There are some curious folks headed toward the Encanto. Camilo does more recon, Mirabel is stuck on a cart, Antonio does not like writing, Isabela doesn't know her own strength, Bubo finally wakes up and stay away from Miguel… he's creepier than I anticipated. No, really they're gonna make it back to town soon, I swear.

Doors:

Chapter 42

Tío José

Alma sat between her daughters as the group of women discussed where and how they would house all the newcomers. There hadn't been a group this large up to now. Usually, it was small family groups, such as Doris's. She, Inez and the children were settling into a home that had been recently vacated. The family that lived there had moved to a larger home closer to the school. Doris was a little surprised, she was expecting they would be staying outdoors. Inez was delighted to have a roof over their heads after so long, and the children were excited at the prospect of going to school. The school had been shut down after the outbreak and was scheduled to reopen tomorrow.

Señora Aguilar was asking a question, but Alma wasn't actually listening; her mind was on the information Dolores gave her and her daughters as she'd walked to the meeting. Dolores's update of what was happening on the mountain, included her grandchildren's speculation that the older woman may be related to her. She was not sure why this made her more than a little fearful and nervous. While the prospect of one of her sisters being alive was a good thing, at the same time she realized that she'd not seen anyone from her family for over fifty years.

Alma had forgotten the details of the dream that had awakened her, and she thought of the night when the magic returned. Bruno's first sponty and how sure he was that whoever the woman he saw was; it was not her, but someone who looked a lot like her. Since the founding of the Encanto, she never thought it would be possible to find them. With three babies and a town to run, she had put that out of her mind.

She glanced out the window and saw Isabela and Tuli making their way up the road. She remembered then that Isabela was going to be working on the Jimenez farm near the edge of town. Isa had been working on strengthening the cassava crop this farmer had planted because the plants seemed off to the farmer's wife. Tuli walked next to Isabela, holding her straw hat behind her. Skipping along, and she looked, for the moment, to be at ease. Alma had told Tuli that she could stay in the Encanto if Bubo did, she meant that. It would all come down to whether their Tío would allow it. Still, that was a worry for later and Alma was pulled out of her musings when Pepa lightly touched her hand and asked, "Mamá, you okay?"

Alma nodded and looked around. She realized she had no idea what anyone had said for the past half hour. Pepa picked up on her confusion and asked, "So you agree that the new folks will be housed on the fútbol field near the edge of town?"

Alma again nodded and added, "Yes, that would be best suited if we still have all the tents and equipment."

"Most of those items were stored in the old shoe shop," Sylvia Guzmán said, then turned to Julieta and asked, "How long does Dolores think it will be before they arrive in the town proper?"

"They've only just started back, so we'll have at least three or four hours," Julieta said as she rose, "Okay ladies, let's go. The time will pass quickly, I'm sure, and we have a lot to get done,"

It made Alma happy that no one questioned Julieta's authority, as they all got up and collected the items they'd brought with them. Even the younger women were doing their part this time. Since the women outnumbered the men in the Encanto, Alma was not surprised. There were potential new unmarried men out there.

Alma put a hand on Pepa's arm to keep her there and waited for the room to clear out. Julieta already knew what was happening because she'd spoken to the Doctor directly. She reminded Alma this morning that she needed to tell Pepa what was happening and to have a little more faith that Pepa would handle the news well. Alma had to admit a lot had changed with her middle child since the breaking. Pepa was far calmer and more in control of her Gift in a way that Alma had previously thought was not possible.

Julieta was the last one out and smiled at them encouragingly as she pulled the door closed. Alma took a deep breath, she'd put this conversation off for weeks, but it was clear to her that she needed to stop holding things in. She thought back to the time before the Gifts and how Pepa's joy had always helped lift the shadow from her heart. Always her little ray of sunshine. Since the breaking, Pepa was once again full of joy as she watched her babies grow. Alma knew she needed to learn better to ask for help when she needed it and said, "Pepa, I'm sure you noticed that since my illness, I've been trying to do less these past few weeks."

Pepa nodded and though she had already developed a cloud, there was no rain as she asked, "Is your health okay?"

"Yes," Alma said with a smile as she took one of Pepa's hands, "Right now I am fine, mi vida; however, I want you to be aware of what I am potentially facing and why I will be relying on you and your siblings more from now on," There was no easy way to say this, so Alma again took a breath and said, "The Doctor says there is a problem with my heart."

"What sort of problem?"

"He called it a heart murmur," Alma paused when it started to drizzle. Pepa blew at the cloud, it dissipated, so Alma continued, "That means my heart does not always beat as it should, and he told me that if I wish to be around to see all of my nietos grow up, I need to take a step back from some of my usual responsibilities."

Pepa nodded and asked as a new cloud formed, "How can I help, Mamá?"

