Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Look, Mirabel was excited for the new addition to the family. She loved each and every part of the family. But now she had to share her room with a baby. Well, it wasn’t her room necessarily, it was actually the nursery so the baby had more right to be in there than she did. It wasn’t her fault that she didn’t have a gift, or a room made just for her.

She sighed, moving her arms from around her knees, she might as well meet this baby if she was to share a room with it for the next five years. Besides, Mama and Tía Pepa and the entire family seemed to be happy about the new baby, it had been staying in Tía Pepa and Tío Félix’s room and not everyone had met it yet because Pepa was still healing from it’s birth and had apparently went through some kind of after-birth panic and hadn’t let it from her sight at all since it was born a few weeks ago.

She walked into Casita and giggled as the floorboards moved under her feet, ushering her to where the baby currently was. She stopped outside the room, apparently it was already in the Nursery. She entered carefully, Tía Pepa was sitting in the rocking chair holding a bundle of blankets Mirabel assumed to be the baby. A rainbow sat above her head, she looked up when Mirabel walked in. A smile appeared on her face.

“Mirabel! Come meet Antonio” She walked over and peeked into the blanket and was surprised to see the baby. He was brown with curly hair and was staring right at her, he was kind of cute. Mirabel was confused, the kids in the village told her that baby’s were pink, screaming, ugly messes.

“He’s pretty light right now, but as he gets older his skin will darken” Mirabel nodded her head at her Tía's words but didn’t look up from Antonio. Pepa smiled.

“Here, go sit on your bed, put a pillow under your left elbow, sit back against the wall” Mirabel did as told, a little confused. Pepa stood and walked over to her, she rearranged Antonio in her arms before leaning down and setting Antonio down in Mirabel’s arms. Carefully moving them so Mirabel was holding him correctly.

“Now, Can I trust you to watch him for a few minutes while I go and prepare a bottle for him?” Mirabel looked up at her Aunt before looking down at the baby in her arms.

“A few Minutes?”

“Just a few minutes, you don’t have to do anything besides hold him,” Mirabel nodded. Tìa Pepa smiled at her and walked out leaving the door open. Mirabel curled her legs under her. It allowed her to set Antonio’s body on her lap while still having his head on her elbow. She held her hand above his face, carefully tracing her fingers over his features. His face seemed to turn like he was laughing, but no sound came out. His tiny fist waved around and caught her finger, holding it in a strong grip. She laughed at his little concentrated face, his eyes shooting to her face as she did. They lit up and his face split open in the biggest little smile. Mirabel cooed to him, he was just adorable. She was knocked out of her little bubble with him when she heard thunder.

Oh no, someone upset Tía Pepa. Mirabel looked back down at Antonio, only to see his little eyes water and his face twist in a way Camillo’s used to when he cried. She panicked for a second, would a lullaby work? She wracked her brain for one and sang the first that came to mind, one she thinks she heard when she was younger.

“Two oruguitas 

 in love and yearning

Spend every evening and morning learnin'

To hold each other, their hunger burning

To navigate a world

That turns and never stops turning

Together in this world

That turns and never stops turning” His face stopped twisting but his eyes still held the tears. 

“Two oruguitas against the weather

The wind grows colder, but they're together

They hold each other, no way of knowing

They're all they have for shelter

And something inside them is growing

They long to stay togethеr

But something inside them is growin'

Ay, oruguitas, don't you hold on too tight

Both of you know it's your timе to grow. to fall apart, to reunite

Wonders await you just on the other side

Trust they'll be there and start to prepare the way for tomorrow

Ay, oruguitas, don't you hold on too tight

Both of you know it's your time to grow, to fall apart, to reunite

Wonders await you, just on the other side

Trust they'll be there and start to prepare the way for tomorrow” Now that she was singing it she realized that it seemed a bit sad. But Antonio seemed to like it, and his eyes held no more tears in them. 

“Two oruguitas, cocooned and waiting

Each in their own world, anticipating

What happens after the rearranging?

And so afraid of change

In a world that never stops changing

So let the walls come down

The world will never stop changing Never stop changing

Never stop changing 

Never stop changing” She whispered the last verse to him. She heard footsteps near the door and quickly fixed her legs to the way she was sitting before. 

Tía Pepa came in with the bottle, and looked at it in her hand before sitting down next to Mirabel and placing the bottle in Mirabel’s hand and showed her how to feed Antonio. Pepa smiled as she did. Mirabel didn’t need to know that Pepa had already been upstairs, that Pepa had all but run upstairs after she thundered because she knew the noise scared Antonio and was preparing herself to walk into the nursery to a scared Mirabel holding a crying Antonio.

She was not prepared to see Mirabel curled around Antonio, singing the lullaby from her own distant memory. She had to take a few steps away to not cry and waited until she pulled herself together before walking in. 

Mirabel stared down at Antonio, it seemed as if she was doing that a lot actually, as he ate. His little eyes drooped and one of his hands rested on the side of the bottle. She leaned back against the wall and pulled her legs back up under her. Little Antonio leaning against her chest. She watched as he fell asleep and leaned completely against her, little snores escaping him. Pepa reached over and gently grabbed the bottle.

“Would you like to set him in his crib?” Mirabel looked sharply up to her

“But-”

“You two will share a room for a while, Mirabel and we all know that you are a light sleeper. You’ll probably be awake to get him long before I’m even awake. Just set your legs back down and set your arms like I originally had them and stand up” Pepa stood with her niece.

“Now just walk over to the bassinet, and set him down carefully. There you go, he’ll be asleep for a while you should go play” Pepa shooed her off. 

Tía Pepa turned out to be right, late that night when the moon shone through her cracked window, she was woken up by the sounds of Antonio crying. She sat up and pushed her glasses onto her face as she walked across the room, she peeked into the bassinet to try and figure out what could be wrong with him. Casita shook the bassinet in a vaguely rocking motion. Mirabel reached in and carefully picked him up and held him to her chest, making little rocking motions with her arms as she slowly walked around the room. 

Antonio fell back asleep but woke up immediately when she tried to put him down. So she sat on her bed with him, setting him down on her blankets. She got some pillows and situated them before setting him on top of one and climbing back into her bed. She set him on her chest and put a hand on his head and back before rolling onto her side like she usually sleeps. She fell back asleep with him next to her. 

She woke the next morning to slight thundering and frantic whispering. 

“- knew this was a bad idea-”

“-look for him-”

“Pepa! Look, Mirabel’s got him, he’s fine” Mirabel felt more than seeing the shadow fall across her and Antonio, she couldn’t stop herself from holding him more firmly and curling around him. 

“See Félix! I told you putting him in our bed when he cried at night was a bad idea. Oh, he must’ve woken her up really late!” 

Mirabel felt a hand card through her hair, “Mirabel, wake up dear. It’s time to wake up and let us have Antonio” her Mama said to her. 

She fixed her hold on the baby in her arms before carefully turning over and carefully rolling him off her and onto the bed, resisting from picking him back up when he whimpered. Félix cooed and picked him up. Her Mama ran a hand through her hair before leaving the room. Mirabel got out of bed and grabbed her clothes so she could bathe and get dressed before breakfast. She passed Camilo in the hall and doing their handshake. 

Which consisted of them just high fiving and bumping hips. It was stupid and simple but they've been doing it for as long as they could remember. They giggled as they went their opposite ways, Casita's tiles clacking as Camilo jumped on random ones on his way down to the dining room.

After getting dressed she slid down the stairs to the ground floor and made her way to the dining room, going past the living room where Pepa was, and Antonio too if the cries were any indication.

“What’s wrong, papito?” Pepa asked, clearly keeping herself from thundering. She was humming a little song as she bounced him.

 A little too hard Mirabel thought. 

Pepa leaned him on her shoulder to see if he needed to be burped, but when Antonio looked over her shoulder, he stopped crying as he caught sight of Mirabel. Pepa turned around confused, only for it to turn to fond exasperation as she saw Mirabel standing there. She switched her hold on Antonio and walked over to Mirabel, she handed the baby to Mirabel and watched as Antonio’s whines that started when he couldn’t see Mirabel anymore, stopped. 

“Honestly, one night and you’re now his favorite. Come along, My Mami said she wanted him at breakfast” Pepa ushered Mirabel towards the dining room, Mirabel not moving until she was sure she had a proper hold on Antonio. 

As they walked and Antonio started squirming, Mirabel started humming the lullaby she had sung yesterday. Not noticing Pepa’s stuttering steps. 

"Ay, mariposa, don't you hold on too tight. Both of you know it's your time to go, to fly apart, to reunite..." Mirabel quietly sang the lyrics as they entered the dining room, too quiet for anyone but Dolores to hear. If anyone was surprised to see Mirabel holding a now calm Antonio no one said anything. 

Camilo got up and made sure her chair was pulled out enough, Casita could have done it but he wanted to. Once she sat down he pushed her chair before sitting back down in his chair. 

Dolores looked completely confused but didn't say anything. Mirabel flashed a smile at her before arranging Antonio how she had him yesterday. Leaning against her chest and lap, leaving one of her hands free. From the milk still on the edge of his mouth, he had already eaten. Mirabel grabbed her fork and started eating, Camilo had put food on her plate as she arranged Antonio. It was a weird dance they had memorized a while ago, if Mirabel or Camilo had their hands busy when they sat down or entered the room. The other one was to either make sure their chair is pulled out enough or put food on their plate. 

She kept quiet and ate, focusing on eating and Antonio, almost missing Abuela asking her a question. 

"Mirabel, How did Antonio do in the Nursery last night?" 

"Oh, he did well. Woke up once but it was easily taken care of" Mirabel carefully didn't say that she had put Antonio in her bed. 

"That's good, since he's so young we'll expect him to wake up during the night more a while more, then he should start sleeping through the nights" 

Mirabel didn't say anything but nodded as she ate. Only setting her fork down to help pass Antonio off to Camilo once he finished eating. 

Breakfast finished with Abuela telling them all to head down to the village to help. Mirabel managed to land a kiss on Antonio's forehead with a whispered "see you later" before Camilo gave him to Félix. 

“Mirabel, you are needed down at the Seamstress shop today” Mirabel nodded and grabbed her lunch bag and walked with the rest of her cousins and siblings into town. Doing her best not to scowl as Isabela made a big show of using her powers, Mirabel stopped walking, being at the back of the group there wasn’t a risk of someone walking into her. 

She looked around, there was something wrong. She took off into the forest ignoring her cousins and siblings calls for her to come back. She stepped over logs and went so far off the path that any other time she would’ve been worried about getting lost. 

She eventually came across a little kid, who looked to be around 5 or 6, who was obviously lost. “Are you okay? How did you get here?”

“I was with my Mami and there was a butterfly so I chased it but then I fell and I didn't know where I was and my leg hurts really bad!” Mirabel smoothed the kid’s hair down before looking at the kid’s leg. 

“Yeah, that’s a mighty scratch, looks like you twisted your ankle too.” Mirabel stood back up

“You probably shouldn’t walk on it, here” Mirabel picked the kid up, and once they were situated with their arms around her neck she made her way back to the village. She didn’t know how she knew the way back considering how far out she was, but she didn’t question it. 

As she walked she started humming the lullaby. The kid tried to hum along, but not knowing the song caused them to fail and giggle. Soon Mirabel left the forest and was back on the path to the village. She entered it to see people panicking. The kid leaned up to try and find her parents. 

“Mami! Papi!” Mirabel looked to where the kid was yelling and saw two adults that she resembled, they were near her own Mama. Mirabel made her way over. 

“Mama, a little help?” Her Mother looked over to her and got the attention of the two next to her as Mirabel got closer.

“How hurt is she?” 

“There’s a scratch, I think she might’ve twisted her ankle too, she mentioned falling.” Mirabel sat the girl down on a chair near her Mama’s stand. Her Mom handed the girl an empanada while the girl’s parents thanked Mirabel. Once it was noticed that both Mirabel and the girl were found, people stopped panicking. Mirabel made her way through the crowd to the seamstress’ shop. 

“Mrs. Sandez, I’m here! Sorry I was late, I was.." Mirabel trailed off at the sight of the amused boy in front of her. Setting her bag on the small table near the door.

• Carlos Sandez, Mrs. Nina Sandez's current youngest grandson, sometimes helps out in the Seamstress Shop. He is also, sub-consequently, her crush. 

"Do I dare assume that you are part of the reason for a panicking crowd in the village square?" He raised his eyebrow and leaned on the counter he was standing behind.

"Well not exactly, the reason is cause one of the little kids had gotten lost in the forest" Mirabel told him, definitely not fidgeting with her bracelet, it was time like this she was grateful she was the only one of the Madrigal kids who worked in the shop, they would call her crush so fast. 

"Right, and you just had to stumble upon them, randomly, and bring them back?" 

"Well, I did go looking for her, technically" 

"I knew it, you Miss Madrigal are an adventurer" 

"I'm not an adventurer" She wasn't pouting, she didn't care that he had that (definitely not fond) look on his (oh-so-pretty) face that he made when she pouted, she wasn't.

"Mhm, sure you're not" 

"I'm not!" 

"Of course not, dork" Mirabel rolled her eyes, with a definitely not fond look. 

"Oh! Mirabel there you are, dear. I was beginning to worry, Carlos isn't bothering you, is he?" Mrs. Sandez sent a sideways look to her grandson, who had fixed his face into a kind- neutral look, while looking as innocent as can be. 

"No he wasn't, he was just expressing some concern over whether or not I had anything to do with the semi panicking crowd in the village square" 

"Yes I saw that. Is everything okay?" Mrs. Sandez ushered her to the chairs as they talked. 

"Yeah, a little kid just got lost. I brought her back, she had a little tumble in the forest" Mrs. Sandez pursed her lips and gave her something to work on. She wasn’t actually needed at the shop but when she was 7 Mrs. Sandez took pity on her being left out from her cousins and siblings and had started asking for her to come down. 

"I suppose that happens around here. How's your Tía and the baby?" 

Mirabel didn't look up from her sewing as she answered "Tía's good, they just put little Antonio in the Nursery last night, so I gotta get used to a new roommate" 

Mrs. Sandez answered with a little hum, before humming the song she always was. It sounded old, Mirabel thought it might've been an old lullaby. 

Chapter Text

Mirabel worked diligently with her needle and thread, she noticed when Carlos came and sat near her. He had his own thing to work on, and he wasn't bothering her. 

It was a while later when Mrs. Sandez looked up. “Oh dear, look at that time. Look at me having you two working away the day. Go ahead and put your things up and have lunch and play” Mirabel looked at the clock and -oh. Yeah it was definitely lunch time. 

Mirabel stood and set her project in the basket with her name on it. Before grabbing her lunch bag. “Have a Good Afternoon Mrs. Sandez!” Mirabel waited for her to respond before leaving the shop. Not even walking 10 steps before Carlos was beside her. 

“Tree by the stream?” 

“Is there anywhere else I go to for lunch?” He merely nodded his head and walked by her side silently. 

When they got to the tree and sat down, he waited until she had her lunch unpacked to talk. 

“So, what’s got you so unsettled today, mi princesa?” He asked, getting his own lunch out of his bag. 

She stared at him for a few moments before rolling her eyes “Should’ve known you’d be the one to call me out on that. But, I honestly don’t know.” She said eating one of her arepas. 

“Well when did it start?”

She slowed her chewing as she thought. “This morning after I left Casita, felt like I was abandoning something, like I had betrayed someone.” 

“What if it's the baby, Antonio you said his name was? If you two share a room now, it’s possible that he imprinted on you and since he’s so little he wouldn’t understand that you weren’t leaving forever?” 

“That’s possible, I’ll just have to see later when I get back. Which will be soon” 

Carlos blinked, surprised. “That’s much earlier than usual?”

“Yeah but Abuela wants to set up an arranged marriage for Isabela, apparently she’s almost a woman now, and that means marriage, and tonight we will meet this man to which they will spend years 'courting' until finally marriage” Mirabel rolls her eyes, feeling like the whole thing is ridiculous. 

“Does she know who she’ll be marrying or will she be finding out tonight as well?” Carlos looked sort of upset. 

“I think she is just meeting him tonight, but only because Abuela approached her and asked her if there was anyone she liked or if she would like to help look for her future husband. She said that she didn’t like anyone and that she trusted Abuela to make a good decision for her” Mirabel told him, he looked weirdly relieved. 

“I never asked, but why do you, we, eat lunch here?” He asked in a blatant way to change the subject.

“Well I did it at first and you tagged along but, it’s because it’s far enough to be out of Dolores’ hearing range and the water flowing in the stream makes it harder for her to hear”

"Oh?" 

"Yeah at first it was just so I could grumble without her hearing but now since you tagged along, it's so she can't hear what we talk about, or do. She once talked about how she knew what a hug sounded like. I like being able to get out of her reach of hearing, if only for an hour" Mirabel repacked her bag with the empty containers.

Carlos made a humming noise as he also put away the remains of his lunch. He sat his and Mirabel's bag aside before sitting next to her against the tree. "So you still come here because you want to talk and do things with me without your cousin hearing? Why, talking like that might just give a guy the wrong idea" he teased. 

She shoved his shoulder but leaned against him nonetheless, "You're so stupid sometimes, you know that right?"

He made a wounded sound and held a hand to his chest " Oh! You wound me." He dramatically fell across her lap and reached a hand out to cup her face. 

"Ay, Mi Amor, I see the angels'" Mirabel shoved him off her lap and laughed as he didn't drop the act.

"Mi Amor, Mi Cielo how I loathe for you to see me in my final moments, I want you to remember me and love me till your dying day in which I shall welcome you into the afterlife to spend with me" Mirabel rolled her eyes and decided to play along. 

"Mi Cariño, Mi Coraźon how I laugh as you think you will be leaving this plane alone. Without you, the world simply does not revolve for me. Without you, the flowers refuse to bloom, the trees forever lose their leaves, the sun no longer lights to sky, the stars no longer sparkle and create a beautiful canvas" 

"Ay, Amor you are always more beautiful than the canvas the stars create, and the freshly bloomed flowers. Oh the people, how they will weep as we leave" They stopped speaking and just stared at each other for a few moments before burning out in laughter. 

"Oh, goodness that was something straight out of a telenovela!" Mirabel gasped out from where she was laying on the ground. Carlos giggled some more before managing to stand up. 

"Come on, princesa, you said you had to get back to Casita soon. We wouldn't want you to be late" He held his hand out to her and helped her up. She grabbed their bags and handed one to him while putting hers on. 

There was a rustle of leaves and they looked over to see nothing "Just the animals I suppose" 

They made the way back, not quietly. Too giggly and hyped up from their earlier playing around. Carlos had grabbed her hands and initiated some kind of dance as they walked the path to Casita. 

He sang a song, in a way that it was sure to be taken as a joke, and twirled her around many times. At one point right before the entrance to Casita he spun her in a way that she used one hand to grab her skirts to keep them from flying up. She turned to see him kneeling with one of her hands in between both of his. He kissed the back of her hand before standing and doing a half bow over it. 

“Till, we meet again, Mi princesa” He flashed her a smile and wink before walking a few steps backwards and stopping. She rolled her eyes with a good natured smile. She walked a few steps back into the Casita and placed her hands on her chest in an over exaggerated way to show heartbreak. 

“Until then, Mi Caballero” She moved her hands down to her skirt and did a small curtsey, looking up at him with a wink. They both collapsed in giggles and she waved at him before walking the rest of the way into Casita. She had a dinner to get ready for. 

On her way to get to her room, she missed the fact that almost all of her family had witnessed her and Carlos’ exaggerated goodbyes. They all traded a look. 

“Do I want to ask if that's something new?” Julieta, Mirabel’s Mother, asked

“No, it’s actually not. Well the dance and goodbye thing is. But everything else? Nope.” Dolores answered 

“I went looking for her earlier, because she disappeared and I wanted to make sure she didn’t forget about the dinner. I found them in a clearing near a river acting out something from a telenovela. I didn’t think there were so many ways to tell someone that you love them, I was proven wrong” Camilo input, pulling a leaf from his hair. 

“Abuela?” Lusia asked, seeing her grandmother’s expression. 

“Let them be, keep a watch to make sure they don’t sully the Madrigal name. But I think Mirabel may have already picked her own suitor, but it is too early for her and tonight is about Isabela” Alma answered, brushing her hands down the front of her dress and smoothing down some of Isabela’s hair. 

Mirabel hummed happily as she picked through her dresses for something to wear. Antonio cooing along to the song. 

“What do you think, Tonio?” Mirabel asked, holding up two dresses. She lightly shook the one in her left hand. 

“I like the color, but it seems too formal for a simple dinner.” She lightly shook the one in her right hand. “This one is lighter but seems a bit too casual for it also” 

Antonio made a few more cooing noises. Mirabel looked at the dresses in her hands. “You’re right, the darker blue is more of a very formal color anyway.” She set the dress in her left hand back in the closet and quickly draped a thin blanket over the top of Antonio’s bassinet so she could change. Once she was done she took the blanket away and set it to the side. 

