"How do I look?"
Mirabel looked up to Dolores who was now wearing her newly stolen red and gold ruana "I send you for food and you come back with a ruana."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"Fine, you look fine."
"Thank you, I even got a matching bandana." Dolores smiled as she tied the red and gold bandana on the top of her head.
"Oh do allow me to throw you a parade in celebration."
Dolores turned around "You're an irritable little asshole, you know that right?"
"Yep, this is the third reminder you have given me this week." Mirabel flicked her hand "But don't expect me to change anytime soon, I steal miracles not perform them."
Dolores leaned against a pillar "I swear I felt a mouse walking on me last night, we need to get a barn cat or something to kill the darn things."
Mirabel tilted her head in thought "A barn cat? Where do we get one of those?"
"There's a lot of strays around here, just go grab one not that hard. Just hope it doesn't freak out and try to scratch your eyes out."
"Yeah yeah, I'll think about it. Is Antonio being watched?"
Dolores listened for a moment "No."
Mirabel nodded with a grin "Well, go on."
"Are you going to tell him today?"
"Why yes, he's already getting suspicious…already commented I looked kinda like Julieta."
"Kinda? Take away the scars and you're Julieta's twin."
Mirabel growled slightly under her breath "Can you just go get Antonio?"
"Alright, alright." Dolores huffed and left the barn.
Mirabel let out a sigh of boredom, tormenting Agustín was fun but now she was left feeling boredom. But for ten years she had been staring at these damn barn walls and she really didn't have much in the terms of entertainment. She had been thinking about starting a new sewing project she really did need a new blanket her current one she made when she was ten so it really was time for a new one especially since now Dolores was using her spare.
Yes, a new blanket would be simply loving she made the mental note to get her hands on some supplies. But in the meantime, she would just wait for Dolores to return with Antonio it was time she revealed who she was…well not the full truth she was going to reveal her relation to him.
She was going to need to be really careful, for if she messed this one the whole plan is messed up.
-T⃫-
Antonio sighed as he sat by himself holding a box that contained the pieces of a puzzle as he watched the other children play in the distance, he wanted to join them but he wasn't sure how to talk to people…animals were easy he could spend hours talking and playing with them, but people? He wasn't even sure where to begin.
"Antonio."
Antonio turned around face lighting up when he saw Dolores walking towards him "Lola!" he jumped up, Dolores was always easy for him to talk to after all for his whole life Dolores was always there. He looked down at the puzzle in his hands "Want to do a puzzle with me?"
Dolores chuckled "Sure we can do your puzzle, how about we go to the barn and Mirabel can help too?"
"I don't think Mirabel likes me very much…"
"What makes you say that?"
"Every time I ask her about where she is from or her family she walks away from me…and when I said she looks like Tía Julieta she looked really mad."
Dolores shook her head "Mirabel doesn't hate you, she's just bad at interacting with people…not enough practice. I know she can seem mean but it's not you. She just doesn't know how to talk with people, kinda like you."
"Oh…" Antonio thought for a moment "But she does look like Tía Julieta, doesn't she?"
"Oh, yes she does." Dolores chuckled "Now come along before we're seen." she extended her hand.
"Okay, Lola!" Antonio took Dolores's hand and allowed her to lead him away.
Dolores took a deep breath as she pushed the barn door open and stepped inside "Mirabel, I'm back."
Mirabel looked up "Ah, Antonio my little amigo, do tell me what is that you have there?"
"Oh! It's a puzzle, it makes a picture of a jaguar. Dolores and I are going to put it together! Want to help?" Antonio grinned.
"A puzzle, huh?" Mirabel adjusted her glasses "Well, I have no other plans today so sure, we can put your puzzle together."
A few minutes later the three were sitting on the floor the puzzle pieces dumped in a pile in front of them. Antonio was grinning as he stuck the first two pieces that made up the body of the jaguar together.
Dolores had made her own small pile of puzzle pieces that made up the background and already had the top line of the puzzle put together. "Okay…these two go together…and this piece goes with this one…"
Mirabel's whole strategy was just picking two random pieces out of the pile and seeing if they went together, when they didn't she would throw them back into the pile and pick up two new pieces, rinse and repeat.
"This is fun!" Antonio giggled.
"This is frustrating." Mirabel grumbled picking up the box "The picture is on the box, can't we just look at that?"
Antonio giggled again "The fun is putting the picture together!"
"If you say so." Mirabel groaned finally finding two pieces that went together and putting them in front of her.
