Alma burst into her bedroom with Bruno in tow. It looked like she hadn't really registered that she had dragged her son all the way here. She halted.

Pepa was standing there with her back to Alma and Bruno. Her head lifted and it looked like she was staring.

Alma looked up towards the window and gasped.

"Mama!" Pepa exclaimed. "The candle!"

Bruno swallowed as he finally got to his feet again. Only to use both his small arms to wrap them around Alma's arm as he clung to it.

And then Julieta walked in, and gasped as well.

The candle had changed. Somehow it seemed to burn warmer and brighter than normal. The illustrations of butterflies were glowing and the candle seemed to be breathing as the flame pulsed and huffed.

Alma hesitated then slowly took a step forward, reaching her free hand towards the candle. "I haven't seen it like this since…" she stopped.

"Since what Mama?" Bruno asked.

Alma brought her hand back. "Since the miracle happened. And our home was created."

All three children looked up at Alma with wide eyes and slowly Alma moved towards her bed where she could sit down. She shook her head. "Five years. To think it has been almost five years. You were all so tiny back then." she smiled. "You were barely a month old."

She closed her eyes and a little tear rolled down her cheek.

"Mama?" Bruno asked and she looked up at him. "Mama don't be sad please. I'll be good. I won't play tag in the house again."

"Oh Brunito." Alma smiled. "That's not why I am sad," she said. "Did I ever tell you… about when the miracle first happened?"

Bruno looked up with wide eyes and shook his head. The girls did as well.

"Come here," Alma asked. And then she hoisted Bruno up so he could sit on her lap and the two girls sat on each side. "The miracle… It's your Papa looking over us. I am sure of this."

Bruno frowned deeply. "He's the man in the portrait. Right?" he asked.

"Yes. Your Papa Pedro." Alma smiled. "He was… amazing," she said. "He was so kind and so brave. He loved us so much. All of us." she said. "We were happy in our village… But then the soldiers came. They burned our houses… Destroyed our home. And we had to run. But we were being pursued. There was... nowhere to go. Nowhere to run. And your father. He..." she swallowed. "He stayed behind to buy us time to flee. He knew he wouldn't survive… There was no way. But he also knew that if he didn't do it we would all die. So he gave his life. For us. For all of us… His heart was pierced by a blade." she swallowed as a tear fell down her face.

"And then our candle. Our wedding candle that was lit on the day of our marriage." she gestured towards the window. "It started to burn so brightly! It made the mountains shoot up to protect us from the soldiers. It made this house appear to keep us safe and warm! This house… This place. It's all made from the love your Papa had for us."

All three children were looking up wide-eyed at Alma.

"Papa?" Bruno asked and then he glanced down. "I wish I could have met him."

"Oh but don't you see?" Alma asked lovingly as she placed at hand on Bruno's cheek. "He never left… Not really."

Bruno looked up in surprise as did the other two.

"Pedro… He was so kind and protective. Just like you. Julieta." She smiled at her dark haired daughter and Julieta gasped. "He was filled with so much energy that he didn't know what to do with it! Just like you Pepita."

And Pepita grinned happily.

"And he would do anything to protect his family," Alma whispered as she lowered her head. Her forehead now rested against Bruno's. "Like you. My little Brunito…" she whispered.

"Mama," Brunito whispered.

"I… I was so afraid." Alma swallowed. "And so alone… But then I realized. I'm not alone after all. My miracles." she gathered them all up in her arms. "If I ever lost you I… I don't know what I would do… I love you… So much." she swallowed.

And all three children clung to her.

"We love you too Mama!" Pepa exclaimed. And the other two nodded and sniffed as they all hugged her and Alma inhaled a shaky breath.

Just as the candle flared again, getting all of their attention.

Julieta was the first to let go of Alma as she looked at the candle, then she hesitated as she jumped down on the floor and took a careful step towards the candle.

"Julieta." Bruno hissed. "Be careful!"

Julieta swallowed as she reached her little hands up towards the candle and finally… She touched it. And then it was like a bit of magic transferred to her hands and wide-eyed, Julieta pulled her hands back as she looked at them. Golden particles were now dancing around her fingers.

Pepa gaped at it. Then let go of Alma so she could approach the candle too and carefully touch it. The same thing happened and she looked at her hands. "Heh." she chuckled. "Tickles."

"Does it… hurt?" Bruno asked.

"No." Julieta replied honestly. "It feels… warm. But a nice kind of warm."

Then finally Bruno jumped down as well. Slowly his hand slid out of Alma's as he approached the candle, looking up at it in awe. Then slowly… slowly he reached up his small hands and touched the candle.

And just like with the other two, the magic seemed to come off onto his hands.

Bruno looked from one hand to the other. "Huh."

Then Pepa exclaimed "Maybe we can open the doors now! Let's try it!"

Bruno shrugged. They might as well. All four of them rushed back to the doors, mostly just to keep up with Pepa who grabbed her door handle at once.

The door brightened up, the swirls changed and took form until suddenly it was a portrait! Clearly it was Pepa. There even was a name. And behind her portrait, there was a cloud and a sun. Pepa gasped and she opened the door only for her eyes to widen. And then… she yelled in delight.

