Chapter Text
Luisa was helping set the table for dinner, since she got her gift, helping was so much easier than usual. Before she was too small or too young or too weak, but since the Miracle gave her super strength she was none of those things. If anything, after getting her gift, she was too strong to do many things and was still adapting to how much strength she should use. Then, the pile of plates she was carrying was a task she had been doing slowly to not grab too hard nor walk too fast.
BOOM!
The loud sound startled Luisa, making her hold the plates against her, breaking most of them with the force she used.
"Oh, not again!" She complained, but her annoyance was short-lived as she saw smoke rise in the distance.
"Luisa!" Abuela said as she suddenly appeared, startling the girl again. "People need your gift, come with me, cariño."
Luisa looked at the broken pieces of the plates she was carrying then back at her grandmother.
"That's not important now. You can leave it," assured Abuela, then Luisa let herself be guided through Encanto until they reached the limits of the town, where the dense woods began. There was a house, or rather, there was the ruins of a house surrounded by people, who were trying to remove the bricks around.
"No sign of the Blakes," said Luisa's father, sounding out of breath, he had scratches in his hands and arms.
"Where is Dolores?" Abuela asked, looking around.
"I'm here, Abuela," said Luisa's cousin as she arrived with her father. "I hear someone. I think it's the girl. She's repeating 'I'm here'."
"Can you indicate where the girl is, Dolores?" Abuela asked, not showing any kind of apprehension.
"Somewhere around there, in the middle," Dolores pointed.
"¡Muy bien!" Abuela said, calling everybody's attention. "Try removing the small bricks from the side and around. Try to find the Blake couple," she ordered and soon all the adults started doing what she told them to do.
"Can't I help, Abuela?" Luisa asked, tightening her hold on her grandmother's hand just a little, just to call her attention and hoping it wasn't too much.
"You'll help, cariño," Abuela said firmly. "You will take that poor girl out. Come with me."
Luisa was very happy, scared, anxious and many other things she couldn't name. She would be able to help someone, like a superhero! But what if she used the wrong amount of strength and hurt the girl? What if she took out the wrong brick and all the others came down crushing the one she was trying to save?
"You will do fine," Abuela said, there were no doubts in her voice or attitude as she guided Luisa to the middle of the ruins. "Let your gift tell you what to do. Open your eyes and trust the Miracle!"
Abuela let go of Luisa's hand and took two steps away, she was far enough to give Luisa space and close enough to give the young girl support – and help her if needed be. Luisa took a deep breath to calm down, then focused. She looked at all the bricks, rocks and pieces of the building, and suddenly she knew what to do. With her super strength she grabbed with one hand a piece of the wall that had fallen and threw it to an empty corner, then she did the same with other pieces until she removed the last one, which revealed the girl she was looking for.
The girl was blond, had tanned skin and gray eyes. She was wearing a kind of jumpsuit made of leather over a blue shirt and she had heavy boots for shoes. She was sitting under what looked to be a table, hugging her knees.
Luisa extended her hand, "Come with me," she said to the girl, who looked at her with teary eyes, but she had not shed tears until then. "You're safe now."
The girl took Luisa's hand hesitantly and for an instant Luisa feared she would hold too tight to compensate, then the girl seemed to build some confidence of her own and held the offered hand firmly. Luisa pulled the girl out and took some steps back, taking a distance from the dangerous place and taking in their height difference – the girl was at least two heads taller than Luisa.
"Are you hurt?" Luisa asked, not letting go of the girl's hand. "My Mamá can heal you with some arepas if you need," she told the other while taking the girl to her mother, who was giving her father an arepa to heal his scratches.
"Thanks, mi vida," said Luisa's father after eating the arepa.
"Mamá, can you heal her, please?" Luisa asked, pulling the girl by the hand until they were in front of her parents.
"Of course," Luisa's mother said with affection. "Here dear," she said as she gave the girl the piece of bread.
The girl took the offered bread and ate a little piece of it.
“Where are my parents?” The girl asked hesitantly.
Luisa’s parents looked at each other for a moment, then back to the girl.
“We are very sorry, dear,” began Luisa’s mother.
“No,” said the girl in a painful whisper, so low that Luisa thought she had imagined it.
The girl dropped the arepa as she looked around, suddenly also letting go of Luisa’s hand. She seemed to find something at the back of the ruins of the house and ran to it. The adults tried to stop her, but none of them were able to.
