Julieta sat on the edge of her bed and stared at the picture of Mayra and Mirabel.Agustín promised he would bring her home. Stop worrying Julieta. She will be home. Julieta looked out the window to see the sun was starting to come up. She knew she had to do more than sit in her room. She opened the door to find Pepa with a cloud over her head. Julieta sighed before she made her way to the kitchen. She soon started to grab things to make arepas. She was soon so focused on what she was doing she had rows of arepas ready to be cooked. She wanted to make sure if anyone in the family or Mayra needed one, she had enough. Pepa peaked her head in the kitchen to see Julieta preparing arepas. She was stressing cooking. She was going to enter the kitchen, but another cloud appeared above her head. She groaned before she tried to shoo the cloud. In town and the surrounding area everyone else in the Madrigal family was yelling out for Mayra. Dolores listened but didn't hear Mayra. Agustín wondered where she could be that Dolores couldn't hear her.
"I heard her! Follow me!"
Everyone followed her towards the mountain. Agustín tripped but quickly got up as he hurried after everyone. Everyone continued to yell out for her as they searched. Dolores turned her head and started to run, making everyone follow her. When they found Mayra, she was standing by the river. The water was moving faster than it usually did. Agustín shouted for her, making her turn around. She stood where she was for a moment before she took a step towards everyone. She quickly lost her footing and fell in the water. Everyone ran to the water's edge to see Mayra trying to swim. Agustín watched in a panic as Mayra's head went under the water and came back up. Back at Casita Julieta looked up from the arepas and stared forward for some time.
"Julieta? Julieta, what's wrong?"
"Something's wrong with Mayra. I feel it. I have this sick feeling deep in my stomach. I think I'm going to throw up."
"Julieta, you don't know that. I'm sure she is fine. I'm sure Dolores is leading everyone to her right now. Hermana, please trust that they are bringing her home."
Back at the river Luisa jumped in the water and Isabela tried to catch Mayra with a vine. Mayra's head went under water again only it didn't come back up. Agustín stood there frozen. It was as if time had stopped. He looked up when Isabela shouted that she felt something on her vine. Luisa made her way to the vine as Isabela started to pull it out of the water. Isabela pulled the last of the vine out of the water but there was nothing, but Lusia had an unconscious Mayra in her arms. Agustín fell to his knees as Luisa got out of the water. She set Mayra down on the ground in front of Agustín and he touched her face.
"Mayra, wake up. Your Mamá will not be happy with me if I bring you back like this. Mija, please wake up for your Mamá and I. I need you to do this for me."
"Tío Agustín, she needs to see Tía Julieta. I know this is hard, but you need to take her."
He ran his fingers across her cheeks. Get her there safely Agustín. Don't drop her. Don't be clumsy and fall with her. He picked her up off the ground and began to run towards Casa Madrigal. He caught his foot on a rock but caught his footing before he could fall. Don't fall. Don't drop her. Don't hurt her. He could see the village, so he ran a bit faster. Once in the village he tried to avoid anyone that was starting their day. He tripped, trying to avoid a villager. He fell and both he and Mayra fell to the ground. He looked up to see her a laying on the ground a few feet from him. Miguel was doing some morning work and saw Agustín on the ground. He quickly ran over to check on him.
"Señor Agustín, are you alright. Here let me help you up. Let me go get Señora Julieta... wait is that Mayra?"
Miguel stared at Mayra on the ground as he helped Agustín off the ground. He quickly helped him get the young girl up and he watched as Agustín started to run towards Casa Madrigal. At Casita Mayra's door started to flicker. Casita soon opened the door to let Agustín in. He started to frantically look for Julieta. He ran into the kitchen to find her with Pepa. Pepa noticed him first, making her form a cloud above her head. She walked over to Julieta and touched her arm. Julieta gave her a weird look before Pepa pointed at Agustín. Julieta slowly turned to see a soaked and unconscious Mayra in Agustín's arms. She covered her mouth as she took a step towards the two. A tear started to roll down her cheek as she saw the dirt and scratches on Mayra's arms and face. Mayra coughed, making the three jumped as a bit of water came up. Agustín placed her on the floor, turning her on her side. As she continued to cough up more water. When she finally stopped Julieta had a small vial in her hand. Agustín sat Mayra up, letting Julieta dump the contents in her mouth. They watched as the wounds healed on her face, but she still didn't wake. Pepa placed a hand on Julieta's shoulder as the three sat on the ground. Agustín picked Mayra up and started to take her to her room. When he got to the top of the stairs Mirabel ran up to him, but he walked by her. She followed him, trying to see Mayra but he didn't slow down. He wanted to get Mayra to her bed. Mirabel tried to show him how excited she was that he found Mayra, but he wasn't worried about that.