“I like it, while it is a bit more casual than what Abuela would want, it makes sure that the focus would be solely on Isabela as she could be dressed to impress” Mirabel sighed and deflated. “I kinda wish Carlos were here, he’d be able to help me” 

Mirabel turned to Antonio right after she said that and carefully ran a finger across his cheek “Of course you are a bunch of help, but it’s always a bit more helpful to have someone outside the family help with some things. They aren't likely to play word games and make me insecure about my dress” Mirabel smoothed her hand down her skirt, already mentally preparing herself for the snide backhanded compliments from her family. 

“But what am I saying, Mi Tesoro still needs to be fully dressed.” Mirabel picked up the cooing Antonio and set him on her bed while grabbing the outfit Tía Pepa had sat out earlier. It was a lightly colored yellow shirt and darkly colored pants with a little yellow-orange ruana, that Mirabel somehow knew would cause a little tantrum later because the material was pretty stiff and kinda scratchy. She sighed and put them on him, sighing again when he expressed discomfort with the ruana. 

She picked him up and settled him in between her arm against her chest, she set her other arm on his bottom and did a little twirl. Laughing as his face stretched to make a little smile

“Come Along, Tonio, we have to be there before Isabela’s entrance or Abuela will scowl at me when no one is looking” Mirabel continued her quiet talkings to Antonio, not at all worried about tripping. Casita will collapse before it allows Mirabel to get severely injured. She went down the stairs, knowing where her face was due to Casita moving the tiles under her feet. 

She entered the dining room and stood next to Camilo, who turned to her and Antonio. He frowned at the small ruana, his was pretty soft and flexible because it was big but the small ones tended to be uncomfortable. Mirabel knew when Mariano got to Casita cause Dolores stood up straighter and fixed a flower in Isabela’s hair. Mirabel did her best not to roll her eyes, it seemed obvious to her that Dolores liked Mariano but apparently it wasn’t obvious to everyone else. 

When Mariano walked in with his mother, it was Abuela who greeted her, not Julieta, who was Isabela's mother. Then a whole scene was made of introducing the family, Mirabel was pretty sure he knew who they were as everyone knew who the Magical Madrigals were and she was sure he was present those years ago at her failed gift ceremony. In fact she knew he was there, she remembered him bringing her a candy afterwards.

 “And this is Mirabel, she doesn’t have a gift, she is holding the new addition to our family Antonio” Mirabel wasn’t too sure why Abuela was so grouchy about it because she didn’t have a gift either. Mirabel was expecting pity, the man to ‘subtly’ wipe his hands off after touching her.

She wasn’t expecting a bright smile and a ‘Oh, I have been told all about you’ he used his left hand to ‘shake’ Antonio’s hand (letting Antonio wrap his fingers around his and doing a little shake with them) while explaining to his Mother (and consequently everyone else) what he means. Her dad showed him where he was to be sitting, which he correctly explained once he sat down.  

“My Mami sometimes babysits the town children, when she has to do something I usually take over for a bit, I asked Carlos, Mrs. Sandez’s grandson and one of the kids my mother was watching, about himself and his friends. He talked a bit about some of the village boys before Little Sancha asked if he were going to talk about Mirabel. The kid had lit up and started talking about Mirabel so fast, I had a hard time keeping up” There were a few laughs around the table. Mirabel fixed her hold on Antonio before curling into herself slightly, the night was supposed to be about Isabela but they were talking about her. 

Before long Abuela took control of the conversation and guided it towards what the night was about. For Mirabel it was a long dinner, she could feel the looks thrown her way, she knew they were wondering what Carlos might have said about her or what she did to be held in such high regard with him. When the dinner was finally over and Isabela and Mariano were allowed to go on a walk, unsupervised, the rest of them were dismissed. Mirabel tightened her hold on Antonio and went to her room as fast as she could to prevent being called back. She didn't want to face whatever conversation might have happened. 

She got to the Nursery and set Antonio down on her bed while she changed him into pajamas. It was easy to get him to sleep and allowed her enough time to take a shower. It didn’t take long to shower and get dressed into her nightgown, she added a few oils and hair lotions to her hair before wrapping it up in a hair wrap and checking on Antonio before turning her light off and climbing into her bed. 

Chapter Text

Over time it became a routine. Wake up, check Antonio, if he's still asleep get ready for the day, if he’s awake get him ready for the day before covering his bassinet and getting ready for the day. Have breakfast, pass Antonio to Felix and promise to be back soon, ignoring the sense of dread and abandonment she can feel from him as she goes to the village. Go to the Seamstress shop, work on her project, get excused for lunch, her and Carlos going to the river side to have lunch, play around there for a bit, say goodbyes, go home, get Antonio, do chores, have dinner, shower, rinse and repeat. 

The routine was broken up sometimes by natural storms, dinners with Mariano, and Antonio. His first words were said when he was around 4 months old while Pepa was playing with him in the living room and her Mom was having her help in the kitchen. 

Pepa was trying to get him to say ‘Mama’, but was having no such luck. Her mom had called out “Mira, can you get the cinnamon from the cabinet?” and a delightfully shrieked ‘Mira!’ was heard from the living room. 

Mirabel was afraid Pepa would start thundering until she heard a mumbled “Well we do call for her a lot and you will repeat what you hear the most.” and that was the end of it. She felt better when he joyfully called out ‘Mama’ later. 

He started crawling soon after.

Mirabel was the one to witness his actual first steps. It was when they were in their room, he was around 9 months old at the time, and she had him on the ground by his crib playing with his toys while she finished some homework. She felt a tug on her skirt and looked down to see little Antonio grinning up at her with his few teeth. She of course smiled and twirled him around and told him good job, but didn’t say what for, in case Dolores was listening in. As far as everyone else was concerned his ‘First Steps’ happened during a natural storm when they were all inside the living room hanging out. Pepa had been trying to get him to walk and he seemed to like giggling more. Mirabel sat behind Felix who was encouraging his son to try and walk. When Mirabel looked up to him, Antonio took a few steps to his father without his mother’s assistance. Which inspired rounds of giggling and little congratulations to him for taking ‘his first steps’. 

By the time her 11th birthday came around she had gotten used to this new life with a baby. Then her 12th birthday came and went. And finally her 13th birthday arrived.

For her the morning dawned bright and early, she woke up just before the sunrise and was able to watch it rise. After which she took a bath and got dressed in a light blue dress that went just under her knees. She put on an apron made of plastic like material, tied it around her waist. and woke Antonio up, setting out clothes for him before giving him a bath, making sure to use the special soaps that didn’t dry his skin out. After drying him and getting him dressed she applied the oils and lotions to his hair and set him loose to toddle about and play in their room. She took the apron off and set it on a hook before slipping on her shoes. She slipped out of her room and set Antonio in the living room then went about waking everybody up. They were probably already up but waited for her to get them so they knew Antonio was awake and ready. (She convinced herself that was the reason and it wasn’t them waiting for her to be ready to fruitfully serve their every need and command.) 

Her mom got to making breakfast while everyone else ran about getting ready for the day. Since today, April 4th, was her birthday she got to choose breakfast. She asked for french toast, bacon, and waffles. She didn’t really like waffles but she was one of the 2 in her family that liked french toast and the other was her Uncle Bruno that her family refused to talk about. As everyone came downstairs her mother announced breakfast was done. Mirabel put Antonio in his highchair before sitting down and waiting until she was given the go ahead to eat. 

As they ate they were told by Abuela that they were allowed to go to the village today to help out and just hangout with the villagers, but to be back before 8 p.m, because some villagers had asked if they were doing a birthday party for Mirabel and before she could say they were doing a small celebration the villagers suggested they do a big celebration so everyone could bring a gift to Mirabel. 

Mirabel knew it was just because the villagers felt pity for her not having a gift and were trying to make up for it. Mirabel had a feeling that this would feel like her failed ceremony 6 years ago, a sinking in her gut and the burn of blush in her cheeks. 

She finished eating and helped clean up a bit before cleaning Antonio up and passing him to his father before heading out. By now Antonio knew that she would be back so she no longer felt the feeling of abandonment from him as she walked the length of the village. (She often wondered if it was his abandonment she felt or if she was passing her own feelings off as his.) 

Going down to the village had her met with ‘Happy Birthday’  saying from the villagers they passed. She made her way to the Seamstress shop, patching off from the group of her two cousins and two sisters. Well for now anyway, she had a feeling her mother was hiding something by the way Mirabel had caught her eating some weird food combinations and she was sure she heard frantic footsteps from her mother’s room to the nearest bathroom outside her room the week beforehand. 

Entering the Seamstress shop she barely had a second to close the door before she was being swept up in a hug and swung around by Carlos, a giggle spilling from her at the absurdity of it. 

“Mi Princesa! How does it feel to finally be 13?” he asked once he set her down, that horribly handsome grin on his face.. 

“No, different from when I was 12, Mr I-turn-14-in-August.” Mirabel answered, glancing up at him, a grin tugging at her lips.   

“Fair enough, how are you feeling about tonight’s party?” he asked, slightly concerned, aware of her antisocial tendencies.

“Feels like I'm going to have a repeat of my failed gift ceremony.” Mirabel told him, sighing.

“Hm, I’m sorry you feel that way, and I’m sorry about the villagers.” Carlos offered, well aware of how the village people were when it came to her.

“Yeah, yeah. Now I’m here to work on my project until 7:45 in which I will head back to Casita to help set up my own birthday party.” Mirabel told him, pulling out said project, but not stopping the conversation he started. 

Somehow, he managed to distract her enough that she almost forgot all about having to head back early until she saw Camilo starting to walk back. She put her project away and said her temporary goodbyes and started her walk up to Casita. When she got there she was rushed to get changed. 

Of course, the dress she had to get changed into was white, why wouldn’t it be. When it comes to it her wedding dress is going to be blue, she didn’t like white dresses on herself. She put it on and looked at herself in the mirror, Pepa had Antonio as a measure to make sure she didn’t make it rain, Mirabel worried for Antonio, she doubted his presence would do much if Pepa got upset. Pepa got upset easily and Antonio didn’t have a strong immune system yet. Was it easier for her to get dressed this way? Yes, but that didn't mean she liked it however. 

 The dress went down to just above her ankles and was pretty flowy, and she would see little white flowers sewn into the lace at the bottom of the dress. She was able to keep her hair down, but put a little white butterfly clip in it. 

She forced herself to take a deep breath, she looked very similar to her failed gift ceremony, but it's okay, it's just a birthday party, she’ll be okay. Carlos will be here too. Her mother came in after a bit, she was still staring at herself in the mirror. 

“Mira? Abuela wants you downstairs, the first of the Guests are beginning to make their way up the hill ....” Her mother trailed off as she turned around to face her. Her mother gave her a sort of sad smile that she didn’t understand. 

“You know what? I’ll convince Abuela to wait until all the guests get here before having you come down, how about that?” Mirabel nodded to her mother. As the door closed, she turned back to the mirror. She went to the little bag hanging off her bed frame that held her sewing supplies and dug around in the front pouch until she found the new tube of mascara she had swiped off Isabela, her sister had so many of them that she had a whole makeup box just for the unopened ones, it wasn’t hard to pick one out of the bottom and keep it for herself.

Mirabel twisted it open and sat her glasses to the side, she carefully sat on the floor in front of the mirror and applied the mascara. She closed it and put it away as soon as she was done. She waved at her eyes and waited until it was dry before sliding her glasses back on, she didn’t think it made much of a difference but just knowing that she had it on made her feel a little more confident. A knock at the door had her turning to look at her Tia Pepa as the woman made her way in with the toddler. 

“I had thought you might need a little help,” The woman said and sat Antonio with his toys while setting the little box she was holding on the dresser next to the mirror. “My Mami gave me this box when I was younger, Julieta said they would just get dirty in the kitchen so it came to me. It belonged to our grandmother,” Pepa opened the box and pulled out one of the many little foam squares that had earrings on them and held it up for Mirabel to see. 

The earrings themself were a dangling one, each had two little clear gemstones on them and a little more down each had a clear sideways gem butterfly and dangling from the bottom of the butterflies were bigger clear gems. 

“I think these should go to you, they would fit,” Pepa slid the earrings into her ears and turned her to face the mirror standing behind her. “My Mami asked that I make sure that everything matched, so if you have any necklaces you would want to wear could you get them so I can determine if they will?” 

If you haven’t guessed it by now, Mirabel’s favorite design was a butterfly. So, you shouldn’t be surprised when Mirabel took a few steps to her own little jewelry box and pulled out a silver chain that had a butterfly on it, made in a blue gemstone and outlined in silver. She stepped back in front of the mirror and slipped it on. 

“There, I used to look like I was getting married,” Mirabel joked, causing her Aunt to grin at her, her aunt then furrowed her brows and moved her glasses off of her face.

“Are you wearing mascara? Where would you get mascara-” Pepa paused, “Well she has too many anyway, you look lovely.” Pepa slid the glasses back on her face. 

“I’m going to put this back in my room, you should be ready for my Mami to call you down, it is almost 8:30,” Pepa said, leading Antonio out, who was waving at Mirabel and calling her ‘pretty’. Mirabel left the door opened and sat down to put her shoes on. They were white, ugh, wedges that were kinda cute.The straps criss-crossed over her feet and there was a small bow on the outward side of the shoe. 

It was a little tradition in the Madrigal Household for the women that when they turn 13 they get their first pair of ‘heels’. Which was way different to their Qunincera, where their father changed their shoes into proper heels as a way to represent them stepping into becoming a woman. Mirabel had her suspicions that this specific tradition came from Abuela wanting them to already know how to walk in heels so they didn’t experience that sort of off-balance thing in heels that some girls had.

Mirabel stood up and practiced walking around her room with the heels and only stopped because Isabela walked in. She didn’t say a word and waved her hand and Mirabel watched in the mirror out of the corner of her eye as a couple of little white flowers bloomed under the butterfly. Isabela nodded at her and walked out, no words spoken, and Mirabel understood, Isabela did that without Abuela or anyone telling her to. Mirabel stood straighter as she heard it get louder as each member of the family was introduced, as if it were a concert, as if the whole village didn’t know them all already. She then heard it get really quiet and waited until she heard her Abuela before moving. 

“And now the birthday girl herself, Mirabel!” She walked out of the Nursery and made sure to have a soft smile on her face and not flinch as everyone’s attention turned towards her. She walked down the little hall and stood at the top of the stairs. She looked towards her family at the bottom and waited for Abuela’s little nod before walking down the stairs carefully, turning her feet as she did to get the full heel on the step and to not trip. She got to the bottom and her Papa and Uncle Felix took her hands and led her to a chair set up on the landing at the top of the little stairs leading to the kitchen and let her sit down. It was a tradition for every birthday party. The birthday person sat in a chair on a slightly elevated surface and everyone lined up to give them their presents and well wishes, she was expected to open every gift as they were handed to her, it was the reason for the tables behind her. The rest of her family congridated behind her and she suddenly felt like a princess having to meet every suitor and decide her fate. She was just missing the too-heavy-for-her-head crown.

One by one every villager came up and handed her wrapped presents (sewing supplies, craft supplies, a few dresses, some people even got her the basics of makeup [light eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner, lip gloss] ) she went through the whole line politely until the last family came up, The Sandez’s. She got her gifts from everyone and even giggled as little Anita presented her with a hand-made clay mug with butterflies carved along the sides. 

Carlos waited until last before stepping up and setting his cloth covered gift into her hands, tenderly, she looked at it and looked back at him, he was smiling. Unlike everyone else who was wearing what seemed to be their best casual-formal clothes, he was wearing an outfit that, while it could’ve been seen as normal, had things that couldn’t be missed. In fact besides his button-up shirt it was pretty normal. Black shoes, dark brown pants, but a red shirt. She was well aware of what red meant, and so was he. She really needed to have that conversation that she’d been putting off.

She opened the gift carefully, as to not accidentally break or mess it up. She tried not to gasp as she saw what was inside and carefully lifted it up so her family could see it better. 

It was a slim metal silver colored headpiece, it had a few thin pieces of metal all twisted together until it got to the middle of the piece, where a clear crystal-like rock sat. She recognized it, as she had been with him as they found the rocks in the stream near their lunch spot. It looked similar to the princess crown in a storybook she had read. She looked back to him, this time his smile was more smirk than gentle. 

“Now, you have your crown to match your heart, princesa .” he clasped his hands in front of him and kept eye contact as he did a little bow. Mirabel smiled at him, she set the headpiece back in the fabric wrap and handed it to her mother, she stood up and grabbed the edge of her skirt and did a little curtsy with a giggle. The rest of the crowd who were watching let out little ‘awes’ and snickered about how ‘cute they were’ Mirabel retook her seat and thanked him. 

For her family’s sake, of course, for her and Carlos the little display was enough. Abuela clapped her hands and the music started playing, the crowd split off to dance with each other. Her mother carefully stacked everything up and had Casita take the gifts upstairs, Mirabel thinks they will go to her mother’s room so her mother can check the food she got to make sure everything was safe. Not that she didn’t trust the villagers, but more for her sanity. Mirabel stood from her seat and made her way to the drink table, she managed to snag a cup of the fruit punch. She headed to the edges of the party to drink her juice in peace. 

Someone came and stood next to her. “That was one hell of a gift to give me, Carlos.” She says, before glancing over. 

“Only the best for you, mi princesa. ” Carlos smiled, setting his cup on a nearby table and setting hers down as well. “Come on let's dance,”  Mirabel let herself be led to the floor. Just as a song she recognized as a pretty sensual song came on. Mirabel looked to her Abuela, who looked hesitant but nodded anyway. Mirabel smiled as they got to the middle of the floor and the song started. 

Most everyone knew this song so everyone started out the same, looking as if they were going to do the tango, doing the few beginning moves of it too, before everyone changed and did their own thing to music that fit. The song one that didn’t have a set way to dance to it, but rather a free-for-all as long as it kept to the tempo and vibe of the song.

Mirabel almost lost herself in the dance as she tried to keep track of how many times she had been spun, dipped, and had Carlos behind her, hands on her waist as they danced, she had even been picked up a few times. She wondered what they looked like to others. She, dressed in all white, a color associated with purity and innocence, dancing with him, dressed in red, a color associated with intimate passion, they must’ve been making a scene, she didn’t mind the thought and didn’t know if it was the thought or the dance making her face red. When the song ended, their dance stopped with her being spun to face him, his arm around her waist and his other hand in one of her hands, her other hand resting on his chest. They were both breathing heavily, and she could see his cheeks were a little red and she wondered how she was looking. He smiled at her and raised her hands to kiss her knuckles before pulling her off the floor as the clapping began. She wondered if Isabela and Mariano, and Pepa and Felix were out there as well, they tended to draw attention far better than she did. He pulled her out of the crowd and up the stairs. 

Chapter Text

They sat on the top of the stairs and she leaned on him, “I don’t know how my family does anything in heels, my feet hurt so bad.” she complained. 

Carlos chuckled at her, rubbing a hand across her upper back. “Well soon enough you’ll be able to get out of them and put your regular shoes back on.” 

Whatever she was going to say was cut off as someone turned towards them. The music was cut off as a bunch of gasps rang around the room and whispering was heard. Mirabel was confused until she realized that the people weren’t looking at them, but behind them. Mirabel stood and turned, Carlos going along with her. And there it was, the door that stopped glowing upon her touch all those years ago, was glowing once again. 

Mirabel felt a tug upon her dress and reached down to pick Antonio up. The familiar weight of the boy she was raising, her son in all but blood, in her arms along with the comforting weight of Carlos’ hand on the dip of her back stopped the intrusive flashbacks from coming forward. 

“It’s for you,” Carlos had whispered, unlike the others, he was closer, he could see her name just barely standing out upon the glowing fixture. Mirabel was shaking, He moved his hand from her back and wrapped it around her. 

“I’m right here, and you have Antonio, it’s just us and the door no one else matters.” He told her. She nodded and they walked up the rest of the few stairs to stand in front of the door. Antonio shifted in her arms and whimpered, the atmosphere was heavy in the room. Mirabel shushed and carefully rocked him. 

The now familiar lullaby spilling from her throat in a hum.

They reached the door and Mirabel carefully handed Antonio to Carlos, and took a deep breath before she reached out and gently grasped the door handle. For a second nothing happened and she feared the worst, before the door glowed brighter and she felt warm all over. 

For a second everyone waited for the door to show its image and Mirabel reached over to take Antonio back. Holding him close to her as a way to calm her nerves. 

The door made a burst of light before the image showed up, it was of her, eyes opened, arms outstretched and palms facing up. She could see runes and symbols carved in the door of her head. Once the door had stopped its glow show, with Antonio back in her arms and Carlos’ arm back around her she reached and opened the door. 

