It was early morning when the sound of Mirabel's voice filled the casita, knocking on everyone's doors as she woke them up for the big day that awaited.
"This my home! We got every generation."
Pepa stirred at the sound, hugging tighter to Félix. "I don't want to." She mumbled, frowning in her sleep.
Félix smiled, stroking his fingers through Pepa's fringe. Her hair still felt cold and damp from last night's storm, dark circles shadowing her eyes. He wondered how much sleep she'd gotten.
The bed was warm and dry. The magic of Pepa's room absorbed up water when it rained, the golden door keeping the weather inside, so if Pepa rained in her room the rest of the casita and Encanto remained unaffected.
"Pepi." Félix said softly, leaning down and kissing her face. "Today's the day, amor."
Pepa groaned, a cloud appearing over her head. She rolled onto her back and put an arm over her eyes.
"Did you hear me?" He smiled.
Pepa exhaled in a puff.
Félix grinned. He climbed over her, reaching to the bedside table and picking up one of the flowers Isabela had left behind last night. Isabela often came to comfort Pepa in the middle of the night, her gift and presence calming her Tía's storms and helping her to sleep.
He held the flower under Pepa's nose and tickled her with it. Her expression softened as she looked up at him with sleepy eyes.
"Come on." Félix smiled. He gently pulled her up to sit with him, supporting her body weight as she leaned into him.
Pepa hugged Félix, closing her eyes again as she rested against his chest. He put his arms around her.
"You're so sleepy, amor." Félix squeezed Pepa, kissing her tired face. "And we got such a big day today. Hm?"
Outside came sounds of children calling out to Mirabel. Pepa groaned. It was too early for this much interaction.
"Why is Mirabel shouting?" Pepa muttered, her eyes still closed as she rested her head against Félix. "She's so loud."
"She's excited, mi vida." He chuckled. "We all are."
Pepa moaned, hiding her face against him.
Félix rubbed between Pepa's shoulders, then up and down her back. She sighed in relief.
Pepa was always tired and sore in the mornings. It was one of the things that'd really changed about her over the years.
Félix still remembered when they first married, and Pepa would be up with the sun. He remembered how he would open his eyes in the morning to see Pepa's excited face, a rainbow floating over her head as she waited for him to wake up too.
He remembered Pepa's boundless energy and bright smile, the way they'd chase eachother through the sunny fields and she would jump up onto his back, pulling him down to the grass, the two of them laughing as she'd cover his face with kisses.
Pepa had been through a lot since then, especially the last ten years. The pressure and difficulty of having another child after Mirabel's gift ceremony, the heartbreak of her brother Bruno disappearing, the trauma of Antonio's difficult birth. It had all taken it's toll on Pepa, leaving emotional scars and an ache in her heart that Julieta's gift couldn't heal.
"Are you worried about tonight?" Félix asked, continuing to rub her shoulders.
"Hm." She nodded, her breath warm against his neck as she leaned in close.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Pepa shook her head.
He kissed her face, rubbing his hand down her shoulder and along her arm. Pepa winced.
"Hm. Not good." Félix commented, moving her arm back and forward. "That's very tense." He clicked his tongue in concern as he massaged out her stiff muscles. "You want me to fix it, amor?"
Pepa nodded. She let him cross her arms over her chest and press her back against him.
"Breathe out." He said softly, kissing her cheek as he wrapped his arms around her.
Pepa did as he said and Félix cracked her back.
She sighed in relief, feeling her body relax. She turned to him with a grateful expression.
"Better?" He asked.
Pepa nodded, her eyes warm with love.
The door opened and they both turned at the sound.
"Buenos días." Camilo grinned, holding two coffee cups in his hands. "You ready?"
Camilo came over to the bed, sitting beside Pepa. "Here you go, Mami, you'll feel better." His face softened in concern as he noticed the dark shadows under her eyes.
"Thank you, corazon." Pepa smiled gratefully, leaning into her son and kissing his cheek. "I love you."
"Love you too, Mami." He smiled back, resting his head against her.
As Pepa drank, the cloud above her vanished and the room became brighter. Pepa sighed in relief. The physical pain left her body and the shadows under her eyes faded as her sister's cooking healed her.