“Where's she going?” Luisa asked her mother.
“Stay with your father, Luisa,” her mother ordered, her expression was tense and worried in a way she had not seen before, which only made Luisa worried.
“But…,” she tried, but stopped as her father took her hand to keep her there – not physically, since they all knew her father wouldn't be able to hold a butterfly if he had to, still he was her father and she loved him and respected him, so she would obey.
Luisa couldn't see much from where she was, though she was very glad by that fact the moment she heard the girl screaming. It was painful to the soul. She had never heard something so heartbreaking and desperate. The girl was calling for her parents while crying loudly and openly, screaming nonstop.
Luisa started crying too.
“What's going on, Papá?” Luisa asked her father, worried and scared.
“Her parents are gone,” said Luisa’s father sadly.
“Did they die?”
“Unfortunately, yes, cariño.”
Luisa sniffed once, then hugged her father’s leg as if by doing that she would be able to make sure her father wouldn't leave her anytime soon.
The girl’s screams slowly stopped, soon later Luisa’s mother came back with the girl hugging her in the middle.
“She is going home with us,” said Luisa’s mother. Abuela joined them and nodded in agreement.
“Yes,” said Abuela, “it’s the best thing to do right now.”
The next morning Luisa woke up anxious to know more about their guest. She was very sad that the girl had lost her parents but she had no idea of how she could help. Her gift was not made for that, at least her older sister Isabela was able to get a ‘thank you’ when she made a yellow lily for her the day before.
“Her name is Angela,” Luisa heard Dolores telling her mother while setting the table for breakfast. “She cried herself to sleep. It’s so sad, Mamá.”
“It is,” Luisa’s aunt agreed with a little dark cloud above her head, but it didn’t look like a rain-cloud. “That’s why we must do our best to help her.”
“How can we help?” Luisa asked eagerly, surprising her aunt but not her cousin, who probably heard her coming since she left her room.
“Oh, dear, maybe for now we should give her some time and space, then, I’m sure she will need a friend,” Luisa’s aunt said wisely.
“I’ll be her friend,” Luisa said, nodding.
“Don’t you have chores in town with Abuela?” Isabela asked as she arrived, followed by their father.
“It won’t be the whole time,” Luisa argued.
“It’s wonderful that you want to be friends with Angela, cariño. I’m very proud,” said Luisa’s father while patting her head.
“Thanks, Papá!” Luisa said happily.
Soon all the family was present at the table, but Angela was nowhere to be seen. Before Luisa could ask anything, she heard her mother and her Abuela talking that Angela would stay upstairs a few days, since she was ‘emotionally exhausted’, though Luisa had no idea what that meant really. For her, Angela was very sad, as much as she would be without her parents. Just thinking about it would bring tears to her eyes, so she stopped and focused on her meal. Because of her gift she would eat the triple of her sister, sometimes more. To help the people of Encanto she needed her gift and her gift needed food.
“Luisa?,” Abuela called her, making Luisa raise her head from her plate. “Meet me outside when you're done with your meal, all right?”
Luisa swallowed what she had in her mouth and answered, “¡Sí, Abuela!”
It was only after two days that Luisa saw Angela again, she was wearing some of her mother’s old clothes from when she was very young, a red sleeveless dress and dark leather sandals, her blond hair was a little messy. It was in the middle of afternoon and Luisa was done with her chores for the day, since she was still learning how to control her strength and Abuela couldn’t be with her.
Angela slowly got out of the room she was occupying, the one the kids shared before getting their gifts. Not long ago it was Luisa’s room and in a year or two it would be occupied by her little sister Mirabel and her cousin Camilo. Would Angela be with them until then?
“Hey, are you hungry?” Luisa asked across the deck, she was leaving her room to get a snack before dinner. Angela just looked startled, then she seemed to calm down, maybe by recognizing Luisa. “I was going to the kitchen. Do you want to come too?”
Angela just nodded and slowly walked to the top of the stairs. Luisa observed the girl while doing the same, she would like to know what to say that would make Angela smile but her mind was blank. They got down the stairs together in silence, then Luisa guided Angela to the kitchen on their left.
“Mamá always leaves some cookies or a cake around,” Luisa told Angela as they entered the kitchen, on the counter there was a plate full of cookies. “There it is!”
Luisa was going to grab the plate but it was out of her reach. Angela got closer and took the plate, bringing it down so Luisa could pick up some cookies for herself.
