Chapter 2
17 years before Encanto
It was Isabela's 5th birthday when Pepa was having one of her worst pregnancies.
The storms had been raging inside her room for months. Pepa hardly came out, and when she did she was usually soaking wet with dark shadows under her eyes.
Abuela could see that her daughter was trying, but she also knew with bitter resignation that snow would fall again soon.
Abuela felt guilty about pressuring Pepa for another child, but she had been so excited after Julieta had her second child, and she had wanted the same for Pepa. She didn't know it was going to be this difficult.
But today, Abuela decided, just for today, they must make it about Isabela. Abuela wanted today to be perfect for her sweet granddaughter.
"Pepa!" Abuela knocked on her daughter's door. "It's time for lunch."
"I can't, Mamá!" Came a frustrated cry from inside the room.
Abuela knocked again, this time sharper.
"Just one day." Abuela reasoned. "We talked about this. Today, you will think of Isabela."
Thunder crashed from inside the room and water leaked out from under the closed door.
"I am thinking of Isabela, Mamá!" Pepa shouted. "You think she's gonna want a hurricane on her birthday!?"
"She will want her family on her birthday." Abuela kept her voice calm. "You and Félix are part of her family. Now… Come out. And no more clouds."
Across the hall, Agustín knelt down and kissed Isabela's cheek. Dolores stood next to them, her little hand holding onto the edge of Agustín's shirt as she silently watched what was happening at her parent's door.
"We are so proud of you." Agustín said adoringly to Isabella. Julieta stood beside them, holding little Luisa in her arms.
There was a sudden crack of thunder and a flash of lightning from behind the door of Pepa's room, followed by the sounds of shouting and rainfall. Luisa started to cry, burying her face against her mamá's shoulder.
Julieta glanced over at Pepa's room in concern, before putting on a brave face and turning back to the children.
"I tell you what, I'm so hungry!" Julieta smiled, trying to lift the mood. "What do you say we all race downstairs to the kitchen and find something to eat, hm?"
The children looked up at Julieta and nodded. Isabela smiled adoringly at her mamá.
"Ready?" Julieta said dramatically. "Last one there's a smashed papaya!"
"Ok, Mamí!" Isabella beamed, turning and running towards the stairs.
As Isabela passed one of the doors, something amazing happened. It glowed golden. Isabela stopped, staring at the door in wonder.
"Look!" Dolores whispered, tugging Agustín's shirt and watching her older cousin.
Julieta and Agustín gasped, recognising what this meant.
Slowly, Isabela approached the golden door. As she got closer, the glow spread and sparkled. The door handle began to glow with the letter I.
"Mamá..." Julieta called out to Abuela, not taking her eyes off her daughter. "You really have to see this."
Abuela turned and gasped, leaving Pepa's door and heading over in amazement.
Isabela looked back at her parents, who nodded in encouragement.
"Go on." Agustín said with a smile. "It's for you. Go inside."
With Papá's encouragement, Isabela grabbed the doorknob. Magic flowed up the door to create a sparkling and glowing picture of Isabela, surrounded by flowers. In her hand, a Flor de Mayo appeared. She gasped, looking at the flower in surprise before turning back to her parents. Julieta gestured for her to go inside.
Isabela opened the shining door to reveal a beautiful new room, a giant space full of pink and purple flowers and other beautiful plants. As she let go of the door handle and stepped inside, more flowers grew from her hands and bloomed all around her. Isabela gasped, then laughed.
"Bruno!" Abuela called with a chuckle. "Where is he? Come and see! Everybody needs to see this."
Bruno ran up the stairs, unsure what to expect. No one ever called him unless it was bad news, but Abuela didn't sound upset. He hadn't heard his mamá laugh like that in a long time.
Bruno gasped as he saw the glowing door. He came to stand next to his sister.
"So… The power is catching?" Bruno asked.
"It seems so." Julieta laughed, pulling him in close as they both watched together.
Flowering vines lifted Isabela up, swinging her gracefully around the room, tossing and catching her into a bed of flowers. Isabela laughed in joy.
Everyone laughed and cheered too, the house feeling full of happiness and excitement.
Abuela looked at her family and smiled in relief. Another miracle was just what they needed. She always knew there was something special about her Isabela.
The flowery vines wrapped around Isabela's arms and gently lowered her to the ground.
"I want to see Tía and Tío." Isabela smiled to Abuela, taking her hand. "I want to show them what I can do."
Dolores quickly turned to Abuela at the mention of her parents, waiting to see Abuela's decision.
Abuela hesitated. She had been trying to keep the girls away from that dangerous, thundering room for months.
"Please." Isabela's eyes sparkled with innocent strength and confidence that reassured Abuela, and gave her the strength to believe that things would be ok.
Opening the door to Pepa's room, they saw Félix holding his wife, a storm around them.
