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Chapter Text

The entire family was shocked and confused when Casita interrupted their search for Mirabel by essentially forcing them all into a room together. She rolled the ground and tiles under their feet, all but carrying them in and shutting the door behind them with a solid-sounding click.

“Casita! What is the meaning of this?!” Abuela demanded as everyone stood up from where they’d been sent sprawling. Apparently, their house was annoyed enough with them to not be as gentle as she usually was when shuffling them around.

Julieta sagged with relief when she spotted Mirabel sitting up with a grumble and glaring at the ceiling. She’d been so worried about her youngest hija.

Her breathing caught in her throat when she spotted the groaning bundle of green fabric next to her though. Her hands shook as she pushed herself upright.

Isabela was snapping something at Camilo who’d fallen on top of her and he was snapping back, never one to back down from an argument.

Dolores and Felix were helping Pepa up while she waved irritably at the cloud over her head. Antonio was looking around in confusion from on top of Parce. Casita had just shuffled the jaguar in along with everyone else and the poor thing looked a little stunned.

Agustin reached down to help Julieta up but she could hardly focus on that as she watched the figure next to Mirabel sit up, rubbing at his head.

He was thinner than she remembered, and there was more grey in his curly brown hair. But it was him. He was alive and he was here and-

A sob caught in her throat, everything else she’d been worrying about going out the window. The ruined engagement dinner, Mirabel’s strange behaviour, Luisa losing her Gift, Pepa’s increasing stress, the cracks in Casita and her mama’s heavy expectations on the family.

It all disappeared as she stared at the man she’d feared was dead for the last ten years.

“Bruno,” she got out in a strangled whisper.

As everyone turned in surprise, she threw herself at her hermano, barely registering the surprised yelp as she held him tight. She buried her face in his shoulder and started sobbing.

“Juli, don’t cry,” his voice was rough like it didn’t get enough use and he tentatively hugged her back. “I hate it when you cry.”

“Then you shouldn’t have left!” she yelled into his chest, refusing to move an inch. 

She didn’t care that she was making a scene. She was too relieved to have her hermanito in her arms again.

“I-I had to Juli,” he said, sounding uncomfortable.

“Bullshit!” Pepa’s voice came, higher in pitch than usual. 

“Ah, Pepa, I-” Bruno started nervously, shrinking down a little in Julieta’s hold. 

Julieta didn’t let go, she just braced herself. So she was prepared when Pepa slammed into both of them, clinging to Bruno with the same desperation that she was feeling. They were immediately soaked by the rain falling from her cloud but Julieta didn’t care. For the first time in years, she was hugging both her siblings. She felt complete again.

“You idiot!” Pepa sobbed while Bruno flailed a bit. “You idiot! Why’d you leave? We thought you were dead!”

Julieta squeezed her eyes shut at the reminder of the grief they’d both carried after his disappearance, when his door went dark.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Bruno said quietly.

Pepa didn’t say anything, only buried her face in Bruno’s other shoulder as the rain kept falling.

Julieta lifted her head as she calmed down a little, looking around the room.

Mirabel was sitting nearby, watching with a strange look of guilt. One that Dolores shared. Camilo and Luisa were gaping at the sight of their long-lost Tio while Isabela didn’t seem to know what to think.

She couldn’t read her mamá’s expression which made her nervous as always.

Agustin looked both elated and nervous as he looked between them and the matriarch of the house.

“Mi vida,” Felix suddenly said, coming closer. “Let him breathe. You’re squeezing the life out of him.”

Pepa reluctantly eased her grip on Bruno and sat up a bit to wipe away her tears. Julieta did the same but refused to move from her hermano’s side.

“Pepa, your cloud,” their mamá started and Julieta grit her teeth.

Bruno appeared again and she was still focusing on Pepa’s cloud? Her hermana pursed her lips and Felix shot her mamá a glare.

Before another fight could break out, emotions even higher than before, Antonio piped up.

“What’s this?” he asked curiously.

He’d reached up onto a table from on top of Parce and held up a book that none of them recognised.

Casita rumbled around them, reminding them all that they were here because their house had forced them all into the room.

“Are we here for the book?” Mirabel asked in confusion.

Casita clattered her tiles and Antonio brought the book over to them. Agustin took it since Felix was helping Pepa calm down and he frowned as he looked at the cover.

Julieta peered over his shoulder. “Mama Bear?” she asked in confusion.

Casita clattered her tiles again.

“We’re here to read a book?” Isabela asked in a flat tone.

Casita tossed her onto the couch in offence at her tone. Not wanting to be thrown around as well, the rest of the family hurriedly found a seat.

Bruno was firmly seated between Julieta and Pepa who still refused to let go of him. Mirabel sat next to Camilo with Dolores on his other side. Antonio stayed on Parce’s back as the jaguar lay down.

Isabela was scowling next to Luisa, and Felix and Agustin took the other two-seater couch while Abuela sat in the armchair.

Since he was already holding the book, Agustin offered to start. They were all curious over why Casita wanted them to read this and a little put out by her insistence. Pepa and Julieta wanted to interrogate Bruno on where he’d been and Abuela clearly wanted to talk with Mirabel who was shifting nervously in her seat.

“There’s a note in the front,” Agustin said after opening the book. “Endless choices lead to endless worlds. A single decision can change everything. This could have been your story. It’s never too late to fix things.”

They all glanced at each other in confusion. What did it mean?

Agustin shrugged and opened to the first chapter.

“Chapter one. Resolve.”

Chapter Text

“Alma Madrigal, new mother and widow, stared down at the three babies sleeping in her arms as the light of the candle, the Miracle Pedro’s sacrifice had created, flickered over them.”

Everyone was surprised by the start of the story, looking over at Abuela who was frowning. This was about them? But that mention of choices and endless worlds still needed to be explained then.

Agustin waited until Abuela nodded her head before continuing. She was keeping her expression carefully blank and he felt a bit uncomfortable. She never spoke about that night except for a very child-friendly version for the niños sometimes.

They didn’t seem to have a choice though as Casita had locked the door and was clattering her tiles impatiently now.

“Her heart ached and she felt like she was drowning in her grief, the truth only truly settling over her now.

Pedro was gone. Her sweet, kind, amazing husband was never coming home. Her babies, her niños, had lost their papá before they ever got to know him.

Pedro wouldn’t read them to sleep. Or sing them lullabies. Or watch them grow with joy in his eyes.”

Abuela had to look away in grief for a moment and everyone shifted uncomfortably. The triplets unconsciously reached for each other. They had heard about the man who had sacrificed himself to save them before but Abuela rarely talked about their papá, the normal man who was their father. 

“She was alone in raising them now, something she’d never even considered in her life.

These three lives rested solely in her hands and that terrified her.

Could she protect them? Could she somehow make up for Pedro’s absence in their lives?”

Now the triplets frowned. Their mamá had never given the impression of being afraid of raising them alone before. She’d always been the strong one. The one who never showed weakness to anyone. 

Not even to them.

“She stared down at the three. Little Julieta, her oldest by mere minutes was sleeping peacefully. Pepa, her second-born who she could already see had inherited her Abeula’s fiery red hair, was more restless than her sister. And then little Bruno. Her only hijo, the youngest by ten minutes who had been so quiet after being born that they’d feared the worst. But he’d pulled through despite being the smallest, the weakest.

These three niños were relying on her to keep them safe, to keep them happy and to give them the lives she and Pedro had always imagined for them.”

The three blinked as they absorbed all of that. Their mamá’s Abuela had red hair too? She’d never mentioned that before. Pepa surprisingly felt better at hearing that. She’d always felt a little out of place between her siblings with their dark hair. If it wasn’t for her sharing the same eye colour as Bruno, she might have believed some of the whispers in the village about her not being their hermana.

“Alma looked up at the candle, tears still wet on her face. She couldn’t fail. It was all Pedro had wanted for them. He’d spoken so often of how happy they’d make their children, of how they’d keep them safe.

He’d done the impossible tonight and kept them safe. He'd saved them.

It was up to Alma to continue and keep that up. To keep them safe. To keep them happy.”

Alma frowned to herself. While she tried not to think about that night, the grief still so heavy and fresh, she was certain that wasn’t how it had gone. Was this book really telling them a story of another world? 

She was starting to feel uneasy. 

That was the night she’d sworn to keep the Encanto and the Miracle that had protected them safe, to keep the last gift from Pedro alive.

“She couldn’t lose another member of her family, she couldn’t lose someone else that she loved. And she refused to allow Pedro’s sacrifice to be in vain.

Their children would grow up happy and safe.

She wiped her cheeks quickly before standing and moving to the bed, still reeling from this beautiful, living house that had grown from nothing and opened it’s doors to her.”

That, she remembered. She’d been completely baffled by Casita in the beginning, not understanding the living house. Thankfully, Casita had been patient with her in those first few weeks.

“Alma settled her niños into a nest of blankets, watching as Pepa fussed for a moment at the movement before settling down again. Once sure they were steady and comfortable, she walked over to the window where the candle burned with a bright golden glow.

Outside, there was everyone that had escaped the soldiers, who had been with her when this sanctuary sprang up. They were all relieved to have safety and there had been many tears and awed whispers of the magic they’d seen.”

She remembered that too. Everyone had been in shock and awe over the magic that had saved them. It had taken a few days to wear off.

“She was more grateful for the Castillo family than the people that had poured praises on her as she clutched that candle in the aftermath. Carlos Castillo had gently guided her away from the crowds while she was numb with shock and encouraged her to go rest in her new home. His wife, Maria, had already cut down any ideas of the others staying inside the house.

“This house and magic is Señora Madrigal’s. We will not intrude,” she’d stated firmly while Carlos sent Alma inside.”

Felix startled at the mention of his parents while Camilo and Dolores looked curious. They weren’t very close to them anymore, not since soon after the wedding. Felix had just grown so busy after marrying into the family that they didn’t have time to visit his parents anymore.

He felt a pang of guilt at that. He should have tried harder to keep in contact, to let his niños know their other grandparents.

He glanced at Alma to find her frowning in confusion. Apparently their intervention that night hadn’t been something that happened here then? He wondered why.

“She hadn’t really heard much more than that, moving on autopilot as she walked through the house. She’d barely even reacted as tiles shifted and moved, guiding her to the stairs and up to a carved door. Inside was a bedroom and she’d placed the candle on the windowsill before sliding down to sit at the foot of the bed, cradling her niños close as she let the tears flow freely down her face.

Everyone shifted uncomfortably again. It was still so bizarre to think of Abuela being anything but strong and unbending.

Alma shook herself out of her thoughts. She should thank the Castillo family in the morning. They’d been neighbours of Pedro’s for years and had always been kind. They’d also been fleeing with their young son, little Felix barely even two. Maria had given her a lot of advice when Alma had admitted to being pregnant and had offered help when they realised she was having triplets.

She may end up taking her up on that offer now…”

Alma frowned to herself at that. She remembered Maria speaking to her a few times but she’d never really grown close to the woman. Pedro had been on good terms with Carlos but they weren’t exactly friends. That was a strange difference.

“Alma studied the sleeping refugees outside the house quietly. She was no fool and Pedro had always been the optimist between them. But Alma was a realist. She’d seen so much of the cruelty of people tonight. On the side of the soldiers, yes. But also among the people here. She hadn’t missed that some people had pushed others aside in their rush to escape, dooming some in the process. She hadn’t missed how easily some had left their neighbours behind without a second thought.

Those with families, she could understand. As much as it had hurt Pedro, he hadn’t turned back to help even though he’d clearly wanted to. He had to prioritise his family. But there were those who were alone and yet hadn’t thought twice about pushing their way through the crowds, uncaring about who got hurt.

Alma herself had almost been thrown to the ground by one of them, Pedro catching her at the last minute as he dragged her forward.”

The rest of the family gasped and Alma winced at the revelation. It had been a very dark night in more than one way. Everyone looked horrified at the idea that people could be so callous, so cruel.

It was something Alma had hoped to protect them from. She wondered what this book was getting at though. The differences so far had been minor.

Agustin continued reading after taking a moment to compose himself.

“She wasn’t a fool and she knew that the people who had escaped with her weren’t all good people, weren’t all like Carlos and his wife.

They were feeling relief now and were exhausted. But she had no doubt that some would be turning their attention to this large house soon. Turning their eyes to the magic.

She was only a young widow after all, only a new mother of three on her own now.

She was vulnerable.

Pepa frowned to herself. Vulnerable wasn’t a word she would have ever used to describe her mamá. It left an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

Alma clenched her hand on the windowsill. She had to be prepared, to protect her niños and her right to this house. She didn’t know how, but she just knew that it was hers.

She looked to the candle again.

Pedro had given them this. She wouldn’t lose it to the greed of others. She had to be strong.

For herself.

For her niños.

Alma took a deep breath despite the way her chest ached at the crushing grief she still felt.

“Give me strength Pedro,” she whispered.

Her eyes widened as the candle flared brighter beside her and a tremulous smile pulled at her lips.

She could do this.

She had to.”

Silence fell over the room as they all absorbed what they’d heard.

Alma clenched her hands in her lap, old memories resurfacing and tearing open old wounds. She did not want to revisit this time. When she had to carefully balance maintaining some kind of power in the community and giving the people what they wanted so that there were no whispers about taking the candle from her.

She was no fool, as the book stated. She’d known the dangers of holding that power. And she’d done what she could to counter the danger.

Keeping the community happy and safe meant that they were far less likely to attempt to take her home and the candle. It meant her family was safe.

“Well,” Mirabel’s voice broke the silence, sounding a little breathless. “This is going to be a wild ride I bet.”

“I’m reading next,” Felix grabbed the book.

Agustin didn’t argue, looking a bit shaken by what he’d read.

“Chapter Two,” Felix started before anyone could comment further. “Say No.”

“That’s something this family can’t do,” Mirabel muttered under her breath but only Dolores heard her, letting out a squeak.

She had a feeling things were about to get rough.

Chapter Text

“As the refugees recovered and planned to begin building a new village in this beautiful Encanto that they found themselves in, Alma opened her home up to the young mothers like her that needed someplace safe to watch their children during the day.

There were eleven of them, excluding Alma, so that was eleven other children of varying ages up to five.”

Felix paused and looked over at Alma and she nodded. So the same had happened here them. He was curious over what differences there would be in this chapter.

“Maria helped Alma with her three niños and Felix trailed after her everywhere, eyes bright and curious over the babies.”

“Ha! There’s me,” he said proudly.

Pepa shook her head in amusement.

“The other mothers were very reluctant to put their children down for any reason so he could only really get close to the triplets.

“So small,” he declared to Maria who chuckled as she fed little Pepa.

Alma smiled fondly as Maria crouched down so that Felix could get a better look. She was feeding Bruno who was a lot more difficult to coax into eating consistently. Julieta was resting in a pile of blankets, having already been fed.”

“Papá was already fascinated by mamá,” Camilo piped up, looking amused.

“Clearly I had good taste even so young,” Felix teased his wife good-naturedly. 

Pepa huffed and blushed a bit. No one was really surprised by this revelation.

““Curious one isn’t he?” Sophia commented from nearby as Felix studied the baby. Her own one-year-old son, Agustin, was sleeping in her arms.”

The adults stared blankly at each other.

“Eh?” Felix asked.

Sophia and Alma hated each other. So why on earth was she there? Agustin hadn’t known Julieta for years because Sophia kept him away from the Madrigals.

Alma looked as bewildered as they felt.

“Sophia’s husband had left the moment he’d found out she was pregnant and Alma respected her strength a lot. She’d lived down the street so it wasn’t surprising that the three of them had gravitated towards each other. The other mothers were gathered across the room. They didn’t really seem to know what to say to Alma except for condolences and repeated thanks for the magic.

It made Alma uncomfortable which Maria had picked up on. So she played interference a lot for her.”

“He did what?!” Isabela burst out in horror.

Agustin rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Madre didn’t speak about him often but that’s a good summary.”

“This is bizarre,” Julieta said. Sophia hadn’t even come to their wedding. And here they were acting like friends?!

““The 'why' phase was a nightmare,” Maria answered Sophia’s question.

The three mothers chuckled softly.

Alma swayed side to side as Bruno began to look sleepy again once he finished drinking his milk. Maria moved to sit down on the couch and Felix clambered up to sit next to her so he could continue watching the baby. He seemed fascinated.

Alma continued to sway, staring down at her hijo while tuning out the conversations around her. She still felt numb most days but focusing on her niños helped with that.

There were still times when it was too difficult to hold back the tears and Alma would find herself sobbing on the floor or in her bed. But she always dragged herself up again when she heard one of her niños. She wouldn’t let them suffer while she struggled with her grief.”

Any amusement drained from the room again and the triplets looked back at their mamá who wouldn’t meet their eyes. That was enough proof that the same had happened here. It was shocking, again, to hear any kind of weakness from her. They didn’t know how to react to it.

The second generation didn’t know how to either. They’d always known their Abuela as being the pinnacle of calm and strength.

This was… confusing to them.

““You have a problem or something?”

She was startled out of her thoughts at Sophia’s sharp question and looked up to find the woman glaring over at the other group. Maria also looked upset about whatever it was.

One of the other mothers was flushing in embarrassment.

“I’m just saying. This house is so big. Would it really be wrong to let a few of us stay inside?” she asked.”

Alma winced at the reminder of that, even though it had happened differently in her past. Having people in the house more often had stressed her out significantly more than she’d already been.

“Rude!” Mirabel huffed. “Entitled much?”

The others nodded in agreement, frowning.

“Alma’s heart sank. She wasn’t ready to interact more with the others. She could barely hold it together long enough for the others to leave before she’d break down again.

Their constant mentions of Pedro didn’t help in the least.

Maria scoffed. “How entitled are you?”

The woman, Catalina? Alma thought that was her name. Catalina flushed even more.

“Excuse me? Señora Madrigal isn’t the only young mother here.”

“She does have the youngest children though,” Sophia pointed out harshly. “Agustin is the second youngest. Your own child is four Catalina. Besides, that’s beside the point. You want to intrude in a grieving widow’s home because it would make you more comfortable? It’s barely been two weeks!”

The others ducked, shame colouring many faces.”

Camilo whistled, impressed. 

“That’s mi madre,” Agustin chuckled wistfully. He could easily imagine her scolding people for being so rude and entitled.

He admittedly found himself feeling guilty. He hadn't seen her in years, not since their argument over him marrying Julieta. His hijas were also looking curious about the Abuela they'd never met. He wondered if she would have let her hatred of Alma colour her feelings towards her nietas?

Dolores and Camilo still looked curious about their other Abuela the more they heard about her in this strange book and Felix felt more guilt for never trying to encourage more interaction between them.

He’d fix that when all the other nonsense happening was sorted out.

““Ungrateful,” Sophia continued relentlessly. “You have some nerve. Alma has no obligation to even open her home during the day. You can handle sleeping outside at night until the first houses are built. You already know that the young families are the first on the list.”

“It’s summer and the nights are warm and dry,” Maria added, annoyance clear in her voice. “Suck it up.””

Mirabel and Camilo both cheered in agreement. Alma was stunned at the words. She couldn’t imagine turning them away like that. It could have ended so badly, resulting in disgruntled people who wished to take Casita for their own.

“None of the other women seemed able to meet Alma’s eyes as they all looked away.

Sophia turned to fix a stern look on Alma.

“You owe no one in this place anything. This house was for you, there is no argument about that. We appreciate you opening your home during the day when it’s hot, but you do not owe anyone anything more.”

Maria was nodding in agreement while several of the others flinched. Catalina was bright red out of a combination of anger and embarrassment.

“You deserve your privacy,” Maria agreed. “Don’t be afraid to say no to the more selfish people around here. You need to focus on yourself and your niños Alma. No one can blame you for that.””

“All very good points,” Felix agreed absently.

“You let them in, didn’t you?” Mirabel asked, drawing everyone’s attention to Alma.

She fixed a hard look on her nieta. She still needed to find out what that vision was about and why Casita was cracking. But that could wait for the moment. Until they figured out what was going on with this odd book.

“Of course I did. The Miracle is for the Encanto.”

There were a few glances exchanged, but no one argued. Felix continued reading.

“She gave them both a tremulous smile before her eyes dropped to Bruno again, darting to look at Julieta and Pepa as well.

She wasn’t sure she would even be comfortable with strangers in her home with her niños. It was fine during the day when she was actively with them. But when she was going about her evening routine? When she was grieving and crying again?

No, she didn’t want anyone close by then.

The next time someone tried to guilt her into opening her home to them all the time, she raised her chin and told them ‘no’ in no uncertain terms. And she stood her ground when they grew upset with her answer.

When someone tried to ignore her response, they all learned just how aware Casita was. She sent the man flying out of the house without much hesitance.”

Mirabel and Camilo snorted in surprise at that.

“Nice work Casita,” Pepa said with a smirk.

It was strange for them to be hearing this, hearing about Abuela saying no to the villagers. That never happened.

Was that what caused all the differences between their world and the one the book described? Was it the support of friends that did it or Abuela’s own decision?

None of them felt like they could ask though as she stared at the book with an unreadable expression.

“Everyone finally accepted (some more grudgingly than others) that they would not be allowed in that magical house without Alma’s explicit permission.

Sophia smiled at her in clear approval and Maria continued to support her decision, her husband backing them up when someone grew a little too pushy. Carlos could look intimidating with his size if he ever felt like it. He was also the one leading the reconstruction efforts so no one really wanted to upset him.

A few months into their new lives in the Encanto, Alma found herself staring out of the nursery window. Her niños were sleeping peacefully and she could see lights in the distance as everyone got ready for bed. The houses were popping up surprisingly quickly.

Thankfully, that meant fewer people in her house during the day and having to repress her grief less meant that she had a better handle on it at night.”

Alma blinked in surprise at that bit of information. She remembered breaking down most nights well into the triplets’ second year of life. 

Would it really have been better if she’d been left alone to process her grief?

She felt uncomfortable at the thought. 

Sacrifices had to be made though. Her decision had kept the village happy and her family safe.

There hadn’t been another choice.

Right?

“She still felt the ache of Pedro’s loss keenly and wasn’t ready to take off the black shawl. She wasn’t sure if she would ever be ready to take it off.

But as long as she didn’t allow it to interfere with her niños, she could learn to live with it.

“I’ll keep them safe,” she whispered to the quiet night, clutching the locket with his photo inside tightly. “I swear I’ll keep our niños safe.””

Felix finished the chapter and looked up at everyone’s thoughtful expressions.

There still hadn’t been too much of a difference besides Alma making a few healthier decisions for herself. He wondered how that would change in later chapters.

“Me next!” Pepa declared and he handed the book over to her. She settled down to lean against Bruno who was still stuck between his hermanas and trying not to draw attention to himself throughout this entire thing.

“Chapter Three. Age Two.”

"The terrible twos," Felix muttered, shooting a look at Camilo who gave him an innocent smile in return.

"I'm sure we weren't that bad," Julieta huffed.

Bruno and Pepa both gave her disbelieving looks.

Chapter Text

“Being a mother was hard.”

“Amen,” Julieta muttered, drawing offended looks from her hijas.

Pepa just nodded in fervent agreement and Camilo pouted at her.

““Pepa!” Alma called out in exasperation when she spotted the little redhead trying to climb up onto the table.

Pepa froze at her mamá’s sharp tone and gave her an innocent smile. Bruno was watching with wide eyes, thumb firmly in his mouth and Julieta looked worried.

The moment the three had become mobile, Alma learned why Maria seemed so tired all the time. How did two-year-olds get into everything?!”

“I’m not surprised you were the problem,” Bruno muttered.

“Hey!” Pepa elbowed him. “It says ‘two-year-olds, plural. You were probably just as bad.”

“Unlikely. Juli was probably the worst.”

“Excuse me?!”

The grandkids all watched the argument with confused amusement until Casita nudged Pepa’s foot to get her to continue reading.

““Get down now,” Alma ordered as she put the food down.

Pepa pouted but dropped back to the ground with a huff. She was the most active of them, always wanting to climb on everything and getting hurt more often than not. Bruno was also curious, just in a different way. He was often climbing into the cupboards to explore them and Alma would never forget the heart attack he’d given her when she found him trying to get into the oven. Julieta wasn’t as likely to get into trouble as her siblings, but she still managed it sometimes.”

“I’m sorry, oven?” Mirabel looked at Bruno in disbelief.

“Told you,” Pepa muttered under her breath.

Julieta just pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Did that actually happen?” Agustin asked in surprise.

“Sí,” Alma sighed, making Bruno cringe. “Multiple times. Once with Julieta.”

Julieta flushed as everyone looked at her.

“I can’t remember!” she defended herself.

Pepa was smirking but continued before Casita could prompt her to this time.

““What have I told you about climbing on the table?” Alma asked, hands on her hips.

“To not to,” Pepa mumbled, ducking her head.

“Why?” Alma pushed.

“Cause we get owie,” Pepa sighed.

“Then mamá gets really worried,” Alma added. “I don’t want any of you to get any owies.”

Pepa nodded. “Sowwy mami.”

Alma ducked down to press a kiss to her curly red hair as she picked her up.

“That’s okay mija, just remember for next time okay?””

Pepa blinked and glanced at her siblings who looked just as baffled. That… was not how their mamá reacted to them disobeying the rules as far as they could remember.

She fought the urge to look at her mamá and continued reading.

“Pepa nodded again while Alma set her down in her chair. She helped her other niños up into their chairs and put their plates down in front of them.

There was a chorus of ‘gracias’ before the three dug into their food, making a mess like usual.

Alma settled down in her own chair and watched them with warm eyes as she started on her meal. These three had been the only reasons she didn’t lose herself to her grief. Her three sweet little niños who always tried to cheer her up if they noticed she was looking sad.

When they were all finished eating she took them upstairs to clean them up, Casita helping to catch any runaways who didn’t want to take a bath yet.”

“Ay dios mio, the baths,” Alma muttered to herself, rubbing her face.

That caught everyone’s attention and they leaned forward in interest while all three of the triplets cringed. They’d heard all the stories…

“Pepa couldn’t help giggling as Casita swept her up the stairs even as she was complaining.

“No bath!”

Bruno nodded fervently. “No bath.” He agreed.

“When you’re messy you get a bath. And you both have food in your hair.”

Both of them pouted at her which really was just too cute even when she was exhausted and exasperated with them.

After a bit more of a fight, she got all three into the bath and cleaned them up. After that, she helped them get into their pajamas before Casita let her know that someone was at the door.

“At this time?” Alma wondered in confusion.”

“You really didn’t like baths, did you?” Mirabel snickered and the triplets pretended not to hear her, Pepa continuing reading before she could make another comment.

“She told her niños to head to their room while she checked on who was visiting after dinner time. She’d somehow ended up as the unofficial leader of the Encanto due to being the holder of the candle that protected them all, so it wouldn’t be the first time someone came to her for help with something. Sometimes a decision, sometimes a conflict between villagers.

She opened the door to Manuel Rodriguez and immediately frowned when she spotted the flowers in his hand.”

Alma gritted her teeth. Oh, she remembered Manuel. It seemed he was the same slimeball in this world.

Dolores glanced at her at the sound of her teeth grinding and frowned in confusion at her reaction.

“Her wariness grew to irritation and then to anger in record time as the man explained why he was there.

“Raising three children must be hard.”

“All alone in this big house.”

“Not trying to replace Pedro, I just want to help.”

“I only want to help.””

“What the hell?!” Pepa demanded, temper rising while both Bruno and Julieta looked offended on their mamá’s behalf. 

“That’s disgusting!” Isabela snapped.

Dolores was grimacing and Luisa looked angry. Mirabel and Camilo both scowled.

“He’s that jerk that lives on the edge of town and leers at women isn’t he?” Mirabel asked.

“Excuse me, he does what now?” Pepa asked dangerously.

“Mija, did he make you feel uncomfortable?” Julieta asked in concern.

“He’s just a creep,” Mirabel shrugged while dread curled up Alma’s spine. She hadn’t thought of the man in decades. Had he been bothering her nietas?

“Oh that guy,” Isabela flicked a petal off her dress. “He’s definitely a creep.”

Dolores nodded in agreement. She generally just avoided him, but she’d heard some of the things he’d said.

“Has he done anything to you?” Felix demanded.

“He just says stuff,” Mirabel shrugged uncomfortably. “He does it to all the girls.”

“I’m going to kill him,” Felix deadpanned.

“He never touched us,” Isabela frowned.

“I’m going to help,” Pepa added. “You should never think it’s alright for anyone to talk to you in a way that makes you uncomfortable.”

The girls shifted anxiously.

“Is that the guy that runs every time he sees me?” Luisa asked in confusion.

“Coward,” Pepa muttered under her breath.

It took a bit of effort to get her to continue reading and Alma’s mind was spinning. He’d been harassing her nietas? How hadn’t she known?

“She was seething. She still wore the black shawl around her shoulders and he so arrogantly walked up and asked this? Asked that she open her heart to someone she didn’t know? For the sake of her niños?

She did not need a man to raise her niños.”

“Asshole,” Camilo muttered, seething that his primas and hermana had been harassed and he hadn’t known. How hadn’t he noticed?

““No,” she cut off his next words, leaving him gaping at her. “I have no intention to remarry Manuel. And I’d really like you to suggest that a woman cannot raise her niños on her own within Sophia’s hearing.”

She felt satisfied when he went pale at those words.

“My answer is no,” she repeated firmly. “Please do not bring this up again.””

“Nice,” Mirabel muttered. She was glad he’d been put in his place so soundly.

“She closed the door in his stunned face and turned back to the stairs. Alma wasn’t truly surprised to find her niños standing at the top of the steps, watching her curiously. All of them, so very curious about everything.

“Mami mad?” Bruno asked around the thumb stuck in his mouth.”

Alma twitched. It had taken far too long to break Bruno of his thumb-sucking habit.

“Alma took a few deep breaths. “Some people can be very dumb.”

Pepa ran up to hug her as she reached the top of the stairs and she felt her anger fading. She bent down to pick her hija up and headed into the nursery with the other two trailing behind her.

“Dumb man gone?” Pepa asked as Alma tucked her into bed.”

Felix snorted at his wife’s blunt way of speaking, even when she was only two years old. She shot him a look before continuing to read.

““Yes, he’s gone,” she chuckled in amusement, pressing a kiss to Pepa’s hair. “Now settle down Pepi, it’s bedtime.”

She went around to the other two, tucking them in and kissing their hair. Julieta cuddled her teddy bear and Bruno’s thumb was still firmly stuck in his mouth. The habit didn’t bother her all that much. Pepa and Julieta still did it when they got nervous or anxious about something. If it made Bruno feel better then who was she to complain?”

Bruno flinched and looked away. He remembered all the scoldings he got for that habit. They only made him more anxious and more likely to fall back on the habit.

It had been a difficult cycle to break. 

He glanced at his mamá to find her frowning at Pepa as she read.

““Sto’y?” Pepa asked hopefully.

Alma chuckled again and sat down at her bedside. She switched beds every time she told a story and it was Pepa’s turn tonight.

“Alright mija. What story do we want tonight?””

That was also surprising. Alma hadn’t had the energy to go through the effort of telling a story most nights. She was too busy during the day so most of the time she’d tucked them in and turned out the lights without a story.

““Beat up da dwagon!” Pepa suggested.

“Is it a bad dwagon?” Bruno asked worriedly.

“Supa bad,” Pepa confirmed seriously.

Bruno settled after that. He was definitely the most sensitive of the three and always worried about someone getting hurt.”

A few of the grandchildren awwed and cooed over that bit while Julieta smiled. Bruno really had always been the most sensitive of them all. He was very empathetic. 

“Alma leaned back and spun a story involving a princess that rescued herself from the tower and the dragon guarding it. Pepa was the only one still awake when she finished, although she was well on her way to sleep already. Alma pressed a light kiss to her hair as her eyes closed and stood up, checking on them all one last time before heading to her own room.

She sighed to herself as she closed the door behind her. She was still upset by Manuel but didn’t want to dwell on it. She didn’t feel alone in the way some villagers seemed to think she did. She still missed Pedro every day but her niños didn’t let her mope for very long.

She was finding her way back to happiness and she didn’t appreciate it when others told her marrying again was a shortcut for that.”

That was something Alma agreed with her counterpart on. Marriage wasn’t an easy way to happiness. It was something special. It was why she was devastated by what had happened at the engagement dinner. Isabela must be so heartbroken and upset.

“That wasn’t how grief or love worked.

She took another few calming breaths before leaning against the windowsill, gazing out at the village.

She still wasn’t sure if it was a good thing that the village looked to her as a leader. But she supposed it was a way that she could protect her home from the greedier of the people that lived in the Encanto.

There were still whispers about her having Casita all to herself with only three young niños living with her. They sometimes underestimated what she could hear.”

The family glanced at each other with frowns. They’d never considered the villagers coveting Casita before. It was an unsettling thought.

“But Casita had made it quite clear. She would not allow anyone but the Madrigals inside unless they had permission from Alma. And no one had voiced the idea of taking the Miracle from her though she had noticed the gleams in certain eyes when they looked to the candle.

She’d just have to stay vigilant and alert.

She would protect her family and home.”

They were silent again at the end of the chapter. Isabela was worrying at her lip as she frowned. Luisa was wringing her hands anxiously. Mirabel and Camilo looked like they were plotting something. 

Dolores had, of course, heard these whispers before so she wasn’t surprised.

The adults exchanged glances, deciding to watch out a bit more carefully. Apparently, there were threats they weren’t aware of within the Encanto. Manuel and these whispers of taking their home and Miracle.

It was very unsettling to learn about. And Alma wasn’t denying it so they had to accept that it was true.

“I’ll read next,” Julieta held out her hand and turned to the next chapter. “Chapter Four. Age Three.”

“What does Tio Bruno climb into next?” Mirabel mused, gaining a half-hearted glare from the man. She just grinned back impishly.

Chapter Text

“Bruno, Pepa and Julieta were trailing behind their mamá through the market as she shopped. It was pretty busy so, initially, they didn’t notice that they’d been separated from her until Bruno looked up and realised that he couldn’t see her.”

“This is an ominous start,” Mirabel muttered, ignoring Isabela’s annoyed look for her interruption. 

She really didn’t know what to make of this whole situation. So far all they’d learned was that their Abuela was good at pretending when she wasn’t hurting, that their parents had been difficult kids and that Manuel had always been a jerk.

What more were they going to learn? How far was this story going to go?

It was a pretty thick book…

““Mami?” he asked, drawing Pepa's attention.

His hermanas looked around and Pepa pointed to the left. “I saw her!”

They quickly weaved through the crowds until they found a narrow alley off the side of the market. Peering in they found their mami but also that meanie Manuel who wouldn’t stop bothering her.”

Everyone sat up and took notice at that, glancing at Abuela and wondering what this was about. From the scowl she didn’t quite manage to hide in time, this had happened here too. And it wasn’t something she was happy about.

“They were all surprised when their mami slapped him but he’d been crowding her against the wall and she looked super angry. So he probably deserved it.”

Julieta paused and pressed her lips together. She didn’t like how this was unfolding.

“Abuela slapped someone?” Camilo muttered in surprise, sharing a look with Mirabel.

““Juli, go get Tio Carlos,” Pepa urged quietly.

Their hermana nodded nervously as she took off to find him. Meanwhile, Pepa’s temper was ignited when she saw the meanie grab her mami’s wrist and say something that had her looking even angrier.”

“Uh oh,” Bruno mumbled.

Felix smirked. Even so young, his wife was a firecracker. Camilo was also grinning, forever and always a mamá’s boy and naturally proud of her.

“Surprisingly, Bruno was the first to react. He was usually the most shy out of all of them.

“Leave mami alone!” he yelled, running forward.  

Manuel startled in shock while mami looked concerned about them being there suddenly. Pepa ran after her hermano as her own anger mounted.

“Leave mami alone!” she repeated Bruno’s words since the dummy hadn’t moved yet.

Both of them glared up at him.

“Listen kids, go play alright? Your mamá and I are just talking.””

“Creepy,” Isabela crossed her arms uncomfortably. Dolores glanced at her in concern. She knew Isabela got the most ‘attention’ from the village. Usually the unwanted kind. No one had ever done anything but they’d said things to her that made Dolores angry. She didn’t know how Isabela hadn’t snapped at them before.

““Nuh uh!” Bruno shook his head, curls flying wildly. “Leave mami alone!”

Pepa didn’t like how he glared at her hermano. She tugged Bruno back a little so he was next to her.”

“Always the protective one,” Julieta murmured fondly, smiling at her hermana.

Pepa looked away. She hadn’t done much protecting of Bruno since they’d grown up. She couldn’t remember the last time she stood between her hermano and someone who wanted to hurt him. With words or otherwise.

““Go away,” Manuel repeated, irritation clear on his face. “This is grown-up stuff.”

“No!” Pepa stomped her foot. “You go away meanie!”

He scowled down at the three-year-olds.”

“Don’t try and argue with a Madrigal,” Agustin sighed. “It doesn’t matter if they’re three. You won’t win.”

Julieta smirked slightly to herself before continuing with her reading.

““Don’t you touch them Manuel,” mami said sharply. That was the same voice she used when one of them was in big trouble. So Manuel must be in BIG trouble then. Last time Pepa heard it was when she jumped off the railing cause she was racing Bruno to the kitchen.”

“What?!” Camilo and Dolores chorused while Abuela covered her face and sighed at the memory.

“Casita caught me,” Pepa defended herself.

Bruno looked skywards while Julieta shot her hermana a dark look. She’d given them all heart attacks, three years old or not.

“Mami had been so mad but luckily Casita caught her before she hit the floor. She guessed the stairs were there for a reason…”

“Ya think?” Bruno muttered only to receive a half-hearted smack from Pepa.

“Pepa heard footsteps behind them and smiled widely as Julieta re-joined them.

“What the hell is going on here?!” Tio Carlos sounded super mad and the dumb meanie went very pale. Good.”

“Good to know you were always vindictive,” Bruno mused. Only earning himself another smack from Pepa.

““Juli! Brunito! Pepi!” Tia Maria called from behind him. “Come over here with Felix and me.”

They all ran over obediently as Tio Carlos stormed forward. And then he punched Manuel in the face. Pepa and Felix cheered while Bruno and Juli looked shocked.”

Camilo whistled, impressed. He really wanted to meet the man now. He only had vague memories from when he was young and passing meetings with him in the village. He sounded pretty cool though.

“Tia Maria quickly moved over to mami while Tio Carlos yelled at the meanie.

“Are you alright Alma?” she asked gently as she led her back over to them.

“I’m fine,” she assured, smiling as all three of them latched onto her legs in a hug. “He was being an idiota.”

“Hmm, I feel like it was more than that,” Tia Maria lifted her wrist to look at it with a frown. “He hurt you Alma.”

“Meanie hurt mami?!” Pepa demanded in outrage. “Tio Carlos! Punch him hard!””

Bruno gave Pepa a pointed look while Julieta gripped the book tightly. Pepa smacked him again and they got into a whispered argument over how he didn’t say anything but Pepa knew he’d been thinking it.

“Did this happen here?” Julieta asked quietly.

Abuela sighed and waved a hand. “Somewhat. He backed off eventually.”

Julieta pursed her lips. She didn’t like how dismissive her mamá was of this man’s behaviour. It was harassment, plain and simple. And it seemed he’d continued with it, only focused on her hijas and Dolores instead.

She’d need to think seriously on that later when she had time.

““Sí!” he called back and the next punch was definitely harder.”

Felix snorted. He hadn’t realised how much he missed his papá… He really needed to visit after this.

““Pepa!” Mami scolded but she set her jaw stubbornly as she stared up at her.

“Does it hurt mami?” Bruno asked, a waver to his voice and their mami quickly knelt down.

“I’m fine Brunito,” she insisted but all three of them could see the bruise showing on her wrist now.

Bruno sniffled. “He hurt you.”

“Bad man,” Pepa insisted.

Their mami sighed and gathered them all up in a hug and they latched on tightly.

“I’m okay,” she promised. “But good work getting your Tio Carlos. Very smart you three.”

“If Juli took too long I was gonna scream,” Pepa informed her. “Scream supa loud like you said we must if someone tries to hurt us.”

“Pepa can scream really loud,” Bruno agreed.”

Felix opened his mouth and Bruno threw a pillow at him.

“Don’t you dare. I don’t need to see the future to know what you’re about to say.”

Felix smirked back and Bruno glared at him.

The kids were all surprised to see the adults slipping into a comfortable dynamic with their missing Tio. Was this what it would have been like if he’d never left?

““That she can,” their mami was smiling again and that made them all happy. “Why don’t we all head home?” she suggested.

The three nodded and she gathered up the shopping bags she’d dropped with Tia Maria’s help before they set off back to Casita.

Felix talked to the triplets, trying to cheer them up as they walked. They stuck close to their mami, Bruno keeping a hand fisted in her dress.”

Alma felt a sudden surge of nostalgia. Bruno used to be the most clingy of the three, always reaching out for contact of some kind.

Now her hijo hadn’t been able to look at her once since reappearing.

Her heart twisted as she stared down at her hands. What had gone wrong over the years?

“Once at Casita, Tia Maria shooed their mami into a chair despite her protests and put some tea on. Bruno immediately clambered into her lap, wide green eyes staring up at her worriedly.

“I’m fine Brunito,” she assured gently, brushing his curly out of his face.

