Let me preface this chapter with a warning. There are some descriptions of child abuse and neglect that were alluded to in earlier chapters. None are graphic because that is not how I write, and I don't want that floating about in my head either. With all that said off we go.

Cosas Buenas Inesperadas

(Unexpected Good Things)

Julieta noticed that Agustín was trying to keep a random eye on Bubo Márquez while he was helping her. Since he'd not yet had the chance to speak with him, he was unusually distracted. She reminded him that an injury now would lead to a lot of questions she'd prefer to hold off answering. He reminded her that he'd tried to discuss this last night, but she had fallen asleep at some point as he was talking. She felt bad about that, and Isabela's obvious interest was something new in their world. She was an adult, but her husband was not at all sure how he felt about that. Well, that really was a worry for later as she watched Félix set down Señora Vargas's things and walk away from her and her son. Those two were trouble for the town, and that was a certainty.

A few minutes later, her mother came up next to her and said, "Just so you know, I've spread the word that no one is to help them if they cannot even be courteous to Félix."

Julieta smiled and said, "Guess it's a good thing Pepa's back at home taking care of supper. We still inviting them?"

Her mother rolled her eyes and paused before she said, "Yes, unfortunately."

"I'll ask Rodrigo or José to extend the invitation. They seem able to handle them pretty well."

"We really should do that ourselves," her mother said with a noticeable frown.

"Mamá, you already want to throttle them," Julieta said and put a hand on her mother's arm.

Her mother shrugged and said, "Possibly. Very well, hija, I'll let you take care of that. Have you seen Bubo Márquez? I noticed when we emptied that old shoe shop, that it would be a good size home for him and Tuli... if she stays, that is."

"He was helping Mariano and Osvaldo earlier." Julieta said as she looked around. "Not sure where he's gotten off to, Mamá."

Her mother shrugged, "Well, it was just a thought," she said as she picked up one of the baskets of sandwiches, and they got back to the business of getting people settled. In a way, Julieta was a little surprised her mother even suggested it. No one had wanted to live in that house, considering what had happened there. Of course, anytime it was suggested, the rumor mill would kick into high gear and the superstitions and shame tied to suicide tended to make it that much worse.

She saw the Doctor making his way through the crowd toward her, and Julieta waved. After Doris's reaction to being unknowingly magically healed, Julieta decided it would be best if she spoke with the Doctor to see if he could come to evaluate whether folks needed any sort of healing. She noticed that many were relieved to find they had a 'real' Doctor here, and Dr. González was happy to assist, since he understood her problem. Most of the people who had arrived with him had initially whispered privately that the talk of lost magic was really witchcraft, and they would never have allowed themselves to be healed in such a way. Many believing they would be marked by the devil if they did so.

The Doctor admitted when he himself had first arrived he'd put little stock in her remedies, but here, he was out of his element. With no way to get the drugs he usually prescribed; he sought her out to see if she could help someone who had come with his group. She did what she could and showed him many of her recipes and what she used them for. She let him borrow the notebooks that the previous doctor had left for her, and in exchange, he let her borrow his medical texts. There had been so many changes in the medical world, and Julieta was fascinated by all of it. When he returned them to her, he told her that he had underestimated her knowledge and offered to answer any questions she might have with regard to things in his texts.

In the end, only a few were offered the small sugar pills that Julieta had made to give to those the Doctor indicated needed more than just rest. The little pills, the Doctor suggested, were easy to make and did not require her to spend hours in the kitchen. They could be easily stored, and it also gave her an opportunity to see how this Doctor did his assessments. It also gave her an opportunity to meet some of the folks, so she could gauge who would be less likely to be frightened by magical healing if it became necessary.

Frightened people did foolish things in the name of righteousness, and she did not want that aimed at her youngest child. This was the primary reason she had been reluctant to let Mirabel go with them on the mountain the previous day. Her daughter was now the source of a miracle that brought the magic back to the Encanto. But when Bruno insisted that she had to let Mira go with the folks meeting this new group, Julieta realized it was now her own fear that was holding Mirabel back.

She was thankful that most of this new group were just hungry and tired. Some of the children appeared to be a little malnourished, but were otherwise fine. Julieta was just used to giving whoever came to her something to eat. But that could be a problem, since it could be hard to determine how much of her strength was actually required to heal them. In the past year, more than fifty new people had come to the Encanto. This group brought that total to almost ninety and, like her daughters, she would need to start being more mindful of just how much of herself she was willing to give away.

After she finished her walk around with the Doctor, Julieta went over to where Luisa was helping many of the older folks get settled. It was apparent she was doing her best to not rely too heavily on her Gift. Once she'd gotten the last of her folks settled, Julieta asked her to stop at the bakers and pick up the cocadas for dessert. Luisa said she would and left. Julieta found Agustín sitting atop some stacked boxes.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Almost, need to talk to Rodrigo or José about passing on the dinner invitation."

Agustín moved to get off the crate and, of course, his foot landed badly, and he would have landed squarely on his nose if not for Félix putting a hand out to stop his forward motion.

"Thanks, Félix."

