Mirabel was wondering if she was caught in a hellish loop when she awoke once again in her bed with Tia Pepa sitting at her side. However, the stony look on her tia's face told her that something awful but different had happened. When Pepa saw her awake, her whole face brightened.

"Mira! Oh, mi amor, I am so happy you are alright." she said, enveloping her in a hug. Mirabel looked around the room and saw her things in boxes and she could faintly hear sobbing and yelling from elsewhere in the casita.

"What's going on?" she asked and Pepa looked at the floor. "Tia Pepa, is Abuela throwing me out?"

"No!" said Pepa fiercely "You will always have a home here as long as I am alive, Mirabel. However, Julietta and Augustin said they will not tolerate your treatment any longer. They are leaving. Dolores and Luisa are going with them. You will go with them too if that's what you want, mi querida." Pepa's hand was warm on her face and her eyes wide and brimming with tears.

"Tia Pepa, don't cry," said Mirabel as she saw the clouds form above Pepa's head and the raindrops hit her. "I'll talk to Mama. I'll make her see reason and she'll change her mind. She can't abandon her family-"

"Oh Mirabel, you are her family," sobbed Pepa. "you have been so good, so wonderful, but still you were ignored. Julietta would rather lose everything; her mother, her home, even her gift as long as you could be happy and have a chance at a good life."

"But she will lose Isabela," said Mirabel, tears forming in her own eyes. "Isa will never leave the casita. She will never leave Abuela. How is that fair? Mama loses a daughter, perhaps two because Luisa will only do what she thinks will make Mama happy, Abuela loses her daughter, and you lose a daughter and a sister. Tia, what can I do to fix this?"

Pepa was quiet and the rain slowly stopped. She tried to stop her own tears when she felt her tia's thin arms embrace her.

"What did we ever do to deserve you?" she whispered "you are truly the golden child. Everyone treats you as if you are cursed or diseased and somehow you are still concerned with what happens to us. You are right. I have felt like a piece of me has been gone since Bruno left. I don't know what will happen to me if I lose Julietta and Dolores too. Or you and Luisa for that matter."

"Where is Mama? I have to talk to her." asked Mirabel putting on her fiercest face and she saw the faintest gleam of pride on her tia's face.

"In la cocina," she said and Mirabel jumped out of bed. Casita banged open the door for her and the tiles swept her to the kitchen faster than she ever thought possible.

"MAMA! We can't leave, we can't abandon the family!" she gasped as she burst through the door, and the whole family who had seemingly gathered in the kitchen to try to talk Julietta out of her decision stopped their argument to stare at her. Julietta marched toward her and turned her back around toward the door.

"Go back to Pepa, Mirabel," she said gruffly "I will not leave you unprotected while we pack. I don't trust them not to hold you hostage to force me to stay."

"But, mama, we can't just give up! This is our home, this is our family-"

"And it ceased to be both the moment you were threatened!" snapped Julietta, scaring Mirabel into silence. Her mother was gentle and kind and never raised her voice. " I love you, Mirabel. You are my daughter. My own mother tried to pay your father, mi esposo, to leave with you. She brainwashed your sister to believe you were a blemish on this family. She has neglected and harmed you since you failed her at five years old. She does not deserve my love any longer and she certainly does not deserve yours. And i will not stay in a home that praises this abuse another moment than is necessary!"

"And what if el Dios felt that way," gasped Mirabel recalling her conversation with la Virgen. "He would have abandoned all of us long ago, when Abuela and Abuelo were fleeing their homes. We wouldn't have received our family's miracle. He forgives all our shortcomings and gives us His favor. Our faith commands us to do the same for others."

Julietta literally looked stunned, and Mirabel knew she was recalling all the nights she'd read to Mirabel and her sisters out of her Bible.

"Mama, I am ok." said Mirabel "if we have to leave, can we wait until after Isabela's wedding? I want you to see your child married and happy. I'll stay by Luisa and Pepa's side the whole time until then. I'll be safe." she took her mother's hand and looked deep in her eyes. "Please, mama. Please do this for me"

Julietta paused, looking unsure, but seeing the pleading in Mirabel's eyes, she sighed.

"Ok,ok, mi vida, we will stay. But," she continued at her daughter's joyous expression, "only until after Isabela's wedding and you must keep your promise to stay either by your sister or your tia's side until then."

"I will, mama, I promise!" squealed Mirabel, throwing her arms around her mother's waist.

"Excellent," said Abuela clapping her hands together " now that all this nonsense is settled, we can get back to normal, Julietta-"

"I am only doing this for my daughters' sake, mama," hissed Julietta, pinning Abuela with a withering glance. "I am not doing this for you. Nothing is going back to normal. You will not speak to Mirabel unless I or Pepa are present, you will stay away from the nursery, and you will not ask anything of me. If you break these conditions, I will leave and take Mirabel and Luisa with me, no matter what arguments they have about the matter."

Abuela stared at her daughter in stunned silence. It was clear Julietta had never defied her but in that moment, it became very clear all the lines Abuela had crossed that her daughter was unwilling to forgive.

"Mama-" started Isabela walking towards them. Mirabel immediately felt herself pulled behind the massive bulk of her sister Luisa. Isa looked stunned and a little hurt but continued, "Please don't be angry with abuela. It's true, perhaps we've all been too hard on Mirabel, but we can fix that. She can help embroider the dresses and linens for the wedding. No one can sew like Mirabel."

Isabela had her arms outstretched as if she wanted her mother to embrace her but Julietta stood with an expression of stone, her arms crossed beneath her bosom.

"If Mirabel wants to help you she can, but the same stipulations apply to you, Isabela," she said with a tight voice as if holding back tears. "Pepa or Luisa must be with her, you will not say cruel things to her. And you need to ask Mirabel if you want her help instead of just assuming she'll do it." Isabela's entire face fell but she turned to Mirabel and looked under Luisa's arm where she was tucked.

"Mirabel?" she asked tentatively, as she was unused to addressing her little sister gently "will you help with the embroidery for the wedding? It's a lot, I know, and I'll pay you what I can, but I know you would make everything so beautiful."

"You don't have to pay me, Isa," said Mirabel quietly, " I'll help you but not because I want your money; I'll help you because you are my sister and I love you, in spite of everything and I just want you to be happy."

Isabela's eyes brimmed with tears although they didn't fall. She went to hug Mirabel, but Luisa gently pushed her back.

" That's close enough, Isa," she said gruffly "I still don't trust her around you after the vine incident."

"It's ok, Luisa," said Mirabel, ducking out from under her sister's arm and approaching the other. " she won't hurt me."

She wrapped her arms around Isabela's neck and pulled her close.

"I forgive you, Isa, with all my heart." she whispered into her eldest sister's ear " please look in your own heart. Mend our bond before our familia suffers for the sin of pride. I love you, Isabela. Mi Hermana mayor."

She managed to plant a kiss on Isabela's shellshocked cheek before Luisa pulled her away to usher her upstairs back to Pepa. she locked eyes with her sister, desperately hoping that she understood the message she was giving her. The tears in Isabela's eyes told her that she did.