“Thanks,” Luisa said shyly, she wanted to be the one to help, but there’s just so much she could do, even with her gift.
“No problem,” Angela mumbled back while putting the plate back on the counter and grabbing two cookies for herself. “Thank you, by the way,” she added suddenly, “for rescuing me.”
“¡Por nada!” Luisa said cheerfully, then she felt bad for it. Was it all right to be happy while Angela was clearly very sad about all that happened? “I-me-mean, I’m happy that I could help you… and… I’m sorry about your parents.”
Angela’s gray eyes seemed to get more gray and lose some glow. Luisa didn’t like that.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized quietly, “I just didn’t know what to say. I’m sad for you but also happy that you’re here…”
“Happy that I’m here?” Angela asked, turning her head and attention to Luisa as if she was getting out of a trance.
“Well, yes. You were the first person I rescued with my gift! I know I’m still small but I’m super strong!” Luisa said, finishing her words while flexing her arms and her shirt seemed to struggle to not rip.
“You really lifted the rocks to get me out, didn’t you?” Angela said, leaning back at the counter while taking a little bite from a cookie.
“Of course I did!” Luisa said, confused if Angela was making fun of her or not.
“You’re just very cute,” Angela said out of nowhere, making Luisa blush strongly.
“I’m not cute!” Luisa said angrily. “Don’t make fun of me!”
“I’m not making fun of you, Preciosa, I’m just being honest,” said Angela, not understanding Luisa’s annoyance. “You know that you can be cute and strong at the same time, right?”
“How so?” Luisa asked, drying the tears that accumulated in her eyes.
“Like a lion or a tiger,” said Angela, still relaxing on the counter and chewing on a cookie. “There are also bears, though they are all big. In smaller proportions, I think wolves can be cute and eagles. Eagles are very cool and cute too.”
Luisa laughed at the last part. “You think eagles are cute?”
“Yeah, cool and cute,” Angela reinforced.
“You are funny,” Luisa said while laughing a little more.
Angela smiled a little. It wasn’t much more than a little turn upwards of the end of her lips, but for Luisa that was a win.
“Hey, Luisa, are you heading out?” Angela asked as she met Luisa on the top of the stairs.
In the last year Luisa had grown fast, but she was still at least two heads smaller than Angela. The blond had also grown, making her almost as tall as the adults. She had got clothes for herself, so she started wearing pants and jumpsuits more often.
“Yes,” Luisa said, finding it weird that Angela would be interested in her schedule. “Do you need help with something?”
“Yes and no,” said Angela as she started going down the stairs and Luisa followed her. “I just need some directions and maybe some tips.”
“I’m still lost.”
“I want to learn a profession,” Angela whispered, bending down a little to get closer to Luisa’s ear. “I just don’t know who would take me as their apprentice and… You know I’m not very good with people,” she said while straightening up and looking to the side, embarrassed.
“I think I can show you a place or two,” said Luisa, smiling, “but you own me.”
“What?” Angela said, taken aback as Luisa just walked ahead and left the house. “You help the whole town for free but I have to pay you back?”
“Of course, you are my friend, that’s how it works,” Luisa said, still smiling to an annoyed Angela.
“Usually it’s the other way around, you know? But since this is you we are talking about I don’t know why I got surprised,” Angela said walking alongside Luisa through the streets of Encanto.
“Señor Juarez is a tailor,” Luisa said as she pointed a tailor shop in a corner, “there’s also Señor Monteiro, who is a blacksmith,” she pointed to a forge in a more distant place from the houses, “and Señor Gutiérrez, who is the baker – not as good as mi Mamá, but still good,” she added pointing to the bakery.
“Are they all nice?” Angela asked while looking around worriedly.
“I’ve never talked too much to them, just when they needed me to do something,” Luisa told Angela, who seemed not comforted by that information.
“Luisa!” someone called further ahead.
“Gotta go. Good luck,” Luisa wished for Angela, then ran to where people were calling her.
“What have you been doing lately, Angela?” Abuela asked during dinner.
It had been two years that Angela was living with the Madrigals. She had got more confident in her own person, taller, stronger and more skilled with all her part-time jobs.
“What do you mean, señora?” Angela asked, confused and Luisa could tell she was worried about something.
“I was told that you have been visiting your old house,” said Abuela, clearly expecting an explanation.
Angela breathed and tensed, then she relaxed and leaned back on her chair. Luisa knew that pose, her friend was getting ready for an argument and Angela hardly would admit defeat without a good fight.
