AUTHOR'S NOTES: So, regarding the list of scenes: The ones in bold are scenes that I have already written. (Obviously!) I'm still tossing ideas for the others around in my head but nothing has been pinging yet. If anyone has ideas for ADDITIONAL scenes, please let me know!

E-YMTJYG: Deleted Scenes

1. Amita Ruiz talks to Mirabel and Julieta about Mira's legs getting worse.

2. The Madrigals putting the proposal dinner together while Julieta is venting.

3. Julieta's sleepless night after Bruno came back

4. Juli telling the family about Mirabel's 'strike one'.

5. Julieta taking out the stitches from Mirabel's brain surgery.

6. Micha sticking around Antonio and wanting to help the family.

7. Mirabel getting around in a wheelchair before getting her prosthetics and visiting with Isabela

8. Dolores's wedding

9. Mirabel and Amelia's 'interrogation' dinner and engagement

10. After Mirabel comes out of the coma, her mother tells her that she won't be able to have children.

11. Pepa and Julieta try to get Bruno to ask Ashleigh Sandoval to dance at Isabela and Evan's wedding

12. Flashback to when Abuela called Mirabel a 'cripple'.

13. After the third time Mirabel nearly died, Julieta wonders if it's time to let Mira go. (WARNING! THIS SCENE DISCUSSES THE DEATH OF A CHILD!)

14. Luisa visiting Mirabel while Mira's in the coma

Scene 3: Healer, Heal Thyself

By two in the morning, Julieta had given up on trying to sleep and she'd quietly dressed and headed back downstairs to the kitchen, leaning against the counter as silent tears fell down her cheeks.

"Bruno, I missed you so much!"

"You poor thing! Haven't you been eating since you left? Let me fix you something, hermano."

"I'm so sorry for pushing you away."

All the things she hadn't said to Bruno when he'd come back echoed loudly in Juli's mind along with the image of her brother's face as she berated and assaulted him.

"Cook," Julieta's inner voice declared, drowning out all other thoughts. "Choose your favorite dishes that take time and care. Focus on cooking and let your heart heal."

Nodding to herself, Juli tied on her apron and strode purposefully towards the massive walk-in pantry, surveying what she had on hand.

Brigadeiros, for certain. With homemade dulce de leche instead chocolate.

Bruno had always loved her chili con carne so she would make that as well. And tamales, Juli decided, grabbing the package of dried corn husks tucked away in a corner. Although Colombian tradition usually required tamales to be made with banana leaves, the Madrigal family had come to enjoy the Mexican touch of using corn husks instead.

With the chili containing plenty of beef and lamb, Julieta decided on pork as the filing for her tamales and went to the cooler and brought out all the meats she needed before grabbing her favorite knife and getting to work.

Watching different pans so that their sizzling payloads didn't burn took concentration and Julieta was grateful for that. As she carried on with dicing and chopping onions, peppers, chiles, and other items, she found herself being swallowed up in memories.

Holidays and birthdays were typically major cooking occasions, and there had been many nights when she stayed awake until the early hours to prepare meals. However, unlike those previous times when the cooking would leave her exhausted, Julieta now felt invigorated by her efforts.

"Because my family is finally all together," she murmured as she asked herself why. "Because my brother is back."

There had always been something missing after Bruno's disappearance. Everyone became more serious and focused on work and Mama...

Pushing Mirabel to 'get better', Mama had made the poor girl believe that being able to walk would be the key to getting her Gift. When Mira had broken her ankle after trying to go down the stairs on her own, Alma Madrigal had called her own granddaughter a cripple.

It was a word that Bruno had banned after Mirabel was born. He was adamant that his sobrina wasn't labeled as crippled or disabled. Even when the doctors pointed out that Mira would likely never be able to walk unaided, Bruno had told the family that they would just say that Mira had mobility issues if anyone asked.

And Mirabel hadn't been the only one Bruno had protected and defended. He'd learned sign language to talk to Dolores after meningitis had robbed her of her hearing and even after she'd received her Gift, she and her tio would have long silent conversations in the courtyard.