"Well, you have been after me for quite some time to give you more stories for the family scrapbook you have been working on," Alma paused as Pepa squeezed her hand, "now that things will be, hopefully settling down, I want to help you with that, if I can."

"That would be wonderful, Mamá," Pepa said and picked up the umbrella she had with her. She popped it open, and Alma heard the light rain Pepa had stopped before as it began to fall again, this time interspersed with some hail.

"To begin, I want to meet with you and your siblings at that yellow door at lunchtime tomorrow."

"Did you remember something?" Pepa leaned in, her excitement causing a brief increase in the hail's intensity.

The happiness Alma had felt the night before, again crept in, and she said, "Yes, but… " and she held up a hand, "tomorrow, Pepita. I want all three of you to be there when I tell you."

There was a quiet roll of thunder and Alma could not help but smile. Pepa shrugged as she let out a short laugh and said, "Okay, Mamá, tomorrow it is… at noon." Her rain stopped, so she closed the umbrella, and together they got up to join the other women.

Camilo was headed to where Bubo's Tío was standing when he paused and nudged Mariano, who was watching the people as they started to drift toward Mira. It amazed him that Mirabel never seemed to notice it happening. Mariano looked where Camilo indicated, and he too noticed Bubo leaning against a tree with his eyes closed. He'd never seen someone able to sleep standing up like that. Camilo's Mamí had told him why Bubo was staying over last night, and both he and Mariano had seen Bubo stumble once or twice on the trip here. It was very evident he'd just not gotten enough sleep the night before. Mariano nodded, walked over and poked Bubo awake. He took him aside, at which point Bubo yawned mightily and rubbed his eyes. Mariano then bent nearer and said something that made Bubo shake his head. Mariano poked his arm and said something else. Bubo rolled his eyes but nodded. Together, they walked over to the cart where Luisa and Mirabel were. There was a brief exchange, then Bubo climbed into the cart and if Camilo didn't know better, fell immediately asleep.

Mariano returned and said, "Well, that was easier than expected. Anyway, Camilo, do you think Dolores would like pastries?"

"What's a pastries?" Camilo asked as the whole group began to follow the cart Luisa had placed Mirabel on.

"Fancy French desserts," Mariano replied.

"Oh, probably. Dolores definitely has a sweet tooth."

Mariano nodded, then asked, "What about Isabela?"

"I have no idea. You should probably ask Luisa or Mirabel that one."

"Yes, okay then I'll talk to you later," and Mariano went back over and started speaking to Luisa.

Camilo watched him go and realized the more he got to know Mariano, the more he found that he actually liked the guy. All the time he'd spent mocking him because of Isabela's supposed relationship had left Camilo believing the stuff he'd always heard. Mariano Guzmán was a big dumb hunk. He supposed he should not be surprised that his sister easily saw past the label he'd been stuck with since school. Now that Dolores was going to marry that guy, they'd be cuñados. Antonio already thought Mariano was loads of fun, since before the magic came back he'd been quite willing to carry his little brother on his shoulders all over town when Dolores was looking after him. Probably still would, but Parce was stiff competition.

"Excuse me, Señor Madrigal, do you have a moment?" Camilo turned and was surprised to find Old Arturo next to him with another of the group of newcomers. Something weird was going on. Arturo had never referred to him as Señor anything. Read the room, he thought and responded, "Yes, Señor Sanchez, how can I help you?"

Arturo quirked a smile and said, "I'd like you to meet Señor Rodriguez. It seems he was a science teacher in Bogotá. I had mentioned that you would be working at the school. He wanted to ask you some questions regarding that."

Camilo found that odd as well. He'd only just been accepted as an apprentice there. Arturo knew that, so Camilo nodded. Arturo moved off and, at the same time, guided Señora Vargas toward someone else. Camilo could see that Arturo was purposefully not letting that woman anywhere near them, and was having fun using the woman's 'properness' to do so. He'd seen him do that with Mariano's mother occasionally, but it was more worrisome that Arturo felt he needed to do that. Still, Camilo trusted the old man's instincts when it came to people's intentions. He turned back to the man and noted he was at least as tall as his Papí, thin build, middle-aged, but had a thin face and a slant to his features that was borderline ugly. Would be a challenge to get that face right, Camilo thought, and had to resist an almost overwhelming urge to shift into a copy of the man, so asked, "We are quite proud of our school, just opened a larger one. What would you like to know, Señor Rodriguez?"

"Please, call me Miguel," he replied and looked over his shoulder, "Only my students call me that."

"Nice to meet you, Miguel. My name is Camilo."

The man smiled and Camilo pulled back slightly, the smile did little to improve his looks and actually made him look creepy. Undeterred, Miguel leaned closer and asked, "José says you found his sobrino, Paola, and that they are currently in your town." Camilo only nodded, so Miguel leaned even closer and continued, "Is it true you all believe that Paola is a girl?"

