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She was a Madrigal! Being a Madrigal came with magic, with miracles but also with certain expectations. Tonight was the most important night of her young life, tonight she would gain her own miracle, her own gift. To make the family proud…
Her knees shook slightly as she put her hand on the doorknob, watching the gold slowly fade away, leaving only an empty wall behind. She stared blankly ahead, not able to comprehend what just happened. Why was there no new door? Where was her gift? Why was nobody saying anything? There was ringing in her ears. Full of confusion she turned to her Abuela. She would fix it. She could help her, right? But her Abuela’s eyes, which had been kind and brimming with proudness, were now filled with silent horror and disappointment. She was abruptly ripped from her scrutinizing gaze, when Camilo almost tackled her in his haste to comfort her. She wasn´t able to comprehend his reassurances, soon her mother and father were holding her close as well. The rest of the night went by in a daze, she only seemed to come back to her senses when she was back in the nursery lying in her small bed all alone. Everyone had gone to bed. She was alone.
Was she still a Madrigal?
She was staring at the dark ceiling when she heard her door open with a near silent creak. “Mirabel?”
“Camilo? What are you doing?” Hurried footsteps and soon a small body joined her in the bed, cuddling up close to her.
“I love you!”, He blurted out suddenly. “You don´t need a gift…”, he stammered, trying to reassure his Mirabel somehow. He hated the way Mirabel´s eyes had gone all dull, he hated that his favourite cousin, basically his twin didn´t get to be happy. “You don’t need a new room; you can just share my room. It´s so big, my bed is huge we can easily share. It´s lonely alone anyway.” He ranted almost desperately; he needed her to smile.
“Thank you, Milo”. Tears were falling down her eyes, the first time that night she let go and simply cried. Camilo was only able to hold her close…not knowing what to do when getting the parents wouldn´t help. Because it wouldn´t, he told himself firmly, aunt Julieta and uncle Augustin hadn´t been able to comfort her. He would do it! He could do it! He was her older cousin; he would take care of his Mirabel!
The following day Camilo hardly left Mirabel´s side, making funny faces to distract her, playing pranks to make her smile. And when night fell, he once more snuck out of his own room, happy that his cousin Dolores room had a feature to keep all the outside noise out, otherwise she would surely have heard his tiptoeing.
Once he was with Mirabel, he tugged her out of her bed, insisting she sleep with him. “My room is way too big for only one person! Mari, please I want you to sleep in my room with me!”.
Finally, she relented and let him lead her to his room. Camilo´s room was truly a work of art. It was sectioned into different rooms with walls and doors, almost like a whole separate house inside the casita, each room holding a different flair, showing of his shapeshifting abilities. He led her through a cozy living room, passing a small forest with a bubbling river, until they ended up in a what looked like a bedroom straight from a fairy-tale. The bed was huge, just as he had promised, it was surrounded by a curtain to give absolute privacy. They snuggled close together, never not touching throughout the night. This would be the first night out of many more to come.
Over the next few month Abuela had started separating Camilo and Mirabel more and more. Camilo had gotten more and more chores to do outside Casita, while Mirabel had been given the duty to clean the house. And even when they had all their duties done, Abuela seemed to frown upon the two of them being close. Which in turn only encouraged them to keep their interactions private and keep quiet about where exactly Mirabel spends the night.
**
Mirabel is now 9 years old.
A lot of things had changed over the years, but one thing had stayed the same, and probably would continue to do so if they had anything to say about it.
“Mari…”, came a sleep addled protest from Camilo, as Mirabel tried to scoot out of his arms and start the day.
“Milo, I need to get ready.” She gently patted his chest, but he only tightened his arms pulling her face closer towards his chest, keeping her firmly tucked in, his face buried in her wild locks.
“Too early… Sleep more.” Next to the bed Casita was playing with the alarm clock making it bounce up and down.
“I need to wake everyone and get the breakfast table set up, or Abuela will get mad, you know how she is…” She reached up and caressed his cheek. Reluctantly he loosened his hold, so she was able to wiggle out of his arms.
“Humpf”, was his only comment.
Thankfully after one too many close calls with Abuela or one of the other family members seeing Mirabel sneaking towards Camilo’s room, Casita had made them an extra door, connecting the nursery and Camilo’s bedroom. The door led into Mirabel´s closet and was perfectly invisible should you not know it was there. It was their own little miracle, and every morning Mirabel was grateful for it.
Changing her clothes in the nursery, she began making her way around the house, knocking on every door as a wake up call and opening curtains together with Casita and getting everything ready. She had truly gown up to be the housekeeper of Casita, as she was the one who cleaned everything, took care of the laundry including sewing and stitching holes, managed most of the gardening and took care of the food they were growing. Her to do list was extensive, and nobody seemed to see any fault in her having to the all the work alone. She was the defective Madrigal after all, the least she could do for not having a gift was to help out. Camilo was the only one who regularly got angry on her behalf, when the others brushed her off once more or put way too much on her plate. She was more than grateful to have him.
Today was one of her favourite weekdays, three days a week she helped out in a small sewing studio. She had started there when she was barely seven, begging the old, stern woman to let her learn. Since then, she had improved a lot. Today she would show her the poncho she had been working on for months now: it was the birthday present for Camilo, he would turn ten in a week. The family had been planning a big party, which meant she had more to do than usual, but for her Camilo she would do anything.
