Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“That was very bad Fernando!” Antonio scolded the escaped donkey. “I think I’ll take your carrots away for this…” the donkey when wide-eyed and whined at the young boy. He chuckled. “Aww, it won’t be forever! Just for the rest of the week.” The boy led the donkey back to the stable, his cousin walking next to him.

“Are you sure you lost your gift?” Luisa teased. “You can tell me. I can keep a secret.” The pair laughed.

“No, I just like to pretend.”

“It’s strange…” the young girl began. “That donkey gets loose almost every day.”

“I know!” Antonio led Fernando into a pen with other donkeys and locked the gate. “I’m starting to think that someone may be doing this on purpose.”

“Why would anyone do that?”

“Who knows, some people in this town can be strange…” the two knelt on the floor and inspected the gate’s lock. “Let’s hope-“

“Antonio!”

“And speaking of strange people…” Antonio smirked and turned to the person who had yelled his name. A blur of brown curls dashed towards them, giving each a hug.

“Hey Luisa, hey ‘Tonio.” Both Madrigal children looked surprised.

“You’re back early!” Said Luisa.

“Yeah Camilo,” Antonio agreed. “I thought you weren’t supposed to be back for a few days?”

“Well, yes…” the man nervously shrugged and looked at his younger brother. It was unbelievable how tall he was getting. They were supposed to be 10 years apart and yet they were almost the same height now. “I thought I’d make the trip back early.”

“But why?” Luisa asked. “Not that we’re not glad that you're back or anything, I’m just curious.”

“Y-you’ll have to learn with the rest of the family tonight at dinner!” And with that, the young man began walking back to his home, followed by his brother and cousin. The people of the town waved and smiled at each of them as they walked through the town. Everyone was glad to see that one of the beloved Madrigals made it home safe. All except Antonio.
Despite being 10 years apart, the two brothers were very close to each other. They knew what made the other tick, what the other needed, and when, but in this circumstance, Antonio could tell that there was something off about his brother, he just couldn’t figure out what it was. The boy jogged up and began walking next to his brother.

“Camilo,” he asked. “are you alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, I just asked if you are okay and you’re not exactly answering the question so I’ll assume you’re not…” the trio was arriving at the house. A pair of children chased each other on the front lawn, running in circles.

“I'm fine, Tonio,” Camillo fiddled with his sunrise-colored ruana, pulling the strings of his orange tassel. The younger brother noted the nervous activity. “I just thought I would come home early, I have a surprise for the family.”

“What’s-”

“TIO CAMILO!” The two children ran towards the three adults, tackling their oldest uncle. Camilo fell flat on the ground and took a good look at his niece and nephew.

“Tomas? Paula?” He jokingly asked the two children. “Is that you? You’re both so big! It must have been 30 years since I’ve last seen you two!”

“It’s been 3 days!” Paula exclaimed, sitting on her uncle's lap. “We’re only 3 days older since you last saw us!”

“You sure? You both look older than your Abuelo.”

“Tio,” Tomas began as he climbed onto Camilo’s shoulders. “Everyone said you’d be back in a few days!”

“Welp, they were wrong.” A smirk grew on the uncle's face. “Hey, do either of you know where your ma is?”

“Yeah,” the children answered in unison. Smiles grew on each of their faces. The twins might have been Dolores’ children, but they both inherited their uncle’s mischievous personality.

“Wanna help me scare her?” The niece and nephew erupted in “yeahs” and giggles as they all raced inside. All except Luisa and Antonio, who had silently witnessed the interaction.

“What do you think the surprise is?” Luisa asked her cousin.

“Knowing my brother, it’ll be something none of us would ever expect,” Antonio answered. The boy walked into the house, looking behind at his cousin who wasn’t following. “You coming?”

“I forgot an errand I had to run,” she said, turning back. “I’ll see you at dinner.” The pair waved goodbye, the younger one walking into the house. Just as Antonio stepped in, he heard a series of screams. First from Camilo, then Dolores, then the children. Each sounding scary, fearful, and joyous respectively.

“Camilo you’re way too old for this!” a smack was heard throughout the house, followed by Camilo’s cry of pain. Antonio laughed at his siblings. Years passed by and yet, some things never change… but sadly, some things do.

Antonio walked down the second floor of the casita passing each door. The boy had vague memories of the golden doors that lay along the walls of his old casita. He remembered when he earned his. The night was terrifying, as was his ceremony, but thankfully he received a gift, even if it only lasted a few days. Antonio had run those days through his head countless times since it happened, wondering if anything could have changed that night. But no matter what situation he puts in his head, one thing remains: the family never deserved the gift that was Mirabel.
The young boy stared at the door in front of him, the one he had been searching for. The one that would have belonged to his favorite prima. Even after all these years, the girl had remained his favorite. The family tried to understand, but they never truly did. The two weren’t just cousins or roommates, they were best friends. The bond between them was stronger than what either of them felt for their siblings.

Antonio looked around the small room. It was almost identical to the old nursery. Almost. The room was still a light shade of viridian green, pastel blue butterflies painted all over the walls, but the alphabet was missing. As was Mirabel’s bed. After Casita’s fall, the family decided to leave the bed broken. Fixing it would just create one more heart-wrenching memory.
The desk was the same, so was her sewing machine. One of the remnants of their original home. It was protected by Casita, who left it completely unharmed. For 25 years the golden leaves engraved with the black metal had collected dust. A spool of pear green thread stayed atop the machine, stuck in time ever since then. It was the remainder of one of her secret projects. Well, not completely secret…

• • •

“It looks like a blanket…” Antonio reflected on the memory. He was 4 years old, a few months before the incident. Mirabel had just pulled the green creation out from under her bed, wanting to show off her work to her favorite primo.

“Well, it only looks like it right now, but soon, it’ll be a beautiful apron!” she said excitedly. “It’s for my papa, you know his birthday is in a few months right?” the boy nodded his head. “Well, this is his present!”Mirabel handed the unfinished gift to her cousin, the fabric almost 3 times his size.

“But why an apron?” the young boy asked. “I thought it was your mama who made the magic food, not your papa!”

“He’s been saying he wanted to start helping mama with her cooking. I thought this could help him!” Little Antonio handed the soon-to-be apron back to his cousin, who immediately sat at her desk and continued her work. The sound of the machine whirring as she attached pockets to the apron was a memory engraved into his mind. All memories of her were.

• • •

Antonio walked his way to the mint green closet in the back of the room. He never understood his family. Closing off memories wouldn’t conceal the pain along with it. At least not for him. What did help was reminiscing, which was forbidden, at least that’s what his family says?

“I know you miss her mijo,” His parents would start.

“I do too, but we can’t speak of Mirabel.” His cousins would say.

“We don’t want to upset your tia or your tio.” His siblings would tell him.

“Or especially your Abuela.” They all feared. Sweet Antonio did as his family told him, but never understood.

The boy opened the doors, revealing nothing but a precious wooden box. Opening it revealed… clothes. These clothes weren’t simply beautiful, they were handmade by Mirabel. Camilo’s original sunshine ruana, chameleons dancing in the mustard stripes. Tio Agustin’s old tie, small but intricate details sewn in. Dumbbells and flowers for Luisa and Isabella on the front, but on the back was a mural of a field with multicolored mariposas. A cursive M with a little heart attached to its tail. Her signature.
Placed next to these items were what Antonio was looking for. His old rose-red scarf was now a bit faded. His thumb traced the stitched jaguar heads on the fabric. She always knew it was his favorite animal. Even before his ceremony-

“What are you doing?” Antonio dropped the box and turned to face the voice.

“Geez, tio-” the boy knelt and picked up the box, along with its spilled contents. “That’s a good way to kill someone, now. Do that to someone your age and they’d get a heart attack and- BLEH!” He widened his eyes and tilted his head back, doing an impression of… some kind of dead creature.

“Relax ‘Tonio,” Bruno stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. “I don’t blame you. I miss her too.”

Chapter Text

Mirabel’s feet pounded the earth below her, desperate to flee from the echoes of her name. The villagers were still searching for her. It had been hours since the fall of Casita, but the girl kept running. She saw what she did to her family. She saw the horrible effect she had on everyone and everything around her. Her entire family was devastated, their home was destroyed, and it was all because of her. But it would never happen again. 

Mirabel decided to leave. It may seem like she didn’t care, not leaving some kind of sign that she was safe, not letting a single soul know what she was doing, but this was the most thoughtful thing she had ever done in her life. At least to her, it was. She reflected on what her Tio Bruno did. He stayed with the family in secret, yet he couldn’t save the magic. She couldn’t save the magic. No matter what she did, it was in vain. The house was gone, and along with it, the Madrigal’s youngest granddaughter.

The trees and vines of the forest blended together from the girl’s tears. Everything was a blur, she couldn’t see, she couldn’t even think. It was as if her legs were on autopilot, taking her farther and farther away from her home. The ground grew uneven, making it harder to run. It was a struggle to keep herself from tripping on the rocky terrain, but of course, Mirabel persisted. The forest was completely quiet now. The chirping birds or gurgling streams all was silent. The only noise that could be heard was her sandals stomping on the ground. But that noise soon ceased as well. Mirabel forced her feet to stop running and took a deep breath in. Falling to the ground in exhaustion, she pushed her emerald glasses up to wipe her eyes clear of tears. She was in a clearing, at the top of a small hill. Looking up, she wiped her nose and saw… the sunrise. A beautiful pink sky above a little village. Lights could be seen through the windows of the houses, people waking up to start their day. It truly was a lovely sight, but not enough to calm her trembling heart. 

Mirabel was so scared. The girl had no idea where she was going, but she couldn't care less. She had to do this for her family. But how could a child survive by herself? Could she stay in the forest? Would this new village accept her? Anxious questions ran through her head, everything made the frightened feeling grow inside her. She was terrified. Mirabel’s body began to shake. It felt like the whole world followed.

It… really did feel like the world was shaking with her… Mirabel looked to the ground. Pebbles littering the floor trembled, the trees shook and before she could process any of it- she fell.

The rocks of the hill toppled down, pulling Mirabel down with them. She pulled her knees to her chest, covered her head and face with her arms, desperate to protect herself from the ground below. Tumbling and turning, the world spun and spun- then, all was still. Mirabel uncurled herself from her frightened position. She was… unharmed? Mirabel examined herself as best as she could. She was safe. How could she still be alive? The young girl picked herself up from the ground and stood in place. She had miraculously fallen right in front of the village. But screams were then heard from within. Cries of anguish echoed through the air. Once again without thinking, the runaway made her way towards the cries for help. 

On the other side of the village lay a destroyed house. Memories from the previous night tried to make their way into Mirabel’s mind, but she pushed them aside. The family of the house, a woman, an elderly couple, and two teenagers stared at their house. Only a few people had woken up from the earthquake. But they too only stared at the rubble in front of them. The only one who wasn’t staring at the house was the elderly woman, who was struggling to pull something from under some of the debris. 

“Wait,” Mirabel walked to the matriarch, startling her. Mirabel internally winced, I shouldn’t scare someone like that. Especially an elder. The woman looked around Abuela Alma’s age. Old and wise just like her own Abuela, but instead of the coldness that Mirabel associated with her, there was a warmth in this new woman’s eyes. A warmth and a sense of sadness, though of course, that made complete sense. Anyone would be sad if their home was just destroyed. “Let me help you.” Mirabel picked up a wooden plank on the ground and walked toward the woman. She wedged the plank between the two piles of rubble and pushed down, lifting the broken house from the item the Abuela was pulling. “Take it… now!” she told the woman, her voice strained from trying to lift the small portion of the broken wall. The woman snatched the fabric and gently laid it on the ground, gracefully wiping the dust off of it. 

“Thank you, my dear,” she said tenderly. “This tapestry…” The woman gazed at the embroidery on the fabric, tracing her index finger along the threads. “The world can take my home, it’s what’s on here,” she pointed at the illustration on the tapestry, “that matters!” Mirabel cautiously leaned in to see the embroidered mural. It was a family tree. Reminiscent of the one that was painted on the wall of her kitchen. The fabric was a crimson red, with people stitched in. Thankfully, the art had been unharmed. 

“It’s beautiful…” Mirabel was entranced by the tapestry. She could never imagine creating something as beautiful as that. And she had been sewing ever since she was 5 years old. 

“I’m glad you think so,” the woman gave her a lovely smile. “I can tell you have an artistic eye my dear.” she looked at the young girl's skirt and blouse, specifically the threaded designs she had sewn onto them. 

“Oh- um yes. Thank you…” The woman walked away and took a good look at her home. Everything was destroyed. The young woman went to the girl. She was around Mirabel’s age, maybe a bit older. 

“Mercedes, mija, are you okay?” The girl looked down as a surprising look grew on her face. A small cut was seen on Mercedes’ arm. It was small, but of course, it was concerning to a mother. 

“I’m fine mama, how about you and everyone else?” Mercedes looked around at her family. Everyone was still in shock at the event. People were beginning to wake up, walking by and seeing the house. Some pitifully stared at the house, grateful it wasn’t their own home. Others simply walked by, going on to do their work. 

“I’m okay,” the elderly man said. He was frail, a cane in his hand. The grandfather walked toward Mercedes and her mother, struggling until the young boy came and grabbed his arm. 

“Let me help you abuelo,”

“Ah, thank you, my boy.” 

“Mi amor!” A man ran from the side of the house to the family in the front. 

“Ramos!” said the woman.

“Papa!” Mercedes cried at the same time. 

“Everything is destroyed I…” He looked at his house. “I couldn’t believe it, I had to look around at the whole thing. I can’t- I don’t understand…” Mercedes' mother took her husband's hands into her own. “I grew up here, I dreamed of us growing old here…” They all stood in silence, staring at the house. 

“What now?” the grandmother asked. The family looked at each other in confusion. None of them knew. What could you possibly do in a situation like this? It would take a miracle to rebuild their home. 

“Well…” the family looked up at the voice. The mysterious girl who had helped Abuela Maria, Mirabel. “I know it seems hopeless, but I think you’ll all get on just fine.” Mirabel stepped up in front of them and looked at the house along with them.

“You’ll need a new foundation…”

• ••

“The house looks magnificent!” Abuela Maria said, standing next to Mirabel, who had a pencil and paper in her hand. 

“And we’re just about done with everything.” She looked over her list one more time. “We just need to move in all the furniture and appliances, and your home will be just as good as before!” Abuelo Emilio walked up to the two girls, grinning with a cane in hand.  

“My dear Mira,” he began. “We could never thank you enough!” The girl turned to her elder and gave him a heartfelt look. 

“You don’t need to thank me at all. I’ve barely done anything-”

“ ‘Barely done anything?!’ ” Mercedes popped out of the house. “Mira, please, we wouldn’t have any of this-” she gestured to the building, “If you hadn't shown up that day!” A crash was heard from the side of them. It was a little kid from the town, carrying a basket of cutlery and utensils while walking to the house, one had fallen out and broken. 

“Oh hey!” Mirabel ran to the kid. “What’s your name?”

“Mary…” she looked down at the broken glass. “I-I’m sorry.” 

“Oh, it’s an okay sweetie.” Mirabel knelt to Mary’s level. “Do you still wanna help us out?” Mary nodded her head yes. “Well, here's what you can do, see those grown-ups over there?” She pointed to the family she had been previously speaking to. “Go tell them that a plate dropped and they need to clean it up, then help them out when they’re done. Okay?”

“Okay!” Mary ran to the family and pointed in Mirabel's direction. The young girl knelt to pick up the basket. 

“Geez,” she huffed. “How’d that little kid lift all this?” She saw a familiar young boy walk past her. “Alejandro!” The boy stopped in his tracks and looked up at her. “Do you think you could help me with this?” 

“Oh, sorry, I uh, have something…”

“Of course you do- okay, I’ll see you later.” She turned around with a huff. Mirabel tried not to judge him, she did, but the man did that boy make it hard! Ever since the town began to help with the rebuilding of the house, Alejandro had been making excuses to not help. He wouldn’t even give a valid reason, he would just say “Sorry, I have to go!” and leave. Mirabel couldn’t understand it. The girl had finally made it to the front steps without dropping a single plate, until-

“WHOA- No-!” she had tripped over the last step. She feared for the glasses in her hands until she caught herself but didn’t hear anything break. Mirabel looked up, adjusting her glasses, and saw… Alejandro. 

“You looked like you needed a hand…” he held the basket with ease. Mirabel stood up straight and looked at the boy. 

“Th…Thank you,” She moved her way past him and opened the front door. “Here, let me give you a hand.”

“Thank you,” the two walked through the house. Mirabel loved this house, having spent months working on it. But it could never replace her own Casita. Mirabel had always treated Casita as if it were a friend, not simply a house. She waved to it every day, spoke to it, missed it. This house, while still being a beautiful place to live, was a house, not a home, never Casita. 

Putting the sentience of Casita aside, there were other differences between this house and Mirabel’s home. This house was one floor, with no veranda, but the rooms were much bigger than Casitas. The kitchen was grand and was scheduled to have a new oven installed later today. There were hardly any downsides, it just wasn’t Mirabel’s home.

“Hey I,” Alejandro began. “I wanted to say sorry…” Mirabel looked at him in confusion. She had never complained about Alejandro to anyone, and she had kept her exasperated feelings for him a secret. Or at least she tried.

“For what?” she asked, trying her best to not show her slight excitement for the apology. 

“I just… I feel bad for not helping out as much as everyone else…” There it is! “It’s just… being here, in this house so soon after that earthquake it… i–it honestly scares me a little…” He looked at her nervously. Had he shared too much? Mirabel stood on the other side of the table. A look of… something was on her face. It was plain, expressionless. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking. I shouldn’t have said that.  

“Oh- no, no, no, it’s okay,” she began. “I get it, what you went through as- it was insane- it was terrifying!” She moved around the table and walked towards the boy. She took his hands into her own, a gesture she knew would comfort him. “I mean- I could never imagine- well, actually I don’t have to imagine…”

“Wait what?” Alejandro interrupted. 

“That's…” Mirabel t0ok her right hand and pulled a curl from her hair, resting that arm on her left hand. An awkward pose she had been known to do. “A story for another time… The point is, I… I get it.” The two exited the kitchen and walked out of the house through the back door. 

“You can go if you want to know,” Mirabel said with a smile. 

“Are you sure?” 

“We’re almost done anyway, just be back by sunset, you’re ma said she had a surprise for everyone.” 

“Thanks, for understanding Mira…” and with that, he walked off. I should have understood… Mirabel never realized how blind she was. Alejandro wasn’t lazy, he was scared to be in his own home! She couldn’t believe she thought he was careless… Her mind had changed. He wasn’t lazy, he was compassionate and caring. She was so glad that he confided in her she never would’ve guessed how he was feeling if he hadn’t.  

Hours had passed, and after everyone’s hard work, the house was finally finished! Well, almost finished. Abuela Maria, Josephina, and Mercedes had had this little surprise, one final step to complete the house. But, Josephina was running late with whatever it was. The family and a few of their close friends were gathered in front of the house, patiently waiting for the mother to return home. 

“Hey, Alejandro,” Mira nudged the boy next to her. “Do you know what this super special surprise is?” A smirk grew on his face. 

“Nope.” He playfully looked at her and then up in the sky. She slammed her fist into her palm.

“Ha! You do!” Mirabel stepped closer to the boy. “You gotta tell me!” 

“I can’t, it’s a surprise!” 

“Come onnnn!” 

“Nope.” 

“Tell me!” 

“Never.”

“Please~?” Alejandro leaned closer to the girl and looked into her eyes. 

“I will take this super secret special surprise to my-”

“I’m here!” Josephina ran to the house, a small box clutched in her hand. 

“What took so long?” Abuela Maria asked.

“They were still making it when I got there,” She said, handing the box to her elder. Abuela Maria took the box and peeked inside. 

“It’s not much,” she looked up at her family, “but it should do.” She turned to the two teenagers, still jokingly bickering about what the super-secret special surprise could be. “Mirabel?” The two went silent and looked up. “Please come over here, dear?” 

“Of course…” Mirabel curiously walked over to Abuela Maria. 

“We’ve told you there's one last thing we need to do…”

“Yes..?”

“Well, we figured that you would like to finish what you started.”

“Umm..” Mirabel looked around at the family that surrounded her. “I’m not sure what you mean?”

“The last thing we need before the celebration,” Maria opened the box and took out a small golden sphere. “We need a doorknob…” Mirabel took the doorknob in her hand. It was small, so familiar, and yet, so breathtaking. She gazed at the object in her hand. There was a butterfly engraved onto it, but it had dashed lines instead of one flowing one, making it look as if it were a stitched design on a piece of fabric. Mirabel stared at the knob, completely starstruck, it was so simple yet so beautiful. It was hilarious in a way. The world around her could never guess the history between her and a doorknob. Her surroundings were engulfed in silence, not a sound could be heard.

“I know it isn’t much,” Mercedes said. “but we had it made for you!” 

“To thank you for all you’ve done for us.” Said her father.

“And don’t you dare say you’ve done nothing!” Abuelo Emilio chimed in. “You’ve done more for this family than anyone here!.” Mirabel chuckled but kept staring at the doorknob. Her golden reflection showed tears forming in her eyes. 

“What do you see?” Alejandro asked, only half-joking. He could see that, for some reason, this doorknob meant more than a way to enter the house. 

“Me.” Mirabel affirmingly whispered. Loud enough for the boy's ears, but quiet enough to be heard as a mumble to everyone else. “All of me.” Mirabel walked to the door and stuck the knob in, turning it, and… nothing. But it wasn’t nothing. It was the greatest gift she could ever ask for. A new home. A new life. A new family. Mirabel opened the door and stepped into the house. 

“Come on!” she said, beckoning the others to follow with her smile. “Get in here!”

•••

“So…” Alejandro began, swallowing his lemonade. He stood next to Mirabel, who casually leaned against the wall of the hallway. The faint noises of the party in the kitchen could be heard. Laughter echoed throughout the new home. Alejandro thought this muffled area would be a good place to ask her about the doorknob.  “What are you doing back here?” Mirabel looked up at him.

“I just felt…” she rubbed her arms with her hands, crossing them in front of her chest. “I don’t know… overwhelmed..? I’m not too sure, I think I’m tired.” 

“Well, that makes sense.” He said, offering her a cup of juice. “Everyone is tired, but they all just want an excuse to party.” The two stood in comfortable silence. Alejandro sat on the floor and leaned back, resting his back on his sister’s bedroom door. Mirabel took a sip from the cup he had offered her, closed her eyes, and craned her neck to face the ceiling. 

“Hey,” Alejandro began. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah,” She took a sip of her drink and looked down at him. “What’s up?”

“Well, earlier…” Alejandro continued. “You almost started crying… because of the doorknob..?” Mirabel tucked a curl behind her ear and looked at her feet in embarrassment. 

“It wasn’t just the door knob,” Mirabel wanted to continue telling him, but she also wanted to stop talking altogether. But she decided to persist. “There’s this whole big story… it’s not worth getting into- plus it's long!”