"No need for thanks, hermano. Let's get home. I'm starving and Pepa's making my favorite."

Julieta spotted Rodrigo talking to Bubo near the edge of the encampment and said, "I'm going to talk to Rodrigo, be right back." When she looked back, Bubo was gone.

Bubo was rifling through his rucksack, looking for something to wear that didn't look like he'd slept in it for a week. He wasn't finding anything, and he'd not really had time since getting back to town to attend to any of that, so he sat on the cot and sighed. A gentle tap on the open door made him look up to find Señora Aguilar there with a small pile of neatly folded clothes.

"I heard through the grapevine that you're having dinner at Casita tonight and possibly a date?" she asked this with a small smile and Bubo could only nod. Mariano wasn't kidding about the rumor mill in this town. His surprise must have shown because she added as she set the clothes at the end of the bed, "Roberto told me about it last night after the meeting at the Madrigals, and I know you haven't had much time to yourself, so I collected some of your things and washed them for you. Hope you don't mind, Bubo. I put the boxes from your pockets on that shelf and there's warm water in the bath if that helps."

Bubo glanced up at the boxes. He'd pretty much been on his own since he finished secondary school, and he wasn't really used to being mothered by anyone. It was definitely something he never expected from the Aguilars, but since he'd joined up with their little band of refugees, he realized they'd often done little things for him and this realization made him smile because he decided it not unpleasant to have people care about what was happening in his life. He set a hand on top of the clothes, and said, "My thanks, Señora."

"You're welcome, Bubo, have fun," she said, then disappeared down the short hallway toward the shop.

To say he was relieved would be an understatement, as he picked up the clothes and headed for the bath. Deciding he did not have time to shave, he scrubbed the last of the grime from himself, brushed his teeth and hair, and then got dressed quickly and noticed Señora Aguilar had done more than just wash his clothes. She'd also mended a few tears in his pants. He needed to start thinking of a way to thank them. He looked down at his shoes and decided they were a little worse for wear, but there was nothing to do for that now, he thought as he took one last look in the mirror before heading out.

He was met on the path that led to Casita's front door by Dolores. She looked him up and down, then said, "You clean up nice, Bubo."

"Thanks?" he replied.

Dolores's smile broadened a little, and she waved to him to come with her to the back gate. Curious, he followed and found Tuli, Mirabel, and Bruno waiting just inside. Bubo could hear all the voices in the dining room and wondered if supper was always this lively.

"Your Tío is coming up the path," Dolores said as she closed the gate, "and Tío Bruno wanted to talk to you before then."

"About Señora Vargas?" Bubo asked as Tuli released Mirabel's arm in exchange for his. He was a little surprised to see Tuli dressed as she was, but then wasn't that the actual point of all this? Bubo gently lifted his arm, and Tuli let go and knotted her hands up in front of herself. He put an arm around her shoulders and returned his attention to Dolores.

"She's not coming," Dolores said, "but Miguel is with your Tío and Rodrigo."

Bubo nodded and looked down at Tuli. She was watching him, then whispered, "I'm sorry, Bubo." He knelt in front of her, undid her hands and said, "Don't be sorry; it's just hard to talk to people with you attached to my arm like that."

"Okay, but you don't think it's too much? I mean-"

"Tuli, you look just as you should, yes?" Bubo asked and gave her hands a squeeze, "In fact, you look a lot like your Mamí. I remember seeing her with her hair up in a scarf all the time when I was younger. Especially when she was helping Abuela in the fields."

Tuli paused, she nodded as her frown decreased just a little and Bubo added, "Try not to worry. I have a good feeling that this will all work out, Tuli."

"Really?" Tuli asked, and Bubo nodded. "Okay, I'll try," but the sadness of her expression worried Bubo. He'd seen it before, and the last time it took long months to have Tuli do more than hide inside her closet and cry. "I mean, he didn't say I could and-"

"He didn't say no, Tuli and you are his ahijada. He takes that responsibility very seriously, and I think he wants to talk to you before he decides, so show our Tío how much this means to you."

Tuli nodded and grabbed her locket. Mirabel touched Tuli's arm, and the fearful expression faded as she turned back and looked up at her. Tuli took hold of Mirabel's hand, then turned and went with her back toward the dining room, Dolores following behind, and Bubo found himself alone with Bruno. Bubo was not sure why he felt suddenly nervous but fell back on his usual response and straightened his shoulders and asked, "How can I help you, Señor Bruno?"

"First, relax, Bubo. I just wanted to ask you something."

Bruno sat on a small bench by the patio wall, and Bubo noticed then the deliberate way Bruno was walking. Like every movement was uncomfortable, then he remembered what Bruno had said about the newly regifted. Bubo nodded as Bruno reached into a pocket and pulled out a small bottle that he drank with his eyes closed, and after a moment asked, "Your primo, Rodrigo, what is his abuela's name?"

Not the question he was expecting and asked, "I'm sorry, why?"

"I was just curious."

"Okay..." Bubo said but thought, 'you don't ask such things out of curiosity'. Still, he had to think about the answer and said after a moment, "Ummm, on his father's side its, Magdelena and on his mother's its… Juliet, I believe. Is that important?"

