Summary: Well, things are moving right along... Alma is figuring out what the tower doors are for, Luisa is having a better day, Isa is doing repair work and Mirabel is still the resident counselor. Fun times. Yes, this took a bit longer...vacation, Zelda, grand baby fun. - All that said, off we go.

Mariposa de Papel (Paper Butterfly)

Puerta Amarillo

Alma and Valentina had moved from Mirabel's room to hers when Camilo and Antonio came in carrying the wounded stuffed jaguar. She left the door open, and heard Antonio as he told Mirabel that talking to insects was harder than he was expecting. Mirabel asked him why as she fished through a small tin for an appropriate button to repair Little Parce's missing eye. Antonio replied that Bubo was going to be an Empanadagist and that he knows everything about bugs. He told him how they talk with flashy light, but that it was too fast for him to understand. All this while he jumped on her bed. Camilo was lounging on the overstuffed chair. Not saying much, but he was definitely keeping an eye on his prima and little brother. Alma truly was looking forward to the play Camilo was organizing and would be putting on later next month. She also planned to set aside time to help Mirabel with the costumes she and her friends were making. There was also a chance she would be able to do some things with Camilo. He was almost grown, and she knew next to nothing about him.

Alma had been very relieved that when Mirabel 'woke up' she seemed much more at ease. Alma realized she'd pushed more on her granddaughter than she should have. When the Doctor told her she should consider doing less, she became impatient. Letting Julieta handle the folks on the mountain was only the first step and though Mirabel seemed perfectly fine, there was no way to know how this melding of the source of the magic and Casita would affect her in the long run. It was something that never happened before.

La Candela was an inanimate thing before it was possessed by the light of the previous miracle. Though this Casita was much like the old, at the same time it was not. This home had been built from the ground up, using as much of the old as could be salvaged. Similar to how Mirabel had grown up without a Gift, this Casita was built on more than just a magical foundation, so behaved differently. It was more aware of the family in general.

That brought her to the doors in the tower. Alma knew she'd triggered them somehow. Now that she had some time to think on it, she thought perhaps they were the remnants of her Casita, and they'd been put there for a purpose. Possibly something Casita had been trying to tell her before the breaking that she'd ignored. She knew she'd ignored much near the end, and it irritated her that she didn't know the why of it. She'd asked Valentina to stay because she'd overheard Julieta and her talking about that yellow door up in the tower. Something about it was significant for her and every time she passed it now, her curiosity grew stronger. The answer was so tantalizingly close, hidden somewhere deep within her heart. Bruno would not have had a sponty with regard to it. But even that had only shown him it would be opened, not what lay on the other side.

"Toni, please stop jumping on the bed," Valentina said and to Alma she added, "I don't know how you handle all that rambunctiousness. Just makes me nervous. Aren't you worried he'll get hurt?"

"Not really. That's just Toni, being Toni. Be thankful he's too tired to do more than jump," Alma said with a small smile, thinking of when her children were that age. They'd always had far more energy at the end of a day than should be allowed.

Antonio stopped jumping and laid down on his back with his head and shoulders hanging off the edge. He let out a massive yawn that Camilo noticed, and he said to Mirabel, "You done yet?"

"Almost," Mirabel said as she tied off the last knot, "here you go, Toni... oh."

Antonio was asleep, and the position he was in caused him to snore softly. Camilo shook his head, "'bout time," he said as he picked up his little brother and took the stuffed jaguar from his prima. "Toni would say thanks, but he's unconscious."

"Thanks, Camilo," Mirabel said, as she closed her sewing kit and got up from the sofa. "I really do appreciate everything you did for Tuli today." Mirabel let out a huge yawn and said, "Wow, think I'm gonna go to bed too. Been a day for sure."

Camilo turned toward Alma's door and said, "Good night, Abuelas," and to Mirabel he said, "You better get some rest, Mira. Can't have that fluffy head of yours blanking out on me again. Remember, you're supposed to help me study tomorrow."

"Jerk," she replied, but was smiling as she shoved him out the door. "Goodnight, Camilo." Mirabel closed the door and glanced at the trees, and she touched the trunk of the oak, and Alma felt the light touch on her arm. Mirabel turned toward Alma's door, waved and said, "Goodnight, Abuelas. See you in the morning."

"Good night Mirabel," Alma and Valentina said together, and Alma added, "Please close the door, mi vida."

"Okay," Mirabel said as another yawn escaped and repeated, "goodnight." And closed the door.

"So, what was it you wanted to ask me about?" Valentina asked.

"You've seen all the doors up in the tower?"

"Yes, me and Esteffi took a look at them when you all went out adventuring."

Alma nodded and waited until the light in Mirabel's room went out. She went to the door and thought of the tower as she opened it and waved Valentina to her, and together they stepped out onto the path.

"So this is what Luisa meant when she said your door was not opening. Casita is truly a wonder, Alma."

Alma nodded as she shut the door. Only the door to her bedroom had a light above it, and she wondered briefly why, then said, "All of these doors are tied to me somehow, but I don't remember most of them. They must be doors that led me to… something significant that happened in the past. Truthfully, they frighten me."

