When Mirabel woke the next morning, her sisters were already gone. She blinked at the sunlight streaming in through the window, disoriented for the second day in a row.
It clicked. She sat straight up in bed, her heart racing.
¡Mierda! What time is it?
She floundered for her glasses. As she slammed them on her face, a folded piece of paper sitting underneath them fluttered to the floor. She dove for it, fell off the bed completely, and cursed again.
When she finally managed to grab the piece of paper, she brought it close to her face and squinted at it.
A short message in Luisa's loopy handwriting read: No stress, we have breakfast covered.
Mirabel heaved out a huge sigh of relief, flopping bonelessly on the floor and staring at the ceiling. Gracias a Dios por las hermanas. At least her tío wasn't starving by himself in the barn right now waiting for his lazy sobrina to decide to bring him breakfast.
She took a few deep breaths to calm down before picking herself up and dressing quickly.
When Mirabel finally made it downstairs, she didn't see anyone. Breakfast was laid out on the table, but it seemed more like a grab-and-go affair this morning. She yawned as she poured herself a cup of coffee, leaning against the kitchen counter as her brain now struggled to catch up with the rest of her.
Julieta bustled into the kitchen and smiled at her. "Buenos días, mi vida," she said, grabbing her own cup of coffee and leaning over to give Mirabel a peck on the cheek. "Did you sleep well?"
"Mmm."
Julieta laughed. "I'm surprised to see you this morning—I heard Félix caught you all up very late…or early, as the case may be."
"Ha, yeah," Mirabel said, shifting from one foot to the other. She took a long sip of coffee. "Just catching up!" And dealing with years of built-up trauma, no big deal, Mamá.
"Well I, for one, don't care how late you were up, as long as you're awake enough to help me with Lola's dress today." Agustín stumbled into the kitchen, clutching his hand, which was twice its normal size and still swelling.
Julieta let out a dramatic sigh and stepped away to the stove.
Mirabel smiled. "Sure thing, Papi. When do you want me?"
Agustín waved his uninjured hand. "Dolores can't do her fitting until after lunch. I'll—mmpf." Julieta shoved a buñuelo in his mouth and he chewed and swallowed. "I'll come find you, lo prometo." He sat down at the table, flexing his newly healed hand, and eyed a folded newspaper sitting amidst the plates of food.
"Thanks." She took another sip of coffee and looked around the empty kitchen. "Uh…where is everyone?"
"Well, I think Antonio's off with Parce—he was very eager to get out to the barn this morning," Julieta said with a smile. "And your sisters went with him to unload the things from the cart Mariano brought in yesterday—"
"Oh!" Mirabel exclaimed, brightening. Perfect—now she could go to the barn without anyone asking any uncomfortable questions. "I'll go help them!"
Julieta's brows knitted together. "Ay, Mirabel, you don't have to jump into work right away. You had a long day yesterday, you can take a minute to eat a proper breakfast—"
"Nah, it's fine, Mamá, I want to help!" Mirabel said. She picked up two arepas and wrapped them in a napkin. She was halfway out of the kitchen before she thought to call back a quick, "Bye!"
Julieta watched her go, amusement and concern at war on her face.
"Do you think something's going on, Agustín?" she asked.
Agustín looked up from his newspaper. "With Mirabel?" He adjusted his glasses, thinking it over. "I don't think so?" he said slowly. He glanced around the kitchen and lowered his voice. "Maybe she's just avoiding You-Know-Who."
Julieta hummed thoughtfully. "You're probably right," she said, turning back to her work. But a small frown remained on her face for the rest of the morning.
Mirabel pushed open the door to the barn and was greeted by the sound of hushed voices. The cart was still parked by the front door, piled with decorations, but there was no one in sight.
"Uh. Hola?"
The voices immediately quieted. Antonio's curly head hesitantly peeked over the side of the hayloft. He grinned when he saw her.
"Mirabel!" he called with a little wave. "You're finally awake!"
"Geez, it's not that late," Mirabel grumbled. "Buncha early risers…" She crossed the barn and carefully started climbing up the ladder, balancing her coffee cup in one hand.
"I was just telling Tío Bruno all about Parce and Pico and Chispi and—" Antonio said once she was up in the loft, listing all of his animal friends in rapid succession and bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Mirabel smiled at him, glancing at the others over Antonio's head.
Bruno was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the loft, an empty plate on the floor next to him. Isabela and Luisa sat on either side of him, with their own mostly eaten plates of food in their laps.
"We've learned a lot about Antonio's friends this morning," Isabela said, giving Mirabel a slightly strained smile.
"Oooh, I see," Mirabel said. She grinned. "You'll have to tell me more, Toñito."