“We have all night.” Alejandro was desperate to know more about this girl. He cared for her, not to mention his curiosity. Mirabel came out of nowhere and immediately helped him and his family. The boy was desperate to know where she was from and how she knew that they needed help. Was she magic? Or was it a simple coincidence? He had not a clue. But perhaps she did.

“Well…” Mirabel slid down the wall, hugging her knees to her chest. “It all began with my Abuela Alma and my Abuelo Pedro…” And so, Mirabel told Alejandro everything. From the candle to the house, from her ceremony to how she was treated. But she assured him that none of it mattered now. She had something that she never could have imagined. A fresh start. A kind family. A new foundation.

Chapter Text

“Relax ‘Tonio,” Bruno stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. “I don’t blame you. I miss her too.” The boy’s uncle walked toward him and reached out for the box. “Can I see?” 

“Uh,” Antonio stood in confusion. He had never really thought his uncle would miss Mirabel. He had “disappeared” when she was only 5 years old, only to reunite for one day 10 years later. Then, it was her turn to vanish. “...sure.” The boy handed the box to his uncle, who happily took it. 

“How often do you come up here?” Bruno asked, sifting through the contents of the box. 

“Oh, uh…” Antonio hesitated. He couldn’t be sure if Bruno was asking out of concern, or if he would tell the family what he had been doing. “This is my first time here…” Bruno gave his nephew a judgemental look. Antonio had many talents. Cooking, dancing, his bond with animals- but not lying. Definitely not lying. The boy sighed and walked to the corner of the room, leaning his back against the wall and sliding down. “I try to limit myself to coming here every 2 weeks. So far it’s going pretty well.” Bruno walked towards his sobrino and knelt to his level.

“I’d say I come here about…” he narrowed his eyes and looked up, calculating his trips to the lost Madrigal child’s room. “About every other day.” Antonio’s eyes widened as he looked at his tio in surprise. 

“Really!?” He turned towards his uncle. “I-I just didn’t think you two were… that close…”

“Well, we were…” Bruno tried to explain. “It’s kinda hard to put into words… When she was little, we were close.” The man leaned in close to his nephew. “If I’m honest, Mirabel is my favorite sobrina…” Antonio sat in his place, shocked at the word his uncle used. Is..? 

“Mirabel was such a sweet girl, always drawing or making her arts and crafts.” He continued “You could give her almost anything, and she’d turn it into a masterpiece…” Bruno looked at the open box in his hands. “I remember, right after her ceremony, before Abuela told me to look into the future, she had punished Mirabel from going outside that day.” Antonio furrowed his brows.

“Punished her?” he asked. “It wasn’t her fault she didn’t get a gift!” 

“Abuela…” Bruno tried to explain. “Never exactly had her head on straight… She was angry and confused and worried about our home. She didn't want to risk Mirabel doing something to ‘hurt the family’ …” Antonio listened to the story, intrigued by his grandmother’s cruelty. “That day, Mirabel and her sisters were supposed to play a game of football with some of the kids in town. When Abuela told her she had to stay home, she started crying and got sent to her room.

“She was only 5, so not playing this game was the end of the world to her. No matter what her parents did, she wouldn’t stop crying, and it didn’t help that Isabela and Luisa had gone without her. Julieta had some work to do in town, so I told her that she and Agustin could go while I stayed and watched Mirabel. They agreed and I uh…” Bruno nervously scratched his head. “Well, I couldn’t bear to see my sobrina so sad like that so I just… let her go…”

“Did either of you get in trouble?” 

“Nope. She stayed hidden and just watched from afar.” Bruno looked up at the butterflies on the wall. 

“That was nice of you,” Antonio commented. “I’m glad you didn’t listen to Abuela and let your 5-year-old niece sneak out.” He joked.  Bruno rolled his eyes.

“Yeah… I guess I’m always letting her run away-” The man shut his lips together quickly, not realizing what he was saying. Bruno’s eyes went wide, how could he be so careless!?

“You’ve… done it more than once?” Antonio looked at his uncle, who stared intensely at the ground. “Tio?” Something was… off. When else would Bruno “let Mirabel run away?” The football story happened right before he “left,” and he reappeared at the same time that she… “Tio, what are you talking about?”  Bruno stood up and began walking towards the door, but Antonio needed an answer. He grabbed his uncle's shoulder and turned him to face him as gently as he could. “Tio, tell me.”

“It’s nothing-”

“You wouldn’t be avoiding this if it was nothing.”

“Antonio, can I…” Bruno paused for a moment, running a hair through his hair and taking a deep breath in. “Can I trust you?”

“Yes, of course, tio.”

“I’m going to tell you something, I swore I’d never tell anyone, but now I’m asking you to do the same.” 

“Tio Bruno, please just tell me.”. 

“On the night of Casita’s fall, I lied to everyone.”  Bruno walked to the window and rested both his hands on opposite sides of the sill. “No one could find Mirabel. No one except for me…”

•••

Bruno walked through the forest, searching for his youngest sobrina. After casita fell, he heard his family calling for Mirabel. She was missing. He searched past the mountains, through the forest terrain, he even contemplated having a prophecy that would tell him where she was but decided against it. By the time he saw where she was, she probably would have moved to a different place. Bruno walked near the hill towards the river, when he saw a flash of turquoise running in the distance. 

“Mirabel?” the girl turned her head for a moment, only to begin running again. “Mirabel!” Bruno ran after her, chasing her down the hill and to the river, just before she stepped into the shallow waters, he caught up to her and grabbed her shoulder. “Mirabel, pleas-”

“STOP IT!” She yelled, breathing hard. Her face was stained with tears, her bottom lip curling down. “Tio I need to leave, you have to let me go!”

“No you don’t, we can figure this out we just-”

“There’s nothing to figure out!” Her breaths were shaking, her whole body was trembling. “Look at our family- look at the Encanto !” She gestured up the hill. “Everything is destroyed, it's all gone. Because of me.”

“No, Mira, it’s not-”

“Yes, it is! I was wrong about your vision, I wasn’t fixing the house, I wasn’t saving the miracle, I was making it disappear. I destroyed the magic…” Mirabel stepped toward her uncle. “Tio, please. I need to do this. For the family.” Bruno was silent. This truly seemed like something she wanted to do. The man took his niece and gave her the warmest hug he could. The two stood there for a great moment, Mirabel crying into her uncle's hooded ruana and Bruno resting his cheek on her head. They finally parted and took a good look at each other. Bruno turned and took a few steps away from the river. The girl sniffled and wiped her nose with her wrist. 

“I know I said that I would bring you home,” she said. “But I think you’ll be able to do that yourself…” Bruno smiled at his sobrina.

“I never saw you.” He began walking up the hill. “I promise, I’ll never tell anyone about this.” until he heard her. 

“Hey, tio?” Bruno turned to his niece, she looked so small. Almost exactly how she looked the first time he let her sneak away. Tear-stained face and craning her neck up at him. “Thank you.” she smiled at her uncle, so lovingly. “Now go home.” He smiled back at her. 

“I will.” he turned to continue his journey up the hill, hearing her feet push through the waters of the stream. 

•••

Antonio stared at his tio, eyes widened, mouth agape, and eyebrows raised to the ceiling. He felt as if his ears were deceiving him, or his uncle was playing some kind of horribly sick joke. It had to be one of those, right? Mirabel is… safe? She’s out there, living some strange life away from the Encanto? She just run away?

“Antonio?” Bruno cautiously stepped towards his nephew, who walked to the desk and leaned his back against it, resting his forehead in his palm. 

“I… I can’t believe this.” he rubbed his face with his hands and then ran his hands on his hair, staring at the ceiling. “I- I mean I can’t believe- I can’t believe this!”

“I can’t believe either of you.” The two jumped at the voice. Isabella had silently opened the door and stood in the hall staring at the two. “We have been calling the two of you for the past 10 minutes. It’s time for dinner!” the two stared at her, pondering how much she heard. “You know,” she began. They both thought the same thing. Oh no, what was she gonna say? “I’m not sure it’s good for you two to be in here.” The boys stayed in place, still shocked at the young woman in the doorway.

She didn’t hear anything… Bruno thought. Isabella walked into the room and took the box from Antonio. 

“You two head downstairs, I’ll put this away.” She walked towards the closet and opened the doors. The young woman turned around and saw the boys had stayed in place. “Well? Go on! The family has been waiting long enough.” The pair walked out of the room and downstairs to the dining room. Both glanced at each other awkwardly as they walked down the stairs, Isa following behind them

Chapter Text

Mira winced at the fresh sunlight sneaking into her eyes to shine her awake. She stretched her hands above her head and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, which she then covered with her golden circular glasses. Mira got ready for the day, resisting the urge to reminisce over her old life, trying to keep it hidden in the back of her mind. There was no need to think about the past, but sometimes she couldn’t help it. It always felt odd, getting dressed by herself, slipping on her sandals on her own, the floorboards not moving to push her things to the side. It all felt so bizarre. One thing she would never miss was her daily affirmation. Every day, before leaving the nursery, she distinctly remembered the words she would say to herself: “Make your family proud!” It was pathetic. Mirabel dedicated her life to trying to-

No, no, no. She wasn’t going to think of those times. She wasn’t going to waste her mind on all of that. She had more important things to attend to. For example, breakfast. Ever since that fateful day 10 years ago, the Salazar family claimed that they could never repay Mira enough for rebuilding their home, no matter what she told them. So they came up with a compromise: she could come over for a meal whenever she wanted as a “repayment.” Mira, who as any sane person would never object to free food, went to the family’s house 3 times a day every day ever since. 

Mira walked across the road to the Salazar home. The house thankfully stood strong after all these years. It looked just as beautiful as when they first finished building it. Mira walked to the side of the house and made her way to the window, knocking on the shutters. A pair of hazel brown eyes peeked through. 

“Come in,” Mercedes' voice said. “Help me set the table, breakfast is finished.” Mira went to the front door and into the house. She stepped into the kitchen and grabbed some plates from the cupboard to place them on the table. 

“How’d you sleep?” Mira asked her friend. The girls had become such close friends over the years, almost like sisters. 

“Alright I guess,” she answered, pouring coffee into her mug. Mercedes yawned and took a sip of her heated drink. “I was so tired this morning, I didn’t even want to get out of bed!” 

“What time did you go to sleep last night?”

“Same time as always. I’m not sure why I’m suddenly so sleepy.”

“Maybe try taking a nap during the day?” The girls turned to Alejandro, who was standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

“Good morning, Andro” Mirabel smiled at the boy, her face warming up at his sight.

“ ‘Morning, Mira,” Alejandro replied with a smile, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “Seriously, you should take more naps, you get cranky when you’re tired.” Mercedes lightly smacked her little brother on the shoulder. He turned to Mirabel. “You see this? She’s only proving my point!” They all sat down at the table and talked, filling their stomachs with the delicious food the eldest sister had prepared. As they spoke, each member of the Salazar family joined and sat at the table, one by one until the entire house was woken up.

“Mira,” Abuela began. “Be a dear and open the shutters?” 

“Of course, Abuela Maria.” Mira did as she was asked, only to be met with a little boy running up the street to the front of the house, running towards them. 

“Mira!” he yelled, stopping at the door to knock. Mira ran to the door and let the boy in. It was Pablo, he was about 8 years old. Mira remembered him from all the times he interrupted the sewing lessons she tried to teach his mother. “Senorita Mira, it’s my brother!” 

“Hey buddy,” She knelt to his level and placed her hands on his shoulders. “I need you to take a deep breath and calm down.” Pablo did as he was asked. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s my brother, we were walking by the river and- and he fell!” Mira’s eyes widened at the news. She quickly stood up and ran out the door. “I’ll be right back-” 

“I’m coming with you!” Alejandro cried, following right behind her. The 3 ran through the town until they had gotten to the center of the town, which is when Mira separated from the group. The girl ran into the house of the town's Doctor, Gilberto Cepeda, running out as quickly as she went in. The girl caught up with the others and followed them into the forest. Climbing down the hill, the trio made their way to the river bank, searching around for Pablo's brother, whose name, they had learned, was Tiago

“Hehe was somewhere around here-” Pablo stood in the shallow river, the smallest of waves parting at his calves. “I-I left him right here!” His face was moist with tears. Mira and Alejandro watched as the boy turned himself around in the river. 

“Hey,” Mira began. “I’ll try to calm him down, you look for his brother.” 

“Where would I look?” Alejandro asked. 

“If I were him, I would have tried to get to town myself…” She thought for a moment and looked around. “There!” She pointed at some leaves that were parted, exposing a brown leather sandal in the damp soil. Trailing in front of it were footsteps that could be seen with a keen eye. “Follow those tracks.”

“Got it!” The man did as he was told, leaving Mira and the little boy alone in the stream. The young woman walked her way to the boy, who was now standing still in the water, his chest heaving nervously. She wiped his tears away with her thumb and rested her hands on his shoulders. “Pablo,” the boy sniffled as he wiped a few more tears that had escaped from his eyes. “I need you to look at me, okay?” the boy did as he was asked, still sniffling. “Alright, now, take a deep breath in,” the boy sucked in a shaky breath, not stopping until his lungs and cheeks were filled with oxygen. “Great! Now, hold it,” The boy closed his eyes tight, puckering his lips in an attempt to hold his breath for however long Mira told him to. “Now, breathe out” Pablo blew out every last breath in his lungs, taking a deep breath in when he was finished. “Great job, Pablo!” she said with a soft chuckle. “Let’s sit down.” The two walked towards a rock at the riverbank, sitting down and letting their feet dangle in front of them. Mira’s toes splashed in the little waves while Pablo’s feet hovered just above the waters. “So,” the girl began. “What were you and your brother doing out here?” 

“It’s our mama’s birthday tomorrow,” he answered. “We wanted to pick a bunch of flowers for her. We came down here and Tiago saw a pinky-orangy flower. He- he went to pick it and he slipped...” Mira looked around and saw a single flower that fit the boy’s description. A light orange flower, almost yellow but not quite, a lovely pink shaded each petal tip, creating a gradient for the flower. 

“That one?” She cautiously asked, not knowing the boy's reaction to the flower that led to his brother’s fall, but hoping it would make him happy that he had found his mother's gift. Pablo turned around and looked up in the direction Mira pointed at. 

“Yeah,” Pablo answered. “Yeah, that’s the one!” Mira held the boy's hand and carefully walked to the grassy grounds of the forest before slowly ascending the hill to the flower. Mira had a slight knowledge of plants and flowers. Memories of her eldest sister stirred in her brain. When the 2 were little, the girls would huddle together and read from one of their father’s botany books. Since Mira was only 4, she was easily fascinated by whatever her big sister said. And since no one else was interested in Isa’s flower facts, Mira was the perfect reading partner. The two were fascinated with the contents of the book, reading together on a swing of vines until baby Mira was too tired to listen. 

Mira carefully dug up the ground around the plant, mindful to protect its roots. “How about instead of picking a bunch of flowers, you give her one?” Pablo gave her a confused look. 

“But wouldn’t a bunch of them be better?”

“Nah,” Mira offhandedly said, scrunching her nose. “Think about it. Everyone gives their mom a bunch of flowers for her birthday, giving her 1 single flower would never be expected!” 

“I guess you’re right…” 

“You know Ramos Salazar?” the boy nodded his head. “He makes the best pottery, I betcha he’ll give you a beautiful vase for your mom.”

“Really-!” Shaking leaves interrupted the 2. It was Alejandro, emerging from the forest with Tiago’s arm swung over the older boy’s shoulder. 

“Tiago!”

“Pablo!” The little boy almost ran into his older brother, only to stop a step before him and gently hug his torso, the only part he was able to reach. “Hey, I’m okay,” a soft chuckle escaped him. He turned to Alejandro. “Thank you,” then looked up to Mira. “Both of you.”

“Don’t thank us yet,” Mira looked down at Tiago’s foot, visibly injured from the fall. “Tiago, can you sit?”

“I think…” Alejandro helped as Tiago crouched down and extended his ailed leg in front of him and pulled his left leg towards him, his heel touching his inner thigh. Mira knelt and examined the foot, mentally thanking her mother for educating her on different injuries and how to aid them. “I know I can easily fix you up with food, but I’m not always gonna be around…” Her mama’s words fluttered in her brain. It was a dark statement, yes, but her mother always prepared for the worst. 

“Am I okay?” Tiago cautiously asked. Mira reached inside her bag and pulled out what she had brought with her from Doctor Gilberto’s house. Bandages. 

“It’s just a sprain,” she said as she wrapped her foot up. “You’ll need to rest your leg for a while, I’ll ask Doctor Berto exactly how long when we get back to the town.” Mira held his hands as she picked him up. She pointed up at the rocks along the hill. “And stay away from those rocks, they’re all slippery, I think it’s why you fell.”

“By the way,” Alejandro began to ask. “If you fell over here, how did you get over there?” 

“Oh, yeah…” Tiago began. “When I told Pablo to get help, I was worried he’d call our parents and I’d get in trouble. I’m not exactly supposed to be in the forest so I tried to walk back to town myself…” Pablo’s face puffed up angrily.

“I’m not a snitch!”  Mira gave the boys a tired smile. 

“Alright, alright” Mira turned to Tiago. “We’ll figure out a cover story on our way back.” She let Alejandro carry him again. “Let’s go!” 

•••

“So you saved a kid's life, stopped another kid from having a panic attack, stopped both kids from getting their butts whooped, and even got a woman a gift before lunchtime?” Mercedes asked, walking with Mira. The two friends were eating some papaya slices that Josephina had given them, Mercedes taking another bite after asking the question.

“Nope,” Mira said, finishing her snack. “First of all, I never saved Tiago, I just put some bandages on his foot. Second, it was your brother who found him. Third, he didn’t have a panic attack; he was just scared for his brother. Lastly, it was Pablo and Tiago who found the gift, not me. The only thing I did was get them out of trouble.” Mercedes smirked and rolled her narrowed eyes at her friend. 

“Yeah right,” she said, finishing the last of her papaya. “You did everything. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re lying about Alejandro doing anything just because you two are together.” Mira tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at Mercedes. 

“What do you mean ‘lying’ ?”

“Well,” the girl began. “He doesn’t exactly do much… Honestly, he’s just lazy!” Mirabel knew her Andro well, and if she knew anything about that boy, it was that he had his reasons for not doing certain things. Fear, forgetfulness, even just not knowing how to do it. 

“Hey,” Mira turned to her friend. “Have you tried talking to him about it?” Mercedes gave Mira a confused look this time. 

“No…” she looked down in embarrassment. “I never really thought of that…”

“Try it. I know Alejandro may seem lazy, but he’s helpful and kind and- and I know he’s not the smartest but he still tries hard and-” Mira sucked in some air through her teeth and remembered who she was talking to, and the subject. Alejandro. Did she share some of her feelings for him with his sister? Then again, they were like sisters, maybe more considering she felt closer to Mercedes than her actual siblings. 

Mercedes smirked at her, nudging her with her elbow with a laugh. “Hey, how are things with you and my brother by the way?” Mira blushed and looked down. 

“Oh well ah-” Mira scratched the back of her head with her finger. Damn it, that boy made her nervous by just thinking about him… “Pretty well, he’s very sweet and respectful…” Mercedes paused to think for a moment.

“You can do so much better.” Mira pushed her lightly, both of them laughing while Mira walked quicker. “Seriously, I can give you a list of eligible men in this town!” she continued to chase Mira down the road, reassuring her that Mercedes was a better sister than her real ones. The one who never seemed to care and one who hated her for most of her life. It was sad, but none of it mattered now. That’s all in the past, and she had a sister who loved her, teased her but cared, and she cared right back.

Chapter Text

“¡Atención, atención!” Camilo stood up from his chair and tapped his spoon to his glass. The family quieted down and turned to the man, all except for Isabella, his cousin, and the oldest of the grandchildren, who seemed distracted. She hadn’t touched her glass nor even looked at her plate. While everyone else was finishing off their second helpings Isa hadn’t taken a single bite. She only stared into the space across from her, looking at the wall between her tio Felix and tia Pepa. “I uh, I have a small request for all of you…” A nervous look crept on Camilo’s face. “Well, it's not a request, it’s more of an offer- er-” He took a sip from his glass and set it down on the table. “I- uh, we, would like to invite some of you- if- if you want- to umm…”

“We would like,” Carmen stood up and took over for her nervous love. “To invite you all to come to see our new home!” The family sat in confusion. The girl’s sister-in-law turned to her brother. 

“You want us all to travel for an entire day just to see your new house?” Dolores asked in her soft voice. “And then travel back? Why?” 

“It was Camilo’s idea!” Carmen answered, her gentle hands placed on her husband’s shoulder, the other holding one of his. “He thought it would be a way to see us off before we leave the Encanto.” 

“Well,” Mariano began, wiping some food off of his son’s face. “It would be nice to say goodbye, right amor? He looked up at his wife. 

“I suppose…”

“It does sound nice mijo,” Felix began. “But some of us-” he quickly shifted his eyes to Bisabuela Alma, who was taking a long drink from her water. “Can't travel as well as others.” 

“Well…” Carmen placed her index finger under the dip of her bottom lip, a common thing she did when she was thinking. “How about just the cousins come? The abuelas, abuelos, and ninos can stay in the casita, and we’ll all be back in a week.” The cousins all looked at each other. Antonio finished chewing the last of his food and spoke up. 

“Why not?” the boy asked. 

“Yeah,” Luisa agreed. “It could be fun. Right, Isa?” She looked at her older sister, who was still staring at the wall. “Isa?” she cautiously asked, gently nudging her with her elbow. Isabella gasped as if she saw one of her tio’s rats. She looked around in confusion, almost not knowing where she was, only to remember it was the dining table, her plate in front of her with cold, untouched food. 

“What! Oh uh-” she looked up at her sister. “Oh yeah, that would be fun…” 

•••

Isa sat on her bed, her knees tucked under her thighs. Her back curled down to better focus on the-

“Can I come in?” A knock at her room’s door interrupted Isa’s train of thought. Luisa .  Isa scrambled around her room, her younger sister hearing the shuffling behind the door, and let her in.

“Luisa, hey,” she opened the door up to her sister and stepped back. “What’s up?” 

“Well,” the younger of the two began. “You were acting kinda weird during dinner, I just wanted to check-in.” 

“Oh, I’m fine- I’m fine,” Isa answered, waving her hand at her sister. “I’m just really tired today, I’m not sure why…”

“Are you sure? If there’s something up, you can talk to me.”

“I know, I know I just…” she looked back into her room, her eyes drifting to her desk. A little cactus sat next to her father’s botany book. A single orange petal from one of the flowers had fallen into the soil of the pot, quietly resting above the dirt. “I’ve been thinking… about things…” Luisa knew well of the night Isa created that cactus… 

The night Mirabel was able to draw the true Isabella out, the imperfect, messy, and wild Isabella. The one who wasn’t afraid to show how she felt about anything, nor speak what was on her mind. The one with a bit of a short temper, but was still unafraid to show her femininity and compassion. The one who grew to miss her baby sister. 

“Hey, come here,” Luisa embraced Isa in a warm hug, allowing her eldest sister to bury her face in her chest. “I miss her too…” The 2 stood in the doorway for a moment, both resisting the urge to cry, fearing the other would start in return. Isabela was the first to let go. 