Camilo was not at all sure why this man wanted this information, but didn't really like his tone. It made Camilo wonder what his actual motivations were and responded, "I'm not sure what it is you're asking, Señor," Camilo said, moving slightly back and glanced at José. He was nearby, still by himself, walking alone and looking thoughtful.

"I see," Miguel said, "but you did not answer my question."

"Nor will I," Camilo said. He disliked where this was going and was now feeling more than a little irritated at this person and asked pointedly, "I thought you wanted to ask about the school?"

Miguel's expression changed from clunky charm to one of apprehension, but he quickly stowed that, smiling once again, but the mask had slipped long enough for Camilo to decide he would tell him nothing regarding Tuli or the magic. Miguel said nothing, it was more than a little disturbing. The man remained silent as they walked, then suddenly turned back to the main party. Camilo watched as he made his way through the people and began speaking with Señora Vargas, who was now seated on the other cart. Bubo's Tío was now very nearby and likely heard the exchange, and Camilo whispered, "Dol, some of this lot is full of potential trouble."

(…Agreed... I'll keep an ear on them…)

Camilo quickened his pace just a little until he was right next to Bubo's Tío. José looked over and said, "I must apologize for my companions. They are a bit much sometimes."

Camilo nodded, then asked, "Señor Márquez, may I ask you a question?"

"Only if I can ask one of you, Señor Madrigal."

"Fair enough," Camilo said, then asked, "How did you end up in charge of these people?"

José raised an eyebrow as he was probably expecting questions about Tuli, but he shrugged and said, "More of an accident. We came across their camp while my own group were attempting to track down my sobrino. Turns out they were refugees from Zipaquirá. Their houses had all been burned to the ground, and they were on the run. Since she ran a boarding house, the people with her thought Señora Vargas was best suited to lead them. Others from the group said she was leading them in circles. The other unfortunate person you met, Miguel, is her son. He is an unpleasant person, at best, and I would recommend you not give him or his mother information you do not want twisted and spread." That certainly explained a few things Camilo thought. José continued, "They were very disorganized and on the verge of starvation, having run out of food and fresh water. We felt bad for the kids, so we decided to help them, and we only planned to stay with them long enough for them to get back on track. We were actually headed in the opposite direction when we ran into this one," he said, and paused to pull a small notebook out of his pocket. He tapped it with his finger and continued, "Bubo gave me this. He said he got it from someone named Bruno. I know this belonged to the tracker because he was unusually protective of it. Now I know why. He claimed he'd seen a group of women with several children on the mountain where he lived and could lead us to them. He seemed very eager to help us and since we were short on leads at that point, we agreed." Camilo nodded and José said, "So now to my question."

"If I know, I'll be happy to answer."

José held up Santiago's book and asked, "Do you know where this, Bruno, the man who owned this is?"

"Bruno? Oh no, Bruno is my Tío. The man who owned this, we believe his name was Santiago."

"Santiago… that name does sound familiar… Is he in custody?"

"No, he's dead, actually."

José paled and said, "How? Did your Tío Bruno kill him? Is that how he got this book?"

Camilo held up his hands and shook his head. "No no no, Santiago died on the mountain."

"Then you met him as well?"

"Ummm, not exactly. I can't really give you the whole story here. Like you said, something's are better discussed in private, and my Papí would be a much better source of information."

José looked around and nodded, then asked in a lowered voice, "One more thing, can I ask how you know Bubo?"

"I actually only just met your sobrino yesterday at a town meeting. He's more a friend of Mariano's," Camilo said and pointed to him. He was now speaking with Miguel, and Camilo hoped Dolores had warned him about that one. "I know Mariano because he's my sister's fiancé. Anyway, the only reason it was yesterday is that Bubo hasn't been around much since he's been leading the group that's been keeping watch on the outskirts of our town."

"It would be like him to do something like that. I wondered why he had not returned, I had hoped he would come back six months ago," José said, "Thank you, Señor Madrigal I need to speak with the others of my own group, how much further do we have to go?"

"It will be a few more hours of steady walking before we get to the town."

José nodded, then moved toward a group of men that were staying together near the back of the line of people. Camilo looked toward the front and saw Mirabel was still sitting with her arms crossed on the cart, so Camilo went to cheer up his prima.

Antonio was sitting at the desk in his room with a stack of paper and a pencil, writing out:

' No usaré mi super jaguar volador para abalanzarme sobre Abuela.'

He was supposed to write that twenty times in his best handwriting. Twice his Papí had crossed off one or two of the lines because he said it was 'illegible' whatever that meant. Antonio had lost track of how many times he'd written the sentence and was seriously bored with it. Parce was asleep nearby and had not moved a centimeter since his Papí told the big cat he best not move from that spot until Antonio had completed his punishment. The jaguar had simply chuffed and closed his eyes.

