Chapter Text
Camilo was sitting in the nursery.
"Oh Milo..."
"Mimi!" He grinned as his imaginary friend appeared.
He had called her Mirabel which was her real name but Mama had thundered and Tia Julieta had left, not being able to be found for three hours and Camilo had been hungry.
Tio Bruno had told him that it was fine to have an imaginary friend but maybe give her a different name.
No one realized Camilo didn't give Mimi her name, she told it to him. But he accepted Tio Bruno's rule and she said she liked the name Mimi anyway.
"What are you doing?" Mimi asked, looking at him upside down.
"Waiting for my gift ceremony."
"What happens at a gift ceremony?"
"I get magic to help strengthen my home! And make mi familia proud!"
Mimi grinned at him. "Fun."
"I want it to be magic that I can do what you do." Camilo said.
Mimi was currently laying in the air and looking at him upside down so her still present grin looked like a frown.
"Camilo..."
"Hola Abuela."
"Who are talking to?"
"Mimi."
Mimi waved but no one could see her but himself. He had figured that out last year.
"Ah, well time to get ready for your ceremony."
Julieta watched as her sobrino made his way to the door.
Isabela and Luisa had been shy and timid as they walked to their door. Dolores hadn't been.
Camilo seemed to take after Dolores as he showed now hesitation.
He did turn around to smile at someone but Julieta didn't know who. No one was there.
Didn't matter, he walked, almost ran.
Julieta should be proud.
her sister was filling Casita with sun.
But all Julieta could think of was what they had lost....
Camilo got the gift of shapeshifting and they filed into the room.
Felix waited.
"Julieta?"
She appreciated that.
Felix had been her best friend growing up.
Even if he wanted to celebrate his son's gift he knew this would be hard for her.
"I'm fine. I'll be in in a couple minutes."
Agustin took Julieta's hand.
Felix nodded.
They thought that that it was a reverse of the first Madrigal Grandkids.
First time around Julieta had gotten pregnant a few months before Pepa and they wound up seeing themselves as twins.
This time around Pepa got pregnant a few months before Julieta and they fantasized that those two would see themselves as twins as well.
Camilo had been born healthy.
Mirabel though...
Mirabel had only lived for three months.
Julieta grieved her loss every day but she had two other daughters and a familia and a community that needed her. So she was able to get on.
But Camilo's ceremony reminded her that she should be looking forward to her own daughter's ceremony in a couple months but that wasn't going to happen.
Today was hard.
So was the day that Camilo had told them he had a friend named Mirabel.
Julieta hadn't heard him talk about Mirabel again. he had instead talked about his friend Mimi.
"Shapeshifting." Mimi said as she appeared, standing behind him.
He saw her in the mirror.
"Yep."
"Not exactly what I do."
"Nope. But still. Cool right?"
"Yeah."
"Maybe I can shapeshift into you?"
He tried.
But nothing.
He shrugged and turned to be face to face with Mimi.
Only for Mimi to be sitting on another one of his mirror frames.
"I still wish I could do that."
Mimi grinned.