Abuela pulled Isabela back in fear. This was a bad idea.
But Isabela let go of Abuela's hand and walked forward, unafraid.
"Mamá!" Pepa shouted, her eyes flashing as bright as the lightning around her. "What are you doing?! Get her out of here!"
Abuela rushed forward to take Isabela, but the casita swiftly moved a chair and table in front of her, blocking the way.
"Casita, let me pass!" Abuela called out, reaching for Isabela, but the little girl was already out of her reach.
"Isabela!" Julieta called out as she came in through the doorway. "Let's come back another time."
Dolores followed Julieta in, clutching her leg and watching her parents.
"I said get out!" Pepa cried, the storm worsening at the sight of her daughter. "Everybody out!"
Félix smiled at the family, flapping his hands over the clouds to try and calm them.
"Papí?" Dolores called out softly.
"We are ok, mija!" Felix called out with a wink. "We just wanted a little shower, see?"
Félix did a little dance for Dolores, pretending to embrace the angry black clouds and do a salsa with them. One struck him from behind with lightning and he yelped.
"Félix!" Pepa cried, her voice filled with fear and guilt. But Félix got back up and kept on dancing, pretending like nothing happened.
"Papí's fine, see?" He winced, but kept smiling.
Dolores watched in silence, her lip trembling.
Julieta entered the room and tried to pick up Isabela, but the casita dragged a cupboard to block her path too. Julieta watched as her tiny daughter walked towards Pepa, Isabela's long hair blowing wildly in the wind as lightning struck the floor around her.
"Careful, Pepa!" Julieta called out to her sister.
"Clear skies, clear skies." Pepa whispered frantically, running her hands through her hair. She felt Félix wrap his arms around her and she hid her face against him, feeling overwhelmed. She didn't want to hurt anyone. She hated that she hurt the people she loved. She hated that people were afraid of her.
Stupid clouds. Stupid Pepa.
"You got this, mi amor." Félix said encouragingly as he held his wife tight, stroking her back and kissing her head as the storm raged around them. "Deep breaths… It's just a little rain, mi vida, that's all. It'll pass... In and out, that's it."
Isabela reached them and took one of Pepa's shaking hands in hers. Pepa closed her eyes, her thoughts as frantic as her whispers.
"Clear skies, clear skies, clear skies."
"Tía." Isabela said with a proud smile as she climbed into bed with them, seemingly unaffected by the chaos around her. "Look what I can do!"
Pepa felt a warm glow against her. She turned to see a beautiful flor de mayo in her hand.
"Oh Mija, you got me a flower." She said, her voice strained but affectionate. "Thank you."
Pepa felt the warmth again, but this time she saw it. More flowers grew from her sobrina's hands. She watched in wonder and amazement as a beautiful arrangement of colours and smells grew over Isabela's hands and up her arms, then over the bed and up to the ceiling - roses, carnations, hydrangeas, sunflowers.
The clouds in the room parted and the sun shone brightly in through the windows, making the flower petals glitter and shine. Pepa stared up at the colours and shapes forming around her, the sweet aroma calming her and bringing her a grounding sense of peace.
"Che increíble." Félix gasped in amazement, tussling Isabella's hair proudly as he watched the storm instantly dissolve around them and the room become clear for the first time in months.
"A miracle." Abuela whispered from where she stood.
The casita swept the furniture back to its usual place, allowing the family to enter.
Agustín came into the room with Luisa cautiously, then sighed in relief as he discovered how calm it was. Luisa looked around at the flowers with a big smile.
The family all approached the bed, everyone talking to eachother in wonder, discussing the miracle and what this meant for the family.
Dolores stood by the doorway, watching cautiously from a distance. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see her Tío Bruno.
"Come on in, kid." He smiled kindly, taking her hand and leading her inside. "You gotta enjoy these good days while they last."
Isabela spent a lot of time with Pepa after that, her flowers and presence healing, and helping her through the pregnancy. When the baby was gone and the snow started to fall, the flowers soothed Pepa. She would lay in bed with Isabella and breathe in the calming scents of the flowers until she fell asleep.
As time passed, their connection helped them both to grow. Abuela would proudly watch them play in the garden together, laughing as little Isabela made flowers grow and Pepa would shower them with water and sunlight. Abuela watched as Pepa would sit in the nursery with Dolores and Luisa and read them story books, while Isabela braided flowers through her Tía's hair as she listened.
On cloudy nights, when the thunder would wake Isabela, she would leave her room and climb into bed with Pepa and Félix. The smells of the flowers and sound of her warm little voice would calm the storms and help to put her Tía back to sleep.
Abuela slept better than she had in a long time, knowing that the household had finally found peace in their perfect miracle.
The village was thankful too, as Isabela grew them fresh crops, beautiful flowers, and brought them, by extension, clear skies.
