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Mirabel paused at the quiet snickering & heckling bellowed from the group of kids. Embarrassment took over Mirabel's small ten-year-old face staring at the group of kids.
"Don't ask her to play. She has to spend time with her mamááá," Sandra teased, resulting in several other children laughing.
"I'm not a Mama's girl. I can come play with you!" Mirabel snapped, stomping her foot.
Carlos chimed, "Ohhh yeah, the mama's girl! They are always together, practically attached to the hip!" More laughter erupted from the kids, now surrounding Mirabel.
"She always needs an arepa because she is always hurt just like her dad," Ruben laughed.
"Come on, guys,” Alina called, “I am sure not getting a gift makes you cling to your mamí more!" Glad that someone came to her defense, it was soon shattered when followed up with sarcasm overtaking her voice as a finger pointed and laughed.
Mirabel turned to walk away with her head down, the laughing distorted behind her. Mirabel started racking her brain about her relationship with her mother. She loved her mother. She enjoyed spending time with her at the stand, in the kitchen, and around the village. Why was that a bad thing? She wondered. She didn't want to be considered a "mama's girl," mainly because people made various comments about it; even Abuela said something to her.
As much as Mirabel wanted to cry in her mother's arms, she decided she would not go to Julieta. No matter how her day went, good or bad, She was not an option to go. She would prove to all those other kids that she was not a mama's girl. They wouldn't make fun of her anymore and might even think she was cool.
Mirabel strolled through the town square, throwing the occasional smile or wave to people she passed. She saw Julieta standing at her stall, handing out food to injured villagers. Normally, she would run to her mama to ask how her day was going or if she needed anything from Casita. Today, she remained firm on the ground that she would not go to her mother. Mirabel walked by her mother in a swift motion, hoping she would not be stopped. Did that work? Of course not.
"Mira!" Julieta yelled out, happy to see her hija. The older woman’s eyes lit up when she saw her daughter. It was about the time she would stop by and say her daily hello. Normally, the two would catch up on their day and discuss the shenanigans that people would get it.
Mirabel turned quickly to wave while shuffling, stumbling over her feet, avoiding her mother at all costs. Falling directly on her face only brought more attention to her.
"Ay, Mirabel," She ran to her to help her up. “Are you okay, mi mariposa?”
Mirabel stood up quickly and backed away from her mother. She gave Julieta a curt nod before running off.
She called her, "Wait, don't you need an arepa? You took a pretty hard fall!"
Waving her off, Mirabel turned and shouted back, "Nope. I'm good. Thanks anyway!" Mirabel scrambled away, looking away from her mother.
Mirabel walked up to the house, hoping to find an arepa in the kitchen because that fall made her whole body ache. Her hands and chin were scratched up. Mirabel comforted herself, "See? I don't need her."
Before dinner, Julieta went to the nursery to find her daughter to double-check on her after her fall. She knocked on the door. Mirabel shot up from her desk.
"Mi amor, I wanted to check on you after that fall," Julieta insisted, hovering over her daughter.
Mirabel didn't look at her and, with a harsh tone, said, "I'm fine."
"Can I double-check your chin?" Julieta asked softly.
"Mamá, it's fine. I ate an arepa when I came back from town," Mirabel snapped. "Can you just leave me alone?" She crossed her arms and kept looking away from her.
Her face dropped, and her soft demeanor disappered. She backed out of the room slowly, colliding with her husband. A sudden sharp pain hit her in the chest as confusion and hurt crept over her.
"Hola, mi amor," Agustín smiled upon noticing his wife's frown. "What's wrong?" His face fell.
Julieta tilted her head like she wanted to say something but changed her mind. Not entirely wishing to talk about it, she wiped her hands on her apron.
"Nothing," Julieta commented, kissing her husband on the cheek before descending the stairs.
Agustín watched his wife sulk away, knowing very well that something was on her mind. Despite being married for so long, she could be a little distant within her own emotions, resulting in him having to push her a little more to open up.
Julieta's mind raced at dinner that night with various questions about Mirabel. She watched Mirabel kicking her food around her plate and staying as quiet as a mouse. As soon as the food was cleared, Mirabel jumped up and raced upstairs. Abuela chuckled, "Ahh, teenagers."
Julieta was trying not to take it personally; maybe Mirabel was in a funk. That was a typical teenager behavior. She let it be for the next few days while giving her daughter the appropriate space. The next blow happened on Sunday at mass. The Madrigals walked to church, dressed in their Sunday best. Julieta and Agustín walked arm-in-arm, watching their family ahead of them. Their daughters giggled with their cousins as Alma, Pepa and Félix led the way.
