Abrir Los Ojos

With Open Eyes

Author's Notes

Abrir los ojos is a Spanish figure of speech that means to become aware of a situation. In English it's basically the same figure of speech. It means to open your eyes. Sometimes we will also describe something as "eye-opening" in the same sense as this figure of speech.

This is the sequel to After the House Fell.

I will be using Spanish, Colombian Spanish whenever possible, that is verified to the best of my ability.

This story will now cover only the first day back. I bit off more than I could chew initially. I also reorganized the chapters so that the POV is not so messy. It broke up the story too much and made for a confusing reading experience in my opinion. So, each character's first day back at "work" will be presented continuously.

There are also going to be some revisions to plot and dialogue. Do not skim, assuming that the entire story is the same. You might end up confused that way.

Part 1:

Mirabel

Chapter 1

3:00 am

The magic surged through Mirabel, and answering magic surged out of the door, exploding through the house and covering her with a fine dust of golden magic. At the same time, her image appeared on the door. She stood straight and confident, eyes open, hands on her glasses on either side, a small smile on her lips. Mirabel felt the magic settle deeply inside her. The feeling that dwelled inside her was profound.

I'm home. Finally, she was like her family. Finally, she had a Gift, too. Finally, she could live inside Casita and not feel like a fraud, not feel like she had anything to prove.

As Mirabel touched the new Gift with her mind, it stirred up, tickling. She turned to Antonio with a grin that made her facial muscles creak from all the smiling she'd done in the last 24 hours. "You're right. It does tickle."

Antonio tackled her in a hug, and everyone else followed. Her parents wept silently, Luisa bawled, and Tío Bruno said, "I knew you could do it. I knew you'd get a Gift someday. You had to." Luckily, they gave her some breathing room before they accidentally smothered her.

Má gasped. "Your glasses!"

Pá's jaw hung open.

"My glasses?" Mirabel was confused. "What about them?"

"They're glowing," Luisa said.

Tío Bruno looked a little spooked. "Now that you mention it…"

Mirabel took off her glasses to look at them, but they were just an ordinary pair of glasses. She tilted them in the light, but nothing happened. "Glowing? Glowing how?"

This caused a new round of gasps from the family.

Mirabel froze. I can see. I can see my glasses without using my glasses! She felt at her face, but her fingertips didn't detect anything. "What's going on?" She looked at her shocked family. "I can see you. I can see you all. But I'm holding my glasses right here!" She waved her glasses.

Casita's wall rippled, bringing over a mirror. Casita's floor tiles tapped out, Look at yourself, mi vida.

Mirabel faced the mirror and took an instinctive step back. She wore a glowing green outline of her glasses frames. A little shimmer appeared and disappeared in front of her eyes like ghostly lenses. "Magic glasses?"

"I guess you won't be losing your glasses anymore," Camilo said.

"I haven't lost my glasses in years," Mirabel grumbled, cheeks growing hot as she remembered the time when she was 8 years old and Casita had to practically turn herself inside out to find those glasses again.

Camilo grinned. "Well, now they're stuck to your face. No more worries."

Mirabel suddenly noticed the loose threads hanging from Camilo's yellow poncho. "Your poncho's starting to fray from all the use."

"Huh?" Camilo looked down at himself and felt the hem of the poncho that felt along the sleeves of his white shirt. "Oh…I guess so."

Mirabel smiled lopsidedly. "Don't worry about it. Ponchos are really easy. I could probably finish a new one for you in a few days."

Camilo looked flustered. "Thanks."

Mirabel turned to face the door of her new room. "That is, if I have a sewing machine in my room. Casita?"

Casita's floor tiles tapped proudly. Your room has everything you need.

Antonio took Mirabel's hand and beamed at her. "I want to see your room. I bet it's the coolest."

Mirabel chuckled. "I don't know how cool it's going to be compared to a whole rainforest, but let's look!" She opened her door, and everyone gathered around her and Antonio.

She couldn't help but be taken aback and awed. Her room was round in shape, with a central spiral staircase leading up to another floor. On the entry level floor was her bedroom, with a bed like a grander version of her bed in the Nursery, and wallpaper reminiscent of the wallpaper Mirabel had hand-painted in the Nursery in her spare time. The difference was that there were now golden butterflies in the wallpaper as well. Her wardrobe of clothes, a clothes basket for dirty laundry, a full length mirror, her favorite rug, and other familiar things were all here.

