Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Encanto had experienced one of their biggest crises when the Madrigal family saw their Casita fall. Fortunately, they had been able to rebuild it with the help of the townspeople. Following that incident, the mountains were now split up, allowing anyone to get into the Encanto. Funny it took so long for someone new to actually enter the town! 

And that first person was Doctor Alborotadora Remedios, therapist. While she had been hiking for days, a bag with all of her things on her back and the sun hot on her dark brown skin, she discovered an opening in the mountains. Her map wasn’t indicating any path or any way through, contradicting what she had in front of her. Wondering if it was related to the recent earthquake she had heard about, she decided to give it a go, reminding herself of all the times she enticed her patients into not being afraid to try new things. What kind of therapist would she be if she wasn’t applying her own advice? She told herself she’d back up if there was any danger.

Coming out of the other side she encountered a view that made her think she had been right to do it: A whole town with colorful houses and many kinds of plants, circled by the mountains and trees, was sitting at the bottom. It was beautiful! One peculiar house attracted her attention by being the biggest, most colorful, and situated at the top of a hill surrounding the whole town. She guessed it was an important building. 

Well, she wasn't planning to come back home for a few weeks, so she decided to see if she could stay a bit in that paradise and learn more about it. 

For that purpose, she got down the side of the passage in the mountains she was on. Then, she walked on the streets of the town, browsing the shops, amazed by how that community managed to live by itself, far from the modern world and the tools brought by new technology.

Doctor Alborotadora was so mesmerized by that town that she didn’t pay attention to the stares she was attracting, people murmuring when she was passing by and some of them even running away. However, she heard someone yell “Go fetch Mirabel!”

Hearing that intrigued her for a brief moment, before she got distracted by a flower shop with many kinds of plants, some of them not from the region. Surprised, she made her eyes browse the front of the building to spot a brown woman taking care of them. Guessing it was the florist, she approached her, then began to quiz her, startling the woman as soon as she noticed her “I’m sorry? Are you the florist? I’m new here, I didn’t even know there was a town in this place, was it built recently?”

“Hum...I’m sorry...” answered the woman, clearly feeling uneasy. 

“Don’t be! It’s okay, I’m just curious. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Hum...Than-”

“I mean, this town is really incredible, it seems so full of life and cut from the world... How did you get these flowers though?” she added while pointing to some of them. “They aren’t from this part of Colombia, how did you get them?”

She kept interrogating her, when she heard a young voice resonating near her "Who do we have here?”

Turning towards its source, she saw a teen with big green glasses, tan skin and mid-length curly hair looking at her with a mischievous grin. Her hands were on her hips as she was stating loudly and proudly “Welcome to our town, The Encanto, where everyone is welcomed! At least as long as they don't create trouble."

Readjusting her glasses, the doctor questioned her "And can I ask who you are? You seem to be someone important!"

"I am!" she sassily answered while hitting her chest with one hand. "My name is Mirabel Madrigal, I'm part of the Madrigal family who is in charge of this town! We provide all the needs with our gifts and they help us too when needed! Yes it's us, the Madrigal family!"

Doctor Alborotadora readjusted her glasses once again, interested by that new piece of information. So that town was in the care of one family! Probably by the one living in the big house up the hill even! Interesting! And that girl... The doctor smiled "You seem to love your family."

"Yes I do!" confirmed Mirabel with the biggest smile. "They're amazing, the caretakers of the town, its shining star and...”

The doctor opened her eyes wide, seeing the girl briefly standing a bit less proudly, her expression becoming sadder, biting her lips as if trying to blame herself for something. Which became clearer when she clarified, clearly feeling uneasy “Well, I’m part of these stars! I mean...I don’t have a gift like them but I’m just as special. Eh! I even recently saved our family!”

That last part got confirmed by the townspeople who were fast to praise Mirabel for what she did. However, Doctor Alborotadora felt something was going on. She felt something triggering her professionalism as a therapist and making her want to help her with her mental health. But she couldn’t do that! She was in dire need of relaxation, she had been working three month straight and with some pretty aggressive patients. She needed this vacation! 

On the other hand, since she was there she could notice they didn't seem to have therapists, and they most likely wouldn't travel to the next big town to see one. She was in real need of relaxation but... Well, she couldn’t let people in need suffer either. Internally sighing, feeling her vacations were over, she decided to help them as much as she could. 

"You don't seem so sure of yourself when saying that." she stated with an amused look. 

She knew she was right when she saw Mirabel turning her eyes to the side with a nervous look. 

She was correct, because Mirabel wasn’t feeling okay at all being in front of that foreigner who could read her mind that easily. She was especially embarrassed since she was trying to cheer herself up and be happy to finally be recognized by her family. Yet, that woman was voicing what she didn't want to admit even to herself. 

Thinking about it, Mirabel wondered whether that woman had a gift herself, one to read people’s hearts. Which was surprising since, as far as Mirabel knew, only her family had gifts. How could that woman have one? Mirabel turned her eyes back to her, looking at her from head to toe. She had styled her hair into two puff buns like ears, was carrying an enormous bag, and wearing trousers under a tank top. With that look and the sweat on her brown skin, Mirabel guessed she was coming from very far away and had been travelling a long time. 

Suddenly, when she was still trying to judge how of a threat that foreigner was, the woman stretched her hand toward her, introducing herself with an embarrassed look "Oh! I'm Doctor Remedios Alborotadora. I'm a therapist."

"A thera... What?" 

"Just as I thought, in this town you don't have therapists and don’t even seem to know what they are... Well we therapists are healers for the mind. We are here to take care of what isn't visible,” she shrugged before proceeding with a smirk. “Basically we listen to people and after many sessions with us people end up magically feeling better."

She ended her explanation with a guttural laugh as if she said something funny, making Mirabel think that woman didn’t seem to be right in her mind either and probably needed to see a therapist herself. 

"Enough about me though!" suddenly stated Doctor Alborotadora, startling Mirabel. "You, my dear, don't feel right yourself! I can sense it!"

"Because you have the gift to heal people?" demanded Mirabel, having understood her explanation as her having a gift like her mother's who could heal people with a meal. 

"I don't know what a gift is but let's talk about it somewhere where we could relax a bit and... Be alone! My bag is heavy!"

As if to prove her point, she let her big bag slip off her shoulder, letting it fall on the ground with a 'thump'. She kept smiling all the way however, as a way to show her she wasn't a threat. What Mirabel could easily believe. She still had her doubts, yet she knew more than rejecting someone only because of that. 

Ready to give her a chance, she let her reach out for her fallen bag, then led her to a place full of plants and trees circling a bench. It was a beautiful place but most of the town was busy enough not to come relax in that kind of place, and those who wanted to had many other beautiful spots like this one they could go to. Mirabel doubted they’d be bothered. 

She watched as the foreigner put her bag at the foot of the bench, before imitating her by sitting on it. Then, the doctor sighed deeply of relief, before chuckling “Sorry, I travelled a long way! I meant to sleep under the stars but I’d really prefer being safe in this town rather than in the wilds. The first nights were nice but after three of them it gets boring.”

“You were sleeping under the stars?” Gawked Mirabel.

“Oh! Yes I was. I like living some adventures and I figured I’d do it if I was hiking for weeks without camping equipment. Oh well! I found something way better with this town, how long has it been here?”

Mirabel didn’t answer at first, hesitating. At the moment the woman only talked about herself and how she got here, not about what a therapist was, on the contrary of what Mirabel expected her to talk about. A bit annoyed, Mirabel decided to move the topic back to the doctor’s gift.

“Oh but didn’t you say you had a gift?”

“I don’t know what you actually mean by a “gift”, could you be more specific?”

“Oh you know...”

Seeing the doctor’s face it was clear she actually didn’t know. A bit embarrassed, but always happy to talk about her family, she obligated “Actually fifty years ago my family had to flee their home and while doing so we got a miracle which grew the mountains, my family’s casita, and later gave my family our gifts! For example, my Tía Pepa can influence the weather with her mood, and my mom can heal with a meal.”

“You mean she can cook anything and when she gives it to someone it’ll heal them?”

“Exactly!” divulged Mirabel with excitement. “Isn’t that awesome? My mom is the best and...”

Mirabel stopped herself to say more when seeing Doctor Alborotadora chuckle, as if making fun of her, making her realise she got a bit carried away by praising her family while she wasn’t completely certain that person was trustworthy enough yet. If she wasn’t, she could use her family’s gifts to do something bad. However, Mirabel felt more at ease when the woman smiled, yet apologized “Oh I’m sorry! I think I must have worried you. I only laughed because I think your love for your family was really cute.”

She cleared her throat before continuing “I understand now, you didn’t mean a gift as in ‘That person is good at drawing! She must have a gift’ or ‘That person has a gift for singing, her voice is so beautiful’ No, you rather meant a gift as a magical gift.”

“Oh hum...yes...” confirmed Mirabel. “Do you...”

“Oh! No no, I’m not magical.” laughed Doctor Alborotadora. “I would love to have one, like being able to read people’s minds since it would help me a lot in my work but...no I don’t. I’m only listening to what people say and I analyse them on what they’re telling me so I can know how to help them.”

Then, she continued while glancing away, visibly trying to search into her memories “Sometimes listening is enough, they understand by themselves how to feel better but, sometimes, I have to go a bit further and provoke them.”

“Is that what a therapist is? Simply someone who listens to people and gives them advice? Like a friend does?”

“Kind of! The difference is that I’m paid to do so!”

Then, Doctor Alborotadora laughed once again while all Mirabel could do was stare at her in shock, wondering once again how mentally healthy that woman was. Yet, something in her couldn’t help but find her sympathetic, as if they have been friends for years. That woman really didn’t have a gift? Strange considering that feeling. 

She stared at her until the laughing stopped, which took a while, then the doctor smiled at Mirabel, returning her back the question. 

"What about you? Are you magical?"

"Ah hum... No, I'm not."

She felt the embarrassment get her, hazing her mind, while Doctor Alborotadora was keeping her judging eyes on her. Mirabel kept silence a little while before finally confessing, confused "I... The miracle didn't grant me a gift at my gift ceremony so..."