"You know it won't kill you to be happy, Mirabel." Dolores scoffed
"What do I have to be happy about?"
Antonio bit his lip "Mirabel? Why don't you live in a house?"
"Because I don't have one Antonio, I'm homeless."
"Did you lose your family?"
Mirabel silently groaned "Sorta."
"Where does your family live? Maybe I can help you find them."
"Oh, they are in the Encanto. I even know what house they live in."
Antonio looked at Dolores "Dolores? What does she mean?"
Dolores just chuckled "Do you know what Mirabel's full name is?"
"No, what is it?"
"Tell him, Mira."
A smile curled at the corner of Mirabel's lips "Oh, it's Mirabel Valentina Rojas….Madrigal."
Antonio froze "Madrigal? But my family is Madrigal! And there is only one family named Madrigal in town!"
"Yes, and once I was part of that family."
"W–w-what?"
"I'm your cousin, Antonio."
Antonio shook his head not believing what he just heard "But…you can't be my cousin!"
"Well, Antonio you're the one who said Mirabel looks like Julieta. And you're right." Dolores chuckled as she glanced over her primita "Take away the scars, give her brown eyes and Mirabel will be Julieta's clone. Mirabel is Julieta's splitting image…no surprises though Mirabel is Julieta's daughter."
"So…this Mirabel and the Mirabel on the wall are the same Mirabel?"
"Yes, me and that Mirabel are one and the same." Mirabel growled slightly.
Antonio went silent for a moment before brightening up again "So if you're a Madrigal, that must mean you have a gift! What's your gift Mirabel?!"
"Oh, Mirabel didn't get a gift." Dolores said flatly "Zero, nothing, nada. No magic for Mirabel-OW." Dolores rubbed her knee that Mirabel had kicked.
"You didn't get a gift?" Antonio's smile dropped "But why didn't you get a gift? Why did you leave Casita?"
"Oh, I don't know why I didn't get a gift…and I left Casita for….reasons…" Mirabel clicked her tongue.
"Why don't you come back?" Antonio whined "Julieta misses you! She thinks you are lost, wouldn't she be happy to know you're here?"
Dolores watched as for the briefest of moments a look of vulnerability and longing flashed in Mirabel's eyes before it was replaced with the usual steely glare.
"Oh, no…no….I have to stay away at least for now. It's complicated Antonio you wouldn't understand." Mirabel placed two more puzzle pieces together "But I have plans for a reunion with the family, one day but not now."
"But why?" Antonio presses further "Don't you love the family?"
Mirabel turned her head away to hide her dramatic eye roll "Why does this kid have to ask so many damn questions?" she muttered quietly so only Dolores would hear.
Dolores reached out pulling Antonio towards her "It's complicated Antonio, but do you want to know something?"
"What?" Antonio looked up at his sister.
"One day, Mirabel will live with us."
"Us? So everyone in the family?"
"Ah…yeah…sure…" Dolores forced a smile "But in the meantime you know we're all playing the game, you haven't forgotten have you?"
Antonio shook his head "I haven't forgotten…but I don't understand. Why did no one ever tell me Mirabel was my prima? Don't they know?" he turned his head to Mirabel "How come you never told me? You knew the whole time! Why didn't you ever tell me?!" tears formed in the child's eyes "You lied to me!"
Mirabel silently groaned once again, she really should've known something would go wrong "Well…I didn't know how to tell you…or if you would believe me. But when you mentioned that I look like Julieta I knew you were putting the pieces together, as I figured you would. With you being such a clever boy and all."
"So…you were seeing if I could figure it out by myself?"
"Exactly….exactly…it was all a test and you passed. I am so proud of you." Mirabel leaned over squeezing Antonio's cheek. Oh, Antonio was going to be easy for her to manipulate…so easy in fact Mirabel felt a twinge of guilt for what she was doing. But just a twinge, she couldn't wait to see Pepa's face when she realises Mirabel has not only taken her daughter but her youngest son too.
Antonio grinned tears already starting to dry "But I still don't understand…why did you leave Casita?"
"You see when I didn't get a gift I got…upset…scared….I ran away…I left the valley and lived somewhere else for a while, then I came back and since I don't have a gift I care for the donkeys for Señor Pérez. I've been watching the family ever since."
Antonio shifted so he was now cuddled up with Mirabel "You left Casita because you were scared when you didn't get a gift?"
Mirabel took a deep breath as Antonio snuggled up with her, she was not enjoying this at all "Yes…it was a scary confusing time for everyone…"
"Oh, my Mami said we don't talk about Mirabel because it makes Tía Julieta upset."
