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aggieharkness · 2 years

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Hay que encontrar su propio futuro

Summary: She never meant to hurt her family once more, she had only expected to wake up with a hangover not with someone beside her that was about to turn her entire life upside down. She never thought she would get a chance at a new life with someone so different and at the same time so alike. Can they really find a future together?

a/n: Hello!! Mariano is back, at last, and I hope you are as happy to see him as it made me to write him. I'm warning you all, this chapter is long, like wayyyy longer than the other ones, but I promise it's worth it. I hope you like it and give this story lots of love. :) I'm Spanish so I used expressions from my own language. I'm afraid I don't know Colombian ones so I had to work with the ones that I know. If there are any Colombians out there that would prefer for me to change what I have written I would very gladly do it, but even so, I hope you like the ones I have used.

warnings: blood, death, murder, mutilation, age difference, implied sexual content, past use of alcohol. Most importantly no Alma Madrigal bashing, i love this woman.

Part 1Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16

Hay que encontrar su propio futuro

The pain radiating from her legs was nothing compared to the way her lungs were burning, begging her to breathe, to take deep gulps of air but there wasn’t time. Her body was running on astronomical amounts of adrenalin, under other circumstances she wouldn’t be jumping fallen trees like she was some sort of overgrown goat and wouldn’t be sliding over the wet soil to escape low branches. There were scratches on her hands, face and legs stinging like hell and oozing blood as she once more forced them open when having to pass bushes of roses and thorned flowers; there wasn’t time to look for another path, she could hear them getting closer. Ahead of her she could see her family running faster than she could, gracefully escaping rocks and wild animals that showed up at the most inconvenient of times. Julieta and Agustín were following their daughters a few steps behind so they wouldn’t lose sight of them at any point, they didn’t want to have to go through the same unnerving situation of not knowing where they were like with Mirabel, Juli’s heart wouldn’t survive it. Luisa tried her best to break trees and rocks apart to make it an easier escape but as they kept on running more and more obstacles were showing up and as Alma had feared the girl was getting tired and it was slowing them down more than helping them. Pepa and Felix were pushing their children to move faster to go way ahead of them both, but everytime Antonio lost sight of his parents from his place in Dolores' arms the boy would start crying and begging his sister to slow down to which she agreed only because it worried her when she couldn't hear them over the sounds of everything else. Bruno was guiding everyone, the head of this committee, grabbing onto branches to balance himself and use them to get away from danger as quickly as he could, perks of being thin and having lived balancing over pipes and beams while he was inside the walls.

This was probably the only reason why Alma hadn't given up yet, her family kept on running determined to escape, to find refuge and remain alive. A low thick branch showed up suddenly in between the darkness of the night and although she hadn’t seen it Alma managed to duck under it just in time; it made her lose her balance though and as she stumbled to get back to her previous speed she encountered a rock, the strings of her new alpargatas getting caught under it making her completely unstable. As if in slow motion she watched the floor getting closer and closer until her heavy body collided with it ripping her shoe off, pain shooting through her arms and elbows from having used them as a shield so as not to hit her head. It soon spread all over her body mixing with the cramps her legs were experiencing and the constricting need for air that made her cough uncontrollably. It was only a few seconds what she remained on the floor, a few damned seconds but as she stood her knees buckled at the sight. They had reached a clearing, she was sure that hadn’t been there before but that wasn’t the problem, her family was surrounded by faceless horsemen that were cornering them as they pulled their weapons out. The droplets of rain that Pepa was making as fear and realisation that they were done for slid over the featureless figures like syrup that slides over a flat surface. Alma tried to move towards them, begging these people to spare them but she found that as much as she tried to take a step she couldn't, her feet were trapped under a layer of thick sand that felt almost like cement. She fought with all her might to escape but it wouldn't budge. Then the noise came. She hadn’t needed to lift her head to know what it was. Sharp metallic swords rose high up in the air slicing body after body, hot sticky bright red liquid pouring out staining the soil as well as the clothes they were wearing the gurgling pleads of mercy for their children falling on deaf ears as Alma watched frozen in time.

The first one to fall was Bruno, his ruana a deep shade of green where the stain was growing with each second dripping small beads of blood. His body kneeled over crunchy leaves and broken twigs staring up at Alma with glazed lifeless eyes almost as if he wanted her to see him like that; Julieta and Agustín followed just a matter of seconds later. Her previous spotlessly clean apron was a mosaic of splashes of hers and her husband’s blood, the woman falling on her back with a knife stuck to her chest piercing through her heart while her spouse fell limp with his head on her abdomen grabbing onto his sliced throat. Somehow they were both staring at her as well. Her youngest daughter fought like a champion but fell over, face down on the ground with a sword stuck to her back, Felix meeting a similar demise with his arms over his wife as if he could shield her from their murderers little red spots on her daughter’s freckled cheeks watching as her green eyes went out of focus. Alma’s children didn’t get the chance to fight or beg for more than a few seconds before they were brutally murdered. Her need to get out of that blasted sand was becoming an obsession at this point, anything to protect her nietos, the only family she had left, but with each movement it swallowed her faster, not only her feet were trapped now, she was knee deep in the fucking thing. Her screams didn’t seem to be reaching the horsemen or the kids, she was ordering them to run but they weren’t moving, it was as if she was inside a soundproof room where no one could hear her, encased in transparent glass with no chance of escaping.

She watched in horror as Isabela fell next. The girl’s flowers and plants seemed to be made out of paper, useless ways of protecting her siblings, cousins and herself. The blade made a swift but deep cut on her abdomen, the wound bleeding incessantly as her hands tried to apply pressure to stop it but it was futile, under a second she was laying on her back still clutching onto her dress as if that would do any help. At the same time Camilo dropped to the ground with a broken neck, his body twisting in a horrendous way, the sound of the snap echoing as if they were in a cathedral. Both their heads were turned towards her, their now dead eyes pleading for help. Alma’s heart was ripping apart, unable to do a thing, her screams getting louder, more desperate but no one seemed to be hearing her still. She couldn’t take it, she couldn’t stay there and watch but at the same time she couldn’t avert her gaze hoping that maybe someone would come to their rescue and not everyone would have to be lost tonight. Luisa managed to throw one of the men off his horse but the girl hadn’t stood a chance, her limp body resting on her side with a dagger on her neck, her white blouse now red as the blood poured out of her. Dolores and Antonio fell unders the brutal force of the horses hooves, bruised and blooded with the little boy still in the girl's tight embrace. Their faces were drained of any colour, white and blue with half opened mouths; they had been asking for help but no one had answered. The only one left standing was Mirabel. Maybe not everything would be lost, maybe the girl would be smart enough to find an exit, a way of getting out of there, anything, but she didn’t, she turned around and faced her abuela. In slow motion she watched her fall on her knees with both hands on her chest, thin trails of blood falling from the corners of her mouth as she smiled at her. Her figure dropped her side, the light in her eyes fading slowly but the smile still on her face. Everyone was gone, they hadn’t spared any of them, they sure wouldn’t let her live would they? Her eyelids closed for a minute hoping this all would be just a dream, that when she opened them they would be at Casita, but no, this wasn’t over yet.

The sound of water forced them open, the sand reaching up to her hips by then. There was a river where her family had just been, their bodies nowhere to be found but the blood still staining the soil and broken leaves that covered the river bank. There wasn’t anyone around, no sounds except for the water moving lazily downstream. Both her hands tried to reach for a vine that she hadn't seen before. It was just a foot away, she could get it, surely she could grab it and try to use it as leverage to get out; her fingertips were brushing it, they were so close when footsteps were heard. She lifted her head to see who it was, to see if maybe they were there to help but it was nothing of the sort. A tall man with dark hair stood with his back to Alma in the middle of the river just there looking ahead but there was no one on the other side, just trees and darkness where he was looking. She went back to trying to grab the vine but when she looked it was gone and instead of the scratches she had had on her hands from pushing leaves and branches away there were litres and litres of warm, almost burning blood. The sight made her scream. As if someone had pressed a play button four horsemen appeared from in between the woods raising their swords towards whoever was standing in the river, but he wasn’t still anymore, he was raising his arms in a peace gesture, his wedding ring glinting in the moonless night as if it had a light of its own. It couldn’t be, not again, this couldn’t be. Alma opened her mouth once more to tell him to run but it was now filled with sand and dirt preventing her from speaking. The man fell over the water splashing it with the weight of his slaughtered body, his face finally turned for Alma to see. Recognition swam through her body. She wasn't breathing anymore, the sheer pain that radiated from her body prevented any air from going through, her head dizzy and her vision blurry. This couldn’t be happening, they couldn’t all be dead, murdered right in front of her withouth her having had any possibility whatsoever of doing something, anything, to save them. Tears were flowing freely out of her eyes as she spat all of the sand and dirt out of her mouth but as much as she tried it seemed to never end.

“You killed us” a voice behind her spoke coldly almost in a threatening manner causing shivers to run down her spine, to stop all motions. It was Pepa’s. “¿Por qué no nos ayudaste, mamá?” no, no, no, no, she had tried, she had been trying to escape the fucking quicksands for what felt like hours, they had to have known she was trapped, they had to understand. She had screamed her voice away, at the top of her lungs, she had tried. Her nails were digging onto the soil as she forced her arms to take her out of there but it only left scratches on the ground. “Weren’t we good children mamá?” Of course they had been, they were the sweetest most wonderful children any mother could ask for, why was Julieta asking her that? The temperature was rising around her, her flesh covered in a thin layer of sweat; she kept pushing forward, she kept on trying to push herself out of that hole, but it seemed as if skeletal hands that grabbed onto her overheating skin were pulling her the opposite way. “I saw this mamá, your sins” she hadn’t done anything wrong, she was getting better, she was fixing things. Por favor, Bruno, she thought while her head tried desperately to locate their voices moving from side to side, don’t do this. She stopped searching when three figures appeared in front of her looming over her frame casting threatening shadows. Her children were staring down at her, their wounds still bleeding, the liquid falling on the ground and like serpents surrounding Alma in a ring of red fire. “Weren’t we enough?” “Did you love us mami?” “You made me leave” Stop, please, stop. She wanted to yell, she needed to tell them that she loved them, that they were her pride and joy, but her mouth was still filled with endless sand and so her words were drowned back into the black hole that was forming inside her chest. The ground beneath them swallowed Alma’s body inch by inch, the cold deathlike grips on her dress and ankles pulling her away from the triplets. “You didn’t help” “You left us alone” “We needed you” Her head was pounding so hard she thought it would explode any minute, their words playing over and over in her head. Why couldn’t they shut up?!