Once it did she stepped inside and looked around. Wooden floors, a few shaggy carpets scattered around, the walls were a dusty green color and there were wall lamps lighting the room. Against the wall directly from the door was a big bed with ruby red sheets, around the room were multiple shelves holding fabric bolts and a machine that looked like the fancy one Mrs.Sandez used sat on a table near it all.  The bed had nightstands on either side of it, there was a vanity to the left of the bed and a dresser on the right, at the foot of the bed was a crib, an animal plush already resting on top of the blankets. There was another door in the room that she didn’t open but assumed to lead to a bathroom, if the room followed the same design the others had.

She stepped back out to face the crowd, her Abuela was looking at her. There was a few seconds of silence before Camilo called out, “We have a new gift!” in the same tone Abuela used during those fateful ceremonies they went through at age 5. 

There was another few seconds of silence before the crowd started cheering. Mirabel managed a smile. Her Mama and Papa had managed to make their way through the crowd and up the stairs to her. She managed to pass the now dozing Antonio back to Carlos before she was swept into a hug. However this caused him to wake and start whining. Carlos rocked him slightly and he settled easily, turning and curling against the boy’s chest.

Mirabel broke from the hug and looked out to the crowd, at the dozens of eyes on her, disbelief lining her smile, “It’s late, and it appears tonight has been eventful, I suggest we break off now, If only to get the little ones to bed. It is past their bedtimes” Her eyes swept over the crowd and lingered on the obviously sleepy children as she made the excuse. It appeared that the parents agreed and everyone started clearing out, her family making their ways around to show them out and wish them goodnight. 

The Sandez’s held back to look at Carlos, who still stood by her side with his arm around her. She was leaning against him and was sure that he was the one holding her up, her feet still hurt from the heels and she didn’t want to put her full weight on them, currently. 

Her Mama spoke up. “I think it might be better for Carlos to spend the night, wouldn’t you agree? The children have exerted a lot of energy tonight.” Mrs. Nina nodded after a silent look-conversation with her son. 

“I agree, currently I fear the consequences of separating them.” Her eyes looking straight at them. The two had zoned out of the conversation, Carlos had taken the now completely sleeping Antonio from Mirabel’s arms, as she looked seconds from passing out herself, she was now completely leaning against him. Antonio was settled in one arm and Carlos had the other wrapped around Mirabel’s waist, keeping her steady in a way Nina had seen married men hold their wives after parties. Lusia came up to them and Carlos had handed Mirabel to her. Lusia had muttered something about getting her changed. Carlos himself had started making his way to the nursery, to change Antonio into pajamas as his parents and siblings were busy with the guests. 

Alma watched as this happened, “I think you may be right, Nina.” Nina smiled at her, sending a look to her husband. The Sandez’s finally made their way out with some encouragement from their matriarch. 

“I’ll send Julio up with an overnight bag for Carlos.” 

Alma sighed, what were they to do with Mirabel now? They all had settled into the routine of her not having a gift and now she had been given one. What was it? They weren’t too sure. Alma hoped it wouldn’t appear like Bruno’s had, they knew he had a gift, he got his door, it just didn’t show up like Pepa’s or Julieta’s did. It scared her half to death when he got his first vision, a storm of sand, the green transparent tablet that appeared from said storm, the death that the tablet predicted. Alma shooed the rest of her family to bed while she started to clean up. She wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. A knock rang out and she assumed it to be Julio, so she went to the door. 

She had not been prepared to see familiar green eyes staring anxiously back at her. “Bruno?” 

“Aye Mama, I’m so sorry for running away. It's just that my vision startled me and I was scared that I would be blamed for it so I ran to the forest and I regretted it. I kept trying to come back but you all looked so happy and I didn’t want to ruin it and-” Alma pulled Bruno into a hug by his ruana, cutting off his rambling. 

“No, I’m sorry Bruno. I’m sorry that you felt the need to run. Your visions aren’t something you can control.” Bruno didn’t look too convinced but he looked less anxious. Which, she understood, but it hurt her heart nonetheless.

“Don’t worry Luisa, I’ll have Carlos and Antonio, it probably wouldn’t be good to leave him on his own tonight, you head to bed I’ll be fine”. Mirabel’s voice rang out. The two turned to see Mirabel, now a bit more awake and dressed in her nightgown, holding a still sleeping Antonio, also in his pajamas. Carlos was behind them, and since Julio hadn’t brought his bag yet he was still in his clothes from the party, a flash of red behind orange and blue. Lusia’s door closed and the trio turned to walk to Mirabel’s new room but Mirabel stopped and turned towards the two of them. She quickly walked to the top of the stairs. 

“Tio Bruno?” She squinted and blinked. Carlos slipped Antonio into his arms as Mirabel almost ran down the stairs to pull Bruno into a hug. Which was quickly reciprocated, Even if he wasn’t supposed to have favorites- Mirabel was his favorite d- niece. Mirabel was his favorite niece . Carlos stood on the top of the stairs with Antonio, staring down at the reunion, staring Alma down with thinly veiled suspicion. 

Mirabel pulled back from the hug and turned towards him. “You can put him in my room, in the crib.” Carlos nodded and headed to the newly glowing door. Bruno didn’t look surprised at this despite being at her failed ceremony, and not being at her surprise new one.

There was another knock at the door which Mirabel went to get, since not even the sudden noise of it had her Abuela shaken from her surprised stare at where Carlos had just been standing. “Ah, Julio, Carlos’ clothes? Yes, yes, thank you, Have a nice night!” Mirabel took the bag and shooed the older teen cousin of Carlos down the road. She turned back towards her Abuela and Tio Bruno. 

“Now I would love to talk but it is late and it would be better to do all of this in the morning.” Mirabel bid the two goodnight and headed up to her room. Closing the door after her. 

“Isn’t, what’s his name?.. Carlos, in there?” Bruno asked, turning to his mother.

“Yes, I’m not too worried those two will probably get married one day. I’ll be surprised if they haven’t seen each other stripped down to their unders. I’m told they hang out down by a stream everyday, and they’ve been friends since they were young.” She tells him and shuffled him off to his room before going to her own. 

Mirabel handed the bag to Carlos and turned off a few of the lamps around the room, before a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and a chin rested on her shoulder. She turns and wraps her arms around his middle. A kiss being planted on her forehead. 

“You did good today, Mi Amor, I’m very proud of you.” Mirabel nodded and unwrapped her arms from him to drag him over to the bed. 

“I wasn’t kidding when I said it was past bedtime earlier y'know.” Carlos chuckled and climbed in on the other side of the bed. Pulling her to his chest and cuddling her, like he did when they had sleepovers when they were younger.. 

“I should brag about this to Isabela, she’s still not allowed to be alone with Mariano outside of Dolores’ hearing range.” Mirabel whispers, a smile on her face as she sets her head on his chest. 

“Hmm, I’m not too sure that’s a very good idea, Cariña,” Carlos told her, an indulgent smile on his face. 

“Mmm, probably not.” She replied, closing her eyes Carlos chuckled at her and also closed his eyes. 

Mirabel was woken up by Antonio’s cry of, “Mami!”  She got up and told Carlos, who was also awakened by Antonio, that she had him. She slipped out of the bed and to the crib where Antonio had been put. She reached him and noticed several things immediately.  He was pale, sweating heavily, but also surrounded in his blankets and shivering. She placed her hand on his forehead and winced at the heat radiating from him. “Oh, mijo, no wonder you're up so late.” she tutted and picked him up. 

“What’s wrong?” Carlos asked, having not gone back to sleep. 

“It seems that those in charge of him last night weren't watching him well enough before he came back to me. He’s sick.” Mirabel told him, rubbing Antonio’s back. She opened the other door in her room and was relieved that it was a well stocked bathroom. 

“Could you give him a bath while I go and get some of my mother’s food to hopefully lower his fever?” She asked 

“Of course.” Carlos answered, already taking Antonio from her arms as she asked. 

“Thank you, I don’t know what I would do without you.” 

“Drive yourself to the edge of insanity?”

“Probably.” Mirabel waited until she heard the sounds of water running before she left her room. 

She walked down the stairs to the kitchen and wasn’t surprised to see her mama in there eating another weird food combination. “You should probably take a test Mama,” She said. 

“Whatever for?” Her Mama asked her, Mirabel paused from putting some of her mother’s homemade yogurt in a small bowl to level a look at the food her mother was eating with raised eyebrows. “...I’ll take one in the morning.” Her mother sheepishly mutters.

“Thank you Mama.”

“What’s the yogurt for?”

“Antonio seems to have caught a bit of a cold, he was probably passed between too many people last night.” Mirabel answered, putting the rest of the container away and grabbing one of the toddler spoons from the drawer. 

“I’ll see you in the morning Mama.” 

She walked quickly to her room and didn’t hear her mother’s answer. She opened the door to her room and set the bowl to the side, turning on a few more of the dim lighted lamps. Carlos brought Antonio out from the bathroom, now in new pajamas. 

“See, there she is.” He passed the toddler to her and grabbed the bowl from the table as she sat on one of the chairs around her room. It took some time but they managed to feed him some of the yogurt. It brought his fever down some but not as much as Mirabel wanted it to. At some point in time Antonio fell back asleep. 

She moved from the chair to the bed, Carlos following.

Chapter Text

At some point they all fell asleep. Then was promptly woken up later by thunder. Mirabel sighed and prepared herself for a long day. It took her a few seconds to feel the extra weight on her chest, around her waist, and a face buried in her hair. She was on her side, the weight against her chest was Antonio and the rest was Carlos. Her nightgown had scrunched up around the upper middle of her thighs, where Antonio was resting his very cold foot. She moved her arms from around Antonio and carefully sat up, moving her hands fast enough to catch her sleeve that was falling. 

She slipped out of her bed and out of the room to the nursery, it didn’t take long for her to back up her things and ask Casita to take them to her new room. She walked behind them as they were transported, and opened the door for the boxes. It didn’t take long to put everything away then collect some clothes to change into after showering. After she showered and dressed she did her hair and left the bathroom. Carlos was already awake and digging through his bag for clothes. 

“The showers open if you want it,” Carlos looked up from his bag. 

“Sweet, thanks Amor” He kissed her head as he passed her into the bathroom. She went over to the bed and rested her hand on Antonio’s head, his fever wasn’t broken but wasn’t as hot as it was in the night. She sat on the bed and woke him up. It took a bit and she kind of wanted to let him sleep longer but it wouldn't be good to let him break his routine. 

Carlos left the bathroom and sat his bed aside, sitting next to her on the bed and running a hand through Antonio’s hair. “How’s he doing?” 

“His fever is lower than yesterday but hasn’t broken” Mirabel answered, standing placing Antonio on her hip. “I would say I have to go wake everyone, but I have a feeling that the most of them are already awake” 

Carlos did a little shrugging motion and followed Mirabel out of her room. They neared the dining room when the thunder was heard again but louder, Antonio whimpered, the noise clearly too loud and over stimulating for the sick toddler. Mirabel shushed and bounced him a little, he sat his head on her shoulder. The trio entered the room and saw what the problem was. 

Bruno sat at the table. It was clear that those already at the table had just found this out. There was a darkening thundercloud over Pepa’s head. “Take it outside” 

They all looked over to where Mirabel was, the adults having to do a double take because the now 13 year old looked too much like a seasoned mother for their comfort.

 “It is 8 in the morning, it is too early for you all to be fighting. Antonio is sick and I’m sure today will be busy.” Mirabel sat down at her seat and Carlos sat next to her. “Good Morning Tio Bruno, did you sleep well?” 

“Ah, si, si, I did, I did, yes” Bruno nodded his fingers tapping on the table. Mirabel nodded at him, a smile already in place.

“Good, Mama, how are you?” Julieta looked up from her hands, slipping something out of her pocket. 

“I suppose you were right, Mirabel,” she said, setting the object on the table. It took only a few moments for everyone to recognize the object before a flurry of talking started up. Mirabel could make out a few congratulations throughout the noise but couldn’t hear much more.

Antonio whispered once more from the rise in noise. It didn't take more than a strict "Quiet Down!" From Mirabel for the volume to lower. 

Abuela finally entered the dining room and sat in her seat, she looked around before her eyes fell on the object on the table. "It seems congratulations are in order, Julieta, Agustín" She nodded to the two with a smile. 

Breakfast had already started and Mirabel was content to just feed Antonio and make sure he got better. She was also eating, but Carlos had finished his food and taken Antonio and his plate from Mirabel. 

"I get that Antonio is sick, and I get that you want to take care of him until he is better. But he won't get better if you get sick. Eat." Carlos whispered to her, pushing her plate more towards her before turning and focusing on Antonio. 

Soon breakfast was over (with a few glares from Mirabel to Pepa when she started thundering, still inside), the table was cleaned, and everyone sat back down. "As all of you are aware Mirabel was given a Gift last night. It is currently unaware what exactly her gift does, I have yet to know what the rune on her door is, but until we figure it out it is best we go along with our days as normal" 

Mirabel spoke up before anyone else could, she had taken Antonio Back from Carlos, running a hand through his hair as she spoke. "I'm taking Antonio to the shop with me today. He is sick and it will be better for him to be in once place, also near my Mama's fresh food, instead of all over the town as he usually is with Tío Félix" 

Abuela looked like she wanted to oppose it but her Mama spoke before she did. "That would probably be better, there's too much a risk of him getting exposed to any other sickness right now" 

Surprisingly it was Félix who spoke up next, "A lot of the children are getting sick, with how I go in and out all day he would have a better chance of getting better in being in one place all day" 

Abuela sighed "I suppose it is settled then, Antonio will go with Mirabel to continue his way to being healed" 

Mirabel carefully kept her gaze on Antonio to prevent the look she would've given Abuela, she wanted anyone to try and stop her from taking Antonio with her. She should've been doing it since he was first put in her care. There was no reason why a baby was being taken to every single place in town since he was basically born. It would've been safer for him to come with her, at least everyone would know where he was then. 

Everyone was dismissed and Mirabel shifted Antonio to her hip while she went to grab a bag for him. Carlos followed behind her, to him it was obvious that somehow she was already at the end of her last nerve, letting her do too much by herself would only end badly. Of course he knew he had to let her do things by herself, trying to take over all things for her would have the same effect. 

He watched as she bumped Antonio higher up on her hip as she walked around the Nursery collecting things. 

"Would you like me to take him?" He offered 

She blew a piece of her hair out of her face and looked towards him. "Normally I wouldn't mind but..." she trailed off

"..but right now, your still getting used to your Gift and everything is on overdrive" Carlos finished 

She nodded at him, seemingly relieved "Yeah, something like that" she closed the bag and put it on her other shoulder and left the room, stopping by the kitchen to pick up lunch. 

They left Casita and started their way to Carlos' Grandma's shop. Carlos even had them go down a different path to prevent them having to walk through the town crowd with Antonio. 

Mrs. Sanchez was already waiting for them when they entered the shop. She looked confused at Antonio but didn't say anything. Mirabel smiled at her.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Sanchez" 

"Good Morning dear, How did you sleep?" Mirabel sat Antonio's bag with her Lunch bag. 

"Pretty good, Antonio caught a cold so he woke up pretty late last night" Mrs. Sanchez clicked her tongue and tutted as she herded the trio to the chairs. 

"I don't know what that family of yours were thinking, Mirabel. Pepa is known for being quick to thunder or rain it's no surprise he got sick, the poor niño" Mrs. Sanchez turned towards her grandson 

"I hope you acted accordingly, Carlos" her tone was stern but there was a teasing glint in her eye that made him blush. 

"Ah, Abuela you have such a dirty mind" He shook his head as he sat down, running a hand through Antonio's hair and picking up his project. "I acted perfectly in reflection to how I was raised" there was a teasing challenge in his voice. 

Mrs. Sanchez smiled and put her hands up placating. "Ay, Ay, I wasn't suggesting anything. Is it wrong for me to worry?" 

Carlos glanced up at his grandma through his fringe. "Of Course not, but you're looking for something other than to calm your worries" 

Mrs. Sanchez kept smiling at him. "You can't blame me niño" 

Carlos sighed, "I suppose you can't" 

It went quiet as the two Sanchez's focused on their sewing and Mirabel hummed and rocked Antonio. At some point he fell asleep but she didn't stop humming, she did slow her rocking. 

Soon enough lunch came around and Mrs. Sanchez banned them from the shop for the while. Mirabel stood and let Carlos grab the bags as they left the shop. 

"Stream?" Carlos asked, not at all bothered by the 3 bags and blanket now on his person. 

"Yeah" Mirabel whispered, passing Camilo who stopped to rub Antonio's back a little before continuing on his way. 

They made their way to the tree by the stream and Carlos laid the blanket down and Mirabel laid Antonio on it. They sat down to eat their lunch and talk quietly. 

"What do you think your Gift does?" Carlos asked hesitantly, the subject of Gifts was always a sore spot for Mirabel. 

"I'm not too sure." Mirabel answered "I think it has something to do with how I was acting earlier but I doubt that's the end of it". 

Carlos nodded, patting the back of her hand consolingly. "Well, princesa, I'm sure if anyone can figure it out it will be you" 

Mirabel rolled her eyes good naturedly but didn't move her hand. "I hope I can." She closed her eyes, then quickly opened then clearly upset. 

"What right do Tío Félix, Abuela, and Mama think they have to dictate where I take my son ?" She said "I'm the one that raised him up from just a few weeks old, if he's sick the obvious choice is to send him with me rather than Félix where he will get more sick!" 

Carlos held her hand in his as she talked. "They may have been trying to stick to regular schedules, but you're right with all you've done, that final decision shouldn't have needed a whole discussion" He told her. She nodded and stared at the stream for a bit before snapping her eyes over to where Antonio was. 

Carlos looked to see the toddler sitting up and rubbing his fist in his slightly reddened eye. Mirabel was already up and over to him right as Carlos moved his hand. 

"Oh, Mijo don't do that, you'll make it worse" Mirabel gently moved Antonio's hand away. She picked him and the blanket up and brought him closer to Carlos. Carlos held his hands out to take Antonio but did nothing else, unsure if Mirabel would be able to hand him the toddler. 

But she did, and Carlos was able to cuddle him. Pressing a kiss to his hair while Mirabel pulled out his lunch. Carlos ate some of his own while Antonio was carefully handed an arepa, which he took and started eating as easily as he would've a few days ago. Which seemed to soothe a few of the worries that Mirabel seemed to be holding. Mirabel sat back down to finish eating her lunch, occasionally handing small bits of fruit to Antonio. Antonio who had taken to relaxing against Carlos, playing with his hands while he was chewing. It was a nice moment to relax after all that had happened to night before and in the morning. 

Chapter Text

They spent the rest of their lunch at the stream. When Antonio started getting sleepy again they packed up and started their way back. Mirabel hummed while she patted the toddlers back. 

“What song is that?” Carlos suddenly asked her, She turned her head towards him. 

“What?”

“The song your always humming, you’ve been doing it the past few years”

“Oh, The Lullaby? I’m not too sure. It came to me when I was trying to calm Antonio down, when I first held him, that is, I’m not sure where it came from but it works so I stick with it” She answered, Carlos nodded. 

“I like it” 

“I would assume so, you always put all your attention on me when I hum or sing it” Mirabel giggled. 

“You’re lucky you are holding Antonio, or else I would chase you” Mirabel smirked and held Antonio closer to her. 

“Exactly, You wouldn’t dare do anything with him in my arms” she scrunched her nose at him and turned to walk away in such a manner her Aunt would be proud. 

She only made it a few steps before bursting out in giggles. A sort of golden glow wrapped around Antonio as she did, as if making sure she wouldn’t accidentally drop or wake him while she was laughing, it seemed to either come from her own hands or from her chest, or both. Carlos raised his eyebrows at it but didn’t say anything about it. He looked down at his watch. 

“Bel, I believe it’s time for you to start heading back” He showed her his watch. She sighed. 

“I suppose so, I’ll see you tomorrow, I know we usually walk back together. But with everything happening and last night it would probably be better if I went back alone this time.”

“Well I’m walking you to the road anyways” Mirabel scrunched her eyebrows. 

“I just said-” Carlos cut her off, something he usually never did. 

“It’s for my conscious, I know you can protect yourself but I don’t want you to have to find out how easily you can with Antonio in your arms” Carlos had stated it softly but Mirabel knew if she didn’t let him walk her he would just follow behind her until he saw her enter Casita. 

“Oh, alright. I’ll let you play Callabero ” She grinned at him as he made an exaggerated gesture of bowing before they started walking.  It wasn’t a long walk and they got there before any of the other Madrigal Kids. 

“Here you are, Princesa.” Carlos carefully hugged her before kissing Antonio’s forehead. Mirabel smiled at him. 