"Not now Miraboo, okay? You can visit your sister later. Let's see how she feels then."
Mirabel stared at Mayra's door and watched as it flickered. She wondered why it wasn't glowing. She was back in la Casa Madrigal so her door should be glowing. She watched as her mother walked by her and into Mayra's room. She heard more voices, so she turned to see her sisters, Tío Félix, and Dolores. She could see the concerned look on their faces as they all walked into Casita. Félix walked over to Pepa and the two began to whisper. A small cloud appeared above Pepa's head as she covered her mouth. She looked up at Mayra's door as a low rumble started. Alma walked out and stared at everyone.
"Pepa, shoo your cloud. I don't want to see it anymore today. I'm sure Julieta doesn't want to hear it right now."
Pepa shooed her cloud several times as Alma walked away. In Mayra's room Mayra had been changed into dry clothes and was now lying in her bed. Julieta sat on her bed, holding her. She would occasionally run her hand through her hair. Agustín watched as Julieta kissed the top of her head. He didn't understand. Julieta could heal everything he could think of. Mayra should have woken by now. Julieta covered both Mayra and herself as she laid back a bit. She closed her eyes as she held Mayra tighter. As late afternoon approached everyone watched as Mayra's door still flickered. She was in her room, so they didn't understand why the glow didn't come back completely. Pepa and Félix stared at each other. The two made their way for the kitchen and began to prepare the evening meal. After dinner had finally been prepared a small cloud appeared.
"Pepi, mi Vida, I think maybe I should take Julieta and Agustín their meal. Your cloud will give away the news and I don't think right now is the time. I'll have the girls help me."
"Félix, I always get clouds. They won't think a thing of it. Sobrinas! Come let's take your Mamá and Papá something to eat."
The girls ran into the kitchen to find a small cloud over their Tía's head. Isabela tried to shoo the cloud away while Mirabel grabbed one of the plates. The group walked up to the room and knocked before they entered. When they entered, they found Julieta sleeping with Mayra in her arms. Agustín was sitting on the floor next to the bed, rubbing the back of his neck. Félix walked over and handed him a plate. Pepa stared at Julieta's face and could tell that her sister had been crying. It made her a bit anxious because Julieta never cried. She was always the calm one in every situation. Especially in situations that she could fix. The room turned red, orange, and a dark yellow. Everyone stared as the room started to change colors, but Agustín had his eyes closed. Pepa knew the two were exhausted but if something was going on she knew they would want to know. She nudged Mirabel a bit and smiled at her. The young girl slowly made her way over to her Papá, tapping him on the shoulder. He didn't open his eyes but arched an eyebrow.
"Pa, look at Mayra's room. The colors are changing."
Agustín opened his eyes to see the room had in fact changed colors. They had been in the room all day, and this was the first time it changed. He knew exactly who had gotten her to change the room color, but he didn't understand why it took so long. The room soon had hints of dark blue and red. He stared at Julieta for a moment and wondered if she was really angry with Mayra. If she was, she wouldn't be able to deny it. Mayra would feel it. The group stared at each other before they decided it would be best to leave and eat for dinner. The girls hugged their Papá before they left. At the dinner table everyone stared at the three empty chairs as they silently ate. Alma stared at everyone for a few moments. She knew the community needed them but last time something like this happened they didn't see that family member again. She cleared her throat, making everyone look at her.
"We won't do our chores again tomorrow, but we will have to make up for it the next couple of days."
Everyone looked down but nodded in agreement. They knew arguing would get them nowhere. The next three days were the same. Silent meals, Julieta and Agustín spending all their time in Mayra's room, Mayra still hadn't woken, her door flickering, and concern from the family. The only thing that had changed was that the Madrigal family had been doing their chores. Miguel had asked Félix about Mayra when they worked together. Alma was becoming concerned for Julieta. She knew she needed to get out of that room, but it would be impossible. Alma stared at the flickering door before she looked at the candle. What would happen to the candle if another door went out for good? Alma sighed before she went to bed. She knew a night walk would help her, but she wasn't feeling up to it. Late in the night Mayra's door stopped flickering and the glow came back. In her room, the three were resting. Mayra started to clench onto her Mamá's shirt while she rested. Julieta started to run her fingers through Mayra's hair to calm her down a bit. Mayra began to get restless and tried to push herself off her Mamá. She was pulled close, and Julieta started to rub her back. She looked down to see if maybe she was doing something wrong. Her eyes went wide when she saw Mayra staring at her. She felt her eyes started to sting before she started to cry. She hugged Mayra as tight as she could. Agustín started to wipe his eyes to see what was wrong to see Julieta crying and hugging Mayra. He wondered if she woke up or if things had gotten worse. He was still trying to wake up when he heard his wife laugh.
