AUTHOR'S NOTES: So... I posted this chapter on Archive Of Our Own before FFN, and... completely forgot about posting to FFN.

I'm sorry.

Chapter 7

"Mirabel? Can we talk?"

Looking up at her middle sister, Mira was caught off guard by the fact that Luisa was looking rather timid as she crossed the physical therapy room. Turning off the treadmill she was using, she waited for Luisa to join her on the bench nearby before asking, "What's wrong?"

Luisa wrung her hands nervously, looking like she was trying not to start crying as she finally replied, "I'm really, really sorry for being so cruel to you after I found out about Tio Bruno still being in the house. I pushed you away because I wanted to protect you since Abuela was blaming you for him leaving in the first place."

Going to sit in the wheelchair nearby so that she could face her sister properly, Mirabel waited until Luisa looked at her before she shook her head and said, "Luisa, you were never cruel to me." Sensing that Luisa was about to protest, Mira pressed on. "Isabela taunting me about my legs was cruel. The way she'd flaunt her physicality in front of me was cruel. Abuela calling me a... a cripple was cruel," she added, a slight choke in her voice. "You were trying to prevent me from finding out about a secret. You were trying to protect Tio Bruno. You weren't purposefully trying to hurt me."

"But that doesn't mean that I didn't hurt you unintentionally." Luisa confessed. "The first time I told you I was too busy to take you to PT you shrugged it off, but I saw the disappointment in your eyes. And when I stopped letting you come along when I went to work at a construction project..." Taking a deep breath, Luisa added, "You thought that... that even I was starting to consider you useless... didn't you?"

Sitting up a bit straighter, Mirabel wanted to reassure her big sister, but the need to be honest won out instead. "It was bad enough that Abuela never wanted me around when the house was busy. 'Be careful, Mirabel. We don't want you to get hurt.' Like... Just because my legs didn't work, I was this fragile little girl who constantly needed protection. What she really meant was she didn't want me in the way. And then you started pushing me away." Mirabel couldn't help the tears falling down her cheeks as she went on. "You were always my cheerleader, Luisa. You were always by my side when I was in the hospital. You helped me take my first steps. You were always in my corner and for the longest time, you made me feel included. You made me feel like... Like I was really part of the family."

Silently cursing the choke in her voice, Mira pressed on. "What was I supposed to think, Luisa? You started shutting me out after we'd been so close and for what? Because you thought I couldn't keep a secret? I always kept your secrets, Luisa! Every single one! And I loved Tio Bruno just as much as you did. If the two of you wanted me to keep the truth to myself, I would have."

Luisa's shoulders slumped a bit and there were tears welling up in her eyes as she spoke. "Mira, I started pushing you away because of Tio Bruno. But after I saw you and Isabela getting closer, really being sisters again... I-I-I didn't... I mean, I was happy, but I was jealous, too, you know? And I didn't know what to do and Tio Bruno was upset because he thought he was responsible for you and me growing apart... Mira, I didn't know what to do!" Luisa sobbed.

Sniffling, she shook her head. "I've never been good about talking about how I feel. I just wanted to work and not think about how much I hurt you." Taking a deep breath, Luisa remembered sitting by her little sister's hospital bed, holding her hand and praying that she'd wake up. Praying for a chance to make things right.

Rubbing the back of her neck, Mirabel tried to formulate her thoughts. "Isa may be my big sister, but Luisa... you were always my best friend. I don't know if that's because you were always the one taking care of me, but not having you in my life... And I thought, maybe Mama could be my new BFF. She could teach me how to cook and that would make me more useful to the family. I taught myself how to sew, how to play the accordion... I made a few friends, but I needed my best friend. I could never replace you, Lulu. And as for Isabela and I, maybe we wouldn't have become close again if you hadn't pushed me away. She saw how hard it was for me to try and be like everyone else and she was reminded that being a good big sister was more important than being perfect."

"I know we can't change the past," Luisa murmured, her eyes shimmering with hopeful tears. "But can we please try to get back what we had? Because I really missed you, too. I miss how fun you made everything. The way you'd make chores around the house into a game, or how you'd make up some silly song to make the day go by faster... You were my cheerleader, too, Mira. You were always reminding me that there's more to life than work. You made me take breaks and slow down so I didn't overdo things. I needed you to keep me balanced."

Looking down and catching sight of Mirabel's prosthetics, Luisa wiped away tears as she sniffled again. Changing the subject, she said, "I wish I could have shielded you and Isa that day. Then maybe you wouldn't have lost your legs and Isa could still walk."