“I tried to be like you abuela” Isabela showed up from in between the shadows followed by her siblings and cousins all of them with pale skins and blue lips, their white lifeless eyes making Alma tremble and shake. “I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t make you proud” “You pushed me away”She was proud of both Luisa and Mirabel, she hadn't meant to make them feel like they were less or that they were only important because of their gifts, she really hadn’t, why were they doing this? “Have you ever looked at me for me, abuela?” “I was scared, but you didn't help” “You took him from me” She couldn’t take it anymore, she couldn't keep on listening to this, it was suffocating her. The heat around her was scorching, the blood that still escaped her family's bodies surrounded her getting closer and closer threatening to drown her. “You killed us” This time it was Pedro’s battered body that was still laid on the floor who spoke. His lips turned up into a twisted smile, his eyes crying blood, the strength of the river rising like dough turning violent and shaking Pedro’s figure as if he were nothing but paper. She had killed them. She had killed them. After a second she stopped trying to break free from the sand, she simply looked at them as their mouths moved automatically blaming her for everything they had ever gone through, all their problems and pains, everything was her doing. It was the new sound, and like a round it was also in the background, everywhere to be exact, inside her bones, inside her soul. With each word a new knife stabbed her heart ripping it more apart making her believe that she had been the cause of everyone’s grievances. Suddenly everyone fell quiet, her figure freezing, stopping from falling down the hole. The dirt that had been in her mouth fell out like a sand castle, freeing her at last. Alma spat as much as she could to the side, taking deep gulps of air. She could only taste the bitter dirt, but at least she could talk once more. It all remained still for a couple of minutes before someone turned the lights off and she found herself surrounded by darkness, alone. She couldn’t see nor hear anything but she couldn’t move inside the quicksand either, her hands now trapped as she was waist deep into it, what was going on?

One step, maybe she was imagining things, another step, no, someone was definitely there with her, a third step, this time closer. “You broke me mamá” Pepa’s figure came up front with a cold dead smile, hollow cheeks and protruding eyes that made her look like a corpse. “You let them use me mamá” Julieta stood beside her sister, her frame thin almost as if she was a walking skeleton with Agustín behind her both with blank expressions, unbothered by the blood that was falling over her shoulder from her husband's throat. “You made me want to die mamá'' Bruno was angry, furious even as he stood at the other side of Pepa looking at Alma with a death glare through his veiled eyes. This had to be hell, she must have died and was now being punished for her mistakes, this had to be the end. “You took my own life away, abuela” Isabela was crawling towards her, her freezing hands grabbing her face with such strength that it would leave bruises a smile like Pepa’s on her lips. “You let them use me as a mule, abuela” Luisa looked weak, small in a corner of the darkened room looking at her with terrified child-like eyes, her clothes too big for her thin frame. “You would have let me die for the candle, abuela” Mirabel was in front of Pepa with the miracle in her hands, the flame black and the wax melting over the girl's skin. She wouldn’t have let her die, she couldn’t have cared less for the candle but… she had never told her that, she had never said just how worried she had been that she could have died. She had moulded Isabel after herself never caring about what the girl wanted, she didn’t allow her to become herself and Luisa, dios, what had she done?

“You took my love from me, you stole him, abuela” Dolores sat behind her father in the back of the room with blood pouring out of a deep wound on her chest, Felix’s face blank, unresponsive. She hadn’t stolen anything, she hadn’t even asked him out, she wasn’t sure she even wanted him; she hadn’t taken anything but she had tried it and maybe that was just as bad. “I don’t know who I am because of you, abuela” Camilo, where was he? All she could see was a mix of people’s features coming from a small figure standing beside Bruno, as if he couldn’t remember what his own body looked like. “Did I do something wrong for you not to save us, abuela?” Toñito, oh the poor boy. He was alone in the back of the room looking at her with teary eyes holding his hands out. Had she done this? Had she really hurt this family so deep that even in death they were blaming her for the way they were, had she made them like that? “I didn’t die for you to do this Alma” Do what? She couldn’t see him, she couldn’t find Pedro’s figure among the others but could hear his voice over and over again like a broken record that wouldn’t stop playing the same part of a song. Had she wasted the chance Pedro had given her? Was she undeserving of all the things she had ever got in life? “I slept with you, but what makes you think I love you? Nobody can love you, Alma '' Suddenly she was back in the river, the quicksand eating her alive at a faster rate than before her family around her voices overlapping as she watched Pedro die all over again and again and again. This was torture, simple pshycological torture. Each time his body would fall over the water it would start again, like a cycle while her family repeated the same things as if she didn’t know them already, as if they thought they weren’t getting through but she couldn’t get them out of her mind.

Her head was barely out of the sand when it became a deep puddle of viscous coagulated blood that burned her skin. The new pain made her scream, her body having become numb to the other wounds at this point. When she lifted her head to see the scene play again she found a different person raising his hands in the air and it wasn’t a horseman this time the one carrying the weapon. “If I can’t have him, neither will you” and so Dolores stabbed Mariano ten then twenty then thirty times on the chest. The crystal clear water was now a river of death, the rivulets of blood playing lazily almost in a taunting manner with the man’s hair once he laid on his back over the bottom, his head turning to look at her. “You killed me”. That was it, she couldn’t take it anymore, a scream tore its way out of her so strong and raw that left her deaf for several minutes, but she didn't stop. The sound of something crumbling way up in the sky made her look up. Casita was breaking apart above her head and falling towards her. It would kill her, she needed to escape but her arms were trapped, the faces of her family getting closer to hers, dead, pale and blue with thin strings of blood falling down the corners of their mouths, eyes, even their ears. It was getting closer, the walls and floors, their doors, there just six feet away, there was no escaping this. Then they laughed, shrilling unnatural laughs as it finally fell over her, her head swallowed by the bloodied coagulated quicksand as she screamed, her mind finally quiet and black. When she opened her eyes she was staring at her bedroom ceiling, short and shallow breaths shaking her body, a cold layer of sweat covering her entire form soaking through her nightgown. Everything was still so bright and vivid in her mind, her eyes still seeing like a transparent film reflecting on the ceiling, their battered and dead bodies lying on the ground, their voices ringing in her ears as if they were with her in the room. Trembling, she blinked several times to make the images go away. It wasn’t working. Careful with her still shaking body she pushed herself into a sitting position rapidly checking that there wasn’t any blood on the mattress or her hands; she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her pale palms completely clean. She traced the lines on them watching the blue veins underneath the skin, the golden wedding band contrasting with the way the light made her olive flesh look. Glancing towards the window she saw the morning sun just starting to come through the horizon casting its golden rays over Casita’s roof, the candle burning bright and strong on its stand. As if a gush of wind was going through her mind the nightmare slowly became smaller until it vanished, the breeze taking it with it through the window towards the sky. She remained sitting looking at nothing, zoned out for twenty minutes, the little handle on the clock going tick tack as Alma tried to remember what she had just experienced.

She was used to nightmares, they were her daily reminder that her husband was no longer there and neither were friends that had been beside them since they were practically born, people that she could hardly remember came back to her as if she had just seen them that morning and even in the horrors of her subconscious she was still glad to see them. This nightmare though, it had been different and she had been having it for three days now, ever since she had refused to see Mariano, ever since she had stopped walking on eggshells around her family but with each passing night it got worse and she would wake up feeling like the most horrible person in the entire face of the Earth. Tonight hadn’t been any different. At the sound of a door opening and closing her mind returned from its futile search, jumping softly on the bed at the sound. She couldn’t keep on having them, they were bound to end her if she was not careful, but she couldn’t drink a cup of Julieta’s tea every night before bed, it would stop working after a while and the nightmares would return. Getting up her bare feet stood over the cold tiles, her hands grabbing onto the mattress as she took a couple deep breaths to calm herself. At least she hadn’t woken up in the middle of the night in deep darkness. She should head for the bathroom but her legs didn’t take her there, not yet, they walked of their own accord towards the window. Everything downstairs was calm, Julieta and Agustín talking in hushed tones as they headed for the kitchen. A sudden fear that they might be hurt or worse crept up her spine but at the sight of her daughter's rosy cheeks and loving smile towards her very healthy looking husband her fears seemed to diminish somewhat until they were nothing but ashes at the bottom of a drawer. Alma’s fingers traced the wax of the candle, warm under her touch, the little flame flickering softly as if it was greeting her. Her heart was still beating rather fast but seeing that the world was starting to wake up, that the sound of the birds singing their love notes still echoed in the morning light as the sun warmed the ground and their feathers, that life kept going, reassured her that all those ghosts that she was so afraid of were nothing more than fantasies that were playing with her mind.

She wasn’t going to let them scare her and make her live secluded in her own head. Hugging her nightgown close to her body in an attempt to escape the cold that she was now feeling from the sweat she made her way to the bathroom. Her hands rested on the counter next to her lotions and hairbrush, Alma’s head raising to see her reflection looking at her with tired eyes. There were bags under them, not very protruding, but still there and her hair was all over the place, she almost looked as if she had been hit by one of Pepa’s lightning. Why was she having these nightmares, why did they still chase her? She had stopped having the ones were casita fell on Mirabel a few months ago, it should be clear that it had something to do with this whole Mariano situation, but what was the cause? The conversations with Pepa and Dolores? Mariano himself? Maybe it was because she hadn’t gone to talk with Rosa or because she didn’t feel guilty anymore about wanting him, she couldn’t be sure but she had to do something. As if it could read minds Casita started a warm bath for her dropping some lavender salts and vanilla bubbles. The feeling of absolute horror was fading just leaving her with a tired body that very much needed to have a bath and an unruly hair that needed to be washed before she could brush it. The nightgown was thrown inside the laundry basket before she dipped inside the water feeling every muscle relax, her eyes closing at the gentle smells that filled the bathroom. Whatever she had dreamed of was now nothing more than an anecdote in the back of her mind.

The whirlwinds of steam with lavender loosened the feeling that had constricted her chest so strongly when she had woken up, the vanilla washing the sweat off her skin leaving trails of bubbles over her legs as she rested them on the side of the tub. If it hadn’t been for Casita dropping an empty bottle of conditioner in her head she would have fallen asleep smothered to death by the bubbles. Sitting more straight in it her hand shot up to rub the spot where it had fallen glaring at the shelf which simply moved up and down, yes, an inanimate object had just shrugged at her, the cheek. The magical house was telling her that it was about time to shower and get a move on, everyone would be waking up soon. Ten minutes later she was wrapped in a fluffy robe and walking out towards her bed to tidy it up as her body and hair dried. Something in the back of her mind was telling her that today she had to go out, that today for some reason she should do her rounds or go take a walk, anything, but she was meant to be outside. Although she didn’t feel like having to face the town alone, Luisa had been teaching her to say no in a subtle way, to not be too forward or rude, but maybe today she could do it on her own, give it a try, and so she moved from the bed towards her wardrobe opening its doors. Ever since the sleepover her entire closet had gone from the same style dresses to several different kinds of clothes, all made by the expert hands of her youngest nieta and her gifted father. Her own fingers traced the fabrics, she was so used to the same sort of thing that having to choose what to wear every morning was a foreign feeling. Nothing too revealing, she now owned a couple of blouses that were low cut and a skirt that finished around the knee; according to the girls they were for summer or heatwaves, but she didn’t buy it, not that she minded too much, they were beautiful and she might have a chance of wearing them someday for a special someone.