"Mamá, you're crushing me. I can't breathe."
"Sorry Corazón, I was just so scared that I lost you. Your door had stopped glowing like my brother Bruno's door and my worse fear came true. You weren't in your room. You were gone. We couldn't find you, and when they finally found you, something happened. I'm just so happy you're okay."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought that you blamed me because Tío Bruno left, or that whenever you look at me you think of him leaving. I didn't want you to be upset. You called me by his name."
"Oh Mayrabug, your Mamá and I don't blame you for anything. You and your sisters are all perfect in our eyes."
"Papá, everyone thinks Isa is perfect. Papá, why do you call me Mayrabug and Mirabel, Miraboo?"
She watched as both her parents chuckled. "Well, Mirabel got her name because she always loved the word boo. She would jump out and yell boo, she loved peek-a-boo, she even said the word at a pretty young age. I call you Mayrabug because when you were born you were so small. You were the smallest out of our four. It reminded me of a bug. You would always nestle yourself anywhere small. You hardly ever made a sound, even when your Tía Pepa was having a storm."
She thought about what she just heard. She got her nickname because she was tiny. The three watched as her room changed colors. They saw the bright yellow, making Mayra stare at the wall. She looked at the pattern on the wall and wondered if that had always been there. It almost looked like what she had done the other day. She tried to sit up and look at the table but struggled a bit. Her Papá tried to see what she was staring at, but it was hard with her moving so much. She soon spotted what she was looking for. They were still there. No one had touched them. Everyone was probably too concerned about her to care about some bottles on her desk. When she finally started to settle down, she felt her Mamá start to rub her thumb across her back in a circular motion. She soon fell asleep and grabbed some of her Mamá's shirt. The rest of the night the three slept. Every time Mayra would move her Mamá would rub her back. The next morning Pepa and Félix brought breakfast to Julieta and Agustín. Pepa hesitated before she opened the door. She walked into the room to see the three asleep. As she got closer, she got so caught up with what happened if Mayra didn't wake up. She soon heard a low rumble. Great, it isn't even noon and I'm thundering already. I don't know how much longer I can keep this secret. Pepa sat on the bed and shooed her cloud away. The last thing she wanted to do was drizzle on anyone. She reached out towards Julieta but stopped when Mayra spoke.
"Juli, I know you haven't really felt like eating, but I think it's time you tried to eat more than a nibble here and there. Julieta, come on she'll wake up."
"Is that for me? I'm starving and I didn't want to ask Mamá to get me something last night. She was too busy squeezing me half to death. I didn't want to take that from her but I'm really hungry."
Pepa stared at Mayra for some time which made Mayra wave her hand a bit. Mayra watched as her Tía Pepa almost dropped the plate. She smiled at her a bit before she was pulled into a hug. Pepa soon scooped her up and pulled her out of bed. Mayra laughed as her Tía Pepa spun with her. She heard the sniffling, but she didn't know why. She was okay and they all could see it. She wrapped her arms around her Tía, smiling at the fact she was missed. Julieta opened her eyes and panicked when she didn't feel Mayra laying on against her. She stopped when she heard her laughing. She looked up to see her hugging Pepa. She sighed as she watched sister hold her daughter the way she held her brother when they were younger. Julieta placed her feet on the ground as she woke Agustín. Mayra jumped towards her Tío Félix but stumbled a bit. Félix caught her before he ruffled her hair, making her giggle. She felt a hand in her hair, making her turn her head a bit but her head was moved forward. She felt her hair get sectioned off so it could be placed into its usual pigtails. As her Mamá brushed her curly hair she realized why she was supposed to brush it every day. She felt the pull of the brush each time it was pulled down. Mayra reached for her glasses but when she couldn't find them, she turned to her parents. What happened to her glasses? Did she lose them the night she ran away? She didn't really remember much. Her Papá pulled a pair out, but those weren't her glasses. She remembered because she broke a part of the side, making them look a bit funny.
"You lost your glasses when you fell in the water." She could see he was upset. "I know you loved those glasses."
"Hey, they were just some glasses. They were broken anyway. Now let's go eat, I'm starving."
The four adults laughed as Félix opened the door. When Mayra took a step out of her room, she saw Luisa. Before she could say anything, Luisa turned around. Luisa started to run towards her, making her stand still. Before Luisa picked her up, she noticed something that made her smile a bit. She wondered if anyone else in the family had taken notice yet or if it was just her. Luisa got to her and picked her up squeezing her tight. Mayra coughed a bit as the hug got tighter.
"Air... air, Luisa. I need air."
