AUTHOR'S NOTES: This chapter picks up immediately after the end of the previous one. A translation for some of the Spanish phrases used will be at the end of the chapter.

Chapter 4

The Madrigals made their way through the wreckage of their casita, moving rubble away to get to Isabela who was lying, unmoving, underneath a pair of doors and a chair that had shielded her from the majority of the stone and masonry.

"Isabela! Isa, wake up, please!" Julieta cried, pulling her eldest daughter free with Pepa's help. Looking up, she turned to Agustin and instructed him, "Go into town and find Doctor Fuertes! Get him here as quick as you can!"

After her husband had hurried off, Julieta glanced at the burnt-out candle that had fallen out of Isabela's hand before lifting her gaze to Mirabel who was kneeling down as well.

"Mama, I'm sorry-" Mirabel began, stopping when she saw the look of cold fury on her mother's face.

"Go," Julieta ordered, her voice quiet but sharp as the blade of a knife. She held Isa close and prayed that she wasn't... "I don't even want to look at you right now."

Bruno came over, hoping he could soothe his sister's temper, but he also stopped when Julieta turned her rage on him. "This is all your fault! Get out of here, both of you!"

Mirabel stood and backed away slowly before turning and running off.

"Juli, I understand that you're-" Bruno began, trying to defend his sobrina.

"You're not a parent!" Julieta snapped, angrily. "So don't you DARE try to tell me how I feel right now!"

"He's just trying to help," Pepa reminded her sister.

"Your 'help' may have killed Isabela!" Julieta snarled at her brother. Turning her attention back to her daughter, she checked for a pulse, breathing the tiniest sigh of relief as she found it, but becoming more and more worried as Isa refused to wake up.

x

After Dr. Fuertes examined Isabela, diagnosing a serious concussion, he helped the Madrigals get her to the Guzman residence where she was settled down in one of the guest rooms with Luisa taking the first watch in case Isabela woke up or worsened.

"The good news is, her pulse is steady and she's breathing easy enough," Fuertes stated to Julieta and Agustin. "But the longer she's unconscious, the more serious her condition becomes... and higher the chances are that... she may not make it."

Julieta let out an anguished sob as she held on to her husband, all of her emotions becoming a whirlwind inside of her.

As they went downstairs to update the rest of the family, a stab of guilt went through Julieta as she looked around for Mirabel. "Where's Mira?" she croaked out, tears still streaming down her face.

"She's gone," Bruno replied, shortly, trying not to lose his temper on his sister. "She ran away after you yelled at her."

Eyes widening in alarm, Julieta wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as she stammered, "I-I... I-I-I didn't mean to... I-I never w-wanted..."

"You may not have meant to," Bruno went on, his brow furrowed in resentment. "-but you did. And now Mirabel is out in the encanto somewhere, lost and alone and thinking that her own mother hates her! She wasn't trying to hurt the family, Julieta!" Bruno finally snapped, furious. "Hurting us was the last thing she wanted! She was trying to save the family!"

"Mirabel froze... just as I did," Pedro said, guiltily. "If she'd acted faster, it could be Mira upstairs."

"That's what hurts so much," Julieta confessed as a fresh wave of sobs took over her. "And now I may have lost two of my babies!"

As he pulled his wife close, Agustin promised her, "We'll look for Mirabel. We will find her, mi vida. I promise."

As plans for the search began, Julieta offered a silent prayer. 'Dios, por favor perdoname. Please help us find Mirabel. Please spare Isabela. I lost my mother all those years ago... please don't take my daughters from me, too.'

X

Running into the woods and through the newly created mountain pass, Mirabel finally collapsed on the bank of the river, sobbing as she thought of her sister's body being pulled from the rubble.

"I'm sorry," Mirabel murmured through her cries. "I tried to save my family... but I destroyed us. And now Isabela is going to die because of me."

"Dry your eyes Mirabel," a gentle voice instructed, soothingly.

Looking up quickly, Mirabel scrambled to her feet as a female figure surrounded by a golden yellow glow came to her from across the river. "No, please..." Mirabel breathed, eyes wide and fearful as she fell to her knees. "Please, don't take Isabela. Te lo ruego, por favor... Take me instead of Isa!"