"No."

"Was that all you needed?"

"No."

Bubo waited, but Bruno was now sitting very still with his eyes squeezed shut. Isabela came onto the patio and went over to her Tío. She pulled his hood up and sat next to him on the bench, taking one of his hands in hers. She looked up and smiled, and Bubo's heart skipped a beat. Never in his life would he have expected to find someone as interesting as her, and though he didn't know what was happening, Isabela clearly did. She waved him over, Bubo hesitated, when she indicated he should sit beside her. As he sat, he noticed she was humming softly as she took one of his hands. He felt an almost electric tingle in his fingertips that was not painful, but was a little startling. The thrill of it made Bubo smile, and he wondered if he was feeling Isabela using her Gift or just his nervousness.

A rustling made him look up, and he noticed the bushes that made up one corner of the patio were now sporting dozens of small, deep red rose blooms. Their sweet smell filled the air, and he was brought back to his childhood home and his mother's beloved Marie Galante Rose bushes. Every summer, they would explode with roses that his mother would collect and spread throughout their home. How his father helped him collect any petals that had fallen, so they could be placed in a glass jar that his mother kept in the kitchen. This was one of those times he was thankful that he'd been asleep when the bus crashed. Since he had no memory of that event, he could see their faces as he last remembered them.

Bubo was pulled out of his musings when Isabela moved to release her Tío's hand as Bruno shifted slightly. She didn't release his, so Bubo sat and waited. Bruno pulled his hood off and immediately stood up. He was no longer moving in that stiff fashion as he twisted his neck. There was a small pop and the tension in his face melted away, then he looked back at the pair as if remembering they were there. He smiled and said, "Thank you, Isabee. That was just the thing."

"You're welcome, Tío," Isa said, and Bubo noticed she was blushing. She tightened the grip on his hand, but did not move to get up. Bruno noticed this and said, "Okay, time for actual supper, and no, I am not leaving you two out here alone. Your father would kill me, Isa."

Isabela rolled her eyes but did not release his hand as she stood up, so Bubo got up as well. Bruno waited until they were headed for the door before moving, and Bubo came to a halt and said, "Wait, you never said what else you needed."

Bruno quirked a small smile and said, "It's not needed anymore, but I'll explain that later."

Bubo looked over at Isabela. She just shrugged as if this was completely normal for her Tío, and Bubo thought maybe it was. There was a lot he did not know about these people. So, he nodded and followed Isabela into the dining room. She led him to the table and sat him next to Tuli who was already seated next to Dolores and Mariano. Isabela took the seat next to him. Mirabel was sitting by her abuela, listening to her with great interest, when Bruno came up and added something to the conversation. Doña Alma looked up at him and smiled. Mirabel, however, looked confused, since she clearly did not know what they were talking about. Her eyes went wide suddenly, and she asked Bruno a question that set him to laughing. Alma patted her on the back and nodded, but it was obvious that she was pleased that her granddaughter had figured whatever it was out.

Mirabel turned when her parents came in, leading his Tío, Rodrigo and Miguel. They were shown to their seats, Miguel was seated next to Julieta and Agustín, while his Tío and primo were next to Pepa and Félix. Señora Guzmán was speaking with Antonio, and Bubo wondered where Camilo was.

Bubo saw the moment his Tío's eyes landed on Tuli and the moment of recognition that made Tuli sink a little in her chair. Bubo touched Tuli's hand and said quietly, "It's going to be alright, Tuli."

She sat back up and gave him the barest of nods. Bubo noted that Miguel was also looking around, probably looking for 'Paola'. His eyes stopped on a child sitting on the other side of Isabela. Bubo blinked, then remembered what Camilo's Gift was and hoped his uncle did as well. Rodrigo noticed who Miguel was staring at and elbowed his Tío. He looked in the direction Rodrigo indicated. He looked at that child and then back at Tuli, then back again. That was the extent of his reaction as he sat down, and Bubo was glad he'd told his uncle about the family's Gifts. He didn't know if his Tío had let Rodrigo in on that, but his cousin, too, sat down without further comment.

Miguel never looked in Tuli's direction, just continued to stare at 'Paola' in an intense and uncomfortable way. Those sitting near him tried to engage him in conversation, but were 'politely rebuffed'. Supper got underway without further incident, but Bubo noted that Tuli did not eat very much. Fura was sitting with Antonio at the moment. He was talking to the rat and listening very carefully to whatever the rat was saying. Miguel was watching Antonio with a thinly veiled look of disgust. It wasn't clear if it was because of Fura being there or because of Antonio's darker skin. Probably both. Bubo had heard from Mariano about Señora Vargas's treatment of Dolores's Papí. It appeared Miguel shared her views, and Bubo wondered how much of that sort of attitude would be tolerated by any of the Madrigal's. There were distinct low peals of thunder, but Dolores's Mamí did not have a cloud. Bruno was whispering something to her. Tuli noticed this as well, and Bubo could see the anger on her face.

