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Something was going on. Alma Madrigal wasn't a fool between the looks her daughters kept giving each other and how nervous Dolores looked she knew something was up. And she did notice Julieta missing last night. She bit her lip as her family ate their breakfast she was going to get to the bottom of this. She turned to Antonio with a smile a toucan perched on his shoulder "How was your first night in your new room?"
"It was great! I love my new room. I was nervous at first but when I saw Señorita Mirabel she gave me two thumbs up." Antonio gave Alma thumbs up "I couldn't let her down after she came all the way here to see me, so I did it! And I love my gift! I looked for Mirabel after but I couldn't find her." Antonio blurred the whole story excitedly.
Silence filled the room at the mention of Mirabel's name. One by one each pair of eyes turned to Alma. What ever God is out there help them now this was not going to be pretty.
Rage spread across Alma's face "Mirabel was HERE?!" glancing around she noticing Julieta dropped her gaze down to the table playing with her food "I suppose this was your doing Julieta? I knew were hiding something from me!"
Juileta didn't respond just kept her gaze low.
"ANSWER ME JULIETA MADRIGAL!" Abuela screamed "I KNOW YOU KNEW MIRABEL WAS HERE DON'T THINK I DIDN'T NOTICE YOU DISAPPEARING LAST NIGHT!"
Julieta dropped her head into her hands sobbing "I just wanted to see her just to tell her I love her. It was only for a few minutes."
"Mira was here? Why didn't you tell me at least?" Agustín tried to put his arm around her shoulder but Julieta jerked away.
"Oh don't pretend with me you sided with them to send her away. Why would she want to see you?"
"Juli, mi amor-please. Let me just-"
"NO!"
Antonio's eyes were wide with fear tears forming in his eyes "Am I in trouble? Is Tía Julieta in trouble?" he gulped "Why is Abuela so mad Mirabel was here? I like Mirabel. She's my friend."
Alma leaned over to stroke Antonio's cheek "No you're not in trouble. But Mirabel is not a good person she wants to hurt this family very badly. She is not your friend." thunder sounded out across the kitchen turning to Pepa now "Pepa. The cloud. Control yourself."
"I'm trying Mamá! What do you want me to do?!" Pepa started muttering under her breath "Clear skies...clear..skies...clear skies."
"As for you-" Alma turned back to Julieta "You know better! How could you be so stupid inviting her here-"
"She didn't invite Mirabel! She came to see Antonio get his gift! Tía Julieta didn't even know she was here until I told her Mirabel asked me to get her." Doloroes blurred out before putting her hands over her ears.
Pepa's head whipped around to face her daughter "You knew all along? Julieta never mentioned you got her and Mirabel didn't say a word to me when I ran into her-" too late she realised she had revealed she too knew about Mirabel
"Pepa..." Alma was trying to hold back her rage "You knew Julieta met with Mirabel in our home? And YOU-" turning to Dolores "What were you thinking?"
"She..followed me out of the party and came into my room. She just talked to me for a bit...I didn't think-"
"I KNOW YOU DIDN'T THINK!" Alma screamed "DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE DANGER WE WERE IN? SHE COULD OF DONE ANYTHING! YOU STUPID STUPID GIRL!"
"But the night went fine didn't it? You never knew she was here-" Julieta started to point out.
Crack.
The whole family turned around watching in dismay as a crack spread from the floor up the roof a title falling and landing with a thud in the middle of the table.
"My vision..my vision. Cracks in Casita. The destruction is beginning." jumping up from the table Bruno pointed at Juileta "Are you still going to deny it? Just look around you." Bruno slumped back into his chair. Dammit dammit it was happening. After five years of peace Mirabel was making her move. This was it this is what his vision was showing him.
"Mamá I'm scared. Why would Señorita Mirabel want to hurt us?" Antonio ran and clung to Pepa's side "What does Tío Bruno mean?"
Isabela snickered "Did you ever not wonder why Mirabel lives in a barn? Ever wonder how she got those scars?""
Julieta shot her oldest daughter a look "Isa please don't start-"
"Hey Antonio have you made the connection yet? Why your Tía cares so much for her? Why she looks so much like her? It's because Mirabel is her hija, me and Luisa's hermana. I bet she never told you she was your prima did she?"
"Isabela thats enough."
"What? Can't I tell the truth?"
"ENOUGH ALL OF YOU" Alma yelled "Sitting here bickering while the real threat is outside? We will get through this, we will survive, we will not lost our miracle we are la familia Madrigal. We are strong." standing from from the table "Now go out there and use your gifts to serve our community we have wasted enough time."