Chipsi came over, and she whistled to see if he was hungry and Antonio smiled, "No, I can't eat grass, but thanks for asking." This made Antonio realize he'd missed out on lunch when his stomach growled. He threw back his head and said, "Ugh... I'm gonna starve to death." Antonio sighed and looked at the papers. He began to count the lines. He ticked off each one, skipping the crossed off lines, and started to get excited when he realized he only had one more to go. He picked up his pencil and started to write really fast. Chipsi let out a chirp and Parce chuffed. Antonio looked at the line... he couldn't really read what he wrote, and decided this must be what illegible meant. He sighed, crossed it out and began the last line again. This time he made sure to make his letters extra neat. He was just finishing up when his father appeared next to him. Antonio handed him the last two pages. His father looked at his work and nodded as he said, "Okay Toni, you can go have some lunch, but if we have to do this again, it will be forty times."

Antonio shuddered and thought, forty would take forever and said, "Okay, Papí. I won't do it again."

His father smiled then sighed and said, "Off you go, but don't leave Casita by yourself. There are a lot of new people on their way here that we know nothing about. Why don't you take your sister some lunch for me? She's in Mira's room. It's on the counter in the kitchen."

Antonio nodded and went downstairs with Parce in tow. There was a basket with some wrapped sandwiches and some fruit. Antonio took the basket and went up to Mirabel's room. He found his Tío Bruno sitting on the floor with his sister and he must have been telling her jokes because she was laughing.

"Hey Toni, I see you've finished your punishment," Tío Bruno said as he came in the room.

Antonio nodded and said, "Yeah, and Papí asked me to bring Dolores some lunch."

"Excellent," he said, getting up, "Well, I'll leave you to it then Toni. Dol, let me know when they all get here... I gotta do a thing, then maybe a nap."

"Okay, Tío. Thanks for the company."

"You're welcome," he said and walked out the door.

Antonio set down the basket as Parce laid near Abuela's door. He pulled off the towel and Dolores put it in her lap. Antonio pulled out two of the sandwiches and some fruit. He sniffed the wrapping and smiled, recognizing the smell of one of his favorites.

"So, what did you bring me, Toni?" Dolores asked as she settled her hands on the towel in her lap.

"Pickled potato sandwiches," Antonio said and handed her one.

"Oh, nice," his sister said, "Mamí is really getting good at that one."

Antonio nodded and while she was unwrapping it, his sister squeaked then laid a finger down and said, "Mariano, mi vida, be careful not to say too much to that one. Definitely nothing about Tuli or the Gifts."

She refocused on Antonio as he asked, "Doli, are these people bad?"

"Not so much bad, as snooping about things they have no business knowing," Dolores said, and took another bite of her sandwich.

Antonio looked at all the lights swirling around on the floor. He could see they were following Luisa and Mirabel and said, "Papí says there were a lot of new people coming. Do you know how many?"

"Yes, thirty-two."

"Wow, that is a lot. Any kids?"

"Yes, quite a few, actually."

"Oh, how many?"

"Eleven, but most of them are still not old enough to go to school."

Antonio looked over at Parce and asked, "You think they'll be afraid of my friends?"

"Maybe at first. Parce is a really big jaguar."

"Yeah," Antonio said as he finished his second sandwich.

"You might want to slow down there, hermanito, you're gonna get a tummy ache."

"But they're so delicious."

Dolores took another bite of hers and said, "Can't argue with that."

Sitting with his sister was nice, but Antonio wanted to go out and play but since he couldn't go out alone he asked, "Dolores?"

"Yeah, Toni?"

"Where did Tuli go?"

"She went with Isa to do some farm work at the Jimenez place."

Antonio gave himself a shake and asked, "On purpose?"

Dolores smiled and said, "Not everyone gets to play all day."

"I helped today," Antonio said with a small pout.

"True, it's a good thing Isa sent you into town to find me. No donkeys were loose, but those chickens would have taken forever to round up without you." They ate in silence for a bit, then Dolores asked, "So little brother, you looking forward to being the star of Milo's play?"

"Kinda, it is fun to put on costumes and stuff, but I don't know if I can do it in front of a bunch of people."

"Just pretend you're doing it in front of your animal friends."

"That's a great idea Doli," Antonio said, then looked over to the door when he heard a squeak. It was Tino and Antonio had to focus hard. Tino was talking too fast, and he said, "Tino, slow down a little bit..." The rat did, and Antonio's eyes went wide, and he said, "Oh my gosh. Doli, Tío Bruno needs help. Tino says Tío isn't waking up and that his eyes..." Antonio was up and so was Parce.

"Hold on," Dolores said and put her finger on her their Papí's light. She relayed what Antonio told her and said to Antonio. "Toni, can you go get Tío Gus? He's in the back garden."