"Just stop," Julieta chastised herself as she checked on the slowly darkening dulce de leche. "Focus on the food."

Smiling to herself as more memories of Bruno came to the surface of her mind, Juli recalled other sleepless nights spent making the tonics she used to help treat her brother's insomnia, anxiety, migraines, and other maladies.

"Taste this, Bruno," Julieta said, holding out a soup spoon filled with an orange-scented elixir. Watching him sip the liquid as his face scrunched, she asked, tentatively, "Is your headache any better?"

Taking another dose, Bruno slowly nodded. "It's helping. My head's not pounding as much, anyway."

Nodding to herself, Juli made a note in the thick binder where she stored her recipes before adding more coconut water.

Hearing the soft clatter of the counter tiles, Julieta laughed at Casita's inquiry and shook her head. "No, please don't disturb Bruno. I'm certain he needs his rest. He didn't seem to have had much sleep while he was away."

"You're welcome to talk to me, if you're feeling lonely," Casita offered.

Pressing a hand against the tiles, Julieta shook her head again. "It's kind of you to say, but I'm okay, Casita. I have my memories to keep me company."

Scene 1: You can't fall apart if you're already broken

"I'm sorry that took so long," Amita apologized as she joined Mirabel and Julieta, holding up a large envelope with Mira's x-rays. "But I wanted one of the other orthopedic surgeons to take a look before I came to talk to the two of you."

Sitting up a little more at the mention of 'orthopedic surgeon', Mirabel could only picture Abuela's reaction to the announcement of her needing further surgery. And even if that turned out to be the diagnosis, Mira thought sadly, what difference would it make? Another several months spent in the hospital followed by many weeks of excruciating physical therapy? And even if another surgery brought some comfort, how long would that relief actually last?

Was her mother right and she should just accept her condition and slowly dwindling mobility?

Seeing the look of distress on Mirabel's face, Julieta tried to think of the right thing to say to reassure her daughter but couldn't voice the words, especially as she took in Amita's expression.

"Mirabel, your knees are deteriorating," Amita stated as she placed the x-rays on the lightbox mounted on the wall. "Your ankles are in a similar condition. Although we could consider joint replacement surgery, it only addresses a portion of the issue. To ensure you're treated as effectively as possible, we would also need to replace all the rods, pins, and screws that are keeping your legs straightened. Even with further surgery, there's no assurance that it would provide a lasting solution."

"But if I choose not to undergo any of the surgeries," Mirabel prompted after taking a moment to steady herself, "I'm just... I'm going to get worse, right?"

Amita nodded in agreement. "Correct. You would eventually be completely reliant on your wheelchair since walking would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. And in that instance, I would suggest starting a yoga or other exercise regimen to help prevent your legs from losing muscle strength."

The thought of Mira enduring months - if not years - of pain and struggle to maintain the little mobility she still had... or facing a future where her daughter could no longer use her legs... It was too much to hear, let alone process, and Julieta felt her thoughts racing as she reflected on the conversations with the rest of the family about what would be the best course of action.

"Take a couple days to talk things over," Amita encouraged. "Juli, if you and Mirabel decide to go with the surgery, let me know and I'll get her in as soon as possible."

"Thanks," Mirabel murmured as she wheeled out of the hospital room, trying to shift her thoughts from herself to Antonio's Gift ceremony that night. "Focus on Tonito," she said to herself as her mother tried to ask about what she wanted to do. "We can talk about it tomorrow, Mama," Mira insisted. "This is Antonio's big day, remember? I don't want to ruin his birthday."

Scene 10: What's left of me

Once Mirabel had had a chance to rest after waking up from her coma, Julieta sat down on the edge of her daughter's bed, touching her shaved head and the healing scars from the craniotomy surgery.

"How bad was it?" Mirabel inquired cautiously as she sat up as much as she could, grimacing at the discomfort in her chest and abdomen. "Isa and Antonio made it sound like... Like it was really close."