“That’s true,” it was all Angela said.
“What’s your purpose?” Abuela asked, her tone of voice before was calm, but it was beginning to get annoyed and Abuela getting annoyed wasn’t good.
Angela took a deep breath while closing her eyes for a moment. “I want to rebuild it.”
“Why would you want that?” Abuela asked, confused and a little doubtful.
“Because it’s mine,” Angela stated matter-of-factually. “I’m very grateful for everything you all have done for me, but I don’t expect to live my whole life here. So, I’m planning on rebuilding my old house and in the future move back there.”
“Are you feeling pressured to leave?” Luisa’s mother asked, worried.
“No, Julieta,” Angela said, her tone of voice getting soft and loving. It was always like that with Luisa’s mother and Luisa understood well why. “I just want to have my life and I think it will be a good thing to start from that house. A new start.”
“If that’s how you feel,” said Abuela, sighing a little. “I think Luisa could…”
“I’ll do it alone,” Angela cut Abuela sharply, making everybody turn their heads in surprise. “I know what Luisa is capable of, but she already has the whole Encanto to look after. I’ll take care of my business on my own.”
“I’d love to help,” Luisa said, sounding hurt by Angela’s refusal. “We are friends, right?”
“Of course we’re friends,” Angela said, once again her tone of voice softening. “But you have things you have to do yourself, not because you are the only one who can, just because you need it that way. That is the case here.”
Luisa looked straight at Angela’s gray eyes, seeing more pain than she would like, but she thought it was due to the difficulty of the whole situation involving Angela’s old house, after all, it was where her parents died.
“All right,” Luisa accepted. “But you will tell me if things get too heavy for you!”
“I’ll think about it,” Angela said, not sounding truthful and Luisa slightly punched her arm. “Ouch! Why did you hit me?”
“I mean it!” Luisa reinforced, looking very serious.
“Ok, Preciosa. You have my word,” Angela said and Luisa nodded, sealing their deal.
“Angela!” Luisa called out for her friend around the ruins of her old house. It was weird to be there, impossible to think about what had happened almost four years before. She caught herself staring at the empty space she took Angela from.
“We meet again,” said Angela coming out of the woods from Luisa’s right. “I find myself staring at it too.” She added more somberly.
“Is it true?” Luisa asked, stepping closer to Angela. “Did you leave Casita?”
“I did,” Angela confirmed, crossing her muscled arms. Since she started working in many different part-time jobs she got really strong, probably as strong as Luisa without her gift.
“Why?!” Luisa asked, she couldn’t believe that. She just couldn’t understand it. “Dolores said something about you and Abuela having an argument about me. Did I do something wrong? I can fix it. Just tell me and…”
“Oh, hang on, Luisa!” Angela said, cutting Luisa’s words. “This is not your fault,” she got closer to the other, they were both the same height now and towered over most people of Encanto. “I did have an argument with Alma and, yes, we talked about you, but it was more than just that. Maybe Dolores didn’t understand the main point.”
“Which was…?” Luisa asked anxiously, fidgeting with her fingers.
“I don’t agree with her philosophy of how your family should be helping Encanto. Your chores were just an example, because I know more about it.”
“What’s wrong with helping?” Luisa asked, truly confused.
“Preciosa, helping the townspeople it’s not the problem, it’s how your family have been doing it,” Angela tried to explain. “I watched from the side and I felt suffocated, I can’t just imagine how it’s for you and the others.”
“I’m fine! My family is fine! I don’t get what you’re talking about!” Luisa said, annoyed and frustrated.
“Neither does your grandmother, that’s why we argued so… fiercely,” Angela chuckled slightly. “I know she loves her family and wants the best for all of you, but I think she’s being too strict and that in the long run will only bring pain and sorrow. She disagreed and told me to choose. I could stay at Casita if I apologized and never talked about that again or I could leave.”
“Where are you going to live?”
“Here,” Angela indicated the ruins of her old house with a hand.
“You are joking.”
“No, I’m not,” Angela said firmly but softly at the same time. “Look, Luisa, I can take care of myself. You don’t need to worry about me, but if you can’t take my word for it, just feel free to come here and check on me anytime you want.”
“I’ll do just that!” Luisa said angrily, turning around and leaving, but after a few angry steps, which shook the ground, she turned again. “You idiot!” She screamed, then turned away and really left.