Mirabel walked into the room with Antonio and felt a wave of relief as the magic inside of her synced with the magic in this room. I'm home, she thought again.

"Let's see what's upstairs!" Antonio excitedly tugged her in the direction of the spiral staircase.

Mirabel laughed at his enthusiasm. "Okay, okay, okay."

They walked upstairs together and discovered a second floor that was all windows containing a sewing workshop. There were dressmaking dummies of different heights and body sizes, a sewing table with a sewing machine and a basket of thread and yarn and needles, including knitting needles for croqueting, and a display of bolts of cloth. "Wow, this is amazing," Mirabel murmured.

"The stairs keep going up!" Antonio exclaimed.

They climbed the stairs one more time and ended up in another room of all windows. This place was smaller and had a domed roof. "We're so high up," Mirabel said with awe. "I could see anything I wanted to from here. The whole Encanto."

Tío Bruno joined them. "I bet that's the point. This is a lookout tower."

"It's incredible," Mirabel said.

He smiled. "Yeah. Just like you. No matter what, I want you to remember that you're the real Gift. Your worth doesn't come from some magical ability. It's great, and you deserve it, but it's not what's worthwhile about you. You saved me with no Miracle to back you up, remember?" He hugged her.

A golden flash went off as they hugged, and Mirabel felt a rush of lightness. "I think you just used your Gift."

Tío Bruno let out a startled chuckle. "I guess I did kind of say a blessing over you." He hugged Antonio. "Your turn. I bless you to always remember that you're the real Gift, not some magic you possess. Just you." The golden flash went off again.

Antonio beamed and hugged Bruno in return. "Gracias, tío!"

Bruno ran back downstairs, calling, "I've discovered something I can do with my Gift!"

Mirabel laughed with joy. I've never seen him so excited. This is the best day ever. Well...technically it's the best early morning when we should all really be asleep ever. She and Antonio followed him downstairs to the ground floor. "There's a tower up there," she informed Má and the others.

"I thought Tío would get the tower room," Camilo said.

Bruno shrugged. "Meh. Mirabel will put it to better use than I can. Besides, I'm sick of stairs."

Má and Tía Julieta hugged him. "Yes, you never have to go so far away from the family again," Má said.

He smiled softly and hugged them in return.

Abuela clapped her hands together. "And now, it is time for bed."

"Aw, I want to see everyone's rooms," Antonio said, crestfallen.

"In the morning," Abuela said. "Or…should I say…the afternoon? It is now very, very late, Toñito."

"I guess so," Antonio said.

Tía Pepa laughed and picked him up, hugging him. "Yes, it is. Off to bed with you. I'll tuck you in." She kissed his forehead.

Mirabel wished everyone good night as they filed out of her new room. As she shut her door, she breathed deeply and spun in a slow circle, taking in everything that she could. All mine. A room of my own. She had her own bathroom now, too. They all did. No more fighting over a communal space while Isabela was doing her hair, Dolores was doing her makeup, Tía Pepa was giving Antonio a bath, and Camilo was pounding on the door because he needed to pee. Just because only having one bathroom in a house was traditional didn't make it good. Mirabel treated herself to a hot herbal soak in her new bathtub, toweled off, rubbed coconut oil through her hair, rummaged through the chest at the foot of her new bed for which nightgown she wanted, got dressed, and snuggled herself deep in the folds of her familiar looking, but much softer and more luxurious, bed. "Good night, Casita."

Casita's floorboards pattered out a soft response. Good night, mi vida.

With the new magic humming inside of her, Mirabel fell asleep.

xxx

11:15am

Mirabel woke to being warm and comfortable, surrounded by layers of softness. Rubbing her eyes, she reached for her glasses. Her hand faltered as she realized she could see with complete clarity. Then she laughed. "My Gift! I have a Gift!" She threw the covers off of her new bed and jumped out, landing in her slippers as Casita bumped them to land perfectly under her feet. "Buenos dias, Casita!"