He didn’t say anything, just throwing his little arms around her neck in a hug. Pepa and Julieta were crowded on either side of her chair, both looking just as concerned as their hermano.

“I hope Tio Carlos punched him real hard,” Pepa announced, hands clinging tightly to her mami’s dress. “When I’m bigger, then I’ll punch all the meanies.”

“Hitting people isn’t the answer Pepi,” mami reminded sternly.”

“It’s an answer,” Pepa muttered. She felt upset at the reveal that Manuel had harassed their mamá far more than they’d ever known.

How hadn’t they noticed? Had she just kept it that well hidden?

““He deserved it,” Julieta mumbled, fidgeting with her hands. “He hurt you mami.””

The family stared at Julieta in surprise and her cheeks reddened. She was the one who disliked violence the most after all.

“She sighed and absently rotated her wrist, wincing slightly. The reaction drew frowns from all three of them.

Felix suddenly shoved two chairs right next to their mami and both girls scrambled into them so that they could be closer to her and cuddle into her sides. Pepa gave their friend a bright smile in thanks and he returned it with a thumbs up.”

“Always knowing the right thing to do to make things better,” Pepa smiled at her husband and he beamed back at her.

Camilo and Bruno gagged at the exact same moment as the pair gazed at each other sappily. It made Mirabel and Dolores snicker in amusement.

“Tia Maria walked back over with the tea and a soft smile when she saw them all cuddling up to their mami.

“That man’s behaviour isn’t acceptable,” she told mami sharply as she placed the tea down on the table.

Mami sighed. “I know that. I didn’t expect him to get so aggressive today.”

“How many times have you told him no by now?”

“At least twelve.””

“Twleve?!” Pepa shrieked. “Mamá?! Why the hell did he get away with behaviour like that?!”

Her mamá looked about to scold her for her outburst but Julieta spoke up.

“It’s wrong. He shouldn’t have gotten away with that. In either universe.”

Silence fell over the room as she met her mamá’s gaze. 

“He should have been stopped when he ignored the first ‘no’."

The second generation had never seen her disagree so blatantly with their Abuela and it made them feel anxious.

Things were getting so confusing.

Julieta started reading again when it became clear that Alma wasn’t going to respond.

“Tia Maria scowled. “He deserves that beating then. And Carlos is going to give it to him. He hates men like that. Entitled pigs.””

Dolores’ eyes widened slightly at her Abuela’s blunt statement.

““It’s a minor bruise.”

“If someone had given one of your niños a ‘minor bruise’ you would be the one beating them into the ground.””

Bruno resisted the urge to scoff at that comment. He vividly remembered coming home many times after someone showed their displeasure over his visions physically. And his mamá had never done a thing, choosing instead to lecture him about using his Gift to help the Encanto, not hurt it.

He was a little surprised when Pepa wrapped her hand around his. She squeezed gently and he tentatively returned the gesture.

She’d been the one chasing off his attackers most days after all.

He felt a flicker of jealousy for his counterpart. Clearly, this version of their mamá had been far more focused on them than the Encanto. He didn’t know if that would change when the Gifts came in, but it was still a thought that hurt.

“Mami sighed again but Pepa wasn’t really paying any attention to the conversation anymore. All that excitement had left her tired and she wanted a nap. Bruno was already asleep in their mami’s lap and Julieta was close behind, leaning on mami’s left side.

Pepa cracked an eye open when she heard the door and saw Tio Carlos come in. He still looked upset but not as angry anymore.

“He won’t come near you again,” he promised their mami.

Pepa closed her eyes again and drifted off to sleep, satisfied that their mami had good friends who would keep the meanie away.

She was going to tell Tia Sophia all about this tomorrow though. That would be fun. Tia Sophia was terrifying when mad. She scared everyone.”

“You’re such a snitch,” Bruno muttered.

Pepa elbowed him in the side, but she didn’t let go of his hand.

Other than that, the triplets were silent. There wasn’t much they could say about that chapter. They were all starting to get a very uneasy feeling about the direction this story was taking.

“I’ll read next,” Dolores offered quietly and Julieta handed the book over to her.

The quiet girl turned the page and a slight frown pulled at her lips.

“Chapter Five. Birthdays.”

The triplets grimaced. Guess they were getting answers to their questions over the Gifts sooner than expected.

Chapter Text

“Alma firmly believed that a birthday was one of the most important days of the year. And to her, her niños birthday was the most important day of the year.”

Dolores’ voice didn’t give away her thoughts as she read the beginning lines but she scoffed internally. 

None of those with Gifts in the room believed those words one bit.

"Since arriving here, since their very first birthday, Alma had been making sure that they knew how loved and special they were every single year. It was more complicated with all three of them sharing a birthday of course. She had to make sure that none of them ever felt left out, she had to make sure that it was equally special to all of them.

And she liked to think that she’d succeeded over their first three birthdays."

The triplets shared a look while their mamá looked confused.

Their birthday had been hijacked into a celebration over the Encanto and Miracle, and a party for the villagers for as long as they could remember. It had never been theirs.

"The first one was still tainted bitter with grief over Pedro’s absence so she’d brought the candle down with her as her three niños crawled around and played with Felix and Agustin. Maria and Sophia had asked why she’d been carrying the candle and she’d admitted that it made her feel like Pedro was there, that he could see their niños happy and smiling on their birthday."

Mirabel frowned slightly and glanced at her Abuela. Did she feel the same? Was that why she brought the candle to most big events? Or was it because she wanted to keep the focus on the Miracle?

She honestly didn't know.

"The two mothers had smiled sadly and accepted her words just before Carlos came bursting in with presents. Her friends had far too much fun spoiling her niños."

Felix wondered what it would have been like to grow up alongside the triplets. How would his life have changed? He only really got to know Pepa when they were in their early teens.

Although he'd been smitten long before then.

"Their second and third birthdays had gone pretty much the same and now that their fourth birthday was here, Alma was determined that they would all enjoy it. They were old enough to understand what day it was now and they’d been excited for weeks.

She refused to let them down."

Bruno had to bite his lip to hold in a scoff at that. He couldn't remember ever being excited for his birthday. And his mamá had usually spent the day reminding him not to make a scene or cause problems. Pepa was forced to be happy all day. And Julieta usually had to cook the food for the entire village.

"When she woke them up for breakfast it was with hugs and kisses and whispered happy birthdays. They were smiling from the moment they were awake and those grins only grew when they found their favourite breakfasts waiting for them."

Camilo's eyebrows rose but he didn't comment. Their birthdays certainly didn't start like that. Although his parents certainly tried during the day despite their busy schedules.

Isabela's lips thinned and she looked away. She couldn't remember a birthday when she wasn't the one making sure everyone else was happy and having a good time.

The perfect hostess.

"Alma glanced to the candle where she’d set it on the counter. She’d decided to make it a tradition and loved the way it made her niños light up at the sight of it."

Now that raised more eyebrows. Abuela never put the candle down if it was out of her room. She never let anyone touch the candle except the niños just before they got their Gifts.

The differences were multiplying and all seemed to be centred on Abuela so far. She was closer to friends, she seemed more relaxed and happier in general, denying the villagers calmly and firmly.

And she seemed far more focused on the triplets than on the Miracle.

It made the three feel uncomfortable. They were hearing things they'd wished their mamá had done for them. How different would things end up being?

And how were they going to feel at the end of it all?

"When breakfast was eaten, she helped the three get dressed in their new clothes. That was also a new tradition she’d decided to start. They each got a new outfit on their birthday. She’d briefly considered putting them in more formal clothes but quickly dismissed the idea. She wanted them to be comfortable and they could use the clothes for the rest of the year as well."

"I hated the formal clothes," Bruno muttered so quietly that only his hermanas and Dolores could hear. Julieta shot him a look while Pepa only nodded in agreement.

Those clothes were uncomfortable and hard to keep clean.

"Pepa giggled and spun in her new yellow and orange dress. Julieta was smiling as she smoothed down her soft blue dress. And Bruno stayed still as she buttoned up his new green shirt.

At least they all had very distinct tastes in clothes."

"That stayed the same at least," Felix chuckled.

"And it spread to the rest of the family," Agustin agreed.

"Where'd the pink dress come from?" Mirabel muttered.

Isabela glared at her. "Is that jealousy I hear? After you already ruined my engagement?!"

Mirabel looked away, both angry and guilty.

"It's not like one bad dinner will ruin the entire engagement," she mumbled.

Isabela scowled but before she could summon any plants, Dolores cut in.

"I'm reading," she said quietly, not even looking at them.

They both subsided reluctantly. Dolores didn't like it when her reading was interrupted.

She glanced at them before looking back at the book.

"How did you do that?" Agustin asked in shock. Breaking up fights between those two was usually a lot more difficult.

"Dolores knows everything," Camilo piped up. "You don't want to make her mad at you."

Pepa smirked, proud of her hija and her ability to intimidate her primas into backing down.

"She's Pepa's daughter," Bruno shrugged.

They might be imagining the tiny smile pulling at the corner of Dolores' mouth at that comment.

"Casita waved the nursery door and Alma smiled.

“I think our guests are here,” she told them and they raced back down the stairs to the front doors."

Bruno sighed to himself, slumping a bit in his seat. Here came the rest of the town then.

"Maria, Carlos and Sophia had arrived together and the triplets chorused a polite greeting before dragging Agustin and Felix inside so they could start playing. Those two had ended up becoming very good friends to her niños. Agustin was a little more shy but Felix managed to draw him out of his shell pretty easily most days.

Alma invited the parents inside after the kids had stampeded off again, candle still in hand.

“They seem excited,” Maria chuckled.

“They’ve been looking forward to today since Agustin’s birthday,” Alma admitted in amusement."

The family frowned. Was that… it? Those were the guests? Her three friends and their two children?

It sounded… normal. Like all the other parties kids had in the Encanto.

An awkward silence fell for a moment before Dolores continued reading. It would have been nice to have private birthdays like that. She hated her birthday for how loud it was.

"The four adults chatted to each other as they made their way to the sitting room, listening to the shrieking laughter of the kids. Casita would make sure they were okay so they weren’t worried about supervision."

Casita rippled her tiles smugly at that. Mirabel smiled a little. Casita was the best babysitter.

"When lunchtime rolled around, Alma called them all over for food and it was mere seconds before the five reappeared. The cake had been taken out and it sat on the counter waiting for after the proper meal was eaten.

It was a mishmash of blue, green and yellow since the triplets had been insistent about sharing a cake even after she’d offered to make them each their own."

Dolores paused in her reading and smiled. "That's sweet," she murmured.

The triplets thought so too.

Unfortunately, their parties had consisted of a huge, professionally made cake for everyone to eat.

It wasn't really theirs. Nothing about their birthday was.

Pepa glanced at Julieta with the realisation that they hadn't even had a birthday together for ten years…

They needed to fix that. They needed to make sure that Bruno didn't feel the need to run again.

"The rest of the day passed in a blur of food ending up everywhere, cake over faces and somehow ending up in their hair, presents being opened with great enthusiasm and many pictures being taken that she was sure would embarrass them to no end when they were older."

Pepa snorted quietly at that, getting some looks.

"Mamá?" Camilo asked tentatively.

"Embarrassing photos? They had to be picture perfect or else they were never kept," she scoffed, tired of holding in all her comments so far.

Her mamá bristled and Pepa raised an eyebrow, daring her to argue.

"I wanted to keep the best pictures," she defended herself.

Bruno kept his gaze on his hands. What did it say then that he was barely in any of the photos she kept?

Mirabel's pinched expression suggested she was thinking similar thoughts.

"Then we can't keep my birthday family picture," Antonio piped up, drawing their attention. He'd been quiet so far. "Cause Mirabel wasn't in it."

That gave most of the family pause. Abuela sighed like she was about to explain something tedious. Isabela huffed and rolled her eyes. Luisa, Agustin and Julieta looked horrified while a cloud formed over Pepa's head, a hand covering her mouth. Felix was frowning to himself, clearly thinking back on that moment. Dolores and Camilo exchanged a look, apparently having been the only ones who noticed. They hadn't wanted to cause a scene on Antonio's birthday though and they both knew Mirabel would kill them if they did.

"It's fine Antonio," Mirabel tried to reassure him.

He frowned at her. "But Abuela says we need to keep the best photos. And it's not good enough without you."

Camilo nudged Mirabel when she went to argue and Dolores continued reading before it could turn into something nasty. They still had a lot left to read.

"As she tucked her exhausted triplets into bed that night, all cleaned up and falling asleep as soon as their head hit the pillows, she whispered a last happy birthday.

Another successful one."

The triplets all seemed to brace themselves for the next part. That was their fourth birthday. And Dolores hadn't stopped reading yet.

The chapter title had been 'birthdays'. 

Plural.

"Alma stared at the three doors in confusion. They’d appeared out of nowhere during the night and she’d found them when she left her room to prepare her niños birthday breakfast. 

They were already turning five and she could hardly believe it.

She’d been stopped in her tracks when she saw the doors though."

Alma remembered that day well. She'd felt both confusion and fear over what it meant. But after realising they were the same gold as the candle, she'd decided that they must be an extension of the Miracle.

It only made sense to give it the attention and respect the day deserved. So she'd told the three to wait until the rest of the village had gathered for the party, opening the doors as the grand finale.

The village had loved it, praising the Miracle for giving them even more than before. The Encanto would continue to prosper.

"“Casita?” she asked worriedly.

The house only shuffled her roof tiles excitedly.

The nursery door opened and she turned to see her three niños peering out, already awake.

“Mamá?” Julieta asked while they all stared at the doors. “We heard the humming.”

Alma frowned slightly.

“Humming?” 

“Uh huh,” Bruno nodded as they all came closer to her. He pointed at the doors. “It’s coming from those.”

“Where’d they come from mamá?” Pepa asked."

The triplets could still remember what she said. 

A surprise from the Miracle. Another way for the Encanto to thrive. But they could only find out when everyone in the village was there.

Waiting to find out had been agony for five-year-olds.

"Alma looked down at the candle in her hands and then to the doors. Emotion welled up in her, almost choking her.

“I think,” she whispered. “I think this is a birthday present from your papá,” she breathed."

It was like the air got sucked out of the room as the family's eyes widened. Alma stared at Dolores in shock, her nieta seeming disbelieving of what she'd read as well.

Mirabel clenched her hands so hard that she almost drew blood.

She didn't really like either option. Because on the one hand that meant the Miracle hadn't deemed her worthy of a Gift. But on the other… her Abuelo hadn't.

Was it because of the prophecy?

Why was she singled out? 

Camilo reached out subtly to rest his hand on one of hers, squeezing slightly. He still looked shocked by what they'd heard but she was grateful for the comfort as Dolores continued reading in a slightly more shaky voice.

"Somehow, that seemed right. She didn’t know how she felt so sure, but she did.

The three crowded around her and stared up with curious and excited eyes.

“A present?” Pepa asked eagerly.

“Do we gotta wait until after lunch?” Bruno asked with a pout."

Pepa stared blankly ahead, still processing the last bit she'd heard. Her siblings weren't much better.

"Alma looked back at the doors.

“No mijo,” she murmured. “This is a special present. You can open it now.”

She loved her friends but she felt like this was something that should be private to their family."

Bruno lifted a hand and rubbed his face. That was another blow.

They got to receive their Gifts privately? As a family instead of as the evening's entertainment?

They got to learn about their Gifts without the pressure of the town watching?

"The triplets lit up in excitement and ran over to the doors, somehow seeming to know where to stand and which one was theirs.

As they reached out to open the doors, Alma smiled. She just knew that this would be a birthday to remember."

Silence descended on the room, everyone caught up in their own thoughts.

Alma couldn't understand how her counterpart got to that conclusion and why she'd kept it from the rest of the town.

The triplets were reeling at the information, wondering how things would have changed. There would have been fewer unexpected windstorms and shattered glass that night for sure.

Dolores couldn't help remembering what a disaster her own Gift Ceremony was and how it would have been so much better without the loud villagers making it so much worse. Camilo was also thinking about his own and thinking about how he'd discovered the downsides of his Gift the same night as receiving it since he'd been asked to show it off so much he'd passed out.

Isabela had enjoyed her ceremony but people had been pretty demanding about her showing everyone what she could do. And Luisa was remembering how anxious she'd been about accidentally hurting someone in the crowded house.

"Well," Mirabel murmured, thinking of her utter disaster of a birthday. And how it would have been so much better, less humiliating and terrifying if it had only been her family seeing that door fade away. "That was… different. I'll read next."

Dolores passed her the book before Abuela could protest, still wary of her touching anything apparently.

"Chapter Six. Gifts."

Chapter Text

"Alma was sitting down in shock when Casita let their guests in.

“It’s a rainbow!”

“I can cook with mamá now!”

“Look! The glass is green!”"

The grandkids smiled a little, hearing how the triplets were so excited about their Gifts, without the villagers there to gawk.

"Her friends came to a stop as they stared at the triplets running around. Felix and Agustin didn’t really hesitate to run in and join in on the fun. Despite the literal rainbows, sand and glass tablets.

“Uh, Alma?” Carlos asked, rubbing the back of his head and looking baffled."

"Must have been weird seeing Gifts for the first time," Camilo mused.

They'd never considered how weird it was when they got the first Gifts.

"Alma stared at her three five-year-old niños.

“When I die and see Pedro again, I am going to kill him,” she declared."

The family choked.

What?!

Alma looked just as shocked. She would never have spoken about Pedro like that.

"They stared at her in shock.

“Bruno! I tripped on your sand!”

“Juli, I think I cut my hand…”

“Is that blood?!”

Alma’s eye twitched.

“Who the hell gives five-year-olds magic?!” she demanded as thunder rumbled in a previously clear sky. “I swear Pedro! I love you but you can be such an idiota!”"

They all gaped at the book.

"Fair point," Mirabel admitted, flinching when they all looked at her and half hiding behind the book. "Come on, a five-year-old controls all the animals in the jungle. Including a jaguar."

There was a pause before a few of them mumbled agreements and Mirabel hurriedly continued.

"By the time the day ended, Alma was exhausted. Thankfully, so were the triplets.

They’d spent the entire day experimenting with these new… Gifts, that they’d fallen asleep in the bath. She hadn’t been able to help smiling as she carried them each to their bed and tucked them in."

Felix smiled slightly. It sounded like they had a lot of fun. And they got to have the day all to themselves too.

He wished his wife had had that chance… he wished she could celebrate her birthday with her siblings and no one else.

It didn't seem fair that something so simple from her childhood had been denied to her.

"She was still reeling from what had happened.

And the impact that might have on the future.

Magic.

Her niños had magic.

Healing. Weather control. Prophecy.

Those weren’t little things. They were life-changing abilities and her niños were so excited.

Alma, on the other hand, was terrified."

Many eyebrows rose.

Again.

She was terrified? Why? Abuela had always been thankful and grateful to the Gifts. Why was she terrified?

Bruno was frowning to himself slightly.

"Some in the village already looked at Casita, at the Miracle, and coveted it.

Now her niños had something else that they’d want."

Alma frowned. Of course, that was why they helped the village. They offered the Gifts freely to help the Encanto.

Why would she possibly be afraid of it?

Mirabel had an idea of where this was going. And her heart twisted in her chest. She kind of hoped she was wrong. Because if she wasn't, it wasn't fair.

"She imagined for a moment, as she watched them sleep, what it would be like. They could help the Encanto flourish. No fear of injuries. No fear of droughts. No fear of the future.

It painted the picture of a utopia."

The triplets looked away and Mirabel didn't think she was imagining the bitter twist to her Tio Bruno's lips or the resigned look in her Tia Pepa's eyes.

"She clenched her fists at her sides.

A utopia where her sweet little niños would be tools, would be practical slaves.

No.

She refused to allow that to happen."

"What?" Pepa breathed as a wave of shock hit them.

The words were a painful truth none of them had spoken before, although they'd certainly thought it.

But hearing it said out loud…

And then hearing that in this world, their mamá refused to see it happen…

It left Pepa feeling breathless as her heart twisted. A small part of her asked why her mamá hadn't said no.

"That's ridiculous!" Abuela cried in anger. "There is nothing wrong with helping the Encanto."

"Maybe there is when it's all this family is allowed to do," Mirabel murmured, staring at the words on the page, disbelieving even as she reread them.

"Excuse me?" Abuela asked sharply and she flinched, curling in on herself at the tone of her voice.

Camilo bit his lip beside her before speaking up.

"She's right. Mirabel's the only person in this family who has a hobby besides Tio Agustin and papá."

He flinched a bit as Abuela’s angry look turned his way but he didn't take back the words. They were true.

"See what you are doing Mirabel? You are causing problems and the house is falling apart! You are hurting the family!" Abuela said angrily. "You are threatening the Miracle!"

Mirabel blinked back tears, clutching the book like a lifeline. 

"It's not her fault," Tio Bruno stuttered anxiously, hands wringing his ruana.

"I have seen that prophecy. And I will be having words with you for hiding it Bruno," she said, barely even looking at him. 

Bruno flinched violently, but before Abuela could continue, he lifted his head again.

"This is why I hid it!" He bit out, angrier than his hermanas had seen in a long time. "This is why I left! Because I knew you would blame Mirabel."

"Bruno-"

"I didn't want you to treat her like how you treat me."

Silence fell while Abuela’s expression shifted from angry to stricken at her hijo's words.

Julieta stared at him with wide eyes, pale at the revelation while Pepa reached out to rest her hand over where his were clinging to his ruana in a death grip.

Things were making so much more sense now. And oh did it hurt.

She exchanged a horrified look with Felix and caught a glimpse of Agustin’s shattered expression.

Because Bruno left for Mirabel. Not for himself, not even after everything they and the village put him through. He left for Mirabel. 

Dios mio, and he'd been right to do so.

Pepa cringed as she remembered demanding what Mirabel did as she rushed out of the room after the dinner.

Mirabel was looking down at the book, gaze glassy as the silence crushed the room. 

Camilo was staring at his Tio in guilt and disbelief. He'd always been angry with the man for leaving. For making his mamá cry. He could see past her excuse of any mention of him bringing a storm out of anger. It was grief and always had been. Camilo had resented the man for the pain he'd given his mamá. 

But he did it for Mirabel? For his favourite prima who just wanted to make everyone proud?

Camilo felt like shit for all the horrible stories he'd told of his Tio now.

Isabela and Luisa didn't seem to know how to take the news, both looking stunned. 

Dolores just looked… sad.

She'd known this all already after all. Her Tio spoke to himself and the rats often.

There was a reason she never told anyone about him. Even at age eleven, she already knew that he was right.

Abuela would have blamed Mirabel for whatever he'd seen in his vision.

When the silence stretched too long, Mirabel cleared her throat and continued reading, clearly trying to pretend that all didn't happen.

"She refused to allow anyone to take advantage of her babies.

Alma had spent four years putting herself back together after Pedro’s death.

It was time she stood up for her family now instead of relying on her friends to.

Her niños needed her and she would not fail them. They would always be her first priority.

Always."

Bruno's expression was far more obviously bitter at those words. Pepa didn't say anything, just leaning her head on his shoulder while Julieta looked down at her hands.

"Sometimes, Alma hated it when she was right.

The news of the Gifts had been met with awe and excitement and many villagers came up to them the next time they were in town and asked about them.

Alma was calm and composed as she answered any questions and then there were the requests to see the magic in action.

Her niños were more than excited to show off their new abilities.

The rainbows and healing and images etched in green glass awed the crowd and her babies looked so very proud of themselves."

"It would have been nice to show everyone after I understood it," Pepa muttered so quietly, only Bruno and Dolores heard her. And the followed, quiet agreement from Bruno.

Dolores didn't like how subdued her mamá sounded now.

"Alma wasn’t fooled. She kept watching and waiting, staying prepared.

She made a big fuss about teaching Julieta to cook when her hija pleaded with her to. Only the easy dishes of course. And she limited the time Julieta could be in the kitchen so she didn’t go overboard."

Julieta raised her eyebrows at that. The kitchen had become her second room almost after her fifth birthday. Something unpleasant twisted in her chest. She thought it might be a mix of jealously and anger and swallowed it down.

"She watched Pepa delight in every new part of the weather she discovered with a smile.

She sat with Bruno when he finished his visions and would praise the beautiful tablets they produced, distracting her hijo from exhausting himself with too many visions since he was just so excited."

Pepa's lips pressed together and Bruno didn't seem able to hold back a quiet scoff, still worked up from earlier.

A lot of anger and resentment had built up over the years he was away, hidden in the walls. Where he could objectively look at his relationship with his mamá. 

He hadn't liked what he'd realised. But he'd had to accept it.

"But she still waited. And eventually, the inevitable happened.

And Alma nipped that right in the bud from day one."

This story was hurting more than the triplets had ever thought it would.

"As Julieta carefully explored cooking under her mamá’s close supervision, Alma would put aside the successful extra food that would last a few days at least. She would throw away anything that spoiled but she made sure that there was a small supply ready if needed."

Agustin frowned a bit. Julieta worked hard to keep a large stock of food ready. But this sounded like just the extras from her lessons were kept.

"Bruno and Pepa got into enough trouble that the healing food really did help with stopping the tears, and whenever she helped her hermana or hermano, Julieta just lit up like the sun."

A few weak smiles appeared at that. Julieta did love it when she could help the family. She hated when they got sick and her food didn't work.

"So when a villager came to Alma explaining that his son had broken his leg, she sympathised and handed over some of the food wrapped in a cloth. The man thanked her profusely but she insisted that he thank her hija before leaving.

Julieta was walking on clouds the rest of the day."

Bruno braced himself. Was this where it all went downhill?

"The next day, a woman showed up with her arm in a sling. Alma knew her, she’d injured her arm when a runaway cart clipped her. They chatted for a bit before the woman thanked Julieta after taking the food."

Alma was still reeling from earlier and was confused over where the story was going now.

"The third time, Alma put her foot down."

Alma’s eyes widened along with Julieta's. What?

Mirabel swallowed hard before continuing. 

"Serious injuries, she understood. Julieta adored helping people and being able to get rid of their pain made her positively shine.

But now, she crossed her arms as the man asked for healing food.

“And how did you get a black eye?” she asked, eyebrow raised.

He stuttered and stumbled over his words for a moment in surprise.

Roughhousing at the bar last night it turned out."

Not an uncommon reason people searched out Julieta's food.

"“No,” she decided. “You chose to go and get drunk and fight with your friends. You deal with the consequences. I’m sure the hangover and black eye are all part of the ‘experience’ anyway. I wouldn’t want to rob you of that.”

She smiled sweetly before closing the front door on his stunned face."

The Madrigals were equally stunned as they stared at Mirabel while she reread the part to make sure she hadn't been wrong.

"That's wrong," Alma found herself saying. "She should not have turned away someone needing help.

"It was his own fault," Mirabel muttered. "It's not mamá's fault he went and got into a brawl after getting drunk."

"Sometimes they do it on purpose because they know that they can just get Tia's food. There are no consequences so why should they not do it?" Dolores said quietly, drawing surprised looks.

"What?" Isabela asked, upset on her mamá's behalf. They all knew how hard she worked on that food.

"That's not right," Luisa said softly.

"No, it's not," Mirabel murmured, not wanting to look up in case Abuela was glaring at her again. She hurriedly kept reading without realising her mamá was staring at her hijas.

"It wouldn’t be the first time she said no to the hungover, to those that started fights and that one memorable time an idiot asked for food after gaining a papercut."

"Say what?" Camilo deadpanned.

Going by the expressions on the triplets' faces, that had actually happened.

"That's pathetic," he said with a scowl.

Mirabel hurried on before Abuela could get angry with Camilo too.

"But she was steadfast in her refusal and didn’t back down. She set the rules and they needed to follow them.

Serious injuries only.

If you got it through your own stupidity, deal with it.

Children were always welcome, as long as their injury wasn’t from a fight they started."

"Fair rules," Agustin murmured, staring at his wife who couldn't seem to meet anyone's eyes. She was biting on her lip, a habit they'd thought only Pepa had.

"She kept a small stock of healing food for those who truly needed it and taught Julieta early on the importance of saying no to people. She wasn’t to give anyone healing food unless it was an emergency or had Alma’s permission.

Alma knew that her hija loved helping people. Saying no would be a hard lesson for her to learn, but she needed to.

She’d be damned if her niña ended up trapped in the kitchen catering to a town of spoiled babies."

Julieta flinched a bit. She'd never said it out loud, but sometimes the kitchen felt like a prison, like she was trapped there. She loved cooking but sometimes watching everyone go outside while she was stuck inside… it hurt.

Bruno nudged her subtly and she leaned into him a bit.

"The town’s attention was truly caught on the first day that Pepa got hurt after getting her Gift. The little girl had tripped on the stairs and Casita didn’t catch her in time, resulting in her hitting her chin and wailing loudly enough that the entire house heard her."

It was Pepa's turn to cringe now and she tried to will away the cloud that had been hovering above them for a while now.

"Julieta was already rushing to the kitchen by the time Alma reached Pepa and the rain was pouring down and absolutely soaking them.

Some soothing words and an arepa later, Pepa was sniffling but the rain had stopped. Alma cuddled her for a bit until she managed to coax a smile from her and Alma sent her off to play with her siblings again."

That was certainly a kinder reaction than Alma showed her daughter whenever she started to rain for any reason and Pepa tightened her grip on Bruno's hand when he twisted his to hold hers properly.

She chanted 'clear skies' in her head, not wanting to rain again. She was surprised her mamá hadn't commented on her cloud this whole time. But she had been distracted. No reason to remind her.

"She wasn’t truly surprised when the farmers came.

No.

She was just pissed."

They all startled at that and Camilo turned his head to watch Mirabel read now, gaze intent.

"“How do you think Pepa makes it rain?” she asked sharply, temper on a short leash.

The farmers stared at her in perplexed confusion and Alma wanted to slam the door in their faces. Instead, she took a deep breath.

“The weather is connected to Pepa’s emotions. When she’s happy, the sun shines. When she’s angry, it thunders. When she’s sad, it rains.”"

Dolores inhaled sharply as she realised where this was going.

It was going to hurt so much…

She met Camilo's gaze and his eyes widened in realisation.

"They continued to stare at her and Alma resisted the urge to slap them.

“I’m not going to make my hija cry to make your jobs easier,” she deadpanned ."

Pepa flinched violently and felt a few drops of rain fall. She couldn't make herself care though. She felt like she couldn't breathe.

Because that was the core of the matter, wasn't it? In order for Pepa to help the Encanto, she had to cry. To be made to cry. To be sad and upset.

And the villagers had been creative in the past to get that result.

"Realisation dawned on their faces and they ducked their heads in shame under her glare.

“I’m sure, that during a drought or emergency like a forest fire, Pepa would be willing to find a way to help us. But you are not going to make her sad just to get out of watering your crops.”

Casita slammed the door in their faces. So technically, she didn’t do it."

Camilo darted across to his mamá as the rain started to fall, Dolores and Antonio close behind while Felix leaped from his chair to comfort his wife.

Bruno didn't know what to do other than hold her hand.

They'd all known this was the truth. But they'd never voiced it.

"Pepa, you know how I feel about rain indoors," Alma scolded, still trying to understand what she'd heard. It wasn't like that, was it?

Helping the Encanto was more important. Some sacrifices had to be made. And if she got to cry at the farms, then she got it out of her system for when she was home.

Felix stiffened at her words and turned to look at her, mouth already opening to argue.

But Camilo beat him to it.

He'd had to watch his Abuela blame Mirabel and make her curl in on herself in misery and now she was upsetting his mamá. Again.

He was sick of it.

He spun around and glared at her.

"Stop it! Mamá is allowed to be upset cause that books right! She shouldn't have to cry to make some lazy people's lives easier!"

"Cami-" Pepa reached out to try and calm her hijo, hating when any of her niños were upset. But Camilo shook his head.

"No! It's not right! It's not right that people make you cry for something they could do on their own," he turned back to her, expression pleading with her to understand. "How would you feel if that's what they wanted from our Gifts?"

Pepa's mouth went dry. Because she had no argument. Because if anyone even thought of trying to make one of her niños cry, she would strike them with lightning in a heartbeat.

Because she never wanted to see her babies cry.

“I think it’s time to change seating,” Julieta said quietly.

She and Bruno moved to sit next to Mirabel, Julieta pulling her hija close in a clearly protective move. She wasn’t happy with how her mamá had been talking to and about her hija lately. 

Felix sat on the arm of the couch next to Pepa and Camilo claimed the spot next to her with Dolores next to him and Antonio on her lap.

Pepa sighed as Felix wrapped an arm around her shoulders and Camilo leaned into her side. The rain had stopped for the moment but her heart still ached. She didn’t know how she was supposed to be feeling but anger and grief were definitely in the mix.

Alma didn’t know what to say as she watched them all gather around her hija, Camilo’s words bouncing around in her head. 

It was just a few tears. That’s all. Wasn’t it?

Mirabel leaned into her mamá’s side as she continued reading.

“People were both more tentative, and excited, when they approached Alma about Bruno’s Gift.”

Bruno tensed and Julieta took his hand as he braced himself.

“And she understood. She really did. After what they’d all gone through, having a prior warning over something like that attack on their home sounded amazing.”

It was a valid argument and one that Bruno had never been able to deny, always giving in if his mamá brought it up. Why wouldn’t they want to know if something bad was approaching?

However, that fell away when he only seemed to give people bad prophecies. And suddenly it became all his Gift was.

“However, she still put her foot down.”

He ducked his head, hand twitching with the urge to pull up his hood. This was going to hurt.

““Bruno will only do one vision a day,” she repeated when they tried to convince her otherwise. “The visions put strain on him and more than one a day gives him a headache. If anyone wishes for him to try and focus a vision on them, they need to put in a request ahead of time, with me. If there are no requests, he’ll do one aimed at the Encanto in general.”

It was a tiny bit of a lie. More than one big vision in a short period of time did give him a headache, but after a rest he could do another without a problem. She didn’t want that though. She wanted her hijo to play with his hermanas and enjoy being a child. She didn’t want him to work.”

Bruno squeezed his eyes shut while Pepa made a quiet, pained noise. This book was bringing up emotional wounds from their childhood that had never truly healed. This wasn’t their world, never would be, so why were they being forced to listen to it?

Especially when it just hurt.

“So they were forced to accept the one vision a day limit. Bruno already knew he wasn’t allowed to do visions outside of Casita and he was fine with that. The brief, involuntary visions were something else entirely and Julieta and Pepa were already good at recognising them. They’d wait the needed few seconds or minutes, ask what he’d seen and if it was important, they’d tell her. Felix and Agustin were also learning quickly.

This way though, Bruno got to help the Encanto like he wanted to but still had the entire day to play. He could also still choose to have a vision for his friends or hermanas later in the day, safely in Casita.

The kids all thought it was the best thing ever to sit in the dome of glowing green sand in his room and watch the future fly by.”

That was certainly the kindest thing he’d ever heard about his Gift. He wondered what it would have been like. Growing up without the pressure to always give visions to whoever asked? Growing up without the migraines overusing it caused?

The bitterness in his chest was only growing.

“There were grumbles from the village. Of course there were. And people tried taking chances. But her niños were good and listened to her instructions, politely turning anyone down when they tried to get them to do something while Alma wasn’t there.

The one time someone tried to push, Pepa got angry and brought down a thunderstorm.”

Alma couldn’t understand how that was being viewed as a good thing. Why keep the Gifts from the village? Why risk them getting angry and trying to take what they wanted? She didn’t feel like her counterpart had considered the dangers or the bigger picture.

No one tried that again and Alma snuck Pepa an extra cookie for protecting her siblings.

The little girl looked smug for days.

Rightfully so, in Alma’s opinion. That idiot man ran whenever he saw her Pepita now.

Alma was smug about that.

Pepa couldn’t hold back the bitter laugh at that. Proud? Of her storms? Unlikely.

Felix pressed a kiss to her hand and Camilo leaned further into her side, letting her run her fingers through his hair. It always helped calm her.

Her cloud was dark above them but no rain fell yet. She didn’t know how long that would last.

And then her mamá would give her that terribly disappointed expression again.

She didn’t think her mamá had been proud of her once in her entire life.

Pepa met Bruno’s eyes and saw the same bitterness there.

“I’ll read next?” Luisa offered into the silence.

Mirabel quietly handed the book over, looking more than a little depressed after that chapter.

“Chapter Seven. Weather Control.”

Pepa squeezed her eyes shut and thunder rumbled in her cloud. Great. Just great.

Chapter Text

“Since her niños had gained their magical abilities, Alma had known they’d face new challenges.

She’d stopped the town from trying to take advantage of their Gifts from the first year, firmly cutting them off when they tried until they gave up.

However, she’d known that wasn’t the end of it. She was proven right when a few villagers showed up at the door, clearly annoyed.”

Considering the title of the chapter, Pepa could already tell where this was going. She’d messed up the weather and people were angry about it.

““It’s been raining for days Alma,” one of them said, gesturing to the sky in irritation. “Please, you need to teach that child control.”

Alma felt anger bubbling up in her chest but before she could say anything, little seven-year-old Felix appeared at her side. He and his mother had been helping her out over the last few days.

“Pepa’s sick you meanies!” the boy shouted at the villagers, making them take a few startled steps back. “She can’t help the rain! She’s sad and hurt and how’d you like it if someone told you to smile when you were sick?!””

Despite hating that she was proven right, Pepa had to smile slightly, glancing up at Felix. Always ready to defend her, no matter age or universe apparently.

He smiled back at her, kissing her cheek.

“Papá is awesome,” Camilo muttered and Dolores hummed in agreement.

Antonio had been quiet, maybe not understanding everything that was happening. But he knew his family was getting upset and his mamá was sad.

He didn’t like it, curling up in Dolores’ arms.

“He glared up at them before running back inside.

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Alma said, voice calm and cold.

The villagers shifted uncomfortably, ashamed.

“We didn’t know,” One of them tried to defend their actions.

Alma regarded them with cold eyes. “You didn’t ask,” she corrected. “Try and tell my hija how she should feel so that you can have your preferred weather, and we’re going to have some severe problems.”

This time, she did slam the door without any help from Casita.”

Pepa felt like the bitterness might choke her by now. Her mamá standing between her and the villagers? That was a fantasy she’d long since given up on.

“How could anyone think that it was fine to manipulate how a six-year-old was feeling? Sure, trying to cheer Pepa up when she was upset was one thing. But demanding happiness? With no knowledge of why she was upset in the first place?

Alma hadn’t wanted to slap anyone so much in a long time.”

Alma frowned to herself, not liking how that was phrased. It wasn’t done maliciously. It’s just how Pepa’s Gift worked. How it helped the Encanto.

No harm was done. Right?

“Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she returned to the sitting room where her niños were all tangled together in a nest of blankets on the floor. They’d all been suffering through a nasty cold the last few days and Maria and Felix had been helping her take care of them.

She knelt down beside the pile and found glazed, green eyes looking up at her. Bruno and Julieta were asleep but Pepa must have heard them at the door. She was biting her lip worriedly, tears already welling up in her eyes.”

Pepa knew exactly how her counterpart must have been feeling in that moment, chest tight with remembered grief. 

The moment she realised that people didn’t care about her, just about what she did to the weather.

““Oh mija,” Alma whispered, brushing her hair back. “If anyone ever tells you that you’re not allowed to cry or feel bad, you don't listen to them okay?””

The words felt like a blow to Pepa and Felix tightened his hold on her.

“Pepa sniffled and climbed into her lap so that Alma could cuddle her.

“They don’t like me cause of the weather…” she whispered, voice hoarse from the coughing.

“Mija,” Alma whispered, nudging her chin so that she was looking up at her. “Never let others dictate how you feel. If you’re sad, then cry. If you’re happy, then laugh. If you’re angry, don’t hold it in. I don’t care if the weather changes, I don’t care if it’s raining or shining or if there’s thunder. Never hide how you’re feeling, alright?””

Pepa couldn’t breathe, it felt like her chest was being crushed as she stared down at her hands, now in her lap and clenched so tightly her knuckles were white.

“Pepa sniffled again but she nodded, wide eyes locked on her mamá. 

“I love every part of you mija, including the rain. The only thing I don’t like is that you’re sad.””

She couldn’t handle it. She’d wanted to hear those words from her mamá for decades. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that her counterpart got them so easily while she’d fought for them, and still failed.

She would have given anything as a child to hear her mamá say that she loved her despite the weather. As an adult, she’d long since given up on it as a child’s fantasy.

She buried her face in her hands as her cloud opened up and rained on her family.

“Pepa! Your cloud-”

“Shut up!” Pepa choked out. “Just shut up!”

Alma was scandalised by her words but Pepa continued before she could scold her, looking up with red-rimmed eyes.

“Do you know how much I wished you would have said that to me when I was young? How much I longed for you to say you loved me despite the clouds and rain, that you were proud of me regardless of the weather?” She let out a slightly hysterical laugh. “I gave that hope up a long time ago but you can’t tell me I can’t be upset to hear that another version of me was lucky enough to have that. To get unconditional love instead of it being dependent on the fucking weather.”

Alma stared at Pepa in horror as Felix pulled her close, sliding into her seat as he pulled her into his lap. He tucked her face into his neck while their niños watched in worry and pain.

“You did get unconditional love Pepi,” Felix reminded her gently. “Long before I showed up. You had Bruno and Juli. And they loved you no matter what the weather did.”

