what you started” Mirabel said, “Mirabel, please” Camilo murmured. "Go ahead, Marlene, you want to tell me something, do it, say it, why do you want me to go away?" Mirabel asked.

Something in Marlene seemed to snap in two, "Because I know my fiancé is in love with you, I know that you've practically begged him to leave me, and I'm sure you guys are fucking eachother," Marlene practically roared, as sighs from the entire family flooded the place. Mirabel certainly hadn't foreseen this. Her first instinct was to look at her grandmother who was clearly so confused.

“Enough,” Camilo roared as he stood up and took his fiancée by the elbow. "I'll take you home, I've had enough for today" he yelled as they left the house in an uncomfortable silence.

“Que mierdero," Bruno muttered as he rubbed his temples.

“Language, Bruno, the children are listening,” Pepa complained. "Grandma, that's not true, Mirabel hasn't done anything wrong, it's not fair…" Isabela began. “Enough, Isabela, I think we all have an idea of what was going on here, there's no point in denying it,” Alma answered. "I always thought that Camilo had an unrequited love, but I never imagined the other things…" Pepa murmured. "Why didn't you tell me anything, Mirabel, don't trust me?" Julieta asked. "I knew it. I still remember the day I saw them in the hallway before I went to the beehives to work, I knew it at that moment” Agustín intervened.

" Did you know, grandma?" Isabela asked. “Of course I knew, Camilo was always very obvious, Mirabel hid it a little better. Don't look at me like that, in my time none of this was strange, the towns were small, the paths isolated and we were in the middle of the one thousand days war. I didn’t like it since I thought they were very young and that they needed to see the world and live a little before getting serious,” she said. Mirabel looked up to Luisa hoping for comfort. "My room is right in front of yours,I already knew," her sister said as she shrugged. Apparently, they never were very good at hiding their relationship. Mirabel felt kind of foolish. "I saw them in the banana fields" Antonio intervened.

"If it's any consolation, I had no idea," Mariano said gently to her. "Thank you Mariano" Mirabel replied with a smile, although this was not a great consolation. At that moment Alma Madrigal stood up and everyone looked at her with expectant eyes. “As soon as Camilo arrives, tell him I'll be waiting for him at the office. Mirabel, I also want to talk to you” she said before leaving.

Mirabel stood up very slowly, walked to the library and there she waited for her grandmother and Camilo who did not take long to appear. Mirabel looked around. She had gotten used to the old mahogany furniture and hard cowhide seats that were so typical of those houses. However, that only made the situation more unsettling, almost as if she was two steps away from facing the Spanish inquisition.

"I can't believe you two hadn't discussed this with me before making such a scandal," Alma Madrigal said once she found herself in front of them, sitting at her imposing desk. “Grandma, we just did this in the Madrigal style : shut up and wait for things to blow up in the worst way possible” Camilo joked. Mirabel hit him hard with her elbow, because it was not the time to joke.

"Clearly, that's what you decided to do," her grandmother confirmed. Alma Madrigal let out a long sigh, closed her eyes and looked up at the sky for a few moments. “I know you guys think I'm upset about your relationship, but to be honest, I'm not. As I said before, this was very common when I was young. In a town in the middle of nowhere there aren't many options” her grandmother started, but she stopped to take a break. "What really bothers me is that I can't help but notice that I've raised a couple of very inconsiderate people," she said. Mirabel understood that the scolding was about to begin.

"What do you mean grandma?" Camilo asked. “How could you commit to that girl if you knew you didn't love her? That's so cruel, Camilo. Marlene is not my favorite person, but that was wrong” she said “And you, Mirabel '' Grandma intervened, making Mirabel almost jump out of her chair. “I'm sure your mom taught you better than getting involved with committed men, while dating a different one. What you did isn't right, no matter how annoying or mean Marlene and Victor are,” Alma said. Mirabel lowered her head.Those words sounded horrible, especially since everything was true.

“I know that sometimes the heart is stronger than reason, but you have to control yourselves, you can't go through life doing things like this,” Alma said. “But it doesn't matter anymore, Camilo, what do you need to break that engagement and leave that poor girl alone?” her grandmother asked. "Money" he replied before telling her the same story she already knew. However, this time he revealed the real number. Alma's eyes widened. "Camilo, I thought of giving you that money, but it's too much, I don't have it." she said before looking at Mirabel.

“Mirabel, I have told you this many times, but I repeat it again. Leave Victor Valenzuela alone, end that relationship. You're playing with fire and you're going to get burned. He's not the kind of man to mess around, and I know that inside that stubborn head of yours you know and understand it” Alma continued with growing annoyance. Mirabel nodded without really meaning it.

“This year the Christmas holidays will be a disaster if we don't get rid of this situation,” Alma said. Mirabel looked up, because she had a bad feeling. She knew well who would be the loser in this whole situation, but she didn't want to anticipate anything. If her grandmother was about to ask her what she already imagined, she would have to do it right away, voice aloud. Mirabel wouldn't make things easier for her.

"Mirabel, I know this is asking too much, but can you skip Antonio's birthday?, It will be for a short time, while I help this fool get the money to break off the engagement" her grandma asked. Mirabel knew deep down that this could be a good solution. Not attending a single event while things calmed down to avoid a confrontation. However, there are situations where a person with Mirabel's past has a very difficult time seeing the world with the eyes in the present. More often than not, events are seen with a view to the past. That small and miserable Mirabel that had grown on her chest told her that this situation was unacceptable. She remembered Antonio's birthday in which she felt humiliated and relegated, no one would treat her that way again.

“I can't believe I gave up my life in Bogotá for this,” Mirabel muttered. "If it was going to be such a headache for you, why did you make me come back?" she asked. “Mirabel, please, it is just one of the many parties that are celebrated at Christmas. This whole country is crazy for Christmas, we celebrate from November 1st to January 31st. There is the night of the candles,  the nine days of novena, Christmas Eve, the barbecue on December 25, New Year's Eve, the picnic on January 1, the January 6th and the vacation trip that we usually do on the first days of January. I promise you, there will be many other opportunities. Also, Antonio's birthday is on the night of the candles, you will be able to attend many of the parties that are celebrated in the town. You will not have to spend time with your boring old grandmother," her grandmother said, trying to sound reasonable, and even to find a bit of humor in the situation, but she didn't want to know any more about it.

“You know what grandma? it's fine, you're right, I'd better calm down and step aside, that's… how was it? my best way of helping others,” Mirabel said quietly, as she stood up and left the room. She went up to the second floor, took a big bag for her things. Suddenly, she heard the door open. "What happened?" Isabela asked as she entered the room at full speed. "Grandma is not really upset about the relationship between Camilo and me, but she told me I should not attend Antonio's birthday." Mirabel said. Isabela looked upset.

"Why do you have to be the one to hide?" Isabela asked. “It's Antonio's birthday, Camilo is Antonio's brother, Marlene is his fiancee and I'm nobody,” Mirabel said as she took the wooden box where her cats slept and placed them in their carriers. "It's not fair," Isabela said. Her sister rubbed her temples in exasperation. “I told you to stay away from him, I told you that you would end up being the loser in all of this, but you are so stubborn, so stupid…” Isabela said and Mirabel knew that she had had enough. "Stop it!" she screamed. "I've had enough of your poison, leave me alone, I don't want anything from you, I don't want your advice, or your reproaches," Mirabel said furiously. Isabela bit her lip and for the first time she noticed what Mirabel was doing.

"Why are you packing?" Isabela asked. "I am leaving. A while ago I rented a house near the school, it's not fully furnished but I can live there. I don't want to spend more time here, I shouldn't come back” Mirabel said as she continued packing. Isabela turned pale. “You can't do that, mom will go crazy, dad too and I don't want to think about Luisa. They will blame Grandma and Camilo. Pepa will defend Camilo, of course, and mom will fight with Pepa, it will be a disaster...

"I don't care," Mirabel replied as she closed the suitcase. "Mirabel, please, the cracks could return, our powers..." Isabela said desperately as she took her wrists. “You told me to stop trying so hard, well, here I am not trying at all. I don't give a damn about your powers. I'm out of here” Mirabel replied as she released from her sister's grip. She put her bag over her shoulder and carried her cat carriers in each hand. As she walked down the stairs she could hear the battle raging in the dining room.

“I hope you are satisfied. I don't understand why Mirabel has to pay for all this mess, you're engaged, Mirabel isn't, if anyone should have been careful it's you” Julieta said, “Julieta please…” Alma asked “No, mom, you don't have the right to tell me nothing, I'm sick of always having to put aside what matters to me for your wishes. It took me three years to convince Mirabel to visit us, and now this happens. If I was her I would like to leave too,” Julieta said. Pepa had to intervene “Juli, please, be reasonable, it's Antonio's birthday. Camilo is her brother and Marlene is his fiancee, if Mirabel shows up it will be a disaster, ”she said trying to de-escalate the situation.

“I prefer Mirabel on my birthday! ”Antonio yelled in a childish tone “this is all your fault, for not keeping it in your pants” he yelled before walking off to his room. "Antonio, such a  language" Pepa scolded him. “Felix, go talk to him, I don't like him talking that way” Pepa said. Felix glared at his eldest son "well, he's not wrong" Felix muttered. Pepa nudged him with her elbow before he went off to talk to Antonio.

Mirabel went downstairs without anyone noticing her. She had planned to go unnoticed, as she did not want to give an explanation. However, Mariano saw her from the dining room door. “Mirabel” he called her. "where are you going? it's too late,” he said. Her family stared at her, "Oh my God," Julieta murmured as she flopped into a chair. “I think I need to go out, I'll be out,” Mirabel murmured. To her surprise, no one was able to contradict her, or say a word, until Camilo broke the silence. “Please don't go, I beg you, Mirabel” he asked her. "I think it's best for now," she replied quietly.

Mirabel went down the hill with great difficulty, and managed to cross the main square and  the Valenzuela's House. She arrived around  the corner, in front of a bar where there was a group of men chatting and playing pool, among whom was Victor. He stared at her for a couple of seconds and left the bar. “Hey Mirabel, where are you going with all that luggage?” Victor said as he approached her. “To my new house” she replied. Victor must have understood that something really bad was going on, since he frowned. "Do you want a ride? That looks heavy” he asked. Mirabel nodded. He opened the back seat door and she put in her cats and her luggage inside. Suddenly she heard Bruno call her at the end of the street "Mirabel!" he yelled. She gave him a quick look and hurried into the black car.

"Do you want to talk to your uncle?" Victor asked. Mirabel shook her head "No,it is too soon, I am very mad. He will try to reason with me, and right now I am not in the mood of being reasonable, I just want to be alone". 

Hi everyone I told you this chapter was a wild ride. 

Chapter Text

[Chapter 13]

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Mirabel remained seated at the teacher's desk, her arms crossed, while she lamented over and over again that in the midst of her dramatic departure from the Casita she hadn't taken into account that she had absolutely nothing to eat in her new house. Mirabel did not buy a grain of salt, so that morning she had to settle for hot water and air for breakfast. Unfortunately, she no longer had the opportunity to go shopping at any time as in the city, since it was a small town, the plaza would only open after ten in the morning.

“Miss Mirabel, my grandmother made envueltos with bocadillo and sent you a few to thank you for the extra math lesson,” Pedrito said as he placed a basket on her desk. She looked at the wrapped mass in a corn husk. She had to control herself, as she would have wanted to devore it right away.

"Tell your grandmother that I am very, very, very, very grateful" Mirabel said as her mouth began to salivate at the wonderful smell. Mirabel invented a random activity for the children to work and she took the time to have breakfast. However, as soon as the first part of the school day was over, Mirabel took her shopping cart and pulled it down the street to the market.

Mirabel carefully observed each stall completely packed with fruits and vegetables for sale, along with the farmers who came to sell their harvest. She walked through the lush hallways filled with scents and people chatting. Mirabel hurried to buy the basics. “Mirabel” Bruno called her. She felt embarrassment at the way she had run away the night before, so she turned around and prepared to run again.

"No, no, no," Bruno said as he quickly reached out and grabbed her elbow. “Is this how we are going to behave from now on, miss?” he asked. “Whether you like it or not, I'm still your uncle, and you're going to listen to me. Let's have lunch, I'm inviting,”Bruno said as he led her to the restaurant in the market. Mirabel sat in a chair in front of a rustic wooden table covered with a traditional blue and white checkered plastic tablecloth.

"Good morning, Mr. Bruno, what do you see in my future?"a boy of about 16 asked playfully as he cleaned the table, put a salt shaker and a basket of cutlery for two people. “I see a great tip in your future if you give me a nice piece of meat and a large serving of salad,” he replied in a good mood, at which the boy laughed. “Of course you do, Mr. Bruno” he answered. "If I were you, I would put a set of cutlery for another client who is about to arrive." Suddenly, Mirabel saw Camilo in the distance who was turning the corner.

“Uncle Bruno? Mirabel?” he asked, seeing them sitting at the table. Camilo sat down with them, while the boy returned with the extra cutlery. “I was looking for lunch,” Camilo told them as he sat down. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “I had to buy food for my new kitchen,” Mirabel answered. “I was walking around town and thought it would be a good idea to eat out today, the atmosphere at home is a bit tense” Bruno said.

The three of them ordered the menu of the day and silently ate in the middle of a growing awkwardness until Bruno was the first to have the courage to speak. “Please, cut that already. I need us to fix things a bit, what is happening is crazy, the whole family is on the verge of collapse and I don't even understand why we just don't calm down” Bruno said. "I'm not upset," Mirabel confessed. “I'm just tired of swimming against the current. Isabela was right, she warned me that as soon as something went wrong in all of this, I would be the one to pay, and it's true. Uncle Bruno I don't want to feel like when I was a child"

“Please don't pay attention to Isabela, she is your sister, and I love her, but we both know that she is not an easy person, and sometimes she can be quite destructive,” Bruno said. However, Camilo lost his patience. “I don't understand why you are so upset,  grandma's idea is not unreasonable. All we want is that you don't have to have a hard time because of Marlene. She's upset, I don't blame her, and none of us want her to make a scene during Toñito's party, because we know she will” Camilo replied.

"You can't force me to stay at home, or to wait for you forever, especially if the same patterns of the past repeat themselves over and over again," Mirabel said. “And what about Victor?” Camilo asked “and what about him? Mirabel replied reluctantly. “You know exactly what kind of person he is. You no longer have an excuse, now we are sure. Also, I sent a letter to the Ministry…” Camilo began. Mirabel was surprised "Did you lose your mind?" she asked. "Your name is already scattered in this whole thing, that guy said that you are the cause of Victor's problems and you get even deeper into this whole thing" Mirabel said while Bruno looked at them surprised.

Camilo lowered his voice to the maximum and told his uncle what had happened in Pereira. “Mirabel is right, you have to get away from that issue, Camilo. Your name is on the lips of quite a few people,” Bruno said. Camilo didn't answer, but a feeling of discomfort hung in the air. “I don't understand how Miguel Valenzuela's son could have ended that way, the apple fell very far from the tree” Bruno continued. "Really? I have never liked old Valenzuela very much, he seems like a stiff and bitter old man, ”Camilo said.

"Miguel is quite strict, blue through and through, but he was not a bad person." Bruno commented, after which he lowered his voice as much as he could. “You know that the people arrived and settled here after the war at the beginning of the century, the political party to which dad belonged lost the war. Miguel and his mother arrived with a caravan a little later. The townspeople didn't want them here, they were blue, but Mom refused to kick them out. Encanto was born with the idea of giving a new beginning to all families, regardless of their origin. Miguel was always good to us. He is somewhat gruff, but he is not a bad person. I don't know his wife very well, since they got married while he was studying law in Medellín, but they never seemed unpleasant to me like his son, ”Bruno commented. Moments later, Mirabel finished her meal and looked at her wristwatch.

“It's time to go back to school, the day ends at three and I want to leave my shopping at home before I go back” she said. Bruno got up and showed a bill to the young waiter "I told you, boy, my predictions never fail" Bruno joked as he left a generous tip on the table.The waiter gave him a smile "Thank you Mr. Bruno" the boy replied. Afterwards, he gave Mirabel a quick look "we're waiting for you for dinner tonight, and I don't want no for an answer" Bruno said. Camilo smiled at him. Mirabel sighed. "Okay," Mirabel said. She returned home, left her purchases in the kitchen, and went back to work.

" Good afternoon, Miss Mirabel," the last of her students to leave the classroom said. "Goodbye, Juanito. Go straight home, do your homework, no wasting time playing soccer or playing pranks” Mirabel warned him. The boy laughed, "yes miss, bye-bye." Mirabel returned to the classroom, erased the blackboard and got ready to leave, since the cleaners would arrive soon.

"Hello, can I come in?" Victor asked as he knocked on the door frame. Mirabel slowly turned around and gave him a smile. “Of course, although we can't be here for long, they'll come to clean up the classroom soon,” she said. Victor walked slowly into the room and sat down at the desk across from her desk. "Don't worry, I won't be long," he said. Suddenly, Mirabel felt a sharp change in Victor's mood. She had never seen him as serious as he was at that moment.

"What happens?" she asked. He took off his hat and licked his lips very slowly. “Today I received news from the capital, Mirabel. Serious news” he said. Mirabel already knew what he was referring to, but she waited patiently for him to continue. "Your cousin has sent several letters to the Capital, but in the last one he was quite insulting, to the point of suggesting that I might be involved in some kind of theft of the highway resources," he said. Mirabel felt the rate of her breathing quicken, but she didn't let him notice it.

“Surely he didn't do it with malicious intent…” Mirabel began. “I am completely sure that he did. The authorities of my party were going to let the issue go, they know me, I'm clean, but you know how the others are. They opened an investigation on me,” he said. Mirabel held her breath. “Victor, I'm so sorry, if there was anything I could do. I'll talk to him” Mirabel replied. He got up and took her by the shoulders and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Don't worry Mirabel. I don't blame you, nor am I upset with you, but I do worry that your cousin is getting into serious trouble. Many members of my party are not happy with what is happening, there will be elections very soon and we cannot afford a scandal. Someone out there who might think he's a troublemaker or something like that,” he said. Mirabel took a step back away from him, so he released his grip.