She stretched and took a deep breath. A big, deep breath always helped her wake up first thing in the morning – even if it wasn't first thing in the morning anymore because of the party last night. Then she ran over to her wardrobe and flung the door open, sorting through her clothes. A few pairs of old blouses and skirts were still there, but there were new clothes, too. She found white blouses embroidered with a pattern of green eyes around the hem and emerald green skirts dyed with lighter green eyes. Awed, she dug fresh underthings out of her dresser and got them on, then dressed in a blouse and skirt designed after her new Gift. She found she even had green slippers. She did a twirl in front of the full length mirror nearby the wardrobe. "Look at me. I'm a real Madrigal."

One of Casita's shutters gestured. You look wonderful! The top drawer of the bedside dresser opened. Mi vida, look inside.

Mirabel found a jewelry box. "This?"

Yes, Casita's dresser replied.

Mirabel set the box on top of the dresser and opened it. Inside were pieces of jewelry, all themed around her new Gift. "Wow…" She picked out the dangling eye earrings and put them on. "I don't know what to say. They're beautiful. Muchos gracias."

Casita's floorboards replied, I'm glad you like them.

"I can't wait for Mamá and the others to see!" Mirabel grabbed her knit bag off its peg and ran downstairs. Casita made the stairs a ramp for her, just like the old days. At the landing was Abuelo Pedro's portrait, just like it should be. "Buenos dias, Abuelo!"

A late breakfast was already spread out on the sideboard outside the kitchen and the table and chairs were in the courtyard to soak up the warm sun that Tía Pepa had made for them. A rainbow hung over the courtyard as well. Mirabel joined them in piling food on their plates and grabbing cups of coffee.

Many of her family members also had new clothes in new colors, including people whose Gifts hadn't changed. Tía Pepa, Má, and Antonio were the only three people whose clothes were the same as before. Dolores was dressed in the same colors as Má, complete with a blue hair wrap tied into a bow over her customary hairstyle. Meanwhile, Tío Bruno and Abuela had seemingly swapped colors, with Tío Bruno wearing a red ruana with a pink pattern of leaves, water lines, and dots, and Abuela wearing a green dress with a pattern of hearts and clasped hands around the hem. Luisa wore a white blouse with a pink skirt decorated with a barbell design, and Isabela wore a yellow dress with a full, layered skirt patterned with red and blue leaves along the hem. Pá wore a red pinstripe vest suit with a pink flower. Camilo wore a red poncho instead of a yellow one with a pattern of hollow circles around the hem. Instead of Tío Félix's habitual bright yellow guayabera with red alforzas, he wore a light blue guayabera with green alforzas and matching green pants.

"Mirabel, sit beside me, between me and Julieta," Abuela said with a smile.

"Okay," Mirabel said with a shrug. What did I do? At least she doesn't seem angry.

They gathered around the table and sat.

Abuela gestured. "Brunito, it seems especially appropriate for you to give the blessing."

Tío Bruno sat at the foot of the table, directly across from Abuela. He hadn't lost his look of joy from before bed. "Yes, Mamá." After he said Grace and everyone said Amen, a golden flash of magic washed over the table. The warmth of Bruno's good luck Gift wrapped Mirabel up like a blanket. She felt safe and cozy, and she'd thought she was relaxed before.

Mirabel beamed and gestured. "Look at everyone's news clothes! We all look awesome! When I went to my wardrobe this morning, there it was." She ran a loving hand over her new green skirt.

"The same with us," Tío Félix said. "I went to get dressed this morning and discovered I had all these new clothes."

"How come I didn't get any new clothes?" Antonio asked.

"You must already be wearing the right colors," Mirabel said.

"The right colors for what?" Tía Pepa asked.

"For our Gifts," Mirabel said, digging into her food. "We're more than just our Gifts, sure, but I think a great way to help the town remember whose Gifts are whose is if we color code them. That way, even if we want to change our Gifts again later, the people in town will know who's in charge of what."

"This is fascinating," Abuela said, eating a bite of tomato salad. "I never thought of using the colors of our clothing in such a way."

"What do the colors mean?" Antonio asked.

"Yellow is for nature, green is for perception, pink and red are for protection, and blue is for healing," Mirabel rattled off without thinking. Somehow, she just knew.