Félix glanced at the other cup in Camilo's hands, hoping it was for him, but there was no such luck. His son grinned at Félix, taking a cheeky sip.
"Ay, cmon!" Félix chuckled. "What about me, hm?"
Camilo changed into a short version of his Papá. "What about me, hm?" He repeated, taking another sip of coffee. "Not a chance, viejo."
Félix laughed in disbelief.
"You know, I'm not that short." Félix protested, turning to Pepa as he waved a hand at their son. "Are you seeing this, amor? Every time he does this he makes me smaller."
Pepa grinned.
"Don't listen to him, amor." Camilo spoke up in a squeaky voice, changing into an even smaller Félix.
"That's it!" Félix exclaimed, trying to grab Camilo as he jumped from the bed. Camilo giggled, his tiny legs moving fast as he ran circles around the room, Félix chasing him.
Pepa laughed as she watched them, a rainbow appearing over her head.
"Wow! That's almost as small as me." A voice spoke up from the doorway.
They turned to see Antonio holding onto Dolores' hand. He laughed at the sight of his brother and Papá.
Dolores smiled down at her baby brother.
"Go give Mami a cuddle." Dolores whispered to Antonio, who smiled back and nodded.
Pepa's face lit up in excitement as her little son ran over. She opened her arms, catching him as he jumped up into her lap.
"Ay, Tonito!" She laughed, "Te amo cosa linda!" Pepa covered Antonio's face with kisses and cuddled him tight. "Are you excited for tonight?"
Antonio nodded, his eyes bright. "What do you think my gift will be?"
Pepa looked back at him, unsure how to respond.
"It's all part of the surprise." Camilo spoke up, turning back to himself as he put a hand to his brother's shoulder in encouragement.
Antonio smiled at him, then whispered. "I hope it's a fun one, like yours."
Dolores made a soft hum. She really hoped so too. Dolores knew better than anyone that some gifts are easier to live with than others.
"Whatever happens tonight," Félix spoke up, his hand rubbing Antonio's hair, "Just remember. Your family is so proud of you, Tonito."
Antonio looked at his parents and siblings as they all nodded in agreement.
He smiled, feeling lucky and excited.
Later
"Oh my gosh, it's them!"
The children of the town called out in excitement as the family walked past. They all crowded around Mirabel as she grinned, engaging them in conversation.
Pepa took the opportunity to slip away before any of the children tried to talk to her.
She headed up to the fields, the familiar sight of the crops waiting for her.
Pepa couldn't help but smile. All the love and support from her family earlier this morning had really boosted her confidence and made her feel like she could do anything.
Before she began her work watering the crops, Pepa took the time to practice her powers.
She'd been practising hard for a while now, trying to get better control of the weather. It'd been a lifetime struggle for Pepa, but this past year she'd really been putting in the time and effort every day, and it was starting to show. She wanted to have perfect control for Antonio's ceremony.
Pepa looked up at the sky, her heart filling with joy as she remembered her family coming to her room this morning.
"Clear skies."
She watched as a rainbow appeared with her words. Pepa laughed in excitement.
Pepa danced around the fields, making rainbows as she went, brightening up the day with sunshine. She spun around, smiling up at the sky.
"That's my Tía Pepa." Mirabel's voice spoke up. "Her mood affects the weather."
Pepa turned around in embarrassment, seeing her niece point her out to all the town's children as they gathered around, watching her.
Not looking where she was going, Pepa's foot caught on a root and she tumbled over, hitting the ground with a thump. The children gawked at her, one boy taking a sip of coffee as he watched, his gaze intent.
Pepa didn't want to cry, but she couldn't help it. Falling down with all those kids watching triggered painful childhood memories for Pepa.
The sky immediately turned grey and rain bucketed down as Pepa scowled at the kids, clambering back up to her feet.
"When she's unhappy, the temperature gets weird." Mirabel explained to the kids.
Pepa shot Mirabel a scathing look as lightning and thunder crashed. Mirabel got the hint. She gave Pepa an apologetic smile and quickly led the kids away, the group of them heading back towards town.