Then, remembering these last days, the smiled while adding "Ah! But recently I did my part! I saved the miracle and got recognized by my family as someone worthy!”

“That’s great, isn’t it?”

Mirabel nodded, any doubt now absent from her being. Doctor Alborotadora got a notebook out of her bag while Mirabel was keeping on “Exactly! Especially about how hard it was! I had to find my cousin Dolores...She has super hearing so she was the most obvious option to start with...Who directed me toward my sister Luisa who told me I should go find my tío Bruno’s last vision up his tower! Then I had to climb an awfully lot of stairs to even reach the top but the bridge there was broken so I had to find a way to get to the vision cave and..."

"What kind of vision does your tío Bruno give?"

"Oh! You don't know of course", realized Mirabel, embarrassed. "He can see into the future."

"Really? Must be hard!"

"You're right, it's hard for him", she confirmed with a nod. "He was seen as a bad omen because of it, a monster, someone bringing up disasters."

"Did you think so too?"

"Well I was too young when he suddenly disappeared 10 years ago so I didn't know much."

"He disappeared?" said the doctor, surprised. 

She noted in her notebook 'Disappearing Tío, the members of the family must miss him, dig into that'. 

"Yes! Until months ago when I found him! He was in the walls and now he's back into the family so everything is alright."

The doctor noted 'he's back now though'. Then, she smiled "And it's thanks to you I see! You are a brave girl!"

"Thank you!" laughed Mirabel, feeling pleased by the compliment. 

"I don't understand what's the problem then?"

"Sorry?"

"Well you seem incredible! What makes you so embarrassed about not having a gift?"

Mirabel was speechless, realizing with confusion she wasn’t able to answer. Indeed, what made her think that? Why was she feeling so uneasy about it? 

“I’ve been recognized by my family”, she thought out loud with discomfort. “I have been praised because I saved them, I gave them their gifts back, took the pressure they were under off their shoulders...I’m even the one we go to when there is a problem and we need someone to make a decision.” 

“Oh! This is why you’re the one who came to see me!”

“Yes, some townspeople were worried and wanted me to decide what to do.”

Then, she kept silent, smiling a bit realizing how her situation had evolved in a good way since the fall of Casita. She wasn’t the bad sheep of the family anymore, she wasn’t the one in the way but someone we were showing respect to. She was happy! 

The look on Mirabel’s face indicated to Doctor Albarotadora her session was finished, making her close her notebook and put it away. She’ll probably still need some moments with her, but she knew without the girl telling her she was feeling better. 

Now that Mirabel probably understood now what a therapist was, the doctor hoping she was finally trusting her, there was only one thing left to do: Find out where she would sleep for the time she’d be in the town. A part of her felt she should stand ready to take care of any member of the family so she could help them as much as she could. Especially since, based on what Mirabel told her, they lived through something terrible for many years, a pressure which, she guessed, led the man named Bruno to leave. 

With that in mind, she suggested with a grin “That’s awesome! I hope I proved I wasn’t a threat then, only a humble therapist looking for a place to stay for a while.”

Mirabel nodded, then locked eyes with the doctor, who was hoping she’d soon understand what she was implying. Which the girl did after a while, gasping “Oh! Of course yes, you can come live in Casita! I’ll explain the situation and I’m sure everyone will agree to let you stay!”

“Nice! Thank you!”

They got up, the doctor picked her bag then followed Mirabel toward the big colorful house at the top of the hill. 

Chapter Text

When Doctor Alborotadora Remedios arrived at the house with Mirabel, they were welcomed by a bunch of other people waiting for them in the courtyard. Probably the Madrigal family, the caretakers of the town. There were eleven of them, adults and children alike, all standing behind a stern woman she guessed was the matriarch. The woman who fled her home fifty years ago was now scowling while looking at them, clearly suspicious of her, while the rest of the family behind her was shared between curious and worried faces.  

"¡La familia Madrigal!" started Mirabel with confidence. "Let me introduce you Remedios Alborotadora! She's a therapist! A therapist is a magical being who-"

"What?" interrupted Doctor Alborotadora, chuckling, not liking what she was hearing. "I'm not magical, it's my job! I studied it and got a doctorate as a therapist, more specifically a psychologist."

"I never heard of psychologists before," claimed the matriarch with suspicion. "Neither about therapists."

The doctor chuckled once more, expecting it, explaining "Oh! Well...It's because it was brought into Colombia very recently! It's a new way to deal with people's minds and avoid sending them to asylums."

Looking at the woman, it was clear she didn't know what asylums were. Growing up, she probably was living in a town too modest for her to be aware of these issues. The doctor wasn't sure if she preferred that or her knowing about these awful places.

Her enthusiasm still up, convinced of the therapy's benefits, Mirabel explained "Anyway, this is absolutely wonderful! You talk to her and you feel incredibly better, your mind is clearer and you can finally think straight!"

The Doctor saw doubts in the family's eyes. She couldn't blame them, most people had the same reaction when her mentor arrived in Colombia to talk about the concept of therapy. She wasn't losing hope though, if she could convince Mirabel so her family. The only problem was for it to be efficient, it had to be from the patient's good will. She couldn't force anyone to confide in her. 

"You're sure not to be mistaken, Mira?" asked a gorgeous middle-aged woman wearing a bun and an apron carrying herbs. 

"I'm sure Mamá! I mean, I talked to her and I now feel way better than this morning."

“You were feeling bad this morning, Mija?”

At that Mirabel froze, clearly starting to get nervous. She probably didn't want to tell her parents how she got worried about being actually enough, which Doctor Alborotadora could understand. Eh! She even advised her patients not to tell everything to their family because of how important it was to have a secret garden. 

Deciding to come to her aid, the Doctor suggested "Maybe I can give therapy to one of you so I can show my skills to you?"

"Good idea!" approved Mirabel. "Then you can see how wonderful she is!"

"It must be someone willing to trust me though", preferred clarifying Doctor Alborotadora, thinking it would be too bad to fail because she would have faced one of the most suspicious ones. 

"So? Who would like to try?"

They waited a bit for any hand to be raised. None did. While the doctor had been half-expecting it, it still made her worried about her fate in the town. The feeling was clearly shared by Mirabel while she started scolding "Come on guys! Does no one trust me enough?"

"I trust you!" claimed a girl in a blue dress and a yellow flower in her long hair.

"Me too! I mean I trust you too, Mirabel, of course!" followed a short man with pepper and salt black hair and a green ruana.

"Me three!" joked a teen with a yellow poncho. 

Many others intervened to tell her how they had faith in her, until the matriarch stopped them with one hand, visibly annoyed. Then, to the doctor's surprise, she showed a more tender face, putting a hand on Mirabel's cheek before clarifying "Of course we trust you! You're our dear Mirabel! But understand it's not actually easy to trust someone enough to confide in them, especially a complete stranger.”

Mirabel sadly lowered her head, making the doctor feel sorry for her. She couldn’t really help her there though: her patients had to volunteer, she can’t force anyone! Even Mirabel hadn’t been forced. She probably had been starving to confide in someone and the Doctor had been ready to listen to her. 

While she was about to reassure her about it, telling her she could prove her skills later, one person raised his hand, claiming "Me! I trust you, Mirabel, and if you say she's trustworthy I trust her too!"

The doctor looked at the man who just talked. He was visibly middle aged, with black curly hair, hazel eyes, and a nervous smile. She doubted he actually trusted her, but he was clearly willing to for Mirabel. At least it was better than the rest of the family! Also she couldn't help but notice how he was fiddling with his ruana, clearly feeling uneasy by what he dared to do. That, and the general way he was standing and had been talking reminded the Doctor of her neurodivergent patients. That man really needed her! He was also probably the best way to prove her skills, she couldn't wait giving him therapy. 

"Fantastic!" smiled Doctor Alborotadora. "And you are..."

"Oh!" intervened Mirabel with a smirk. "It's my Tío Bruno!" 

Oh! The one who had been hidden in the walls! She nodded, now understanding better that man's profile. Bruno shifted his eyes in confusion, alternating between Mirabel and the doctor. 

Eager to show her skills by listening to such an interesting case, she asked with a big smile "Is there a place where we can be alone?"

"My room, probably," answered Bruno while pointing at the second floor, toward a door at the end of stairs.

"Wow! Tío, you're inviting a woman to your room?" smirked the teen in yellow in a teasing tone. "I never knew you were that daring!"

"What?" simply answered Bruno with an annoyed frown, which intrigued the Doctor.

With the same kind of face, visibly worried he would not want to have therapy anymore, Mirabel scowled the boy "Camilo! I didn't bring her here to be Tío Bruno's wife." Then, with a hopeful look, while turning to the doctor. "Not that I would mind calling you Tía, on the contrary! But-"

The doctor interrupted her by raising her hand, not liking where it was going to "You're very sweet Mirabel but I'm a therapist. Therapists don't date their patients, it's an important rule my mentor taught us!" 

Then, looking at Bruno with a teasing expression "Also, no offense but you're not my type."

He stared at her with wide-eyes, answering "None taken."

Then, she saw him sigh in relief, making the doctor more curious. She wanted to ask him! To know if he was what she thought he was. Unfortunately they weren't alone yet.

Before she could suggest going to Bruno's room, Mirabel asked her with eagerness "Oooh? What is your type then?"

The doctor thought for a brief moment, wondering if she could tell them. She quickly figured she should do so though, since some people in the family, and she already had one person in mind, could also be queer. Revealing herself could help them open up.

Smirking, she browsed the family to find one person fitting her taste, eventually loosely pointing at one, saying "Oh! That gorgeous beauty with the apron here! She's more of my taste!" 

Under the family's stares, she laughed "Not that I don't like a sexy man, on the contrary!"

She waited a bit, admiring her effect on the speechless family, before motioning for Bruno to lead the way to his room. Which he obliged, keeping staring at her in confusion.