When supper ended, Miguel barely took the time to thank Doña Alma for the invitation. He looked nervous as he said he needed to take care of something, excused himself, then left Casita. The air of annoyance left with him, and Antonio came over to Tuli and handed off Fura who let out a high-pitched squeak. Bubo almost choked on his wine. His Tío and Rodrigo exchanged looks. Antonio just said, "Language, Fura."

The rat squeaked questioningly and Tuli actually smiled, and Antonio said, "It doesn't matter if it's true."

There was some laughter and Tuli leaned a little forward to look past Isabela at herself dressed as a boy. She frowned, then she looked over to where her Tío was sitting. Bubo watched as Camilo shifted back to himself. He turned back and noticed his uncle had left the table and Rodrigo was now speaking to Bruno. His expression seemed mildly surprised as Bruno seemed to be explaining something.

Isabela got up along with her sisters and said, "Still my dish day, Bubo. Hopefully, this won't take too long. Mira and Luisa said they'd help."

Bubo was going to offer to help when he suddenly realized his Tío was right next to them and said, "Bubo, Tuli, can I speak with you both on the patio privately for a moment?"

Tuli was now holding tightly onto her locket, so Bubo nodded and got up, helping Tuli do the same. Their Tío walked out the back door onto the patio, and Isa knelt in front of Tuli and adjusted her clothes. She leaned in and whispered something that made Tuli's look of terror fade, and she let go of her locket. Luisa also whispered something, then Mirabel put the small rosary that Bubo noticed she used the night before over Tuli's head and gave her a quick hug, saying, "Remember, just like this."

Tuli stood very still for a long moment, eyes not focused on anything, and Bubo wasn't sure what she was seeing, but he was certain it wasn't him. Time stretched, and Tino tugged at her arm and squeaked encouragingly. Tuli looked at Tino and gently pet the rat's head. She then took a deep breath and said as she took his hand, "Okay, Bubo, I'm ready."

"Bubo, Tuli, can I speak with you both on the patio privately for a moment?" her Tío asked.

Tuli grabbed hold of her locket and saw Bubo nod as he got up. She felt frozen in place but came back to herself when Bubo touched her arm to help her out of her chair. Their Tío walked out the back door onto the patio, and Tuli felt a moment of supreme anxiety. Was this the end of her happiness? Was this the end of everything? She blinked when Isabela knelt in front of her and adjusted her clothes. She leaned in and whispered, "You look so beautiful, Tuli, I'm sure your Mamí would be so proud of you. I am." Tuli blinked, but she relaxed a little and let go of her locket. Luisa was next, and she whispered, "You can do this, Tuli, I know it." Then Mirabel knelt in front of her and put the small rosary they'd used yesterday over Tuli's head and gave her a quick hug, saying, "Remember, just like this." The sisters then began to clear the table with the other Madrigals.

Tuli stood very still for a long moment as her thoughts randomly shifted to the night her mother hurriedly put her in a corner. Piled several layers atop her and admonished her to stay still and silent. Tuli was curled up, frozen in place, biting her hand to keep from screaming. Her Mamí needed help, but Tuli was too small to come out or to do anything. When everything finally went quiet, she waited for what felt like an eternity for her Mamí to come to her. When she did not, Tuli finally made her way out of the pile to find their house torn apart and her Mamí bloodied, beaten and broken on the floor of their little cottage. The bad men had done terrible things and even cut her Mamí's long beautiful hair as a final insult.

Her Mamí was still and did not respond when Tuli called to her and thinking her dead, Tuli sat beside her and cried as quietly as she could. Pressing her face into her mother's, not caring that her clothes, hands and face were covered in her mother's blood. Exhaustion took hold and having nowhere to go, Tuli curled up with her head on her mother's chest and fell asleep. She woke to the feeling of someone stroking her head and opened her eyes to see a smile on her Mamí's face as she said, "Mi niña hermosa, you've been so brave. You make your Mamí proud."

Tino tugged at her sleeve, he squeaked, and Tuli was back in the Madrigal dining room. Tuli looked down at the rat and that feeling of determination set in as it had in Isabela's room. 'One way or the other' she thought, she gently stroked the rat's head then took a deep breath. She looked up at Bubo in what she hoped was a hopeful expression as she took her primo's hand, "Okay, Bubo, I'm ready."

As Bubo and Tuli went out on the patio, Mirabel, Luisa and Isabela set about collecting the dishes. Once in the kitchen, Isa did the washing, Mira dried, and Luisa put the items away. They worked in silence in an effort to hear what was being said on the patio. They couldn't hear anything and continued on with the dishes until their Tío Bruno walked through the kitchen toward the back stairs. "Anselmo," he said to no one and just kept on walking, not slowing to explain, but Isabela stopped moving.

"What's wrong Isa?" Luisa asked.

"You know that oak tree I grew today?"

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that," Mirabel started to say.

"It talked to me... "

"What?"

"The tree?"

"Yeah, Tuli was hugging the tree and asked me if it was a guardian tree... "

Mirabel remembered the almost glow to the tree when she'd looked at it earlier. That would certainly explain a few things. "Did it say anything else?"