“Since when is being someone who cares about improving his community being a troublemaker? Mirabel asked, “Camilo just wants a road because the whole town needs it. My family can afford to buy a truck and pay for private trips for our cargo because we have money, but most farmers can't do it. The only thing he wants is a road so that the whole town can benefit from it”. Mirabel said as she felt her breathing quicken.

“Mirabel, Camilo has to stop doing stupid things that put him at risk” he said as he looked into her eyes. Mirabel understood loud and clear, this was a threat.

"I will talk to him. I'm sorry that he accused you, but I don't see anything wrong with him requesting the road, the people really need it”. Mirabel said without daring to meet his eyes. She stayed where she was as he took her by the shoulders again. Mirabel watched him get closer and closer. She wanted to move and run away, but something in her instinct told her that it would be best for Camilo not to. Suddenly, just before Victor kissed her, he stopped.

Victor let out a wry laugh as he sat back against the desk. "You really are up there for him, aren't you?" he asked. Mirabel didn't understand what he was talking about, so he laughed softly again. "Mirabel" Victor started again, while she felt her skin prickle. “I'm going to be honest with you, I don't like to force people to do what they don't want to do. I prefer a more gentle approach, I like to guide them so they know what is best for them, and if I am lucky they choose me” he continued. Mirabel feared that she had offended him, since his threat was very latent, and it was still floating in the air. "Victor, I don't..."

"You don't have to apologize," Victor cut her off. He  put on his hat very slowly, gave her a smile, a last goodbye, and left. Mirabel felt herself breathing freely for the first time since he had crossed the threshold. She quickly took her bag and left. Mirabel had decided that she would not keep the promise she made to Bruno. She didn't want to have dinner with her family after the debacle the night before, but she urgently needed to talk to Camilo.

She left her house again a couple of hours later. Casita greeted her almost relieved when she crossed the threshold. Despite the above, the atmosphere felt especially tense that night. They all greeted her kindly, as if they were walking on eggshells. Mirabel immediately noticed that all of Isabela's predictions came true. Her parents were really angry with everyone, Luisa and Isabela didn't seem as accommodating as usual either. Pepa tried to side with her son while she faked a big smile and tried to achieve some peace. The rest of her aunt's family tried to do the same.

Despite the above, Mirabel could not pay attention to them. A more pressing matter occupied her attention: Victor. Just as her grandmother had predicted, Mirabel had played with fire and was an inch away from being burned. She thought over and over about his words as she silently ate her food. Fortunately, her aunt Pepa was too busy making a frantic and nervous conversation for her anguish to be noticed.

"We should go to the living room to drink a cup of coffee" suggested Pepa in her nervous and frantic tone. "Yes, mom, that's a great idea," Dolores agreed, equally nervous. They all stood up without much thought. Mirabel hurried over and took Camilo's hand. “We need to talk,” she said as she pulled him away from the group.

Camilo followed her as they walked out to the acacia pond. Mirabel sat on the trunk and he followed. She no longer felt capable of feeling anger. Instead, all she could feel was concern.

"Victor already knows that you wrote to the Capital" Mirabel said without softening the situation. She narrated everything that happened while Camilo became paler and paler. "Good God…" Camilo muttered, giving Mirabel an angry look. "I told you to be careful with Victor. We all did, but you didn't listen" he said. Mirabel felt angry as she hadn't done it in a long time. "How do you dare to tell me such a thing?" She asked, getting more and more annoyed. "You were the one who ruined everything. I had my relationship with Victor under control, but you had to come and ruin it. I'm sure this is not only due to the road, I know that this was also an act of jealousy" Mirabel she accused him practically screaming.

Camilo bit his lip and blushed. "And what if it was? I was going crazy to think that a person like you could agree to have something with a guy like Victor. He is not good, but you are not thinking rationally and seeing beyond your anger towards this family and me. Surely you only accept him to irritate us, "Camilo said. Mirabel felt that as a blow to the stomach. She had never thought about her relationship with Victor, but the truth is that not even herself knew why she kept gravitating around him, if she didn't even like him. Could it be that this was some kind of silent and unconscious revenge? Mirabel shook her head as if trying to get those thoughts out of her mind. Camilo was delirious, It was not true.

“Camilo, the really important thing here is that you have put me in a very delicate position. He knows everything, he knows that he can blackmail me if he wanted to, he knows that in the end I would do anything to protect you… ”Mirabel murmured. However she let her voice die in the middle of her sentence. She hadn't wanted to expose herself like this. Mirabel had always tried to keep Camilo from realizing how strong her feelings were. The injured fifteen year old girl still sleeping on her chest didn't want him to see her vulnerable.

Camilo paled upon hearing that. “Did he say something to you? Did he threaten you? he asked. "Not, exactly" Mirabel lied, as this was exactly what Victor did. Camilo returned to the seat next to her and stared at her. “Mirabel” he began. "I never thought you cared enough to even contemplate risking yourself like that..."

"You know nothing. You don't know anything about me,” Mirabel cut him off. She bit her lip and felt her eyes water. Mirabel avoided Camilo's gaze. For the first time in many years she felt that she had her heart on her sleeve, and that she couldn't really hide how much she cared for him. Camilo took her by the shoulders and kissed her very slowly. Mirabel gasped. There was something deeply wrong in that gesture.

He was still engaged and she was dating Victor. Her grandmother was right. They were both chaotic. That relationship was completely chaotic and inconsiderate. However, Mirabel returned the kiss with equal intensity. “Of course I care very much about you, he knows it, and it scares me,” Mirabel replied as she pulled away from him to catch her breath. Camilo took her by the shoulders and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead. “We should go, get our things and leave everything behind,” Camilo said without completely lifting his lips from her forehead. "You don't want that" Mirabel replied "and the truth is that despite everything, I don't want it either," she continued.

"Do you remember that night we went to the river after celebrating the night of the candles?" Camilo suddenly asked as the song of the cicadas cut through the silence of the night. “I remember, it was during one of my visits in the second year after I left to study in the capital. It certainly wasn't our most responsible moment,” Mirabel admitted. “But still it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. What really moved me was that I thought that you really loved me like I love you for the first time,” Camilo murmured. Mirabel closed her eyes remembering every moment. “I told you, Camilo, you have no idea how I feel,” She replied.

Mirabel stood up, crossed her arms, and watched the fireflies dance across the pond. "You always say that I'm cold, that I don't love you, but somehow I'm the one who always ends up losing," she said. "Please, Mirabel, I just need a little more patience. I can't allow you to have to face Marlene in an event where the whole town will be present and there will be lots of alcohol" he replied.

"I still don't understand why I have to be the one who always has to hide, because everyone treats me like a nuisance" Mirabel muttered as she did everything humanly possible so that her voice wouldn't break. Camilo walked towards her and took her hands. "I've spent half my life trying to convince you. Please, Mirabel, I know you're upset, but I need you to wait a little longer, and make this sacrifice for me..."

Mirabel got angry with him upon hearing the latter. Isabela was right. She must have foreseen that she would be the loser in all that drama. After all, Mirabel would have given everything for Camilo, to the point of risking her safety just to protect him, and he wasn't even capable of doing anything so she could go to the stupid party. She took a step back, freeing herself from Camilo's grasp, and left.

"Don't worry, I won't spoil your party" Mirabel muttered sullenly as she walked away. “Wait, please, I don't want you to be mad at me, I…” Camilo began. "I don't mind!" Mirabel answered facing him. “I don't care what you have to say. Grandma's right, I refuse to be the third wheel in this whole thing. I don't want you to talk to me again until you've resolved your issues with Marlene, if you're interested in doing so,” she said.

"Of course I'm interested, the only thing I've always wanted is to solve this situation..." Camilo started, but Mirabel didn't let him continue. "So, prove it, because I don't believe you, I don't think you feel anything for me, the only thing you've given me are words, and that doesn't interest me anymore" she replied before turning around again and leaving.

Mirabel was so angry that she didn't even want to stop at the house again. She knew that with how tense the relationship was in the family, that would be received as a true aggression, since Mirabel did not want to spend time with them and did not even bother to hide it. She went down the hill to the other side of town and locked herself in her house, for she was not in the mood for anything else.

Camilo complied with Mirabel's wishes and did not approach her during the next week, nor did the rest of the family. However, the saying goes well: small town, big hell, because the rumors about the problems between the Madrigals started right away. Mirabel felt that something like a faction was forming in the town. A group that supported her, made up from the families of her students and others with small children and the vendors of the market places that attended her daily. While another group gave her from time to time looks full of concern, as if she had lost her reason.

Meanwhile, the December sun was already shining in the sky, and the beautiful days of blue skies and gentle breezes announced the arrival of the holidays. Mirabel remembered when she was a student, that weather, as well as the announcements on the radio during the last days of November, filled her with anxiety, because she had not yet finished all of her exams. However, it was quite a surprise to realize that as a teacher she also felt that melancholy for the holidays that had not yet arrived.

Mirabel sighed sadly as she listened to a traditional coffee commercial announcing the arrival of Christmas. The holidays had officially started and she still had a lot of exams to grade. Suddenly, Mirabel heard the doorbell of her house so she ran through the central courtyard to the entrance. She opened without checking before who it was. She found her parents and her two sisters. Mirabel gave them a look, but she didn't hesitate to let them in. After all, they hadn't done anything to her.

"It's a nice place, very cozy" Julieta said as she gave a look at the main room of Mirabel's house. The tension in the environment was palpable, to the point that Mirabel ran to the kitchen to prepare coffee. When she returned, she found Bonita on her father's lap and Pepito trying to climb Luisa's skirts with his tiny claws, which was really lucky, since the five of them were able to laugh for a while. .

"Dear, we know you don't want to come home, but we don’t want you to be upset, we really don't want you to kick us out of your life," Julieta said, looking on the verge of tears. "It's not that, mom, I don't feel comfortable at home." She answered. "That's completely understandable," Agustin interjected. “There are many things that we cannot change, Mirabel. However, we have been thinking…” her father continued, as he gave Julieta a quick look “if you really want it, we can change our opinion about Victor Valenzuela,” Agustín concluded. "If you give us a chance to meet him, we might like him,"  Julieta added.

Mirabel could hear the desperation in her mom's voice. Mirabel glanced at Luisa who returned a nervous smile. However, Isabela did not seem happy. She was sitting carelessly in her chair with her arms crossed and a frown on her face, until she finally let out a snort. "Please" Isabela said as she rolled her eyes. “Mirabel, we both know that dad, mom and Luisa just say that to please you. All of them are desperate and believe that this is the only way to make you happy.”

"Isabela!" Julieta exclaimed, but she paid no attention to her. “I don't want them to accept Victor. He's nothing serious, he's just a…”Mirabel started. “Don't you dare say he's not serious. You know what he is looking for. If you continue with this you will ruin your life, just to annoy the family and Camilo” Isabela said. "Not everything revolves around you," Mirabel replied, annoyed. 

“I was in your position a few years ago, I was also about to do something crazy, if anyone understands what you are going through, that is me. The difference is that I wanted to please everyone. You want to piss everyone off. I know that you believe that he will be a convenient option, that by committing this madness you will be able to silence all those who do not believe that you are enough.” Isabela said. Mirabel thought that her sister was wrong. However, soon a voice in her conscience reminded her of the strange satisfaction she felt every time her family got mad at her when she dated Victor. After all, it was almost comforting to think that she was finally getting her way, and that for once in her life, she didn't have to be the girl who quietly and uncomplainingly accepted everything.

“I don't know what you mean,” Mirabel lied as she calmly laced her fingers in her lap. “He's not as bad an idea as you think. He is a public official and has a great job, his family has money and I think he likes me” she said, while Mirabel saw that her parents shared a look full of discomfort. “In that case, have you thought about what you are going to do with Camilo? because he's looking for a way to break the engagement with Marlene, and I know he's only doing it to be with you” Isabella said. Again, the horrible little Mirabel on her chest grew and she said; “ You told me years ago that I would be the big loser if I insisted on having a relationship with Camilo. I think you were right. I have to take care of myself and I don't want to worry about him.” Mirabel answered without thinking. Her parents and Luisa held their breath, and it was not for nothing, since it was not every day that the good and silly Mirabel decided to think of herself.

“That's not fair, Mirabel. He really is in love with you, and you told him…” Isabela started again. "Enough!" Mirabel yelled. " I'm tired of this. Camilo can talk all he wants, but in the end here I am, completely alone, and there he is with his brilliant fiancée. I don't care about Camilo, or Marlene, or the marriage, I don't even think I care that much about Antonio's stupid party. For the first time in my life I just want to think about myself,” she said. Isabela opened her mouth to reply, but Mirabel no longer had patience, so she got up from her chair and went back to her parents. “ I thank you very much for the visit. I love you too, and I don't want to fight anymore, but I think the time has come for you to leave” Mirabel said.

Agustín, Julieta and Luisa gave her an awkward goodbye, while the three gave Isabela looks full of annoyance. Mirabel didn't know if her sister was right or not, the only thing she knew was that she didn't want to listen to her.

A couple of days after that scene, Mirabel finally got what she wanted so much: survive the end of the school year. The children from Encanto's school cheered as they noticed the clock on the wall at three in the afternoon, and she came close to joining them, as she was thrilled as she had survived her first six months as a teacher.

Normally, a school year did not extend beyond the last days of November. However, thanks to the constant changes of teachers, the nightmare of every schoolboy in the country had come true for the children of Encanto: the night of the candles had finally arrived and the school year was barely over.

Mirabel arrived at her house feeling tired but triumphant. She had waited until she finished the school year to decorate her house, so she got to work. Mirabel had been invited to a couple of parties that night (none at the Madrigal house) and she planned to drop by at both of them to thank them for the invitation. She figured it would be a good idea to bring her hosts a present, so she decided to make a big tray of natilla and a pot of arroz con leche. As she smoothed a couple of hot rollers over her curls to give them a bit more shape.

Mirabel felt like a madwoman walking around her house in her nightgown, since she didn't want to damage the beautiful light green dress that she had set aside for the occasion. She kept as busy as she could: she cleaned, decorated and cooked with almost enviable efficiency. After all, she didn't want Camilo or the rest of the Madrigals to take over her feelings. She would show them that she could be perfectly happy without them, because she didn't need them. She would carry on on her own, all alone, as she always had.

She turned on the radio that she had in the kitchen while she put the finishing touches on the blackberry sauce that she would put on the natilla. "We wish you happiness, dear listeners, and to start the engines for tonight's party, we present our special program of music for broken hearts, music of spite," said the announcer. Mirabel looked at the radio for a few seconds. It was not common to listen to those songs precisely on the day that the Christmas parties began. Mirabel shrugged and continued working.

The first song began to play while she was putting the finishing touches on the rice, soon everything would be ready and she would only have to put on her dress, since she was already fully made up and combed her hair. Suddenly, the song caught her attention. The lyrics were sung by a woman complaining because her ungrateful lover had played with her heart. Mirabel looked at the radio, but she decided to ignore it and lightly stir the rice. Suddenly a second song started and the singer began to sing about broken promises and an old love. At the start of the third song Mirabel decided that she couldn't handle this completely sober, so she opened the bottle of the aguardiente she had brought to garnish the natilla and the rice, and took a big drink straight from the bottle.

By the fifth song, the singer was asking a woman named Adonay why she hadn't waited for him, and had gotten married despite the fact that he still loved her, it was then that Mirabel decided she needed a little sugar to pass the bitter drink of aguardiente. She took the pot, began to eat the rice and resigned herself to not going to the first party she had been invited to.

Mirabel did not know when she decided to take the radio out of the kitchen and dance in the small central patio of her house. The truth is that after a few drinks everything had become a blur and she felt a strange desire to dance and lose inhibitions. Suddenly, her doorbell rang and she wondered who would be the jerk who dared to interrupt her fun.

Mirabel looked out the window and found Victor waiting at the door looking even more handsome than usual. Mirabel took a drink of the small glass of aguardiente that she was holding in her hand.  It was a real shame for her that a guy as handsome as that was so mean and cretinous. The human embodiment of a piece of trash. Suddenly, Mirabel discovered that the best company for alcohol is not any food, but bad decisions, so she crawled to the door as best she could and opened it.

"Hello Victorrrrrr" Mirabel stammered "How are you?" she asked giggling as she leaned awkwardly against the door, which swung around and nearly knocked her off her feet. "Fine, but I see I'm not as well off as you are," he answered, suppressing a smile. Suddenly she saw across the street a group of teenagers gathered on the other side of the sidewalk. This was not strange, since the party was just beginning or had even been going on for hours in some houses, and in many places people decided to take the celebration to the streets.

Mirabel recognized one of the boys, it was the young waiter that her uncle always tipped. She got the impression that the group of teenagers were talking about her, because as soon as she looked at them they stopped and gave her an awkward smile. "Good evening, Miss Mirabel" the waiter greeted her kindly. "Hello, good evening" she replied before turning to Victor. "I think they're talking about me," Mirabel murmured to Victor.

“They are talking about the two of us. I think it would be best if we went into the house. That is one of the disadvantages of living in a small town, and I know that by tomorrow everyone will be talking about us, and how Entanto's respectable and much-loved daughter, Mirabel Madrigal, received the despicable Victor Valenzuela, whom many describe as a "criminal". In little less than underwear," he said. Mirabel looked at herself and remembered that she was in her nightgown. "Stupid town of gossip people who have nothing else to do but talk about the lives of others" she Mirabel murmured as she took Victor's hand and forced him into the house. “When I lived in Bogotá nobody cared, I spent almost four years living in an apartment and I never had to remember the names of my neighbors, they all took care of their own business” she grumbled while Victor laughed.

"Have you been drinking, Mirabel?" he asked, clearly amused. Mirabel blushed “Of course not, it must have been the incredible amount of sugar I ate. I made a pot of rice with milk and finished it by myself” she lied. Victor pursed his lips as if he was trying not to laugh. "Yes, of course, sugar," he replied. Mirabel had the impression that he was silently mocking her but decided not to reply.