**
And with another blink of the eye Camilo´s party had started; he was smiling and dancing. He even dragged Mirabel with him to the dance floor, not caring for Abuela´s stern look. Later after the party was finished, everyone gone to bed, Mirabel and Camilo were still wide wake, talking on Camilo´s, their, bed. She fiddled with her hands for a moment and then sprung up, getting the present from its hiding place.
“I made you this! I hope you like it”, Pushing the package at his chest.
“I will like anything you make me”, He smirked, eyes sincere.
“Och, you”, She poked him in the side.
His eyes were nearly sparkling when he held the yellow poncho, it was beautifully decorated with small stiches forming chameleons and butterflies.
“I love the butterflies”, Opposite to the wide grin he normally displayed, he was showing her a gentle smile, much more real and sincere. “I love that I can wear something which represents the both of us.”
Butterflies were something Mirabel absolutely loved; she had stitched them in all her clothing. She threw herself at him in a hug, mumbling in his throat: “I am glad.”
He was bursting with pride being able to wear his Mari´s present publically, being able to proudly wear his new poncho in front of their family. Being able to blatantly show his regard for Mirabel, even if they wouldn´t understand the symbols or the true meaning being them. Mirabel was the most important person to him; she was the one person he wouldn´t be able to be without. It was already hard when they were forced to not share a bed at night, it had happened once or twice… Imagining a future without her just wasn´t possible. He was already very independent, all of the Madrigal children were, they were raised that way, helping out in the village at five would do that to one, so he could very well be without his parents, but he drew the line at Mirabel.
**
Mirabel is now 10 years old.
Pepa had been in labour for three hours, three hours of lighting and thunder, of a near hurricane, and then Antonio was born. Her little cousin was perfect. They had already set up the small crib for him in the nursery, but for the first few weeks he was set to sleep with Pepa and Felix.
Both her and Camilo had decided that they needed to be very careful from now on with their sleeping habits. A new resident in the nursery meant a lot less privacy. Mirabel had already had a talk with Casita, to please let her know immediately should someone search for her or head towards the room she was supposed to be sleeping in, more than ever. Camilo had waited out the birth with Mirabel, cuddling close to each other.
“What do you think will happen now that Antonio is born?”, She whispered, after they had all gone to see the new family member.
“I don´t know. But we will always be together, as long as Antonio is small, we can just take him with us in our room.” Camilo had enforced that it was their room at every opportunity he got, still Mirabel wasn´t convinced, Camilo was stubborn. “We can´t leave him alone, should he cry, and Pepa comes looking and doesn´t find you there…”
“But…you need your sleep”, She protested.
“And you don´t? You work harder than any of us. We will figure it out when the time comes, sleep for now”, He assured her, pulling her close to his chest, one of the positions they frequently fell asleep in.
“Okay, you are right. Thank you, I love you”, She whispered, wiggling a bit to get more comfortable.
“Always”, Came the rumbled reply.
Sadly, that conversation came true sooner rather than later.
Three days, Pepa managed three days with a fussy baby that needed to be fed every few hours ‘till she gave up… The lack of sleep made her unable to control her emotions, which led to catastrophic weather conditions and even more stress, which in turn made Antonio even more fussy. Mirabel would later question how she managed to raise Camilo…
“Mirabel I am sure you will do brilliantly; you know how important balancing my emotions it, I need enough sleep. Here is the bottle, you just need to warm it up and burp him afterwards. Thank you!”
Without even waiting for a reply, for an affirmation that she would take care of her cousin, Pepa had swept out of the room, taking rapidly clearing storm clouds with her. Already feeling lighter after dumping her son on her niece. Mirabel could only blink down at her cousin, her mind blank… How could a mother act like that? She was ten for God´s sake! A few seconds later Camilo entered the room, he had seen his mother leave without Antonio and had already connected the dots.
His mother sinking in his respect even more. He didn’t look up to her since quite a few years, but this was…a whole new level. If she wasn´t capable of taking care of her baby, why the hell did she get pregnant in the first place. He came up to his brother and cousin, hugging them close, careful not to squish them.
“I am here. We will take care of little Antonio together.”
His voice was full of determination, too mature for a child of eleven, yet nobody but two old souls and a baby was there to hear it. Mirabel nodded a single tear ran down her cheek. Mirabel opened her mouth, the words didn´t come out, never mind that they needed to be careful what they said, the nursery wasn´t soundproof like all the other rooms, they could be overheard. She gently rocked the small bundle in her arms, already loving him completely.
She would take care of him, he could grow up happy, much happier than her or Camilo, knowing she, they loved him no matter his gift. That night Mirabel had to stay in the nursery with Antonio, the fear of Pepa changing her mind too present. Camilo not wanting to go back to an empty room shared Mirabel´s bed, it was much too small for two growing children. They were spooning, her back to his front, watching Antonio doze in his crip. Camilo was rubbing up and down Mirabel´s side, not knowing if he was comforting himself or her. The thought that this was not normal between cousins, that they were too old to cuddle in one bed together, was drowned by the certainty that children weren´t supposed to look after a baby either.
Mirabel woke up three times that night, two times she fed little Tio and rocked him back to sleep, one time Camilo took care of it. The morning came too soon. Prying her eyelids open was already a fight she was nearly losing.
“Even Abuela can´t be insane enough to be mad at you for sleeping half an hour longer”, Camilo hadn´t even bothered to open his eyes. Casita seemed to agree, hiding the alarm clock away.