"No, just anselmo, like it was saying hello."

"What did you do after that?" Luisa asked.

"Nothing. It kind of freaked me out, so I just thought it was my imagination."

"Anselmo… God's protection." Mirabel remembered then why the tree looked so familiar, and her breath caught. It was that tree. The one she used to climb and hide in after she didn't get a Gift. The one Abuela had Luisa pull down. But that had happened at least ten years ago. It couldn't possibly be the same tree. Maybe, like Casita, it was the child of the other tree and Isa had woken it up somehow. If it was, she really wanted to go climb it and see if she was right.

"Thanks for the help," Isabela said, "Gonna get changed." She said this, and two yellow roses sprouted in her hair. She didn't notice this as she left the kitchen for the back stairs.

Luisa and Mirabel looked at one another, and Luisa let out a giggle and said, "Never thought I'd live to see the day when Isa was smitten."

"Yeah, I'm just glad she's found something to do besides study plants."

Luisa nodded and said, "Aren't you supposed to be helping Camilo study?"

"Oh crap, you're right," Mirabel said and she too, headed for the stairs.

Tuli's Tío watched her approach with an unreadable expression that made her even more nervous. She was surprised that he didn't look mad or angry or disappointed, or any of the things she'd grown used to. She looked up at Bubo, he was watching her, and she resisted the urge to grab hold of his arm, but she did take hold of her locket. It helped her feel a little calmer as she felt Bubo give her hand a gentle squeeze. Still, even as Tuli and her primo walked in the cool night air, she couldn't seem to feel anything because she was sure she knew what was coming. More pain, more sadness and lots of disappointment. Mirabel's sister Luisa was telling her, as they were making the lemonade for dinner, that she knew how hard it was to wait for a dream like hers. Not impossible, but sometimes you just have to be patient for a little longer than you want for it to happen.

Tuli didn't know if she could do this, but at the same time she thought, I can't lose all hope. This place can still be my new home. But she knew this last hurdle was going to be the hardest. Was it really possible she'd be able to stay? Or would her Tío make her leave? Tuli felt her fear building and tried to focus on that little ray of hope Mirabel had shown her yesterday. It was still there, shining in a distant spot in her mind. When she concentrated, it got a little brighter. This helped calm her nerves a little more as they stopped in front of her Tío. He gestured for Tuli to sit on the bench next to him. Tuli did not want to, she needed her primo, but, reluctantly, she released Bubo's hand and did as she was asked. Bubo now stood in front of their Tío waiting.

"So, Bubo, before we get to the other, I am a little curious, you see, I was seated next to Pepa Madrigal, and she mentioned you are supposed to be going out with her sobrina this evening. I'm assuming that this is the young lady you were sitting next to and is the nice girl you mentioned earlier."

Bubo looked surprised and somewhat embarrassed but nodded in reply.

"What is her name?"

"Isabela, Isabela Madrigal."

"And I'm also assuming she is aware of your intention to care for your cousin."

"Yes."

"Now I want an honest answer, do you believe you are better suited than I to care for your cousin?"

Bubo blinked, thought for a moment, then said, "Yes."

Their Tío quirked a small smile then asked, "And you are fully prepared for this kind of responsibility?"

"I believe I am," Bubo replied.

Their Tío nodded then continued, "Okay, bear with me. I have a few more questions. To start, where will you be living?"

"I currently live with the Aguilars, behind their shop."

"The fishmonger's shop?"

"Yes, but I intend to find better accommodations as soon as possible."

Her Tío nodded then asked, "Do you have a job, other than patrolling, that is?"

Bubo frowned and put his hands behind his back as he shook his head.

"I see, any prospects for one?"

"No, however, I am willing to take any position if that is what is necessary."

"That's commendable, Bubo, but as of this moment, my answer should be no," her Tío said and Tuli felt that light waver a little… but it was still there as her Tío continued, "However, you've already given me some valid reasons as to why your cousin should remain here. I understand this has all been happening very quickly, but there are clearly things you've not completely considered. I plan to remain in this place for at least a few weeks, so we'll talk about this again before I leave, and I'll give you my decision then."

Bubo nodded and said, "I understand, Tío."

"I want to speak with Tuli alone for a bit, so if you would."

Bubo again nodded and Tuli blinked. Her Tío had not used her proper name in over a year. Bubo noticed this and mustered a small smile. Tuli smiled back as he turned and left the patio. Her own smile faded as the silence stretched, and she nervously began to swing her feet, then forced them to stop. Her Tío never liked it when she fidgeted. He was watching her with that unreadable expression, and Tuli went very still. Here it comes, she thought. Instead, her Tío stood up and held out his hand as he said, "Let's go for a walk, Tuli and you can tell me about this place and why you want to stay."

Bubo went into the dining room and sat down at the table. He was tapping his fingertips steadily to try and calm his nerves. His Tío had made some good points, and Bubo knew he would have to work out the things he required. Still, his Tío seemed way too calm when you considered his history with Tuli. Rodrigo came in and sat next to him and said, "Bubo, the doors upstairs are glowing... they weren't like that earlier."