Taking a shaky breath, Juli nodded before recalling Mira's injuries. "You suffered a serious head injury and the surgeons needed to perform a craniotomy to insert a drain for the blood and fluid accumulating in your brain. They also had to remove a piece of your skull that was embedded in the tissue. While you were under anesthesia, your blood pressure began to rise quickly, and you were close to having a stroke." Growing emotional as she remembered hearing the information initially, she continued, "Emilio mentioned that the longer you remained unconscious, the greater the chance that you might not survive or... or you could suffer from permanent brain damage."

Mira recalled an incident when a worker from the construction team Luisa was part of had sustained a major brain injury while working. After being in a coma for more than a month, he eventually regained consciousness but was left unable to talk or move his arms and legs. It took a whole year before he could return home, but even then, he had to leave his job. Touching the scars on her chest and stomach, Mira inquired about them.

"You fractured multiple ribs, and one of them punctured your lung," Julieta clarified. "A chest tube was necessary, and they had to perform surgery to mend the damage. You also experienced a cardiac tamponade as you were being taken to recovery. Those injuries are healing well," Juli reassured Mirabel with a slight smile that quickly faded. "However, the abdominal injuries were more severe. You nearly lost your left kidney, and the surgeons had to remove your spleen."

"What else?" Mirabel insisted, noticing her mother's expression.

With regret, Juli responded, "Both your ovaries and your uterus experienced significant trauma. They had to take out your left ovary and a portion of your uterus."

Gently placing a hand on her abdomen, Mirabel felt tears streaming down her face as she contemplated her future. "So... I-I'm not going to... I-I mean, I can't...?"

Squeezing Mira's hand, Juli softly said, "There's only about a 10 percent chance that you would be able to conceive and carry a pregnancy to term. Even then, there's a very high risk of complications for both you and the baby, not to mention the possibility of birth defects..."

"I always wanted to have a big family when I grew up," Mirabel sniffled.

"This doesn't mean that you'll never have children," Julieta pointed out, trying to sound optimistic. "There's adoption or surrogacy... The future's a mystery, Mira. You don't know what it's going to bring."

Despite her mother's optimism, Mirabel couldn't help feeling like another piece of her had just been cruelly snatched away.

Scene 12: Some words hurt worse than sticks and stones

"How do you think it reflects on our family, Julieta, for one of us to be a cripple?"

Abuela's words felt like a slap in the face and Mirabel just stared in disbelief at her grandmother while Tia Pepa had to physically restrain her mother.

"Don't you EVER use that word in front of Mirabel!" Julieta snapped, enraged. "How dare you!"

Abuela looked at the cast on Mirabel's calf and ankle and the surgical scars on both the young girl's legs. "Well, what would you call Mirabel? It's been over 7 years and she's barely able to walk! Her disabilities have been generating questions in town about the strength of your Gift."

Pulling away from her sister as she tried to quell the urge to slap her mother in the face, Julieta retorted, "Mama, I have never been able to properly heal birth defects! You know that! And don't you even think about blaming Mirabel's disability for why she didn't get a Gift!"

Alma scowled in disapproval as she signaled towards Mirabel's legs. "Your cooking hasn't improved your daughter's condition. The numerous surgeries haven't been very effective either. Mirabel will never be able to walk like everyone else. Why can't you just accept that she's broken?"

"Leave!" Julieta shouted, gesturing towards the door of the hospital room. "How can you say that? Referring to Mira as 'broken' and 'crippled' as if she isn't right here listening to you?! Go home, Mama!"

"What part of what I said is untrue?" Alma remarked. "Mirabel's legs will never be normal. And what will happen the next time she breaks a leg? Ignoring the truth doesn't help her, Julieta."

"I thought I could try going down the stairs on my own, Abuela," Mirabel spoke up, trying to keep the choke out of her voice. "But when I got halfway down, my legs gave out for a moment and I fell. Casita tried to catch me, but I landed on my ankle wrong."

Remembering hearing Mirabel's wail of pain as she'd landed at the bottom of the stairs, Pepa felt her heart clench as she thought about what her sobrina must have been thinking. If Mira could just do something simple like going down the stairs on her own, maybe her grandmother wouldn't think she was so broken.