“Why are you here?” she asked "Aren't you afraid that people will create a scandal because they saw you here with me, alone, in my underwear, they might think I'm a bad influence or forcing you into obscene somethings," Mirabel stammered as she struggled to not sound so drunk. Victor laughed out loud at her sarcasm. “First, no, you couldn't teach me anything even if you tried, you forget that I lived in Medellín, out of all cities, I've seen everything” he said. "Good point," Mirabel agreed. “And second, I went to your house, I thought that the Madrigals had changed their minds and that I would meet you there. Unfortunately, I had never seen a worse mood at one of the Madrigal parties than today. Do you remember the night you didn't receive the gift? Victor asked. Mirabel felt that like a blow to her liver. "With devastating precision," she drawled back.

“That night was better than today, and I'm not exaggerating. Your aunt Pepa and your uncle Felix are searching for Antonio. I didn't see your grandmother, I think she didn't want to leave her room. Your mom and dad looked upset, and Camilo… Well, it wasn't nice talking to him, let's just say I think he ate too much sugar too. Your uncle Bruno showed me the way out before Isabela tried to kill me with her ivy. I heard a rumor that Luisa preferred to travel to Santa Rita tonight with her boyfriend before spending time with the rest of the family. I assumed you would be here, since no one has seen you” he said.

"So you thought about what would be the best time to come here," she said. “I thought maybe you wanted to go to a party with me and have a good time in front of the whole town. After all, I know that would irritate your family, and make you very happy,” he replied. Mirabel bit her lip as she couldn't help but think about Isabela's words. “My sister thinks that I only go out with you to irritate the family, do you also think the same?” she asked. Victor smiled "I don't think you're as interested in me as I am, so if that's my advantage, I'll use it to my favor " Victor replied. Mirabel was surprised, as she hadn't expected him to be so honest. In fact. She barely tolerated Victor, she considered him handsome and a part of her enjoyed upsetting everyone with their relationship, but she considered him completely selfish and unpleasant after the few personal conversations they had, when she ended up feeling offended.

Finally, they left the entrance and continued to the central courtyard where Mirabel's radio was blaring. “Wow, I guess you didn't need to go to any parties. You alone had already started your own private party” he said. Mirabel smiled, took his hands and dragged him to the center of the patio with her. "Come dance with me" Mirabel said as the two began to move from side to side with the rhythm of the music.

"I really try to understand you, Mirabel Madrigal, but it's hard," he said suddenly. Mirabel was silent, but, judging from what she already knew about herself, Mirabel did not understand why it was so difficult for him to understand someone like her. She was almost starved for affection, even if it came from the most inconvenient places.

"I'm the one who doesn't understand you, you spent our entire childhood and much of our adolescence making my life miserable," she said. Victor shrugged as the two of them danced. “I don't know how to explain it, I guess I always liked that you paid attention to me, I never cared if it was for a good or bad reason. I just wanted you to see me, to notice me” he replied. “ However, when we grew up I began to notice something. I noticed that I found you prettier, that I liked your company more than of many other people. Unfortunately, I wasn't your favorite person."

Mirabel didn't know very well how to react to that flattery. To tell the truth, she had never thought of herself in those terms. Mirabel had never liked to think too much about her appearance. During her childhood and part of her adolescence, she grew up believing that it was absolutely useless. After all, being Isabela's younger sister, there wasn't much room left for her. However, when she left Encanto and arrived in the city, she realized that even her sister would not be considered more than "the pretty girl from a small rural town" and even she would have a hard time meeting the exclusionary standards of the capital. 

For all these reasons, Mirabel had never spent much time thinking about her appearance in her adult life. After all, she was okay, she wasn't being treated badly and she didn't think anything else was necessary.

"You don't have to tell lies just to flatter me, I know what you want from me, Victor" She replied. Mirabel knew that the only reason she was being so honest with him was because she drank more than she was supposed to, however, she felt very good to be able to say those words freely. Victor opened his eyes and looked at her with a smile. “You may be right, I may want to get something from you, but that doesn't stop me from liking you. I guess it's the allure of the thing you can't have,” he said.

“The town admires you, Mirabel. Even though you don't have powers, I've noticed that people think you're something special. They have been entrusting their children to your care for years without a second thought. People think you are a resilient person. I have always been considered little less than a criminal. I think many were surprised that dad managed to make me a lawyer, many thought that I had no future. I guess a part of me wants to feel respected,” Victor continued. Mirabel felt that all of this was too much honesty for her, "It sounds like I'm more of a charm than a person to you," she replied.

"You're too hard on me," he complained. "You were too hard on me, I guess I should return the favor" she murmured. “Why did you decide to invite me?” Victor asked as they continued to dance. Mirabel shrugged. "No one likes to be alone on a special night, and I'm no exception," she murmured as she thought that a great way to keep him from asking awkward questions would be to kiss him.

He must have sensed what she was thinking, as he leaned down, took her hips even tighter and kissed her lips. Mirabel answered her at first, but an ugly feeling nestled in her heart. She knew she didn't owe Camilo anything. After all, he was engaged and she was free. However, that trip, and that night they spent together in the hotel, settled in her memory. Isabela said that he wanted to break off the engagement.

Mirabel pulled away very slowly from Victor. She wanted to get rid of him at that moment, but she didn't know how to do it, so she preferred to dance in silence with him to the music of the radio. "I just want a chance, Mirabel, I know the two of us could do great things together," he said. Mirabel felt curious. "What are you talking about?" she asked. Victor gave her a secretive smile, "I'll tell you later" he said.

Mirabel smiled and let herself be kissed without much emotion, since she was too drunk and she didn't see it coming. Suddenly a loud knocking was heard at the front door. “Mirabel, it's me, open the door at once” yelled Bruno. Mirabel wondered if he had known this from one of his visions, but she soon remembered that he could see the future, not the present.

"Ignore him, let's get on with it," Victor murmured into her cheek. "Forget it, I'm not going to do this with my uncle on the other side of the door," Mirabel answered, turning away from him. “Good point” Victor acknowledged.

Mirabel ran to open the door, where she found more than her uncle. "Grandma!" She exclaimed as she instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, in a vain attempt to cover herself, since she was in her nightgown. "What are you doing here?" She asked. "I thought you would be enjoying your party."

Bruno and Alma shared a look before Bruno walked in uninvited. "I guess you don't mind if we go in," Bruno said. "Well, I… the truth is that I have guests… and I…" Mirabel started to say but they didn't pay any attention to her and went to the center of the patio. Victor looked almost scared. "Señora Alma, what a coincidence, I never thought to find you here…"

"Go away," her grandmother said in an imposing tone. Victor turned and hid in the first room he found open. The three of them took a seat in Mirabel's living room as she grew more uncomfortable by the moment.

Mirabel remembered a time when she was six years old. Camilo and her were playing ball on the patio of the house. The game got out of hand, and Camilo kicked the ball hard, in such a way, that several of the hanging pictures fell and their frames broke with a loud crash. Her grandmother punished them both. Camilo had to work at the community center during the afternoon, while Mirabel was sent to her room. Mirabel stood there silently throughout the afternoon, trusting that if she was a good girl and kept quiet, her grandmother would finally be pleased with her, however, that did not happen.

When Mirabel left her room, she found the family having dinner and laughing happily while Camilo told them the details of his afternoon at the community center. Julieta was alarmed and embarrassed to realize that they had forgotten about Mirabel and she had spent much more time grounded than planned, so she ran to serve her something to eat. She didn't say anything, but the anger lingered in her mind for a long time.

Mirabel decided that this time she would not patiently wait for her grandmother's verdict, nor would she expect her good behavior to pay off. She'd already had too much, and she wouldn't apologize. Victor might be terrible, but no one could deny that he was turning out to be incredibly useful.

“A little bird told me that you were getting into serious trouble, Mirabel” Bruno began. Mirabel was rarely intimidated by her gentle uncle Bruno, but this was one of those times. "I thought you could see the future, not the present," Mirabel said cheekily. Bruno gave her a smile and sat down on the sofa next to her. “You don't always need super ears to stay informed in this town, sometimes you just need to have the right people on your side, and tip your waitress an adequate amount, ” Bruno commented. Grandma smiled at Bruno. Mirabel remembered the young waiter her uncle tipped so generously. Surely he already knew that he was her neighbor. Perhaps that was why her grandmother and her uncle had such a difficult relationship, because like it or not, they had a lot in common.

"You can't expect us to sit by while you get into serious trouble, miss," her grandmother said. “I don't need to be taken care of, I can do it myself” she answered. “Ahh… this feels like dejavu. Bruno, do you remember that time Julieta got involved with that good-for-nothing? it's the same again” Alma told her uncle Bruno, who nodded as he crossed his arms. “I guess it's about the bad boy’s charm. I don't know what would have been of my romantic life if it hadn't been for that, all the girls in town wanted to know what it felt like to go out with the black sheep of the Madrigals” Bruno replied half joking.

“You can't pretend to control me forever. I am not a girl, I do not have to give in to each of your wishes. Besides, Victor seems interested in me, and that's more than I can say for any of you,” Mirabel said. "We are interested in you, Mirabel," her grandmother replied. Mirabel understood that the old woman was controlling herself. She knew that conversation had the potential to culminate in a terrible fight. "Well, it's a curious way you have to show it, because somehow, the solution always ends up being putting Mirabel aside so she doesn't get in the way," she said. Bruno let out a laugh. "I told you, mom, and with the same words" Bruno scoffed while her grandmother scolded him with her eyes.

“I know you're upset, and you have every right to be, but I'm begging you, Mirabel. Victor Valenzuela is bad news. I would like to tell you that I forbid it, but I know that that would only encourage you, I know that deep down you just want to bother us, so I will not do it, I can only trust your common sense, "her grandmother said. This filled her with anger, although Mirabel had trouble knowing exactly why. Perhaps because she felt exposed. “I don't need your approval to do anything. That was the Mirabel from years ago, the one who waited patiently for everyone's approval. Victor has done nothing but help without really asking for anything in return” Mirabel said without really thinking about her words. Her grandmother gave her a sarcastic smile.

“My poor naive girl. Do you think he won't get paid for all his favors? You have already heard the saying: the devil pays badly to those who serve him well” Alma said. Mirabel felt stupid, since her grandmother was right, and she knew it. “We will all repay his favors with our magic, Mirabel, and you know that,” her grandmother sentenced. Mirabel stared at her grandmother. “Could be, Grandma. You may be right, he may want something in return, and the price may be too high for Encanto, but that's not my problem, all I know is that this is convenient for me” Mirabel said.

Bruno and his grandmother stared at her for a few seconds. Neither of them seemed to recognize her in the midst of her words. Mirabel had always been as interested in the welfare of that community and her family as any of the Madrigals, and those words represented true closure. The culmination of all the good feelings that she had ever had in her heart. If Victor wanted to bring disaster to Encanto, then so be it, that wasn't her problem.

“Mirabel” Bruno started, “please think twice about what you are saying. I know better than anyone that you understand the situation…” he began. "I know, and I don't care," Mirabel said before standing up and opening the door to the living room. “I will ask you to leave. You guys have your party, and I have stuff to do,” she said. Bruno and her grandmother left very slowly.

Mirabel no longer felt the effects of the alcohol, so she returned to the kitchen to put everything in order before going to bed. However, she was surprised to find Victor there, she had forgotten that he was still in her house. Victor was calmly leaning against the kitchen counter, while calmly he ate a piece of the natilla, which he had served himself. Mirabel sensed a sense of triumph in the air. Victor lowered his plate and elegantly cleaned his mouth with the help of a napkin, it was clear that he felt like a winner in all that.

"I guess you heard our fight," she said. “You guess right, I heard it in the garden. I have to admit I'm flattered by that defense. I knew you were a very smart girl deep down,” he said in that condescending tone that Mirabel could hardly stand. "I'm tired, Victor, I hope we can talk about this tomorrow, my grandmother has completely exhausted me" she replied, in the sweetest tone she could use as she gave him a smile.

Victor took a few steps to her, took her by the shoulders and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “A lawyer from the town told me a rumor. Your grandma is starting to transfer a few key assets. She wants everything in order before the moment of her death arrives. I heard she wants to give you a very small but invaluable land: The portion of the river where she got the miracle in the first place” he said. Mirabel heard, feeling getting paler by the second, as this was too much responsibility. “The fool old woman does not know what she is doing. She is giving you too much power, all the power actually. Think about Mirabel, you took their magic once, you can do it again, this time for good” he continued. 

“I promise you that if what you want is revenge, I will give it to you, we will get rid of that river, the Madrigals and their powers will be gone, and finally there will be a true authority in this town” he said. Mirabel looked up at Victor, as she had the impression that he was finally being honest. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

“Eventually we will dry up that river, I promise you. The two of us together could do great things. And we could even find a way to maintain security and order in this town, we cannot continue to allow anarchy in this place, just like the people in that town did... I don't remember the name well, I think it was called Uvita. Encanto must choose the right side,” he said. Mirabel held her breath for a few seconds, "yeah, that sounds… ambitious" she mumbled trying not to say what she really thought. Victor kissed her on the lips, and she accepted it without a second thought. Afterward, he was gone Mirabel flopped into the rickety wooden chair in the kitchen.

"What did I do?" Mirabel wondered in horror. What Victor planned would mean bringing Encanto to disgrace and death, because people like Victor had a very particular idea of what "order and security" meant. Mirabel felt nauseated. They were right, she had given in to her desire for love from her family, and she had gotten into something deep, something she couldn't handle. Suddenly, her memory traveled to Camilo, if she chose him she could put his life in danger. It was then that Mirabel decided that she should leave Encanto as quickly as possible. She would wrap up a few deals in town and leave, never to return.

Chapter Text

[Chapter 14]

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Mirabel had learned over the years that there are two types of hangovers: physical and moral. This time the moral hangover was infinitely worse than any physical discomfort. She got up from her bed very slowly as he realized that she was still wearing her makeup and hair from the night before. Mirabel looked at the lip and mascara stains on the sheets and suddenly she remembered everything that had happened.

She knew that she should start preparations for her trip back to the city. However, she wouldn't accomplish anything if she felt like trash, so she decided to clean up a bit, make her bed, take a shower, and buy something for breakfast. Mirabel looked at the pantry and decided to go to the plaza to buy some vegetables.

Mirabel felt the eyes of the people on her, and wondered if they all knew that she had spent the evening with Victor. Some smiled at her and others averted her eyes. She hadn't planned to buy fish, but she urgently needed information and she knew exactly where to find it.

Heibi Martinez was her grandmother's favorite fishmonger, and one of her best friends. She was an elderly, dark woman who had come from the coast several decades ago, large, imposing, and with a voice and character that made her stand out from the crowd. Mirabel liked her friendly personality a lot, and she was grateful that she was so nice to her, since the woman seemed to prefer Mirabel over the other members of her family. She always brought Casita an extra portion of fried fish strips just for her. However, Mrs. Heibi had a great weakness: gossip.

"Poor little Javier's girlfriend" Mrs. Heibi murmured to another of her clients while Mirabel approached. She assumed that they were talking about Javier, her friend, the builder's son. “Javier is a good boy, but he was born with two left feet, a roast chicken dances more than that boy. He stepped on the poor girl's feets all night” the woman murmured as her client laughed. Mirabel cleared her throat to get the woman's attention. She said goodbye to her client and dedicated all her attention to Mirabel.

"Good morning, I would like to take some trout with me ," Mirabel said happily. The woman smiled at her and began to remove the scales from the fish. "Good morning, niña Mirabel, did you have a good night of the candles?" She asked her.  Mirabel knew that she needed to bait her so that the woman would spill the information, so she continued: “Yes, although it's a real shame that I couldn't attend Antonio's party. I feel very sad, besides, I haven't even heard a single news about the party, I don't know anything at all” She said.

The old woman's gaze seemed to soften. Mirabel knew that she couldn't bear to see her sad, additionally, she was the perfect target to hear all the gossip of the night. "Niña Mirabel, you know I don't like gossip, but..." the old lady started, Mirabel nodded as she leaned forward. "You didn't miss anything last night"

"Was the party bad?" Mirabel asked. Heibi raised his eyebrows. “Very bad. The people danced and pretended to be happy just to not make Doña Alma sad or hurt her feelings, but it was clear that the Madrigals were fighting. The party ended a little close to midnight, after...” Heibi muttered, not daring to continue. "what?" Mirabel asked feeling impatient. The old woman looked from side to side verifying that no one was listening and she lowered her voice even more "Niña Mirabel, they talked a lot about you" she murmured.

“ Me?" Mirabel asked. “Your cousin was very, very drunk. When I arrived, he was already lit as the candle” she said. “Marlene, your cousin's girlfriend, wasn't doing too well either. As I understood, he didn't want to dance with her, actually, he didn't want to dance with anyone. She got upset, and she started a fight, but not just a regular, the mother of all fights ”said Heibi gesturing with her hands and getting more and more excited by the magnitude of the gossip. “He told her that she was only interested in the money, that she never cared for him. He said it was because of her he had gotten into trouble with you years ago and a lot of other things. She told him that he was an ingrate, that she had believed him when he told her that he loved her. Finally she said that everything was because of running after that floozy” Heibi said. "What floozy?" Mirabel asked. The old woman did not answer, she just pressed her lips together and gave her a look full of pity, and then she understood.

“Oh, she was talking about me, I'm that floozy,” Mirabel said resignedly. “There it was. Your sister Isabela intervened, she yelled at her to leave the house, Isabela said she only wanted to get money from all that, and she replied that it was all your fault. She said that you and Camilo had been in a relationship for years, under the noses of the whole town, and at the same time you were flirting with Victor. To be honest, niña Mirabel, she said some very strong things about you, and I don't feel comfortable repeating those rude things." She said. Mirabel guessed that it must be really bad, since Doña Heibi would never miss an opportunity to spread gossip like that. “I had never seen Miss Isabela like this, she was close to beating her. She took her out of her house with her lianas, and told her that if she came back she would throw her into the river so that she could calm down with the help of the cold water. Who would have thought that Miss Isabela who seems so refined and elegant had such a character” the old lady said as she waved her hand up and down to emphasize how serious the situation had been.