Antonio nodded and scooped up the rat, then hopped on Parce. They ran out the door, then down the stairs and out the back door. He reached the garden and found his Tío raking in between a row of squash plants.

"Tío Gus! Tío Gus! Tío Bruno needs your help!" Antonio shouted as Parce skidded to a halt.

His Tío set aside the rake and asked as he leaned in to listen, "Tell me what's happening, Toni."

Antonio did, and his Tío asked, "Did Dolores let your Papí know?"

"Yes," Antonio replied.

His Tío nodded and started toward the back door. He stopped and said, "Toni, I'm going to need you to wait by the door. Dol probably called your Mamí too, so can you wait for her to get back and tell her what you told me?"

Antonio nodded and followed his Tío into the house. Toni and Parce went across the courtyard, but before they passed the stairs he said to Tino, "Find out what's happening, Tino and let me know, okay?" The rat squeaked in the affirmative and ran up the stairs. Casita opened the front door, so Antonio sat nearby to wait for his Mamí.

Agustín took the stairs two at a time and met Félix at Bruno's door. It was glowing very brightly, and the cuñados exchanged looks as they went into his room. Bruno was not there nor in the nearby alcove, and Agustín glanced back at the falling sand on the other side of the room and Agustín thought, oh no, and nudged Félix. They both rushed over to it, and ducked as the sand enveloped them. They pushed through and found Bruno on his knees in front of several shattered vision tablets. It had always been rare for Bruno to subject himself to creating this many visions in such a short time. The sand dome started to collapse, so they knelt in front of him and called to him, but Bruno did not respond. His eyes were darting all over the place, almost as if he were searching for an answer he was not finding.

Pepa came in and asked Félix to collect Antonio from the other room. Félix nodded, and Pepa glanced at the broken tablets as she knelt in front of her brother. Her brow furrowed, and a cloud formed as she put a gentle hand on his cheek and said, "Bruno, it's going to be okay. We're here to help. I know we'll find a way through. Come back to us, hermanito."

Bruno finally blinked and as he did an emerald tablet coalesced and dropped into the sand in front of him. He didn't look at it, just stepped on it, causing it to crack. "I need a nap," was all he said before allowing his sister to help him leave. Pepa looked back before she followed Bruno into the sand, her concern was clear and Agustin pushed the vision tablet pieces back together and frowned as he thought, one more complication to an already complicated problem.

Isabela and Tuli reached the Jimenez farm in good time, and they talked to Juanita Jimenez, the farmer's heavily pregnant wife, for a little bit about how the crops were doing. She joined them as they headed out to the new cassava field while telling Isa what she thought the problem with the crop was. Isabela listened carefully, the goal was to see if she could just help the plants along without interrupting their normal growth, and the farmer's wife held many answers. Juanita had come to the Encanto from her family's cassava farm with the same group as Bubo with little else beyond the clothes on her back and a sack full of cassava cuttings. She'd met and married John Jimenez within a month of her arrival. The rumor mill had gone wild with speculation that she'd gotten pregnant just so John would have to marry her, and he didn't really care for her at all. Juanita called to her husband, and he came in to greet them.

He smiled at his wife, and she tilted her head and smiled back, then turned and walked back to the house. Screw what the gossips in town said. Isabela recognized that look, John Jimenez loved his farm wife. He turned his attention back to her and said, "Thank you for coming, Señorita Isabela. I did as you said and cut off all the spotty leaves and burned them. Most of the plants appear to be bouncing back. I did not think cassava was so finicky."

Isabela nodded, but did not mention that it was in fact Juanita that had told him he needed to do that. That's why Isa made a point of speaking with her whenever she came by.

"Who is this lovely young lady with you?" John asked.

"This is Señorita Márquez, she volunteered to help me today."

The farmer laughed, "Oh, a volunteer weeder. Good on you, Señorita."

"Where do you need us to start?" Isabela asked.

"I'm working on that end," he said and pointed, "If you could start on that side, hopefully, we'll meet in the middle."

Isabela nodded as she and Tuli walked toward the end of the field. Isabela hummed as she brushed her hands along the tops of the plants. Leaves vibrated and most deepened in color. The ones that did not were already dead and broke off. Isabela knew she could just grow the cassavas, but it was important to her that she focus on helping them be a little healthier. Trying to grow an entire field would likely knock her out for days. So, after tying up her shoes as well as her and Tuli's skirts, she pointed out which plants needed to go, and they got to work.

Isabela was impressed, Tuli worked diligently and without complaint for the entire time. They actually caught up with John much sooner than Isabela expected. He complimented them on their hard work and asked if they wanted to stay for supper.

Isabela declined, saying she was expected to be home this evening. The farmer nodded and asked if Isa would be available the following week. Isabela nodded and wished the farmer well, and she and Tuli started back toward Casita.

