Chapter Three:
Julieta stared at the full length mirror, staring at herself. She couldn't remember the last time that she wore something as beautiful as this dress. It could have easily have been at her own wedding. Even her hair and make up was done up, thanks to Isabela, Dolores, and Luisa, who had all trooped into the room, armed with make up brushes and curing irons.
The pale baby blue top fit snugly, really showing off her curves, and along the sweetheart neckline and the sleeves was a small trim of lace. The skirt was a deep blue, snug around the waist, but flared out around the bottom to where it stopped right before her ankles. Isabela had carefully done her make up, miraculously causing the lines and winkles she's been noticing recently, disappear. Dolores had done her hair into a very simple, yet elegant twist. Luisa had produced a strand of pearls and matching earrings, as well as a pair of heels, which she insisted would look better with the dress then her normal flats.
"I think we're ready to show you off to Papa," Mirabel said, wheeling herself around her mother and removing a stray thread.
"Wait," Isabela exclaimed, "I want to get my camera first," she insisted, "I want a picture of Pa's reaction."
…
Agustin was playing the piano in the living room while Felix and Pepa sat nearby talking softly, Bruno was playing with a couple of his rats, and Alma was reading a book, when Isabela walked in with her camera.
"You planning on taking a picture, Mija," he asked, stopping the music to turn to his oldest.
"Si, Mira just finished a dress, and I want to capture your reaction to it," Isabela explained.
"Oh, a new dress, I'm sure that your Hermana looks beautiful," Agustin insisted, "Where is she."
"She's coming, but Pa, you need to close your eyes," Isabela insisted, "and don't open them again until I tell you, no peeking. I want to capture your very first reaction."
"With the way you're acting it must be Mirabel's quince dress," Agustin insisted, closing his eyes, "Alright Isa, I'll play along."
Abuela looked up from her book, curious to see what exactly Mirabel had came up with for her Quince dress. She was not expecting her oldest daughter to enter the room, hair and make up done up and in a beautiful new dress.
She couldn't help herself, she snorted, "Now I know why Isabela wanted to capture this moment on film," she announced, "I want a copy of the picture please."
"Sure thing Abuela, now Papa, abre tus ojos, open your eyes," Isabela insisted.
Agustin cracked open an eye, and his mouth dropped open, "Mi amor," he gasped, "You look encantadora."
"Gracias," Julieta said, smiling warmly, "Sorry to disturb you, but the girls wanted to see your reaction."
"Totally worth it," Mirabel insisted, wheeling into the room, "You look beautiful, you should pack that for the trip."
"You should, Mi Amor, you should," Agustin insisted.
"I made you a matching outfit Pa," Mirabel insisted, "It's in my room, with the others."
"The others," Pepa asked, looking up from Felix, "You made other outfits?"
"I wouldn't say that I made everyone complete outfits, but I made something for everyone..." Mirabel said, "Just something fun for the trip."
"Why don't you bring them out and show us," Abuela suggested, "I'm sure that they'll be amazing, everything you make is."
"Umm," Mirabel said softly, "Thank you, Abuela, I'll… go fetch them." Mirabel turned her chair around, and was about to wheel herself out of the room when Isabela stepped forward.
"Hey, I'll help," she offered, grabbing hold of the handles of the wheelchair and pushing Mirabel into her room.
The rest of the evening had been everyone showing off their new clothes. Abuela even got out her camera and insisted that everyone posed for pictures. Isabela had gotten a little nervous when she first stepped out of her room in her new outfit. It consisted of a pair of pants and a sleeveless blouse and she could just imagine what Abuela would say about them.
"You look nice Isa," Luisa said, appearing next to her.
Isabela glanced up at her hermanita, smiling at her as she took in her new look. Luisa was wearing a new plain white blouse with a wide pink skirt with a pink and white checked unicorn prancing along the hem. She had even pulled her hair up in a matching hair ribbon.
"So do you," Isabela insisted, "That's definitely something that you aren't going to wear while working around the Encanto."
"I think Mirabel might strangle me if I try," Luisa admitted, as Antonio came running out of his room wearing his new orange overalls.
"I love them, I love them, I love them!" he shouted, running around his primas before racing downstairs, "Parce, do you like my new outfit?" he shouted.
Isabela watched as Antonio ran across the courtyard and into the living room, before frowning, "Do you really think I look nice Luisa?" she asked nervously.
"Oh si, absolutely," Luisa insisted, "That looks like an outfit you can hang out in town square in, or go hiking in the woods with."