Upon arriving at the church, each family made it to their pew. Each family member genuflected before entering the pew, which was strict in the seating arrangement. Isabela stepped in first, followed by Luisa, Julieta, and Mirabel. Agustín sat at the piano away from his family. When it was her turn to sit down, Mirabel froze. Julieta gave her a half-smile. Mirabel faintly smiled before walking back up the aisle and to the other side.
"Can you scoot down?" Mira asked.
"You don't normally sit here," Isa asserted, scrunching her nose. "You sit by Mamí."
"I know, but I want to sit here today," Mira defended, hurrying her sister to scoot as the priest stood at the back, clearly glaring at her.
Isa rolled her eyes, relinquishing to her sister. Julieta made eye contact with Mirabel and gently held her hands up, questioning why. Mirabel shook her head and gazed forward to the alter. Julieta felt tears sting her eyes. She adjusted her mantilla so no one could see tears running down her face. Too hurt to pay attention, she spent the mass staring into space. The priest's words just washed over her.
When mass was over, the family walked back to Casita. As a mother, it ate Julieta alive even if she tried to pretend it didn't. Her daughter was upset about something. She tried racking her brain of what possibly could be wrong. Nothing that could explain why her youngest daughter behaved in such a manner stood out to her. Julieta was determined to get to the bottom of it. She needed to go about it discreetly.
A voice whispered in her ear. Julieta turned around and forced a shy smile.
"La paz este contigo, mi amor," Agustín smiled as he kissed her forehead, a ritual he usually did to Julieta every Sunday. During mass, Agustín played piano and was not typically around for the sign of peace. It was a bright highlight for Julieta after mass. She lit up every time, finding their ritual as necessary as taking the Eucharist. Despite her feeling, she welcomed Agustín's kiss eagerly.
Agustín sighed, noticing that his wife’s demeanor was clearly off. He waited for Julieta to bring up what was bothering her. Julieta tried to recall what happened to make her understand what was happening with Mirabel. Julieta and Agustín continued walking; their stroll consisted of the two talking back and forth about the priest's homily. She attempted to pay attention to their husband as he spoke about the priest discussing how Christ should be at the center of their hearts. She drifted further away from Agustín's conversation because her mind kept wandering. Julieta couldn't stop her mind from wondering what the problem was. She could feel her stomach drop at the thought of her youngest daughter being upset with her.
"Good playing today," Julieta muttered, trying to act interested in the conversation even if her mind was wandering. Her tone indicated that she was upset. The couple walked a little way before she stopped.
"Juli?"
"Gus?"
Treading lighting in his question, Agustín questioned, “What is going on with you lately? I have noticed that you have seemed–upset lately. Anything you want to talk about with me?”
Julieta took a breath, "Has Mira mentioned anything to you? Like maybe how she has been feeling?"
Agustín shook his head, "She hasn't come to me about anything. So your guess is as good as mine. Why?"
Julieta sighed, weaving her arm through the crux of Agustín's arm. The couple gracefully walked the streets. She whispered, "I think something might be wrong with Mirabel. I can't put my finger on it. I was hoping that she would have maybe told you."
Agustín shrugged, "No, amor, she hasn't said anything. Does this go back to how upset you were when you left her room the other night?"
She groaned and nodded, showing that she was frustrated with the situation. Julieta explained to her husband about the fall in the town square, the sitting arrangement at mass, and how weird it was. As Agustín expected, the words poured out of his wife.
"She sat next to Isabela?" Agustín suggested with an eyebrow raised.
Julieta shook her head, "Si, si! It was the weirdest thing."
"I thought it was weird that Mira wasn't next to you when I looked over,” Agustín sighed. “Have you tried talking to her?"
"No, I am just trying to give her some space, but maybe I should," Julieta stated. Giving her a reassuring nod, the two continued the trek home, but the feeling and overthinking still plagued Julieta’s heart.
Pepa and Julieta laughed as Julieta worked for her delicate hands through the dough. Pepa spent time with Julieta during dinner prep; they shared a little sisterly bonding moment. Somedays they reminisced, some days they gossiped, and some days they vented about whatever annoyed them that day.
Mirabel walked in to get some water. Julieta smiled at her daughter and glanced back at her sister. She was determined to get to the bottom of what was troubling her daughter.