“I’ll see you” She paused and looked up “Whenever this storm passes, get going so you can get back before it hits” She shooed him as she walked inside Casita. She made sure he was walking back before closing the door. The tiles nearby waved at her as she made her way to her room to put Antonio down in one of the cribs. She opened her door and blinked. 

Where there used to be countless cribs and bassinets against the walls, only a single crib was. The one she had used for Antonio the night before. She set Antonio down in it and walked around. She made sure her door was actually closed before looking for the now missing beds. She heard the shifting of stone before she saw it. She turned to see some of her wall shifting away and saw a bassinet in the little hollow space before it closed again.

 “Oh, they aren’t in use and have been put away” she smacked her hand to her forehead. “Obviously Mirabel, where else could they be?” She shook her head and went about her room looking for something to do. She settled on reading one of the books from one of the bookcases. 

When the thunder started she had to take a second before determining that the storm had started. She went to leave her room but hesitated as she looked over at the still sleeping Antonio. She debated it before going over to wake him. 

It seemed that whatever he had was simple and quickly passing, as his fever had all but broken. She woke him up and wiped his face with a cloth. She set him on the ground so he can walk and set her way to the living room, Antonio toddling after her. 

Casita helped with the stairs, making them a little longer and closer together, and also having a few tiles rise up for Antonio to hold on to as he went. “Come along, Toñito. It seems we shall be the last to join the others in the living room.” Antonio came up and grasped a handful of her skirt as he walked along with her. 

She let him do it and refrained from tutting or rolling her eyes. Honestly, they call themselves his parents but he is this anxious to be in a room with them. Along with the fact they never tried to understand him, he could talk, she knew he could, she taught him. But since he never spoke around them they assumed he couldn’t, which led to situations during storms where they would try to ‘teach’ him, but loudly. Did they forget that little ears are sensitive? That you can’t be basically yelling into them? Mirabel thought they did from how they acted. 

Mirabel knew something was up when she heard conversation coming up to the living room, but as soon as she entered it all but Camilo and Luisa stopped talking. Could they be any more obvious they were talking about her? 

“Mirabel, I see Antonio is doing better” 

“Yes, a calm day in the shop and by the stream seems to have done him some good” Her voice didn’t waver and she kept eye-contact as she spoke to Abuela. She didn’t regret her decision and wouldn’t make it seem so. However as they were used to her only making eye-contact for the conversation and then looking away as fast as she could, this led to an increasing in tension staring contest that her mother broke. 

“Has his fever gone down?”

“It has, it’s almost broken. It seems that whatever he had wasn’t too bad and has passed semi-easily.” She answered, sitting down next to Camilo and setting Antonio on her lap, where he leaned back against her. Poor baby was still tired.

“Hasn’t he slept enough? He's been sleeping all day!” Mirabel very carefully did not react to her Tía. She did not know what she would do if she did. 

“He’s a sick toddler Pepa. Of course he’s going to sleep!” Bruno spoke, however this caused Pepa to turn towards him. 

“Do not speak to me as if you know how to raise children, Bruno. Last I checked you didn’t raise yours!” It got quiet and you could hear as everyone snapped their heads towards her. 

“What do you mean?” Mirabel asked

“Pepa, this is really not the time.” Julieta said in a tone not heard from her, ever. 

“Pepa.” Alma spoke, warning.

“What is she talking about?” Camilo asked, looking around and watched with Mirabel as Isabela, Luisa, and Dolores all sat as still as possible and avoided their eyes.

“Mi Vida I don’t think now is the time for this.” Félix spoke quickly. 

“No, because when is the time? If I put it off you’ll say I waited too long, and any other time you’ll still say it’s not the time!” A swirling cloud was beginning to form over Pepa’s head. Mirabel clutched Antonio and was getting prepared to run, she really wasn’t in the mood to sit through one of Pepa’s tornadoes right now. 

“He ran away! He did his little vision and saw something that scared him so much he ran. Not only did he not spare a thought for us but he abandoned his children! Do not ask me not to confront him about it!” Pepa spoke angrily. Camilo nudges Mirabel and nods to Bruno once she looked at him. 

Bruno looked angry, a look that Mirabel and Camilo had never seen on his face. 

“You think I wanted to? You think I wanted to look my children in the eye after the possibly worse night of their lives since their mother passed and tell them that their Apá would see them in the morning only to not be there? You think I wanted to look into the future that night? That I wanted to see what I did and run? I ran for the sake of this family, Pepa! Because if I didn’t nothing would’ve ended well! I did it for the sake of  my family, Pepa! For my children! I did it because I knew it would let them grow up without everyone labeling them as dangerous because of who their father was. They were already getting looks of pity because of their mother and who I was, what do you think would’ve happened if I stuck around? Huh?” Bruno had jumped up and was yelling right back at Pepa, who was looking shocked that her mild tempered brother was shouting; at her no less. 

“Well? My reputation was already bad because people couldn’t understand that the future isn’t always sunshine and butterflies. It would’ve only gotten worse, it would’ve transferred to my children. I didn’t want them to grow up alone and ostracized because of me! You think I want to stand by and be called Tío Bruno, by the same ones that used to call me Apá? You think I want to stand by as they call you and Julieta mom? Because I know they don't know who Thera is! Because none of you spoke about her. I know you didn't. You always hated her, for no reason!" 

Pepa scowled “I had a reason!” 

Bruno scowled right back “Yeah and what was it? That she was older than me? Might I remind you that Felix is older than you and Julieta is older than Agustin! You had no reason to hate her other than her family. You treated her like the village treated me! You refused to get to know her because of some rumors her family spread. Why do you think they left the Encanto as soon as they could? Because they wanted some new scenery? Don’t kid yourself” Bruno scoffed

Mirabel felt that she and Camilo were the only ones seeing the slight glow to Bruno’s green eyes. Camilo nudged her again. “Mira?” he whispered

She hummed in response. 

“Thera?” 

“I don’t know, Cami” 

“Your failed ceremony!” he whispered looking right at her.

“What about it?” She whispered back, their conversation unheard under the yelling.

“Remember after it? We had a sleepover in the nursery, the dream we had?” Mirabel furrowed her brows as she thought back. 

“Thera! Carina, I know you love them but you know they wont sleep if you don’t out them down” 

“Ay, I know Bruno, but look at them. They look so much like you!” 

“Ay no, you’re their triplet” 

“Thera” She whispered “ Amá! Cami, Amá!” she whispered urgently. 

“Amá? Amá!” Camilo whispered eyes wide. “Apá!” he whispered back just as urgently.

“Apá.” Mirabel nodded. 

“This makes so much sense!” Camilo said, voice still unheard under the argument. 

“Why didn’t they tell us?” Mirabel frowned, her gaze going to Antonio, who had been forcefully woken from his light doze by the argument and was now desperately clutching her dress. “Ay, Toñito, don’t worry they won’t hurt you I won’t let them” 

She was proven right a few seconds later when Pepa’s hail storm, when had that appeared?, started mixing with a tornado throwing the hail everywhere. Mirabel pulled Camilo close fast enough that when hail started coming at them he was inside the golden bubble that had appeared around her. It seemed that the sudden appearance of a glowing golden bubble broke the adults from their trace as they all snapped their heads towards it. Antonio's hand wetly patting her cheek made her realize that she was crying. A look towards Camilo showed that he was no better. It was her using her sleeve to rub her eyes that made Bruno move from his spot. 

"Ay, no. Don't use your sleeve you'll hurt yourself" He offered a handkerchief out and Camilo reached through the bubble to grab it. Wiping Mirabel's face before wiping his own, handing it to Mirabel so she could wipe Antonio's.  Mirabel swallowed thickly, and opened her mouth to speak but no words made it out of her mouth.  Camilo also tried to speak but found himself in the same predicament. It took a few more tries before she actually got anything out. 

"When's our birthday? Since it seems they aren't what we thought they were, since we aren't who we thought we were." Bruno laughed wetly. 

"I don't know why they decided to lie to you, and give you different birthdays. But its March 26. I wanted your gift ceremonies to happen on your birthday but my Mama insisted they happen separately." A unhappy look passed over his face as he glared back at Abuela. Camilo kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish, him, Mirabel, and Antonio still safely behind the golden bubble.   

Unexpectedly it was Luisa who spoke next. "It's late and the storm is picking up, I suggest we all retire to our rooms and I know Mami has already finished dinner so I hope Casita wouldn't mind delivering plates to rooms" A few cabinets opened and closed in agreement. It was a silent agreement from everyone. The crowd broke and everyone filed out of the living room. Soon there was no one still in the room besides those in the bubble. Camilo had stopped his fish impression but still hadn't said anything and looked out of it. Mirabel knew it was him understanding everything that was happening. She stood and adjusted Antonio before grabbing Camilo's arm and guiding him to her room, the bubble disappearing when the door closed. 

She set Antonio down on the floor, tiles bring toys to him, and guided Camilo to her bed and sat him down before sitting next to him. The second she got her arms completely around him he burst into tears, which started her own tears back up. 

Chapter Text

At some point they managed to stop the tears, dinner had been brought at that point and Antonio was happily munching on what looked like an arepa. 

They ate their dinner in semi silence and once Camilo went to fetch pajamas for him and Antonio, Mirabel pressed her palms to her eyes to try and prevent herself from crying again. She groaned and flopped back onto her bed, not flinching when she sat back up and Antonio was right there . 

"Hey, mijo, what's up?" She cringed at her own words as she said them, her voice sounded messed up and it was very clear she had been crying. 

Antonio reached up and patted her face. "Mami sad?" He asked, tilting his head cutely. It reminded her of a puppy. 

She reached down to help him onto the bed. "Yeah, I'm a bit sad" 

He frowned and kissed her cheek, "Better." He Declared 

Mirabel smiled at him, "Better" she repeated. Pulling him into her lap and cuddling him until Camilo got back with the pajamas. Mirabel told him to bathe first, as she had herself and Antonio. 

When Camilo came out she got Antonio’s stuff and went in. Bathing Antonio was something that had come to soothe her, she had been doing it at least 2 times a day, everyday, for the past two years, and it usually meant the beginning of a new day or the end of one. Once Antonio was dried and dressed, hair properly taken care of, she gave him to Camilo to be entertained while she got ready for bed. 

She felt that after starting to raise Antonio she had started taking quicker showers, she didn’t skip anything, but she became faster to say. Which was weird to her because at first she put it off as just a thing that came with being a mother, but Tía Pepa and Mam- Tía Julieta (?)-  both took regular timed showers and seemed not to have to rush. She then thought it was because they had their husbands to watch any kids while they did, but she knew it wasn’t. She pondered on this while she did her hair but shrugged it off after she was done. 

She grabbed Antonio and nudged Camilo until he got the hint and climbed up in her bed. In which she crawled in after. Antonio fell asleep fast, but the -new discovered- twins stayed awake. 

“Who do you think is older?” Camilo finally asked, breaking the silence. 

“What?” 

“Since we are twins, and our birthdays aren’t what we thought they were, who do you think is older?”

“It would be assume that since they made it so you were older it would be you Cami” Mirabel told him 

“No, that would make sense, but it would also make sense of them trying to make me, a boy, older than you because of outdated gender standards!” Camilo exclaimed. 

“We can just ask Tío Brun- Apá- Bruno? We can ask our father in the morning, he’s sure to know” Mirabel stumbled over her words

“Yeah, what do we call him now? He was Tío Bruno, the creepy uncle who had visions and brought bad things, but now he’s our dad, he is- was Apá. It would feel weird to just start calling him that and what about Tío Agustín and-”

“Tío Félix?” 

“Yeah, what do we call them now?”

“ I don’t know. I mean they’re our dads, but Bruno, he’s also our dad? It’s weird” 

“I know what you mean. Do you think we could pretend to sleep in and skip breakfast so we don’t have to endure that awkward breakfast?” 

“No, because we don’t know who they will send up after us. We should sleep though” 

“Okay, Goodnight Mira” 

“...Goodnight Cami” Mirabel laid awake for a while more before succumbing to sleep. 

She was woken up again by Antonio, but the sun was up and streaming through the windows. “Mami, up! I hungy!” 

Mirabel sat up and yawned, her arms coming up to catch the tumbling Antonio who had sat on her chest to wake her. Camilo was still asleep next to her, and it took a few moments for her sleep-addled brain to remember why.  She groaned and flopped back on the bed, Antonio giggling as he was bumped into a air for a few seconds. 

“I’m up Toñito, I’m up. Today will be long” She could see Antonio tilt his head at her. 

“Mami upset?” He asked

Mirabel gave him a wiry grin “Yeah, Mami’s upset” 

“You know if Tía heard you saying that you’ll get in trouble?” came Camilo’s muffled voice. Mirabel looked over at him to see him pulling his head out a pillow to look at her. 

“Well it’s a good thing she hasn’t and that we have a system, Don’t we nene?” 

“Uh-huh” Antonio nodded, “I can only call Mami, Mami when there’s no one around that will tell Mama!” He exclaimed proudly. 

“And if he does, well he’s young enough that it can be passed off as him temporarily forgetting my name” Mirabel shrugged as she slipped out of the bed and picked Antonio up and tossed him in the air a few times. 

“You might want to go and get ready if you want to beat Isabela to the bathroom” 

“Can’t I just use yours?”

“Isn’t there one in your room?” Mirabel countered, rolling her eyes at the groan that was her response. She bumped Antonio up on her hip and grabbed some of his clothes for a bag from yesterday. If I am to keep taking care of Antonio I should set some of his clothes up in one of the little dressers in here. 

She got him dressed and did his hair before setting him to play while she got ready, she paused while getting a dress. We’ve always dressed according to which side of the family we were. Julieta is blue and Pepa is yellow. But Bruno is green, do we dress in green? Or in our normal colors? 

She turned to Camilo who was still in her room “Do we dress in regular colors or?”

He turned towards her “Um, I think so? But like add something green? So as time goes on we can slowly switch to completely green? I think I might be able to turn my ruana green?” He mumbled and left the room, doing a little wave in her direction before closing the door. 

“So one of my more green-ish teal dresses?” Mirabel asked herself, already picking the dress up. She moved to the bathroom to put it on, well aware of how her door opened again after she closed the bathroom door and how she could hear Camilo. She changed and made sure to slip on her new bumped heel flats and paused as she did. 

Who will change her shoes at her Quincenera? 

She did her hair and shook her head of her thoughts and went out to face Camilo. Who went a similar route as her. His normally bright yellow ruana was exchanged for a similarly bright yellow-green color. The color change wasn’t enough to bring too much attention but was enough to be noticed. 

“We should go down shouldn’t we?” She asked, picking Antonio up.

“Mhm, I heard them all down there, I think they are waiting for us” Camilo told her. She sighed and straightened her dress. 

“I suppose we have to go then” She said and walked out of her room without waiting for him to respond, smiling when she heard him scrambling to follow after her.

“We can’t all walk as fast as you Mira!” he exclaimed, quickly matching her quick stride. 

“Carlos has no problem keeping up with me,” Mirabel told him, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. Smirking as he frowned. 

“What’s your boyfriend have to do with this?” Camilo asked, not even trying to hide his smile as she tripped over her own feet and stumbled a bit. 

“He’s not my boyfriend!” She hissed at him. 

He raised his eyebrows at her. “Sure, all friends get each other beautiful tiaras, declare their love for each other and use pet names only couples use, and act if they are married. Of course how silly of me” he deadpanned. 

Mirabel felt her cheeks heat up “We don’t act like that” she grumbled as they neared the dining room. 

“ Sure you don’t ” Camilo teased as he walked past her to his seat. Mirabel rolled her eyes at him and sat in her own seat. 

“Good Morning, Camilo, Mirabel” Pepa said, nervously stroking her braid. “Did you sleep well?” 

Mirabel stared at her for a few seconds before sharing a glance with Camilo out of the corner of her eye. “Yes, I think it was good for us considering how emotional it got last night” 

Mirabel set Antonio on a nearby chair and placed a small bowl of porridge in front of him. Camilo didn’t say anything, just quietly eating his breakfast. 

The dining room door opened and it appeared that Camilo had been wrong that everyone was already at the table as Bruno nervously walked in. Mirabel looked at Camilo, who shrugged. 

Mirabel closed her eyes for a second, she could already feel a headache coming on and nothing had even happened yet. It didn’t escape notice that Bruno walked as far away from Pepa as he could as he walked to his seat. 

Breakfast was a quiet and awkward affair, no one wanting to say anything. Afterwards when everyone was getting ready to go to town to do their chores, no one said anything to Mirabel when she repacked Antonino’s bag and grabbed their lunches and took him with her when she left. Camilo walked with her as far as he could but eventually had to split off to go tend to his own tasks. Mirabel kept up her silent walk, only starting to hum as Antonio grew restless in her arms. 

But it didn’t soothe Antonio as much as it usually would. He stopped moving around as much but he was clearly still not settled. 

“What’s wrong, chiquito?” she asked, bouncing him a bit. He didn’t answer, just stared around at the shops. She frowned, hoping his sickness hadn't made a sudden comeback. She got to the shop and entered, Carlos was behind the counter. It seemed the moment Antonio saw Carlos he brightened up, however nothing could’ve prepared her for what came out of his mouth. 

“Papi!” Antonio exclaimed happily, arms reaching out for Carlos. It was as if time had frozen. Carlos, who had been making his way around the counter to greet them stopping moving, gaze fixed on the toddler. Mirabel, who was setting the bags down, paused and looked towards Antonio. Mrs. Sanchez, who had come out of the back to see who entered, stopped in the doorway and surveyed the situation. 

Carlos moved his gaze from Antonio to Mirabel, who had slowly put the bags down and was already looking at him. She shrugged at him. 

“Papi?” Antonio asked, lowering his arms as Carlos didn’t say anything. Carlos shook his head and picked Antonio up from Mirabel’s arms. 

“Hello, angelito. Were you good for your Mami last night?” Carlos asked, deciding to play along until he and Mirabel could talk about it. 

“Uh-Huh! I ate all my food and cleaned up all my toys!” Antonio told him. 

Carlos nodded “That’s good, How about you-” Carlos paused and looked around

“How about you go color a pretty picture while me and your Mami talk about something?” He decided seeing his sister’s crayons and paper sitting on the counter. 

“Alright” Antonio smiled as he sat down at the coffee table with the paper and crayons. Mrs. Sanchez nodded when Carlos turned his questioning gaze towards her. He nodded back and gently grabbed Mirabel’s arm, using it to lead her into the little kitchenette in the back of the shop. 

Once they were there he let go of her arm and leaned against the counter while Mirabel seemed to gather her thoughts. 

“I don’t mind,” He said, being the one to break the silence that had settled over them. Mirabel snapped her head up from where she was looking at her hands to stare at him. 

“What?” 

“I don’t mind, Antonio calling me dad” He clarified “It’s no secret between us that he calls you Mom and with how much I’ve been over and around since he was little, and how much I try to help out with him. It’s not science to guess that he would associate me as his father” 

Mirabel picked at the nail polish on her finger nails. “Are you sure? Because once you agree to this there’s no turning back and I would hate for Antonio to get used to calling you Dad and you being around only for you to decide you don’t want it anymore one day and leave and I have to try and explain it to him-” Carlos gently covered Mirabel’s mouth with his hand. Once he had her attention he moved his hand to hold hers.

“I won’t, I promise you I’m not going anywhere. Not voluntarily” His words seemed to convince Mirabel somewhat as she seemed to lose some tension and lean into him. 

“I wasn’t trying to say that you would do that, I know you won’t it’s just- Antonio started calling me Mom and I had to explain to him that he had to be careful not to call me that in front of Pepa or Felix or really anyone in my family and now I have to do it again so he doesn’t call you Dad in front of  anyone but he’s already called me Mom in front of Camilo but he’s my brother and I trust him so I know he won’t say anything-” 

“Isn’t Camilo your cousin?” Carlos knew if he let Mirabel keep talking she would ramble until the sun went down. 

Mirabel shook her head. "No, there was this huge fight last night between Pepa and Bruno. Apparently me and Camilo are twins and Bruno is our father and our mother is someone named Thera who died who apparently had a similar reputation to Bruno. Bruno saw something in one of his visions and ran away. He said it was for the good of the family but I'm not too sure about that. But then instead of telling me and Cami who we were and raising us up as the twins we are. Our family decided to split us up to the point they gave us new birthdays. Mine isn't April 4th and his isn't February 20th our birthday is March 26th!" Mirabel told him. 

"That's- wow- I don't know how to respond to that" Carlos stumbled over his words as he tried to respond. 

"I know!" Mirabel exclaimed. She leaned her head on his chest. "I just wanted to go home and relax last night. Instead I got more problems to deal with" 

Carlos patted her back consolingly. "There there, I'm sure it'll be alright. Eventually" Mirabel laughed. 