Everyone else ran over to her to have a look and stopped, stunned.

It looked like a big open field in there. Somehow! In one spot it was raining and in another there was sunshine. There was a bed with a starry night above it and trees that opened up to become bookshelves and dressers.

"How…" Bruno blinked. "How does that even fit into the house?" he asked.

"NOW ONE OF YOU TRY!" Pepa beamed happily.

Julieta hesitated as she turned to her door. Then finally she grabbed the handle, and the image and name formed and then she opened the door. A big open room. Rows upon rows of shelves filled with any sort of spice or herb you could ask for. A stone oven and an open door leading to another room that was obviously the bedroom.

"Another kitchen!" Pepa gasped. "But it's even bigger and better than the one downstairs."

"This is… my kitchen?" Julieta asked stunned. "Wow."

"Now you Bruno." Pepa grabbed Bruno's shoulder. "Let's see what you're getting!" She pushed him towards the last door.

"Okay! I get it!" Bruno exclaimed. "Wow, is it just me or did it suddenly get warm?" he asked as he pulled at his poncho and looked towards the window only to stop… He could have sworn it had been rainy and at least clouded just a moment ago. But now the sun seemed to shine incredibly brightly.

"I'M SO EXCITED!" Pepa shouted with her hands up in the air.

"Okay." Bruno smiled as he put his hand to the door. It was like a surge went through him and Bruno gasped as his eyes suddenly glowed a bright green. He stepped back as the door shaped itself and he saw his own portrait that seemed to be sitting and had a big hourglass in front of him.

"What are you waiting for?!" Papa asked with a grin. "Open it!"

Bruno gulped, but finally did what he was told. The first thing he saw was… a curtain of sand slowly falling, but then the curtain gently opened up as if to invite him inside. Bruno gasped as he stepped inside to see a big circular room of stone.

There was a massive bed that looked warm and soft. The arches of the room looked smooth and elegant and there were beautiful gemstones that seemed to spring naturally from the rock. Glistening and sparkling.

Bookshelves and dressers. Just like in Pepa's room. And three small steps leading to a second door.

Bruno headed for the door and opened it up to see an even bigger room. Once again it was circular, but this one was completely filled with sand that also kept falling from the walls like a round waterfall of sand.

Suddenly Pepa's head poked in from behind Bruno. "I wonder what this room is for." she remarked.

"Erhm… sand bath?" Bruno suggested.

"Is that a thing?" Pepa asked and Bruno shrugged.

"Well!" Pepa grinned. "I am going to explore my room some more!" she exclaimed as she turned around and started to run.

Just as she did, Bruno's eyes briefly flashed green. And without even thinking he shouted. "Pepa! Be careful of the steps! You're going to fall!"

"What?" Pepa asked, only to trip right over the steps and then fall straight down, making her land flat on her face. For a moment she laid there. "Auw."

"Told you," Bruno said as he stepped down himself.

Pepa grumbled, annoyed, as suddenly… a small cloud seemed to form above her and then a light drizzle fell on Pepa.

Bruno blinked at the cloud right in front of him. "That's… weird," he commented and Pepa looked up as well at the little cloud... And then it dispersed.

The siblings looked at each other.

"Erhm Pepa." Bruno then said. "Your nose.."

And Pepa gasped as she realized a red line of blood was running out of it.

"Oh no!" Pepa held her hands over it.

"You should probably have Mama look at that," Bruno said and suddenly his eyes flashed a second time. "Or have Julieta make you a Tamale." then suddenly he quieted. "Why did that pop into my head?" he asked and Pepa looked back up at him.

"I don't know but it sounds great." Pepa grinned. "I'll ask her anyway." she grinned.


That evening, Pepa was nursing a broken nose. Julieta had made Tamales and Pepa hadn't even asked her for one - too preoccupied with her broken nose and her room.

Bruno, though, couldn't help but stare at the plate. He could have sworn he had seen it earlier… but in his head. And then Pepa picked up a Tamale… like in his little flash. Then she stuffed it into her mouth with a little 'pop'

Her nose was narrow and straight again. As if it had never been broken in the first place.

Everyone stared at her.

Wide-eyed, Pepa touched her nose and then looked up. "It doesn't hurt anymore," she told them.

Then Bruno looked at the plate of tamales and he swallowed. Carefully he picked one up and held it in his hand. Then he rolled up his sleeve to make his dark bruise from earlier in the day visible and took a bite.

The moment he took that bite and swallowed, the blue mark just vanished. They all gasped.

"Did… Did the Tamales heal us?" Pepa asked. "Julieta! What did you do?" she asked.

"Nothing!" Julieta exclaimed. "I just made them as I used to! It's just Tamales."

"It's a miracle." Alma exclaimed, and all three children turned to her. Then Alma's eyes watered. "It's the miracle! Like the mountains and our house! You've been given miracles!" she gasped. "My children!" she swallowed as she opened her arms to them and all the children got up and ran to hug her.

Okay then… Mama had said this was alright. This was a good thing. A miracle. And Bruno would not question that anymore.