Chapter Six: Lunch

I sighed as I watched Dolores leave, before glancing around my room again. I still couldn't believe that I had my very own room. A room that wasn't the nursery. Which was great, I wanted my own room, and some privacy for some time now, and now I finally got it. I pinched myself, hoping to prove to myself that I wasn't dreaming. I wasn't, so I pulled myself up off the bed and made my way to my wardrobe, opening it.

I had several dresses and skirts, but I couldn't find my favorite one. The blue skirt with all the embroidery on it. I chuckled a little, of course, I couldn't find it. It's been five years, I no doubt outgrew it. So what did I have instead?

I had several skirts, blue ones, green ones, and even a pink one with a poodle on it, which seemed more like what Luisa would wear than what I would wear, but oh well, it was there. The problem was that they were all plain skirts, no embroidery once so ever on any of them. I guess that my sense of fashion has changed in the last five years or so.

I flipped through the skirts until I came across a blue and green striped skirt, there were three identical skirts, so obviously I preferred this one, and often wore it. I grabbed one of them and pulled it on, before pawing through my blouses, finally settling on a plain white one. Grown-up me didn't have good taste in clothing, obviously.

I shut my wardrobe and looked around the room, trying to get myself familiar with it. By the step to the dance floor was a coat rack, and on the coat rack was a green rauna that was heavily embroidered. Finally, a piece of clothing that wasn't plain and boring. I eagerly pulled it on over my head before turning to the full-length mirror.

Blue and Green, Julieta and Bruno, this was so confusing. If Bruno was my papa why was I wearing blue, that was Julieta's color, yet if Bruno didn't want me why was I wearing green, which was his color?

I shook my head, Bruno had mentioned that I called him Papi, and Agustin Papa, which makes sense, I guess. Maybe? Why in the world would I call the man who abandon me, Papi? Isn't that disloyal to the man who raised me? What about Luisa and Isabela? Was this why Isabela was always so rude to me? Because I wasn't her real sister?

I wasn't getting anywhere with my questions, just standing there, and I really needed to do something with my hair before it knotted. I went over to my vanity and discovered a beautiful butterfly hair clip with green and blue gems on it. I pulled my hair up using it, and looking at the mirror, I discovered that I looked older now.

…

I hadn't meant to eavesdrop, honestly, I hadn't, but when I walked into the kitchen to see what I could do to help, knowing perfectly well that I'd be told that they didn't need my help, thank you very much, I overheard Mama talking to Tio Bruno. Mama talking to Papi? It had something to do with someone blaming themselves for something, but they quickly changed the subject when they noticed that I was there. After lunch, they wanted to talk to me. Answer my questions. Explain why Bruno did what he did. Was it really like what Dolores said, had Bruno been doing what he thought was best at the time?

"Who blames herself for what?" I asked as a way to let them know that I'm there.

Mama and Tio Bruno looked at each other, having one of those secret conversations that adults have.

"Nothing," Mama insisted, giving me a quick peck on the cheek, "How are you doing?"

"Still really confused," I admitted, "I tried sorting it all out but nothing really makes sense."

"That's understandable," Tio Bruno confessed, "There are times that I'm still confused by all the changes that have happened, and I'm not missing five years of memories."

I shifted slightly, I really wanted to ask them about what I just learned, I mean, if Mama wasn't my mama then who was? But I wasn't sure how to bring it up. Luckily for me, Mama must have known what I was thinking because she spoke up.

"How about after lunch we sit down and talk, just the three of us."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea," I admitted.

…

I leaned back as I looked at the table, fully set and ready for the family, who was starting to trickle in from wherever they were. Dolores appeared with a toddler on her hip, Mariano wrapped around her.

"Hola Mirabel," Mariano said softly, "Dolores told me what's going on, just letting you know that if you need anything, let me know."

"Thanks, Mariano," I said, not sure what to think about that.

There was a loud whoop as a blur of color tackled her, "Mira, you feeling any better?"

I blinked, noting that the blur of color was Isabela, who was wearing a black button shirt and dark green pants, her hair spiked, each tip dark green.

"Not really," I admitted, "I'm more confused than I've ever been, but I'm having a conversation with Mama and Tio after lunch, so maybe that will help."

"I hope so," Isabela insisted, "Just remember, I'll always be your hermana, no matter what."

"Do you realize how odd that sounds to me?" I insisted, "My last memory with you, at least I think it is my last memory with you, my memories are kind of scrambled at the moment, was you telling me that I wasn't a real Madrigal or your sister, and that was before we knew that I was adopted," suddenly a thought popped into my head, "How long did you know about my adoption?"