The idea of doing something so impossibly naughty as to show a bit of cleavage and her calves made her giggle like a teenage girl. Madre mía, le ha dado fuerte. Finally she shook the idea out of her head returning to her serious calm demeanour and selected a soft orchid coloured shirt with a cascade collar and butterfly shaped lace and a dark magenta skirt with three black ruffles at the bottom. Inside the wardrobe underneath the dresses were several new alpargatas that Camilo and Bruno had bought her in the last few days; quickly getting dressed and selecting the ones furthest on the right, a gorgeous pair of turquoise ones she tied them while on her way down the stairs, careful not to fall and roll out into the hallway like a human ball. Before opening the door she grabbed her butterfly clip that held her keys and watches from where it rested on a little table and put it on the waistband of her dress. Now she was ready to head downstairs and have some breakfast.

The house was quiet, apparently everyone else was still in bed or in the process of waking up, no one came out of their rooms as she walked past them towards the stairs. Pedro’s portrait hung from the wall in the same spot, like everyday, but the way the sun shone over it made it seem like it was alive, bringing out the pink tones of his skin. Buenos dias amor, Alma greeted the painting brushing her fingers lovingly over his cheek before continuing her way towards the kitchen. It felt nice to look at him in this new light of not feeling guilty over his death, of not feeling like she was replacing him because she was starting to fall for another man that even though she had been the one to decide not to see, she found she missed terribly. She hadn’t gone so much as a day without having him over, three days felt more like a punishment than a very much needed time to think. Crossing the threshold of the kitchen she smiled at the smell of freshly made coffee.

-Buenos días, mamá. What are you doing up so early? On Saturdays you normally sleep in a bit more. - Julieta greeted her mother from her spot in front of the stove as she made some eggs and warmed some arepas for herself and Agustín.

-Woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep, you know. It’s… - she picked up her watch to have a look at the time. Eight o’clock, that was a normal hour to get up, maybe even a bit late for Alma, she was usually up and about around seven each single day. - not that early, the children should be waking up soon.

-Do you want me to make you something or would you rather wait for them?

-Un café me vendría bien para despertarme. I shouldn't take baths in the morning, they relax me too much.

-You’ve been saying that for fifty years and you still take them. ¿Azúcar?

-No, lo quiero solo. And what are you two planning on doing today? It’s your free day this week.

-Juli and I want to spend some time with the girls so we are going fishing down by the lake. - Agustín took a sip from his own cup flashing a radiant smile towards his wife. Poor man, Alma had made his life miserable when he had been young and started courting her daughter, but it had all worked out for the couple in the end. She was glad they had defied her and got married, not even Alma could have found a better man for her Julieta and he had given her three beautiful miracles that she loved as much as if they were her own, in a way they were. He had done a very good job and worked hard to become a Madrigal each day. - Isa has enough flowers to look around and Luisa loves to swim there, so we are all happy.

-Wonderful idea. It’s a shame you can’t share it with Pepa and the children but Camilo works today with Señor Gutierrez at the grocers and Antonio wanted to go with Dolores to church.

-He’s a little devil our Camilo but works so hard, I think I’ll give him some sandwiches to take with him later. Here you go, un café solo. Are you sure you don’t want anything else?

-I’ll be heading to town in a minute, corazón, so I’ll just have something to eat while I’m out.

-On your own? Don’t you want Luisa to go with you? - they knew of course that she wasn’t helpless, for God's sake she had survived a war and the beginning of an entire town, a walk wasn’t about to force her into manual labour for three weeks straight, but they were still worried, it was so hard for Alma, she struggled so much with saying no.

-I’ll be fine, I can always use my temper to get away from them. Do you know if Pepa will be heading for the crops today? I heard that they were having some problems with the corn.

-She didn’t mention it, so I don’t think so.

The kitchen fell into a comfortable silence as everyone enjoyed their coffees, Julieta preparing with great care several sandwiches along with some chopped fruit for Camilo. It was true, he was a little devil, always playing pranks and getting on their nerves, but he made himself lovable and worked as hard as Luisa did, just not as often. He was a very independent boy but there was a small thorn in Alma’s heart; she didn’t know how to connect with him, to have a relationship like the one she had with the girls. It made her feel like she was unconsciously pushing him aside just because she didn’t know what to do. She had had the same problem with Bruno when he had been little. It had been so hard trying to figure out what to do with him when Pepa and Julieta were out but it had somehow worked out in the end, right? On this warm day her hair was already drying into soft waves and short curls that framed her face, her eyes glued to her coffee watching how the dark liquid moved around the glass before picking the cup and taking a sip. What a wonderful taste the bittersweet flavour the coffee beans created and how wonderful it felt to have it pass down the throat warming up her body in tender waves as she took each sip. This was a gift from God, it had to be. Soon enough the cup was empty and her previously tired and lazy body was now functioning just fine.

She stood and placed it on the sink and was about to turn and leave when an image of her daughter with a knife pierced through her chest lying lifeless on the ground with Agustín oozing blood out of a deep wound on his neck, his face resting over his wife’s abdomen flashed before her eyes. In the blink of an eye it was gone but the silent jumpscare it had caused Alma was very much there, a hand on her chest to even out her breathing. She had no idea where it had come from but a feeling told her that it had to do with the nightmare. Was she remembering it? Quickly she turned her head. Julieta was now preparing the dough for some arepas in one bowl and buñuelos in another talking softly with her spouse. She was fine, there was no blood or weapons, she was fine. Instead of heading out once her heart rate had returned to normal she headed for her daughter, grabbed her face between her hands and kissed her cheek.

-Please, be careful down by the lake, accidents can happen - she stole a glance at Agustín. - as you both know very well.

-Don’t worry, the only one who’s going to get hurt is going to be Agustín, it’s impossible for him to go a day without an injury.

-Well, listen here young man, - her index finger was now pointing at his chest, her eyes glued to his and although she was trying to look stern she was happy he was fine as well. - you better not get hurt today or I’ll make sure my chancla gets stuck to your bottom. Understood?

-Si, mamá. I’ll try my best.

With a sharp nod she headed for the door but not without placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him another quick kiss on the cheek first. With her back turned she didn’t see the look of utter bewilderment and confusion Agustín was giving Juli nor the way she shrugged her shoulders with raised eyebrows. They knew Alma’s love language was physical contact and they weren’t complete strangers to her kisses, but they sure weren’t expecting her to just out of the blue show that she was worried for them by giving each a kiss; Julieta didn’t think she had ever seen her mother be affectionate towards Agustín in like… never. They had been to the lake many times, more than they had been to any other place in the Encanto, but today Alma had worried over them both and they weren’t about to complain if it made her feel better to know they would be extra careful.

Casita’s front door opened wide as soon as Alma set foot back into the courtyard letting the gentle morning breeze ruffle the leaves of the flowers that decorated the pillars and beams of the house, the sun bathing its tiles and the hem of Alma’s skirt. The sounds of birds had been rather drowned in her room by the walls but now they could be heard loud and clear, inviting her to escape her mundane life and join them in the free nature of the forest, the fields, the lake. There was no need for a shawl but this was the only thing she would never ever give up, she could let go of her clothes, she could invite strangers into her house, but she would never take her ring off or leave her black shawl at home when she was going into town. Grabbing it from the rack it was laid swiftly over her shoulders. Stepping out into the stairs she closed her eyes as the tender heat of the sun enfolded her being, the smell of autumn filling her lungs with fresh tones of pumpkin and distant rain. She loved autumn, it wasn’t stifling hot but it wasn’t freezing either and the amount of weird looking bugs was way less than during spring; the flowers had stopped blooming a long time ago, but you could always count on Isabela to find perfect plants for this time of the year to decorate the town and give it a lovely atmosphere to walk around in. She had barely lifted her foot when Casita forced her inside. Giving the house a stern look she waited with her hands on her hips for some sort of explanation but the only thing that came was a turquoise ribbon that she quickly picked up from the table. It always knew what to give her before she left, always the attentive magical house. As a thank you she patted the doorframe finally stepping on the dirty path that connected them with the main street. Lazily she started walking while braiding her almost dry hair looking up at the sky enjoying the sight of pure cyan mixed with small translucent clouds at the top of some of the mountains, white hawks dancing far away from her like small pearls that soared in the air.

What was she going to do while in town, no idea. Maybe she could get some wool with which to start teaching Luisa how to knit, yes, that was a great idea and maybe she could get some new books for Dolores, she had helped the old librarian put them away a week ago; she had several ideas of what titles to get her. She crossed the bridge looking at some ducks floating calmly over the water letting the current move them from one side to the other, Alma’s fingers tying the ribbon at the end of her braid. A calm relaxing morning, something she hadn’t had in a very long time. When she got to town it was quiet, only a few people were out cleaning their windows or heading for the plaza, quiet hellos and waves of hands greeting Alma along with a couple of raised eyebrows by the way she was dressed. Not everyone approved of her getting a bit more modernised by her family. The mural stood proudly in one of the streets that connected with the plaza; small differences had been painted at her request a few months prior: Bruno no longer had a scornful glare, he smiled along with his sisters a small tiny rat on his shoulder as he held a vision of Mirabel with her doorknob. Both Felix and Agustín had been added next to their wives and each of the grandchildren, including Mirabel, sported proudly a bit of themselves and their gift; Isa wore her new dress and instead of roses she had cacti around her, Antonio was holding a baby capybara that after great discussion had been baptised as Albondigo, Mirabel held a golden butterfly in between her sisters. Alma didn’t want the girl to feel excluded no more, she had never meant to, but now she could show her properly that this was her family and they loved her dearly.

Upon entering the plaza her body froze. Standing just outside the fabrics shop was Mariano. Should she turn around and wait until he left? Through the window of the shop she saw Rosa chatting with Elena, the owner, while handing her some thread and a couple bits of lace. She had forbidden him to see her, Rosa had made it very clear to both Dolores and Mariano that he couldn’t see Alma at all, that all hell would break loose if he did, but how could she stay away? He had trimmed his beard and instead of his usual white guayabera he was wearing a light blue one, his wavy brunette hair casting chocolate highlights, some strands shining golden under the direct sun. He was looking at nothing in particular, he seemed lost in thought, almost sad, his eyes certainly looked like they had cried not long ago. Her heart clenched at the sight, her chest heavy; she hoped this wasn’t her fault but given her luck recently she was quite certain it was. The logical part of her brain was screaming at her to let it go, to just leave and preserve some sort of pride, but the other half that also shared thoughts with her heart told her in big neon letters to screw it. And so she did. She held her shawl tightly in her hands, her feet carrying her towards him passing by the fountain. Since she wasn’t wearing her usual high heels he didn’t see her coming, his vision suddenly being clouded by the hem of a magenta skirt he had never seen before.