The glow about the young woman faded and her eyes filled with tears as she knelt down before Mirabel, taking the teenager's hands in her own. "I have not come for either of you, mi dulce nieta."

Mirabel gave a soft gasp as she recognized the woman, her voice trembling as she whispered, "Abuela?"

Alma nodded, gently stroking Mirabel's cheek, wiping away her tears. "I am so sorry, Mirabel. I never meant to cause you so much pain."

"I don't understand," Mirabel muttered, sitting more comfortably on the riverbank.

"Your family's Gifts came from me," Alma explained with a sad smile as she sat as well. "I saw how much pain Pedro carried after my death and I wanted him to find joy in his life again. So, I blessed my children and grandchildren with magic to help all of you."

Mirabel still looked confused as she thought back to her 5th birthday when she'd failed to get her own Gift. "But my door disappeared," she pointed out.

With a wry chuckle, Alma shrugged as she went on. "Magic Gifts from Heaven are... a bit complicated. I tried to bless you with kindness and generosity... but it turns out that there is no magic to give someone what they already possess."

At no point in the past ten years had it ever occurred to Mirabel that she hadn't received her Gift... because she'd always had it. But as her thought turned to Bruno's visions, she frowned slightly. "But the cracks and the visions..."

Alma looked guilty as she nodded, sadly. "The cracks are because of me," she confessed. "I saw how heartbroken you were when you thought you didn't have a Gift... and my heart began to break as well."

A look of dawning comprehension came over Mirabel as she realized, "You're the reason Casita was alive!"

"Si," Alma confirmed, nodding again. "The more distraught I became, the more the house began to fall apart. I tried to heal myself, but... I needed help. And then Isabela discovered the vision and I hoped she would confront you... comfort you... But your sister tried to protect you, and in doing so, she shielded you from facing your feelings instead of encouraging you to let them out."

Looking away, Mirabel felt new tears stinging her eyes as she lamented, "Did I get Isa killed?"

"No!" Alma insisted, gently caressing her granddaughter's cheek once more. "I meant what I said to you before. I was never here to take you or Isabela. I came to you because I am so proud of who you have turned out to be." When Mirabel looked skeptical at the compliment, Alma smiled, warmly. "Bravery isn't only standing up against great obstacles. Sometimes... it's just waking up every morning and telling yourself 'Today, I will do my best.'. And that's what you've done these past ten years, Mira. Despite the loneliness you've felt and the pain you held inside for so long, you never let it harden you against being kind and generous."

Mirabel said nothing as she leaned forward to hug her abuela, sobbing loudly as she let out every ounce of pain and frustration she'd ever held back from her family. Alma soothed her gently, stroking her hair as she let Mirabel cry. When she had no more tears in her, Mirabel sniffled loudly as she pulled away, still looking a touch worried. "What about Isabela?"

"Isa should be awake by the time you go back home," Alma assured Mirabel, standing and pulling her to her feet. "And to allay your other fear," she went on, straightening Mirabel's glasses. "-your mother will forgive you. Fear sometimes has a dreadful habit of bringing out the worst in people. Julieta was scared that she had lost Isabela and that lead her to saying things she wishes she hadn't. She still loves you, Mira."

Before Mirabel could reply, she heard crashing sounds coming from the bushes and brush nearby and she jumped as she saw Bruno flying out on the back of a borrowed horse.

Bruno stared in disbelief as he looked at Mirabel and his mother, looking the same as she had when she'd died. As he clambered off of the horse, he stiffened as Alma came towards him, pulling him into a hug.

"My sweet Brunito," Alma murmured, laughing as she brushed some of her son's hair out of his eyes. "You always loved trying to be the hero.

"Mama?" Bruno squeaked in confusion, looking from Alma to Mirabel and back again.

Alma laughed again, kissing Bruno on the cheek. "You're a wonderful tio. I'm so proud of how you've tried to help the family all this time. I'm sorry your Gift hurt you so much." Looking at Mirabel and Bruno, she took their hands, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, she promised, "The magic will return when things have been rebuilt. And I don't think I will have to worry about being brokenhearted again, do you?"

