Just a quick update,

Some of you might notice that the number of chapters has decreased. That's because I went back and changed a few things about the story. I've made chapters longer by combining them as well as some editing and revision, but most importantly, I've un-murdered my least favourite OC.

That's right the demonio is unfortunately back. I thought it through and after everything, I decided I didn't want to kill him off. I'm dialling back on the angst here, so bear with me.

Chapter seven is where all the Martín drama goes down, so if you'd like, you can go read that.

Thank you and happy reading!

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Chapter 10

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Katerina sat on her bed, humming a soft tune while she pinned a piece of her daughter's hair back. Mirabel sat silently, watching her mother through the vanity mirror. Never before had she seen her mother look so emotionally tapped out.

Mirabel was young, not dumb. No one had told the sweet girl anything but she knew something was wrong. Her mother was constantly tired (even though she denied it every time) and she hadn't heard a word about her father. It had been a month and people still danced around the subject like he was the plague.

"Mamá, where did Papá go?" Mirabel asked for the dozenth time since she was told her father went away.

"I'm not sure, Cariño, he didn't say," Katerina admitted while adjusting the butterfly clip she had just put in the young girl's hair. Mirabel frowned at her mother's reflection in the mirror. The dark bags under her eyes, the unkempt hair, her lack of sleep...it was no wonder she rarely left the tower anymore. Her stomach had grown over time, something Mirabel knew happened naturally but still amazed her.

"I miss him," she spoke softly. The slight tugging on her hair ceased.

"I know," her mom whispered as if she were afraid someone would actually hear her. After a beat of solemn silence, she cleared her throat and turned Mirabel around. "You look beautiful, Bean."

"Thank you, Ma. Maybe next time you can come with me," the five-year-old smiled softly.

"When I feel better, I'll go everywhere with you." The two of them shared a tight embrace, although Katerina took a while to let go. Mirabel couldn't help but notice her mother felt much warmer than normal.

The last time Kat saw Pepa, the redhead told her sister-in-law that she was becoming overprotective. Then again, that was nearly two weeks ago and she didn't exactly care.

"Come up the tower as soon as you get home. I want to know you were being safe with your primos," she cupped her daughter's cheeks and planted a few kisses on her forehead. Mirabel giggled loudly, small hands resting on top of her mother's.

"I promise."

When she stepped outside the room, the bright-eyed girl nearly ran into her cousin, Isabela. She apologized immediately but couldn't help but shrink under her ridiculing gaze.

"Oops, sorry Isa," she chuckled nervously. Isabela opened her mouth to snap at Mirabel but stopped herself for some reason.

"Just...try to be more careful next time," she frowned, eyes briefly scanning over Bruno's darkened door.

"Sure thing," Mirabel smiled brightly. That ear-to-ear grin made Isabela furrow her brows.

"How do you do that?" she asked almost demandingly.

"Do what?" Mirabel cocked her head to the side innocently.

"Look happy when things get bad? You're so hopeful despite...everything," Isabela's shoulders sagged a bit, disrupting her perfect posture. Her cousin blankly stared at her for a long minute.

"No one talks about Papá anymore," she looked down at her fidgeting hands, "Mamá is always so sad, the people in town are always saying mean things about her and Papá, I'm not allowed out as much as my friend…but I know he'll come back. He loves us."

Isabela had gone quiet. She bit her bottom lip and studied the desperation hidden deep within her cousin's eyes. She was eager to see the good in this situation and maybe that was why she was smiling despite having lost so much at such a young age.

"I guess that makes sense…" Isabela muttered thoughtfully.

"Besides, how can I be sad when I'm going to be a big sister?" Mirabel's massive smile spread across her face once more before she spun around and hopped downstairs. Isabela stared at her retreating form with thoughtful eyes. She sighed as she began to walk toward the kitchen.

It was about two steps later that she snapped her gaze towards the front door of Casita and watched Mirabel bounce away with wide eyes, "You're gonna be a what now?!"

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They had stopped looking after the fifth month. Pepa was adamant that no one try to visit for the sake of Kat's mental stability (and the safety of the town's property). Still, they all had this sinking feeling that he wasn't coming back. Dead or alive, the passing months only confirmed that suspicion. There wasn't a funeral, not even a grave marker or memorial photo, just a vase in a special part of the forest placed by his wife.

Kat went to the forest clearing every day, come rain or shine. Isabela would grow some white roses behind the house that she could pick whenever she wanted. Then, she'd bypass all the people she had lost feelings for and wordlessly head to her and Bruno's spot. If it wasn't for Mirabel, many people would have even forgotten she still lived in the tower. That woman had become the ghost of Encanto once again.

By the time August came around and the Autumn air rolled through, Katerina's face was seen less and less. The children picked up the "Witch of the Woods" nickname again, this time accompanied by the image of her shuffling, hooded figure. Camilo had a field day with that one.

"Do it again!" a small child cackled, already rolling on the floor. The Madrigal boy grinned and did a little twirl before shifting into the distorted picture of his Tía Katerina.

