Chapter Text
Time travel? That's just seem overpowered abilities, clearly something that would make Abuela proud. Abuela would do anything to save Abuelo, to stop his death from happening but because of how powerful it is..it comes with a great responsibility and consequences upon misused. Something that clearly what she is being punished, for using her gift against innocent people—against her own younger sister.
She sighed as she felt exhausted and tired of all this, sure she is happy that she given second chance to redeemed herself and fix all the mistakes she wrongly done to everyone around her. Still, it felt surreal and undeserving for someone like her—she expected it would have been Mirabel because she is the victim of this broken family.
She aware much that Mirabel is being treated as if she was the scapegoat for everyone to blame and picked on, she did try her best to lessen it by telling them off that she is the only one who supposed to make Mirabel cry but she is nowhere better than them who harm her. To think that she is worse than them make her want to throw up in disgust of such hypocrisy.
If she was in Mirabel's shoe then she would had ditch her off from the moment she start using her gift to scare her off and always insults her with every mean comments, she such a mess..but she clearly need a glass of water. She thinks too hard that she forgotten about her own needs.
She leaves her room as she is on her nightgown, her little steps were unheard to anyone since she did awake quite late at night. She felt herself freeze when sees the nursery room's door, she felt the longing to just cuddle up to her youngest sister and apologize for everything—for being a terrible excuse of an older sister but instead she held back the tears that start to form at the corner of her eyes.
‘There's no use to hold onto it, it would just weight me down. I will sooner or later, but just not now. Not when I'm still not ready mentally prepared to face her without breaking down and getting too emotional..’
She wipes the tears off with the sleeves of her nightgown as she went past the room and goes downstairs, making way to the kitchen.
At the kitchen, everything looks..oddly intimidating and big due to her height. The shelves are slightly higher than her as she had to use chair to just get up there and take a glass to filled it with water. She drink it immediately afterward, feeling refreshed and more calm as the aching exhaustion start to disippated slowly, she drink more of it—taking in every sip of water to rinse down her choking dry throat.
“I-Isabela?”
She flinches when she heard her name being called out, her tío Bruno lit the kitchen lights on as he didn't expect to see her wake up so late—neither Isabela to see one of her family member that was once disappeared without trace. Is been awhile ever since her last memories around the prophet madrigal as she almost forgotten by how timid and awkward he is that he sometimes slurred some words out of nerves, it pain her that'd she forget how genuine he sounds or even his voice other than Camilo's rip off imitation that was clearly misleading and just entirely different from the tío they're once familiar with.
“Tío.., don't tell Abuela about this please?” Bruno about to reply, only to cut off by Isabela plead. “No, not to Mamá and Papí too please.” Bruno felt dumbfounded since he didn't expect to find himself with Isabela, isn't Julieta supposed to be better in this kind of comfort and trust than him? The expression that Isabela just express right now is both exhaustion and vulnerable..just what nightmare did the girl had gone through to be in this state..? He can understand why Agustín is so protective about his daughters though he rarely shows it directly when it concerns Isabela or Luisa.
“Are you..alright? I- is not like I mean it in bad way, is just that you seem very unwell..” he trailed off slightly, doesn't know how to express his concern and worries other than asking about her self well-being. He is aware how careful and sensitive Isabela is when it comes to flaw—or that's how Isabela way of thinks about showing vulnerability.
That's when it click in her head, finally understood why Mirabel so attached to their Tío Bruno in the past. Some way, she can see the similarities between them—how they can easily relate to each other. Both are genuine about what they say, they're selfless and overthinking about many things..the fear of disappointed others and genuine outright loves for this broken family.
“I..I'm..just tired, this is the first time I wake up this late at night..”
It was a lie, this wasn't even the third time she had an restless night and waking up late at night to cry to herself for having flaws—fearing Abuela or any of her family member would noticed them. How her smile twitches, cheeks that were looking too off with how natural it is on her, and her shoulder that was slightly stiff from trying to keep herself stand straight and keep the facade going in the next morning. Only to hear Abuela pointed out at those flaws she desperately trying to hide.
She tries to wave off the dark foggy clouds that was clouded her mind with the flashback as she gives him a reassuring smile, not wanting to worry him further more. “..I-I'll be going back to my t-tower, well..you're welcomed to visit me. G-Goodnight, kid.” despite his awkwardness and the usual stuttering and muttering habit in talking, he willingly offer himself as someone she can talk to.
Her Tío always been the type to close off himself from socializing, but he did try his best to be someone who his sobrino and sobrinas can relied on. She always wonder what makes him leave them, is just impossible to think that he leave them without a valid reason—it is either for someone or..he no longer stand the bad treatment that the townsfolk give him.
Who wouldn't? Always been called as the bad luck Bruno only because of the vision that they demanded to know? It is what they want then shouldn't they be more prepared about what the possible outcomes of the granted vision? There's time where she felt that the townsfolk being absurd with their needs, not everything can just be perfect and go accordingly to what you want for it to turn out. Something she had experience to fit in the toxic standars of community..
Now, that she is alone and clearly unable to sleep as she doesn't know what to do in this situation. Actually..She could try her luck in making amends with Luisa first, regarding her sister..she forgot to ask her Tío about her age. She should've used that chance to ask him about her current age, she wants to make sure something and to know her sisters' ages right now. She finally decide to retreat to her room after getting better and certainly well than before, on the way to there—she came across her used to be close Hemanita Dolores. She no longer able and does not have the audacity to call her that, not when she is the one who cut ties their melliza duo.