He lifted his head not taking in the figure of whoever was in front of him until he was face to face with her, eyes wide as saucers. She wasn’t sure what to say, being this close to him once more, to see his face after three horrible days of thinking, of going back and forth over the same issue at all times, it was the best thing that had happened to her. His eyes roamed her body, exploring quietly but not in a lustful way, they held a simple and pure veil of adoration in them. The sun was right behind her, just peeking from over the roof of one of the houses making it look as if a soft halo of goldens and oranges had just formed around her head, big expressive eyes smiling at him like he had never seen before, the small freckles that decorated her skin accentuated by the new colours she was wearing, some short strands of silver and brown hair framing her face swaying softly with the breeze. This was what he had always thought angels looked like. Alma’s fingers played with her sleeves casting a downward look, she didn’t want him to see how nervous she was; she knew she shouldn’t be, but he always made her feel anxious, as if she had swallowed thousands of bees and butterflies.

-Hola.

-Hola. - neither of them knew what else to say, should they talk about how she had refused to see him for three days? Or were they supposed to mention Rosa’s ban? Either way they remained silent for a couple more minutes looking away every time their eyes met. If they wanted to talk they had to do it now, before Rosa came out and murdered them right on the spot.

-Yo… I better go, abuela wanted me to get her some milhojas from the bakers and… well… Nos vemos.

-Don’t! - she grabbed his sleeve just as he was about to turn and walk away. No running away, not anymore. - Don’t go. Stay, please.

-Why? You don’t want me around, I suppose that it's better this way.

-I don’t… Yo… I do want you around.

-Then why did you stay away? It wasn’t one morning Alma, it was three whole days that I went by without a single word from you. You promised that we would talk with my abuela, but you were nowhere to be found, Dolores had to come with me. - his fingers traced her knuckles as he tried to unhook her hand from his guayabera, but she wouldn’t let go. -Actions speak for themselves, Alma. I understand.

-But you don’t! I needed time to think, and so did you.

-I didn’t, I had everything extremely clear in my mind and I told you. You are the one who has doubts, you are the one who keeps going from yes to no all the time. - the grasp she had on his clothes loosened at his words. He had grown tired of waiting, he had grown tired of her indecisive demeanour. She had him in front of him and at the same time she felt like she had lost him and as much as was trying to hold it together, it hurt, it hurt like hell, she didn’t want to see another man she loved slip through her fingers. He was silent for a few seconds but she didn’t say a word, she couldn't find what to say. His face fell. - It’s alright. I have to go, good day señora Madrigal.

Nothing could have been worse than hearing him walk away, his guayabera sliding out of her hand. The opportunity to tell him whether there was still any chance whatsoever of them getting together had slipped away when they had locked eyes and the only thing he had seen had been her unfocused chocolate pools. Alma still had her hand stretched towards him but she wasn’t seeing him, standing in front of her was but an illusion of the man she had been staring at a second ago. Blood was soaking through his shirt, eyes completely blank, skin sunken and pale, a trail of the red liquid escaping his nose. If anyone was talking she couldn’t hear, the world had suddenly fallen silent. When she blinked again he was closer, his bony fingers grabbing her forearms. “What makes you think I can love you?”. The voice was foreign to her, deep, dark and it seemed to hold a mocking tone. This wasn’t real, this isn’t real. Her head shook violently but when she opened her eyes he was ten feet away from her walking towards the bakers, his guayabera pristine and his body muscular and tall, gloriously alive. Once more that bloody nightmare had made an appearance preventing her from telling him just what he had wanted to hear. Ghosts of her worst fears making themselves known away from her sleep. She wasn’t going to stand aside this time, she was tired of running and letting fear take the reins of her life. If they were playing games, so could she. Her legs moved of their own, sprinting in his direction.

-NO! Mariano!

-What? I don’t want to argue if that’s - the next thing he knew Alma was grabbing his lapels and pulling him towards her. His lips crashed against hers drawing a sigh from them both, at last they felt at home, her mouth still holding the taste of the coffee she had just had. Mariano’s first reaction had been to freeze but when he realised this was happening he melted into her, his hands holding her against him at the waist. It wasn’t gentle at all, it was rough and needy but it calmed Alma’s screaming mind and forced him to accept that this wasn’t over, that they couldn’t part just like that. A few seconds later they separated gasping for air.

-Don’t leave me. I should have told you I needed time but I was angry at you for not telling me that you were sober, for having lied to my family, I was an emotional wreck and I just couldn’t deal with it all.

-If you had-

-Please, listen, just listen. I felt like I was a horrible person, that I had destroyed my life, my family, I wanted you and at the same time I didn’t because I thought I was replacing Pedro, but you are not him and that’s alright. You love me for me, and I can forgive you for not telling me the truth because you know what?

-What?

-I don't care. I’ve done everything posible to convince myself that we couldn’t be together, that this would end up being a disaster, but I know it was stupid to think that we can’t be anything but together. I spent three days without you and I thought I was going to go insane, but it was worth it because it made me open my eyes, it made me find myself. Dolores is not angry anymore, still hurt, but she’ll be fine, she wants us to be together.

-So are we done playing the cat and the mouse? Can we just start from scratch?

-Yes. - her hands moved from the lapels to the back of his neck pressing her forehead softly against his before pulling away. The smile she was giving him could light the entire country. -Hola, Mariano, I’m Alma and I think you already know that I lo-

-Mariano! - at the speed of light Alma suddenly found herself being pushed away from him by a pair of hands, stumbling backwards a couple of steps. Rosa had left the shop just a few minutes ago and when she had started searching for her nieto, her entire body had frozen in anger and disbelief at what her eyes were seeing; even after all they had been through, all the arguments and broken vases he had still defied her, his own abuela. The nerve of that boy! - What the hell do you think you are doing?! I told you to stay away from her!

-Abuela, please.

-No! Absolutely not! We are going home right now. - she grabbed his arm and had started pulling him away when she felt him fight against her grip freeing his arm in under a second. He placed himself in between her and Alma both his hands holding onto Alma’s shawl. Rosa was impossibly furious almost to the point that she was going to throw hands any minute. He was siding with her, after all the heartache he still had the balls to stand by Alma! The glare she gave to her could have been considered a weapon if she had dropped dead right there and then. - Mariano, I’m warning you, I won’t tolerate any more of this, so get your ass going. Now!

-Abuela, please, just listen, okay? You two are best friends, is really an entire lifetime so unimportant to you that you would lose what you two have because of something than neither of you have talked about?

-She’s nothing but a slut, a horrendous woman that took you to her bed when she knew perfectly that you are just a child! She disgusts me.

-Don’t you ever call her that! - this time it was Mariano’s turn to glare, a shadow of fear crossing Rosa’s eyes for just a second before she returned to her previous rage. This was getting worse by the minute but neither of them seemed to notice they were outside for everyone to hear and see. They were lucky no one had come by yet. With measured care Alma took a step towards her, Rosa’s eyes switching from her grandson to her.

-Rosa, I’m so sorry that it took me so long to talk with you.

-Do you honestly expect me to accept that excuse for an apology and to just drop it?

-Of course not, but then again I didn’t think you would treat Mariano like this either.

-Like what? My family is not as perfect as yours, we are not worshipped by the village or have gifts that make us important.

-Is that how you see us? My house fell over my nieta’s head, my son left because he knew just how upset I was going to be about his vision. We are far from perfect but we are facing our problems, Rosa, and actively trying to solve them. Have you ever thought of doing that? Some self reflecting?

-This is not about me! Don’t turn it around Alma, I know how you work.

-And have you ever seen me doing something for my own selfish gain? - she wanted to refute her, Rosa wanted so badly to tell her something, anything, but suddenly all her arguments, all her facts were gone, vanished in the blink of an eye. She just stood there with her mouth open as if she was trying to find words to say in her blank mind. - Rosa, what happened happened, and we can’t change it, but this isn’t just some childrens game. This has been going on for longer than either of us have known. Us sleeping together was just what we needed to open our eyes.

-But why him?! You have dozens upon dozens of men to choose from, why did it have to be my boy?

-There isn’t a reason, we didn’t decide to do this just because! We’ve been dancing around each other for years but we were just so stupid that we never saw it. It was going to happen Rosa, if it hadn’t been during the party it might have been another day, but this was going to happen.

-You are seventy five years old for God’s sake, why didn’t you think before letting your instincts run wild?!

-You just don’t want to see it, do you? I didn’t choose this! I didn’t point at him and though good, I’m going to shag him. I saw him and my mind simply understood that that was the right moment to finally make me realise that that something that had been there all this time was more than I had anticipated.

-No! This is wrong, what you both did… God, no!

-I love her abuela, - the steps he took towards her were cut short by Rosa raising her hand up in the air. She couldn’t hear this, she couldn’t stand there and simply let him tell her those outrageous words. - and nothing you do is going to stop me from feeling like this. We didn’t murder anyone, we simply let our hearts do what they’ve been wanting for years. Please, just try to understand that this isn’t lust, it’s love.

-Was it the same with Isabela and Dolores or you were just practising with them?

-Don’t go there Rosa, we’ve already talked about that enough. We’ve talked about this whole damned thing enough! I can’t tell you why we did it, I can’t make you understand just how hard this has been for the both of us. You have every right to be angry but don’t pay your frustrations on us.

-He tried to rape you in the kitchen! Was that something you wanted as well?! - just because she’s kept that part hidden doesn't mean she was not hurt about it. She wanted to forget it but as much as she tried it just would leave her. It had made her doubt herself more times than she could count, it had made her wonder if they could actually do this. What if he did it again? What if he lost his temper and didn’t let her go one day? Her confidence and trust had disappeared the instant the first tear had slid down her cheek that night, the memory had replayed itself too many times during these three days for her to go back to that dark place again.

-No, but I don’t want to fear him, I need to trust him, that’s why I haven’t talked with him for three days. I needed to see if I could believe him, if there might be a chance for the trust we once shared to be built again. We can move past that moment, I won’t forget it, but we can learn from it and move on.

-Move on?

-Yes, move on. Just think about it Rosa. It’s been there all along, all the signs, we just didn’t pay them enough attention. We started the wrong way, but it doesn’t mean we have to continue the same. It doesn’t have to hurt Rosa.

-I’m angry, that won’t go away by you speaking sweet words. I’ll never understand what made you think this can happen. You are so different.

-Not really. Rosa, - the woman’s basket was placed on the floor so Alma could take her hands. - we’ve been friends for longer than many in this town, I know you and you know me and I think it’s right that I tell you this. I love him, not as in, oh my God he’s so cute I love him, I mean as in I’m in love, madly. It doesn’t make sense, I know and it’s strange, weird even, definitely, but it’s there, and I won’t push it aside the same way I’ve been pushing everything else. I’ve changed but I’m still your stupid friend Alma, the one who chased you with a frog when we were eighteen because you had taken my favourite ribbon.

-I didn’t take it, I saw it laying around and I simply picked it up. The frog was nasty.