Pepa sniffled quietly and the rain lessened a little.

“A little rain never bothered me,” Bruno said softly, with a shrug.

Pepa twisted to look at her siblings, remembering how often Bruno would say that when she caused it to rain. He never had cared. And neither had Juli. They’d always been more concerned over why Pepa was upset in the first place.

“That’s cause you’re a weird rat man,” Pepa said, falling back on their old banter.

She felt her heart warm a little when Bruno smiled back, recognising the words for what they were. Maybe she hadn’t destroyed her relationship with her hermano after all.

They waited until Pepa had calmed down a bit and the rain stopped before Luisa reluctantly continued while Pepa curled up in her husband’s hold.

Camilo looked angrier than they’d ever seen him, his body tense as he shot furious glares at his Abuela. Dolores couldn’t even look at the woman, focusing on comforting Antonio who was horrified to see their mamá so upset.

“Pepa threw her arms around her mamá’s neck and hugged her. Alma hugged her closely and rocked in place, glancing up when she heard someone in the doorway. Maria smiled back at her and nodded in agreement. Felix looked worried and Alma gestured for him to come closer.

She reached out to ruffle his hair when he was close enough. “Gracias, for standing up for Pepa,” she told him seriously.

He straightened up a little. “Of course! She’s my best friend,” he insisted.

Pepa turned her head to give him a bright smile and outside, sunlight broke through the clouds for the first time in days.”

“You always know how to make me smile,” Pepa whispered to Felix.

“Always mi vida,” he murmured back, kissing her hair.

“Looks like this one’s broken up into sections,” Luisa told them uncomfortably. She hated to see anyone in her family cry.

They all nodded absently, still reeling from Pepa’s outburst and her clear pain that she usually hid so well.

“The rain hit them out of nowhere.”

Pepa grit her teeth.

“It had almost happened in slow motion. The children were all playing down by the river and one boy decided it would be funny to shove Pepa into the water, ruining her dress.”

“Five bucks it was Ricardo,” Bruno suddenly said.

“That’s a sucker’s bet,” Julieta immediately responded.

Pepa snorted.

“Ricardo?” Isabela asked with a frown.

“An asshole,” Julieta muttered, making everyone gape at her. She wasn’t one to swear often.

Alma frowned, trying to remember what would make Julieta of all people dislike someone so much. She thought she recalled Julieta complaining about Ricardo bothering Pepa and Bruno, but she’d told her that they needed to stop letting childish fights bother them. They had responsibilities to the village.

More unease seeped into her. She was still reeling from Pepa’s words earlier and this certainly wasn’t helping.

“Julieta had hurriedly moved to pull her hermana out of the water and check that she wasn’t hurt while Pepa sobbed. She was only seven. And this was her favourite dress.

“Hah! I made her rain!” the boy thought it was hilarious.”

Camilo almost growled while Dolores’ eyes narrowed. Both Felix and Agustin were scowling so they must know about this Ricardo.

“Until Bruno shoved him into the water as well.”

Now they gaped at Bruno as he shrank into his ruana at the unexpected attention. He was surprised too. He would have never had the courage to do something like that. He would have probably frozen in that situation.

““Don’t touch my hermana!” he shouted angrily, eyes glowing green in his anger.

The kids rapidly backed up, not having seen any magic from Bruno who was always sweet and a little shy. But now his eyes blazed green and the sand on the riverbank shifted in response to his anger.”

Julieta and Pepa both looked at Bruno who looked back, looking just as surprised and a little lost. He never had the confidence to stand up to Ricardo. Even that young, any confidence had been crushed after a few bad visions.

“He glared at them for a moment longer before turning to his hermanas. Pepa’s sobs had diminished into sniffles but the rain still fell heavily around them.

Agustin and Felix were just reaching them as well.

“You’re nothing but a jerk and a bully,” Julieta scowled at the boy who was struggling up the now muddy riverbank without any help from anyone.

Felix looked like he wanted to punch the boy but Agustin held him back and pushed him over to Pepa who was clinging to Julieta and Bruno.”

“Reminds me a bit of Hugo,” Camilo mused.

“I was thinking the same!” Mirabel exclaimed.

They both froze when all eyes turned to them.

“Excuse me, what?” Pepa asked flatly while Julieta pulled back to look at her hija.

“To be fair, Isabela dealt with him,” Dolores piped up.

Isabela flushed when both Mirabel and Camilo looked at her in surprise.

“I know he left us alone pretty suddenly but I thought he got bored,” Mirabel said in surprise. “That… was you?” She sounded nervous and uncertain.

Isabela looked away. “Dolores told me and he deserved it,” she muttered.

“Deserved what?” Camilo asked, looking as lost as Mirabel did. As far as he knew, Isabela was irritated by his mere existence.

“She hit him with a tree,” Dolores answered serenely.

“What?!” Alma asked in horror while Isabela flushed and fidgeted with her hands anxiously under Abuela’s stare.

“Good,” Pepa said. “If someone was bullying them, he deserved it.”

Dolores nodded in agreement, as well as Julieta which was surprising again.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Julieta asked and the two teens shifted uncomfortably.

“You guys are busy enough. It wasn’t a big deal,” Mirabel shrugged, Camilo nodding in agreement.

“It is a big deal,” Felix argued, Agustin looking pained. 

Their own children thought they couldn’t come to them when someone was trying to hurt them? That it wasn’t important enough?

The teens wouldn’t look at anyone and Luisa looked horrified that she hadn’t known. Mirabel was still shocked that Isabela had cared at all.

Luisa hesitantly continued as both her hermanas looked awkward and uncomfortable.

““I’m telling the teacher!” one of the other kids suddenly said. “They said you’re not supposed to make other kids cry and you really made Pepa cry,” she pointed at the sky.

The boy scowled at her. “She’s a freak. She ruined a great, sunny day.””

Pepa flinched at the word and Felix held her close while most of those in the room scowled.

““No,” another boy frowned. “You ruined the sunny day. If you didn’t make her cry then none of us would be cold and wet right now.””

All three of the triplets blinked in surprise. None of the other kids their age had been very sympathetic to the downsides of their Gifts before. This was a surprise.

And also very accurate.

“The kids all mumbled in agreement as they saw their teacher coming their way.

“What happened?” she asked, eyes scanning over the whole group.

“Ricardo made Pepa cry!” they didn’t even hesitate to snitch on him.

“He pushed her into the river,” another added.

Ricardo scowled at all of them. The rain was starting to lighten up a bit as Pepa calmed down in the hug from Julieta and Bruno.”

While the triplets were surprised the kids had been on their side, they didn’t expect the teacher to be. Their teacher had been annoyed with Pepa every time she disrupted the lesson, even though she never meant to.

"“Are you alright Pepa?” the teacher asked gently. She was a friend of Tia Maria’s so she’d always understood their Gifts a bit better since she could ask her friend if she had questions."

Well… that made sense. Felix frowned to himself, vaguely remembering his mamá being friends with the teacher.

"Pepa sniffled and nodded. “Lo siento…” she mumbled, wiping at her eyes.

“No no Pepa, remember what your mamá said. You’re allowed to cry as much as any other kid.”"

Pepa flinched at that again, Felix rubbing her back soothingly.

"Finally, the rain stopped and Pepa smiled at their teacher a bit as she nodded. Her smile dropped when she looked down at her dress, ruined with mud and river water.

The clouds remained above them but when Felix finally got his hug in, uncaring about how dirty her dress was, no more rain fell."

"What a surprise," Bruno murmured and Felix grinned proudly. He was always smug when he got the rain to stop. With comfort and reassurances instead of sharp words and that damn mantra.

"Ricardo got in a lot of trouble while their mamá fussed over Pepa and promised to get her a new dress.

The kids whispered about Bruno for a while after that, about his magic that they never saw but even when they asked or begged for him to use his Gift, he always shook his head.

No visions outside of Casita and without his mamá."

 Bruno sighed softly. That would have been nice. Not being at the beck and call of every villager around.

He rubbed his face and met Pepa's understanding gaze.

"Another separate scene I think," Luisa said quietly.

"The storm hit with a force and rage that the village had never seen. One moment, the skies were blue and the next the winds were howling and a vicious rain was pounding down, thunder chasing lightning across the sky."

Eyebrows raised across the room. That sounded like Pepa in an unbelievable fury. It had happened very rarely across their lives.

"Alma’s heart was racing in her chest as she ran through the village, searching for her missing niños. Julieta was visiting Agustin at Sophia’s house so she was safe. But she didn’t know where her other eight-year-old triplets were."

Alma felt her stomach drop. Something had gone wrong, she just knew it.

"And this sudden storm made her fear the worst. Pepa was angry. No, more than that, Pepa was furious.

And the icy bite to the wind told her that her hija was afraid as well."

Felix frowned, unconsciously pulling her wife closer. He tried to remember a storm like this when they were so young but he was coming up empty.

“Finally, she found the pair down an alley near the edge of the village. Her stomach dropped as she took in the scene. Pepa was standing between Bruno and two men. Her hijo was curled up against the wall, arms covering his head and green tablets littering the ground around him.

Every time the men tried to step closer to her niños a lightning bolt struck between them, keeping them away.”

Alma clenched her teeth while the rest of the family looked alarmed at what they’d heard. This was why it was better to help the village. Because if they didn’t, some might try and take what they wanted instead.

“Alma raced down the alley, her vision briefly blurring to see Pedro standing between the raiders and his family.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” she snarled, pushing Pepa behind her.

“Mami!” Pepa sounded on the verge of tears and it only pushed Alma’s fury higher.

The men paled at the sight of her. She still held a lot of respect and power in the community despite her refusal to give in to the village’s wishes to use her niños’ Gifts more.

“They were hurting Bruno!” Pepa sobbed, the wind somehow carrying her words clearly to Alma.”

The scene reminded Julieta and Pepa uncomfortably of many similar moments in the past. Maybe not as bad, but it had certainly still happened. When Bruno was too tired to do visions, when he had a headache and didn’t want to. The villagers never took a refusal very well.

Eventually, he stopped saying no.

““He could help the village so much!” one of the men shouted and she recognised him now. Manuel. He had stayed away from her since Carlos had beat him when her niños were three. The other man with him backed up a bit, looking nervous now.”

“Why am I not surprised it was him,” Mirabel muttered.

That guy seemed to be at the centre of most of the trouble for their family.

“Alma straightened up despite the near hurricane around them. 

“My hijo is not a tool!” she snarled, stalking forward. “He is a child and he will be treated as nothing else but a child!”

“Stop being so selfish with that magic!” Manuel shouted over the wind.”

“This is why we help the village,” Alma shook her head. “Refusing to help breeds resentment. Why be selfish with the Gifts instead of helping the community?”

Pepa tensed but it was Julieta who spoke surprisingly.

“If you really think that helping the village stopped things like this from happening to Bruno, then you weren’t paying any attention during our childhood,” her voice cracked like a whip.

Bruno ducked his head as Alma stared at her hija in disbelief and shock.

“Bruno got attacked regularly by people who wanted more visions when he was too tired to give them, who weren’t happy with the visions they received, or just because they blamed him for something that happened,” Pepa said bitterly. “Sharing the magic didn’t stop that. The only reason they didn’t do the same with me was because the only time they tried, they got a lightning bolt to the face.” She paused. “You still yelled at me for that.”

Alma stared at the triplets in shock. Pepa and Bruno weren’t looking at her while Julieta held her gaze with cold, angry eyes.

Luisa shifted in her seat anxiously as the silent stare-down continued for a moment. Eventually though, Isabela nudged her to continue.

““Bruno? Bruno please wake up!” Pepa sobbed behind her and fear turned Alma’s blood to ice.

Her usual calm was out the window as she grabbed Manuel’s shirt and dragged him down to her height.”

A few eyebrows rose. Alma wasn’t exactly a physical person.

““That magic is not yours to decide how it’s used!” she snapped, maintaining eye contact.

“That magic is for the Encanto!” Manuel shouted back.

Alma didn’t even think as she slapped the man hard enough that her hand throbbed.

“That magic is a gift from Pedro!” Alma shouted at him, making the other man startle. She rarely spoke of her deceased husband. “That Miracle is a gift from Pedro. And Pedro didn’t give a shit about the rest of you that night! He did what he did because he was trying to protect his family! He wasn’t thinking of you or anything else Manuel! He was thinking of his niños! You all owe your lives to him and you repay him by attacking his niños?! By demanding more and more even though you already have a new home and safety?!” She pushed him away from her, into his friend who was staring at her with wide eyes.”

Everyone was shocked at the words. They’d been brought up on the knowledge that Pedro had given his life for the Encanto. But suddenly they were faced with the idea that it wasn’t the people they were fleeing with that the man died for.

It was for his family. Why would he have been thinking about the rest of the people when his family was in danger? He threw himself between the raiders and his family because he loved them. He wasn’t thinking about anyone else.

The rest of the Encanto just benefitted from his sacrifice.

““My family owes you nothing!” Alma shouted at them both, frustration over years of standing between them and her niños surfacing. “Get out of my sight!”

And the strangest thing happened.

Her chest warmed and a burning light lit up on the hill where Casita rested. A wave of golden light raced out from her home and down to the town until it hit them, enveloping the pair.

Between one blink and the next, the men were gone.”

“What?” Alma breathed in shock.

Everyone was confused. What had just happened? They disappeared? Magic from Casita? What the hell was going on?

“Alma was rooted to the spot as she stared at the empty space ahead of her for a moment. Then she felt the briefest brush of a hand against her cheek and heard a quiet “Protect them mi amor” in her ear.”

Luisa’s breathing hitched as she realised what was happening and she looked up, wide-eyed at her Abuela who had frozen. Isabela delicately took the book from her stunned hermana and continued reading, a strange look in her eyes.

“She blinked stunned tears out of her eyes. “Pedro?” she breathed.

“The Madrigal Miracle has always been for our family, not the Encanto,” the words were barely a breath on the wind still howling around them. “I’m so proud of you Alma. I’ll always be with you.”

The presence faded into nothing again and Alma gripped the locket around her neck, tears trailing down her cheeks.

She suddenly knew what had happened. The Miracle protected their family, the Miracle created the Encanto.

It had rejected the men who suddenly posed a threat to her niños.

“Get out of my sight!”

The Miracle had reacted to her words, to her wish to get the threat away from her young niños.

They were gone from the Encanto.”

Julieta covered her mouth in shock with a shaking hand. Bruno was blinking rapidly as he processed what Isabela had read. Pepa was staring at her mamá with wide eyes.

Did she have the same ability here? Had she just… never discovered it? Never used it? Because she’d never pushed back against the villagers?

No one asked since it looked like Abuela was still reeling from Pedro speaking to her counterpart. She gripped the locket around her neck so tightly her hand hurt.

What was going on?

Isabela’s voice was a little shaky as she continued reading.

“She pushed that thought away, pushed her concerns over the repercussions over this reveal aside as she spun to check on her niños.

Pepa was frantically shaking Bruno who wasn’t reacting. Alma dropped to her knees beside them, pulling Pepa close to her body and nudging Bruno’s head up. His eyes were half-closed and burning green. Her heart pounded as she took in the countless tablets around them. How many visions did they force her hijo to have? He wasn’t coming out of the trance, he was trapped in the future and seeing who knew what.”

Pepa and Julieta grimaced at the words. They’d found Bruno like that more times than they liked to remember. Too many visions in too short a time.

Everyone noticed their expressions and Dolores pursed her lips, interpreting what that meant accurately.

She decided to speak up for once. She was starting to think that things needed to be spelt out for Abuela, or else she would continue to ignore them.

“Did that happen here?” she asked bluntly.

Bruno flinched and Julieta took his hand gently.

“More times than we’d like to admit,” Pepa sighed as she answered her hija. “The villagers never cared much about pushing Bruno too hard. If he got like that, they’d just leave him for one of us to find. We usually snuck him back to sleep it off in his room.”

Alma stared at her in shock. “Why did you never tell me?” she demanded.

“We did,” Julieta said quietly. “You brushed it off, didn’t believe us. You said Bruno was just looking for attention. We stopped trying to tell you after that. Just like we stopped telling you when the village hurt him.”

The silence that fell was uncomfortable and brimming with tension now while Alma shook her head unconsciously.

Had that really happened? Did she dismiss their words so easily? She tried to think back but came up empty. There were many times that she claimed Bruno was seeking attention when he complained of headaches or exhaustion though. She'd thought he’d wanted to be coddled which she didn’t have time for.

…Was she wrong this whole time?

““Bruno? Brunito? Mijo, I need you to focus, please,” she begged, pulling him close to her and holding both Pepa and Bruno tightly. Pepa was still sobbing and the storm around them morphed into a relentless, icy downpour instead as her anger faded fully into fear.

“Alma!” 

She turned her head quickly to find Carlos and Maria racing down the alley towards them. Their eyes widened when they took in the scene, Pepa sobbing, Bruno’s state and the visions scattered around the place.

Carlos’ expression hardened into determination. He started gathering all the tablets hurriedly while Maria helped Alma stand with Pepa clinging to her and Bruno held tightly to her chest.

“Come inside, our house is closer than Casita,” Maria urged.

Within minutes, they were inside her friends’ house, Felix rushing over at the sight of them.

“Pepa?! Bruno?!””

Felix remembered the times he helped Pepa and Julieta get Bruno back home safely. He’d seen the seer in that state far too often over his life. It just became normal at some point.

Which was so, so wrong.

“Pepa let Alma put her down so that she could latch onto her best friend, sobbing into his shoulder as the story spilled out of her.

She’d stumbled on the two men hurting Bruno and forcing him to have visions. And she’d just lost it, anger and terror overwhelming her and bringing the storm down on them.

Alma listened numbly as she settled on the couch, Bruno in her lap. Now that she was looking closer and in better light, she could see the bruises on her hijo’s face and arms.

She hadn’t felt regret over what happened to the pair before, but now she felt even less. They’d hurt an eight-year-old boy because they wanted visions of the future. Because they couldn’t be happy with there being a limit to the number of visions Bruno did.”

Nothing had changed even if there wasn’t a limit. The village had still demanded more from him. It was a frightening realisation for the family.

“Tears dropped down onto her hijo’s face as Alma stared down at him, feeling terrified and lost. She didn’t know how to bring him out of this. He was trapped in the future.

She pulled him closer as Maria tried to help Felix calm Pepa down and Carlos packed the visions out of sight into a bag. Alma just held her hijo close, his head tucked under her chin as she whispered to him.

“Mijo, please, you need to come back to us. Brunito, mi vida, they can’t hurt you again. They’ll never hurt you ever again. No one will, I promise. You’re safe mijo, you’re safe.””

Bruno swallowed hard. He’d wished to hear those reassurances for decades from his mamá.

But they never came. The comfort from his hermanas helped, but it wasn’t the same as a parent’s promises.

“She kept whispering frantically to him, unable to stop her own tears until, finally, Bruno shifted weakly in her hold.

“Mami?” he whispered.

Alma pulled back a little to see dazed and exhausted, but no longer glowing, green eyes staring up at her. She let out a sob and pulled him close again as Pepa called out her hermano’s name.

Moments later, she slammed into them, clambering onto the couch and squeezing into the hug to practically smother Bruno. Alma easily readjusted to hold them both.

“You’re alright,” she promised them both. “You’re safe. No one’s going to hurt you again.””

Julieta remembered being the one who had to whisper reassurances to her siblings, holding them as Pepa shook with fear and adrenaline and Bruno sobbed. She’d always felt so helpless because she could never promise that it wouldn’t happen again.

They'd all known it would.

““What happened to those bastards?” Carlos asked, sounding angry enough to go hunt them down despite the rain still pouring outside. 

“They’re gone,” Alma answered, still feeling shocked about that. “They… the Miracle reacted and… it sent them away.” She looked up at her friends. “It sent them out of the Encanto.”

Maria gasped while Carlos nodded grimly. 

“That Miracle was born out of a desire to protect your family. It makes sense that it would rescind that protection from anyone that threatened your niños.””

He said it so easily, like it was just a fact of life and not a life-altering concept for them all.

“Alma let out a shaky breath as she held her babies closer. “J-Julieta. She’s at Sophia’s. Could…” the question stuck in her throat but Carlos understood. 

“I’ll go fetch her now. She’s probably worried sick.”

Maria settled down on the couch next to Alma, reaching out to rub her back.

“They’re gone?” she checked.

Alma nodded numbly, staring down at Bruno who looked like he was on the edge of sleep already.

“Good,” Maria nodded her head sharply. “Actions have consequences. They have to deal with that now.””

It was surreal for the triplets to hear anyone taking their side. They found themselves wondering if Carlos and Maria would have sided with them in the past. Or if they had the same mindset as every other villager.

Even Felix didn’t know, never having spoken to his parents about it much.

“They sat in silence for a while, the only sound Pepa’s sobs as she held her now sleeping hermano.

Then the door slammed open and Julieta came racing in, followed by Agustin and then Carlos and Sophia. Julieta scrambled up to join in on the hug and Alma let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

All her niños were safely in her arms.

They were okay.

“Pepa?” she whispered and her hija looked up with wet eyes.

“Good work protecting your hermano. And brilliant storm.””

Pepa almost choked. Being congratulated for a storm? The idea was more than foreign to her. It was impossible.

She wiped at her face, trying to make sense of this chapter. So much was different. It didn’t feel even remotely close to the lives they’d lived.

How much more would change? How much more would it hurt?

Felix rubbed her back and no one spoke, caught up in their own thoughts until Isabela just continued onto the next chapter in a subdued tone.

“Chapter Eight, Don’t Shoot the Messenger.”

Bruno let his head fall back. Great.

Chapter Text

“Alma watched her nine-year-old hijas running around in the field. They were laughing and smiling but the mark from what happened the previous year showed in how they didn’t move far from Alma and Bruno.

Her hijo was half asleep on her lap, expression peaceful as she played with his curls.”

The triplets and Alma frowned. By nine they’d been working fulltime in the village. They’d certainly never had time for peaceful moments like this.

They definitely didn’t have time for it with their own children. And that sent a pain their Julieta and Pepa’s hearts.

" He’d only just recently started sleeping through the night again, having been plagued by nightmares of Manuel and his friend hurting him again."

The cloud above Pepa rumbled again and Alma opened her mouth to scold her but a glare from Felix made her pause long enough for Isabela to keep reading.

"Her baby had struggled with headaches for weeks after that and hadn’t wanted to venture far from Alma at all. His hermanas refused to let him out of their sight as well, Felix and Agustin acting the same.

She let out a sigh and rested her head on the tree she was leaning against. It always helped her to have her niños nearby and safe. Especially Bruno."

Julieta squeezed Bruno’s hand. The sheer protectiveness this other version of their mamá showed all the time… and they hadn’t even hit their teens yet!

Bruno almost didn’t notice Julieta’s move. His mind was working quickly. If she’d been like this with them, then what were the next generation’s lives like? Without his mamá pushing for them to work for the community, Pepa and Julieta would be able to raise their niños however they wanted to.

Did they grow up without the pressures that he’d seen slowly crushing them over his years in the walls? How had everyone reacted to Mirabel not getting a Gift? Did Mirabel still not get a Gift? Was there a prophecy? Did his counterpart still leave?

His head swam with all the possibilities.

“It had been hard to accept that some people might actually hurt him to get access to his magic. She’d tightened up on visions even more after the attack, after he recovered enough that he insisted on starting to do his regular visions again. Thankfully those terrible headaches hadn't returned. They only appeared when he seriously overdid the visions.”

The niños all flicked their gazes to their Tio. 

“Did you really get headaches from doing too many visions Tio?” Isabela asked quietly, a strange kind of guilt in her tone.

Dolores understood it. When they were kids they’d been insistent about asking for visions for themselves. Looking back on it… their Tio was always tired and doing too many visions. They’d just made it worse.

Especially when hers turned out to… not be the best. Her mamá had been furious with Tio Bruno when she went crying to her parents. Looking back on it, she knew that she’d just driven the wedge between her mamá and Tio even wider. She hadn’t meant to, but hindsight was twenty-twenty.

Tio Bruno shrugged awkwardly at Isabela’s question, rubbing anxiously at his arm under his ruana.

“Sometimes,” He mumbled.

“All the time,” Tia Julieta corrected in a sharp voice. “And my Gift never worked on them.”

Tio Bruno grimaced and shrank into his ruana.

Dolores caught her mamá looking at her Tio with a pained and guilty expression. Most of the adults were while Abuela stared at him with a confused and thoughtful expression. It wasn’t guilt or remorse yet, but she supposed it was a start.

“Most of the time, those who asked for the vision weren’t even allowed in the room while he had it anymore. Alma was the one to hand the tablet over to them afterward as well.

Sometimes Bruno joined her, sometimes he didn’t. It depended on the day.

He was still understandably skittish.

But things were getting better again.”

Bruno frowned slightly. His mamá had rarely joined in on the visions unless they were important ones. He’d been left alone with irate adults more often than not with her yelling at him afterwards for upsetting whoever it was.

“Pepa didn’t have panic attacks when her hermano was out of sight anymore. Bruno didn’t freak out when they went walking through the village as much. And Julieta had stopped carrying around as much ‘emergency healing food’ as she used to.

The villagers themselves had been horrified by the news. While they were naturally uneasy to find out that Alma apparently had the ability to evict them from the Encanto if they threatened her niños, no one really argued that the pair had deserved it.”

There were more than a few surprised expressions in the room and Bruno frowned again. The village sympathising with him? Bad luck Bruno?

“Almost everyone loved the triplets. They were sweet and kind and brought a smile to most people’s faces when they went by. Bruno himself was known for being shy and gentle and everyone had been horrified to learn about what had happened to him.

It had broken their hearts to see him so scared when he next showed up in the village, clutching at Alma’s dress and eyes downcast.”

Bruno looked down at where Julieta was still holding his hand. He had a bad feeling about this chapter and knew it was going to hurt.

“The villagers had been doing everything they could to make the three feel safe in the village again, and it was working. They were wandering off from her to play and leaving Casita on their own to find Felix and Agustin again.

It eased her heart to know that they were healing.

She smiled down at Bruno, brushing his hair out of his face.

Her little Brunito, he hadn’t deserved that.”

Bruno couldn’t hide his flinch at that. He hadn’t been called ‘Brunito’ by his mamá in a very long time. It had been a while since his hermanas as well, even before he left.

“New scene,” Isabela murmured, voice subdued.

“Bruno immediately clung to Alma’s skirt when the woman frowned at the sight of the tablet.”

Bruno cringed. He could easily see where this was going.

“Alma rested a comforting hand on the ten-year-old’s head and met the woman’s scowl head-on when she looked up.

“This isn’t what I wanted to see!” she waved the tablet.”

“It never is,” Bruno muttered, only loud enough for Dolores to hear. 

She felt guilty all over again, hands clutching her skirt tightly.

“Alma could understand that. Seeing that your husband is cheating on you was never pleasant.

“It’s what Bruno saw in his vision. That you requested he have,” she pointed out, a little sharply.

“He- he wouldn’t cheat though. He just wouldn’t,” tears filled her eyes. “This must be a mistake. Or- or he did something!” she jabbed a finger at Bruno who flinched. “He predicted that that poor girl’s fish would die! He’s bad luck!””

Now Bruno flinched violently. Bad luck. Always bad luck. Those words had haunted him for decades.

Pepa dropped her face in her hands. “Dios mio, not the fucking fish again.”
She got several shocked expressions for her language while Julieta looked skywards with a similar expression.

Bruno had to smile a little at that. Even when their relationship had been strained, his hermanas had been as bewildered as he’d been by that claim. It hadn’t even been a vision when he told the girl that her fish was going to die. He was telling her that she couldn’t keep the poor thing in such a small bowl.

She’d flipped out. And then when the animal had predictably died, she’d blamed him loudly and publicly.

People brought it up for years.

“Wait wait,” Camilo spoke up, frowning from his seat next to his mamá. “She found out her husband was cheating on her… and somehow that was your fault? How the heck did she get from point A to point B in that messed up logic?” 

He sounded bewildered and Bruno felt a bit relieved at that. Camilo had been so young when he left and he’d heard what the boy had gradually come to believe about Bruno over the last ten years. The villagers hadn’t been kind in their stories. But hearing him so confused over that, that he didn’t automatically assume it was Bruno’s fault… that helped a bit.

He’d missed the mischievous bundle of sunshine as much as any of the other niños.

Camilo continued when no one spoke up.

“Seriously? That’s messed up. Her husband gets away with what he did because she blames Tio?”

A few confused expressions appeared and he huffed in frustration.

“Her husband cheated. It was his choice. By blaming Tio, he’s getting a pass because ‘it wasn’t his fault’.

Dawning realisation showed up now.

Bruno blinked. He’d never seen it that way before.

“People certainly cheat enough in this villager without Tio Bruno around,” the teenager continued, throwing his hands up.

Dolores nodded to what her hermano was saying while several members of the family choked.

“What?!” Pepa asked, head whipping around to look at her hijo. “How do you know that?”

Camilo shrugged. “When you’re a shapeshifter you get into some awkward situations when people think you’re the person they’re having their affair with.”

Everyone gaped at him.

“It’s been happening since Cami was eight. That’s when he got his impressions good enough to fool most people,” Dolores added with a small, confused frown directed at her mamá.

“You find out a lot you’re not supposed to know when you don’t look like yourself,” Camilo shrugged again.

Thunder rumbled in Pepa’s cloud.

“Did anyone touch you?” she demanded, control over her temper rapidly evaporating as ‘clear skies’ went out the window.

Camilo blinked up at her in surprise. “No, Dolores always got there and I’d just shift back. They were embarrassed and mad usually. I thought you knew?”
“Why would you think I’d know and not have done anything?!” Pepa demanded, panicking at the thought of her boy being in any situation like that. He shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place! Being approached by adults who thought he was someone else! And then no doubt being on the other side of their anger when he shifted back.

How many of the times that villagers complained of his pranks were people trying to discredit him if he ever mentioned their affairs?

Why hadn’t he ever told her about this?
Dolores spoke up, a dangerous edge to her voice now, eyes narrowed as she clearly realised something.

“I told Abuela.”
Silence fell in the room, even Pepa’s storm growing silent.

“What?” Felix asked in a flat tone.

“I told Abuela and she told me to go to my room while she told you. Afterwards, she said I mustn’t bring it up because it would upset you. And just intervene if someone made that mistake again.”

Camilo cocked his head. “You really didn’t know?” He asked in surprise.

Pepa felt like she couldn’t breathe for a moment. Her mamá had lied to her hija. Kept something as serious as this about her hijo from her.

It didn’t sound like anything serious had happened. But it could have. What if Dolores was in her room when it happened?
Her boy must have felt so uncomfortable as well. And then he was carrying all those secrets around as well, knowing who was unfaithful in their marriage. And the lies villagers could have spread trying to make sure no one believed her baby if he did tell anyone.

Just like they used to lie about Bruno.

Pepa surged out of her seat, cloud filling the room above them.

“How dare you?!” she snarled at her mamá. “How dare you try and hide something like this! I should have known that Camilo was dealing with that in the village! Felix should have known! How dare you keep this from us?!”

Camilo made a move to stand to calm her, but Dolores wrapped her arm around his waist and tugged him back down and against her side. She was shaking she was so angry.

People rarely managed to keep secrets from her, to lie to her.

To learn that her own Abuela had lied to her…

She was as spitting mad as her mamá was.

“Pepa-” Abuela started but Pepa cut her off while Felix stood to join her, looking just as furious.

“No!” she barely remembered to not shout, not wanting to hurt Dolores. “You lied to Dolores! You kept a secret you had no business keeping from me! Camilo is not your hijo, he’s mine and Felix’s! You didn’t have the right to make that decision!”

She was shaking she was so mad. So many things could have gone wrong, could have happened. She still remembered so many times that Bruno was hurt, when he was even younger than Camilo. When he’d done nothing wrong but people had been upset with him anyway. And they’d hurt him.

They could have hurt Camilo just as easily. So so easily. And she wouldn’t have known. Because her mamá made Dolores and Camilo think that she didn’t want to hear about it. That they couldn’t come to her about it.

What else didn’t they come to her about because of that? Come to Felix about?

She was so angry that she had to actively keep the lightning in her clouds from hitting the ground.

“Pepa, enough of this,” her mamá said sharply. “I did what was best. It was a simple misunderstanding and I knew you’d get worked up-”
“Worked up?!” Pepa snarled. “Worked up?! Of course I’d get worked up! I saw those same villagers hurt Bruno for far less than knowing who they were cheating on their husband or wife with! I swore I’d never let any of the niños go through the same thing Bruno did! Bruno was beaten over a fucking fish dying! Camilo knew who was having affairs! Dolores isn’t all-knowing mamá! That could have gone bad so easily! I refuse to allow my hijo to be hurt for something he can’t help! I’m not like you!”

Isabela dropped the book in shock at her Tia’s words while Luisa gasped. Julieta was covering her mouth while Dolores and Camilo stared at their mamá in shock. Felix looked grim and pained at the same time.

It could have gone so badly. And he hadn’t even known about the danger. He hadn’t known-

“I told Dolores if there was any danger.”
Pepa whipped around to look at her hermano who looked like he wanted to disappear into his ruana.

“What?” she breathed and he grimaced.

“I kept an eye on all the niños, with my visions. If I saw anyone… reacting badly, to any of them, I told Dolores and she’d intervene to make sure it didn’t get dangerous.”

All of the family gaped at him and Dolores who wasn’t meeting anyone’s eyes.

“That’s how you always seemed to show up at the right time? For anything?” Camilo asked his hermana in shock. “Even when you were supposed to be somewhere else?”

She fiddled with her skirt before giving a slight nod.

Pepa stared at her hermano who wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“I know you didn’t want me to have any visions about them Pepa, but I… I was worried. Lo siento.”

Pepa was frozen for a moment before she suddenly threw herself at Bruno, wrapping him in a hug as he yelped.

“Gracias, gracias, gracias,” she chanted, giving up on holding the tears back.
Even after everything, Bruno had still looked out for her babies. He’d still tried to protect them.

Even though she’d been such a bitch to him since her wedding. Since before actually.

He’d still helped her niños.

Bruno awkwardly hugged her back, looking a little lost.

“When that guy was getting handsy,” Isabela spoke up in shock, staring at Dolores. “And you just happened to show up even though you were supposed to be home already.”

Julieta and Agustin stared at their hija in horror.

All of the niños were clearly having their own moments of realisation.

“Isa?” Julieta asked in a shaky voice, hold on her hermano’s hand tightening.

“Wait,” Mirabel spoke up with a frown. “But you said you hadn’t had any visions since leaving?”

Bruno gave a sheepish laugh. “I kind of panicked and lied?” he admitted. “Last time I got asked to do a vision… it didn’t go well.”
Mirabel winced and rubbed the back of her neck nervously. Right.

Pepa finally pulled back and stared at her hermano. “How?” she whispered. “If you left, how did you let Dolores know?”
Had he been that close this entire time? How hadn’t she known?

She looked at her hija with pained eyes. Why didn’t Dolores tell her?

Dolores stared back with wide eyes, squeaking and biting her lip. Bruno suddenly looked panicked and Mirabel’s eyes widened.

“And how long have you known about Bruno?” Julieta asked Mirabel, picking up on her words earlier.

“I just found out!” Mirabel blurted, raising her hands. “When I was hiding after the dinner!”

She was a bit surprised when Isabela didn’t throw out another comment about the ruined engagement but her hermana was still staring blankly into space.

“Dolores?” Felix asked gently.

Dolores was good at keeping a secret. Except when it had to do with the family. And especially when she was actively being asked about it.

“Tio Bruno never left!” she blurted. “He stayed in the walls where Casita made a space for him!”

She sent Bruno an apologetic glance when he let his head thunk against the back of the couch.

“The walls?!” Julieta and Pepa screeched, Abuela looking shocked.

She’d already been struck speechless by Pepa’s words earlier, stricken by the clear accusation in her words. And now this? Bruno had still been here? In hiding?

Still… hearing everything they said?

Pepa was clearly thinking the same as her face fell and so did rain. She looked horrified. So did Julieta while Camilo wanted to shrink into the couch.

His Tio had done all that to keep him and his primas safe and all he’d heard in return was Camilo telling those awful stories?

He covered his face and felt Dolores tighten her half hug.

“There’s still a lot to read,” Bruno said weakly.

His hermanas just stared at him, pained and horrified, and he sighed.

“I didn’t want to hurt everyone anymore,” he admitted. “And I knew I couldn’t lie to mamá about the vision. But… I didn’t want to leave and never see everyone again. Casita found a solution for me. I didn’t hurt anyone anymore and I got to see mi sobrinos grow up.”
Isabela closed her eyes and dropped her head into her hands, shaking slightly. Luisa looked on the brink of tears and Camilo was staring at his shaking hands in his lap.

Pepa let out a sob and Mirabel hurriedly moved so that the triplets could be together again as Julieta and Pepa clung to Bruno like he might disappear again.

Mirabel quietly moved to sit next to her papá who pulled her into a hug, watching the scene with pained eyes.

What could they really say?

Bruno had seen their reaction to his disappearance. He’d heard ‘we don’t talk about Bruno’. He’d heard them all but forget he’d existed, dark door tucked out of sight.

How could they possibly make up for that?

“Can we keep reading?” Bruno asked in a small voice, hating the attention being on him and how much pain that reveal had caused.

He’d wanted to stop hurting his family, not hurt them even more.
Why had Casita pulled him out of the walls for this?

Isabela pulled herself together again, taking a deep breath before she picked up the book and started reading again.

“Oh. Hell. No.

“That girl refused to put her fish in a larger bowl. Bruno didn’t predict its death. He was telling her a fact. It’s her own fault that she wouldn’t listen. Besides which, bad luck? My hijo? Who predicted the bountiful harvest we will have this year? Who predicted happy marriages for four couples already? Who predicted healthy twins to the Morenos?” Alma took a step towards the woman and she cowered back a bit. “One bad vision among many good ones means little. And even without that, Bruno does not control the future. He only sees it and then passes on what he saw to the person who asked. The only person who can affect your future, is you. You just chose to marry a dick. Casita, see her out.””

Bruno choked at her blunt words. He’d been faced with so many similar reactions to his visions before and he’d wished many times that his mamá had been there to shield him from their anger.

That she would even be willing to do it if she was there.

“Their house swept the ungrateful woman out of her sight and she immediately crouched down next to Bruno.

“And you, Bruno Madrigal, do not listen to people like that. They simply refuse to accept that they, or someone they love, is at fault for something. They want to blame someone else. Never let them blame you. Do you hear me mijo?”

Bruno nodded, gazing up at her in wonder. He always did when she put a villager in their place. Pepa was starting to pick up her habits and had done it herself already a few times even at her young age.

Alma couldn’t be prouder.”

Pepa squeezed her eyes shut. She’d failed Bruno so many times on that front. When was the last time she truly defended her hermanito? She turned her face into his shoulder and he awkwardly patted her back.

““You are doing these people a favour Brunito. And if they cannot understand that, then they do not deserve it.”

Bruno nodded a bit more firmly now and Alma smiled.

“Now, how about some hot chocolate?”

Her hijo lit up and nodded eagerly.”

Bruno leaned his head back, feeling completely exhausted by now. His hermanas were in an absolute state and he wasn’t much better.
And his mamá looked like she was a few minutes from a heart attack as she tried to absorb everything.

“New scene,” Isabela’s voice cracked slightly.

““Mamá!” Bruno’s yell startled her and she looked up in alarm to see him sliding down the stairs, green tablet in hands.

The eleven-year-old was much more comfortable doing his visions again and he could do them whenever he wanted in his room, as long as it wasn’t for a villager if Alma wasn’t there.

“Mijo?” she asked in alarm, drying her hands from washing the dishes on her apron.

Bruno was smiling as he ran up to her. Positively beaming actually.”

Alma couldn’t remember the last time her hijo ran up to her, excited over a vision. Proud of one.

What had she done?

When had she crushed her hijo’s spark? When had she driven Pepa to the point she believed she wouldn’t care if Camilo got hurt? When had she missed the cold looks Julieta sent her over her dismissive words to her siblings?

How had she missed how much her family was hurting?

““Mamá, I had a vision.” There was a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And what did you see?”

He held the tablet out proudly and Alma’s breath caught. She trailed her fingers over the image of Pepa, all grown up in a wedding dress, dancing with a grown-up Felix who gazed at her with adoring eyes. There was light rain falling around them both as they danced.”

Pepa’s breathing hitched and she jerked back to look at Bruno. He wasn’t looking at her.
“Bruno?” she asked in a shaky voice.

“I hid the good ones in my room,” he said softly. “I didn’t want to jinx it.”

Pepa let out a sob and pressed her face into his shoulder again. Felix closed his eyes in grief. Maybe Bruno would show them the vision after everything? He shouldn’t have been afraid of showing them the good ones… Or even the bad ones.

“Alma had never seen anything more beautiful in her life.

She smiled at her hijo.

“Gracias Brunito. But let’s keep it a secret from your hermana hmm? Some things are better experienced as a surprise.”

Of course, Bruno teased Pepa when she got home that he knew who she was going to marry. She chased him down and demanded answers but he only laughed and refused. When she was getting worked up he hugged her and whispered that he’d never seen her look so happy.”

Pepa bit her lip. Would she have had the same reaction to that vision? To Bruno’s teasing? Dios mio, when had she seen that mischievous spark in his eyes last? The one she recognised in her own hijo?

