Chapter 11: Door

45 years before Encanto

(Notes: I use one more scene from Casita in this chapter, but this time I edited it ever so slightly so it flowed better with this story. The rest is all new content!

Thank you so much for reading)

Alma sat on the casita roof, candle in her lap as she looked up at the moon shining over the mountains.

Now the children we getting older and sleeping through the night, Alma liked to take these rare moments to climb up here and be alone with her thoughts.

Alma sighed. "I miss you."

The wind blew Alma's long hair and she gently protected the candle's flame with her hand.

"I thought time would make it easier." Alma continued, eyes on the candle. "But here I am, the same as you left me. In fact maybe I am worse."

She took out a little golden container from her pocket and opened it to reveal the only picture she had left of Pedro. She stroked it with her finger.

"Every night I pray that I'll wake up, and you'll be here again." Alma continued. "That it was all just a bad dream. That this time I'll open my eyes and it'll be finally be over. You'll be back, and we'll be together again."

A tear hit the picture and Alma wiped it, then hastily dried her eyes.

"Sorry." She muttered. "I shouldn't be like this. I know. I need to stay strong for our family. For our community." She kissed the picture. "That's what you wanted, right?"

She stared back at the picture, taking in every little detail of him. Other people in town had told her how they'd started to forget things about the people they'd lost. Alma refused to let that happen to her. She had to remember Pedro. The world would be at a loss if Alma didn't carry on his legacy, and remember the things that he'd believed in.

She closed the container, catching a glimpse of her own reflection in the metal as she did so. Alma took a sharp breath and quickly put it back into her pocket. Alma felt ashamed what her sister might think of her now.

Alma remembered all the times she'd shouted at her sweet children, smacked or shook them in moments of anger. Alma hated the person she'd become in those moments. She couldn't imagine that Cora would ever be proud of that.

The candle's flame flickered, so Alma picked it up, holding it close.

"Come on." She whispered to it, carrying the candle in one hand as she used to other to grip the side of the casita and climb back down.

The next morning

"Mamí."

Alma stirred and her eyelids quivered at the sound of Julieta's little voice, but she was only half awake.

"Happy birthday, mija." Alma mumbled softly with a sleepy smile. She patted a spot on the bed next to Bruno and Pepa, who were sleeping with their arms around eachother and their faces touching.

"Come sleep a little more..."

"We can't, Mamí!" Julieta spoke again, her voice bright with excitment. "You gotta come see! The casita - it's alive."

"Hm?" Alma frowned, her eyes opening suddenly.

Not this again.

Julieta smiled back at her. Mami had always been scared of the moving house, but Casita had told Julieta that this birthday was going to be different.

Something big was going to happen this year. Candle had a special surprise for them, and it was time for Mami to finally meet Casita properly.

"What did you say?" Alma asked, sitting up.

"The tiles were moving, Mamí." Julieta explained, clapping one hand together as if she were playing a castanet. "Like that!"

Alma leaned over to look at the floor of the room, but it was silent and still. She turned back, searching Julieta's face in concern. Her daughter smiled back excitedly.

"It was moving, Mamí!" She insisted. "It really was! It went into the foyer!"

Alma stood up, breathing slowly as she focused on maintaining composure. She refused to be afraid. Alma put her black shawl on, preparing herself for whatever was coming next.

Beside her, Pepa and Bruno woke up too, looking up at Julieta with groggy confusion as she whispered to them excitedly.

"Show me." Alma spoke in a serious tone.

As they walked out into the foyer, Alma gasped.

Julieta was right, the casita really had come alive. The tiles and windows started to clack as they entered, their percussion beating in harmony to create a musical rhythm. The three children laughed, running past Alma.

"Wait!" She cried, reaching forward to pull them back, but they were already in the foyer.

The three of them laughed and danced as the tiles spun them around and scooted them across the room playfully. They ran up the stairs and cheered as it turned to a slide and they slipped back down again. Alma watched in confuson. It was as if the house was playing with them. The children didn't seem surprised either, they were overjoyed, as if they already knew but were finally able to reveal it.