While she was following him, Bruno couldn't help but think of what she said. He didn't know it was possible to be something else than heterosexual. Wasn't a couple supposed to be between a man and a woman? At least that's what he always saw. But has he been mistaken? Then he thought about his own case, how he never found a woman to love. How no one has felt special to him. 

He continued to glance at her while they were climbing the stairs leading to his tower, wondering how much both of them could be the same, if they even were. Especially since his problem wasn't exactly about him liking men but more about him feeling like an old boy, eternally single. Not that it bothered him though, he was currently very happy as an uncle. Feeling tense, he stopped for a short moment to knock on wood. 

He made way for Remedios Alborotadora to enter his room, then led her through the main room, which was decorated with some furniture such as a couch for people to wait their turn to have a vision, as well as a table and some cups of coffee left by people earlier he hadn’t brought back to the kitchen yet. They walked on the stone floor to a passage in an hourglass form with flowing sand, which opened when they were about to go through to avoid them getting dirty with sand. 

On the other side, there were stairs leading to a big space full of sands where Bruno and the person he had to give a prophecy to could sit face to face. He asked “Should we get to my vision space or my bedroom?” 

“Oh! Well, whatever you're most comfortable with," she smiled at him.

"My bedroom then."

He led her to a backdoor near the stairs, letting her enter before him as a polite gesture. Then, he threw salt over his shoulder before entering after her, the door closing by itself behind him. 

He watched her as she had stars in her eyes, observing his bedroom with fascination. She was in awe of its rock walls, the hammock sitting in a corner, the bookshelf, and the chest on which he had put some theater cardboard for his rats. She finished by his desk, on which were some unfinished writings and drawings he didn’t have time to put away, making him feel uneasy. Internally panicking, he asked “So? You’re a the-ra-pic?”

“A therapist! And yes, I am”, she smiled without stopping to watch the papers on the desk. “Dios mios! These drawings are good!”

“Hum...Thanks?”

Seeing her looking at his drawings and writings, he started to seriously doubt what Mirabel told them. How can this nosy person possibly make people feel better? A part of him couldn’t help but think she might have been manipulated to think that woman could be useful so she would bring her to Casita. Maybe he could try having a vision, just in case, to check if she wasn’t a threat. Curiously, she seemed to perceive what he was thinking about since, all the while starting to read one of his telenovelas, she told him “I bet you’re thinking I must have manipulated your niece to trust me?”

“How did you-”

“Well, you’re actually right, in a way!” 

He stared at her with wide-eyes, completely shocked by the woman admitting her wrongdoings. Feeling uneasy, he knocked on wood while she was adding “I mean, it’s my job! I must lead people to trust me so they can open up more easily.”

“Why tell me that then? Didn’t you intend to make me open up too to prove you aren’t a fraud?”

“Why do you think I’m being honest there?” she answered while turning to him without stopping to smile. 

He thought for one moment. Why would she? Wouldn’t it have been better to keep the silence and do her tricks on him too? Besides if she intended to actually eliminate him? And lie about him feeling better while she would have been getting rid of him? She must feel him being tense because her look shifted to a more concerned one, worrying “You seem to have a problem trusting others.”

“Well...I mean no one came from the outside since the mountains grew so...”

Feeling like he was about to throw up, he knocked on the woods of his chest, muttering “Knock knock knock, knock on woods...”

“You’ve been doing that frequently until now,” noticed the doctor. 

“What do you mean?”

“Is it like a way to feel better by attracting good luck?”

He froze, staring at her. How did she guess? Before he could go ask though, she leaned toward some rats that came to check her with curiosity, exclaiming with an adoring tone “How cute! Are they yours?”

“You like rats?” he said, surprised.

“What? Oh yes, I love them! They’re adorable!”

He watched her petting them, not able to contain his smile. He couldn’t help it but feel more at ease with her when seeing his friends so friendly with her. He got closer, keeping watching as she was cooing at them. He noticed “They seem to like you.”

“I always had a thing with animals! They all seem to like me!” 

“Do you have some yourself?”

“Me?” she asked, surprised. “No I don’t have any unfortunately. I’m too busy with my job to take care of a pet.” 

“Your job?” he frowned.

“My job as a therapist!”

“Oh...”

Then, Bruno remembered what she said earlier about liking both genders. His curiosity about it coming back, he asked her, shyly “So...you like women?”

“And men, yes,” she confirmed. Then, she smiled “Why?”

“Oh...hum...I just didn’t know we could...not like the other gender...”

"Don't you like girls?" 

He looked at her with wide-eyes not expecting to be asked about it. He actually didn't know himself, he just knew it had been hard to see his sisters finding a man to marry when he never felt anything special toward any woman. He told that to the doctor, adding while she had her eyes right on him "But...I mean it's the same for men so it's not that I-."

"You mean no one made you feel something different?" 

He nodded to confirm, making her note down something on the notebook he didn't even notice she got out. Seeing him getting quiet, she suggested with a mischievous smile "Maybe you're simply a late bloomer?"

"That's what I thought too," he admitted with embarrassment. "But I’m 50 now and honestly it's been a very long time I've been waiting for someone who would feel special. I don't think I'll even find love."

"Do you want to?"

The question made him jump a bit, Bruno not expecting anyone to suggest he could not want to be with someone. He didn't even think about it himself, simply waiting for the day he'll finally understand that mysterious and scary feeling everyone around him seemed to be addicted to. Then he became an uncle and he was too happy to ever think about his own love life.

Did he really want to be with someone though? Not sure. He justified “I’m a bit too old now so...”

“We’re never too old for love!”

He contained himself not to react badly to that statement. Again people were talking as if “love” was something important for happiness. He loved his family, he didn’t need someone else in his life to disturb it and prevent him from taking care of his loved ones. 

Actually, that woman was even starting to piss him off with her knowing smile and her way of having something in mind, preventing him from guessing how much of a threat she was to his family. He ended up growling “What? You too, you'll tell me I should get married? You think at 50 I should be already living happily with a woman and children and if I’m not so I'm a very late bloomer who’ll soon find the right one? What if I don’t want to find the right one? I’m very happy with my big family and I consider my sobrinos as my children, they’re everything I need.”

“You finally said it!” exclaimed the doctor with a big smile. “I was wondering when you’ll admit it.”

He froze, again not expecting that reaction from her. She noted something in her notebook, nodding with satisfaction, before turning her malicious eyes to him, as if thinking “I got ya”. Her mouth, though, was saying "I had my doubts, but you're now confirming them." Then, with her pen tapping her chin, she summarized "So you thought you should get married because it was what you were supposed to do. However you were unable to feel anything special for anyone and, honestly, you live extremely happy with your family. This is why you fail to see the point of even dating someone when you already have cute nieces and nephews, am I right?"

He nodded, speechless, shared between the curiosity about where she was going there and the tense he was under. He watched her with caution while she was petting the rats once again, calling them with loving names. Then, she sat on a chair and invited him to do the same in front of her. He obliged, noting though "It's my room."

Then, while they were before one another, she explained in a sweet tone "I'm sorry for the commotion. I had my doubts when seeing your reaction to your family suggesting we could make a good couple. I just wanted to provoke you so I could be certain."

"Certain that I'm unable to love?"

"Certain you're unable to be enamoured of someone, yes." Then, with a laugh. "Don't worry though, you're not the only one in the world."

If he had been drinking, he would have spit it because of the shock. "I'm not?"

"That's what I said. We call them aromantics...From what you told me you also seem to be asexual since you feel no attraction at all."

Aromantic and asexual? He muttered these two words, his appreciation of them growing each time. It felt right! He could finally put a word on what was wrong with him. No...Nothing was wrong with him, he was the happiest as a single uncle taking care of his family. 

Keeping smiling, Doctor Alborotadora Remedios noted something in her notebook, then asked "Oh! And I heard you spent 10 years in the walls?"

Oh...She knows that. Embarrassed, chuckling, he answered with "What do you know of what happened months ago?"

"I know the family was under pressure, you came back after 10 years and Mirabel saved the Miracle."

He nodded with a small smile "I actually came back because of her. She's an amazing girl! She found me without any clue and was able to reach me with great determination."

She confirmed with a nod, her stare then focusing on him, asking "But why were you in the walls?"

He directed its eyes elsewhere, wondering if he should say it. He didn't want to be judged for it or show off. Her stare, though, incited him to spit the truth. "Ten years ago I had a vision showing Mirabel destroying or saving the miracle." She stayed silent so he continued "I thought...If I ever showed it to my family she'd have a fate worse than mine."

"What was your fate?"

He thought a bit before answering "I was considered a harbinger of disasters because I was telling people what they wanted to know about their future. They didn't like the answer so I was blamed of course."

"Why of course?"

Once again speechless, not expecting that question, he knocked on wood while looking for an answer. It took him some time to finally stutter "I...I mean people...They felt...Since I'm the one having the visions...They probably expected something...More positive...And at the start I was having mostly optimistic visions but at some point it-"

"Why do you think your visions became less optimistic?"

"I don't know..." he admitted. "I wasn't feeling well and when they were asking for anything that'd be happening in their future I started seeing the bad things instead of good ones."

The doctor noted something in her notebook, before asking "Is this also why you're trying to bring good luck?"

He nodded. She kept going "Why weren't you feeling well?"

"Well...I mostly saw good things, but I also saw bad things. Nobody was complaining...But seeing the anger on their faces was stressing me out. Then my mother said we should make people happy and I started being afraid to have these bad visions. But they were appearing more often than what I was hoping for..." 

Again Doctor Alborotadora was quiet, simply nodding and noting in her notebook. He kept going, unable to actually stop. "My sisters started having kids too and had less time for comforting me, and nobody was even really listening to me. I started feeling disconnected from my family...Wasn't even brave enough to face them at lunch time. Didn't want them to ask why, once again, someone got out yelling." Then, panicked, he clarified "But even there I loved them! And I still do! They're amazing! I'm just...The ugly duckling, the one people aren't happy about, the one hurting them by giving bad visions."

"Did you read the story you're mentioning there?"

"The ugly duckling?" he nodded. "Yes, I did, why?"

She smiled. "What happens at the end?"

