AUTHOR'S NOTES: There will be at least three more chapters after this - the restoration of the Casita and the magic, the Madrigals finding their 'new normal', and an epilogue chapter or two. Right now, however, I am trying to decide how to conclude Isabela's story arc. Right now, my options are as follows:

1) Isabela remains paralyzed even with Julieta's restored Gift.

2) Isabela is healed and uses her experience as she starts volunteering at the hospital. (With this option, it would likely be a slow recovery)

3) Isa is only PARTLY healed and either she just can't move her legs, or she becomes reliant on leg braces and crutches like Mirabel used to be.

Please chime in with your thoughts, readers! I'd love the input!

In a word, Isabela was bored.

Completely, mind-numbingly bored.

The first three weeks after the fall of the Madrigal home had been spent worrying about Mirabel and trying to focus on anything other than the pain in her back. But now that she was slowly healing and the pain wasn't as constant, the monotony of lying in bed with nothing to do was making Isa crazy.

At first, she'd asked her family for books as she finally had plenty of time to read. But she plowed through everything quickly and found herself right back in the same pit of boredom she'd started in.

TV hadn't interested her - although Camilo had introduced her to the Marvel movies which did serve as a decent distraction.

But the simple fact was that Isabela was a doer and had never been able to sit still for very long.

Unless she was stuck in the hospital in a back and neck brace and unable to walk.

Mirabel had visited multiple times since coming out of her coma and she'd tried to caution Isa that once she started physical therapy, the idea of lying around doing nothing would be wonderful.

But the act of real, physical labor had always appealed to Isa and was one of the reasons she'd jumped head first into landscaping. It was invigorating and energizing.

Hearing the door to her room open, Isa gave Bruno a smile as he approached the bed holding two gift bags. "Please tell me you brought something other than books," Isa pleaded as she adjusted the incline of her bed. "I'm losing my mind being stuck here."

The grin on her tio's face reminded Isa of when she was young and Bruno had joined her in doing something Abuela would disapprove of. With a flourish, he pulled out a Kindle and handed it over. "Mirabel helped me load this up with a bunch of games and books as well as a video chat so you can keep up with everyone."

"I just... I need something more interactive," Isa whined. "I appreciate the thought, Tio. But I need something... more."

But Bruno's smile never wavered and there was a knowing look on his face as he nodded. "In that case..." From the second bag, he withdrew a chess set before pulling the bedside table over. Laying out the board and lining up the pieces, he chuckled as he saw Isabela's puzzled look. "I don't know if you remember, but before I 'left', you and I used to spend hours playing chess. You told me to keep it a secret because you didn't want anyone thinking you were a nerd."

"I-I haven't played in years," Isa confessed after a while. "I don't even think I remember how each piece moves."

Not to be deterred, Bruno pulled a chair over and sat cross-legged as he replied, "Well, then I don't need to worry about you constantly beating me like you used to."

Although their first game was over quickly due to Bruno being the superior player, Isa was surprised when memories of playing started coming back and she could strategize more easily.

"Antonio thinks that Mirabel can bring the magic back," Isa mused as she moved one of her rooks into position to take one of her tio's knights. "He overheard Mira and Abuela talking and... he thinks that if Mira's the source of our new miracle, then she can give everyone their Gifts back."

Nodding, Bruno contemplated his next move as he replied, "He wants to give the doorknob for the front door to Mirabel to put in." Looking up at Isabela, he elaborated, "You know... like a do-over of her Gift ceremony? I-I don't think it'll work that way, but... But - But I get the sentiment."

"It doesn't matter if the magic comes back anyway," Isa groused after a few moments before touching the brace she wore and looking at her legs. "I'll still be paralyzed and Mira will still be missing her legs. A-And what if Mira has problems walking even with prosthetics?"

