The family worried about Mirabel as she began to eat less and sleep more, always in Brunos room and almost always covered in rats, trying to comfort her. They felt bad about losing Bruno's trail about a mile up the river.
It had been nearly nine days since Bruno had left, and the men were becoming increasingly discouraged about actually finding him. He had to be far away by now.
Julieta and Augustín frequently asked Dolores what was going on with Mirabel, wondering if their daughter was alright. More frequently than not, her answer was a simple, "she's crying, again."
One day, as Mirabel was sitting on the stairs, Luisa was trying to comfort her by playing a song on the piano. Mirabel tried to smile at her sister. Her family had been amazingly supportive, and she knew that she would have to make it up to them somehow. This had to be just as hard on them.
She felt so selfish when they tried to make her feel better. He was family. Of course everyone was worried. They finally got him back, and she had hurt him so badly, that he had left again.
Her dad had just entered the courtyard, ready to break the news to his daughter that they had to call off the search party, when they heard a knock on the door.
He hurried forward and opened the door a bit, asking if he could help the people. He spoke with a man for a few minutes, following the stranger down the path a ways. After a minute or so, he hurried back to the door and stuck his head in.
"Get your má! They found him, but he isn't in very good shape!"
Luisa jumped to her feet and spoke firmly.
"You go check on him, Mirabel, I'll get mamá!"
As she hurried towards her parent's room, Mirabel made a mental note to repay her sister beautifully later. She hurried outside, past her papá and up to the wagon that Bruno now laid unconscious on. He was surrounded by three people she had never seen before.
He laid on his side and she approached from behind, terrified of what she could already see. His hair was dull and tangled splayed out like vines grass and small twigs adorning it. She could see claw marks on an arm and along his back. Dried blood covered his shirt, and he also had what looked like a snake bite, on his side near his hip.
She stepped up closer to see that the wounds were infected and red hot with fever. She hurried around the wagon and he looked even worse from the front.
Her stomach fell to the floor as her heart stopped. His breathing was erratic and unsteady, one eye swollen shut and purple, a large gash across his chest and another cut near his temple, dried blood dripping down his face.
His legs and right hand looked mangled with purple, swollen wounds and broken bones. Even the small cut on his bottom lip was deep enough to be dangerous.
She finally snapped out of her shock and spoke quickly.
"We have to get him inside, he's dehydrated and he's lost a lot of blood."
She hadn't realized that most of the family had come outside, and now Luisa spoke up from behind her.
"Watch out, sis, I'll get him."
She moved quickly and let her sister pick him up. Luisa moved deliberately and as gently as possible. Isabela helped to stable his head until Luisa had him steady. As she walked inside, slowly and carefully, Mirabel turned to the strangers, tears now streaming down her face in a display of absolute relief.
"Please come inside, let us make dinner for you. It's not much, but, we have to thank you for finding him!"
The man stepped forward and pat her hand between his and he handed her the familiar, green ruana, a sad smile on his face.
"Thank you, young lady, but we have to go. We're on our way home, and our family is waiting for us. We're just glad that we found his town so easily."
His wife spoke up from the other wagon.
"I'll be honest, I thought we might lose him there for a while. Luckily, a man down the road recognized him and sent us your way."
Mirabel and Augustín both hugged the people, and they turned to go, waving goodbye as the trio disappeared down the road.
Once inside, Julieta was trying to figure out how to feed her brother, seeing that he was unconscious. Mirabel thought for a minute, before she took one of the dinner rolls and she tore it up into tiny pieces before she filled a glass with water and added the food, using a fork to mix and tear until it was a liquidy sort of paste.
She added a bit more water so that it would flow easier and she asked her mamá to tilt his chin up so that his throat would open, and she carefully poured the mixture in, taking her time so as not to choke him.
They kept at this for several long minutes that felt like hours, when finally, he began to stir and the wounds began to disappear one by one. Fading, closing and healing. Julieta sighed with relief as Luisa took him to rest in Mirabel's old room. It was the least awkward place for him to lay down for now.
Pepa took care to wash him up and change him into a pair of Augustín's sleep pants, and she disposed of his torn and bloody clothes.