"I made extra mojicones if you would like an extra one," Julieta said. She hoped dessert bribery might open her daughter up to tell her how she felt.
"Ay, no, thank you. I am going to town for some new threads," Mirabel said, taking a sip of water. "I might be late for dinner too, but don't wait."
Julieta's eyebrows furrowed at her youngest with growing frustration that plagued her. However, she did not want anyone to see her upset. She turned around, waved her hand, and continued what she was doing. "Okay, that's fine. I'll set a plate aside for you when you come back."
Pepa looked at Mirabel and raised her eyebrow, questioning the tension that stemmed from her niece and sister. Mirabel shrugged, glancing down, before walking off.
Pepa turned to Julieta, "What was that about?"
Julieta shrugged her shoulders, wiping a single tear off her cheek, "I have been wondering myself."
Pepa, trying to find her words carefully, responded with, "Well, you know how kids are. It's probably a phase, but Mirabel isn't glued to your hip lately. Normally, that girl is your shadow."
"Which probably explains why my feelings are hurt," Julieta admitted. She hated that other people noticed the tension between the two. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. What happened with you today?" Julieta diverted the conversation away to avoid bringing attention to her feelings. However, her anger showed when she slammed the dough on the counter, making Pepa jump.
A guilt-ridden Mirabel sulked out of Casita. She wanted nothing more than to be able to tell her mother how she felt. Mirabel wanted to come clean about how she was made fun of for being a Mama's girl. The need to release all of her emotions and just hug her mom inched into her heart. Mirabel wanted to be stronger than that. She tried to rid herself of needing her mom, so the other kids would get off her back. The more she pushed her away, the more she wondered if she actually wanted that. Caught off guard, Mirabel heard cackling. She turned to see a group of kids circled up.
Their huddle broke when they noticed Mirabel standing there. Before the group split, Mirabel could hear a hushed, "Shouldn't she be with her mommy right now?" Followed by a shush from another girl. The group of kids walked up next to her.
"Do you want to play hide and seek with us?" Alina asked.
Mirabel shoved aside her thread quest to play with the other kids, not wanting to miss her chance. It must have helped to push her mother away because they wanted to play with her.
"Sure!" Mirabel exclaimed, putting her bag on the wall.
"Okay, well, I'll count, and you all go hide," Ruben jumped up, turning around to face the wall. He started to count. "Uno, dos, tres, quatro, cinco…”
The kids scattered like ants as Ruben counted. Alina gestured for Mirabel to follow her, "Come on, Mirabel. Let's go this way. I'm going to give you my best hiding spot."
Alina led Mirabel down a path slightly away from the village. Mirabel was confused at how far they were. "Isn't this too far?"
"Of course not. It's far enough that no one ever finds me," Alina chuckled. "Why are you scared?"
"No, I was just wondering," Mirabel sighed, following behind. "The river is up ahead."
"Yeah, and there is a cool log that you can hide into, but you have to hold yourself up in it; otherwise, you will get wet."
Alina pointed to the log and told Mirabel to get in. Mirabel slid in, holding herself up by her toes. She repositioned herself to lean against the long while using her feet as support. Mirabel sat in the log and asked, "How are we both going to fit?"
Alina jumped back, "Oh, I am going to find a different spot. Hopefully, Ruben doesn't find you!" Alina ran off, leaving Mirabel in the log. Mirabel looked up, waiting to be found.
She sat perched in the hollowed-out log, and the sun started to go down, creating some shade. Mirabel started to get concerned; surely, someone would come and find her. Someone had to come and tell her that the round was over. Where could they have gone? The sun started to set, and the trees swished in the wind. The shadows were casting subtle darkness around the little girl. Mirabel moved, her foot landing in the water with a hard crunch. Falling into an area of sharp rocks, Mirabel froze and noticed a small pool of blood around where her foot was stuck. Ouch. That may leave a mark. Mirabel thought to herself before trying to pull her leg out of its stuck position. She gently shifted her leg up, but the pain became excruciating.
More blood appeared, realizing that she was very stuck. She wasn't positive how long she waited in the log but wondered how long she was actually in there for. There was no way she could get out of this alone. It was starting to get dark, and her foot ached horribly. Tears began running down her face. She only wanted one thing, well, a particular person. She wanted her mamá.