Touching her left prosthetic with one hand and taking her sister's hand with the other, Mirabel's smile was warm as she replied, "Luisa, believe it or not... I'm actually happy that I lost my legs. I'm serious," she insisted as Luisa gave her an incredulous look. "Before the house fell, my legs were getting worse. Dr. Ruiz took x-rays and said that there was nothing that could be done. It was probably just a matter of time before I'd barely be able to walk at all." Wheeling back and standing up, Mira grinned as she concluded. "Now look at me. Sure, I'm still using a cane sometimes, but it's better than how I used to be. I may have lost my legs, but I gained more mobility because of that."

Seeing that Luisa was still dubious, Mira shrugged as she sat back down in the wheelchair. "When I came out of the coma and saw that my legs were gone, I was... I didn't know what to think. They weren't perfect, but they were my legs, you know? And I thought that having prosthetics would highlight the fact that I'm always going to be disabled in one way or another. And on the one hand, that's true. But at the same time, now I can do things I only dreamed of doing before. I can go up and down stairs, I can walk around without worrying that my legs are going to give out."

"You lost your legs, but they were holding you back anyway," Luisa murmured, nodding.

"And what I gained was more than just mobility," Mirabel mused, thoughtfully. "I always assumed that I wasn't blessed by the miracle, but I was. I was given the greatest Gift any of us could have received. But I was too blinded by what I couldn't do that I didn't see it." Remembering talking to the kids by the library, Mira smiled as she went on. "I'm a cook, like Mama. I'm a musician like Papa. I create like Isa... and I want to help people like you. I didn't get any magic because I didn't need it. All I needed to be was me."

A few days before the big house ceremony, Mirabel was once again struggling to fall asleep. It wasn't because she was stressed about the magic returning or not. She knew that whatever was meant to happen, would happen. However, there was a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that just wouldn't go away. It was like a soft voice constantly reminding her that there were still things left to do before the Madrigal family could fully come back together.

"You need to talk to Abuela," Dolores murmured, coming into Mira's hospital room and sitting cross-legged at the end of the bed.

'Is everything okay?' Mira asked in sign language as she sat up.

Cocking her head slightly as she pondered her reply, Dolores eventually signed, 'I know that the two of you have been talking more. But there's something you haven't addressed yet. You still haven't confronted her about the night she hurt you the most.'

It only took a moment for Mirabel to catch on to what her prima was talking about. "Abuela has apologized for how she acted towards me before," she replied, signing as she spoke. "It's all alright, Dolores. Really."

"So, she's apologized for calling you a cripple," Dolores presumed, raising a doubtful eyebrow. When Mirabel looked away, she nodded. "I know why you don't want to bring it up, Mirabel. Words can hurt us worse than physical pains. And that word left scars in you that run deep."

Tears welled up in Mirabel's eyes and her hands trembled ever so slightly as she signed. 'It wasn't enough that I didn't get a Gift... that my legs were still messed up... But Abuela had to tell me right to my face that she thought there was something wrong with me. She had to call attention to the fact that I would never walk normally. And saying it so casually... like she was pointing out one of Tia Pepa's clouds... Lying in the hospital after I fell down the stairs and broke my leg... And Mama trying to give me her cooking to heal the bone...' "I felt like I was... I was branded, or something," Mirabel concluded aloud. "Even as I got older, I was never Mirabel Madrigal: seamstress, expert cook, star musician. I was Broken Mirabel: Family Cripple."

Dolores turned to look at the door when she saw Mirabel straighten up and as she watched Abuela come in, she quietly got off the bed and left, closing the door behind her.

"No matter how I felt about how your disability reflected on the strength of the family," Alma began as she sat on the edge of her granddaughter's bed. "-I should never have called you a cripple. I was angry that you didn't get a Gift and I was afraid that the magic was in danger. I lashed out at you and Julieta. I am sorry, Mirabel."

"We both thought that me getting my door was going to mean I would be fixed," Mirabel pointed out after a moment. "But you wanted me to get my Gift and be normal to show the town that the magic was still strong. I just wanted to be like everyone else. I wanted to be able to run around and play like all the other children."

Nodding slowly, Alma's expression was full of remorse as she replied, "I always acted like there was something wrong with you because of your legs and the fact that you didn't have a Gift. I put too much focus on your disability and the fact that you didn't possess any magic and the town followed my example. The encanto treated you differently because I treated you differently. I never let you help because I was so focused on what you couldn't do. I should have been encouraging you to help the town just like the rest of the family. I should have done more to make you feel included."