"All of them?" Valentina asked as she wandered down the path.

Alma nodded as they walked, and Valentina stopped at a simple brown door with nothing more than a rope pull attached to it. Alma looked at the door and wondered at it. She knew that she knew this door, but like the yellow one, she could not place it in her memories. She would need to talk to Bruno and see if he had any other visions about them. Or perhaps that was the point. She was again relying on her family's Gifts to find answers she already knew she held. She touched Valentina's arm and said, "So, I heard you mention that you might know where one of these doors went."

Valentina nodded, and they moved to the yellow door, and she said, "Esteffi and I thought it looked much like the door to the Café Candelária in La Macarena."

Alma's eyes went wide, and her hands flew to her mouth, 'It was that door" she thought. How could she have forgotten this place? She went down on her knees as she was overcome by that horrible pain she thought she'd set aside. It welled up inside her, and she could not hold back the tears as she whispered, "Pedro, please forgive me."

"Alma! What's wrong?" Valentina asked, kneeling beside her, but Alma could not answer. The flood gates had been opened. Valentina knelt with her arm around her and just let her cry. When the worst of it had passed, Valentina said, "Tell me what happened here, Alma."

"This door…" Alma started, but had to pause as the remembered happiness tied to it crept in and pushed aside the pain. This made her smile and more of that joy crept in and said, "This door represents one of the happiest moments of my life," Alma said as she reached out and touched the door. She felt a warm tingle as she did. "This was the place where Pedro asked me to be his wife."

Valentina took Alma's hands as she stood. She helped Alma up and asked, "Oh, Alma, why would you hide that from yourself?"

"I'm not sure," Alma said and took a deep breath. As she let it out, she could feel the happiness she'd felt that day lingering, it helped calm the shakiness. "Thank you, Valentina, for helping me today."

"Alma, I didn't do anything," Valentina said in her most practical tone, "You need to let those happy memories of Pedro help you to heal your heart. You've let it stay broken for too long, another way you and Mira are alike." Valentina shook her head and said, "Not tonight though. You look as exhausted as I feel."

Alma nodded and touched the door one more time before heading toward the stairs. All these doors were here to help her heal. The tiles above the door shifted, as they did whenever this Casita was 'giggling'.

"Come on," Valentina said from the top of the stairs. "Need to find Joseph, so we can go home."

Alma nodded, but before going down the stairs, Alma looked at the yellow door one more time and thought she would need to bring her children here and share this with them. She looked back and could see that she'd not shared enough joyful memories about their father with them. They had pictures of him, but not the stories that went with them, and together they left the tower.

Coming down to the kitchen, they found the husbands all out on the patio, and Alma wondered where all of her children were. Agustín moved a piece on the chessboard and stated, "Checkmate!"

Félix grunted as he lay down the king, "You got me again," he said.

"You've really improved, Félix. Had me sweating during the midgame."

Both looked away from the board when Joseph said, "My long-lost wife has returned. Just in time, I was about to get a search party together."

Valentina snorted as he bent to kiss her cheek, then said, "Come along then Joseph," she was smiling as she took his hand and added, "I'm tired after all the excitement today."

He nodded, and the pair said goodnight to everyone and left the patio by the gate that Casita had opened for them. Pepa arrived shortly after that, and she and her husband went inside Casita.

Left alone with her son-in-law, Alma was nervous, and Agustín just looked uncomfortable. There were so many reasons she needed to apologize to this man. It did not help that she'd put it off for more than a year. No, you cannot let this lie, Alma Madrigal, she thought, so she asked tentatively, "Agustín, do you have a moment?"

He let out an almost inaudible sigh, and Alma knew its source. In the past, when she'd asked to speak with him, it was because of something one of his girls had done… or not done. Never a compliment, never acceptance. It was a wonder he spoke to her at all, but Alma plowed ahead because she knew she needed to do this. She sat on one of the vacant chairs and indicated he should do so as well. He chose one, but it made it, so he was just out of reach, so she began, "Before I begin, please let me speak my piece before you respond," Alma said and Agustín pursed his lips but nodded as he crossed his arms.

"Thank you," Alma said and took a very deep breath, "First, I want to thank you for all that you've done and all the things you do for our family. I know I have not been as appreciative as I should have been. You've not only been an excellent husband and father, but you befriended and stayed Bruno's friend when others could not." Agustín had unfolded his arms, but his expression reminded her of Luisa's when she'd talked to her. Suspicion. So, Alma added, "I know that all sounds a bit too much like too little, too late and you would be right. I know that."

Agustín did not respond, and Alma realized that was probably not the best way to have said that, but she pushed ahead, saying, "I will be doing less in the coming months. The Doctor has brought to my attention that since my illness, my health is a little more fragile than I thought." Alma paused because she could see Agustín's concern, but she was not saying these things for pity. "And I feel Julieta is more than ready to take control of the day to day. Most already look to her for this, and Mirabel is still young, and I do not wish to overwhelm her."