Racing out of the kitchen as she heard a crash followed by Mirabel crying, Pepa dropped to her knees next to Mirabel, examining her. "Mirabel, what happened?"

Mira's left arm was limp and starting to swell and a lump was forming on her forehead. In response to the query, the poor girl could only point to the stairs with her good hand before gesturing to her ankle which - despite the braces she wore - was bent at an awkward angle.

Swearing softly, Pepa removed the brace and felt Mirabel's right ankle and left arm, a storm cloud forming as she detected what appeared to be several broken bones. "Let me get you one of your mama's cookies," Pepa soothed as she stood up, dashing back to the kitchen and snatching a cookie from the platter on the counter.

Giving the treat to Mirabel and watching her eat it, Pepa's cloud worsened as she noticed that her sobrina's ankle hadn't healed with Julieta's magic. "It's okay," Pepa promised, bending down and making Mira more comfortable. "I'm going to get you to Julieta at the hospital. She'll get you fixed up, Mira."

Sitting next to Mirabel and squeezing her hand, Pepa gave the girl a warm smile. "The word 'cripple' just means that you can't walk or move normally," she said, quietly. "And just because your legs don't work properly doesn't mean that you're broken. It just means that you've got to try and figure out how to do things differently. And you might need to ask for help more often."

Although Mirabel gave her mother and tia a brave smile, she couldn't help looking down at her ankle, her abuela's words still ringing in her ears.

Scene 13: Only know you love her when you let her go

Sitting on the edge of Mirabel's bed a few days after Mira's third cardiac arrest, Julieta felt her heart breaking as she studied her daughter's prone form.

The healing scars on her chest, abdomen, and head from the surgeries, the IVs dripping painkillers, fluids, and nutritional formulas into her system... The intubation tube down her throat keeping her breathing...

"Your little girl is one Hell of a fighter."

"Lo siento, mi vida," Julieta murmured, taking her daughter's limp hand.

"Juli, Bruno told me he's going to go get some sleep. He wanted me to check on you," Alma said as she bustled into the room, sitting on Mirabel's other side. "Julieta?"

Tears spilled down Julieta's cheeks and after a moment, she looked up at her mother. "This was Mira's third strike, Mama. She shouldn't be here right now. But she is."

"Because Mirabel is a strong young woman," Alma pointed out, giving her own daughter a reassuring smile.

"Maybe..." Julieta's voice faltered as she faced Mira again. "Perhaps it's time to... to tell her that she doesn't need to be strong."

"What are you implying?" Alma questioned, looking up sharply.

"It's been over three weeks, Mama," Juli whispered, averting her gaze. "Mirabel has come close to death three times now. Maybe she's fighting... when she shouldn't have to."

Rising and pulling Julieta out of the room, Alma shut the door before asking, "Are you saying that you want to let Mirabel die?"

"I'm saying that perhaps it's time to let her go," Juli clarified, wrapping her arms around herself. "Mami, my baby has endured so much and she's been in this coma for such a long time... Maybe she's only holding on because she fears what will happen to us if she leaves. Maybe..." Struggling not to cry, she murmured, "Maybe it's time to let Mira rest."

Gripping Julieta's shoulders, Alma's heart broke as she said, "Are you willing to watch Mirabel die? Juli, I know you're going through Hell right now. But if you let Mira go... she won't return."

"I know that, Mama!" Julieta cried, pushing away. "Mirabel's heart has stopped three times already! Maybe we've been bringing her back when we shouldn't have! Maybe she was meant to die in that operating room weeks ago! I don't want to lose my little girl, Mama! But I can't bear to see her suffer any longer, either."

Embracing Julieta and allowing her to cry on her shoulder for a few moments, Alma eventually spoke, her voice thick with emotion. "If you believe this is the right decision, then let's discuss it with the family." She took a step back and gestured toward Mirabel's room. "We should give them a chance to say 'good-bye'. Then we can take Mirabel off the machines and... and let her go."

Julieta nodded silently as her mother went to gather the family. She returned to Mirabel's room, sat on the bed, and again took Mira's hand, squeezing it softly. "I know you're tired, corazon. I can see you're exhausted from holding on and fighting... But if it's too much, I want you to know that it... it's okay to let go. If your Abuelo Pedro wants to take you across the river... you should go with him. You've been strong for too long, mi vida. It's time to rest."

