Chapter Text
It was fun at first, playing house.
Isabela was six when her sister was born and six when her parents decided to leave for regular intervals, leaving Isabela and Mirabel home alone.
Isabela didn't know how to take care of a baby. But from the moment she had seen the baby in the hospital, she knew she had to protect her.
That's what a hermana did.
So Isabela learned.
Every time Mirabel cried, Isabela felt like a horrible big sister but she eventually figured it out.
Which was good.
So her parents could go do what they wanted and Isabela knew how to play house with her sister.
It was good.
As Isabela got older, her parents stayed away for even longer. It got to where Isabela and Mirabel would go Days without seeing her parents by the time Mirabel was three.
But it was okay.
Mirabel already knew to go instinctively to Isabela when she needed help, not their parents.
So Isabela's game of house never really ended.
And then something changed.
Isabela didn't know that things would change when she came downstairs early on the morning of her sister's fifth birthday.
She wanted to make sure that she could make a cake even though Isabela wasn't the best at baking. At the very least she might be able to take some of Mama's money and buy a bakery one.
But when she came downstairs, Mama and Papa were moving quickly. Quicker than Isabela had ever seen.
She ducked behind the door, having a feeling that if she was seen it might not end well.
"Hurry before the brats wake up!" Papa hissed.
Mama grabbed a bag and ran out.
Isabela was left standing in the living room, confused.
The door was swinging open because her parents left so quickly.
She should shut it.
She should...
"Bela?"
Isabela turned at the voice as soft as the coo of a dove.
Mirabel was standing there, blanket in one hand, glasses askew as she was rubbing her eyes.
Isabela smiled. "Happy Birthday Mirabel!" She scooped her up.
Mirabel smiled, hugging Isabela.
Isabela waited until she was sure Mirabel wasn't looking at her and let her smile drop as she saw the door open.
Isabela did her best to make sure her sister's day was perfect.
Which did involve her hunting for money left in the house and buying one bakery cupcake after Isabela had burned the birthday cake.
Mirabel didn't care. Though she did insist on slicing the birthday cupcake in half so Isabela got the same amount.
Mirabel also loved the stuffed animal that Isabela had gotten from their elderly neighbor in exchange for Isabela agreeing to watch her cat for a week.
Seeing how happy Mirabel got when she squeezed the stuffed butterfly made Isabela almost forgot the niggle of worry from what she had witnessed that morning
Three weeks.
It had been three weeks.
They had not seen head nor tail of their parents.
Isabela was running out of food.
She sighed as she sat at the table, head in her hand.
"Bela, are you okay?" Mirabel asked as she wiggled her way onto Isabela's lap.
Isabela smiled and pressed down Mirabel's curls.
"I'm fine."
Mirabel was quiet for a few seconds.
"I'm hungry."
Isabela pushed Mirabel gently off of her lap and went to the kitchen.
There were two arepas left. Isabela handed one to Mirabel and went back to thinking about where an eleven year old could get food.
"Mama and Papa aren't coming back are they?" Mirabel was perceptive for a five year old.
Isabela nodded. She worried that Mirabel would cry but all Mirabel did was shrug and turn back to her arepa.
She supposed she shouldn't be that surprised, Isabela had taken care of her since she was brought home from the hospital.
Mirabel finished her arepa. "I'm still hungry."
Isabela took a deep breath. "You know, I'm stuffed. Why don't you finish mine so we don't waste it."
Mirabel smiled and ran over to Isabela. She hugged her and Isabela melted into the hug. A tear fell down her cheek and dampened Mirabel's curls.
Somehow or other, Isabela and Mirabel persisted.
Isabela got jobs.
She traded things to get other things.
She sold things.
She learned how to grow veggies so they at least would have that.
And she made sure that Mirabel never noticed they were struggling.
When Isabela came home after an exhausting day, all she needed was a flying hug from Mirabel with a giggle and a joyous shout of "Bela!!!"
And she truly believed that if they had each other than they would truly both be fine.