"Marlene made a real scene," Mirabel replied. “Not a scene, the whole show. What a terrible thing, luckily you weren't at home, and the worst thing is that your grandmother and your uncle weren't there to appease the situation. They left the party after Albertico, your neighbor who works as a waiter here, spoke with Don Bruno. If your grandmother had been at home she would have been able to handle the situation a little better. Doña Julieta, Doña Pepa and her husband were not at home either, little Antonio disappeared and no one could find him, they were looking for him. In the end, Luisa, Dolores and Mr. Mariano took care of everything. Poor Dolores, I've always liked that girl a lot, she's the one who tells me all the... Anyway, it was a real disaster. It's really lucky that you weren't at her house, I guess your uncle should have warned you,” she said. "Yes, real luck," Mirabel replied.

Mirabel returned home with her purchases, made a broth for her hangover, and began planning the next step. She walked up to Casita. She hated to admit it, but if there was anyone cool-headed enough to help her make a decision, it was Alma. Mirabel always fought with the idea of how all roads always ended up leading to her, whether it was for better or for worse, the truth was that her grandmother was the soul of that family.

Mirabel arrived at Casita, where a deathly silence reigned. She guessed that everyone was resting after the disastrous party of the day before. Mirabel didn't think twice and she went upstairs to her grandmother's room. Alma took a long time to open. Mirabel knew her grandma had a hard time moving quickly, to the point that the sound of the floor's wood anticipated her encounter. "Mirabel? What are you doing here so early?" Alma asked, who had her hair braided,  and wore a white nightgown and a black shawl, which made her look even older than she was. "Grandma, I…" Mirabel began, feeling a wave of shame and pain. She couldn't hold back her tears and started to cry. Alma looked at her in horror, took her by the hand and led her to her bed.

Mirabel sat quietly on the bed as her grandmother closed the door and poured her a glass of water. "What's wrong, dear?" Alma asked as he sat down next to her. "You were right, everyone was right, this is serious and now I'm involved in something very bad" she said through tears. Alma took her by the shoulders and looked at her with terror-filled eyes. "What happened to you? Did he do something to you?" she asked. Mirabel shook her head. “No, but there is something I must tell you…” Mirabel said before she started to tell her about the final conversation with Victor.

"I think I should leave town, Grandma," Mirabel concluded. "Yes, it is true, you must do it" agreed Alma in an almost cold and methodical way. Mirabel was not mistaken, if someone would help her analyze this matter in a rational way, it would be her. “Camilo will also have to leave as quickly as possible, and I don't think he should go with you,” Alma said. Mirabel was surprised to hear that. "What? Why?" she asked. "He's going to want to take it out on someone." Alma answered. She seemed to ponder her words for a few minutes. "I think the best thing would be to continue with the paperwork so that the land of the river passes into your hands. You will be far away, but it is your property, so we can save everything, and..." her grandmother began frantically, but that was too much for Mirabel.

“Wait, Grandma. I can't believe you still think it's a good idea to leave the river land in my name, after all the stupid things I've done,” she said. Alma sighed. "You're here, aren't you?" Alma asked. “I don't understand,” Mirabel replied. "Even though you're hurt, that you're in a lot of pain, even so, you're here willing to make a great sacrifice for your family and this town" her grandmother continued as she put a hand on Mirabel's cheek. I was not wrong about you, I know exactly what kind of person you are, and if anyone has the character, the resilience and the strength to take on this responsibility, it is you” Alma said. Mirabel stared at her.

“You are entrusting me with a great responsibility, after all my mistakes” Mirabel said as she felt tears return. “Mirabel Madrigal I would put my life in your hands. We all make mistakes and we can all fall victim to the whims of cruel fate from time to time. The really important thing is to get up, dry your tears and move on,” her grandmother said quietly as she wiped her cheeks.

“I never thought I would have to run away from this town for something like this, much less drag Camilo with me,” Mirabel said. “You're not the first my dear, and by the way things are going, you won't be the last,” Alma murmured. Mirabel knew that her grandmother was right, but that didn't make things any less difficult for her. "What will we do with the farm?" she asked. “Camilo and I were the ones who took care of it,” Mirabel said. “Don't worry about it. Again, you will not be the first to leave home asking these questions, nor will you be the last. Mirabel, if you need money to settle in the city, I will give it to you” Alma said, always practical and sensible.

"What will you guys do?" Mirabel asked. Alma rubbed her temples. "Whatever it takes to get you back," she said with a serious tinge to her voice. "Grandma, Victor could have very powerful allies and..." Mirabel began as she had understood that her grandmother intended to put up a fight. "Whatever is necessary," Alma repeated bluntly and without giving her a chance to argue. "With Bruno here things will be easier, I know he seems weak, but you'd be surprised how smart he can be," she said.

"I only want one thing, Grandma," Mirabel said "What?" Alma asked. “Let me talk to Camilo on my own terms” she requested. Her grandmother did not seem pleased. “Mirabel, you can't hide the truth from him. He must know what they're up against, I don't think that's a good idea” Alma said. “Please, Grandma. I really love Camilo very much, but I don't think it's a good idea to keep insisting on a relationship that has brought him nothing but pain, I can't keep insisting” Mirabel said. "You cannot choose the pain he is willing to endure."

"Please, Grandma," Mirabel requested. "Okay" Alma sighed "you take care of it" Alma said. Mirabel wasn't used to her grandmother's overly affectionate side, but if anyone understood what it meant to leave home to protect safety, it was her. So during those moments they spent together she was incredibly affectionate.

Mirabel left Casita before noon. She was in no mood to explain herself to her parents and her sisters. However, things didn't go as she had planned, since when crossing the central garden of the house, Mirabel found herself face to face with Camilo. He looked pretty bad. He never seemed overly groomed, as she knew part of his charm was that handsome look without really trying. However, this was not intentional, he really did look like he had been run over by a truck. His clothes were dirty and wrinkled, his hair completely soaked and his eyes red and very puffy.

Camilo tried to run into the house without being noticed, but he realized she was there. "Mirabel" he said as he stared at her. She took a couple of steps towards him. "You look terrible, and you smell even worse, you clearly had a wild night, why are you wet?" She asked. Camilo blushed. "I went swimming in the river," he admitted as he averted her gaze. "Was that before or after the party?" Mirabel asked. Camilo looked even more embarrassed. "The party wasn't very successful, so I decided to go swimming in the river, it brings back memories," he said. “Let me guess, you went to the riverbank where you and I…” She began biting back a laugh. “You don't have to make fun of me.

Mirabel wanted to laugh so bad, that was so dramatic, almost theatrical, that was so Camilo, it was simply perfect. She knew him enough to know what had happened:  Camilo surely fought with his girlfriend in front of the whole town, he publicly humiliated himself, and when he found himself drunk, he discovered that the most “responsible” thing to do would be to go swimming in the river, right where they had spent that night so many years ago, and in true novelistic fashion.

"You could have died, it's dark at night and that river is covered with stones," she said laughing. "If it makes you feel any better, I didn't have a good night either," Mirabel confessed. "What are you talking about?" he asked. They walked to the corner of the acacias while Mirabel confessed to Camilo that she had spent the night drunk at her house, after listening to a music radio program for broken hearts in her underwear. She even confessed to him that she had received Victor and they had danced together until Grandma and Bruno interrupted them. “Wow, just wow,” Camilo muttered. "I may be jealous, but to think that Grandma and Bruno found you together is quite humiliating," Camilo commented.

"That's where the fun part of the story ends, though," Mirabel said as she felt her good humor evaporate. "What are you talking about? Camilo asked. Mirabel felt her voice cut off. “You were right, everyone was right, Victor is bad, really bad” Mirabel muttered, as Camilo looked paler and paler. However, he didn't interrupt her, just listened in silence, feeling completely horrified by her revelations.

“I think I should get back to the capital as quickly as possible, and Grandma thinks the same too” she said as she sat on the log by the pond and took her hands in hers. "You can't go and leave us again, Mirabel, I won't take this," he replied. "Do you not understand?" she asked, annoyed. “You can't stay either, we both have to get out of here as quickly as possible. We don't know who Victor's allies are, or if he is just a loose wheel, we have to leave before this continues to grow, ”Mirabel replied.

"Then, let's go together," Camilo said seriously. “He is crazy, if we leave the family will pay for it. If the two of us go together I don't know what will offend Victor more: his plan being ruined, or the fact that I played with his feelings. He will not forgive us,” Mirabel said. Camilo rubbed his temples. "You're right. We could pretend that we go our separate ways, that each one of us goes to a different city, and we will meet in Bogotá after a while. If it makes you feel safer," Camilo said.” Mirabel looked at him thoughtfully.

“How soon will you join me?” Mirabel asked. "Not for long, just as long as it takes to get Marlene's money together," he replied. Mirabel snorted furiously. "It's got to be a joke. I can’t believe you are still thinking about that ," she said. “Mirabel, you have to understand me, everything she said to me last night was very painful. I really have to finish things right,” he replied.

“I don't know what she said to you, but everyone in town talks about the horrible things she said about me. Apparently, according to her, I'm just a floozy. You should see how all the curious people were looking at me this morning. Everybody talks about me. Mirabel answered furiously. “I don’t think she meant to…” Camilo answered, and this lit up Mirabel's fire even more. "You have no right to sanction my behavior, whether you like it or not, I am free, while you are engaged," she replied.

“Please, you have to wait for me,” Camilo began. She stood up. "No, I can’t!" she yelled, “I'm sick of this, I am sick of waiting, in a week I'll leave this town, and I'm not going to wait for you, I'll leave on my own, and you can go with your fiancée. I'm done with this situation” Mirabel said. Camilo stood up, tried to take her hand, but she quickly let go.

“Please, Mirabel, wait, I…” Camilo said. "Stop it, Camilo, I'm sorry, but I don't want to be the other woman in this relationship, it's best that you solve your situation." Mirabel gave him one last look before leaving. It hurt her to see Camilo with a broken heart, but it hurt her even more to have to remain eternally fixated on something that didn't seem to be possible.

Mirabel returned home, while she thought about the mistakes she had made, how she had let her constant thirst for love and affection drive her into the arms of a man who could give her nothing but the destruction of everything she held dear. Mirabel knew that her past self had suffered a lot, but she also knew that today's Mirabel had to start seeing things objectively, without the lenses of pain from her past on her eyes .

Two days passed. Mirabel packed her bags and left for Manizales. She had to talk to the people at the Ministry of Education to present her resignation. She spent the whole trip in the chiva feeling sad, since she had spent a lot of time wanting that job, and now she had to give it up.

"It's a shame you want to quit, we've heard good things about you" said the manager as he sat down in his office chair. "I don't want to give up, it's silly, my family lives in Encanto, my cousin is getting married, his girlfriend hates me, my cousin doesn't hate me, it's…complicated" Mirabel stammered nonsense. The manager smiled at her.

"I understand, it’s a matter of personal problems. It is quite difficult to find an experienced teacher who wants to go to a town in the middle of nowhere. This department needs teachers for the municipalities next to the Pacific coast, but for security reasons and budget we still don't have single female teachers there, that jungle is especially difficult. However…" began the manager as he took a sheet from one of the piles of paper that rested on his desk.

"There are very old and small towns on the Caribbean coast, which are far from everything. I warn you that they are not especially kind to mountaineers like us, they would prefer someone from the coast, but they need a teacher who can take two courses in two different municipalities" he explained. Mirabel received the sheet from the manager's hands. She looked at the names of the municipalities and remembered them as simple dots on the map during a trip she took to the coast with her parents.

Mirabel smiled. This seemed like a place far away enough to escape Victor's hand, and the broken heart that Camilo left her. She returned to Encanto very late at night. However, the next day she had an unexpected visitor:

"I can't believe it has to end like this," Julieta said through tears. “Mom, it's the best for everyone. Victor is dangerous, and there is nothing here for me, ”Mirabel said while in her mind she saw Camilo's face. Julieta, Agustín and her sisters were sitting in her living room, with faces typical of a funeral while her mother cried.

"Maybe if we talk about it..." Isabela began, though her voice quickly died, since there was no point. "I've been trying to reason with Victor to leave me alone since I was four years old, and it has never worked. Of course he won't forgive me after this rejection," Mirabel began. "I don't know what his problem is with me, because it always has to be me," she commented. Agustín and Julieta shared a brief glance.

"Where will you go?" Luisa asked. “There is a job for a rural teacher in the department of Magdalena, two municipalities need someone,” she commented. "That's far away, can't you get something closer?" her sister asked. “No, I'm so sorry Luisa” she said. At that moment, Julieta began to cry even harder. "What hurts me the most is that I know you won't come back," she said.

Mirabel remained silent. Her mom was right. There was nothing left in Encanto for her. Victor would not leave her alone, Camilo knew that he had to leave, and yet he insisted on fulfilling that absurd promise to Marlene. She had no idea how the whole story would end. The visit ended quite late. Her parents left, although Isabela stayed behind and gave Mirabel a look.

“You don't have to tell me anything, Isa. I already know what you are going to say: this is all my fault, I asked for it, you warned me” Mirabel said as she rolled her eyes. “No, I didn't want to tell you that,” Isabela answered in a low voice. She took a step forward and gave her a big hug. “I'm so sorry, Mirabel. I really want to change the past, but I can't do it, I can only ask you to look forward, not back” she murmured in her ear. Mirabel hugged her sister back. "I'm going to miss you a lot, Isa," she said.

The next day, Mirabel got up and decided to go to the market place to have breakfast, since she did not want to do any additional shopping. However, just as she was walking through the meat section, she saw Mrs. Heibi waving her hand, indicating that she should go with her. “Niña Mirabel, you won't believe what happened”, she said, getting more and more excited at the prospect of savoring that succulent gossip. "What happened?" Mirabel asked intrigued. “The people are shocked. Miguel Valenzuela's daughter and Armando Rivera's daughter left their house in the middle of the night,” the old woman said. Mirabel knew that she was talking about Marlene and Daniela Valenzuela, Victor's sister.

Mirabel listened to other customers gossip with the old woman. Nobody seemed to be surprised that Marlene had left. After all, it was no secret that she no longer loved her cousin and her parents were not opposed to her making a life in the city. However, Daniela's escape was a real blow to the liver for the Valenzuelas. Miguel and Esperanza Valenzuela had very specific plans for their daughter, which required a suitable marriage, a life as a housewife and, of course, children. No one expected her to disappear overnight.

Mirabel discreetly took her purchase and decided that day would be suitable for breakfast at the Casita. After all, she was dying to hear Camilo's version of the news. She walked to the other side of the town, while she felt that in the main square everyone gave her looks full of curiosity. Mirabel feigned innocence as her entire family greeted her.

Julieta served her breakfast while everyone chatted animatedly, and her grandmother looked carefully at some bills while she drank her coffee. Mirabel noticed that her cousin was missing. "Where is Camilo?" she asked. "He left very early in the morning to take some packages of fertilizer to the crops. He will be back before noon," answered Pepa. Suddenly, her grandmother got up from her chair, as if something had alarmed her. She took off her reading glasses and stared at her.

"Mirabel" the old woman called her. "Come here, there's something you need to see," she said. "I'll be there in a moment, I want to finish my eggs..." Mirabel replied. "No, it must be now, please come with me to my study" Alma replied. The whole family fell silent. That could only mean one thing: money problems. "Yes ma'am." Mirabel nodded.

They arrived at her grandmother's study, where the old woman handed Mirabel a document. "I was looking at the profits from the last harvest, I thought we already had sales of the new premium coffee, but I found this," her grandmother said. Mirabel took the sheet and found a promissory note signed by Camilo. He had borrowed almost all the profits from the new coffee. "I can't believe that he hadn't asked me for permission, it puts us in a very delicate situation, we will spend the next few months very tight on money, I can't believe that he would have been so irresponsible," her grandmother murmured.

Mirabel couldn't take her eyes off the sheet of paper. She had mixed feelings. On the one hand, she felt that this was her fault, she had pushed Camilo to make that irresponsible and hasty decision, and on the other hand, she couldn't help but feel happy, since he really kept his promise to her. It was obvious that this had to do with Marlene's disappearance. “He did it to pay off Marlene. Doña Heibi told me that Marlene and Daniela Valenzuela disappeared  last night, ” Mirabel said.

"I don't know how to feel," her grandmother said as she sat in her desk chair. “On the one hand, I am relieved to know that this marriage will not take place. They hated each other. But, on the other hand, I am worried about the economic position in which Camilo will leave us. We will have to make a lot of effort to survive this season” her grandmother said. “With good administration it can be done,” Mirabel replied. "The problem is that we will not have good administrators for the next harvest, because the ones we had will leave the village," her grandmother said as she gave her a sad smile. “If you really need us…” Mirabel began. “No, no, no, you will not endanger your safety, the most important thing is that you are well, we will survive as best we can” she replied.

At that moment, the tiles of the house began to dance. Mirabel understood that Casita wanted to tell them that Camilo was back. "Tell that irresponsible one to come show his face, I want to talk to him alone" Alma said annoyed. Mirabel came out and found herself facing Camilo. The two looked at each other for a few moments. “Grandma wants to talk to you, she is very upset, although somewhat relieved” she said. Camilo smiled "and you, how do you feel?" he asked. “A part of me feels furious, taking money like this from the family is something very irresponsible and inconsiderate, especially since we will have to leave, and we are the ones who have managed the farm” Mirabel began. "However, another part of me is completely happy," she confessed.

“I had to, I couldn't lose you again” he said. “Camilo, I thank you for keeping your word, but what you have done is very serious.” she said. Camilo sighed. “I'll talk to Grandma, and then I need you to take you with me somewhere. Wait for me at your house and I'll pick you up." Camilo said. Mirabel nodded. “Camilo” her grandmother called him from her office. Camilo squeezed Mirabel's hand one last time before entering the room.

Mirabel returned home, just as he asked her to. She waited a couple of hours until she heard the doorbell. She found Camilo looking at her with a tired smile. "Grandma pronounced her sentence, there will be no punishment, but I must pay quickly, the family urgently needs the money" he told her after greeting her. Camilo entered her house and observed everything carefully. “You have a nice place,” he commented. “What did you want to talk to me about?” she asked. Camilo smiled.

