Chapter Text
"Gracias for watching her Mariano." Julieta said as she handed off the five year old to the twelve year old.
"No worries Doctor Madrigal." Actually it used to be his mama would watch both Camilo and Mirabel, the youngest of the Madrigals. Mariano had been their playmate. But now that he was twelve, Mama and Doctor Madrigal told him that he was old enough to babysit on his own and be paid for it. But Camilo was shooting commercials.
(How a five year old even got discovered for commercials Mariano still didn't get)
"We'll have fun."
"Okay. Mama will see you at supper. But Papa should be back at 3."
Mirabel nodded.
Her Mama kissed her forehead.
"Well, Mirabel what do you want..."
Mirabel booked it to the living room.
"To do." Mariano repeated.
"What's got you so excited?"
Mirabel turned on the tv.
The winter Olympics were playing.
"You want to spend your time here watching Olympics?"
He tried to hide how hurt he was at that.
He thought he was a good playmate and Mirabel would want to play with him.
"Por favor? Abuela doesn't let us watch it."
Mariano was confused. "Any TV?"
"Nope. Just the lympics."
He was even more confused.
"Okay..."
"Look! Their like princesses!"
Mirabel was pointing at ice skaters.
He frowned a bit. He knew letting her watch the Olympics for the five hours she was here wouldn't be good.
Then his eyes lit up.
"Want to do that for real?"
Mirabel turned to him.
"Whoa..."
There was an indoor ice rink.
Mariano sometimes liked to watch people skate but he knew he wasn't the type to skate.
"I'll rent you a pair."
"Gracias!"
He smiled. He always wanted to be a big brother and the Madrigals were his only chances of being one.
Mariano rented a pair for the both of them and they skated.
Both of them almost fell.
Multiple times.
It was hard to tell which one was worse at skating.
But Mirabel was having fun.
"Mirabel?"
Mariano and Mirabel turned at the voice.
"Isabela." He said to his best friend.
"You can't be doing that."
"What do you mean?"
"You can't be doing that. Abuela hates two things, the winter Olympics and Ice Skating."
"But..."
"Look at me Isa! I'm a princess!"
Isabela's face softened slightly but worry was still etched on it.
"You can't be here. Abuela will flip if she knows Mirabel was ice skating."
"Okay..." Mariano nodded.
Isabela nodded.
Her photographer yelled her name. "I gotta go. See you at home!" Isabela yelled.
Mariano looked down at Mirabel, who's joy had faded.
"Rano?"
"It's just...it's a secret. Yeah. It's a secret."
Mirabel nodded.
It was dinner time.
"Did everyone have a good day?"
It was tradition when Abuela said that to start with the oldest and then go down the line.
Mirabel was the youngest, only by a few months.
While everyone was talking, Mirabel was pondering an idea in her mind.
When Camilo said he was excited to see himself on tv, Abuela turned to her.
"Can I learn to ice skate?"
"Mirabel!" Isabela hissed.
The table had been bustling.
Now you could almost hear a pin drop.
"No"
"Why?"
"It is too dangerous." Abuela said in her end of discussion voice.
"But it's just sk..."
"Mirabel!"
Mirabel shrank inwards. "Si Abuela."
Mirabel woke up to a noise.
her first instinct was to go and run to her parents.
But she was five.
Camilo didn't need to run to his parents now that he had his own room, when noises scared him.
So Mirabel didn't either.
She hesitated but walked to the door.
A pair of ice skates, green and just her size, a bit old looking, were there.
Mirabel's eyes lit up.