He thought a bit before answering "The ugly duckling becomes a swan". 

"Why wouldn't you become a swan too?"

"Because I'm not a duckling?"

"The ugly duckling wasn’t either. He was a cygnet."

Bruno frowned, not knowing how to answer that statement. She was actually right though, the ugly duckling was a cygnet. He felt silly saying earlier it was a duckling. 

Suddenly, she asked "It was in the past. How is it now?"

To that, he smiled, admitting "Oh! It's better now! Our family communicates more often, I only do visions when it's best for me thanks to the new system of please-if-you-want-a-vision-ask-for-an-appointment created by Mirabel and Mamá, and we're regularly reminding them I don't control what I'm seeing."

She nodded "That's great! Everything is good now then!"

"Yes, I'm very happy." Then, frowning with worry, he added "Besides...You know..."

"What is it?"

"What if it's too happy? What if my family starts having other things to take care of and decides I'm not worth their time anymore? What if-"

"Are there any signs of it?"

He shaked his head. "Why do you think it'd happen then?"

"I don't know...It happened before. And my gift isn't the most useful to the family."

"I disagree! Seeing into the future is very cool!"

He couldn't help but laugh before noting "You're literally the first person to call it 'cool'!"

"That's true though! I mean, imagine if a foe was coming from the outside of Encanto...You could predict it and your family could defend the town from them thanks to you."

Getting excited, he remarked "Hey! It could make a good telenovela!"

"You're right! I saw you were writing, you could make the story! I'd read it!"

"You would?" he said with wide-eyes. 

She nodded, making him very excited to write it. 

When they got down, his family asked for his opinion. He told them "She's annoying...But she's good, Mirabel is right."

Everyone, besides Mirabel, watched him with surprised looks, clearly not expecting him to be convinced. While most of them were still wary, he felt that some, like Félix, were getting curious. 

Chapter Text

When Remedios Alborotadora got down from Bruno's room with its owner, they found the family sitting in the living room, waiting for them with worried looks. The view made her smile as she could easily imagine them debating on what to do if she was revealed being suspicious. Mirabel was visibly the only one watching her uncle with confidence, even blinking to the doctor in a way to say she was certain she succeeded in convincing him. Doctor Alborotadora nodded to confirm.

The family circled Bruno, overflowing him with questions about the doctor. To which he stated, rolling his eyes, "She's annoying..." Then, smiling, "...but she's good, Mirabel is right." 

They all looked at him with surprise, clearly not expecting that outcome. She saw Mirabel repressing a cry of victory, while he turned to his mother to answer her silent question. "Honestly, I recommend letting her see everyone in private. I did so and it was amazing! I feel way better than before and I even discovered things about myself."

"You did?" she answered with wide-eyes. 

He nodded, before turning to Doctor Alborotadora as if looking for advice on if he should tell them. To which she simply shrugged, meaning it's up to him. Deep down though, she was thinking it would be best for him to do so, since it would avoid any more complications about him not wanting to be married.

He probably thought so too since he turned to them, took a deep breath, and revealed with nervosity, "She helped me pinpoint an issue I always had, to put a word on it." He breathed deeply before keeping going with much more nervosity. "I'm what we call Aromantic and Asexual. Meaning I don't feel any attraction of any sort, meaning I won't ever fall in love with anyone because I'm unable to and...honestly, I don't want to." Then, staring at the gorgeous woman in an apron and the red-headed besides her, she guessed were his sisters, he added, "Seriously, the heart pounding? Sweating? Difficulties breathing? Dizziness? It's the symptoms of a heart attack! And you want me to feel that?! Glad it makes you feel happy, and Agustín and Félix are awesome, but I'm out. Also-"

Bruno got scooped up in a hug by the women, both bearing loving smiles. First surprised, the doctor felt her heart melt before this scene. She often saw families not understanding her patients, and basically shunning them out of the house for being different, so she was really happy seeing how this family, on the contrary, was so loving. 

Her happiness grew even more when the Matriarch approached them slowly, a faint smile on her lips, stating, "That's alright Brunito, you don't have to tell more."

"We actually thought it could be the case", explained the red-headed. "You never seemed interested in anyone, and you looked so upset earlier."

"We lost you once, we never want to lose you ever again,” added the other one, watching him with soft eyes.

While the man seemed in bliss, at the edge of tears, the doctor locked satisfied eyes with Mirabel. Everything was going perfectly! 

Suddenly, in the corner of her eyes, she noticed some strange movements. Frowning her eyebrows, she was staring intensely at the ground, almost feeling stupid to do so, when some tiles raised and lowered again, startling her. Reacting to her flinching, Mirabel hurried to her side, loudly saying, "Oh yeah! You're right, Casita, we forgot to introduce you!" Then, waving a hand toward the ground, she turned to Doctor Alborotadora with a smile. "This is Casita! It's our house, it-"

"And it's moving...by itself."

Mirabel stared at her with surprise, before opening wide-eyes, seeming to realise how it could not be obvious. Before she could say anything though, the matriarch stood up beside her with a grin, explaining, "Fifty years ago, when I- When my family received our miracle, Casita appeared to welcome us. It's now a dear member of the family."

Doctor Alborotadora replaced her glasses as she stepped a bit closer, leaning to the ground, now interested. If she knew about the gifts, she didn't expect the house itself to be magical. With an amused grin, she greeted, "Hola Casita! I'm sorry I ignored you earlier...I hope you can forgive me, I'm not really used to-"

The tiles frantically moved, which Mirabel translated. "It doesn't mind. You didn't know and couldn't have guessed by yourself."

She laughed, "What a kind home!"

Mirabel nodded, before the tiles moved again. This time, the matriarch answered, "You're right, it's time for dinner."

Then, the tiles slid under the doctor's feet, leading her toward the dining room as she did her best not to fall off. The rest of the family followed, the matriarch ahead of them, who then sat at one of the edges of the table, making the doctor have a seat beside her by a hand movement. 

Alborotadora Remedios saw Mirabel and Bruno stopping at the door, glancing at each other with squinted eyes. Then, all of a sudden, they both ran toward the table, Bruno proudly succeeding to sit beside her as Mirabel growled with jealousy. She quickly cooled down though, as she decided to grab a chair on the other side of the doctor, under the latter’s amused smile. She also caught a displeased look from the matriarch, who visibly didn't appreciate her family showing such an adoring attitude toward a stranger. 

When everyone was seated at the table, and the sister in apron had brought up the food for the dinner, the matriarch started, “So! How long do you plan to stay in our town?" 

“I think I’ll stay until I feel we don’t need me anymore,” she replied honestly without getting rid of her smile. “I noticed you don’t have any therapist here, which isn’t that surprising since it's pretty recent. I’d hate leaving without being certain no one else needs me anymore.” 

"Can you explain what you’re doing again?”

The doctor sighed with annoyance, starting to get tired of having to repeat herself. She understood why though, as she repeated, “I’m listening to people.”

“She communicates with us a lot,” intervened Mirabel with a smile, coming to her rescue. “And while doing so she’s pushing us to think about ourselves and our problems!”

“Indeed!” enthusiastically confirmed Bruno. “And then, you realise some things you never thought about yourself. She’s making you express what you have trouble admitting!”

Smirking, the grandchild named Camilo said with sarcasm, “In short, she’s doing what Mirabel is doing but the difference is she’s a stranger.”

Deciding not to pick on what he was implying, the doctor smiled at Mirabel instead, leaning to her as she whispered “You’re listening to people yourself? It’s amazing.”

“Oh...That’s nothing, really...I just do my best so our family could be happy together,” she chuckled with embarrassment. 

“It’s still impressive, I don’t often meet people who actually put some effort into that part of their life.”

As Mirabel kept chuckling, the gorgeous woman nodded “I guess she’s actually efficient! I never saw Mirabel and Bruno becoming so attached to someone that quickly.”

“I agree,” confirmed the matriarch. “I guess she can stay in the nursery for now. Since it’s empty.”

“Thank you so much!” smiled the doctor, happy to have a place to stay.

Then, as she yawned, starting to feel tiredness overflowing now that she could relax, the matriarch suggested, “Now let’s introduce ourselves, the poor dear must be lost.”

“I know Mirabel and Bruno,” went over Doctor Alborotadora Remedios. “I even know them very well since we talked. For example, I’m aware Mirabel doesn’t have any power and Bruno can see into the future.” Then, as she pointed to some members of the family, she continued, “That boy is named Camilo and he’s...A cousin of Mirabel?” She waited for them to nod, before keeping going, “That gorgeous woman is Mirabel’s mom, who can heal with a meal, so this one must be her tía Pepa, the one who controls the weather. Both of them are Bruno’s twin sisters and the three of them are triplets, born from the Matriarch of the family, which means you Señora.” The matriarch confirmed, before the doctor admitted with embarrassment, “I know she has a sister named Luisa and a cousin named Dolores who can hear anything too, but I don’t know which of these señoritas are them.”

“I’m Dolores”, informed her a dark-skinned woman wearing a red headwrap tied in a cute bow with a light smile. 

She talked so low that it made the doctor wonder if she was unable to actually control her gift. However, she hadn’t much time to think about it before a very buff young woman introduced herself, “I’m Luisa, Mirabel’s older sister.” 

“Who is younger than me!” enthusiastically added a very beautiful woman with long black straight hair with a green strand. “I’m Isabela, the oldest of Mirabel’s sisters.”

As the doctor nodded, the youngest of the family, who didn’t seem to be older than 5 years old, introduced himself in a very cute tone and adorable look, “I’m Antonio, Mirabel’s cousin.” Then, hugging a jaguar who suddenly appeared beside him, “This is Parce, my jaguar.”

Curious, Doctor Alborotadora asked, “Is your power related to animals?”

“Yes, I can talk to them.”

“Any of them?” 

He nodded, while Isabela explained with enthusiasm, while she made a cactus appear in her open hand, “Oh! I can generate and control plants!”

“And I have super strength,” said Luisa, raising the whole table with one hand as if it was nothing.