Her hood was up and covering her eyes while a wicked scowl was placed on her face. She stood straight up with her wild curls decorated with sticks and leaves. Camilo's depiction had her as much thinner than she actually was, almost skin and bones.

Mirabel watched from his side as he entertained some of their friends. Her ears turned red with rage when she finally had enough of watching.

"You know she doesn't look like that," she spat with a deep frown. Camilo shifted back into his original form, smile less notable but still present.

"Well, she hasn't been coming out of the tower and no one's seen her face," he glanced at his friends while wiggling his fingers spookily. Mirabel's cheeks puffed in annoyance and she balled up her fists at her sides.

"Hermanito, you should be nicer. Tía Katerina is going through a tough time," Dolores chastised as she filled a basket with vegetables. Camilo's face heated slightly in embarrassment but he didn't dare say anything.

"She just looks so creepy!" one of the town children cried with a dramatic expression. Many of the kids hummed or nodded in agreement.

"My mom said she cursed her husband and that's why he's gone!" a little girl widened her eyes as if she had seen a ghost.

"Oh, yeah? Well, my dad said that she made some guy straight up disappear," another kid gossiped.

"She's not creepy and she didn't curse anyone! She's really nice and if anyone actually talked to her you'd see that!" Mirabel shouted before storming off towards the stables. Petting the donkeys always calmed her down. Camilo and Delores watched her run for a second then turned to one another with sympathetic looks. No one dared to follow her.

There weren't a lot of people around the barn at this time of day. In fact, she never saw many people come around at all. She was never allowed to go to the barn by herself, but she found it strange that her mother never offered to go with her. It was always, "Go ask Abuela or Pepa." All these questions were brushed off when she found the gate to the stables already open as if waiting for her.

"Stupid kids," Mirabel blew off steam by kicking a rock into the side of the building. The thud of the stone against the framing of the building was masked by a loud crash. With slight hesitation, the young girl peeked her head inside.

"Son of a…!" hissed a gravelly voice from under a pile of fallen tools. Mirabel's hand flew up to cover her agape mouth.

"Are you okay?" she called and rushed over to help the stranger. Her eyes noticed the blood seeping through a cut on his pants and gasped, "You're bleeding!"

"It's nothing," he scoffed then rubbed away the red with his sleeve before standing up. When he got a chance to catch his breath, he squinted down at her as if studying her face.

"Do I need to get Julieta?" she asked with wide eyes. The stranger shook his head dismissively. He went to put the tools back but stopped when he noticed Mirabel trying to pick up a heavy hammer. She pouted when he took it from her and put it onto the rack.

"Who are you, anyway? I haven't seen you around town," the brunette tilted her head inquisitively, watching him tidy up the mess. The man shrugged, nearly missing the wall when he tried to replace a shovel. "What's wrong with you?"

"You're not supposed to be here, brat," he grumbled while turning from the tools and making his way towards the mule's stalls. A rat scurried across the room, prompting him to scowl at it and mutter to himself as it ran out of the barn.

"Why? You don't own this barn," Mirabel remarked matter-of-factly and followed behind him. Her comment was met with a silence that didn't bother her in the slightest. This was a new person that took her mind off of life and she was going to find out everything she could about him.

"My eyes are going bad," came the belated reply to her earlier question. It wasn't until then that she spotted the hazy fil over one of his eyes.

"You're blind?" she scrunched her brows, "Ma says if I don't eat healthy, I won't be able to see when I'm older."

"My mom's dead. Listen to her nagging while you can." The man unlocked the gates and let the donkey's out into a gated pasture to roam. After finishing his task, he sat on a hay bale and whipped the sweat from his forehead.

"You never told me your name," Mirabel noted while trying to clamour up onto the bale adjacent to his. He watched her struggle for a moment then kicked a bucket over to her.

"Just call me the Donkey Guy," he suggested with a tired sigh. From this part of town, the evening sun was visible over the homes of Encanto's inhabitants. It was hard to place what the man was feeling based on his expression, but Mirabel tried her hardest to keep the conversation light.

"How come I've never seen you in town?" she asked, head rested on the wooden exterior of the barn.

"I did some things that pissed some people off," the Donkey Guy closed his eyes and let the sun rays spill onto his wrinkled face. He might be older than Abuela.

"Did you apologize? Mamá told me that apologizing helps fix mistakes." His laughter was an obvious no.

"Apologies don't fix everything. The world is full of evil people making mistakes. At least I own up to mine," he clarified with a humorous tone that didn't match his preachy statements. Mirabel mulled over his words and compared them to her mother's lessons. She once said that there were good people in the world, you just had to find them.

"Are you one of them? The evil people, I mean?" her curls bounced as she turned her head. There was a beat where the Donkey Man took a deep breath and slowly cracked his eyes open.

"The evil men do lives after them," was all he said. When a subtle breeze blew by, he dropped down from the hay bale and shambled towards the back of the barn. Curious, the young girl tagged along until they came to a set of cellar doors.

