Waiting on a Miracle
"Pepa, you have a cloud," Lusimine said to a thundering Mallow.
"I know, but now we can't find Harper or Sarah! What do you want from me?" she yelled and stormed off.
Moon stepped into the nursery, the room she'd had to stay in when Casita removed her door. As soon as she did, she could hear giggles coming from under her bed.
"Everyone's looking for you two," she said, putting her head on the floor to peek at the two girls who were now covering each other's mouths in an attempt to shush the other. "Come on, why are you hiding?"
"What if it doesn't work?" one of the twins blurted out.
"What if the magic is dying?" said the other.
"The magic's not dying," Moon said reassuringly. "And in the impossible scenario where you two don't get a Gift… I guess you'll have to stay here with me." Then she added in a whisper, "Forever…"
Harper and Sarah giggled again as the floorboards started to push a little alarm clock towards Moon.
"It's okay, Casita, we're going," Moon said. Casita moved Moon to her feet and rolled the girls out from under the bed anyway.
The musicians played, everyone in the village arrived, each greeted in turn by Hau, children ran about with sparklers or threw flower petals about.
Behind the curtains where Harper and Sarah would emerge from, the two girls were being hugged by their older sister, Lana.
"You girls are going to do great!" she said, squeezing them tightly due to her super strength. Moon stood aside, waiting for the ceremony to officially start.
When it did, Lana retreated to where the rest of the Madrigals were in the crowd, the curtains opened, and the girls, their arms linked, walked out onto the red tiles that Casita had rolled out for them. They walked together up to Madam Lusimine who was holding the Miracle Candle. They touched the waxy surface, Lusimine said a few words, and everyone held their breath in anticipation, waiting to see what would happen.
The girls touched their doorknobs, their doors being side-by-side, and a Toucannon appeared out of nowhere, landing on Harper's (?) arm. The twins gasped together.
"Uh-huh, uh-huh, I understand you!" Harper said happily. "Of course they can come!"
"You can understand Pokémon?" Sarah shrieked.
Harper pointed to Sarah's feet eagerly and yelped, "You're floating!"
Lusimine faced the crowd of people and announced, "We have two new Gifts!"
The crowd roared with delight, clapping and cheering for the two girls.
"Madrigal's, come, come! We need a picture!" Lusimine said. "Ready?"
"La familia Madrigal!" everyone said.
Moon felt a pit open up in her chest as she watched her family from behind the curtain of flowers.
"Don't be upset or mad at all," she said.
"Don't feel regret or sad at all.
"Hey, I'm still apart of the family Madrigal
"And I'm fine, I am totally fine
"I will stand on the side as you shine.
"I'm not fine, I'm not fine…
"I can't move the mountains
"I can't make the flowers bloom
"I can't take another night up in my room
"Waiting on a miracle.
"I can't heal what's broken
"Can't control the morning rain or a hurricane
"Can't keep down the unspoken invisible pain
"Always waiting on a miracle, a miracle.
"Always walking alone
"Always wanting for more
"Like I'm still at that door
"Longing to shine like all of you shine.
"All I need is a change
"All I need is a chance
"All I know is I can't stay on the side
"Open your eyes
"Open your eyes
"Open your eyes!
"I would move the mountains
"Make new trees and flowers grow!
"Someone please just let me know,
"Where do I go?
"I am waiting on a miracle, a miracle!
"I would heal what's broken
"Show this family something new!
"Who I am inside
"So what can I do?
"I'm sick of waiting on a miracle
"So here I go!
"I am ready!
"Come on, I'm ready!
"I've been patient and steadfast and steady!
"Bless me now as you blessed us all those years ago
"When you gave us a miracle!
"Am I too late for a miracle?"
By now, everyone had gone into one of the girls new rooms, probably dancing to the music Moon could hear echoing around Casita. She stepped forward to follow everyone up the stairs, but stopped as a roof tile fell at her feet.
Frowning, Moon picked up the broken piece of tile, only to slice her hand on the side of it.
"Ouch!" Ugly cracks started to appear on the walls of the house, the bricks rattling. "Um, Casita?!" Moon said in a panicked voice. The cracks surrounded the window where the candle sat, the magical flame flickered and the magical doors mimicked.
Moon ran up the stairs into Harper's room—which was mostly a jungle—and yelled out to her family.
"The house is in danger!" she cried, and the music slowly died as she pushed through the crowd to reach Lusimine.
"There were cracks everywhere, the house was breaking… and the candle nearly went out!" she said.
"…Show me," Lusimine told her.
Moon led her, and the entire party, back into the main court of the Casita.
"What?" she said in disbelief. The cracks had all but vanished. "The cracks were here… they were everywhere…" All of the Madrigals were rolling their eyes or shaking their heads. "Lusimine, I swear—"
"That's enough!" Madam Lusimine cut her off sternly.