"That was kinda fun," Tuli said and skipped ahead of her. When they were halfway home, Tuli stopped as she looked up the road. From where they were, they could see the line of people coming down and Tuli went very still as she put a hand on her locket and asked, "Isabela, is it alright if I… change my clothes before my Tío comes? I want to stay, and I think I'll just make him angry... if he sees me... like this. Then we'll have a fight and I'll end up... "

Isabela noticed Tuli's look of almost panic as she took her hand. "If that's what you want to do, of course. You know your Tío better than anyone. It'll all work out Tuli."

"How can you be sure?" Tuli asked, her other hand firmly grasping her locket.

"You know, I just am," Isabela said and lifted Tuli's chin.

Tuli smiled then kissed the locket. She looked back up the road and whispered to the people in the distance, "Eu acredito em você, Bubo."

"Tuli what language was that? I know it's not French."

"Oh, it's Portuguese, I learned some of it from my abuela and Bubo. He used to live in Brazil. That's where he came from before he went to live with our abuelos."

So that was the source of his accent. It hadn't occurred to Isa that Bubo's parents might not be around. She wondered how old he'd been when he came to Colombia. Maybe she'd ask later… maybe that was too personal for a first date… maybe she could ask Tuli. Isabela dismissed that idea since it was not necessarily something Tuli would know. Isa let out a yelp when she stubbed her toe. She looked down to realize her shoes were, once again, missing. She quickly reached behind herself and sighed with relief when she found they were hanging on her belt. She and Tuli left the path and walked on the soft grass. Isa stopped as she brushed at the dirt she'd gotten on her clothes, it didn't help. Tuli looked down at her own skirt and wiggled her toes, "Weeding sure does get you dirty."

"Yeah, but it's so satisfying to yank those troublemakers out of the ground," Isabela said and laughed as she pretended to violently pull an imaginary weed. Both she and Tuli took a step back as a large oak tree sprouted and rapidly grew near the edge of the forest. It was almost as large as the one in the plaza.

Tuli whispered, "Oh my gosh, do you think that's a guardian tree… I've never thought I see one get born before… I wonder who it's for… "

Isa wondered what Tuli was talking about but put her hands firmly at her sides. No more using her gift today if she actually wanted to go on that date, that was for sure, and asked, "Tuli, why would you call that ...?" Isabela realized that Tuli was gone. She was running toward the tree. Isabela followed and stopped with Tuli in front of it. Tuli ran her hand over the bark as she stared at the tree with a hopeful smile on her face. Isabela decided it was a question that could be answered later as she too looked up into the branches. The tree was still filling out as its leaves were still unfurling near the top. She put a hand on it and heard quite plainly 'anselmo'. Startled, Isa pulled her hand back. Tuli was now hugging the tree and whispering something that almost sounded like a prayer. Isa wiggled the fingers of the hand she'd touched the tree with. They were tingling, and she thought, that's just weird, and she decided she would figure that out another time. She poked Tuli's arm and said, "Come on, let's get cleaned up before Bubo and your Tío get back." Tuli nodded and reluctantly left the tree behind to follow Isabela toward Casita.

Mirabel sighed as she watched the road ahead. She knew they were only a few kilometers out of town now. Luisa was again talking to Osvaldo about his donkey, and Camilo had told her to stay put when he jumped off the cart. Still, he'd sat with her for the past two hours, telling her the most random jokes. He was now walking with Old Arturo, who was telling him something that made Camilo glance over at the other cart where Señora Vargas was sitting. She had her head together with the man she'd noticed Camilo speaking to earlier.

The cart bounced when they hit a stone in the road hard enough that Mirabel had to adjust her glasses. The kids in the cart all squealed and were giggling. Mirabel looked back and saw that Bubo was now awake. He looked at the seat beside her, and she motioned for him to join her.

"Feel better?" Mirabel asked as Bubo climbed up.

"Yes, didn't realize I was that tired," Bubo said as he rubbed his knees rather nervously. He was quiet for a time, then looked at her and said, "Thank you, Mirabel."

"For what? I didn't actually do anything," Mirabel said.

Bubo shook his head and said, "You underestimate yourself, Mirabel Madrigal. You have an unusually calming presence about you. You also, once again, stopped me from doing something incredibly foolish, and I'm sure my outburst didn't help Tuli's situation."

"I don't know, Bubo. You care a great deal for your prima and throw a little personal guilt and exhaustion into the mix and voilà, instant anger."

"Ugh, I feel so stupid. I see now why your Mamá asked that I bring you and your sister along on this journey."

"My Mamá?" Mirabel was perplexed, then remembered her attitude when she was told she wasn't going with her mother and sisters to retrieve the folks on the mountain. She thought she'd hid her disappointment better. Clearly she did not, but maybe that was not a bad thing. Too much of what had happened before the breaking was because no one was willing to let certain parts of themselves show.