Agustín was now tapping his knees with his fingertips. A sure sign she needed to get to the point. Alma sat up a little straighter and said, "So, I wanted to get your opinion, on whether you think Mirabel should accompany her sisters when they go to Bogotá." She noticed his fingers were still now while she said, "I believe she will benefit from the experience. She is also exceedingly bright, and new challenges will only help her grow." Alma folded her hands up in her lap as she fell silent and waited.

At first, Agustín just stared. Clearly, allowing Mirabel to leave the Encanto was not something he'd considered. The silence stretched until he realized he was supposed to be answering and said, "That's actually not a bad idea, though I want to talk to Julieta before I give you an answer. All three of my girls are still working on finding their places. Luisa is still learning to balance her requests with her everyday tasks. Isabela is just confused, and Mirabel is struggling with her anxiety regarding Casita again."

"Yes, I agree with that. That is one of the reasons I felt going to the city would be good for her. The new things on the outside will make their way here eventually, and they are all young enough that they should be able to adjust to those changes."

Agustín nodded and said, "When we were rebuilding, they had no trouble working together. Now that the magic's come back… I know you are aware of the issues that have surprisingly sprung up. There is also Tuli and Señor Márquez to… factor in," he took a deep breath as he trailed off and Alma nodded.

"Of course, I do not need an answer tonight. Just something to keep in mind when you go to Bogotá," Alma replied. She turned in her seat when Julieta came out onto the patio, then rose from her chair and said, "Good night, Agustín, and thank you for listening." She nodded to Julieta, then left for her room.

Heredera Aparente

Julieta watched her mother leave and then looked back at her husband, who was up from his chair and came over next to her. He looked thoughtful when he asked as he held out his hand, "Wanna go for a walk?"

She nodded, and together they went through the back gate toward town. Though Julieta was a bit tired, she often walked through town after a busy day to unwind. They made their way toward the plaza that was mostly quiet, and Julieta leaned on him and said, "I'm almost afraid to ask, but what were you two talking about?"

"The future," he said cryptically.

"Oh? Who's future?"

"Our three lovely daughters. I'm still in shock that she asked me for my opinion, out loud, like they're my kids." Julieta elbowed him, and he continued, "There was one other person she mentioned," he said, holding up a hand.

"And they are?"

"You, mi amour."

Julieta sighed and nodded, "I've noticed she's been pulling back more since her illness. Don't get me wrong, I've been after her since the breaking to take it easier, and even more so now."

Agustin stopped near one of the Encanto's smaller cafés and said, "She said her health was fragile."

Julieta nodded and said, "When she was ill, and her fever was so high, Dolores mentioned that her heart did not sound right, so, I had the Doctor in, and he agreed it was not beating properly. He said it likely suffered some damage from the infection. He let me listen to it with his stethoscope. He called it a heart murmur."

"How serious is it?" Agustín asked.

Julieta gave his arm a squeeze and said, "As long as she listens to the doctor, she should be around for a good long while. Dr. Gonzalez said, given her age, it might be difficult for her body to repair itself. That, and this is not the first time she's experienced an infection with a very high fever. He also told her if she ever feels lightheaded or out of breath she should come to see him or to send someone. She told me later that she'd never felt so old as when the Doctor told her she needed to adjust her schedule to include a lot fewer things, or should really consider retirement."

"Do Pepa and Bruno know?"

"Mama asked me not to say anything to them yet, but Pepa's noticed the change. She just doesn't want to ask. Bruno's been dealing with almost non-stop spontys. Who knows, he may have already had some sort of sponty regarding it. Speaking of spontys," she said as she sat on one of the benches in the plaza, "Bruno says it is 'essential' that Mira and Luisa go with the group that is meeting up with Bubo's Tío tomorrow."

"Why?"

"I don't know specifically, but Bruno was doing his damnedest to not have to do a vision, you know how he feels about those. Apparently, he says it's to stop an argument between Bubo and his Tío José."

"So, something to do with Tuli, most likely."

"Probably, you know his spontys can be light on detail. He also mentioned that Isabela aided him by asking the plants in Antonio's room to support him. He said it made his sponty even out and made it a little more comprehensible for him... and no shakes afterward."

"What did she do?"

"I don't know. I'll have to talk to her tomorrow. She overdid it again and was sound asleep when Pepa went to check on Antonio."

"Ah, well, Félix told me he thinks Antonio has been up to something."

"Bruno said something similar," Julieta said, "but the weirdest part was that Bruno had a specific sponty with regard to Santiago that didn't happen."

"What?"

"He thinks Antonio somehow interfered with that. Bruno's just not sure how. In the past, even if Bruno did something to try and mitigate, whatever he saw would happen, just as he saw it. This time though, it didn't."

"What didn't happen?"

"In Bruno's original sponty, Bubo Márquez may have killed the smuggler. Antonio showed Tuli his sketch and Tuli did not want that. That's why he thinks Antonio sent Parce to the mountain. Santiago was going to die regardless, just not at the hands of the one person Tuli needed."