Leaning forward, she kissed her daughter's forehead, but suddenly shot up as the ventilator's beeping intensified, signaling an elevated heart rate and breathing. "Mira?" Eyes fixed on the monitor, Juli rushed out of the room when she noticed the numbers indicating that Mira was beginning to breathe on her own. "Amita!" Julieta shouted when she saw her friend. "Mirabel's waking up!"

Watching Amita disconnect the ventilator and remove the intubation tube from Mira's throat, she gradually sank into a chair, relieved that her daughter was finally back for good.

Scene 14: Give it to your sister - your sister's stronger... Or not

Once Mirabel had been settled into the Intensive Care Unit, the Madrigals - exempting Isabela - took turns visiting with Mira.

But while everyone else tried to sound optimistic, encouraging Mirabel to wake up, Luisa had immediately started crying as she sat next to her little sister's bed. Even though her mother had described Mira's injuries, it was still a shock to see.

Mirabel's legs were missing and the bandaged ends were propped up slightly with tubes draining built-up blood and fluid.

Her head, chest, and abdomen were bandaged as well with even more drain tubes coming out. An IV port was inserted in Mirabel's upper chest, giving her fluids and painkillers while a nasogastric tube up her nose was feeding her nutritional formula.

The ventilator tube down Mira's throat made Luisa feel like she wanted to throw up and all the bruises and scrapes on her sister's arms, face, and torso made things look even worse.

"This is all my fault, Mira," Luisa sobbed as she sat next to her little sister's bed and took Mirabel's limp hand. "Ma-Maybe too much of the magic was used up giving me my Gift, and that's why you couldn't get your legs fixed. Because I know if your legs were fine then you could have gotten out of the way of the house falling on you. I froze, Mira. The house was falling and I froze and I couldn't get to you and Isabela in time. I could have protected you but I wasn't fast enough."

The night before, after Mama had advised her to get some rest at the hotel with the rest of the family, Luisa opted instead to visit the hospital library to look into her sister's injuries and the potential for her long-term recovery. The discovery that Mirabel might be in a coma for several weeks or even months made Luisa feel sick, and the thought of what could happen if she never woke up was even more troubling. Worse still was reading about the possibility of Mira suffering brain damage from either her injury, the surgery, or both. The thought of the cheerful, laughter-filled Mirabel being unable to walk or speak was unbearable, and Luisa couldn't help but picture Mira having to relearn basic actions as if she were a toddler all over again...

"Please don't take Mira away from us," Luisa had prayed as she sat in the library, her mind a raging storm of worst-case scenarios. "Bring her back to us. Bring the Mirabel we love back to us."

Her thoughts returning to the present, Luisa took a deep breath and gently squeezed Mira's hand. "You're going to come back, Mirabel. I-I know you just need to rest, but... We need you to come back to us. Everyone thinks that I'm the strong one but they're wrong. I don't have the kind of strength that you do."

Hearing someone behind her, Luisa quickly wiped her eyes as she stood up, backing away to let Camilo and Dolores sit with Mira for a few moments. Hurrying out of the room, Luisa went into the bathroom, not coming out until she'd stopped crying.

Scene 7: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Once Mirabel had had a few days to recover from coming out of her coma, she'd been relieved when Julieta had taken out the urinary catheter so that she could use the bathroom properly.

Of course, getting into the wheelchair had required help.

"Mira, it's going to be a couple weeks before your arms and upper body are strong enough to transfer yourself in and out of the wheelchair on your own," Julieta pointed out when Mirabel had started moving so that she sitting on the edge of the bed. "And it's going to take time to get used to not having your legs anymore."

"Right," Mirabel muttered, letting out a sigh. As her mother bent down, she put her arms around Julieta's neck and stifled a whimper of discomfort as Juli slid an arm underneath the residual limbs. "It's okay," Mira insisted as her mother put her other arm around her back for support.