.
“Ah..”
.
“Oh..!” Dolores squeaked to see her, first Bruno and now Dolores? Who's next, Mirabel? She always forgot that these three are the most likely person to wake up or stay up late at night. It's odd to see your prima in her younger age especially when you know well that Dolores is more blunt and honest when she was child than adult, her dark black eyes staring at her directly as if piercing her inner self.
“Está todo bien, prima? I heard you and Tío talked, your heart is..beating faster than usual..” she tilts her head as she sense something up with Isabela, her heartbeat is beating in rushed beat as if it was being chased and she certainly doesn't look well. She is aware of Isabela's troubles and burdens, she knows well that just yesterday that Isabela crying to her self all alone in her room until she fell asleep—all because of Abuela that was too strict and hard on her trying to forbidden her from doing things that was considered unladylike or not refined.
Isabela wasn't aware of this since she vaguely remembered because of how often she is upset and crying alone in room that it became quite the habit to lash out whatever she is feeling when she felt actually alone, sure she knew that she can't because of the superhearing madrigal but Dolores herself won't dared to bring it up to their Abuela—who knows what would the matriarch react and act if she knew and Dolores doesn't want their already distant friendship became worse and strained than before. So, she stayed silent while keeping an close ear when things get overwhelming for her prima.
“...Estoy bien, there's something I want want to know though..” she sighed as Dolores squeak in curious, is not everyday that Isabela would ask her something—mostly she would when it is something related about Abuela or townfolks. “How old are we again? I lost track of time..” the question was very out of nowhere for Dolores because how come Isabela forgotten about their age? It just felt like an out of character thing for her out of everyone to be.
“9..why?” she genuinely curious, she wasn't meant to eavesdrop but when she was out to go to the bathroom—she catch Isabela pleading to tío Bruno to keep their interaction a secret from Abuela which makes sense but from her parents too? What did she miss? Did something happened when she was in her room or out of her usual sharp hearing capabilities? She feared for the worst and hope it isn't exactly what she thought..
“No one..do anything to you that make you felt uncomfortable, right?”
There was an hesitation in her voice as someone who is gifted the ability to hear anything, is not like it was the first that someone sees Isabela in a way that wasn't appropriate and commenting it with their group of friends as if it was not the most disgusting things to say about a child..they're only ten years old! She did reported it to her Mamí and those kind of townfolks start to get more wary and careful about what they say regarding Isabela. But, it didn't stop how they stare her or who knows if they start to plan on being bold and act on their dark malice desire.
It still painful to only able to hear as every attempts were made only reduced but never drop to zero the possibility, she knows that if Isabela found out she did all this without asking her then it might ruin her trust in her but it was just getting too far! Isabela didn't deserve to be viewed in such inappropriate ways by older people, it annoys and disgust her.
Isabela was slightly taken aback, did she do something wrong? Why would she thinks that? She didn't want to worry her further than she already did, it must be a curse to be able to hear everything and unable to tune it out—she doesn't want to burden her who already have so much in her plate. She doesn't deserves these concern.
“No..? Everything is fine, there's no need to worry..”
The least thing she wants is for everyone to worry and noticed something wrong about herself, she doesn't need those..she doesn't want to trouble anyone with her own. Is best to stick everything to herself, she also felt bad for how she used to act towards Dolores in the past. She missed their old friendship before their gift separates them from each other, Dolores can't play around with her much often because of her superhearing ability that sometimes became overwhelming or how Isabela is too focused with being the perfect child of La Familia Madrigal that she started to ignore every attempts made by her prima to bond again. Talking about ignorance she was..
She such a mess..if only she wasn't so selfish before then they would have a good prima bonding, maybe even became hermanas again. Now isn't the time to remind herself of her past wrong doings. “I'll be going back to my room, don't stay up too late..” she immediately cut the conversation short as she doesn't want Dolores to know more than she already is regarding her even about things that she wasn't even aware at all, Dolores is an observant one perhaps a good example of what an second elder grandkids supposed to be..she can't get her tangled in her issues.
There was alot of things in Dolores' mind as she wasn't and not the slightest convinced by Isabela reassurance, she is so used seeing her practiced smile that it was easy to detect whether she forced it or not—clearly Isabela is hiding something but she won't force it out, she rather wait until she open up to her and share some of her burden in mind. When that time came, she hopes that Isabela won't push her away again from trying to comfort her and let her know that she isn't alone. It is something she can at least do for her..to listen and keep her company in the lonely house.
It wasn't any better when she sees how her prima's parents turn their full attention to their youngest daughter, she understand that her primita is born premature and it was a beautiful miracle on how she manages to survive and all which what she heard from the adult conversation but still..she felt bad for both Luisa and Isabela because they had to grow to be mature very fast and being the considerate older sisters for Mirabel as their parental love affection start to slowly decreased day by day. She can't exactly blame both tía Julieta nor tío Agustín for paying more attention to Mirabel than both of them but still..it felt unfair to her because it would make an unbalance affection and love between the three of them. Neither of them really much pay attention to Isabela other than Mirabel or the least Luisa.
Perhaps she could try to drag her prima again for another family trip with her family, though she believes it would just be another rejection from the flower madrigal but still she won't know unless she tries. Hopefully she accept her invitation this time..