They walked for a while in silence until they reached the edge of town. Julieta looked up at the mountain split, and thought for a moment about her father. This always made her a little sad, since she really didn't know all that much about him. Sure, people used to talk about him like he was a saint, but no one talked about who he actually was. Their mother only told the vaguest of stories. Almost as if it hurt her to think about them. Pepa's new room had a full supply of scrapbook items, and she had been gathering all the photos they still had of him and writing out some of the stories they had. Pepa was a born daddy's girl at heart. When they were little, she would watch the other fathers in the Encanto and wish they were hers. Telling her siblings that she'd trade everything for that. There was only one person in town that would elaborate on their father as a person, but she had passed away almost ten years ago. She refocused on her husband when he said, "There was one other thing, Alma said something that I actually agree with. She thought that Mirabel should go to the city with her sisters and possibly even attend school."

"So she did notice then," Julieta said with a small smile.

Agustín nodded, and said, "You know Juli, when the magic came back, I had my doubts, but she truly is trying to do better this time."

"True enough, but I'm not sure whether I'm ready for all three of my chicks to disappear at once. Not sure Casita would handle it well either."

They turned back toward home and made their way through the mostly empty streets at a leisurely pace. They reached Casita and the door opened and something made Julieta look up in time to see a flash of white heading up the tower stairs.

"Gus," she said, pointing, "I think Mira is sleepwalking up to the tower again."

Agustín looked up, but was not about to contradict her as he took off at a run for the stairs. Julieta followed and though both reached the second floor quickly, there was no one there.

"Casita was there anyone up here?"

Casita clattered some tiles, indicating no. "I have to check," she said, and quickly left the tower and went into Mirabel's room. Her daughter was asleep in her bed, and Julieta let out a sigh of relief as she adjusted the blankets around her youngest. Then what did she see? Agustín put a hand on her shoulder, and together they went to their room. Julieta knew she'd seen something, but without some sort of idea of what she was looking for, she decided to head up to the tower tomorrow and poke around.

A Source of Strength

Luisa woke suddenly and realized it was still dark outside. One of the fun perks of having a literal private beach was that when the sun rose – it shone through that archway. She'd always preferred working out at dawn, not too hot and not too cold. Her room before had not afforded for this, and she'd had to rely on a regular alarm. Ugh, how she hated that sound, the only person she'd ever told that to was Mirabel. The sun was not up, but would be soon, she thought as she looked at the clock. She sat up and listened to the quiet whoosh of the surf that was barely audible, and she decided that since she was awake, she'd get an early start.

Dressed in only her bloomers and a light shirt, she headed through the archway and toward the beach. She slowed when she noticed dark shapes moving in the sand. A little freaked out, she moved closer and sat on a bluff overlooking the shore. Luisa realized the shapes were turtles. A lot of them. She wondered what they were all doing. Why were they all here? It irked her that she did not know.

She returned her attention to the turtles for a time, and when most had left the beach, she moved a little closer. There was one in particular that caught her interest. It was doing its best to fill in a hole on the beach, but to her eye it was moving very slowly. Concerned, Luisa went over and noticed the eggs the turtle was struggling to cover with the wet sand. So, that was what was happening. She looked back and saw that most of the other nests were much further up the beach, so the sand wasn't as saturated with seawater. A wave lapped against her foot, and she realized the tide had started to come in, and this nest was too close to the water. It would be swamped if the mama turtle couldn't get it covered. The turtle lifted its head and began shoveling sand a little faster.

Luisa was unsure if she should help. She didn't want the baby turtles to die, but she also knew the placement of this nest was the real problem. All she could do was help the turtle with its task. She gently pushed some of the warmer dryer sand into the hole, hoping she wasn't crushing them. She worked to keep the mama turtle's body above the sand. Lifting it as she filled in the hole. Once the sand was even with her shell, the turtle started to move away. Slowly turning back toward the water. Luisa continued pushing dirt over the hole. Though she was certain this clutch would not make it, she wished she could move the eggs, but she would need help to do that for sure. Water continued to rush in, and Luisa noted the sand had begun to settle. She pushed a little more sand over, gently tamping it down until the next wave came.

The mama turtle was gone, likely back in the ocean, and Luisa stood up in the now ankle deep water. She returned to the bluff and watched the tide roll in and noticed only a few of the nest sites were covered by the tide. She wondered if the turtles came back to check on their eggs. Probably not, considering how deep the hole was and the amount of effort that likely went into digging it in the first place. The disturbed sand continued to flatten out with each incoming wave, little depressions appearing over nests that did not have quite enough sand.

The sun peaked over the horizon and Luisa thought about her future. She really wanted to start school. The more she thought about it, the more she felt her impatience growing. When would her someday come? When would she be able to choose? She'd almost lost hope when the magic came back, and Papa had told her it was too dangerous to travel. Abuela promised it was her future that mattered, and this room Casita had made for her was everything she'd wanted in a room before. This made Luisa pause in her thoughts. Being impatient would only lead to more stress. She was almost there. Almost to where she would be learning to be a vet.