"I was the one that discovered that Mama and Papa were lying about your birth," Isabela explained, "After the earthquake, I was helping clear the rubble out of Casita when I found Mama's journal from your birth."

"You read Mama's journal? Isa!"

"No, I didn't, I swear, the picture fell out when I picked it up," Isabela insisted, "Trust me, I didn't read her journal."

"For once in her life," Luisa's voice grunted as she entered the dining room, dressed in a wide pink skirt with a prancing unicorn on it and a white blouse, her hair pulled up in a high pony with a pink hair ribbon in it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Isabela demanded.

"Come on, it's common knowledge that you read both mine and Mira's diaries, multiple times," Luisa insisted, "I wouldn't be surprised if you've read Dolores's a couple of times."

I stared at Luisa before turning to Isabela, "You read my diary?" I demanded.

"Well, you see… I had no choice," Isabela exclaimed, "You wouldn't talk to anyone, and something was obviously bugging you, and I just wanted to help and so… yes, I read your diary."

"Isa!" I cried out, my face burning bright red, those were my own private thoughts, and she totally invaded them. I couldn't believe it.

"Mira!" a new voice called out as a boy with thick curly hair rushed over and hugged me, "You're here, I thought you were going to be gone all day!"

I blinked at the yellow-clad boy, "Antonio?" I guessed.

"Yep," Tonito insisted, beaming up at me, "Why are you acting so surprised?"

"Mira hit her head and can't remember anything from the past five years or so," Dolores explained, placing a toddler down as she walked in.

"Oh…" Tonito said, "You don't remember anything?"

"Last I checked you weren't quite four yet," I pointed out.

"Well, I'm nine now, but I'm almost ten, just a couple of weeks now, but don't worry, we're still best friends." Tonito was just so darn cute.

"Wow, practically grown up," I said, "and I'm glad that we're still close."

"Yeah, only you don't spend a lot of time with me, you're always with your Papi or Hermanas recently, why is that."

"You know perfectly well that that is because you are in school," Tia said, entering the room wrapped in Tio Felix's arms.

"Oh," Tonito said, "That makes sense."

"Hey," I said, "Maybe we can hang out later, okay?"

"After lunch?"

"I have to talk to Papi and Mama after lunch," I said, "We have some things that we need to talk about. Then I need to have a chat with Isabela about reading my diary."

"Hey!"

"She's read your diary again? You'd think that she'd learn the last time," a new voice called out as Camilo arrived.

I glanced at my primo, who was only a couple of months older than me and was now several inches taller than me as well.

"I haven't read it since the last time she caught me," Isabela insisted, throwing her hands up in the air, "I promise, it's her memory, and Luisa bringing up that I read her journal before."

"Yet she claims that she didn't read Mama's when she found it in the wreckage."

"I didn't!"

"She really didn't," Dolores insisted, as Mama and Tio Bruno entered the room carrying the food.

"Didn't do what?" Tio asked, glancing at them with a knowing look as if he knew what was going on but didn't want to mention it out loud.

"Read Mama's journal when I found it."

"No, you didn't, at least not back then. I wouldn't be surprised if you've read it since then." Mama said, giving Isabela a look as the whole family was called for lunch.

There was lots of shouting and general mayhem as they all sat down, Antonio claiming the seat to the right of me and Luisa and Isabela fighting over the other seat.

"Honestly, ninas, must you fight over who sits next to your hermana every meal?" Abuela called out, as Tio Bruno slipped into the open seat next to me.

"And I always get to claim the seat next to my hija because those two always fight over who sits next to you," he said, smiling at me.

"Oh come on Tio, again?" Isabela groaned, as she finally sat down.

"Does this happen very often?" I asked, glancing at Luisa and Isabela.

"Every single meal," Dolores admitted.

I nodded, dishing myself up before passing it to Tonito, "I see, do you know how weird that is?"

"Thank goodness she's forgotten about my reading her diary," Isabela muttered under her breath. I think she was just thinking out loud, or maybe talking to Dolores who was busy dishing up a plate for her son at the opposite side of the table, but I heard it too.

"No, Isa, I haven't forgotten that Luisa told me that you've read my diary," I said, "I'm just curious about how everyone was so sure that you didn't read Mama's?"

"Because," it was Papa who spoke up, after having Mama whisper something into his ears, no doubt explaining my lack of memories at the moment, "She demanded to know about your twin brother."