-It was. What I mean is that your feelings are valid, you can be mad at us, but it won’t change the fact that love is there and it can’t be ignored.

-Nothing I say will make a difference, will it? - both shook their heads. What was the point of screaming until her throat hurt, of destroying her house if they were going to do whatever they thought was right for them. This wasn’t about her, but she couldn’t help thinking that if she accepted, that if she tried her darndest to understand that she would be losing him. -I have a problem with you two being together; it’s not right, but my words won’t make you stop loving him and well, better you than any of those young girls that one day are with one boy and the next with another.

-Does that mean that you’ll let us see each other, abuela?

-I can’t stop you from growing up as much as I would love to, Mariano. I just hope that you haven’t made a mistake. I won’t give you my blessings, not yet at least, just keep a low profile and let me adjust and calm down. Don’t think I’m not angry, I could chop your heads off, but fighting will get us nowhere and I’ve already run out of things to throw at you.

-We’ll give you all the time you need and we’ll keep a low profile, the lowest we can manage as long as I don’t lose my best friend.

-I’ve helped you sneak Pedro in and out of your house, I was there when the triplets were born, you are not getting rid of me so easily.

-I’m glad. Cards and coffee next Tuesday?

-Not yet. I’ll go to Casita when I’m ready.

The tension was slowly dissipating but the uneasy feeling that this was wrong wouldn’t leave Rosa’s mind. She was glad her friend was in love, really, but she didn’t like that it was with her grandson, it was just weird. She had read and heard stories of older women that got with younger men but they weren’t past the sixty mark and hadn’t been to her wedding or the christening of her nieto. This wasn’t going to be easy for her seeing them grow closer, holding hands, sharing kisses, but there was nothing she could do. Mariano’s hand twitched in the need to be close to Alma again but he hid it well, there wasn’t need for any more words even if Alma really wanted to tell her that she needed her, her best friend. Picking up her basket from the floor Rosa sighed and bid them a good day heading for the bakers. Once more they stood alone in the plaza.

-That went way better than I had expected. I thought she was going to kill us.

-She still might, we’ll have to be careful until she comes round.

-Do you think she will?

Finally his hand connected with hers, fingers intertwined, their feet starting to move, taking them through streets and alleys with no real destination. When she had woken up she hadn’t understood why she had felt that overwhelming need to escape the house and go out but with Mariano by her side now as they strolled over a path near the woods she began to think that destiny might be playing cupid with them. There were still some fireflies jumping from leaf to leaf and a couple of small little bees starting their day a bit later than usual when they passed Osvaldo’s donkey farm.

-In the end, yes. She didn’t like Pedro at first and you are her grandson, she’s trying to protect you, you are her boy, the only family she has left. Can you blame her?

-She didn’t need to call you names to get the message through though.

-I never said this would be easy or clean.

-We haven’t actually decided on what this is, who we are to each other. - In between the trees the droplets of water cast rainbows above their heads, the toucans screaming perched on the branches. It had been a long time since she had enjoyed this little bit of paradise.

-I like the idea of us being a couple and you being my partner.

-Not your boyfriend?

-I’m far too old for boyfriends. That makes me think of mamá looking out the window while twenty of my friends chaperone us. Partner seems more distinguished.

-Anything you say, caramelito.

-Please, don’t use that while we are hanging out with my family or they’ll take it upon themselves to use it all the time the same way they use Brunito. OH! Mariano!

-What? - instead of continuing their walk towards the fields she pulled him back into town not bothering to greet her neighbours as they passed them. It had barely been ten minutes since they had left and the square was already booming with life.

-I forgot I was going to buy some wool for Luisa and some books for Dolores. Sorry to have to cut our walk a little bit short.

-Doesn’t matter, just don’t scream like that again please, I thought you had seen a snake or a giant spider. Ugh.

-Perdón, I promise I’ll try. - they had barely reached the fountain when she let go of his hand looking at the floor while playing with her fingers. She didn’t want to leave him, not now that they had finally found each other, but her chores would bore him and she didn’t want that to be the beginning of their relationship - If you have something to do I won’t keep you.

-As a matter of fact I do. Be with you, and in my most humble opinion that is something extremely important.

-Are you sure? It’s bound to be boring and-

-Lead the way.

-Alright. - no one thought it strange when she took his arm on their way to the old bookshop in the corner of the square, they had seen them do that so many times they actually considered it odd when they weren’t touching somehow. - I was thinking we could check on Camilo while we are at it; I want to have a better relationship with him but I don’t know how and since you were a teenage boy once…

-Perfect idea, I’ll help you two become the best of friends, leave it to me. By the way, I was too busy before to tell you how incredibly beautiful you look. Even your blush seems to fit with the colour scheme. I hope this new style of yours is here to stay, you know how much I love your long hair.

Her entire face had turned a rich shade of pink, her head turned away to try and hide it but it only earned her a laugh, a wonderful happy laugh from him. In the back of her mind far away from her thoughts the nightmare was getting smaller, the flashes of death she had had during the day vanishing as if they had never happened, as if the world right now resolved only around them and which book to get for her nieta

#alma madrigal #abuela madrigal #encanto #dolores madrigal #julieta madrigal #pepa madrigal #bruno magridal #mariano guzman #señora guzmán #disney

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achitka · 9 months

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Doors: Chapter 42

Tío José

There are some curious folks headed toward the Encanto. Camilo does more recon, Mirabel is stuck on a cart, Antonio does not like writing, Isabela doesn't know her own strength, Bubo finally wakes up and stay away from Miguel… he's creepier than I anticipated. No, really they're gonna make it back to town soon, I swear.

Alma sat between her daughters as the group of women discussed where and how they would house all the newcomers. There hadn’t been a group this large up to now. Usually, it was small family groups, such as Doris’s. She, Inez and the children were settling into a home that had been recently vacated. The family that lived there had moved to a larger home closer to the school. Doris was a little surprised, she was expecting they would be staying outdoors. Inez was delighted to have a roof over their heads after so long, and the children were excited at the prospect of going to school. The school had been shut down after the outbreak and was scheduled to reopen tomorrow.

Señora Aguilar was asking a question, but Alma wasn’t actually listening; her mind was on the information Dolores gave her and her daughters as she’d walked to the meeting. Dolores’s update of what was happening on the mountain, included her grandchildren’s speculation that the older woman may be related to her. She was not sure why this made her more than a little fearful and nervous. While the prospect of one of her sisters being alive was a good thing, at the same time she realized that she’d not seen anyone from her family for over fifty years.

Alma had forgotten the details of the dream that had awakened her, and she thought of the night when the magic returned. Bruno’s first sponty and how sure he was that whoever the woman he saw was; it was not her, but someone who looked a lot like her. Since the founding of the Encanto, she never thought it would be possible to find them. With three babies and a town to run, she had put that out of her mind.

She glanced out the window and saw Isabela and Tuli making their way up the road. She remembered then that Isabela was going to be working on the Jimenez farm near the edge of town. Isa had been working on strengthening the cassava crop this farmer had planted because the plants seemed off to the farmer’s wife. Tuli walked next to Isabela, holding her straw hat behind her. Skipping along, and she looked, for the moment, to be at ease. Alma had told Tuli that she could stay in the Encanto if Bubo did, she meant that. It would all come down to whether their Tío would allow it. Still, that was a worry for later and Alma was pulled out of her musings when Pepa lightly touched her hand and asked, “Mamá, you okay?”

Alma nodded and looked around. She realized she had no idea what anyone had said for the past half hour. Pepa picked up on her confusion and asked, “So you agree that the new folks will be housed on the fútbol field near the edge of town?”

Alma again nodded and added, “Yes, that would be best suited if we still have all the tents and equipment.”

“Most of those items were stored in the old shoe shop,” Sylvia Guzmán said, then turned to Julieta and asked, “How long does Dolores think it will be before they arrive in the town proper?”

“They’ve only just started back, so we’ll have at least three or four hours,” Julieta said as she rose, “Okay ladies, let’s go. The time will pass quickly, I’m sure, and we have a lot to get done,”

It made Alma happy that no one questioned Julieta's authority, as they all got up and collected the items they’d brought with them. Even the younger women were doing their part this time. Since the women outnumbered the men in the Encanto, Alma was not surprised. There were potential new unmarried men out there.

Alma put a hand on Pepa’s arm to keep her there and waited for the room to clear out. Julieta already knew what was happening because she’d spoken to the Doctor directly. She reminded Alma this morning that she needed to tell Pepa what was happening and to have a little more faith that Pepa would handle the news well. Alma had to admit a lot had changed with her middle child since the breaking. Pepa was far calmer and more in control of her Gift in a way that Alma had previously thought was not possible.

Julieta was the last one out and smiled at them encouragingly as she pulled the door closed. Alma took a deep breath, she’d put this conversation off for weeks, but it was clear to her that she needed to stop holding things in. She thought back to the time before the Gifts and how Pepa’s joy had always helped lift the shadow from her heart. Always her little ray of sunshine. Since the breaking, Pepa was once again full of joy as she watched her babies grow. Alma knew she needed to learn better to ask for help when she needed it and said, “Pepa, I’m sure you noticed that since my illness, I’ve been trying to do less these past few weeks.”

Pepa nodded and though she had already developed a cloud, there was no rain as she asked, “Is your health okay?”

“Yes,” Alma said with a smile as she took one of Pepa’s hands, “Right now I am fine, mi vida; however, I want you to be aware of what I am potentially facing and why I will be relying on you and your siblings more from now on,” There was no easy way to say this, so Alma again took a breath and said, “The Doctor says there is a problem with my heart.”

“What sort of problem?”

“He called it a heart murmur,” Alma paused when it started to drizzle. Pepa blew at the cloud, it dissipated, so Alma continued, “That means my heart does not always beat as it should, and he told me that if I wish to be around to see all of my nietos grow up, I need to take a step back from some of my usual responsibilities.”

Pepa nodded and asked as a new cloud formed, “How can I help, Mamá?”

“Well, you have been after me for quite some time to give you more stories for the family scrapbook you have been working on,” Alma paused as Pepa squeezed her hand, “now that things will be, hopefully settling down, I want to help you with that, if I can.”

“That would be wonderful, Mamá,” Pepa said and picked up the umbrella she had with her. She popped it open, and Alma heard the light rain Pepa had stopped before as it began to fall again, this time interspersed with some hail.

“To begin, I want to meet with you and your siblings at that yellow door at lunchtime tomorrow.”

“Did you remember something?” Pepa leaned in, her excitement causing a brief increase in the hail’s intensity.

The happiness Alma had felt the night before, again crept in, and she said, “Yes, but… ” and she held up a hand, “tomorrow, Pepita. I want all three of you to be there when I tell you.”

There was a quiet roll of thunder and Alma could not help but smile. Pepa shrugged as she let out a short laugh and said, “Okay, Mamá, tomorrow it is… at noon.” Her rain stopped, so she closed the umbrella, and together they got up to join the other women.