Bubo was not paying attention, and his cousin picked up the half empty bottle of wine on the table. Rodrigo shook it a little in front of him, and Bubo looked at the bottle.

"Sorry, Rodrigo, and no, thank you." Bubo glanced at the clock and said, "I hope their talk is going alright. I mean, Tuli's been on edge since she was found... "

Rodrigo nodded but said, "Tuli's always been a bit of a wonder in our family. So bright and full of hope. When I first met her, she was barely three and was already telling anyone that would listen that she was not a boy. I almost got into an argument with a small child over it, but thankfully, your Abuela had her go out to play, and she told me a story to explain. She told me that once upon a time, there were two souls that were released from heaven to be new babies. Because they were kindred spirits, they lingered in heaven, and both were late arriving here on earth. In the rush to be born, they somehow got mixed up and landed in the wrong bodies."

Bubo continued to tap the table then paused and said, "Wait, I remember that... I wonder who passed that on to her."

"Did you ever ask?"

"No."

"I did, it was Tuli. She told your Abuela that she remembered it very clearly and said someday, she would find that other soul because they were meant to be friends." Bubo smiled and Rodrigo said, "With everything that's happened, I can't help but wonder who that other child is or where they might be."

Bubo remembered then that Tuli had been trying to get to Mexico. He hadn't asked her why, but maybe Tuli didn't remember either, since it was not something she ever talked about when they were living with their abuelos. His Abuela had explained why Tuli was living with them now. There had been so much darkness in her world before she came that she rarely talked about being a girl or anything that had happened with her father. Just bits and snatches here and there. All of it bad. She would talk about her Mamí though, and Bubo thought then of his Tía Maria. He'd only met her a few times when she'd come to Brasil when he was small. He remembered she was quite beautiful and loved to sing.

"I know what you're thinking, and you may not have realized it yet, but your Tío, well, let's just say that somewhere between Bogotá and here he accepted that he would not be able to make Tuli change her mind about being a girl."

"Did you just say her?"

Rodrigo nodded and let out a laugh, "You two are just alike."

"I am nothing like my Tío." Bubo said flatly.

"You wish," Rodrigo said, "I'm surprised you two haven't ended up in a pitched battle. You are clearly forgetting how irritating you were as a child."

"And you are clearly forgetting I no longer am one."

"Fair enough, Bubo. So, how did things go?"

"He said no for now, but that he would reconsider it, if I find a job and a place to live."

"And right now, you have neither." Bubo shook his head. "From that look, I'm assuming there are not a lot of open positions in this little village."

"Not really, but money doesn't mean a whole lot here."

"I wondered about that. Perhaps you could find a way to help the farmers in the area with any, you know, bug problems. That was what you were going to school for."

Bubo looked at his primo as he let out a small laugh and said, "You're probably right. I guess I didn't think it was an option because I haven't quite graduated."

"You barely had a semester left, and José said you already had sufficient credits to get your diploma. Maybe you should try to contact the Dean and see if, since they're shut down, you can get it."

"There is no mail or telephone service here," Bubo said, and remembered what Bruno had said about there being a way to get to Bogotá quickly.

"True, and it is an awfully long walk," Rodrigo said with a slight smile, "There's one other thing I wanted to tell you about. Bruno Madrigal thinks my Abuela Juliet may be related to Doña Alma."

"What? How is that possible?"

Rodrigo shrugged and said, "He insists it was something to do with his Gift and how it works. I am inclined to believe him since about a month ago, I called my abuela at my mother's behest. Abuela knew I was collecting family stories and said Abuela was very insistent I call her as soon as I could. We were just getting ready to leave the city, so, of course, I called, and she told me about her little sister who was lost in the thousand days war. She, her husband and the three babies she was expecting, all disappeared when things went wrong in their village. Since she never heard from them again, she assumed they were all killed that day, but she was never sure, until she had a dream about her."

"Three babies... I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by that."

"No, no you should not. Anyway, that dream rattled her, and she knew I was doing my graduate thesis on the fracturing of families during the Thousand days war, so she told me that story because she didn't want her hermanita to be forgotten."

Bubo realized that Mirabel had said truer than she knew when she asked him why, of all places, Tuli ended up here. Where her family was. Rodrigo poked his arm, pointed, and Bubo turned. Pretty much every thought he had fell out of his head. Isabela came into the dining room with her mother and stopped by the door. Her mother leaned in and said something that made Isa give her a look as she sat across from him.

Rodrigo patted his arm and said as he got up, "I'll catch up with you tomorrow, Bubo."

Bubo barely nodded, and he'd not taken his eyes off the smiling beauty in front of him. Isa's mother was gone, probably in the kitchen. Mariano came in and sat next to him and asked, "We're just waiting on Dolores, then we'll head out. Luisa's agreed to look after Tuli."

Dolores came into the dining room and Mariano got up to greet her. Isabela also got up, and Bubo waited as she came around the table.

"Is it alright if we wait for Tuli to come in?" Bubo asked.

"She went for a walk with your Tío," Dolores said and tilted her head. "I think they're out by that tree you grew today, Isa."