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Mirabel leaned against the fence her stomach rumbling, of course the one day she actually wanted breakfast she had nothing. "Even the donkey grain is starting to sound appetising right now." Mirabel grumbled "I'm starving.". Footsteps. Mirabel turned her head expecting to see her mother or Pepa but instead she saw the last person she expected "Well if it isn't Alma Madrigal herself, what do I owe the honour of you gracing me with your presence? Should I bow?" she chuckled "At first I thought I was seeing things, bad vision you know."
"YOU!" YOU REALLY DIDN'T THINK-" Alma began yelling but seeing Mirabel's smirk and nodding to her head in the direction of the Pérez house she realised exactly what Mirabel was hinting at-draw attention make it known the Madrigals were having problems.
"I didn't think what, my dear Abuela?"
"You know what." voice lowered to an angry whisper "I should have known you would turn up to Antonio's night-"
"Well you did say the whole town was invited not the whole town expect Mirabel Madrigal. Why are you upset about me going to a party you invited me too? If you didn't want me there you really should have been more specific."
"What did you say to Dolores?"
Mirabel shrugged "I just had a chat with her prima to prima she seemed upset to me."
"Stay away from her, and stay away from Julieta. I won't let you ruin her. You won't ruin this family"
"Am I the one ruining this family though? Last time I checked I wasn't the one who emotionally neglected and sometimes downright physically abused a child for something she couldn't control. I wasn't the one who ripped that same child from her crying mother's side and threw her to the streets. I wasn't the one who forbad a mother from being with her daughter and I'm not the one who turned a family against one of their own. But last time I checked you did all those things. Makes me wonder why I'm the one they call a monster."
Alma stared, her eyes meeting with Mirabel's the intense blind stare sending shivers down her spine wordlessly she dropped a basket at Mirabel's feet and turned away but not before Mirabel recognised the expression on her face-fear.
"Bye, Abuela thanks for the food. Do drop by again some time." voice sickeningly sweet. With a dark chuckle she picked up her basket and entered the barn "Well my friends." speaking to the donkeys "Looks like I got her feeling a little nervous. I would feel sorry for her, but it's nothing compared to the hell I went through. Don't you agree?". Braying and the tossing of donkey heads answered her "Glad you all agree with me and from the sounds of it I have created a bit of discord. Things are getting a lot more interesting."
Yes Mirabel thought as she chewed on one of her mothers arepa's thinks are definitely getting interesting.
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Dolores sat on her bed the events of breakfast replaying in her mind. Félix had picked up a sobbing Antonio and carried him up to his room murmuring something about Antonio introducing him to all his new animal friends. Luisa had to move the church again for what reason Dolores didn't know. Isabela was out getting admired. Camilo went off to do whatever it is it shapeshifters do and Pepa went with him. Alma wouldn't even let Julieta go to the barn to drop off food for Mirabel instead going herself Dolores didn't even want to know how that was going to turn out so hid in the safety of her room.
Laying down and staring at the ceiling she sighed. For years she was told Mirabel was a monster but was she? She remembered how she used to hear Mirabel crying herself to sleep each night in that barn crying out apologises crying out for her mother. She remembered seeing Mirabel out in town and just brushing passed as if she was just a trick of the light. Her heart breaking each time.
Why did she have to speak up? Doing so dragged her mother into the mess. But would it of been fair to let her Tía Julieta take full blame when she was just as guilty herself? No. Does she regret what she did? No. Mirabel deserved to have some compassion shown to her Dolores knew she didn't get much of it.
You're miserable ain't you?
Mirabel's voice rang clear in her head. "No..not now..please.."
No one understands you, do they?
"No..no.." Dolores whispered "Get out of my head! Get out of my head!"
You'll never be good enough for her.
"Stop...stop.."
You'll always be living in the shadow of Señorita Perfecta.
"Stop!" Dolores whimpered out face in hands "Stop..stop..".
You deserve so much more than you got.
"SHUT UP!"
The voice faded, it wasn't until she felt a wet patch on the front of her dress she realised she was crying "I'm fine...I'm fine. I'm an Madrigal...I'm fine." sitting up she wiped her eyes. She was fine.
What would Mirabel know? She was wrong. Dolores was fine.
My deep inside she knew the truth.
She wasn't fine.
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Review reponses:
Brocki: Part of Bruno does feel bad, he wasn't expecting it to turn out like this. By showing the vision he thought they could steer her away from that path and help prevent the creation of a monster but when Mirabel tried to destroy the candle he knew her fate was sealed thanks to Alma's treatment. If she's a monster it is one they created but he keeps this to himself in fear of losing Alma's love.
KaliAnn: For Pepa it's torn. On one hand she understands Julieta wanting to be with her daughter. On the other she is worried about the safety of her own children she doesn't know what Mirabel is capable of.