The sun had broken free of the horizon, and Luisa decided to get ready for breakfast. She took off the wet clothes and used the basin water to help rinse off the rest of the sand. She opened her wardrobe and pulled out the pants her sister made and noticed the little weights interspaced with tiny animals embroidered on the hem. Seriously, when did Mira find time to do that? Once again, Luisa's guilt at not knowing what was troubling her little sister reared its head. She'd been more focused on Isabela, and she was glad Camilo told her what he believed was the problem. For Mira, Casita had always been more than just a house. She dressed quickly and headed to Isa's room and asked, "Casita, is Isa awake?"

Casita clattered some tiles in the affirmative above the door. Luisa nodded and gently knocked. There was a muffled "Enter," from the other side, so Luisa opened the door. Isabela was fully dressed, sitting on her bed with her head in her hands. She looked up and smiled, then reached over and picked up the small bottle on her bed stand. She drank the contents and let out a relieved sigh. Luisa sat next to her and said, "Got a little carried away yesterday, huh."

"Yeah, still have a bit of a headache, but I probably just need some coffee."

Luisa nodded, she really wanted to ask about Bubo Márquez, but now was probably not the best time for that. "You coming down to breakfast?"

"Yeah, I'm starving, and I'm gonna be doing some field work today… hey as long as you're here can you braid my hair for me. I don't think I have the energy for that this morning."

You betcha, Sis."

Isa opened the drawer and pulled out a brush and some lavender ribbon to match the older skirt she was wearing. Luisa brushed out a few snarls and plaited her sister's hair with practiced ease. Isa was humming to herself, and Luisa noted the scent of roses in the air. She tied off the braid and patted it. Isa turned to her and smiled as she said, "Okay, your turn."

"But my hair is fine," Luisa started to say.

"Turn," Isa commanded as she waved the brush imperiously at her. Luisa sighed. The only time Isa would mess with her hair was when she wanted to talk about something, but didn't want you to see her face while she did it. She did it more often with Mirabel over the past year, and Luisa sighed as she felt Isa pull loose the red ribbon that held her hair in a squat little bun on her head. As she brushed, she asked, "Why is there sand in your hair?" Isa didn't wait for the answer, instead she asked, "So what do you think we can do to help Mira with her anxiety about Casita? I think we need to figure out how to lighten her load. I mean, the only thing that was obvious to me last night, was that we still take Mira's abilities for granted. Do you agree that Mira was responsible for all those butterflies?"

Luisa nodded.

"I wonder how she did it."

"I don't know, but I don't think she knew she was doing it. It was so scary, Isa. She was so still when I went in to check on her last night. Mira's never that still. She looked like a statue. Not moving at all, I couldn't even tell if she was breathing. Doli assured me she was, and Mama said there was nothing physically wrong, but I could see the worry on her face. Tío Bruno told Mamá he thought she was working something out in her head and that Mira and Casita had become one. I thought you would be there, but she woke up before that."

"I wanted to come but ended up babysitting Antonio in his room."

"I wasn't much help either, since Papá had to remind me that I was not a bad older sister."

"Luisa, you've never been a bad older sister. I hold that title," Isa said and Luisa felt her sister tug at an unusually stubborn snarl, "Dolores did kind of fill me in on what was happening just before Tío Bruno showed up. When he told Bubo that Santiago was dead, Bubo said he had to tell Tuli. He went off to do that and Tío had a sponty while we were waiting."

"Was he okay?"

"Amazingly, yes."

"Thank goodness. Did he tell you what he saw?"

"No, but he must have seen something unusual because he left shortly after that. I think he was supposed to be chaperoning me and Bubo. Anyway, I went to check on Bubo and Tuli and found that Tuli had fallen asleep, so I helped get Tuli into one of the hammocks in Toni's room. Then I asked Doli to ask one of her parents to come to ask about Bubo staying over. Then I sat and talked to Bubo for a while," as she said this the rose smell intensified, "but got a bit worried when Tía came in… now that I think about it, we were sitting pretty close. So, I asked and Tía said yes, then she asked me to stay with Tuli, so she could speak to Bubo 'privately'. Don't know what came of that, only managed to stay with it until Doli came. Don't remember much after that."

"Dolores did tell me you were keeping Antonio in his room, so I'm sure you had your hands full."

Isa nodded.

"Wait, Bubo was here all night? In Antonio's room?" Luisa asked, again Isa nodded, and she thought things really were changing.

"Bubo didn't want to leave Tuli alone here because he said she was apt to have nightmares. That poor kid's been through too much for someone her age. However," Isa continued, "I did find this on my dresser under Mamá's draft. Read it."

Luisa took it and noted it was from Tía Pepa. It included a request for Isabela to mind Tuli while Bubo went to meet the group coming off the mountain, and she said, "I thought Mira was responsible for Tuli."

"Yeah, but she could use a break, and I think I should get to know Tuli better anyway."

The smell of roses increased, and Luisa noted the yellow rose that had popped into her sister's hair. Isa noticed where she was looking and reached up and touched the flower there. She sighed as she said, "I can see you're wondering about my oh so obvious interest in Señor Márquez." Luisa shrugged as she nodded slightly and Isa continued, "Don't really know what to say about that… for whatever reason, I think he's adorable."