"Come on, Mamí!" Pepa laughed, running over and taking her hands.

"Oh," Alma spoke uneasily. "I couldn't- woah!"

The tiles slid under Alma's feet and danced her around too. She held tightly onto Pepa's hands, while her daughter shrieked and laughed, the casita moving their feet around under them. Alma wobbled stiffly, trying to resist it. She shot the tiles a look and they clacked back at her with cheeky energy.

"Come on, Mamí!" Pepa grinned, her wirey little legs moving in time to the rhythm of the casita as she danced the champeta. "Like this!"

Bruno and Julieta came over too, delighted to see their mama joining the fun. They danced next to Pepa, the three of them in time to the beat of the casita.

The drumming of the house continued, and Alma felt her face soften into a smile as she watched the three shining faces before her.

They were so happy, their expressions hopeful as they looked up at Alma, waiting to see what she would do.

'The walls come down on their own,' Alma remembered Pedro's words.

'And when they do, all you have to do is let them.'

Alma sighed and shook her head at herself, before relaxing and joining in. The children shrieked in delight as their Mamá began to dance with them, her feet moving in time with theirs.

As she let go and just allowed the moment to happen, Alma smiled. It was the happiest she had felt in a very long time.

After a while of dancing, the candle rolled into the room and the music stopped. Alma reached down in surprise and picked it up. As she did, the candle glowed and three doors on the upper floor started to appear, shimmering golden.

Alma took a breath in amazement as she recognised those glowing lights. It was the magic from the river. The magic that had saved them.

The candle's glow pulsed, and the tiles at the top of the stairs moved up and down, as if they were waving in invitation.

The children looked up at Alma, but she wasn't sure what to do. The triplets took eachother's hands and headed up the stairs in excitement.

Alma held her breath, unsure what was going to happen next. She quickly followed, ready to defend her children at any cost.

The three children glanced at eachother, then reached forward and touched the doorknobs.

Alma blinked in surprise as she watched her children's names appear on the doors, along with glowing carvings of three adults. Was that her babies, grown up?

Bruno gasped, looking up at the man and hourglass. He saw the man step out of his door, glowing all in green as he walked. The man chuckled to himself, feeding an arepa to a rat on his shoulder.

Bruno followed the man, watching as he did a little hop and skip along the balcony. The man stopped near the top step, crouching down to poke a loose tile. It fell, revealing a nest of rats. Bruno's face lit up into a smile.

The man lay on his stomach so he could see the little rats who poked out their heads to greet him. He slipped the rats another arepa.

Alma watched her son in confusion as suddenly he stiffened, his eyes glazing over and glowing green as he stood in front of his door.

"Brunito?" She shook her son's shoulders, feeling terrified for him. His eyes glowed brighter and wind blew at his hair.

"Brunito?" She tapped his cheeks, but her son didn't respond. "Brunito, please, wake up. Please."

Bruno's eyes stopped glowing and suddenly he was back. He laughed, turning to his sisters in excitement.

"I saw something!" He exclaimed, his voice joyful as he turned back to Mama, tugging her hand. The wind stopped and the sun suddenly became brighter.

"How are you doing that?" Alma wondered, glancing up at the sky.

"I saw it in the green." Bruno grinned, leading them over to the loose tile he'd seen in the vision. "Look here! I saw it. There was a green man, and he found some rats in here."

Bruno poked the tile, and rats popped their little heads out, looking up at them just like Bruno had said.

Pepa and Julieta gasped as they watched, and the sky became brighter. Bruno's eyes glowed green again and he smiled, turning around.

"Pepa's going to make a rainbow." He told Alma, pointing at his sister.

"Really?" Pepa asked, looking up. "How?"

"With your magic." He explained.

"Magic?" Pepa's face lit up, and surely enough a rainbow appeared over her head. She gasped, reaching for it.

"Mami, look!" Pepa laughed. "Look what I made!"