Luisa put her down and the two sisters laughed. A door opened, then another, then another until finally the last of the children had their doors opened. Mayra gave her cousins and sisters a small smile before she looked at the ground. She couldn't look them in the eye after she tried to leave. They probably thought she hated them. She loved them all, but she wanted to talk about her Tío Bruno, to not have the pressure of using her gifts, to not be a reminder of that night, and to stop lying to her family about that night. She felt two sets of arms around her before she was almost knocked over by another set. She looked up to see Camilo, Dolores, and Mirabel, hugging her. Isabela stayed back for a bit before she hugged her. Mayra felt like it was forced to make her parents happy. As everyone walked down the stairs everyone stared at the new door that was starting to form. When they all entered the dining area, she saw her Abuela staring at something outside. The older woman finally turned her attention to the table when someone pulled out a chair. Mayra caught her eye, making her walk over to the young girl. She placed her hands under Mayra's chin before she pulled it up to kiss her cheek.
"Mayrita, my dulce Nieta. It is good to see you have finally opened those eyes of yours."
Mayra smiled at her Abula without saying anything. She wondered what was going on. Did running away make Abuela realize that she was putting too much pressure on me? That I might not want a second gift? Would she be mad if I told her that? Mayra sat down at the table as her Mamá got her something to eat. Mayra made a face at Mirabel like they did when they tried to silently speak. They had their own silent twin code and a vocal one. They found they were using their silent code around their Abuela more and more. Mirabel shrugged as their Mamá set their food down. When everyone started to eat with conversations soon following. Mayra continued to eat occasionally contributing to the conversations. She looked down at her plate as she thought back to her door and even a few days ago. Don't mention the door. It isn't for you to mention. Don't mention your second gift. Abuela is actually showing she is happy that you are fine. She doesn't even care about it. Mayra stared at the painting of her family behind her Abuela, but something seemed off about it. She narrowed her eyes a bit but focused on the meal when she heard Isabela scream. There was a poof of flowers before another and another. Everyone gave her a strange look before Mayra spotted why Isabela was screaming. She got out of her chair and crouched down. The small rat ran up her hand, along her arm, ending at her shoulder. She stared at everyone as the rat simply sat on her shoulder. She could tell by the look on her Abuela's face that she was seeing her Tío Bruno when she stared at her with the rat. Her Mamá gave her the same look the day she ran away. The look soon changed, and Mayra soon realized why she was told to keep the rata hidden. Ay, Abuela looks so angry right now. I should have listened to Mamá.
"Mayra, where did that rat come from and why do you have it? Do not lie to me."
"I don't know, it just kind of ran up to me one day. I don't always have it, only once and awhile. I honestly don't know where it is most of the times. Like I said I don't have it all the time and it is completely harmless, Isa." Mayra turned her head to face the rat. "I don't think they like you just hanging around. It reminds them of someone we are not to speak of."
"Dios Mio, she even talks to the rat. Nieta please, just take the rat somewhere else. I'd also like to talk to you about what happened the night you left. I actually just want to talk to you about that day. Why did you pull Isabela's petals from her flowers? She was extremely proud of those. Is it because you don't know what your second gift is, so you are taking it out on her?"
"No...no, I needed them. I promise I didn't mean to upset her, but I didn't know where she was to ask. I know what my second gift is. I found out that day, but I don't know why I should tell any of you since I was accused of taking my feelings out on Señorita Perfecta pantalones atascados over there. All anyone cares about is how she feels. What about me? What about Dolores? Camilo? Luisa? Mirabel? Take your second gift and-"
"Mayra! Your Papá looks like he could use a walk. I think you should really join us. Come, let's go."
Mayra grabbed an Arepas and stood, making her way towards her parents. Isabela smirked as she stuck a small vine out under her chair for Mayra to trip over. Mayra continued to walk until she tripped over the vine. When she hit the ground she hit her face, smacking her glasses on the ground. She opened her eyes to see one of the lenses was cracked. She got off the ground before she pulled them off her face. She tried to smile but she couldn't seem to form one. She dropped them on the ground and wiped the tears that were starting to form out of her eyes. Before she knew it, she was running towards her room. Everyone stared at Isabela who sat there silently staring at her meal. She soon stood and made her way to town to help the ones who needed her for the day without a word. Julieta sighed as she stood to follow Mayra. Agustín smiled at his two other daughters as he stood. He grabbed Mayra's broken glasses before following Julieta. When she entered her room, she bumped into a piece of furniture. There was a small knock at the door before Julieta walked in. Mayra turned when she smelled the scent of arepas. She knew it was her Mamá because no other person smelled like food all the time. There was another small knock before her Papá entered. Her vision was blurry, but she could still see things. She thought maybe she was making a bigger deal out of her broken glasses than it really was. She soon had her glasses placed on her face, but they had been fixed. She wondered if these were a spare because there is no way her parents could fix her glasses this fast. She was rather clumsy sometimes but nothing that would make her think they would have spare glasses for her. She is not as accident prone as her Papá, only dropping things here and there or occasionally bumping into things if she didn't wear her glasses. She gave her parents a half smile as she adjusted the new glasses. She knew they had the same question as everyone else. They wanted to know what the second gift was. She grabbed the two vials she had filled the day she ran away before she gestured for them to follow her. They followed her into the village where they soon found Miguel and Viviana. She took a deep breath before she approached them. You can do this. This is your second gift just go up and tell them to drink it and the rest will fall into place. She soon stood in front of the two for a few minutes. They both gave her a look as she tried to think of what to say.