"Yeah, but what would Abuela say, I mean, pants and no sleeves. She's going to have a stroke."
"Then she has a stroke," Luisa said, "Don't worry, you look amazing, and that outfit must be easier to move around in then your dresses."
"It is, it really is," she confessed, "but… Abuela..."
"Don't worry about Abuela," Dolores insisted, appearing dressed in a beautiful red dress with white polka dots that if you look carefully at were actually sound waves, "Mirabel's anticipated Abuela's reaction and has a huge argument ready."
"This is Abuela that we're talking about," Isabela pointed out, "Are you sure that Mirabel would win the argument."
"Considering what her trump card is, you don't have to worry," Dolores insisted, "Mirabel really knows how to argue her point."
Isabela nodded, "Shall we?" she asked, offering her hand cheekily to her younger sister, who took it.
"We shall."
Mirabel adjusted her dress as she hid out in the corner of the room, Tia Pepa and Tio Felix had both changed quickly, Pepa had even pulled her hair up into a simple bun. They were now dancing happily around the courtyard.
She sighed, dancing was one thing she still hadn't figured out since the quake. She used to like to twirl around anytime she was feeling particularly lonely or sad. Sometimes with music, but more times than not, with just the music in her head.
Casita clacked a tile at her, causing her to look up, Antonio was racing over to her, and Luisa, Isabela, and Dolores were all heading down the stairs together.
She lifted up the shawl that was supposed to be for Abuela. It probably was close to time for her to give it to her. She had held it back, claiming that it wasn't quite ready yet. Honestly, she needed it as a distraction, to distract Abuela before she could say anything to hurtful to Isabela about her outfit.
Abuela looked up smiling at her three oldest granddaughters, only to frown at Isabela's outfit, her shoulders were bare and she was wearing pants instead of a skirt. She knew that Isabela wore pants when she went out to the jungle to explore, but that was different, this outfit was going to be for the trip, complete strangers were going to see her dressed like that.
She opened her mouth to say something, only to have something thick and warm wrap itself around her shoulders.
"I finished your shawl, Abuela!" Mirabel offered, "And don't worry about Isabela, it's quite fashionable for girls her age to wear pants and sleeveless shirts, she'll fit right in in the city. You however might stand out with your old fashion clothes, especially if I decide to change the color of them."
"I thought you said that she had a really good argument ready," Isabela hissed.
"She did, this is not the argument that she had planned. She was going to go on and on about how fashion outside the Encanto is very different from fashion inside the Encanto. I assure you, there was no plans of threatening to alter Abuela's dress in any way, shape, or form."
"Proves that no matter how smart or talented she is, she's still a fifteen year old girl with a temper," Luisa insisted.
"I don't know about this, showing so much skin," Abuela insisted.
"Mama, Isabela is fine, if Mirabel says that it's a common outfit for girls Isabela's age, then it must be a common outfit, leave her alone."
"Well, I suppose so," Abuela said, taking a deep breath, "But we do have a busy day tomorrow, and we want to catch the early bus, so I think that I'll turn in."
"Running away before Mirabel can do something with your outfit might be a good move," Camilo announced, snickering slightly.
"Just make sure that everyone is ready to go right after breakfast," Abuela insisted, "I don't want to miss the bus."
…
The next morning dawned bright and sunny, which meant that Tia Pepa was in a good mood. Which was a good sign. That meant that they didn't have to worry about clouds inside the bus, which would have given their gifts away.
Mirabel managed to actually shift herself over to her wheelchair without any problem. Thankfully she hadn't had a nightmare last night and didn't trap herself in her blanket.
Getting dress was a different story, it was tough pulling her nightgown over her head and putting on her blue dress with the bow collar. It was frustrating trying to get dress by herself, but surely she could do this by herself somehow, she had to figure this out. She couldn't rely on her mother and sisters to take care of her for the rest of her life.
Finally Mirabel simply undid the seams, causing her nightgown to fall off her, and had the pieces of her dress, wrap themselves around her and did them up again. She smiled as she finally unlocked her chair and rolled her way to the door, which Casita helpfully opened for her.
She was naturally the last one to the table. Gone where the days that she was the first one up and dress for the day. Everyone else was up and dressed, and there was a pile of suitcases by the main entrance to Casita.
"Mirabel," Abuela called out, "There you are, I was about to send your Madre to check on you."
"I was just getting dress," Mirabel insisted, "I'm sorry I took so long, I'm still trying to figure out how best to do things. I never noticed how much I used my legs for things other than walking and dancing."
"Well, you're here now, so eat your breakfast, the bus leaves in an hour."