"Thank you, Abuela," Mirabel said as she hugged her grandmother, smiling as she received a hug in return.

Looking about the riverbank, Bruno slowly raised a questioning gaze to his mother as he asked, "What happened that day... the last time I was here?"

"Your Gift made you vulnerable to the psychic scars that were left upon this place," Alma explained. "I think... you saw everything that happened that night-not just saw it but felt it." Hugging her son, she said, "If you come down here again, I think you will find it easier."

Alma took a few steps back from her son and granddaughter, smiling and giving a farewell wave as she promised, "I will always be with you."

Watching as the golden glow enveloped Alma, Bruno put an arm around Mirabel, the pair letting out a dual gasp of surprise as the glow broke apart, becoming hundreds of yellow butterflies that flew back towards the mountain pass.

As the pair got on the horse and steadily made their way back to the encanto, Mirabel was smiling as she said, "Thank you, Tio Bruno."

"For what?" Bruno asked, looking over his shoulder as best he could.

"For coming to find me," Mirabel replied. "For defending me with Mama," she added, her smile fading. Hugging her tio as she held onto his torso, she rested her cheek against the back of his ruana, unable to hold back a chuckle as one of the rats scurried from the ruana's hood to her shoulder. "For always being there when I needed you."

Squeezing his sobrina's hands with his own, Bruno grinned as replied, "You're welcome, Mira."

X

"Ow... my head..."

Julieta let out a gasp and she leapt up from her chair, knocking it over as she dashed to Isabela's side, taking her daughter's hand in hers. "Isa! Gracias a Dios!"

Isabela blinked as she looked about the room, eyes widening in alarm as she remembered the casita falling apart. "Mirabel!" she exclaimed, trying to sit up but stopping and laying back down immediately as her whole body ached sharply. Letting out a groan, she looked, pleadingly at her mother. "Is Mira alright? Where is she?"

Afraid to talk about Mirabel being missing for fear that Isabela would want to go looking for her sister at once, Julieta just replied, "Rest, mi pequena flor. You can see Mira in a little while."

Ignoring how much she hurt, Isabela slowly propped herself up on one elbow, giving her mother a beseeching look. "Mama... Where is Mirabel?"

After carefully easing Isabela into a slightly upright position and putting a few extra pillows behind her, Julieta slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, a sorrowful look on her face as she studied Isabela.

"Mama, Mira's not...? Please tell me Mira made it out okay," Isa begged.

Taking a deep breath, Julieta finally spoke. "I was angry after you were hurt. I said some things... Mira ran away. Everyone else is trying to find her."

Laying back against the pillows, Isabela began crying, the sobs wracking her body making her hurt even more, but she didn't care. After a while, she sniffled, moving so she was sitting up just a bit more. "I want to help," she stated, firmly.

Julieta shook her head resolutely. "You need to rest," she ordered. "When Mira comes back, she's going to want to see you."

"When Mirabel comes back," Isabela repeated, feeling exhausted from her brief exertion.

"When," Julieta promised, watching her daughter until she fell asleep.

X

"What did you and my mother talk about?" Bruno asked as he and Mirabel stopped to rest for a a spell.

While it was true that they could have been back home at that point if they'd spurred the horse on faster, Bruno thought it a good idea to give Julieta and Mirabel a little time apart so that both would have cooler heads when they reunited.

"At first... I was afraid that Abuela was some sort of Angel de la Muerte," Mirabel replied after a moment. Looking away from her tio, she whispered, "I asked her to take me instead of Isabela."

Bruno stiffened, the weight of his sobrina's words hitting him like a ton of bricks. Before he could say anything in response, Mirabel continued.

"She told me that I didn't get a magical Gift... because she wanted to bless me with kindness and generosity," Mirabel explained, a peaceful smile crossing her face. "All this time... I thought I didn't get a Gift because there was something wrong with me."

"You didn't need a Gift," Bruno said with a smile. "-because those were blessings you had already."