But sadly, she was that insane. When Abuela complained at breakfast about how Mirabel wasn´t even able to do the simple task of waking everyone up on time, Camilo had a hard time restraining himself. He wanted to explode, wanted to yell at her, at his whole family, wanted to throw the cutlery to make his point abundantly clear. The only thing holding him back, was Mira’s hand on his thigh, warning him it would do no good, calming him. So, after taking a deep breath, he intervened his voice a bit too ridged to be normal, only Mirabel noticed:
“Mirabel was awake all night feeding Antonio, if she slept for half an hour longer, I don´t see why that is a problem.” That seemed to get to Pepa at least: “That’s right mother, Mirabel was so kind as to take care of Antonio.”
In Camilo´s eyes his mother’s intervention was not nearly enough for what she had done yesterday. He wanted to confront her, wanted to know if she had even asked Mirabel or if she had just put Antonio in her arms and run of. Putting another duty, another burden on her young shoulders. In the end the topic was quickly changed, with Abuela giving out the chores for today. Giving Mirabel just as many chores as always, while still expecting her to take care of an infant. Because after all she needed to make herself useful, make up for not having a gift. And so, Camilo and Mirabel were separated for the whole day.
The next week as really hectic and stressful. Mirabel had to learn in a matter of hours how to properly take care of an infant, how to feed, change, sooth him, how to be the mother he needs. The only good thing was, that after two more nights with Camilo in her cramped nursery bed it became clear Pepa would not search out her son. So they migrated back to Camilo’s room, Casita had even provided another crib for Antonio so they could leave the old one in the nursery as an alibi.
During one of these nights Camilo found his Mirabel standing at the window in their room, looking out at the stars, rocking Antonio gently. Camilo came up to her, snuggling against her back, holding the two precious beings close to himself. “It feels like I just became a mother”, Mirabel confided, signing softly. He rubbed her hips, desperately trying to be reassuring.
“Well, then I just graduated from brother to father.” He turned her around, caressing Antonio´s small cheek and then holding firm eye contact. “You are not alone. You will never be alone. I will be with you every step of the way.” He had to swallow hard at the next words: “Like a family. A real family. If my mother is useless and can´t raise the son she birthed, then I will step up.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks, thick long eyelashes shining in the light. She rubbed her nose against his in an escimo kiss. “Thank you.”
“Don´t…don´t thank me. It´s…of course I would be with you. Where else could I possibly be?” They chuckled, the heavy atmosphere dispelling slightly, even Antonio smiled gumily in his sleep.
The other person who helped them was Diane, the old woman who ran the sewing studio Mirabel helped at and where she learned from three times a week. She had been the one to give Mirabel the baby crash course, she had also provided Mirabel with a blanket wrap to carry Antonio around with her without having her hands full. She babysat him at times, helped in small ways that were more, much more than Pepa every did.
**
And so, three years past in the blink of an eye, Mirabel was now fourteen years old, and Antonio was three. It was about to be Mother’s Day, and Antonio had learnt all about mother’s in the small day care school he went to a few hours a day. What they did and why he should be thankful to his.
So naturally when they were supposed to draw a picture of the person who raised them, took care of them, held them when they cried, sung to them, the person, who was always there for them, as a present, he knew exactly who to draw. He was bouncing excitedly next to Mirabel, talking half a mile per minute.
“Breathe, my love. Breathe while talking”, she chided smiling. “I made something for Mother’s Day! Can I show, I wanne show!” Mirabel had to take a subtle breath, clenching the hand Antonio wasn´t tugging along:
“Wait, honey. Wait, until we are home. You should show it to Pepa first.” She knew what would happen should she undermine Pepa´s standing as his mother.
It had been horrible that time when Antonio’s first word was Mira, when he cried every time Pepa wanted to hold him, when he finally said mom but to the wrong person… Well, Camilo swore to this day, it hadn´t been the wrong person at all. And in her heart and in moments when it was only Camilo and her, she could only agree with him. But for the peace of the family, Mirabel had to remind herself of her place. It was pure coincidence that Pepa was in the kitchen when they arrived home.
“Go on, Antonio, show you mother what you drew”, Mirabel encouraged, gently pushing him towards the yellow dressed woman.
Pepa grinned, moving forward sunbeams to illuminate her. Antonio, not liking anyone other than his Mira and Camilo to touch him, kept his distance but obediently unfolded the picture and held it up to her. Not handing it over, it wasn’t for Pepa after all!
“Let´s see, let´s see.” Though in the next second the sunny smile turned stormy, a dark cloud forming over her head. “What is that?!”, She shrieked, ripping the paper from his hands. Antonio now frightened ran back to Mira, clutching her skirt and hiding behind her.
“What is wrong?”, She asked tentatively.
“This! Did you see this?!” Her screaming made her husband skid into the room, searching for the crisis.
“What is going on?”, Felix demanded, already narrowing his eyes at Mirabel. Pepa wordlessly thrust the picture towards him, it was already being rained on.
On the picture, with the bold title “for the best mother of the world” you could clearly see Antonio, next to him, where his mother was supposed to be, stood none other than Mirabel. You could clearly distinguish her white blouse and blue skirt. In the background Camilo waved. No Pepa, no Felix, no one else. Felix advanced on Mirabel:
“What did you do? What did you tell him?!”
She froze, only Antonio´s quiet whimper shook her out of her trance. She could take it, she had taken their anger for years, but she drew the line when Antonio was involved. Her baby would not be subjected to this. So, she turned away, scooping him up and pressing his small body close to her chest.
“Where are you going? Antonio and I need to have a talk”, Felix thundered. Her Tio shrank even further back into her chest, hands clenching around her neck. She could feel tears wetting her blouse.
