Chapter Text
It wasn’t meant to happen.
It never was.
Alma never meant for things to end up like that.
Alma never meant for Mirabel to end up dead .
She could see it now…all Mirabel wanted was to save the miracle. To save their family. To make her proud.
Mirabel didn’t care that the house was falling apart with her in it. Her only focus was the candle, the miracle.
At the moment, Alma could see Pedro inside of Mirabel. Fearless when it came to face danger, but she could still see the terror in her eyes. She did it for the sake of the family.
…Now, she was staring at the destruction of their home. Casita .
“I can’t…” Alma heard Camilo begin to say, she couldn’t hear the rest of what she said as she blanked out. Everything was… gone?
“ Abuela ,” She didn’t register Dolores on her side, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Alma turns to Dolores, who has an unusual look to her. Dolores’ mouth moves, but Alma can’t hear anything she says. Dolores’ eyebrows furrowed, looking concerned.
That’s when Dolores gasped, her face paling.
A few people screamed.
The loudest being Julieta.
That snaps Alma out of her daze.
Alma never heard something so terrifying coming out of her eldest. Not when Julieta had hurt herself. Not when Agustín proposed to her. Not when she had children. Not when Bruno left. Never .
“Get Antonio out of here! Now!” Alma recognized that as Pepa’s voice, and Félix was the one to take him away. “T-the child—“
Alma was confused, what happened. What had caused such a reaction from them? What had caused Dolores to pale? What made them want Antonio out of the area immediately? Why did Julieta let out a scream when she went inside of the wreckage of Casita?
Alma wasn’t that blind.
Mirabel had been the only one inside of the ruins at the time. Julieta had been the first person to run inside when everything collapsed.
Alma could only pray that what she was thinking didn’t actually happen.
Shakily, Alma stands up, ignoring Dolores’ protest.
She really should have listened to Dolores.
…Because when she takes a few steps forward…that’s when she sees her.
Mirabel was always an energetic, bright young woman.
Now Mirabel was looking cold .
Mirabel’s blood spilled onto the ground, mixing with the dirt and gravel. It was like spilling wine on a carpet. She hated it. Pieces of glass were stuck in Mirabel’s face, tricking blood. Her glasses were lost somewhere in the wreckage. The crimson red blood came from her mouth, her nose, the wounds. Her eyes looked dead, but Alma knew that Mirabel was barely alive.
Alma stared at Mirabel.
And Mirabel stares right back.
It scared her, the way that her pupils slowly moved to stare at her. It was as if Mirabel sensed her looking at her.
Alma felt like it was her fault Mirabel was dead.
Mirabel was barely breathing, Alma couldn't register her oldest daughter’s screams. The blood on Mirabel’s body haunted her. Her stare haunted her. Julieta was holding Mirabel’s body, sobbing, saying sweet lies about how she’ll be alright. They both know that Mirabel had lost too much blood to survive. Julieta’s gifts don't work, and it’ll take too long to get Mirabel to a doctor. Mirabel’s chance of surviving is slim. Julieta could only lie in the moment. Sometimes the only thing left to say is a lie.
Alma has seen people die of all ages. Whether it’s an old person, an adult, a child . She’s seen it all. It takes her back fifty years.
Alma never thought there would be a day where anyone else within her family would die , and she would be there to witness it. She’s seventy-five and her time should be due.
Mirabel was only fifteen.
Fifteen .
Mirabel is sixty years younger than her. She’s thirty-five years younger than her children and Félix. She’s thirty-three years younger than Agustín. She’s six years younger than Isabela and Dolores. She’s four years younger than Luisa. She’s nine months younger than Camilo. Only ten years older than Antonio.
Mirabel died even younger than Pedro for the sake of the family.
When she looks at Mirabel, she sees the bloodied river, Pedro’s body. It takes her back to that dreaded day all over again.
Alma feels just as helpless as she did when Pedro died. She couldn’t do anything. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t help her oldest daughter when she desperately needed it. She freezes in fear.
….Another Madrigal gone?
First it was Pedro.
Nobody knew where Bruno was. Alma could only hope that Bruno was still alive, hopefully with a family of his own. She hated the thought that maybe Bruno had also passed. The lack of glow from his door only made her feel more helpless.
Now….Mirabel is next.
How could life be so cruel? Why did they have to take someone else from her? From them?
Alma preferred saying that Pedro was ‘lost’ . It hurt less than saying that he had died. Saying he died was less worse than saying he was killed.
Alma sees herself in Julieta. She couldn’t take her eyes away from the sight. That heartbreaking scream that had escaped her mouth. The way she’s holding Mirabel. The way that she knows that Mirabel won’t make it. (Alma didn’t have the chance to hold Pedro's body, to see the blood spread in the river. She’s thankful that she didn’t. She wouldn’t be able to).
Alma doesn’t want Julieta to turn out like her. She doesn’t want Julieta wearing a black shawl, building up walls around herself. Even worse, she tries her hardest to protect anyone from danger in fear it’ll happen to another family member. Alma knows that it’ll only backfire. Just like it did to her .
“….Pedro, please, show me what to do. How can I fix this? I never meant for this to happen. I’ve already lost you. I can’t stand to lose another person in front of my eyes. I can’t stand being helpless. H-help us, please.” Alma prayed, her eyes shut. She doubts that there would be a God to help her, to help them. All he had done was give and take. He’s taken everything away from them so far.
(Did she lose herself? She was only protecting them. All of them. How did I stray away from the woman he loved dearly? How could she lose herself? Help her. Help her find the woman that only wanted the best for her family. That swore to protect them. But, not in the way that she was. That didn’t lose sight of who the miracle was for. That should’ve loved them endlessly. That didn’t break them. That shouldn’t pressurize them in a way that hurts everyone. That shouldn’t have killed Mirabel. Where is that woman, Pedro? Where is the Alma that you knew, and why has she been replaced by abuela?)
“I-It’s…it’s not fair,” Alma hears Julieta sobbed.
Alma agrees.