On top of the pain, Mirabel felt more guilt overcome the pain in her foot. How could she treat her mother like that? Why would she think that was okay? Those neighborhood kids made fun of her because she spent time with her mom. Yet, the same kids led her to this log and left her there. Now she was bleeding, cold, and scared. She thought carefully about what to do. An idea clicked in her mind! How could she forget? She had a lifeline. Dolores. Mirabel was not going to be stuck in there forever.
Her voice was raspy from crying; Mirabel choked out, "Dolores. Dolores. If you can hear me. I am stuck in a log by the river. I need you and Luisa to find me. Please. I am so cold, and I just want mamá."
Back at Casita, the family sat and ate dinner. All quietly chatting and laughing. Agustín looked at Julieta, “Where is Mirabel?”
"She went to the tailors for some new thread. I told her to be home before 8," Julieta sighed.
Agustín grazed his wife's thigh, "Are you feeling better about Mirabel?"
"Eh, not really, but I think she will come around," Julieta muttered, pushing her food around her plate. The hurt in her heart had taken over her, and her husband could sense the pain. He knew that Julieta hated every part of trying to let it go. She didn't want to do the hands-off process. She wanted to know what was wrong and how to fix it. With how Mirabel acted, it was apparent that she was upset about something. The urge to fix the problem was suddenly interrupted by a frantic Dolores.
"Mirabel is stuck and hurt in a log by the river!" Dolores yelped, standing up and holding her ears. "She needs Luisa to come and move a rock that her foot is caught in." The family jumped up. Agustín, Luisa, and Dolores ran out, grabbing lanterns. Julieta bumped the table and trailed out after them. The sun had set, so the four family members relied on Dolores' hearing and the lanterns to find Mirabel.
“This is her bag,” Luisa yelled, grabbing the little bag and holding it up to show her parents.
"This way," Dolores whispered, leading them to a trail. A log stuck out of the river, and the family ran towards it. Luisa peeped down the hole to see her little sister looking up. Her face glistened with tears. Luisa ran into the water with the lantern, examining which way to get her sister out.
"Mirabel!" Luisa shouted into the log. "I am going to pull the log over you. Papí is going to help you stand. Is that okay?"
"Luisa, I am scared. It hurts so badly," Mirabel cried, with more tears running down her face, clearly on the verge of a meltdown. "Lu, I want mamá."
The sudden need for Julieta caused all the hurt feelings, brush-offs, and awkward tension to fall behind the mother. She jolted towards the log, "Mi vida, I'm right here. I'm not leaving. We are going to get you out. It's going to be okay."
"Ready? When I pull the log up, hold Mira up."
Luisa pulled the log over her sister as her mother and father held Mirabel up by her underarms.
Agustín looked at Mirabel and kissed her hair, "We got you. It's okay, Miraboo. We are here."
Luisa looked at the rock and then over at her sister's small foot stuck. Turning to Dolores, she whispered, "Dolores, can you take Mamí's spot? She might need to look at Mira's foot."
Dolores nodded and ran over to Julieta and switched places with her. Luisa half smiled at her little sister, "Okay, I am going to pull the rock out of the spot, so it releases your foot. It might hurt. Are you ready?"
Mirabel nodded. Luisa started counting down from five and then pulled the rock away, tossing it aside. The moment the rock moved, the wound bled. Julieta looked at it, noticing that more and more blood appeared. She dabbed the wound with her apron, finally realizing that she forgot to grab an arepa before she left Casita.
"Agustín, pick her up. We have to go back because I didn't have time to grab an arepa or buñuelos," Julieta commanded as she wrapped the wound with her apron.
"Mamí, are you still there? Can you hold my hand?"
"Of course. I am still here," Julieta said, taking her hand. "When we get home, I'll give you something to heal. You will feel better soon."
The family walked back to Casita with the night air whirling around them. Agustín sat Mirabel on the couch as Julieta ran to get some of her food, rushing back to her daughter. The blood continued to come out of the wound down her foot. The little girl took a bite of the food, and the wound began to heal. The two watched the would heal as the little girl finished the snack. Julieta sat beside Mira on the couch, brushing curls off her tear-stained face.
With red, puffy eyes, Mirabel murmured, "Mamá, I need to tell you something."
"What's wrong?" The softness in her voice could make anyone spill their emotions to older gray-haired woman. Julieta Madrigal could make the world’s biggest mob boss confess to anything with her calm demeanor.
Mirabal took a deep breath, tears gathering in her eyes. Like her tears, words flooded her mouth like a damn breaking.
"I kept being made fun of by the other kids for being a Mamá's girl. They kept telling me that I always needed you. So I didn't want to be around you because I wanted people to see that I didn't need you as much." The tears kept coming, and her sobs got louder and louder. "That's why I stopped being around you so much."