"That's entirely possible," Bruno agreed, leaning back in his chair. "If I get my Gift back, I'll probably still get visions of things no one wants to know about and people will wonder if I'm still a jinx." Reaching for his sobrina's hand, he gave it a reassuring squeeze before smiling as he countered, "Or... Maybe Mirabel will finally be able to walk without crutches. She'll be able to go up the stairs to her new bedroom and not have to worry about her legs giving out. And even if you're in a wheelchair, maybe you'll use your vines and plants to help you get around better." 'And maybe,' Bruno thought to himself. 'Everyone will understand that my visions weren't because I'm bad luck or cursed. Maybe people can finally see me for who I am.'

"I guess..." Isa murmured. "But even if getting our Gifts back is a good thing, what's to stop us from eventually going back to the way we were?"

There was a harsh truth in the query and Bruno couldn't deny that he'd been pondering the same thing lately. "It's something we'll have to deal with. I think we've all been thinking about the past and I know Mama has been trying to make amends for how she acted towards everyone. But to answer your question... we can't go back to who we were before. Even if we start to fall back into old routines... things are different now."

Sniffling a bit as she started to cry, Isa was grateful when Bruno moved to sit on the edge of her hospital bed, hugging her gently. He said nothing as she sobbed, ignoring the pain in her back - he just held her and hummed some tune he'd probably used when she was little and needed soothing after a bad dream.

Finally leaning back and wiping her face with the corner of her blanket, Isa watched her tio put the chess set away before settling back into his chair. Closing her eyes, she let her body relax and rest, allowing time to heal her.

X

Waking from her nap later that evening, Isa caught a whiff of grilled shrimp and fresh tortillas, and she sat up a little as she saw Luisa setting a takeout bag on the bedside table. "Shrimp tacos?" Isabela asked, hopefully, letting out a happy sigh as she opened the bag and pulled out a container of four tacos loaded with the shrimp, cabbage, and spicy crema.

"I thought you might want something other than hospital food," Luisa remarked, pulling over one of the larger chairs and sitting down before withdrawing her own dinner. "Mama said that if the X-rays of your spine look okay tomorrow, you can start working on some arm strengthening exercises."

Taking a metaphorical step forward on her recovery sounded wonderful, but as she finished off her first taco, Isabela gestured to the brace she wore. "How long until I can get out of this thing?"

Luisa frowned slightly as she recalled asking their mother the same question. "She said it'll be another month, at least." When she saw her older sister's look of frustration, she reminded her, "Isa, you completely severed your spinal cord."

"I'm fully aware of that," Isa snapped, irritably as she tried to sit up a bit more.

Frowning slightly, Luisa paused before asking, "Did Mama tell you what the surgeons did when they operated on you?"

"Not really," Isa admitted, as she ate. After a moment, she finished off her second taco before shrugging as best she could. "I guess it didn't really seem to be important. I'm paralyzed. Doesn't matter what they did, right?"

Luisa thought about the first time she'd seen Isabela in the ICU after coming out of surgery and their mother explaining the procedure. "The surgeons had to pull fragments of bone out of your spinal cord. They had to use screws and pins to attach rods to your spine to stabilize the fracture and to correct the curvature of your back. Even when you get better, you'll still need a support brace because the lack of motor function is higher than the loss of sensation."

"What do you mean?" Isa wanted to know.

Gesturing, Luisa elaborated. "You can't feel anything below your stomach. But you don't have any control of the muscles in your upper abdominals and your lower back. That's why it's so hard for you to sit up on your own right now."

The idea that her paralysis was worse than she'd realized made Isa's stomach squirm a bit and she looked down at her lower body, realizing that regaining any degree of mobility and independence was going to be much harder than she'd originally believed.

Despite the fact that his family didn't share his confidence that Mirabel could restore the magic, Antonio Madrigal was nevertheless determined to execute his plan... with some help, of course.

Abuela had already had the doorknob made and she'd gone with the instructions that the only other person who could touch it was Mirabel when she put it in the door.

Leaning on the table where Tio Agustin and Tio Bruno were studying the casita's floor plans and the designs for everyone's room, Antonio pointed to Luisa's room and said, "Luisa needs a couch in her room where she can take naps. And Isabela should have a covered balcony so she can still read outside when it's raining."

Pulling out a pencil and making the appropriate adjustments, Bruno gave his sobrino a considerate look before wondering, "Any other thoughts and suggestions, Contractor Tonito?"