Luisa smiled. "Sounds like as good a reason as any, Isa. He seems like he's a good person. I mean, he took Tuli on without a second thought."

Isa's stomach growled loudly, and Luisa laughed and said, "Wow, let's go see if breakfast is started."

Mirabel woke feeling weirdly at ease. She'd had a dream about the large oak tree on the mountain. The tree told her stories about before, what the tree called the great sadness, it did not explain what that sadness was. It also told her stories of her abuela and the triplets when they were small… before the Gifts. Mirabel decided she had a very vivid imagination. There was a brief knock and her sisters plowed into her room.

"Come on, sleepy head," Isa said, "Got stuff to do today."

Luisa nodded and was already rooting through her dresser for clothes. Mirabel noticed Isa and Luisa had braided their hair, and she was going to say something, but Isa yanked her blankets off and stopped.

"Why are your feet so dirty? They look like you've been tramping through the woods."

"Ummm," Mirabel said as she looked at her feet. They were dirty. That's weird, she thought.

Luisa had finished making a small pile of Mirabel's clothes, and she handed her that as well as her robe. "We've got so much to talk about… after you deal with that," she said as she pointed to Mirabel's feet. "We'll meet you downstairs in the kitchen." And ushered her out her door.

Mirabel stood for a second wondering what just happened and almost turned to go back, but she looked at her feet again. They were pretty bad, and she made her way downstairs to the bath. Once clean and dressed, she hung her robe and nightgown on the door. She crossed the courtyard and went into the kitchen to find her sisters arguing over the best way to prepare eggs. Their mother was cooking arepas and sausages, studiously ignoring them.

"They should be boiled, Isa."

"Why? I would like to have them scrambled for a change."

"Because we always have boiled eggs for breakfast."

"Exactly. We need to make something new. Something spicy. Mamá, do we have - oh, never mind, I see it."

Mirabel shook her head and wondered if this was why everyone was afraid to try Isa's cooking. She went closer to her mother and said, "Good morning, Mamá, can I help with anything?"

Her mother looked at her and smiled gently, "Good morning, Corazón, can you please help Dolores and Tuli set the tables for me? They're out on the patio."

"Sure thing."

She went out and saw that Tuli was wearing a light blue dress, daisy crown atop her head, looking as fresh as when Isa made it. Dolores was showing Tuli where to place the cutlery. Tuli was paying very close attention as Dolores explained what went where.

Mirabel noticed then there were two tables. A larger and a smaller table, then she remembered Doris and her brood. She wondered if they were all up yet. She picked up the tablecloth and spread it over the smaller table. The sideboard had a stack of dishes and cups which she collected and moving quickly she turned and ran into Bubo who had appeared from nowhere. He steadied her and kept her from dropping the plates and cups.

"Sorry, Mirabel," he said and moved aside.

"You're here early," Mirabel said as she set everything down on the table. Bubo nodded and Mirabel asked, "Here for breakfast?" He nodded again and Mirabel waited. He said nothing, so she shrugged. Must not be a morning person. After setting out the plates and cups, she collected the cutlery and placed it around the table. Camilo appeared with a stack of smaller chairs, which he set around the smaller table.

Mira grabbed a pile of napkins and deftly folded them into flowers that she put in front of each plate. She looked over and saw that Tuli was now glomped onto Bubo's arm, watching her with great interest. Bubo was leaning against the patio wall with his eyes closed. She hadn't noticed before, but he looked tired, and his clothes looked like he'd slept in them. Tuli tugged his arm, and he opened his eyes and pushed up his glasses. Tuli said something that seemed to startle him, and he leaned down to answer her question.

Food was starting to appear on the sideboard and Isa and Luisa came out carrying their egg creations. The rest of the family started to filter in. Antonio ran over to Tuli and pulled her loose of Bubo, handed her Fura and brought her over to the food. Tuli was mindful of what her mother told her yesterday and took modest portions. Antonio filled his plate, and together they went to the smaller table. Abuela came in ahead of Doris and Inez, with the kids following behind. Her mother was setting the last of the food out and directed Inez and the children to the smaller table to get a plate and head to the sideboard for some food. Doris followed, but Mirabel noticed she was watching Tuli with an intensity that was a little off-putting. Thankfully, Tuli was not facing that direction. Mirabel could tell she was having a time understanding Tuli's view of herself.

Tía Pepa was sitting at the table next to Isa and was whispering something that made Isabela turn a deep shade of red. Dolores had her hand over her mouth, clearly amused by whatever her mother was saying to her sister. Bubo was sitting between Tío Bruno and her father. He had a very stunned look on his face as her Tío said something that he punctuated by waving a spoon about. This was the most animated she'd ever seen him with someone outside the family, and it made her smile.

Mirabel sat in the empty seat next to Luisa, and her sister immediately started telling her about the turtle nests she'd discovered in her room. She also thanked Mirabel for taking the time to add the decorations on the hem of her pants. This was overheard by her father, who asked Luisa to show him, and he too remarked on the cleanness of her work. Mirabel knew she was blushing, and she felt like melting under the table, but it was nice to hear. Breakfast got underway with no announcements from Abuela, and with the extra children there it was quite noisy. When breakfast ended, Mirabel went to the courtyard. She saw Bubo talking with Luisa, who looked her way and waved for her to join them.