“Alma watched them fondly, having shown Julieta the vision before hiding it in her room. When that day happened, she would frame it and hang it up on her wall.

Bad luck. Honestly. Bruno was the furthest thing from it.

He was her little good luck charm.”

Those words felt like a physical blow to Bruno and he pressed his face into Pepa’s hair, trying to hide his own tears.

Good luck? Good luck?

What he wouldn’t have given to be told for once that he hadn’t completely fucked up again.

“I think we need a break,” Felix croaked, head spinning.

Three glowing doors appeared on the walls.

Abuela’s, Pepa’s and Julieta’s. 

Felix led his niños to his wife’s room. Abuela hurriedly disappeared into hers and Agustin took his hijas into Julieta’s.

They left the triplets to their silent grief over a childhood lost and ten years missed. Julieta had already turned to bury herself in the hug with her hermanos.

They all needed a break.

Chapter Text

Felix watched his niños in concern. Camilo was sitting slumped on a chair, looking lost in thought. Dolores was seated on the bed, clearly guilty and anxious.

He sighed. He wished he could go help his wife but he needed to help his niños first.

“You okay Antonio?” he asked his youngest quietly, holding the boy in his arms.

Antonio looked up with worried eyes.

“Everyone’s upset,” he whispered.

He was so young most of what was happening was going over his head. But he did see how upset everyone was. How his mamá had lost control multiple times and broken down.

It must be scary for such a young boy.

“They are,” Felix admitted. “But we’re going to figure this out okay? Everything’s going to be okay.”

He hoped.

He set Antonio down on Parce’s back before moving over to his oldest.

“Dolores?” he asked quietly, sitting beside her.

She flinched a little.

“Lo siento. For not telling you all about Tio,” she said so softly he barely heard.

Felix shook his head and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

“I understand why you didn’t,” he sighed. “You were protecting him.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder.

“I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“I know mija. I know. And I know things are hurting a lot right now. But our family is stronger than this. We’re going to cry and fight and argue. But in the end, we’re still a family and we’ll figure it out.”

“Do you think that’s why Casita is doing this?” She asked in a whisper. “Because of the cracks?”

Felix stared ahead, remembering the fear he’d felt at the sight of their home cracking around them. And the fear he’d felt as his family’s Gifts went out of control.

“I think it might be,” he sighed. “Casita never did like it when the family argued.”

He tucked her further into his side.

“Lo siento Dolores.”

She looked up at him in confusion. His baby girl was all grown up but still so young at the same time.

“You’ve been carrying far more than I thought, keeping an eye on your hermanos and primas. Helping keep them safe. I’m so sorry you felt that you couldn’t come to us.”

She stiffened a little. “That’s Abuela’s fault,” she almost spat.

Her temper was a lot slower to ignite than her mamá’s was, but it was just as fiery when her patience snapped.

“It is,” he agreed. “She was wrong. You shouldn’t have ever carried all that alone. None of you should have been dealing with anything alone.”

They’d heard about bullies bothering Mirabel and Camilo. Someone harassing Isabela. And Camilo getting into some severe misunderstandings due to his Gift and through no fault of his own.

And they’d dealt with all of those on their own, Bruno letting Dolores know about danger in secret.

And Felix hadn’t noticed. None of them had.

And that felt like a failure.

“Camilo needs you,” Dolores murmured softly.

Felix lifted his head to look at his hijo. Camilo looked so lost as he stared down at his hands.

“Are you okay?” he asked her gently.

She nodded, giving him a small smile. “I’ll be okay papá,” she assured.

He kissed her cheek before standing and moving over to his secondborn.

Camilo startled a bit when he crouched down in front of the teenager. Felix stared up at him, heart aching at the guilt and pain in his eyes. Dolores was an adult at least. Camilo was still a teenager, still young. Forced to grow up too quickly like all of them.

“How are you doing Cami?” he asked gently.

Camilo shrugged, looking away.

“Cami,” he kept his voice gentle. He knew both his oldest niños were feeling guilty, for entirely different things. “It’s not your fault.”

Camilo tensed a little. “I was horrible. And he heard everything I said. But he still helped me.” He blinked tears back, keeping his gaze averted.

Felix shook his head.

“Cami, I mean this in the kindest way possible. You are the biggest mamá’s boy I’ve ever met.”

Confused hazel-green eyes snapped back to meet his.

“You were five and suddenly your Tio was gone. And anytime someone mentioned him, it started raining. You hate it when your mamá cries. And to someone so young, it made sense that it was Bruno’s fault.”

“He must hate me,” Camilo mumbled.

“No,” Dolores said before Felix could. “Tio Bruno was always listening when you told stories in Casita. He loved listening to you. He loves you. Tio loves everyone. And he forgave everyone long ago.”

She paused.

“Everyone but Abuela,” she admitted quietly.

Camilo reached up to wipe at his eyes, scowling at the mention of his Abuela. He was still angry with her.

“Bruno deserves a lot of apologies, but I can guarantee that he doesn’t hate you Cami. You made a mistake but as long as you don’t do it again, it’ll be fine," Felix told him.

Camilo hurriedly nodded. He had no intention of doing that awful impression of his Tio again.

“Come on,” Felix stood up and tugged Camilo with him. “It’s been too long since we had a family cuddle."

Camilo frowned and whined.

“I’m fifteen.”

“So?” Felix grinned at him.

He dragged his hijo onto the bed and Dolores smiled, joining them as they squished the complaining teenager between them. Antonio rushed over to join them with Parce.

Felix smiled at his niños. He was worried about Pepa, but for now, his niños were okay and he had to focus on them.

Agustin sighed as he watched his hijas. Mirabel was tucked under his arm as they sat on the bed. She hadn’t said anything since they finished the last chapter. He was getting more and more worried about her. Clearly, he’d missed some important things in his youngest’s life if he missed issues like bullies and Abuela’s dismissive behaviour.

Luisa was sitting on a chair looking lost and upset, glancing at the door every few minutes. Isabela was pacing, looking more agitated than she had in a long time.

“Tio’s really been here this whole time?” Luisa broke the silence, causing Isabela to come to a stop.

Mirabel shrugged.

“That’s what he said. I stumbled into the walls when I was chasing the rats that took the pieces of the prophecy. And I found him in there. It was… it was really sad,” she whispered. “The room was right next to the kitchen and there was a crack where he could see the dining table.” Her voice cracked. “He had a painted plate on the little table. So he could still… be a part of meals.”

Agustin closed his eyes in pain. They’d failed Bruno so very badly. Isabela was looking away, shaking slightly. Luisa looked like she might start crying again.

Mirabel buried her face in her hands. “It’s not fair. He’s so nice. And I missed having him in my life. I don’t even remember him.”

Agustin pulled her closer and tried to calm her down. But she was right, it wasn’t fair. Bruno had adored all his sobrinos. He would have done anything for them.

Including leave.

“Is he going to stay now?” Luisa asked in a small voice.

Agustin held Mirabel closer as she let out a sob.

“I don’t know,” he admitted.

If he was Bruno, he didn’t think he would…

Isabela dropped into a chair and buried her face in her hands as well. Agustin felt lost. His hijas never let him comfort them anymore. Mirabel letting him now was strange. Isabela never acted like anything was wrong and Luisa assured him that she was alright and didn’t need it.

He longed for the days when his girls would let him pull them into a hug to shield them from the world for a little while.

He wondered if they’d stopped because he failed them in that.

When everyone made their way back to the room at Casita’s prodding, the doors disappearing behind them, everyone was subdued.

The triplets no longer seemed on the edge of breaking down but they also looked like they’d all been crying. Pepa and Julieta were clinging to Bruno even more than before and he was holding them back just as tightly.

Abuela looked exhausted and drawn, looking at her niños with new eyes.

Everyone returned to their seats, Felix with his niños and Agustin with Mirabel while Luisa and Isabela sat next to each other.

“I’ll read next,” Camilo finally said when the silence started to grow unbearable.

Casita tossed the book to him from it’s place on the floor. It was magically undamaged from the rain earlier.

“Chapter Nine, Growing Up.”

Chapter Text

“Bruno squinted up at the sun as he waited for his hermanas.

It was way too early.

“Have any more prophecies of doom?” Ricardo sneered from nearby.”

Bruno flinched automatically and his hermanas squeezed his hands in comfort. After their very painful talk, he was feeling closer to them than he had in a very long time and the contact helped.

“Bruno yawned. “Nope, it’s my day off.””

Camilo squinted at those words to double-check he’d read that right.

Days off?

The only time they had a day off was when they were literally too sick to get out of bed without fainting or throwing up. 

“And he was still up early because he couldn’t deny his hermanas anything. Ugh.

Ricardo scowled at his lack of a reaction to the taunt but why would Bruno react? He had just as many good visions as bad ones and they were only something he watched. He couldn’t affect anything about the future.”

Bruno was amazed by the easy confidence his counterpart had. He dismissed Ricardo's words so easily. Like the bully was simply an inconvenience.

He was so sure of himself and his Gift.

“Bruno started when Pepa and Juli burst out of the bakery and shoved something that smelled amazing right under his nose.

Maybe he’d forgive them for the early hour after all.

“And look, here comes the weather witch,” Ricardo muttered.”

Camilo and Dolores’ eyes widened at that. What did he call their mamá?!

Pepa grimaced at the old insult. Ricardo still used it sometimes…

“Juli and Bruno rolled their eyes with all the judgment twelve-year-olds could muster while Pepa snorted.

“I love that nickname. Makes me sound badass.”

“You are badass,” Bruno pointed out while Ricardo spluttered, trying to find another insult.

Unfortunately for him, Pepa was an expert at taking what people tried and hurt her with and owning it.”

Pepa blinked in surprise. What? She’d never considered herself lacking in confidence, but that easy dismissal of Ricardo and his cruel words…

She didn’t understand it. She would have been willing away a storm cloud in that situation.

“She shoved her own treat into her mouth and grabbed Bruno’s hand to drag him along.

What were they even doing today?

By the time they returned to Casita at lunchtime, he still didn’t have an answer to what they’d been doing all day. It had felt like they’d just spent it wondering around aimlessly until lunchtime hit and then beelined straight for Casita.

And Pepa seemed excited about something.

When he saw the twinkle in his mamá’s eyes, he realised that they’d all been plotting something together.

It was dangerous being the only boy in the house. The girls ganged up on you.”

“Agreed,” Camilo muttered, only to get smacked by Dolores. “Hey! You can’t say I’m wrong! I got outvoted all the time by you guys!”

Felix and Agustin wisely kept silent over their own feelings about being outnumbered by the women in the house.

““What did you do?” he asked suspiciously as they shooed him up to his room.

“Mamá needed time to set it up,” Pepa chirped. “So we needed to keep you busy.”

“Set it up?” Bruno asked in bewilderment.

“Tio Carlos made it,” Juli explained. Which explained exactly nothing.”

“This all seems very ominous,” Bruno muttered while Felix perked up the mention of his papá again.

“He gasped when he opened his door though. There was a large rat playpen in his room. He’d started befriending the little animals lately, they were cute and smart. He knew most people thought it was weird though.

But… they got him a rat playpen?”

Bruno gaped. He’d always been considered weird for his affection for rats. And his mamá had definitely never approved. She’d never gone as far as setting traps, but she’d made her disapproval clear.

But… in this world they went as far as making a place for his rats? He swallowed hard at the idea. It was such a clear sign of acceptance that it hurt.

““I’m hoping this keeps them out of your bed,” mamá teased gently.

Bruno beamed up at her and hugged her tightly. Then he hugged his hermanas. 

“You’re a weirdo,” Pepa told him with a laugh. “But you’re our weirdo. So if you want rats, you get rats.”

This was the best day ever.”

Bruno could believe that. His hermanas had never understood but they hadn’t tried to make him get rid of the little animals at least. Them going so far to make it clear they were welcome though? 

He bit his lip, glancing at them to find them both looking guilty.

“New scene,” Camilo said after a moment.

“Bruno watched the strange weather in concern.

“Mamá? Did someone upset Pepa? The weather’s been weird for two days now.”

He heard his mamá sigh and mutter something about his papá under her breath before she moved to sit next to him.

“Brunito. I think we need to have a… a talk about what happens when girls hit a certain age. Your hermanas are thirteen now. They’re starting to grow up."”

Camilo abruptly stopped reading, turning bright red.

“I’m not reading this!” he declared, practically throwing the book away from him like it was a bomb. Mirabel started cackling with laughter, almost falling off her seat while Agustin looked just as uncomfortable as Camilo. Felix chuckled. Isabela rolled her eyes and Luisa flushed.

“Ay dios mio,” Pepa sighed, picking up the book. “It’s not that bad.”

“I disagree,” Both Bruno and Camilo said at the same time.

They looked at each other in surprise and Bruno gave him a timid smile which Camilo hesitantly returned.

“Bruno stared up at her with innocent confusion.

He raced out of Casita with a burning face twenty minutes later, that innocence in tatters. Tia Maria opened the door to his frantic knocking and he ran straight to Felix’s room and threw himself on the bed.

“Girls are gross!” he shouted into the pillow.

Felix grimaced. “I was wondering when your mamá would tell you."”

“Overdramatic,” Pepa muttered.

“That’s exactly how Cami reacted,” Mirabel snickered.

Camilo huffed, slouching down in his seat while Dolores gave him a sympathetic look. 

“Alma wished her hijo wouldn’t be so blunt about certain things. Ever since discovering exactly why his hermanas were in bad moods for a few days every month, the poor boy had become painfully in tune with when it was happening. He could usually figure it out before Alma could, just from their expressions or tones of voice.”

Bruno covered his face. That had stayed the same. He’d mostly hidden away during that time, not wanting to set either of them off.

“But he didn’t have to be so blunt about it.

She was just letting Carlos, Maria, Sophia and their boys in when Bruno piped up from the sitting room.

“The red devils are in occupation.””

There was a beat of silence as everyone absorbed that.

Felix and Camilo started howling with laughter while Agustin covered his mouth to hide his grin. Isabela and Mirabel looked offended along with Pepa and Julieta. Luisa just looked embarrassed.

Dolores seemed to find it just as funny as her hermano did.

“Felix and Agustin both grimaced and seemed to steel themselves. Carlos cracked up and fell over since he was laughing so hard and Maria and Sophia stared in Bruno’s direction in shock.”

“Like papá, like hijo and nieto,” Pepa muttered, eyeing her snickering husband and hijo.

““I wish you wouldn’t call it that Bruno,” she sighed.

“I’m in hell for three to five days. It’s accurate!” he shouted back, only making Carlos laugh harder.”

That made them laugh harder too and Camilo fell off his chair.

“What are they talking about?” Antonio asked Dolores.

“We’ll tell you when you’re older,” she told him, still smiling in amusement.

When everyone finally calmed down, an unimpressed Pepa continued reading.

“His hermanas weren’t impressed with the way he went about it but they grudgingly accepted it since he always knew just when they needed a bar of chocolate and he was impossibly sweet to them during that week.”

“That didn’t change,” Julieta murmured, giving Bruno a fond smile. Even their husbands blundered into trouble at the wrong time of month. Bruno had a knack for producing chocolate when needed.

“When they were fourteen, Bruno made a comment to a villager that had Alma snickering in her room for hours.”

There were several raised eyebrows at that and a few glances at Alma who had been very quiet since returning.

“One of the villagers had gotten annoyed with Pepa’s moody weather during her ‘red devil’s visit’ as Bruno put it, and stopped her in town while Bruno was trying to cheer her up.”

Pepa grimaced. She could tell where this was going. It had happened a few times and it was humiliating every single time.

“He told her that she needed to learn to control herself, drawing thunder from the teenager.

Bruno had looked at him with complete innocence and asked if he told his wife the same thing during her time of the month.”

Eyes widened and Felix and Agustin whistled.

Damn that was brave.

Bruno looked disbelieving himself.

“Since his wife was present, she informed Bruno that no, he didn’t. She then proceeded to force her husband to apologise before dragging him off, promising to give him another lesson on the subject so he didn’t say something so dumb again.

Pepa was all rainbows for the rest of the day and hugged her brother no less than twice every hour.”

Pepa gave her hermano a soft smile. He always tried to make her feel better when something happened. Even if he wasn’t the best with words sometimes.

“Sometimes Alma wished Bruno wasn’t as blunt as he was. But then again, he wouldn’t be Bruno if he wasn’t. And she loved every part of him.”

Bruno winced again at that and Alma looked down.

“Even his long-suffering ‘the red devil’s’ here comments.

Pedro would be laughing his ass off if he could see this.”

Bruno wistfully wondered if that was true. If his papá would have liked him, would have been proud of him.

He’d never been able to convince himself that the answer was yes.

“Alma opened the door to find sixteen-year-old Felix standing there, looking like he was afraid she might bite him.”

“This, I remember,” Felix sighed with a grimace.

He and Agustin had managed to get permission to marry Alma’s hijas by the skin of their teeth. Alma hadn’t liked Agustin because of Sophia and she’d believed that Pepa needed a more stable presence than Felix’s enthusiastic personality would allow.

They’d convinced her in the end, with Bruno’s help actually. He’d always liked them and they had to wonder if it was because of visions.

““I would like to humbly request your permission to date Pepa,” he told her, straightening up and looking adorably serious.

Inwardly, Alma smiled and thought of that vision she treasured up in her room.

Outwardly, she raised an eyebrow.

Even though she knew how it ended, it was fun to make the poor boy sweat for a few minutes. This was her baby girl they were talking about after all.”

“That’s just evil,” Mirabel said, but she was smiling.

“All parents do it,” Pepa shrugged, even though she’d been upset with how hard her mamá had been on Felix in the beginning.

“I’ll do it for all mi niños,” Felix said proudly.

Dolores’ head snapped to face him, horrified. “Papá no!” 

“Papá yes,” Felix said mischievously.

All the girls in the room grimaced at their papás.

“And I’m taking care of any girls interested in my boys,” Pepa said, smirking at her hijo’s horrified expression.

“Mamá!” he complained.
She just laughed at him.

Bruno pitied whatever girl showed an interest in Camilo. Pepa was exceptionally protective of her oldest hijo. She would definitely make anyone just interested in the Madrigal name pause and rethink their plans.

The only reason that Agustin hadn’t been able to go all protective over Isabela was because Abuela had arranged everything.

He’d been very put out about it.

“Chapter Ten, Love is in the Air,” Pepa read when everyone quieted down again.

Chapter Text

Pepa handed the book back to Camilo who gave it a suspicious look before continuing to read after his panicked refusal earlier.

“Bruno made a face as he turned the corner and did an abrupt about-face.

“Really Bruno?” Julieta sighed as she caught sight of Pepa and Felix cuddling on the couch.

“Nope. I see enough of the lovey-dovey in my visions. I don’t need to see it in reality.”

The sixteen-year-old went straight for the kitchen where his mamá gave him an exasperated look. But she also gave him an arepa and let him sit there while Pepa and Felix were being all sickeningly sweet together.”

Camilo pulled a face. He could understand. It was gross seeing them being all sappy together. And they were sappy all the time.

No teenager wanted to see their parents being all love-dovey.

“Best mamá. His hermanas could lighten up on the love stuff though.

Which reminded him. 

“I had a vision of Juli,” he told her as his hermana walked into the room.

“Oh?” mamá asked.

Julieta stopped and narrowed her eyes on her hermano. 

Bruno smirked.”

“You can be such a little shit,” Julieta murmured to her hermano with a small smile. 

He returned the smile hesitantly.

“Where do you think Camilo got it from?” Pepa asked.

Dolores’ lips quirked up at that.

““I know who she’s going to marry.”

“Bruno!” Juli whined.

Mamá chuckled. “Did you do what I asked you to with the tablet?”

“Yup,” Bruno watched his hermana fume in amusement. “Juli won’t ever find it.”

His hermana made an incoherent sound of rage.

Riling them up would never not be fun.”

Both Pepa and Julieta poked Bruno in the sides at once, making him yelp.

“Hey! It wasn’t ‘me’ me.”

Alma smiled softly as she studied the tablet Bruno had hidden in her room for her. Julieta looked radiant in her wedding dress and she and Agustin were smiling so sweetly at each other it made Alma's heart ache.

She sighed as she hid this one with the other one. She both looked forward to those days and dreaded them. Because her babies were growing up so fast.

Sixteen already.

Julieta and Pepa were growing into beautiful girls and she saw more of Pedro in Bruno every day. 

They were growing up.”

Bruno blinked in shock at the mention of him looking like his papá. His mamá had never said that in his life.

“Agustin’s request to date Julieta when she turned seventeen was an utter disaster. The poor boy was a nervous wreck and it ended in Alma calming the teenager and sitting him down with a cup of tea.”

Agustin couldn’t help his surprised expression. Alma had all but chased him from the house when he asked. His madre had been furious as well.

““I’m not going to snap at you Agustin,” she told him in amusement. “You’ve been a good friend of my niños for years now.”

“B-but… b-but Felix…” he stuttered and Alma chuckled.

“It really was too much fun terrorising that boy,” she admitted.

Agustin stared at her.

“Bruno gets it all from you,” he decided.

That only made Alma laugh more.”

“Hey!” Bruno complained again. 

He pouted while his hermanas laughed. He could hardly believe the comparison to his mamá though. That had certainly never happened.

"“Be quiet!”

The hissed not-quite-a-whisper woke Alma and she frowned to herself. No one should be up. Her niños were out with their friends late tonight. It was their eighteenth birthday and Alma remembered letting loose on her own."

There were confused frowns everywhere in the room. Eighteenth birthdays weren't really any more special in the family than any other birthday. The only one that was different was the girls' fifteenth.

Alma, on the other hand, groaned and covered her face at the mention of her own eighteenth. She had strict rules in place to prevent her niños from making the same mistakes she did in her youth.

"Well, she didn’t quite remember.

But that was the whole point."

Camilo looked up at his Abuela in confusion.

What exactly did she do when she was young?

"Starting to get an idea of what was probably happening, she opened her door and stepped up to the railing, leaning on it and smirking."

The triplets frowned. For their eighteenth, there had been the usual party with the village and then they were sent to bed like usual.

"Julieta was shaking Pepa violently while Pepa only giggled uncontrollably. Rainbows kept winking in and out of existence above her head."

"What?" Pepa looked confused while Felix suddenly leaned forward with a grin.

"I think you're drunk mi vida."

She snapped her head to the side to stare at him in shock. Drinking was completely forbidden to anyone with Gifts. Too risky according to her mamá. 

"Bruno was sitting on the floor while Agustin tried to get him up again.

“Come on Bruno,” the only sober one in the group tried. “Time to go to bed.”"

"I'm not surprised you were the sober one," Felix chuckled.

"“I don’t wanna,” her hijo complained and Alma hid a smile.

Oh dear.

Julieta was swaying as she shook her hermana, hissing at her to be quiet. Pepa was still giggling. Bruno seemed to have decided that the floor was a great place to be.

It didn’t even look like Felix got past the entryway."

Felix snickered while the niños all looked very curious. They'd seen drunk people in town before of course. But never in the family.

"“Casita…” Bruno whined. “Stop- stop spinnin’.”"

Pepa snorted at that one.

"“Casita isn’t moving,” Julieta snapped.

Pepa suddenly threw herself at her hermana in a hug and bowled them both over.

“Pepa!”

“Wanna hug.”

“I don’t.”

“Hug me Juli.”

“No.”"

"Juli's the mean drunk apparently," Bruno muttered. "Not surprising."

"The rainbows turned to clouds as Pepa’s lower lip wobbled.

“Juli doesn’t love me anymore!” she wailed.

“Get off!” a very irritable Julieta shoved at her hermana."

"Juli!" Bruno said in mock horror. "That's cold."

Julieta spluttered under everyone's judging looks.

"That wasn't me!"

"Bruno clumsily patted Agustin’s shoulder. “Good luck, Juli’s a bitch when drunk…”

“What did you say Bruno!?”"

"That's how I die," Bruno deadpanned.

Pepa nodded solemnly. Julieta glared at them both.

""Bruno’s eyes went wide as his hermana tried to stand, only to topple right over again.

Agustin buried his face in his hands.

Felix snored."

"Sounds like a great time!" Felix laughed.

"And Alma gave into her laughter as her niños blearily looked up at her.

“Why are there three mamás?” Bruno whispered.

“Mamá! Juli doesn’t love me anymore!”

Julieta scowled. 

Alma just kept laughing."

Camilo snorted. "That was kind of hilarious. Can I do that when I'm eighteen?"

Alma opened her mouth to protest automatically but Pepa beat her to it.

"Only if I can come with."

Felix cheered while Julieta and Bruno looked horrified.

"All three of her niños looked like death warmed over in the morning.

Bruno had his head on the table and let out a small whimper at every slightly too loud sound.

Pepa was staring ahead of her, a slightly green tinge to her skin.

Julieta was still in a mood, head resting in her hand."

Pepa and Camilo looked at each other.

"Still wanna do it," they both said.

Felix nodded in agreement while Bruno just shook his head.

"“I wish my food cured hangovers,” she muttered petulantly."

Julieta winced. The town had been upset when they found out her Gift didn't cure hangovers the first time someone came to her with one.

"Alma chuckled, keeping the sound soft for their sakes.

“You shouldn’t enjoy our pain,” Julieta mumbled.

“You chose to drink too much,” Alma pointed out. “You get the consequences. Besides, you three are hilarious when drunk.”

Bruno whined."

"You are," Felix agreed cheerily.

"Add in Camilo and it would be chaos," Dolores added with a small smile.

There were agreements from everyone while Camilo looked smug.

"“I wouldn’t have guessed that Juli was the grumpy, irritable drunk.”

Julieta’s face turned red and she hid it in her arms."

Julieta flushed while her sibling shot her teasing looks.

"I'm not surprised," Bruno said.

"Me neither," Pepa snickered.

Julieta glared at them both.

"“Or that Pepa was the clingy drunk.”

Pepa barely reacted, still staring vacantly ahead of her."

"Did the hangover break you?" Agustin chuckled.

"No, she's contemplating doing it again," Bruno immediately said.

"“Or that Bruno was a whiny drunk.”

“Not whiny,” he mumbled almost too softly to hear.

Alma hummed.

“Whatever you say.”"

Bruno flushed but didn't really mind the teasing comments his siblings gave him.

It almost felt like decades had been stripped from their relationship. That tension was gone.

He knew it wasn't healed, not yet. But it was still nice.

He wondered if this was the point of all this? Forcing them to face what was very very wrong in their family. Giving them a chance to fix it.

Maybe it would fix his vision?

"“I’m never doing that again,” Bruno breathed.

“Me either,” Julieta groaned.

Alma more believed Bruno than Julieta.

“I’m doing it next week,” Pepa decided.

That was hardly surprising."

Felix and Camilo burst out laughing while a small, smug smile tugged at Bruno's lips.

"I know mi hermana," he murmured, glancing at Pepa.

She gave him such a fond look it made his smile widen.

"We're all going out to get drunk after this," she declared. "We'll need it."

Camilo and Mirabel pouted. They were the only ones besides Antonio that were too young for that.

"“Mamá?”

Alma looked up to find Bruno standing nervously in the doorway.

She frowned. Her hijo hadn’t been nervous about talking to her for as long as she could remember."

Alma flinched at that. Bruno was always anxious when speaking to her. She couldn't remember a time when he wasn't.

"She gestured for him to join her and he hesitantly sat next to her.

He was tense and anxiously tapping his fingers in a rhythm on the side of the couch."

Bruno cocked his head. Were the tapping and knocking a thing his counterpart did as well? Despite the differences?

"“Bruno?” she asked gently.

Even at nineteen, finally taller than her and hardly a child anymore, he would always be her baby. Her youngest.

He was the only one that still let her baby him a little, indulging her in her fussing while Pepa got irritated and Julieta exasperated.

“What’s wrong mijo?”

“I think… something’s wrong with me,” he admitted after a moment."

Camilo frowned and flicked a look up at his Tio who looked just as confused. Clearly this conversation hadn't happened here. 

Although none of them really went to Abuela with problems…

"Alma frowned as she watched him. Was he not feeling well?

“What do you mean?” 

Bruno swallowed. 

“Felix just proposed to Pepa, I’m sure you saw the rainbows. A-and it was great. I’m happy for her. She’s happy. Felix is happy. But… I just… don’t get it?”"

Bruno's eyes suddenly widened in panic and Camilo paused. That seemed different from the normal panic he’d seen from the man.

Now Bruno looked completely frozen in his seat as he stared at the book like it was about to explode.

The teenager hesitated.

“Should I… not?” he asked slowly. “This seems personal…”

Not that the rest hadn’t been. But this seemed different suddenly.

Everyone looked at Bruno in confusion and he ducked his head under the attention.
“Bruno?” Julieta asked worriedly.
Pepa leaned forward to try and catch his eye.

“We can skip it,” she said quietly. “Casita shouldn’t make us read something that’s too personal.”

They couldn’t remember the last time they’d seen Bruno look this terrified.

After a long moment of silence, he shook his head.

“Read it,” he mumbled, hunching in on himself. 

Camilo still looked reluctant but he continued reading after another pause. The triplets were cuddled even closer now as they listened, Bruno shrinking down between his hermanas.

““Get what?” she asked, trying to figure out where Bruno’s rambling thoughts were going.

“Why. I don’t get… why. Juli and Pepa are happy and in love and I don’t really… understand it. I’ve never felt like that about anyone. I’ve never had a crush. I’ve never seen the point. All the kissing and hand-holding just seems… meh?” He fidgeted with his hands. “When the girls flirt with me, and yes I’m not that oblivious, I notice. But when they do, I just don’t really feel anything. I don’t get like Pepa and Juli do. Or how Felix and Agustin do when mi hermanas flirt with them.”

He looked away and swallowed. “Is there something wrong with me?””

Everyone looked confused, not really understanding what he meant.

Except Camilo who let out a quiet ‘oh’ of realisation. 

Bruno flinched and Camilo stared at him for a moment.

He didn’t know? He thought something was wrong?
Camilo had learned a lot about people since getting his Gift. Sometimes it was hard for him to figure himself out when he could change his shape, and gender, at any moment. He’d worked through his problems with his parents’ help but he’d come across a lot of other information along the way.

And he was pretty sure he knew what was happening.

“Cami?” his mamá asked in concern but he shook his head and continued reading.

““Oh no, no mijo,” she grabbed his hands tightly in her own, several things falling into place in her mind. “Brunito, I need you to listen to me very carefully okay?”

He reluctantly looked up to meet her eyes.

“There is nothing wrong with you. You don’t like or understand romance? That’s perfectly fine. It’s actually normal for a lot of people. There’s nothing wrong or broken about you. You’re just aromantic. You just don’t see the point in romance or romantic interactions. You’re not interested in them. And that’s perfectly fine.””

Bruno blinked, struggling to process what he’d just heard. Most of the family was still looking confused except for Felix and Pepa now.

Felix exchanged a look with Camilo while Pepa stared into space, mouth moving soundlessly for a moment.

“That makes so much sense!” she shrieked suddenly, hands flying to her braid and tugging on it. “How did I miss that?!”

“Well, we only really learned about it a few years ago Pepi,” Felix reminded her.

Bruno looked at her in confusion but she gestured for Camilo to continue reading, expression focused.

““There’s a word for it?” Bruno asked in confusion.

Alma smiled gently at him. “Sí, there is. And it’s normal. Bruno, your hermanas are going to get married. But that doesn’t mean that you have to. It also doesn’t mean that you won’t find someone that you form a special connection with, in your own way. All I want for you is to live a happy life of your own choice. Understand?”

He gave her a slightly shaky smile and she pulled him into a hug.

“There is nothing wrong with you,” she repeated firmly in his ear. “Nothing.””

Bruno struggled to pull in a breath at those words. There was a name for it? It wasn’t something wrong with him?
He wasn’t the only one like this?

“I’m confused,” Mirabel admitted.

“Aromantic means you don’t feel romantic love,” Camilo explained. “You feel platonic love and you can still feel lust, but you don’t really fall in love with a person. Not like our parents do.”

Everyone blinked at him.

“It’s all in a book I found in the library. You wouldn’t believe the gender identity issues shapeshifting leaves you with. Mamá and papá helped me figure it all out and we found out a lot about other things like that.

Bruno still stared at him in stunned silence.

“I can get you the book after this?” Camilo offered.

Bruno just nodded slightly, swallowing and still clearly struggling to process. Pepa tugged him closer and whispered quiet reassurances that he wasn’t broken and it was completely normal.

“Bruno burst into Alma’s room looking like a man that had seen war.

“Biology is evil to women!” he shouted. “I’m so sorry mamá.” He pressed a green glass tablet into her hands. “I’m going to get you chocolate. You deserve it. Pepa and Juli do too. I’m going to smack Felix and Agustin for putting them through that.”

He turned to leave.

“There are some things a hermano should never see!” he shouted as he disappeared out the door.”

Everyone looked completely confused. Again.

“Completely bewildered, Alma looked down at the tablet. Her breath caught and she shakily traced over the image of an exhausted Julieta holding a tiny little baby in her arms.

Ay, that boy was so dramatic.

But she did pity him for having seen that. Pedro had fainted during her labour.”

“Oh, that,” Bruno said distantly, shuddering.

Camilo screwed up his face. “Ewwww.”
Isabela wrung her hands anxiously at the idea of being shown in the story soon. She wasn’t ready to see what her counterpart would be like.

What her life would be like.

She wasn’t ready for any of this.

Felix took the book again.

“Chapter Eleven, Things Change, Things Stay the Same.”

Chapter Text

"The wedding was beautiful and chaotic, just like Alma had expected. Everyone had given her strange looks when she showed up with an umbrella but now she was able to stand in the rain and watch her hija and Felix exchange vows without getting wet."

Bruno winced at the mention of the wedding and Pepa shot him a guilty look.

"Of course it would rain.

And thunder.

And hail.

A wedding was amazing and terrifying and the best day of a woman’s life.

The mix-up of emotions was normal and Alma would never want Pepa to suppress them on her special day."

Pepa raised her eyebrows at that, shooting a look at her mamá who had an unreadable expression on her face.

"This is very accurate," Felix announced. "Our wedding was perfect."

"There was a hurricane," Alma said, tone more confused than accusing.

"Who else can say they got married in a hurricane? It was amazing. A hurricane wedding for my hurricane wife."

Pepa positively melted and smiled at her husband.

"It didn’t matter if it was raining. There were rainbows in the air and Pepa was smiling.

That was all that mattered."

"Exactly," Felix said firmly.

"It's the cold rain that means something’s wrong," Camilo added.

Dolores nodded in agreement. Cold rain meant that their mamá was scared or upset. Warm rain was usually emotional crying.

"Pepa frowned as Bruno darted over and all but hid behind her. With her being married and Juli planning her own wedding, the women in the village had all turned their attention to Bruno."

Both Bruno's hermanas narrowed their eyes at that.

With the new information they had, that simple sentence had their hackles up.

Bruno buried his face in his hands. At least he'd never dealt with many advances. The ones that tried were very obviously out to join the family for the magic and prestige.

It always made him very uncomfortable though.

"She could understand. Her hermanito had grown into a handsome young man. He was sweet and thoughtful and sensitive. Everything that women wanted."

Bruno snorted at that and his hermanas smacked him at the same time, drawing a yelp from him.

Geez, overprotective much? He could disagree with that statement since it was fundamentally untrue.

"He was also not interested in romance at all, something that their mamá had explained to them. Bruno had been so nervous when he told them and they’d been sure to smother him in affection and assurances that it was alright and he was perfect the way he was.

He’d also been pretty honest with the village whenever he was asked out. He told anyone that asked that he wasn’t interested in a relationship."

"They didn't," Pepa muttered with narrowed eyes.

"Most of them took this as a challenge. That they just needed to work harder to catch his attention ."

"They did," Julieta sighed.

"Resulting in them harassing him and setting his poor nerves on edge until he inevitably took refuge with one of his hermanas or with their mamá."

Pepa thought back to when they were in their twenties. She remembered offering to set Bruno up on a few dates but he'd looked so uncomfortable that she'd dropped it.

She knew their mamá hadn't. She'd all but dragged Bruno out to several dates with girls from the village, getting increasingly frustrated when Bruno refused to make much of an effort.

He must have been so lost and afraid, not even understanding why he didn't want what everyone viewed as normal.

"This was getting on Pepa’s nerves and she scowled at the woman approaching them, making her shift nervously. She crossed her arms and moved to stand more fully in front of Bruno.

“Why are you bothering my hermano?” she demanded bluntly.

The woman scowled, drawing herself up.

“I just wanted to ask him something.”

“And I’m pretty sure that he’s already said no to this ‘something’, multiple times,” Pepa shot back.

The woman flushed red in both anger and embarrassment."

Camilo and Felix both smirked, pleased to see that Pepa was as uncompromising when it came to her family as she was here.

Bruno just grimaced, reminded of a few annoyingly persistent women.

Not like they'd actually liked him of course. They'd liked his family name and the idea of having a magic niño. 

"“Let me give you a little tip,” Pepa continued before she could speak. “No doesn’t mean ‘try harder’ or ‘keep going’. No means no. It’s a pretty simple to understand word. And honestly, desperation isn’t a good look on anyone.”"

Camilo whistled while Mirabel cheered.

"Go Tia!" She said eagerly.

Isabela smirked at the words and Dolores smiled to herself.

"And that applies to all of you," Pepa added. "If you say no to anyone for anything and they don't respect it, punch them."

Alma stared at her hija while the niños all nodded, Luisa a little more reluctantly than the others.

"She steered Bruno away from the spluttering woman, taking her thundering cloud with her.

“Gracias,” he murmured.

“Anytime Brunito,” she slung an arm over his shoulders. “Now, when are you going to give me the next episode of your telenovela?!”

Bruno lit up and started talking excitedly about when it was scheduled for. It was their favourite family bonding time, everyone getting together for whatever new dramatic twist Bruno had come up for the story."

"Ay… I miss your stories," Pepa sighed.

"You got too invested in those stories," Julieta said dryly.

"They're good stories," both Felix and Pepa defended themselves.

"Pepa and Felix were maybe a bit too invested. The rats looked cute in those costumes though."

Pepa and Felix both huffed at the knowing looks they got.

Bruno just seemed pleased that they enjoyed them so much.

"And mamá got just as invested, even if she claimed that she didn’t."

That was surprising. Alma had always said it was a waste of time and energy.

"Julieta’s wedding was beautiful and Alma wasn’t surprised when poor Agustin tripped down the aisle and then fell into the wedding cake later during the reception."

Pepa snorted. "Some things don't change between worlds," she snickered.

Agustin looked embarrassed while Julieta was torn between exasperation and fondness.

The second generation all looked curious over the story.

"I've got pictures," Pepa promised in a whisper.

Because of course their mamá hadn't kept anything that wasn't picture perfect.

"Personally, she thought that it made the day more memorable and from Julieta’s laughter, she was pretty sure that her hija agreed."

"It did make the day memorable," Julieta smiled at her husband. "I cherish that memory."

He smiled shyly in return and their hijas cooed over them.

"Alma leaned back in her seat as the new husband and wife danced around the room, absolutely adoring expressions on their faces.

“Can you believe we all ended up related?” Sophia asked with a chuckle.

“Meant to be,” Maria murmured with a soft smile as she spotted her hijo dancing with Pepa."

Felix wondered how much would be different if they'd actually been friends. Would it have made the difference he saw in this book?

"“I bet that Felix and Pepa will have the first grandkids,” Carlos stated bluntly, already on his fifth drink."

Felix and Pepa burst out laughing.

"Juli beat you to that," Bruno snickered.

She shot her hermano a glare.

The niños all froze as they realised that their counterparts would be showing up soon now.

"“Carlos!” Maria smacked his arm while Alma and Sophia laughed.

“Considering all the places Casita has to shoo us away from inside, I would believe that,” Alma said dryly. “Poor Bruno walked in on them once. That poor boy has the worst timing sometimes.”"

Bruno and Pepa blushed.

"That didn't change," Bruno muttered.

The niños grimaced and shot him pitying looks.

"Try hearing it," Dolores piped up, making Mirabel choke.

Pepa buried her face in her hands and Felix looked away.

"Once," he grumbled. "We learned from that."

"They all winced in sympathy.

“Well, I think it’ll be Agustin and Julieta. It’s always the quiet ones you should watch out for,” Maria pointed out."

Julieta groaned and rubbed her face.

"“Then we should be watching Bruno,” Sophia smirked."

Bruno's eyes widened as he opened and closed his mouth speechlessly.

Pepa and Julieta giggled at expression.

"Suddenly her eyes narrowed and she sighed. “One moment. I’m going to shame another young woman for harassing that poor boy.”

Alma scowled when she turned to see a woman clearly pleading with her hijo for a dance. Honestly, he’d made it pretty clear. He’d also explained why he didn’t want to date multiple times. These girls just refused to listen."

Pepa scowled at the words, amusement disappearing.

This village seriously seemed to struggle with hearing no. No matter the dimension.

"Sophia stalked straight over and Alma could see the girl practically crumble under her sharp words as Bruno looked to his Tia in gratitude.

She was going to lose her temper at this rate.

It wouldn't be pretty if she did."

The family felt wistful, thinking of how it must have felt to have her so firmly on their side.

Alma couldn't look at their expressions.