"Eventually, maybe. We should head back to the front before Antonio starts to freak" Carlos nodded and they made their way back to the front.

Chapter Text

Antonio had already finished his picture so when he saw them coming back he jumped up to show them. “Mami, Papi look! I made a picture of us!” 

Antonio shoved a piece of paper in their faces and Mirabel managed to grab it to look at it. It contained a brown blob covered in orange with a darker brown over it, a lighter brown blob with brown over it but wearing teal, and the final blob was a similar brown to the first blob but with a black blob over it and was covered in red. 

Above them were the shakily barely legible written ‘Me, Mami, Papi’  above each blob. “Yeah, you did. It’s wonderful mijo thank you” Mirabel praised the boy while Carlos just ruffled his hair with a smile. 

“You did good, it looks awesome” Mirabel slipped the paper into her bag, with a mental note to put it away later. She would hate for them to get called out because someone was snooping and found it. 

She squatted down to Antonio's height and grabbed his hands and made sure he was listening to her, “Now Antonio, you remember the system we have for calling me Mami?” She waited until he nodded. “We are going to do the same thing with you calling Carlos Papi, okay?” Antonio nodded again. 

“Alright then” Mirabel stood up “How about you make some more pictures for us while we work, okay?” 

Antonio went back to his pictures while the rest of them went on with their projects. Antonio attempted to quietly sing the Lullaby Mirabel was always humming but since it had been a while since he had heard the lyrics he was failing, Mirabel laughed a bit before also singing the song, but more understandable. 

Ay, Oruguitas

Don’t you hold on too tight

Both of you know 

It’s your time to grow

To fall apart, to reunite

Wonders await you 

Just on the other side

Trust they’ll be there 

And start to prepare

The way for tomorrow. 

Nina didn’t try to hide her smile as she listened. Mirabel was a good singer, but Antonio trying to sing along only knowing some of the words reminded her of when she was younger and was watching her mother and sister sing while her mother prepared dinner. She looked over to Carlos, who had stopped working and had set his project on his lap to listen. He reminded her of her own father, she thinks her Viejo would’ve liked him. The look in his eyes as she watched Mirabel and Antonio certainly would’ve drawn a chuckle out of her Viejo. She knew he wasn’t joking when he said the Alegria men might fall in love easily, but they fall hard. Of course he would also chuckle and say that it didn’t matter that Carlos carried the Sanchez last name, he was still an Alegria. Nina shook her head with a small chuckle, she wished her Viejo had lived long enough to meet Carlos, but he had passed merely days beforehand. 

If she had believed in it she would’ve said that her Viejo and Vieja had reincarnated in Carlos and Mirabel. For with how much they acted like them, it sometimes surprised her she wasn’t looking at a younger version of her parents. She continued her sewing, it was a simple fix up for one of the village women’s wedding dresses. 

The wedding wasn’t far out and they wanted to make sure everything fit, so she was doing little fix-ups on the dresses. The Sanchez Family had been invited to the wedding and Nina would bet that the Madrigal Family had been too, Nina was sure everyone had been invited. The village wasn’t small by any means but also wasn’t too big. It was easier to invite everyone than to only invite certain people and accidentally offend someone. 

Nina glanced at the clock. “Alright now, you three go on and have your lunch and enjoy the rest of your day, Mirabel if you wanna stop by when you on your way back home I have that fabric you had asked about a while ago” 

Mirabel looked up from her sewing “Ay, That would be wonderful thank you Mrs. Sanchez” She smiled as she put the project away. It wasn’t anything special, it was just a blouse that one of the village women had accidentally ripped and had asked to be mended, it was almost finished. 

Carlos had already put his project away and was helping Antonio clean up. Mirabel collected the picture Antonio had drawn and put it in her bag. She grabbed her bags and grabbed Antonio’s hand, they left the shop and the door didn’t even close before Carlos was also stepping out with his lunch bag. The route to the tree at the stream was familiar and soothing. By the time they got to it Antonio was skipping around and randomly stopping to stare at a bird. 

“Antonio, come along, you have to eat your lunch!” Mirabel called out from her spot under the tree. Antonio ran to her and was unprepared for Carlos to scoop him up, he let out a sound between a laugh and a squeal. 

“If you keep running like that you're gonna trip and get hurt” Carlos deposited the little boy next to Mirabel and sat down next to him. 

“Sorry Papi” Antonio apologized, taking the food offered to him by Mirabel. Carlos ruffled his hair as he ate his own lunch. Mirabel was the first to finish her lunch, pulling a bunch of fabric out of her bag to work on to pass the time. Answering Carlos before he even asked. 

“Mending, It’s Antonio’s, from last night it had managed to get ripped” Mirabel didn’t need to expand on how it got ripped, it was easy for Carlos to figure out. 

Once Antonio and Carlos finished they cleaned up and went for a walk through the forest, picking up flowers and other little plants. 

“If we hide these correctly you can watch them grow at a regular pace.” Mirabel told Antonio, who looked excited at the prospect. Mirabel smiled at him and Carlos helped them carefully set the plants in Antonio’s bag. Once the sun started to lower they headed back to the shop so Mirabel could pick up the fabric from Mrs. Sanchez. 

“Alright it’s time to head back, Toñito. Say goodbye to Papi so we can go” Mirabel stood by the door to the shop, dusting her skirt off. Antonio pouted but did as told. 

“Bye-Bye Papi!” he said, hugging Carlos’ legs. Carlos crouched down and kissed his forehead.

“Bye-Bye baby, You be good for you Mami, you hear? I’ll know if you aren’t and then no candies for you” Carlos told the boy, handing him a small tied off bag. Mirabel pursed her lips but let him keep it. 

Carlos wrapped her in a hug. “And I will see you, mi cielo, hopefully tomorrow” He kissed her cheek. She kissed his cheek back.

“You should, unless something happens with the weather” Mirabel told him, reaching down to pick up the bags, Antonio skipped alongside her as they and Carlos went separate ways, he reached up and grabbed her hand once they got on the path to Casita. 

They got back to Casita just as it started to rain, heavily. Mirabel sighed and picked Antonio up, walking quickly to get inside. She set him back down once they were inside her room. “Go take your shoes off mijo”

Antonio rushed to do so as Mirabel took off her own wet shoes, and set everything down. God, it’s no wonder everyone goes through so much laundry.  Speaking of it, she needed to do laundry soon. She quickly changed out of her wet dress into a dry one of a similar but darker color. She then went to help Antonio, the toddler having one shoe off but struggling with the laces on the other one. 

“Let me help, chiquito” She helped him take his shoes and socks off then rushed him into a warm bath. He was just sick, he doesn't need to get sick again . Once she finished his bath she dressed him in warm clothes. 

“I suppose we better go deal with them,” Antonio nodded at her instead of verbally responding. She sighed. “Alright, let’s go then” She let him out of her room and the duo made their way downstairs. 

Camilo pulled them away before they could reach the stairs. “Okay, fill in. Someone in town saw you, Carlos, and Antonio walking to what I assume was your lunch spot and made a passing comment that you looked like a little family. Unsurprisingly Tía was not too happy with that and no one was doing a good job of calming her down. That is until Apá asked her why she was so upset about it, he said he was near when the comment was made and it wasn’t assuming or implying something at all. It was just a little comment made off-handedly by some of the Senoritas of the town. Tía is not just sitting in her chair with a storm brewing over her head, and I’m not too sure what she will do once you enter” 

“Let me guess, everyone before Apá made it worse?”

“Oh so bad. Instead of going with what should’ve been the general assumption  that the Senoritas were just reminded of their times when they were younger they made it worse by asking ‘Why would she think that?’ and ‘What do you think it means?’ It was so bad Mira” 

“Aye yie yie, let’s get this over with then. Better to not let this stew for too long” Mirabel picked Antonio up and went down the stairs, Camilo following, normally she would’ve let him walk but any minute they spend wasting is another minute Pepa was able to stew in her anger. They got to the living room where everyone was, of course. Mirabel sat Antonio on the couch next to Luisa and handed him one of the simple learning books from the shelf.

“Here, read this while M-Mira has a conversation” Calling herself Mami in front of Pepa wouldn’t be good. 

 She turned and was met with a definitely angry Pepa, she had a dark storm cloud over her head and Mirabel wondered if she was keeping herself from causing a hurricane. Something hit the window and Mirabel glanced at it from the corner of her eye and winced. It seemed that while Pepa had restrained from creating a storm inside, outside wasn’t so lucky. Mirabel hoped everyone had managed to get inside before the storm hit and that no one had gotten hurt. 

“You know, Mirabel, I heard the most interesting thing in town today,” Pepa said leaning a bit forward in her chair. “It seems that allowing you to watch Antonio while me and Félix was busy has caused you to overstep your boundaries. As I am getting told that if the villagers didn’t know better they would say Antonio was your son. I was told, today, that it is not only you who is doing this. It seems that little Sanchez Boy has also started overstepping boundaries. People are starting to make comments that they think that the both of you could pass as Antonio’s parents. Apparently in both actions and looks” 

Mirabel furrowed her brows, that was a lot of accusations Pepa was making towards her. Antonio didn’t look- Well him and Mirabel obviously looked similar because they were related. But he and Carlos didn’t- well their skin was a similar color, But it’s not like- Antonio and Mirabel did share the same eye color. Abuela said they got it from their Abuelo Pedro. 

“Tell me Tía, are you aware or even familiar with the rune on my door?” Mirabel asked instead of letting Pepa speak again. “I’ll tell you now, so you know. It’s an old rune for sure, but it’s a rune for Mother’s Heart. Combined with it and how my door looks it isn’t a big stretch to figure out what my gift may be. If you can’t I will tell you, my gift is Mothering . Extreme Nurturing, Extreme Maternal instincts, to name a few traits I now have. Not to say I didn’t have them before, I did, but now they are amped up. Like how your emotions are shown through your weather” Mirabel paused and gestured to the window, where rain was beating heavily against the glass. 

“No one has any problems with anyone else’s gifts, but you have a problem with mine- because you don’t like how the people in town talk? As if it isn’t normal for them to talk and make wild rumors and assumptions about us? You have a problem with me, I can see that. But it’s not new, not how you have anyone convinced. No, it’s always been there, but now you seemingly have a reason for it, so you can show it. What I’m not sure about, is why you have a problem with me, do I get to know?”  The living room was quiet, much like it was when she had made her bubble last night. She knew Antonio was distracted, the book wasn’t the hardest but wasn’t easy either, it would take up his attention for a while. 

Mirabel could see Camilo and Apá on one of the couches, both anxiously tapping, Apá on his knee and Camilo on his palm. They looked so similar she wondered why they hadn’t been found out earlier. Pepa still hadn’t spoken but the cloud over her head seemed to get impossibly darker, the storm outside growing harsher. Mirabel took a few seconds to be thankful no one had started planting yet, as the particular sound of harsh hail rang out. Mirabel slid her eyes over the rest of her family. 

Abuela was sitting next to Julieta, Agustin standing behind the couch, they all looked uncomfortable. 

Félix stood next to Pepa, looking unsure if he should calm his wife or let her get it all out now. 

Isabela was sitting next to Dolores, who had her ears covered and several plants around her, seemingly trying to block out noise. Luisa was next to Antonio switching between looking around uncomfortably and helping Antonio with his book. 

Mirabel looked back to Pepa, and looked at the clock. It wasn’t that late, barely being 8 o’clock, but she knew her Aunt. She wondered how so much had changed in a few days, on her birthday, Pepa had been so nice of course she had seen Pepa staring at her when Mirabel was turned away but she didn’t think to much of it-

“You don’t like me, because I look like her, don’t you?” Pepa had made her opinion on Thera clear, since her and Camilo looked alike but Camilo looked more like Apá it wasn’t too much of a stretch to guess she looked more like their Amá. 

Pepa stiffened by still didn’t say anything. Mirabel kept herself from rolling her eyes. “Right, of course you do, only you could hold a grudge against a dead woman. I’m going back to my room, I have work to do. Antonio, do you want to stay down here, bub?” 

Antonio looked up from his book, breaking from the trance he was put in and flinching as thunder struck particularly loudly. “ wanna go up” 

Mirabel patted his hair and helped him off the couch “You can bring the book” Antonio happily clutched the book and waved to the living room as they left the room. If Mirabel felt some sort of cockiness from the fact that Antonio chose her over Pepa she didn’t let it show on her face. 

Once back in her room she set Antonio on the bed so he could continue doing whatever it was he was doing with the book while she pulled the plants from his bag and set them up, after that was done she pulled out her mending to finish. 

Antonio’s birthday is soon, hopefully Pepa figures herself out before then. Mirabel thought. She took a few breaks to check on Antonio and to open her door when it was knocked on, not surprised to see Casita holding up plates of food while Dolores walked along knocking on doors. 

She brought the plates inside and got Antonio to put the book down to eat. Once she ate herself she had to get him to put it down again so that she could get him dressed for bed she dressed him and sat him in the only toddler bed out before making sure everything that Antonio could hurt himself on was put up far from his reach and gathering her things to shower. Once she redressed, she set the empty plates outside her door and tucked Antonio in, who had fallen asleep while she was showering, and placing his book on the bedside table, She got in her own bed and fell asleep soon after. 

Chapter Text

The next few weeks were tense. Whenever everyone was in the same room words were chosen and spoken carefully so as to not set Mirabel or Pepa off. It changed to include Camilo and Bruno after an incident. That involved a lot of yelling and a few broken vases. 

Mirabel didn’t let this change anything in her routines. She still took care of Antonio, worked on the dresses, and hung out with Carlos.

Then the day of the Wedding of the village woman, Perla Galvan, came and Abuela made it clear that any fights were to be put on pause until it ended, and that they all were to dress in their best. Even though the wedding wouldn’t take place until later they were sent to get dressed right after lunch. Mirabel went back to her room and Antonio, who had recently found joy in running, followed after her. Mirabel waited until Antonio entered her room before closing the door. 

She talked to him as she pulled their outfits from the closet. “Now, Antonio, listen carefully. There will be a lot of people at the Wedding, any slip ups will be noticed. So today we have to be extra careful, alright?" 

"Alright!" Antonio said happily, kicking his feet from his seat on the bed.

Mirabel looked over at him and sighed, the day had just begun and it was already feeling so long. She set her outfit aside and got his on him, it wasn't white, but it reminded her deeply of the outfit Camilo wore for his gift ceremony. Antonio's outfit however was a yellow color, if Mirabel stared at it for too long it almost seemed to be a chartreuse. 

She fixed his hair and left him to play as she got ready. Her own green, well it was still teal but more green, dress was something she and Mrs. Sanchez had been working on for a while. When she had been over and helping finish it Mrs. Sanchez had smiled and winked at her in a knowing way. 

She wasn't too sure why, but she smiled back regardless. She spun around in the mirror before slipping on her shoes and doing her hair. It had grown out from the short bob she had it as, maybe she should cut it again. She did a similar amount of makeup to her birthday, mascara, but this time she added a bit of dark brown eyeshadow with it. It wasn't much but she liked how it looked. 

“How do I look?” She asked Antonio. He was a toddler and his answer would probably be the most honest she would get today. 

“Mami looks pretty” He told her, playing with his cuffs, She smoothed down her skirts. 

“I suppose I do, come on dear. It is bad to keep people waiting” Antonio didn’t move but instead ran over to her dresser and attempted to reach something. 

“What?”

“Papi’s present!” He said still trying to grab something. Mirabel frowned and went over. She picked up Carlos’ present that he had given her for her birthday, 

“Sorry buddy, I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to wear this to a wedding.” Antonio frowned but let it go. He pouted all the way downstairs, Pepa thought it was adorable and swept him up right as he got off the stairs. Mirabel pretends she was the only one who could see how Antonio tensed the second Pepa picked him up. 

“Pepa. We need to get going” Abuela called out. Pepa herself pouted but set the toddler down. Antonio waited until everyone started walking to run back to Mirabel’s side and grab her hand. He skipped along the path, the sun was starting to lower and he seemed to dance in the rays.

Mirabel knew they were getting close when the decorations were showing up. Eventually they showed up and their presents were set with the others and everyone broke off into their own little groups. Mirabel took Antonio over to the other toddlers his age, not all that surprised when he was basically swamped by little Alejandra and Juancho. Cecilia looked like she wanted to hug him but didn’t, in the end Antonio was the one who hugged her, in which she returned it with just as much excitement.

Mrs.Sanchez came up beside Mirabel. “Carlos will be here, he stayed behind to help Anita get ready, she wouldn’t let her mom help so he stepped in.” 

Mirabel looked up to her, “Oh no that's fine, I wasn’t worried”

“I know you weren't,” Mirabel looked confusedly at her but the woman had already moved on to join a conversation with the bride’s mother. She didn’t get to dwell on it much as everyone was being guided to their seats, the sun was to be set soon and the ceremony would start. 

“Antonio, we have to go sit down now” Antonio pouted but followed her back to their seats.  Camilo sat next to Mirabel. 

“Loverboy is over there” Camilo nodded his head towards a large group of people. “You’ll find him with Anita hanging off him, much like Antonio tends to hang off you” 

“You know it’s not for the same reason?” 

“Yeah, I know. Just letting you know” Mirabel rolled her eyes at him and saw Julieta come over and sit down. She briefly wondered how far along she was exactly, she was getting sick less and was kind of showing so she was somewhere in the late 1st trimester early 2nd trimester. 

Mirabel’s attention was turned when the ceremony started. She vaguely understood weddings themselves and didn’t understand a lot about them. She supposed she had plenty of time before she had to fully understand them. They were sat close enough that they could hear but far enough that Dolores just had to barely cover her ears so as to not overstimulate herself. 

Perla’s dress was pretty on her, Mirabel had helped fix the dress up but hadn’t seen her in it, it matched her skin tone. Mirabel also liked the way her hair was tied up, she wondered how long it took, Perla’s hair was really long. 

Realistically she knew the wedding ceremony took a while to get done but it seemed like she had blinked and it was over. Mirabel knew it only went fast because the reception was going to take place the day after, she wondered exactly what would happen now. There hadn’t been a wedding in a while, the last one happening when she was 11 and had fallen ill during it, so she wondered if they all just said their congratulations and left or if they had to stick around for something. She hoped it was the former, it was getting dark and she would hate for Antonio to stay up past his bedtime.

She stood near Carlos, both of them having their respective toddlers in their arms, dozing. The two weren’t speaking, so as to not wake them, eventually someone noticed to sleeping toddlers and the two families made their ways home, thankfully without incident. 

The next day came and right after lunch they made their way back down to the village for the celebrations. Mirabel wasn’t exactly sure what happened, but one moment she was watching the newly married couple dance, then more people were dancing, Carlos seemed to be talking with Camilo who turned and said something to Apá who said something to Carlos, then Camilo took Antonio from her and Carlos pulled her out to dance. 

She was reminded of her birthday, the song was slower, and the dances more gentle, she had a toss up of whether she enjoyed dancing like this with Carlos or how they did at her birthday more, she didn’t decide by the time the song ended. But she didn’t sit down. No, because it was called for in-laws and future in-laws to dance. 

Luisa wasn’t one for dancing so Mirabel danced with Mariano, maybe it would’ve made more sense for Julieta, Pepa, or Dolores to dance with him but he danced with her. It was nice, she supposed it helped that she felt really safe with him. She wasn’t sure if it was the right word but it’s one she thought of. 

“So, you and Carlos?” Mariano decided to teasingly ask after spinning her. 

Mirabel suppressed from rolling her eyes but felt her cheeks heat up, “That’s what everyone seems to think” 

“Well I’m not asking what everyone thinks now am I? I’m asking you what’s happening” Mariano told her, a slight tone to his voice that told her he was slightly offended by her answer.

“We aren’t together- not really” She told, she was spun again and was sure she saw Carlos spinning Yazmin Medel, she wondered what that was about and settled to ask him later. 

“You sound unsure about that” Mariano observed, chuckling a little at her.

“Secretly? I am” She told, thankful that this dance was one of the longest that would happen Mariano was like the only one she could talk to about this, “I don’t really know what’s happening with us”

“You know I’m always open to talk, right? I’m aware you have a little spot outside of Dolores’ hearing range as well, you can always talk to me about anything you seem to need that” Mariano told her

“Thanks, I can’t really talk to anyone else about this, my family will eventually use it against me and I can’t really talk to Carlos about it, and talking to Antonio is a lost cause” she confessed. 

“No problem” Mariano smiled, and it was the end of the conversation as he spun her again and she brought up him and Isabela and they spent the rest of the dance joking around. Eventually the song ended and Mirabel sat down, her feet hurt and if she didn’t she would be sore for days . She drank some punch and ate a bit while watching other couples dance. At some point married couples were called up. She watched them a little enviously as she saw the soft love filled looks be traded.