“Thank you,” she looked up at her little sister. So tall and strong, even without her gift. “I-I’m gonna turn in for the night…”

“Okay, good night.” Luisa tried to say, only for Isa to close the door before she could finish. 

Isabella walked back to her bed and searched under her pillow for the item she hid from her sister. A royal blue crocheted flower, little yellow beads threaded in the middle. Mirabel always knew she liked blue more than lilac. Even when neither of their parents did. 

Isabella stored this flower under her pillow ever since the fall of Casita, holding it as if it was her baby sister’s hand. She cried to it at night, regretting every time she breathed the words-

“I hate you!” 

“You’re useless.” 

“Just get out of the way.”

“I hate you!”

“You just mess everything up!”

“I hate you!”

“I hate you.”

“I hate you-”

A tear slipped out of her eye. She never got to apologize. Never got a chance to truly thank Mirabel for allowing her to be her true self. She never got to say goodbye. This little flower was the only thing she had of her sister, and she couldn't stand it. 

Chapter Text

Mira walked down the stone pathway to the Salazar's home. The girl’s day had been quite hectic; she had to fish a boy out of a well, fix a broken wagon, and return a lost donkey to his barn. But now, with the sun beginning its descent behind the mountains, Mira was ready to enjoy some of Abuela Maria’s famous empanadas and then go to her own house for a long, deep slumber... 

“Mirabel!” she turned around to see-

“Andro!” The boy ran to her and held his amor by the shoulders. “Hey uh- can I- um, show you something?” Mira’s brows furrowed in concern. 

“Is something wrong?” She asked. Mira had gotten so used to being the miraculous helper of the town, she often thought that if she heard her name being called, she would have to follow it to some sort of catastrophe. 

“Nonono,  everything’s fine, mi vida. I just wanna- um…” Alejandro rubbed his neck with his right hand. “There are a few things I wanted to show you, around town…” Mirabel thought for a moment. She was hungry… but food could wait for her amor. 

“Oh, why not?” Alejandro happily took her hand and led her to their first stop. 

“So, I’ve been thinking a lot…” Alejandro began.

“About..?” Mira asked.

“About us…” he stopped walking in the middle of the road. Perfectly between the Salazar’s casita and her own little house. “Do you remember when we met all those years ago?” he says, gesturing to his own house. “This is where you rebuild my home. Where you helped me get over my fear of my casita.” 

“Yeah, I know,” Mira said with a smirk. “I was there…”

“Yeah well, I’ve always thought that was so brave of you. You just showed up at this village and before we knew it, you fixed everything.” Alejandro began walking again. Mira knew where he was taking her. The town square, a clearing of buildings that surrounded the well. “So, that was one of the things I was thinking about…”

“Oh yeah?” she asked. “What else have you been thinking about?” The lovers walked through the square, some townsfolk waving at them as they returned to their homes for the night. Alejandro led Mira to the well in the very center of the town. The two sat on the stone wall and watched the white fluffs fade away to flying carnation-colored clouds. Children raced home from their football game, desperate to get home before the sunset lest they face their parent’s anger.

“Do you remember,” Alejandro broke the silence? “About 5 years ago, we sat by this well just like this?”

“Yeah…” Mira answered as a smile grew on her face. “This is where you first asked me to have dinner with you,” she turned to him with a teasing look. “ Alone~ ” 

“Yeah…” Alejandro looked down and shoved his hands in his pockets. “It’s also where we had our first kiss…”

“Oh, how could I ever forget!?” Mira exclaimed. “You wanted us to be just the two of us, so you had us come out here in the dead of night with just a lantern.”

“Hey, that’s not the only reason I had us come here at night!” He said with a light chuckle. “I wanted us to be under the stars.”

“Ah yes, las estrellas hermosas…” she smiled at her amor. “They were beautiful that night, weren’t they?”

“Yeah…” Alejandro looked forward to the clearing of trees in the forest ahead. He stood up and reached his hand out to Mira. “One last stop…” The two walked through the town. The sunset, now a glowing tangerine, bathed them in warmth. The lovers walked up a hill to the edge of town, straying off the path as they walked through the long overgrown grass. Mira’s fingertips grazed the greenery that lay at her legs. They stopped at the very edge of town, the pathway now leading to the forest. A path Mira barely knew anymore. 

“So…” The girl began to ask. She looked around at the town. It was so quiet this time of day… “We visited where we first met, we visited where we had our first kiss, what’s so special about-” She turned around, and was speechless. 

“This is where I propose to you.” Alejandro knelt on one knee. In his hand is a box with a golden ring resting inside. A small diamond sat in the center of the band, held up by two butterfly wings. Mirabel stood in silence. Her mouth was agape and her eyebrows raised to the sky. “Mira, I…” Andro cleared his throat and continued. “I-I love you. I love your passion, I love your strength, I love your need to help anyone no matter what. I remember that day you came to us, you were a shining star, a miracle…” Tears seeped from his eyes, matching Mira’s already drenched face. “Mira… you told me you first came to this town to escape, to find a new beginning… Would you like to begin something with me?” Mira gasped as she wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand. Rushing to the ground, Mira hugged Alejandro, just before enveloping his face in her hands and giving him a fiery, heartfelt kiss. 

•••

“Felicidades!” Everyone shouted as the newly engaged couple walked back to the town square. A celebration was needed, after all, Mira and Alejandro were finally set to be wed! 

“Did you plan all of this?” Mira asked her now fiance. They walked, arms linked, towards Mercedes.

“Nah,” Andro answered casually. “Not alone at least…”

“I planned it all myself,” Mercedes hugged her future sister-in-law. “All alone~ All for my future hermana!”

Chapter Text

The Madrigal grandchildren walked their way through the split mountains. It had become an iconic sight, amazing to most people who set their eyes on it, but not for this family. The group stayed silent, remaining quiet enough to hear the smallest of sounds, from the steps below them to the chirping birds above them. Camilo and his wife, Carmen, led the group far ahead of Antonio and Luisa, who each guided a donkey through the forest with them. Dolores and Mariano followed close behind them, the husband worrying about their twins terrorizing his in-laws. Isabella quietly followed at a distance behind the rest of the group, staring at the greenery around her, something weighing heavily on her mind, something she preferred to keep quiet about.

Carmen turned to her husband, taking one of his hands in hers. “You should tell at least one of the girls,” She whispered to him. “They need to know before we get there.” Camilo winced. To his dismay, his wife was right.

“Aye, I know mi vida,” he replied. “But how could anyone possibly tell anyone something like that!” Carmen patted his hand, quieting him down. 

“I think…” she began to say. She looked back at the rest of the group, specifically Isabella. The eldest grandchild had been almost completely silent since they left the Casita, only mumbling when they had sat down for breakfast and lunch throughout the day. It is getting close to dinner time now, the town grows nearer and nearer.  “I think you just need to do it quickly. Just spit it out, what matters is that they hear what you need to say.” 

“I know, I know, but what do I say? ” Carmen stopped and thought for a moment. 

“Well, yo-”

“Look!” Antonio interrupted. He pointed past the leading couple and walked towards them.  It was the town. The group took in their surroundings. They were in a clearing, along the path, at the top of a large hill. The two looked up and saw… the sunset. A charming vermillion sky above a little village. Music and cheers could be heard flooding out the windows of the houses, figures dancing happily in the streets, fireworks lighting up in the sky. It was a delightful sight, a perfect greeting for the restless familia. “Looks like a celebration…”

“Do you know what they’re so excited about, primo?” Luisa asked. Camilo looked to the ground and rubbed his neck. He had only met one person when he purchased the house, and even then the two barely spoke. He didn’t know what occasion they could be celebrating. 

“Uh- no…” he answered. 

“Let’s go down and meet some of the people!” Dolores suggested. “You said the man who sold you the house was nice, right?”

“Well, yeah but-” Camilo answered. 

“Plus,” Antonio cut in, “They’re probably serving food there!” Antonio helped the donkey down the path, followed by Luisa, Dolores and Mariano, Isabella, until only Carmen and Camilo remained at the top of the hill.

“Okay, at this point it doesn’t matter how you say it.” Carmen took his cheek in her kind hand. “You just need to tell them.” Camilo looked down at his primas, both almost at the bottom of the hill with the group. He took a deep breath and kissed his beloved. 

“Okay,” he said. “But promise you’ll stay by my side.” 

“Of course,” Carmen started down the mountain, hurrying to catch up with her new familia. 

•••

Luisa leaned against the wooden post of the well, handing her older sister two picarones wrapped in a napkin. “The folks in this town are nice! ” Isa mumbled a thanks and took a bite out of the morsel. 

“Apparently all this food is for an engagement celebration.” Antonio mentioned. Isa continued to quietly chew her food. Luisa crossed her arms and sighed. 

“Okay, what is up with you today?” Luisa asked. “You’ve been completely quiet this whole trip.” Isa finally finished chewing and slowly looked up. 

“Look, I’m sorry I just-” Isa pushed her hair behind her ear and sighed. “I told you I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, I’ve been thinking about-”

“Isa!” Camilo ran towards his cousins and brother, his wife leading him by the hand. “Luisa- Antonio!” He took a moment to catch his breath. “I- I’m glad you’re all enjoying yourselves but I um- I need to tell you all something.” A nervous smile crept onto his face. “Luisa, Tonito, maybe you two should um- sit down for this…” The trio exchanged glances at each other, suspicious of the man’s news. 

“What is this about ‘Milo?” Antonio asked his brother, continuing to lean against the well’s post. 

“Yeah,” Luisa said, pushing herself up from the wooden post and sticking her foot out, half her weight resting on one leg. “You’ve been whispering to Carm and then looking back at us this entire trip. Care to share?” Camilo scratched his neck. 

“Well uh- you see-” 

“Luisa!” The family turned to see Mariano running towards them. “Isa! Antonio!” He stopped and rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath. “You all need to come with me-” he said between his gasps for air. 

“What’s wrong?” Luisa asked. 

“Is it Dolores? Is she okay?” Isabela asked. Mariano looked up at his family and turned his head in the direction he came from. 

“I just need you all to come with me- now!” He began in that direction. Followed by Isabela, Antonio, and Luisa. Camilo and Carmen stood there, almost horrified. 

“D-do you think they saw-” Carmen began to ask before Camilo interrupted.

“What else could that be about?!” He took off with his wife in hand, following Luisa. 

••

The family ran after Mariano, each wondering what he was leading them to. The townspeople surrounding them glanced at them, curious but not wanting to be rude. What could these newcomers be running to? Mariano stopped in front of a yard surrounded by a small stone fence. The door to the house was open, allowing anyone in and out on this, apparently beloved day. A sign was hung outside the door, reading “¡FELICIDADES!” in blue paint. Dolores stood under the sign, looking inside the door. 

“Amor!” Mariano cried. Dolores turned around and stepped down the porch stairs to meet her husband, who ran to embrace her. Isabela, Luisa, and Antonio each followed him cautiously, standing right behind the couple. They each peered inside the house. None of them could put their finger on what Mariano wanted to show them, and they couldn’t even ask him since he was comforting his wife. Everything seemed normal. People were eating, drinking, and dancing. Why was everyone acting so strange..?

The trio peered inside the house, catching a long glimpse of a couple of slow dancing in the middle of the dance floor. A tall man with a light gray shirt, a teal scarf around his waist hiding where his pants met his shirt. The woman he danced with was- 

What?

No way this is possible- It couldn’t be, could it? 

She looks just like her, she’s the spinning image of- 

No, no way- 

But… she’s gone. Isn’t she? 

That girl… Her glasses, still perfectly round. Her earrings were still royal blue pom-poms, hand-stitched. Pom poms also decorated her dress, just like before… Few things were different, her hair was now tucked back with a red ribbon. Her height… was she taller? There was something else… her smile was so genuine, like the one you’ve never seen before, it was absent-minded, beautiful too. Her eyes were content, fulfilled, dreamy. She was happier.  So much happier. This girl, she grew up. She was better. She was lovely. She was-

“Mirabel!”

Chapter Text

“Mirabel!” 

Abuela Maria went up to her new granddaughter and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. The elder whispered a request in her ear, to follow her to a quiet hallway that led to the rest of the house. Mira obliged and went. Abuela Maria stopped in front of her bedroom door. 

“My girl,” Maria began. “I’ve waited for this day for quite some time…” Mira beamed. She always felt that the Salazars were her family. But now that she and Alejandro were to be married, it would be official. Of course, official things don’t often matter, anyone can be a part of a family if the love is strong enough, but for Mira… Something about all of this made her bloom.

Maria opened the door and brought something out to Mirabel. The Salazar’s tapestry. Maria unfolded it to reveal a chalk outline of a curly-haired girl next to Alejandro’s figure. Mira covered her mouth with her palm as her tears fell onto the tapestry. “Would you do me the honor of adding mi nieta to our family tree?” Joyful tears rained down, nearly drenching the tapestry if not for Mira wiping her eyes. 

“Yes- yes!” Mira took a moment to collect herself and embrace her Abuela. “I-I’d be honored!” 

•••

“I’m glad you’re so happy about it!” Andro whispers to his betrothed. Mira had just finished telling him about her conversation with Abuela Maria. “But, uh- are you sure you don’t want me to stitch you in?” Mira snorted. 

“ You!? Sewing!?” She giggled while her love smirked. “You can’t even get a thread through a needle eye!”

“Hey, at least I’m not as bad as mama!” he said. Which was true, Mira recalled when she first began sewing for the town and she tried to teach Josephina how to mend one of her daughter’s dresses. It somehow ended up with more holes than it began with… It was a great mystery to everyone and great dismay to both Josephina and Mercedes.

“Speaking of mama,” Andro started again. “I’m happy to report that she’ll be arranging the wedding for us.” Mira’s eyes widened. 

“All by herself?!”

“She’ll have Mercedes and Abuela to help her.”

“But-” Andro quieted his worried love. He knew she would protest

“She’ll be fine, you need to enjoy yourself.” Mira opened her mouth to protest, only to be hushed again. “Mi amor, I know you hate for others to do work for you. But I also know that if you were to do this, you’d never have a moment of peace.” Mira looked down and thought for a moment, staring at her swaying feet. 

“I suppose I wouldn’t be… completely opposed to someone else planning all this…” He spun her around and leaned close. 

“Oh! I should go thank them...” Mira spun out of her amor’s arms and searched around the room for her new sister-

…Only to see her old one. And her other sister. And her cousins. And… Mariano? What was he doing here? What were any of them doing here? Were they passing through? Did they see me?

Don’t be upset or mad or sad or scared at all- This is fine- Everything is fine. Totally fine. Maybe they didn’t even notice me-

The girl in blue stepped forward, walking into the house yet stopping before she could fully enter. She stood in the door frame, her eyes surprised and melancholic, mouth hanging open, mirroring her youngest sister's expression. Her lips moved slightly, no sound escaping, but Mira knew exactly what Isabela had said.

“Mirabel?”

Chapter Text

Isabela took a step forward. Mira stood frozen, not knowing what to do. She thought of running, far away, but the idea of leaving this wondrous life behind terrified her. 

Mirabel stood still. Isabela however, took another step forward, wondering if that truly was her sister. Could it be a coincidence? Maybe this random girl just looked like a spinning image of Mirabel. But if she did, why was she staring back. The two stood in front of each other now. Mimicking statues as the world around them danced and sang and celebrated. But not them.

“Mirabel?” Isabela took another step toward her sister. “...Is… is that you?” Mira stood still, a shaky breath escaping between her lips. She had no idea what she could say, what she could even do. 

“Hey!” A girl in a purple outfit appeared from thin air, giving Mirabel a warm hug. Her dark braids that were tied back into a ponytail bounced along with her head as it moved. She turned to Isabela, unaware of the tension between the two sisters. “Oh- Who’s this Mira?” Mercedes asked. 

“This is…” Mira stuttered for a bit. She shallowly breathed in and out, having to remind herself to do so. “This is…” Just tell her. Mira’s mind told herself. This is my sister. Isabela. The girl who hated me and is here for some reason. The girl whose life I ruined along with the rest of my family and my home- My Encanto- because I destroyed our home. I ruined everything. They can’t be here right now- I can’t be here right now- 

“Mira,” A gentle hand on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts. Alejandro. “Is everything okay?” Mira looked up at him, not nodding her head nor murmuring a signal of her emotions, but her eyes told him everything. I need help here, mi amor .   Alejandro turned to the girl in blue. “Who are you? What would you like with our Mira?” His tone changed. The just gentle voice had become stern, almost angry, and judgmental. Isabela’s face had also changed. Once surprised and soft, but now matched Alejandro’s, being stubborn and furious. 

“ I am her sister,” Isabela placed her fists on her hips. “Who are you?” Alejandro crossed his arms.

“Oh, are you the strong one or the one who told her you hated her all the time-”

“Andro!” Mira stepped between the two, hoping to stop the confrontation. She turned to her fiance first. “This is my family.” Family. She emphasized the word through her gritted teeth. It felt so strange to say out loud. “ Please be kind to them.” She then turned to Isabella. “Isabella, how many of you are here?” Isabella was shocked. She said my name. She knows me. This is real. This is Mirabel.

“Ah- um- All the grandkids, plus Mariano and Camilo’s wife.” Mira showed her shock for just a second. Camilo was married? She thought for a moment and counted on her fingers. 

“So that’d be 7 people…” She looked around for “Esther!” Mira walked towards a woman in a soft orange dress and a pink headwrap. “Could you or Esteban please have two rooms prepared- a 2 bed and a 3 bed please.” The inn keeper’s wife nodded with a sweet smile.

“Of course, Mira.” The young girl walked to her fiance and her sister. 

“Everyone,” she said. “Please welcome my family, the family Madrigal! The townspeople applauded, those who had drinks raised them, shouting “Salut!” but something was… off. The Madrigals noticed it, including Mirabel. Their smiles seemed fake, some of their eyes even said that they were not welcoming to these newcomers. But why? When Mira arrived they were simply indifferent to her, at least before she fixed the Salazar home. No one seemed to care that she was there. Why do they care about the Madrigals?

Mira walked her sister out, the few steps to the door were silent and followed by the inn keeper’s wife. The youngest sister glanced at her little primo as she walked out the door. He’s so big… She thought. Luisa… Luisa looked almost the same. She was tired but still strong as ever. Dolores looked… happier, as she spoke to Mariano who gave her a peck on the cheek. Dolores and Mariano? How did they get together? Camilo stood at the entrance of the fence, a young woman holding his hand. That must be his wife… 

Mira turned around and faced her family, for the first time in years… “Eh- Esther here will show you all to your rooms in the inn…” She nervously toyed with the pom-pom on her dress. Esther beckoned the family to follow her. “Hey- uh,” Mira began, prompting the family- her family, to turn to her. A soft arm linked into hers. Mercedes smiled at her sister-in-law, a braid hitting Mira on the cheek as she did. Mira smiled back. “If you’d like, you can come back tomorrow morning, for breakfast…” The family stood in silence. 

“We’d love to,” Luisa said. Turning on her heels, she followed the innkeeper’s wife to their sleeping places. Mira sighed out a breath of relief hoping that the sun would take its time to rise. That reunion breakfast is honestly the last thing she wanted to deal with.

Chapter Text

Mira pushed her glasses up to her forehead, rubbing her face with her hands in exhaustion. She removed her hands and put her glasses back in place to be met with a warm mug of chocolate caliente, small splatters surrounding it from when it was placed on the table. Josephina sat down in front of her and placed her hand on Mira’s, which now rested on the table. 

“How are you feeling, Mija?” she asked as her thumb gently rubbed Mira’s wrist. 

“Well, my uh…”  she hesitated for a moment before saying the next word. “ Family… seems to have settled in well according to Esteban, and Alejandro and Mercedes didn’t seem to mind cleaning up the house by themselves so I don’t feel too bad right now.” A weak smile grew on her face.

“Yes, but, how are you feeling?” Josephina asked while taking a sip from her cup. 

“I…” Mira hesitated for a moment. “I don’t know… I’m just confused. I don’t know what they’re doing here, or if they want anything, or what!” she sighed and sat back in her chair and tilted her head up to stare at the ceiling. “It’s so strange, I haven’t seen them in so long. You saw the boy outside, right?” 

“The one standing in the doorway with your other sister?” Mira nodded.

“That’s my primo, Antonio. He was only 5 the last time I saw him…” she stopped for a moment to reminisce over the moments she had with him. “He was always so sweet. When he was first born, I was so mad because I knew that I’d have to share the nursery with a baby. But he wasn’t anything like I thought. I was prepared for this annoying, crying, squirming baby but- well, he did cry a lot, he was sensitive- but he was so… mature?” she paused to take a breath. Talking about her favorite primo caused her to speak faster, almost as if she was nervous to speak of him after so long. “He wasn’t babyish, he acted like-like he was my age! Always asking questions and wanted to help out in any way he possibly could. Whenever I was sewing something, he insisted on helping, so I let him hold the spool of threads until I needed them. It made him so happy.” the two women chuckled. 

“Oh, and my other cousin, Camillo,” Mira began. “He was just… a complete wild card.”

“He’s the one who could shapeshift, right?” Josephina asked. Mira hummed an mm-hmm while taking another sip of her drink. 

“The gift was fitting,” she started again. “Before he got it, he was the family prankster. Always popped out of nowhere to scare anyone and everyone- but it was usually his cousins and siblings, I rarely remember him scaring either of our parents. ” Josephina smiled at the thought. 

“Mercedes was like that when she was younger,” Josephina commented. “Always finding ways to torment poor Alejandro. Thank goodness she grew out of it quickly.” The girls laughed “May I ask you something?” She cautiously questioned. 

“Of course,” Mira replied. 

“Aren’t you… mad at them, at all?” Mira was surprised, almost shocked. Her face showed it well. “Well, from what I know of how they treated you, it wasn’t the best. You always said that they would brush you aside, even forgetting about you completely. I’d understand if you were mad.” Mira hesitated for a moment, taking the last sip of her chocolate caliente. 

“Honestly…” Mira breathed in and out, calming herself before finally saying the truth out loud. “I am… If I wasn’t with Antonio, I was alone. Everyone else had chores that helped out the town and were useful. But I was just… in the way. It was rare when they invited me with them into town, the only time I remember was the day of Antonio’s ceremony.” She breathed out a sigh. “I always felt out of place. Not just with the family, but with the whole town. I was the giftless Madrigal, the unspecial one. I… I never understood why it was me, but that’s just how it was.” Josephina sandwiched Mira’s hand between her own.

“It’s not like that anymore.” She said reassuringly. A gentle hug was given to Mira from behind her. 

“That’s right,” Alejandro said. “This entire town needs you and loves you.” Mira laughed lightly and leaned her head on his cheek. 

“I know amor.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the table. “But, uh-” she began. “It seems like it’s the total opposite with my family…” 

“Oh yeah,”  Said Mercedes, who had walked into the room with Alejandro and beelined straight to the stove to pour herself some chocolate caliente. “When you announced them, everyone looked at them like they just walked in after killing someone.” 