-------------------------------

Camilo was headed to where Bubo’s Tío was standing when he paused and nudged Mariano, who was watching the people as they started to drift toward Mira. It amazed him that Mirabel never seemed to notice it happening. Mariano looked where Camilo indicated, and he too noticed Bubo leaning against a tree with his eyes closed. He’d never seen someone able to sleep standing up like that. Camilo’s Mamí had told him why Bubo was staying over last night, and both he and Mariano had seen Bubo stumble once or twice on the trip here. It was very evident he’d just not gotten enough sleep the night before. Mariano nodded, walked over and poked Bubo awake. He took him aside, at which point Bubo yawned mightily and rubbed his eyes. Mariano then bent nearer and said something that made Bubo shake his head. Mariano poked his arm and said something else. Bubo rolled his eyes but nodded. Together, they walked over to the cart where Luisa and Mirabel were. There was a brief exchange, then Bubo climbed into the cart and if Camilo didn’t know better, fell immediately asleep.

Mariano returned and said, “Well, that was easier than expected. Anyway, Camilo, do you think Dolores would like pastries?”

“What’s a pastries?” Camilo asked as the whole group began to follow the cart Luisa had placed Mirabel on.

“Fancy French desserts,” Mariano replied.

“Oh, probably. Dolores definitely has a sweet tooth.”

Mariano nodded, then asked, “What about Isabela?”

“I have no idea. You should probably ask Luisa or Mirabel that one.”

“Yes, okay then I’ll talk to you later,” and Mariano went back over and started speaking to Luisa.

Camilo watched him go and realized the more he got to know Mariano, the more he found that he actually liked the guy. All the time he’d spent mocking him because of Isabela’s supposed relationship had left Camilo believing the stuff he’d always heard. Mariano Guzmán was a big dumb hunk. He supposed he should not be surprised that his sister easily saw past the label he’d been stuck with since school. Now that Dolores was going to marry that guy, they’d be cuñados. Antonio already thought Mariano was loads of fun, since before the magic came back he’d been quite willing to carry his little brother on his shoulders all over town when Dolores was looking after him. Probably still would, but Parce was stiff competition.

“Excuse me, Señor Madrigal, do you have a moment?” Camilo turned and was surprised to find Old Arturo next to him with another of the group of newcomers. Something weird was going on. Arturo had never referred to him as Señor anything. Read the room, he thought and responded, “Yes, Señor Sanchez, how can I help you?”

Arturo quirked a smile and said, “I’d like you to meet Señor Rodriguez. It seems he was a science teacher in Bogotá. I had mentioned that you would be working at the school. He wanted to ask you some questions regarding that.”

Camilo found that odd as well. He’d only just been accepted as an apprentice there. Arturo knew that, so Camilo nodded. Arturo moved off and, at the same time, guided Señora Vargas toward someone else. Camilo could see that Arturo was purposefully not letting that woman anywhere near them, and was having fun using the woman’s ‘properness’ to do so. He’d seen him do that with Mariano’s mother occasionally, but it was more worrisome that Arturo felt he needed to do that. Still, Camilo trusted the old man’s instincts when it came to people’s intentions. He turned back to the man and noted he was at least as tall as his Papí, thin build, middle-aged, but had a thin face and a slant to his features that was borderline ugly. Would be a challenge to get that face right, Camilo thought, and had to resist an almost overwhelming urge to shift into a copy of the man, so asked, “We are quite proud of our school, just opened a larger one. What would you like to know, Señor Rodriguez?”

“Please, call me Miguel,” he replied and looked over his shoulder, “Only my students call me that.”

“Nice to meet you, Miguel. My name is Camilo.”

The man smiled and Camilo pulled back slightly, the smile did little to improve his looks and actually made him look creepy. Undeterred, Miguel leaned closer and asked, “José says you found his sobrino, Paola, and that they are currently in your town.” Camilo only nodded, so Miguel leaned even closer and continued, “Is it true you all believe that Paola is a girl?”

Camilo was not at all sure why this man wanted this information, but didn’t really like his tone. It made Camilo wonder what his actual motivations were and responded, “I’m not sure what it is you’re asking, Señor,” Camilo said, moving slightly back and glanced at José. He was nearby, still by himself, walking alone and looking thoughtful.

“I see,” Miguel said, “but you did not answer my question.”

“Nor will I,” Camilo said. He disliked where this was going and was now feeling more than a little irritated at this person and asked pointedly, “I thought you wanted to ask about the school?”

Miguel’s expression changed from clunky charm to one of apprehension, but he quickly stowed that, smiling once again, but the mask had slipped long enough for Camilo to decide he would tell him nothing regarding Tuli or the magic. Miguel said nothing, it was more than a little disturbing. The man remained silent as they walked, then suddenly turned back to the main party. Camilo watched as he made his way through the people and began speaking with Señora Vargas, who was now seated on the other cart. Bubo’s Tío was now very nearby and likely heard the exchange, and Camilo whispered, “Dol, some of this lot is full of potential trouble.”

(…Agreed... I’ll keep an ear on them…)

Camilo quickened his pace just a little until he was right next to Bubo’s Tío. José looked over and said, “I must apologize for my companions. They are a bit much sometimes.”

Camilo nodded, then asked, “Señor Márquez, may I ask you a question?”

“Only if I can ask one of you, Señor Madrigal.”

“Fair enough,” Camilo said, then asked, “How did you end up in charge of these people?”

José raised an eyebrow as he was probably expecting questions about Tuli, but he shrugged and said, “More of an accident. We came across their camp while my own group were attempting to track down my sobrino. Turns out they were refugees from Zipaquirá. Their houses had all been burned to the ground, and they were on the run. Since she ran a boarding house, the people with her thought Señora Vargas was best suited to lead them. Others from the group said she was leading them in circles. The other unfortunate person you met, Miguel, is her son. He is an unpleasant person, at best, and I would recommend you not give him or his mother information you do not want twisted and spread.” That certainly explained a few things Camilo thought. José continued, “They were very disorganized and on the verge of starvation, having run out of food and fresh water. We felt bad for the kids, so we decided to help them, and we only planned to stay with them long enough for them to get back on track. We were actually headed in the opposite direction when we ran into this one,” he said, and paused to pull a small notebook out of his pocket. He tapped it with his finger and continued, “Bubo gave me this. He said he got it from someone named Bruno. I know this belonged to the tracker because he was unusually protective of it. Now I know why. He claimed he’d seen a group of women with several children on the mountain where he lived and could lead us to them. He seemed very eager to help us and since we were short on leads at that point, we agreed.” Camilo nodded and José said, “So now to my question.”

“If I know, I’ll be happy to answer.”

José held up Santiago’s book and asked, “Do you know where this, Bruno, the man who owned this is?”

“Bruno? Oh no, Bruno is my Tío. The man who owned this, we believe his name was Santiago.”

“Santiago… that name does sound familiar… Is he in custody?”

“No, he’s dead, actually.”

José paled and said, “How? Did your Tío Bruno kill him? Is that how he got this book?”

Camilo held up his hands and shook his head. “No no no, Santiago died on the mountain.”

“Then you met him as well?”

“Ummm, not exactly. I can’t really give you the whole story here. Like you said, something's are better discussed in private, and my Papí would be a much better source of information.”

José looked around and nodded, then asked in a lowered voice, “One more thing, can I ask how you know Bubo?”

“I actually only just met your sobrino yesterday at a town meeting. He’s more a friend of Mariano’s,” Camilo said and pointed to him. He was now speaking with Miguel, and Camilo hoped Dolores had warned him about that one. “I know Mariano because he’s my sister’s fiancé. Anyway, the only reason it was yesterday is that Bubo hasn’t been around much since he’s been leading the group that’s been keeping watch on the outskirts of our town.”

“It would be like him to do something like that. I wondered why he had not returned, I had hoped he would come back six months ago,” José said, “Thank you, Señor Madrigal I need to speak with the others of my own group, how much further do we have to go?”

“It will be a few more hours of steady walking before we get to the town.”

José nodded, then moved toward a group of men that were staying together near the back of the line of people. Camilo looked toward the front and saw Mirabel was still sitting with her arms crossed on the cart, so Camilo went to cheer up his prima.

-------------------------------

Antonio was sitting at the desk in his room with a stack of paper and a pencil, writing out:

‘ No usaré mi super jaguar volador para abalanzarme sobre Abuela.’

He was supposed to write that twenty times in his best handwriting. Twice his Papí had crossed off one or two of the lines because he said it was ‘illegible’ whatever that meant. Antonio had lost track of how many times he’d written the sentence and was seriously bored with it. Parce was asleep nearby and had not moved a centimeter since his Papí told the big cat he best not move from that spot until Antonio had completed his punishment. The jaguar had simply chuffed and closed his eyes.

Chipsi came over, and she whistled to see if he was hungry and Antonio smiled, “No, I can’t eat grass, but thanks for asking.” This made Antonio realize he’d missed out on lunch when his stomach growled. He threw back his head and said, “Ugh... I’m gonna starve to death.” Antonio sighed and looked at the papers. He began to count the lines. He ticked off each one, skipping the crossed off lines, and started to get excited when he realized he only had one more to go. He picked up his pencil and started to write really fast. Chipsi let out a chirp and Parce chuffed. Antonio looked at the line... he couldn’t really read what he wrote, and decided this must be what illegible meant. He sighed, crossed it out and began the last line again. This time he made sure to make his letters extra neat. He was just finishing up when his father appeared next to him. Antonio handed him the last two pages. His father looked at his work and nodded as he said, “Okay Toni, you can go have some lunch, but if we have to do this again, it will be forty times.”

Antonio shuddered and thought, forty would take forever and said, “Okay, Papí. I won’t do it again.”

His father smiled then sighed and said, “Off you go, but don’t leave Casita by yourself. There are a lot of new people on their way here that we know nothing about. Why don’t you take your sister some lunch for me? She’s in Mira’s room. It’s on the counter in the kitchen.”

Antonio nodded and went downstairs with Parce in tow. There was a basket with some wrapped sandwiches and some fruit. Antonio took the basket and went up to Mirabel’s room. He found his Tío Bruno sitting on the floor with his sister and he must have been telling her jokes because she was laughing.

“Hey Toni, I see you’ve finished your punishment,” Tío Bruno said as he came in the room.

Antonio nodded and said, “Yeah, and Papí asked me to bring Dolores some lunch.”

“Excellent,” he said, getting up, “Well, I’ll leave you to it then Toni. Dol, let me know when they all get here... I gotta do a thing, then maybe a nap.”

“Okay, Tío. Thanks for the company.”

“You’re welcome,” he said and walked out the door.

Antonio set down the basket as Parce laid near Abuela’s door. He pulled off the towel and Dolores put it in her lap. Antonio pulled out two of the sandwiches and some fruit. He sniffed the wrapping and smiled, recognizing the smell of one of his favorites.

“So, what did you bring me, Toni?” Dolores asked as she settled her hands on the towel in her lap.