Reaching forward and putting a gentle hand on what remained of Mirabel's left leg, she gave her a sad smile as she went on. "You are an incredible young woman, Mirabel Madrigal. You are kind and strong... You give so much to others with little thought to yourself. You never let your legs dictate what you could or couldn't do. You were never broken, mi vida. A bit battered, perhaps, but never broken."

But as Mirabel looked down at what was left of her legs, she could feel the old sensation of not being enough rising up once again. "Abuela, if the magic comes back, it won't bring my legs back. I'll still need the prosthetics to walk. And if I'm not using them, then I'll need to use a wheelchair. I need to know... Can you accept me for not being like everyone else in the family? I'm never going to be as strong as Luisa or as perfect as Isabela..."

Leaning back, a haunted look in her eyes, Alma was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "Luisa was born nearly two months early and the family thought she would never see her first birthday. She was in and out of the hospital right up until she got her Gift. A few weeks before, she was admitted with heart failure." Her voice cracked and tears fell down her cheeks as she went on. "I carried your sister up to her door, thinking that it would be the last birthday Luisa would ever have. And Isabela's perfectionism has come with a terrible price."

"What do you mean?" Mirabel asked, looking concerned.

"When Isabela began having her period, it caused her to gain weight," Alma explained, thinking of the tumultuous three years that followed. "She took diet pills and eventually stopped eating altogether. She exercised herself into exhaustion. I don't know if you remember when Isa was in the hospital for nearly six months."

Nodding slowly, Mirabel let out a long breath as she did indeed recall Isabela being taken away in an ambulance, Julieta trying to keep Isa breathing. "Mama said that Isa was really sick. I-I thought... I thought she had cancer or something. No one would really talk to me about what happened."

"Isabela doesn't like us bringing up her eating disorder," Alma replied, shrugging lightly. "When Mariano was courting her, she was adamant that he never be told about her anorexia. He only found out when Dolores told him."

"That's why Mariano always brings something sweet when he comes to the house?" Mirabel presumed, thinking of the chocolates or hard candies the young man always presented to Isabela when he dropped by.

"Something small, that Isabela could consume without straying too far from her diet," Alma confirmed. "It's one of the reasons I was relieved when you and Isa grew closer as sisters. You encouraged her to eat more, and I began to worry less that she would fall back into bad habits."

Catching on to her grandmother's point, Mirabel nodded thoughtfully. "The way I look at Luisa and Isabela isn't the way they've always been."

"Exactly," Alma murmured, taking Mirabel's hand. "And you can't compare yourself to your sisters, Mirabel. The three of you are special and unique for different reasons. Never forget that, corazon."

x

The next morning, when Bruno came by with breakfast, he couldn't help staring at Mirabel as she slept, recalling when he and Pepa had found a sleep-deprived Julieta sitting at her daughter's bedside.

x

"Juli, you can let one of the nurses do that, you know," Pepa gently pointed out as she watched her sister removing the stitches from Mirabel's head.

"It shouldn't have to be done at all," Julieta replied, her voice tight as she continued her work. "I shouldn't have to remove stitches from my little girl's scalp because surgeons had to cut open her skull." Touching the healing incision with a gloved hand, she went on. "They tried giving her the tablets but even those don't work anymore."

Taking a few steps forward, Bruno started to reach for Juli's shoulder, but he stopped, wondering if she blamed him for what had happened. Maybe she was suddenly wishing that he'd been buried under the rubble and now lay in a coma. "I'm sorry..." he murmured, quietly. "If I'd never had that vision..."

"If anyone is to blame, it's Mama," Pepa snapped, hands on her hips as she watched Julieta finish her work and clean the incisions before putting fresh bandages on to absorb any minor bleeding. "Her obsession with the magic and helping the town is what-"

"Not right now, alright, Pepa?" Julieta cut in, removing her gloves as she stood and turned around, her eyes bloodshot from crying. "Not in front of Mira." As she threw the gloves and spent stitches away, she went to wash her hands and when she came back, she slowly sank into the armchair in the corner, rubbing her eyes as she muttered wearily, "Blaming each other isn't going to fix anything. I'm tired of all the anger and fighting... I can't... I can't think about all that right now."

Looking over at Bruno, who had taken a seat on the edge of Mirabel's bed, Julieta gave her brother a sad smile. "It's not your fault, Bruno. You tried to get us to stop fighting, remember? Maybe if we'd listened to you..." Shaking her head, she turned her attention to her daughter, watching the monitors and praying that Mira's heart would keep beating.

x

"Tio Bruno?"

"Sorry, Mira," Bruno muttered, setting the containers of food on the bedside table. "Just... Just thinking about things."