"We don't talk about Mirabel no no. we don't talk about Mirabel." Dolores sang a small tune.
"Dolores.." Mirabel growled as Antonio giggled.
"It was her ceremony night, everything was ready and everyone was buzzing with pride-" Dolores got cut off when Mirabel picked up the puzzle box and chucked it at her head "Aww, you're no fun."
"No, I'm not." Mirabel snapped "How would you feel if I went around singing 'We don't talk about Dolores?'"
"I would love that actually, a little sing-a-long never hurt anyone."
Antonio giggled, he loved hanging out with Dolores and now he knew Mirabel was his prima he was even more interested in hanging out with her even if she was grumpy and a little bit mean sometimes (but now he knew she didn't mean to). She was his family.
"Let's just do this puzzle, alright?" Mirabel grumbled.
"Alright, Señorita Gruñona." Dolores rolled her eyes "Come on, Antonio."
Antonio crawled back over to Dolores and picked up a puzzle piece he was still so confused, Mirabel was his prima but on the family tree she looked so much younger…more like him. But she was older, wait how old was she? She looked like the ten years old in town but sounded older "Mirabel? How old are you? You never told me."
"I'm fifteen." Mirabel answered quickly.
"Oh…so you're just short."
Dolores snorted with laughter.
Mirabel's eye twitched again "Yes, you know I think one of these days you'll be taller than me."
"Really?!" Antonio asked in excitement.
"I'm sure." Mirabel mused "You know, I saw you with Félix the other day."
"You did?"
"I did, I thought I was seeing clones. You look so much like your father, the resemblance is simply striking."
"It is?"
Mirabel chuckled "Of course, of course. You have Félix's eyes…his hair…" Mirabel paused when Anotnio beamed "Oh look you even got your daddy's smile how…cute…"
Antonio happily continued to put the puzzle as questions started running through his mind. How come his family never noticed? Why didn't Mirabel want them to know? Was Mirabel hiding something? Was just afraid they wouldn't want her back after running away? Was it because she didn't get a room? Well, Mirabel could stay with him in his room, he would just have to get another hammock.
He was so sure his Abuela would be so happy if he brought her home, maybe he could tell everyone he found her! Wait no, they were playing the game and he wasn't allowed to tell anyone he was seeing Mirabel and Dolores. Well maybe he could see if he could learn more, just ask about the 'little girl on the wall'.
He was so focused on his puzzle he didn't notice Mirabel and Dolores looking at him with sinister smiles forming on their faces. He had no idea he was a key factor in their evil plot of revenge. He had no idea of the truth about Mirabel's dark past. He had no idea about the true reason for Dolores's sudden departure from Casita. And if Mirabel and Dolores had it their way, it would stay that way for now.
"Mirabel?" Antonio asked without looking up.
"Sí?" Mirabel sighed.
"Do…do you love me?"
Mirabel bit her lip, truth is she didn't love anyone. Why should she? She loved the people in her life before and all that got her was heartbreak when they turned against her. No, Mirabel's heart didn't allow love anymore. Love was for fools, the weak. No, she didn't love Antonio, she tolerated him and he was growing on her in an annoying pain-in-her-side type of way. But love her replacement? That was asking too much of her, but still, she supposed she had to play along. "Sure I love you." Mirabel forced the words out "After all, you are my primito."
That satisfied Antonio "I love you too Mirabel!"
Dolores gave Mirabel a look Mirabel, I swear to God if you hurt my baby brother I'll take your glasses and break them over your head she thought with a huff.
After a while of silence, Antonio let out a cheer as he placed the final piece together fully forming the picture of the jaguar laying on a log "Yay we did it!"
"Yes, we did." Dolores squeezed Antonio's shoulder "Great job, Antonio." her gaze went to Mirabel "Mirabel, aren't you going to celebrate?" she smirked.
Mirabel half-heartedly pumped her fist in the air "...yay."
"Aww, come on Mirabel show some more excitement."
"I am excited." Mirabel said with a blank face "This is my happy face, can't you tell?"
Antonio rolled over on the floor giggling "Mirabel, you're so weird."
"Oh, you have no idea."
Dolores glanced towards the door "Antonio, it's time for you to go."
"Aww, do I have to?" Antonio whined.
"I'm afraid so." Dolores kissed him on the forehead "You know I love you right?"
Antonio nodded "I love you too, Dolores. And I miss you reading me bedtime stories."