“I know,” Andro said. “Is it because they’re new to the town?” 

“I don’t think so,” Mira said. “When I first came, it took time for people to warm up to me, but no one has ever looked at me like that.” 

At least not in this town. She thought to herself. Josephina cleared her throat and looked down. 

“I may know why…” Everyone turned to her, while she looked at Mira. “They may or may not have a small bit of knowledge of how they treated you, mija.” Mira’s eyes widened with shock.

“But- how?” she asked. “I only ever told Andro the full length of it all and I told you all bits and pieces.”

“Well…” Alejandro nervously rubbed the back of his neck and tilted his head sideways, looking at the floor. “When you told me the full story… I may have told Mercedes…” Mira turned to her new hermana. 

“Well,” Mercedes began nervously. “I… told mama…” They all turned to Josephina. 

“And I told Abuela and Ramos…” Mira raised a suspicious eyebrow at her.

“ Where did you tell them?”  Josephina sunk in her seat. 

“While we were in town one day…” Mira winced and ran a hand through her curls. 

“Someone must’ve overheard you!’’ Mira knew Ramos rarely spoke to anyone outside of the Salazars and Mirabel. When Abuela heard, she had confronted Mira after hearing about it, ambushing her with love and promises that she will personally make sure that everyone will treat her as an equal. 

“I’m sorry,” Josephina said, pushing a curl from her face. “I wasn’t thinking when I told her…” Mira hugged her. 

“It’s okay,” she said. “It’s already done, what could a few angry stares do to them?” Mira rested her chin on Josephina’s shoulder. “Plusweallknowhowscatterbrainedyoucanbesometimes-” the women pushed Mira off of her and gently smacked her shoulder, making Andro and Mercedes laugh. While she didn’t look forward to the next morning’s breakfast, she knew she would have all that she needed. Her family. La familia Salazar. 

•••

Luisa loosed the ribbon from her hair and ran a hand through the curls. She sat on the inn’s bed, which was surprisingly soft. Isabella had already laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Antonio leaned against the window, staring at the waning moon above. 

“How’re you feeling?” Luisa loudly whispered to her older sister. Isa opened her mouth, then closed it again. Tightening her lips before finally answering.

“I’m… I’m surprised…” she finally said. “I mean, I never expected to see Mirabel here- or anywhere for that matter. I can’t even think of an explanation for this!” Isa sat up in her bed, swinging her legs to the side letting them dangle just so her toes brushed the floor. “I- I mean, she just left! This whole time we thought the worst, but she’s just been hanging in this town.”

“It’s gotta be something reasonable,” Luisa said. She knew her little sister, and although it’s been years, she knew there must’ve been a reason for it all. Right? “I mean, maybe she was scared, or confused that night. We can ask her tomorrow.” 

“What we need to do tomorrow,” Isa began. “Is convince her to come back.” Luisa raised her eyebrows in surprise. Knowing Isa, she expected her to be angry with Mirabel, but this was… interesting. She wanted to take her home. 

“What if she doesn’t want to come back?” Antonio said, still staring out the window. 

“Don’t be silly, Tonito” Isa said. “Of course, she’d want to come back.”

“Then why didn’t she come back before?” he asked grimly. It was Isa’s turn to be surprised. Noone had ever heard sweet little Antonio like this. The always cheerful boy was now… pessimistic. While it was understandable, considering what had just happened, it was still strange. “She’s been gone for 10 years, do you think she just sat and waited for us to find her and drag her home.”

“I don’t know Antonio, but we need to take her back,” Isa said, standing up and walking to stand behind him. “Something is wrong with her, but maybe if we take her to the rest of the family- to see mama and pa-” 

“Oh, and abuela!?” Antonio turned to face his oldest prima, his voice angry now. “We all always knew that she hated Mirabel and she’s only become worse to all of us since Casita fell- You think Mirabel is gonna want to see her again!?”

“We’ll figure all that out,” Isa raised her voice, growing more furious by the second. “But we need her back home-”

“She doesn’t care-” 

“Okay!” Luisa stood up between the two, her booming voice shaking the room. She turned to Antonio. “While I think taking Mirabel home would be a good idea-” she then turned to Isabella. “I think we should talk to her to see what she wants. We’ll talk about this in the morning with the others, but for now, you both need to go to sleep.” The two cousins silently glared at each other before sighing and agreeing with Luisa. 

A few hours had passed and Luisa had drifted in and out of sleep. Currently, she was awake while the other two roommates peacefully slumbered next to her. She lay in bed and attempted to contemplate her feelings of the night. Reflecting on how everything happened. 

For Luisa, the world didn’t slow down, nor speed up, it simply went on as normal. She and her sister and her cousin walked into the house before seeing her little sister, happily dancing with some man. She had grown up so much, a smile on her face like never before. She wasn’t faking her happiness to seem unbothered, she was genuinely joyful. But that changed when Isabella walked into the house. While Antonio hid behind the door frame, Luisa was frozen the moment she saw Mirabel. She remained still when she saw Isa go up to her, when that random girl asked who Isa was, and even when Mirabel’s little dance partner insulted Isa. Of course, she could have done something but the shock had left her completely confused. She remained so still, she refused to blink, sillily thinking that if she did, she would blink her little sister out of existence. However, when her eyes finally dried up she closed them for a split second. And Mirabel remained. Not only did she remain, but she was walking towards her. 

What am I  supposed to do tomorrow? Luisa internally thought. I can’t drag Mirabel home, Antonio had a good point, but Isa was right too. Not just for Mira’s sake but for Mama and Papa. They need to see her, even if just for a moment. I need to convince Mirabel to come back to the Encanto.

Chapter Text

With her hair now properly tied back in her signature red ribbon, Luisa started on her morning walk. She didn’t usually go at this time, considering it was so early that the sun hadn't even risen yet, but she desperately needed an outing, one that left her in a familiar but comfortable loneliness. Luisa stepped out of the inn room and, after double-checking the note she left on her messily made bed, she went on her way. 

Luisa walked down the dirt pathway, down a similar-looking path that she walked down last night. Though, a lot of these paths looked the same. It was so unlike her hometown. In the Encanto’s town, all the homes were built close together, the outer walls were painted with a myriad of bright colors. But in this town, everything was… ordinary. The buildings were made of shades of red or orange or some were even pink. The roofs were dark colors, usually a blue that made it blend in instead of popping out. The houses were also far from each other, leaving a walking distance from each one. It wasn’t until the young woman had gotten to the town’s center that the buildings huddled together, leaving space only for a pathway for the villagers. 

Luisa stepped into the square, walking into the sight of a young girl struggling to pull a bucket out of a well. She walked up to the girl, who huffed angrily into the well. 

“Do you- uh, need some help?” Luisa cautiously asked. While the girl seemed harmless and in need of help, Luisa was taught at a young age to beware of strangers. A common piece of knowledge that she carried with her into her adult life. 

The girl turned around. “Oh- Yes!” she said as she struggled to face Luisa while holding onto the bucket. “Yes please- if you don’t mind,” Luisa held onto the other side of the bucket and helped her heave it up to the stone wall that surrounded the well. It’s heavy… Luisa thought to herself. At least I can help her… Now that it safely sat with no worry of falling, the girl could finally turn around. “Thank you so much!” The girl tilted her head to the side, confused by the mysterious girl. “Oh! You’re one of the Madrigals, right?” It hit Luisa. It was the girl from last night. The memory of a young girl with braids tied back entered her memory, letting Luisa remember Mercedes. 

“Oh, yeah,” Luisa said. “I am. My name is Luisa.” the girl smiled, scratching her temple with her the nail of her smallest finger. 

“I’m Mercedes Salazar,” the girl’s smile contorted into a look of embarrassment, a hint of shame in her eyes. “Umm… last night… my brother Alejandro,” she began to say. “The man who uh… spoke to your sister…” Luisa thought of more memories from that night. Her eyebrows furrowed at the thought of that boy speaking so harshly to her sister. 

“You’re his sister?” Luisa asked. She couldn’t say that she wasn’t a little surprised. This frail girl was related to that crude man from last night?

“Yyyyeah…” She looked down and played with a piece of hangnail on her left thumb. “I-I’m sorry about him. When he gets mad, he can get mean, plus he was worried about Mira, he can get protective of her sometimes.” Mira…bel? Luisa said in her mind. Maybe I can figure out anything going on with her from this girl…

“Eh, it’s totally fine,” Luisa said with a casual smile. “I understand.” Luisa picked up the bucket and held one end, offering the opposite end to Mercedes. “Need help bringing it back to your place?” Mercedes took the offering end of the bucket and led Louisa to her house. “So, how do you know Mirabel?”

“Oh, Mira and I have known each other since she- uh- arrived here,” Mercedes answered, hesitating to speak of Mira running away from her original home. “Now we’re best friends! We do everything for each other” Luisa smiled. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah,” Mercedes opened her mouth to say something else, but Luisa, needing more information on her little Hermana continued to ask on.

“So, why’s your brother- Alejandro, right?” Mercedes shook her head. “Why’s he so… protective over Mirabel?” 

“Well,” Mercedes gave a light but confused laugh. “He is her fiance, so I think that’s enough of an explanation.”  Luisa dropped the bucket, only to pick it up just as quickly. Her mouth hung agape. 

“ Fiance!? ” She asked. Mirabel can’t be engaged? She thought. She- she’s still so little- well maybe not little, she has grown up but she can’t be getting married!? Could she?

The air grew uncomfortable, to say the least. Mercedes, now realizing that she had revealed something that only Mira had a right to tell her sister, felt a growing feeling of tightness in her stomach. The sun was beginning to peek out from the mountains, waking up more people. 

“You… didn’t know?” Mercedes cautiously asked. “I- I’m so sorry! The party last night was for them-” 

“It’s okay,” Luisa said. This is gonna make it a lot harder to convince Mirabel to come home… “As long as he makes her happy.” She paused for a moment. “Does he..?” Mercedes giggled. 

“Yes, I’m sure.” The two continued walking, allowing Luisa to think to herself more. What could convince Mirabel to come back to the Encanto?

“Can I uh- ask you something else?” Luisa asked. 

“Of course,” Mercedes replied. “Anything.” 

“Does Mirabel ever…” Luisa paused to think of how to word the question. “...talk about us?” Mercedes raised her brow in confusion. 

“What do you mean?” 

“It doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad, I don’t care. But does she ever talk about us at all?” Luisa watched as the girl glanced down at the pebbles that lay on the ground. 

“No, not really…” What? The young woman sighed, about to internally ask a question to herself, but accidentally mumbling it just loud enough for Mercedes to hear. Oh no…

“ Why not ?” Mercedes looked up at Luisa, her neck craning up to face the girl properly. 

“I can’t say to be sure…” Mercedes said. “But my theory is that it hurts to talk about all of you.” Luisa’s head bounced up slightly from its gaze to her feet. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, sometimes talking about someone- er, some people- it can hurt. She might miss you guys or it might be some mixed feelings…” So there’s a chance she misses us..? “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” 

“Back home, where you’re family is, do you all talk about Mirabel?” Luisa sucked in a silent breath. 

“...no…” She answered.

“Why not?”  Oh, it’s just because my familia has this mindset that we should block out anyone and everyone who doesn’t fit in with the family. Just ask my tio Bruno, you’ll get a first-hand account. Or maybe it’s because our Abuela has this strange hate for Mirabel and whenever we’ve tried to bring her up in the past, she gets all angry and refuses to speak for days. Who the hell knows!

“I’m not sure…” Luisa, of course, knew better than to reveal her family secrets to this girl. 

“Exactly,” Mercedes remarked. “When… when you lose someone you care about, you can act strange. Sometimes people will talk about them a lot, some people isolate themselves, some people don’t know how to respond. You can’t ever go back to normal afterward, but it’ll take time for it to wear off.” 

“You uh…” Luisa was hesitant to remark. “You sound like you’re speaking from a personal experience…” A sad hum escaped from Mercedes. 

“When I was little, my abuelo died…” Mercedes stared in front of her, the empty street now lit with the sun’s morning rays. “I loved him, to me he was abuelo, the man who taught me how to read and gave me piononos after my papa said I’d had enough and generally made me who I am. But, Alejandro was only two years old when he died, so he didn’t understand everyone’s attachment to him.” Mercedes paused to take a breath. “I mean, of course, he knew that we all missed him, but Alejandro never understood, so he felt kinda awkward whenever we grieved for him. 

“My parents both missed him a lot. The week he died, all they did was talk about him and try to do everything he liked. They made all his favorite foods for each meal, we even wore his favorite colors. It was kind of like we wanted to make sure we did all we could to remember him. As if we could forget…” 

“I wish I knew which it was for Mirabel…” Luisa said sorrowfully. 

“Why don’t you ask her?” Mercedes said, nodding her head to a house that she had stopped at. “I think she’s willing to talk, but you have to start it.” Luisa smiled at Mercedes before the young girl took the bucket and held it in her arms, completely fine. Luisa’s eyes widened. 

“I… didn’t think you could lift that on your own…” Luisa said. Mercedes chuckled., 

“Oh, I can,” the girl said with a smirk. “I do this every day. Check out these muscles!” She playfully flexed her biceps, which were relatively normal compared to Luisa’s. “I just wanted to walk and talk with you.” The Madrigal girl laughed as she followed her into the house. 

“Thank you, Mercedes.” As she walked through the door, Luisa tried to develop a plan to convince Mirabel to come home. As much as she liked Mercedes, the fact cannot be changed. Mirabel was a Madrigal. She belongs in the Encanto. Thankfully, Mercedes gave her an idea to start. 

I just need to start a conversation with my little hermana. Luisa nervously looked at the house as she followed Mercedes in. I just need to bring her home. 

Chapter Text

Mira raked her fingernails along her forearm as she set the table in the yard. As she went to fetch the last chair, she glanced towards the front of the house and began chewing on her lip. Luisa?! She thought to herself. It’s too early! Wait, is she alone? Why did she come alone? Mira’s thoughts spiraled as she stared out ahead of her, leaving her oblivious to the girl next to her. 

“Hey,” Mercedes whispered. Mira jumped back with a gasp. The older girl brushed one of her braids out of her face and whispered an apology. After she gathered herself, Mira finally was able to ask her the question. 

“Why is she here so early!? ”  she whispered through gritted teeth. Her nervous face was obvious, as was Mercedes’. 

“I- uh…”  The older girl hesitated to tell, but eventually gave in. “I kinda ran into her at the well and invited her early…” Mira dropped her jaw, only to pick it up before Mercedes pressed her hands onto her shoulders. “I know you’re nervous, but she seems nice! We had this long talk and I think she just misses you- they all do.” Mira tilted her head in confusion. 

“Really?” she said in a whisper. “But I-I left them- I ruined their lives-” Mercedes held Mira’s face in her hands.

“No you didn’t.” She stated. “Mira, you were a child when all of that happened. A child who was rejected by her family for no good reason. You couldn’t have destroyed their casita.” Their casita. Mira used to hate when someone called Casita that. As if Casita was just a house, but it wasn’t. Casita was a living being. She never understood it, and she never will, but she did know that Casita had feelings. A heart- a big one. But, Mercedes has never fully understood Casita either, or anything from her old life, and so she kept quiet. “You need this. You need to talk to them. I think it’ll help all of you.” Mira held Mercedes wrists and took her hands away from her face. Embracing each other, Mira whispered a thank you. They let go just in time for Luisa to creep into the yard. 

“Can you grab some more plates, please?” Mira asked. Mercedes took the hint and left the two sisters alone. Luisa stood in front of her little hermana, looking down to her for the first time in years. The closer view allowed Luisa to notice more differences in her sister. 

She looked, not old by any means, but older. She had gotten new glasses, which were now golden instead of the familiar emerald that Luisa knew. They reminded her of her father’s glasses, which matched perfectly. She looked so much like their mother. She was the only one of the three sisters who did. Isabela had always been a spinning image of abuela, the same hair and face, while Luisa inherited many of her traits from her father, being strong and bold. But Mirabel? She was a perfect picture of mama. She looked just like her, round face, curly haired and all. It wasn’t just with her looks, though. Mirabel and her mother had the same caring heart, always doing what they could to help anyone they could. 

Mirabel took a red pitcher and held it towards Luisa. “Orange juice?” she asked. Her face contorted to her iconic nervous smile. Luisa looked up at her and smiled. 

“Sure.” 

•••

The Madrigals had long ago arrived. Alejandro has been forgiven by Isabela, who graciously accepted his apology. Luisa, Dolores and Mariano were laughing at the memory of Camilo playing and losing a game of futbol with Casita. Carmen was comforting a grumpy Camilo, who longed for everyone to forget that memory. Antonio had not said a single word to anyone the entire day. His face wasn’t painted with disdain or joy, in fact there was nothing. No emotions were seen from the boy, he simply stared at his food or the sky or the dirt on the road. The Salazars ate in comfort with their guest, all except for Alejandro, who was nervous to meet his in-laws, especially with the glares from everyone that went unnoticed to all else, except for him. 

Mira drummed her fingers on the lips of her cup after taking a sip of her orange juice. She looked around her, taking in what she thought would be an impossible sight. Her cousins were married. Her sisters were almost unrecognizable. Her youngest primo looked like he hated the world. Her new family was amazing, she loved them with her whole heart and more, but this breakfast made her realize something. She missed her familia.

Chapter Text

Dolores remembered when she was 11 years old, after Mirabel’s ceremony, how loud she could hear her prima cry. How she asked between sobs for a second chance from Abuela, who she heard talking to tia Julieta in the kitchen. She could easily recall how little Mirabel gasped for air as if she was drowning, sobbing into what sounded like the fabric of her pillow. Each pat on her back from her tio Agustin, Mirabel’s father, echoed in her ear. 

Dolores remembered when she was 21 years old, at Antonio’s ceremony, how she heard Mirabel walking out of her brother’s room, talking to herself about how she wished she were special. How she longed for a gift like the rest of her familia. The night that dominoed into the fall of her home. She heard Mira running through the walls chasing after their tio Bruno, not long before she rushed her family to Casita’s entrance. In fear of the sound of the cracks growing louder and stronger. 

Dolores remembered when last night, she walked with her husband though the quaint town. Watching as the people celebrated this, apparently wonderful couple. How she asked a woman in a soft orange dress and pink headwrap who the couple was, inquisitive of the two people who were so beloved by the town. How the woman went on about this “Mira and Andro.” How Mira had shown up out of the blue and helped the town become better, friendlier- how she forged it from a village to a home. She recalled how the woman pointed them in the direction of the house that had more of that scrumptious causa rellena that she and Mariano couldn’t get enough of. 

Dolores remembered when she walked up to the open door of the house, only to see her cousin. How Mariano was confused when she stopped in her tracks to look at the curly headed girl dancing with the tall man. How he finally looked up and saw her. Mirabel. Mariano, being the perfect man he was, gently pulled Dolores out of her trance, leading her out of the house and stood with her right outside of the open window. Despite being in complete shock, the woman had one thought crystal clear in her mind. I need to find Isabela. And Luisa. And maybe Antonio- no. Definitely Antonio. So she sent Mariano to get them. 

Everything seemed so calm at breakfast, to her at least. She was never fully affected by Mirabel’s disappearance. Of course, she missed her prima. Dolores was anything but heartless. But that night that her home fell caused her life to become better and better. While Mariano helped rebuild their house, the two bonded and found they had quite a lot in common, with one not being heard, and the other never being seen. After some courting, a wedding and a simple life together for a few years, the two brought two beautiful children to the Madrigal family. 

But the icing on the cake, the best part of it all? The loss of her gift. Dolores’ only time of solace for 16 years was in her sound proof room, where she couldn’t hear anything. But once she stepped out she was forced to hear everything. Conversations across town, a cricket chirping deep in the woods, abuela asking her to hurry up so she could go into town and help with chores. She hated her gift, but had to endure. But everything changed when the house fell and Mirabel disappeared. As sad as it was, it brought her so much joy. 

Dolores blinked back into the conversation with her husband, cousin, and now cousin in law, Mercedes. She tunes back into the old memories that they spoke about, feeling dazed for a moment before regaining her consciousness and laughing with her cousin- er, cousins? The Salazars were kind, but it would take a long time before she got used to them. 

Mirabel had left. Apparently, a child had fallen into the well, so Mirabel left to go help him, leaving the Salazars in a bit of an awkward position. But the young mother had a feeling that Mirabel may have wanted to leave. She felt bad, ambushing her prima like this, with almost the whole family too. But Dolores couldn’t think of anything else to do. She couldn’t confront Mirabel herself, she’d probably end up accidentally talking about how much happier she was since she left. She definitely couldn't send Mariano to talk to her. He’s Mariano. What could he and Mirabel possibly talk about. Finding her familia was the only real choice she had. 

Mercedes and her parents were kind. Dolores had decided that she liked them. Especially Mercedes, who had many stories of Mirabel, or “Mira” as they all called her. Apparently, ever since she arrived, Mirabel had become quite the hero to the town, constantly helping people with her myriad of ideas or simply mending someone's shirt. 

She must feel like how we felt when we had our gifts. Dolores thought to herself. Is that why she likes it here? Each gift was exhausting. Some more than the others. Dolores could never imagine having Luisa’s gift, or even her own mothers. But the gifts put each Madrigal, except for Mirabel, on a pedestal by the townspeople. Moving rivers, growing crops, and healing what’s broken is bound to do that. Mirabel never fully understood the family’s hurt and trauma, but she also never got to experience the many, many  benefits they had as a family. After all, she was the giftless Madrigal. The especially unspecial. How could she understand it?

How could any of them understand her?

Chapter Text

“She seems happy here,” Dolores said as she leaned her head on Mariano’s knee. The two sat comfortably with the husband on the bed and the wife on the floor next to Isabella, who sat next to Luisa. “She has a whole life here, maybe we shoul-”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence.” Isabella sternly interrupted. “We’ll find a way to bring her home.”

“I agree,” said Luisa. “Mirabel needs to come back to the Encanto.” She turned to Camilo, who laid sideways on the bed. “ If only we had known she was here, we could’ve prepared a plan.” Camilo tightened his lips to a line and sat up, raising his head from Carmen’s lap. 

“I’m sorry, okay, I really did try to, but I was too freaked out! Ask Carmen! Plus, when I was about to tell you, Mariano interrupted me.” 

“Hey, I only interrupted because I saw the long lost Madrigal that you failed to warn us about.” Mariano defended. Camilo opened his mouth, only to be hushed by the gentle hand of his wife on his. 

“Look,” began Carmen. “Let’s not play the blame game. We need to figure out if this is really what we all want- and if it is, how do we get her home?” 

“Carm’s right,” Said Luisa. “We can’t exactly drag her home. And Dolores has a point- she has a whole life here.” 

“What about your parents?” Antonio finally chimed in. Everyone turned to look at the boy. He sat at the windowsill, one leg dangling above the floor. Antonio had been quiet throughout the conversation, almost being forgotten by the adults until he brought up his suggestion. 

“...What?” Isabella asked. 

“Doesn’t Tia Julieta and Tio Agustin miss her?” He asked. “We could tell her how Tia has been this whole time and maybe that’ll convince her.” The room glanced at each other, hesitant at the option. 