“Look, what you did to your poor mother, son!” Squaring her shoulders, she stood as tall as she was able and firmly answered:
“I will talk to him. It won´t happen again.” With that she swiftly left the room, already rubbing soothing circles on his heaving back.
“Ssh, my love. Sssh.”
Entering the nursery and moving through the closet into their sanctuary, she sat down on the couch, starting to sing while rocking them from side to side. It took an hour until he was finally calm again and able to giggle when she made voices to tell a silly story. Camilo joined them not much later to get them for dinner.
Which of course send Antonio back into a spiral. He was scared, scared of his biological father and mother. “Love, we will be with you throughout the whole dinner. You won´t be alone even for a second with them. Just make sure to call them mom and dad, okay? You know I will protect you?”, she gently asked him, coaxing his head up from her neck. He nodded bravely.
“And I am here as well. You don´t think anyone is stronger than me, do you?”, Camilo proclaimed, all the while changing into bigger and broader characters. He didn´t yet know what happened, but he, as he so often did, took the clues from his Mirabel.
“Why don´t you wash your little hands and then we get something delicious to eat?” Antonio was reluctant to leave her, but as she gently put him on his feet, he with a few looks back at her, went to the small wash basin in the bathroom section of Camilo’s room.
While their small one was distracted, Mirabel filled Camilo in, giving him to story with a few quick words. He balled his hands to fists, anger surging, as he pulled Mira up and into a tight embrace. It was good that he had learnt over the years how to keep his anger in check concerning his family, otherwise well he had a lot he wanted to say. The dinner went as expected, catastrophically.
Later when they were snuggling in bed, Antonio asleep in his little corner of the bedroom, Camilo whispered:
“You are his mother! You are the one who raises him, the one who cares for him. That…ungrateful…bitch”, Mirabel exhaled loudly, shocked, “Just when I think she can’t get worse. Mira, should it ever come to it, I swear I will always take your side, yours and Antonio’s. Even if we must leave the Encanto, I will stay with you. My true family.”
Now Mirabel was full on crying, finally letting herself go, letting out the fear and anguish she had felt all day.
“Oh, Milo… I am so sorry…”
“No!”, He pulled her even closer to his chest, her face pressed to his neck, “no”, this time gentler, “you should never have to apologize for them. You have done nothing wrong. I love you so much my angel.” He caressed her locks until she finally fell into an exhausted sleep. Camilo swore to himself, the words he had just uttered, he would stay true to them, he would never turn into what the rest of his blood family had become.
**
Mirabel is now fifteen years old, it’s a few weeks before Antonio’s fifth birthday and his gift ceremony.
The day started like any other, Mirabel woke up snug to Camilo, he had her back pressed close to his chest, arms tight around her. Sometimes, she wondered if he was subconsciously afraid someone would steal her away in the night. Not that she complained, she loved sleeping with her Milo, loved the closeness they had, craved his touches, he and Antonio were about the only ones who frequently touched her. As every morning, she begun to wiggle her way out of his arms, over the years she had found the perfect technique.
First, she began by rubbing his arms, until they loosened his grip, then she slowly turned around to press a kiss to his forehead, or chest depending on her position. The kiss normally woke him enough to register her need to stand up, which always followed my groaning and protesting, until he eventually pressed a kiss to her skin as well and let her go. But this morning things unfolded differently, when Mirabel began to wiggle, and he pressed her closer she felt something hard poke her butt. What was that? Furrowing her brows, she tried to turn around only for Milo to poke her again, something slipping in between her butt cheeks… Oh! Her face flamed red immediately. It was…Camilo was hard and… If she could, she would have hidden her face behind her hands.
Diane had explained it to her years ago, where babies came from and what was the difference between a boy and a girl… But now it became all too real.
“Milo”, she choked out.
“Mmm Mira”, he rumbled, squeezing her in his arms. “Wha s wrg?” This time when he moved, he hit something between her legs that made her let out an unconscious moan. Pressing her lips shut mortified, she froze. At once Camilo was much more awake. Not daring to believe the delicious sound his Mira had just let out. And then he registered their predicament. Letting her go, he scrambled back, almost falling over himself to give her space and apologize.
“Mira, I am so sorry, I don´t know what…please I…it won´t happen again…”, Sometime during his rambling Mirabel had sat up and scooted closer to him again, cupping his face: “Camilo! Calm down!” He heaved, eyes darting around, not fixing on her, not daring to.
“I am okay, don´t worry. I know this…”, she blushed again, clearing her throat, “is completely normal for a teenager. I…you don´t have to apologize.” Leaning forward as if drawn in by a magnet, he searched her face for clues. “
You really don´t mind?”
“No, I…Diana told me a few years ago, that it´s…normal for boys to have a…”, waving her hands to his lower body, “in the morning. It had nothing to do with me.” The last word came out more like a squeak. Camilo was torn between agreeing, getting this awkward situation over with, keeping the status quo and being honest… In the end, he had to tell her to truth, even if it would be a lie by omission, they had sworn each other years ago to always be honest with each other.
“No that’s not… I mean, yes it´s natural it happens in the mornings, but this time that’s not what happened…” Oh my god, he wanted to sink into the ground and never come back up. Mirabel only tilted her head to the side, questioning. “I…was dreaming of you, I had you in my arms and I…” This was a bad idea, a horrible idea, his shittiest idea to date. He should have just shut up.