"I need you both to drink these, please. Oh, and at the same time. I know it's weird request."
"I don't think I've ever found anything weird with the Madrigals. I'll drink it since you asked so nicely." Miguel chuckled.
He and Viviana took the vials from Mayra, and she wondered if they would think it smelled bad like others. When they opened it, she heard some people complain about the smell but not Miguel and Viviana. They thought it smelled sweet, just like she did. They counted to three before they drank it. Mayra held her breath to see if anything would happen. She soon started to lean forward a bit, hoping she wasn't wrong. There was soon a bright pink and gold flash similar to the one her door had produced the night of her gifting ceremony. She fell on the ground from the shock of the flash. I did it. Tío Bruno helped me discover my second gift. She straightened her glasses before she stood. She turned to face her parents with a smile before she turned to face Miguel and Viviana. They stared at her before they looked at Julieta and Agustín. They both shrugged. She told no one what her second gift was. Julieta looked at her for a moment and the puzzle pieces started to put themselves together.
"A matchmaker? Love magic? Casita gave you the gift to help people fall in love. You can absorb their emotions and help them fall in love. Your gifts work together. If someone is heartbroken you can take that pain away and help them find love. That is the perfect second gift for you."
"Juli, you know we are going to have to tell your Mamá that we know what Mayra's second gift is. If we don't tell her someone else will. Mayrabug, let's go tell your Abuela."
"Sí Papá, she will be very pleased when she hears I discovered what my second gift is."
Mayra waved to Miguel and Viviana as she walked back towards Casita. She wondered if they were doing chores those days she was recovering in her room. Her Abuela always pushed them with helping the community. We must strengthen the family and the community. Protect the Encanto. Mayra was so wrapped up in her thoughts and what she is always hearing her Abuela say to the family that she wasn't paying attention to where she was walking. She bumped into her Papá, making him look down at her. She smiled at him as they continued to walk. When they got back to La Casa Madrigal, she took a deep breath before she opened the door. When she finally opened it, she saw the family getting ready to head to the village for their chores. Mayra thought they weren't doing chores today. She wondered if her fight with her Abuela made her change her mind. Her Mamá looked at her before she looked at her Papá. The three went to find her Abuela, only to find her informing her Tía Pepa that she was to control her cloud.
"Mamá, could I speak with you?"
"Not right now. Everyone should be getting ready to go to town. That includes you three."
"Mamá please, it is about Mayra's second gift. I th-"
"She already told me what she thinks should happen with that gift. If she even loved this family or the miracle, we were given she would never have run away. Mayra, just go help in town."
"Yes, Abuela."
Mayra started to walk towards the door when she heard someone call her name. She stopped as Mirabel ran up to her. Mayra tried not to cry but Mirabel could see she wanted to. Mirabel grabbed her hand and the two walked into town. Mayra could feel how worried Mirabel was. The two really didn't talk since she woke up. She knew that Mirabel would want to know what her second gift is, but she felt like she would be rubbing it in her sister's face that she had two gifts if she told her. When they got to town each Madrigal was helping in some way or another. Lusia helped someone get their donkeys, Isabela helped the town by putting flowers everywhere. Pepa gave the crops the sunshine they needed but it soon turned into a light drizzle. Dolores was helping someone find their dog with her super hearing and Camilo helped entertain some children. Mayra let go of Mirabel's hand and started to walk around to see if anyone needed her. She would occasionally find a child that was crying or someone that was angry about something so she would walk up to them. She would absorb the emotion before she asked them what happened. She felt like it put her at a personal level with everyone. That she wasn't just taking their emotions away to make them go away. She was sitting with a small girl who was explain why she was crying when a shadow appeared. The young girl looked up, but Mayra simply smiled at her. When the small girl left Mayra stood and turned to see her Abuela standing there.
"Señora Guzmán asked if you and I could help her and Mariano. Please, just help them."
