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The china cabinet tipped to its side. Twelve plates rolled out onto the dining table, each one following after the other. They traveled to Mirabel, who stood at the end with a prepared body. She caught them in a snap, all stacked neatly like a large batch of pancakes.
“Gotcha!” Mirabel wasn’t always flawless at getting every single plate in her arms, but she miraculously had never let one break. She had Casita to thank for that; she was grateful for everything the magical house did for this family. When someone needed them at any time of the day, they were there, ready to help. Casita was Mirabel’s dedicated assistant when it came to her chores and daily routine. The house wasn’t just a standard building with walls, floors, and rooms; they were a central figure. The Madrigals' love for their home didn’t differ from the deep familial love they shared with one another. Mirabel felt extremely blessed to have marvelous Casita as her home.
She began setting the breakfast table, humming a little tune to herself. When she placed down the second-to-last plate, her ears detected the sound of the pitter-patter of feet and her name being called.
“Mirabel!”
The girl looked up. Her primito Antonio was dashing straight toward her, a giddy expression on him.
Smiling, she said, “Someone’s excited this morning.”
“I have something to tell you! Well, show you.”
Mirabel bent down to his level. “Ooooh, what is it?”
“Guess!” the five, almost six-year-old, told her, rocking back and forth on his feet.
“Hmm…” Mirabel’s chin settled on her fist, then her finger raised to tap her temple. “Think, think, think…” She heard Antonio let out a small giggle. She didn’t dig deeply into this, as it could be anything. And she cherished playful, simple moments like this with Antonio. If he wanted to do something fun, she would willingly play along.
“Did you find a new animal?” Mirabel guessed.
Antonio shook his head. “Nope. That would be amazing, though.”
“Alright, then. So, it’s not that. How about… your Gift? I know you’ve been learning a lot from it, so maybe you discovered something interesting.”
“That’s a good answer, but that’s not it either,” he stated.
Mirabel scratched her head, trying to come up with another response. What could it possibly be?
“Here, I’ll help you,” Antonio said. “Something is different about me.”
Closely, she examined the boy from head to toe. He had sprouted a little, but other than that, there seemingly weren’t any noticeable differences. “Oh, really? You look like the same boy to me.” She poked Antonio’s belly, making him giggle.
“Yes, Mira. I just got it.”
The teenager took note of what he mentioned. “You just got it, you say?” Her eyes darted up to Antonio’s abundant, endearing dark-colored curls. “Is it your hair? Did it grow?”
Again, his head shook from side to side, his curls bouncing along. “No, that’s not it.”
“How about your legs?”
“No.”
“Your ears?”
“No.”
“Your feet? Maybe you got new shoes.”
“Uh uh.”
Mirabel comically threw her hands up. “Okay, you’ve got me there. You can show me now.”
Antonio opened his mouth, revealing a front loose tooth. His tongue wiggled the tiny thing about. Mirabel had her hand over her big smile, both pleasantly surprised and gleeful.
“Oh, Toñito, that’s amazing!” She picked up her cousin and spun him around. “You’re getting so big!”
The dining room permeated with the boy’s laughter and squeals of delight. They were then reduced to soft giggles when Mirabel brought him into a warm hug. “Grrr!” she growled as she cuddled him.
Antonio losing his first tooth was bound to happen at some point. And now that day would come in due course. Mirabel was very excited for him. She also couldn’t believe her younger cousin had a loose tooth already. The little guy was changing bit by bit right before her eyes. Mirabel didn’t expect this so soon, feeling as though he wasn’t supposed to have it at least until his sixth birthday, which was in a few weeks. Maybe he was getting older too fast for her. Just a year ago, Antonio was sitting with Mirabel on her bed, keenly chattering about what he thought his Gift would potentially be and what his magical room would look like. Mirabel missed those sweet days, sometimes reminiscing about the things they did in the cozy nursery, their room. The next thing she knew, he would become her age.
Mirabel looked at Toñito in her arms, knowing she would eventually no longer get to hold him, hear his cute voice, or see him being this small. The clock can solely go forward. While he was still in his childhood, each time she had with him was priceless. Nonetheless, watching Antonio grow was a glorious experience. It brought a smile to her face whenever she learned something new about him. Last year, he received the power to talk to and understand animals; this year, he would lose his first tooth. Regardless of what changes happened in Antonio’s life, Mirabel would be there for them all. She wondered what other surprises awaited for her.
Mirabel placed Antonio on the ground. “It looks like Ratoncito Pérez will pay you a visit pretty soon.”
“What do you think I’ll get under my pillow?” he asked enthusiastically.
“He might give you some shiny coins or candy, or even a little toy you can play with,” his prima replied.
“I’d be happy with anything,” Antonio said. “I hope he makes it to my bed okay.”
Mirabel rubbed his shoulder in reassurance. “He won’t get lost, Toñito. He knows where you sleep.”
“And he won’t come until I go to sleep, right?”
“Not until you’re fast asleep,” Mirabel confirmed.
“I wonder what he looks like.” Antonio gazed at the floor, picturing what the overall appearance of this mythical creature might be.
She went along with Antonio’s imagination. Since he was about to lose his first baby tooth, she wanted to get in the spirit and make the whole Ratoncito Pérez thing entertaining. The night he comes would be an important night to the youngest Madrigal. “We both know he’s a mouse, but maybe he looks like no other mouse because he’s a special one.”
He regained his attention on her and grinned. “You might be right. And he could have a different fur color, like gold. I don’t think any mouse has that kind of color.”
“Gold is really pretty,” Mirabel remarked. “He may also carry around a bag on his travels. Those teeth have to be protected somehow.”
“I’ll make sure to brush my baby tooth before he comes,” Antonio reminded himself.