“I don’t think we should guilt trip her like that…” Camilo said. 

“Yeah, I’m not sure, Tonito,” Dolores said. “Bringing them up might be a- uh…” she hesitated while thinking of her aunt. “A drastic measure…” 

“It’s more than a drastic measure…” Luisa said. “We can’t bring up mama, that’s too far.” Antonio shrugged and continued staring out the window. 

“Okay…” The family pondered for the rest of the night. How could Mirabel be swayed? They came up with a few reasons.

1. They missed her.
2. She’s family and belongs in the Encanto.
3. …

They had their reasons, that’s all that mattered. 

•••

Mira placed the last of the plates into the sink, carefully stacking them so they wouldn’t topple over. Luisa and Isabella followed, each carrying glasses and utensils respectively. Mira rolled up her sleeves and began to turn the water on, until Luisa stopped her. 

“Hey, uh,” the middle sister began. “Can we talk..?” 

“Sure,” Mira replied. “What’s up?” 

“Well,” Luisa inhaled through her teeth, her hands folded in front of her. “We uh- wanted to ask if-” Isabella leaned forward and took Mira’s hand.

“You need to come back with us.” Isabella blurted out.  Mira pursed her lips and moved her head back in shock. What did she just say…? She thought to herself. 

“Wha-” Mira breathed out a shaky breath. They- they can’t ask me that. I’m not ready- I’ll never be ready. “What?” Mira gave a nervous laugh. 

“Mirabel,” Isabella began again. “You’re a Madrigal. You belong in the Encanto. Think of the family.” 

“Isabella,” Isabella. It felt wrong, hearing her full name escape Mirabel’s lips. “I-I have a life here. A different family. I won’t be a Madrigal for very long, soon I’ll be a Salazar- I belong here with the Salazars-”

“Mirabel, you can’t be serious.” Isabella interrupted. “These people, they’re great, they’re kind, but they’re not your familia. You’re a Madrigal, you need to come home-” 

“Isabella this is my home-” 

“Mirabel.” The three turned to a voice behind them. Antonio leaned against the wall, his arms folded together, pushed tightly against his chest. His lips were pressed together making a thin line- you could hardly even see them. His eyes stared at the floor, uncomfortable with what he was about to say. “Y-your mama…” He began. “She um… she misses you…” Mirabel gaspsed, holding her hands to her mouth. Isabella’s face matched the youngest sister, but she didn’t gasp nor hide it behind her fingers. Luisa however, Luisa gritted her teeth and piercing stare glared through Antonio, not that he could see. 

“She hasn’t been the same since you left.” Antonio continued, much to Luisa’s dismay. “She and your pa misses you, Mirabel” Luisa bit her tongue, hoping she wouldn’t say something to her cousin that she would regret. She shouldn’t have to think of mama like that. Luisa thought. Hell, I hate when I think of ma like that… Julieta had become depressed after Mirabel’s disappearance. Well, honestly, depressed is an understatement, but there’s no true word to describe her. She’s a mother without one of her children, a piece of her corazon is gone, and she still believes that there’s no way to bring her back. 

Mirabel stood up, holding a fist to her heart. She walked out of the kitchen and into the hall. Antonio turned and gently tugged on the pom-pom of her scalloped collar. “Where are you going?” He asked. Mira didn’t look at any of them, she only began to play with one of the threads on her skirt. 

“I have to tell Andro and the others that I’m leaving."

Chapter Text

Julieta winced at the sunlight sneaking into her eyes to shine her awake. She stretched her hands above her head and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, which were then blocked by the grayed strands of her hair. She walked past her dressing table and glanced at Agustin’s watch. It was late in the afternoon. 

The woman trudged down the stairs to the kitchen, slowly walking through the empty casita. Each step felt heavier and heavier. At the bottom of the stairs, she looked back up towards the ceiling, feeling smaller than ever in the casita. Everyday was a reminder of the new home. No, new house. This building could never compare to Casita, with its still doors and silent rooms. Especially with everyone having left to go into town. Julieta walked into the kitchen, finding a full plate of breakfast with a note underneath. 

“Dearest amor, 

Abuela already ate with us and has gone back to bed. Please, 

eat then meet me in town.

-Love, Agustin

Julieta smiled at her husband's signature, rubbing her thumb along the dried ink. Somehow, Agustin remained himself through everything. At least when she needed him. To the family, he was the same old, accident prone Agustin. The interesting tio with his stories from growing up in the city. But in private, to his wife, he had changed. He was truly serious and sorrowful. Wanting to stay in his room with his wife but going on for her. 

Do you think I should go? She mentally asked the house. Ever since they had moved into the rebuilt house, Julieta had begun wondering what it was like for her mother and daughter to talk to Casita. She never did until, ironically, the house “died.” She would ask it a question, rant to it, or just have a simple conversation with it. Never out loud of course, she never wanted to seem insane, but it was nice to have someone to tell everything to. Especially when it came to the reason why she spoke to the house. 

The only people who ever talked to Casita, treating it like a person other than a moving entity, were Mirabel and Abuela. No one truly knew why. Everyone else simply ordered Casita around, it wasn’t until they couldn’t even do that anymore that Julieta wondered, what was it like? To have a friend like no other?

Julieta walked to the shutters and flicked one of the panels up, just in time to see a crow hopping in the lawn, pecking at the grass in search of food. Its feathers shimmered a wavy rainbow line in the sunlight, the colors moving as the bird did. In a blink of an eye, the bird vanished. 

You know, Julieta began, “speaking” to the casa. I’ve read in books that ravens are bad signs. Maybe this is a sign that I should stay in? She continued to look out the single shutter, still searching for the missing bird. Okay, if I see the bird again, I won’t go, if I do, I’ll leave. Julieta stared out the window, watching as the grass swayed to the beat of the breeze. 

Sixty, she began counting down for a minute, taking a final bite of her morning meal and taking a last gulp of her orange juice. Forty- eight, she put her dish and glass in the sink, leaving it to be washed later. Forty- five, she raked her nails along her arms, hoping that stupid bird would appear, or if not the bird, an ounce of energy to show up so she could bare walking through the town. Thirty- three, she straightened one of her loose curls with her finger, only to let go allowing it to coil back again. Twenty- four, she began moving left and right, tilting her head from side to side so she could find that bird. Twelve, she rolled her eyes and leaned back, she slid down the wall and hugged her knees to her chest. One, she got up and walked to the door. 

Julieta was irritated. She was furious with that damn bird for not showing up again, and even more angry at herself for weighing a decision on the bird- hell, she was angry she even got out of bed! At least, she tried to be angry, but she was too exhausted. She needed her husband, her sister and brother, and her daughters. All three of them. But she was too tired to even grieve. 

Julieta put her body on autopilot, walking out the door and down the hill to the town, ignoring the pain in her palms as she curled her hand into a fist, her long nails almost puncturing the skin in her hand. 

(Hey everyone, Cedar here! I just wanted to:

1. Apologize for uploading so late today, I  had the chance to sleep in an took it
2. Just a warning that for the next two weeks, there will be no uploads. It's spring break where I  am and I'm honestly exhausted from pumping out chapters every week. I'm so sorry, but I  need this break. The next chapter will be uploaded on May 6.

Thank you for loving this series so much, I had no idea that this little story would be so appreciated by so many people! I'll be back, just hang in there!)

Chapter Text

 Alejandro wiped the dripping drops from the mango slice off his chin with the back of his wrist. Mira noticed and jokingly tutted, handing him a handkerchief. The two walked at the back of the group, noticeably farther from everyone else. Carmen glanced back at the couple, curious of the two. She knew how important bringing Mirabel back home was to her new familia, and so she was determined to try to convince her to stay. She concluded that the best way to do that was something that was foreign to this family.

She needed them to talk to each other...

This was going to be a hard trip.

“Mi vida?” she mumbled, just enough for Camilo to hear. He turned his head, chewing on a banana he pulled from his bag.

“Yes, mi amor?”

“I need you to do me a favor.”

“Anything for you mi querido, as always.”

“Go share some food with Mirabel.” Camilo’s lip stretched into an awkward grin, his brows furrowing. He pulled the collar of his shirt far from his neck and sucked in some air through his teeth.

“Ah…” he began. “Are you sure you want me to do that?” Carmen raised a brow at her husband.

“You need to do it. Just talk to Mirabel about how she’s feeling. I’m sure she’s nervous and talking to one of her favorite primos could help.” Camilo closed his eyes and sighed but smiled at his wife .

“Alright mi vida,” he picked up a pack of oranges and turned to go to his cousin, only to turn back to his wife. “But for the record, it’s favorite primo.” He said with a smirk. Carmen simply rolled her eyes and mouthed “Go” to her beloved.

•••

“So, Alejandro, right?” Carmen asked. Mirabel and Camilo had been chatting for the past twenty minutes. After debating what to ask her fiance, she decided to ask if Mirabel truly missed her family, or if Antonio’s guilt trip was just that convincing.

“Uh- yeah.” He replied. “And you’re Carmen, right?”

“Mmhmm!” She answered with a smile. “I just wanted to say, that was, uh, pretty cool- what you did that night of the party.” Alejandro raised an eyebrow at his… cousin-in-law?

“What do you mean?”

“When you-” she glanced ahead at her husband’s eldest prima, who walked far ahead out of earshot. She continued to speak, but in a whisper. “When you stood up to Isa…” Alejandro blinked in confusion.

“It wasn’t that big of a deal.” He said looking forward. “I just saw that Mira needed some help, and I helped her how I could.”

“Well, I’ve never seen anyone stand up to Isabela like that in a long time.” she said, still cautiously glancing at the woman in blue.

“I guess Mira never exaggerated,” he said in between chuckles. “Isabela really is a tyrant.”

“Is that what she said?” Carmen asked.

“Not her exact words,” he answered. “But, y’know, it’s close enough.” He took a last bite of his fruit. “It always made me so angry to hear the stories she told me of when she was little. All those times her own sister said she hated her, all the teasing from the villagers.” Carmen tightened her lips and looked at the dirt. She recalled how the townspeople treated Mirabel. Calling her the “unspecial special,” or the “unmagical Madrigal.” How it was treated like a normal thing, to hurt her feelings daily. It always rubbed her the wrong way, so Carmen never joined it, but she never attempted to talk them out of it either… “I mean, I can’t even imagine that. My own sister, treating me like nothing- for no reason!” He sighed and glanced at Carmen. “Sorry, I just get worked up over these things.”

“N0, no, no, I get it!” She said, waving her hands horizontally. “I hate it when people make fun of my Camilo…” She adjusted her bandana. “It could never get as bad as what Mirabel went through, but people are always calling him immature, or a child. Too crazy for his own good. Especially Isabela.”

“So she’s just mean to everyone?” Alejandro asked. Carmen suddenly became aware of her words. Isabela was sounding like a monster with her description.

“No!- I mean- She’s not mean, she’s just ah…” she struggled to find the words. “Isabela spent most of her life following a strict path, she wasn’t allowed to do anything she wanted and was almost forced to marry someone.”

“I know.”

“She-... what?”

“Mira told me.” Carmen blinked in confusion.

“...She did?”

“Yeah,” Alejandro continued. “She told me all about the whole ‘perfect sister who suffered almost throwing her whole life away’ story. It’s messed up and I feel bad for Isabela- I really do. But that was no excuse to be so mean to Mira.” Alejandro cautiously climbed over a fallen tree. “She could’ve been ‘senorita perfecta’ without putting Mira down. There was no reason to bully her sister. Isabela was an adult and Mira was a little girl when all that happened, but they were acting like each other's ages. Mira still blames herself for all the things she ‘messed up’ on, like standing too close while Isabela flipped her hair in her face, or just existing.” He stopped to take a breath. “I’m sorry, but your cousin- she…” he angrily sighed. “She hurt Mira.”

(Hello everyone! Cedar here. I  just wanted to apologize for the VERY long absence. I may have enjoyed my break a little too much... But, I'm back and will continue to upload as much as I can, but please bare with me if sometimes I'm a bit late)

Chapter Text

The shrill of the wooden chair scratching the floor almost made Mercedes jump out of her skin. 

“Let me tell you,” Abuela Maria began to shout as she settled into the seat. “I don’t care for those Madrigals. Not one bit!” Ramos resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his madre, instead closing them as he set a mug in front of her. 

“Then why did you agree to let her go?” Ramos calmly asked. 

“Si, mi vida,” Abuelo Emilio commented. “If anyone could have convinced her to stay, it would be you.” 

“I couldn’t stop her.” She said, crossing her arms as her face softened. “I could see she wanted to go…” Josephina poured some chocolate caliente into her mug. “Her poor heart… it’s been so hurt by those people, and yet she still cares so much for them. She loves them, but I’m not so sure they feel the same… at least not in the right way…” Mercedes slumped down in her own chair.

“Well, I agree.” Josephina said, noting her daughter’s demeanor. “With the stories she told us, I'm not sure why she’d even want to go back.”

“Well there must be a good reason-” Mercedes tried to chime in, only to be interrupted by her abuela. 

“At least Alejandro went with her,” the elderly woman said with a smirk. “One wrong word to her and- HA!” Maria punched the air, knowing well of her grandson. 

“Now, now mami,” Ramos began. “We all know Alejandro hasn’t gone that far in years.”

“Aye, it’s true,” Josephina said, settling in her own chair, all mugs being filled. “When he was young, I taught him to isolate himself when he got angry. It was best for him to be alone for a while than to hurt someone.” 

“But his temper has never changed.” Abuelo Emilio replied. “Especially when it comes to Mira.” 

“I think he gets it from you.” Maria said warmly to her husband, who reciprocated her smile. 

“ I think that that’s not something to be proud of.” Ramos said sternly. 

“ I think..!” Mercedes finally broke her silence. “That you’re all being way too hard on them all!” She said, moving her mug from one hand to the other. “They’re just a family who wants to get one of their kids back. What’s so wrong with that!?” Josephina breathed in slowly, preparing an explanation to her daughter. 

“Mija,” she said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I love how you always see the best in people, it’s admirable. But you have to be cautious.” 

“...cautious..?” she said, confused. 

“Imagine… Do you remember that story, El Patito Feo?” 

“...Yeah.” she answered. “The little duckling who lost his way, but found a family in the end…”

“Yes, but ah…” Josephina paused. “Imagine, after the duckling had found out that he was truly a beautiful swan, after finally finding his family and becoming happy, the family of ducks return, wanting to apologize only after they realize how much they hurt the little swan.”

“They…” Mercedes scoffed with a smile. “They just felt bad…” 

“Sí corazón,” Abuela Maria said. Mercedes rubbed her hands up her face, lightly laughing as she leaned back into her seat. 

“I’m 27 years old, and yet you have to explain things with fairytales…”

“Corazon, it’s a wonderful thing,” Abuelo Emilio comforted her. “You have heartful eyes, they only see things with love and compassion.” he reached for his nieta. “You’re the heart of this family Mercedes, loving and forgiving. Don’t let anything change that.” 

“Of course, abuelo.” she said as she took his hand.

Chapter Text

Nothing changed. The same grassy path, still littered with Isabella’s old flowers. The same houses who’s colors never seemed to fade, no matter how hard it rained. The same rickety fence with the broken swinging gate that a donkey was currently escaping from. 

“Fernando!” Antonio yelled as he went to stop him. Luisa scowled at the boy, now knowing she wouldn’t get a chance to speak to him until morning, or even later in the day tomorrow. But her face soon softened when she realized that her little sister had giggled at the sight. 

The donkey’s escaping, the colors that could be seen even at night, the flowers that she knew to avoid stomping on even while not looking- it was all familiar. Like she was reading a favorite book again, feeling the excitement at the climax despite knowing exactly what happens. The only difference was Casita. 

There it stood, in the same spot she left it. Only Mira knew that that wasn’t her Casita. Not just because Camilo had told her how they rebuilt it, but because she could feel it. Her lack of connection with the house. It was no longer a home, it was a house. Not to mention the visual differences. Isabela’s 0uter wall was no longer pink. It matched the rest of the house as a faded orange. Flowers on the wall were replaced with nothing, barren and, honestly, a bit boring. The palma de ceras that surrounded the house, even before Isabela had grown her own, were gone too. Now only ordinary trees remained. The front door… oh how that door changed. It was no longer teal, it was brown. The house had lost it’s life, it’s vibrancy. 

Only for a split second, after taking in the house had Mira thought otherwise. A familiar creaking was heard from above. She smiled with a gasp and raised her hand to say the two familiar words- only to learn that the shutters on the second floor were simply being blown by the wind. Noone was saying hola to her. Mirabel stopped in her tracks. She could not go back now. She was right there. She was home. She was in the Encanto. She had to be strong, she had to push forward though the pain. This is for Mama. She looked up back at the house, the shutter stopping it’s “wave.” Mama and Papa deserve this. I should’ve never left without telling them. I was young and stupid and- the shutter waved again, calmly creaking for a final time that night. Mirabel didn’t smile, nor laugh. She simply raised her hand and waved back. Whispering words small enough to be carried away by the wind, out of other ears. 

“Hola de nuevo, Casita…”

Chapter Text

The grass beneath Antonio’s feet were carelessly crushed under his feet. He didn’t care about the grass or the potential of waking his family or what his siblings and cousins thought of him. What he needed was:

1. Get to tio Bruno’s room, he’s probably up late writing the next season for Los desafortunados lazos entre Juanita y Carlos. 
2. Avoid Luisa at all costs. After that stunt he pulled to get Mirabel back to the Encanto, he had no idea what she would say to him. 

But he didn’t want to find out. 

Antonio stomped up the stairs to Bruno’s tower, the lamp light from his room seeping out from under the door, giving him the slight peace that he wouldn’t be waking his uncle in the middle of the night, just disrupting him. He burst through the door, his tio’s reaction delayed for just a second, allowing Antonio to see him uncurl from his hunched position over his desk and fall off the chair, some of his rats jumping from his shoulders and head and scurrying away to avoid the impact. 

Antonio crouched down to apologize to the rats and pick his tio up, setting the chair back to its original position for his uncle to sit. The boy leaned his back against the desk, standing diagonal to his tio, his right elbow resting perfectly in the palm of his left hand. His right hand curled into a fist against his mouth, then his fingers uncurled to cover his lips and then run up his face, now allowing Bruno to see Antonio’s expression. 

He was shocked. Not surprised, that was too simple to describe it, but shocked. It was a face Bruno had seen before throughout his life. When he was 8 years old on his way to the kitchen with his mama, only to see that face at the sound of porcelain shattering. When he was 21 years old he saw that the joke he made at his sister’s wedding gave each guest that face. When he was 40 years old and saw his own face in the faint reflection of his vision, when he saw that his little sobrina was destined to destroy their home.

“Antonio?” Bruno slowly stood from the chair, cautiously looking at his nephew. “Sobrino, what’s wrong?”

“I…” The words stopped before escaping from his lips. Antonio’s mouth was agape, the gap between his two front top teeth barely peeking out. “I di…” his bottom lip pressed up, his eyes closing as he took a deep breath in through his nose, nostrils flaring as he did. “I didn’t want to believe you tio…”

“About wha-”

“ABOUT-” he stopped, becoming aware of his volume. “About- about M-Mirabel-bel.” Bruno’s eyes widened at his nephew. 

“Y-” Bruno tried to ask the obvious question, but Antonio interrupted. 

“We f- found her, tio.  I always thought she was d-” he took a deep breath, running out of air too quickly. He shakily said the next word as more air escaped. “Dead, but- but she’s not! She was just in another tow-town. She’s has a new family and newabuelaandsist-terand- and she’s getting. Married. Her fiance. Is. Downstairs. She has this whole new li-life and she doesn’t need us and she’s so happy now- I’ve never seen her this happy before tio- she’s-she-” Antonio continued on with his panic. The wooden floorboards slowly rose up to meet him. A tearless sob escaped, leading a small whisper. “she doesn’t need me.”

•••

 Agustin awoke to the opening slam of the front door. Propping himself up on his elbow, Agustin listened to the noises on the floor below him. Burglars were practically a myth in the Encanto, the townspeople were too kind to harm anyone, which led to one conclusion. The kids were back! 

He reached for his golden circle glasses but stopped, his hand mid-air. Should he go greet them? Yes, yes he should. 

Agustin slowly crept out of the bed, peeling off the blanket as gently as possible, preventing his amor from waking up. She really needed some sleep. He tiptoed out of the room, nearly slipping on the smooth floor in the process, but thankfully silently gaining his balance with his flailing arms. The door silently opened, Agustin sighing in relief that the usual creak from the wood was silenced by opening it slowly. 

Just after opening the door, he saw a blur of orange rush to Bruno’s tower. Antonio slammed the door of his uncle’s room before Agustin had time to turn to properly see him. He heard something drop, something heavy, then a shuffle on the floor, the familiar scratches of Bruno’s rats could be heard from his room to the walls of the casita. He could hear Antonio yelling at Bruno through the walls, the hysteria in his voice too intriguing for Agustin to notice his own children walking. The man stepped closer to the secluded stairway that led to the tower’s door, his shadow silently copying his own sneaky movements. Antonio’s voice, not yelling but still raised, grew louder as he stepped up the stairs, his nose scrunching at each creak. His nephew’s voice grew louder as he stepped up. 

“-ead, but- but she’s not! She was just in another tow-town. She’s has a new family and newabuelaandsist-terand- and she’s getting. Married-” Married? Who is? “-ew li-life and she doesn’t need us and she’s so happy now- I’ve never seen her this happy before-” Who’s so happy? Why is he so scared that someone is happy? “-tio- she’s-she-” Antonio continued on with his panic. A sob escaped, leading a small whisper. “she doesn’t need me.” WHO!? Agustin almost yelled through the door, his curiosity burning inside him. Who has been missing for so long? Who has Antonio been missing for years? Who could be so happy now that she was away from the Encanto-

A breath shakily escaped him. His body felt hollow as the realization hit him. Agustin became very aware of everything, how far the floor from where his eyes were, how empty his hands felt as air flowed between his fingers, the weight of his glasses, the bridge of his nose and ears. The fact that his daughter was alive. Mirabel was alive. She’s breathing and growing and full of love, just like she was years ago- she’s alive. She’s not just alive, she’s in the casa, she’s here- 

“Mirabel is here?” Antonio and Bruno turned their heads towards the door, Agustin standing with that look plastered on his face.

Chapter Text

Alejandro settled into the small mattress on the floor, pushing the colorful blankets aside as he inserted himself into the uncomfortable state. 

“Are you sure you’re okay sleeping on the floor?” Mira asked. For the 7th time. “I really wouldn’t mind, plus I’m smaller and I know-” 

“Corazon, please,” Andro pleaded. “I’m okay, really. Plus,” he smiled. “This floor is quite comfortable. You just want to steal it away. But that won’t happen.” Mira rolled her eyes as she smiled back. “Now, let’s sleep, you don’t want to meet your family when you’re half asleep.” Mira giggled and reached for the oil lamp at the bedside table, but recoiled her hand into a soft fist, bending her elbow towards herself. 