Mayra nodded with a smile. She knew what Señora Guzmán wanted help with. She wanted Mayra to use her second gift to help Mariano find love. Poor boy was only in his teens and his mother wanted to match him with someone already. Mayra walked silently and listened to her Abuela speak as the two made their way to the Guzmán's home. Mayra didn't know how to tell her Abuela about her second gift. She knew it wouldn't matter because Señora Guzmán would tell her soon. They arrived at the Guzmán's home, but Mayra didn't want to do this. Her Abuela adjusted her shawl before she knocked on the door. The two waited until the door opened. Mayra could see the excitement on Señora Guzmán's face. The older women said their hellos before Señora Guzmán turned to Mayra and placed her hands under her chin. She did her best to smile to make her Abuela happy, but she didn't think this was right. She invited the two in, so Mayra continued to give her a fake smile. Keep Señora Guzmán and Abuela happy. Do this one task and go to Casita. No one in the family will find it weird. You ran away the other day and some of it is a little foggy. Use that as an excuse. Yea, I'll use that. Mayra smiled at Mariano when he entered the room but when she looked closely, she could see Señora Guzmán wasn't the only one excited for her to be there.
"When we heard what your second gift was, we were so excited. We knew that we should have you see my Mariano right away so you could match him with someone. Maybe your Hermana, Isabela. Do you think you could help him?"
"Señora Guzmán, what are you talking about?"
"You don't know? I thought surely you would by now. Mayra is the matchmaker of the Encanto. She helped a couple already. Everyone is talking about it. So, Mayra do you think you could help him?"
"Abuela, I didn't get a chance to tell you. I'm sorry I wish I had told you sooner. Señora Guzmán, I am still getting the hang of this gift. I don't even know how I got them to match. I only know the final step of the match. I'm sorry but right now I can't help. I will help when I know I have a match for him."
Mayra could sense her Abuela's anger that she was not helping someone, but she didn't lie to them. She apologized again before she excused herself. She stared at the ground as she tried to think how it did work the first time. She introduced Viviana to Miguel but what made that so special. She introduced two people. She thought maybe if she talked to the two she would get some answers to help her a bit.
"Mayra Madrigal, stop right there!"
Mayra could not only hear but sense the anger her Abuela was feeling. Maybe she could absorb it and make her less angry. She turned to see her Abuela approaching her. Oh, I really messed up. Mamá, is going to be upset when she hears that I made Abuela angry. When her Abuela was in front of her she gave her half a smile, hoping it would help her a bit. When she saw it wasn't she looked down .
"You know that the community relies on the gifts of our family. The Guzmán family expected something and our family couldn't give them that. I want you to go back and help them."
"Abuela, I already said I don't know how it works. I'm sure I'm not the only Madrigal who struggled figuring out how to use their gift."
"No, but you're the only one who struggled this long. Mirabel has no gift and you struggle with yours."
"That's not fair. I know how to use my other gift with no struggle but this gift is different. It isn't something I can just play with. It is people's feelings and Mirabel had nothing to do with this. You want to be mad at me for not helping the Guzmán family fine bu-"
Mayra stopped when she sensed the same feeling she did the day she found Viviana. She turned a bit but didn't see anyone. She remembered that day Viviana was hiding away from everyone. She was crying alone. Mayra wondered if this is what was happening. She left her Abuela behind and started to search for the person who was heartbroken.
"Mayra! Mayra Madrigal, we were not finished!"
Julieta turned when she heard her Mamá yelling after Mayra. Ay, Mayra what have you done this time? She shoved an arepa in someone's mouth as she tried to spot Mayra. When she finally spotted her she saw that Mayra showed no sign of slowing down. Dios mío Mija, please just go to your Abuela. Mayra suddenly felt like she was punched in the chest and the heartache made her start to cry a bit. That was the first time anything like that had ever happened to her. She soon found a boy about the same age as Isa. I swear if this boy is in love with Isa I'm gonna scream. I can't stand her stupid perfect face. She makes everything so hard. She only cares about herself. She is so selfish. Why would anyone want to date her? Beauty fades just like those stupid flowers of hers. I guess I should find out why this boy is heartbroken. She walked over to him, sitting down next to him. He ignored her but she wasn't going to move. She slowly reached out towards him, making the boy turned his head in her direction. Before either could say anything Alma and Julieta came to see what the young girl was doing. Julieta tilted her head a bit as Mayra touched the boy's arm. Alma focused on what Mayra was doing. Mayra could soon tell that the pain was there but it wasn't as bad as it when she sensed the emotion.
"What makes a gentleman such as yourself so heartbroken? You are probably breaking hearts as we speak. If it's because of Mi Hermana you don't need her."
"No, not because of her, Señorita. There is this pretty girl that you matched with someone so now I know we weren't meant to be. I thought that maybe I could be good enough for at least her."
