Julieta grimaced as she smoothed the blanket over her daughter. Despite setting multiple broken bones and cleaning out more scrapes and cuts then she could count, Mirabel still hadn't woken up. Not even when she had jarred her while putting her nightgown on and that concerned her.

Her hija lay injured, in a coma, possibly dying, because she thought that she was a threat to the family. All because she was a terrible mother who couldn't protect her from her Abuela. She should have put her foot down a long time ago. Instead of pleading with her Mama to be nice to Mirabel, she should have demanded that she treated Mirabel like everyone else.

Not that that would have helped any, if her hermano's accusations were true. She had failed her other hijas just as badly as she had Mirabel. Isabela was about to marry a man she didn't love, and Luisa had been working herself to death. And why was that? Because Mama had pressured them, had taught them that her love was conditional.

And she hadn't done anything. She hadn't noticed that Isabela's smiles had been fake, or that Luisa was working longer and harder than she should. Probably because she was working just as hard as Luisa and was just as stressed as Isabela.

She hadn't even realized that she was crying until something was pressed into her hand as familiar weight leaned against her. She didn't even have to look to know who it was. She just knew.

"I'm a horrible mother," she announced.

"If you're a horrible Madre than I'm a horrible Padre," Augustin commented, staring absently at the still form of their hija.

"I just wanted them to be happy," Julieta sighed, "I failed miserably."

"It wasn't your fault, mi amor," Augustin insisted, "You tried the best you could. You were spread too thin. I should have been more attentive, more hands on with the ninas."

"You used to. What happened?"

"I was told that I was distracting them, and embarrassing them. I was asked to step aside. By Abuela."

"Mama," Julieta growled, "If she wasn't my own Madre, I'm pretty sure I would have strangled her by now. Did you know that she told Mirabel that she couldn't have a Quince?"

"What, I thought that she didn't want a big party, that she wanted a small family dinner."

Julieta shook her head, "So did I until I found a notebook that she was using to plan her quince, she had to have been planning it for over a year, and Abuela shut her down."

"Ay…" that was all Agustin said, it was the only thing he could think of to say as Julieta let out a sigh.

"None of this would have happened if it wasn't for Mama," Julieta announced, "You heard Bruno, he left, he hid in the walls for ten years, because of Mama. Isabela is engaged to a man she doesn't love because of her. Luisa is literally working herself to death, because of her, and Mirabel is laying here, dying, because Mama was more worried about that… stupid candle and magic than her own Nieta!" Julieta hadn't even noticed that she had jumped out of her seat and was shouting until she felt Agustin's hand on her shoulder, trying to gently push her back into the chair she had just vacated.

…

Abuela Madrigal should go get something to eat, but at the same time she couldn't bear to face the crowd out there. She wasn't sure which crowd was worse, the crowd of villagers outside the church, or the crowd of family members inside.

Camilo especially was upset with her, refusing to look her in the eye and purposely going around the long way when he noticed that he would have to walk past her. Dolores would let out a little squeak whenever she came close. Luisa actually got up and found a new seat when Abuela had sat down next to her, and Isabela had leveled her with such a dark glare that she had turned herself around.

At the front of the church, Julieta was still tending to Mirabel's injuries, they must be pretty bad that she was still tending to her. She watched as her daughter angrily swiped at her eyes as Agustin knelt down next to her, offering her a handkerchief.

He was so good to her hija, who accepted the handkerchief and muttered something into her esposo chest as she allowed him to comfort her.

Agustin tensed suddenly as Julieta jumped up with what she could have sworn was a growl, "None of this would have happened if it wasn't for Mama," she announced, "You heard Bruno, he left, he hid in the walls for ten years, because of Mama. Isabela is engaged to a man she doesn't love because of her. Luisa is literally working herself to death, because of her, and Mirabel is laying here, dying, because Mama was more worried about that… stupid candle and magic than her own Nieta!" Agustin quickly placed a hand on Julieta's shoulders, forcing her back into the chair she had just vacated, but the damage was done.

"Mira's dying?" Antonio's voice broke the silence with a quiver, "But Lolo, you told me that she was asleep."

"You should have let Jose organize that search party when he offered," Camilo snarled, "If Mirabel dies, I'll never forgive you," he turned on his heels and stomped back outside, slamming the door behind him.