“I need you to travel to Ibagué with me tonight,” he said. Mirabel was surprised: “why?” she asked. “There's someone who wants to talk to you, and I think it's important. Besides, I think it will be fun” Camilo said as he shrugged. "I don't think that's a good idea, we have Victor breathing in our ear," Mirabel said. “Victor is too busy with the disappearance of his sister to pay attention to you,” Camilo replied. Mirabel would have liked to ask her how he knew about Daniela Valenzuela's disappearance, but she preferred to go to her room to pack a small suitcase with a change of clothes for a couple of days, and give Antonio a call so he could feed and play with her cats.

Camilo and Mirabel took the difficult and winding road to Ibagué. The capital of the neighboring department was already outside the coffee zone where the weather was much hotter than in Encanto. "It's late," Mirabel said, looking at her wrist watch. “It doesn't matter, we'll get a hotel, take a bath, and meet someone at a restaurant. I want to get out of this whole situation as quickly as possible” Camilo said. Mirabel was already beginning to worry, because the secret of this unexpected trip made her nervous.

However, she did as Camilo asked. She bathed and dressed in a simple white dress, the lightest she owned, as the night was extremely hot. Camilo and Mirabel arrived at a nice family restaurant. There was nothing strange or surprising about that place, decorated with hanging plants and filled with happy families celebrating one of its members' birthdays.

“Mirabel” Daniela Valenzuela called her from one of the tables, wearing a huge smile. Next to her, was Marlene who looked annoyed and frowning. "What does this mean?" she asked Camilo Mirabel before the two went to sit at the table. “This was why Marlene needed the extra money. She wanted to help her friend leave town and start a new life,” Camilo said. “Why am I here?” Mirabel asked. “Daniela told me that she wanted to talk to you, I think it's important,” Camilo explained. "Okay," Mirabel nodded.

The four shared an awkward greeting. Daniela asked Marlene and Camilo to let them talk in private. Mirabel and Daniela remained at the table looking at each other while Marlene and Camilo sat at the bar a few meters away. “Why did you want to talk to me?” Mirabel asked after sharing some small talk. “Mirabel, I owe a lot to Camilo. I always dreamed of having my own life, doing something for myself, and now I can start doing it, that's why I can't stay silent while I see you make mistakes. Please stay away from my brother” Daniela requested. “You don't have to ask me Daniela. Your brother told me what his plans are, I'm afraid I'll have to leave Encanto, I can't let him and his friends get away with it” she replied.

Daniela bit her lip, as if she were searching for words to continue. “To be honest, I'm not sure how important Victor is in the region. However, I am clear that he is a strange person” Daniela said. Mirabel frowned and prepared to listen carefully, but Daniela didn't seem to know how she should continue. "I don't know how to explain this, because I don't understand it either, but my parents and I have talked about it on several occasions," she said, clearly uncomfortable. “You see… There's a conversation I've heard over and over again throughout my life, and it's about mom and dad asking Victor to leave you alone. To be honest, I don't know why you're not more freaked out by Victor's attention, don't you think that's a little weird?" Daniela said. "I don't understand you," Mirabel stammered.

“Think about it, Maribel. He relentlessly chased you when we were kids. Your parents talked to mine dozens of times. And to be honest, Dad was pretty hard on Victor. He punished him, beat him up, sent him out of Encanto and he was still there, behind you. Mom and dad aren't opposed to a relationship with you, but I'm not going to lie to you, we're all terrified,” Daniela said. "Victor needs me to carry out his plans with the river, he simply wants the powers of the Madrigal family" Mirabel stammered. “Could be,” Daniela began. "But that is the rational excuse that he himself has invented, but it terrifies me to think that you are thinking about him, when the truth is that not even we, his family, know what his intentions are" she said.

Mirabel listened perplexed. Many people had warned her about the danger of going out with Victor. However, Daniela's words had another dimension, one that she had never seen. Suddenly, she understood that she had never paid any real attention to Victor's actions. In a true act of selfishness and negligence, she had only taken into account her own feelings towards him, and her family's impression of him.

"Dad and mom understood that this hadn't stopped since the very day he set foot in Encanto after his graduation. As soon as he got to town he made plans to visit the Madrigal house with the intention of talking to you, still after everything that happened, even after the rejection" Daniela continued. "Did he have girlfriends during the time he studied away?" Mirabel asked. "Yeah, two girls. That was the reason daddy let her come back, we thought the whole thing was over, that it was just some dumb teenage crush, but it's still there nonetheless, and it scares me because I've seen some of the documents that my brother hides at home, I have read the telegrams that he shares with other rural leaders, it is scary" she said.

Daniela was right. Victor's behavior was beyond that of a normal opportunist. She had always questioned him about the ease with which he had gone from being her bully to being her suitor. Probably, in his twisted head there was not much difference between the one and the other.

"Don't worry, Daniela. Your warnings will be taken into account. Camilo and I will leave Encanto for a while. I got a job as a teacher on the coast, we'll find a way to survive" Mirabel said. Daniela smiled at her. "I'm glad to hear it, I hope you are very happy" she said.

"All in order?" Camilo asked. Daniela smiled at them, "perfect" she replied. "Perfect," Marlene commented reluctantly as she flopped carelessly back into the chair. "That means we can leave and never have to see Mirabel Madrigal again," she said. Mirabel frowned.

"Excuse me?" Mirabel asked. "You heard it," confirmed Marlene. "If there's anyone who should be upset, it's me, since we were teenagers you've made my life hell," Mirabel said. "What a nerve. I can't believe you don't have even a little bit of shame for everything you've done to me" Marlene replied. Mirabel narrowed her eyes, but she didn't dignify that comment with a response. “First, I was dating Victor, and you had to screw it up. Later, I had been engaged to Camilo for a year and you ruined it again, and somehow, according to your family and all the people in town, I am the one they treat as the third wheel in this matter. I'm the one who should feel insulted." she said.

“With whose money are you undertaking this escape? oh, yes, with my family’s” Mirabel said sarcastically and crossed her arms. Daniela shrank into her seat. After all, she was using that money too. “If your beloved cousin hadn't left me penniless, I wouldn't have demanded money from him,” she replied. “You spread a lot of rumors about me, you humiliated me the night of the town's patron saint's party, in front of my whole family during the family dinner, and I don't even want to touch the subject of the night of the candles. Everyone looks at me like I'm a traveling show,” Mirabel replied, who would have wanted to add being Camilo's fiancée to Marlene's list of sins, but she knew that wouldn't sound good.

"Oh please, you take not one but two boyfriends from me and I'm the one who ends up owning you," Marlene replied sarcastically. Suddenly, Daniela had to intervene. "Mari, leave it at that, could we agree that the two of you behaved like a bitch with each other?" she asked. Mirabel nodded and Marlene followed. To be honest, if she had been Marlene she would hate herself too. "Like, you didn't even really want the boyfriends I took from you" Mirabel said to put salt back on the wound. “Mirabel…” Camilo warned by way of warning. “Yeah I know, but I don’t care. It's still not cool, you don't go through life doing that, it’s a matter of respect” Marlene replied. Mirabel looked away. She knew it hadn't been cool, but she still didn't want to make it up to that asshole.

"You should shake hands and settle your differences," Daniela said happily. Mirabel looked at her and saw true kindness in her eyes. Camilo looked at her as if he were about to laugh out loud, surely he found that hilarious. Marlene and Mirabel looked into each other's eyes, neither of them could stand the other, but they both wanted to please Daniela, who had always been very kind to them, unlike her brother. Marlene and Mirabel had the most uncomfortable handshake that Mirabel had ever felt in her life, since Marlene looked at her as if she wished her the worst, and she was not far behind her. "Yay" Daniela clapped as soon as they shook hands, although the two immediately let go.

Camilo and Mirabel left the restaurant a couple of hours later. The two finished their meal and decided to walk back to the hotel. "I'm really glad that the two of them can be happy," Mirabel said, meaning every word. “We should follow their example,” Camilo replied. "Would you like to go dancing?" Mirabel suddenly asked. Camilo looked at her like when they were children and she suggested some prank. "Yes, it sounds fun, as you can imagine, I'm short of money, but we'll see," Camilo answered calmly.

Mirabel and Camilo found a small, dark place filled with colored lights and a jukebox. It wasn't what she usually would have chosen, but it was the only thing that remained open. Ironically, she didn't mind the rustic feel of the place. The two of them danced and shared a single half bottle, because as Camilo had said, the two of them were quite short of money.

“Tell me you'll go with me to the coast” Mirabel said as she practically hung around Camilo's neck as the two of them danced. "I'll go with you, if that's what you want, but it won't be easy, it will be hard at first, I used all my savings to pay Marlene, and it's no secret to anyone that teachers in rural areas are sometimes paid with delay,” Camilo said. "I know, but we'll think of something, we can't just stay here," Mirabel answered. Camilo agreed. they didn't have much choice but to be creative, and had to do something, anything.

“That asshole Victor. This is all his fault, we could stay in Encanto living quietly, getting the family business back, but now we have to go. I don't want to leave” Camilo murmured. Mirabel sighed. “I'm going to confess something to you: My original plan was to graduate as a teacher and return to work at the town school, or in a nearby municipality,” Mirabel said. "Why didn't you do it?" Camilo asked. “Because I knew that it would hurt me a lot to see you engaged, I avoided going back to Encanto, even though deep down it was what I wanted the most”

“I don't understand you, Mirabel,” Camilo replied. “You do everything you can to irritate the family, but you also want to be with them,” Camilo replied. Mirabel smiled at him. She preferred not to tell him that perhaps what she wanted was their recognition and their love. “It doesn't matter what I want anymore, after what Daniela told me, I'm sure it's not a good idea to stay in Encanto” she answered. "What did she say?" he asked. “The same as so many others: he prevented me from accepting Victor. However, she gave me a different perspective, one that I hadn't considered,” Mirabel replied.

For some reason she didn't want to retell her conversation with Daniela. Something about that subject seemed too dirty and irrational. She preferred that Camilo continue to believe that everything was due to Victor's interest in the river and not in a personal matter that she could not explain. For some reason that intimidated her even more.

Camilo and Mirabel spent the night together in every sense of the word. They hadn't shared a night like this since their escape to the river during the night of the candles. For the first time, Mirabel experienced what it meant to be free from guilt. It was about the peace of mind that the two of them could finally love each other freely.

“I've missed you so much Mirabel” Camilo murmured into her neck as the two entered the room in the middle of the darkness. Mirabel knew that the two of them had lost any shame in their relationship, when he requested a room with a single double bed without hesitation .

“Me too,” Mirabel replied, kissing him. She could barely catch her breath and continue as she put her hands on his chest and pushed him inside the room. Mirabel closed the door. She knew things would escalate, and she didn't care. For the first time, the two of them were completely free to make a decision like this. Finally, they were adults who freely chose to be with each other. As much as their relationship was increasingly unusual, they would be doing as they wanted.

“Finally,” Camilo muttered as he sat up in bed. "Finally," Mirabel repeated as she sat down next to him. The two looked at each other for a few moments. He brushed a couple of strands from her forehead and stroked her cheek with the point of his fingers. Mirabel had had relationships before, and if she had learned anything, it was that often those small, seemingly insignificant gestures could excite her and make her feel much more passionate than bigger expressions. She shivered the moment Camilo touched her.

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Mirabel woke up the next day sore but happy. It was the feeling of something that she had wanted for a long time and it has finally come true. She turned her face away and saw Camilo sleeping soundly on the pillow next to her. She would have wanted to say that it was one of those scenes in the romantic novels she used to read when she was a teenager, but everything about him was chaotic, even the way he slept.

He was snoring loudly with his mouth half open with one of his hands extended above his head, the other dangling carelessly off the bed, as well as one of his legs. Mirabel felt sorry for him, since she had read that people who snore couldn't rest completely, so she decided to improve his neck posture to make him more comfortable. Mirabel stood next to him, almost on top of him, took her head in both of her hands and moved it slightly. However, a muffled snore told her that he had woken up.

"Wow, surprise attack," he muttered as he quickly stood up. Unfortunately, he didn't realize she was still on top of him and hit her hard on the head with his own. “Ouch” Mirabel groaned as she rubbed her forehead. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I thought it was Antonio, sometimes he jokes with me when I'm in bed. One time he put glue on my sheets” he said as he tried to comfort Mirabel. "I'm fine, I'm fine," Mirabel replied.

"I should have known, Mirabel Madrigal is so stubborn she has that head hard like no other" Camilo scoffed, "Look, this is the proof" he said as he changed the shape of his head, making an unevenness in his forehead. "Ha ha ha, how funny," Mirabel replied without laughing. "You're the stubborn one," she said. “Maybe we're both the stubborn ones, and the irrational ones,” Camilo said. Mirabel had no choice but to accept, considering everything that had happened to date.

Camilo looked at the clock next to the bed. "Oh my god, Look how late it is, if we don't hurry it will be noon and we'll have to pay for another night in this hotel," he said.

Mirabel guffawed as he clumsily scrambled out of bed and ran to the bathroom completely naked. Quickly, they returned to the road. Mirabel looked out the window at the dense trees of the mountain passing quickly as the wind hit her face. She had not felt so free in a long time, despite the fact that both of them had a difficult and uncertain future ahead of them, and that they would have to start a new life with great effort, while everyone she loved remained in Encanto. Mirabel resented Victor once more, because if he hadn't been a dangerous ticking time bomb, she wouldn't have thought of escaping.

Camilo and Mirabel arrived at Encanto shortly before midnight. Everything was silent, except for a couple of seedy taverns on the outskirts of town. The truck climbed up the cobblestone road to the hill where Casita was located and they finally finished their journey. The plan was to let the family know they were finally back and get something to eat. Later, Camilo would take her back to her house and the night would end up being a success. However, Mirabel knew that this dream of tranquility could not be realized as soon as she looked towards the entrance.

"Is that Victor?" Camilo asked when he saw someone standing in front of the door in the distance. Mirabel looked at him carefully. The pale light from the bulb above the front door barely illuminated him, but if it was him, there was something odd about the way he looked. "It seems so," Mirabel replied while Camilo parked the truck. Indeed, something very strange was happening with Victor. His suit didn't look as immaculate as usual, nor did his mannerisms as elegant.

They got out of the truck and Victor ran towards them. Mirabel immediately smelled the alcohol on his breath. "So you finally have the nerve to show up, Camilo Madrigal," he said. Mirabel would have liked to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, but not even drunk Victor lost his menacing air, a perception that had only worsened since the night he confessed his plans for Encanto. "It's late, Victor, we'll talk tomorrow," Camilo answered. "Where is my sister, Madrigal?" he asked, annoyed. “I don't know, I have nothing to do with your sister, that's not my problem” Camilo replied, as Mirabel and him hurried towards Casita's door.

Mirabel was close to asking Casita to open the door, but she was unable to do so, as Victor grabbed Camilo hard and slammed him roughly against the wooden door. Mirabel heard a low howl of pain. She knew that Camilo was a charismatic person, with a soft spot for drama. However, he was not violent, and being physically strong was not one of his talents. Victor, on the other hand, had been looking for trouble with the other kids in town for decades, and he still seemed as strong and impulsive as he remembered from his teenage years.

"Victor no" Mirabel said when she saw that he raised his fist again. She tried to get in the way, but she ended up on the floor and with an injured eye, as he reacted instinctively and moved his elbow. Mirabel scraped her hand when she fell and her eye socket ached. She heard the door open. Of course, with all that racket and yelling, it was a matter before someone showed up. "Mirabel" Julieta shouted horrified to see her on the ground.

She looked up and realized that her cousin was trying to fight back as best she could, but without much success. They stopped when they saw the rest of the family leave the house. Of course, Victor wasn't stupid enough to take on all the Madrigals, especially her sisters.

"What's happening?how do you dare to come to my house at this hour to disturb us?” her grandmother asked in an almost imposing manner. Mirabel had to admit that despite her age and all her problems, she still had that gift of leadership. “I'm very sorry, ma'am, but I can't find my sister, and I know he had something to do with her disappearance,” Victor said as he pointed a trembling finger at Camilo.

"Why do you make such an accusation?" her grandmother asked again. Mirabel knew, she was only feigning ignorance since they both knew what had happened. “My sister had no money, and she knew I needed her. The family needed her to fulfill her duties, even though she didn't want to. Today Marlene disappeared, with the money he paid her, surely she took my sister away, the two were too close, "he said. “Well, it's Marlene who should give you the explanations, not Camilo, he just borrowed money from me to pay off the debt he owed that girl for breaking off the engagement. We never imagined that she would take it to run away with your sister” Alma said quietly.

"Lies!" Victor practically screamed. Mirabel had never heard anyone talk to Grandma like that, well, except for herself, but that didn't count. “No one knows how they left the town, none of the chivas that came out of the plaza took them. Someone must have taken them in a private vehicle, and he disappeared for two days,” he said. "Camilo and I went to see the new thresher, this has nothing to do with your sister" Mirabel lied, while she felt the stabbing pain in her eye and her head about to explode.

"I don't think so, whenever something bad happens to me, he is involved, dad decided to send me to Medellin because of you, if you hadn't provoked me that night in that inn, I wouldn't have been rash enough to wet Mirabel and made her sick. Then the whole thing with the road, now the investigation, Mirabel and my sister. Why do you insist on ruining my life, Madrigal?” Victor asked. “Most of the things you've said are your own fault, I had nothing to do with it” Camilo answered. For the first time Mirabel saw how hurt her cousin was, his face was purple and a thin trickle of blood came out of his nostril.

“Please go away Victor” Mirabel requested. He looked at her carefully for the first time and must have realized that she was hurt. She would have felt sorry under other circumstances, but she couldn't. After all, this seemed like a constant in Victor's life, a sick cycle of getting angry, losing control, being reckless, and apologizing. Mirabel always turned out to be the victim of his stupidity and she was fed up. “I'm so sorry Mirabel…” Victor started, but she didn't let him continue as she held up her hand as a gesture for him to be quiet.

"Go away, Victor," she began quietly. “I don't want to see you around here again, and the kind of relationship we had is over. You hit me, and I will not allow this to happen again” Mirabel said quietly as she stared at him. He looked at her for a few seconds as he seemed to understand her words. Mirabel would have liked to have that conversation at a better time, or in a more private way, but she was not willing to wait, she wanted to end it once and for all.