“Pickled potato sandwiches,” Antonio said and handed her one.

“Oh, nice,” his sister said, “Mamí is really getting good at that one.”

Antonio nodded and while she was unwrapping it, his sister squeaked then laid a finger down and said, “Mariano, mi vida, be careful not to say too much to that one. Definitely nothing about Tuli or the Gifts.”

She refocused on Antonio as he asked, “Doli, are these people bad?”

“Not so much bad, as snooping about things they have no business knowing,” Dolores said, and took another bite of her sandwich.

Antonio looked at all the lights swirling around on the floor. He could see they were following Luisa and Mirabel and said, “Papí says there were a lot of new people coming. Do you know how many?”

“Yes, thirty-two.”

“Wow, that is a lot. Any kids?”

“Yes, quite a few, actually.”

“Oh, how many?”

“Eleven, but most of them are still not old enough to go to school.”

Antonio looked over at Parce and asked, “You think they’ll be afraid of my friends?”

“Maybe at first. Parce is a really big jaguar.”

“Yeah,” Antonio said as he finished his second sandwich.

“You might want to slow down there, hermanito, you’re gonna get a tummy ache.”

“But they’re so delicious.”

Dolores took another bite of hers and said, “Can’t argue with that.”

Sitting with his sister was nice, but Antonio wanted to go out and play but since he couldn’t go out alone he asked, “Dolores?”

“Yeah, Toni?”

“Where did Tuli go?”

“She went with Isa to do some farm work at the Jimenez place.”

Antonio gave himself a shake and asked, “On purpose?”

Dolores smiled and said, “Not everyone gets to play all day.”

“I helped today,” Antonio said with a small pout.

“True, it’s a good thing Isa sent you into town to find me. No donkeys were loose, but those chickens would have taken forever to round up without you.” They ate in silence for a bit, then Dolores asked, “So little brother, you looking forward to being the star of Milo’s play?”

“Kinda, it is fun to put on costumes and stuff, but I don’t know if I can do it in front of a bunch of people.”

“Just pretend you’re doing it in front of your animal friends.”

“That’s a great idea Doli,” Antonio said, then looked over to the door when he heard a squeak. It was Tino and Antonio had to focus hard. Tino was talking too fast, and he said, “Tino, slow down a little bit...” The rat did, and Antonio's eyes went wide, and he said, “Oh my gosh. Doli, Tío Bruno needs help. Tino says Tío isn’t waking up and that his eyes...” Antonio was up and so was Parce.

“Hold on,” Dolores said and put her finger on her their Papí’s light. She relayed what Antonio told her and said to Antonio. “Toni, can you go get Tío Gus? He’s in the back garden.”

Antonio nodded and scooped up the rat, then hopped on Parce. They ran out the door, then down the stairs and out the back door. He reached the garden and found his Tío raking in between a row of squash plants.

“Tío Gus! Tío Gus! Tío Bruno needs your help!” Antonio shouted as Parce skidded to a halt.

His Tío set aside the rake and asked as he leaned in to listen, “Tell me what’s happening, Toni.”

Antonio did, and his Tío asked, “Did Dolores let your Papí know?”

“Yes,” Antonio replied.

His Tío nodded and started toward the back door. He stopped and said, “Toni, I’m going to need you to wait by the door. Dol probably called your Mamí too, so can you wait for her to get back and tell her what you told me?”

Antonio nodded and followed his Tío into the house. Toni and Parce went across the courtyard, but before they passed the stairs he said to Tino, “Find out what’s happening, Tino and let me know, okay?” The rat squeaked in the affirmative and ran up the stairs. Casita opened the front door, so Antonio sat nearby to wait for his Mamí.

-------------------------------

Agustín took the stairs two at a time and met Félix at Bruno’s door. It was glowing very brightly, and the cuñados exchanged looks as they went into his room. Bruno was not there nor in the nearby alcove, and Agustín glanced back at the falling sand on the other side of the room and Agustín thought, oh no, and nudged Félix. They both rushed over to it, and ducked as the sand enveloped them. They pushed through and found Bruno on his knees in front of several shattered vision tablets. It had always been rare for Bruno to subject himself to creating this many visions in such a short time. The sand dome started to collapse, so they knelt in front of him and called to him, but Bruno did not respond. His eyes were darting all over the place, almost as if he were searching for an answer he was not finding.

Pepa came in and asked Félix to collect Antonio from the other room. Félix nodded, and Pepa glanced at the broken tablets as she knelt in front of her brother. Her brow furrowed, and a cloud formed as she put a gentle hand on his cheek and said, “Bruno, it’s going to be okay. We’re here to help. I know we’ll find a way through. Come back to us, hermanito.”

Bruno finally blinked and as he did an emerald tablet coalesced and dropped into the sand in front of him. He didn’t look at it, just stepped on it, causing it to crack. “I need a nap,” was all he said before allowing his sister to help him leave. Pepa looked back before she followed Bruno into the sand, her concern was clear and Agustin pushed the vision tablet pieces back together and frowned as he thought, one more complication to an already complicated problem.

-------------------------------

Isabela and Tuli reached the Jimenez farm in good time, and they talked to Juanita Jimenez, the farmer’s heavily pregnant wife, for a little bit about how the crops were doing. She joined them as they headed out to the new cassava field while telling Isa what she thought the problem with the crop was. Isabela listened carefully, the goal was to see if she could just help the plants along without interrupting their normal growth, and the farmer’s wife held many answers. Juanita had come to the Encanto from her family’s cassava farm with the same group as Bubo with little else beyond the clothes on her back and a sack full of cassava cuttings. She’d met and married John Jimenez within a month of her arrival. The rumor mill had gone wild with speculation that she’d gotten pregnant just so John would have to marry her, and he didn’t really care for her at all. Juanita called to her husband, and he came in to greet them.

He smiled at his wife, and she tilted her head and smiled back, then turned and walked back to the house. Screw what the gossips in town said. Isabela recognized that look, John Jimenez loved his farm wife. He turned his attention back to her and said, “Thank you for coming, Señorita Isabela. I did as you said and cut off all the spotty leaves and burned them. Most of the plants appear to be bouncing back. I did not think cassava was so finicky.”

Isabela nodded, but did not mention that it was in fact Juanita that had told him he needed to do that. That’s why Isa made a point of speaking with her whenever she came by.

“Who is this lovely young lady with you?” John asked.

“This is Señorita Márquez, she volunteered to help me today.”

The farmer laughed, “Oh, a volunteer weeder. Good on you, Señorita.”

“Where do you need us to start?” Isabela asked.

“I’m working on that end,” he said and pointed, “If you could start on that side, hopefully, we’ll meet in the middle.”

Isabela nodded as she and Tuli walked toward the end of the field. Isabela hummed as she brushed her hands along the tops of the plants. Leaves vibrated and most deepened in color. The ones that did not were already dead and broke off. Isabela knew she could just grow the cassavas, but it was important to her that she focus on helping them be a little healthier. Trying to grow an entire field would likely knock her out for days. So, after tying up her shoes as well as her and Tuli’s skirts, she pointed out which plants needed to go, and they got to work.

Isabela was impressed, Tuli worked diligently and without complaint for the entire time. They actually caught up with John much sooner than Isabela expected. He complimented them on their hard work and asked if they wanted to stay for supper.

Isabela declined, saying she was expected to be home this evening. The farmer nodded and asked if Isa would be available the following week. Isabela nodded and wished the farmer well, and she and Tuli started back toward Casita.

“That was kinda fun,” Tuli said and skipped ahead of her. When they were halfway home, Tuli stopped as she looked up the road. From where they were, they could see the line of people coming down and Tuli went very still as she put a hand on her locket and asked, “Isabela, is it alright if I… change my clothes before my Tío comes? I want to stay, and I think I’ll just make him angry... if he sees me... like this. Then we’ll have a fight and I’ll end up... ”

Isabela noticed Tuli’s look of almost panic as she took her hand. “If that’s what you want to do, of course. You know your Tío better than anyone. It’ll all work out Tuli.”

“How can you be sure?” Tuli asked, her other hand firmly grasping her locket.

“You know, I just am,” Isabela said and lifted Tuli’s chin.

Tuli smiled then kissed the locket. She looked back up the road and whispered to the people in the distance, “Eu acredito em você, Bubo.”

“Tuli what language was that? I know it’s not French.”

“Oh, it’s Portuguese, I learned some of it from my abuela and Bubo. He used to live in Brazil. That’s where he came from before he went to live with our abuelos.”

So that was the source of his accent. It hadn’t occurred to Isa that Bubo’s parents might not be around. She wondered how old he’d been when he came to Colombia. Maybe she’d ask later… maybe that was too personal for a first date… maybe she could ask Tuli. Isabela dismissed that idea since it was not necessarily something Tuli would know. Isa let out a yelp when she stubbed her toe. She looked down to realize her shoes were, once again, missing. She quickly reached behind herself and sighed with relief when she found they were hanging on her belt. She and Tuli left the path and walked on the soft grass. Isa stopped as she brushed at the dirt she’d gotten on her clothes, it didn’t help. Tuli looked down at her own skirt and wiggled her toes, “Weeding sure does get you dirty.”

“Yeah, but it’s so satisfying to yank those troublemakers out of the ground,” Isabela said and laughed as she pretended to violently pull an imaginary weed. Both she and Tuli took a step back as a large oak tree sprouted and rapidly grew near the edge of the forest. It was almost as large as the one in the plaza.

Tuli whispered, “Oh my gosh, do you think that’s a guardian tree… I’ve never thought I see one get born before… I wonder who it’s for… ”

Isa wondered what Tuli was talking about but put her hands firmly at her sides. No more using her gift today if she actually wanted to go on that date, that was for sure, and asked, “Tuli, why would you call that ...?” Isabela realized that Tuli was gone. She was running toward the tree. Isabela followed and stopped with Tuli in front of it. Tuli ran her hand over the bark as she stared at the tree with a hopeful smile on her face. Isabela decided it was a question that could be answered later as she too looked up into the branches. The tree was still filling out as its leaves were still unfurling near the top. She put a hand on it and heard quite plainly ‘anselmo’. Startled, Isa pulled her hand back. Tuli was now hugging the tree and whispering something that almost sounded like a prayer. Isa wiggled the fingers of the hand she’d touched the tree with. They were tingling, and she thought, that’s just weird, and she decided she would figure that out another time. She poked Tuli’s arm and said, “Come on, let’s get cleaned up before Bubo and your Tío get back.” Tuli nodded and reluctantly left the tree behind to follow Isabela toward Casita.

-------------------------------

Mirabel sighed as she watched the road ahead. She knew they were only a few kilometers out of town now. Luisa was again talking to Osvaldo about his donkey, and Camilo had told her to stay put when he jumped off the cart. Still, he’d sat with her for the past two hours, telling her the most random jokes. He was now walking with Old Arturo, who was telling him something that made Camilo glance over at the other cart where Señora Vargas was sitting. She had her head together with the man she’d noticed Camilo speaking to earlier.