“You? You were hard”, She almost whispered the sentence, “Because of me? Do you…?” She wasn´t able to finish the sentence, not brave enough to let those thoughts in when she had fought them in her own head for so long. Had denied their existence for so long. He nodded ashamed.
“I think of you as more than my cousin, more than blood family, you are…I”, he gathered every last drop of courage he had and pressed out: “I love you, like Pepa loves Felix.”
Mirabel had become stock-still at the words, freezing, only for tears to start streaming down her face. She let out a gut-wrenching sob. Camilo turned from confessing to comforting in a split second. “No, no don´t cry. I am sorry, please don´t… Just forget what I said, it doesn´t have to change anything…we can…, please Mira…”
He came to an abrupt stop when Mirabel surged forward and pressed her lips to his. It was a clumsy kiss, soaked with tears and fumbling. Now it was Camilo’s turn to freeze, only for Mira to end the kiss and pull him close again.
Finally, their foreheads were pressed together, lips only inches apart.
“I love you too, like a wife loves her husband.” Camilo sacked forwards, the tension leaving him.
“Why are you still crying?” A helpless chuckle was his answer. “I am so relived, I thought I was alone in this, that I was even more unnatural than…” He didn´t let her continue that sentence.
“Never! No, to be honest I haven´t seen you as my cousin for a long time. Since Antonio came, you turned more and more into the mother of our son.” He confessed, grinning sheepishly as if his words were silly and he was about to be scolded. Finally, he was gifted a watery smile, the relief making her handshake as she caressed his cheek, following the lines of his face, painting this moment in her memory.
Camilo was just as dumbfounded, just as overwhelmed that even though there was nothing he wanted to do more than kiss her, instead held her close, pressed her to his chest, burying his hand deep in her wild locks. The newfound truth shaking them both to the bone. Making them desperate for the comfort of each other.
Sadly, they had to get ready for the day. Abuela was even more tense than usual, the nearer Antonio’s fifth birthday came the more she was scrutinizing and criticizing everyone’s actions. And for Mirabel who couldn´t do any good in her eyes anyway, well to say Mira was doing her best not to fall out of line was an understatement. Conclusion, only one more short kiss and then they had to separate for the day, which was hard at the best of days, but now so soon after such a raw and open conversation, after such an amazing ground-breaking revelation. It felt jarring. They would have probably thrown all caution in the wind, had Antonio not woken up and run up to the bed.
That evening couldn´t come fast enough, each minute felt like hours. Even though she was so very busy. Antonio noticed her mood, of course he did, which ended with him being all out of sorts as well. Switching from hyperactive and bouncing all over the place, to practically sticking himself to her like glue and not speaking at all. At the dinner table their judgmental looks felt like they bore into her very soul, making her self-conscious and overly aware of her every action.
At last, alone in their bedroom, Antonio was sung to sleep, while Camilo watched Mirabel gently stroking their baby’s head.
Camilo came up behind her, took her hand and lent her away. “I never would have guessed I would be glad for Antonio to have his own room. It never seemed to matter, rather than that it sounded more like a disturbance to our small family.” He chuckled, shaking his head thoughtful. Mirabel nodded blushing.
“True, our baby will move out soon and despite myself I really do see something positive in it.” Camilo, instead of heading towards their bed, walked father, away from the bedroom into a different part of the room. It was decorated like a small forest clearing, fairy lights strung up on the trees, flowers glowing in the dark, stars painted on the ceiling glimmering. Even gras grew, intersected by a tiny stream. He started to softly hum, moving Mira into a slow waltz.
“Milo”, she sighed contently, going with the flow, and completely letting herself immerse in the moment. Swaying left to right, twirling, just looking into each other’s eyes. No words were spoken. Mirabel joyed him in the humming, until they were both singing the lyrics.
Throughout the shady light,
I see your eyes
Your love beside on me, I feel
Throughout the silence we’re never be apart
I hear your beating heart
Like symphony in harmony
Oh-uh-uh-oh oh-uh
Hold me, kiss me more and more
Just you that I need, not anymore
I feel your love, uh-oh-uh-oh
I feel your love, uh-oh-oh
A touch of yours feel my heart and soul
Let’s make it last evermore.
They stood in that clearing, dancing and later kissing for what felt like hours and at the same time only seconds. The morning came too soon.
The weeks until the ceremony flew by. Mirabel and Camilo enjoyed every second together, not going further than kissing and touching over cloth. They were very conscious of their little one in the room with them. They had their entire lives in front of them, and they knew they would not spend it separated. There was no need to rush.
The night before Antonio’s fifth birthday was spent sleeping in the nursery. All three knew, tomorrow nobody would act predictable, they needed to be where everyone would expect them to be.
That didn´t make the night any easier, as Camilo had to sleep alone in their room. He was envious of Antonio who was allowed to sneak into bed with Mirabel. When Camilo told the nearly five-year-old, his mature response was to stick out his tongue and grin cheeky. They had raised him right. Mirabel had already turned off the light in the nursery when a weak voice broke through the night.
“Mama…” She held him closer. “I don´t want my own room, I don´t want to…”, she felt her sleepshirt get wet, “they will take me away from you…” He let out a quiet sob.
“Oh, honey. You will get an amazing gift, an amazing room. And you know nobody could every take you away from me. I would never let them. No matter who they are, Madrigals or not. You can always come and sleep in our room if you feel too lonely, or if you want to visit.” She kissed his forehead, swiping away the tears.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
As if they had seen the future, Pepa was barging into the nursery and waking the disgruntled pair way too early. Before Antonio could do much more than let out a “mppf” paired with a yawn, he was already in the arms of his birthmother and being carried out of the room.