"Ah, actually!" Luisa cut in, a little desperately. "Mirabel, have you noticed something…different about Tío Bruno this morning?"
Mirabel's grin faded. She frowned, tilting her head and squinting at Bruno. He looked very tired, leaning back on his hands, but he still looked the same—very ratty—as when she'd last seen him.
"No…? Should I?"
"Just show her, Tío!" Antonio said, running over to tug Bruno to his feet.
Bruno stood, smiling, as Antonio pulled on his hand to make him turn in a circle.
Finally, it clicked, and her mouth fell open.
"Your–your tail is gone!"
Her sisters laughed and Bruno shrugged helplessly, still smiling.
"Disappeared this morning, I think," he said. "Antonio noticed—Antonio noticed it first."
Antonio beamed.
Mirabel's head was spinning. Whatever they were doing—whatever they did—it was working.
Maybe we can do this, she thought, giddy. We can really do this.
"Oye! Anyone up there?"
Mirabel froze. Luisa and Isabela got to their feet, and Antonio once more ran to the side of the hayloft. He gave them a thumbs up.
"It's Camilo," he said, waving down at his brother. "We're up here!"
Camilo joined them a moment later. "Mami wants the cart unloaded, like, yesterday," he said, a little out of breath. He waved to Bruno. "Buenos días, Tío. Sleep okay?"
Bruno nodded and Camilo smiled. Then frowned. "Wait…didn't you have a tail?"
Bruno shrugged again and Luisa, Isabela, and Antonio laughed. Mirabel slung her arm around Camilo's shoulders.
"Oh, my sweet, sweet primo," she cooed. "Welcome to the party."
Camilo shoved her off, grumbling. "C'mon, let's just get this done."
Isabela and Luisa were the first to the ladder; Antonio and Camilo followed close behind them.
Mirabel lingered. She smiled at her tío. "Coffee?" she asked, lifting up her cup.
Bruno shook his head. "No, gracias, Mirabel."
"How are you feeling?" Mirabel asked. She waved at all of him. "I mean, is it…weird?"
"Yes," Bruno said immediately. "I'm a little…" He tilted his hand in a so-so gesture. "Off-balance. But! That's not to say I don't like it, um, or that I'm not appreciative of–of whatever it is that you're doing, but—"
"It's fine, Tío, I get it," Mirabel said with a laugh. "I'd feel strange too."
Bruno nodded, twisting his ruana around his fingers. He seemed to sag under her gaze and her expression softened.
"Ay, did you sleep at all last night?"
"I don't sleep much," Bruno said automatically. "But. Um. Mirabel. Do the others—do they know about…what I told you last night?"
Mirabel sighed. For a split second, she thought about lying, just to reassure him, but immediately recoiled from the thought.
"Antonio doesn't," she said, lowering her voice. "At least, I don't think he knows the full story, but who knows what the rats told him. But Dolores heard last night and told the others. She didn't mean it maliciously, it's just…just something she does."
Bruno looked away, and his hair fell across his face. "But, they weren't…angry? That I didn't tell them myself?"
"¡Por supuesto no!" Mirabel cried. She put her coffee cup down and crossed the loft to stand before him, holding out her hands. Slowly, Bruno took them.
"They weren't angry with you, Tío Bruno. Sad, yes—maybe angry on your behalf, but not at you. Why, did someone say something?"
Bruno shook his head. "No, no, no one said anything." But he wouldn't look her in the eye.
Mirabel squeezed his hands. "You can tell me if they did. I'll fight 'em all, just you watch."
Bruno spluttered out a laugh.
"I know all their weaknesses, I'll have the upper hand…"
"No, there's no need to fight anyone, Mirabel," Bruno said, giving her a tired smile. "But thank you."
Mirabel smiled back. "Of course, Tío. Do you…want to come down with me? Or do you need time alone?"
Bruno shook his head again. He let go of her hands and strode toward the ladder, climbing down with a speed Mirabel hadn't seen since the chase through Casita. She raised an eyebrow and followed.
Isabela was complaining loudly when she touched down on the barn floor. Antonio was watching her, one of Bruno's rats in each hand, whispering to them every so often and giggling at whatever he heard back.
"Dolores wants roses," Isabela was saying, tsking at a list in her hand. "Red roses."
Mirabel snorted.
"Is that…bad?" Bruno asked hesitantly.
"Isa's just not too fond of making overly pretty flowers, these days," Mirabel explained.
Isabela waved her hand and made a dismissive noise in the back of her throat. "It's so boring. But, whatever mi prima wants, I suppose. I just have to be sneaky about it, so the Guzmán's don't notice the sudden influx of flowers no one remembers growing."