As Mirabel set the glass down, she realized that her hands were shaking. No, her entire body was trembling with relief but also with sorrow. He never would have gotten hurt if it weren't for her.
She nearly spilled the little water that was left, when her mamá laid her hands over her daughter's, steadying her. She took the young woman in her arms, and she held her tightly.
She didn't say a word or try to stop her tears, she just held her, rubbing her back soothingly and kissing the top of her head. She knew that Mirabel needed this, needed to get it out, and that's what she was here for.
As a mother, her job was to love and protect her children. And right now, letting her daughter cry was the best way to help her.
Mirabel cried for nearly an hour, as different family members took turns holding her or getting her a drink of water. Felíx eventually scooped her up and carried her to the courtyard for some fresh air. Her face was so red and her eyes were swelling. The cold floor tiles and the cooler evening breezes would help.
He set her down in the middle of the floor and her family joined her, all sitting on the cool tile. She glanced around, and she realized that she hadn't been the only one crying. Most of them had varying degrees of red or puffy eyes.
Mirabel hugged her knees close and bit her lip. Her voice was weak and it quivered a bit.
"I'm sorry everyone. None of this would have happened if I had just chosen my words better. It was my fault he left. My fault he got hurt. He could've..."
She couldn't finish the thought as a fresh onslaught of tears threatened to make an appearance. Surprisingly, Abuela came down the stairs, a look of gentle understanding on her weathered face.
"But he didn't. Because of you. If you hadn't have come up with a solution when you did, we easily could have lost him tonight."
She took her granddaughter's hands and pulled her to her feet, giving her a hug.
"Because of you, my little Brunito can continue living. Thank you, Mirabel, for saving a life today."
The family all stood and surrounded her in a giant group hug, thanking her for thinking on her toes. And finally, the tears came. But this time, they were tears of joy and gratitude. She really did have the best family ever.
Everyone had a very late dinner, and most of them headed to bed, finally relaxed enough to sleep, knowing that Bruno was home and safe.
Mirabel got dressed for bed, but she couldn't sleep. She headed out to the hall, and she sat on the banister that encircled the courtyard. She leaned against the pillar, mentally exhausted from everything that had happened today.
But now what? Did Bruno still care for her? Would he be angry that they had brought him home? And what about her? Had she fallen for him? She still had no idea, and yet, she found herself missing his hammock and the smell of his blanket.
From behind her, she heard footsteps approaching her. She turned to see Camilo, Dolores and Isabela. They were all smiling softly at her and Camilo hopped up to sit sideways on the banister, grunting and making a face when he came down a bit too hard.
The girls couldn't help giggling and he grunted again, readjusting himself.
"Y'all just think my pain is sooo funny, don't you?"
Mirabel pat his knee as Isabela shrugged.
"Sorry Camilo, it was more the face you made."
Dolores smiled playfully.
"And the sounds. I heard more than I wanted to."
They all shared a comfortable chuckle at her primo's expense and he mumbled playfully, unable to hide his smile. Isabela finally spoke up, making a small, gorgeous bunch of jacarandas and she handed them to her sister.
"We wanted to thank you for saving Tio Bruno. Abuela was right. If not for your quick thinking, he easily could've died."
Camilo leaned close and touched his nose to Mirabel's pressing his forehead to hers.
"And don't feel bad because we were comforting you. We were all worried and upset, but you had no reason to feel guilty."
He backed up and brushed her curls back, smiling at her.
"Bruno left of his own accord. He was probably just confused and hurting. But now, you can patch things up."
She glanced around and a realization hit her.
"Everyone knew how he felt about me, didn't they?"
Dolores smiled far too sweetly as she poked Mirabel's nose.
"Everyone except you, dear."
She seemed about to say something else, when her eyes fluttered. She smiled at her little cousin.
"Bruno is waking. I'm going to bed. Good luck."
Camilo hopped down and hugged her waist.
"You got this, chica."
As she also left, Isabela shot her sister a sweet and supportive smile before heading to her room.
Mirabel took a deep breath before she headed towards the nursery. As she stood at the door, her hand resting on the doorknob, she prepared herself for whatever he might say.