Tío Bruno smiled. "Because Mamá's Gift was protection, mine was seeing the future, Pepa's is the weather, and Julieta's is healing. I get it. Now that I have the Gift of good luck and Mamá has the gift of feeling others' emotions, we've switched colors."

Antonio looked down at himself. "So, animals are part of nature…and I can use the help of my friends to protect people!" He smiled at Mirabel. "That's why I'm yellow and red."

Mirabel smiled at him in return. "Right!"

"I know that Dolores and I will have much to do today," Julieta said. "We need to start training you in your Gift, and there is medicine to be made for the town."

Dolores nodded. "I already know that my Gift is herb-based. Part of my room is a place to make medicine. I was going to ask if you had any books on herbs, or if we would need to visit Señor and Señora Navarro." The Navarros were the medicine makers of the town. They had originally been the town's only source of medicine, but they still had work to do, since many old folks preferred using a little Navarro medicine over bothering Julieta for chronic complaints like arthritis.

"Visiting the Navarro medicine shop is a good idea," Julieta said. "I do have a book on herbs, but it's not going to be very detailed compared to what the Navarros will be able to tell you." She looked to Isabela with a smile. "What are you planning on doing? Do you have a whole new room to plant?"

"Actually, I'm going to the pottery workshop," Isabela said with a trace of nervousness. "I already said I would be there today and I shouldn't break a promise, should I?"

"No one would want you to break a prior commitment," Abuela assured her quickly.

"And I've got chores to do," Luisa said.

"I'll help," Antonio piped up. "I want to spend time with the donkeys again. They're fun." He giggled.

"As long as it's fun, you're allowed to go," Pepa said. "But if you stop having fun, you need to tell me. You are a little boy. It's not your responsibility to work like an adult." She glared at Abuela, but Abuela didn't even look like she wanted to protest.

Instead, Abuela said, "And I have a very important meeting with my fellow town elders, which I will need Mirabel to attend."

Mirabel fumbled her forkful of tomato salad. "Me? Why?"

"You are the new bearer of the Miracle," Abuela said.

"You still have a meeting with the other elders today? I thought that you would have canceled it," Má said.

"The daily meeting has been wisely postponed until 2pm due to our festivities," Abuela replied with a smile. "However, we would not cancel under any circumstances. There are matters to discuss every day. Especially today, as we have had so many new and wonderful developments in la familia."

Tension erupted in Mirabel's stomach. Her gaze darted to her other family members. They were watching her expectantly. She met Abuela's gaze and tried not to wilt. "Uh, okay. Yeah. I mean, if you think it's okay." She might be the person who brought back the Miracle, but she couldn't imagine anyone but Abuela being the head of the family. If Abuela asked her to do something, she wasn't going to refuse.

Abuela inclined her head with a smile. "They will need to be introduced to you in your new role in our familia. You have a unique ability to understand Casita and to understand things about the magic that keeps the Encanto safe."

Mirabel's stomach shriveled at the thought of being quizzed by the village elders about things she either didn't know, or only know intuitively and couldn't put into words. She wondered how she was supposed to fit even a single spoonful of beans into her stomach now. But isn't this better than being useless? "I'll do my best to fulfill my duties to the Encanto."

Abuela looked into Mirabel's eyes deeply, still smiling. "I know you will. I believe in you."

Mirabel smiled slightly in return. At least she thinks I can do it.

After breakfast, Abuela returned to her room to get ready to go to the Council meeting. Mirabel headed to her own room, hoping for a private talk with Casita and some time to pep talk herself. Before she could reach her door, Isabela pulled Mirabel aside. "Be careful now that you're Abuela's new favorite. There are things about that you don't know. Or maybe you saw, but only from the outside. If the pressure gets to be too much, we're going to have to do something about it. I don't trust that she's really changed."

"She's doing her best," Mirabel said.

Isabela frowned. "That's what worries me. Her definition of doing her best and our definition of doing her best probably aren't the same." She rested her hands on Mirabel's upper arms. "If she starts nitpicking your appearance and telling you how to act around other people, come find me immediately. I'll talk to her."

Mirabel felt a wave of warmth at Isabela's offer of protection. "Thanks. I'll try to shut her down myself, but I'll come tell you, too."