"You grew a tree today?" Bubo asked.

"It was an accident. I... I'm not sure if I grew it from scratch or if it was already there, and I unintentionally made it a lot bigger."

"Wow, must be an enormous tree then,"

Isabela nodded. "Yeah, it's a doozy alright."

"Come on, you two, let's get going. I made reservations," Mariano said, and together the four of them left Casita for town.

Tuli nodded as she left the bench and took her Tío's hand. He'd never offered to hold her hand, and she was a little afraid of what that meant. They walked toward the back gate and Casita opened it, causing him to pause as he looked at it.

"The house is alive, Tío," Tuli said.

"Really?"

Tuli nodded and added, "Her name is Casita, and she talks to Mirabel and her family."

"Fascinating, so the house is a she?

"Yes."

"I did meet Mirabel earlier, but did not have a chance to speak with her. I am curious as to how she does that."

"It's because she's magic, Tío."

"Yes, Bubo mentioned that."

He actually sounded amused, and Tuli felt the first stirrings of dread in her heart.

"So, have you made any friends here?"

Tuli shoved aside her suspicion and replied, "Yes, Antonio. He's been very kind. He put my locket on this string, so I wouldn't lose it again."

"You lost it?" her Tío asked.

"By accident," Tuli said, knowing she should have not said that. Now she was feeling irritated, but couldn't help but add, "I already said I won't lose it again." Tuli bit her lip, but her uncle gave no sign that he noticed her tone. In Bogotá, he would have noticed instantly and told her to watch her mouth and go to her room. Maybe it was because he couldn't do that here.

"Can I see it?"

Tuli was holding the locket with her free hand. She nodded and pulled it over her head, being careful not to mess up her scarf. She handed it off very tentatively since she was a little afraid, she wouldn't get the locket back. Her Tío was very gentle as he took it from her. He popped it open and looked at the tiny faces there and glanced at Tuli and said, "Did Abuela ever tell you how you got named after her?" Tuli shook her head and her Tío asked, "Would you like me to tell you?" Again, Tuli nodded, so he continued, "Originally you were supposed to be named after your father, that didn't go to plan, so your Mamí decided your name would be Tuli because when you were born, you had the darkest hair and your abuela's blue eyes."

Tuli smiled a little and again was surprised when her Tío helped her put the locket back over her head. She wondered what her life would have been like if she had her father's name. Her father liked her even less than her Tío so when her father came back after her Mamí got killed, she was afraid. Things were okay at first, but it didn't last. He came home one night after being out with friends, and he burned most of her things. He only left her, what he called, proper boy things. He was rarely home after that, coming in randomly to leave small amounts of food. Eventually, he pulled her from school. She was no longer allowed to leave the house for any reason and was told to stay away from the windows and the door, which she was not to answer, no matter what.

Tuli knew better than to argue with her father. It was always better to say nothing and hope he wouldn't hit her. She knew he blamed her for her Mamí's death and said on multiple occasions she was a mistake and should never have been born. It didn't help that she felt that way too. Sometimes, he was nice, and those times she tried to tell herself that he was being mean because he was sad and drinking too much. It really was her fault her Mamí died because she couldn't protect or even help her.

Most of her time was spent alone in the windowless room at the back of the house, listening to the rats tell her stories of what was happening in town. She really wasn't sure how long that went on for, since she didn't have a good concept of time then. But everything changed when her abuelos came to visit. Her father wasn't there, of course, and Tuli heard their familiar voices calling for her. They were in the house, and she was torn as to whether she should come out. She was scared her father would come home and hurt them. She was also embarrassed and sad because she hadn't been allowed to take a bath for a while, but at the same time she'd missed them so much.

In the end, she was still in that room when they found her, and her abuelos looked angry. Tuli was afraid she'd done something wrong, backing away as she tried to apologize, but her abuela shushed her. She told Tuli she'd done nothing wrong, nor had she done anything to be ashamed of, and that she would be leaving with them. Her abuelo asked her if there was anything she wanted to take with her. Tuli picked up a small stuffed animal that her Mamí had made for her and that had only survived the purge because she'd hidden it in a cupboard. It was just as dirty and scraggly as her, but her abuelo only nodded and picked her up. They bundled her into the back seat on her abuela's lap. And Tuli watched the cottage, that had always been her home, get smaller in the rear window of her abuelo's car. If Jesus loved her, she would never have to come back here. It would be over, and she decided she should do her best not to think about it ever again.

This didn't always work because sometimes her memories would jump out at her at the stupidest of times, for the stupidest of reasons. But at least when she was living with her abuelos in Aracataca, it didn't happen very much. It turned out to be one of the best times she could remember since her Mamí's passing. Her Abuela's stories about the fantastical land of Colombia made her want to travel and see those wonderful, magical things for herself. Her Primo Bubo was also living with them, and her Abuela told her what happened to her cousin. They shared a room in her abuelos little house, and Bubo couldn't move very well sometimes and had to use a cane or crutches. Tuli had never met her relatives in Brasil, but if they were half as nice as her primo, then they were probably really good people.