“Oh, I know you’re probably tired, but do you want me to whip something up in the kitchen for you?” She asked. “We skipped dinner and all we had today were fruits so if you want anything-” 

“I’m fine, Mira,” He said. “Now please get some rest. You’re gonna need it for tomorrow,” Mira whispered an “okay” with her smile plastered on her lips. She took off her golden glasses and set them next to the oil lamp, the light that bounced from the rims to the ceiling extinguishing along with the lamp’s flame. 

Andro turned towards his soon to be wife, smiling up at her as she slept on her back, hands folded on her stomach and eyes staring up. An oddity that he noted. When they were younger, he, Mira, and Mercedes would have sleepovers in their room, Mira was always a stomach sleeper. He could picture her now, lying on her chest as she snuggled the pillow beneath her, her cheeks squished against it. She was so different at that moment. So relaxed and at peace for the first time ever. The feeling in his chest warmed up and blossomed when he saw her like that that night, and it only grew ever since then. 

“Amor?” Andro asked. Mira squeaked a soft “Mmhmm?” in response. “You’re awake.”

“Yep.” Andro sat up and crossed his legs, the moon from the window tinting his dark skin with its soft light.  

“What is it?” Mira pushed herself up with her elbow, the moonlight now giving her dark hair a honeyglow as it shielded her eyes from the soft light.

“I just…” she breathed in, as if she were about to spill her feelings to Andro, but only sighed. She breathed through her nose, loudly as if agitated, which she was, but only she knew that and barely. Mira kept her true feelings about this whole trip to herself. “I’m not sure I… I want to be here…”

“That’s okay,” Andro reassured. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now, but this entire situation has got to be weird for you. But…” he trailed off, struggling to find the words. “There’s… you can’t really go back now…”

“I know, I know, it’s just-” She sat up, rubbing her hands from her elbows to her shoulders. She leaned against the wall and laid back. “I-I don’t know where I am…” She began. “This isn’t my Casita, Andro. Casita was- ugh, Casita was wonderful! It’s pathetic but Casita was my best friend.”

“It’s not-”

“Hush now, don’t lie.” She took a moment and soaked in the familiar look around the small room. It was almost identical to the old nursery. Almost. The room was still a light shade of viridian green, pastel blue butterflies painted all over the walls, but the alphabet was missing. Luisa had replaced the bed too, adding Andro’s little one as well. “Y’know, Casita was a surprisingly good listener. It somehow knew when I needed to talk, so it would make a cozy little balcony for me to pour my heart out. As I got older, Casita became my most trusted friend. If I’m honest, of all my family members, Casita was who I was closested with…” She paused for a moment and looked out the window, hoping to find a way to transform her feelings into words to tell her love.

“That house… I was invisible there. It was a comforting home but I was hurting. Everyone else had everything, not just their own gift or door, but their own time to shine but- but I didn’t. I never needed a magical power, I just wanted to… to-” she sighed and rolled her eyes back to the room. “I don’t know, to define myself in my own way, but I never got that.” As she breathed out her last sentence, Andro slid into the bed beside her and wrapped his arms around her, his left arm perfectly cushioning her neck just below her curls. She leaned into him and tucked her forehead under his chin. They were a perfect match, a lock finding its key, never to let go of the other. The silence comforted them, blanketing them like a warm quilt. But, Andro slowly ripped it by the seams. 

“I’m so sorry you had to feel that way.” He said. “You are… you are the most kind person I ever met. I’ve seen you take off your parka and give it to someone else- I’ve watched you take one look at a homeless family and immediately rebuild our home! I don’t know much of what you’ve done before that, but I know it was just as compassionate.” Andro moved away and tilted her chin up so she would meet his slightly blurred face. “You didn’t deserve that. And they never deserved you.” Mira pressed her lips together and gave a singular, silent laugh, letting her head fall forward so her forehead gently met his lips. 

“It wasn’t all bad.” She smiled as she broke away and pecked him on the cheek. “It led me to you.” Andro’s eyes went small as he smiled at her. Mira raised her hand to rest on his right cheek, her thumb fitting perfectly in his only dimple. The kiss was quick and chaste. Until it was followed by another. And another. And another. Laughing and pecking until they couldn’t anymore, leading Andro to rest his forehead to his miracle and wish her a goodnight.

Chapter Text

They were still exhausted despite their full night of sleep. Strands of hair sticking out while the sandman still floated around in their vicinity.

Felix’s fingers slipped through hers as they split paths, with Pepa going downstairs to begin breakfast, as usual.

The walk down the stairs was exhausting. Pepa was not a morning person, quite the opposite actually. But now that Julieta was grieving, it was up to her- at least at the end of the week when it was her turn- to make breakfast for the whole family. And now that the children were back she would have to make triple the amount of food. She was exhausted just thinking about it. But there was one thing that could salvage her positive feelings: Coffee.

There was once a time that the morning rain could vanish with a sip of coffee. When the earliest cries of thunder would be soothed with that beautiful smell. If she imagined it hard enough, she could smell it that very second.

Wait, she was smelling it, it wasn’t her imagination… Pepa walked through the doorless arch that led to the kitchen and caught a rare sight. Julieta, her hair tied in a tight bun, cooking piles of food. Reheated calentado, warming changua, arepa de huevos being made at that very moment. Pepa smiled at her sister. It had been so long since she had gotten up this early, or even gotten up by herself. Almost everyday Agustin would have to wake her up, only to be ignored and shunned away from his amor.

Pepa tucked a curl behind her ear and stepped up to her sister. “Good morning, Juli-” Julieta turned around, revealing a young face with golden glasses. A loud thud was heard behind her. Felix’s eyes shut as he hit the floor, Pepa and Mirabel running to his aid.

•••

Frigid dabs gently dotted Felix’s forehead, awakening him from his shocked state. He opened his eyes to two blurred figures, one a familiar light, a joyous gold, the other long ago lost, dark curls being held by her golden glasses. Felix slowly sat up between the crouching women, turning his head left and right to look at both of them, silently asking his wife, Are you seeing this?

“Are you okay, t-tio?” Mirabel asked. Felix did his best to hide his confusion and shock, but considering what had just happened, that would not be possible anytime soon.

“I’m fine, Mirabel,” he said, “I’m just ah- a little surprised…” He spoke each syllable one by one, seeming almost cautious with his words. He turned his head and looked to his wife, bumping one eyebrow towards the door. Pepa understood exactly what he was saying.

“Let’s get you back to bed,” she said. They walked through the door with Mirabel’s worry-full eyes following them as they left.

They walked out the door, up the stairs, and walked to their room. Pepa opened the door for her husband and shut it behind her, leaning her back against it and sliding down, her straight legs moving forward in front of her. Felix sat down on the bed and jumped from the force of the mattress.

“She’s alive!?!” Felix asked, rubbing his temple.

“Apparently- yes!”

“How?!”

“ ‘How?!’ How would I know that Felix- I- I thought that was Julieta and then she turned around and it was Mirabel- OH-” She stood straight as a line and clasped her hands to her mouth. “Do you thi-do you think her parents know?!” Felix jumped, straightening his spine as he sat there.

“... I’m not sure…”

“We should ask them.” Pepa said.

“We should ask them.”

“Come with me?”

“Of course,” he said as he took her hand and walked them to Agustin and Julieta's room. Pepa knocked lightly, loud enough for someone inside to hear, but quiet enough to not attract Mirabel’s attention. A creak distracted them as they waited for an answer, the familiar warning from Bruno’s stairs that someone was coming. In that instance, that someone was Agustin.

“Agustin!” Pepa dramatically whispered. “Down stairs, in the kitchen we- we saw-”

“We saw Mirabel-”

“I know.” The husband and wife duo replicated Os with their lips.

“How’d-”

“When did-”

They both began, only to stop at Agustin’s raised hand in the air. “Look, I just found out a few hours ago and I haven’t told Juli yet, I’ll explain later. If you really want to know, maybe ask your brother or your hijo pequeño.” The short wind brushed against the couple’s faces, leaving them speechless.

“I’ll see Antonio.” Said Pepa.

“I’ll talk to Bruno.” Said Felix as they parted ways.

Chapter Text

The knocking at the door stopped Antonio in his pacing tracks. Ever since the andean bird sang its wake up call, the boy had stayed restless in his room. He was beyond nervous of his future confrontation with Luisa, who he had not even heard coming. The knocking continued. Antonio’s feet walked towards the door. His mind was now blank, his body leading him to the scolding of a lifetime. Antonio had always been good, never being yelled at by either of his parents. His mother had sworn that he could do no wrong, it was physically impossible. That wouldn’t change after this, Luisa wasn’t a snitch, but the guilt. The guilt would eat him alive and spit him out, never letting him rest. 

The door opened and the soft worried wrinkles of Pepa Madrigal met her son's eyes. “Buenos dias, papito,” she laid a kiss on each of his cheeks. “Tonito, I need to talk to you,” Pepa sat on his bed and smoothed out the sheets next to her. Antonio sat in the spot next to his mother and she sighed. “What’s Mirabel doing here?” Antonio blinked. 

“What?” He whispered out. The cousins didn’t discuss how they would re-introduce her to the rest of the family, they had planned to discuss it before breakfast, but no one else was awake, so he simply waited. No one had planned that, according to Pepa, Mirabel would wake up and make breakfast to feed the whole family. 

After a long winded explanation, Pepa finally understood. “So she’s just been in another town?” 

“Mmhmm,” Antonio answered. 

“Why did she come back?” 

“Uh- she,” he thought for a split second. “She wanted to see tia Julieta again.” Pepa let out a light laugh. 

“Well, if it were me, it’d take more than my mama to get me back home.” 

“Wai- what?” Antonio asked. “Why?”

“Well, Tonito, think about it,” she began. “Mirabel was loved in that town. Not that we didn’t love her but ah- I must admit we had a funny way of showing it.” She looked down in shame. “She must feel how we felt when we had our gifts. You may have been too young to remember,” Not really Antonio thought to himself. 

“Mami, you hated your gift.” He said. 

“Sometimes I did,” replied Pepa. “Somedays I would be angry, a thunderstorm or a hurricane would interrupt and everyone knew who to blame. But when you make a rainbow on someone’s wedding, or refill the river during a drought, people treat you like royalty. It was bad but the good times out shined the bad ones.” Antonio was too lost in thought to roll his eyes at his mother’s pun. I never made her feel that way. I was always nice to her. 

Pepa stood up and kissed her son on the forehead. “Thank you for the explanation, papito,” she said. “I know this may be odd,” Yeah- this is way more than just odd, mami. “-but try to understand. There are many sides to a story.” Pepa knew this well. After her wedding day, this saying was engraved in her mind. 

Pepa left her son, her silent footsteps not being heard from behind the door. Antonio sat down and looked out the window, a bright red sparrow peaking in from between the shutters. He walked to his window and opened the shutters, letting the bird in along with the warmth of the sun. 

“Y’know, I was alway nice to Mirabel.” He told the bird. “I always needed her, and what does she do? She left! For years, I didn’t have anyone. Noone to talk about how crazy abuela is, no one to ask for help after I lost my gift, nothing! And now we’re all just okay with her?” the bird chirped and tilted its head. Antonio sighed and sat on his desk. “At least I know she feels bad for leaving. You should’ve seen her face when I told her how her mom has been all these years. I’m actually…” Antonio slowly looked up from the bird. The familiar stomps of his cousin could be heard outside in the hall. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Here it comes. The bird hopped to the window sill, wanting no part in the interaction that would soon take place. He stepped towards the door. Some people are awake, so she shouldn’t yell. Another step. At least I got Mirabel to come back! She should be thanking me, not being mad at me! He took another step. It’s not like I really did anything wrong, Mirabel is kinda the reason tia’s like this so it’s kinda on her… Another step. He put one foot forward and leaned towards the door, turning the knob. I haven’t been this nervous to open a door since my fifth birthday. At least then I had a hand to hold. The door opened, revealing the tired face of Luisa. 

She walked in and stood with her back against the desk. She crossed her arms and simply looked at Antonio. He shut the door behind him and folded his hands behind his back. He stared at her purple sandals, the straps woven tightly around her ankles. 

“Why did you think that was a good idea?”

“L-”

“What part of that tiny brain of yours made you think about telling my sister about my mothers state?” Her fists clenched. 

“I-” 

“Listen to me. Here’s what you’re going to do. You are going to apologize to Mirabel for making her feel so bad that she had to come back. You are going to make polvorosas and arequipes if you have to. You will do everything you can to make her feel better. Mirabel has enough on her plate and now she thinks that mi madre is in that state because of her when she’s not. She’s not back here because of you, you didn’t do something great or helpful to the family. She is here right now because of mama.” She paused to take a breath. “Don’t come down for breakfast, we’re telling mama then, it’ll just be them and papa.” Luisa turned around and walked to the door, stopping before she opened it. 

For the first time since she walked in, Antonio looked up at her face. Her hair was loose, not having been brushed yet for the day. Her lips were pressed together, forming an almost perfect line. Her voice had been angry and hoarse during her speech. Her eyes were unblinking, if she did blink tears from her glassy eyes would fall. Antonio couldn’t help but stare at those eyes. She sighed and scoffed. She exited the room and mumbled words that only Antonio would hear.

“I can’t believe you did that to us…” 

Antonio was still. She didn’t yell. He thought. She didn’t yell but that didn’t change the disappointment, it didn’t change the hatred. He stood in disbelief and wonder. Wondering if he deserved that scolding. I didn’t do anything, right? I got her to come home, it’s what everyone wanted. Everyone but her. Everyone but Mirabel.

Chapter Text

Felix paced around his brother in law's room. The information that had just been dumped into his brain didn’t feel real. Mirabel Madrigal, his baby niece, was in the house. Mirabel was in the house. It’s not like it could be a cruel joke, he saw her with his own eyes. Before everything faded to black…

“Did you seriously faint?” Bruno asked, still in disbelieve from Felix’s account of “the breakfast incident.” 

“Yes, bro,” Felix replied. “I’m sure.” He sighed. Felix tried to understand. Understand how she was here, why she left, understand everything. But oh man, was it hard. “So, let me get this straight.” Bruno nodded his head. “The kids brought her back,” Bruno nodded. “Antonio told you.” Bruno nodded. “You both told Agustin.” Bruno nodded. “And Pepa and I saw her this morning?” Bruno nodded. Felix was silent for a moment. “Do you see anything wrong with that?”

“N-no..?” Bruno replied in confusion. 

“Who told Julieta?” Felix asked. 

“No one…” 

“We just thought tha- Where are you going?” Felix had turned to open the door. 

“To tell Julieta.” He said in a “matter of fact” voice. 

“What!” Bruno bolted to the door and held the golden knob shut. “You can’t.” 

“Why?!” 

“Look, Agustin is dealing with it, just leave it.”

“I can’t!” He took a breath. “It-it doesn’t feel right.” 

“Felix-”

“BRU-Bruno-” Felix rubbed his temples and furrowed his brows, putting his hands in front of him to point  something out. “That woman. My- our sister has a right to know her child is alive.” 

“I- I know but…” Bruno placed a hand on his brothers shoulder. “Just wait, she’ll find out when Agustin tells her.” 

“Fine.” Felix stated. “I’ll just go make sure that he told her by now.”

      “Felix.” Bruno said exasperated. 

     “Bruno, I can’t just leave it. If-” he paused. “If it were me, I’d just want to know if my child was safe and alive. If it were Pepa in that state, I’d want her to know that our child is safe and alive. I just want to be sure she knows.”

“I know Felix but it’s not our place-” A scream through the house was heard. Felix and Bruno looked at the door and opened it, walking through the hall to find the origin.

Chapter Text

If there was anything that Agustin could do, it was make the hot, comforting aguapanela that each of his daughters always loved. The smell blended perfectly with Isabela’s constant scent of flora. It warmed the rough hands of Luisa after a tiring day of hard work. And usually, it would comfort Mirabel during the talks of her worth. 

“Drink up,” Agustin told his daughter before she took the porcelain cup in her hand, the blue designs dancing along the smooth white. “So,” Agustin began. “When did you want to see your mother?” Mirabel stopped the hot drink before it could reach her lips. 

“Does she want to see me?” She asked, her irises being sliced by the golden wire of her glasses as she looked up at her father. 

“Corazon, of course she does!” He held her shoulders. “She’s been missing you for so long- We both have! I can’t tell you how happy I was when I saw you this morning. But you need to go see your mother. She misses you more than I can tell. She’s… she’s become different,” Agustin tried to tell the truth all while hiding it from his daughter. She deserved to hear that her mother missed her, not how she began talking to herself ever since she left. 

“So none of you are mad?”

“You’re happy, you’re healthy, and you’re safe. You’ve even fallen in love…” Agustin nodded to Alejandro, who stood outside the window talking to Bruno. “Obviously, I’m furious.” Mirabel giggled at her father. She inhaled and breathed out through the ‘o’ of her lips. 

“Okay,” She breathed in and out again. “I think I’m ready…” 

“You think or you know?” Alejandro asked from the doorway. Mirabel walked up to him and placed a hand on his cheek. “I just want you to be sure that you’re ready for this. It’s an intense moment, if you need a few more hours or even another day..?”

“Amor, I know. I know I can do this.” Breathe in… Breathe out… She felt as if her lungs would burst if she filled it with any more air.  She walked out of the kitchen. Alejandro watched as she walked away, her curls bouncing with each determined step she took. 

“Alejandro?” The young man turned around to Mirabel’s father, a flash of nervousness in him. But, when Agustin offered him a cup of the aguapanela, he quietly breathed in relief. “Welcome to the Madrigals.” He said with a smile. Andro accepted the warm drink with a smiling ‘gracias.’ “And,” Agustin began before following his daughter. “Thank you, for taking care of her.”

“Sir, please,” Andro replied. “She’s the one who saved me.”

•••

Breathe in… Breathe out… Mirabel walked up the stairs to her parents room. This room she was not all too familiar with. If she ever needed water or a small snack in her youthful years, she would simply get it herself. If she had a nightmare her parents would  hear and come to her. Breathe in… If she ever needed anything, her parents were sure to keep her happy. Breathe out… Breathe in…

But today- Breathe out…- right now, it was her time to go to her mother. To comfort her mother. To see her mother. Breath in… Should she knock or just walk in? Breath out… Knocking would, obviously, be the polite thing-  Breath in…- but did she really want to waste time being polite when she missed her mother that much? Breath out… Should she say something? Breath in… ‘Hey mami, it’s your long lost daughter, what’s new with you?’ Breath out… No, that’s just stupid. Breathe i-

The front door opened. Julieta walked in, her eyes drawn to the floor from the tiredness of the morning’s work. 

Breathe in…

Breathe in…

She wasn’t breathing. 

She hadn’t noticed the two men at the foot of the stairs until her eyes met their shadows. Julieta looked up, recognizing her husband but not the young man. 

Breathe. 

Just breathe.

BREATHE!

Forget breathing. 

“Mama…” Julieta looked up. Her eyes followed the girl. No, the woman. That was a young woman, a beautiful young woman with a gorgeous voice. But it wasn’t her . Probably some hallucination. She was the crazed woman who spoke to her dead house. She knew how the town spoke of her, even her own familia sometimes. But that voice… the sound of her nena calling her mama… The delusional thought filled her with joy. “Mama..?” she looked at the girl descending down the stairs. 

Not breathing. 

I’m not breathing. 

She’s not saying anything and I’m not breathing. 

It was like looking at a mirror that wasn’t quite right. It was Julieta, but her hair was short. It was Julieta, but she was wearing her husband’s glasses. 

That’s no mirror. Julieta thought. That’s not me. That’s her. 

“M-Mir…” A sob. Then another. Reminiscent of a toddler’s cry, gasping for air at almost every second, her face turning red, and screaming. So much screaming. Mirabel hugged her. One little hug can do something by doing nothing at all. The hug didn’t stop Julieta from crying. It may have actually made it worse, dragging Mirabel down to the floor with her. “Mir-Mirab-bel..?” A gasp for air between each syllable. 

“Yes, ma-” She finally breathed back in. But it wasn’t a normal breath. It was shaky and wobbled her lungs, for Mirabel was crying too. “Mama-” They both sat on the floor, crying into each other’s shoulders. 

“Miraboo-” Julieta’s laugh even sounded like a sob, but it was a laugh, it truly was, it had just been so long since she had done so, it was as if her body had forgotten how laughter was meant to sound like. “Oh, Miraboo-boo…”

Agustin ran to them, falling to the brick ground and knocking his knees on the cold floor, wrapping his arms around them. “Our Miraboo’s back…” he whispered. 

Alejandro watched. She was so happy. He had seen her this happy before, maybe even more so. So why did he feel a hand grabbing his guts, trying to rip it out. It couldn’t be jealousy, could it? The fact that his amor could stay here? Be happy without him? What would he do without her? But this wasn’t about him. She was happy, so he was happy. He was happy. He was happy that she was. 

Mira looked up at Andro, their eyes meeting. Those lovely eyes… Everytime she looked in them, it was as if she had drunk a boiling drink, her heart warming at the sight. Looking at his eyes was the same as walking through a forest in the autumn at golden hour, the sun shining its perfect rays against the naked brown branches. The look in those eyes could make her day.  Mira held out her hand and beckoned him to come. He followed, a mariposa to néctar dulce. The flower that was Mira pulled him down into the hug, truly joining the family.

Chapter Text

Alma winced at the afternoon sunlight sneaking into her eyes to shine her awake. She stretched her hands above her head and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, which were then blocked by the white strands of her hair.

On most days, the matriarch of the Madrigal familia didn’t have the energy to get out of bed. Usually, her nietos y bisnietos would come to her room and bring her food, entertain her, tell her about the latest pranks they pulled on each other. She didn’t have the energy to ensure the perfection of her family. Not that it mattered. Without their gifts everyone was completely useless. There was no one to heal the injured, no one to shift the river. There was nothing. 

Today, however, she was feeling well enough to go sit by the window after her afternoon nap. After slowly lowering her feet to the ground, she took a few patient steps to the window and looked out to her casita. Well, it would be a lie to call it her casita. Her home was alive and beautiful. It was a miracle that was destroyed by herself and her own fears that were pressed into her family. She looked down at the wooden window sill. The candle sat there, now melted down to barely an inch. It hadn’t been lit in years, not since the fall of her miracle. She remembered that night, when Pedro gave her the candle, saying it would help them guide the villagers. It would be a light to them. He said. Just as you are to me.

Alma looked down at the village. People smiled and waved to each other. Green hills flourished. Trees and flowers grew. Everything is so nice today… she thought to herself. But why do I feel like this..? She fiddled with the golden ring on her left ring finger, pulling it past the knuckle and slipping it on again. Something deep in her, just past her heart, felt off. It was a warning spreading through her whole body. She looked around the house. No one was at the second level that she could see. She knew that her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren were all in town, except for Julieta, and perhaps Agustin. 

She looked down below her, looking at the blue stairs that led down to the first floor. She looked at the foyer, where her daughter sat crying, hugging her husband and daughter. 

Her daughter. Her daughter Mirabel. 

Mirabel. Mirabel is here. Mirabel is alive. 