Mirabel made a face at that and Isabela elbowed her, laughing.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all share your frustrations."
"Mira, can you help with this?" Camilo asked, coming up next to her and shoving his own list into her hands. "I can not read Mami's handwriting to save my life."
Mirabel squinted at the piece of paper, adjusting her glasses. Pepa's handwriting was notoriously bad and this list was no exception. But…she could just decipher…
"Okay, it looks like the…glassware and the candlesticks are staying here for the reception—oh is the reception here?" She blinked, looking up at Camilo.
He nodded. "Yeah, Dolores and Mami decided at the last minute it'd work better than the church."
Mirabel nodded. It explained all the extra food in the kitchen at least. And, it occurred to her, if they couldn't think of a way to have Bruno attend the wedding in town, at least he could see part of it from the barn.
The thought depressed her.
She shook herself and cleared her throat before continuing, "Okay, so, this half is all stuff that stays here and this half is stuff that goes to the church, but, I can't for the life of me figure out what this part says—"
Bruno was suddenly behind her, peering at the list over her shoulder. "Which part?" he asked softly.
Mirabel held up the list so he could see it better, and pointed to the offending scribble. He squinted at it.
"Vases," he said after a moment. "It says vases."
Mirabel frowned. "Vases?" she muttered. "Sure, Tía Pepa, that's how that word is supposed to look…"
Bruno snorted. "I see her handwriting has not improved with time."
"Dios, you're telling me, Tío Bruno," Camilo said. "She got after me for my handwriting growing up and then turns around with this nightmare-inducing chicken scratch—"
"Could someone just tell me what I'm moving off the cart?" Luisa called impatiently.
Mirabel winced. "Sorry, Luisa, um, start with these…"
She pointed to several boxes of glassware and Luisa easily lifted them high into the air.
Once the decorations were sorted, Mirabel was recruited to help hitch up the donkey to the cart and deliver the church decorations. Antonio, with nothing else to do, eagerly volunteered to stay with Bruno all afternoon—but only if his tío didn't mind.
Bruno agreed immediately, to Antonio's delight, but Mirabel was quick to pull him aside.
"If you need some space, Tío, just say the word," she whispered, as she led the donkey out to the center of the barn. "Antonio's sweet, but you are not obligated to spend time with him—with any of us—if you're feeling overwhelmed at all. Okay?"
Bruno shook his head. "Thank you, Mirabel, but I…I think I've been alone long enough."
She supposed he had a point.
But it still didn't stop her from grabbing Antonio on her way out and whispering in his ear.
"Hey, Toñito, if you can get Tío Bruno to take a nap today, I'll make you chocolate santafereño after dinner, bueno?"
Antonio nodded seriously and held up a pinky. Mirabel smiled and linked his pinky with her own. Solemnly, they shook on it, and Mirabel was whisked away.
The village was bustling, for a Thursday, when Mirabel, Camilo, and Luisa arrived. Camilo drove the cart, with Mirabel in the seat next to him, while Luisa walked a little ways behind. Every few minutes, a new person would shout greetings to Camilo as they passed, and Camilo would shout and wave back good-naturedly.
"Dios mío, do you know everybody in town now?" Mirabel asked with a laugh.
Camilo shrugged. "I know a lot of people," he said defensively. "Mostly they're friends with either Pá or Abuela. But my Gift works better if I know someone a little first, anyway."
"You don't ever—"
Camilo glanced over his shoulder. "No, 'course not, never in public. Just, you know, for practice."
Mirabel nodded, relieved. She remembered something. "Oh, hey. What was that about you going to stay with Isa? I didn't know about that."
Camilo waved his hand. "It's nothing. I was venting and she offered to let me come stay in her apartment for a while. If I wanted. And I didn't, obviously."
"And…what were you venting about?" Mirabel asked slowly.
Camilo didn't answer.
"Oh, c'mon, Milo—"
"I just—I just wanted to go somewhere where no one knew me and I could try to use my Gift out in public, that's all," Camilo said with a frown. "But it was ages ago, and it wasn't that big of a deal, so can we please not talk about it?"
Mirabel looked away. "Lo siento."
Camilo sighed. "It's fine, Mira."
Luisa chose that moment to jog up beside them. She raised an eyebrow. "Uh. Everything okay?"
Camilo gave her a sunny smile. "Always, Luisa."
Mariano was hovering outside the church, and greeted them with a wave as they pulled up. "Hola, hola. Señora Castillo is already inside, and. Uh. Tread carefully."
Mirabel and Camilo exchanged looks.
Luisa pushed open the doors to the church and as they stepped into the foyer they could hear Pepa:
"No, no, no, the flowers go over the window to frame the glass—ay, not like that—"
"Mami?" Camilo called. "Everything okay?"