"Do you live down there?" she frowned in contempt.

The Donkey Man crawled down into the dark space; "You should go before someone comes by. Wouldn't want to get you into any trouble."

"I've still got questions. Can I come back tomorrow?" Mirabel called into the cellar. He paused, hands lingering on the handles of the doors. After a moment of thought, he nodded slowly.

"Just don't go bragging about this, y'hear?" he said sternly. When Mirabel grinned, he closed the cellar doors with a heavy sigh.

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Upon entering Casita, Mirabel could tell that something was wrong. She noticed the usual hustle and bustle of the large family was gone, replaced by a strange quiet and faint whispering. She barely cracked open the kitchen doors to find her aunts, uncles, and grandmother standing around the table.

"But she's pregnant!" Pepa snapped, throwing her arms up in defeat, "I cannot believe she didn't tell us!"

"She's been pushing everyone away, Pepita," Fèlix reminded her softly.

"We're family for Christ's sake! How could she keep this from us?!" The electricity in the air was partially the redhead's fault and partially emotional tension.

"I see why you're upset but if Isabela's right then this could be her wake up call. These kids need her," Mirabel's face fell at her Tía Julieta's words. Pepa hesitated. She took one look at her sister's pointed expression and sighed.

"No one is upset," Alma spoke up while massaging her aching temples, "We're just a bit disappointed she quit talking to us. We thrive together and she wants to isolate herself."

"Well, I say we use it as an opportunity to help her. She needs to accept that he's gone, sooner or later," Augustìn nodded with determined eyes. The surrounding family voiced their agreement until all eyes were left on Alma.

The older woman sighed, "He won't be here for the birth but we're going to make sure Mirabel and this new baby grow up just as perfectly as the others."

Mirabel bit her bottom lip while she slowly backed away from the doors. Careful not to make a sound, the young Madrigal tip-toed her way into her father's room. Once behind the door, she let out her held breath. A weight felt lifted from her shoulders and a smile spread across her face when she saw her mother's sleeping form.

Even though she usually slept in the nursery, Mirabel felt like this was one of those nights she wanted to feel her mother's comforting warmth next to her. She crawled under the covers and slowly but surely drifted into a comfortable sleep.

In the days leading up to her baby sibling's birth, Mirabel was practising for the arrival of her younger sibling. A six-year-old girl running around the town with a basket of groceries far too big for her small body was a strange sight in Encanto.

She brought her mother whatever foods she craved and helped her do some simple tasks around the tower. It worried her that the woman still locked herself within her room but she didn't want to sound rude. After all, Tía Pepa warned her to never tell a pregnant woman she looks tired.

When the time came, Alma had all the kids stay in the nursery until the baby was born. They brought snacks but it still felt like they were in there forever. After hours of pacing relentlessly, Mirabel finally sat down while Camilo told her a twisted story of how he thought babies burst from their mother's stomachs and ate their organs.

"They do not!" Luisa gasped, tightening her grasp on the stuffed bear in her hands.

"Then how else are they born?" Camilo grinned wickedly.

"Not like that, that's for sure," Isabela scrunched up her nose, "If that were true, we wouldn't have parents."

"Huh…I guess you're right," Camilo hummed thoughtfully. At the end of the conversation, Dolores stilled.

"I…think they're done," she spoke quietly. Mirabel shot to her feet and ran up to Julieta's room. She hesitated for a moment when she reached the door, only for it to swing open by someone else's hand.

"Oh, just the girl I was coming to see," Julieta smiled. She stepped aside when Mirabel's eyes flickered behind her.

"Is that…?" she whispered when she saw the bundle of mass in Pepa's arms.

"Mirabel Lupita Madrigal, this is your little brother," the redhead smiled, bending slightly to give her sobrina a better look.

The baby was smaller than she thought and had no hair or teeth. How is he supposed to eat? Mirabel thought with a slight frown. She held a finger out to the cooing newborn only for it to latch on with its tiny hands, drawing the air from her lungs. She felt breathless when she thought about how this little thing was going to grow with her and be a part of her life forever.

"Baby's look funny, don't they?" Katerina muttered with a slight slur from the side of the room. Mirabel furrowed her brows gently as she took in her mother's appearance: sweaty, flushed, and exhausted.

"You look dead," the young girl stated bluntly. A few of the adults in the room laughed and others smiled.

"Come here, Mija," Katerina lazily beckoned her closer. When Mirabel sat on the side of the bed, Pepa walked over and gingerly placed the baby in her mother's hands. She smiled, "Look at us. We're a family. No matter what happens, we will always be family."

"Me, you, Papà, and…" Mirabel paused as she stared at the baby with a subtle frown. Kat chuckled through her closed grin.

"Luciano. Luz for short," she hummed pridefully. Mirabel ran the name through her brain a few times before grinning from ear to ear.

"Me, you, Papà, and Luz."