"Mira, Bubo wants us to go with him to meet his Tío," Luisa sounded almost excited, "Oh, and don't worry about Tuli, Isa has that covered."

Mirabel looked at Bubo, who nodded. She wanted to ask more, but Camilo came in the front door and asked, "You ready to go?"

"Yes," Luisa said.

Their mother came over with Mirabel's mochila bag, as well as a shoulder sack, which she handed to Camilo, and said, "Don't be out late. Try and make it back by dinner."

Bubo, Camilo and Luisa nodded while Mirabel just blinked. They met the larger group that had gathered near the edge of town and headed up the road to meet Bubo's Tío José.

A little bit earlier…

Cactus Lady

Isabela was very happy when breakfast ended, and she was finally able to escape the 'advice' her Tía Pepa was sharing. Some of the things she was suggesting were just… startling. Dolores, of course, heard everything but was too busy laughing to help. Her mother must have noticed because she came and collected her 'hermanita' to help with getting the new group of folks settled in town.

"Seriously, Doli, you could have… helped."

"Oh no, if I have to put up with it, so do you," Dolores said as she got up, adding her dishes to the growing stack, "Be careful or Mamí will have you married off before you can say boo."

Married? Oh God, no, Isa thought. Dolores was heading for the gate and Isabela asked, "Where are you going?"

"To see Mariano before he leaves, and I have to stare at the floor in your sister's room."

"Oh right, okay, I'll see you later then."

"Bye Isa," Dolores said with a small wave as she walked out the back gate toward town. Since it was Isabela's dish day, she got up and stacked most of the dishes still on the table after dumping the leftovers in the pig bucket. She picked up the first stack and headed for the kitchen. There she found Antonio, Tuli and Bubo sitting at the worktable.

Isa paused and said good morning before setting the dishes on the counter. They all said good morning as she got an apron off the peg near the stove. She put it on and went out to collect more of the dishes. She stopped before going back in when she heard Bubo say, "Tuli, Señorita Isabela will be looking after you while I'm gone today."

"But why? Where's Mirabel?"

"She's going to be busy," Bubo said. It was clear he hadn't heard about the cactus incident at breakfast the day before and added, "Señorita Luisa as well." There was a pause and Bubo said, "Tuli, Señorita Isabela is the one who will be taking care of you. This is not open for discussion."

"No! Can't I just go with you?"

"No." Bubo said flatly. "I have to get going, make sure you mind her. In fact, you can help with the dishes." Tuli groaned and Bubo said, "Everyone has chores Tuli."

"That's not fair, Antonio doesn't have chores!"

"Of course he does, and just because you're a guest does not mean you don't have to help out."

Isabela leaned in and saw Antonio's head was moving back and forth, listening to the exchange. He saw Isa near the door, and gave her a look that said, help me. So, she came in and said, "Hey Toni, Abuela says the donkeys need rounding up and asked if you could take care of that for her since Luisa is busy today."

Antonio gave her a grateful smile and asked, "In town?"

"Yes, but make sure you check in with your sister, she's probably at Mariano's house," Isa said as she set down her current load.

"Okay," Antonio said, "I'll catch up with you later Tuli," and hopped off the chair and was out the door.

Isabela went back out onto the patio and picked up her last load. She almost dropped them when she heard Bubo shout, "É suficiente!" This was accompanied by the sound of the table being smacked, and Isabela stayed where she was. No one liked having others around when they were being scolded. She couldn't hear what was being said but knew this wouldn't be happening if she hadn't been such a bitch the day before. Abuela always said, it was the first impression that stuck the hardest.

It was quiet now, and she moved closer to the door just as Bubo came out of the kitchen. He was rubbing his hand and turned to her and said, "I apologize, I don't know what's gotten into him… her. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Isabela nodded, "We'll be okay, I think we just got off to a bad start yesterday."

Bubo looked as if he was about to ask the question Isa was dreading, but the clock chimed, and he looked back over his shoulder. He looked back at her, let out a sigh and said, "Thank you, Isa."

"You're welcome," Isa said, then added, "We'll see you when you get back."

He nodded, then went back through the kitchen toward the courtyard. Isa took a deep breath and went back inside. Tuli sat hunched with Fura perched on her shoulder. The rat watched Isa with accusing glittering black eyes and squeaked, as she patted Tuli's ear. Tuli looked up at Isabela as she came through the door. The look of anger and defiance was clear, and Isabela thought, You made this mess, let's see if you can clean it up.

Mirabel was unsure why she'd been included in this adventure, but truthfully, she was glad to be out of the house. Once they got underway, the Madrigals stayed together, Bubo was walking with Mariano and old Arturo. He seemed to be listening very intently to what the old man was saying. Osvaldo and Señor Aguilar were each leading an empty cart in case anyone was too tired to walk. Mirabel jumped when she heard Dolores's voice in her ear.

(Mira, the other group, is making good time and will reach the edge of the Encanto in a few hours.)