"She said you wanted to help. You did, so again, thank you," Bubo said, then fell silent for a while. He was looking down the road. You could just make out the tops of the houses in town from here. Mirabel noticed the tree line had changed since this morning. There was another great tree poking above it. It was large enough that you couldn't see Casita from here anymore. Isabela must be responsible for that, she thought. But why grow it there? She looked over and noticed Bubo was, once again, rubbing his knees and he said, "I'm not sure how I'm going to talk to my Tío about this rationally. We've already had arguments in the past regarding him calling Tuli, Paola. Now add into that the other and… "

"I'm no expert, but maybe you should try to see the situation from your Tío's perspective. He obviously cares what happens to the both of you. Who's to say what's motivating him if you don't ask."

"While I see your point, I'll be honest, I am not convinced that will be effective."

"Well, just give it some thought, Bubo. People can be surprising. So, did Mariano fill you in as to what you're doing tonight?"

"No, but as long as I'm sitting here, can you give me something to talk to your sister about... besides insects, that is."

"Well, Isa loves music and dancing. She plays the piano and sings really good too. When I was little, she would take me 'flying'. She was an awesome big sister then." Mirabel realized what she'd said and glanced at Bubo. He hopefully missed that, so started hurriedly naming random Isa likes. "Ummm, she likes to experiment with recipes... She's actually really good at cooking, but doesn't want anyone to know that. She likes her coffee with milk. She thinks everyone should love cacti. She wants a cat, either striped or maybe a black one. She thinks dogs smell funny, and she doesn't like when they dig up plants. She used to have potatoes in her room that she would talk to and dress up in clothes..." Bubo tilted his head, and Mirabel paused and cleared her throat. "Sorry, just forget I said that."

Bubo chuckled as he nodded and said, "É engraçado, I promise I didn't hear a thing."

Mirabel tilted her head and asked, "Bubo, you speak Portuguese?"

"Yes, I was born in Brasil. I only learned Spanish when I came to Colombia."

"Oh, how did you come to be living here?" There was a pause and Mirabel thought maybe that was an uncomfortable question and added, "Sorry, I don't mean to be nosy."

"No, no, it's alright. Just something I've not thought about for a long time," Bubo said, then looked off toward the town. Though Mirabel was curious, she just sat and waited for Bubo to find his words and he asked, "Do you know what a bus is?"

Mirabel shook her head then remembered seeing a picture of one in a magazine that one of the newcomers had brought, so she said, "I've seen a picture. They look a bit frightening."

Bubo shrugged. "Not really. Anyway, buses are usually pretty safe, and you can move quickly from one city to another. When I was about eight years old, my parents and I went on a bus trip to Brasile's capital, Manaus. Spent the day looking at all the historical buildings. Overall, it was a good day, the time got away from us, and we ended up boarding the last bus back to our town very late. I'm not completely sure what happened because I fell asleep pretty quickly once we were on the road. I woke up in the hospital. I knew something wasn't right because my abuelos were there instead of my parents. I was told that the weather had turned bad, there was an accident and that both of my parents were killed. I survived, but only just. There were a lot of things I had to relearn, like how to walk, feed myself, it's a long list. Since I did not have any relatives in São Joaquim, where we lived, I came to live with my Abuelos in Aracataca once I was released from the hospital. My Tío was already living there on and off, and he helped me get back on my feet, so to speak."

"I'm sorry about your parents, Bubo."

"Thank you, I think my only regret is that I've never been able to visit their graves. Someday though."

Mirabel nodded and realized they were almost to the town plaza and could see her Abuela and Mama, along with the rest of the town council, waiting to greet them. Camilo came up to them and said, "Hey, Bubo, your Tío was asking for you."

Bubo nodded and hopped down from the cart and began walking toward the back of the group. Camilo climbed up and plopped into the seat next to her. He elbowed her twice and started talking without looking at her. Camilo used to do this when they were little, and they were busy planning some pointless prank. It was always more fun to do that in a conspiratorial way. No jokes this time though, he was instead giving her a run-down of all the things he noticed happening with the new group. It felt weird that her primo felt he needed to do that. But again she realized that she really did need to know these things. Most concerning was José's warning that they not share extra information with Señora Vargas or her son Miguel. She could see that Luisa was also paying attention and Mirabel glanced back and saw that most of the kids were asleep, so she wasn't overly concerned they were listening. Camilo wondered then how Abuela was going to explain the magic to these people. Mirabel looked over at Casita and smiled when she noticed the house waving. She waved back and thought, It'll all work out. I just know it.