Tío Bruno came upstairs and found them. "There you are, Mirabel. I want to give you a special blessing before you have to attend the Council meeting."

"That would be great," Mirabel said. "I'll take all the help I can get."

"In that case, I'll pull out all the stops. I've got good luck charms, good luck chants, good luck baths..."

Mirabel followed him, amused and touched. She waved at her sister. "I'll see you later, Isa."

"Make sure to tell me how it went." Isabela gave an answering wave.

Tío Bruno ushered Mirabel into his room, opening his door for her and then shutting it behind them. They stood in a softly lit foyer with planters of deep yellow flowers on either side and a pleasantly trickling water feature against the wall that fed the planters and also ran into a basin, beside which stood a small pot. Mirabel was immediately hit with competing smells of spices and herbs. Tío Bruno grabbed the broom by the door and swept around Mirabel, careful not to touch her feet, and opened the door long enough to sweep whatever Mirabel had tracked in back out. He shut the door with a pleased look. "That's a start. Wait right here."

"Oh…kay…" Mirabel looked around as Bruno crossed the room and disappeared around the corner. Tiny holes in the walls were obviously rat tunnels, and the sleeping area was cozy, devoid of windows, and piled with colorful native blankets. Bunches of dried herbs hung from the ceiling beams on strings.

Tío Bruno came back with a lit bundle of herbs emitting fragrant smoke. He walked in a circle around Mirabel, gently wafting the smoke at her. Once he finished, he set the smoking herb bundle in a little bowl by his bed and opened his window. "There. Now all the negative energy you brought in with you has been cleansed away." He turned to her, beaming. "Now we imbue you with good luck instead!"

If for no other reason than to make him feel better, she went along with this, although it did feel nice to be fussed over. "I don't know how much good luck I'm going to need, but, okay."

He dashed to her, took her hands, and guided her around the corner and into his bathroom. "You can never have too much good luck." He turned on the tap of the tub and mixed up herbs and spices, adding them to the bath. "Get in. Take your time. Don't worry, you'll have all the privacy you need. While you're bathing in the good luck bath, I'm going to be putting together a sachet for you to wear around your neck." He hustled out the bathroom door and shut it behind him.

Mirabel turned off the water when the tub was full. The steaming water smelled like a mix between horchata and medicine. "Here goes." She slipped out of her clothes and shoes and cautiously stepped into the bath, testing the water. It was pretty hot, but not unbearable. She settled down and discovered the water went up to her chin. After a few minutes, she relaxed against the back of the tub. I guess this is pretty nice. She closed her eyes and breathed in the spicy fragrance. When was the last time I really relaxed in a bathtub? The hot water made it difficult to feel tense about the meeting with the elders. It's not like they're cannibals. I'm sure it'll be fine.

Curiosity about the sachet drew Mirabel out of the water in the end. She didn't think Casita would let her miss the meeting, and it had only been noon when everyone had finished breakfast. Toweling off, Mirabel was amused that she smelled like the special bath now. I hope the elders don't think I stink. She got dressed again and went in search of Bruno.

He was on a rug on the floor in the front area of his suite, chanting softly over the sachet, which appeared to be already stuffed full of herbs.

Mirabel sat down on the floor across from him, unsure of what else to do. A few words here and there made her think he was doing a Catholic prayer.

He finished a few minutes after she sat down, opening his eyes and smiling at her. "Here. This is for you. It'll protect you." He hung it around her neck gently.

"Thank you," she whispered. As soon as it was around her neck, she could feel emanations of power that felt like standing in his sand dome with him while he created his vision. She touched the sachet just barely and it felt like it radiated heat. "I can feel how powerful it is."

He looked pleased. "I'm hoping I'll get more powerful as time goes along, but that's my best effort so far." He leaned forward and hugged her. "Our fortune is changing. I can feel it. I just want to protect what we have now. I don't want to lose this."

Mirabel hugged him in return. "Me, neither."

"It feels too good to be true," Bruno admitted as they released each other. "But it is true, right?"

"Yes." Mirabel made her resolve strong. "This is real. These are our new lives. What we've gained isn't going to go away." I'll fight with everything I have to protect our new foundation.