“Let´s go! We need to bath you, get you ready for today. It´s your big day! You finally get you own room”, Pepa was babbling, while dumping him into the tub.
“Too cold!”, he exclaimed trying to climb out, he wanted his Mira, his mama.
“It´s not. I ran warm water. Don´t complain.” Looking around the bathtub dismayed, there were no bubbles, no ship, not ducks and Pepa was using the wrong soap! His skin would itch. “Hold still!”
He wanted to get back to bed, he wanted his mama. It had taken not even ten minutes and Antonio was already close to tears. Meanwhile Mira had hurriedly gotten dressed and headed to Pepa and Felix´s bathroom in hopes of taking over, or more like rescuing Antonio. No such luck, Isabella had blocked the way sneering, and given her the whole speech of staying out of the way, this was an important day they couldn’t risk her ruining everything. Even though Mira was familiar with the pain in her chest at the words, it didn´t mean she was immune. In the end she had signed defeated and gone to the only other person who would always welcome her with open arms.
After breakfast Antonio ran to her, hiding behind her skirt as she was about to sweep the floors for the second time. Abuela wanted everything perfect. Using the opportunity, she popped Antonio on her hips with practiced ease and stole them away outside.
“Antonio! Where have you gone?!” They both ignored Pepa and the thunder that followed her shrieking.
“Mama?”, He whispered, not actually having expected for her to hide him away. She sat him down in the shade of a tree, kneeling in front of him.
“My love, happy fifth birthday! Come here you big boy, I love you so much”, She hugged him close, standing up again only to twirl him around with her. He broke out in giggles. Squealing happily.
“Mira!”
“Thank you, you are the first one to say it.” Setting him down, she asked not believing his words:
“What? But Pepa has been talking about your ceremony since she woke us.”
Antonio shrugged, defeated. “About the ceremony, yeah. Do you think she forgot my birthday?”, He inquired wide-eyed.
“That can´t be. And I am sorry honey, your present is in our room. I will give it to you later, is that okay?”
“Of course.” He was back to beaming, who needed Pepa, when he had his mama.?
Sadly, their moment was interrupted when Felix found them. “There you are son! Mirabel, what are you doing with him. He needs to get changed, and we still haven’t taken care of his hair.” Antonio sent her an eyeroll over his shoulder while being dragged away by the arm. Cheeky.
Later not an hour before the ceremony was about to start everyone was frantically running through the house, searching for the tiny star. Mirabel found him hiding under the bed in their room.
“Everyone’s looking for you.” She got Antonio’s present out from its hiding place, holding it over the edge of the bed. “This present will self-destruct if you don´t take it in three, two, one…” And it was snatched from her hand, vanishing under the bed. Smiling slightly, she crouched down and crawled under the bed as well.
“Nervous?” “Mama…I don´t want to disappoint you or papa...”, he whispered, hiding his eyes behind his arms.
“You could never do anything to disappoint us.” Both Mirabel and Antonio looked up startled. The one who had answered was Camilo, also lying down on the floor facing the two. He grinned.
“Your papa is right. You get an amazing gift, and we will be sooo happy for you”, She pulled him closer in a hug, “Or you don´t get a gift and we will still be happy celebrating your birthday, you will just have to continue to live with us for forever.”
She made a face at forever, illustrating her point with her hands. Antonio giggled at that horror scenario. Not noticing how Camilo had paled. Camilo resolutely decided, whatever happened, he would make sure that horror scenario wouldn’t! Even if they had to move out of the casita to make sure! After a big hug pile the three of them made their way out of the room, where Antonio was accosted by the rest of the family.
During the ceremony when Antonio reached out his hand for Mirabel, pleading her to walk up the stair towards the candle with him, towards Abuela, towards the glowing door, Mirabel answered and reached back. She would always be there for her baby, so she swore the day he way placed in her arms. The first one Antonio looked at when the papagai landed on his arm, talking with him, understanding him, was his mama Mirabel, shortly followed by his papa Camilo.
Camilo had his arm around Mirabel´s waist, both were smiling, practically bursting with pride. Blinking tears away, Mira looked up at him, and the desire to bend down and kiss her was so strong, he almost forgot himself. Only Pepa bumping into them while moving forward into the newly opened room shook him out of his trance. Both hastily stepped away from each other wide eyed. Though that didn´t stop Camilo from sticking close to her for the next few hours. Which resulted in him witnessing the growing cracks in casita, he saw the rooftiles fall, saw the walls rumbling and nearly collapsing. Panicked they ran back to the party, burst into Antonio´s room.
Mirabel was the one to speak, was to one to lead Abuela outside, waving her arms frantically, only for nothing to be amiss outside. Only for everything to look just as it had before the party. Camilo speaking up for her, trying to tell them he had seen it too, was completely swept under the rug.
“You always help Mirabel. Why are you believing her? Why are you helping her? She must have drunk too much. Her imagination is as strong as the wine tonight”.
With that everyone was laughing and going back inside. Leaving a dumbfounded Mirabel and fuming Camilo standing outside. Antonio wanted to stay as well, but Pepa made sure to give him no choice. Her shoulders sunk; hands balled to fists. Camilo was nearly spitting fire; he was so angry. This, he would never forget, never forgive, he swore himself. How could they every think Mirabel would make something like that up? Never, and hundred times more never on her precious baby’s big day.