“Great idea,” she said in approval, giving him two thumbs up. “A squeaky clean tooth is important.”
“Where do you think he takes teeth? What does he do with them?” the child asked with curiosity.
Mirabel needed a minute to sit back and ponder on that. “Those are good questions.”
Amid thinking of what creative ideas to conjure up, Antonio gently interjected. “Umm, perhaps he takes them home after he’s done for the night.”
“Yes, I like that,” she told him supportively. “He goes home and I believe he puts the teeth in this treasure box for safekeeping. No one can open it but him and his family. And with some teeth, he makes things out of them, such as necklaces.”
“And you know what else?” the older cousin then said. “Those teeth in the box stay white.”
A gasp of astonishment escaped from Antonio. “Why is that?”
“Ratoncito Pérez magic.” Mirabel spoke in a low-pitched, wavering voice, waggling her fingers at him.
“Woah…”
“Yep.”
“So, he’ll remember about my tooth?”
Mirabel sympathized with her primito’s question. She set her hand on his back and stroked it in a smooth circular motion. “Of course he will, Antonio. When a child loses his or her tooth, he never forgets about them. He’s magical; he knows exactly when teeth go missing. I’m completely certain he’ll see you on that night.”
A confident smile formed on Antonio in response, telling her that his bit of worry was pushed aside. Mirabel warmly returned the smile. Sometimes, her compassion was just what he needed to lighten him, and that never failed to make her feel good inside.
“He’s gonna come in your room and get you something neat,” she assured.
“If he’s coming, then that means some of my animals may see him,” Antonio suddenly realized. “I should tell them about him so they’ll know who he is. I don’t want them to get confused or something.”
“Or you could tell the full story,” Mirabel suggested. “There’s quite a lot to him.”
A look of radiance appeared on him, his teeth visible. Mirabel had to get used to the wobbly tooth. “Oh, yeah! They love stories.”
“I told you the story of Ratoncito Pérez back when you stayed in the nursery with me,” Mirabel brought up.
“I remember that. You’re a great storyteller,” he told her admiringly.
Flattered with what he said, the girl laid her hand on her chest. “Aww, thank you.”
“I can’t wait for my tooth to come out,” Antonio expressed before wiggling his baby tooth with his finger.
“If you give it time, primito, it will,” Mirabel informed.
Having nothing to say at the moment, Antonio continued to move the tooth back and forth, back and forth. Mirabel laughed delicately at his ecstasy over his loose tooth, thinking it was adorable. Considering Ratoncito Pérez’s upcoming visit, Mirabel fully understood Antonio’s anticipation for his first tooth to come out. The story of Ratoncito Pérez was well-liked by the children in the Encanto; it had been told for decades. Somebody who lost a tooth was a big deal, as it meant the tooth mouse would drop by and leave a special treat under their pillow. He was a prominent, charming legend for the youth, making missing teeth a fun occasion.
“Look, I’ll give you this,” Mirabel said to Antonio. He looked up at her, breaking out of his focus. “If you keep wiggling your tooth, it may just come out quicker.”
“Oh, goodie!” Antonio exclaimed, clapping his hands. He didn’t waste any time going back to his tooth. Using his tongue, he wiggled it as rapidly as he could.
“Woah, hold your horses there, hombrecito.” She put her hands out front and giggled. “Don’t do it too much or your tongue will start hurting. And, yes, wiggling that tooth will help, but it won’t actually come out until it is ready. Being patient is the key.”
He nodded in understanding. “Okay, Mirabel. I understand.”
“It will be out before you know it,” she stated. “And then you’ll have something to show the family. Speaking of our family, did you show them your tooth yet?”
“No, I didn’t. You’re the first one I showed my tooth to,” the boy answered.
“Boy, will they be amazed.” Suddenly, a thought came to Mirabel’s mind.
“I think you should do it at the breakfast table, where everyone will be together. That way, you can show them all at once.”
Antonio grinned at this. “That’ll be terrific. I’ll bring a few animal friends and my stuffie so they can see, too.”
“It’s going to be quite a breakfast today,” Mirabel commented.
He played with his front tooth a little. “Soon, I’ll have a tooth missing in my mouth.”
“You’ll have a whole new smile,” his cousin said humorously. “It’ll feel funny at first, but you’ll get used to it.”
“Then I’ll get a grown-up tooth, Mirabel. My very first one.” The fact made Antonio display a face of pride.
“Yeah, it’s really sweet, isn’t it? You’re definitely getting older.”
As soon as the last sentence left her mouth, the older Madrigal felt her heart squeeze with heavy emotion. She was relatively feeling this way when Antonio first introduced her to his wiggly tooth, but now it washed over her. If she possessed Tía Pepa’s powers, a cloud would hang above her head with raindrops pouring out, leaving her drenched. She figured this was what exactly Pepa felt like at Antonio’s ceremony. It caught on to Mirabel that her dear cousin growing up was one of those things that could make her this emotional. He was a little caterpillar gradually transforming into a butterfly, and it was ever so beautiful to witness. The best part of it all was just being a part of his life; Antonio was her world. The boundless love Mirabel held for him was a powerful feeling.
Mirabel kneeled down and took Antonio’s hands into hers. “Toñito, I want you to remember this, okay? No matter how big you get, you’ll always be my primito.”
He smiled at her in an adoring manner and said, “Okay, Mirabel.”
She kissed his forehead. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.”
Mirabel stood back up and brushed her hands on her skirt. “I better finish setting the table now. I think breakfast is just about ready.”
“Can I help you?” Antonio asked thoughtfully.
Pinching his cheek gently, she replied, “Sure you can, my little helper.”
The two cousins worked on setting the table, Antonio wiggling his tooth here and there.