"“The girls in town are mortified,” Pepa said with a smirk as she slid into her seat across from Alma."

Pepa perked up at those words. Sounded like gossip.

Everyone looked back at Felix as they listened.

"Alma raised an eyebrow while Julieta turned to look at her hermana curiously.

“Why?” Alma asked, already amused just from the glee in Pepa’s eyes.

“Bruno slept with Juan.”"

"Eh?" Bruno said faintly.

Pepa was staring ahead with wide eyes as things clicked into place even more.

"You're gay?" Camilo asked in interest.

"Or bi?" Mirabel mused.

Most of the family looked at the two in complete confusion.

"B-bi," he squeaked.

"Same!" Mirabel cheered.

Then froze.

Camilo and Dolores rolled their eyes.

"Way to out yourself," Camilo muttered.

Mirabel shrank into her seat at all the attention now on her.

“Uh, surprise?” she said, eyes wide and clearly regretting saying anything.

“You knew?!” Isabela asked in shock, gaze darting between Mirabel, Camilo and Dolores.

Her prima raised an eyebrow. “I know everything.”

Camilo nodded. “I caught her kissing a girl.”

“Camilo!” Mirabel hissed, looking ready to throttle him.

“Behind the library was a stupid hiding place!” he defended. “You’re lucky it was just me!”

“What?” Julieta looked faint.

“You kissed someone?!” Both Isabela and Luisa shrieked.

“Twice,” Mirabel mumbled. “That’s how I figured out I was bi. The second time was a boy.”

Her hermanas looked like they were having a mini breakdown at the revelation.

“Nice,” Pepa gave her a thumbs up. “Behind the library was a stupid place to hide though.”

Mirabel buried her face in her hands and groaned.

“She’s fifteen,” Dolores pointed out. “It’s normal.”

Suddenly, all attention turned to Camilo who froze.

“Uh.”

Pepa’s eyes widened and she stared at him in shock.

“Dolores!” Camilo hissed.

“You were very sweet with that girl,” his hermana continued relentlessly.

“I’m going to die,” he groaned, slumping in his seat while his parents stared at him.

“Me too,” Mirabel muttered.

Alma was shocked that this had all happened and she hadn’t known at all.

Luisa was tugging at her hair while Isabela seemed to have frozen completely.

How had they missed their hermana and primo discovering romance?!

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Agustin asked Mirabel faintly. “Or, er, a girlfriend?”

Mirabel didn’t lift her head. “No. It was just a kiss.”

“Two,” Dolores reminded helpfully.

Mirabel only tried to merge with the couch even more.

“No!” Camilo immediately said, raising his hands as his mamá turned watery eyes to him. “It was one kiss! I was curious!”

“Names,” Felix demanded.

“Not a chance!” both teenagers shouted in a panic.

The adults looked at Dolores.

“I’m not going to out them. They were innocent kisses. Cami and Mira were just figuring themselves out. We’ve all done it.”

Felix looked like he was choking for a moment.

“Dolores?” Pepa breathed in shock.

Her hija shrugged. “I was curious. He was nice but neither of us wanted to date. We just wanted to see what it was like. Isa kissed him a week later. He was very nice about it all. He’s with a lovely boy now. Took him two kisses to figure it out for himself.”

Isabela squeaked when everyone spun around to look at her in shock too.

“You’re certainly on a roll today,” Bruno muttered.

“I’ve been keeping these to myself for ages. This is so satisfying,” Dolores grinned at him.

“Luisa had her first kiss too,” she added after a moment. “They almost dated.”

That was all it took for chaos to truly break out.

Camilo and Mirabel were taking shelter from the downpour under a table. Dolores was sitting calmly under an umbrella with Antonio in her lap.

Felix was pacing the room and waving his hands madly while he ranted with Bruno running after him trying to calm him down.

Pepa was wailing and Julieta still looked like she was in shock. Agustin was rocking back and forth mumbling about his hijas growing up.

“You made mamá cry,” Camilo hissed while Isabela and Luisa sheltered under one of her plants.

“I’m a horrible hermana,” Isabela was muttering, yanking on her hair. “I missed the first kiss!”

“Mira’s growing up!” Luisa wailed.

“They were going to find out sooner or later,” Dolores shrugged.

Abuela just had her head in her hands as the chaos continued.

Casita was the one to intervene, tossing everyone back into their seats and throwing the magically dry book in Felix’s face.

He grumbled for a moment while Pepa continued sniffling, cloud drizzling.

Mirabel and Camilo still looked mortified, sitting together now as Felix and Agustin were sharing a couch. At least Casita did that for them.

Bruno patted Pepa’s shoulder awkwardly.

“My baby didn’t tell me when he had his first kiss,” she hiccuped and Camilo winced.

“Pepa,” Bruno sighed. “You didn’t tell us for a month when you had your first kiss. Don’t be a hypocrite.”

She smacked him.

“It’s different when you’re a mother!”

“Hypocrite. Juli didn’t tell us for two months.”

“They didn’t tell anyone!” Julieta pointed out.

“They didn’t have to,” Bruno pointed out. “They knew that Dolores knew. So it wasn’t like they were hiding it. I’d get concerned if they were timing it for when they knew Dolores was in her room.”

The parents all huffed and pouted at his words.

“That’s what teenagers do,” Bruno sighed. “It’s mild compared to what you and Juli got up to Pepa.”

That perked the interest of everyone as Pepa and Julieta panicked and covered his mouth. Agustin turned red while Felix snickered, clearly remembering whatever it was.

“Read!” Julieta ordered frantically.

“Alma blinked in surprise. “The baker’s hijo? He's a nice boy.””

They all shot Bruno curious looks and he turned red.

“Wait you did?!” Pepa shrieked.

“We were both curious,” Bruno stammered. “His parents hated me though so… I didn’t want to get him in trouble. We never told anyone.”

Alma stared at her hijo in shock.

“He likes his one night stands,” Dolores mused. “He never got married and he seems happy.”

Bruno shot her a glare. “Don’t even think about it.”

She just smiled back.

“Pepa nodded while Julieta let out a laugh, already knowing where this was going.

“They think he’s gay now don’t they?”

Pepa snorted and nodded again. “They can’t get it into their heads that aromantic and asexual are two very different things. Juan doesn’t want a relationship, but both him and Bruno are attracted to each other. So they had some harmless fun together.””

“No strings attached,” Camilo nodded. “Makes sense.”

“That’s just… not done,” Alma said faintly.

“By the older generation. People are getting more open-minded now,” Dolores told her while Pepa shot Abuela a glare, daring her to judge Bruno.

Again.

““Did Bruno say anything?” Juli asked curiously.

“That it was fun but he still didn’t get why Felix and I did it so much,” Pepa snorted.

Alma laughed and Julieta snickered.”

Both Felix and Pepa looked at him and Bruno shrugged. “I still don’t. Leave Casita alone and stick to your room. Did you ever leave the honeymoon phase?”

Predictably, the niños all pulled faces at that and Pepa blushed. Felix didn’t seem to particularly care as he kept reading.

“She felt a little sad, knowing that her baby boy was also growing up, finding the courage to explore and learn about himself on his own.

But she’d raised her niños right. They knew how to stand up for themselves. They knew how to stand their ground and say no.

Now Alma had to trust them to live their lives, to make their own mistakes and overcome their own challenges.

And to find their happiness in whatever form it took.”

The triplets looked away, a range of emotions on their faces. Bruno looked sad and wistful, Pepa looked angry and Julieta just seemed upset.

““Congratulations,” Bruno mumbled as he shuffled into the room, barely awake.

His hermanas looked at him in confusion.

“To who?” Pepa asked, perplexed.

“Both of you,” Bruno yawned and dropped into his seat.

“Why?” Juli asked.

Alma was watching them with mild confusion as well. Felix and Agustin looked puzzled so they didn’t know either.”

Everyone looked at the book curiously. What was Bruno talking about?

The older family members were also a bit surprised that he was appearing at breakfast at all. He’d stopped years before his disappearance. Partially because of the tension whenever he entered the room and partially because Bruno was most definitely not a morning person.

““You’re gonna be parents. And Tia Maria won the bet.””

Camilo blinked while everyone gaped at Bruno.

“Nice. Just rip the bandaid off,” he commented.

“You just dropped it on them?!” Mirabel demanded.

“That wasn’t me!”

“Did you still have that vision?” Julieta asked quietly.

He winced and nodded. “I didn’t want to jinx anyone. Or worry you. Since you know, my visions are pretty well known as being bad.”

Both Pepa and Julieta looked pained.

“I had visions of all of them,” Bruno admitted softly.

“Can we see them later?” Julieta asked gently.

He nodded hesitantly after a moment.

“Alma dropped a plate.

Felix choked on his coffee.

Agustin straight up fainted.

Julieta and Pepa stared at their hermano, jaws hanging open.”

“I don’t know if I’m offended,” Isabela mused.

““No, I’m not telling you the genders,” Bruno added after a beat.

Pepa suddenly squealed and launched herself at him, knocking him out of his chair as she hugged him. 

Juli stared into space. “I’m going to be a mamá?” 

“It’s too early for this,” Bruno complained from where Pepa was hugging the life out of him.

Alma stared at him. She was going to be an Abuela? Already?!”

Felix leaned back. “Nice ending for once,” He pointed out.

Isabela fidgeted with her dress and looked at Dolores who looked equally as worried.

They were about to appear in the story and they didn’t know how to feel about that.

Other than terrified.

Chapter Text

Bruno got the book this time while Dolores and Isabela watched it like it was a snake about to bite them.

“Chapter Twelve, The Second Generation Begins.”

All of the niños winced and braced themselves.

“When am I going to appear?” Antonio asked innocently.

“Not for a while Toñito,” Pepa told him with a smile, making him pout.

“Lucky,” Mirabel and Camilo muttered.

““I saw it once and I won’t see it again!” Bruno shouted.”

Bruno grimaced, getting a haunted look in his eyes as he shuddered.

Agustin and Felix got the same looks on their faces.

“He was drowned out by Julieta’s screams and curses directed at her husband.

“We are never having sex again!” she shrieked.”

Several jaws dropped. They’d never expected that to come out of Julieta’s mouth.

Pepa was smirking about something and hiding it behind her hand while Julieta was glaring murderously at her.

“It’s still not fair,” she muttered.

“It’s not my fault. My niños were excited for the world.”

Julieta huffed while most of the room was confused.

“Bruno covered his ears and hummed, expression screwed up in disgust.

Pepa sat beside Felix, rubbing her own swollen stomach anxiously.

“This is terrifying,” she decided.

“It’s been ten hours…” Felix whispered in horror.”

Isabela choked. “Ten hours?!” her voice went up sharply in pitch.

Julieta crossed her arms, sulking about something. Agustin looked like he was remembering something traumatising.

Pepa was still smirking smugly about something.

“Alma worked with the midwife, the only calm in the chaos of her family. Sophia rolled her eyes at Bruno’s antics as he refused to come near Julieta’s room.

Maria was comforting Pepa who was really starting to fear her own upcoming labour.

“Is this normal?” Felix squeaked. “How long its taking?”

Maria patted his cheek. “Felix, mijo, you took fifteen hours. I cursed your papá to hell and back several times.”

He made a strangled sound and Pepa rested her head in her hands.”

“Fifteen hours?!” Isabela shrieked. “I’m never having kids!”

Dolores snorted at her clear panic while everyone else looked at her in confusion.

After all, Mariano had been pretty clear on wanting a hoard of niños after marriage.

“Isabela-” Alma started but Isabela shook her head frantically.

“No, nope, never, I refuse,” she didn’t seem to notice the cacti sprouting up around her.

“If you don’t want them, then don’t have them,” Bruno shrugged.

Julieta nodded in agreement, looking concerned over the panic in her hija’s eyes. It took Luisa a moment to calm her down again.

Julieta and Agustin shared a worried look. They definitely needed to talk to Isabela after this. Did she even want this marriage?

““Whoever said childbirth is a wonderful experience was definitely a man,” Bruno mumbled.

“Agreed,” Carlos sighed, sitting beside the younger man and wincing at every new scream.

It was a long night.”

“Agreed,” Pepa and Julieta muttered.

“The wails of a newborn drew everyone towards the room though. Juileta was exhausted but smiled adoringly at the small bundle in her arms. Agustin was leaning over her, awe on his face.”

Isabela found herself unable to help looking at her parents who both had soft smiles on their faces at the memory.

“That’s the good part of childbirth,” Pepa murmured.

Bruno smiled slightly before continuing.

“Julieta looked up and smiled at them when Pepa and Bruno peered in through the door.

“Come meet your sobrina,” she murmured tiredly.”

Bruno frowned slightly. He hadn’t been there right after. He’d met Isabela later that night when he gathered the courage to go to visit.

After a very unexpected vision of course. He’d been glad he waited since him having the vision in front of them would have made Julieta and Agustin panic.

““A girl?” Pepa breathed.”

“And a girl, and another girl, and another girl,” Camilo added, ducking when Mirabel tried to smack him. “It’s true!”

The adults chuckled at his antics. There had been a lot of girls until Camilo’s birth.

“Bruno didn’t look surprised. “What did you name her? I tried to avoid finding that out.”

Julieta’s smile widened a bit at that admission.

“Isabela. Our little flower,” she whispered, brushing at the wisps of dark hair on the baby’s head.”

Isabela flushed and looked down. It was weird having her birth being described. Thankfully not in great detail.

“Bruno looked at the little girl and his eyes flashed green, surprising everyone. He didn’t get the involuntary visions too often anymore.”

“What?” Alma asked in worry, sitting up as Bruno swallowed hard, pausing in his reading.

“Bruno?” Julieta asked in confusion.

“I didn’t want to worry you. It wasn’t anything bad,” he mumbled. “But… you know…”

“You hid a lot of visions from us, didn’t you?” Pepa asked, pained. 

“Lo siento.”

“No, don’t apologise. It’s our fault. We shouldn’t have listened to the villagers,” Julieta sighed.

Camilo scratched his head. “Wouldn’t hiding the good visions mean that everyone did believe you only gave bad ones?”

“I wasn’t exactly logical when I was panicking,” he muttered, flushing.

Camilo had a good point though. Was the villagers’ view of him influenced because he’d started hiding them out of fear of it turning out bad?

“Pepa reached out automatically to steady him as he lost himself to the future for a moment.

He saw a smiling little girl with long straight black hair and wide hazel eyes in front of a glowing golden door. She reached for it and the door blazed.”

“Oh,” Julieta breathed. “You knew they were going to get Gifts?”

Bruno just shrugged, not looking away from the page in front of him.

“Bruno blinked back to the present, seeing the familiar concern on everyone’s faces. He was usually a bit dazed after these since they were unexpected.

A chuckle escaped him. “She’s going to be a beautiful little girl,” he told Julieta. “And she’ll get a Gift on her fifth birthday.”

There were some surprised gasps at that. They hadn’t been sure if the magic would continue into the second generation. Wondering eyes turned back to little Isabela sleeping soundly against her mamá’s chest.

“What wonders will you bring us mi flor?” Julieta whispered.”

Mirabel frowned when she glanced at Isabela to find her staring at the ground with an unhappy twist to her lips.

She didn’t seem pleased with that. Why not? Her Gift was well-loved and adored by everyone.  It was wonderful and made everyone watch in awe. And Isabela loved her Gift too. 

Right?

Why wouldn’t she?

““Something amazing,” their mamá murmured, resting a hand on Julieta’s shoulder. “She will be amazing. And the Gift will be a nice perk too.”

They all laughed, not surprised that she was already downplaying the importance of the future Gift. Their mamá had spent years ensuring that they didn’t define themselves by their magic.

That would hardly change for her nieta.”

Most of the family looked down at that. That was a fundamental difference between their world and this other one.

Their Gifts did define them. Their usefulness to the village was everything.

Without it, what were they?

“Little Isabela completely captured all their hearts in a very short space of time. Alma especially was enamoured with her first nieta. She was a big help to Julieta and Agustin who were adjusting to an erratic sleep schedule.

Their sweet little flower wasn’t afraid to scream her lungs out when she was upset about something.”

Now Isabela flushed and Mirabel and Camilo snickered at that.

“Shut up,” she muttered, glaring at Dolores who had a tiny smirk tugging on her lips.

““How on earth did you do this with three of us?” Julieta asked her one early morning as Alma rocked Isabela to sleep while Juli collapsed in the rocking chair in the nursery.

Alma hummed. “Sheer stubbornness,” she chuckled, watching Isabela’s eyes slowly slip closed again.”

The triplets did have to give their mamá that. Babies were hard, They were impressed that she’d handled three of them on her own.

“Julieta watched them for a moment with a smile. Alma had taken to being an Abuela like she was born for it. And Isabela already adored her. Personally, she hoped they stayed close. Ever since the triplets grew up, she knew that her mamá missed this, missed babying them.

She rested her head against the back of the chair with a sigh while her mamá sang a familiar lullaby to Isabela.

Julieta remembered that. Remembered how much her mamá had loved Isabela. As time passed, she’d stayed focused on her oldest nieta and sometimes she thought that the others had been neglected as a result.

“Isabela was three months old when Pepa finally had her baby. Since Juli had been early and Pepa's pregnancy stretched later than it should have, the age difference between the children stretched from the expected two months to three.”

Dolores and Isabela glanced at each other. Their close age had resulted in them being very close when they were young. That had changed after their fifth birthdays. Dolores had been pushed into the background as Isabela took centre stage.

Dolores sometimes felt a bit bitter over that.

Isabela was sure that a part of her prima hated her for it.

Their relationship had never been the same.

“"I hate you," Julieta deadpanned as she glared at her hermana.”

Julieta scowled and Pepa’s smile widened.

“Pepa only gave her a sheepish grin.

"Four hours?! Instead of fourteen?!"”

Camilo tried very hard to hide his snickering.

“Ouch,” Mirabel grimaced. “That sucks.”

“The others laughed at her complaints over the unfairness. The village wouldn't be complaining. The labour had brought down one hell of a storm on the Encanto. They were probably relieved it was only four hours.”

Pepa’s smile disappeared at that and Felix scowled. The village had complained for months over the storm. And they’d made comments when Pepa was pregnant again with Camilo.

She’d been upset and self-conscious about it ever since.

“Bruno approached his hermana to see the little bundle with hints of curly hair. Felix was beaming like an idiot and Pepa smiled at him.

"Another little girl, but you already knew that."

He smiled sheepishly. "What did you name her?"

Pepa looked down with an adoring smile.

"Dolores."

He smiled at the sleeping baby. Their latest addition to the family.

He knew they'd only continue to expand.”

“And boy did we,” Camilo looked around pointedly.

Pepa rolled her eyes fondly at her hijo. She and Felix had always wanted a big, noisy family though. So she was glad that’s exactly what they got.

“The moment the girls were mobile, the triplets regretted everything they put their mamá through as toddlers.

"Isabela! Get off the table!'

"Dolores! Out of the cupboards!"”

Mirabel and Camilo snorted as Dolores and Isabela flushed. Bruno just chuckled to himself at the memories.

“The poor parents were relieved to get help from the rest of the family. Their parents were always eager to help, adoring their nietas, and Bruno was smitten with the girls as well. He surprised himself with how comfortable he was with the little ones, happy to take one when their parents needed a rest.”

Felix and Agustin were surprised. They’d never considered their parents helping with the niños. They must have become very close to their nietos as a result.

Alma hadn’t liked having others in the house for very long unless it was for a party or formal event though.

“The girls both had very clear favourites when it came to babysitters though. 

Isabela adored her Abuela and Alma returned the affection happily. The little girl tottered after her Abuela throughout the house as she did her own things, giving Agustin and Julieta a much-needed break.

Isabela had turned out to be a demanding little one, crying when she wanted something or someone.

The kid had one hell of a set of lungs on her.”

“That she does,” Mirabel muttered.

Isabela shot her a heated glare, still blushing. She was a delicate lady like her Abuela had taught her to be.

Ladies didn’t scream or shout. It was unbecoming for the oldest girl of the family.

Even if she did want to scream a lot. 

“Dolores was a lot quieter, and more likely to sleep through the night much to Pepa and Felix's relief.”

“So surprising,” Camilo said rolling his eyes and getting a glare from his hermana.

“She only had to turn those big, brown eyes towards her Tio Bruno though and he just melted, carrying her around and making her giggle.”

There was some surprised blinking but Pepa smiled wistfully.

“Dolores loved Bruno,” she sighed.

Dolores was looking down at her dress. She still remembered the devastation she’d felt when she realised that he’d gone into hiding and that things wouldn’t be the same again.

“The girls couldn't be more different. And yet they were practically joined at the hip. Isabela and Dolores adored each other and played together happily when they weren't with their parents or the other adults. It wasn't an uncommon sight to see Isabela running as fast as her little legs could carry her and for Dolores to be following close behind. Just a lot more careful and needing a lot less of Julieta's food for scrapes and scratches.”

Camilo and Mirabel frowned at that. Isabela running around and getting hurt from being reckless? 

Were they talking about the same person? 

Isabela was all graceful and careful. All smiles and perfect posture and behaviour. 

Isabela wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. It was a different world. A different her. It was fine, she was young. That would change when she had to take her responsibilities to the family seriously. 

It would change. She couldn’t act like that, like Mirabel could. She needed to be perfect.

“"They're more like hermanas than primas," Julieta chuckled one evening, Isabela dozing in her arms.”

Both girls flinched and looked away at that. That was a long time ago…

Camilo and Mirabel glanced at each other, remembering how their own close bond was strained after their Gift Ceremonies.

“Bruno was in the armchair they'd moved to the nursery, Dolores sleeping on his chest.

"Nothing wrong with that," he murmured softly. "They're being raised together. They're living in the same room. It's natural that they're close."

"I'm glad they are," Julieta admitted. "We had each other when we grew up, as triplets. I'm glad that these two will have each other. I hope they always stay close."

"Me too," Bruno admitted, smiling as Dolores cuddled closer in her sleep.”

Both of them flinched again, Dolores biting her lip and Isabela fidgeting with her dress. The adults were all thinking back and trying to remember when that closeness had vanished.

Bruno continued staring at the pages, knowing exactly when it happened.

And why.

“He didn't need visions to know that these girls would grow into amazing women. They were his hermanas' niñas after all.”

“And they did,” he said quietly.

“Sí,” Pepa murmured with a soft smile, Julieta nodding.

Dolores gave them a shy smile but Isabela hid a grimace.

A perfect hija. A perfect nieta.

Perfect, perfect, perfect.

“"Congratulations," Bruno mumbled as he shuffled into the kitchen.”

“Seriously?” Pepa hissed.

“Pepa froze where she was feeding Dolores while Julieta's head whipped around, cloth she'd been using to clean Isabela's face hovering in midair.

Everyone stared at the half-asleep seer.

"To who?" Alma was the one to ask.

"Julieta," Bruno yawned. "No, I still won't tell you the gender."

Agustin fainted again. Julieta dropped the cloth in shock.”

“Does this happen every time?” Camilo wondered.

“"Oh thank goodness, I wasn't ready for another one," Pepa breathed. Felix nodded fervently in agreement.”

“Hey!” Dolores and Camilo said at the same time, both offended.

“Mija, I love you, but you got into everything.”

Dolores pouted at her mamá.

“You were probably a menace,” Mirabel said to Camilo.

He opened his mouth to argue, paused, then shrugged. He couldn’t really argue. He was a little shit and he was proud of that.

“Alma patted Julieta’s shoulder and put a coffee cup in front of Bruno. He made a thankful noise and started sipping at the drink. 

Dolores and Isabela frowned up at their parents. They were so weird…”

“And everyone thought Felix and I would be having all the niños,” Pepa teased.

Julieta shot her a glare and Bruno shrunk down in between them. He didn’t want to be caught in the crossfire.

“Who’s reading next?”

“I will,” Agustin offered as the hermanas glared at each other.

Dolores and Isabela grimaced. This could only go downhill from now on.

Luisa was dreading her own appearance.

“Chapter Thirteen,” Agustin read. “Growing the Family.”

“And boy did it grow.”

Mirabel managed it hit Camilo for his comment that time.

“Ow! What?! It did! What?! I can’t say that it did now?! We have eleven people in this house! Twelve if you count Tio Bruno! It grew!”

“You’re a smart ass.”

“You called me smart.”

“Shut up.”

Chapter Text

Agustin spoke over the bickering primos and started reading the chapter.

“Isabela pressed her hands against her mamá's stomach with wide, curious eyes.

"Do you think you're getting a hermanito or a hermanita?" Julieta asked with a soft smile.

Isabela screwed up her face as she thought.

"Hermanita," she decided firmly.”

Julieta chuckled. “You were very adamant about that,” she told Isabela with a smile.

The poor girl was flushing as everyone cooed.

“Dolores watched quietly with wide eyes from her mamá's lap.

Both two-year-olds were fascinated with the idea of a new baby. Isabela trailed her mamá everywhere now.

It really was the cutest thing.”

“That didn’t change either,” Agustin sighed. “You were so curious about everything that was happening Isa. And very impatient for Luisa to get here.”

Isabela hid a frown. Impatience was also not a good trait for a lady to have.

“When Julieta went into labour though, Pepa and Felix were quick to grab both girls and go for a walk outside so they wouldn't have to hear anything traumatising.

Bruno resigned himself to hearing Julieta's creative swearing again and nine hours later he went to fetch the others where they had the girls napping between them as the sun set.”

“Nine hours,” Isabela breathed, looking terrified at the mere thought.

“Not as bad as you apparently,” Mirabel muttered, gaining a glare from her hermana.

“Isabela raced up to her mama's bed when they opened the door to her room, eyes wide and excited. Agustin helped her up onto the bed and she stared at the new baby in awe.

"Meet your hermanita Isa," Julieta murmured tiredly. "Luisa."

"Luisa?" Isabela whispered while Dolores watched curiously from her papá's arms.

Julieta nodded.

"Sí, your hermana." 

Isabela beamed.”

Had she really been that happy to have a hermana? She couldn’t remember. She didn’t really get to spend much time with Luisa after she got her Gift. And she’d barely spent any time with Mirabel.

That made her sad for some reason. Even if she was still irritated with her for messing up the dinner.

“Isabela approached having a hermanita with all the seriousness that Julieta approached being the oldest triplet. She was determined to be the best hermana ever.

At first, they were worried about Dolores getting jealous. She quickly put that worry to rest as she adored Luisa just as much as Isabela did.”

“You were all so close in the beginning,” Julieta said wistfully and the three girls looked at each other.

Mirabel shifted uncomfortably. She hadn’t really been close to either hermana or her prima. Camilo was the person she was closest to.

“Isabela spent hours talking to the new baby, telling her about all the fun stuff they'd do when she was older. Dolores preferred to quietly watch or hum softly to little Luisa.

Either way, the girls took to a new baby in the house without any problem.”

“Nothing really seems different here,” Agustin admitted. “That’s how it happened here too.”

“Luisa, it quickly became apparent, was a sweet little daddy's girl. While Isabela was excitable and impulsive, Luisa was quieter and was always happier when in her papá's arms.”

“Excitable?” Mirabel asked.

“Impulsive?” Camilo sounded just as dubious.

Isabela shot them both a glare.

“I grew up. Something you both don’t seem capable of,” she bit back.

“I wouldn’t want to grow up if I turned into a bitch,” Mirabel muttered, gaining gasps from everyone.

“Mirabel!” Abuela said sharply.

Mirabel bit her lip but refused to take it back. It was true. Isabela had been a bitch for as long as she could remember.

At least to her.

“She is,” Camilo muttered, not looking at anyone.

Pepa frowned at her hija. Camilo wasn’t the type to just throw insults like that around.

“We don’t use that language in this house,” Julieta scolded.

Mirabel wouldn’t look at her but she still refused to apologise or take it back. Camilo was the same.

Isabela was glaring at them. Luisa was looking stressed and Abuela looked seconds away from grounding them.

Until Dolores opened her mouth and blurted out, “She is to them.”

Silence fell.

“What?” Pepa asked in confusion while Dolores blushed and ducked her head.

Isabela’s head whipped around to face her prima in shock and betrayal.

Dolores didn’t look at anyone and Bruno sighed.

“Isabela is so stressed most days that she doesn’t have the patience to deal with excitable and energetic kids. She snaps at Camilo and Mirabel more often than not.” He shrugged. “I saw a lot when I was in the walls.”

“What do you mean stressed?” Julieta asked, looking at Isabela.

“Juli,” Bruno shot her an unimpressed look. “Every single niño in this house except for Antonio is stressed out of their minds and one bad day away from a breakdown.”

Everyone gaped at him.

“Fair,” Camilo shrugged.

“Cami?” Pepa asked shakily.

“I forgot I was shifted the other day,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Pepa and Felix went pale at that.

“Dolores had to find me and snap me out of it.” He looked away, uncomfortable.

“I almost shouted at the last person to ask me who’s having an affair with who,” Dolores sighed, seeing as Bruno had outed them.

“Mirabel is a pot about to blow with all the stuff she’d holding back with the comments she always gets.”

“I’m fine-”

“No you’re not,” Both Dolores and Camilo said at once.

“Well, Luisa is so overworked she doesn’t ever get a break and she’s constantly worried about disappointing someone,” Mirabel snapped, angry at them airing that bit of information. She couldn't be more of a burden on the family than she already was.

Luisa went pale this time as Julieta and Agustin whipped around to look at her.

“Her eye twitches a lot lately,” Dolores murmured.

Everyone looked at Isabela who straightened under the scrutiny.

“I’m fine.”

Dolores narrowed her eyes while Mirabel rolled hers. Of course Señora Perfecta was fine.

Dolores continued to stare at Isabela whose eyes went wide.

“Don’t you dare.”

“Then you tell them.”

“There’s nothing wrong.”

“Lies.”

“I’m perfectly fine!”

“Then why’d you have a breakdown in your room the other day?”

Silence fell over them all.

“Reminds me of our childhood,” Bruno said dryly.

“Not the time,” Pepa hissed and Bruno held up his hands in surrender.

All the members of the second generation shifted nervously under the stares of their parents.

“We’ll talk about this later,” Julieta said after a moment.

They grimaced but nodded reluctantly so Agustin could continue reading.

“"I want one," Dolores pouted one day, the four-year-old cuddled up in her Tio Bruno's lap. They were watching Isabela playing with Luisa in the courtyard.

"A hermana?" Bruno asked.

She shook her head though. "I've got hermanas. Isa and Luisa are my hermanas. I want a hermanito."”

Camilo blinked in surprise while Pepa smiled at the memory. Dolores had been pretty adamant about getting a hermano.

“He chuckled at the firm, decisive tone.

"Well, your mamá isn't ready to have another baby yet. So you'll have to wait a little bit before you find out if you'll get one."

"Can't you just tell me?" She complained.

He laughed softly. “Lo siento mi sobrina. But no spoiling big surprises like this."

She gave a long-suffering sigh and he bit back a laugh.”

Bruno shifted uncomfortably, remembering the last time he gave Dolores a vision. Pepa had been livid and Dolores had avoided him for a while.

And then he left…

“"Ay I swear you come back covered in mud more often than you don't," Julieta said in exasperation, holding her hija out at arm's length.

Isabela was covered in mud, all over her skin, hair and clothes. She was also beaming happily.”

“Eh?” Camilo asked as everyone blinked in surprise, including Isabela.

“Ew,” Dolores wrinkled her nose at the thought.

“Mud?” Abuela asked in horror. Why was no one watching her to prevent that?

“"I made mud cakes!" She said excitedly.

Julieta looked down at Dolores who had been playing with Isabela now that the rain had cleared. Her hands were covered in mud as she looked up curiously, a tiny smudge of mud on her cheek the only other evidence of what she'd been doing.

How did she stay so clean in comparison?”

“Dolores doesn’t like dirt,” Pepa shrugged.

Her hija nodded in agreement, clearly not happy at the mention of her having even a little mud on her.

Isabela was trying not to be bothered by the disapproving expression on her Abuela’s face. She didn’t doubt her counterpart was in for one hell of a lecture now.

“"And we made a friend!" Isabela declared, pointing at the muddy boy who was still putting together mud cakes.

Julieta was fifty percent sure the muddy boy was Mariano Guzman. She couldn't quite tell through the mud.”

Both Isabela and Dolores stiffened. They were… friends with Mariano in that world? Dolores clenched her hands in her dress, remembering that the dinner that was interrupted was the engagement dinner between her prima and the man she loved.

…she desperately didn’t want that mentioned in this book.

“She sighed.

"That's really not how a little lady should behave," someone nearby muttered.”

Isabela hid a flinch. And here it came.

“Julieta shot them a sharp look while the three kids all looked over.

"Excuse me?" She asked dangerously.”

Abuela frowned at Julieta’s reaction. The woman had a point. A lady did not behave like that.

“The woman flushed but straightened. "Look at her! At least little Dolores is mostly clean."

"Dolores doesn't like dirt," Pepa said, having come up behind the woman. "Isabela doesn't care. Why should she? She's four."”

Isabela frowned, glancing up at her Tia. She didn’t seem to disagree with her counterpart, nodding slightly.

“"As the oldest hija in your family, you should really expect more!" The woman burst out.”

And there is was. The oldest hija. She had to be perfect, a role model, a good example of the family for everyone.

She had to be graceful. She had to be kind. She had to be patient. She had to be willing to help at a moment’s notice.

And she had to look perfect while doing it all.

“Julieta narrowed her eyes. She was pretty sure this was one of the girls who had harassed Bruno when they were younger.”

Bruno winced at the thought.

“"She's four," their mamá said dryly as she came up as well. "As for expectations as the oldest girl, I expect Isabela to grow up doing what makes her happy. Not what makes you happy."”

Isabela’s world screeched to a halt and her breathing hitched. Dolores’ eyes had widened and she shot a panicked look at her.

“What?” Isabela asked, feeling like the world was off-kilter suddenly.

Not… perfect? Just… happy?

Isabela clenched her hands so tightly that her nails drew blood from her palms.

Not the perfect hija?

Not the perfect nieta?

Not the perfect example of the family?

She could do what she wanted, play in the mud if she wanted to?

Be… be her?

"That's really not proper," Abuela was saying.

"They have a point," Julieta argued.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair.

Isabela looked up to find Dolores watching her in concern. They'd been so close until their Gifts. Until Isabela had to be perfect and didn't have time for playing, for spending time with her prima, for friends…

It wasn't fair.

"I can't imagine Isabela playing in the mud," Mirabel muttered.

Camilo agreed, slouching in his seat next to her.

They didn't need to have perfect posture. Something that came naturally to Dolores. 

Dolores had always been a little lady, dainty and soft-spoken.

It had never been natural or easy for Isabela. Why couldn't she be the example?

They were only a few months apart!

Why did Isabela have to be something she wasn't?

"It's not fair," she whispered, clenching her hands in her skirt, probably getting blood on it.

Everyone looked at her in confusion but Isabela hardly noticed.

It wasn't fair it wasn't fair it wasn't fair-

She snapped as Abuela opened her mouth. Probably to scold her.

Ladies don't complain. Ladies don't act like this.

Isabela didn't want to be this way though. Why couldn't she just be herself?

Why wasn't she good enough without the act?

She buried her face in her hands and screamed, plants exploding around her.

Dolores clapped her hands over her ears while Camilo and Mirabel jumped so high they fell off their couch.

Luisa was saying something, sounding scared. Everyone was talking at once, there was thunder and yelling and Isabela just knew that Dolores had probably huddled in on herself in the middle of it all.

She forgot about all of that when familiar arms wrapped around her. Her scream tapered off into hiccuping sobs as her mamá pulled her close, running her fingers through Isabela's hair and murmuring soothingly to her.

It had been years since her mamá held her like this. Because she was grown up and shouldn't need this comfort anymore. 

That didn't mean she didn't crave it. Didn't grow jealous when she saw her mamá fussing over Mirabel. When she saw Dolores still getting that attention from her Tia Pepa.

She'd missed this so much.

Her mamá held her as close as possible, whispering endearments that Isabela had last heard in childhood.

She couldn't even blame her mamá. She'd been the one to push away the affection, to claim that she was too old for it. Her Abuela’s approving smile had meant everything to her then.

Now she hated it because it meant she'd shoved another part of her into a box, never to see the light of day again.

When her sobbing had quieted down to quiet sniffling, her mamá spoke. She didn't let go of Isabela which she was thankful for.

She didn't want to face the family after that.

"Mija?" Her mamá cooed like she did to Mirabel.

Always the baby of the family.

"What's wrong mi flor?" She continued. 

Isabela should have insisted that nothing was wrong. That it was the stress of this situation, of hearing about this strange world.

But she was tired of acting okay.

"It's not fair," she whispered, voice hoarse from the screaming and crying.

"What isn't?" Her mamá asked, infinitely patient.

"She got to be herself."

The words were sour on her tongue but it felt freeing to say them.

There was a beat of silence before her mamá was coaxing her chin up. She reluctantly looked up at her.

Her mamá was frowning but her eyes only showed concern.

"What do you mean mija?"

Isabela swallowed, not daring to look at Abuela.

"She got to be herself. She didn't have to be perfect or graceful or a proper lady. She got to play in the mud and hang out with Dolores. It's… it's not fair."

She looked away from her mamá, accidentally catching her prima’s eyes. Dolores looked sad, expression understanding. Isabela knew she hadn't managed to hide it all from her.

When she looked back at her mamá who looked pained, Isabela decided that she might as well go for broke.

"I don't even want to marry Mariano," she mumbled, heart racing at the confession.

Her mamá inhaled sharply, her papá gasped and Dolores squeaked.

Apparently that was a secret she actually managed to keep from her prima.

"Oh Isa," her mamá breathed and tears pricked her eyes again. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"It was for the good of the family," she whispered.

Her mamá’s eyes hardened.

"No. No matter what happens, none of you will ever marry for anything but love."

She took a deep breath as Isabela sniffled again.

"Do you love him mija?"

"No," Isabela closed her eyes. "I barely even know him."

They'd never been friends here.

Her mamá pulled her close. "Then the wedding's off."

"Julieta-"

"No," her mamá snapped at Abuela. "No niño in this house will marry unless it's what they want. Not what others want."

A heavy silence fell again.

"I agree," Tia Pepa said, voice softer than usual. "And you'll get a storm crashing down on your head if you try and force my niños into anything."

Isabela felt both embarrassed by everything and relieved. She'd bottled that up inside for so long…

"Does that mean you're not mad about the dinner anymore?" Mirabel asked almost timidly.

Isabela sighed. "I wanted to get it over with. I was mad I'd have to go through it all again."

"Oh…"

The silence was almost unbearable this time.

"Lo siento," Mirabel muttered.

Isabela didn't feel any satisfaction from that. She shouldn't have taken her frustration out on Mirabel.

"Lo siento," she sighed.

"We are going to have a very, very long talk after this all," her mamá said sternly.

Isabela winced but nodded.

Her papá still took a long moment to continue reading after he'd stared at her with a pained expression for a moment.

"She glared down the woman who wilted under the look.

“Abuela! I made mud cakes!” Isabela cried out happily, too young to understand, or care, about what a stranger was saying."

Isabela flinched and let her mamá pull her into a closer hug. 

"Mariano was back to making his mud cakes, clearly not caring.

Dolores was frowning at the woman though, a little downturn of her mouth showing that she was upset."

"Oh boy," Camilo muttered.

"Abuela turned to say something to Isabela, already smiling.

A loud splat echoed in the air, cutting her off."

"You didn't," Camilo whispered, wide-eyed as he stared at his hermana. 

Dolores flushed.

"It's not me," she argued weakly.

"You'd still definitely do it," Camilo was grinning widely now.

"They all turned to stare at the rude woman who was staring at Dolores speechlessly as a mud cake dripped down her cheek.

Dolores blinked innocently up at her.

“Oops,” she smiled sweetly. “It slipped.”"

There was a moment of stunned silence before most of the room broke out into laughter.

"That was brilliant!" Mirabel shrieked.

"That's mi hija," Pepa cooed proudly.

Felix could hardly breathe he was laughing so hard.

Dolores was blushing while Camilo grinned at her with that 'my hermana is awesome' smile that was usually reserved for when they were in private.

Alma didn't know how to react while Julieta and Bruno fully blamed Pepa's influence.

"Pepa started howling with laughter. Julieta sighed.

“Good aim,” Abuela complimented. “But only throw things at people that are mean to the familia.”

Dolores nodded somberly in understanding."

Dolores raised an eyebrow at receiving praise instead of a tongue lashing.

"Alma found Julieta standing in the kitchen doorway, staring up at the candle.

“Nervous?” she asked gently.

Julieta gave her a wry smile. “My baby is turning five tomorrow and apparently going to get a magical Gift. Of course I'm nervous.""

Isabela wondered if the Gift changed anything. If her counterpart had to change who she was because of it.

"Alma looked at her.

"What is really worrying you Juli?" She asked gently.

Julieta swallowed hard. "What if her Gift is amazing and useful and the village… tries to pressure her like they tried with us?""

Julieta held Isabela tighter at that. She felt like she'd failed her hija. Failed all of them. 

"Alma looked up at the candle.

"Then I will do what I did back then. I will stop them. And so will you. You're her mamá Juli. I've seen how protective you get when they try anything with Pepa and Bruno. You'll be even worse if they try it with your hija.""

Pepa and Bruno looked at each other. Julieta had tried. But their mamá always had the final say.