She gently took one shaking hand, leading him outside, out of the front door, away. For a while they were just walking, the full moon their only light. Which each step Camilo seemed to get more composed. Mirabel was already past the stage of grief and anger, moving on to thinking about the reason for casita breaking down. Just when they were turning to walk back, Camilo found his voice and what followed could only be called a trashing, a rant about all of their so-called family, tearing them into bits and pieces. He was so creative with his insults, Mirabel had to laugh out loud at the part where he described in detail how he would hide all the wine bottles so their god forsaken family would learn how someone drunk looked or acted.
“I will help.” She squeezed his hand, she hadn´t let go of it since they had started walking. Later that night, Mirabel overheard Abuela praying to the candle and to her dead husband for help concerning casita, for saving their miracle. When she told Camilo, snuggling close to him, he nearly started his tirade again.
“She knew, she fucking knew something was wrong with the casita. And she still openly humiliated you in front of the whole freaking town! Maybe we should seriously consider moving out…” The frightening thing was both had thought about it, seriously thought about it. It was something that might actually happen in the future, maybe sooner rather than later.
The next day sees Mirabel running through the whole town, in search for answers only for Luisa to confess to her strength failing her. The only real solution seemed to be Bruno and his visions. But what she had never imagined was seeing a small picture of herself on a piece of the prophesy in Bruno´s room. After getting to whole story about Bruno from Pepa and Felix, she decided putting the broken prophesy together in the nursery was a very bad idea, anyone could walk in, she hid in Camilo’s room and got started putting the edges together.
The one who found her as she was staring in horror at the fully completed picture was Camilo. He stepped up beside her, holding her close to his chest. Eying the destroyed casita with a look full of conflicting emotions. His voice was hoarse as he murmured:
“I don´t know how to feel about this, casita falling apart. It was home for so long. No, that’s wrong. This room has been home and our small family of three has been home, and this room lies unfortunately or fortunately in the casita, which makes her our anchor.” Mirabel turned around in his arms, burying her face in his chest.
“You are probably just witnessing the event, not the one causing it”, He reassured her in the same breath, knowing she was probably already blaming herself. He rubbed her back. “We will tell no one. I know how Abuela will react, should she see this. I will protect you, my love.” Mirabel lifted her head up and gently kissed Camilo on the lips.
“I love you.” He grinned despite the heavy topic, the confession evoking too many happy emotions not to.
“No matter what will happen”, she continued, “we will be together.”
Not long after, they were called downstairs, the Busman’s had arrived, Isabelle’s fiancé and his mother. It was to be an engagement dinner. Mirabel felt off throughout the whole affair, there was a bad feeling in her gut, something was about to happen. Something that would change everything. Just as dinner was about to end, as Luisa was asked to bring over the piano for the big question, cracks appeared all along the walls, moving up towards the ceiling.
Dust started raining on the table. Casita shook. A sudden shift and the ceiling was cracking. Everyone was hastily moving away from the table, just as something was falling down, slipping through the gaps. Rats, it was rats carrying something glowing green. It landed perfectly in front of Abuela. The dust settled; the rats dispersed as quick as they had shown themselves leaving to their horror the prophesy behind.
Camilo ran closer, pulling Mirabel into his arms, she was already holding onto Antonio. As soon as the cracks had stared to appear, she had grabbed him, shielding him. Silence reigned, Abuela was eying the green prophesy. Mirabel amidst a destroyed casita. Nobody moved. Then a deep breath, and shouting.
“What is this?! Mirabel! Explain, right now! What are you doing to the casita?!” He voice was cracking, full of blind fury, not yet screaming but intimidating to the core.
“Abuela…”, Mirabel started, but she didn´t get to finish.
“No excuses! Don´t even try. You are the reason everything is falling apart, I should have seen it long ago, no more...”.
Before her rant could gather even more steam, Camilo interrupted, he moved his Mirabel and Antonio behind himself, shielding them with his body.
“Mirabel is innocent!”
This seemed to have shaken the rest out of their trance, suddenly they all seemed to have opinions on this, screaming above each other. Gesturing wildly with their arms. Protesting and posturing. Milo turned around, making eye-contract with the only other sane “grown up” in the room.
“We need to find Bruno”. She whispered, already hurrying towards the stairs. Halfway out of the room, Mirabel set Antonio on his feet, crouching down: “Stay with the others please”, he opened his mouth to protest, not wanting to be separated from his mom and dad, not wanting to stay with them.
“I want you to stay as safe as possible, my baby”, she cupped his cheek, kissing him on the forehead, “we will be with you as soon as we find Bruno. Keep an eye on them for us?” Antonio deflated but puffed up his chest at the last request.
“I will make sure they don´t do anything stupid.” Mirabel only rolled her eyes and added towards Milo: “He is your son in this.”
“And I am damn proud of that.” She smacked his arm.
They ran out of the room, up the stairs and paused. Where to now? There! A rat, carrying a piece of the prophesy in his mouth. It was slipping in behind a painting. Not second guessing, Mirabel sprinted towards the painting. Shoving it aside, it opened up a pathway between the walls of the casita. There was barely any light, the beams creaking under their weight, as Mirabel and Camilo raced after the rat. A shadowy figure hushed around the corner.
“Wait!”, She almost tripped, only Camilo’s quick reflexes saving her from faceplanting. Running after the figure now, rather than the rat. It must be him!
“Bruno!” They jumped over a sudden hole in the ground, Camilo boosting her, helping her across. “Bruno, please wait!”