Thinking for a while, Antonio studied his tio and nodded, although he looked nervous as he added, "You should have your room in the walls again."

Straightening up as he prepared to object, Agustin stopped when Bruno raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why do you think I need to have my room in the walls again?"

"It's like your clubhouse," Antonio pointed out. "You can get away from everyone if you need time alone but you're still near the family. Everyone should have a place to hide if they need to." Looking at the other room designs, he turned to Agustin as he noticed where Mirabel's new room would be. "Mira's getting the tower?"

"Actually," Agustin corrected, smiling at his sobrino. " - we're putting two rooms in the tower. Mirabel's... and yours."

Antonio's eyes lit up as he thought about sharing a room with Mirabel again. But when he realized that their new room would basically just be a bigger version of the nursery, he frowned as he wanted to know, "Why can't Mirabel have a room by herself?"

"Technically, she will," Bruno pointed out, showing Antonio the floorplans he'd come up with. "The tower will have two stories to it. The lower level will be Mirabel's room, and there will be a mini elevator up to the second level, which will be your room."

"Your mama and I were talking about Mira's room a little while ago," Agustin elaborated. "And Mirabel is going to still need some help getting around when she comes home. Pepa suggested that you might want to fill that role."

Straightening up and nodding eagerly, Antonio replied, "Of course I'll help Mira!" Hearing a chirping sound, he turned and held a hand out to Micha who climbed up onto his shoulder, looking at the two adults. Giggling, Antonio patted the coati as he added, "Micha will help her, too."

Exchanging a look with his brother-in-law, Bruno looked from the coatimundi to Antonio before turning to one of the rats that had popped out of his ruana. "Uh, Lina? We might need a translator." When the rat nodded, Bruno asked his sobrino, "Do you think Micha would be willing to help Isabela out as well? She's going to be a lot less mobile when she gets out of the hospital and could definitely use the assistance."

Lina squeaked at Micha who nodded once before displaying her malformed paw for the others.

Antonio's smile faded slightly but he said, "I think she said she'll do the best she can." Petting Micha again, his shoulders slumped as he whispered, "I miss my Gift."

Despite the fact that he didn't share the young boy's confidence that the magic would return, Agustin gave Antonio a reassuring look as he picked him up and sat him on the table. "You know, sometimes people have to study foreign languages for years to become fluent. Others have a natural talent for linguistics. You just keep talking to your animal friends, Antonio. And remember - you don't always need to speak the same language to communicate and be a good friend. Actions can speak louder than words and kindness is the loudest action of all."

Sitting on edge of her hospital bed, dressed in a t-shirt and workout shorts, Mirabel was nervous as Inez Munoz showed her how to put on the prosthetics.

"We're going to take it easy the first time," Inez assured Mirabel as she slid on the liners, making sure they were properly positioned over the residual limbs. "I just want to make sure the sockets are comfortable and the legs move the way they should."

"Right..." Mirabel sighed, wishing her mother was there for support. But just as she started to slide the right prosthetic on, she stopped as she heard the door to her room open. "Oh, my... Isa!"

Pushing her daughter's wheelchair, Julieta smiled as she positioned Isabela so that she was facing Mirabel. "We were coming back from Radiology and Isa wanted to stop and see how you were doing."

"Let's see how the new legs look on you, Mira," Isabela said, smiling warmly as she shifted slightly in the wheelchair, biting back a hiss of pain.

Nodding, Mirabel slid the socket over the remainder of her right leg and when she felt it click into place and lock, she put the left leg on and took a deep breath before slowly standing and taking up the forearm crutches Inez handed her.

"How do they feel, carino?" Julieta asked, watching as Mirabel took a few steps forward.

Giving her mother a shrug, Mirabel looked down at the prosthetics as she walked about the room a little more before going to sit on the bed again. "They don't hurt," she said at last. "But they feel... weird."

"It'll take a couple months for you to get used to them," Inez pointed out. "But your steps looked steady and you didn't have any problems turning. I'd say in a couple weeks you'll be good to go."