Taking a deep breath, Mirabel thought about the conversation with her grandmother and looked at Bruno as she said, "Abuela told me that Mama was scared for Isa... and that's why she yelled at me."

Bruno nodded, sadly. "As soon as Julieta realized you were gone, she... She was sorry about what she said to you. To both of us."

As much as she wanted to see Isabela and know that she would be okay, Mirabel gave Bruno a pleading look. "I... I-I'm not ready to see Mama just yet. Is that horrible of me?"

Bruno shook his head before moving so that he was sitting next to Mirabel. Putting his arm around her shoulders, he gave a small shrug as he replied, "I guessed that you would feel that way. That's why we're taking our time going home." Feeling one of the rats pop up from the collar of his shirt, he plucked the small rodent up and handed it to Mirabel.

"What are we going to do when we get home?" Mirabel wanted to know, petting the rat she held and feeling the tiniest bit better.

"We are going to rebuild Casita Madrigal," Bruno explained, simply. "And we are going to find the best way to be a family again." Looking back at the way they had come, he added, "And next month, I think the whole family should go down to the river for Abuela's birthday."

"I think that sounds like a perfect idea," Mirabel agreed, standing up and letting her rat friend perch on her shoulder. When Bruno stood as well, she said, "Come on... Let's go home."

X

The distant sound of a horse's hooves on the cobblestones that made up the streets of the encanto and the joyous ringing of the church bells signaled the return of Bruno and Mirabel. While the rest of the Madrigal family rushed out to meet them, Julieta hung back, suddenly afraid of what her daughter would think of the last time mother and daughter had seen one another.

As Mirabel saw her mother, she hesitated before asking, "Is Isa alright? Can... Can I see her?"

"She's upstairs," Julieta replied, pointing to the second story of the Guzman house. "Senora Guzman is sitting with her." With a reassuring smile, she added, "Isabela has been asking for you."

Dashing into the house and up the stairs, Mirabel found her sister sitting up in bed in one of the guest rooms, chatting with Senora Rosalinda Guzman who stood up as soon as she noticed Mirabel. "I'm so happy you're alright," Senora Guzman said as she gave her a brief hug. Looking at the two Madrigals, she gave them a small, courteous nod as she added, "I'll leave the two of you alone. Please don't hesitate to call if you need anything."

Once it was just Mirabel and Isabela, Mirabel couldn't help staring at her sister.

Isabela's arms were a mess of bruises and scrapes, and the left side of her face was bruised as well. Her left eye was swollen, and a row of stitches closed a nasty gash on her forehead.

But as Mirabel sat on the edge of the bed, she beamed as she realized that her big sister had never looked more beautiful. Leaning forward and hugging her, Mira's eyes filled with tears as she apologized over and over.

"I'm okay, Mira," Isabela promised as her sister pulled back. "I'm a dreadful mess and there isn't a single part of me that doesn't hurt... but I'm alive. And that's the important thing, right?"

"I think you look amazing," Mirabel stated, honestly.

x

While Mirabel and Isabela talked upstairs, Bruno related what had happened to Mirabel down by the river to Julieta, Pepa, and their father.

Upon hearing that Alma's spirit had come to Mirabel, Julieta was speechless while Pepa began crying. Pedro, however, had a relieved smile on his face as he imagined his beloved wife comforting her granddaughter.

When he concluded the tale, Bruno explained, "Mama loves this family... She loves us so much that our heartaches and heartbreaks became hers... and they became the cracks. It was never about fixing something broken... It was just feeling so much of our family's unspoken pain and not being able to express it."

Thinking on her words to Mirabel before her daughter had run away, Julieta turned to her brother and implored, "I need to know how I make things right with Mirabel. What I said to her before..."

With a shrug, Bruno replied, simply, "Just give her time. She knows you didn't mean what you said and how you said it... but healing from that kind of hurt... Just give her time," he repeated. "Th-That's really all you can do."

'Dios, por favor, perdoname' means 'Please, God, forgive me'.

'Te lo ruego, por favor' means 'I beg you, please'

'Mi dulce nieta' is 'my sweet granddaughter'

'Mi pequena flor' is 'my little flower'.