Another hallway, another turn. Suddenly the figure stopped, turning around, waiting defeated. The following persuasion was filled with pleading for aid and a desperate trying to understand. Finally, Bruno agreed to help, he would look into the future once more, make another prophesy. This time Bruno led them around a much easier path, they ended up climbing out of yet another painting, right next to Camilo’s room. Antonio was pacing outside, waiting for them, grinning sheepish.
“The rats told me everything. You can use my room.” Mirabel only huffed, ruffling his hair. “Thank you for staying out here.”
Antonio beamed, proud for having made his mom proud. This time Bruno was not the only one sitting inside the prophesy circle, Mirabel and Camilo insisted to see as well. Sand flew around them, circling them, spinning faster and faster, suddenly glowing green. Pictures started emerging from the tornado. The casita cracking, Mirabel in front of the casita, her hand stretched towards the candle.
“Look closer, there has to be something else. Something we can do!” A glowing golden butterfly.
“Follow it!”
Suddenly the scene changed. All they could see was a big house, not casita, a new house, they zoomed closer. Mirabel blinked rapidly, not believing her eyes. There in front of the house stood, Mirabel and Camilo arm in arm, Antonio was bouncing up and down near them and even Bruno was grinning next to the pair. They all looked happy. Contend. Now it was Bruno who was reaching out, reaching out towards the mirage. Just as swift as the pictures had been formed, they lost all shape again, the sand broke formation and rained down upon them. The vision finished. A glowing prophesy in their midst, depicting the four of them with the new house.
“It was beautiful”. Breathed Mirabel, falling into Camilo’s arms overjoyed. Camilo was similarly happy, grinning, his eyes glowing. Meanwhile, Bruno was not taking his eyes of the newly created prophesy, a dumbstruck look on his face, his finger tracing his smile on the glass with a caution reserved for the most fragile of hopes.
“Bruno?”, Tentatively Mira touched his shoulder.
“I never”, he gulped, “I have never seen something so…beautiful”, he could only repeat her word from earlier. Of course, this moment of respite couldn´t last any longer, as the cracks suddenly spread all across the room.
“Antonio, run! We need to get out of here!”
They just made it out of the room, as it seemed to collapse in itself behind them. Antonio was sitting on his tiger, being able to keep up with them this way, as they took two steps at a time, wanting to reach the relative safety of the courtyards as soon as possible. Breathing heavily, they were met with heavy stares. Before another shouting match could even start, more cracks split the ground, the walls shaking and breaking.
“Out of here! Quick!”
After making sure Antonio was out of the gate, Mirabel remembered the candle. Swirling around she eyed the small stump sitting in window on the second floor, it was still burning, flickering but still burning. Before she could even so much as make a move, Camilo was holding her back.
“Don´t risk your life for this! You are much more important than any magic”, With that he pulled her towards to gate.
She made one last grab towards the flame but rushed out willingly. Following her family. Isabella and Luisa tried getting the candle. But their powers were flickering out even faster than the flame, it wasn´t enough, not without their magic. The flame died; casita collapsed.
Camilo embraced his two most important humans, tucking them against his chest. Antonio was crying, gripping onto his parents in all but blood.
“Everything is going to be fine. Just you see, my love”, Mirabel whispered into his ear. That was the moment when everyone finally seemed to register the odd one out.
“Bruno!? What?! HOW!”
“Ha ha ha, you see, long story…”, He answered awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, not meeting anyone’s eyes. Quickly he was embraced by his two sisters.
“We are glad you are back.”
“We never wanted you to leave.” Before anyone could even begin to process, another interruption. The villagers were rushing towards them, willing to help the family who had helped them for all these years. Diana at the front, not pausing for a second and running in full sprint towards Mirabel. “Are you hurt?”
In the end sleep arrangements were made, all thoughts for rebuilding shoved onto the next day. Diana had a special place for her charges. She took in Mirabel, Camilo, Antonio, and Bruno before he could slink away.
“I recently inherited this house”. She explained to the stunned five, “It is a bit run down, you will have your hands full with fixing and making it nicer to live in, but it will do just fine for now.”
They couldn´t believe their eyes, speechless for the hundreds time today. They were looking at the house in the vision. More run down, not as nicely painted and decorated sure, but nonetheless the house in the vision. Mirabel had tears in her eyes, as Diana continued changing their life forever.
“You can live in it, and I mean not only for the duration of the rebuilding, I mean starting now it is yours.”
“Diana”, Mirabel choked out, overwhelmed. Diana gently pulled her close to her, wiping away the tears that had slipped free, a loving smile on her face.
“You are my daughter Mirabel. I might not have given birth to you, but you are mine regardless. I want you to live in a house with the people you love, free of everyone who belittles you and causes you pain. I want you to be happy.”
Now Mirabel was full on sobbing. Camilo had plastered himself to Miras back, he was crying as well, shaking with all the emotions. They made a strange picture. Diane hugging Mirabel, and Camilo clinging to Mira. Antonio barrelled into their legs as well, having watched and listened. Understanding they could finally be the family they had always wanted to be. The only one left outside of the circle was Bruno, who dared not come closer. In the end it was Diane who waved him over and enclosed him into the hug pile as well.
“Welcome to the family.” Now everyone was crying.
“Thank you, thank you so much.”
“I don´t know how we could ever repay you.” Camilo added voice wobbly.
“Be happy”.
That was everything Diane had wanted for her family since she had let that little girl be her apprentice.