Mayra thought about what he said for a moment and started to think about the people around the Encanto. A feeling suddenly clicked and she smiled. She stood, sticking her hand out towards him. He looked up to see the smile on her face. He reached out and took her hand before he stood. The two walked past her Abuela and Mamá to go find the girl Mayra was thinking about. Alma and Julieta followed the two through the village until they stopped. Mayra nudged the boy and moved her head in the direction of a girl who tripped over some of her sister's flowers.
"Her? The girl that just tripped over your sister's flowers? Not only does she look like she is too good for me but she looks accident prone."
"Don't judge. Plus, there is nothing wrong with accident prone people. My Mamá fell in love with my Papá and everyone in the Encanto knows how accident prone he is. The matchmaker can't be wrong. Let's go talk to her."
"No! She won't want to talk to me."
Mayra started to pull the boy in the direction of the girl, hoping he would change his mind. The two were almost at the girl when Mayra fell. The girl and boy ran to help her off the ground. As they were helping her off the ground the two caught each other's eye. She stared at the two as the smiled at each other. She walked away as they started to talk to each other. Tío Bruno had faith in me. Ay, I miss you Tío, please come home. She continued to watch the two talk until they left together. She turned her head to see her Mamá standing next to her with a smile on her face.
"I know, I know, you love me and you're proud of me. Mamá, I'm a part of the Madrigal family, I have to help people. It's what our family does."
"Just don't overdo it, okay?" her Mamá grabbed her face before she kissed her cheek after expressing her concern.
"Ay Mamá, I'm fine. I'll let you know if I'm not, Lo prometo."
Mayra hugged her Mamá absorbing the feelings she had. She had that feeling when she missed her Tío Bruno but was that why her Mamá felt this way. She smiled a bit and squeezed her Mamá a bit tighter. Like Papá said, we can always hope he will come home one day. Mayra felt her Mamá's squeeze get a bit tighter. She suddenly felt something wet her face. She touched it before she looked up at the sky. Tía Pepa isn't making it rain so why am I getting... Mamá's crying. She soon felt her Mamá's finger's go through her hair.
"Mija, if you ever feel like you're losing your way in the family come talk to me. My brother lost his and it was hard for me. For us. I don't think I could handle if someone else lost their way, especially one of my children."
"I'm sorry Mamá, I didn't mean to hurt you. Papá said Tío will come home one day. Do you think it's true?"
"I know you didn't mean it. We can hope. I hope everyday that when I walk to Casita that I will see him sitting there telling me that he had a vision about someone. Then I have to decide if I'm making his favorite because someone bullied him."
"Did you really break a rolling pin over a kid's head for bullying Tío Bruno? Tía Pepa said you did. She said you were so overprotective of him. Did you beat anyone else up for picking on him? Can I do stuff like that if someone bullies Maribel?"
"Ay Pepa, Sí, I did hit a boy when we were younger for bullying my brother. People didn't really understand him and his gift when we were younger. Even when we became adults they didn't understand. His gift is complicated. I got lucky that time because your Abuela didn't find out but she did find out when Pepa and I beat up on kids other times. You can't do that for Mirabel, but I'm happy you want to protect her."
"Protect who?" Pepa asked as she walked up to the two.
"Mirabel. It would appear that your Sobrina enjoyed the story of me breaking a rolling pin over someone's head. Pepita, Mamá doesn't know of that incident and the only way for us to keep it that way is for us not to speak of it."
"Mamá, don't worry I keep very good secrets."
"Is that so? Is there something I need to know?"
"Mamá they are secrets. I've kept some of them for a long time and I don't intend on telling anyone now. Lo prometo to keep this one too."
Mayra smiled before she walked away. She would occasionally stop at someone to help them with their emotions. She would also hear them out about their love life but tell them she is still getting the hang of her new gift. She would inform them when she could help them. Pepa and Julieta watched her carefully and waited until she was out of ear shot before, they spoke.
"Julieta, what kind of secrets do you think she is keeping?"
"I don't know. I'm just concerned about the ones she has been keep for a long time."
"Me too. They could be anything. Do you think she has been keeping a secret about Brunito?"
"I don't know Pepa. I hope not. She knows how much I miss him. Maybe she is because she is scared of Mamá and what she will say. Maybe she did see something in his tower that night. We won't know If she did and she has been keeping that secret for five years I don't think she will give it up to anyone now."
"If she did then it had to be something bad enough she felt she had to hide from everyone. What could she have seen that night? You remember how she acted the morning after he disappeared. Even Mamá acted odd."
The two sisters stared forward for a bit as they thought about it. They wondered what Mayra's long-time secret was. They both turned to each other at the same time.
"She saw one of Bruno's visions and she is protecting someone. That explains the sand that morning. She is too determined to give up halfway through those stairs."