"I'm sorry, Antonio. One day I promise I will get to read you bedtime stories every single night."
"After we win the game?"
"After we win the game."
Antonio broke up the puzzle putting the pieces in the box "...do you promise?"
Dolores smiled "I promise."
-T⃫-
Antonio stood in the dining room staring at the family tree, specifically at Mirabel with Pico perched on his shoulder "I don't understand Pico…why is she staying away?"
Pico chattered something flapping his wings.
"It's okay Pico, you never met Mirabel so you wouldn't know." Antonio sighed "I just wish I knew why Mirabel-" he jumped when he heard thunder behind him "Mami! You scared me."
"Sorry sorry, I just saw you in here and heard you mention that name we do not speak." Pepa shooed the cloud away.
"What was she like?"
"I'm sorry?"
"What was Mirabel like?"
Pepa sighed "Well…before…everything Mirabel was the sweetest girl I have ever met, I called her mi dulce nube. My sweet cloud."
"But what happened?" Antonio felt excited he might finally get some answers.
"Well-"
Félix rushed into the dining room "IT WAS A DIASTER!"
"Félix!" Pepa threw her hands in the air.
"What I do now?"
"Why do I have a feeling you have been waiting for the past ten years to do that?"
Antonio giggled "But I don't understand, what happened to her?"
Félix looked at Pepa "He needs to know, Pepi he needs to know. Alma ain't here."
Pepa sighed in defeat knowing if she didn't tell Antonio he would just go ask someone else and Bruno wouldn't spare the more..gruesome details "We don't talk about Mirabel but… it was her ceremony night and everything was ready and everyone came to see her shine."
"And to see how our miracle thrives!" Félix butted in earning a quick glare from Pepa.
"Mirabel walks in to receive her blessing-"
"THEN HORROR!"
Pepa smacked Félix across the head "You telling this story or am I?!"
"I'm sorry mi vida go on."
Antonio giggled again as his father gave his mother an innocent smile.
"Mirabel watched her door fade away." that night began replaying in Pepa's mind.
"Was there something wrong with the magic?" Antonio questioned.
"That was what Abuela was wondering." Pepa tapped her fingers on Alma's image on the family tree.
"She asked Bruno for a vision." Félix told Antonio shaking his head.
"Bruno's vision showed her fate."
"It caused us all alarm."
Antonio frowned, what could have been in that vision? Was it part of why Mirabe ran away?
"Mirabel left us that night and hasn't associated with us since. It's been ten years…" Pepa was now tapping her finger on Julieta's image "It hurts your Tía very much which is why we don't talk about Mirabel."
Antonio was more confused now. What was in the vision that made Mirabel leave? How did she get those scars? Mirabel said she had an accident with a flame, but how could Dolores have the exact same accident and end up with the same scars? What were the odds of that?
Pepa patted Antonio's head "It's best you don't mention Mirabel to Abuela…Mirabel…well Abuela doesn't like her name being brought up."
"Oh…okay." Antonio nodded pretending he understood but he was more confused than ever. He turned back to the family tree as his parents left the room studying Mirabel's image a frown on his face. He heard someone enter the room and was worried for some dreadful moment that it was his Abuela and she heard him talking about Mirabel.
"Hey, Antonio what you up to?" Luisa appeared behind him.
An idea came to Antonio, Luisa was Mirabel's sister so Luisa HAS to know something "Luisa, can you tell me about Mirabel?"
"...Mirabel?" Luisa asked in surprise "Why do you want to know about her?"
"Was she your sister?"
Luisa's gaze went to the image of Mirabel "Yes…Mirabel was my baby sister."
"What happened to her?" Antonio was going to try a new tactic "Why isn't she your sister anymore?"
"She left the family."
"But why?"
Luisa sighed "There was this vision…I grew to live in fear of the message it was sending, troubles for our family are impending. That was when everything began to change."
Antonio tilted his head in confusion. Trouble? Mirabel wasn't trouble! Sure she was grumpy but he liked her, even more so now he knew she was the cousin he had been trying to find. "Mirabel has a heavy lift on her shoulders, the prophecy left Abuela and the family fumbling and some…decisions were made when everyone was emotional…Mirabel was upset…she did something she shouldn't have done….she left Casita."
"What did she do?"
"You'll…learn what happened when you're older."
Camilo poked his head around the corner of the doorway "Hey, I heard you mention HER name."
"Camilo! Can you tell me about Mirabel?" Antonio pointed to Mirabel's image.