How is she alive? She died years ago. Julieta lost her mind. Her sisters grieved. The familia grieved. How is this possible?

Alma walked back to her bed and sat at the corner of it, holding onto the right corner bedpost. She clutched onto the wood, leaving scratch marks from her nails. The anguish. The realization. The guilt. Oh goodness, the guilt. Alma gathered all her strength and sl0wly walked to the door. By the time her hand cradled the oval knob, four whole minutes had passed. 

It was time for her to see Mirabel.

Chapter Text

Alejandro knew that there were many perks to being the man behind a town miracle. If she often needed your help, you would get a thank you from whoever you assisted. He could look forward to the stories of her miraculous family. But out of all of that, the best perk was most likely the fact that he didn’t have to wreck his nerves before meeting her parents. 

That was until today. 

Agustin seemed to be kind and relatable. After all, both men were with wonderful women who, for some reason, chose them out of all other eligible men in their villages. Senora Madrigal, however, was a bit more complicated. He knew very little of the woman. Of course, Mirabel spoke of her, but it was typical motherly tales that you could hear from anyone. She told her she was special, she made her arepas and held her as a child when she had nightmares. Julieta was simple. She was a mother. What could he possibly talk about with her?

This is the question that ran through Alejandro’s head as he helped her take the food out for lunch. Agustin was setting the table with Mirabel’s tio Felix and Bruno, while Mirabel was talking with the rest of her family on the stairs. They each sat on a step, leaning against the railing or a higher step. Alejandro peaked at them, checking on his beloved, wondering if he was needed to defend her. Her precious smile answered his thoughts. 

“Is she doing alright?” Andro turned around to face his mother-in-law. 

“Uh- yeees.” He answered. “She’s laughing with her primos right now.” He turned back and smiled at Julieta. 

“Not at this moment,” Julieta clarified. “I mean- i-is she okay? In your village.” Andro thought for a moment, wondering what to say. 

“She’s happy.” He said. “She’s a bit overworked, but we all take care of her, and we try our best to keep her happy. But she misses you all so much.” Julieta gave him a questioning look, as if she thought he was lying in his last sentence. “She talks about you all like a- I don’t know, a moth would speak of a flame-” He held back his cringe from his statement. “She loves you all, but some of you seem… har-harmful to her…” he bit his tongue from speaking ill of her family. 

“I wish I could understand.” Julieta calmly stated. “I was always praised for my gift.” 

“The power to heal..?” Andro asked. Julieta nodded and continued. 

“I was treated so well by the town. They would cheer as I walked through the town. People would give me their own baked goods saying how ‘It’s nothing compared to what you have made but I just had to thank you, Senorita Julieta!’ ” she sighed. “It was a bit exhausting.” Alejandro rolled his eyes and bruised his tongue from biting it so hard. “You can be honest with me.” Julieta suddenly said. Andro blinked. 

“I’m sorry?” He asked. She turned to him and leaned her back against the counter. 

“I saw you just now,” she said. “I’d rather hear your thoughts than have you think about me in a certain way.” Andro tightened his lips and spilled out his words.

“I-I just think…” he began. “You talking about how you were loved by your town so much was exhausting is ssstupid…” He nervously hissed out. “I-I just- it’s just that I’ve heard Mira’s side of the story for so long. You all basked in the sunlight and left her to rot in the shade- not- not you- I know you cared for her and gave her attention, but the family in general took her for granted and- and I- uhm…” Andro couldn’t string together any more words to describe his thoughts. He couldn’t keep talking like this to Mira’s mother. Mira’s. Mother. Mira’s. Mother.

“You’re right,” She calmly said. “We took advantage of many things, including mi bebé,” she set down the final plate. “But we each had our own battles. My other daughters were suffering, and I had thought since they were older they could handle it themselves. But just because they could doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have helped them.” She sighed and wiped her hands on her apron. “What I’m trying to say is: we all had things that exhausted us, Mirabel had the most, but we all had something.” 

“I- I never really thought of that…” Alejandro said, a light sense of shock waiving over him. 

“Of course not,” Julieta said with a smile. “You were focused on protecting Mirabel.” She smiled at him, her ancient brown eyes crinkling at the corners, faint lines contrasting with her eyelashes. “You’re perfect for her, you both standing up for the ones you love-”

“Mija,” Alma stood in the doorway of the kitchen, clutching to the door post. She smiled at Alejandro and looked back at her daughter. “Who is this guest of ours?” 

•••

Mirabel pushed herself up and stood on her toes, stretching her hands above her head. The group of cousins had been called to the table and were beginning to file off of the stairs. Mariano and Dorlores were the first to leave, followed by Carmen and Camillo, and finally Luisa and Isabella. The only ones who remained were the youngest siblings of both families, both who stood in an uncomfortable silence. Antonio was curled up under the post of the first step, while Mirabel towered over him from three steps above. 

“Ready to go?” She asked innocently. Antonio stood up and shook his head. 

“Mirabel, I…” He began. Mirabel tilted her head to the side and blinked. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked. 

“I’m-” he quietly sighed and rolled his eyes to Luisa, standing out the window talking to someone. Her brolic back facing him. He stared at the floor for a moment. Then at the opposing post. Then the second step. Floor. Post. Step “I’m sorry…” Floor. “About…” Post. “Guilttrippingyou…” Step. “To- to come…” Mirabel blinked at him. 

“Oh… kay…” She furrowed her brows and stepped down. Antonio bolted in front of her, stopping her from going past the second step. He looked at her with wide eyes and a gesture that silently asked her “Well???” Mirabel blinked at him, slowly this time. “What?” 

“Are we okay?” He asked. 

“No.” Antonio’s eyebrows shot up to the ceiling. 

“What!?” 

“Antonio.” She began. “You used my grieving mother as leverage to get me to come back here. Do you know how hurtful that is? Do you know how hurtful it is to be here?” 

“Hurtful-?” He tripped over his words for a moment, but picked himself up. “You’re home. How ‘painful’ can this be?” Mirabel curled her lip and rolled her shoulders back, a habit she unknowingly picked up from her sister’s when they were furious at her or their parents. 

“You really don’t know, do you?” 

“Don’t know what?”

“What it was like for me!” she nearly shouted. “To grow up here. I was alone. I was a burden- I was hated by everyone, including myself! No one wanted me.” 

“But I needed you!” Antonio shouted. He would’ve been heard by the family outside, if not for the incoming rain distracting them. “I needed you to be there for me! I didn’t believe tio Bruno when he told me you were alive and just ran away because I couldn’t believe that you could be so selfish-” 

Bruno told you? Mirabel asked him in her head.

“-but he was right! You just ran off because you were- you were sad?!” The glare Mirabel gave Antonio pulled tears from his eyes and held them before they rolled down his cheek. 

“I was selfish. I admit it.” she said. “I hurt you and my mama and my family because I left but I couldn’t take this anymore! I’m blamed for everything- It’s always Mirabel’s fault- what did Mirabel do this time? I may have been selfish- but I deserved to be selfish after all that time, okay abu-” She jerked her head back before finishing the word, but the seed was already planted. “ Antonio…” She breathed in and out slowly. “O-okay, Antonio. ” 

This couldn’t be happening. Antonio knew well how abuela treated Mirabel. How she yelled at her and made her cry, and now he had been mistaken for her. 

“Antonio-”

“Antonio!” they looked towards the voice. Abuela’s face was written with confusion. “What is going on here?”

Chapter Text

“What is going on here?” Alma asked. Antonio puffed his cheeks and narrowed his eyes. The rain outside began falling harder

“Abuela, I-” 

“Tonito…” She began. “You used to be such a sweet boy. You were kind and caring, even the animals loved you." The rest of the family began to gather around, gawking at the unbelievable sight. The bisabuela had gotten up out of bed after so many days of resting for what? To scold her grandchild?  The rain pushed onto the roof of the casa. “But now you’re being self-centered. You are making the same mistakes I made.” 

“I-uh-” Antonio stuttered for a moment. “I am not like you!” 

“You are.” Alma said calmly. Her eyebrows furrowed as tears began forming beneath the lids of her eyes. “I hurt the people I loved because of my own wretched sadness. My grief was a poison that spread through almost this entire family.” Her voice remained calm but shaky as she stepped towards her grandson. She hobbled towards him while Antonio struggled to keep his scowl. “Doing that was the greatest mistake of my life, please don’t make the same one.”

“I’m not doing anything to this family!” Antonio shouted.

“Exactly.” Alma said. “You don’t speak to anyone except Luisa or some animals. You’ve never visited me while I was stuck in my bed.” she was now a mere foot away from Antonio. Her voice was just above a whisper. “You’re hurting us by shutting yourself out. Please,” she raised her hand to his cheek, it trembled before-

The slam of the front door echoed throughout the house. The entire family looked towards it curiously. 

“Was that Alejandro?” Carmen asked. 

“Where’s Mirabel?” Julieta asked, ignoring the girl. Everyone looked around the room, then the adults spread around the house looking for the girl, until they all came to the petrifying conclusion. 

Mirabel was out there in the storm. 

•••

Mirabel knew the second she saw Abuela that she had to get out. Her heart raced at the sight of her, the thumping of it in her ears was too deafening for her to listen to the fight between her primo and abuela. She slipped through the front door and walked down the muddy path down the hill. Before entering the rest of town she stopped. She looked at her cousin’s children, who each glared at the rain for ruining their plans to sneak food. She looked at the townspeople, who rushed inside to escape the downpour. She looked at the donkeys who easily walked out of the open gate and around town. She walked towards the gate and saw the problem with it. 

There was no lock. All this time, Osvaldo Orozco Ortiz- who she thought of as the most annoying man in the village- had never given the gate a damn lock. There was only a rock sitting in front of the gate doors. A rock that with enough strength, could be moved. The gate was insignificant. To be completely honest with herself, she hated Osvaldo for the things he had said to her as a child and now, she had hated him for his stupidity. But, after what- or, who she had just seen, she needed to get her mind off of it. She needed a distraction. She snuck back to the casa for some tools and got to work.

•••

The rain was lightening up and Osvaldo was sure that his donkey had escaped again. He sighed as he shrugged on his peanut shell colored ruana. He winced at the sun peeking from behind the split mountain. As he looked back at the donkey fence, the white dot from the sun staining his eyes blocked part of a figure who stood at the gate. He blinked it away and called out to the person. 

“Hello?” he asked, still squinting and blinking. By the time he was face to face with the figure, he had realized who it was, 

“Señor!” Mirabel’s curls bounced from her jumping up from the gate. “Your fence didn’t have a lock so I installed one.” Osvaldo was stunned. He heard rumors and theories about the young Madrigal girl, but he never expected in a thousand years that after all this time, she would show up just to fix his fence. “You just have to flip the wood and it’ll lock!”

“Senorita-”

“Y’know I always wondered why the donkeys kept escaping-”

“Senorita-” 

“And this is why! The solution was always really simple it only took me an hour-”

“Mirabel.” He said. She stopped talking and looked up at him for the first time. His face had aged. His mustache was now the color of clouds and his face full of wrinkles. “Would you like to come in for something to drink?”

Chapter Text

It’s not bad… Mirabel thought to herself as she drank the warm drink from the old man. Osvaldo drank from his own mug and spoke of his wife, who used to make this very drink for him every time it rained. It’s just that papa’s is so good, and I’ve only ever had his. I’m just used to better tasting aguapanela… Osvaldo finished his cup and his story and placed his mug on the table. 

“I wanted to thank you,” he began. “For making a proper lock for the gate.”

“Oh, it’s no-” 

“And I’m sorry.” Mirabel looked up at him and blinked. 

“Wh-what?” she said with a small laugh. Did she hear him correctly?

“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “For all the things I said when you were younger, I just-” he sighed and looked at the few drops of liquid in his cup, rotating the mug and rolling the drops around inside. “I never realized how much my words probably hurt you until you… well… what happened to you?” He widened his eyes and raised his hand. “-If you don’t mind me asking!” Mirabel waved her own hand and furrowed her brows. 

“Oh no, no- It’s okay,” She said. “It’s actually a very sweet story…”

•••

Alejandro ignored the pelting rain on his body. He ignored the thundering that almost made him deaf. What he couldn’t ignore was the hand on his shoulder. 

“Alejandro!” A strong feminine voice cried. Andro looked behind him. 

“Luisa?” 

“Where’s Mirabel?” She asked, tightening her plum ruana around her. 

“I-I don’t know,” she handed him a spare ruana, the light blue fabric soon covered him and was even sooner soaked. “I think she saw your abuela and got scared.”

“Look, Mirabel is a smart girl,” Luisa began. “She’ll know to get inside in this rain, so we need to do the same.” 

“Are you serious?” he asked, not completely shocked. “You want me to leave her out here!?” 

“That’s the thing,” Luisa argued. “She’s probably not even out here. Chances are she took shelter inside somewhere. We need to go back to the casa like everyone else!” 

“Yeah, I think your hermana would disagree.” 

“For the last time, she’s probably inside-”

“Not Mira!” Andro pointed behind her at a woman in a dark blue ruana. “Her!” 

•••

“That’s uh…” Osvaldo began, taking in Mirabel’s story. “That’s quite a tale…” 

“Yeeeah…” She awkwardly said. “I don’t even know what happened, I just saw Abuela and my legs just- took me away!” 

“Well, what did she say to you?” Osvaldo asked. 

“She…” Mirabel looked down, embarrassed. “She wasn’t even talking to me…” Osvaldo poured himself a fourth mug of his aguapanela. He gestured the pot towards the girl who shook her head politely. Two mugs of that stuff was two too many. 

“You were that scared of her?” he asked, sitting back down. 

“I don’t know what I felt…” she leaned back and stared at the ceiling. “I just panicked and I don’t know what to do now…” Osvaldo thought for a moment, took a long sip from his mug and sat it down, his hand still gripping the handle. 

“I didn’t have a big familia.” He began. “Neither did my wife. We didn’t have any children and after she passed I needed time- a lot of time- to take that fact in.” He looked up at the girl. “What I’m saying is: If I had a familia as grand and big as yours, I’d cherish it. But the choice is yours. You should take some time to decide whether to cherish your familia-” they turned to the open window where drops of water still fell from the roof to the window still. The two heard the echoing cries of the three people searching for their loved one. Mira! Mirabel! Hermana! Amor! “-Or, you could cherish them right now without hesitation.” Mirabel looked down and out the window. She pushed out the wooden chair while a determined look was drawn on her face. 

“I…” she began. “Need some time to think about it…” She looked out the window, watching as the drops of rain water on the roof continued to fall. “If they come by here, can you…” she thought for another moment. “Can you tell them I’m okay?” Osvaldo nodded with a smile. Mirabel let herself out, but stopped at the kitchen door. “Señor?” He looked up and raised a confused brow at her. “Thank you.” He didn’t say you’re welcome. In fact, he said nothing. He simply smiled at the girl and went back to his aguapanela.

•••

Isabella ran down the hill towards her littlest sister. “Mirabel!” she cried. The younger hermana turned around, her face wasn’t confused or angry… was it annoyed? “Mirabel- Thank goodness!” She caught up to her sister, only for her to step back. “Mirabel, come on we need to go back to the casita-”

“No we-”

“Mirabel, please-” Isabela pleaded. “We need you-” Mirabel rolled her eyes. 

“No you don’t…”

“W-What?-” 

“You don’t need me!” Mirabel shouted at her sister. Isabela recoiled from the shout, her hand drawing near her chest. “You never needed me- none of you did! The only thing you needed was a clear conscience!” Isabela slumped her shoulders as tears welled up in her eyes. “The only reason you want me back is to feel better about yourselves- you don’t care about me- you never did!” 

“...Is that how you feel?” Mirabel’s lips tightened to a line and then released a singular word. 

“Y-yeah…” Isabela stepped towards her sister. 

“Mirabel,” she started. “I wanted you to come back to apologize. I don’t want to apologize because I want to feel better, I want to apologize because I feel bad-” Snot ran down her nose as tears rolled down her cheeks. “Ah-and I am sorry- I-I was a horrible sister and a bad person- I was so frustrated in being perfect that I took it out on you and that was horrible and- and- I’m sor-sorry!” Isabela sobbed, her fists pushing against her face to rub off her tears. “I’m so- sorry! I-” Isabela was interrupted by the brush of curls against her face. Mirabel embraced her sister for the first time. It was close and wonderful and full of love.

“Te perdono…” It wasn’t until they heard the calls of Mirabel’s name from the others that they let go. “I need a moment… please… I promise I’ll be back, I just need some time to- to think…” Isa nodded and before she fully realized what she had given permission for her to do, Mirabel was gone.

Chapter Text

Alma stomped through the wet grass towards the river bank. She spoke to every member of her family- even Alejandro. She knew now that Mirabel ran away to another town and fell in love. Gracias Alejandro. She also now knows that Mirabel was guilted into coming back to the Encanto, thank you Luisa. And she at last knew that all those years ago, Mirabel had simply run to the river. Thank you, Brunito, she thought. 

Her smooth wooden cane stabbed the moist dirt with each step. Alma had one thought in mind: Mirabel. She thought of her with each step. She thought of her when she almost slipped from the wetness on the blades of grass beneath her. She thought of her when she saw a pink strand of thread laying on a leaf at the edge of the forest. She looked down at the leaf by her knee. Alma leaned down and picked it up, wedging it between her middle finger and her thumb. The familiar pink meant one thing. Mirabel.

•••

Mirabel sat at the edge of the riverbank. She stared at the opposing end of the river, remembering that fateful night ten years ago. The light breeze blew through her curls. She plucked a strand of hair from her eyes and thought of Osvaldo’s words. Who knew such a stupid man could have moments of wisdom? 

His words were wise, and could be summed up into something much simpler. Take time to think. Mirabel did just that. It had been what felt like an hour since she had spoken to Isabela. Her legs dangled from the rocky bank and the tips of her sandals created ripples into the water. Mirabel loved her family with the Salazars. She was only a month away from her wedding. But when Andro had proposed, she had a small thought in her mind that she brushed away. 

She wanted her familia, the Madrigals , at her wedding. She wanted her parents to walk her down the aisle. She wanted to watch her primos tear up as she said her vows. She wanted her hermanas to help her get dressed before the ceremony. She wanted her tia and tios to reluctantly help her as she sewed her dress. She even wanted abuela there. She hadn’t quite figured out her role, but it would be of semi-importance. She peeled off her sandals and dipped her toes into the cool water. She shut her eyes and dipped her head backwards, keeping them closed as she kicked the water of the river forward in little splashes. She listened to the songs of the forest. The buzz of the bees. The caws of the birds. The Mirabel? of Abuela. Wait, what? She opened her eyes and saw her abuela. She didn’t change. After all these years, nothing changed. Her hair remained the same, her face gained more wrinkles than what she already had. It was as if nothing changed at all. 

“Mirabel?” Abuela asked. Mirabel rapidly stood up, grabbing her glasses right after they fell off her face. 

“Abuel- Abuela!” She was out of breath by the time she straightened her spine. She tried to smile- she truly did try, but she couldn’t. Her mouth remained open, her teeth slightly agape as her lips contorted into different shapes. “I-I” Mirabel was interrupted from her thoughtless stutter when her grandmother gave her a hug. Alma wrapped her arms around her, tying her up with her limbs. She stood solid on the ground, her shoes planted comfortably in front of Mirabel’s bare feet. 

“Mirabel…” Abuela Alma began. “I’m so sorry.” She squeezed tighter. “Our family was given a miracle… a second chance. I held on so tight to it, I lost sight of who our miracle was for. I’m s-so sorry, Mirabel.” Mirabel felt a tear fall on her from Abuela. She pushed herself away from the elder, attempting to wipe the water from her eyes, only for Alma to push her hand away. “Please d-don’t.” She said plainly, choke heard in her voice. “You shouldn’t be comforting me…” Mirabel hugged her Abuela and whispered to her. 

“You’re forgiven, Abuela.” Mirabel said. They gazed into each other’s eyes. Two generations apart and yet, Mirabel inherited the eyes of her Abuela. Cups of tea with a spoonful of sweet honey. Abuela caressed Mirabel’s cheek and broke the silence. 

“When…” she began with a smile. “When I asked my Pedro for help… Mirabel, he sent me you…” It was Mirabel’s turn to cry. Abuela thumbed away the droplets peeking out from the corners of her eyes. They hugged again, Abuela not minding the wetness of her nietas tears staining her clothes. 

After what felt like an eternity, Mirabel and Abuela forced themselves away from each other. Mirabel tearfully looked at her smiling Abuela and heard the voice of the love of her life. 

“MIRA!”

Chapter Text

Alejandro’s lips curled up into a relieved smile below his furrowed brow. He glanced at Abuela Alma, making his lips flatten to a frown. He ran to his fiance and cradled her cheek in his hand. 

“Corazon,” he asked. “are you okay?” Mira smiled awkwardly from the intimate interaction happening just a few steps away from her abuela. 

“Yes…” she answered, elongating the “Y” in the word. “Ah- I’m fine,” she took his hands in hers and stepped towards her Abuela. “Alejandro, this is my Abuela Alma,” She smiled at him and turned her gaze to the elder. “Abuela, esto es Alejandro, mi prometido.” Alma smiled and stepped towards the two. She held Alejandro’s hand and smiled. 

“Hola, senõra,” he said with a confused smile.

“Gracias por cuidarla de mi Mirabel,” her smile faltered for a moment. “ y lo siento por cuando no lo hice.” Mirabel hugged her grandmother and looked at the woods, towards the Encanto. Alma followed her gaze and stepped in front of them. “Come,” she said. “let us go back.” She began walking back up the hill, her cane steadily holding her with each step. Mirabel was about to help her walk up, but Alejandro held her shoulder. 

“I take it you guys are okay now?” He whispered. Mirabel smiled and patted the hand on her shoulder. 

“More than okay.” She answered. Andro shook his head and smiled and rushed up the hill, ushering Alma to let him help her.  Mirabel smiled at the two above her, happy that her two lives seemed to be merging together. Two fabrics sewn into one . 

•••

“Mama you can’t do that!” Julieta said as Alma settled in the wooden kitchen chair. “You can barely walk and all of a sudden you want to go for a run in the woods!?” Julieta scolded her mother while Agustin served her aguapanela. 

“Mija,” Alma began. “I once traveled for three whole days with three babies in my arms. I think I can handle the forest.” Julieta turned around to face the wall and rolled her eyes. She couldn’t count the times her and her siblings heard this lecture on both hands. “Our girl’s safe. Can’t you just be happy about that?”

“Mama, it’s my job to worry about Mirabel.” Julieta argued. 

“Yes well,” Alma looked out the window where the rest of the family and Alejandro had gathered. “I had something important I had to do.” She paused for a moment. “For mi nieta.” She hobbled out through the door and out onto the dry grass, now barren from the previous day's dew drops. As she walked up, the others noticed and quickly took their seats. She stood at the head of the table, Julieta and Agustin to her left, along with their oldest daughters and their nephew and his wife, and Mirabel and Alejandro to her right. 