Pepa took a shaky breath, rain pouring over her as she cried. She hated when people crowded around her like that. She hated when they stared.
The sky rumbled and Pepa looked up at it with a frown.
Great. So much for self control.
She slowly exhaled, walking through the crops as it continued to rain. This is fine, she told herself. It needed to happen anyway.
Pepa watered the crops for the rest of the morning, then when it was time to stop she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Clear skies, clear skies." Pepa sung to herself, then groaned, rubbing her chest. Trying to stop the rain when she wasn't actually happy made her heart hurt.
Ay. She had really been thrown off by earlier. Pepa took a breath and tried again, this time looking out at the fields.
Pepa smiled as she remembered sitting here in the grass with Félix, years ago, her back to his chest as he held her close. The sun shone over them as he played with her loose hair, admiring her soft ringlets in his hands.
Pepa remembered Félix taking her hand in his, and with a smile he led her through the nearby trees and up into the mountains. It was their special place they went, where no one else could find them.
She remembered kissing Félix by the river, his hands in her hair and over her body. She remembered the way her weather would respond to his touch. Pepa felt safe in his arms, knowing they were too far from the village for her rainbows and humidity to give away what they got up to in the rainforest.
Pepa smiled at the memories, glancing up at the sunny sky around her. The clouds were gone. Her heart filled with joy at how quickly she'd managed to turn the weather around.
She headed back home, feeling ready for tonight. She could do this.
The Madrigal home was bustling with people that afternoon.
Mirabel stood outside, still talking with the town's children. They watched as a rainbow appeared over the casita. Meanwhile inside, the family was getting everything ready for Antonio's gift ceremony.
"I made a rainbow!" Pepa announced as Alma passed her by.
Mamá kept walking, so Pepa followed.
"Did you see?" Pepa asked, her eyes bright. She was so proud of herself, and wanted to make sure Mamá had noticed.
"Yes, very good, Pepa." Alma replied, pausing to let townsfolk pass as they helped set up the house. She turned back to Pepa. "Now go and ask Dolores about the guests."
"But you didn't look."
"Pepa, please." Alma sighed heavily, the stress of the day getting to her. "We have so much to do. I don't have time for... Whatever this is."
Pepa's expression fell. She glanced out the window, watching the rainbow fade away.
"Tonight needs to be perfect. We can't have any problems." Alma reminded her. "No clouds from you tonight, understand?"
Pepa nodded, her fingers fidgeting with her hair as she watched her mama walk away. Above her, a grey cloud appeared. Pepa quickly shooed it with her hands before anyone could see.
Dolores came out of her room, bracing herself a little as she readjusted to the noisy house full of people.
Pepa sighed, feeling comforted by the sight of her daughter.
Dolores' expression was a little pained as townsfolk dragged furniture past her. Pepa rushed over, lifting up the other side and helping them to carry it quietly.
"Thank you, Señora." They smiled as she helped them to put it down. Pepa smiled back, though she wasn't doing it for them.
She turned back to her daughter, who watched with a grateful expression.
"Dolores, can you hear if anyone is gonna be late?" Pepa asked, determined to do things right. What Mamá said was true, tonight had to be perfect.
Dolores already had a long list of jobs she was working through, but when she heard her Mamá's fast heartbeat and the wind surrounding her Dolores decided to help immediately. She could hear how anxious this was making Mamá.
Dolores took Pepa's hand in hers and gave her a reassuring smile. She then tilted her head, listening to the sounds of the people in the village, their voices blending in and competing with the voices around them.
"-What if the door disappears? Last time-" "-so we know where to park the donkeys-" "-Huh? Whoop!" "Chairs coming through!" "-the flowers-" "Cariño, don't wear that dress again-" "Should we eat before we go?" "What happened to that rainbow?" "-bad if the magic is fading-" "-what about the blue one?" "-last year was a real bummer-" "-you think we can go early?" "I don't want to miss the tea-"
"Should I bring a gift for Isabela?"
The last voice stood out to Dolores.
Dolores made a soft peep, feeling upset by the sound of Mariano's voice. He'd been talking a lot about Isabela lately, his voice loud and excited as he and his Mamá discussed plans to propose. It was becoming very hard for Dolores to listen to.