Bubo joined his Tío, and his uncle introduced him to the others of his original group that had joined him on his search. A few of them Bubo knew since they were from the same area as his abuelos. He nodded to each and decided to let his Tío know about the magic and what to expect. His Abuela had often told them stories about the fantastical things that could only happen in Columbia and after seeing the magic of the Encanto, Bubo believed every one of them. His uncle was even more so. Though he had studied to be a lawyer, he'd given that up to be a journalist and writer. He was always looking for stories to explore and Bubo had enjoyed all of his published works, so he said as they walked, "Tío, there's a story attached to this place and the people that live here that I want to tell you before we get there. So you know what to expect."

His Tío was clearly intrigued because he slowed a little and let the group move ahead without them and said, "Okay Bubo, let's have it then."

Bubo then told him what he knew of what had happened here over fifty years ago at the beginning of the thousand days war. That the leader of the town, Doña Alma Madrigal, received a miracle after the death of her husband and father of their newborn triplets. It was this event that was the impetus that ultimately protected and saved the original inhabitants from the marauders that ransacked theirs and other nearby villages. He told him about La Candela and Casita, the living house that helped look after and protect the Madrigal family. When he got to the part regarding the Madrigal family Gifts, he paused and his Tío said, "You can't stop now, Bubo."

"Sorry, I'm just trying to find the best way to describe what came next," Bubo said, then one by one told him about each of the family's Gifts as described to him by Mariano.

"You left one out," his Tío said. "What Gift does Señorita Mirabel have?"

"Mirabel does not have a magical Gift," Bubo said.

"How unusual. You're sure?"

"Yes, she told me so herself," Bubo replied.

His Tío nodded and said, "You look as though there is more to this story to tell."

Bubo nodded and said, "Yes. When I arrived here, almost a year ago now, Casita had fallen and there were no magical Gifts."

"But you didn't use past tense when you were describing them."

"That's where Mirabel comes into it. After La Candela went out and the original Casita fell, a new Casita was built for the family by the townsfolk. Mariano said it was quite the thing to see because on the day they were to move back in, the family gave Mirabel the very last piece of it to put in place. A doorknob to be precise. When she did, Mariano said a new miracle was born and Casita and the Gifts returned."

"You did not see any of that?"

"No, I was patrolling the area near the river at that time. I found out about it when I came into town to resupply."

"You didn't go look?"

"Tío, I was responsible for a patrol, and only in town for a day before I headed back out."

"Right, so Mirabel is now the... the miracle bringer?"

"She is an extraordinary young woman. I'm guessing she'll lead this town one day."

"I think I would like to see this Casita."

"It's likely you will, since Tuli is staying at the Madrigal home."

As they crested the final hill, Bubo's Tío put a hand on his shoulder, bringing Bubo to a halt. Only one of his uncle's companions noticed they'd stopped. That one just nodded and continued on. Bubo was now feeling very nervous.

"Now that you're a little more rested, I need to ask Bubo, honestly, do you believe Tuli when he tells you he's a girl?"

Bubo strangely did not feel he needed to hesitate and said, "Yes, at her core she has the soul of a girl."

"But don't you see how much more difficult Tuli's life will be if we allow them to continue with this?"

"Her life is already painfully difficult, to the point that she fled our family with a person of questionable character. She's already paid a high enough price for that mistake. Honestly, do you not see how alone and isolated she already is? She doesn't want to go back to that. Who would? I'll say it again, I accept that Tuli is exactly who she believes herself to be. She wants to remain in the Encanto, make it her home. Also, the Madrigals are all aware that Tuli is not physically a girl, and they do not have an issue with that. In fact, Doña Madrigal said Tuli would be welcome to stay... if you gave her permission to do so and if I agreed to stay as well."

"And do you?"

"Yes. I've grown fond of the people here. Made some good friends. Met a nice girl."

"What about school?"

"I'll find time for that one day."

"I do not believe that."

"Said my almost lawyer Tío."

His Tío smiled and said, "Good answer, Bubo. And if I take Tuli back to Bogotá?"

Bubo sighed and said, "Then this was a pointless conversation because I do not believe she would be able to bear it. We will lose her forever the next time she runs, and you know that she will," Bubo said "Tío, when I found out yesterday just what Tuli had been through, I was ready to go out and do something I would never be able to take back. But I was reminded that of all the places Tuli could have ended up, she ended up here where her family is. Tuli's found the sanctuary she's been searching for since her mother was killed, and her father went missing. This place where she can be who she was meant to be. This place where miraculous things happen daily."

His Tío did not answer, so Bubo started down the hill. He paused and turned back when his Tío said, "I can't make any promises, Bubo, but I will consider what you've said."

"Thank you, Tío," Bubo said with a small smile, "That's all I can ask for."

Notes: If you were wondering: 'No usaré mi super jaguar volador para abalanzarme sobre Abuela.'

translates to: I won't use my flying super jaguar to pounce on Grandma

Kids today