Alma watched with bright eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing. She smiled at Pepa, who was laughing and jumping for the rainbow as more appeared.

The triplets gathered under the rainbows, gazing up at them together.

"Wow!" Pepa smiled at the colours, her eyes bright and sparkling as her siblings held her. "I love it! Do you?"

"Yeah!" Julieta agreed. "Its so beautiful." She cuddled her sister, head on Pepa's shoulder as she gazed up at the sparkling rainbows and sunshine.

"I like your one too." Pepa told Bruno, taking his hand in hers. Bruno grinned, his chest puffed up with pride.

Alma felt tears well up in her eyes as she watched the triplets admiring the weather, suddenly being reminded of her sisters. She took a sharp breath, wiping her eyes before the tears had a chance to fall.

Bruno's eyes glowed green again and his sisters bounced in excitement, watching and waiting eagerly for what he'd seen this time.

"Mami's going to hug us!" Bruno announced, and the three of them turned to Alma.

Alma couldn't help but laugh. Dios, okay.

"You have to do it now, Mami." Bruno grinned. "The green said so."

"Well, if the green says so." Alma smiled, kneeling down and holding her arms out so they could run to her. They almost knocked Alma over as they hugged her. She gathered them up, kissing their faces.

"Are you proud of us?" Pepa asked, her eyes hopeful as they searched Alma's.

Alma nodded with a smile.

The sun shone brighter, and Alma hugged them close. She couldn't help but think how much Pedro would have loved to see this.

Bruno and Pepa ran over to the rats, crouching together as they played with them and discussed their powers. Julieta glanced down at her hands, then over her shoulder, waiting for something to happen to her too.

Alma watched as Julieta's smile faded a little, but her little daughter didn't say anything. Julieta followed her siblings as they ran past to explore their new rooms, and stared up at the glowing picture of the woman on her door.

"Do you feel any different?" Alma crouched beside Julieta, stroking her curly black hair.

Julieta shook her head. Her mouth trembled a little so she bit her lip to hide it.

"Maybe your gift just takes longer to show." Alma told her daughter, hoping she was right. It was sad to see Julieta left out.

"Look," Alma encouraged, an arm around Julieta while her finger traced the glowing door. "She's holding bowls in her hands. See? Maybe that's what you will do."

Julieta looked down at her hands, fingers flexing as she tried to make the bowls appear. She frowned a little, then Alma kissed her forehead.

"It's okay, Mami." Julieta put on a brave smile. "I'm glad Brunito and Pepi got them."

Later

The townsfolk cheered and encouraged Bruno as he told them all about the green.

"How many numbers am I holding up, Brunito?" A townsperson asked, hands behind his back.

"It's not like that!" Pepa told them proudly, an arm around her brother as she tapped his chest. "The green chooses the picture."

"The green comes to me." Bruno agreed, his face shining with excitement. "And sometimes I see a green man."

"Maybe you could learn how to choose what you see?" A townsperson encouraged Bruno.

"Yes." Another agreed. "You could do so much for the Encanto, Brunito."

"I wish I could see the green." One of the children admired.

"So cool." Another agreed.

Julieta sat on Mama's lap, cuddling Alma as she quietly watched her siblings. Alma gently stroked Julieta's back as she held her close.

"What about her?" One of the children pointed a finger over at Julieta, calling out in a loud voice. "What's her gift?"

Alma felt Julieta flinch at the question.

"We don't know yet." Alma told them, gently moving Julieta's hair from her face. "But whatever it is, it'll be just as special as she is."

Julieta cuddled Mama, feeling her heart glow. All the attention Mama was giving her felt better than any magic.

"I can make a rainbow." Pepa told the crowd, quickly waving a hand to make one appear. They praised her, but when Pepa saw Mama was still watching Julieta, the rainbow started to fade.

Pepa took a deep breath, because finally Mama had finally noticed her for something good and she didn't want that to go away.

"I know what Julieta's gift is." One of the villagers told Alma, kneeling down to smile at Julieta. "This beautiful face." They tapped a finger to Julieta's cheek.