"I know," Camilo said when he noticed her start, "Freaked me out a little the first time she talked to me that way."

"It's like she's sitting on my shoulder," Mirabel said as she glanced at it.

"And she sounds like she's whispering," Luisa added, "such an amazing ability."

"So, what did she have to say?" Camilo asked.

"Oh, that the forest people are a few hours away from the outermost farm," Mirabel replied.

"You should go tell Bubo," Luisa said.

"Me?"

"Dolores told you, so go pass it along," Camilo said.

"Ummm okay." Mirabel picked up her pace a little and caught Bubo and Mariano's attention. They dropped back, and she said, "Hey, Dolores just told me that the people we're headed for will reach the edge of the Encanto in a few hours."

"So soon?" Mariano asked.

Bubo shrugged and said, "Probably could see the farms from their last campsite. I know what that's like. The last days of travel for my group were much quicker than the previous days. Just the sight of habitation was enough to get everyone moving a little quicker. That, and it was mostly downhill."

"Bubo, why do you think your Tío came all this way?"

"Who knows, guilt maybe?" Bubo looked up at the sky and after a moment said, "Sorry, that was ungenerous of me. My Tío is actually a good man. He really does love his family above all else, even politics. I think he was right to send me out of Bogotá. The way things were going, I would have likely been severely injured or worse if I'd stayed. Anyway, I'll let the others know what you told me," And ran ahead to speak with Arturo.

Mariano stayed with her, and they walked on in silence until Mariano asked, "So, Mira, what do you think of his chances?"

"Who?"

"Bubo with Isabela."

Mirabel wondered at the question, but then her sister did reject him twice, violently. "Better than most," Mirabel said with a snort. "Why?"

"I've been a little worried about her. Don't get me wrong, I'm not jealous or anything… I think it's nice that your sister is interested in something more than just plants. It's more she… how do I put this… She doesn't socialize with anyone outside of your family anymore… That goes for Luisa as well. It's like they both just stopped. I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking it," Mariano said, then nodded to Arturo, who was waving to him, and he said as he sped up, "Looks like we're almost there."

Mirabel slowed down and waited for her sister and primo. Mirabel wanted to believe that Mariano was wrong about her sisters, but looking back over the past year, she knew he was right. The truth was she was glad they stayed home more often, but for all her isolation within her family, she had friends in the Encanto that she still spent time with just messing around. Now she was curious.

After a few minutes, the group came to a halt as they neared the forested area where the coffee farms were. Arturo announced that they needed to pick up their pace. The extra donkeys they'd brought were now hitched to the wagons, and those who could not walk faster were loaded into them. The group changed from a leisurely pace to a quicker one and after an hour, Camilo asked Dolores if she thought they were getting close. Dolores responded they should be able to see them as they made the next turn in the road, which was about a kilometer away.

Mirabel was thankful for the break, since for the last few kilometers it was an uphill walk. Luisa wasn't even mildly winded. Camilo adjusted the pack he was wearing, and Luisa asked if he wanted her to take it. He declined, and everyone came to a halt at the turn-off to Farmer Hernández's coffee farm. Camilo verified the forest people were still on this road, and they would reach them in the next half hour. Food and water was distributed, and Mirabel walked with Camilo. They discussed his new job and Mirabel asked what sort of things they would be studying. Luisa was talking to Osvaldo about his donkey. She said Burrita looked a little lame on her left front side. Bubo was examining a coffee tree nearby and Mirabel watched as he pulled out one of his many boxes, plucked a few leaves and dropped them into it. He returned the box to his pocket and jogged a little to catch up.

"What did you find?" Mirabel asked.

Bubo paused when he realized she was asking him a question. "Oh, larva of leucoptera coffeella."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Coffee miner moth caterpillars."

"I'm guessing that's bad."

Bubo nodded. That particular tree was out in the open, something these guys," he said and tapped the pocket he'd placed the box in, "love."

"Speaking of love," Camilo said and shifted into Isabela before the breaking in all her distant, cold, magnificent glory and Mirabel cringed.

Bubo tilted his head and said, "Who is this?"

Mirabel smiled, realizing Bubo had never seen Isabela like this. This representation of her sister was so different from how Isabela looked now, that she said as she punched Camilo's arm, "Someone that doesn't exist." Camilo shifted back to himself and snickered as he rubbed his arm. Mirabel wondered if he'd ever outgrow that habit.

Bubo's eyes went wide, and he asked, "Was that supposed to be Isabela?"

"Only in my twisted primo's head," Mirabel said and shot him a look that kept him quiet. Mirabel kicked a loose stone on the road and stumbled a bit when Bubo asked, "Did something happen between Isa and Tuli yesterday?"

Mirabel said carefully, "Not actually between Tuli and Isa… More of a misunderstanding between sisters that Tuli got caught in the middle of."

"About what?"

"You know, Bubo, I'd rather not say. No one was hurt, and Isa did apologize to Tuli, so I'd rather just leave it be."

Bubo nodded and everyone looked up when there was a shout from further down the road. Bubo sighed and said, "Well, here we go."