"Julieta let out a shaky breath.

"I never told you how much I appreciated you protecting us," she whispered."

Alma flinched slightly, looking at her niños who weren't even glancing in her direction. They were focused entirely on her nietos.

"“Mija, don’t be silly,” she scolded gently. “I’m your mamá. I’ll always protect you. That’s never going to change. And I’m Isabela’s Abuela. I’ll be damned if anyone hurts or tries to use my nieta.”"

Isabela let out a quiet scoff that she couldn't quite hold back. 

What a joke.

"Julieta turned and hugged her tightly.

“Gracias,” she whispered.

Alma held her tight. Her niños had grown up.

But they were still her niños. She'd always protect them."

Alma wondered if she'd truly failed them in that. She'd prioritised the Miracle because it was important, the last thing Pedro gave them.

But…

"The day was planned to perfection. Mariano was invited over since he'd become a good friend of Isabela and Dolores. The cake was baked, Isabela’s favourite breakfast prepared.

Birthdays were always a special day in the Madrigal family.

This one even more so."

It was still so bizarre to hear about a birthday just being for them. Isabela remembered being completely overwhelmed during her fifth birthday.

"Alma gripped the candle tightly and smiled, tears in her eyes as Julieta and Agustin led their hija up to the glowing golden door.

Isabela stared at it in wonder as she reached out for the doorknob.

The door blazed.

A new chapter of magic began."

The grandkids all looked at each other.

It was definitely going downhill from here.

Chapter Text

Dolores took the book this time since Isabela was still a mess. After taking a deep breath, she started reading.

“Chapter Fourteen. New Magic.”

"The family watched in awe as Isabela ran around the courtyard, throwing little flowers up into the air as she shrieked with delight.

Dolores and Mariano had run over to join her, little Luisa following after them when she managed to squirm out of her mamá's arms.

Julieta let out a disbelieving laugh as she looked at her husband.

"Our little flower. Her Gift is flowers," she murmured wonderingly."

Isabela tried to imagine getting her Gift without the village there. Being able to discover it without people demanding to see the new Gift.

She couldn't. 

Her life had been a show for years now. A show for the benefit of the village.

""Probably more than flowers," her mamá mused, watching the children play. "I hardly think it would be that limited. No doubt she'll learn more about it as she grows older."

There were several frowns, including from Isabela. What did she mean? Isabela's vines maybe?

"Julieta stared ahead while Bruno suddenly got dragged into the game the kids had started playing.

"If my hija starts growing poison ivy I'm going to have words with papá when I die," she muttered."

Poison ivy? Isabela looked down at her hands. She'd… she'd never tried for anything other than flowers and vines.

Looking around her seat, the plants from her breakdown were still there. And they weren't flowers. They were a mix of completely different plants. Could she actually…

""Get in line," her mamá patted her arm. "I've got first dibs. Weather control and visions of the future. At five."

She walked off muttering to herself about her well-meaning idiot of a husband."

"Fair point," Camilo shrugged. 

No one could actually argue.

"Julieta tucked a completely tired-out Isabela into bed that night in her brand new room while most of the adults worked on cleaning up the flowers and petals scattered through Casita. Agustin put Luisa to bed and Pepa asked Bruno to tuck Dolores in for them as she concentrated on coaxing the wind into helping her gather the petals up."

Pepa was the one to blink in surprise this time. Actively using the wind to help out? She'd always tried to suppress it.

Were there sides to her Gift that she'd never discovered?

"“Tio?” The quiet girl asked as he smoothed the blankets down.

“Hmm?” he looked up at her curious eyes.

“Am I gonna get magic on my birthday too?”

He sat down on the edge of the bed. “Probably,” he admitted. “It looks like everyone’s going to get magic when they turn five.”"

Dolores thought wistfully of the faded memories of her childhood before Tio Bruno left. Before the vision drove a division between them. She'd adored him and she vaguely remembered some late-night conversations.

"“What do you think I’ll get?”

“I don’t know little one. I don’t like spoiling the surprise for me too.”

She pouted up at him a bit and he chuckled.

“Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll fit you though. Something that you will learn is perfect for you.”"

Everyone looked a bit confused at his wording. A small frown tugged at Dolores' lips. Perfect for her? How was super hearing perfect? She didn't like breaching people's privacy. But that's all her Gift did.

Bruno himself was looking down at his hands. His Gift? Perfect for him? Maybe perfect for Bad luck Bruno…

"“Perfect for me?” she asked in confusion.

He nodded. “Like my visions. It took me a while but I figured out why I got that Gift,” he smiled softly at her. “Because, even if it’s bad, I like to see what’s coming. Whether that’s something happy that makes everyone smile or something bad that we can prepare for. My Gift was perfect for me because of who I am. Do you know why your mamá’s is perfect for her?”"

Bruno's head snapped up to stare at the book. He said it so easily, like it was that simple.

And maybe it was once, but with his reputation in tatters, his Gift was more of a Curse. It had brought him nothing but pain and trouble in the end. And the same to the Encanto.

"She thought about it for a moment, little brow wrinkling as she concentrated.

“Cause it lets mamá protect us,” she decided. “Cause mamá is strong enough to control the weather and make it protect the family.”

He smiled at her and nodded."

Pepa hadn't thought of it like that before. Her Gift brought rain and sunny days. And if it didn't, it was an inconvenience. 

How did it protect them? Beyond losing her temper of course.

"“And your Tia?” 

“She’s always happy when she can make other people feel better.”"

Julieta nodded absently to herself. That was the core of it for her she supposed.

"He nodded again. “Now, can you figure out why Isa’s is perfect for her?”"

Isabela flicked a glance at her prima who was focused on the pages completely. 

"Dolores chewed on her lip as she thought about it. She was such a serious little girl and it was adorable to watch her carefully think all his questions over.

“Cause Isa’s wild. Like the jungle,” she decided eventually."

Isabela dropped her gaze? Wild? Hardly. More like a prisoner to the Encanto's expectations and demands. And her Abuela's.

"Bruno beamed at her and kissed the top of her head. “Smart little girl,” he complimented, drawing a smile from her. “And whatever your Gift ends up being, it’ll be perfect for you. Okay?”

She nodded, more satisfied with this answer.

He waited a bit until she drifted off as well and then slipped out to help with the clean-up."

"You always were good with them," Pepa sighed wistfully, looking up at her hermano.

He looked away. Ten years away from them would have destroyed any relationship he had with his sobrinos, he was sure of it.

"The village was fascinated by Isabela’s Gift when they went into town with her. She was happy to hand out little flowers that she created, still riding on the high of having magic. But then, inevitably, she got bored and went back to playing with Mariano and Dolores."

Isabela winced. Just like that. She could go back to doing what she wanted just like that. So easily.

She was so very jealous and it was an ugly feeling. But one she was familiar with by now.

"Some villagers complained a bit but not too much when Julieta turned a glare on them. Isabela was oblivious to the mutters about how she could be helping to make the town beautiful instead of playing in the mud.

Again."

Dolores wrinkled her nose at the thought which drew a few chuckles.

"Dolores didn’t miss it though, and there were a few more ‘slips’ with the mud pies."

Camilo snickered again.

"At some point, as the kids played and the adults shopped, a few people approached Alma."

"That seems ominous," Mirabel remarked. She was still dreading getting to her appearance.

"“Dolores’ birthday is in three months right?” the leader asked excitedly."

Pepa stiffened. Anyone could see where this was going. 

"Alma was immediately suspicious. “Sí,” she answered slowly. “It is. They’re three months apart.”"

At least this version of her mamá shared her wariness.

"The woman clapped excitedly. “Well, we were thinking, what if we made it a big party? We can cater and have music and it can be a proper fiesta! It’s a huge thing for them to be getting magic after all.”"

Dolores couldn't help but grimace. Her Gift Ceremony had been a disaster with her breaking down into sobbing at the loud noises and her mamá bringing a storm down.

Which didn't help her poor ears at all.

"It was the last line that gave away their true motive. They wanted to see it, see the little ones getting their magic, and to feel like they were a part of it."

"Nice summary," Bruno sighed. 

It was true. The village wanted to feel important, like they were part of the magic.

"She was certainly not going to let them take the focus away from her nieta’s special day. Gaining magic or not, the day was about celebrating the niños, not the magic, the candle or anything else."

Dolores tilted her head. She hoped her counterpart didn't have to go through the mess of a birthday that she did.

"“That’s kind of you to offer,” she started diplomatically, “But birthdays are a private event for our family. We only invite close friends. We don’t want to turn it into a large party. Besides, that would overwhelm the little ones. They hardly know the entire village after all. And the day is about them, so they should be happy and comfortable.”"

Simple, polite one to the point. It actually sounded like Julieta when talking to a villager after Mirabel and Camilo did something when they were younger.

"The group faltered a bit before trying again.

“But certainly this birthday can be different,” she tried again. “It means so much to the village, to see the candle working to further protect the Encanto.”"

Most of the family tried to hide a grimace.

For the good of the Encanto. To protect their home. To earn the Miracle.

They'd heard it all before.

"Alma cocked her head. “What on earth are you talking about?”

They stared at her."

The family stared at the book.

"“Protect the Encanto? Hardly. My family keeps gaining Gifts because they are from my Pedro. And I still question his decisions sometimes. But just because they gain magic does not mean that they are suddenly in service to the community or anything. It is a skill that is theirs to use however they wish to. I’m going to be frank with you. I will not be allowing you to hijack my nieta’s birthday so that you can have a party and feel important. Dolores’ birthday will be about her. It will be her special day. And when Luisa reaches five, it will be her special day. Every birthday in the Madrigal family is the same. The village is not invited.”"

Every time this version of Alma told the villagers 'no' it surprised them all over again. And when she did, when she calmly explained why they were wrong, it made them realise how entitled the villagers sounded.

How entitled they were.

They often acted as if the Gifts did belong to them, that they were there just for their convenience.

The Madrigals as people came second to their Gifts.

It was an unpleasant realisation.

"She walked away from the gaping group, shaking her head. Honestly, the nerve of them, trying to intrude on a private family event."

The birthdays should have been private. Especially when they were young. Pepa and Julieta found themselves regretting not realising that earlier. They should have realised that their own childhood had been lacking.

Their niños deserved better.

"Why on earth would she want the entire village at a five-year-old’s birthday party? It would only stress the poor dear out.

No, she did everything she could to make every birthday special. 

The village had no right to try and touch that."

Dolores fell silent and glanced around the room. Her parents and Tia and Tio looked guilty and deep in thought. Tio Bruno just seemed resigned. Isabela still seemed one bad chapter away from another breakdown and Luisa was starting to look depressed. Camilo and Mirabel looked wistful though and it broke her heart a little. They were still young enough that birthdays meant something to them. 

And Antonio…

She wanted them to have what she didn't. Even if it was late.

Pepa took the book this time with a sigh. "Chapter Fifteen. She Can Hear a Pin Drop."

Dolores sighed. Great. Her turn.

Chapter Text

Pepa gave her hija a sympathetic look before reading.

Dolores just braced herself.

"Dolores stared up at the glowing door with wide eyes. Her parents stood on either side of her while the rest of the family watched from a bit of a distance."

Here we go. She found herself tensing despite everyone already knowing how badly it had gone.

"She reached out to touch the doorknob and let out a gasp as her hands flew to her ears,

"Dolores?" Pepa asked in concern and her worry only grew when she whimpered, pressing against her ears.

Alma frowned, looking at the door as it settled.

"Ah," she whispered. "

"Always a good hint,". Mirabel muttered.

She never even got a carving. Her door vanished before it could appear. 

A thought at the back of her mind whispered that she might have got a Gift in this world. Where everything was better. The idea hurt.

"She waved to get her hija’s attention and gestured to the door as she walked closer.

"Dolores," she kept her voice at barely a whisper and her nieta looked up at her with wide, overwhelmed eyes. "Is it your hearing?"

She nodded as realisation dawned on everyone."

Dolores felt a little jealous. The moments after getting her Gift were just pain, pain, pain, pain-

Everyone talking, asking questions, Abuela demanding answers.

Her mamá and papá trying to figure out why she was sobbing, the sound only making it worse.

Eventually, they'd ignored Abuela and swept her into her room to find silence. Sweet, sweet silence.

She hadn't left her room all night and she knew Abuela was disappointed in how the night went.

"Pepa hurriedly gathered her hija close as everyone else fell silent.

"Dolores," Alma said again, voice still so soft. "Can you do something for me? Can you focus on your mamá's heartbeat?""

Dolores' eyebrow rose in surprise. That was a coping mechanism she'd learned on her own when she was much older.

"Dolores twisted her head slightly and after a moment she relaxed a bit, snuggling closer to Pepa as she listened to that steady beat.

Alma gestured for them to wait a moment as she hurried to her room.

Moments later, she returned with something in her hands.

It took some coaxing to get Dolores to lift her head again but she blinked up at her Abuela when she slipped something over the little girl's ears.

"Is that a bit better?" Alma asked gently.

Dolores touched the earmuffs before smiling and nodding.

"Sí Abuela.""

Pepa looked surprised. "Why didn't we think of earmuffs?" She asked.

Mirabel was already thinking of making a pair for her prima.

""Was it all too sudden? Did it scare you?"

Dolores nodded again. 

"I could hear everything. Even down in town."

The family exchanged some surprised looks.

"Don't worry, we'll figure out how to make it easier on you," Abuela promised, kissing the little girl's forehead. "But for now, I think it's time for your special breakfast. And then you know what I think we should do?"

Dolores tilted her head curiously and Alma smirked.

"Hide and seek.""

And just like that, it was over. Solved before it truly became a problem. No villagers making it worse, no audience her parents tried to protect her from.

Dolores dropped her face into her hand and sighed.

"The adults were exhausted and Dolores was laughing as she chased Isabela through the house. 

"Super hearing?" Pepa asked in a wondering tone as they watched them run.

"Hmm," Alma hummed. "It's something she'll need to learn to control, but I think she'll grow to enjoy it. She's always liked knowing where everyone was and what was going on in the family. We'll help her learn to control it.""

That made Dolores cock her head. She had to admit that she did like knowing what was happening in the family, knowing where everyone was.

"She was even more set in her decision to keep the villagers away from these birthdays. If a large and noisy crowd had been present it would have been a disaster."

Those that had been there all grimaced.

A disaster was putting it lightly.

"But instead, they were able to calm her quickly and let her slowly get used to a large amount of new sensory information.

And they let her have fun while doing it. She did look terribly smug every time she found Isabela."

Isabela huffed a bit and a small smile tugged at Dolores' lips. They didn't really play after their Gift Ceremonies. So she'd never thought of the advantages her Gift would give her.

"The earmuffs were helping to dampen the sound a bit, enough that she said the town was muffled."

Pepa made a mental note to definitely look into earmuffs.

"By the time they put the kids to bed, the adults were all just about ready to collapse.

“Were we ever that energetic?” Julieta asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” Alma deadpanned without looking at them. “It was like you got a surge of energy at night too. Especially whenever someone mentioned the word ‘bath’.”"

There were a few sheepish chuckles at that bit.

"All three of them gave her sheepish looks. They’d heard all the stories of their mamá's struggles to keep them clean.

Bruno and Pepa had certainly been the most difficult. Julieta at least gave up semi-early into the nighttime chases."

Bruno and Pepa glanced at each other. They had been more stubborn when younger. Bruno had had that beaten out of him as the villagers grew crueler.

And Pepa had found herself compromising more and more as time passed.

"Dolores, Mariano and Isabela were playing in the shade while their parents chatted a short distance away. Isabela was growing little flowers that they were diligently turning into a long flower chain for… reasons."

"Do you even need a reason to make a flower chain?" Mirabel asked.

"To look fabulous afterwards," Camilo shot back and they grinned at each other.

"The village hadn’t seemed to know how to react to little Dolores’ Gift. It was certainly different from the others.

The earmuffs helped her stay focused but she could still hear the quiet conversations going on in the area."

Which really sucked when she was young. It was hard to focus. Did the earmuffs really help that much?

"“Not as showy,” she heard whispered.

That was fine. She didn’t like having all the attention on her. It made her nervous. She unashamedly pushed her prima into the spotlight to avoid the unwanted attention."

Both Dolores and Isabela blinked in surprise at that. That dynamic had happened here too but it sounded more like they had a conscious choice in the matter.

Did that make a difference?

"“An odd Gift. What could she do with it?”

That was a dumb question. She’d already figured out what she could do with it. She knew exactly where her family was. Mamá was behind her, she could pick her heartbeat out of a crowd in seconds already. Papá was on the other side of the plaza, she could hear his laugh.

Tio Bruno was a bit further away, the squeaking of the rats he’d snuck out in his ruana giving him away. He was paying her in candy not to snitch."

There were a few snorts of amusement at that. They could definitely see that happening.

It was interesting to hear about Dolores' Gift from her perspective though.

"She could hear her family all around her, and even further away. If she lifted the earmuff then she could hear Casita in the distance and then even further.

She liked it. No, she loved it."

That surprised Dolores. She wouldn't say that she loved her Gift. More… tolerated it. Worked around it.

"She listened to their heartbeats at night before closing the door of her new room and silencing the outside world.

Everyone had their own unique beat to her ears and she loved the song that her family sang."

Well, that was the same here. She supposed it was a nice part of her Gift.

The rest of the family were looking surprised at the reveal though. Did she really do that?

"The five-year-old tilted her head slightly as she caught determined footsteps walking towards them. She looked up before Isabela or Mariano noticed and stared at the woman.

“Ah Dolores!” she cooed."

Dolores couldn't help a grimace. Here it came.

"Dolores pursed her lips. She was one of the ladies calling her creepy earlier. She hadn’t decided yet if she was telling mamá or not."

"You should most definitely tell mamá," Pepa muttered, eyes narrowed.

Who had called her sweet girl creepy?!

"Isabela sat up a bit and frowned. She could tell that Dolores wasn’t happy about this lady interrupting them.

“I was wondering dear, could you do me a favour?”"

"Here we go," she whispered, Camilo shooting her a sympathetic look.

"Tilting her head the other way, an inquisitive look and a move that let her refocus on the sounds around her, she noted that Abuela had moved so that she was watching them.

Dolores hummed, liking the way the sound echoed in her ears. She could get distracted with how nice sounds were now."

"That's why you hum?" Luisa asked in surprise.

Dolores shrugged. It was a nice sound.

"Music was the best. And she could sit with her mamá for hours as she hummed or sang to her."

Pepa smiled a little, remembering doing that with her hija many times over the years.

"“Just a little question,” the woman gave her a sweet smile. “I just want to know what Señora Lopez is doing right now.”

Dolores screwed up her face. She knew. She was talking to someone like her mamá and papá talked to each other."

"Seriously?" Mirabel muttered as everyone realised what was happening. 

Pepa did not look happy.

Dolores remembered when this started. When people started asking her questions like this.

They never stopped.

"She was pretty sure the man she was talking to wasn’t Señor Lopez though since he was on the other side of town."

Camilo sighed. Being a shapeshifter, he was aware of how often Dolores got asked questions like this. People didn't notice when he was nearby and Dolores never snitched on him.

"“Why?” she asked instead of answering, looking down to carefully thread her flowers together."

Dolores cocked her head at her counterpart's reaction while Abuela frowned a little.

Pepa's eyes widened though and suddenly she and Felix grinned.

Dolores had had a very long 'why' phase as a child. 

"She heard the way the woman stiffened at the question.

“It’s important that I know, dear,” she said. Her voice sounded more tight now.

“Why?” Dolores asked again, noting how her heart sped up and she grit her teeth. It wasn’t a nice sound."

Camilo smirked as he realised what she was doing. That question could drive adults nuts.

"“I really need to know Dolores.”

“Why?” she asked again, picking up a new flower and continuing with her task.

“Now listen here,” her voice rose and Dolores frowned. It rang in her ears despite the earmuffs and kind of hurt.

“Ow,” she blatantly said as she reached up to cover the earmuffs. “That hurt.”"

Pepa narrowed her eyes. If she could get her hands on that woman…

"“You hurt my prima!” Isabela exploded and vines literally launched the woman away from them."

Everyone blinked.

"Well… that was…" Mirabel trailed off.

"Violent?" Camilo suggested.

She nodded after a moment, accepting the word.

Isabela and Dolores glanced at each other, not sure how to deal with the clear protectiveness that their counterparts had over each other.

"Dolores blinked in surprise and pressed harder against her ears as chaos exploded around them. Isabela stood up with a huff when everyone started yelling.

She pointed imperiously at Dolores, looking at Mariano until he moved over to help cover her ears. It muffled everything more."

Dolores let a small smile pull at her lips. Isabela had been a princess all her life, but in that moment she sounded like a queen.

"She could still hear everything Isabela yelled but it didn’t hurt through the earmuffs and two pairs of hands.

“Hey!” she stomped her foot and prickly cacti sprang up. “Being loud hurts my prima and if you hurt my prima then I’m going to shove a cactus where the sun doesn’t shine! Dolores is mi melliza and no one hurts her!”"

There were a few choked noises at the threat while Isabela mouthed 'cacti' to herself in confusion.

"She stomped her foot again for emphasis.

The lightning coming from mamá’s cloud made her look more intimidating."

"What's with the foot stomping?" Camilo asked.

"I don't know, " Isabela huffed. It seemed so… not her, to stomp.

Or was it her?

She didn't know anymore.

"“Quiet down before I rip your tongues out and make you eat them!” mamá yelled."

Felix swooned while Camilo cheered.

Abuela and Julieta looked horrified by the threat. Bruno remembered her yelling something similar at a villager when they were very young. He couldn't remember why but the viciousness in her voice stuck with him.

"I love when you get aggressive mi amor," Felix sighed, drawing a sappy smile from his wife.

"Ew, keep it in the bedroom," Bruno complained.

"Everyone got so quiet suddenly that Dolores couldn’t hear anything anymore. She didn’t like that so she gently pushed Mariano away.

“You okay?” he asked worriedly.

She smiled. “Sí, all better.”"

Dolores ducked her head to hide her blush. He was so sweet… even that young.

"Isabela was still waving a cactus around threateningly, mamá was hissing some interesting words at the mean lady who made her ears hurt and the rest of the family was pretending that nothing was happening while hiding their snickers.

She heard all the muffled laughter though and it made her smile.

Tio Bruno was right. Her Gift was just right for her.

And she was going to be the best at hide and seek."

"Priorities," Mirabel said with a grin.

Camilo snickered. The pair seemed to have relaxed for the most part again.

"“Congratulations,” Tio Bruno mumbled as he walked in."

Mirabel and Camilo tensed right back up.

"Dolores glanced up at the sound of a glass cracking. It was a sharp sound even through her earmuffs.

“Who?” Tio Augustin squeaked. That was weird. She didn’t hear others squeak like she did sometimes. She liked the sound, so she did it a lot.

Dolores squeaked in surprise. And Isabela yelped when surprised. 

Dolores preferred the squeaking. And everyone called it cute."

"Squeaking is a conscious choice?" Isabela asked in surprise.

"It was in the beginning. Now it's a habit," Dolores told her.

"Tio Bruno yawned wide.

“Both of them.”

He reached out and covered her ears as everyone yelled “What?! Again?!”"

Pepa smiled at her hermano. He always looked out for her hija. Always ready to help if things got loud.

"Tio Agustin fainted and papá stared ahead blankly."

"Again?" Mirabel asked her papá in exasperation and he gave her a sheepish smile.

"Tia Julieta threw a wooden spoon that Tio Bruno ducked."

"Violent much?" Bruno muttered.

"Mamá was acting weird too. She was resting her hands on her tummy.

Dolores looked up at her in confusion as Tio Bruno moved away again now that they were all quiet."

Pepa smiled softly as she remembered the moment she realised she was pregnant.

"“And I expected Pepa to be the impatient one,” Abuela muttered to herself."

Julieta groaned at the comment.

"“Mamá?” 

Her mamá looked down, hands still resting on her tummy. And then she smiled. She was crying and smiling at the same time and it was weird because it was raining but there were pretty rainbows too.

“You’re going to get a hermanita or hermanito Dolores,” she whispered.

“Oh…” she stared at her mamá with wide eyes.

She was going to be a hermana.

“I want another hermana!” Isabela declared excitedly, picking up on what Tio Bruno had meant.

“Hermana?” Luisa asked excitedly.

Dolores smiled. “I hope I get a hermanito.”"

Pepa smiled at the book in her hands.

"You wanted a hermanito so badly," she said wistfully.

"I remember," Dolores said with a small smile, shooting a look at her hermano who seemed nervous now that they were reaching his introduction along with Mirabel's. 

"You got him. Regret it now?" Isabela grumbled.

Camilo played a lot of pranks on her.

"Hey!" Camilo snapped, immediately irritated.

Dolores didn't even hesitate.

"No," she smoothed down her skirt. "I got exactly what I wanted."

Camilo looked at her in surprise while their mamá cooed.

Mirabel felt a pang of jealousy. Camilo might annoy Dolores but they never got into serious fights. They were very close and always had been.

The way Dolores casually and firmly said that she loved her hermano made Mirabel wish Isabela felt the same. She'd never been close to her hermanas…

It wasn't fair.

Chapter Text

Felix took the book to read next. “Chapter Sixteen. Little Ones.”

Both Mirabel and Camilo sank a little lower in their seats.

“The adults in the house were stressed out of their minds with two pregnancies again plus three young children on top of that. But at the same time, these kids were melting their hearts.

“Sit!” Isabela insisted again, tying Julieta to her seat using her vines with a little scowl on her face. “Papá said you gotta rest so you’re gonna rest!” she stomped her foot and a cactus popped up."

That was both adorable and confusing. Why did she keep making cacti?

Isabela was shocked all over again at how open her counterpart was with her feelings, how she could act on them freely.

"Julieta stared at her in a mix of bewilderment and amusement. Her insistence on helping during this pregnancy was frankly adorable even if she was very bossy while doing it."

Both Mirabel and Camilo managed to refrain from commenting over the bossy part. While they did feel like she was, since she ordered them around a lot, they could admit that she was going through enough at the moment.

"Luisa was just fascinated with the idea of getting a little sibling. She kept going on about how she was going to be a great hermana to whoever they got."

Luisa bit her lip. As this had been going, she'd come to a few realisations of her own. 

One of them being that she hadn't spent much time with Mirabel since… ever really. She was always so busy.

And she'd always known Mirabel was closer to Camilo in the family. But it wasn't pleasant to realise that her hermanita was also closer to Dolores than she was to her.

Because she'd never been there to build a relationship. She'd never had the time.

"Then there was Dolores who, with her Gift, could hear the babies’ heartbeats as the pregnancies progressed. She was often found sitting beside Pepa, a small smile on her face and her eyes closed as she listened to the heartbeat of her little sibling.

It was a heart-melting sight."

The adults smiled softly, remembering Dolores doing that. Completely focused as she listened to the heartbeats.

"Inevitably, one of them went into labour. Despite the fact that they'd both been very close in their pregnancies, Pepa's had been harder and had meant she was stressed. She ended up going into an early labour and the kids were rounded up and sent to play in Dolores' room so they didn't hear anything.

Bruno unashamedly hid with them, claiming the job of babysitter."

"Really?" Pepa asked her hermano in amusement.

Thinking back, it had been Agustin that took care of the kids. Bruno had already withdrawn from the family by then. He only showed up to see Camilo later that night, more anxious than usual.

She'd guessed it was because of how rough the labour had been. He'd been the one to ask Julieta to stay close to Pepa. Quietly and out of sight of their mamá. 

Her eyes suddenly widened. The book wouldn't mention how bad it had been, would it? She shot a glance at Camilo who was mostly grossed out at the idea that the book was referencing his birth.

"The labour was long and hard and no one truly wanted to admit how close things got and how much they needed Julieta's food at the end."

Dammit, the book did mention it. And like she'd predicted, Camilo sat ramrod straight, expression shocked.

"What?" he asked, eyes darting to his parents. I-"

Pepa was cutting that off before it could even start.

She darted over to her hijo, cupping his face and meeting his eyes.

"No," she said firmly. "Don't you dare try and blame yourself mijo. It's a risk we take with every pregnancy. It isn't your fault. Stress isn't good when we're pregnant and I let myself stress too much. It is not your fault."

He stared back with wide eyes, still clearly torn between misplaced guilt and listening to his mamá. 

"Everything was fine," she reassured. "Your Tia was there, your Tio Bruno made sure of it."

Bruno startled a bit. "You knew?"

"I guessed," Pepa admitted, maintaining eye contact with her hijo. She wouldn't stop until she was sure her baby boy wasn't blaming himself at all.

"But I-" Camilo started again. 

"No," she cut him off firmly again. "You are mi hijo, mi camaleón. You were a baby and it had nothing to do with you mijo. I promise."

She could see the moment he accepted what she was saying and smiled gently at him, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

She hated the book a little for making him think something like that.

Mirabel scooted up so that Pepa could sit next to her hijo and Camilo didn't fight the hug she pulled him into.

"But finally, Pepa was holding her second-born in her arms, tears slowly trailing down her cheeks as she smiled.

"Dolores will be happy," Felix murmured softly, drawing a chuckle from Alma.

The first boy of the new generation slept soundly in Pepa's arms.

"He's perfect," she whispered.

"Have you decided on a name?" Alma asked gently.

The couple nodded.

"Camilo," Pepa smiled down at the little boy.

Their little miracle. Too small, too early. But breathing all the same."

Pepa tightened her hug a little. That had been the terrifying part for her. Camilo had been born much too early. He'd been so tiny when born. 

She'd been terrified that she might lose him.

But he'd been fine in the end thankfully.

"Julieta smiled. "I'll go get Bruno and the kids." She walked out the door to go fetch the rest of the family. 

"Bruno probably saw how close it got," Felix murmured into the quiet. "He's the one who insisted Julieta should be here."

Pepa rested her head on his shoulder. "He needs to stop carrying these burdens on his own," she sighed.

"He likely didn't want to add to an already stressful pregnancy," Alma pointed out gently.

"Ay, no more for a while," Pepa huffed softly.

Felix pressed a kiss to her forehead as the sound of rapid footsteps grew closer."

Camilo flinched at the mention of it being close again and Pepa whispered reassurances to him.

"Gracias," Felix said to Bruno. "I didn't realise you were the reason Julieta chose to stay instead of helping with the niños. 

Bruno shrugged awkwardly. It had been a very long time since he'd been thanked for a vision.

"The door flew open and Dolores raced towards the bed with wide, excited eyes. The six-year-old tried to peer at the baby in Pepa's arms until Felix lifted her onto the bed so she could see him properly."

Felix chuckled softly. Dolores had been over the moon when it turned out that she had a hermanito.

Her excitement had been adorable.

""Meet your hermanito Dolores," Pepa murmured. "Camilo."

Dolores beamed at them.

"Hermanito?"

They nodded and she turned her attention to the sleeping bundle. 

"Hola Camilo. I'm going to be the best hermana ever," she promised in a whisper.

Pepa and Felix smiled as she stared down at the baby in quiet awe."

Camilo let a smile pull at his lips despite his emotions over the earlier reveal. Dolores was the best hermana, even when she was busy.

"Little Camilo was two months old when Julieta went into labour, resulting in the pair of babies being even closer in age than Dolores and Isabela.

Isa was over the moon with happiness to get a hermanita again and she spent a lot of her time trying to help out. Luisa was fascinated with the tiny little girl."

Mirabel honestly couldn't imagine Isabela happy to get her as a sister. 

She wasn't sure where she stood with her hermana now though. Not after all the revelations.

"Dolores was also eager to help, jumping to her feet at the smallest noise of discontent from her hermanito."

Both Felix and Pepa remembered that. Half the time Dolores told them when Camilo needed attention before the crying even started.

"“Can I hold him?” she asked hopefully one afternoon after Pepa finished feeding Camilo.

Julieta was still trying to get Mirabel to finish her meal, she was the fussier one between them, not sleeping regularly and often crying for attention. Camilo was quieter, the easier baby between the two and always calming when Pepa took him.

A mamá’s boy in the making."

"Truer words were never spoken," Mirabel said solemnly. 

Camilo just shrugged. He couldn't argue the point after all.

"Pepa adored him."

Dolores smiled. Pepa and Camilo had a special bond. She'd never really been jealous. She liked being independent too much to handle being fussed over all the time.

Camilo liked it though since it made their mamá happy. And that was the most important thing to him.

"With Bruno’s help, since he was conveniently in the nursery and playing with Luisa, they got Dolores settled in her Tio’s lap so that he could help her support Camilo as Pepa gently laid the baby in her arms.

She stared down at her hermanito who stared back with wide, curious eyes. Anyone could see the adoration in the girl. It was a different kind to what Isabela showed. Isa was loud and almost defiant about it as she declared how much she loved her hermanas to the world."

Mirabel raised a skeptical eyebrow. Right…

She was still pretty sure Isabela hated her. Not wanting to be perfect didn't mean she suddenly liked Mirabel.

"Is this the part where I got dropped? Cause that would explain a lot," Camilo asked cheekily and Pepa flicked his ear.

"You are perfect mijo," she scolded. 

He ducked his head but they all caught the small, pleased smile on his lips.

"Dolores was quieter, the care clear in how she moved and looked at little Camilo.

“I’ll always keep you safe,” she whispered to the boy. “I’ll always listen for you.”"

That was a promise Dolores had made here too. She would always listen out for her hermanito. No matter how old he got.

"Pepa and Bruno shared a soft smile as Dolores quietly whispered to her hermano who seemed pretty happy to be held by her.

Nothing made Pepa happier than seeing her niños together like this. She hoped they stayed close as they grew older."

Sometimes Dolores got frustrated with the village when their work pulled her away from Camilo for long. They used to spend a lot more time together than they did now.

From Camilo's expression, she guessed that he was thinking the same. They kept him busy with babysitting jobs the whole day usually.

At least she was closer to her hermanos than Isabela was with her hermanas. Their sibling relationship was a mess at the moment. 

"The village tried to get invited to Luisa’s fifth birthday like they had with Dolores’ but Alma shut that down quickly. She had no interest in turning the special day into a spectacle for the village."

Luisa startled a little and grimaced when she realised it was apparently her turn.

"She watched proudly as Julieta and Agustin walked Luisa to her door and the girl nervously reached out for the doorknob.

She did feel like smacking her head with the candle after though."

There were a few snorts of amusement at that.

"“Super strength Pedro? Really?” she whispered to herself as Luisa took great delight in lifting the piano and giving them all heart attacks. “Couldn’t you have given them their Gifts at thirteen instead? You were always so impatient…”"

"That's…actually a good point," Julieta said in surprise. "Why five? Why not when we're older?"

No one really had an answer to that.

"She had to smile at Luisa’s clear delight though and the laughter she drew from Isabela and Dolores.

Camilo and Mirabel watched it all with wide, curious eyes, barely old enough to toddle around on unsteady legs."

"The time we could actually catch you two," Pepa sighed.

Once those two were properly mobile, they never stopped.

Mirabel and Camilo smiled innocently.

"Their mamás were quick to scoop them up when Isabela let her plants run a little too wild in her excitement over her hermana getting a Gift."

Isabela frowned. She always kept such control on her power. What would it be like to let it run wild?

The idea scared and excited her.

"Eventually, the chaos died down as the day ended and Agustin and Julieta tucked Luisa into her new room. Seven-year-old Isabela proudly helped put Mirabel to bed while Dolores did the same with Camilo. The younger pair adored their hermanas and the feeling was very clearly mutual."

Mirabel bit back another comment, finding herself jealous of her counterpart's relationship with Isabela. Did it sour as they grew older?

Or did it actually stay positive and strong?

"The house that had once felt so large and empty was now filled with laughter and energy every day. Her family had grown so much more than a lonely widow and her triplets."

Casita rattled her tiles happily. She much preferred a busy house.

"She set the candle in the window of her room and gazed out into the night with a soft smile.

“I question some of your choices Pedro, but I can’t deny that they make our family happy.”"

There were a few flinches around the room. The idea of growing up with the idea that the Gifts were there to make them happy…

“The candle flame flickered playfully and she touched the locket she still carried around her neck for a moment, almost feeling like she could hear his voice again.

“What will the future bring us now?” she wondered softly as she turned to get ready for bed.”

“With those two growing up? Chaos,” Bruno muttered, drawing a few surprised laughs.

The book was shoved into his hands next and he looked down at it anxiously.

“Chapter Seventeen. Twin Terrors.”

Mirabel and Camilo grimaced at each other. Here they go.

But twin terrors was an awesome name.

Chapter Text

“And then I called ‘im a dummy,” Camilo finished telling his story by waving one arm wildly and almost hitting Dolores in the head."

"Interesting start," Dolores said dryly while Camilo gave her a sheepish grin.

"She huffed and readjusted her two-year-old hermano on her back when the wild movements almost made him fall.

“But why?” Isabela asked again, mildly annoyed that she hadn’t got her answer from that long and winding story while Mirabel giggled on her back. "

"You expected a straight answer from baby Camilo?" Felix chuckled. "Half the time he forgot the question halfway through and just said something else."

"The pair had wandered off from the family without anyone noticing so Isabela and Dolores had gone to find them. "

A little surprising that they had been in the village at all. Most of the time before their fifth birthdays they stayed in Casita with one of the family acting as a babysitter.

"It had been no surprise that the two were in trouble, in the middle of some heated argument with ten-year-olds. The only reason the older kids backed off so quickly was because Isa used her vines to scare them off. "

"What did you two even do?" Julieta asked in bewilderment. 

She couldn't imagine two-year-olds picking a fight with ten-year-olds.

"“They said mean things about mami,” Camilo mumbled into her shoulder."

"That explains it," Felix and Dolores said at the same time and Camilo just shrugged. It made sense. He did get into a few fights over the years because he heard someone make a cruel comment about his mamá. 

Dolores and Mirabel usually helped him avoid getting caught for those. It helped that he could shift the injuries away until he got his Tia's food.

"That explained it. Camilo adored their mamá and was quick to anger when he heard any villager say something mean about her. It wasn’t often but it did happen sometimes since their mamá wasn’t as polite as Tia."

"That's putting it lightly," Bruno muttered.

Pepa huffed but didn't move from where she was sitting next to Camilo.

"Dolores rolled her eyes fondly as they approached the rest of the family again. Mamá glanced over at them for a moment to check that they were all okay before she went back to talking to Tio Bruno about something."

"Don't ask, don't need to know, plausible deniability," Pepa smirked a little and Felix chuckled.

"The girls carried their siblings over to where Mariano was still sitting with six-year-old Luisa. She looked relieved to see that the youngest members of the family had been found. It wasn’t like they lost anyone often or for very long. Dolores could always find anyone in the family and she especially knew where her hermanito was."

That was true. If any of them needed to find someone from the family, Dolores knew where they were.

Especially Camilo. 

"She was able to pick out his laughter and giggles from anywhere in the Encanto and hear his heartbeat across town."

Mirabel felt a flicker of jealousy again. Dolores was always aware of what was going on with Camilo, always showing up if he was in trouble or upset. 

She was pretty sure that if someone asked Isabela or Luisa what she was doing during the day, they wouldn't even have a guess at the answer besides 'at Casita probably'.

"Camilo was a menace but Dolores still adored him. Isabela loved both Mirabel and Luisa but she was a bit baffled over why Dolores didn’t get very annoyed with her hermanito. Mirabel could get under her skin like it was her Gift come early."

Isabela snorted. That was true.

Mirabel just glared at her lap. It's not like she tried to irritate Isabela. She just tried to talk to her and that was too much apparently.

"Camilo is usually a menace for a certain amount of time and then he takes a break," Dolores said as Pepa and Felix chuckled. "Wait it out and you don't get into a fight with him."

"True," Mirabel nodded while Abuela and Julieta's side of the family looked surprised.

Bruno thought it was obvious. Camilo enjoyed his pranks but he rarely went overboard with them.

"She settled on the floor with Cami in her lap, resting her chin on his mop of curly hair. Isabela did the same with Mirabel, tickling her when the little girl tried to escape. Her shrieks of laughter echoed in Dolores’ ears but she didn’t mind. It was a good sound to hear."

Mirabel winced, wondering how often she got too loud before growing old enough to understand that it hurt her prima.

"“You shouldn’t wander off,” Luisa scolded them both when Mira settled down in Isa’s lap, still giggling breathlessly.

Camilo huffed and rolled his eyes dramatically. “Dolores knew. It’s fine.”"

Which was a surprisingly good argument from a two-year-old.

"She smiled softly and cuddled her hermanito a little closer. He was sweet when he wasn’t annoying everyone."

"He's always sweet," Pepa cooed, making Camilo flush and whine as she hugged him.

"Dolores opened her eyes when she heard her door open. She’d always been a light sleeper and that only got worse with her Gift.

She sat up, rubbing her eyes as she heard rapid, light footsteps.

“Cami?” she asked in confusion as the three-year-old scrambled into her bed, diving under the blankets."

"Nightmare," both Felix and Pepa said.

Camilo huffed but he couldn't argue.

It had happened a lot.

Until Abuela caught him and told him to stop bothering his hermana.

"He let out a quiet whimper and she woke up the rest of the way, peering under the covers to find her hermanito staring back with wide, frightened eyes.

“What’s wrong?” she whispered, scooting closer and pulling him into her arms. He was shaking.

“Bad dream,” Camilo whispered as he cuddled closer."