Julieta put her arms around Mirabel, piecing everything together, the cold shoulder, not sitting together at mass, and the awkward moment in the kitchen. She hugged her, "Oh, mi amor. Why didn't you just come to me?"
"I was embarrassed. I didn't want people to know I needed you because everyone says we are attached at the hip, or I'm your shadow," Mirabel sobbed as she wiped her years with the heel of her hand.
Pepa's words rang in her ear as the word "shadow" fell from her daughter's lips. Julieta calmly asked what happened with the village kids. She intently listened to her daughter about how the other children tricked her, led her to the log where she got stuck, and then slipped in the water.
"Why did you want to play with them if they were like that with you?"
Mirabel confessed, "I heard one of the kids ask if I should be with you, and I just wanted to prove that I wasn't a mamá's girl." More tears escaped her eyes. Julieta felt the guilt that radiated from Mirabel
"I am so sorry for being so mean to you," Mirabel hiccuped.
"My sweet mariposa," Julieta sighed. "I won't lie to you. My feelings were hurt. I didn't like the brush-off, but--."
Interjecting, Mirabel cried more, "I am so sorry, mamí."
"Hear me out," Julieta whispered, wiping a tear away from her daughter's dark eyes. "I know you are growing up. I would be silly to ignore that. All my daughters are growing up." Mirabel tried to interrupt again, but Julieta put a finger to her lips. "However, you will always be my baby. You know what else? Even when you grow up and have your own babies, if that is what you want, you can always still come to me. No matter what, you will always be my baby. That goes for you and your sisters. Heck, that would be true for your primos too."
Blinking quickly as the tears bounced off her eyelids, Mirabel jumped into a hug with her mother.
"Mamí, I am happy that we are close. I love our relationship. I shouldn't have been cold to you. I’m really sorry. I hope you can forgive me."
"Of course, mi amor," Julieta smiled. "How is your foot?"
"Better. Thank you for always being the best mama," Mirabel said, squeezing harder into their hug.
"I'm always going to be here. No matter what. Get some rest. Tomorrow is a new day."
The gentle Julieta slammed the door after tucking her daughter in. Walking into her room, Agustín sat on the bed reading a book, closing it upon seeing his wife.
The look she had on her face glowed with frustration. He could tell she could only see red at that moment.
Ripping off her apron and bundling it up, she threw it across the room. “Ay, Agustín!” She snapped.
Agustín sat up, ready to listen to his wife, "Did she tell you what happened?"
"Si! The village kids were making fun of her for being a mama's girl! Mirabel thought it was a good idea to distance herself from me because she was embarrassed and didn't want those kids to make any comments. So to prove that she is not attached to me, she played with them, and they tricked her into going into the log. They left her there." Julieta seethed.
"So that explains the weird moment when she fell and the mass situation then," he connected.
Julieta paced back and forth, "Tomorrow, I'm making a scene with all those kids. Why on God's green earth would they think it would be okay to put someone in a log and never come back for them? And who raised these kids!?"
She continued to rant about how disgraceful it was that those kids behaved that way. Julieta ranted out, "I swear, what is wrong with people? I should go to their parents and talk to them. Maybe not heal them anymore!"
"Pettiness isn’t normal for you, but I must say it's a good look for you," Agustín flirted as he wiggled his eyebrow at Julieta.
She shook her head and swatted him away, smiling the whole time. "Kids who are mean to other kids because of what they do or like is despicable! I hate that those kids were making fun of mi mariposa! And I hate that they tricked her like that," Julieta raged on, eyebrows furrowed, and her fists clenched.
Agustín grabbed a piece of fabric and fiddled with it between his index finger and thumb. He pulled her down to sit on his lap. He kissed her head and held her hand. He tilted her chin and locked eyes before giving her a long kiss. "Tomorrow, deal with it, any way that you see fit. Whether it’s talking to those kids or their parents. But tonight–be happy that your baby is home and safe with a healed foot."
She was thankful that they discussed the true root of the issue. Her heart swelled that her daughter still wanted her around despite growing up. Julieta took a deep breath expelling all of the fear of losing Mira from her heart.
In the nursery, Mirabel sat in bed, thankful for her mom. From that moment, Mira was not going to try and be something different, especially regarding her relationship with her mom. She knew that her mother was always going to be on her side. If that made her a mamá’s girl, well, so be it.