Chapter Text

“You look like you’re glaring, my dear” Carlos’ voice sounded from near her, she tipped her head back to find him standing almost behind her. 

“I’m not”

“Never said you were, just said you looked like it” Carlos sat down in an empty seat. Mirabel didn’t grace him with an answer. 

“Having Fun? You seemed to have enjoyed your dance with Mariano” 

“I am, I did. Him and I actually get along, it’s nice” she set her cup down. 

“It’s good you get along, considering how he’ll marry Isabela” Carlos said, leaning his head on his hand

“Yeah, speaking of, I saw you dancing with Yazmin Medel” Smooth Mirabel, very smooth.

“Oh! I don’t know how but I totally forgot to tell you! Mateo, my cousin, he’s marrying her. Or well, they’re set up to be married, similar to Isabela and Mariano but also not at all” 

Mirabel blinked “What?” 

“Well apparently they thought their parents wouldn’t approve of them getting married and had this whole plan of running away and getting hitched outside the Encanto but they hadn’t known that Anita had heard them planning and told Abuela about it and they got caught, but instead of being split up like they thought would happen, they were allowed to stay together so long as they promised not to go leaving the Encanto in the middle of the night with no warning.” Carlos had gotten closer to whisper to her

“What were they planning to do once out of the Encanto? Besides getting married, were they going to go somewhere or come back afterwards so no one would be able to split them or what?”

“I don’t know! They didn’t either, they hadn’t planned further than leaving” 

“That’s stupid, what if they encountered bad guys or something? Everyone here gets along pretty well and there’s typically no violence” 

“That’s what I said! But I was told to stay out of it” 

“That’s adults for you”

“Aren’t we close to being considered adults?”

“Maybe? From what I’ve seen we aren’t considered 

 adults until we marry someone” 

“Hm.” Carlos sighed. 

Carlos had been in love with Mirabel for a while. If you asked his family they would give you their guesses. 

“When he was 7, they were so cute, following each other everywhere” 

“Maybe when he was around 8? Came home with this enamored expression on his face” 

“He liked her for a long time, realized it was love when Mirabel first brought Antonio around, back when he was just a little baby, Carlos got this look in his eye when looking at them. Mirabel had asked him to grab something from the baby bag, well she didn’t actually ask she had just looked at Antonio, who was a little fussy, and nodded before saying ‘pacifier’ I had guessed she was about to get up and get it but Carlos had gotten up and grabbed it for her almost as soon as she said it. From the way it happened, it wasn’t the first time this had happened, but it was the first time it meant something. She has him wrapped around her finger”

 He won’t lie she does, she absolutely has him wrapped around her finger. He would do whatever she asked of him. He’s weak for her, he’ll admit, but he’s not weak for her family. If not for his Abuela telling him it wouldn’t help he would’ve given her family a piece of his mind years  ago. He doesn’t think they deserve her. Treating her like she was a book they got as a gift and didn’t like but didn’t want to insult the person who gave it to them so they pretend to like it and shove it on a shelf to be forgotten until reminded, all because she didn’t get a ‘gift’ when she was 5. 

It’s stupid, how people treated her after that. He remembers kids in the school yard avoiding her and calling her mean names. They became friends that year, he thinks, someone had pushed her down while playing ball, and he had pushed them down and helped her up. He had a mean glare, even then, people had stopped targeting her. He had always been upset that he  was the one who had stood up for her, not her family. Not Isabela, who had witnessed everything with a vindictive stare, Not Dolores who had seen and  heard everything and hadn’t said anything. Luisa had tried, but people were steadily piling more jobs onto her and she couldn’t do much. Not Camilo, who had witnessed it, being a part of the games and friends with the bullies, who looked as if he wanted to help but couldn't . Carlos understood, the boy had gotten his own gift not long before and was still trying to find his place, who was under so much pressure. 

Carlos thinks that back then, before Bruno disappeared and with him his status as Mirabel and Camilo’s father, that people talked and that the kids at the school year knew. Carlos thinks the two were put under such inspection because of who he was, if their father was a bringer of bad news, who’s to say they wouldn’t do something similar? Who’s to say Camilo won’t use his shape-shifting to ruin people’s lives? Who’s to say that Mirabel’s lack of a gift isn’t a warning of how bad she is? If it isn’t God's way of making sure she can’t cause as much harm? 

Those that talk think they can’t be heard, and if they are? Well it’s likely they’ll agree. Carlos has a list of people that he watches out for when Mirabel is out and about the town. Camilo can shape shift if he ever needed to hide from someone, Mirabel doesn’t have that. She’s a beacon, everyone knows where she is anytime she’s in the town. 

Carlos will admit, he’s a big part of the reason Mirabel was asked to be in the Seamstress Shop. He mentioned his concerns to his Abuela and she asked Alma Madrigal if Mirabel could be at the shop while the rest of the cousins were out and about the town. It turned out good, he thinks? 

They become best friends, and that’s all they were for a while. But it changed? They definitely aren’t dating each other, but the thought of her dating someone else makes his heart hurt and jealousy rear up in him.  He liked to think she felt the same, that the way she glared at Imelda Ponce was for the same reason he glared at Alberto Zayas when he was flirting with Mirabel.  If how Camilo and Bruno were, with how quick they were to allow her to dance with him, and how no one said anything against it he didn’t think her family would have any problems with them dating. 

But then there is Antonio. What would happen if they were to date and Antonio slips up in front of the wrong people? Carlos knows Mirabel is already in pretty thick water with Pepa and a slip up like that can cause another huge fight. Carlos wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t mind Antonio calling him ‘Papi’ he didn’t, he’s happy that Antonio trusts him enough to call him that and to see him as a Father figure. Along with the fact that he loved  children and can’t wait to have some of his own one day. 

Sometimes he has to double take with Antonio. The little boy and Mirabel looked alike, with them being cousins and all, and with him and Antonio having a similar skin color he sometimes sees Antonio as his and Mirabel’s child. Which he probably shouldn’t, but it’s pretty hard not to. Like if he were to try and imagine what his and Mirabel’s child would look like, if they were to grow and get married to each other, and he can only come up with Antonio. Or a little girl who looks just like Mirabel. He knows he’s getting ahead of himself, he and Mirabel weren't even together  but he can’t imagine ever being with anyone but her. 

But calling her his  Girlfriend seems wrong too, it’s such a childish sounding word and doesn’t fit with someone as strong and mature as Mirabel. Prometida fits, but because of their age everyone will think of Girlfriend. Girlfriend sounds like something he would overhear little girls giggling about in the school yard. 

Mateo and Mariano are lucky, Carlos thinks, they get to call Yazmin and Isabela their ‘fiancée’ a word that fits to two women. Carlos thinks that if he were to be engaged to Mirabel he wouldn’t call her his fiancée, the word may fit but he would rather call her Amando Futura Desposada . Then again he’s thinking way too far ahead, not like he can help it. He wonders what will happen, he isn’t so desperate to know that he will go ask Bruno, like some  villagers were prone to. 

“Carlos?” his name was softly called, a hand settled on his bicep

“Hm?” He looked up

“You okay, you’ve spaced out” Mirabel sounded worried

“Oh, I’m fine, just- thinking” He smiled and patted her hand. She looked to be about to say something but the current dance ended and it was a free for all, or well everyone can dance and not just certain pairs. 

“I’m Fine, seriously. Let’s dance” He took her hand and she let him guide her to the now bursting dance area. 

He knew that she wouldn’t forget, but she would leave it and bring it up at some point later, but he’ll deal with that bridge when he gets there. But for now he focuses on the smiling, beautiful Mirabel in his arms. He always thinks she looks better smiling and hopes she never has a reason not to.

Chapter Text

When the wedding finally ended Mirabel left with a promise to herself to not let her wedding last as long as this one. She understood they were happy and that people were happy to celebrate, but 6 days is a lot. Her feet hurt from dancing, dancing.  She saw Pepa, the town named Dancing Queen , having to sit down for a while. Antonio had a blast, Mirabel caught sight of him and little Cecilia dancing around as toddlers tend to. Luckily he didn't try and get her to put the tiara on again after the first day.  

After that the only thing Mirabel had to worry about was Antonio´s birthday, which was rapidly approaching, she wasn't worried about gifts, she already had it done. What she was worried about, however, were people behaving themselves, Antonio would be turning 3 and as such would soon join the village school. People seem to be beside themselves by the time a Madrigal joins the school. She remembers first joining it, she had long since aged out at age 11, but she remembers the many people talking to her and gathering around the yard until Mrs. Elda glared at them to go away.  Mrs. Elda was only in her 30s but was sadly made a widow 4 months back, Mirabel thinks that Mrs. Elda is close to having her baby.  She wonders who will take over while she heals, Mirabel couldn’t fully take over but she could teach the Littles for a few weeks. (The Littles were kids aged 3-5, for them the school is basically nothing more than a daycare as their parents work, along with learning to read better.) 

Mirabel set the wrapped present in the top of her closet and set about to do some chores around the house. It was only her and Antonio today, everyone else was out. She could also be out but something told her to stay home, the same thing that helped her find little Estrella in the forest those few years ago. 

So she cleaned Casita up while Antonio napped, she knew Carlos won’t stop by, he got dragged into helping sew someone’s dress, his words not hers. She found herself excessively checking and counting the magical healing food left in the house. As if she was making sure she had enough, enough for what she still didn’t know. 

Everyone else wouldn’t be home until the moon was in the sky, some lady was having her baby, crops needed watering, etc, etc. She didn’t mind. She also found herself excessively cleaning the room that used to be the Nursery but was now just a guest room. She also boiled water and made sure she had clean rags and that the extra linen, still out from when Julieta was packing her basket this morning, were perfect. 

Right as the clock struck 11:54 a.m there was a frantic knocking on the door, Mirabel quickly made her way to it and opened it. There was a woman, awkwardly bent over, hand pressed harshly to her pregnant stomach and looked seconds from collapsing, hoarse pain filled moans falling from her, suddenly Mirabel knew exactly why she needed to stay home. 

“Come in quickly now, I already have a bed prepared for you, Casita help her up.” Mirabel put her arms around the woman and helped her inside. The door closed on its own and the floor gently was quickly rolled the two up to the prepared room, Mirabel got the woman into the bed and helped her out of the wet and heavy dress she was wearing, and helped her into one of the old forgotten nightgowns still in the closet. The girl didn’t look much older than Luisa and Mirabel was pretty sure she was actually younger than Luisa. 

Casita rolled the linens and pot of water up without spilling and set it on the old desk, “Do you have a name I could call you? And possibly an age?” Mirabel asked, pulling on one of Julieta’s ‘Birthing Aprons’ and rolling her sleeves up. 

“L-lola, I’m 16 but I a-was married, I promise ” the girl all but sobbed, there was a lighter strip of skin on her finger that told Mirabel she wasn’t lying. That strip only came from wearing a ring in the sun for hours upon hours. 

Mirabel smiled gently at the girl and took a look at the clock on the wall, “Well Lola, my name is Mirabel and you’ve stumbled into Encanto” 

“Encanto?”

“I’ll tell you the story afterwards okay, because right now-” Mirabel was cut off as the bed below Lola was suddenly soaked and her face contorted in pain. “You are in active labor, I’m sorry but this will be painful” 

Mirabel found herself lucky that Casita was magical when Antonio woke briefly but Casita gently but quickly rocked him back to sleep. Mirabel remembered a bit from the medical books she had read in the town library and went with her Gift for most of it. She was really starting to think it went way past Mothering. 

Which is how, many hours later with much screaming and blood, a new high curdled scream pierced the air as a newborn took their first breath. However Mirabel somehow knew that they weren’t done, she was proven right when Lola started pushing again, seemingly without her brain’s consent. She looked scared. 

“Lola, looks like there is more than one, no worries it's not strange or complicated, too much, My dad is a triplet himself” Mirabel was rambling as she quickly cleaned the newborn and set him in the old crib before returning to Lola. 

By 9:39 p.m there were 3, two boys and a girl. Lola quietly held them. Casita brought an awakened Antonio to Mirabel who swept him up and held him close to her, the toddler said nothing, still half-asleep. 

After a few minutes of silence with them staring at the cooing babies Mirabel spoke, “What will you name them?” 

Lola looked at her then back down to her children, quiet for a few more moments before speaking, “Valentina, Oscar, and Julio Rascon. After their father and Abuela.” 

Mirabel had a soul-dropping feeling that she knew exactly why Lola had shown up, injured, alone, sopping wet, and minutes away from labor, and she didn’t like it. Mirabel picked the plate up from Casita and brought the healing food to Lola. 

“Eat, you’ll be healed.” Lola didn’t hesitate, didn’t stop and question, just ate the food and relaxed as she was healed as much as the food could. Mirabel put Antonio down and helped Lola settle two of the babies so she could breastfeed them. Eventually Lola fell asleep and Mirabel got Casita to bring one of the bigger bassinets from her room and set the babies in there. She grabbed Antonio and closed the door to let the girl sleep. She brought Antonio with her to the kitchen so she could start on dinner. 

She sets him on one of the chairs and begins to make Ajiaco, she knows it doesn’t have the healing properties of Julieta’s food but it’ll be good. As she makes the food she remembers. 

She remembers being taught to cook because she was interested, simple things. She remembers overheard conversations “If she doesn't have a gift and refuses to behave like a Madrigal, then I’ll personally make sure she’ll be a good wife!” 

She remembers cooking and cooking, and baking and baking, until she knew the recipes without looking at them and knew when it was done by the smell. 

She hates that she learned the way she did but she’s always thankful she was taught. Mirabel hums as she cooks and sees familiar golden butterflies and knows her family will be home soon, that Apá will be brought down from his tower and they will learn of Lola. Mirabel’s thoughts wander back to the school, Mrs. Elda is alone. 

She finishes the food and serves it, she and Antonio are eating when the rest of the Madrigals arrive. They all stop and stare, she’s still wearing the apron and it’s covered in blood. “Her name is Lola and she’s up in the guest bedroom, she has triplets, I think she arrived here because of a similar reason for you Abuela” She says no more she knows that’s all she needs to say. 

Abuela pales and hurriedly climbs the stairs to the guest bedroom, Julieta follows. Mirabel knows it's to check on Lola, Mirabel knows it's because she herself has no experience with birth, Mirabel feels like Julieta is quietly saying she doesn’t believe Lola was okay under Mirabel’s care. She feels like something inside her warms up and knows that there is now one of her golden bubbles around the door of the guest room. 

“She just gave birth not long ago, she’s sleeping” She doesn’t raise her voice to yell, she knows she was heard. But if they didn’t hear her, the bubble says enough. She feels something similar to feeling before you sneeze and wonders what it is. 

Mirabel assumes it’s one or the other, because after her father and brother sit down, and she begins to start eating, the feeling stops. It is accompanied by Abuela and Julieta coming back downstairs and her being demanded to lower the bubble. 

“No-can-do. Despite the fact that I have no clue on how to , why would I? You’ve clearly been seen as a threat to my currently vulnerable guest. It’ll go down when the threat leaves” Mirabel doesn’t look up from her food as she talks, she knows Abuela is worried that whatever drove her here almost 50 years ago is becoming a threat again. 

Mirabel gets it, or her Gift does, a mother is worried that the threat to her and her children will rise again. But this worry puts another mother at risk. In a toss up between the two, A healed mother with worry vs. An injured and healing mother with newborns in an unknown place, Mirabel will protect the more vulnerable one. The town will be able to fight against whatever problem there is, and besides, it’ll have to get past the mountain. Which is a feat on its own. Mirabel isn’t worried, she doesn’t have a reason to be. 

She finishes her food and cleans up while Antonio finishes his, everyone else has already retreated into their rooms. (Everyone besides her dad, brother, Julieta, and Abuela anyways)

She makes a plate and sends it up to Lola, she knows the woman is awake, being awoken by the sounds of Abuela and Julieta running up and down stairs. She won’t say anything. 

Chapter Text

When Mirabel wakes the next morning she knows that it’s early, as shown by the still sleeping Antonio. She slips out of bed and quietly leaves her room, it’s an age-old dance with Casita that leads her to sit on the roof. The sun has yet to rise. 

“It’s almost 6, the sun will rise soon” Mirabel snaps her head over to the voice, she doesn’t need to, she knows who it belongs to. The ghostly visage of a boy is sitting next to her. 

She nods to him, she’s always seen him but no one else seems to. She suspects Camilo can, but she won’t ask. She doesn’t know his name, she asked once but was told she was too young. 

“Do I dare assume you know?” 

“Know what? That Bruno is Camilo and I’s father? Yeah” 

“Well that too, Do you want me to tell you, we've got time?” Mirabel turns to the boy, and contemplates her answer. Perhaps he’ll tell her what happened to him, who he is? He’s obviously a Madrigal but no one has said anything, and her asking about him when she was younger only got her harsh remarks for making up stories. 

“Okay” 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” 

“Well, let's start with me, you're still young so I won’t tell you everything. My name is Aurelio, Aurelio Pedro Natan Madrigal. Oldest son of Bruno and Thera Madrigal.”

“Wait, your-”

“Your older brother? Yeah. Go ahead and tell Camilo he’s the youngest” 

“Heh, knew it! Anyway go on with your story” 

“I was only a few months old when I died. If I lived I think I would be around Luisa’s age. I think Abuelo Pedro is a part of the reason I have this form. I’m not really too sure where my grave is- you’ll have to ask Apá. Him, Tía, and Tíos are the only ones who really visit it.” It went unsaid which Aunt. 

 “What do you know of Amá?” Aurelio quietly asked. 

“Uh- nothing much. Pepa doesn’t really seem to like her, the adults who could tell me were too busy and by the time they had the time too I had already forgotten, and everyone else was too young to properly remember her.” 

“You and Camilo were surprises, after what happened to me I think they were set on not having anymore kids. Amá called you both her little miracles. Once you were born you both were locked up inside Casita for a while, only taken out once, after what happened to me I think it was a safety measure. Apá brought you to my grave to introduce me to you two. I decided to help protect you two, so I followed him back and followed you both everywhere.” Aurelio chuckled, tugging on one of her curls. 

“Amá could see the dead, you know? You inherited the ability from her, I was sure that it was going to be your gift, really. I don’t know if Camilo also has it, I’ve spoken around him sometimes but he’s a really good actor so I don’t know if he actually can't see or hear me or if he’s pretending he can’t. Your actually gift suits you better” 

“If- What do you think your gift would’ve been?” 

“Probably something like Dolores’, but instead of hearing, with seeing.”

“You two would’ve made the best gossip duo, Carlos and I would’ve never been able to hide away” 

“About Carlos actually! I like him for you, I totally approve!” Mirabel scoffed at him, but knew she was blushing. 

“The only thing I don’t like was how Antonio was just kind of shoved off to you. You've done great, but shouldn’t have been put in the position.” Mirabel didn’t know how to respond so she didn’t. Aurelio was like that, turning the conversation however he wanted, no subtlety, just saying it. 

“If you wanted to - y'know talk with Amá or something, I think she usually hangs around our graves, I’ve seen her around Casita a few times. She never stays long enough for you to see her actually. Next time I see her around here, if you’re in, I’ll bring her to you. You look just like her, you’ve got Dad’s nose I think, but otherwise it’s all mom. Camilo also looks a lot like her.” Aurelio chuckles again, and somehow manages to bump their shoulders. “The sun’s starting to rise, you go and do whatever you do during the day. If you’re wondering what to do with Lola, she’s only a few years older than you, I personally think she’ll fit right into the family. But it’s up everyone I suppose” 

His voice goes a little wonky at the end and Mirabel doesn't have to look to see he’s done that little thing where he fades away and appears elsewhere. Personally, she thinks if he had lived his Gift would’ve been teleporting. 

She gets down off the roof and starts getting ready for the day, maybe she can manage to convince one of her family members to adopt Lola into the family. 

She doesn’t have to. At breakfast Luisa says that she has claimed the younger girl as her sister and that if they had a problem with it they could fight her. So Julieta and Augustin received another daughter and became grandparents just like that. 

Mirabel was the one to tell Lola of this decision. Luisa is the first of her new family, outside of Mirabel, to properly meet her and her children. Mirabel knows Lola is in good hands with the gentle-but strong- girl so leaves the room. 

Antonio’s birthday during the week and Mirabel was not looking forward to it. She spends the day with Carlos while Mariano walks the streets with almost every village kid following him, Antonio included. 

They spend the day at Carlos’ house. Mrs. Sandez had closed the shop that day, something about old bones needing a break, so they were free. 

Mirabel had been in Carlos’ room before, but now that he had been in her New Room, slept in her Gift- Given bed, it felt- different, to be in his room. Not bad, or awkward, she still walked right in and flopped backwards onto his bed. It was more of, she started fiddling with the hem of her dress when the silences lasted a bit too long. 