"Everyone is coming." Dolores confirmed, putting on a brave smile as she turned back to Pepa.
"Thank you." Pepa sighed in relief. She turned to leave, but Dolores kept a hold of her hand.
"Mamá," Dolores added in a soft voice, leaning in close. "Will you ask Abuela for no fireworks this year?"
Pepa hesitated, knowing that wasn't an easy request.
"But baby, we need the magic to work." Pepa whispered.
"The fireworks are after the magic." Dolores reassured her.
Pepa sighed. She knew her Mamá wouldn't want any last minute changes, especially one this monumental, but Dolores never asked her for anything. If she brought this up it must really mean a lot to her.
Everybody loved the fireworks, but Pepa understood how hard they were for Dolores. She remembered when they'd gone off early at Luisa's gift ceremony, Pepa covering Dolores' ears with her hands as her daughter sobbed in pain, Félix carrying her in his arms as they rushed Dolores from the party and into her room, the magic of her door blocking out the sounds of the outside world.
Dolores looked at her Mamá with a hopeful expression. Pepa's eyes softened as she put a hand to her cheek.
"Of course, mija."
Dolores hugged Pepa gratefully.
"Lift it higher." Alma instructed as one of the villagers lifted the banner. "Higher."
Camilo leaned casually against the railing near them, his arms crossed as he watched his cousin decorate the casita with flowers. Isabela had been working on it all day, her attention to detail immaculate.
Isabela's vines swung her gracefully between the upper and lower levels of the casita as she worked. It was fascinating to watch, and Camilo could tell how much effort and care his cousin was putting into it.
"Hey, nice job over there." Camilo called out to her in encouragement.
"Camilo," Alma spoke up. "We need another José."
"José!" Camilo grinned, changing his form to help out.
As Alma kept walking, she ran into Pepa again.
Pepa took a breath, summoning up the courage to ask about the fireworks, but Alma spoke first.
"Pepa." Alma scolded, waving a hand in exasperation. "You have a cloud. Again."
Pepa glanced up, surprised to see a grey cloud floating over her head. She quickly shooed it away, her face burning up in embarrassment. Alma walked around her.
"Mamá," Pepa began, following her. "The fireworks-"
"Where do you want this, Señora?" A villager interrupted, a pile of decorations in their hands.
"Just over there, thank you."
Alma noticed her granddaughter enter the foyer downstairs.
"Luisa!" She called over the balcony. "The piano goes upstairs."
"I'm on it!" Luisa called back, dropping everything to help Abuela, lightly sidestepping Mirabel as she ran.
Alma nodded in approval at Luisa, then turned back to Pepa, her smile fading as she noticed the cloud still there.
"Why are you doing this now?" Alma sighed in disappointment. "You know how important tonight is, mija."
"I'm doing my best." Pepa gasped softly, her chest hurting as she tried to push her feelings back in. She tried thinking of a happy thought, but there was too much pressure.
Alma stroked Pepa's hair. She cared about her daughter, but tonight decided the fate of their entire family. There was only an hour left until the ceremony, they couldn't afford a storm to happen now.
"You need to do better, Pepa." Alma urged her. "The entire town is coming to this casita." She looked pleadingly into her daughter's eyes. "Please. You have to calm down. No more clouds. Push it down."
Pepa took a deep breath and nodded. She whispered to herself, stroking her hair.
"Clear skies, clear skies."
Pepa's cloud disappeared, her chest burning as she internalised the storm.
She exhaled, then looked up at her Mama hopefully, ignoring the growing pain in her heart as she smiled.
"Better." Alma sighed in relief.
"Mama." Pepa's voice was breathless. "Let's not have fireworks this time."
Alma blinked in disbelief.
"I hope you are joking, Pepa." Her words were clear and her expression hard. "Tonight needs to be perfect. We are not changing anything. Especially not now."
"But Dolores-"
"Dolores will go to her room before the fireworks begin." Alma reassured her. "Just like she has done every other year. She will be fine."
Pepa tried to speak again but Alma held a hand up.