“Luisa! We’re eating, don’t do that!” the matriarch told her off.

“Sorry Abuela.”

As Luisa put the table back, Doctor Remedios Alborotadora saw with a glance “Abuela” opening wide her eyes while biting her lower lips, as if in shame, making her think that woman will definitely need her help. 

A strong and dark-skinned man resumed with his own introduction, smiling widely, “I’m Félix, Pepa’s husband and father of Camilo, Dolores and Antonio.”

“I’m Agustín,” followed a tall man in a blue suit. “I’m Mirabel, Luisa and Isabela’s father and...” he pointed at the gorgeous woman, “Julieta’s husband.” Then, squinting his eyes in suspicion, “His husband, she’s married.”

Amused, the doctor joked, “Oh no! How sad! Such a gorgeous woman is married! I guess my love will definitely be hopeless.” 

They all laugh, before, at last, the matriarch introduced herself. “I’m Alma, the Matriarch of the Family. I don’t have any power, sadly. But I’m in charge of this family.” Then, as she showed a smile, she added “With Mirabel I mean, she’s very helpful for any second point of view or to make good decisions.”

Come on Abuela,” chuckled Mirabel. “I’m only doing my best.”

“And you’re doing it right!”

The rest of the dinner went very well. Doctor Alborotadora learned more things about this family, such as the whole story with a man named Mariano who had been betrothed to Isabela, before becoming Dolores’ boyfriend. 

In the end of it, the doctor was led by Mirabel to the nursery, and left inside alone, where she growled with relief. “What a day!”

Then, without really watching the details of the room, she dropped her bag and fell on the only bed, ready to have a rest, finally. 

Or it was the plan, at least. Until a knock could be heard on the door leading to the nursery. With a new growl, annoyed this time, she put up a smile and asked, “Who is it?”

“It’s Félix! You know, Pepa’s husband.” Then, to be certain she understood who he was, he added, “Mirabel’s tía. I’d like to talk to you in private for a bit.”

“Of course, come in,” she agreed, returning to a straight position. She’ll sleep later.

The chubby man opened the door, before stepping inside, a big smile on his lips. Then, as the door closed behind him, he took a chair to sit in front of her, keeping smiling widely. 

Félix carefully observed the woman. He thought he comprehended what a therapist was but he wasn't sure he understood how it was different from communicating about your problems to your family and your friends. He figured out it must be very different though, since she was that successful with Mirabel and Bruno. Both grew very fond of her very quickly, so something must be going on with her and how she’s listening to your problems. 

Smiling as much as he did, the doctor asked, “What do you need?”

“Oh! I’m here because I thought you seemed upset during the dinner,” he admitted. Her eyes going wide told him he was right. “So I thought I’d come to reassure you about it since, you know, Alma is only careful about you because she has that family’s best interest at heart."

"You're a shrewd one," she replied, amused. 

He chuckled. "Well, I'm pretty used to it with my wife."

She pulled her notebook out of her bag, asking, "Need to talk about it?"

Embarrassed, he denied, "Oh! No, no I don't need therapy, I'm perfectly fine. Hell! I'm even my wife's therapist, I have that capacity to calm her down only with a few words."

"You sure? Anyone can need therapy. Even I see one sometimes."

"Really?" he answered with surprise.

"Yeah!” She took a nostalgic look as she remembered, “When I started working as a therapist it quickly became hard to bear. I decided to become one of my colleague’s patients so I could vent a bit.” Then, watching him again, she insisted, “You’re sure you don’t need to talk about it?”

He mused on it, hesitating, before asking her, “If I tell you anything, is there a possibility  any member of my family will be aware of it?”

“I’m not authorised to speak about what my patients told me. You learned Bruno was Aromantic and Asexual because he told you, but if he chose not to say it I would have brought that secret into my grave.”

He nodded in understanding. “Alright! Let’s have therapy!” She got her notebook ready, as he kept going, “So yeah, I really really love my wife, she’s mi angelo, mi sol, el amor de mi vida, I couldn’t imagine my life without her.”

She nodded as she noted something in her notebook. “You seem like a cute couple! And I’m certain your wife is happy.”

He smiled. “I hope you’ll be able to ask her one day.” Then, with frustration, “But Alma is always so hard with her, always telling her to be happy as if it’s a problem she gets upset.”

“Do you prefer when she’s mad?”

He laughed. “What? No, I just like her whatever mood she’s in. She’s my goddess of emotions!” Then, in a more serious tone, “And I don’t like anyone telling her to repress herself.”

“This is what happened until some months ago, right?” she remembered. “When her mother was pointing each time she had a cloud.”

“Yeah, basically she was pointing that her anger was showing, as if it’s a problem.”

“But doesn’t she create a storm each time she gets angry?” she asked him, biting at her pen.

The question disturbed Félix, making him think about the answer. He could remember times when his wife had gotten angry and it led to some annoying disasters, but he could also find times where her anger had been moderate enough to limitate it to thunder. He wasn’t sure what to tell the doctor that could be relevant though. 

Seeing him incredibly quiet, she asked with curiosity, “What are you thinking?”

“What kind of answer are you usually looking for?” he ended up asking, thinking he may at least seek help from her about what a therapy is.

He didn’t expect the answer though. “What are you thinking I may be looking for?”

“I dunno...Some big events that could be significant to my wife’s life.”

“And in your life?”

“Huh?”

He stared at her as she explained with a smile, “Well, I’m more here to talk about you, not specifically about your wife. Was there a time you were happy when she was angry?”

He mused on it for a bit, before remembering something that made him grin with love. “Well, I remember that, once, Mi Angelita had been angered by some boys throwing rocks at me. At the time we just started dating and I attracted jealousy.” Then, he laughed, “Well, of course, since I was dating the most gorgeous woman in the whole world.”

“You didn’t see the whole world though,” remarked the doctor. 

“I don't need to, to know Pepa is the most gorgeous one!” he replied with conviction. 

She chuckled, then noted something in her notebook before asking, “How did you two meet?”

“Oh! That’s a pretty funny story!” he laughed. “Of course I always knew who she was, her family was running the town and the triplets had been put on a level playing field by their mother! They were what we were supposed to be like, as diligent as them! They were who we were supposed to see in high esteem, to admire.”

“Did you?”

“Me? No, I never cared about them! I knew my friend Agustín had a crush on Julieta for years, but-”

“Oh? Were you already friends with Mirabel’s father?” she asked, opening her eyes wide with surprise.

“I was friends with a lot of people, Agustín among them!” he explained, before continuing. “And everyone knew he had a crush on her, Julieta included. It was adorable enough for me to support him in his love, but otherwise I could care less about the triplets. I happened to see Julieta to be healed, but I never sought  to see my future from Bruno, and I couldn’t care less for Mi Sol, my Pepa I love so much.”

“Because you didn’t actually meet her at the time, right?” she laughed.

He nodded. “Yes, but it was until that fateful day where I saw her.” The memories were coming back to him, as he told the doctor, “She was so beautiful under the weather she was cas-”

“You mean it was love at first sight?” 

“You could say that! But it would imply I fell for her beauty, which isn’t true. I mean, she’s gorgeous but I already saw her before, from very far away, and I didn’t feel at the time. This day though was the first time I actually met her!”

He was smiling as he remembered his wife yelling at her brother for bringing his rats with him outside Casita, and her panic as she was imagining what would happen if their mother learned about it. He told the doctor, “She was so beautiful under that rain, worrying for her brother. I fell for her at that moment.” 

"You really love her for her emotions," she nodded, amused.

"Yes! She's my goddess of feelings."

Then, as she noted something in her notebook, she remarked, "Seems like you love your wife expressing her feelings but you don't like to talk about yours."

"Well, mine are less important," he replied, embarrassed.

"Why?"

He froze, not sure what to answer anymore. 

Pepa was in her room, breathing deeply as she relaxed, meditating on her day, when the door to her room suddenly opened on a beaming Félix. Her dear husband rushed to her, taking her by the hands to turn her around as she remarked with surprise, "You're very happy tonight!"

"Oh! My Pepita! I went to speak with our guest!"

Suspicion arising in her, she asked him,  "That woman? Why?"

"Abuela was so rude to her, I wanted to apologise on her behalf." Then, before her confused eyes, he added, "And I had therapy! Oh Mi amor, that woman is wonderful! I feel I grew up after talking to her! Everyone should totally get therapy from her!"

She watched singing the praises of their guest with wide eyes, wondering if she should get scared of her stealing her husband. Which she got reassured about by Félix lovingly embracing her, saying, "Pepi, I love you so much, you're el amor de mi vida! And we're in it together, you know it." She nodded with a smile, before he kept going, "She made me leave with a reflection on my feelings and if they're important, and-"

"Of course your feelings are important!" she quickly replied, not sure if she liked the implication the doctor had told him his feelings weren't important. 

"I see you agree with her! As expected of mi amor!" he laughed. Then, in a very convinced tone, he suggested, "You should ask her for therapy!"

"Wha-"

"It'd make you feel better, you'll see."

Before she could reply, he left to the shower side of the room to take a bath, humming a happy tone. Pepa was left frozen on the spot, disturbed by her husband’s overjoy. It took her a bit of time for her mind to stick on that woman and how she succeeded to be loved by one of her nieces, by her brother and her husband. Who was she??

In the end, sighing but trusting her husband, she went out of her room to go to the nursery, thinking she’d probably understand by having therapy.

Once she opened the door though, Remedios was fast asleep, half leaned on the bed, snoring loudly. Pepa opened wide her eyes when seeing her still wearing her clothes, her bag lazily thrown on the side, the cover not having been pulled. 

Her first reflex was to throw a cover lying near to put it on her, worrying she would catch a cold. Then, she left, thinking she’d better come back later.

Chapter Text

The next day, the doctor Alborotadora Remedios got woken up by some music played in town. She smiled as she thought about how a nicer way it was to start the day compared to the city. She was certain she would enjoy her time in the Encanto! There were some grey clouds in the sky too, making her guess Pepa wasn’t in a good mood.