As she started eating, Mirabel looked over at her uncle and asked, "How are you getting along with Mama and Tia Pepa?"

"W-We're fine... Why?" Bruno replied, looking confused by the query.

"Abuela and I were talking last night," Mirabel replied. "She told me about when Luisa was little and Isabela's eating disorder. I've always seen my sisters as strong, perfect people. But they're just as flawed as anyone. I'm seeing them differently now than I did when we were all younger."

Bruno leaned back in his chair, looking pensive. After a few moments, he finally spoke, his tone maudlin. "Julieta gets this haunted look when we talk. Sh-She's happy I'm back, but sad, too, you know? And-And I've tried talking to her about the past because part of me wants to make her understand why I left, but Juli just... Sh-She just pushes me away. And Pepa... She won't leave me alone. She has to know where I am all the time and she freaks out when I disappear."

Shrugging lightly, Mira gave her tio a sad smile. "Well, can you blame them? Tia Pepa's probably afraid that you're going to leave again - this time, for good. And Mama... She told me about how she blamed herself for you disappearing before."

"I-I'm still trying to adjust to being with the family again," Bruno explained quickly. "B-But everyone is so different than when I left. I mean, I've watched all of you over the years, but it... It's not the same, you know? I guess that's how time works."

"So what's changed with how you look at your sisters?" Mirabel wanted to know as she straightened up, instinctively trying to cross her legs before focusing on Bruno. "Mama told me that you're more anxious than she remembered and Tia Pepa says that you're hanging out with Camilo and Antonio more than anyone else in the family."

With a soft chuckle, Bruno nodded as he thought about his sobrinos. "Antonio loves the rats. He and that coatimundi friend of his-Micha-they've been taking care of my little friends when I'm helping with the house reconstruction. And Camilo loves acting. He's helping me with the script Felix and I are planning out for a cartoon show based off of the 'Hernando and Jorge' books."

"Tio Bruno, that sounds amazing!" Mirabel exclaimed, brightly.

"Yeah," Bruno murmured, grinning for a moment before the smile faded. "I, uh... I-I like working with them, and... A-And all the kids in town are so excited to meet the 'real' Jorge and Hernando..."

"But...? Mirabel prompted, raising an eyebrow.

"I spent the past decade hiding in the walls," Bruno reminded her. "A-And even before them, I didn't go out very often because the whole town thought I was bad luck because no one ever really remembered the good visions I gave. They just focused on the bad ones. After a while, everyone thought my Gift was cursed and I made bad things happen..."

Thinking about how antsy Bruno got when he was hanging around in the hospital for too long, Mirabel realized that he was probably waiting for someone to accuse him of causing harm to a patient or predicting someone's deterioration or death. "I used to hate going to town fairs or parties," she said after a while. "-especially if I was using my wheelchair. People avoided me because I might bump into someone or accidentally run over their feet. Social situations made me feel like more of a loner than I already was."

"Yeah, but Mira," Bruno protested. "-you still tried. Long before you lost your door, I'd given up trying to involve myself in the town. Th-That's what I'm having the hardest time with. Everyone remembers the old me, but... b-but now there's a new me."

"They're not going to get to know the new Bruno unless you give them a chance," Mirabel pointed out. "Start small. Let the kids get to know the real you and the grown-ups will follow."

The day she was due to leave the hospital, Mirabel stood in Isabela's room, waiting for her big sister's assessment of her outfit.

A headscarf like Dolores's covered the scars on her head and the fabric was embroidered with butterflies.

Mira's blouse was light blue and stitched with flowers across the neckline.

Rather than choosing a longer skirt or jeans with boots to conceal her prosthetics, Mira decided to wear capris and sandals instead. She used the cane that Tio Felix had made for her, which provided her with additional support and was beautifully decorated with flowering vines.

"Just one minor criticism," Isabela said as she smiled at her little sister. "Lose the headscarf."

"Yeah, but Isa - my hair isn't even, and the surgical scars are still visible," Mirabel remarked while removing the scarf and attempting to style her hair normally.

"And you're missing both your legs," Isa pointed out. "You're walking with prosthetics and using a cane. If you're trying to look like nothing happened, I think you've got the wrong outfit."

Sitting on the edge of Isabela's bed, Mira gave her sister a wistful look as she sighed. "I wish you could be there this afternoon."

"I'll be home soon enough," Isa replied, reaching for Mirabel's hand. "And Camilo is going to be filming everything with his phone so that I won't miss anything."