“So this is how things are going to be, huh? '' he asked with sarcasm in his voice. "I see. I am no longer useful to you. I already gave you what you wanted, the job you wanted and you had fun with me while he was engaged, but now that he is finally free, I am as useful to you as yesterday's newspaper” he said. Mirabel felt horrible, because he was right, that was exactly what she did: play with his feelings and push him aside. Again, her grandmother's words replayed in her head over and over again, for no matter how bad Victor was, this was wrong

"I'm so sorry, Victor, but I can't trust you, you're impulsive and violent, and frankly your reactions scare me, sometimes I don't know what you're capable of" Mirabel said. He took a step forward and took her arm tightly. However, he couldn't say a word.

"You can go now" Luisa said as she gently put her hand on Victor's shoulder, in such a way that it sounded like a suggestion, but it was an order. Despite her power, Luisa rarely made direct threats, so everyone in town knew that when she intervened, the situation was serious.

Victor gave one last resentful look to the Madrigal family, and to Mirabel and Camilo in particular, before he left to return to the village.

Hi everyone, I didn’t make it graphic, as you can see. I have changed the rating a couple of times on other fics, but I have received complaints every time. I used to feel irritated a couple of years ago, but I get it now, it’s like when you are watching a show with your parents, and the creators suddenly slap you in the face with a full naked sex scene. 

Chapter Text

[Chapter 15]

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Camilo left the truck cab window open as he drove back home. The night breeze felt especially warm and comforting despite everything that had happened a few hours before.

After Victor's unpleasant visit. Julieta forced them to sit in the kitchen. Camilo felt his face burn and his head about to explode as a result of the pain. He blamed himself, after all, he could have used his powers to become stronger. However, his pride got the better of him, and he faced Victor as himself, even though he knew he had everything to lose.

Camilo looked across the kitchen table and found Mirabel sitting waiting for one of Aunt Julieta's concoctions. She looked a little better than him, but her eyes also seemed close to turning into a big black circle. He wanted to be surprised by the way his cousin had parried Victor's attack. However, he knew her well enough to know for a fact that this was the sort of thing Mirabel was capable of. She hadn't put up with his bullshit years before, much less now that she was an adult.

"Eat this, my love" Julieta said as she passed him a plate with almojábana, cheese and panela water. Camilo started with the drink. The molasses felt so warm and comforting that he seemed to heal all of his wounds, and it probably did, as the headache ultimately became a warm and comforting feeling. Mirabel also took a ration. However, despite his tiredness, Camilo offered to take Mirabel back home. She probably wanted to sleep a few hours in the comfort of her own bed.

"Okay," she said quietly, nodding. Camilo took the truck and drove to the other side of town while he enjoyed the night breeze.

"We're here" Mirabel said, snapping him out of his reverie. Camilo stopped the truck in a small vacant lot behind Mirabel's house, and the two of them walked to the driveway. The town was completely deserted, so he could not help but enjoy the feeling of loneliness, as if the two of them were the only people in the world. 

Mirabel opened the door of the house and he prepared to leave. "Wait," Mirabel said as she took his hand. Camilo felt the pressure and the contact with her skin. Probably the best thing would have been to leave things like that, and not look for more problems than they already had, but the truth was that he didn't want to do that. The moments lived with Mirabel had always felt like a kind of robbery to destiny.

"I'm dead," Camilo said, hinting that any physical activity was prohibited, since he had been driving for more than eight hours straight. Mirabel smiled "I know, I just want to spend time with you" she said. Camilo got carried away. The two of them sat in silence under the shelter of a heavy ruana, drinking coffee and enjoying the morning chill, side by side, on the bench in the inner garden of Mirabel's house.

Camilo sighed as he took in everything around him. It was a small and classic interior garden, typical of rural houses, decorated with flowers and hanging plants, whose colors seemed clearer as the morning sun peeked very slowly over the snowy mountains. He had always loved mornings in the countryside, even when he was away studying his career. He only hoped that wherever the two of them had to go, there would be those quiet mornings like this one.

"Do you want breakfast?" Mirabel asked after the sun had already risen. "Yes, it sounds tempting, if you don't mind, I'll go to the corner shop to buy today's paper," he said. Camilo left the house, bought the two newspapers that he used to read every day, and returned to Mirabel's house. He sat at the small dining table next to the central garden, in the company of a delicious steaming coffee that she had put moments before.

Camilo opened the first one. It was the most famous newspaper. The news were not encouraging, they never were, much less since 1948, but it was not overly  specific or graphic. Later, he opened the second one, it was a regional publication. Camilo used to buy it since those newspapers had less control of the national government, and although the news there were much more sensational, it really showed what was happening in the region. Camilo looked at the photos of the events from a couple of days before.

“You shouldn't look at that so early in the morning, it's really scary, some of those photos have no respect for the pain of those people,” Mirabel commented as she placed a couple of plates in front of them. She stretched out her hand and looked for a few seconds at the page he was reading. "What a terrible thing" she commented "where did that happen?" Mirabel asked. “On the Circasia side, not far from here” Camilo replied as he closed the newspaper and put it aside. He didn't want to keep thinking about it.

“Breakfast is not as good as mom's, but I barely have any food in this house. I want to make everything completely clean so that my landlady doesn't have to clean rotten food in the fridge. She has been very good to me. I am planning to buy her a bouquet of flowers or a fruit basket to thank her for everything.” Mirabel said. Camilo gave her a smile. Such gentle details were her own, and they were the kind of things that always made her stand out from everyone else.

Camilo went home shortly after, where he took a bath and got ready to go back to the farm. He returned shortly before sunset. However, he stopped by a fonda in the town's central square. Camilo leaned back comfortably against a wall as he had a few drinks with one of his friends. Unfortunately, just when he thought the evening was going smoothly. Victor passed in the company of his friends.

“Victor” Camilo shouted as he left his drink on the table and ran after him. Camilo didn't understand why he was doing that, maybe it was a last desperate attempt to make peace with Victor and avoid leaving town. "Wait, I want to talk to you," he said. Victor stopped, and turned to him. Camilo had never seen him so serious.

"What do you want, Madrigal?" he asked. Camilo felt his hands begin to sweat. “I just want to talk,” Camilo replied. "What happened last night was really serious, it should never have happened," he said. Victor shrugged.

"It's not very different from what happened while Mirabel was sick, I still remember how you came to my house and hit me," Victor answered. “Yes it is, back then we were just teenagers, now we are adults” Camilo said. “I'll tell you what the real difference is, Madrigal” Victor said as he pointed his index finger at his chest, “This time I'm the one in control, and you and Mirabel know that, I'm not alone, and there are many things going on, and you don't want something bad to happen to you,” Victor said.

“I know what kind of a man you are, Victor, and I know you have the cold blood to take this town to hell with you, but that's not why I'm here. Mirabel can't bear to think that everything between the three of us is so bad, and I want you to leave her out of this mess” Camilo requested. “I will do no such thing. My sister was out of this mess, but you decided to involve her. You decided the rules of the game, now you have to continue it,” he said. Camilo did not understand what he was referring to, but he decided not to insist, since it was clear that Victor did not want peace.

“Whatever you say, Victor. I hope that wherever Daniela is, she is happy, because you have no right to ruin her life,” Camilo said. Victor snorted, turned around and left. After that useless encounter, Camilo returned home and began to pack. That conversation made it clear to him that he and Mirabel had no choice but to leave. While he was fixing his shirts when the newspaper from that morning fell to the floor, and all the pages were exposed. Camilo felt chills when he saw the scenes in the photographs. Ultimately, the two of them needed to get out of there quickly.

Camilo went down to dinner. However he was surprised to see that Mirabel did not have dinner with them that night. After all, she wanted to spend as much time as possible with her family before she left. Suddenly, a heavy rain began to fall in the middle of the darkness of the night. Camilo went to his room completely exhausted. After all, it was cold and he hadn't slept the night before.

He was calmly walking up the steps when he saw one of Villa Helena's flower pots shatter, almost as if it had imploded. "What's going on Casita? Do you want to tell me something?" he asked quietly. Suddenly, the flagstones in center square began to tremble. Something was  going on. Camilo went down the stairs to the main entrance of the house and opened the door. He found a letter on the floor.

“Dear family” Camilo read. He recognized Mirabel's handwriting. Casita must have gotten excited when it saw her approach, but she just left that paper and left. Camilo entered the house slowly while he opened the envelope and read the contents. He felt his blood turn cold when he saw the word 'sorry'. Camilo knew immediately that she had left him again.

"I'm sorry, Camilo, but I can't condemn you to a life of a fugitive, this is a burden that I will have to carry," he read. Camilo ran to the kitchen where the rest of the family shared dessert after dinner.

That news did not sit well, especially with Julieta's family. Her aunt didn't say anything, she just quietly got up and went to her room. Just when Mirabel finally seemed a little happier, she would disappear like that. Camilo tried to remember the past. Mirabel's childhood was never easy. He knew that if it was for many of the members in the family, she would have just stayed locked away, out of the way. He also remembered his own words and his own actions. He humiliated her and did nothing more than contribute to that pain that she had always kept inside.

Probably not even the love she claimed to feel for him was enough to erase the traces of the past. Maybe she just wanted to start over somewhere where she wouldn't be considered an intruder. Camilo sat in the kitchen while the family guessed where Mirabel was or what they could do to bring her back. However, none of their words stayed long enough in his memory. He couldn't stop thinking about those brief, happy hours the two of them shared, before she decided to leave without him.

Camilo could hardly sleep that night, even though he hadn't done it for hours. Despite the above, he got up very early on Sunday morning with the intention of going to Mirabel's house and checking with his own eyes if what she wrote was true. However, he was not the only one with that idea in mind, since when he went downstairs he found Luisa and Isabela dressed and ready to go out, while sharing a cup of coffee in the kitchen.

"I don't know what we want to find, but we want to see it for ourselves," Isabela said. Camilo put on his hat and the three of them crossed the town to Mirabel's house. The sky was  an ugly shade of gray, which was strange in December, but completely understandable, since it rained all night. Camilo remembered the spare key that Mirabel used to keep in the pot by the entrance, so he opened the door easily.

The house was deserted, and the furniture covered with white sheets. None of her personal belongings were in her place. Her clothes, cosmetics, and even her cooking tools were gone. Suddenly, Camilo heard a meow in the inner courtyard of the house. He watched Pepito and Bonita standing over their empty food plates. The cats looked puzzled at the abrupt change in routine.

"Something very strange is happening" Luisa murmured as she looked at the cats next to him. "Such irresponsibility, at least she should have told us that she would leave the cats. Poor things, they must be hungry” Isabela replied before leaving for the kitchen. "Do you really think Mirabel would be able to abandon her cats?" Luisa asked “she loves those animals” she continued. Camilo stared at her while he remembered all those photographs he saw in the newspaper the day before. For a moment, he felt nauseated.

"Mirabel would never abandon them like that, first she would have made sure that someone would feed them" Camilo answered while he felt himself turn pale.

Isabela returned from the kitchen with what appeared to be a plate of boiled chicken. "Where did you get that?" Camilo asked. "From the fridge, Mirabel left all that food there, a pity, for sure it will be ruined" Isabela replied. Camilo couldn't believe it, so he ran to the kitchen and opened the fridge without a second thought. Isabela was correct, all the food was there.

“Something is happening here,” Camilo said. "Mirabel would never abandon those cats, and yesterday she told me that she would not leave food in the refrigerator, since she wanted to return the house to her landlady in perfect condition," he explained. "Maybe..." Isabela began. She didn't seem ready to accept the possibility that something might have happened to Mirabel. However, Camilo didn't think twice. He decided to leave the house and look for the culprit of all that mess.

"Camilo!" Luisa yelled as he left the house toward the vicinity of the main square, where Victor lived. He knocked on the door again and again, until the housekeeper opened. The poor woman seemed scared to see Camilo furious, and she couldn't help but stammer that Victor hadn't come home yet. That confirmed Camilo's suspicions: Victor must have done something to Mirabel. It was then that he decided that he would not leave until he returned.

It wasn't more than a quarter of an hour before Victor's car was parked in the middle of the block. Camilo looked at him with the desire to kill him while he, another couple of companions, and a girl got out of the car. They all seemed happy and dressed in evening gowns, surely they had spent the night partying. “Oh, Madrigal, what are you doing here? I'm in a great mood today, and I don't want any more trouble” he said as he raised his hands to the sides of his head in peace.

"Where is Mirabel?" he asked without even stopping to make conversation. "Why should I know? She made things clear between the two of us. Mirabel doesn't want to see me again” Victor replied in a bad mood. “We received a letter from Mirabel in the middle of the night, in which she told us that she was leaving town. I don't think so, something must have happened to her, and I bet everything that you are the one to blame” Camilo accused him.

“How paranoid. I spent the whole night at a party in Santa Rita. Everyone here can confirm it, he said as he pointed to his two friends and the girl. If you don't believe us, you can talk to Santa Rita’s mayor, or Encanto’s mayor, they were at that party, if that makes you feel better,” Victor said. Camilo found no words to answer him. He looked from him to the others who silently looked at him as if he had lost his mind. At that moment, Camilo felt Victor's hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry friend, I know it's hard to accept a rejection, but it wouldn't be the first time that Mirabel leaves you kissing the ground, I would have gotten used to that if I were you" he said, Camilo felt the irrational desire to hit him, and he would have done it if it weren't for Isabela and Luisa who were turning around the corner.

"Camilo" Isabela called him. Camilo walked away from Victor and joined Isabela. However, before he left, he saw the transporters that Luisa was carrying. He looked over her shoulder once more, “Hey” Camilo called, to which Victor gave him a look, “I was about to believe what the letter said, if it hadn't been for you leaving the cats. She would never have abandoned them to their fate. Tell her they're safe and sound as soon as you see her” Camilo said almost cheekily. “Asshole,” Victor muttered under his breath before he and his friends entered the house.

Camilo, Isabela and Luisa went to Casita. "He's lying to us, I know he is," Camilo grumbled as the three of them walked through town. "Okay, calm down, let's have breakfast, my treat" Luisa said while she tried to make him feel better. Camilo accepted, since he didn't want to go home. He felt like a caged animal, circling and trying to escape.

The three of them decided to go to the restaurant in the plaza, since no other was open. They arrived just in time to see Mirabel's neighbor ride his bike with an order. “Alberto,” a woman yelled from the kitchen. “Who is that order for?” she asked her. “For Don Bruno Madrigal” replied the boy. “I don't remember him placing an order with us,” the woman said. “Don't worry, I know him well enough and I know he'll love this one” he said before riding off on the bike.

The three of them ate breakfast in silence, not knowing what to do or how to proceed. “Maybe we should go to the police, the police from Manizales are with the reds, they will surely help us,” Isabela said. Camilo sighed, "We could do it, but it will be days before they give Mirabel up for lost, I think our powers will give better results" Camilo answered. Luisa paid the bill as she promised, and the three of them returned home.

Camilo quietly entered the kitchen with the aim of telling Aunt Julieta not to worry about them, but he didn't find her there. Instead, he found his grandmother and Bruno talking seriously over a steaming cup of coffee. They looked at him and he knew immediately that something was up, so he decided not to soften the blow.

“We went to Mirabel's house, we didn't find her, but her cats were there, abandoned. I know something bad must have happened to her,” he said. Bruno frowned even more, "Dolores, come here" Bruno murmured, "bring Antonio and the cats" his uncle said. His brothers did not take long to appear, while his uncle assumed complete control of the situation. Camilo held his breath as Bruno stood up and addressed all the Madrigal cousins.

“I have a couple of people in town who tell me what's going on. Mirabel knows of the existence of one of them. Apparently, she visited him yesterday, before she went to a party, she told him that she didn't want to go, but that she felt obligated, and she needed him to tell me, sound familiar?" he asked. Camilo felt pale "Victor was coming from a party, but he says that everyone saw him alone, even the Encanto’s mayor, something must have happened to Mirabel."

Bruno, who was crossing his arms, waved his hand to Antonio to come closer. “Ask the cats what they have seen,” his uncle said. The boy did as Bruno asked, while Camilo could only admire the control his uncle had over the situation, while his grandmother watched in silence.

“They didn't see anything. Mirabel received a visit, she did not seem happy, but after a few moments she began to change her clothes and go outside. Then some men appeared. They didn't recognize their scent, and one of them kicked Bonita, so they decided to hide until Camilo arrived” Antonio said.

"Fine," Bruno agreed. "We already know that our suspicions are true, something happened to Mirabel and Victor is our main and most important suspect" Bruno said. “Dolores” Bruno called her. "Yes?" she asked. “I guess you know Mom's fishmonger friend. You will tell her what we know, and you will tell her that we need her to spread the news, if she has any doubts, give her this ”said Bruno while pointing to a couple of bills that his grandmother put on the table.

“That would be spreading baseless rumours. We can't do that…” Dolores started, but Bruno didn't let her continue. “Yes, we can do it. People will soon start talking about it and Victor will feel pressured, as his family too, and that is precisely what we need, we need they feel pressured and guilty, especially Miguel Valenzuela, I have known him since we were children, he is a good man, and I know he will not tolerate a situation as undignified and dirty as this,” Bruno said. Dolores nodded before taking the money and disappearing out the door.

"Mom," Bruno said. "Tell Agustín to travel with Julieta to Manizales, we need to notify the police there, but not to mention the name of the person who gave me the information about Mirabel, it's not safe," he said.

"What do we do?" Isabela asked. "You will come with me, there is work to do," Bruno replied. Camilo silently followed his uncle, while he silently prayed that Mirabel was safe and sound.

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Mirabel kept her eyes closed for a few more minutes as she felt a throbbing pain in her head and a strange metallic taste in her mouth. She opened her eyes very slowly and realized that she was in an old country house, very similar to her own, with its thick cobblestone walls painted white and ceilings supported with wood painted in green.

She was lying on the bed so she stayed there while she remembered what had happened the night before:

Mirabel remembered how she had seen Camilo leave the previous morning after breakfast, she had spent the day lazing around and enjoying the Christmas party music programs on the radio. The doorbell rang shortly after lunch while she was washing the dishes. Mirabel ran to open it and got an ugly surprise.