She yawned and pushed the cover aside as she slowly got up. Then, she used a mirror on the wall to fix her disheveled buns, before taking a notebook and a pen to carry in her pocket. She never knew when she could be in need of them! Finally, she walked through the door to go toward the kitchen on the ground floor. 

When the doctor arrived there, she saw Julieta making some coffee, alone. As soon as the doctor passed the door, the gorgeous woman turned to her with a tender smile as if she knew instinctively. “Hola! You slept well?”

“I slept very well, thank you very much!”

“I’m glad to hear that...you seemed really exhausted yesterday,” Julieta remarked with a bit of sadness and worry. Then, before the doctor could answer, she pointed at the table outside. “I put Changua on the breakfast table for you! Everyone has already eaten and is gone doing...” She smiled. “Well, whatever they want to do.”

“You seemed very happy about it,” the doctor noticed with a grin, as she motioned to get outside.

“Of course I am happy about it!” claimed Julieta. “Our family isn’t under pressure anymore! We can finally be a proper family.”

As Doctor Alborotadora was sitting on the table before the changua, about to reply something to the woman on the other side of the window, they got interrupted by three little children who appeared next to her, looking curious. Chuckling, she asked, "Well! Who do we have here?"

A boy with a cup of coffee, looking excited, introduced himself, “I’m Juancho!”

A blonde girl with braids followed, “Cecilia here!”

The last child, an Afro-Latina who had a unique braid, completed, “I’m Alejandra, is this true you have a magical gift like the Madrigals?”

A bit annoyed to have to repeat herself again, the doctor breathed deeply, then ate a bit before answering with her biggest smile, “I don’t have a magical gift. I simply happened to study to become a therapist so I could be able to heal people’s minds.”

“You are a healer?”

She nodded, making them yell in awe and excitation, which she found very amusing. Indoors, Julieta disappeared somewhere inside Casita, leaving her with the children who were bombarding her with questions. She answered them all with patience, managing to eat her changua despites the situation she was in.

Some time passed before Alejandra remarked with sadness, “You’ll have a lot of work to do here. I don’t think anyone here has perfect mental health.”

“It’s pretty hard to understand what a therapist is too, people won’t go see you by themselves if they don’t see the point,” replied Cecilia.

Hearing them, the doctor suggested, “Well! My work would benefit from cute children explaining what it is to everyone around them.”

“We will!” promised the children in one voice, apparently happy to help with her work.

They finally left her to finish her breakfast alone. She breathed more easily as she started to think. Her stay was meant to take care of the Madrigals, and maybe some townspeople, but if she was believing the children’s words she wasn’t at the end of her labors. It would take her entire break to listen to every resident of the Encanto!

She thought about stopping there, but she knew it wouldn’t be possible. She had always been unable to say no to someone in distress. 

She was at that point in her thoughts, when she noticed a man walking toward her with a big smile. She frowned in confusion when he sat before her, his smile still on his lips. He didn’t say anything though, making her have to start the conversation. “Can I help you?”

He widened his smile. “So you’re the stranger who recently arrived in the Encanto! My friends didn’t lie, you’re gorgeous.”

Suspicion came to her, making her scowl for the first time since she arrived in the Encanto, as she insisted, “Can I help you?”

“Do you only know how to say that?” 

She didn’t reply, simply waiting for him to answer. Fortunately, he seemed to understand that as he finally explained, “Since you came yesterday everyone talks about you in town, and I wanted to see who you were by myself.” She smiled lightly, not surprised. It was expected in a town that size after all! He kept going by complimenting her, “Eres tan hermosa! I’m so glad I came to check you out.” Then, squinting his eyes in suspicion, he asked, “You have a baby face too, how old are you?”

She chuckled, pretty used to being taken for younger than she is, before replying, “I’m 28.”

He grinned in satisfaction, then introduced himself in a haughty tone, “I’m Carlos by the way! What is your name, beautiful woman?”

“I’m Doctor Alborotadora Remedios, therapist!” 

“Nice to meet you, beautiful Remedios!”

She briefly opened her eyes wide in offence, then calmed down as she guessed it wasn’t surprising he didn’t know of the names rule. She decided to inform him of it, “Please, call me Doctor Alborotadora. We don’t call therapists by their first name, so to keep a needed distance between doctor and patient.” 

"Well, I'm not your patient," he replied, smiling, raising his eyebrows in a way to imply something she didn't like.

As she was getting a bad feeling, the doctor shot up back on her feet, forcing a smile as she apologized, “Well, I have things to do! If you will excuse me.”

Then, she bolted inside Casita without waiting for any reply, the door slamming behind her. The doctor sighed with relief before Julieta’s worried stare. “I heard you talking with someone, is everything alright?”

“Yes, everything is alright,” she lied. Then, she pointed at the outside, asking, “Do you know that man? Carlos, he said he was called. He didn’t tell me his last name.”

Julieta’s expression did nothing to reassure her. “If it’s the one I’m thinking about, avoid him at all costs. He’s bad news.”

“I don’t think I can, unfortunately. I want to help everyone who needs it in the Encanto!”

“You can’t help him”, Julieta assured her. “Believe me, he will never want to be helped.”

Not convinced, Doctor Alborotadora started looking for Mirabel to have her opinions on the subject: She knows everyone! She could tell her more about that annoying man. 

She was searching for some time before she finally stopped, sighting Camilo outside the house who was entertaining some kids. She smiled as she observed him turning into Bruno, then mocking, "She's annoying but she's good," before turning into the doctor to continue in a perfect imitation of her quirks, "Oh my! Thank you so much Señor Madrigal. I'm just doing my job after all...By listening to you like anyone could but the difference is that I’m trying to make it as if it requires any peculiar skill!”

Laughing, the doctor confirmed, “Indeed it doesn’t require any peculiar skill to listen to someone, you’re right.” He snapped his head to her, frozen in place in surprise, as she added, “But I studied to perfect it!”

“Well, I think you’re just a scammer,” he replied with a smug face. “None of us actually needs you to feel better, we just need to communicate better.”

"Wanna try?"

"What?" He replied, not so sure of himself anymore while the doctor smirked, provoking. 

"Well, I can give you therapy! I'm sure you're way smarter than your cousin or your uncle and you won't feel different after talking to me." Then, she added with more seriousness, "Oh but you must act as if you're willing to actually have therapy. Don't just stay silent, for example. It would be a real test to prove how competent I am."

Camilo stared at her with narrow eyes full of suspicion, before he finally smirked. "OK. Let's do this!"

She smiled again with amusement as she gestured for him to lead the way to his room. Which he did, recalling, "Oh! Yeah! You must be alone with your victim."

She nodded before following him upstairs to a room situated between what appeared to be Antonio’s room and Dolores’. The doctor could see the latter looking at her from the courtyard with a light smile.

Camilo couldn’t wait to see the doctor’s face when he’d tell her that her scam doesn’t work on him! Then he could make his family see they don’t need her to be a good family. They just need to communicate well! Wasn’t it the problem that led to Bruno leaving and the cracks to appear? They don’t need her!

Upon opening the door to his room, he jumped in front of one of the mirrors covering the walls, admiring himself on every angle possible while he transformed into his cute prima Mirabel, his popular tío Bruno, and his charismatic abuela. He finally turned back into himself, thinking how he was really at his best in his usual appearance.

On the same mirror, he could see Señorita Alborotadora in awe as she was browsing his room, agape. She eventually noticed the strand of hair going out of one of her bun, which she gently put back in. With a shrug, he walked further into his room to sit on an armchair, intending to stay on it to watch her try her scam on him with a smug face. 

However, before he could do so, he bounced back on his feet, alarmed when seeing her take one of his notebooks on the shelves with a dumb smile and open it. He hurried to her to take it back from her, angry. “Don’t touch my things!”

“Oh! I’m sorry,” she replied, genuine. “I was just curious. Do you write plays, like your tío?”

“Me? Nah! They’re not plays!” he laughed. “They’re information I collected on people in town.”

“You’re collecting information on them?” she replied, surprised. “What for?”

Startled, understanding what she must be thinking, he hurried to clarify, “I need to remember what they like, what makes them laugh! So I could do my job right!”

“Your job?”

Camilo wondered if she was listening yesterday when it was explained to her. “Make people happy!”

“How is your job to make people happy?”

“You know, because I’m the fun guy...” he replied, a bit taken aback by her questions. Wasn’t it obvious why it was his job to make others happy? A moment he wondered if it meant she didn’t find him funny, which would be a first.

She looked thoughtful as she asked, “Do you mean to say you’re the only way for people in this town to be happy? Doesn’t seem very healthy.”

Irritation got to him, Camilo not liking what she was implying. “Of course I’m not the only way for people to be happy! Encanto is a good place where people can have a lot of fun with each other.”

“Is that so? Why would your job be to make them happy then?”

“Because my gift is a fun one!”

“Fun for who?”

“Who? Well, everyone!”

“Do people have fun because of your gift, or because of how you use it?” He opened wide eyes in surprise, while she glanced at the notebook, adding, “I mean, if your gift suffices then you wouldn’t need to remember what each person in town likes.”

In lack of reply, he sighed, admitting, “Yeah well, maybe I don’t really need my gift to make people laugh, that’s true. Whatever, that’s something I realised when I lost it.”

Smiling, she asked, “How was it when you lost it?”

While his first reflex was to answer the question, it suddenly came to him that he was opening up too easily to that woman. He couldn’t let go like that! He was there to prove she was nothing but a scam! She was about to win! This is why, instead, he smirked. "Trying to make me talk, right? Why else would you want to know?"

She nodded, laughing. "You're right. I need you to talk to do my job after all." 

Then, she reached for something else on the shelf, which Camilo prevented her from by leading her further from it, frowning with disapproval. "Don't touch my things!"

"Sorry," she laughed. "It's just fascinating how you actually have a lot of books about acting and comedy."

"Again, I take my job very seriously."

"It shows!"

An awkward silence suddenly settled between them, Camilo looking for something to say under the doctor’s dumb smile. Why he ended up asking, “Your job...Your scam...Why did you choose to do it?”