Squeezing Isa's hand, Mirabel stood up and headed back to what had been her room and found her mother and Luisa gathering up her things. "Oh, Mama... That stuffed rabbit is staying on the table."

"Why don't you want to take him with you?" Luisa wanted to know.

Mirabel shrugged as she looked at the plushie she'd made last week. "I'd needed to do something to calm down and sewing projects are always soothing for me. I'm leaving him for whoever is in this room next."

Julieta beamed at Mirabel and nodded as she set the stuffed rabbit back down. "That's so like you, mi vida. You've always been so giving. And you've always tried to make others feel better when they're sick or hurting." Sitting on the bed, she recalled when Mirabel had visited Isabela in the hospital after Isa had nearly died from not eating. "You take after me in that regard."

"I saw how people always smiled when Tia Pepa served them their favorite meals at the cafe," Mirabel mused, thoughtfully. "I wanted that feeling, too. That warm glow of helping someone feel better."

Standing up, Julieta's eyes were filled with love and pride as she studied Mirabel. "I always said that you didn't have to help me cook when I was making breakfast or dinner. But what I should have said was 'Thank you'. There were mornings when I was so tired but I had to get up and make breakfast and seeing you already in the kitchen felt like..." Turning to Luisa, she took her middle daughter's hand as she finished, "It felt like someone taking a crushing weight off of my shoulders."

"Weights and burdens aren't as heavy if we shoulder them together," Luisa sagely pointed out.

"Luisa's right, Mama," Mira agreed, nodding. "We need to start sharing the load. And we need to start looking out for ourselves, as well as others."

"That one might take a little more work," Julieta confessed as she gave her youngest daughter a one-armed hug before kissing the scar on her head. "Let's get you out of here, Mira. It's time to go home."

La Casita Madrigal was a whirlwind of activity when Mirabel arrived.

At least half the town was gathered around the property and newspaper and television reporters were getting pictures of the newly reconstructed house and Mirabel as she carefully got out of her mother's car and limped up to the front walkway while Luisa acted as her bodyguard, making sure that people kept a respectful distance.

The Madrigal family - minus Isabela, of course - had gathered near the slope that led to the front door and after a moment, Alma turned to the crowd, gesturing for everyone's attention. "We appreciate all of you for providing assistance during a very difficult time. Your help goes beyond just providing a new home. It has strengthened our belief in our town and shown that when we work together, there is no limit to what this community can achieve. My family and I thank each and every one of you."

Looking towards Mirabel, Alma paused until Antonio approached, carrying a small box, before she resumed speaking. "Half a century ago, our family was given a second chance. We were saved thanks to Pedro's selfless act of protecting me and our children," she said, casting a glance at Pepa, Bruno, and Julieta. "For the past decade, Mirabel, you've consistently given without expecting anything in return. You've made it your mission to aid those in need, despite your own challenges. You've exemplified the capabilities of our family, and I am confident that one day, you will be the beacon of guidance when I am no longer here."

Pepa gave a silent nod to her youngest son who held out the box to Mirabel. When Mira withdrew the shining doorknob, Antonio put a hand on her arm and grinned as he whispered, "Come on. Let's get you to your door."

Handing her cane to Abuela, Mirabel smiled as Antonio took her hand, slowly walking her up the path to the front door.

"Rainbows can't light up the sky unless there's rain and clouds," Pepa said to Mirabel as she passed by. "But you also need sunlight. It's time for you to show us how brightly your light can burn."

"Don't keep secrets from us anymore," Camillo added before nudging his sister and his father. "Give us a chance to help you sometimes."

"Just because you're strong and tough, doesn't mean you have to shoulder burdens by yourself," Luisa advised with a knowing smile.

Julieta hugged Mirabel briefly before wiping tears from her daughter's eyes and touching the scar on her head. "I love you so much, corazon. And I am so grateful that you are my daughter."

"The greatest Gift our family ever got was you," Bruno added, smiling. Nodding towards the front door, he whispered, "Go on... Let us in."

At the door, Mirabel stifled a laugh as Micha hopped up onto Antonio's shoulder. After giving the coati a pat on the head, she gave Antonio a one-armed hug before inserting the knob, beaming when it clicked into place.

The magic radiated from the front door, spreading to every inch of the property and imbuing the Madrigal family once again. When the glow finally settled, Mira saw a beautiful, shimmering portrait of her family gathered behind her. "Welcome back, Casita," she murmured, touching the door with a gentle hand.

But a subdued reunion wasn't what the house had in mind and Casita quickly threw open the doors before using her floor tiles to bring the family inside, the townspeople joining them in celebration.