Julieta buried her head in her esposo's chest, her cheeks burning in embarrassment. She hadn't meant to call out her mama like that. In front of everyone. Especially not in front of Antonio, who she could still hear crying.

"Can you stay with Mirabel?" Julieta asked, "I don't want her to wake up alone, she's going to be confused as it is."

Agustin nodded his head, glancing at his youngest, "What should I do when she wakes up?"

"Fetch me," Julieta insisted, with a sigh, "Although I doubt that she will, I think she might have slipped into a coma."

…

"I want Mira," Antonio demanded, sticking his lips out as he stared out of large puppy dog eyes up at his mother.

"I know Mijo, I know."

"I don't want Mira to die."

"Neither do I," a new voice confessed, as Julieta knelt down next to him, "I'm sorry I upset you, Tonito. Mira was hurt pretty badly, and I was scared."

"Is Mira dying?"

"Maybe," Julieta confessed, "She was hurt really badly, and at the moment, she's in what's called a coma. That means that she was hurt so badly that her body put her into a deep sleep so it can heal. However, she can't eat or drink while she's asleep so…"

"If she doesn't wake up, she can starve to death in her sleep?" Antonio asked, concerned.

"Exactly, but if she wakes up, she'll be just…" Julieta trailed off, she wasn't going to lie to Antonio, not now, "she isn't going to be fine, but with help she'll be okay."

"She'll need help until she's all healed up."

"No Antonio," Julieta said, "Mira was hurt in a way that isn't going to heal."

"What do you mean?" Pepa demanded, certain that if she still had her gift that she would be thundering at the moment.

"Her back's broken, even if I had my gift, I've never been able to heal spinal cord injuries. If she survives, Mira will never walk again."

"But… how will Mira get around?" Antonio asked, confused, "Will she be stuck in bed the rest of her life?"

"No, we'll have to find a wheelchair, and I have no idea where to look for that, but with some changes around the house I think that she can have a fairly normal life."

…

"Her back's broken, even if I had my gift, I've never been able to heal spinal cord injuries. If she survives, Mira will never walk again." Julieta's words sent a soccer punch to Abuela's stomach, never walk again? Mirabel was only hurt because she hadn't sent out the search party when she had the chance, who was only out there in the first place because she thought that the familia would be better off without her. And she only thought that because she had told her that. Even sweet Julieta was blaming her, not that she could blame her. There had to be something she could do… something to make up for all those mistakes.

Heading outside had been a big mistake. No sooner had the door closed behind her did she got asked questions.

"Is Mira okay?" Senora Guzman asked.

"How's Mira?" Senora Silva, the seamstress, asked.

Alma Madrigal rose a hand up, "Mirabel was hurt pretty badly. She's in a coma at the moment, and there's a good chance that she's paralyzed from the waist down."

She wasn't sure what reaction she was expecting but it wasn't what she got. Senora Guzman shook her head, "She was so energetic and cheerful, I enjoyed watching her play with the kids around the trees. She was the one who wrote the pageant for Navidad last year, you know, directed it as well."

"And designed the costumes as well," Senora Silva added, "I also believe she wrote that one song for it, she's really talented. No wonder she was accepted into escuela de moda

I hope that this isn't going to prevent her from attending, although I am going to miss her. She's the best apprentice I've had. Very talented. She might just run me out of business after this."

"What…" Alma asked, blinking, she remembered the play the kids of the village had put on for Navidad, it had been a really good, it must have taken months to prepare. And the costumes were elegant, the angel's costume alone must have taken a week to make on its own. Mirabel had done all that? No wonder she was accepted to… "Wait, what are you talking about," she demanded, "What's the escuela de moda?"

"It's a school for seamstresses," Senora Silva explained, "I helped her apply to it, she earned a scholarship, not that she needed it. What with what she earns from helping in my shop, she made Antonio's outfit for his gift ceremony and helped design Luisa's Quniceneara dress. I was looking forward to seeing what she came up with for her own quince. I know that she was working on that dress for over a year now."

Abuela grimaced, she remembered Mirabel asking about her quince, and she had suggested doing a small family dinner. She had been so focused on preparing for Antonio's gift ceremony, wanting it to go perfect, that she had just brushed Mirabel to the side. No wonder Mirabel thought running away was the best option to do.