Chapter Six – Acceptance

6.1

As Mirabel took hold of the door knob, she looked back at her mother and her grandmother and she saw the anxiety but eagerness. "Let me go forward first and make sure he's okay?" she asked as she looked back to the older women. She stepped into the fog before moving forwards to where she could see Pedro sitting in the white mist. "Abuelito," Mirabel grinned as she looked at her grandfather and he smiled to her. "Are you sure that you're ready? I brought my mama too, if you're ready to see her?"

"Think that I'll live up to expectations, Nieta?" he asked as he gently moved his fingers through her hair. Since he was a spirit he was unable to touch her properly but Mirabel could imagine what that gesture would feel like.

She waited for him to calm the room before standing there next to Mirabel, well as much standing as a spirit can do. Alma came forwards with tears in her eyes as Julieta gasped and covered her mouth.

"Pedro," Alma smiled as she stood in front of the man she would always love most. "You scared me last time, if you feel weak then you must tell me. I would rather you save your energy. You have to tell me if there is any weakness."

"I will, mi amor, I will," he said to her and she smiled to him before they all turned to look at Julieta. "Hello," he said as he came towards her. "Julieta, it's nice to formally reunite with you once again," he said and Julieta nodded slowly. "I apologize for not making my presence known be-"

"No, Papa. I am just so happy that I get to see you again in any form," Julieta said before laughing and wiping a tear from her eye. "I should have known that there was something special about the casita, that it was protecting all of us. Every time either me or one of my own babies nearly hurt themselves, you were there to protect them. Even Augustine although he -"

"Bees are not my specialty," Pedro joked and Julieta nodded. She felt strange that she was older now than this vision of her father but he had died so young. He had died without being able to get older and as she took in the way that he looked, she was a little scared about the scarf that was wrapped around his neck, she didn't want to see what would happen if it was taken off.

"I…I wanted to show you my magic," Julieta said before taking a roll from her pocket. "I know that you can't hold it but I wanted to show you what I could do. My baking and my food, they can heal people from ailments. It's been saving lives. I just wish -"

"I am happy to see that. A life may be lost every so often but it is the family and the ties and the memories that remain after death that is most important. My sacrifice is not the greatest part of my life, my greatest parts are meeting your mother and being the father to three glorious babies," he said before reaching out to take the roll but as his hand touched it, it glowed and he found he could take it.

"I didn't….how is this…you can hold it?" Alma asked before reaching to touch the hand which held the roll and found it to be more of a solid but his wrist was still that of a spirit. Alma saw Pedro smile as he let his fingers spread and she slipped them inside of his with the roll still in his hand.

"I'm going to try to eat it," he said as he looked back to Julieta who nodded. "I don't know if it will work, I've never connected as a human with the world before but…I want to try."

"Yes, go ahead and try, I have always loved your bravery," Alma encouraged him and Pedro nodded before biting into the roll and as he consumed the entire thing, his entire body glowed. Alma took a slow breath before wrapping her arms around him and both of them laughed as they finally were able to connect as people. Pedro turned to Julieta and Mirabel, encouraging each of them to join the hug and they both ran to embrace him.

After two minutes, the solid state faded and the women drew back, knowing that there was nothing to hold onto anymore. Alma turned to Pedro who had turned and she couldn't tell if he was laughing or crying.

"Papa?" Julieta asked as she moved forwards but Alma was fastest.

"Are you hurt? Was that too much? I don't want it to be too much, my love. Do you need us to leave?" Alma looked from Mirabel to Julieta. "Let's let him heal."

"I'm fine, truly," Pedro said as he looked back at them. "I am just…happy to feel more involved within this family. To hold you, it's something I have wanted for such a long time but even if my body can feed itself on its own magic, I can never come back outside of this room," he said before gesturing to the white scarf around his neck.

"There is no remedy on earth that can attach ones head," he said bluntly. "And those men with their machetes can do an awful job in detaching It," he said. Mirabel moved towards her mother who hugged her and Alma shivered. She had seen that happen to Pedro and sometimes still had nightmares where it happened again.

Mirabel looked down and then looked up at her grandfather, "How about…"

"No." Pedro said firmly. "I do not want to change that. Our magic is not to be broken for the sake of all who wish to survive here."

Alma stared at him silently before nodding in agreement. She now knew that the only way Pedro would leave that room were if he drew all of the magic, every single piece, back to him but he refused to do that and she admired that choice.

Pedro turned to Alma with a small but sad smile. "I am sorry, my love, I feel I'm losing my energy already but I promise to grow next time and just to touch you, to have that sensation, thank you."

Alma closed her eyes and nodded she looked into Pedro's eyes again before shooing the family out of the room. As she stood there in the room alone with him, she took a deep breath in. "I love you," she said as she took hold of the key and then allowed the door to separate them again. Alma placed her hand against the wall as the door disappeared and felt the heartbeat of the wall which meant that despite him not being visible, Pedro was still there with them.

6.2

Mirabel was sitting in the middle of the front outside of the house and she felt as if she could bask in the sun. Although Pepa had the power of controlling the weather, it was really Pedro who had given this magic to everyone and that maybe if he took it away then he would be able to get back to them properly but he would prefer to share that magic and to keep the family and all the people in the village safe.

Mirabel closed her eyes and took a deep breath in as she listened to the sound of the breeze through the trees. She smiled softly before freezing as she opened her eyes and saw a small boy sitting there watching her. "You've got a secret," Antonio said with a cute smile.

Mirabel laughed, "And what might that be, my little friend?" she asked and Antonio tilted his head to the side.

"I think I understand what your power is," he said and Mirabel looked up at the sky and then back to the house. Could it be possible that Antonio did know all about Pedro? It was right for them to all know in time but this wasn't her secret to tell. Fortunately it wasn't Dolores who was approaching her wanting information but Antonio, someone who was more open minded and wanted to do the best for everyone, not just himself.

"What do you think it is? Do you think I should tell you if you're right?" Mirabel grinned to him.

Antonio hummed, "I don't think that you take care of the wood and the structure of the home. I think that you take care of the casita's heart. That's why you control the doorknob because the casita is alive and takes care of all of us and that's your friend. And I think that's a great friend to have because your gift is to help protect everyone and protect the magic by protecting Casita."

"See, I knew you were really smart," Mirabel said before hugging Antonio and tickling him. "Yes, just like you have the ability to talk to animals, I can speak to casita and learn more about the history of the Encanto and I think that we share that passion. Casita has always wanted to protect us as well."

"I hope that more people can see how amazing you are," Antonio said before looking at the rats that were following him and he looked up with a smile. "Oh no, I forgot. I'm sorry, I'll go and hide now."

"Hide?" Mirabel asked as she looked at the rats a little confused. Was he hiding from Bruno? What had happened between the two of them? Were there things that she wasn't seeing since she had been so preoccupied with Pedro.

"Yeah, I promised Bruno I'd play hide and seek with him but then I saw you and I forgot to hide. I know Tio Bruno won't be angry with me but I don't want to stop the fun," he said and Mirabel smiled before looking around again.

"I don't see him anywhere so you still have time," Mirabel said.

One of the mice looked to Antonio and squeaked again, Mirabel looked from the mouse to Antonio.

"He says that I've got some time because Dolores wants to know which mouse has amnesia," Antonio said and Mirabel stared at him and blinked hard. Was this to do with the telenovela that Bruno had concocted in his head. Why did Dolores have such an interest in that?

End of Chapter Six

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