Bruno sat next to Alejandro, who had decided that of Mirabel's tios, Bruno was his favorite. Thought he’d never say it. Next to Bruno was Dolores and Mariano with their children sandwiched between them. Felix sat next to his son in law and across from his wife who chatted happily with her daughter in law. At the opposing end of the table, quietly sat Antonio, sliding bits of his food to the birds that swoop behind his seat. 

“Now familia,” Alma began. “We have many things to discuss. But most excitingly-” her eyes lit up with excitement. “There’s a wedding that’s to be planned!”

Chapter Text

Alma smiled at Abuela Maria. “What a perfect little wedding…” Maria commented. Alma grinned as the townspeople scurried around the front of Mirabel’s house. The ceremony would be held in front of her- now their house, and the reception would take place throughout town. “I’ll go make sure that Emilio and Ramos aren’t ruining Alejandro’s suit.” Alma gave Maria a polite alright and smiled until Maria shut the door behind her. She turned around and marched to Antonio. 

“Aye, Antonito…” She looked down at the boy who was dirtied from the soil beneath him. The budding blossom in his hand was roughly held, clearly not having been cared for properly. Not to mention the fact that it was a bud and not an already bloomed flower. The wedding was in only two days! Alma pressed her lips together to resist a sigh. “Go get more flowers- remember, azul y rosado-”

“I know abuela,” he said in a monotone voice. He dropped the spade shovel in his hand as he stood up and turned around before stomping away- at least he tried to stomp away. 

“Stop!” Abuela ordered. Antonio hesitated in his tracks, not stopping at his Abuela’s order, but hesitating, debating whether he should do what she told him, or if he should continue to walk. He decided to just stop, turning around to face his abuela. Her face was stern, her eyes cold. Not harsh or furious, but simply somber. “How long has it been since Mirabel came back to us?” Antonio looked down, knowing where this conversation would go. 

“...Two months…” He shyly looked down. 

“Exactly.” She said. “Two entire months. Have you apologized to her?” Antonio looked up, slightly flinching his body towards her as he did. 

“I’ve been trying, but all she does is avoid me!” Antonio argued. 

“And for good reason!” Alma said. “Mi niño, yo te amo, but you need to work harder on this! I’ve only ever asked you to apologize to your cousin, it’s what everyone wants! What you did was wonderful, I’ll tell you the truth. If it wasn’t for you I never would have been able to apologize, but it was still a cruel thing to do.” 

“But if it was good, why do I have to apologize?” He asked. “No one is telling Mirabel to apologize to us!” Alma blinked. 

“Why would she need to do that?” Antonio looked at his grandmother as if she had asked him a question when the answer was right in front of her. 

“ She left us! ” Antonio almost exclaimed, only holding his volume back when he noticed a group of townspeople walking down the road in front of them. “We never told her to leave- she left on her own terms!” He looked down, his voice weighing down with his sorrow. “My best friend left- we couldn’t talk about her for years- and now we’re all acting like everything is fine but it- it’s not!” He sighed and Alma looked at her grandson, finally understanding. 

He missed his best friend. He was sad. He was hurt. She knew her grandson was young when it had all occurred, but it never occurred to her how horrible it was for a five year old to have his best friend disappear from the face of the earth and then show up out of the blue. Julieta was consumed by her grayness, depression clawing at her each day ever since those ten years ago. Isabela was remorseful, her new hue of sapphire wrapping around her for ten years. Antonio was angered, red fire growing as each year passed, until it finally had a chance to burst in the worst way. But this was not the time for the fire to ignite.

“Tonito,” she began, calling him by a name he had not been called for quite some time. “I’m sorry you feel this way and I’m sorry we never took time to ask you how you feel- but please, if you have any love for me- and for your prima-” She took his hands into hers with an inhale. “ Please, just be kind to her and try to keep the peace. I’ll be sure to check on you, but this-” she gestured to the setting, the flowers, the house, the smells of delectable foods floating through the air. “-is not about you. This is for Mirabel. It’s about Mirabel.” She let go of his hands. “Now, go get those flowers, I’ll take over.” She said Antonio did as he was told, not mentioning the future bride to be passing by him towards their Abuela. 

•••

“Maybe you should leave the decorating to…” Mirabel began to say awkwardly. “Someone else..?” Alma looked up at her nieta. 

“Oh no,” she tried to get up and dust the dirt off of herself. “I- ah-” Mirabel grabbed her arm and helped her up. 

“Abuela, I appreciate this, but I don’t want you getting hurt.” She said, “Give me the spade.” She held her hand out, waiting for the wooden handle to meet her palm until-

“Oh no, jovencita!” Maria cried from across the road. “You are not doing any work!” She reached the other two women and snatched the shovel away from Alma. “This is your wedding- I don’t want you moving a single bit!” Mirabel rolled her eyes. 

“Abuela Maria, c’mon-” She tried to reason, only to be interrupted. 

“No, no,” Alma cut in. “I agree.” She smiled at Maria. “This is your pequeña boda perfecta- you don’t have to do a thing!”

Chapter Text

         Each step Mirabel took down the aisle hitched Alejandro’s heart higher until she met him at the end of the path. Each of her parents at her side. Romantic percussion and soothing strings vibrated through the air and swayed the souls of the guests. Her dress was lovely. Pure white as her mothers, the skirt taken from Julieta’s original gown while the top was crafted by the Salazars. The edges of the fabric were hemmed with colorful fabric. Much to the family’s dismay.

         The colors were beautiful and fitted Mirabel, but that was the very problem. They fitted Mirabel so well because she had sewn it herself. “Aye…”  Josephina sighed as she whispered to her husband. “That girl can’t leave anything alone. She couldn’t even relax before her own wedding.” Ramos leaned to the right, whispering to her mother.

         “If Mirabel wanted to decorate her dress, let her.” She said in a matter of fact like voice. “Even if she should have left it all to us.”

         “She can’t help it.” Ramos said. “Have you ever seen her just sit and do nothing?”

         “Nope,” A voice behind them said. Camilo sat between his own wife and his nephew, who was silently enraptured by the paper he colored on. “I’ve never seen her just stand back and let everyone do the work. You should’ve-” The young man hushed once the priest began announcing his sermon, telling the audience of the sacredness of marriage. “you should’ve seen her at my brother’s birthday before she left.” Camilo continued, even quieter but loud enough for Josephina to hear. “She spent the entire day running around town, decorating the house and even found Antonio when he was missing.”

         “Y’know, I’ve never seen he just sit and breath.” Josephina. “My brother tries his best to get her to relax some days. He always fails, but he never stops trying.” A silent beat passed between the two before either said anything.

         “I’m glad they found each other…” Camilo commented.

         “Me too…” Josephina said.

         “Mirabel,” Alejandro began, a ring suddenly in his hand as he spoke. Josephina and Camilo glanced at each other, worrying about how much the ceremony they missed with their chatter. “Cuando usted apareció en nuestra ciudad, estaba tan confundido con por qué usted estaba allí. Mi familia se enfrentó a una gran tragedia y usted apareció, como la primera estrella de la noche para guiar nuestro camino. Ustedes arreglaron nuestra casa y ustedes hicieron mi vida mejor con sólo estar en ella. Cada día te vi, caminando por la ciudad o visitando a nosotros para el desayuno o pidiendo mi ayuda con algo, simplemente hacía más y más claro que quería ayudarte cuando lo necesitabas. Quiero tomar el desayuno con usted cada mañana, y quiero caminar por la ciudad con usted.

         “Mirabel,” he held up the ring and spoke the following words with perfection and a hint of nervousness, as if he had practiced for years and yet still believed that was not enough. “Con este anillo, yo juro amar y cuidado por lo que eres. La mujer fuerte, inteligente, hermosa que conocí hace todos esos años. La mujer que puede reparar cualquier cosa rota o empujar montañas con facilidad.” Mirabel sniffled and breathed in, determined to pronounce her vows loud and clear.

         “Andro…” She began, slowly. “Cuando llegué a tu pueblo, lo último que esperaba fue enamorarme. Pero lo hice. Estaba en el punto más bajo de mi vida- estaba sola y asustada, pero entonces encontré consuelo en tu familia, y encontré amor en ti. Si alguien me hubiera dicho hace diez años que encontraría a un hombre amable, encantador y cariñoso que haría todo lo que pudiera para protegerme y mantenerme feliz, me habría reído porque nunca pensé que algo así fuera posible. Pero eras posible. Somos posibles.” She wiped a tear from beneath her glasses and pulled out a ring, holding it up as Andro had done.

         “Alejandro,” She said. “With this ring, I swear to love and care for who you are. The man who will pick me up when I am a little sad. The man you look at as if he were hungry for years and I am a table of delights.

El hombre que conozco por un hecho siempre estará ahí para mí. Y yo seré la mujer que hará todo eso a cambio de ti..”

         The rings were gently slipped onto the opposing hands and their fingers intertwined. Alejandro smiled as he held the beloved hand, his larger fore and middle fingers feeling the coolness of the ring beneath it. They each turned around to face their sisters. Mercedes handed her brother a thin and tall candle, one that was pure white. Luisa handed her younger sister a similar candle, while Isabela gave her baby sister a thick candle, one that shimmered yellow, almost golden. Mirabel and Andro held the thicker candle between them while the thin ones were lit.

         These individual candles,” the priest began as the sisters lit them. “Are a representation of your individual lives. Before love and meeting each other. The unity candle,” he said, gesturing towards the thicker cylinder of wax. “Represents your lives now that you are one. Two lives now will be intertwined.” Andro and Mirabel gazed at each other, smiling fondly as they repeated the words that they rehearsed the night before.

         “This candle is my love for you,” Andro said. “we will give you heat, food, joy, and a new beginning.”

         “This candle is my love for you,” Mira said. “we will give you heat, food, joy, and another beginning.” She said. They dipped the thin wicks onto the thick candle, igniting it before they blew out the thin candles and let it drop to the floor. Giving the individual candles back to their sisters slipped their minds, the only thing either one of the couple could think of was the kiss.

         The kiss did not feel like a wave crashing against the rocky shore of a beach. It did not feel like lighting striking their hearts. It felt wonderfully ordinary. It felt comforting, like the smell of fresh coffee brewing in the morning. Like the chirps of animals in the early morning. Like the feeling of the sun rays on bare skin. The kiss felt natural, as if they had done it their whole lives. And they would be doing it for the rest of theirs.

•••

         “Mirabel, when you showed up in our town, I was so confused to why you were there. My family faced a great tragedy and you showed up, like the first star in the night to guide our way. You fixed our home and you made my life better just by being in it. Every day I saw you, walking around town or visiting us for breakfast or asking for my help with something, it just made it more and more clear that I wanted to help you whenever you need. I want to have breakfast with you every morning, and I want to walk around town with you.”

         “With this ring, I vow to love and cherish you for who you are. The strong, intelligent, beautiful woman that I met all those years ago. The woman who can mend anything broken or push mountains with ease.”

         “Andro… When I tumbled into your village, the last thing I expected to was fall in love. But I did. I was at the lowest point in my life- I was alone and scared, but then I found comfort in your family, and I found love in you. If someone had told me ten years ago that I would find a kind, charming, and caring man who would do whatever he could to protect me and keep me happy, I would’ve laughed because I never thought something like that was possible. But you were possible. We are possible.”

         “With this ring, I vow to love and cherish you for who you are. The man who will pick me up whenever I’m a bit sad. The man who looks at me as if he were starved for years and I’m a table of delicacies. The man who I know for a fact will always be there for me. And I will be the woman who will do all that in return for you.”

Chapter Text

         “Alright, that’s what I’m talking about!” Felix shouted with a camera in his hand. “Now, how about a photo in your new home, sobrina?” Mirabel blinked away the white spots from the bright flash.

         “You up for another one?” She asked Andro under her breath. Her grip tightened against the burning candle in their hands, the heat growing closer to her fingertips. They refused to put it down until they got inside their house.

         “Why not?” Alejandro asked. “We can take one more then go inside to change. Mirabel smiled and  nodded at her uncle, stepping up the steps to her- their. Their front door. The couple smiled warmly at the camera while Felix took three more photos. Mirabel lifted her free hand to open the door, hoping that he would leave them in peace so they could change and enjoy the party.

         “Okay, thanks tio-!” She said as she grabbed the cool door knob and twisted it to the side.

         “Last one!” Felix shouted as he clicked on the camera’s button, catching a snapshot of magic.

         The doorknob quickly warmed under Mirabel’s hand, tugging her eyes to the golden- now glowing knob. The candle in their hands burned brighter, the entire wax cylinder turning a yellow amber before it faded back to normal, now with golden designs of flowers, swirls and a butterfly. The house from the doorknob exploded with the same amber color, a ribbon of the golden glitter hugging the home like the pure white seafoam of a cerulean wave hugging a sandy shore.

          As the glistening yellow spread, the house was painted with familiar colors- pastel yellows, mango oranges and faded pinks. Mirabel and Alejandro stepped back in awe of their house, now becoming a reflection of Mirabel’s home. Mirabel looked at the house, along with the now growing crowd behind them, and the golden wave ended at the roof. Alejandro’s mouth widened in awe when he looked at the front door, now a dark blue color, opening by itself. Mirabel’s eyes skimmed past the teal shutters of the house, snaking her pupils along the house until they too landed on the front door.

         Each brick of the front archway peeled out of place and snapped in again, one after another. Mirabel looked up at the high window above the door, the teal wooden shutters creaked open slowly before quickly moving back and forth. Alejandro was so infatuated with the sight he almost didn’t notice his wife tearing up.

         “Hola, Casita.”

Chapter Text

         Isabella stared at the still plant. Pepa smiled at the cloudy sky. Luisa’s attempt to lift the donkey was unsuccessful. Dolores could only hear the murmurs around her. The Madrigal gifts were not back, but Casita was. The magic was not back, a new magic has arrived.

         Abuela Alma followed her youngest granddaughter into the house and the floor boards tilted, sliding her into the home. “Mirabel,” Alma said “you are a candle holder.” Mirabel’s breath shook as she turned to face her grandmother.

         “Abuela I…” Mirabel could not find the words, she could barely find the emotions that she was feeling at the moment. “I… I don’t know what to say…” Alma took her granddaughter in her arms, embracing her face after the hug.

         “Say that you will always help those around you-” Mirabel interrupted her.

         “I’ll earn this miracle that found me.” Mirabel tried to finish determinedly.

         “Corazon, you’ve already earned this miracle…” Alma said. “And I know you will always help those around you. It was written into your heart since you were a young girl that you would aid anyone in need. I’ve seen what you’ve done to this town and I remember how you helped your sisters.” Alma took her hands and sandwiched the crook of her elbow, walking her through the house. “Say that you will always help those around you, especially the ones who will be opening these doors. Make them feel wanted and loved and…” Alma sucked in her tears, not wanting to ruin the special moment. “Be better. Mirabel, vow that you won’t be like me.”

         “Abuela,” Mirabel began. “I can’t do that. I can’t vow to you that I won’t be a strong, fantastic woman who created a beautiful family. A woman who’s hard work and dedication kept this miracle burning. Because that is the woman that I want to be.”

•••

         Antonio clutched the messily wrapped gift in his hand as he watched his prima dance across the floor of her new home. He did not care for tearing tio or his sobbing cousins. His focus was on her smile. Antonio raced through his mind, searching and scanning for the last time he saw a smile like that from Mirabel, a genuine smile. Not one of pity or one that was painted on her daily mask, but true smile of happiness. He could not find it. He couldn’t think of a time when he saw her truly smiling. But this one, the smile that would morph into a grin before her lips reconnected to that smile.

         Antonio smiled. It took him a minute but he realized he was smiling and wiped it off his face. But he was still joyous. His cousin was happy. He finally understood why she left. She simply wanted to be happy. She wanted to smile like this all the time, and now she can.

         The boy looked down at the present in his hands and ran out of the house. He couldn’t possibly give something so careless to his cousin! He turned the corner and ran into Alejandro’s sister.

         “Oh, hi Antonio!” She said. Antonio internally cringed at the realization that he did not know this woman’s name.

         “Uh, hey!” He began. “What’s going on?”

         “I was just going to get the gift I got for Mira and my brother.” Mercedes answered. She looked down at the tattered present in the boy’s hand. “Oh, is that yours?” She asked.

         “Yea-” Antonio began, stopping himself. “Err, no- ugh!” Antonio gripped the gift in his hands. “It was her gift but I- I can’t give this to her!” Mercedes surprised look from the sudden outburst softened.

         “C’mon,” She said, nodding her head towards her house. “I think we can salvage it before the sunsets…”

•••

         “Mama, Pa, thank you so much!” Mirabel said as she hugged her mother.

         “It’s truly beautiful,” Alejandro agreed. He flipped the pages through the teal journal, handwritten recipes scribed in Julieta’s loopy handwriting along with heartfelt sketches of the different ingredients at the corners of each page. “Uh, wait- the last pages are blank…”

         “Yes, those are for you two,” Julieta said. Agustin curled his arm around the curve of her back and finished the explanation.

         “When you two make a special recipe with your family, write it down in there.”

         “Oh Pa, that’s so sweet!” Mirabel walked around the table and hugged her father, Andro following close behind her.

         “Who’s next?” Alejandro asked as he let go of his father in law.

         “I thought my parents were last?” Mirabel asked.

         “Actually,” Mercedes cut in. “There is one more…” She stepped aside to reveal Antonio, nervously holding a long rectangular box that was tied with a rainbow of strings. Mirabel’s face changed from one of excitement to one of questioning. Alejandro’s face matched, looking more disgusted than confused. He remembered how the boy guilted his Mirabel into going back home, and while it had ended well, there was a haunting question in the back of his mind. What if it didn’t?

         “Here,” He shyly handed the box to his cousin. She accepted it and pulled away the yarn, letting it fall behind her onto a table and lifting up the top of the box. She set the top of the box beneath the bottom and pulled out a handwoven blanket, teal blues stitched with ivory whites danced along the fabric. The ends of the blanket had pink tassels, which matched Mirabel’s favorite part of it. The butterflies.

         Magenta pink butterflies were sewn along the skies of the fabric. Although they were honestly horribly made, the yarn uneven on almost all of them and one was notably horrendous, it even being a darker purple than the rest, it was obvious that there was love stitched in the clouds of the blanket. Mirabel handed the blanket to her groom and set the box on the table, running to her primo and smothering him in a bear hug.

         “…Am I forgiven?” Antonio asked.

         “Absolutely.” Mirabel answered. Antonio closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his prima, finally understanding her.

Chapter Text

         “Is this where our magic comes from?” the young girl asked, looking away from the candle resting on the deep cedar wood of the table. Mirabel nodded and hummed an uh-huh while smiling wistfully at the little girl. “How did we get a miracle?” Mirabel picked up the candle and sat on the bed of the nursery, gesturing to her skirt and allowing the child to sit on her lap.

         “Long ago, three babies had just been born and your bisabuelo Pedro and bisabuela Alma were forced to flee their home. Though many people joined them, hoping to find a new home they couldn’t escape the dangers and... and your bisabuelo was lost.” Mirabel paused, hiding her immense sorrow for the man she never had a chance to know. “But in her darkest moment my grandmother was given a miracle. The candle became a magical flame that could never go out and it blessed her and her familia with a refuge live in. A place of wonder…”

         “An Encanto…” the girl whispered, mesmerized.

         “An Encanto.” Mirabel said, agreeing with the girl. “The miracle grew... and her house, casita itself, came alive to shelter them.” Mirabel paused to hold up the candle. “Now, when bisabuela Alma’s children came of age, the miracle blessed each of them with a magic gift to help their village. And when their children came of age-”

         “They got magic too!” The girl said excitedly. Mirabel laughed at the joy.

         “Yes, exactly. But…” She continued the tale. “There was one child, who didn’t get a gift…”

         “Why not?”

         “Well, no one truly knows. Maybe she didn’t need gift. Or maybe she did something wrong when she was supposed to get one. But whatever the reason was doesn’t matter. She didn’t get a gift and that was that. Just like the miracle, it was a mystery.

         “Since she was the only one without a gift, she felt shunned, as if she were nothing, so when the chance came for her to prove herself, to show her family that she was more than an- a gift less child she took it.”

         “But the magic wasn’t supposed to be saved…” the child said.

         “That’s right, and when she couldn’t save the miracle, she ran away. And in my darkest moment, I was given my own miracle. This village. I cared for this village the way my family taught me. I was selfless and tried my best in everything I did, and after all that, I got my own gift. Mija, listen, whether you get a gift today or not, you need to know that you are enough of a miracle. You are everything because I know you. You are a gift yourself and with or without magic, you are special.” Mirabel pressed her forehead to her daughter’s and flutter her eyelashes against the smooth skin below her hairline.

         “Well…” the girl began. “If I do get a gift, what do you think it’ll be?” Mirabel giggled at her daughter.

         “Only time will tell, Alma.” A creak from below them turned their attention to the floorboards. The girls gazed in usual amazement as a clock danced across the tilted wooden panels. “Thank you, Casita.” Mirabel said with a laugh. “We’re on our way.”

         “Woah, relax!” said a muffled voice from outside the bedroom door. More creaking was heard before Alejandro’s head popped in from between the door and the door post. He entered the room and scooped up his daughter. “Y’know, when I learned we’d be living in a sentient house, the last thing I thought was that this place would be so punctual.” Mirabel lowered her brows and smiled at her husband.

         “I told you, Casita doesn’t like us being late to its own parties!” She said before she pecked him on the lips. She turned to her daughter as Andro lowered her to stand on the floor.

“Ready?” Alejandro asked his daughter. Little Alma nodded as she grabbed her parents hands in her own. “Remember, we don’t have to do this big party if you don’t want to.” Alma nodded her head again.

“I wanna do it!” She said with a grin. Her mother smiled at her.

“Let’s get you to your door.” Mirabel said as she looked down.

•••

“Sixty-seven years ago,” Mirabel began, standing at the right side of the door. Alejandro stood at the right side of the golden rectangle, smiling down past all the people on the lower level of his home. “In my familias darkest moment, we were blessed with a miracle. And the greatest honor of our family has been to use our blessings to serve this beloved community. Tonight, we come together once more as another steps into the light...” A curtain at the end of the path through the house pulled back to reveal Alma, standing proudly in a pearly white dress. It shimmered silver in the candle light of the house. Lilac embroidered butterflies danced at the bottom of her dress, the skirt swaying as she stepped past her familia, the younger ones gathered at her left and the other ones at her right.

Her three tias stood at the post of the stairs, Isabella tearing up as her sobrina walked up the first step. Her cousins, Paula and Tomas held their parents hands, gazing in wonder as she walked up the middle of the steps. Each pairs of her grandparents looked up as she stepped on the final step, smiling as she met her mother.

“Ready?” Mirabel whispered to her daughter. “We can still send everyone away and do this privately…”

“I want to open it…” Mirabel smiled at her daughter and held the candle up towards her, letting the girl feel the wax as magical golden specks stained her hands. Alma wiped her hands on her dress and turned towards her door. She grasped the doorknob, which quickly warmed under Alma’s hand, drawing her eyes from the now glowing knob to the golden door.

“We have a new gift!”