Seeing that Isabela was trying to hide how much pain she was in, Mirabel got to her feet as she said, "So Tio Bruno said that the two of you have started playing chess again. Feel up to a game or two?"

"Sounds great," Isa replied as Julieta started wheeling her out of the room with Mirabel walking next to them.

"It's really great to see you up and about, Isa," Mirabel said after a while. "I know you've been going stir crazy lately."

But Julieta frowned as she stopped, turning to look at Mirabel. "Isabela insisted on being with you when you started walking with the prosthetics. But it's going to be a long time before she can leave the hospital."

"You think I don't know that?" Mira replied, not sure why her mother was getting upset with her. "Mama, it's a miracle that I'm even able to stand right now. Between the abdominal injuries, the broken ribs... losing both my legs... having brain surgery and spending three weeks in a coma? I know full well that I should barely be able to get out of bed. And Isa's worse off than I am. Of course it's going to take you longer to recover," she added, looking at her sister. "But we've got to celebrate the little victories, right?"

Nodding before gently hugging both her daughters, Julieta kissed the top of Isabela's head before doing the same to Mirabel and lightly touching the scar on her youngest daughter's head. "I'm sorry, Mira. I didn't mean to sound angry with you. I just worry about setting Isa's recovery back. Seeing you bounce back so quickly," she said to Mirabel before turning to Isabela " - while you're still barely able to sit up on your own is... Well, it's hard for me and your father and your sister."

"Because if you still had your Gift, I'd already be well into my physical therapy," Isabela mused. "And Mira wouldn't have nearly died three times."

"Nearly," Mirabel emphasized. "I'm still here."

Hugging Mirabel tightly, Julieta felt tears in her eyes as she pointed out, "Only because Kira wouldn't let Dr. Nieva stick to the 'three strikes' rule."

"Whoa, whoa," Isa jumped in, her eyes wide. "Mama, you never told us that Mirabel was on the three strikes rule! I mean, you told us she coded three times but you and Tio Bruno made it sound like Mira was only shocked once after she had the blood clots."

Silently following her mother and sister as they headed back to Isabela's room, Mirabel waited until Isa was settled back in her bed before she said, "When I was in the coma and I saw Abuelo Pedro, I thought he was there to... to take me with him." It was something she hadn't told her family since she didn't want them to think she'd been so close to death. But hearing that it was only thanks to Kira Liotta's stubbornness that she was still alive, Mirabel realized that she needed her mother and Isa to hear the whole story. "He said that when I didn't get my door, that didn't mean that I didn't get my Gift."

"But you didn't have any magic," Isabela pointed out, confused.

"Love for my family is my Gift," Mira explained. "Abuelo Pedro's spirit was what made Casita alive, but his love for the family was given to me. He said that when my door disappeared, it was because he didn't have the energy or magical strength to give me a Gift and fix my legs. So, he had to choose between my Gift, my own magic, or healing my legs."

"My father made the right choice," Julieta agreed looking from Isabela to Mirabel. "I just wish I understood what he meant when you said he told you that you were the new miracle."

Isa thought for a moment as a story she'd been told when she was a child came up in her mind. "It was Mira's sacrifice," she said at last before relating the tale of the forbidden couple. "When Mirabel was willing to try and save the miracle even though her legs were bad, maybe God decided that she was worthy of her own miracle."

"Abuelo told me that when I'd helped the family rediscover the love we all had for one another, that's when I would become our new miracle," Mirabel mused, thoughtfully. "Antonio thinks that means that I can bring back the magic, but... but I don't understand how."

"I think that miracles are complicated," Julieta replied, shrugging lightly. "I think that the past month and a half, we've been trying to discover who we really are and what's important to us."

"And we've been learning that we can break and fall apart and still pull ourselves back together," Isabela added, smiling at Mirabel. "I think the miracle you gave us was our second chance to be a family. To heal what's been broken," she said, looking at her mother.

"And to plant the seeds of something new and watch it grow," Julieta concluded, taking Isa's hand.

Unable to sleep, Mirabel sat up in her bed, trying to quell the storm of emotions swirling inside of her. In only a week, the house would be finished and she'd sleeping in her own room.