"Ah…" Camilo didn't know what to say "I don't remember much from when I was younger, I played with her but it was long ago now."
"I know she's our prima!" Antonio blurted out.
Camilo froze "Who told you that?"
"Well…Mami and Papi told me that Mirabel was Tía Julieta's daughter and Luisa said she was her sister…so she has to be." Antonio said.
"Well…it's true….I see her around town sometimes…but she doesn't have anything to do with us anymore."
"So you know Mirabel is here?"
"Yeah, she hangs out in that barn mostly you would have seen her before. Blinded gaze, scars across her face. Wears that purple ruana and always wears that bandana of hers."
Antonio was not getting answers, he was getting even more questions. So the family knew that Mirabel was around, after all, now things were even more confusing. Didn't Mirabel know their family knew she was there? Was that why she was staying away?
Camilo shifted into Mirabel "Mirabel isn't one of us anymore, she's changed. We don't have contact with her, it's better this way if we just leave Mirabel on her own."
"But it doesn't seem better to me!" Antonio exclaimed "We left her all alone! Why don't we go visit her? That's so mean just leaving her all by herself!"
Luisa sighed "Mirabel's a recluse, she chooses to keep her distance…I see her sometimes when I have to go round up the donkeys for Señor Pérez and she just watches me, she keeps her distance."
"So Mirabel chooses to be alone?"
"Exactly, some people are just loners. She prefers to stay in the barn and care for the donkeys."
Camilo shifted back to himself "All her dreams turned into her screams, she lost everything in the blink of an eye."
"We shouldn't be talking about Mirabel." Luisa sounded nervous "Abuela could be back any minute.'
"Mirabel?" a new voice joined them as Bruno stepped in chuckling "Oh, Mirabel…"
Antonio felt uneasy, he had never been close to Bruno mostly because Dolores wouldn't let him. She always told him to stay away from him, she never let him be alone with Bruno. Antonio didn't understand but he picked up on Dolores's uneasiness and now he felt it too when he was around his uncle.
"I had a vision of her you know?" Bruno chuckled "Your Abuela knew what it meant, Mirabel was cursed."
"Cursed?" Antonio asked, "What do you mean cursed?"
"The miracle deemed her unworthy of getting a gift like the rest of us. And my vision showed us why."
"What was in the vision?"
Bruno simply chuckled again "Oh, I would love to tell you but I'm waiting for just the right time." Bruno wanted to tell Antonio everything but seeing the boy trying to piece everything together did amuse him so. Dolores never did let him close to Antonio, but now Dolores was no longer around. Bruno had plans to have Antonio follow in his footsteps, he never had a son of his own so he would just take Pepa's.
Antonio thought for a moment "But why did she leave just because of a vision? For something that hadn't even happened yet?"
"Mirabel's fate was sealed when her prophecy was read."
Luisa and Camilo glanced uneasily at each other, they knew Bruno enjoyed Mirabel's exile, often gloating about how he had saved them all from that demon. Neither of them ever said anything, they had seen the vision and was not like Bruno could fake that.
A clearing of the throat made everyone turn as Isabela strutted in "What are you all doing? Saying HER name! You know Abuela doesn't like us talking about HER!"
Bruno rolled his eyes "Yeah yeah we know."
"Isa! Mirabel was your sister! Why don't you like talking about her?" Antonio's eyes were wide.
Isabela flicked a hand making flowers bloom on the nearby wall "They call Mirabel the devil on earth and say she is evil personified."
The devil? Evil? Isabela must be getting Mirabel mixed up with someone else, even the donkeys tell me how nice Mirabel is. Isabela is always saying strange things to mess with people, that's what Dolores says Antonio took a deep breath keeping his gaze on the floor.
"She spends her days brooding alone and she's slowly lost her mind."
"I mean…can't blame her, I would too.' Luisa whispered to herself, no matter what she couldn't help but feel pity towards Mirabel. It's not like she chose this maybe in another life things could've been different and they could've all been happy as one big happy family. But was never going to happen now, Mirabel would kill them all first before she made peace with Alma and Bruno.
Camilo didn't hate Mirabel as much as he was terrified of her, he could never hear her approach he would just turn around and there she would be, watching him. Judging him. He would turn away for a few minutes and when he checked behind him Mirabel would have moved closer expression remaining unchanged. He would leave hastily after that as Mirabel's laughter would ring in his ears, it was a game to her. She was messing with his mind her own sick entertainment.
Antonio turned back to the family tree "Do…know how she got her scars?" he really wanted to know more about this 'accident'.