"What are you doing here, Victor?" Mirabel asked as she crossed her arms. “Hello Mirabel, I know that things ended badly yesterday, but I wanted to talk to you, I'm really sorry” he said. Mirabel bit her lip. She felt a very small glimpse of hope. After all, if she came to terms with Victor and they ended things in a civil way, Camilo and her wouldn't have to leave Encanto.

"Okay, come on in, we'll talk," Mirabel said reluctantly as she ushered him into the living room. “I am very sorry about what happened last night. I really felt that Camilo was drowning me, it's the whole investigation thing and stuff at work isn't going the way I'd like. The whole department is on fire, and my party expects things from us, things that I don't think I can deliver,” Victor said. That last thing caught Mirabel's attention.

"What are you talking about?" Mirabel asked. "Don't pretend. We both know exactly what I'm talking about," he said. Mirabel felt surprised.  Victor never stopped being in her mind that silly school bully, and it never crossed her mind that he was at a crossroads, trapped by people more manipulative or hungry for power than him. She felt her defenses soften.

"Maybe you should quit your job," she suggested. Mirabel immediately regretted those words, since it was an almost naive alternative. “I can't do it, I like what I do, besides, I have debts. I really counted on Daniela, but now she is gone, and I feel trapped” he said. Mirabel felt even more sorry for him, so she offered him a coffee and the two of them chatted for a while longer.

"Today there will be a party at Santa Rita, I was wondering if you wanted to go" Victor offered. Mirabel bit her lip. "I don't think that's a good idea," she replied. “Please Mirabel, I'm sick of all the rumors and comments. Everyone expects me to get married soon, but in this town there are hardly any women. I'm not asking you to marry me, I'm just begging you to come to that Christmas party with me, just for once, so that no one makes nasty comments to me,” he said. Mirabel smiled at him.

She understood what it meant to work in an office like Victor's. There always was some noisy person to be found, saying something like: Why don't you have a boyfriend? When do you plan to have children? She smiled at him. “I'm very sorry Victor, my words from yesterday still stand, I can't have any relationship with you right now,  you scare me sometimes. However, if you really want it, we could go to that party as friends.” Mirabel replied, giving him a smile. Victor responded to her gesture, making her wonder why she hadn't tried that before. After all, she could reason with most people, why would it be any different with him?

Mirabel felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe things weren't supposed to end the way she feared. Perhaps both, Mirabel and her grandmother, had jumped into conclusions. Daniela was surely exaggerating, because Victor seemed rational.

“That sounds good” Victor nodded, “To be honest, I have known you and Camilo for many years. Deep down, I always knew that it was almost going against fate when I tried to be with you. I would never have forgiven myself as easily as you have. Being friends is something I would love,” he said. Mirabel smiled.

"Can I come by at five?" he asked. "Yeah, that sounds good," Mirabel answered. Mirabel dressed herself. She took a gorgeous aquamarine strapless dress from her closet. Mirabel bought that dress for a colleague's wedding in the capital, and it cost her a small fortune, and since then she barely had any chances to wear it,  it seemed like the perfect garment for that night.

Mirabel looked at her wristwatch and realized that Victor was running late, since it was a quarter past five and he still hadn't shown up. At that moment, Mirabel went out into the street and realized that her block was deserted. Something in the silence of this remote part of town disturbed her, and for the first time since Victor's visit she wondered if this was a good idea.

Mirabel knew it was too late to back down, but perhaps it was time to talk to her family. She went back into the house and picked up the phone. Mirabel pressed the tone again and again, but it was dead. She made a mental reminder to call the phone company to file a complaint. Suddenly, she remembered her neighbor, if anyone could sound the alarm to her uncle, it was him. She crossed the street and rang the doorbell at the neighboring house. Luckily, the boy was not working.

"Miss Mirabel?" he asked after sharing a brief greeting. “Hello, Alberto, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I'm going out to a party. I don't really want to go, but it's a commitment. I tried to let my family know, you know, it's always good to let someone know where you are, but my phone doesn't work, so I thought…” she began “Don't worry, Miss Mirabel, I'll let them know”Alberto  said giving her a smile. Suddenly, a car's horn caught her attention. "I'm sorry, Alberto, I think they've already come for me, I have to go" She said before giving him one last smile.

Mirabel returned to the door of her house and noticed a large blue car parked in front of the main entrance. Mirabel recognized the driver, but not the car. "Is that a new car?" Mirabel asked.

Victor shrugged. "It's from a friend, he let me try it," he commented as Mirabel entered. He started the engine and drove down the difficult road that separated Encanto from Santa Rita. Mirabel looked at the sky and saw the rain getting closer, so surely the road would become even more difficult.

“I'm glad things could end well,” Mirabel said. “I really thought you would be furious with Camilo and me,” she said. Victor looked at her through the rearview mirror. "I'm not" he answered without giving his answer much depth. Mirabel continued. “That relieves me, since I have to be honest, your plans worried me quite a bit. Especially because I don't know what you want to get of all of this,” she said.

"What are you talking about?" Victor said. "Aren't you worried that you're being used?" she asked. “After all, none of us gain anything if misfortune comes to Encanto, all of our families will be affected, no one will be the winner, other than those who are behind this whole mess. At the end of the day, they see us as a bunch of insignificant people. They will use you and then discard you,” Mirabel said. Victor sighed deeply. "You sound like my dad," he replied. “He always says the exact same thing,” Victor said.

"That's the truth. We would give them everything, in exchange for nothing” Mirabel said. "It's not worth talking about anymore, Mirabel, we'll have fun tonight, and then... Well, time will tell" he replied. They entered Santa Rita. Mirabel assumed that the party would take place in that inn where Mirabel fell ill years ago, since it was the largest event venue in that town, but she felt surprised to see that the car went by. "The party will be at the mayor of Santa Rita's country house, it's on the road to the moors" he explained "oh" she murmured, as she really didn't want to go so far from home.

The sky was already dark when they arrived at the country house, and the first drops of rain began to fall. Mirabel saw a pretty country house lit up and with music playing at full volume. She was thrilled, as this was her only chance to reconcile with Victor and force him to give up his stupid ideas.

"Come, Mirabel, they are waiting for us at the house," he said. Country houses in that area used to have an external corridor, accompanied by an elaborate wooden handrail, and be decorated with hanging plants, so one could cross the house without having to enter any of the rooms. Mirabel thought that they would go into the living room right away, where a great celebration was being held. Instead, they continued down the wooden hallway to the back room. Mirabel guessed it was the place to leave her coat. However, she was startled when she saw that it was dark.

"What's going on here?" she asked. However, her question went unanswered. She felt Victor grab her without any delicacy and put a handkerchief over her mouth and nose. Mirabel didn't know what happened from there, until she found herself on the floor of a room lit by a kerosene lamp. Mirabel could barely squint a few times and see the shadows move around her, but she couldn't wake up.

"What am I supposed to do with her?" Victor asked as he picked her up and carried her outside. “Keep her at your parents' house on the moors,” someone else replied. Mirabel guessed that it could be Santa Rita’ mayor, but she wasn't sure. "At my place?" Victor asked, alarmed as they left her in the back seat of the car. "This is your mission, you said you could take care of it, now do it" replied the other guy.

At that moment a third person joined them. Mirabel saw him take out an object. "I'll put something stronger on her, she's losing the effect and she'll wake up on the way" the third person warned. Mirabel felt pain in her arm and assumed she had been injected with something.

"I still have no idea what to do with her," Victor said. "I can't retain her forever," he concluded. At that moment she heard a snort of exasperation, "but what a lack of inventiveness" complained the one who seemed to be the mayor of Santa Rita. “The old woman will be frightened when she cannot find her granddaughter, and if you know how to ask for it, she will transfer the land of the river to your name, or hers. You could even marry her formally for a couple of hours, and then you will decide what to do with her, throw her into the river if that is what you want” he replied. Victor groaned.

“She is not just any person. This is not simply about stealing the land from that family as you are used to. I have known these people my whole life. Mirabel is special. She is the one who has control over that river. I don't know how she did it, but she was the one who took the powers from the Madrigals so many years ago. If something happens to her, the Madrigals will not leave a single stone in its place. They will take revenge, and they have the power to do so,” Victor said. "That's your responsibility, boy, you got us into it, think for yourself" replied the guy.

Mirabel could almost sense Victor's desperation before she lost her consciousness. Mirabel felt nothing until she woke up in that room. She rose gently to find herself in last night's dress, her heavy crinoline made it difficult for her to move easily. Mirabel looked around the room and realized that this scene was not a product of her imagination.

That place looked like a typical family country house, with the heavy brown cedar furniture that would last until the end of time, the blankets woven by some housewife, and the portrait of the sacred heart that was omnipresent in all the houses of that kind. Mirabel tried to turn the knob, and she was surprised to find that the door was open. Mirabel took a few steps through the outer corridor of the house. Poor Mrs. Esperanza Valenzuela, she had probably spent hours decorating her country house in the moors with all her love to make it look pretty with flower plants of all colors and nice pots, just to be used by her disgraceful son in that way.

Mirabel reached the end of the corridor, and looked at the landscape. The house was located in the middle of nowhere, in the moors, surrounded by the fog that came from the snowy mountain. It was a beautiful landscape, but desolate.

“Mirabel” Victor called her from the house. She turned very slowly and faced him, his expression impossible to read. Mirabel felt that she had just realized how serious this situation was.

Chapter Text

[Chapter 16]

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"Mirabel" Victor repeated when he saw she didn't try to move. “If you don't get back to the house soon you'll freeze to death,” he said. Mirabel felt herself awaken from her dream and she looked at herself. She was still wearing the strapless dress from the night before. Suddenly, a wave of icy air hit her. Victor was right, those clothes were not suitable for this place.

"Come here," Victor insisted. "Some men brought your stuff in the middle of the night," he said. Mirabel  walked very slowly back to the house, while she looked around intently trying to find a way to escape. However, she understood that they were in the middle of the mountain. If Mirabel decided to run, she would probably find herself a couple of hours later in danger of death.

Mirabel climbed the two steps that separated the corridor from the ground very slowly, without taking her eyes off Victor. The truth was that she had a lot of questions and didn't know exactly where to start. "It's ok," Victor murmured with pleasure once she found herself beside him. He put her hand on her shoulder, trying to guide her, and it strained her patience. Mirabel considered herself to be sweet and cheerful, but she would never define herself as a docile person, so she would not allow him to think that she was.

“Don't touch me,” she muttered under her breath as she broke free of her grasp. "Why I am here? she asked. Victor laughed with almost irony in his voice. "Interesting question, it would be more interesting if I had the answer" Victor answered almost to himself. Afterward, he sighed long, as if he were trying to regroup his scattered thoughts. “You are here because there are people who really need that river. Encanto is the only municipality in the department over which no one has control, we need to pacify this area” Victor responded almost as if he were reciting a speech that he heard somewhere.

“Encanto is peaceful. My family's magic has kept it that way for almost sixty years,” Mirabel replied. She could almost see Victor's brain working, and all the doubts he seemed to have were reflected in his gaze. "What exactly are you planning to do with me, Victor?" Mirabel asked, raising her voice more and more. "Let's say that my grandmother gives you the land, or even worse, you marry me and force me to give you the river, what will you do with it?" she asked. “You don't understand Encanto’s magic, I don't even understand it, because it's capricious and unpredictable, it doesn't follow our very human rules, as all magic is,” she said. “Are you planning to keep me here forever locked up in this house? Or do you intend to sacrifice yourself and force yourself to marry a woman who despises you for an uncertain plan and that you don't even know if it will work?” She asked. Victor's expression deepened. It was clear that he had all those questions too.

However, Mirabel failed to appreciate the effect of the doubts she planted in his head, as a sharp pain in her cheek alerted her. "Enough!" he screamed as he slapped her. Mirabel felt petrified. Victor did quite a few things to her when they were children, but if there was one thing he never did to her, it was to hit her in such a simple way. Mirabel was scared, whether she liked it or not, she was locked in that house in the middle of nowhere with that man who behaved like a wounded and scared animal, the kind that would do stupid things without thinking twice.

Mirabel put her hand to her bruised cheek and looked at him for a few seconds. He frowned and took her forearm without any delicacy. “Let's go to the warehouse. They left all your things there. Take your clothes and put them in your room.” he said as he unceremoniously left her at the cellar door.

Mirabel obeyed, since she wanted to take a bath and put on some clothes more suitable for that climate. She finished her work and went into the private bathroom of her room. As expected, that house in the middle of nowhere had no public services, so the light was provided by a couple of kerosene lamps and the water came from a nearby river, and was hidden in a boiler that probably heated it, so she had the small pleasure of taking a shower.

Mirabel felt the water falling around her as she wandered over and over how her life had taken such a turn. She could see that it was an ugly combination of adverse circumstances and bad decisions that put her in this difficult position. Mirabel felt like crying, although she couldn't do it, ironically, she felt too scared to allow herself that luxury. She pulled herself together, she dressed in her old clothes from the capital, and left the room. A masochistic part of herself wanted to look Victor in the eye and ask him exactly what he was planning to do with her, until he lost his temper.

"Much better, you look more relaxed," Victor said as soon as she entered the kitchen. Mirabel looked at the clock on the top of the wall, and realized that it was already noon, so Victor was surely preparing lunch. The scene was disturbingly homey.

"I made meat, potatoes and salad, it's the fastest I could find" he said while the sound of the meat in the pan made her mouth water. She hadn't eaten anything since the day before and found herself famished. The two of them sat at the table located in the corridor, right next to the beautiful but sad landscape that surrounded them. "You've never struck me as the kind of person who would kidnap a woman and hide her in a dark house in the middle of nowhere," Mirabel said as she took the first bite of her piece of meat.  “Don't? So what kind of person do you think I am?” he asked as she rubbed his temples. “More like the kind of man who would rather find a trophy wife and pursue a messy public life under everyone’s eyes. Look at you, you like the luxuries, the glamor of the parties, you want to be someone, you are not the type of gray men who would do this,” she said.

Victor smiled. "No, I'm not, but we can't always do what we want, can we, Mirabel?" he asked as he was more likely stabbing his food with his fork. “And I suppose that despite the facade, you are scared” he said as he ate a piece of his meat, “I suppose you are afraid that I will finally get tired of this situation and decide to throw you off a cliff, in a place where no one can find you” he said while giving her a disturbing smile. Mirabel pressed her lips together, and he laughed softly.

“The world seems to turn in a circular way, in the end everything returns to its place. I'm back to being that school bully who enjoys seeing the “sweet and kind” Mirabel Madrigal scared ”Victor commented, while he said the last words as a joke. "You could not do it, my family will not lose their powers and they will not rest until they get revenge" said Mirabel. She felt that she had tapped into one of Victor's secret fears, but he took pains to hide it and keep his countenance calm. “Don't push me, Mirabel. We both know that with you here, very bad things could happen” he replied.

Mirabel stared at him, because whether she liked it or not, he was right.

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"You have to rest," Camilo told Dolores, who had been sitting all morning in the middle of the central patio while concentrating on listening to each and every single one of the voices of the town. He gave her sister a glass of water and she drank it without thinking twice, since she had spent the last three days in that position for more than eight hours.

"Do you know what my problem is?" Dolores asked as she recovered. “I don't pay attention,” she said. "What are you talking about?" Camilo asked his sister without being able to understand. “I hear many voices at the same time, they all speak, it is impossible for me to listen to them all. I hear them, but I don't really listen to them,” she said. Camilo felt worried when he heard her talk about her like this "I don't like that you are so hard on yourself" he replied.

"Everyone talks about Mirabel, the town is shocked, but nobody says anything useful" Dolores commented. “If Victor really is behind this, and I'm sure he is, I'm sure he won't let himself be found out so easily. He knows about your powers, he knows that you will be able to hear him” Camilo replied. “Can I confess something to you?” Dolores asked, “go ahead”, Camilo answered.

“I haven't been able to stop thinking about that night when Isabela found you two in the garden. She is destructive, but I have to admit that she was able to see the truth behind any mirage” she said. "What are you talking about?" Camilo asked, who hadn't heard his sister talk about that episode in a long time. “I…” Dolores began as her voice trailed off and her eyes filled with tears. “I… well… Isabela was right, I harmed Mirabel during the night of her engagement with Mariano. I didn't want the two of them to get married, and I thought that was the only way to avoid the engagement,” she said.

“Dolores, that was very, very bad” Camilo sighed. " I know, I know. That was why Agustín wanted to protect Mirabel, because he knew that she would end up paying for everything, as always” she said. "Still, I don't understand why you feel guilty," Camilo replied. "I think I could have done something different, I feel like we all somehow pushed Mirabel, put her against the wall,made her feel she had to escape, maybe all of us precipitated this misfortune.  We don't know where she is, she could be in danger , or dead in a ditch” Dolores continued as she lost her self-control as she spoke. Her sister began to cry without any shame, and Camilo had no other option but to see her, hoping that at any moment he would find the ideal words to comfort her.

“We will find her, Lolita, I promise we will, Victor is not stupid enough to do something to Mirabel. He knows that we have powers, and he knows that we can find her,” Camilo said. Dolores stopped crying and narrowed her eyes, almost as if she had heard something.

At that moment, her parents walked through the front door and decided to keep them company. Her mom seemed grumpy, as her cloud was lightning and she was giving off a light rain. "What's going on?" Camilo asked after sharing a brief greeting. "We had a meeting with the Encanto´s mayor, but it wasn't encouraging," Felix commented with a somber look in his eyes. Pepa put her hands on her hips and tapped lightly a couple of times. “He knows something, I can feel it, he knows what happened to Mirabel,” she said. Then his mom crossed her arms and snorted in exasperation. “I don't know how this could happen, that jerk should never have been mayor, his family doesn't even live in Encanto” she said. "The people voted for him," Felix replied. “Well, people voted wrong” Pepa replied, “Mom used to have better control over this town before” she replied.

Camilo looked at her mother, he already knew that she was a temperamental woman, and deep down, she could be almost as dictatorial as his grandmother was in the past. “Shh,” Dolores murmured as she placed her finger over her lips, indicating that they should be quiet. She listened in silence for a few moments.

"One of the mechanics in town saw Victor, he knows something" Dolores suddenly said. “Tell Bruno what you heard. He will get the truth out of him if he doesn't want to collaborate” Pepa said, while Camilo couldn't help but think that he was seeing a door to the past. That was the reason why no one dared to contradict the Madrigals, because like it or not, they had created an aura of mysticism and fear around the family, and no one inspired more fear than Bruno.