Pepa appeared in the doorway to the sanctuary. Mirabel noted once again that her cloud was gone, and she wondered at the Herculean effort her tía was exerting in order to hide it. As it was, Pepa looked frazzled, her hair extra frizzy in her braid and deep bags under her eyes. But she smiled at the three of them, and at Mariano standing in the doorway.
"Ay, finally some competent help!" she said, calling over her shoulder. She turned back and gestured for them to come inside. "Vamos, vamos, I have jobs for all of you."
The rest of the morning was a blur. They were kept very busy, hauling things in and out of the church under Pepa's strict guidance, working alongside some of Mariano's friends and relatives—people that Mirabel recognized, but didn't necessarily know well enough to exchange more than perfunctory words.
Near noon, they broke for lunch, and Mirabel ducked inside the sanctuary to let Pepa know.
"Tía Pepa?"
"Sí, sí," Pepa said distractedly, pursing her lips as she readjusted the already perfect rose garland that was draped between the pews. "What is it, Mirabel?"
"It's time for lunch so we're gonna head back, are you coming?"
"Ah, in a bit, Mira, I have some things I need to finish up." She smiled at Mirabel, but it was strained.
Mirabel looked around the empty church. "Everyone else left, Tía, if you wanted to…" She gestured above Pepa's head.
Pepa did her own visual sweep of the sanctuary to make sure they were alone. She sat down in a pew and took a deep breath. A small, but very dark, cloud formed over her head.
"Thanks, chiquita." Pepa ran a hand over her face with a groan. She smiled at Mirabel and patted the seat next to her. "¿Cómo estás? I feel like I've barely seen you today."
"I slept in a little," Mirabel said with a shrug, sitting down and stretching her legs out. "I had…a very, very long day yesterday."
Pepa snorted. "I heard. Mariano was very concerned."
Mirabel's eyebrows furrowed. "What did he tell you?"
"That a very tall man wearing a mask followed you off the bus and was watching you and touching you," Pepa said bluntly.
Mirabel winced—it sounded terrible when she put it that way.
Her tía continued, "You've got to be more careful about these types of things, chiquita. I don't want to scare you, but not everyone is as…innocent as they may seem." She put her hand on Mirabel's arm. "We'd be devastated if anything happened to you, Mirabel. If anyone like that ever stops you again, just tell them to pound sand, yeah?"
Mirabel swallowed. "I will, lo prometo."
Pepa patted her arm. "Good, good." She leaned back against the pew and closed her eyes.
Mirabel bit her lip. "Tía Pepa? Can I ask you a…personal question?"
Pepa opened her eyes. "Por supuesto."
"Um. Could you…tell me about–about the Encanto?"
Pepa gave her a strange look. "What—the Encanto? Why?"
Mirabel nodded once, changed her mind, and shook her head. "You don't have to! Sorry, I just—I was thinking about it, randomly, on the bus, since it goes right past where you and Mamá always said…anyway, it's dumb, never mind—"
"No, it's fine, just…surprising," Pepa said. Her hands drifted up to her braid. "What do you want to know, chiquita?"
"Just…what was it like? Living there?" Mirabel bit her lip, remembering the abandoned houses, the crumbling Casita.
Pepa smiled. "Wonderful," she said, her eyes far away. "It was a paradise, truly. I don't say that lightly. I miss it. And…I regret that you kids never got to see it."
Her cloud started to drizzle and she stroked her braid. "Clear skies, clear skies…" she murmured. Slowly, her drizzle stopped and her cloud vanished.
"Why didn't anyone ever go back?" Mirabel asked softly. "Try to rebuild?"
"Ach, probably afraid of that–that bruja, whoever she was," Pepa said with a scoff and a wave of her hand. "Or that monstruo she made to scare people away."
Mirabel gasped, but Pepa rolled her eyes.
"Ay, don't play dumb, Mira, I know Camilo told you all years ago," Pepa said. She shook her head, a fond smile on her face. "That alborotador."
"But did you see it? The monster?"
Pepa's cloud returned. "No," she said harshly. "All I saw was broken buildings, nothing more." She turned away from Mirabel, her hands drifting back toward her braid. "I think you should go see if your mamá needs help at home."
Mirabel winced. "But—"
Thunder boomed.
"Go home, Mirabel."
Mirabel fled the sanctuary.
Translations:
1. Gracias a Dios por las hermanas - Thank God for her sisters
2. Buñuelo - cheese fritter
3. Por supuesto no - of course not
4. Chocolate santafereño - essentially hot chocolate with white cheese added
5. Bueno - okay
6. Cómo estás - how are you
7. Alborotador - troublemaker