"Well…." Bruno began but a warning glare from Luisa made him change his mind, he had accidentally been hit by Luisa once he doesn't want to be hit by her on purpose. He'll have to tell Antonio later, to make sure Antonio grows to hate Mirabel and Dolores. Oh, he longed to see Dolores's face when she sees her precious baby brother turned against her. But for now, he'll let Antonio carry on with his sweet childhood fantasy land.
One by one the gathered group left the room until Antonio was alone once more. He now had more questions than ever. Why was everyone keeping secrets from him? Was it all part of the game? Was he supposed to look for hints and follow them to figure out what happened and that's how he got the prize?
The Mirabel Mystery had only grown for him. He knew Dolores would know, after all, Dolores heard everything but Dolores wouldn't tell him much either. Mirabel just causally dropped it on him that she was his cousin as if she was making a comment about the weather.
"I just don't understand Pico." Antonio murmured "None of it makes any sense.." with a heavy sigh he turned around surprised to see Julieta standing there "Oh hi, Tía."
"Antonio…" Julieta was staring behind him at the image of her daughter, she had heard everything that went on from the kitchen "You were asking about Mirabel?"
"Yeah!"
Julieta sighed "You know we're not allowed to talk about her."
"Do you miss Mirabel?"
"Yes, I miss Mirabel very very much, I lost her because I made a bad choice. I still regret my choice but I have never stopped loving her, she will always be mi mariposa."
Antonio frowned "Do you know where she is?" he just wanted to know what she would say
"I…yes…but I can't….oh it's complicated Antonio." Julieta did encounter Mirabel again after her visit to the barn, an unexpected encounter. She saw Mirabel trip and she couldn't help but rush up to her daughter and help her to her feet. The moment Mirabel realised it was Julieta she had been away refusing Julieta's offers for an arepa to heal the cut on her leg and disappeared around the corner. Julieta tried following her, she just couldn't help herself but by the time Julieta rounded that same corner Mirabel was gone.
Mirabel seemed to have the ability to appear and disappear, many times Julieta would catch Mirabel out of the corner of her eye but by the time she turned around there was no sign of the purple glad girl. Julieta wasn't sure how she did it but if Mirabel didn't want to be seen she wouldn't be seen. She had mastered the art of hiding in plain sight.
"Tía Julieta?" Antonio looked up "Will Mirabel ever come back to us? And Dolores?"
Julieta felt a crack in her heart, that was an impossible dream. It was never going to happen both Mirabel and Dolores were lost to them for good but she couldn't tell Antonio the truth "One day…I'm sure." she hated lying to him but in this case, a lie was necessary.
"Hmm." Antonio pursed his lips together.
"Want to help me with dinner?" Julieta forced a smile on her face "Since Dolores went away I need a new helper."
"Really?"
"Well you can't help with the actual cooking just yet, but you can gather the ingredients for me."
Antonio smiled "Ok, Tía!"
"Great, let's go."
-T⃫-
It was a Sunday and Mirabel and Dolores were enjoying the sunshine watching the church, they being the only people in the town not in attendance.
"You know, when the streets are empty this town looks so much bigger than it actually is." Mirabel commented.
"This town ain't much, but it's home." Dolores hummed a small tune as she laid back on the grass.
Mirabel kept her gaze locked on the church, she had been observing the Madrigals even more closely Dolores of course had relayed everything that Antonio asked and everything that was said back to him. She was worried that her plan was going to be in shambles but her fears were unwarranted as Antonio didn't press it any further.
The church bells began to ring as people began leaving "I have decided what I"m going to do next."
"Oh?" Dolores sat up "What?"
Mirabel stood up when she saw the Madrigals and began silently following them at a distance, Dolores quickly joining her in a low voice that only Dolores could hear she spoke "You see I noticed something about Pepa, when she's upset who is the one who comforts her? Why Félix. Félix is the beam that holds Pepa up, if that support beam gets damaged it won't be as effective."
"So you're going after Pepa?"
"Not yet, I want to weaken her first..emotionally….and what better way to do that than to weaken her support? Kill the spirit of the one who keeps her spirits alive."
The Madrigals came to a stop and so did Mirabel and Dolores, Mirabel's gaze locked firmly on one of them.
Mirabel frowned as Félix let out a loud laugh "He may be laughing now, but he won't be laughing after I'm done with him."
"What are you-" Dolores followed Mirabel's gaze and then she understood. Mirabel had chosen her next target and it was Dolores's own father.
Mirabel was staring at Félix.