“The mechanic said that he had repaired one of the axles on Victor's car. He works on the outskirts of town. Victor visited him during office hours, just when he was supposed to be working in his office,” Dolores explained to Bruno, while he sat quietly at the dining room table. His uncle looked truly exhausted, to the point that he hadn't even bothered to wear his tattered green ruana. He had probably spent hours trying to see a clue to the future in the sands of time.

"We'd better pay him a visit," Bruno said. “Camilo” his uncle called him, “tell Isabela and Luisa to get ready we will go talk to that guy” he said.

A couple of hours later, Camilo found himself driving with his uncle and his cousins to an intersection a couple of miles outside of Encanto. It was the place where the pavement road began. The mechanic's workshop was nothing more than a ugly shack with a couple of zinc tiles on top, where travelers could inflate flat tires or put water in their vehicles. Camilo parked the truck a few meters from the garage, and they found the mechanic with his head in one of the local cars.

"You speak. I'll speak when I have to" Bruno murmured to Camilo. “Good morning,” Camilo greeted. The mechanic looked up and wiped his hands on a rag that made his hands even dirtier. He was a short guy with fair skin and sparse white hair. "Excuse me, we heard that a person we know passed by yesterday, during the day, we want to know more about that" Camilo commented while his cousins surrounded him. Surely the sight must have been frightening. All three had powers admired and feared in equal intensity.

"Who are you talking about?" the man asked. “Victor Valenzuela. We know he passed by  in the morning, and we want to know what you can tell us about that,” he said. "Please, I don't want any trouble. I just put air in one of the tires on his car, nothing else, I really don't want to get involved,” he said. "Sir" Camilo began seriously. “It is not a secret that we are looking for Mirabel Madrigal, and we suspect that he took her,” Camilo insisted, but the guy seemed more and more nervous. “I'm sorry, I don't want to…” he muttered.

At that moment, Bruno emerged from behind. That version of Bruno was the one that Camilo remembered from his childhood. Menacing and intimidating, with an air of mystery around him, and a slight sickly green gleam in his eyes. "You know things, the sands of time told me," Bruno said in a tone that almost sounded like a whisper. "Do you want to know what other things they show me?" he asked. “All about a terrible accident in the mountains, a public service bus travels too fast, and loses control in one of the curves, to the point that it slides into a cliff, a terrible fate, there are no survivors” Bruno said. However, his uncle abruptly turned around.

"Let's go children, there is nothing to do here, the gentleman does not want to collaborate" Bruno said calmly. "Wait!" the guy yelled. “You can't leave me like this, you have to tell me what do you mean”  the mechanic yelled as he tried to catch up with Bruno, who had already started back to the truck.

“What do you mean?, or who?. If you don’t, you are dooming me and my family to a life of fear, we will never set foot outside of Encanto again for fear of the prophecy being fulfilled” he said. “Give me the information I'm looking for and I'll give you what you need,” Bruno replied. The mechanic thought about it for a few distressing seconds. It was a difficult decision: face possible revenge from Victor and his associates, or face uncertainty and fear for the rest of his life.

“Victor Valenzuela passed by here shortly after half past eleven in the morning. An odd hour, considering he was supposed to be at the office. He asked me to put air in his tires” he explained. "However, you found something strange in all that, why?" Bruno asked. "It's just a silly thing," the mechanic replied. “Well, I want to know,”Bruno insisted, “The mud on the tires of his car seemed to be from the moors. I told him that the car was too nice for the harsh land of the moors. He got angry and told me to mind my own business. Then he got into his car and drove away. I've never seen him in such a bad mood,” he said.

Camilo took a deep breath. The moors were a beautiful land, but desolate, if Mirabel was there, she would have very few opportunities to escape, because that place was deserted and hardly had any roads that tourists and farmers sometimes used to climb the snowy peak. Not to mention that its extension was enormous, covering almost three Departments. Finding her would not be easy.

"Perfect," Bruno said. "Perfect?" asked the mechanic who looked so nervous that he had already broken out in a cold sweat. "We're leaving," Bruno said suddenly as he motioned for them to get into the truck. "No, wait, you can't go like this," the mechanic yelled. Bruno turned one last time and looked at the man with his sick green gaze. “Your brother’s wife, she will be the victim of that misfortune” he said. “I don't know when it will take place, the vision wasn't clear, but the end of it was very clear,” Bruno replied.

The four got into the truck in silence. Bruno agreed to go in the back, since there wasn't room for everyone in the cabin. Camilo kept looking at him through the rearview mirror. His uncle had shown them a face that none of them knew, but it was the most recognized by the town. That was one of the things on which Mirabel and Camilo had always had different opinions. She saw a gentle and misunderstood man, but Camilo saw someone slightly different. Maybe his uncle was that good and gentle person, but he was also a practical man who went to great lengths when something had to be done.

"What you said to that man was really scary. Is it true?" Isabela asked once they all met in front of his grandmother, in her office. “Of course it's true. No one would respect my gift if it wasn't. People would start to think that my predictions are fallible, and eventually, I will have the same faith of Cassandra: no one would believe my predictions,” he said. Isabela stared at him. "I thought you didn't like inspiring fear," she said. Bruno smiled almost sadly, "I don't like it, but sometimes a healthy dose of fear can do more for the family than all the respect in the world" he replied.

"What did the fish lady do to you, for you decided to give her that prediction?" Camilo asked. Bruno looked up “That wasn't a prediction, that was an injustice. I simply let her know that it was not a good idea to keep that poor animal in such a small fish tank, and boom, the most predictable thing happened” he replied. Isabela, Luisa and Camilo laughed, but they were very nervous about the whole thing.

"Uncle" Luisa began, as she seemed to be the only one who had the courage to ask what everyone wanted: "did you have a prediction about Mirabel?" she asked. Bruno stared at her without answering. Suddenly her grandmother opened the door of the room, and she walked in with Julieta.

“I have a person at the registry office who can help me,” Julieta said. "I healed his son a couple of months ago, he promised me that he will investigate the Valenzuela properties," she said. "And if he doesn't?" Luisa asked as Julieta's face suddenly hardened, "Then I won't be able to give you the second dose," she said.

At that moment, her grandmother slowly moved to the chair behind her desk. “In the past everyone respected the Madrigals in this town. I don't know what has happened lately. No one would have dared to touch any of us in the past, I think we are losing our touch” the old woman said as she clasped her hands across the top of her desk, giving her a slightly menacing look. "Well, what happened today is a brief account of why you have to collaborate kindly with the Madrigals, isn't it?" Bruno asked. His grandmother and his uncle shared a brief smile, while Camilo was surprised at how alike they could be.

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Mirabel had already spent three gray days in that country house. If she hadn't found herself trapped against her will, she would have thought it a wonderful place to rest. Being so far from civilization, that house did not have any public services, but the Valenzuelas had equipped it with all possible comforts and beautiful stuff to comfort the soul.

She spent her days completely alone, since Victor had to return to Encanto. Her only entertainment was reading the books from Miguel Valenzuela's library, cooking for herself and walking through the moors. She admired the sad but beautiful landscape of the mountain, green and white, where the moss that covered the ground and the frailejones that grew wildly were the creators of all life on the mountain, the source of water. Mirabel sat on the ground as she felt the moisture running and the sound of the water calming her.

"Mirabel" called a voice from the house. She knew it was Victor, so she decided to ignore him. "Mirabel!" he yelled even more annoyed. She slowly opened her eyes, let out an exasperated snort, and stood up. Victor was getting more and more irritable as time went by. She supposed the stress of the whole situation was starting to get to him.

"What's going on?" Mirabel asked as she moved closer to him. "Where Did you go?” he asked. “I was on the mountain, behind the house.” She answered. Victor took a deep breath. "Let's go to the kitchen," he said. Mirabel had made beans in one of Victor's mom's modern pressure cookers, so he heated them up and served a plate. "You won't pretend that we play to the little house," she commented, annoyed, since the last thing she wanted was to sit down and have a conversation with him.

“You look so horrible, it looks like you haven't done your hair in days and that black dress doesn't suit you at all” he commented. Mirabel felt her cheeks turn red from the annoyance. The truth was that she had bought that dress with buttons and collar for a funeral, and she had not worn it since then, since she had the impression that it looked like a sack of potatoes. To make it worse, she had combined it with a dark green sweater that made her look even more subdued. Mirabel always used to comb her curls carefully,as she liked to shape them with the help of coconut oil. But in the last few days she had not seen any point in continuing with her routines so her hair looked lifeless and frizzy.

“I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere, I don't know if you'll finally throw me off a cliff or I'll get out of this alive, the last thing I care about is looking horrible” she replied. "Good point," he said as she continued eating. "How long will I stay here?" Mirabel asked as she stared at him. Victor passed his food and took a long time to answer. "I don't know," he said. Mirabel could feel the discomfort and nervousness in his eyes.

"You can't keep me here forever," she replied. “I don't mean to, this is a temporary situation, but don't think too much of it. I am not enjoying this” he said. “It would seem that you do, you have always liked to have control over those you consider the weakest. Besides, considering the way you've acted, your obsession with me scares me,” she said, to which he responded with a snort.

“Please…” he said. “Have you seen yourself in a mirror? Do you have any idea how others see you?” he asked “You are a sad secretary who became a sad rural teacher. You're not even very pretty or charismatic, you're perfectly ordinary, it's no surprise that the Madrigals aren't interested in including you in their stuff. After all, they certainly are extraordinary,” he replied. Mirabel felt her cheeks turn red once more. "Then why were you flirting with me?" she asked. "Because of the river, why else would it be?" he replied with contempt.

Mirabel felt like an idiot. The truth was that his confession took away an extra concern about her present. However, his words were hurtful, and they reached the deepest part of those old wounds that she still had at the bottom of her heart. "I guess I feel calmer hearing that," Mirabel said, downplaying the matter, since she didn't want him to know how much her words had affected her.

Another couple of days passed in that sad solitude. Mirabel knew that escaping would be nothing short of suicidal. The moors were surrounded by dense rainforests, which were barely populated, she would be hopelessly lost at the first opportunity. But then, something unusual happened.

Mirabel got up very early in the morning, and she put on the first dress that she found. Victor didn't usually stop by the house this early, since he still had to keep up the facade and show up for work every day. However, that morning he showed his unpleasant face to her. To the point that she was forced to make breakfast for both of them. She hated visits from him, they felt like some kind of forced domesticity.

"What are you planning to do today?" he asked as he took a drink from his coffee. “Walking on the moor, washing my clothes, why do you ask? Frankly, I don't want to talk to you, or pretend we're friends, because we're not,” she said. Victor rolled his eyes in exasperation. “It was just a fucking question, you don't have to get defensive. You should know that I have been excessively generous with you during the time you have stayed in this house. I could make your life hell, but I haven't" he replied, and now it was Mirabel's turn to feel exasperated, "how magnanimous of you, I guess I should be thankful that I'm not chained or starving" she answered. "Well, yes, I think you should be grateful," he replied.

Suddenly, the sound of tires on the gravel in the driveway alerted them. Mirabel was surprised, since the only person who came that far away was Victor. She was on her feet before he could stop her, and ran down the hall to the front door. Mirabel realized that it was a blue car far older than Victor's. Miguel Valenzuela got out of his vehicle, as he stared at her with eyes wide open full of fear, “My God…” he murmured.

Mirabel felt Victor grab her forearm tightly and practically throw her behind him. "Go to your room, Mirabel" he ordered her. "But..." she began. "Now" he yelled. Mirabel returned to her room while she listened to the screams of father and son. "I can't believe you were capable of committing this villany Victor" Miguel Valenzuela shouted.

She was really curious to hear what the two of them were talking about, so while they were shouting reproaches at each other in the backyard of the house. She crept carefully into a tool room at the rear of the building, and she watched them through a tiny window.

The back garden was decorated with a country table made from the huge trunk of a fallen tree, and makeshift chairs from the rest of the trunk stuck into the grass, where vegetation grew. Miguel Valenzuela remained seated on one of these trunks, while he fanned frantically himself with his hat despite the coldness, as Victor looked at his father with an expression full of concern and his arms crossed.

"You're unbelievable, Victor, you really are," Miguel said as his little mustache danced up and down in annoyance. “I can't believe you would have had the nerve to do something like this,” he said. "The mayors of the region are really upset because she did not agree to help us, if she is still alive it is because I have intervened," he said. “My God…” Miguel Valenzuela repeated as he rubbed his temples looking like the desperate father that he was. “I don't know what I'm going to do with you, Victor. I've been asking you to leave that poor girl alone since you were a child, but you haven't listened to me, you never do it. Why does it always have to be her, Victor?" Miguel asked. That was exactly what Mirabel had spent years wondering.

"I... I don't know" Victor replied nervously. Miguel looked up at his son. "Please, tell me you haven't..." Miguel began without daring to finish the sentence. Victor seemed to take a few seconds to understand, until he finally did “oh, no, no dad, how can you think that? Who do you think I am?" he asked.

“That's an excellent question, Victor. Who are you?” Miguel replied, as he seemed to have gained momentum to scold Victor. “I don't know who you are anymore. Certainly, you are not the person I always thought: I always saw you as a somewhat temperamental young man, but very intelligent and very talented. That's why your mom and I made so much effort to pay for that university, to give you the best” Miguel began as he seemed more and more annoyed. “I always thought that deep down, you were a good-hearted man. But all I can see is a young buffoon who seems to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for a fashionable car and a couple of fine suits, with nothing more in his head than superficial ideas that lead him to commit foolery like this” Miguel said.

Victor seemed overwhelmed by that sermon, and even Mirabel felt second-hand  embarrassment, because deep down, Miguel was right. There was something very pathetic about the way he had acted so far.

"I don't know who you are anymore," Miguel repeated. "I never thought my son would be the kind of person to hold a young lady against her will," he concluded. “ Everyone in town knows it, or at least suspects it. The Madrigals will not leave things like that. They will come after you” he said. Victor got annoyed, “so let them do it. I'm sick of that family, and that all of Encanto always surrenders to them." he responded, and now it was Miguel's turn to get upset. “We owe them a lot, Victor. Alma Madrigal interceded for mom when we got to town, because nobody wanted us here. The only thing we had back then was the clothes we were wearing. Alma Madrigal herself took care that mom had a job and she even gave us a hand in the first months so that there was never a lack of food on our table, ”he said.

Dad and son were silent for a few seconds, until Miguel looked up again, he seemed exhausted. “They are using you, Victor. To all those big shots in Bogotá, you are nothing more than a small-town puppet, stupid and violent, one piece in the middle of their game, and in the end, you will be the only one who will get burned out of all this” Miguel said in a low, almost solemn tone. Victor looked closely at his father. “I can't do anything anymore. I'm up to my neck in this thing,” Victor replied.

Miguel got up slowly. “I'm going to think of a way to settle this cleanly, I'll save your ass one more time, but after that, I want you to leave this town and never come back Victor. You used to be my greatest pride, but I don't want to know anything about you anymore, you are nothing more than a shame” he said.

Mirabel ran to the other end of the house, to the entrance where Miguel Valenzuela's car was parked. "Sir, please help me" she said as she stood between him and the front door of the car: Miguel seemed to stop short and looked at her with a look full of pain. "Miss Mirabel, I'm so sorry," he said. "Please take me with you, I can't stay here," Mirabel said.

Miguel sighed deeply and took her by the shoulders. “I promise I will, I'll get you out of here, but I need you to wait just a little while longer while I make sure that both you and Victor can get out safely,” he said. Mirabel understood her, this is what she meant to help him one last time.

"Please, I can't stay here any longer," Mirabel replied. Miguel sighed. “Please, I beg you. He is my son, I cannot simply abandon him to his fate ”he asked. Mirabel knew at that moment that it was useless to continue insisting, since she had seen similar expressions in her parents every time they protected her from the injustices of her grandmother. Mirabel felt a little sorry for him, although she did not want to do it, since the situation was too serious.

Mirabel watched the car leave while she wondered over and over again what she should do.

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Camilo had barely paid attention to the work on the farm in recent days. He sometimes felt strange during work, as if he wished the whole world would stop until he made sure Mirabel was safe. However, things were not like that, and he had to use all the strength he had to get up and go to do his chores day after day despite his heart breaking with pain.

Camilo was quietly walking through the coffee plantations on the road when he saw a familiar car. It was Miguel Valenzuela 's . He had already secretly approached him before, when he warned him that Victor had traveled to meet Mirabel after her interview at the Ministry. Miguel didn't seem to expect good things from his son, like the rest of the Madrigals, and he couldn't blame him.

As he watched the car approach from the hill, his heart filled with hope, for the truth was that Aunt Julieta hadn't had any luck finding out about Victor's house. He was probably hiding in another municipality, and that would require looking at each of the registration offices until they finally found Mirabel's whereabouts, which would take months.

“Good afternoon,” Miguel said as he parked his car at the side of the road. "Good afternoon" answered Camilo while he analyzed Miguel. He looked tired, and even seemed older than he remembered. “I saw her, I saw your cousin,” he said. "Did you see Mirabel?" he asked as he felt slightly dizzy from the news. “Victor is an idiot, it probably wasn't even his idea. He was stupid enough to take her to the country house we have in the moors” Miguel said. "Why are you telling me this?" Camilo asked. "Why did you prefer to come to me than to the police?"

Miguel looked up from him and watched him in silence. “I know that if the Madrigal family confronts him, he will have no choice but to surrender, we don't have to involve the police in this. I promised years ago that I would get him out of Encanto,and this time I will do it forever, he will never bother you again, please, there is no need to go to the police with this information” he said.

Camilo watched him for a few moments. He did not share Miguel's opinion, Victor had to pay for what he did, that had stopped being a childish joke a long time ago. However, he knew that if he told Miguel that, he would not give him Mirabel's location, so he decided to accept his terms even for a while, while they found a better solution.

"Okay, I'll take care of it, I'll go get her," Camilo agreed as he shook Miguel's hand.

Hello everyone, this is close to the end, I think at most there are a couple of chapters left. Thanks for reading, bye.