Her Abuela spoke Portuguese to Bubo most of the time, and Tuli would hear her name-dropped. She wondered what her abuela was telling Bubo, and Tuli insisted that her Primo teach her Portuguese. Bubo already spoke Spanish because his father was from Colombia, but there were a few words he didn't know. He'd eventually had gone off to university but had promised to write and Tuli looked forward to the postman coming. When people came and told her abuelos about the fighting nearby, Tuli was afraid what happened to her Mamí would happen to them. So, when she was sent to live with her Tío José, she was expecting things to be the same as they were in Aracataca. But when it wasn't, Tuli found she was tired of being told who she should be. She told her abuela this during their monthly call. She wanted to go back there, but her Abuela would always say it was too dangerous.

Tuli pulled away and stopped walking. She was having a hard time fighting the urge to run as far away from him as she could. But she knew if she did that, she'd lose any chance of staying. She tried to force herself to move, but she was stuck in place. She was sure he was trying to trick her, and Tuli felt her agitation building. Why was he being so nice to her? It almost felt like he was trying to get her to say something he didn't like, so he could get mad and make her go back to Bogotá.

Her Tío turned back to her and said something, but she couldn't hear it. Instead, memories of all the times he'd gotten angry started to mix up with her father's bitter tirades and Santiago's sickening laughter. Filling her head as she covered her ears. Shouting voices and an overwhelming sadness made her feel dizzy. She couldn't find her locket. Her locket was gone! Tuli felt like she was falling. Falling toward that blackness that had threatened to swallow her all along. It reared up and Tuli tried to run from them, but the voices chased after her and she couldn't see or even feel that light anymore. She was drowning in that sea of pain and hopelessness.

Não tenha medo Tuli

Tuli stopped as she snapped out of fearful thoughts. Her head came up as she forced herself to focus on that voice,

Não tenha medo Tuli

Her ragged breathing evened out a little. That voice was familiar and kind, but she couldn't say why. She looked around and realized she was near the tree that Isabela had grown earlier. This must be a guardian tree… had it spoken to her? She moved toward it, and gently touched its trunk as she looked up in the branches, but didn't hear anything else. Her Tío caught up with her then, and put a hand on her shoulder. Tuli flinched, bracing herself, but the expected punishment for running off did not happen. Confused, and still feeling the urge to run, she instead turned away and sat on the ground. She sighed and felt a tear slip down her cheek. She immediately wiped them away. This was another of the things she'd been told she should try to hide. She'd come so far and knew this little episode would surely not help her cause to stay, but she was surprised again when her Tío also sat and asked, "Are you okay, Tuli?"

"I'm sorry Tío. I don't mean to be a bother," she said as she looked toward Casita. Sometimes it seemed all she did was apologize, but she needed to say it, "You're being so nice but I... I can't... can't go back to Bogotá. No one likes me there, and they all think I'm odd. I don't want to be alone anymore. I want to stay here where I can be myself and no one gets angry about it."

Her Tío didn't respond, instead he glanced up at the tree and said, "When you ran away, I was very angry with you and at the same time it scared the daylights out of me. The truth is, I realized that I'd failed you, my sister, your abuelos and myself. They entrusted me with your care and, well, the things I thought were the correct things to do…"

Tuli looked up at him, but she was still too afraid to ask. She reached up, but instead of the locket, her hand came to rest on the Rosary that Mirabel had given her. It was warm and the light she thought was extinguished, flickered and brightened. All her hope was crammed into that little bit of light. Tuli got up and smoothed her dress, and she realized that all this time her Tío had made no mention of it. So many unexpected, good things. She latched on to that thought and took a deep breath.

Her Tío was watching her again with that unreadable expression and said, "I should have paid more attention to your Mamí's letters, she knew you best. It's never easy for me to admit when I've made a mistake, Tuli. You really are much like your Mamí. She was always headstrong and a bit willful and though I can't say I agree with how you see yourself, that is my problem. I should have never made it yours."

Tuli realized her Tío was apologizing. An almost smile fluttered across her features as she thought... unexpected good things...

He rose and reached into his jacket pocket, "I brought this along," he said and offered her the small stuffed rat her Mam í had made for her. Tuli had left it behind to give herself a better chance of making it out of the city. She never thought she would see it again and took it with slightly shaky hands. The spots on him that were missing fur were filled in now, or maybe it was new. She pet it as she held it close to her face. It still held the scent of daisies, and felt the way it did when her Mamí first gave it to her. "Thank you, Tío."

He nodded and said, "Let's head back, Tuli."

He again offered her his hand. This time she took it without the suspicion she felt earlier. They were headed back toward Casita and saw four figures heading toward town. Tuli smiled, she was glad her primo was able to go out, despite her being so needy today. As they approached the door, her Tío paused then asked, "Does the door usually look like this?"

Tuli looked at the image and said, "I've never seen it any different."

"Fascinating."

Casita opened the door and Tuli went inside and realized she was pulling her Tío forward. Rodrigo was sitting in the courtyard speaking with Doña Alma and her children.

He looked up and waved to them, "Gabi, you are never going to believe this... "