There were a few coos and Camilo blushed even more. This was mortifying.

"She frowned to herself as she started rubbing his back. “Do you want mamá?” she asked quietly.

He surprised her when he shook his head though. “You can hear if the monsters come,” he explained easily. “Cause you hear everything.”"

Pepa and Felix smiled while Dolores shot Camilo a fond look.

"I always wondered why you stopped so young," Felix mused. "You stopped before you even got your Gift."

Camilo shrugged, uncomfortable with all the attention.

"Mamá told him to stop," Bruno said without missing a beat, not looking up from the book.

Pepa's head whipped around, that wistful amusement evaporating.

"What?!"

Bruno rubbed the back of his neck anxiously.

"I was getting water that night and she caught him on his way to Dolores' room. She told him to stop bothering her for minor things.

Now Pepa turned angry eyes on Abuela while Camilo shot Bruno an annoyed look for blurting out the truth. He didn't want to cause drama over something so small.

So what if he ended up crying some nights. He'd managed to muffle it enough that Mirabel didn't wake up.

"What the hell mamá?" Pepa asked angrily. "Could you not let them have any kind of childhood? Niños need comfort, not to be told they're being a burden on their family!" Her eyes darkened and she scoffed. "Not like there's no precedent. That's what you did to Bruno after all."

Bruno winced and Camilo shifted anxiously.

"He was looking for attention Pepa-"

Camilo had to grab his mamá around the waist to stop her from lurching to her feet as her cloud rumbled.

"He was a child," she hissed.

"I never minded Cami coming to me for help." Dolores said quietly. "I liked knowing he felt like he could trust me to help. I always wondered why he stopped so abruptly.

The room fell into silence as Pepa glared at Alma who genuinely didn't seem to understand what the problem was.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd leave the raising of my children to their parents," Pepa hissed. "You had no right to do that. You don't go behind my back when it comes to my niños."

Bruno was all but hiding behind the book. He didn't regret telling them though. It had always sat wrong with him that his mamá took something so simple from her nieto.

"She smiled to herself and cuddled him close at the realisation that he trusted her to keep him safe, even from whatever monsters his mind came up with in his nightmare."

Dolores pursed her lips, still angry to have learned that Camilo didn't stop coming because he chose to. He had a vivid imagination that conjured up some nasty nightmares sometimes. She hated the idea that he'd suffered through them alone.

"“Nothing can sneak up on me,” she agreed and he relaxed a little. “Sleep hermanito. No monsters are going to sneak up on us.”

It wasn’t long before he dozed off again, tucked into her side. Dolores moved the blankets so that they were covering them a bit more comfortably before snuggling into the bed with her silly little hermano who always got her to smile. Even if it was just a nightmare, she’d still keep him safe."

Camilo wouldn't look up at anyone as most of them fumed over something he'd never given much thought to.

"She woke up in the morning to her door opening again and peered up at her mamá as she walked over to the bed quietly.

“He had a nightmare,” she whispered, Camilo still deeply asleep in her arms.

Her mamá smiled softly at the sight of them cuddling together and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

“Gracias, for taking good care of your hermano,” she murmured."

Always and anytime. Dolores would never be too busy to help her hermano when it was serious or he was genuinely upset.

"“Always,” Dolores answered seriously. 

Tio Bruno had told her that they all had their Gifts because they suited them. Well, she believed that fully now. Because her Gift would let her protect her hermanito and that was the best Gift she could ever ask for."

She'd never thought about it before. She did like that her Gift let her keep an ear out for Camilo. She knew if he needed help or sometimes just a break when he was overworked. Maybe she needed to re-evaluate her opinions regarding her Gift. She might be taking certain parts for granted.

"“Dolores?”

She looked up from her book to find Camilo peering up at her from next to the couch.

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anytime Cami.” She patted the couch next to her and put her book down."

Dolores bit back the urge to sigh. As much as she loved reading, she didn't get to do it much.

"He scrambled up next to her, looking unusually nervous. She frowned at the uncommon expression.

“What’s wrong?”

He fiddled with the edge of his shirt. “Were you nervous about getting your Gift?” he asked hesitantly."

Luisa, Camilo, Mirabel and Antonio absently nodded their heads.

"She blinked in surprise. His fifth birthday was a week away and she hadn’t realised he was feeling nervous for it. Then again, he hadn’t seen any of them get their Gifts since he’d been too small when Luisa got hers. So he only had the stories to go on.

“A little,” she admitted. “But Tio Bruno helped a lot.”"

The adults frowned, not having realised that the younger niños had felt anxious over their Gift Ceremonies.

The pressure to get a helpful Gift had been high though…

"“How?”

“He told me that no matter what I got, the Miracle would make sure that it’s perfect for me. And he was right. I love my Gift. And Isa loves hers.”"

Even without hearing that when he was young, Camilo knew that his Gift was perfect for him. His issue was that for a long time, the villagers and Abuela hadn't really seen it as useful. Hadn't seen him as useful.

"A little too much sometimes, especially since she figured out the pollen pods… Hopefully no one in the family ever developed allergies."

"Pollen pods?" Isabela looked very confused.

"Camilo looked thoughtful for a moment before his shoulders slumped. “I can’t think of anything that would be ‘perfect’ for me.”"

His uncertain and anxious behaviour was very out of character for him, making the family frown in concern.

“What’s got you so worried Cami?” she asked with a frown.

He fidgeted in place for a moment. “Just something some kids said…” he mumbled."

Pepa's eyes narrowed immediately while Dolores made a quiet sound of realisation.

"She narrowed her eyes and reached out to tilt her hermanito’s face up to look at her.

“What did they say?” she asked calmly.

“That I’ll probably get something useless,” he muttered, gaze darting away from her."

Pepa's cloud rumbled while Felix looked between his eldest niños. 

"Cami?" He asked, dreading hearing that there was another issue he hadn't known about that his hijo had to deal with.

Camilo grimaced. "It's not like it was a big deal."

"It happened here?" Pepa demanded, cloud rumbling again.

Both Camilo and Mirabel shrugged.

"Kids bothered them a lot," Dolores sighed when it was clear neither of them were going to admit to it.

Camilo shot her a glare that she returned. It was high time that these secrets finally came out. Keeping them silent certainly hadn’t helped anything.

“She’d get the names of those kids later. For now, she had to focus on her silly little hermano.

“Cami, our Gifts don’t need to be ‘useful’,” she explained gently. “They just have to be something we like. It doesn’t matter if the village likes it. Or if anyone else likes it. All that matters is that you do. And I know that you’re going to get something amazing that fits you just perfectly. And you’ll probably drive everyone nuts with it.””

“Accurate,” Bruno mused and Camilo smirked a little at that, even though his parents were still unhappy about the bullying thing Dolores spilled.

“He let out a little laugh at that.

“You think so?”

“I know so,” she said firmly. “Now, gimme the names so that Isa and I can go ‘talk’ to those kids.”

He gave her a look. “I know you don’t actually mean ‘talk’,” he told her with an unimpressed expression.

“A cookie for every name.”

He spilled the names very quickly after that.”

“Bribery, always works,” Mirabel chirped.

From their expressions, it looked like Dolores had used that trick here too.

“Dolores watched with happy tears in her eyes as her mamá and papá led an excited Camilo up to his new door. He was wearing the brand new ruana their mamá had made him since he’d routinely stolen Tio Bruno’s since he liked them so much.”

Camilo absently fiddled with the edge of his ruana at the mention of it. It wasn’t the same one as when he was that age, but he loved all the ruanas he’d been given.

“She could hear his heart pounding in his chest, could hear the candle burning softly in Abuela’s hands. 

Mirabel was bouncing excitedly next to Isabela and Luisa looked on the verge of joining her.

She held her breath for a beat when Camilo reached out for the door and the candle burned a little louder than usual.

And then she laughed when she saw his Gift.”

“I feel like that’s the wrong reaction,” Isabela pointed out dryly.

The triplets didn’t find it as funny as their niños did as they playfully teased Camilo about being a chaotic menace with his Gift.

They were remembering the confused whispers from the villagers about how it could help the Encanto. They were remembering Abuela’s disappointed and disapproving frown.

It had taken them a while to warm up to his Gift while Pepa and Felix did their best to shield Camilo from the realisation that most weren’t as excited over his Gift as he was.

““Dios mio Pedro, why?” she heard Abuela whisper in horror.”

“That is a more appropriate reaction,” Isabela pointed out and Camilo stuck his tongue out at her.

“Mamá swept Camilo up in excitement, cooing over their camaleón and papá cheered.

Shapeshifting.

It fit. And he was going to drive them all crazy with it.

She could already see it in the brilliant, mischievous smile Camilo was sporting.

Tio Bruno let out a quiet huff of laughter and Tia Julieta muttered in exasperation to herself.

When Camilo finally got put down, Dolores walked up to him and pulled him into a hug.

“Told you,” she told him smugly.

He grinned up at her wildly.

“I’m gonna have so much fun.”

Dolores laughed as Isabela let out a quiet whine.”

“And peace never returned to Casita,” Bruno said dramatically.

“You’re welcome,” Camilo said smugly.

“That wasn’t a compliment,” Luisa pointed out.

“It was to me.”

“Camilo loved his Gift. He got up to nonsense with it almost immediately after getting it. No one in the family really got mad though, not when he was so happy about it.

The village was less thrilled when he and Mirabel only caused more chaos with it. They paid Dolores in cookies to not snitch on them though so people rarely had proof that they did anything.”

Everyone looked at Dolores who just smiled back innocently.

So much was making sense now.

“Trying to accuse a shapeshifter of anything was pretty difficult after all.

Mostly, people didn’t seem to know what to do with this new Gift. None of the kids dared call it ‘useless’ though. She and Isabela made sure of that.

She was still waiting for the village to try and find a way for Camilo to be ‘helpful’ though and she knew that her mamá and Abuela were keeping an eye out for it too.

None of them could have ever imagined this happening though.”

Pepa straightened while Dolores frowned. Everyone seemed confused, even Camilo himself. When he got his Gift and the villagers figured out how it could help, Camilo had been as busy as the rest of them. And aside from a few hiccups along the way as he learned about the limits of his Gift, things went fine.

“The two eleven-year-olds were spending some time together, taking a break from all the chaos in the house and planning on meeting up with Mariano in the town centre when she heard it.

“Dolores!””

Uneasiness spread through the room. What was going on now? Camilo and Dolores both looked completely lost so it must be something that happened only in this other world.

“She stopped dead, head whipping to the side at the distant shout. That was Camilo and he sounded terrified. She didn’t hear his voice again though and she held her breath as she searched out the sound of his heartbeat.”

Camilo let out a quiet ‘oof’ as Pepa dragged him into a sudden hug, anxiety causing a mist to start appearing in the room.

Camilo didn’t complain, having a bad feeling about what was happening. He couldn’t remember ever calling Dolores like that when he was that young.

““Dolores?” Isabela asked in concern but Dolores ignored her for now.

There. It was frantic and beating much too fast. Camilo was scared and whoever had caused that was going to regret it.

“Camilo’s in trouble,” she told Isa hurriedly, grabbing her hand and starting to run in that direction. “

“What’s happening?” Felix asked.

“I don’t know,” Camilo said, as lost as he was. “This never happened.”

Dolores nodded in agreement but Pepa didn’t let up on her hug.

“Still confused, she was relieved when her prima didn’t keep asking questions and just started running with her. She needed to focus on that familiar heartbeat. It sounded like it was moving but she still hadn’t heard Camilo make another sound.”

The mist got stronger in the room and Alma opened her mouth to scold her hija before hesitating. Would that even help anything? Except for stressing Pepa out even more or starting a fight.

Instead, she stayed quiet and listened.

“Dolores didn’t pay any attention to the people around them as they raced to the edge of town. Her lungs were burning by the time they got to the source of the sound.

There was a lady heading out of town with a cart being pulled by a donkey. There were just the normal barrels and crates that usually carried food from the farms on the cart but Dolores knew there was a sound that didn’t belong coming from it.”

Dolores was the first to see where this was going by her sharp gasp and Bruno wasn’t far behind, paling rapidly.

““Stop the cart!” she gasped and Isa didn’t even question her, stomping her food and halting the cart with a vine tangled in a wheel.”

“What is with the foot stomping,?” Isabela muttered.

The lady turned around in surprise which morphed to fear when she spotted them but Dolores ignored her as she scrambled up onto the back, pushing crates aside. Now that she was closer she could hear muffled crying and it made her temper spike. The lady was saying something now but Dolores trusted Isa to watch her back as she reached for the crate right at the back. “

It clicked for everyone else then and a sharp wind whipped through the room as Pepa’s hold on Camilo tightened to the point he was pulled backwards and his legs went flailing.

“Mamá! I’m fine!” He insisted even if he was shaken and freaked out by the implication of what was happening.

“She shoved it open and immediately decided that she was going to make that lady pay for this.

Camilo had been tied up with his own ruana, a scarf shoved into his mouth to keep him quiet. He stared up at her in fear and relief, tears still running down his cheeks.”

Bruno tossed the book aside and covered Dolores’ ears just in time to block out most of the deafening clap of thunder. Camilo wheezed a little and gave up fighting his mamá’s hold. In all honestly, the hug was helping him too.

Someone tried to kidnap him there?

Felix snatched up the book and continued to read with fury clear in his voice.

“She reached into the crate and hauled her hermanito out, holding him close and whispering reassuringly as he let out a muffled sob.

“I’ve got you Cami, I’ve got you. It’s okay.”

There was a commotion outside the cart but she didn’t pay it any attention as she hurriedly untied her hermano and pulled the gag out. He let out a sob and threw his arms around her, shaking.

“You heard me,” he whispered.”

The words hit Dolores hard. She’d promised that after all. Had anything like this happened here? Did she miss Camilo being in danger somehow?

It didn’t seem like it from his expression but it still made her worry.

““I’ll always hear you,” she vowed fiercely. “No matter what.””

Camilo swallowed hard, leaning back into his mamá’s shaking hold. Dolores had always showed up when he needed it. Seemed like it wasn’t any different in this world.

“She got his ruana back on him before tugging him over to the edge of the cart and dropping down to the ground. She picked him up, letting him hold on tight and hide his face in her shoulder.

Only then did she turn to Isabela.”

Isabela had gone silent, hands clenched so tightly that her knuckles were white as she stared intensely at the book.

“She blinked a few times in surprise. Isa was glaring heatedly at the lady who was trussed up in vines and was also covered in a multitude of colours. She lost control of her pollen pods when she got upset.

There were also cacti all over the place, showing just how angry Isa was.”

Cacti suddenly seemed very appropriate to the situation and Isabela didn’t know why she’d never thought of them before. Prickly, thorny and a perfect size to smash into someone’s face.

“Dolores rubbed Camilo’s back soothingly as she moved over to her prima.

“Is he okay?” Isabela asked worriedly, eyes fixed on the five-year-old.

Dolores nodded. “Just scared,” she murmured.

She studied the lady who had dared to try and take her hermanito away from her. Who had scared him and made him cry.”

“Bad move,” Mirabel whispered, looking shaken by what she’d heard.

“She didn’t know why she’d tried to take him but she didn’t care.

“Let’s take her to my mamá,” she decided. 

The lady paled and Isa smirked.

A storm would be great right about now.”

“Turn her to ash,” Pepa hissed right by Camilo’s ear and he resigned himself to being stuck in this position for a long time.

He wondered why his counterpart had almost been kidnapped though. What was so different between the worlds that caused such a massive change?

He guessed they’d find out as his papá kept reading with no hesitation. 

“Chapter Eighteen. Protection.”

Chapter Text

Tensions in the room were high as Felix read. What possible reason could that woman have had to try and kidnap Camilo?

Camilo himself was still trapped in the vice-tight hug from his mamá. 

""Mamá!" The twin shouts drew both Pepa and Julieta out of Casita.

Mirabel and Luisa peered out from the kitchen where they'd been baking with Felix.

Pepa immediately frowned at the sight of the kids approaching the house."

Pepa couldn't make herself let go of her hijo. Why had that woman tried to take him? Was her Camilo in danger here?

"Dolores was upset and Camilo was clinging to her like a lifeline, arms wrapped around her neck and face buried in her shoulder.

Isabela, on the other hand, looked pissed. She was dragging a woman from the village behind her with her vines and Pepa was pretty sure she was hitting every rock on the path on purpose."

Bruno snorted. No one could really blame him and they liked the petty act from Isabela. This woman tried to hurt their family after all.

""What happened?" Julieta asked in bewilderment, staring at the eleven-year-olds as the rest of the family made their way to the front door."

Pepa and Julieta couldn't imagine what they'd feel if they saw their niños coming home like that.

"Pepa's heart dropped when Dolores looked at her, anger and fear clear in her eyes."

Okay, Pepa knew. She would be furious and ready to hurt whoever made her hija feel like that.

""She tried to take Cami," she whispered, her hold on her hermano tightening."

Camilo let out a grunt as the hold on him shifted but didn't loosen. His mamá was still anxious and angry about what she was hearing. He was dreading finding out the reason for the attempted kidnapping.

"Pepa stilled while the rest of the family gasped and Felix made an outraged sound.

She couldn't focus on that though, zeroing in on the way Camilo's little shoulders shook with quiet sobs and how Dolores held him like she was afraid he would disappear.

Dolores had her hands clenched in her skirt, listening avidly.

"Someone tried to take him? Scared her little camaleón to the point of tears?"

Pepa had to bite back an angry curse at that.

"She clenched her hands at her sides and took a deep breath. The sky was already darkening.

It wasn't enough. She needed lightning, she needed to know that a storm was brought down on this woman's head.

""She did what?" Her mamá demanded, sounding coldly furious in that way she only got for family."

Dolores let out a quiet scoff. They had never been Abuela's priority.

""I heard Cami shout my name and he sounded scared," Dolores explained. "When we found him, that lady was trying to leave town with him. She tied him up and put him in a crate.""

Camilo shuddered at the reminder of what had happened and his mamá shifted him so he was more tucked into her side. The position was a lot more comfortable than being dragged half on top of her.

Her grip was still like iron though.

""She tried to stop Dolores from getting to him," Isabela added, restrained rage coating her words. "But I wouldn't let her.""

Isabela's fingers twitched with the urge to do something. How dare that woman…

"Tied up?

A fucking crate?!"

Camilo awkwardly patted his mamá's arm as she growled.

"Pepa sucked in a sharp breath, holding her anger back for a moment. Just a moment longer as she strode over to her niños. 

Dolores blinked up at her, tears starting to well up in her eyes. She was still just eleven and she'd probably got such a fright today.

"You did so well mija," she whispered, kneeling down next to them and pressing a kiss to her forehead."

Felix knew that Dolores would have done the same here. He was so proud of his hija for how much she cared.

"Then she focused on Camilo, rubbing his back gently.

"Mijo, Cami. Por favor, can you look at me?" She coaxed.

He sniffled as he lifted his head to look at her. Thunder rumbled at the sight of the tear stains on his cheeks and the fear in his eyes.

"Did she hurt you Cami?" Pepa asked gently, wiping his face as best she could."

Pepa's eyes narrowed. A fright was bad enough. If she had hurt her baby…

"He nodded slightly, lifting one arm from around Dolores' neck. "Hurts," he whimpered. 

Bruises were already blooming on his skin and Pepa had to wrestle with her anger again."

Thunder rumbled through the room again.

"That bitch," she hissed.

"She pressed a feather-light kiss to the bruises.

"Your hermana is going to get you some of your Tia’s food to make you all better and then she'll cuddle with you in your room, okay? I think Tia made some of those yummy brownies you like too.""

Predictably, Camilo's stomach rumbled at just the thought.

"I'm hungry," he decided. 

There were a few weak chuckles around the room.

"He perked up a little at the mention of the brownies, lifting his face and sniffling again.

Pepa pressed a kiss to his cheek and looked at Dolores who nodded, heading straight inside and for the food. She'd likely be listening to this all but that was fine. Pepa just wanted the youngest niños away from this."

Good. Pepa wouldn't want them to see her lose her temper.

And that was definitely happening.

""Luisa, take Mirabel upstairs too," she called. Her sobrina agreed quietly and Pepa waited until they were sure that all four of them were up in Camilo's room.

Then she turned to face the woman who caused all this."

"Make her suffer," Felix muttered.

"She was squirming against Isabela's vines but she stilled when the thunder crashed and a proper storm rolled in."

"Here comes the storm," Mirabel murmured.

""You tried to take mi hijo?" Pepa demanded in a snarl, stalking forward.

Felix did nothing to stop her, jaw clenched in anger and likely barely restraining himself from losing his temper entirely."

Felix didn't lose his temper easily. But hurting his niños was a surefire way of igniting it.

And he could be just as fiery as his wife then.

"The rest of the family fell back and the vines loosened enough that the woman could talk.

She seemed too frightened to now though."

Pepa waited, fury mounting, to hear what excuse she had.

""Why?" Her mamá's cold, calm voice cut through the air, and Pepa held herself back from screaming at this person who dared to touch her baby. She wanted to know that too. Wanted to know how the woman could justify this. The glare on Felix's face told her that he wanted the same before they acted."

There was no excuse for what she tried to do. But Pepa needed to know if her counterpart here was a threat.

""You had another child!" She cried out suddenly, looking directly at Pepa. "And you still have your husband! I lost both my husband and mi hijo last year. Camilo's the same age as Rico was. When he got his Gift… it seemed like everything was just… just working out perfectly. You can have more niños Pepa. I can't.""

Everyone in the room stilled as they processed her words, the family feeling disgust and anger as they realised what she meant.

She wanted to use Camilo as a replacement.

Felix was shaking with anger and the thunder was near deafening.

Camilo frowned though.

"That's it?" He asked in confusion before shrinking down as all eyes snapped to him.

"What do you mean 'that's it'?" Dolores asked.

He stared back in confusion. "I do that every Friday night."

The silence that fell now was even heavier than before and Camilo squirmed under their stares.

He startled a little when slender fingers turned his head so that he was facing his mamá who still had a tight hold on him.

"Mijo," her voice was forcibly calm, the dark clouds above them ominously silent. "What do you mean? What do you do every Friday night?"

Still confused, he held her gaze as he answered.

"Abuela takes me to the people that need closure." He hesitated. "I thought you knew. It's been happening since I got my Gift."

A myriad of emotions flashed through his mamá's eyes.

"Do you mean people asked you to shift into dead loved ones and had you act like them?" She asked, tone deceptively light.

He stared back helplessly. "I thought you knew."

A crack of thunder hit, making him jump a little. For once Dolores didn't seem affected, leaping to her feet.

"Friday evenings are my free time," she hissed, glaring at Abuela. "The time I always relax in my room. Where I can't hear."

"It's our date night," his papá snarled, sounding angrier than Camilo had ever heard. "When we're almost always out for nighttime walks or down in the village for a drink."

Camilo was confused as he stared up at his mamá. The fury brewing in her eyes was echoed in the storm filling the room.

She shifted her gaze to look past him, at Abuela.

"You went behind my back. Behind my family's back. And made a child pretend to be people's dead loved ones."

"Pepa-"

Camilo's papá suddenly moved so he was crouching next to the couch.

"Mijo," he started as his mamá let go of his chin to let him look at his papá. "Can you tell me what usually happens on a Friday?"

Camilo was starting to realise that a duty he'd thought was perfectly normal, if one he hated, wasn't as acceptable as he'd believed.

"Uh, after dinner Abuela takes me to someone who needed closure or-uh, comfort? And they'd give me a picture and I'd shift into them for the rest of the evening. Abuela would pick me up afterwards and I'd go to bed."

"She left you alone with them?!" Dolores was near shaking with anger.

Camilo shrugged. "She said it was private."

"Cami," his mamá spoke again, voice soft. He couldn't help looking back at her. "I need you to give me a completely honest answer to my next question. Okay?"

Camilo nodded hesitantly.

"How do you feel when you're doing this… duty?"

Camilo dropped his gaze to where his hands were wringing his ruana.

She'd asked for an honest answer though, so he gave one.

"I hate it," he admitted quietly. "It feels wrong."

He flicked a glance around the room. His Tia and Tio looked horrified along with Luisa. Tio Bruno actually looked angry for once. And Isabela looked as murderously angry as Dolores, cacti springing around her seat. Mirabel didn't seem to know what to do and Antonio looked confused and worried.

"I thought you knew…" Camilo said again, still reeling from that. Apparently, no one had known.

He'd never considered that they wouldn't approve. Abuela had implied that it was perfectly fine with all of them but that what he saw and heard was private so he shouldn't mention it.

"We didn't know Cami," his papá said firmly. "If we had, we would have put a stop to it immediately."

His mamá pressed a kiss to his hair.

"Not again," she murmured. "Never again."

He felt a confusing mix of guilt and relief at that. It was the duty he hated the most but Abuela had told him over and over that it was important and helped people.

From his family's reaction though, they didn't agree.

"Did you ever have to pretend to be someone named Rico?" His papá asked gently.

Camilo shifted uncomfortably. "More often than anyone else," he admitted.

She'd been very happy anytime he did and often tried to invite him over for tea or lunch if she saw him in the village.

"She creeps me out," he muttered.

"What's her name?" His mamá asked, calmly.

He hesitated because it was supposed to be private. But that uneasy feeling was only growing so he didn't look at Abuela as he answered.

"Gloria Pérez."

She nodded. "If anyone tries to make you do this again, you come to us or call for Dolores," she said firmly.

He bit his lip but nodded in agreement.

His mamá gave him a small smile before suddenly moving.

His papá took her place next to him as his mamá stormed forward, an angry wind whipping around the room.

Camilo moved to get up, not wanting a fight over him, but his papá kept him back.

"Your mamá needs to do this Cami. And Abuela needs to hear it."

Camilo reluctantly leaned back against his papá when he tugged him closer.

"What she did was wrong," he murmured softly to the teenager. "She needs to understand that."

So Camilo didn't say or do anything as the storm raged. He didn't try and calm his mamá like he usually would.

He just watched from his papá's arms and wondered what it was that his Abuela had taken from him with this choice.

He wondered what it would have been like living a childhood without knowing what grief and death was. Without seeing it every week.

Dolores was fuming, barely even registering the noise surrounding her.

This was a step too far. This was so wrong, using her hermano, when he was a child! Making him into some kind of twisted temporary relief from grief.

She tasted bile as she wondered if Abuela had even asked Camilo to shift into their Abuelo.

Isabela could barely breathe around the anger. Camilo was irritating and got in the way half the time. He was reckless and she was so jealous of his apparent carefree attitude.

How much of it was fake? Just like her own?

How much did they not know about him because Abuela had carefully hidden it?

Had she done it to anyone else?

Her mind raced and she couldn't keep the words back.

"Did you know about the arranged dinners Abuela set me up on?"

Her Tia spun around while her mamá surged to her feet.

"What?!"

Isabela looked at her Abuela before raising her chin in defiance.

"That's how she picked Mariano. She thought he was the best match out of all the options."

"I thought you two decided you wanted to marry together," her mamá said, a rare fury in her voice. "That he was courting you."

"He started after the match was made."

Dolores narrowed her eyes as she rapidly thought over things.

"Did you know that she was planning to start setting me up after Isa's wedding?"

Her mamá outright snarled.

"No niño of mine will be in an arranged marriage!"

"She's already started looking into eligible girls for Cami."

The storm kicked up so hard that the wind screamed. Camilo looked surprised by the revelation so he hadn't even been aware of it.

Their papá jumped to his feet, joining his wife in the shouting match with Abuela. Tia Julieta was helping to cut off Abuela's arguments about the good of the family and ensuring their bloodline.

"The magic is in the Madrigal blood!"

"I don't care about the fucking bloodline!" Tia Julieta shouted. "My hijas aren't tools to use to continue the family! They're people who deserve their own choices!"

Dolores moved to comfort Camilo while their parents exploded. Luisa was holding Mirabel who looked overwhelmed by everything.

And Isabela looked on the verge of losing it herself.

Antonio climbed into Camilo's lap and he immediately started comforting their hermanito. He looked frightened and confused by what was happening.

Isabela looked around at the family.

Mirabel and Camilo looked overwhelmed and a little scared. They sometimes forgot that the two were still so young, not even adults yet. And Antonio was clinging to his hermano while he watched things with wide eyes.

She clenched her hands into fists, thinking about those cracks. This was what it was about. Their family was a mess under the perfect facade. They were breaking, shattering under the pressure, the lies, the secrets.

She was done.

She looked up to find Tio Bruno looking both angry and resigned. Like he wasn't even surprised by the revelations. Like he'd already believed Abuela capable of this kind of thing.

Like he'd seen it before. Maybe with their parents? How much of the animosity and trouble they'd heard about had come from manipulations? From lies of omission and twisted truths?

This book wasn't about showing Abuela how to be better.

It was about showing them how wrong she was. How manipulative she was. What she was willing to do to the family to get the results she wanted.

Her mamá pressured to be the model Madrigal.

Tia Pepa forced to crush her emotions down and never put her emotional wellbeing first.

Tio Bruno used as the village's scapegoat.

This book was proof that she could have prevented it. But she didn't.

Isabela hadn't been allowed to be herself, pressured into being perfect and guilted into smiling and pretending she was okay.

Dolores pushed aside and ignored unless her Gift was needed until she faded into the background most days.

Luisa constantly pressured and guilted into doing everything she could to help the community.

Camilo, fuck, it was cruel and horrible what she'd done to him. Taking his comfort from him so early he probably believed he couldn't ask for it as he grew up. And using him as a tool to make the village happy while doing who knew how much damage to his mental and emotional state. 

And Mirabel… Mirabel had been ignored. Turned into the black sheep of the family and gaslighted at every turn into believing that she was the problem, that it was her fault.

Isabela gripped her dress so hard she thought it might tear.

What would she do to Antonio? What had she done to Antonio when they were busy, when they weren't watching?

Isabela met her Tio Bruno's gaze and his eyes widened before he jumped up and hurriedly covered a startled Dolores' ears.

And Isabela snapped.

She screamed, a veritable jungle springing to life in the room. Bushes and cacti and even a few small trees.

"We trusted you!" She screamed at her Abuela, tears racing down her cheeks. "We trusted that you'd have our best interests at heart. That despite everything, you at least cared about us! But you lied, you used and you manipulated all of us! That could have been our lives! If you'd cared enough to give it to us."

Abuela stared back in shock and Isabela wondered if she really didn't see it as wrong. Without this book, would they have found out about any of this? If the vision came true and some kind of confrontation happened as a result, would she have ever admitted to what she'd done? Would they ever have known?

Going by what they'd already had problems with, she would have easily gained their forgiveness. Family was important after all. 

They would have forgiven her and never known the extent of what she did.

Isabela glared at Abuela. No more. No more.

"I won't be your perfect princess anymore. I won't marry who you choose. And I'm never wearing fucking pink again!"

Dolores stood up as well, partially blocking Camilo from Abuela's sight.

"I'm done too. No more gossip or tidbits about the village. No more breaching their privacy. I won't marry at your say so. I'm done listening to you."

Luisa and Mirabel looked almost scared of what was happening. So did Camilo who backed up on the couch and into Tio Bruno who awkwardly tried to comfort him and seemed surprised when the teenager leaned into it.

Isabela should have protected them more. She was the oldest. She should have focused on what was important.

"You won't have any say in my niños lives," Tia Pepa hissed. 

"Not in my hijas either," her mamá had never sounded so cold.

"We're done with your manipulations," Tio Felix growled.

"I did what I had to for the family!"

"Then this family can burn in hell for all I care!" Tia Pepa screamed. "I'll take Felix's name. Juli will take Agustin’s. And we'll take Bruno with us and leave you in the broken remains of what you turned your 'family' into."

Silence descended on the room except for the whipping wind. Abuela was staring at them in horror and anger, missing the entire point of what just happened. They'd thought she might be listening before this revelation. They'd thought she was starting to think.

But fixing the small things did nothing to solve the core problems.

Before anything else could be said or screamed, Casita nudged the book that had been dropped on the floor.

"Seriously?!" Mirabel asked in exasperation. "Our family is imploding and you still want us to read?!"

She sounded on the brink of tears and Isabela felt at a loss on how to help.

She hadn't been there for fifteen years. How could she be there now?

Casita nudged the book again and Tia Pepa threw her hands up in anger before storming back to Camilo. He squeaked when she yanked him into her arms again, practically pulling him into her lap. Dolores sat beside her with Tio Felix on the other side.

Her mamá hurried over to Mirabel, pulling her into a tight hug as well while her papá rubbed her hermanita's back.

Luisa sat with them, being stopped from leaving by papá so they squashed onto the couch together.

Isabela sat back in her seat, feeling numb. Her whole world had been turned upside downand she didn't know what to do after the initial explosion.

Tio Bruno tentatively sat next to her.

"Are you okay Isa?"

She shook her head, tears still silently running down her cheeks.

She didn't fight it when he hesitantly pulled her into a hug, tucking into his side and hiding from the world like she used to do before he left.

To protect Mirabel. From Abuela.

How long had he been aware of what she was doing?

Not that anyone would have listened if he told them…

Her papá picked up the book and continued reading from where they stopped.

"She stared up at the redhead, begging her to understand. There was no pity or empathy in Pepa though. There was only rage now.

"Camilo is not a fucking replacement!" She snarled, causing the woman to flinch back."

Camilo stared down at his hands. That's all he was though wasn't it? A replacement for whoever people needed in the moment.

Anyone but Camilo himself.

"Never a replacement," his mamá whispered. "You irreplaceable Cami. Mi sol, mijo you're so much more than they made you believe."

Camilo twisted in her arms to lean more into the hug. Screw being an embarrassed teenage boy. He needed the comfort and anchor as everything he'd ever known was being shown as either wrong or a lie.

""He is a five-year-old boy who likes to play pranks and tell stories. He loves arepas and dancing and he runs to his hermana when he has a nightmare. You can't erase that because you want him to be someone else!""

Erase. That's what it came down to. When he shifted they erased him for a while. Because he wasn't Camilo to them anymore.

Except with his family. His Tia who complained in exasperation when he shifted chaotically to cause confusion. Isabela just scoffed and dismissed the shift, just as she did when he was himself. She'd never treated him differently.

And his mamá who always knew and just smiled at him playfully before calling him by name.

They never erased him.

"She sucked in a harsh breath as the rain poured down and the wind whipped past them.

"Camilo deserves more than to be seen as a convenient replacement for someone else," she said, voice calmer again. "He is a person, not an object you can make decisions for. He is mi hijo." Her voice broke on the last words. "And you tried to take him from me.""

Pepa held Camilo as close as she could. The idea of someone taking one of her niños was terrifying.

"The woman flinched away from the pain and anger in Pepa's eyes and Felix let out a sound that was almost a growl. 

"What were you going to do? Lock him in your house and watch us panic? Watch us search for him? Watch us mourn him?" Felix demanded angrily."

They all felt sick at the thought.

"Pepa strode forward when the woman looked down and forced her to look her in the eye.

"Were you going to force him to shift into that dead boy? Force him to act like him? Force Camilo to pretend that he's someone completely different? And then what about when he couldn't hold the shift anymore? When he grew too exhausted and hungry to keep it up anymore? What were you going to do then?!"

She glared at the now crying woman.

"I just wanted mi hijo back…" she whispered."

"Not at your expense," Pepa whispered to her hijo.

""Not at Camilo's expense. He deserves better than to be a replacement for the dead," Felix snarled behind her.

Pepa dropped her in disgust and the woman started sobbing at her feet.

"Children are a blessing, not a possession," her mamá said softly. "You cannot take someone else's niño because you lost yours.""

Isabela hiccuped into Bruno's ruana and his heart broke for her.

"We've always been possessions of the village. Of yours."

"Isabela-"

"Don't," Bruno, of all people, cut her off. "Just… don't."

She fell silent mostly out of stunned disbelief.

"She moved forward to stand next to Pepa and Felix stood on her other side, tangling their fingers together. Her husband was practically vibrating with rage.

"It's not fair," the woman sobbed. "It would have been perfect. I would have loved him and taken care of him. He would have been mi hijo.""

Camilo shuddered at the way she spoke. 

And he felt sick when he realised that's what he basically became every Friday night.

Someone's niño, parent,  spouse… anything. Something theirs.

"Pepa wanted to launch forward and punch the bitch.

"You are not going to let this go," her mamá sounded almost sad about that.

"It would work," she insisted. "Por favor, I need him. I need him! He has that Gift for a reason! For this reason! To give me my Rico back!""

Camilo stiffened as he remembered that she always said that when he left.

"Gracias for giving me my Rico back."

His mamá ran her fingers through his hair in comfort and Camilo was grateful for the promise his parents made.

Never again.

"Her mamá shook her head and sighed.

"Pedro gives them Gifts for them. Not for the village. Not for you."

She stared into the crazed woman's eyes and Pepa felt a chill run down her spine. This woman wouldn't stop. Not until she had what she wanted. Not until she erased Camilo to make a replacement hijo."

Lightning flickered in the air. Pepa would make sure this woman never got close to Camilo again. She was clearly a threat and who knew what she'd do if denied her time with 'her Rico'.

"Her mamá must have seen the same thing.

"I will not tolerate a threat to mi nieto in this Encanto," her mamá's voice was hard now."

If only. They were realising that Alma was a threat herself.

"She took a deep breath.

"You are no longer welcome within the Encanto."

A flood of golden magic surged from inside the house and over them, hitting the woman whose eyes widened in fear. Between one blink and the next, she was gone.

Pepa turned her head, briefly convinced that she felt a light touch to her cheek, but the energy dissipated and left just the family outside the house."

Pepa had to wonder if that magic hadn't appeared for their mamá because she was a threat.

""Pepa, Felix," her mamá spoke softly. "Go comfort your niños. I'll inform the village of what happened and the punishment."

"Gracias mamá," Pepa whispered, the words cracking as Felix wrapped an arm around her. It was truly hitting her now what had almost happened.

Isabela sent her plants away, seeming in awe of what she'd just seen.

Abuela gave them a smile and the couple raced inside and up to Camilo's room. They found all four kids cuddling on the bed and Camilo had a brownie shoved in his mouth, tears long since dried."

Felix gave a watery chuckle.

Food solved everything for Camilo.

"I want brownies now," the teen muttered.

"He lit up when he saw them, reaching out with his arms. Pepa didn't hesitate to scoop him up and pepper his face with kisses, making him giggle around the food. Felix poked Camilo in the nose and ruffled his hair before going to check on Dolores.

"She's gone?" Their hija asked quietly.

"Sí," Felix assured, just as softly.

Dolores let out a quiet sigh of relief and Pepa held her baby boy close, thankful that a disaster had been averted thanks to her hija and sobrina."

Meanwhile, they'd discovered a disaster that had been going on for years.

"She didn't want to imagine what would have happened if Dolores hadn't heard Camilo. 

That woman was lucky she'd been exiled. If she hadn't been, Pepa would have rained down hell from above.

Anything for her niños."

"Anything," Pepa whispered to them all, looking at Antonio who was in Felix's lap now.

"Thankfully, Camilo recovered from his fright relatively easily. He was back to racing around with Mirabel by the time her birthday rolled around which they were all thankful for."

Mirabel tensed up, eyes widening as she realised what was about to happen. She'd forgotten about it in the chaos.

"For a week or so, he'd refused to leave his family's side throughout the day.

As the latest celebration started up, everything was back to normal.

Or so they thought."

The fifteen-year-old squeezed her eyes shut, wondering if it would be different or the same.

Wondering about the reactions.

"Dolores watched with the same confusion and bewilderment as her family, as Mirabel's door faded to dust at her touch."

Mirabel had to cover her mouth to hold back the sob that wanted to escape as she flashed back to that horrible moment when she became the disappointment of the family. When she'd lost her Abuela's love.

"The family looked at each other in confusion and concern and Dolores heard little Mira ask her Abuela a question in a small voice that didn't suit her at all.

"Did I do something wrong?""

Julieta held her hija close, heart aching as she remembered that. And the silence that had greeted the question instead of reassurances.

"Everyone turned to look at Abuela as she knelt down next to Mira, a serious expression on her face.

"Don't be silly mi mariposa. I think it's quite simple what happened." She smiled at Mirabel, reaching out to cup one of her cheeks. "You were already so perfect that the Miracle didn't know what it could possibly give you to make you any more amazing.""

Mirabel's breathing caught and her heart pounded as she listened to words she'd long since given up on hearing.

"She leaned down and kissed Mirabel's forehead. "You've stumped your Abuelo Mira, he's certainly confused right now." She winked and held up the candle to her.

Mirabel giggled and reached out to touch it. "Lo siento Abuelo. I didn't mean to confuse you.""

She was fine she was fine she was fine. She didn't need that. She knew she was special and important even without a Gift.

She knew…

""Why don't you go play and enjoy your birthday Mira?" Abuela suggested.

And just like that, Abuela avoided a complete disaster. Camilo and Mirabel ran off with Luisa close behind them, determined to keep an eye on the mischievous pair.

Dolores heard everyone else let out sighs of relief and Abuela stood up calmly.

"Mamá, should I have a vision?" Tio Bruno asked nervously, all of them confused by what had happened."

They all tensed at the mention of the vision. The one that had led to all the initial chaos.

"Abuela gave him a gentle smile. "No need mijo. Nothing changes, even if Mirabel doesn't have a Gift. She's still our mariposa. She's still just as special as anyone else in the family.""