"Julieta, how do we know that is one of her secrets?"
"We don't but we could always ask Dolores."
"No, I miss Bruno too but even Mayra is entitled to some secrets."
"Even if she knows why Bruno isn't here and where he is?"
"She is not to blame for him leaving the family and why he hasn't come back. If Bruno really wanted to come back he would. We love him and you and I both know in his own way he loves us."
"I'm not blaming her, I just want to know if she knows anything Pepa. I had to protect him from the people in town and Mamá all the time. I just want to know he is okay. Even if she doesn't know anything about him, about that night I'd feel better knowing for sure."
"Julieta, if you want to try and find out any of her secrets fine but keep my children out of it. He left us, you need to remember that. That is most likely not even one of her secrets, but you are still so overprotective of the two of us that you can accept that."
There was a loud boom of thunder before it started to rain heavily. Julieta moved to shelter as she wiped her eyes. There was another boom of thunder as the rain got heavier. It was soon hard to see through the rain and the wind picked up. All the Madrigals heard the usual yell for Pepa to calm herself from Alma. Julieta blamed herself for the storm. If she and Pepa wouldn't have argued, it wouldn't be happening. Félix and Mayra began to look for her, hoping they could calm her down. It took the two some time but they finally found the weather controlling Madrigal. The two made their way as quickly and safely in the dangerous weather conditions towards the woman.
"Pepi, amor, you need to calm down."
"Tía Pepa, you're going to flood the Encanto. Please, I love your sunshine. Let me help you."
Pepa turned in their direction as they covered their faces from the rain. She started to walk towards the two. When Mayra saw her Tía better she reached out. After she had a firm grasp on her Tía's arm she gasped and bent down. Her Tío Félix grabbed her to prevent her from falling over. When the rain clouds had finally disappeared Pepa smiled at Félix. Mayra was taking deep breathes as she tried to process the emotions she was feeling. Why was Tía so angry and sad? The two gave Mayra a concerned look as she let go of Pepa's arm.
"Mayra are you okay?"
"Yea, just a lot of overwhelming emotions at one time. I don't even think I felt this the morning after my Gifting Ceremony or even at my Gifting Ceremony. I'll be okay."
"Sorry Julieta and I had a bit of a disagreement and then the bebé decided it was going to take control of my emotions from there."
"It's not a big deal, Tía. Oh, I knew about the bebé this morning. The door is starting to form." Mayra told them as she stood straight up.
Pepa gasped before she spoke. "Mayra, your... your eyes."
"What about them?"
She ran to a puddle to look at her eyes. She saw that her were glowing blue and red. It reminded her of her Tío Bruno's eyes when he had a vision. Then when she looked closer it reminded her of the vision she received from him. She started to run towards Casita, trying to avoid everyone. She bumped into her Papá on the way. He looked back at her before he turned to Julieta. The two made their way to Félix and Pepa to see what happened. When they got closer to the two they could see the worried look.
"Go after her now. Her eyes look like they did in Bruno's vision five years ago. Bright and glowy. In fact they looked like Bruno's eyes. She needs you Julieta. She's scared. She needs you to be overprotective of her like you were of him."
"I was just coming to see what happened to her and why she ran off. Cover for me with Mamá. I'll make your favorite tonight in exchange for it."
"How about you make my favorite meal and Mayra's favorite dessert? She's going to need it. Now hurry Mamá will be coming this way soon to scold me about the storm I just created."
The two sisters hugged before Julieta and ran towards Casita. They knew that Mayra needed them. Agustín wondered if this happened because she was keeping the secrets about Bruno and her two gifts. It was a lot of pressure for a girl who was so young. Being a Madrigal was hard and people didn't really understand unless they were part of the family. No one really understood the family and they wouldn't because Alma always made them put a front up for the community. Any problems they had stayed behind the closed doors of Casita and even when people came for parties they didn't know. Agustín still didn't understand even after all the years of being part of the family. All he knew was he loved his wife and his daughters and nothing would change that, not even Señora Alma and her pressure on the family.
(Author's note: First I'd like to apologize for the wait on the update. Life has gotten a little crazy lately. Hopefully I can post chapters at a steady rate soon. Also thank you everyone that has been reading, commenting, following, favoriting and things along those lines. I never thought this story would get the way it did with only three chapters. I literally appreciate it all. Anyway, back to Mayra and the Madrigals. As you saw Alma's pressure continues to build on them. You see Mirabel is not the only one that reminds the family of Bruno. Julieta is getting a bit suspicious of Mayra. Will she figure it out? Will Mayra find her Tío Bruno? Will Bruno visit Mayra again? Once again I'd like to thank everyone for the continued support.)