"Yes," Another joined in, wanting to compensate for Julieta feeling felt out. "The most beautiful little girl in all the Encanto."

"Always so polite and well behaved."

Julieta's cheeks flushed, because she didn't know how to take the compliments.

"Yes." Alma agreed, kissing Julieta's head. "She's our good girl."

The sky suddenly darkened and everyone jumped in fright as clouds appeared and thundered.

Pepa shoved over some of the party decorations with a bang and clatter, then made a high pitched squealing sound, rubbing at her face.

"Dios." Alma muttered, handing Julieta to the townsfolk and hurrying over. "Pepa! Stop. That's enough! No more."

Pepa turned to Mama with a hopeful expression, but at Alma's angry eyes and tone Pepa's shoulders dropped and it started to rain.

Everyone gasped and exclaimed, pointing to the rain that was coming from inside the Casita.

Alma's eyes widened as a raining cloud appeared over her daughter. Alma held her breath, remembering Cora's sweating face, her cough, her shivering.

Pepa felt afraid too, because she could see Mama was upset with her. They weren't allowed to go outside when it was raining. Pepa stayed very still, because she knew she was being bad but didn't know how to stop it.

Alma scooped her daughter up and ran for a covered area, while Pepa watched the cloud, breathing fast because it was following them.

"It's chasing me, Mami." Pepa whimpered, hiding against Alma as wind began to blow. "I'm sorry."

Alma hid her the corner, shielding Pepa with her own body to try and protect her from the rain. She covered her daughter's face with her hands and Pepa screamed, thinking she was being punished.

The wind blew faster, and the sky thundered, lightning flashing and illuminating up the room now as everyone crowded closer to look.

There was a hand on her shoulder.

"Alma."

She looked to see Sofia Guzman. Her friend knelt down with them, gently touching her arm.

"Let her go, Alma."

Alma quickly shook her head, struggling to keep calm while everyone stared. "I can't let her get wet."

Pepa cowered under Mama and the rain became heavier.

"She's scared, Alma." Sofia said, carefully stroking Pepa's hair and giving the little girl a kind smile. Pepa watched quietly, one eye peeking out from behind Mama's hand.

"Señora." A villager spoke up, stepping a little closer. "We think the weather is changing because her mood changed."

"If she's happy again, the rain should stop." Another agreed.

They all watched her with expectant expressions, and Alma felt the pressure.

Alma took a deep breath, letting Pepa go. Raindrops pattered over her daughter's face and Alma watched, feeling terrified for her.

"I'm sorry." Was all she could say. Alma wanted so desperately to cry, but instead she kept her face neutral.

Seeing her friend was struggling, Sofia Guzman spoke up to help her.

"You're such a good girl, Pepa." She smiled. "I loved seeing those rainbows. And your dancing. Who taught you that?"

Pepa's expression softened, and so did the weather.

"Mami." She said quietly.

Alma took a shaky breath, feeling overwhelmed.

"You're so good at it." Sofia smiled. "Will you show us again?"

"Yes." Another townsfolk agreed. "I want to see you dance again, Pepi."

"We love you, Pepa."

"So special."

Pepa smiled at their words. Above them, the rain stopped.

"Wow." Another woman praised, crouching down to stroke Pepa's hair. "Clever girl."

"Look what you did." Another villager praised, eyes gesturing up to the disappearing cloud. They helped her to sit up. "You did so well, Pepa."

Pepa sighed in relief, and the sun came out again. She saw Bruno smile, holding out his hand for her.

Pepa grinned and took her brother's hand, following the villagers back to the party, her mood brightening along with the sky. The party picked up again, and soon everybody was talking and laughing again.

Alma watched them, feeling humiliated by the way she'd handled that. It felt like every single person knew how to raise her children except her.

She felt someone beside her and turned to see Julieta looking up at her.

"You okay, Mami?" She asked.

Alma took a shaky breath and smiled, picking her daughter up and hugging her close.