And while part of her was excited about going home, she couldn't help worrying about what would happen if she put the doorknob in the front door... and nothing happened.

"Mira, you should be asleep," Abuela pointed out as she came into the room, surprised her youngest granddaughter was still awake. "I would think that you'd be exhausted, given how hard you've been working on walking with the prosthetics. Julieta said that you've even started on stairs."

As her grandmother sat down on the edge of the bed, Mirabel couldn't help the tears welling up in her eyes as she whispered, "Abuela, what if it doesn't work?"

Abuela smiled warmly as she reached forward, taking Mira's hand. "Then it doesn't work," she replied, simply. "If the magic comes back, it would be an extraordinary blessing. But if it doesn't... the fact that my family is alive and safe will be enough of a miracle for me. What is meant to be will be, mi vida. It would be wonderful if you could give everyone's Gifts back, but they're not necessary for us to be La Familia Madrigal. Luisa will still help anyone who needs her. Pepa has been so happy now that her moods don't affect the weather. Mariano has been studying sign language so he can 'talk' to Dolores and she's actually seemed happier even though she's deaf. She's even stopped wearing her hearing aids."

"That's the other thing I'm worried about," Mirabel said as she sat up a bit more. "What if I put the doorknob in and give everyone their Gifts back and they're all miserable again?"

Pondering the query, Abuela was quiet a few moments before she spoke. "When you put the knob in the door and pray for a new miracle... don't ask for what you think is the right thing. Ask God to give us what He thinks is right. If He believes that restoring our family's magic will help us, then He will. If not... we will learn to be strong and compassionate on our own."

Abuela's words from long ago came back as Mirabel studied her grandmother. 'You are a wonder, Mirabel Madrigal. Whatever Gift awaits will be just as special as you.' "You told me that night that whatever my Gift was, it would be just as special as I was."

"And I was right," Abuela replied, beaming at Mira. "I didn't see that for many years. I didn't see that your love for our family, your eagerness to help everyone was - in itself - a Gift." Her smile faded slightly as something occurred to her and she pointed out, "Mirabel... asking God for a miracle... It requires either a deep sacrifice or a promise to serve Him. Are you prepared for that?"

Belief in God had always been a complicated issue for Mirabel. She had faith in the love of her family, certainly, but believing that God was real and that He had a hand in how life played out was a step she'd never been comfortable taking.

Could she give her life in exchange for her family's happiness? Without question.

But could she give herself to the Heavenly Father and allow Him to work through her?

Sensing Mirabel's reluctance to answer, Abuela nodded, sagely. "I've spent 50 years thinking that work and dedication would maintain the miracle your Abuelo Pedro gave us. I believed that our family had to do everything we could to help the encanto and the people within it. Not just helping everyone with our Gifts, but with our special skills and talents. It began with your mother. She hated that her Gift couldn't heal everything and she wanted to learn to be a proper doctor. Pepa has always wanted to feed people, either nourishing their bodies or their hearts and souls. Your Tio Bruno has always had a gift of empathy, compassion, and kindness."

"I don't know if I could serve God," Mirabel said at last. "But I can help our family and our community."

"That's good enough for me," Abuela said as she leaned forward to hug her granddaughter.

"Luisa? Why doesn't Mirabel want the magic to come back?" Antonio asked as he helped his prima make the bed in Mira's new room.

"Of course she wants the magic back," Luisa replied at once grabbing the throw pillows and putting them in place. "She's just worried about what that means for her and the family."

Climbing onto the bed, Antonio frowned in confusion. "I don't understand."

Sitting next to her cousin, Luisa took a deep breath as she contemplated her answer. "If Mira puts the doorknob in and restores the magic, that means that she's the new keeper of the miracle, and Abuela's successor. That's a big responsibility. And if the magic doesn't come back, or if it comes back differently, Mirabel is afraid that everyone will be angry with her. Plus... even if Mama's Gift comes back, Mira will still be missing her legs and Isabela might still be paralyzed. Restoring the magic doesn't mean that everything will be alright. Besides," she added, thinking of the legend Mirabel had told her. "-getting a new miracle means that Mira will either make a promise to serve God, or... Or she'll have to make some sort of sacrifice."