She laughed. “Actually I’ve been lucky enough to have parents who  let me choose my own path even though I was a woman. They never expected anything from me either, and I was always able to talk to them about anything.” Then, in a more serious tone, “But not everyone has that much luck, unfortunately. It’s my dream to help these people improve their lives.”

“Shouldn’t you help these people instead of us, who communicate quite well?”

She smiled. “Do you think your family communicates well enough?”

“Yes!” he replied without an ounce of hesitation.

“Why didn’t you know your uncle was unable to be attracted to anyone then?”

He froze, scowling, not knowing what to reply. She got a point and he hated it. ”I...Well, he should have told us...” 

“Why do you think he didn’t though?”

He mused on it for a moment, looking for a reason. “A lack of trust, maybe?”

“You think?”

“Maybe.”

“Do you say everything to your family?”

“Of course!”

“So you told them you don’t trust me?”

He took a big breath as he felt the annoyance starting to overwhelm him. Then, he admitted, “No. But it’s only because I knew they wouldn’t listen to me!”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

“Because no one cares about what I could think!” he replied with obvious irritation. “I’m just the goofy one, the one here to make people laugh, not one wants to hear about my worries.”

“What makes you think they don’t care?” asked the doctor, worried. “Being goofy isn’t supposed to prevent you from feeling bad.”

“Because it was always everything I was!”

“But no one is only one thing.”

“Me, I am.” Then, sighing, he complained, “If I’m not the goofy one what else am I?”

“You don’t know who you are?”

“I’m only who we need me to be. And no one ever needs Camilo, always Jose or Luisa or someone else who can help. Or just laughing with an imitation of Abuela or someone else they need to laugh about.”

He noticed she pulled out her notebook and a pen. “You mean they always need you to take someone else’s appearance?”

“Yeah like...Why am I if I can’t duplicate someone else?”

“How was it when you lost your gift?”

He thought about it before recalling, “Well, I was horrified, at first. I felt robbed from what would give sense to my life. I thought maybe I could try to stop being the jokester but got hit for stating a fact.” 

"You got hit?" Gaped the doctor.

“Yeah, like they didn’t want me to be negative. I was just saying we didn’t have a house anymore, it’s a fact!”

“Why do you think you got hit?”

He mused on it, doing his best to remember what happened before he got hit. “I’m not sure. I mean, we had just lost our gifts. And Tío Agustín had said that ‘it’ll be okay’ but like...We had just lost our home!” he stressed on the last word to make her understand the obvious. Then, with a smile, “But Mirabel, the best prima, she led the rebuilding of our Casita and, in the end, we even got our gifts back!”

“Oh! You seem to love Mirabel a lot,” remarked the doctor with an amused smile.

He bragged, “Of course! She’s awesome! When we were in the nursery together she was always the one to give me a hug when I wasn’t feeling okay, and she was always applauding each time I was doing something funny. Then, after her gift ceremony failed, she simply kept trying to help and spread joy! She’s a ball of positivity!”

The doctor nodded, before asking, “And then you got hit for saying something negative. Have you told them it hurt your feelings?” He shaked his head. “Why not tell them now?”

“I’m scared they’ll yell at me,” he admitted with shame.

“What makes you think they’ll yell? They could give you some reassurance instead.”

He frowned with confusion, not really sure of what to reply. Finally, Camilo raised a finger, replying, “I’ll show you! We’ll see who is right!”

She smiled.

The doctor followed Camilo back to the courtyard, where Félix was talking and laughing with Pepa. As they approached, Pepa made a move to go to them but got interrupted by her son, who fumed at his father, “You know when I said months ago that we don’t have a home so it won’t be okay? I was sincerely concerned about our situation and I couldn’t see anything that would be okay!” Félix opened wide eyes, while he kept going with more sadness, “Now I’m just afraid people will take it badly if I ever dared being negative. Seems like I’m just the goofy one, the one here to make people laugh but like I have feelings too and none of you wants to acknowledge it! I guess my feelings never matter to you. Also-”

Félix cut him off by taking him in his big arms, looking hurt. “I’m sorry! Of course you can say negative things! We never intended to make you feel like your feelings weren’t important.”

Pepa joined the hug, a grey cloud appearing above her. Soon, Doctor Aborotadora was watching them being drenched in water by the rain with a smile. Seems like she was the one in the right! She said nothing about it though, keeping being simply happy as Camilo was starting to cry. 

The doctor finally turned around to spot Dolores, slightly smiling. It was so sudden though, that she jumped, startled. Then, as she felt her heart beating, she quickly regained her composure, joking, “You’re very sneaky!”

Dolores nodded, then glanced at her parents and brother all hugging each other. 

While the doctor thought the young woman would keep silent, she finally congratulated her, amazed, “Looks like you proved Camilo wrong. He seems happy you did though, so it’s only for the best.”

“My only wish is for him to feel better,” she chuckled. Then, suddenly realising, she asked, “Oh yeah! You must have heard everything from the moment I arrived, right?” Dolores nodded. “Oh my! Are you alright?” Then, she continued in a lower tone so as not to be heard by anyone else, “It’s not hard to hear everything?”

Dolores whispered back, looking hurt, “Please can I have therapy?”

The doctor nodded. 

Chapter Text

While Dolores led Doctor Alborotadora Remedios to her room, she could hear her own heart beating in her chest rapidly, a result of her nervousness. Since the doctor arrived in the Encanto, Dolores had done her best to listen regularly to her. At first, worried about who the new person could be, she was quickly relieved when she heard her praising the town, then Mirabel for being a person they could count on. 

Then, she listened to every therapy the doctor gave to each member of her family, progressively hoping it could be her turn one day. She was listening to her magic, and she really wanted to experience it first hand. 

Ah! Señora Pezmuerto just realised she forgot to buy flour. 

She opened the door to her room but didn’t enter yet, waiting a bit for anything urgent that could come by her ears. Since she could hear nothing of the sort, Dolores entered, holding the door for the doctor to follow her. The latter flashed her a grateful smile. 

The door closed, cutting every sound from the outside as Dolores took a look at her own room. This time the walls were blue, and the flowers offered by Isabela were sitting on the bed, besides her plaid blanket. She nodded, liking the new design as she went to take a seat on her bed, the doctor sitting in a chair at the front of it. 

Doctor Alborotadora started, whispering, “Do you want us to talk in a low tone?”

Dolores nodded. “Yes, thank you.” Then, she explained to her, “Since the rebuilding, each time we go in our rooms it changes. I like the one I got there. Last time, the walls were green.”

“Do you mean you prefer blue to green?” chuckled the doctor.

“I actually prefer red,” admitted Dolores. “But blue is a very pretty color too.”

“I agree.” Then, pointing at the flowers, she noticed, “These flowers are pretty too! I think it’s the first time I entered a room seeing those.”

“It’s a gift from Isabela,” smiled Dolores.

“Are you close to each other?”

“We’re the oldest among the grandchildren so yes we became close.”

“And then each of you got your gifts.”

Dolores nodded, remembering that time. Then, she thought she should tell the doctor about it. “When Isa got hers everyone was happy, there was a big celebration and I was expected to have one as beautiful as hers.”

“Was there a celebration when you got your gift?”

She shook her head. “Once I got my gift, I was overwhelmed by the sounds around me and I cried. It killed everyone's joy and no one wanted to celebrate.”

“You killed their joy? Isn’t it a bit strong?”

Dolores shrugged. “I don’t think so. Everyone was happy I got a gift but then they were simply confused. I could hear their whispers when they wondered if I would even be useful.”

“Useful? That’s harsh!” 

As the doctor was replying, visibly shocked, some painful memories came back to Dolores. “Some people even wondered if I would listen to them during some intimate moments. They thought it was creepy because then it’s like they can’t have any privacy anymore. They were talking as if listening was like I was watching them.”

“Do they still think that nowadays?”

 “Since I can listen, some people feel pressured to behave well. But most understand I won’t necessarily pay attention to what they’re saying and doing.”

“And did you pay attention to something you weren’t asked to pay attention to?”

She hesitated to reply, fearing she would scare the doctor, but then remembered she promised herself to be honest during her therapy session. "Yes. Even when Isabela was about to be betrothed to Mariano, I was listening to him everyday.”

“Really? What were you listening to related to him?”

She smiled lightly. “I was listening to his poems.”

“You must really like them.”

“Yes, Mariano is very talented.”

“What’s your favorite poem of his?”

Dolores smiled as she repeated one of the poems of her boyfriend, actually the first one he wrote to her and not to Isabela. Since she knew it by heart, she didn’t falter, while the doctor watched her in awe.

When she finished, the doctor smiled, “Incredible! You really like his poems, don’t you?”

“Yes, especially this one.”

“I imagine you mustn't have always heard things as nice as this though.”

She confirmed with sadness, “Indeed. I heard terrible things I never repeated to anyone.”

“Do you have examples?”

She searched in her memory for some things she heard, then told the doctor about them. She watched as the horror showed on her face at each of them, as she could hear the doctor’s heartbeat increasing. When she finished, it finally turned into worries. “And you never told anyone else before?” 

Dolores shook her head. “I couldn’t.”

“I understand.”

“I’d like to find a way to forget these things.”

The doctor mused on it, then smiled as she suggested, “Have you tried writing them down?”

“What do you mean?”

“You dwell on it because you have to keep that information. If you let them out somehow you’ll stop thinking about them.” Dolores looked at her with curiosity, as she added, “And writing in a notebook to keep to yourself and show to no one would be a good way to do so!”

“Could it really work?” wondered Dolores.

“I think so. You could still try.”

The doctor Alborotadora talked a bit more with Dolores until they heard Alma’s voice call for lunch time. Then, they got out of the room to get down toward the dining table, where there was a place between Bruno and MIrabel waiting for her. With a smile, she sat there, while Dolores sat between Camilo and Isabela. The doctor noticed she was again sitting near Alma Madrigal.

As they started eating, the doctor leaned toward Mirabel to talk about Carlos. “A man named Carlos hit on me this morning. Do you know who he is?”