"Tonight is about the entire family, Pepa." She reminded her. "Tonight we show the village that our magic is still strong." Alma's eyes hardened, her hand moving with her words. "Tonight we protect our family. Protect our miracle. Everything must go exactly to plan."
As Alma spoke, she was unaware of the small figure who approached from behind them.
Antonio stopped at the sight of his Abuela and Mamá, his hands gripping the balcony railing as he peered through and listened.
"We cannot lose our home again." Alma's voice quivered just a little. "If tonight's gift ceremony doesn't go well, our whole family will suffer for it. That's why everything has to be perfect. If Antonio's magic does not work, then everything we have worked for these past years will have been for nothing. Our family, our candle, our casita itself... It will all be lost."
Antonio's expression softened as he absorbed the weight of Abuela's words. He hadn't realised how much depended on him.
He watched his Mamá's pained expression and took a shaky breath, his chest heaving. What if his magic didn't work? Would she still love him?
Antonio saw Abuela walk away, and watched as Mamá stared ahead with wide eyes. Her hand shook anxiously back and forward by her side, then grabbed her hair, twisting the braid with her fingers.
Mamá turned and headed in his direction. Antonio took another shaky breath and ran.
Mirabel carried a heavy box of decorations through the casita, stopping as the sky darkened and her Tía approached.
Pepa's hands fidgeted anxiously as wind spiralled around her.
"My baby's day needs to be perfect, and it's not perfect." Pepa spoke breathlessly, pacing circles around the casita as she panicked. Her heart raced and her chest hurt. She breathed fast, but couldn't get enough air.
"You're tornado-ing the flowers!" Félix called out as he headed over. "The flowers!"
"Did somebody say flowers?"
At the sound of Félix and Isabela's voices, Pepa's face lit up, and so did the sky. Everyone cheered as the wind stopped and the clouds parted to make way for their favourite Madrigal as she slowly descended from the sky.
Mirabel scoffed as she watched.
Isabela flipped gracefully down from her vines to join them, the villagers cheering in adoration.
"Please, don't clap." She smiled, ignoring Mirabel who rolled her eyes at her.
"Our angel." Félix grinned as she approached.
Isabela handed Pepa a bouquet of flowers, her eyes warm with love.
"Thank you." Pepa sighed, taking it gratefully and leaving the room.
Isabela looked around for what could've hurt Tía, and saw Mirabel standing next to her. After a morning full of Mirabel pointing out family members to the town like they were circus attractions, Isabela assumed it must've been her that'd made Pepa so anxious. She took her aside, determined to put her little sister in her place.
Félix put a hand to his wife's back as they walked up the stairs together. Pepa breathed in the flowers and felt her body relax again, the fragrance soothing and grounding. She felt Félix's hand rub her back and she leaned into him.
"Sorry for the tornado, amor." She muttered, feeling a little embarrassed.
Félix gave Pepa a reassuring smile, his arm wrapping around her shoulders as they walked.
"No apologies for feeling, mi vida." He kissed her face. "You know that."
"But you said the flowers." She reminded him.
"Ay, the flowers." He chuckled. "I did. Because I knew you could not see them, amor. And she'd spent all day working on them."
Pepa frowned at herself, her shoulders stiffening in guilt.
"Don't worry, mi vida." He grinned. "No harm done."
Félix's fingers tickled up and down Pepa's back, making her shoulders relax again. "It's been a big day for you, Pepi. Of course you feel stressed." He kissed her again. "Let's take a break from decorating. Hm? We can find Antonio and make sure he's ready."
Pepa nodded, smiling at him.
"You're so beautiful, amor." Félix grinned. "Did you make that rainbow before? I saw it out the window. So clever."
She hid her smile behind the flowers, her eyes bright as she looked back at him.
"Was it you?" He pressed, his voice playful. He rubbed his nose against hers. "Hm?"
Pepa laughed. "Who else would it be?"
"You're right." Félix agreed, kissing her face. "Only you could do that. I'm so proud of you."
Pepa's expression softened. She really liked hearing that.
"You got this, Pepi amor." He smiled.
Pepa smiled back at Félix. Everything felt so much easier when they were together.