Mirabel bit her lip. She was fine she was fine she was fine-

“Her words made everyone relax and they all followed after the three youngest of the family to join in on the birthday party. Isabela raced ahead, already muttering about making this the best birthday ever.

Dolores heard Abuela speak and paused for a moment to listen.”

Everyone was watching Mirabel in concern as she huddled in on herself, eyes closed and breathing too fast.

“"I don't know what Pedro means by this, and if we just don't understand something important yet. But Casita," Abuela's voice hardened. "There better be a magical room waiting for mi nieta by the end of the night, one just as amazing as everyone else's, or so help me I will paint you the most drab grey I can find."

Casita lifted her tiles in alarm.

"Roof to floor tiles Casita," Abuela threatened.

Dolores ran after her family, stifling giggles as Casita panicked over the threat.

Abuela always took care of them.”

…

…

…

She wasn’t fine.

Mirabel burst into tears that had been building for years now, ever since that night Abuela had decided she was a failure.

She sobbed and wished with all her heart that she could have had this Abuela. This woman who smiled at her and reassured her. Who made sure she was treated fairly. Who loved her.

She sobbed over the unfairness of everything. The pain she’d gone through trying to always prove herself. The anxiety everyone was carrying, trying to meet Abuela’s expectations.

She just cried.

“I want that,” she choked out between sobs. “Why couldn’t I have that? I want that world. It’s not fair that we got this one. I just want to be happy again.”

She just wanted her smiles to feel honest again.

Chapter Text

"I think we need a break," Bruno said quietly and no one argued.

Julieta bundled Mirabel through the door that had just appeared and into her room. Agustin was right behind her, pulling their older shell-shocked hijas with and closing the door behind him.

Pepa swept Camilo out of the room through her own door, closely followed by Felix who was carrying Antonio and leading Dolores out.

A third door appeared behind Bruno and he didn't need any other hints as he darted through it to find his rats who dog-piled on him. They got anxious when they couldn't find him.

All the doors locked, leaving Alma to her turbulent thoughts.

Julieta held Mirabel tightly as her hija sobbed, the sound breaking her heart. She rubbed her youngest's back and cooed reassurances into her ear.

How had she missed this? She'd known that Mirabel had some insecurity issues after her failed Gift Ceremony, but she'd never thought that they ran this deep.

How long had her baby felt like this? Like happiness was so far out of reach that she just gave up on it?

How long had she been holding all of this inside?

Julieta pressed her face into Mirabel's curly hair, feeling tears sting her own eyes.

How could she have failed Mirabel so badly?

She rocked her baby, not sure what else to do as Mirabel cried every tear she'd held in for ten years.

"Lo siento," Julieta whispered. "Lo siento."

It was a long time before Mirabel's sobs turned to hiccups and then to sniffles. Julieta held her the whole time, clutching her baby tight like she could protect her from any more hurt.

"Mira?" She called gently when her hija fell silent. "Mi mariposa?"

"Lo siento," Mirabel whispered.

Before Julieta could tell her that she shouldn't apologise for crying, Mirabel continued.

"I didn't mean I wanted them to be my family," she hiccuped. "Just-just Abuela. For all of us. She hurt us so much…"

"Oh, Mira, baby," Julieta's heart broke all over again for her hija. "You don't need to apologise. I should be the one apologising. I'm so sorry mija. I didn't realise that you were feeling this way. This is my fault."

"No mamá-"

Julieta shushed her. "It is. As your parents, we are supposed to be there for you. To help you. And we weren't."

"I'm so sorry Miraboo," Agustin came to sit next to them. 

Mirabel wiped at her eyes. "I just wanted to stop feeling like a burden."

"You've never been a burden Mira," Julieta said firmly. "Mija, we never wanted anything but you being you. That's more than enough baby."

“Lo siento,” Isabela’s voice cracked as she spoke up. “I always treated you terribly. I was- I was jealous because you didn’t have to carry the same expectations that Abuela put on me. And I thought the same of Camilo but… apparently, I was wrong there. And I was wrong to lash out at you. I’m sorry Mira.”

“I didn’t notice how you were feeling. I barely even spent time with you,” Luisa said, looking on the verge of crying. “It’s my fault too.”

Julieta looked around at the mess of her family and sighed.

“I think it’s time we finally talked,” she murmured. “Completely honestly. No more pretending that we’re fine.”

Agustin nodded in agreement and took a deep breath, apparently deciding to go first.

“I hate your mamá.”

The blunt statement caused shocked, choked laughter.

“I hated how she always put the village before you Juli. I hated that she tried to set you up with multiple men, even when we were dating. I hated that she guilted you into spending most of your time in the kitchen or at the stall in the village. I hate that she stopped us from spending time with our hijas.”

Julieta dropped her head. “I hate that I can’t say no to her,” she breathed. It had always been a flaw of hers. When it came down to it and her mamá demanded compliance, she folded. With Bruno, with Pepa, with her hijas… She always gave in to her mamá.

“I hate being perfect. I hate that she wants me to live her fantasy life,” Isabela tugged at her hair. “I hate that I couldn’t be a normal kid. I hate that I don’t know who I am anymore.”

“I never get to spend time with anyone in the family,” Luisa said quietly as Agustin comforted Isabela who seemed a moment away from another breakdown. “I’m tired of leaving Casita early and coming home late. I-I just want to be normal. I don’t want to be the strong one anymore.”

Mirabel turned her head slightly so her voice wasn’t muffled, not having moved out of the hug.

“I hate that I’m never good enough for her. I got pushed away from the family for years and no matter what I did… it wasn’t enough to make her love me again.” She bit her lip to hold back another sob. “I wish we had that world. Where we got to be happy and just live our lives. Where Abuela loved us for who we were instead of what we could do. I just want to be a part of the family.”

She let out another sob and with Agustin’s encouragement, the family was in a big group hug with Mirabel in the centre. Her hermanas were on either side of her and Agustin wrapped his arms around all of them.

“You have always been a part of our family,” Julieta whispered. 

“Alma never had a say in that,” Agustin added firmly. “And she will never have a say. Miraboo, no matter what, you’re our baby.”
She couldn’t hold it back anymore and started sobbing again. But this time there was relief with the pain and devastation. The bad things hadn’t disappeared, there were still so many problems. But for the first time, it felt like she had people standing behind her. Maybe people that had always been there.

Miscommunication and assumptions had caused some serious problems in the Madrigal family.

They needed to fix that.

Pepa framed her hijo’s face with her hands, looking near frantic while Dolores moved closer, Antonio looking worried in his papá’s arms.

“Mijo, I need you to be completely honest for the next few minutes. No omissions, no cleverly worded truths. Completely and totally honest, okay?”

He stared back with wide, anxious eyes and nodded hesitantly. Looking to Dolores, Pepa got a nod from her too.

They moved over to the bed, all sitting together on the covers.

“Camilo,” Felix started, looking sick. “We need to know if anyone ever made you do… more than acting like someone.”

Dolores looked horrified as what was being asked clicked for her but Camilo looked confused. Pepa tugged him close so that he was curled into her side.

“Cami, did they ever touch you? Inappropriately?” she asked, scared of the answer down to her bones.

Camilo’s eyes widened as he understood. “No!” he rushed to reassure them, looking sick at the thought himself. “No mamá, papá, there were rules. Abuela did make them follow rules. The most they could do was a friendly hug. I was supposed to tell her if they did anything else.”

“Did anyone try?” Felix asked, relieved to hear that nothing had actually happened.

Camilo shifted uncomfortably. “Some hinted, but I just pretended to be oblivious,” he admitted.

Pepa growled at the thought. Hugs were already too far in her opinion. They weren’t for him. They were for someone else and it was so wrong he’d been used like that.

“Did Abuela have you doing anything else? That we never talked about?” Felix asked.

Camilo frowned as he thought. “She asked me to do a lot of babysitting on Saturday nights,” he admitted.

“Those were your nights off!” Dolores fumed.

He winced. He did an ‘emergency’ babysitting job at least once a month.

“I never questioned it since… we never question Abuela,” he said quietly.

Pepa tucked him closer and took a deep breath, tilting his head back so that she could see his face. There was a mess of emotions in his eyes as he struggled with the realisation of how much his Abuela had used him and lied to his family.

“Cami,” she murmured. “Did Abuela ever ask you to shift into your Abuelo?”

Felix sucked in a sharp breath and Dolores squeaked in shock. Pepa’s focus was on her hijo though. And her heart broke at the way he averted his eyes.

“Once,” he admitted quietly. “I think it was a few weeks before I turned six. She’d been showing me a lot of pictures of Abuelo and one day she asked me if I could shift into him. So… I did. She stared at me for a moment and then she burst into tears and started shouting, telling me to never do it again. I shifted back and ran to my room cause I got scared. She didn’t look at me for weeks.”

Pepa could barely breathe through her anger. But it was Dolores who surged to her feet. “I’m going to strangle her!” she hissed. “That’s why you don’t look at Abuelo’s picture! You always look away when climbing the stairs!”

Camilo bit his lip and dropped his eyes before Pepa tucked his head under her chin, thunder rolling in the room and outside Casita. Her mamá had tainted the memory of Camilo’s Abuelo, associating it with fear and confusion. And guilt. Over making his Abuela cry.

She ran her fingers through his hair and whispered that he’d never have to shift for anything that made him uncomfortable again.

Never again.

She looked up over his head and at her seething hija.

“Dolores?” she asked, dreading to hear what might have been hidden from her about her hija besides the talk of marrying her off.

Dolores grimaced and wrapped her arms around herself, looking away.

“Mija,” Felix said quietly, imploring.

“I wasn’t allowed to keep secrets,” she whispered. “Not my own. Not anyone else’s. If I heard it, I had to tell her. If I was feeling something, I had to tell her.”

She squeezed her eyes shut. 

“I told her I loved someone. Because I had to. And she told me because of Tio’s vision, I shouldn’t even try.”

Camilo jerked half out of Pepa’s hold.

“What?!” he shouted angrily, more upset over what was done to his hermana than himself.

“She said that I should give up on love when I told her about the prophecy. That she’d make sure I got married and had kids. That I didn’t need to worry about it. That it was better than inevitable heartbreak.”

Felix jumped up to pull her into a hug.

“I had to tell her about fights and relationships in the village. I had to tell her about affairs and talk of children. I had to tell her when someone was upset. I had to tell her when I wanted to do something, when I wanted to go out, when I wanted do anything. She told me when I was five that I had to tell her first before either of you. And that I shouldn’t bother you with the silly nonsense I wanted. I had to tell her I was in love and then she told me it didn’t matter.”

Felix hugged her close as she began shaking, letting out years of stored emotions.

“If something bad happened, she asked why I didn’t hear it. Why I wasn’t listening. She made it my fault. I didn’t have a personal life because she knew everything.”

She was quiet for a second. 

“The only secret I ever kept was about Tio Bruno. And that’s because she never bothered to ask me.”

“That will end now,” Pepa said sharply. “She does not have a right to invade your privacy like that. To invade everyone’s privacy like that. If you end up wanting to talk about what you hear or feel, you should always know you can come to us Dolores. You don’t owe her anything.”

Dolores nodded slightly, leaning into her papá’s hug. After a moment, she gave a watery laugh.

“In the end, she was the reason for Tio’s vision,” she muttered, the tears properly streaming down her cheeks now.

Camilo was the one to get it first as he jerked forward.

“Mariano?!” he asked in shock.

Dolores hid her face in Felix’s chest and Pepa looked down, remembering the devastation she’d seen on Dolores’ face when she told her about the vision. She remembered how angry with Bruno she’d been. How desperate she was to comfort her baby while never knowing that all her work was being undone by her own mamá.

And all this time… it was due to Alma’s decision to marry Isabela off to Mariano, a man she didn’t even love. While Dolores suffered in silence, shoving her feelings aside because that’s what she was told to do for years.

“I’m going to kill her,” Pepa breathed, electricity crackling over her skin, harmlessly skittering across Camilo who was still mostly in her arms.

“I always hated your madre,” Felix admitted.

That should have been her first red flag. Felix had excellent taste and she’d always known that he only tolerated Alma for her benefit.

Camilo was still staring at his hermana.

“Well, he’s going to be single again. So if you move fast you’ve got a chance with the sappy oaf. I’ll help.”

Dolores spun around and lunged for him, panic in her expression. “Camilo Madrigal! Don’t you dare!”

Camilo yelped as they both went flying over the edge of the bed and hit the floor.

Antonio looked up at his parents, confused by the whole conversation. “What’s going on?”

“Your Abuela is in big trouble,” Felix explained. “Your mami is very angry with her.”

“Is she going to get grounded?” Antonio asked with wide eyes.

Pepa glared at the door. She would be lucky if she was grounded. There was going to be a lightning storm and it looked like Alma Madrigal was going to become a lightning rod.

Bruno sat in the sand as his rats climbed all over him. He’d finally managed to calm them down after his disappearance so he looked around his room. As dark and depressing as he remembered.

It hadn’t always been this way. But years of depression caused a pretty big change in magical rooms apparently.

“Why are we doing this Casita? Isn’t there a less painful way for them to figure this all out?”

The walls rumbled around him and he sighed, dropping his head back and staring up at where his vision cave was.

He could guess that things were only going to get worse. And they weren’t even halfway through the book.

Alma stared at the locked doors, each showing a glowing image of her hijos. She hadn’t seen Bruno’s door glowing since he disappeared.

Her hijas had been furious and she couldn’t understand. They’d been helping the Encanto. That’s all they ever did. It didn’t hurt her nietos. She made sure there were rules in place.

So why were they so upset?

She shifted uncomfortably as she remembered Pedro’s whispered words to her counterpart.

For the first time, she wondered if Pedro would have been happy with how she ran their family. If he would have agreed with her choices.

She didn't have an answer to that question and it disturbed her.

Chapter Text

When the family returned to the main room, there were many reddened eyes and dark glares shot at Alma. Julieta kept Mirabel close, tucked under her arm and Pepa did the same with Camilo. It was clear the two were feeling exceptionally protective over the two teens. Dolores and Isabela seemed to waver between fiery anger and tears every few minutes and Agustin was quietly comforting Luisa. Felix had a quiet Antonio on his lap, the little boy worried about everyone. He’d never seen his siblings look so unsure or his primas look so upset.

Pepa glared Alma down, electricity sparking around her.

“We will be talking about this later,” she said tightly.

For now, she wanted to get this all over with so that she could get her niños out of here and away from the impending storm.

Maybe visiting Felix’s parents with him…

Julieta was still comforting Mirabel, but from her tense posture and how she wouldn’t look at Alma, she definitely agreed with her hermana.

Since everyone was very obviously upset, Bruno tentatively picked up the book to read.

““Mami!” 

Pepa turned as Camilo came careening around the corner. The excitement in his voice and the wide smile on his face calmed her initial panic. She still worried about her baby boy getting hurt again. Ever since the attempt to kidnap him, everyone in the family was more protective of their younger members.”

Julieta could imagine that. If something like that had happened (which was apparently more likely than they’d known because of those damn Friday nights) they would have gone crazy with the overprotectiveness.

“Sí, Cami?” she asked as he slammed into her legs, clinging in a hug.

He beamed up at her.

“Mami I wanna get Dolores a present!” he declared.”

Pepa couldn’t help cooing at that. Her baby was adorable. Camilo squirmed in her hold when Dolores quirked smile at him.

““Oh?” she bent down to pick him up, resting him on her hip as she started walking. 

Dolores was sick with a cold so she was currently in her room and wouldn’t hear them.”

“So best time to plot against me,” Dolores said dryly, drawing weak smiles from Isabela and Mirabel. Thankfully, this was turning out to be a tame chapter so far.

“Camilo nodded excitedly.

“Mira and I found the perfect present!”

“You did?” Now she was curious.”

“They’re both in on it, that’s not good,” Felix chuckled, getting pouts from both of the teenagers.

“Camilo nodded frantically again and pointed in the direction he wanted her to go, other hand holding tight to her dress.

Too curious not to go now, Pepa headed out of Casita and down towards the river. She raised her eyebrow when she spotted Bruno sitting near the river with Mirabel. He didn’t look happy about something and looked up at the sound of her footsteps.”

They all frowned in confusion except for Bruno who grimaced, apparently having an idea of where this one was going.

“Mirabel looked up when he did and lit up. “Tia Pepa!” she called. “Tio Bruno found the best present for Dolores!”

As Pepa got closer, she noticed that Bruno was wet and there was a cloth sack thrown a distance away. She had to consciously stop herself from scowling when she spotted what was in his hands.

A tiny, soaking wet kitten blinked up at them, meowing softly.”

There was a beat of silence as everyone processed that.

“What?!” Felix demanded while Julieta covered her mouth in horror. 

The others were just as shocked while Bruno sighed. 

“It’s okay here,” he mumbled. “It was a vision.”

The kids all looked at him gratefully while Antonio continued to look confused. Pepa rested her chin on Camilo’s curls. Her hermano had always been soft to animals. Especially his rats. But he was a softie for all of them, even cats who tended to go after his little friends.

“Dios mio if Bruno knew who did this she was going to pay them a visit with her lightning. That kind of casual cruelty did not belong in the Encanto.”

Pepa looked pointedly at him and he hid behind the book, not looking at her. “You can’t shock him, it's been ten years.”

“Grudges don't have time limits,” Camilo muttered.

“She put Camilo down when he squirmed and he ran over to Bruno to look at the kitten again.

“We found Tio Bruno out here with him!” Camilo told her brightly. “Silly kitty got wet and Tio Bruno saved him!”

“Tio Bruno is a hero,” Mirabel agreed seriously.”

Bruno let out a quiet scoff at that and then yelped when Mirabel threw her shoe at him, hitting him on the head.

“Nice shot,” Dolores said mildly.

“Gracias,” Mirabel huffed.

Bruno wisely didn’t say anything.

“Bruno flushed at their words and Pepa had no doubt that the pair probably missed what actually happened and misunderstood it.

At least they wouldn’t have to deal with the truth. 

Bruno must have had a vision of what happened and rushed out here to save the little thing. He’d always had a soft spot for animals, even if they weren’t his rats.

She’d get the full story from him later. For now, she crouched down with them and reached out to pet the soaked kitten gently.

“Why do you think he would be a good present for Dolores?” she asked Camilo as she helped Bruno try and dry the poor animal.”

“It purrs,” Camilo said absently. Everyone but Isabela looked at him in surprise and he shrugged. “She beelines for cats in the village.”

Huh, Felix was going to look into that one.

““Because she said she likes the sound they make when she sees them in town,” he answered eagerly before mimicking a cat’s purr.”

Camilo made a ‘there you go’ gesture.

“You can purr?” Mirabel asked dubiously.

Camilo smirked and then proceed to mimic the purr just like in the story, enjoying the surprised looks he got.

“That’s pretty good,” Luisa said.

“It calms down Dolores when she has a sensory overload,” he admitted.

Dolores gave him a small smile and Pepa hugged him a little tighter. Such a sweet boy.

“Pepa was a bit surprised. She hadn’t thought of that. She knew that Dolores liked the sound of humming and music but she hadn’t thought of any animal sounds she would like.

A cat’s purr was very soothing though.”

“We should have a music session again soon,” Felix mused, looking at Agustin. “It’s been a while.”

Luisa perked up. She loved when her papá played the piano.

““Hmm,” she mused to herself, looking up at Bruno.

He raised the hand not petting the kitten. “Hey, don’t look at me. I have rats. I can’t keep a cat as a pet. Isabela prefers plants to animals and Luisa would stress herself out if she had the responsibility before she thought she was ready. I think Dolores is a pretty good pick.””

“Accurate assessment,” Julieta said in amusement.

Isabela pulled a face at just the thought of having an animal as a pet.

“Camilo looked up at her with wide, hopeful eyes and she sighed.

“When Dolores is feeling a bit better,” she gave in. How could she deny those eyes anything?”

“You’re weak to them,” Felix teased and Pepa smirked.

“And Dolores can play you like a violin,” she pointed out.

Their niños grinned smugly at each other while Felix chuckled sheepishly.

Antonio got them both though.

““We can hide him in my room until she is!” Mirabel declared.”

Mirabel flinched at the mention of having her own room and Julieta pulled her closer.

““Alright alright,” Bruno chuckled as she started tugging on his ruana until he stood up. “We need to get him dried and fed though. Poor little guy must be hungry.”

Pepa picked up Camilo again as he tugged on her dress and they headed back to Casita and up to Mirabel’s room.”

They were all flicking worried glances at Mirabel and feeling guilty. They’d never considered how much not having her own room must have affected her. She’d been stuck in the nursery for years…

“Pepa had cracked up laughing when Dolores told her what her mamá had threatened Casita with. It worked though. By the time the party ended, there was a new door sitting next to Luisa’s and inside was the perfect room for Mirabel. It was cozy with pillows and blankets and a large bed that could fit her favourite primo as well when they decided they wanted a sleepover.”

Camilo looked at his prima to find her staring at her lap with a pained expression. They had to fix this. If it was as easy as threatening Casita, then his mamá could do that easily.

She never bluffed and Casita knew that.

“There was also a space dedicated to her crafts since Mirabel had grown interested in sowing very early on and had some early attempts already started. The walls were painted a light blue with golden butterflies on them and there were pictures of the family everywhere.

Mirabel had adored it on sight.”

Mirabel bit her lip at the feeling of fierce longing and jealousy flaring in her chest. It wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t she have just got her own room? A Gift was one thing but not even a room? Why not?

“Fetching a towel, they dried the kitten and then set it in a nest of blankets and pillows that Mirabel and Camilo made together. 

“We’ll take good care of him until Dolores is feeling better,” Camilo promised them seriously and Pepa smiled as she and Bruno left.

“What happened?” she asked as she headed down the stairs with her hermano.”

Bruno paused, pointedly looking at Antonio. Dolores hurriedly covered his ears, making him look up at her in annoyance.

““Ricardo,” he muttered with a scowl. “Their cat had kittens and he didn’t want them. That one was the only one they didn’t manage to give away.”

Pepa growled under her breath. She’d have a little talk with that man next time she saw him in the village.”

Thunder rumbled. “Of course it was that bastard,” she hissed as Dolores moved her hands again.

“Why’d you do that?” he asked, pouting.

“Big people things,” Felix told him. “We’ll tell you when you’re older.”

Antonio gave a heavy, world-weary sigh and they all had to hide their smiles.

“They were both still scowling when they walked into the sitting room and their mamá frowned in concern.

“Is everything alright?” she asked.

Pepa’s gaze flicked to where Isabela was sitting nearby with Luisa, entertaining her younger hermana by growing different plants.

“We’ll tell you later,” she promised.”

Pepa absently wondered if this version of their mamá would have made an excuse for Ricardo. She refused to look at her for her reaction though. And thankfully she was remaining silent this time.

“Felix looked at her in concern, stopping his discussion with Julieta and Agustin.

“Dolores is getting a pet,” she said, just deciding to bluntly tell them.

“Okay?” her mamá said with a raised eyebrow.

“I found a kitten and Camilo decided it was the perfect present for Dolores.”

“She does like it when they purr,” Isabela admitted, looking up. She didn’t sound the least bit jealous. Then again, Bruno was right about her preferring plants to animals.”

Isabela’s expression told them that he was completely right on that point.

“Plants don’t shed or shit,” she muttered, gaining a shocked gasp from Abuela.

Mirabel and Luisa turned to look at her in shock. Pepa and Camilo howled with laughter and Dolores hid her smile with her hand.

Isabela just lifted her chin, a little defiantly.

Shocked herself, Julieta found herself smiling. Her hija had said that she didn’t want to keep the perfect act up anymore. And she was following through on that. She wasn’t going to stop her.

Besides, it was something she would have thought herself at Isabela's age. Even if she wouldn’t say it aloud.

““Wonderful idea!” Felix declared excitedly.

“She is the most responsible person in this house,” her mamá muttered.

“True,” Isabela and Luisa agreed, not even offended.

The triplets, on the other hand, were offended.

“Hey,” Julieta complained.

“Your eighteenth,” their mamá deadpanned.

Julieta blushed and Pepa looked away.

“Fair point,” Bruno admitted.

“And Felix is Felix.”

“Also a fair point,” Felix laughed.

“And Agustin-”

“Is far too clumsy to have a pet underfoot,” Agustin chuckled.

Pepa pouted at her mamá. Dolores was admittedly very responsible. 

She was torn between being proud and annoyed.”

“Proud,” Pepa decided while everyone looked amused at the reasons they shouldn’t have pets.

“Dolores is super responsible,” Antonio agreed. “She should get a cat.”

Dolores blinked in surprise when everyone looked at her. She’d never considered it. Abuela already didn’t like her Tio’s rats. She’d never thought she’d allow another animal in the house.

She’d had a pinched look on her face when Antonio’s animals came storming into Casita

“We’ll look into it later,” Felix promised his hija.

“Dolores blinked down at the kitten in her arms, still settled in a blanket to keep him warm.

“Oh,” she whispered in surprise and the little animal gave a tiny meow.

“Do you like him?” Camilo asked hopefully, peering over the edge of her bed at her.

Dolores gave him a warm smile.

“I love him. I think I’ll name him Milo. After my favourite hermano.””

“Hey,” Antonio pouted while Camilo’s breath caught at the words.

“You weren’t born yet,” Mirabel reminded him dryly.

Dolores only reached over to ruffle Camilo’s hair and for once he didn’t complain.

“Camilo beamed at her.

Milo started purring and Dolores closed her eyes with a soft hum.

Pepa quietly closed the door and left them. Dolores still needed rest but she doubted she was getting Camilo to leave his hermana at this point.

Dolores adored Camilo. But the opposite had always been true and Camilo loved his hermana with everything in him.

He wouldn’t leave until he was sure Dolores was completely cheered up from her cold.”

Camilo looked embarrassed but he didn’t argue the point. They all knew he often skipped work if Dolores was sick to visit her. Something that got him in trouble a lot. But he’d never stopped.

“That was a suspiciously pleasant chapter,” Bruno eyed the book.

“Mercy. How nice,” Mirabel deadpanned.

“It’s a nice change,” Isabela sighed, rubbing her temples.

“I’m starving,” Camilo said out of the blue.

Not surprising but everyone suddenly realised how hungry they were. 

“I need the bathroom,” Luisa admitted.

Thankfully, Casita heard them and the door to the bathroom appeared as a bunch of food dropped from the ceiling to land on the table.

“Casita is doing some impressive magical space bending right now,” Mirabel sighed.

Camilo didn’t care. There were brownies and arepas on the table. He was the first one there.

Chapter Text

Once everyone had their food and were settled back in their places, Agustin took the book and started to read.

“Chapter Twenty. Prophecy.”

“Oh no,” Dolores whispered as Bruno cringed. 

She’d been hoping that the prophecy hadn’t happened there. Did Isabela still get matched up with Mariano?

They were all friends…

Pepa rubbed her face with a grimace.

She regretted her reaction and aggression towards Bruno so much.

““ Por favor Tio ,” Dolores pleaded, eyes wide as she hugged Milo to her chest.

“ Por favor !” Isabela added, eyes just as pleading as her prima’s .”

“That’s cheating,” Bruno muttered.

And exactly how they got him to do it here.

““That,” Tio Bruno pointed at them. “Is cheating. But still no.”

They both pouted at him.

“Why not?” Isabela whined.

"Mi sobrinas, there are rules about my visions," he told them gently while constructing his sandwich. "You have to be eighteen to ask for one."”

“That’s actually… a very sensible rule,” Julieta mused.

Dolores nodded in agreement. She’d been nowhere mature enough to handle it at eleven.

“"But Catalina got one," Isabela pouted. "She's only a couple years older than us."

"That's because her parents made the request," he explained. "Your mamás won't. They told me already that they won't ask me to look into your future. I only ever gave them one prophecy about you both. And that was just to tell them that they were pregnant."”

“More like announce it unexpectedly,” Julieta grumbled.

“Catalina?” Isabela frowned, trying to think of who that would be.

“The jealous bitch that keeps copying you and everything you do,” Dolores said, examining her nails. 

“Ah, that one,” Isabela snapped her fingers and nodded. “It’s sad. She’s the one desperate to get married isn’t she?”

Dolores hummed.

“This generation sounds a lot more petty than ours did,” Julieta frowned.

Her siblings turned to look at her in disbelief.

“Bullying,” Pepa said, pointing at Bruno.

“Harassment,” Bruno said, pointing at Pepa.

“It got pretty bad, I punched a lot of people,” Felix said proudly.

Julieta looked confused. Had it really been that bad? Was she just affected by nostalgia for the past?

“He bit into his sandwich and studied his pouting sobrinas .

" Niños , my visions aren't always nice. They don't always show good things."”

Dolores flinched and Bruno looked guilty.

“"We can handle it!" Isabela insisted while Dolores had quieted and was just staring at him over her cat's head. She barely put the animal down. 

Their Tio shook his head though. "Maybe. But you're also eleven Isa. You're still young. You still get upset when dessert isn't the kind you like."

They both ducked their heads at that and he crouched down to their level.”

“We should have had that rule,” Julieta sighed. “It was our fault too for not saying that they couldn’t get visions.

Pepa nodded in agreement. “Lo siento Bruno. I shouldn't have taken it out on you.”

“I made your hija cry. You had a normal reaction Pepa,” he argued.

“I still shouldn’t have done it,” she sighed.

Dolores watched them guiltily. If she’d never asked for it in the first place then there wouldn’t have been a problem at all.

“"When you turn eighteen and you decide you still want a vision, I'll give it to you mi sobrinas. But until then, we follow the rules. Your parents agree with me. It's better to wait. Besides, why would you want to spoil the surprise? That's the best part of life."

They both still pouted but didn't argue as he ruffled their hair and walked off.”

“Surprises are nice,” Mirabel pointed out. “Who wants to know everything that happens?”

“It can make it very boring,” Bruno agreed.

“It all started with stupid Catalina bragging about how she was going to get a prophecy of who she was going to marry.

That idea got stuck in their heads. They'd seen how happy their parents were together so it was a nice thought to think that they might get that too.

But Tio Bruno was being pretty firm on saying no.

Going to their papás got the same answer for both of them.

"Ask your mamá ."

So they did.”

“We can already guess the answer there,” Camilo said.

They had to agree. If Dolores had asked Pepa, it would have been an immediate no. If Isabela asked Julieta, she might have considered it for a moment before saying no as well.

Abuela would have probably encouraged it though…

“"No."

"But why not mamá ?" Isabela whined.

Her mamá was making arepas with Mirabel eagerly helping (and making a mess).

"We decided a long time ago, Isa," her mamá answered calmly. "When you're eighteen, you can ask. Not before."

Isabela scowled at the floor, kicking at the tiles petulantly.”

That sounded strangely adorable and Julieta was suddenly hit with sadness over never getting to see Isabela like that, acting as a normal niño. Allowed to pout or complain or whine. She’d always had to be such a model girl…

“Her mamá sighed.

"Did you know that your Tio had visions about both your Tia's and my wedding?" She asked.

Isabela's head snapped up and Luisa looked up in interest from where she was drawing at the table.

"You got a vision?!" Isabela demanded in outrage.

"Not me. Your Abuela ."

They looked at her in confusion.”

Julieta and Pepa still wanted to see those visions, glancing at Bruno. It was sad that he hadn’t felt like he could show them for fear that he’d ruin something.

“"Your Tio refused to tell me. Just like he refused to tell me if I was having a boy or girl with all of you. I didn't know who I was marrying. I was annoyed with him at the time, but later on…" she smiled to herself. "I was thankful he didn't. It let me fall in love on my own, let me be surprised when your papá asked me out. When he asked me to marry him. Your Tio left me all the big surprises in my life. And I'm glad he did."”

Julieta smiled at Agustin while Pepa did the same with Felix. Those moments were some of the best in their lives.

If they’d known about them beforehand… they might not have felt as special admittedly.

“Isabela was quiet as she watched her mamá . 

"It was really better?" She asked after a moment. "Not knowing?"

" Sí ," she answered without hesitation. "It made everything better."

Isabela fell silent as she thought about her mamá's words.

Was it really better to be surprised?”

Isabela surprisingly nodded. “That vision stressed me out since it meant that I should be enjoying my life when I wasn’t. It didn’t make sense to me.”

Julieta felt another spike of anger directed at her mamá. Isabela should never have had to carry those expectations.

“"No mija ," Dolores pouted at her mamá's answer. "That's the rules. No visions until you're eighteen."

"What do you wanna know so bad?" Camilo asked curiously from their mamá's lap. She was brushing the mop of curls on his head and it was easier to keep him still like that.”

“That’s true,” Pepa sighed.

“You never sat still for long,” Felix teased his hijo.

“Still don’t," Dolores muttered.

Camilo rolled his eyes while Pepa ruffled up his curls. They might need a cut soon.

“"...if I'm going to get married and to who," she mumbled in embarrassment.

Camilo frowned.

"I don't wanna share you," he pouted.”

Pepa and Dolores completely melted and cooed at a mortified Camilo.

“That’s adorable,” Mirabel smirked.

“Stop,” Camilo whined.

“That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard,” Isabela said with a wicked smile tugging at her lips.

“Come on,” he squirmed as his mamá hugged him tighter and Dolores kissed his cheek.

Mirabel and Isabela exchanged a mischievous look at his suffering.

Agustin continued without waiting for them to stop.

“Dolores melted a little while their mamá cooed.

"No matter what happens in the future Cami, you'll always be mi hermanito," she promised.

"No matter what?" He asked a little timidly.

"I promise," she assured him.

"Well, then I guess you can get married. But only if they deserve you!"”

That only made them coo more and Camilo wanted to melt through the floor by now.

“Why am I suffering?” he complained, trying to escape his hermana’s cheek kisses.

“Mijo, you’re so sweet,” Pepa cooed.

Camilo sighed, resigned to his fate.

…at least they looked happier than a moment ago.

“Dolores couldn't help it. She swept him out of her mamá's lap and hugged him tightly.

He was so sweet.

Maybe it wasn't so important for her to know who she was going to marry. Why worry about the future when her present was so amazing?

Maybe that's what Tio Bruno had been trying to tell them?

Either way, she dropped the topic of the visions.

She didn't need it.”

Dolores wished she hadn’t asked here either. It had only led to heartbreak in the end. Camilo looked at her worriedly as her expression dropped, still trapped between her and their mamá.

She gave him a sad smile and shook her head, moving to sit upright again.

“Catalina bawled her eyes out as she stomped on the shattered green tablet.

"He ruined my life!" She wailed.”

“What a surprise,” Bruno sighed, propping his chin up on one hand.

Pepa and Julieta straightened, still guilty that they hadn’t protected him from things like this before. Hopefully, they did in this world. It wasn’t right that he got blamed for something he couldn’t control.

They shouldn’t have joined everyone else in doing that.

“Isabela raised an eyebrow at the display, Mirabel staring from her place in her arms, as Dolores walked up next to her.

"The vision showed that she wasn't going to get married before thirty. Tio tried to tell her that that didn't mean she'd never get married but she wouldn't listen. She's upset she won't be married before she's old. "”

There were several snorts of amusement.

“That’s very old,” Antonio nodded sagely, getting offended noises from all those over thirty.

Camilo twisted to hug his mamá as a cloud appeared above her.

“You barely have any grey,” Julieta said in annoyance. “You don’t get to be offended.”

Pepa glared back.

Bruno just stayed out of it. He was pretty sure most of his grey came from stress.

“Isabela shook her head as the girl continued to wail loudly.

"Maybe those rules are there for a reason," she admitted grumpily.

Dolores nodded in agreement.

"Well no one wants to marry a baby," Mirabel said in confusion. "She cries more than Cami and me combined!"”

Now there were some choked laughs. Young niños were adorably blunt sometimes.

“And Cami was a crybaby so that’s saying something,” Isabela said, flicking a smirk at Camilo when he looked offended.

“That was mostly because mamá was out so much. Cami wasn’t happy if she wasn’t home,” Dolores shrugged.

“Mamá’s boy,” several members of the family said at the same time and he huffed, looking away while Pepa cuddled him happily.

“Isabela started laughing and Dolores sighed.

When did the five-year-olds get so wise? 

"That rat bastard cursed me!" Catalina howled.”

Bruno flinched as the mood immediately sobered. Well, that wasn’t the worst he’d been called at least.

“Oh no.

Dolores quickly took Mirabel as Isabela snapped.

"What did you say about my Tio you bitch?!"”

Bruno blinked in surprise at Isabela’s reaction in the book while Isabela herself hoped that her counterpart made this idiot regret it.

“She tackled Catalina who screamed. Isa could use her plants but she said a fight was better when she used her fists. More satisfying.”

“That’s true,” Pepa said with a smirk.

Felix gazed at her adoringly. “You are beautiful when you fight mi vida.”

Camilo and Bruno gagged together again.

“She never did have a problem with getting dirty.

"What's going on?!" Mamá had rushed over with Cami in her arms and papá close behind her.

"She said mean stuff about Tio Bruno," Mirabel pouted.”

Papá promptly took Camilo just before mamá exploded.”

“Nice reaction times,” Julieta said mildly to Dolores and Felix. 

Grabbing the youngest niños out of the blast zone.

“"She did what?!" She turned to storm over to Catalina to yell at her and her parents who were trying to scold Isa and get her off the still crying thirteen-year-old.”

“Isa sounds feral,” Mirabel said in surprise.

Several of the adults stared into space as they remembered when Isabela was still two years old and bit someone from the village.

“So much makes sense now,” Julieta breathed.

“Hey, she thought she was mature enough to handle a vision of the future.

She could handle the consequences of talking badly about Dolores' Tio then.

Everyone knew what would happen if they did after all.

Don't talk bad about Tio Bruno if you didn't want a storm crashing down on your head.”

Pepa sighed. She should have been more like that. She had when they were young, but as they grew older… their relationship suffered.

“"Why's she mad at Tio ?" Camilo asked in annoyance.

"She's not getting married like she wanted," Mirabel answered.

Camilo pulled a face. "Duh, who wants to marry someone dumb?"

"And a baby," Mirabel added sagely.”

“So young and so wise,” Felix snickered while the pair smirked a bit.

“Papá snorted as he shooed them away.

"Let's get ice cream," he suggested.”

“Is that a bribe not to tell anyone what happened or just a way to stop them from getting involved?” Dolores wondered.

They were all feeling a lot more relaxed though. The last couple of chapters had been a lot less stressful thankfully.

Hopefully, the next chapter would be as peaceful.

Dolores took the book and settled in.

“Chapter Twenty-One. Mi Nieta.”

Oh boy, it was focusing on Abuela apparently.

Chapter Text

Dolores refused to look at Abuela as she started reading.

""And then Tio tried to hide his rat but Tia didn't believe him so she tackled him," Mirabel explained happily to her amused Abuela."

Mirabel bit her lip. Her counterpart seemed to have such a good relationship with Abuela.

Meanwhile, Pepa narrowed her eyes and looked at Bruno.

"We can guess who she meant with that story," Julieta chuckled.

"They were walking through town to pick up some things from the market and the six-year-old was happily clinging to Alma’s hand as they went."

Being seen with Mirabel had been something Abuela had never done after Mirabel's failed Gift Ceremony. 

Mirabel remembered the exact moment she'd realised that she'd lost her Abuela's love.

The first time she'd yanked her hand out of Mirabel's timid grasp and walked ahead without looking at her was one of her most vivid memories.

""Your Tio Bruno should know better than to lie to your Tia Pepa by now," she chuckled. 

Mirabel nodded seriously. "Mamá and Tia always know."

Pepa and Julieta smirked at that while Camilo and Mirabel pouted. They'd prevented a lot of their chaos over the years. Not all of it, just the bad ideas usually.

"She was pouting a bit about that and Alma laughed again.

"It comes with being a mamá Mira," she reminded the little girl. "Did they catch you and Cami out in a prank?"

Mirabel let out a long-suffering sigh that reminded Alma so much of Julieta at her age."

Mirabel blinked in surprise at the mention of a similarity to her mamá. 

Pepa chuckled though. "Sometimes I think it's Julieta sighing before turning around and finding you," she said fondly.

""Cami was pretending to be me and we were confusing papá and Tio Felix. But mamá and Tia came in and knew exactly who was who.""

Pepa huffed. "Of course I would. I'd know my Cami anywhere."

Camilo looked away but anyone could see the small, pleased smile on his face.

"Alma bit back another laugh at the pout Mirabel was sporting. 

"A mamá always knows her niño."

Pepa had never had a problem identifying Camilo, even when he was shifted. It was something the little boy pretended to be annoyed with while he was secretly pleased by it."

Now Camilo ducked his head in embarrassment but, for once no one teased him. Pepa was actually the only one who could reliably figure out who Camilo was. His papá got it most of the time but Pepa was never wrong.

Having someone know without a doubt and every time gave him an anchor he probably needed with his Gift.

"Mirabel continued her story as they arrived at the marketplace and Alma started getting what she came for. It wasn't long before the little girl wandered over to a stall that sold material. She was getting more interested in sewing and embroidery every day. And she clearly had a talent for it."

"That she does," Pepa chuckled while several family members nodded in agreement. 

Mirabel squirmed under the attention, not used to the attention.

"I'm not that great," she mumbled.

"Your skirt," Camilo deadpanned.

Mirabel looked away in embarrassment. 

"Alma kept an eye on her as she went about her shopping so she noticed when the problem started."