Thinking about the sight of Mira lying in bed, unconscious and barely holding on to life, Antonio shuddered as he imagined his prima giving everyone their Gifts back... only to be taken away from them. "I don't want my Gift back if it means that Mira has to join Abuelo Pedro," he murmured, hugging Luisa as he started to cry.

Pulling Antonio close, Luisa shrugged, uncertainly. "Sacrifice just means that something is given up willingly," she pointed out. "Maybe Mirabel has to give up the chance to have her own Gift in order to give us ours. We can't know what the future hold, Antonio. We just have to wait and see what's in store for us."

Waking in the middle of the night as the door to her hospital room opened, Isabela fumbled for the bed control, raising the back as she stared, at Mirabel as her sister wheeled in. "Mira, what's wrong? What are you doing here?"

Stopping next to Isa's bed, Mirabel paused for a moment before leaning forward as she asked, "Isa... Do you hate me for what happened?"

"What?!" Isabela exclaimed, sitting up as best she could, frustrated that she couldn't turn her head. Watching as Mira moved from her wheelchair to the bed, she frowned slightly as she admonished, "Shouldn't you have someone help you if you're doing that?"

"I was reliant on the wheels for years, remember?" Mirabel pointed out, absently rubbing the end of her right leg. "It's not that difficult once you get the hang of it." Moving so she was more face to face with her sister, Mira repeated her query, clarifying, "And I didn't mean 'hate' hate, but... Do you resent me? Because I'm walking now and I'm going to get better? And if you hadn't tried to stop me from going upstairs, you wouldn't be paralyzed."

"Mira, I resented you for years," Isabela replied, honestly. "After you didn't get your door, Abuela said that everyone had to work harder to show the strength of the family and the magic. She put even more pressure on me to be perfect. And I hated that it was happening because of you." Taking her little sister's hand, she smiled when Mirabel looked up at her. "And then Luisa started pushing you away. I saw how much that hurt you and how much harder you were trying to be just like everyone else. And I realized that maybe instead of focusing on being Senorita Perfecta Isabela, I should try and just be Big Sister Isa."

Touching the brace she wore, Isa pressed on. "I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not mad about getting hurt. I'm upset that my life has been turned upside down. I hate that I'm probably never going to be as independent as I used to be. But I don't hate you. I love you, Mirabel. I'd do anything to protect you."

Taking a deep breath, Mirabel felt tears welling up in her eyes as she confessed, "I used to resent you... a lot. I hated how you used to flaunt your grace and athleticism. I really hated when you'd run up or down the stairs when you tried to avoid me. It felt like you were rubbing my disability in my face."

"I used to get so jealous of you at parties," Isa admitted as she tried to budge her legs over to give Mira more room on the bed. "Honestly? I hated dancing. But you remember how Abuela was about me showing off to everyone. So before I went to bed after a party, Mama gave me something to help my poor, aching feet. And then there was you... You'd usually be in your wheelchair, off to the side, talking with someone and... and I felt like everyone knew more about you than they ever knew about me."

Silence settled between the two sisters, and after a while, Mirabel finally voiced the question she'd been holding on to. "Isa, if the magic doesn't come back tomorrow night... I need to know if you're going to hate me because I couldn't give everyone their Gifts back." Letting out a sigh, she went on. "Abuela says that getting a new miracle will mean that I will either have to make some kind of sacrifice or a promise to serve God. I just... I don't know if I can do that. Not how everyone expects, anyway."

"Mira, how could God expect you to serve Him any more than you already do?" Isabela wanted to know, giving Mira an incredulous look. "All the times you've helped the family or everyone in town... You're kind, compassionate, giving, accepting... Isn't that why Abuelo Pedro said that you're the new miracle? If we don't get the magic back... so what? Magic didn't give you any of your talents. I'll still find a way to help things grow. Mama can still heal. Papa and Tio Bruno can keep entertaining people. We're more than just our Gifts, Mirabel. We're all part of the new miracle... thanks to you."