The cart bounced when they hit a stone in the road hard enough that Mirabel had to adjust her glasses. The kids in the cart all squealed and were giggling. Mirabel looked back and saw that Bubo was now awake. He looked at the seat beside her, and she motioned for him to join her.

“Feel better?” Mirabel asked as Bubo climbed up.

“Yes, didn’t realize I was that tired,” Bubo said as he rubbed his knees rather nervously. He was quiet for a time, then looked at her and said, “Thank you, Mirabel.”

“For what? I didn’t actually do anything,” Mirabel said.

Bubo shook his head and said, “You underestimate yourself, Mirabel Madrigal. You have an unusually calming presence about you. You also, once again, stopped me from doing something incredibly foolish, and I’m sure my outburst didn’t help Tuli’s situation.”

“I don’t know, Bubo. You care a great deal for your prima and throw a little personal guilt and exhaustion into the mix and voilà, instant anger.”

“Ugh, I feel so stupid. I see now why your Mamá asked that I bring you and your sister along on this journey.”

“My Mamá?” Mirabel was perplexed, then remembered her attitude when she was told she wasn’t going with her mother and sisters to retrieve the folks on the mountain. She thought she’d hid her disappointment better. Clearly she did not, but maybe that was not a bad thing. Too much of what had happened before the breaking was because no one was willing to let certain parts of themselves show.

“She said you wanted to help. You did, so again, thank you,” Bubo said, then fell silent for a while. He was looking down the road. You could just make out the tops of the houses in town from here. Mirabel noticed the tree line had changed since this morning. There was another great tree poking above it. It was large enough that you couldn’t see Casita from here anymore. Isabela must be responsible for that, she thought. But why grow it there? She looked over and noticed Bubo was, once again, rubbing his knees and he said, “I’m not sure how I’m going to talk to my Tío about this rationally. We’ve already had arguments in the past regarding him calling Tuli, Paola. Now add into that the other and… ”

“I’m no expert, but maybe you should try to see the situation from your Tío’s perspective. He obviously cares what happens to the both of you. Who’s to say what’s motivating him if you don’t ask.”

“While I see your point, I’ll be honest, I am not convinced that will be effective.”

“Well, just give it some thought, Bubo. People can be surprising. So, did Mariano fill you in as to what you’re doing tonight?”

“No, but as long as I’m sitting here, can you give me something to talk to your sister about... besides insects, that is.”

“Well, Isa loves music and dancing. She plays the piano and sings really good too. When I was little, she would take me ‘flying’. She was an awesome big sister then.” Mirabel realized what she’d said and glanced at Bubo. He hopefully missed that, so started hurriedly naming random Isa likes. “Ummm, she likes to experiment with recipes... She’s actually really good at cooking, but doesn’t want anyone to know that. She likes her coffee with milk. She thinks everyone should love cacti. She wants a cat, either striped or maybe a black one. She thinks dogs smell funny, and she doesn’t like when they dig up plants. She used to have potatoes in her room that she would talk to and dress up in clothes...” Bubo tilted his head, and Mirabel paused and cleared her throat. “Sorry, just forget I said that.”

Bubo chuckled as he nodded and said, “É engraçado, I promise I didn’t hear a thing.”

Mirabel tilted her head and asked, “Bubo, you speak Portuguese?”

“Yes, I was born in Brasil. I only learned Spanish when I came to Colombia.”

“Oh, how did you come to be living here?” There was a pause and Mirabel thought maybe that was an uncomfortable question and added, “Sorry, I don’t mean to be nosy.”

“No, no, it’s alright. Just something I’ve not thought about for a long time,” Bubo said, then looked off toward the town. Though Mirabel was curious, she just sat and waited for Bubo to find his words and he asked, “Do you know what a bus is?”

Mirabel shook her head then remembered seeing a picture of one in a magazine that one of the newcomers had brought, so she said, “I’ve seen a picture. They look a bit frightening.”

Bubo shrugged. “Not really. Anyway, buses are usually pretty safe, and you can move quickly from one city to another. When I was about eight years old, my parents and I went on a bus trip to Brasile’s capital, Manaus. Spent the day looking at all the historical buildings. Overall, it was a good day, the time got away from us, and we ended up boarding the last bus back to our town very late. I’m not completely sure what happened because I fell asleep pretty quickly once we were on the road. I woke up in the hospital. I knew something wasn’t right because my abuelos were there instead of my parents. I was told that the weather had turned bad, there was an accident and that both of my parents were killed. I survived, but only just. There were a lot of things I had to relearn, like how to walk, feed myself, it’s a long list. Since I did not have any relatives in São Joaquim, where we lived, I came to live with my Abuelos in Aracataca once I was released from the hospital. My Tío was already living there on and off, and he helped me get back on my feet, so to speak.”

“I’m sorry about your parents, Bubo.”

“Thank you, I think my only regret is that I’ve never been able to visit their graves. Someday though.”

Mirabel nodded and realized they were almost to the town plaza and could see her Abuela and Mama, along with the rest of the town council, waiting to greet them. Camilo came up to them and said, “Hey, Bubo, your Tío was asking for you.”

Bubo nodded and hopped down from the cart and began walking toward the back of the group. Camilo climbed up and plopped into the seat next to her. He elbowed her twice and started talking without looking at her. Camilo used to do this when they were little, and they were busy planning some pointless prank. It was always more fun to do that in a conspiratorial way. No jokes this time though, he was instead giving her a run-down of all the things he noticed happening with the new group. It felt weird that her primo felt he needed to do that. But again she realized that she really did need to know these things. Most concerning was José’s warning that they not share extra information with Señora Vargas or her son Miguel. She could see that Luisa was also paying attention and Mirabel glanced back and saw that most of the kids were asleep, so she wasn’t overly concerned they were listening. Camilo wondered then how Abuela was going to explain the magic to these people. Mirabel looked over at Casita and smiled when she noticed the house waving. She waved back and thought, It’ll all work out. I just know it.

-------------------------------

Bubo joined his Tío, and his uncle introduced him to the others of his original group that had joined him on his search. A few of them Bubo knew since they were from the same area as his abuelos. He nodded to each and decided to let his Tío know about the magic and what to expect. His Abuela had often told them stories about the fantastical things that could only happen in Columbia and after seeing the magic of the Encanto, Bubo believed every one of them. His uncle was even more so. Though he had studied to be a lawyer, he’d given that up to be a journalist and writer. He was always looking for stories to explore and Bubo had enjoyed all of his published works, so he said as they walked, “Tío, there’s a story attached to this place and the people that live here that I want to tell you before we get there. So you know what to expect.”

His Tío was clearly intrigued because he slowed a little and let the group move ahead without them and said, “Okay Bubo, let’s have it then.”

Bubo then told him what he knew of what had happened here over fifty years ago at the beginning of the thousand days war. That the leader of the town, Doña Alma Madrigal, received a miracle after the death of her husband and father of their newborn triplets. It was this event that was the impetus that ultimately protected and saved the original inhabitants from the marauders that ransacked theirs and other nearby villages. He told him about La Candela and Casita, the living house that helped look after and protect the Madrigal family. When he got to the part regarding the Madrigal family Gifts, he paused and his Tío said, “You can’t stop now, Bubo.”

“Sorry, I’m just trying to find the best way to describe what came next,” Bubo said, then one by one told him about each of the family’s Gifts as described to him by Mariano.

“You left one out,” his Tío said. “What Gift does Señorita Mirabel have?”

“Mirabel does not have a magical Gift,” Bubo said.

“How unusual. You’re sure?”

“Yes, she told me so herself,” Bubo replied.

His Tío nodded and said, “You look as though there is more to this story to tell.”

Bubo nodded and said, “Yes. When I arrived here, almost a year ago now, Casita had fallen and there were no magical Gifts.”

“But you didn’t use past tense when you were describing them.”

“That’s where Mirabel comes into it. After La Candela went out and the original Casita fell, a new Casita was built for the family by the townsfolk. Mariano said it was quite the thing to see because on the day they were to move back in, the family gave Mirabel the very last piece of it to put in place. A doorknob to be precise. When she did, Mariano said a new miracle was born and Casita and the Gifts returned.”

“You did not see any of that?”

“No, at that time I was patrolling the area near the river at that time. I found out about it when I came into town to resupply.”

“You didn’t go look?”

“Tío, I was responsible for a patrol, and only in town for a day before I headed back out.”

“Right, so Mirabel is now the... the miracle bringer?”

“She is an extraordinary young woman. I'm guessing she’ll lead this town one day.”

“I think I would like to see this Casita.”

“It’s likely you will, since Tuli is staying at the Madrigal home.”

As they crested the final hill, Bubo’s Tío put a hand on his shoulder, bringing Bubo to a halt. Only one of his uncle’s companions noticed they’d stopped. That one just nodded and continued on. Bubo was now feeling very nervous.

“Now that you’re a little more rested, I need to ask Bubo, honestly, do you believe Tuli when he tells you he’s a girl?”

Bubo strangely did not feel he needed to hesitate and said, “Yes, at her core she has the soul of a girl.”

“But don’t you see how much more difficult Tuli’s life will be if we allow them to continue with this?”

“Her life is already painfully difficult, to the point that she fled our family with a person of questionable character. She’s already paid a high enough price for that mistake. Honestly, do you not see how alone and isolated she already is? She doesn’t want to go back to that. Who would? I’ll say it again, I accept that Tuli is exactly who she believes herself to be. She wants to remain in the Encanto, make it her home. Also, the Madrigals are all aware that Tuli is not physically a girl, and they do not have an issue with that. In fact, Doña Madrigal said Tuli would be welcome to stay... if you gave her permission to do so and if I agreed to stay as well.”

“And do you?”

“Yes. I’ve grown fond of the people here. Made some good friends. Met a nice girl.”

“What about school?”

“I’ll find time for that one day.”

“I do not believe that.”

“Said my almost lawyer Tío.”

His Tío smiled and said, “Good answer, Bubo. And if I take Tuli back to Bogotá?”

Bubo sighed and said, “Then this was a pointless conversation because I do not believe she would be able to bear it. We will lose her forever the next time she runs, and you know that she will,” Bubo said “Tío, when I found out yesterday just what Tuli had been through, I was ready to go out and do something I would never be able to take back. But I was reminded that of all the places Tuli could have ended up, she ended up here where her family is. Tuli’s found the sanctuary she’s been searching for since her mother was killed, and her father went missing. This place where she can be who she was meant to be. This place where miraculous things happen daily.”

His Tío did not answer, so Bubo started down the hill. He paused and turned back when his Tío said, “I can’t make any promises, Bubo, but I will consider what you’ve said.”

“Thank you, Tío,” Bubo said with a small smile, “That’s all I can ask for.”

Notes:

If you were wondering: ‘No usaré mi super jaguar volador para abalanzarme sobre Abuela.’ translates to: I won't use my flying super jaguar to pounce on Grandma Kids

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