“Carlos?” she asked, surprised. “Yeah I know him. He hit on you?” 

The doctor nodded, as Bruno asked, “Who is it?”

“He’s a very annoying man,” replied Alma. “He basically never listens to what he’s told, creates a lot of problems and tends to hit on a lot of pretty women. You should be careful, Señora.”

“You don’t know anything more?” insisted the doctor.

They shook their heads. She turned to Dolores for advice, who did the same. Apparently she didn’t know any more than anyone else for some reason. It bothered the doctor, who really didn’t like to let people down. This was not why she chose to pick this career. She wanted to help people, not to let them be stuck in their own problems. 

Her train of thought got interrupted by Alma calling, “OK everyone! What do you plan to do for the afternoon?”

“I wanted to stay in my room by reading the book I started last week but didn’t take time to finish”, replied Pepa. “Félix will be with me in case I need some comfort.”

“I’ll do it!” he laughed.

“I had thought about working all day, but I started getting tired so I’ll probably just have fun with the donkeys,” said Luisa with embarrassment.

“I’ll go try to talk to fish!” answered Antonio enthusiastically.

The doctor thought about what she should do. “I’ll probably try to relax too, but I’m not sure where.”

“I can lead you to somewhere nice!” Mirabel promised her. 

“Oh! Yes! You know the entire Encanto!”

“I do!” she smiled.

“I’ll gladly accept, then.”

Alma nodded in appreciation, before Bruno asked, “Can I come too? Would be nice to relax together, the three of us. Also I don’t really have any visions left to do and I don’t know what I could..”

“I’ll be happy to have you,” laughed the doctor.

“I’m coming too!” decided Camilo while raising his hand.

“Me too,” followed Dolores with a light smile. 

This is how Remedios found herself following Mirabel in town, accompanied by Bruno, Camilo and Dolores. She took advantage of it to appreciate again how lovely this town was, and how it seemed really well taken care of. 

They walked until they stumbled upon a garden that impressed her a lot. There were a lot of different colorful weird plants around gigantic cacti circling some palmas de cera. With some pride, Mirabel told her “The garden has been grown by my sister Isabela!”

“That’s gorgeous!”

“I know right? She’s so good!”

“I agree!”

With a smile, Dolores explained, “Since she got her gift back she started to get very creative with it, with flowers but also many other kinds of plants.”

“She has fun with it, that’s the best way to deal with it”, added Bruno. 

They all nodded, before they saw Isabela arriving with a smug smile. “Well well, I’m happy you like it! Because it’s only the beginning! I won’t stop until the entire Encanto is filled with my plants!”

The doctor laughed, “Seems you really like plants.”

“I love plants!” approved Isabela. “You know how they’re very different kinds of living beings than animals!”

She started monologuing about how plants were the best thing ever, in front of the fascinated eyes of the doctor. Not actually listening to it, Bruno got closer to a cactus looking like a rat, in awe, while Camilo started trying to climb a weird tree, soon joined by Dolores doing her best to prevent him. Only Mirabel stayed with the doctor to listen to Isabela, a smile on her face.

Eventually, Isabela stopped talking, somehow realising she was talking by herself rather than having a discussion. She apologised, "I'm sorry, I really do like plants so..."

"No need to apologise, you're passionate! That's a wonderful thing!"

She nodded. Then, she looked like she was thinking, making the doctor wonder what she had in mind. Eventually, Isabela leaned toward her to ask, "May I have therapy? I need to clear my mind of some things."

Isabela led the doctor to a quiet part of the garden. Then, she gestured for her to sit on a bench next to her, which she obliged, before she started talking. 

"What can I do now?"

"What do you mean?”

She widened her eyes in surprise, then felt a bit ashamed when realising the doctor can’t read her mind and understand a question without any context. 

“I mean, you know I found out I could do more with my powers than what I initially thought?” The doctor nodded with a kind smile. “And actually that I don’t need to be perfect?” She nodded again. “Well, I was thinking a lot about it since I got my gift back.”

“What did you think about?”

“About how I don’t need to be perfect.” She stayed silent for a bit, before resuming her explanation when she saw how Doctor Alborotadora didn’t respond besides continuing to smile. “I mean I know I don’t need to, but now I actually don’t know what I should be anymore. Like I want to be different than before, but I also want to stay feminine, but if I stay feminine won’t I still be like before the house collapsed?...I don’t know, I’m pretty much lost.”

“What is being feminine?” asked the doctor. 

Isabela's eyes opened wide, surprised by the question. She had learned from Dolores that the doctor could ask some bothersome things, but she had thought it would be about some other stuff rather than something so obvious. Then, she mused on it for a moment, before realising she actually didn’t really know how to define it. Especially since saying “liking girly things” felt very wrong. 

Probably seeing how Isabela was struggling to find an answer, the doctor clarified, “What’s being feminine for you?”

“I’m not sure,” she ended up replying, embarrassed. "Maybe it could be to wear dresses but wearing pants wouldn't prevent anyone from being feminine." She stared at the doctor's pants. "Like you I mean. You're wearing pants but you're still a woman."

"Indeed!" She laughed. 

“So I don’t know. I’m trying things like making a dress only with cacti but I’m not sure what I can do before I can’t be considered a woman anymore.”

The doctor looked like she was musing on it, before she asked with a light smile, “Do you feel you’re maybe not a woman?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you think you could not be a woman?” she clarified. Then, she explained before Isabela’s confusion, “Some people were assigned a gender at birth they don’t feel they’re a part of. Like I knew a woman who has been assigned male at birth and she had to find herself to realise she’s actually a girl. Please note that we’re talking about gender and not the sex.” 

Isabela mused on it, thinking her not being a woman could be a possibility. However, she soon felt pretty uneasy about it, making her realise she’s probably not transgender. It must have shown on her face, because the doctor suddenly suggested, “Camilo often changes his appearance, right? And he never hesitates to actually turn into a woman, I believe?”

“You mean I should ask him how he knows he’s a man?” anticipated Isabela. 

The doctor Alborotadora nodded with a big smile, making her think about it. Well, it could be a good idea! Especially since she often sees him go from a boy to a girl and vice versa. Her eyes looked for him, to find him turn into Mirabel in front of the real one, who laughed when seeing him making funny faces with her appearance. 

“I could,” she admitted with a smile before turning to the doctor again, an idea suddenly in mind. “And I will... But how do you know you’re a woman?”

“Me?” asked the doctor, surprised. Isabela nodded to confirm. “Well, because I feel more feminine than masculine.”

“What do you mean?” 

“According to Karl Jung, we all have an inner feminine, the anima, and an inner masculine, the animus. For exemple, we usually associate women with being emotional and men with being more logical but the contrary can be true. And we usually have both in ourselves. Depends how you feel about it. In my case I feel I’m closer to my anima.”

Isabela frowned her eyebrows, musing on what the doctor just said. Was she feeling closer to her feminine or masculine side? Somehow she felt she was closer to the former more than to the latter, which actually answered her question about how to be certain she was a woman. However, there was still the most important one left. 

“How am I supposed to act my femininity then?”

“What do you like to do?”

“Making plants,” she replied while growing a mix of a marmalade bush and an epidendrum of radicans in a palma de cera under the amused eyes of the doctor. 

"What else do you like?"

Isabela thought about the question, not really sure at first. Then, she smiled as she recalled some things she actually enjoyed doing. She told the doctor about them, unconsciously talking faster in her excitement,while Doctor Aborotadora kept smiling, looking amused. 

When she finished, her conversation partner joked, “Well, that’s a lot of things you like to do, that’s great!” Then, with a kinder face, “So isn’t it how you’re living your femininity? By enjoying these things?”

“Maybe,” Isabela replied, musing on it. “I’ll probably talk about it with Camilo later though.”

“I think that’s a good idea! After all, our gender identity and how to live it is something we should figure out for ourselves but you can talk to others for some light on it.”

Isabela smiled, then decided to talk to her about some other things she needed to talk about. 

Toward the evening, the doctor finally collapsed on her bed, exhausted and hurt. It started so well and she was really hoping it would continue like that. However, she could currently still feel her body hurt after the impact of the rocks on her skin, of the feet on her legs and the fists on her back.

Deciding she definitely needed to rest, she yawned then left for the world of the dreams. 

At dinnertime, Alma frowned when she didn’t see the doctor at the dinner table. She was still figuring out if the woman was deserving of her trust and she was pretty sure she knew it. It was rather surprising then that she wasn’t there to keep proving she could be. 

She browsed the family to see more people were visibly feeling better. Isabela was also talking in a low tone with Camilo, who seemed interested which surprised her. She basically never saw them talk like that, without Camilo trying to upset her. 

Happy with what she could see, she was smiling when she finally asked Mirabel, “Do you know where the doctor is? It’s dinnertime.” 

“I’m not sure”, she replied, kinda embarrassed. “We went to Isabela’s garden, she left with her to talk to her alone, then when they got back the doctor was asked by Señora Morales to listen to her too and then I’m not sure what happened.”

“Does anyone know anything more?” 

“After Señora Morales she heard Señor Garcia...” answered Dolores. “Then I heard some kids insulting her and I heard her crying. I’m not sure but I think she may have been beaten up by them or their parents. Right now, she’s sleeping loudly in her room.”

“She has been beaten up?” asked Alma, shocked by the news. 

“I guess so. But before I could arrive on time at the place where I heard them, no one was there. Then I heard her walking up the hill to Casita.”

Alma mused on it for a bit, wondering what to do, then turned to Julieta in a sorry face. “Julieta, could you bring her something to heal her?”

“Of course I can, Mama,” approved Julieta.  

“Perfect.” Then, she turned to the others. “We need to find a way to fix the problem of her reputation. We can’t have our guest being hit by the townspeople.”

“We could threaten them with Mama’s lightning,” suggested Camilo with a wicked smile. 

“Let’s not use violence,” replied Alma with a grin. 

“A party, maybe?” proposed Julieta. “It could have the townspeople being used to the doctor if we’re partying with her.”

Alma smiled in response, thinking how good an idea it was.