After everyone regained their special gifts, the Madrigal family held a full week-long celebration to mark the new chapter in their lives. The entire town is covered in brilliant lights and streamers. Kids around the town carry lit sparklers, giggling and laughing. Mirabel walks among the people in the town, dancing a bit to the distant music playing from various music stalls around the town. Soon enough, she has a group of kids following her, pestering her with so many questions about her and her family. She answers each question to the best of her ability, starting to feel overwhelmed. She glances up in alarm, adjusting her round green glasses as she notices a figure unhooking a string of lights. They swing down like it's a rope and grab her up, rescuing her from the relentless questioning. The two of them land in a hay covered wagon. Mirabel brushes hay out of her dark curly hair, laughing as her cousin pops up beside her, shaking hay out of his hair.
"Thanks for the rescue, Camilo. Those kids sure have a lot of questions for me." He grins, laying back against the hay with his hands behind his head.
"I avoid them by pretending to be one of the villagers, it gets pretty hard though." The wagon bumps along the rocky trail gently, swaying the two back and forth like a small boat out at sea.
"Well at least you can do that. I, in case you forgot, do not have the ability to shapeshift." Camilo does not respond, his gaze watching the strings of lights. Each light reflects shimmering against the deep darkness of his pupils.
After a while of riding in the hay wagon, Mirabel finally speaks up, a smile on her face. "I bet the others would enjoy this. Laying out on a hay wagon, just looking at the festive scenery and relaxing." She sighs contentedly, laying back onto the hay and curling up slightly. Camilo takes notice and props his head up on one of his arms.
"Feeling tired, primita? I can always ask the driver to take us home." She stretches her stiff limbs, adjusting her glasses.
"Nah, there's still so much Festival de Madrigal to see. Let's go find something fun to do so I won't fall asleep!" He simply shrugs, running his fingers through his soft, light brown curls as he turns to the driver.
"Óye, take us to the plaza, por favor." The wagon driver gives a thumbs up, turning the wagon and stopping at the edge of the plaza. Isabela and Dolores were dancing together in the plaza, awing the crowd with their graceful enthusiasm. Mirabel hops off of the wagon, dragging Camilo with her.
"Hey! Dolores! Isa!" The girls stop dancing, turning towards their siblings who were running towards them. Well, more like Mirabel running and Camilo trying to keep up. "Mind if we join in? We're looking for something fun to do," Mirabel asks, causing the two older girls to look at each other with goofy smiles.
"Okay, Mira, okay. You too, Camilo." Isabela invites, offering her hands. Dolores does the same, and the siblings pair up and start dancing. Separate from their cousins, yet together.
Once the four finish dancing, they are all left breathing heavily.
"Hey… we all… did pretty good…" Dolores remarks through breaths, an airy laugh leaving her body. Mirabel fixes her crooked glasses, focusing her gaze on them to the best of her ability.
"I'm beat, I think it's time I go home." She remarks, the others turning to look at her.
"Already? You're the one who said there's still a lot of the festival to see." Camilo crosses his arms, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, that's not exactly the only reason. I kinda promised Abuela I would take Bruno out to the village tomorrow to enjoy Festival de Madrigal. I gotta get a good night's sleep so that he can stay out as long as he wants." The two older girls look at each other in confusion.
"Can he not go out by himself?" Isabela asks, picking at her long nails.
"Abuela's worried for him, he was coughing a lot this morning. She's scared he's coming down with something, but she doesn't want him to miss the festival either. Sooo, I offered to take him!" Mirabel shrugs with a big smile on her face. Dolores stands still a moment before leaning in closer to her little cousin, her voice down low.
"Primita, that's not exactly why she wants you to go with him. It's definitely part of the reason, but not fully. She's also concerned he won't be able to handle going out on his own just yet since he has been living in the walls on his own for so long. Plus, the general caution the entire town has around him just doesn't go away overnight." Her gaze drops as Dolores finishes speaking, feeling her heart sink.
"I hope he doesn't feel too awkward around town that he doesn't enjoy himself." She sighs, crossing her arms. Her prima gives her a soft smile, ruffling her curly hair.
"I'm sure it'll be fine. He trusts you more than he does us, so as long as you stick by him, it'll be okay." Dolores's eyes widen as Mirabel hugs her suddenly, but she's quick to return the gesture.
"Thank you, Dolores. I'm gonna head back now!" She smiles at all of them, turning to walk back down the path, a little groove in her step as she returns to dancing to the far-off instruments. She looks back as she hears soft footsteps following her.
"Mind if I come too? I think I hurt myself a little dancing." Isa smiles, leaving a trail of wild flower petals behind.
"Of course, sis. You gonna go see mom?" She nods in response. The two sisters joke and laugh as they continue down the path back to their Casita.