She found herself focusing on the little photos on his walls. They were mostly of them, ages 6 to now, but each one seemed something different. A smile softer, a hand placed purposefully, a glance captured at the perfect moment. It was like watching a little story play out. She knows there’s a little book with more pictures of them, she thinks his mother might have it. 

Mirabel knows they were closer than normal friends. Normal friends don’t sit with one person sitting on the bed with the other laying across their lap while one of them reads from a book, with a hand running through curls. 

Normal friends don’t get butterflies when the other smiles. Or when the other’s dimples show. Normal friends don’t wish for time to pause during Sunsets/Sunrises because that’s the only time his freckles can be seen without her having to lean in close and tilt his head every which way. Normal friends don’t say things like:

“Mi querida amor, mi maravillosa alma gemela-” to each other and then call the other “dummy” the next moment. 

Mirabel really didn’t know where she’d be without Carlos. The look he gets when he’s worried about her . The way he smiles at her. That looks he gets when he knows she’s thinking about him, the same one he’s wearing right now-

“Whatcha thinkin’ about?” He looks up at her

“You.” She answers honestly. He darkens and stutters over half formed sentences for a few minutes. 

“- wasn’t expecting you to say that” He murmurs through his hands, which he brought to cover his face at some point. 

“Why wouldn’t I? You’ve always said I can be completely honest with you”

“Well yeah, but I didn’t expect you to just say that-”

“Would you rather I say I was thinking about Alberto Zayas?”

“ No , I would rather you never mention him to me ever actually” Mirabel giggles and threads her fingers through his hair again. 

“Are you jealous?” She asks, he’s quiet for a moment while he thinks how to answer, he sits up to face her, so he’s no longer laid over her lap. She thinks this is the moment that means everything, that he confirms that she hasn’t been reading too much into everything and over analyzing their relationship to be more than it actually is.

“Why wouldn’t I be? Every boy who flirts with you makes me jealous, they all have a chance to take you away from me. I would be helpless to stop it, just having to watch as you’re taken away to be with them. It would make anyone jealous.” He’s still quiet when he answers, he knows what her question means, what she’s actually asking. 

“Do you actually like me or are you just joking? Be honest with me, please, I can’t handle anything else” 

“It would destroy me to watch you be with them, romantically, to watch you be cared for by someone else like I wa- like anyone wishes to care or be cared for”

“I love you, please notice, please let me love you like you deserve to be loved” 

“They don’t, I wouldn’t- They don’t have a chance. They’ve never had a chance, I- they could never take me, not from you, not ever. I would never- I wouldn’t even dream of leaving” 

“I’ve noticed, I’ve noticed so much, I’ve never loved romantically before, but I think I love you like that, please, care for me. I wish to see, to know for sure, just how much I mean to you.”

He closes his eyes and does a slow intake of breath, when he looks at her again, his eyes are full of so much adoration, so much love , so much adoration . It makes her heart hurt . How long had he been looking at her like that? How long has he fallen for her, her and her quirks, without her knowing. How long has it been since he allowed himself to hide this, just to still have her around? 

A hand cups her face, “Mirabel.” He says and it echoes around her skull. 

MirabelMirabelMirabelMirabelMirabelMirabelMirabelMirabelMirabelMirabelMirabelMirabel-

She loves the way he says it, he’s never called her by her name, an array of pet names took its place. She was used to the princesa, amor, cariña, mi vida.  The ‘Bel’s he sometimes says. She was used to that, but not Mirabel. She knows he’s never called her ‘Mirabel’, even back when they were 6 it was princesa . 

She loves the way it sounds in his voice, the way it sounds as if he’s talking about the sweetest pastry. 

“Mirabel.” He says again and she focuses on him, he smiles at her. Not the wide one he does when he laughs, or the smirk he does when teasing her. No, this is better. It’s a slow little thing that reaches across his face, it gets his eyes first, his cheeks, his eyebrows, his lips. It’s soft and delicate, like a flower. His teeth aren’t shown, not like in his other smiles, they don’t need to be, not here. Not in the quietness of his bedroom where it burns itself into her memory, where this smile means more than a million words. 

“I already have, but I’ll continue to do so, I’ll do it until you’re tired of me and wishing for me to go away, I’ll forever show you how much I love you” 

“Carlos.” She returns 

“I could never tire of you, could never wish for you to leave. We have until the end of the world, don’t leave me behind.”

He hums a sweet little melody that she knows fairly well. 

“I will never leave you behind, not on accident and never on purpose” 

She smiles at him, “I guess we have nothing to worry about, now do we?” He chuckles.

“We have plenty to worry about, just not this”

Chapter Text

They don’t stay on the bed all day. They sit there a bit before Carlos gets up and leads her to his kitchen, he has her sit on a chair, so she can watch as he bustles around it, preparing food and the like, he does not tell her what he is doing, all he offers is “I said I would take care of you, didn’t I?” 

He sets a cup of tea in front of her and she doesn’t hesitate to drink it, not at all surprised when it’s prepared just how she likes it. She smiles while she sips her drink, she watches Carlos and has no idea what he is making, but it smells delicious. She asks no more questions and lets him do his thing.

At one point, when Mirabel assumes the smell started going through the whole house, Carlos’ Mom, Valentina, Mrs. Sandez, and his Dad, Felipe, all basically ran down the stairs to the kitchen and looked very surprised to see Mirabel and Carlos. Especially since Carlos had been feeding her little bits as he cooks and had just fed her a bite of- something. She didn’t exactly know what he was feeding her but it was good . 

Mirabel thinks it's cute that Carlos was so focused on her that when his mom went past him to grab something, he was genuinely surprised to see her. Valentina whispers something to him that Mirabel doesn’t hear, and Carlos frowns at her before deliberately turning away and focusing on the food. 

Mrs. Sandez smiles at her and comes close enough to pat her shoulders before taking her daughter- in-law by the elbow and pulling her from the kitchen, Mirabel catches part of their whispered conversation as they go past her. 

“-he’s making-”

“I know, leave them-” 

Felipe pats his son’s shoulder before following his mother and wife outside. 

“Mira, open” She turns back to Carlos and opens her mouth for him to feed her something else. She thinks his plan is to feed her the food as it gets done cooking, so no plates are used? She’s not really sure but he seems pretty content to hand feed her as he goes along, so she doesn’t really care. 

He hums a little song as he goes along, it sounds familiar but she isn’t going to ask, not yet. Eventually he finishes feeding her and everything is cleaned up. Privately she kicks herself for not knowing, not noticing , sooner. She’s spent many times sitting in this chair watching him clean up in the kitchen, for one reason or another, she used to offer to help but had long since stopped. 

However, there had always been this feeling, of it being right , of it being something that felt like it was supposed to happen. It was the same feeling she got watching Pepa and Félix dance or seeing Julieta and Augustín walking through the village. She used to think it was because they were so close but she knew the truth now. She actually preferred it. She had also always felt more loved around Carlos? It wasn’t as if her family didn’t love her, she was pretty sure most of them went out of their way to make sure she knew. 

Carlos didn’t, he didn’t need to. Mirabel has been around the Sandez family for a while, they didn’t go out of their way to proclaim love, or do obvious things to point towards it. They said it in small ways that meant so much more. Small gifts, helping in chores, making food, listening completely when someone was talking to them. Like completely no distractions, no ‘Sorry, mija, I’m being called for’, from what she’s seen the only thing allowed to interrupt a conversation was a kid needing something, they’ve injured themselves, or they’re hungry, or a baby is awake or upset. 

She thinks that’s why she felt the way she did around him. He listened to her, even if she was just complaining or whining over the same thing for hours. He always listened and even offered advice if he had any. The tiara he had given her for her birthday? Something just for her, no one else in her family had one, it was something that made her different, something that made her his princesa . Helping with Antonio. Letting Antonio call him papi without a second thought. Little things that she doesn’t think he completely understands how much they mean to her.

She had long since finished her tea, Carlos taking the cup to clean and put away once she set it down. He knew she wouldn’t want anymore. 

“When do you have to be home?” 

Mirabel looked at a clock, “Sometime soon I’m guessing, I have a few things to get done that will be better to do without everyone there” 

Carlos hummed again, “Okay, I would assume one of them has something to do with Lola?” She told Carlos about Lola, why wouldn’t she? She’s never hidden anything from him before and she’s not starting now. 

“Yeah,” She paused. “Are you doing anything today?” 

“No, why?”

“Wanna come with?” 

Carlos turned towards her, finishing whatever he was washing and grabbing a towel to dry his hands. “Why not, ain’t got anything better to do” Mirabel grinned at him.

After collecting her bag from his room they head out, the Sandez house was one of the furthest from Casita, they could still see Casita but it was a longer walk than from the Seamstress shop. The people they pass ask Mirabel questions about Antonio’s birthday. She says that she hasn’t been told what kind of party is happening but he will be joining the school soon after. 

Mirabel all but skips up the path to Casita, Carlos follows along in his walking pace, she can tell he’s amused without having to look at him. As much as she loves being around him, nothing can compete with being in Casita. Being completely wrapped in the magic of the Candle. Feeling every part of her Gift despite currently only having control of a small part of it. 

She doesn’t stop once she’s in Casita, Carlos has been around enough to know where she was headed. She stopped in front of the room Lola was in and knocked, she stepped in once she heard Lola call for it. 

“Hey Lola, how’re you feeling?” Lola smiled up at her from her place on the bed. 

“Good, Luisa has been helping me all day, just barely got her to take a break to eat” That was Luisa all right, the big worry-wort. 

“Would you be up to meeting someone? 

“Who?”

“Carlos, he’s my-” Well, Mirabel was going to say ‘He’s my best friend’ but that didn’t seem right anymore. 

“He’s your-?” Lola prompted 

“We haven’t really talked about it, but- he's important to me and everyone in my family knows him. Since you are now a part of the family, I would like for you to meet him” 

“Okay” Lola smiled, she remembered being like that with her husband, her smile faltered a bit as she remembered the dead man. Luckily Mirabel didn’t see as she had turned to open the door and gesture someone in. 

In stepped a boy who Lola would assume to be Carlos. There was a look in his eye while he was looking at Mirabel that told her all she needed to know, she wondered how long it would be before people started asking them if there would be a wedding, even jokingly.

“Carlos, this is Lola. Lola, this is Carlos” Mirabel introduced them, needlessly. 

“Hello”

“Hi” 

Carlos went to say something else but was cut off by a cry, one of the babies had woken up. Lola can’t see into the crib from where she’s sitting but she thinks it’s Valentina. 

“She’s probably hungry” She says, Mirabel nods at her. 

“We’ll leave you to it” Mirabel grabs Carlos’ hand and they leave the room, Lola smiles once the door closes, she gets up to waddle over to the crib. She knows they hadn’t been in the room long but Mirabel only said she wanted them to meet, Lola was sure they would have time to get to know each other later.

Mirabel hums as she and Carlos walk the halls of Casita. She catches sight of Aurelio and pauses, Carlos pauses with her, well used to her randomly stopping. 

“I’ve found Amá, she’s agreed to talk to you, if you want?” Mirabel considers. 

“Yeah, okay, I can talk to her, just give me a few minutes” 

“We’ll meet you in your room” Aurelio fades away. 

“Who was that?” Carlos asks once he’s gone 

“Uh- You could see him?” 

“Ehh- sometimes, only if you’re like touching me, if you’re near me and not touching then sometimes I can hear some things.” 

“Oh, interesting. Wanna meet my mother?”  

“Why not?” Mirabel grins at him and basically pulls him along to her room. 

There was always something special in entering a Gift-Given room, but one that currently houses two ghosts? Spooky. 

The first ghost was the boy Mirabel was talking to earlier, he looks a lot like Camilo, but there are obvious differences. He was obviously related to them though, Carlos wondered who he was. 

The second ghost was who Carlos guessed to be Mirabel and Camilo’s mother. Mostly because Mirabel looked almost exactly like her. 

Mirabel was frozen looking at the second ghost, her eyes moving to obviously take her in but otherwise she wasn’t moving. The ghost-woman wasn’t saying anything either, too busy taking her daughter in to think of saying words. 

“Ho-How old are you?” The ghost-woman finally askes, there’s an echo to her voice, as if she’s talking from the middle of a long, empty corridor. 

“13, we’re 13” Mirabel answers, Carlos knows she's also talking about Camilo. He stays quiet but squeezes her hand, she squeezes back. 

“Oh, it’s been so long since I was around, since-” the ghost woman cuts herself off, Carlos wonders if ghosts are able to cry, the one in front of him looks close enough to tears. The ghost woman looks at him and seems to wipe her eyes then smooth her skirt down. 

“Well here I am just standing here. Come sit down, let's talk, can you introduce me to your friend?” 

Mirabel stayed staring so Carlos gently tugs her hand and leads her over to the chairs, she snapped out of her shock but quietly let herself be brought to the chairs. 

“Yeah okay. This is Carlos. Carlos, this is my mother, Thera, and my brother Aurelio” Mirabel very carefully didn’t make the same slip up she made with Lola earlier, she doubted Aurelio would let her get away with giving a half answer. 

“Oh! It's good to meet you Carlos. I’ve heard such nice things about you!” Thera seemed to sit down, while still floating, it appeared strange but not enough for Carlos to say anything. Carlos wondered what she had heard about him and who she heard it from.

“It’s nice to meet you too? I’m sorry I can’t say that I’ve also heard some nice things about you, but I only really learned of you a few weeks ago”

Thera pursed her lips but didn’t look surprised, “I’m aware, I’ve seen how Pepa has done her best to erase all signs of me from the house. She had more success with it after Bruno left, erasing every part of me from this house that she could. She never liked me, I had hoped she would be mature enough to keep that on me and not pass it onto my children after I passed, but it appears I held too much hope in her”  

Thera flapped her hands a bit, like she was trying to get rid of Pepa’s hate for her. Carlos had seen Mirabel do that move exactly many, many times and now knew where she got it from. Thera sighed. 

“I haven’t been around Casita a lot, I usually hang around the graveyard, what’s been going on? Last time I was here was when little Antonio was born” 

Carlos shared a look with Mirabel and they launched into what had been happening around the house and town for the past 3 years.

Chapter Text

There was always a sort of peace in watching the water. It mostly stays the same everyday, unlike people who change from one day to the next.  But the water doesn’t, it knows what it is and sticks with it. This specific river goes downstream, and if he looked closely or waited silently he would see the fish that lived in it. 

Sometimes he escapes from town to sit by the river. To bask in the silence and peace of nature, currently undisturbed by the rush of the people. He thinks he had memorized every part of this spot by now. The stones, the moss, which parts of the riverbank were slippery and which parts were just wet, the toad that sometimes sat on the log, the turtle that floated down the water every so often. The spirit that came and sat next to him everytime he was here.  

Okay, so Camilo knew the last part wasn’t exactly what some would call normal . But for him it was almost as normal as shapeshifting. He knew who spirit was, his Abuelo Pedro, he had asked. He wasn’t dumb, no matter what most everyone seemed to think. 

“What’s on your mind today, nieto?” There was always a sort of echo- to Abuelo’s voice, like he was 3 different people speaking at once. 

“Nothing much, just enjoying the peace, you don’t find peace easily in the town. Well I don’t that is, Mira does but only because she hides away” Camilo very carefully does not think about why she hides away. Yes he is angry about how his sister was treated by the people, how could you tell? 

Abuelo doesn’t say anything, there’s nothing he could say to that, nothing that he hadn’t already said.  

Camilo sighs, “Sorry Abuelo,” Abuelo nods and pats his hair, which is a weird feeling. Mostly because it feels wet and cold, but Camilo knows if he were to touch his hair after it would still be dry. 

“It’s alright, I know” Camilo closes his eyes with a sigh, Abuelo only knows what Camilo tells him because he rarely moves away from the river. 

“Did I tell you about Lola?” 

“Who’s Lola?” Camilo opens his eyes, how he loves to keep the ghost of his Abuelo up to date with current family events. 

Hearing everything was both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes she heard too much, sometimes she heard the best things. 

Like the fact that Mrs. Rosario Morillo was expecting, the look of absolute glee on the woman’s face after Dolores pulled her aside to ask if she knew about it made hearing everything a blessing. 

But hearing Senior Pineda’s heart stop in the middle of the day when he was the only one in his home was a curse.  Then she had to search out one of his family members to tell and had to avoid the little kids and search for the adults, who apparently like to spread out like grains of sand in the wind.

And sometimes it fell in the middle, like hearing the emotion and tension filled confessions of Mirabel and Carlos. Or Hearing Camilo and Mirabel talking to dead people. Or hearing Abuela talk to the Candle as if it was a reincarnation of Abuelo itself. Or hearing her Mami talking to herself, she has yet to figure out her Mami’s hate for Tía Thera. 

Dolores wouldn’t bother asking about it, the adults in her family had a habit of waving off inquiries about things they didn’t want to speak about. Which, unfortunately, left the ‘kids’ of the family in the dark about many things. As the town passed information around in rumors and half told truths. Of course Dolores heard all these rumors and knew for a fact that a lot of them were just plain lies. 

One of her favorite rumors actually centered about Mirabel and Carlos. Because some people recognized the rune on Mirabel’s door and told those who didn’t what it was. Then with Carlos spending the night that night and Mirabel’s actions and the way she treats Antonio. Apparently the two teens are planning on running away with Antonio to get married and live a life outside the Encanto, specifically because Mirabel herself was pregnant. 

Dolores found herself laughing at it for a while, it was such a silly thing. Mostly because she knew it could never be true. Mirabel was hardset in family pride, even with how bad Abuela has admittedly treated her, and would never dare to even think about bedding someone she has not married for fear of ruining the family reputation. Although Dolores knows that Mirabel has not considered that her and Carlos’ little sleepover, in which they shared the same bed, which they had done many times as little kids, could be considered as ‘bedding’ to some of the more older ladies. No one will say it to her face though, Mirabel may be small and seemingly non-threatening but no one has forgotten the time one of the town people made one too many snide comments to the girl and she blew up at him. 

Dolores felt great joy in hearing him quickly leaving before dawn, it was quite embarrassing to be yelled at by an 8 year old in the town square. In front of everyone. When you have been told multiple times by multiple people to stop making the comments. Dolores privately thought he had what was coming, when she was 8 Mirabel carried around a pair of sharp scissors, she also privately wished that Mirabel had hurt him. She knows that Tía Julieta would not have healed him. But Mirabel had simply yelled at the man, no threats with the scissors happened, no matter how deserving it was.

Dolores caught sight of Mariano being followed around by little kids and went to go tease him. Her crush on him was long gone, instead being replaced with simple familial love, he was a part of their family and privately she couldn’t wait, he would fit right in. He would help Mirabel too, Dolores knew that the girl carried too much on her shoulders and was hesitant to tell anyone about it, Dolores was glad the girl had found Mariano as someone to confide in. 

As Dolores walked over, she had a fleeting thought of asking Abuela when Dolores herself would be set up with a husband. Dolores may not want much in life, but she did want to marry and be happy.  Like her parents were. 

Pepa knew she was petty, she also knew it was no use in holding a grudge against Thera. She didn’t really remember why she had the grudge but she was horribly reminded of it whenever she looked Mirabel in the face, the girl looked so much like Thera that it made Pepa sad, so she did what she always did, covered sadness up with anger. Pepa was aware it was a horrible coping mechanism, but it was something she had inherited from her Mother. 

She loved her niece, she really did, she got along with Mirabel better than Luísa or Isabella (or she used to), she thinks it was why she trusted Mirabel with Antonio so early on. She hadn’t meant to push Antonio on the girl, but the town needs piled up, her storms scared Antonio, and it had been so long since she had a baby (not since Dolores) and she knew she was being too loud, too harsh with him. Originally she had only wanted to have Mirabel watch Antonio if needed, like when her storms started up and Felix needed to calm her. Having her crying baby around would just stress her out more and not let her calm. Or when the crops needed watering. But her Mama noticed how good Mirabel was with Antonio and told her to leave him to Mirabel, to focus on her duties. 

So maybe she had a misplaced grudge against Mirabel since the girl was getting to raise Antonio instead of Pepa. Pepa knew the real subject of her ire was her Mother, but almost every interaction with her mother left Pepa with a cloud. So Pepa has taken to avoiding her when she can, seeking her out over a decision made almost 3 years ago would get nothing done. Besides, she sees how comfortable Antonio is with Mirabel and knows that any attempt to pull him away from her will not end well.

Pepa was more like her Mother than she wanted to admit, the more she wanted to just break down in sobs she just made herself angry. She knew she was lashing out but she was never taught how to control it, just repress, repress, repress until she exploded. 

Pepa knew she was a ticking time bomb, everything added on to make the time shorted (Bruno leaving, her taking in Camilo, Camilo looking just like Bruno, Mirabel looking just like Thera, Antonio, Mirabel and Antonio, her Mother, Mirabel’s 13th birthday party, Bruno coming back, the town rumors, the old ladies talking, Mirabel and Carlos being to Antonio what she desperately wanted her and Felix to be to Antonio, what  they weren’t allowed to be to Antonio) it all piled up. It just kept piling up and she knew she was getting close to exploding because she was sparking (her argument with Bruno, her argument with Mirabel, The Incident with Camilo and Bruno). 

So yeah, she knew, but she couldn't do anything about it. Just had to watch as she sparked dangerously and got a step closer to her explosion with every word sent her way, with every incident, every problem. She knew, but she also knew it couldn't (wouldn't)  be stopped, and that just made it all the worst.

Chapter Text

Mirabel laid on the ground thinking, Carlos sat under a tree nearby, he was reading something. The ghosts of her dead mother and brother had long since gone away, claiming they had other things to get to. It had been a few days after all, she did wonder what they were getting up to.  She didn’t really care but she knew if she didn’t think about it then her mind would turn to Carlos, and the fact that she still wasn’t too sure what they were. 

Were they dating? Was there a specific word for them? She didn’t wanna ask. She knew she could, and probably should, but she just really didn’t want to. Mostly for fear that it would all come crashing down around her. Things that made her happy like this, also made her anxious about it.

Carlos sighed and laid on the ground next to her, his book laying on his bag. 

“Alright, what’s wrong?” Mirabel turned to him, a question on the tip of her tongue. “You keep sighing all sadly, so what’s up?” 

Mirabel turned back to stare at the sky. “I wanna say it’s nothing, but something tells me you won’t take that for an answer.” 

“You’re right. I won’t.” 

“It’s stupid.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“I can’t say it’s because of Antonio’s party?” 

“Well, it is later on, but I know that’s not what’s bothering you.” Mirabel groaned and brought her arms up to cover her face. “If you truly don’t wanna talk about it.. we won't.” Despite having her face covered, Mirabel had the sense that Carlos was shrugging.

“It’s not that! I do want to, just….”

“Just not right now?” 

“Yeah.”

“That’s alright.” 

“But I should probably be worried about Antonio’s party.” Mirabel sat up, Carlos stayed laying on the ground. 

“Don’t. You’ve been worrying about it for a while now. You’ve worried enough.” Mirabel playfully hits his shoulder after he says that.

“Excuse you! I could never worry too much!” She exclaims. Carlos sits up, laughing a little. 

“Of course not, you worry just enough.” Mirabel narrows her eyes at him. Carlos shrugs, fighting a grin back, but failing as the edges of his lips twitch. “Come on now, I’m actually surprised you're out here and not back at Casita decorating.” 

Mirabel rolls her eyes, “They basically kicked me out for the day, said I was making too much of a fuss where I had no reason to.” 

Carlos shook his head, “Mira, I don’t understand your family.” 

“I don’t either!” 

“Speaking of- where is Antonio?” Carlos was concerned, he hadn’t really seen the boy in a few days

“You know little Cecilia? Well, since she and a bunch of the other village tots are already in the school and I know she and Antonio get along, I’ve had Antonio start hanging around them all so he’s used to being around them as well as being used to being away from the familiar faces of the family.” Mirabel explained, “Also because he wasn’t getting much socialization from kids his age outside of parties and that wasn’t too good for him.” 

“Ah, how’s Julieta doing?” 

“It’s been about 17 years since she was last pregnant. She seems to be doing well overall but it’s the little things that get her down.” 

“It would seem so, I saw her in the town yesterday.” 

“Yeah, yesterday was a bit of a bad day. What I’m more worried about is the fact that she’s a bit too big for how far along she is and I was very suddenly reminded that she is the eldest of triplets, and neither she nor Pepa have had any doubles. Because with Lola’s babies, which she’s refusing almost all help with, if Julieta has doubles or even triplets then that's more work for me.” Mirabel sighed, “Because while I know Julieta would let me help and wouldn’t mean to, but when she is healthy enough to be back on her feet, Abuela will want her back out with her stand and Augustin still has other chores to do during the day which will take him away. With my Gift and the Antonio thing, it’ll be decided to leave her babies with me during the day. But then it’ll become that the day was really tiring and would I mind keeping them just for the night and suddenly they're mine full time and I’ll have to arrange everything to accommodate them in my schedule-” A hand on her arm cut her off. She sighed again. 

She looked up to Carlos, “I don’t mind watching over them really, I love children. It’s just, I-” She trailed off, unable to find the words to express it. 

“They take advantage of it?” Carlos offered, Mirabel nodded. “So, back to the Topic of Antonio’s birthday that we’ve distracted from, is there anything I should be on the lookout for?” 

“Ah, nothing as of right now. That can always change and knowing my family will be subjected to change at least once during the party.” Mirabel sighed once more.

“I can’t believe Antonio is only 3. Seems like it’s been longer.” 

“I think it’s because of everything that’s been happening. Especially now, being in a pretty boring town for all our lives and then all these things start happening within a month or two, makes everything seem longer.”

“Oh.” Carlos tilted his head to stare at her. “How’re you handling it all?”

Mirabel gave a tired smile, “As best I can. Did I tell you what I overheard in town?” Carlos shook his head ‘no’, Mirabel was the best at sneaking around and gathering gossip, but she was also the best at tripping over rocks, dirtying her skirts, and gathering all attention. There was barely any in-between with her. 

"Besides the general gossip of people with nothing else to do, the engagement announcements, pregnancy announcements, and so on.. You know Senorita Ramona Alonso?" Carlos nodded, "Well her son, Fidel, has apparently struck friends with Lola, the Widow Lola, not the other one, and has been seen around town just walking with her or playing with one of her babies. But you know how this town is, people think they're gonna get together. Senorita Ramona isn't too happy with that, she thinks her son should settle down with one of the town girls and not a- well I shouldn't repeat it really."  Mirabel leaned in a bit as she talked, as if to protect her words from being overheard by anyone else but Carlos.

Carlos' eyes widened, and his mouth opened in a silent gasp. "No, she didn't!" 

Mirabel nodded, "She did!: She exclaimed, “I kind of want Lola and Fidel to get together now, just so Senorita Ramona will have to take back her words or have to play nice because Lola would be part of her familia." 

Carlos looked up at the sound of a squirrel running across the trees, attention stolen for the moment, "Yeah, but you know she wont." He pointed out. Mirabel sighed with a nod, the older generation, Grandparents, some Great Grandparents, have a hard time admitting when they are wrong. 

"Alright, let's start heading back now, it's getting around the time for the party."

It was pretty early in the day, but Mirabel had managed to convince her family that holding the party until late at night wouldn't be good for all the town kids. 

Carlos stood up and helped her up next, grabbing their things as she dusted off her skirts. "So.. what am I supposed to expect or do?" 

"Despite everything I have said, I know that the party is going to run late so be careful with how you talk with Antonio once he gets sleepy. Slips are more noticed at parties, and since I'm the one that has been putting Antonio to bed and all for the past few years it can't be played off smoothly if he calls you papi in everyone's hearing range." Mirabel ran her hand through her hair, she had decided not to cut it after all. She has had her short hair since she was 3 or 4, it was time for a new style. She wasn’t quite sure what she would do with a longer hairstyle, but she’d figure it out.

Chapter Text

Carlos was young then, but he has the vivid memory of attending the gift ceremony of one Mirabel Madrigal, was in the same room and felt the gasps rasp against his ears as the glowing door faded into nothing upon her touch. Was in the room when the whispers of how the child must’ve been cursed just like her father. Carlos was all of six years old when he made eye contact with Mirabel, her dressed in all white and him in red, much like a scene that would play out again years later, and know that deep down, he would be her friend. 

He knew this when she picked herself up on the playground after an older kid bumped her and didn’t bother to help her up. He knew this when she still sang and laughed and skipped through the town even with the whispers and accusations of a ‘cursed child’ running in her wake. 

He knew this when his grandmother invited her to come work in the seamstress shop after learning that the butterfly stitching lining the hems of Mirabel’s skirts were of the girl's own handiwork.

He knew he would one day, hopefully, be more than just a friend to her the first day they sat to have lunch together, a good sunny day. The golden beams glowing down on Mirabel, highlighting her face and every freckle or mole that dotted her skin, the way the sun glinted off the edge of her glasses and highlighted the secret green that lived around the pupils of her eyes. The way that Mirabel glowed, like a true miracle under the sun. 

Maybe it was the first day that she had brought Antonio into the shop. The young baby, only just out of the wrinkly stage, still developing his color. It warmed something in Carlos, to see Mirabel holding and caring for a baby like that. Maybe it reminded him of the way his mother cared for his siblings. The look in his grandmother’s eye told him that he was looking at Mirabel in a similar way to the way his father looked at his mother when she was caring for his siblings.

Carlos was thirteen when he put the feeling in his chest into words and identified it as love. He was thirteen when he cradled Mirabel into his arms and promised to stay by her side. Carlos was thirteen when little baby Antonio looked at him, and called him “Papi” with the confidence of a boy who knew no other.

So maybe he was young, sure he heard the rumors. He and Antonio were both of a darker skin tone and with coarser hair then Mirabel, and sure Antonio and Mirabel had similar faces, but that was just coincidence that came from them being cousins. And maybe it lit Carlos aflame whenever someone referred to Mirabel and Antonio as his ‘wife and son’ even as a joke. It becomes a ‘joke’ in his family, his mother asking him if he’s out to see ‘the wife and kid’ whenever he puts his shoes on, his father nudging him and telling him to ‘bring that family of your around for dinner one of these days’, it settles something in his chest, the idea of his family joking about something like that, it means it’s not just in his head and maybe he can dream about it a little more.

Chapter Text

When Bruno was 8, he met her. Thera Solana. Her family was new to the Encanto and had decided to send their kids to the village school. The teacher sat her next to him, even though she was a year older, and he was mesmerized. She was beautiful. She even talked to him, without wanting a vision! It was amazing and he quickly considered her his best friend. She said he was hers. 

Bruno was 8 when he felt like his life had finally begun. 

Bruno remembered being 12, rumors had started to spread about her. She was cursed. A Devil’s Child. He didn’t know why anyone would think that. Thera told him that her family were the ones to spread the rumors. Then she leaned in real close and told him that she could see spirits. He believed her, if he could see the future, why couldn’t she see the dead?

So, they became closer, bonding over being ostracized by the village. They spent their days out by a shallow creek, sometimes he would come home with his ruana wet and pant legs wet but would have the biggest smile on his face so his mother said nothing. 

He was 15 when they started dating. It wasn’t a big change and he couldn’t tell you when they went from correcting people that ‘No we aren’t dating ma’am, just best friends’ to telling them that ``Yes Ma’am, we are together” It just happened, there was no big catalyst. 

He remembers Pepa pulling him aside when she learns about it and telling him that “Haven’t you heard? She’s cursed, you shouldn’t be around her!” 

He remembers yanking his arm out of his sister’s hold and hissing, “They also say I’m cursed, shall I lock myself away in my room?” He remembers storming away as she thundered. 

Bruno was 15 when he realized his sister was more like their Mama than she thought. 

He remembered being 21, watching Julieta marry Augustín. 

He remembered being 23, Pepa’s wedding. Félix was good for her, the man had come and asked him, Bruno, for permission to marry her. He remembers telling him that he would want nothing less but for the man to join the family. He was friends with Félix he thinks. 

He remembered being 25 and marrying Thera. He remembers her light green dress, everyone thought it was white but she confided in him that she worked hard and made a green color that was so light it appeared  white. He remembers thinking he would never love her more than in that moment. 

He remembers being 29. Isabela and Dolores were born. Both his sisters had insisted that he be in the room and for him to be the first to hold them. 

He remembers being 30, he remembers Aurelio. Thera had been in labor for hours. He never left her side. The babe had been premature, but had managed to pull through. Marta (Thera’s Mother) suggesting for Thera to bring Aurelio to visit them all, a few months after his birth, for them to celebrate his arrival within the Solana Family. He remembers his own Mama thinking nothing of it, he remembers wanting to do a vision to check that all would go well but being talked out of it by his Mom. He did it anyway, but had seen nothing outright bad, he hid the vision. 

He remembers being 30, holding his son as the infant wailed and coughed up blood because someone had poisoned him. He remembers them all being helpless to stop it. He remembers holding his son, his baby, in his arms as he stopped breathing. He remembers Thera’s screams. 

Bruno is 30 and is helpless to do anything but listen to the grief-stricken screams while holding his lifeless child.

There’s a funeral, a few days later he goes back to look at the vision, he remembers tilting it just so, he remembers seeing it change from Marta Solana feeding the baby to her putting something in Aurelio’s bottle. He remembers being enraged. He remembers showing the vision to his Mama, showing her how it had hidden the bad and tricked him. 

He remembers his Mom going to visit the Solana family. He remembers the family quickly packing up and moving, leaving the Encanto so fast they left things behind. Clothes, food, items. He remembers always tilting his visions after that, making sure nothing was hidden from him. 

Bruno never wanted anything to be hidden from him again. 

He remembers being 31, Lusia being born. Isabela was so excited to be an older sister. Well as excited as a  2 year old with a basic understanding of life can be. 

He remembers being 34, Isabela’s gift ceremony. Flowers that quickly sprouted around her doorway and in her hair. He remembers her smiling and thanking the people that congratulated her, he remembers his Mama smiling at her. 

Bruno knows that Isabela sprouted thorns and hurt herself often, he seemed to be the only one who could see the bandages.

He remembers being 34, Dolores’ gift ceremony. The little girl screams as everything was suddenly too loud for her and Bruno regrets letting Pepa and Julieta talk him out of peaking in the future. 

Bruno had later shown her how to handle it, had shown her how to block out what she didn’t want to hear. His gift may have been sight but his ears heard all too well. 

He remembers being 34, Thera is pregnant again. He worries, he visits Aurelio’s grave, he makes a promise; to himself and his boy. 

He’s 35, Thera is in labor and she’s banned him from peaking in the future until after the birth. He is by her side again, never once faltering, just like when they were 12 and 13 and the village people accused them of being cursed. He hears a cry, then another, a different one. 

Twins, They’ve had twins. A girl and a boy. Mirabel and Camilo. Both of them carried to full term but so small they look premature, they are smaller than Aurelio was, he is afraid to hold them. Thera allows Bruno to look into the future for them. He does. He tilts the emerald slate this way and that, turning it upside down and flipping it over. Making sure no bad things are hidden in the small details before showing it to his love. Their babies are alright, they survive and are happy. He gathers both in his arms and takes them to show Aurelio his siblings. 

He doesn’t comment when his wife leans against him with tears in her eyes after checking on them in their cradles. He knows Aurelio has followed him back, knows Aurelio has taken to watching his siblings. He wonders if ghosts age. He manages to ask. Thera is quiet for a while, she eventually answers that they do, only if they want to. He doesn’t ask about what form Aurelio has taken. 

Bruno is 35 and will do anything to keep his babies safe.

He’s 36, Luisa gets her gift, she trips over her feet trying to skip and happily picks up potted plants and ‘heavy’ chairs. Bruno shows her how to stack things in her arms so she doesn’t drop them.

He’s 36, Isabela and Dolores innocently ask him to do a vision for them. He asks their mothers. They say it could be alright. He tells Isabela that her power will grow and she’ll someday have the life of her dreams. He sits Dolores down and explains hers to her. She doesn’t know what it means to have ‘man of her dreams just out of reach’ and he doesn’t explain more. 

Bruno longs to tell Isabela that it’s alright to have thorns, that everyone has them and the ones she has are just more physical. He doesn't know how to tell Dolores that hers is fickle, doesn’t know how to say that it will change and shatter upon a single decision.

He’s 39, Thera has come down sick, badly. Julieta’s food isn’t working. He looks into the future and spends hours tilting the slate, begging it to show something else. But when he’s done, it shows the same image. A grave marked ‘Thera’ stands next to the one marked ‘Aurelio’. 

He’s 39, he has to explain to his 4 year olds that ‘Amá has gone to stay with Aurelio and won’t be back’ he has to explain to them that she loved them dearly and didn’t leave because she hated them.  He’s 39 and has to explain death to his babies. 

He’s 39 and had a budding hate for his sister as Pepa hides a sneer during Thera’s Funeral. He sees the same look on their Mama's face and doesn’t know how to tell Pepa that she’s becoming the person that causes her thunderstorms.

He’s 40 and has to watch as Camilo walks down to get his gift alone. It wasn’t the boy’s birthday, he and Mirabel should’ve been walking down to get them together but his Mother refused to change her mind. She has been silently planning more often and Bruno fears for his children. 

He’s 40 and Mirabel doesn’t get a gift. The door disappears under his baby girl’s hand. The lights dimming away in front of her and Bruno feels anger as his Mama flinches away from the tiny girl’s gaze. 

He’s 40 and his mother makes him have a vision of the future. He does but destroys it before his mother can see, it’s fickle like Dolores’, changes built on decisions that can’t be forced. He hopes it will change before it’s too late.

He’s 40 and tells his babies that he’ll see them in the morning and that it’ll be alright. He avoids looking into their eyes, they know he’s lying.

He’s 40 and he escapes Casita and hides in the forest. 

He’s 41 and watched as his family spent weeks searching for him. 

He’s 41 and watches as his children are split to be raised by his sisters. He wonders why they didn’t keep them together. 

He’s 42 and his daughter is being bullied in the school yard. He is grateful for little Carlos Sandez, the boy not hesitating to stand up for his daughter. His son is held back by responsibilities too big for his tiny shoulders.

He wants to sweep them both in his arms and hide them away, but then they smile and he knows why he doesn’t.

He’s 43 and watches as his children forget, forget themselves, forget him, forget Thera, forget Aurelio. He feels only sadness.

He’s 44 and Carlos Sandez convinces Nina Sandez to let Mirabel work in the Seamstress shop. He can’t help but notice that her smile is brighter now. Camilo finds the river Bruno’s mother never let any of them go to and shows it to Mirabel. Bruno knows why and keeps a close eye on the children when they’re there, but they never even think of crossing it.

He’s 45, his children are 10. Pepa has a baby, she names him Antonio. His mother sets Isabela and Mariano Guzman up to be married and Bruno sees the way Dolores’ eyes trail after them. Mirabel starts humming his Papa’s lullaby. Camilo starts talking to air when he’s alone in Casita and Bruno knows who he’s talking to before the word Abuelo ever leaves his mouth.

He’s 45 and watches as Mirabel’s gift finally starts to develop. He watches as his daughter shoulders the responsibility of a baby younger than she would ever need to, her small arms unused to caring for a child so young. He watches as Camilo’s eyes harden around his Mama and he knows. He knows that for all his Mama has done and no matter what she does next, Camilo will never forgive her for this.  He wonders if Mirabel’s gift was waiting on her to need it. If it hadn’t yet been chosen what it would be as she had not ever needed anything more than she already had.

He’s 46 and watches as Carlos falls head over heels for his daughter. He watches as she loses childhood wonder, that childhood innocent glimmer in her eyes fading day by day. He watches as Camilo learns to form a fist, he learns this right before punching an older boy. Bruno is too far away to hear what is said but from the look on Camilo’s face Bruno knows without a doubt it was about Mirabel. Bruno steers Dolores in Camilo’s direction, his boy bottles too much up but he trusts Dolores and that’s all Bruno could ever ask of him.

He’s 46, Antonio calls Mirabel ‘Mami’. His heart breaks as his daughter simply nods and responds to the name because that’s what she is, isn’t she?  She’s the one raising him, she’s his Mami. He watches as Camilo accidentally overhears, Bruno knows why Pepa and his Mama suddenly have a very hard week. He wishes he were there to teach his son how to control that anger, how to forgive but never forget, how to not let it control you. 

He’s 47, his children have completely forgotten who they are. They fall completely into their assigned roles, Mirabel stares at Carlos too much. Camilo starts silently following Mirabel to the seamstress shop, to make sure she gets there safe. He and Carlos nod at each other and Bruno wonders if they had a conversation that he missed. Antonio spends the day around Mariano, Bruno watches as the older boy suddenly understands when Antonio cries for his ‘Mami’ but shields away from Pepa.

He’s grateful that Mariano never asks but starts trying to help.

He’s 48, Mirabel and Carlos dance at her birthday party and he knows the look in Carlos’s eyes all too well.  Mirabel’s gift comes in completely and she gets a door at her 13th birthday party. Carlos never once leaves her side, Bruno has never been more thankful for the boy. 

He’s 48 and he returns home, his family welcomes him with open arms. Pepa doesn’t. It stings to hear his children call him Tío. Camilo stares at him for too long with eyes too knowing and says ‘Tio’ like he doesn’t mean it, like he knows it’s a lie and is daring anyone to call him on it.

He’s 48 and he has an argument with Pepa. She yells at him, He yells at her. 

He’s 48. His children know.