Lifting her daughter up, Juli turned about and settled Mira in the wheelchair before taking her into the bathroom and helping her undress and use the toilet before disconnecting the IVs so that she could get a bath.

Sitting in the wheelchair as her mother helped her redress, Mirabel was transfixed by her image in the mirror.

Across her abdomen and stomach was one long horizontal surgical scar that curved up her left side and another vertical scar went from the middle of her stomach to just above her breasts.

The scars at the ends of what remained of her legs were more pronounced making the old surgery scars seem faded.

But it was her head that made Mira stare the most.

A third of her curly hair was cut down to a little under two inches and the rest was little more than peachfuzz. A 4x4 inch scar was partially visible and as Mira felt the back of her head, her fingers brushed a smaller scar from the drain tube that had been inserted into her brain.

Feeling each scar before looking down at her residual legs, Mirabel's breathing quickened and she began sobbing.

"You're okay, corazon," Julieta assured her. "It's alright. You're okay." Kneeling down and hugging Mira, she murmured, "You're alive, mi vida. That's all that matters."

Nodding as she hugged her mother back, Mirabel sniffled a bit before pulling away. "Can I go see Isabela? Please?"

"Of course, corazon," Julieta replied as she stood up and reconnected Mira's IV. "And while the two of you are visiting, I'm going set up the pump for your NG feeding tube."

Scrunching her face and frowning as she felt the tube up her nose, Mirabel groaned as her mother wheeled her out of the bathroom and down the hall towards Isabela's room where Bruno and Dolores were chatting with Isa in sign language.

'Mira, you look great!' Dolores signed, cheerfully.

"I look horrible," Mira corrected Julieta parked her near Isabela's bed. "I hate having this tube up my nose."

"It'll be about another week before your system is able to handle real food," Julieta pointed out. "I'll be back in a moment."

Wheeling herself closer to Isa, Mirabel reached forward and took her sister's hand. "How are you doing, Isa?"

Touching the brace with her free hand, Isabela gave an attempt at a shrug as she replied, "I don't know. Tio Bruno, Dolores, and I were just talking about it."

"It's strange having something you've had all your life taken away from you," Mirabel agreed, nodding at what was left of her legs.

Giving his sobrina a sympathetic look, Bruno added, "Julieta told us that you lost your spleen and ovary as well as your legs."

"I know how much you've always thought about having a family with lots of children," Dolores chimed in as she considered what she'd overheard from her prima over the years.

As Julieta returned, conversation was put on hold while she connected Mirabel's NG tube to the pump and turned it on.

"When you're able to handle food again," Bruno promised, "I'll see that Juli makes you all of your favorites."

"I just want a cup of Mama's chicken soup," Mira replied, thinking of the rich, spicy broth.

Julieta shook her head as she calibrated the pump and set it, making sure the formula was flowing properly. "Nothing solid and nothing spicy for another week," she reminded Mira. "And even when you can start back on real food, you're going to be on a simple diet. Rice, plain tortillas, very little seasoning on meats, fruits and vegetables..."

Catching her sister's dismal expression, Isabela smiled reassuringly as she suggested, "We'll get Tia Pepa to make some of her sorbets. That should be fine, right, Mama?"

"Not too much, though," Juli warned, thinking of the cold desserts upsetting Mira's stomach.

As Dolores, Bruno and Julieta left the room, Isabela fixed Mira with a look. "What's wrong, Mira?"

"Mama took my catheter out so I could get a bath," Mirabel began, trying not to look at the similar tube coming down the side of her sister's bed. "I saw all the surgical scars and... And it was pretty overwhelming. Plus, seeing most of my hair gone... I look like a mess."

Sitting up as much as she could, Isabela beamed as she corrected, "You look incredible. I mean it, Mirabel. Seeing you covered with bruises, scrapes, and mostly wrapped up like a mummy... the tubes coming out of your head, legs, and side..." Tears streamed down her face as she continued, "Papa, Tio Felix, Luisa, and Camilo were afraid we might lose you. Before you woke up..." Her voice faltered as she wiped her tears, "...Abuela mentioned that... Mama believed we should let you go. She was going to get the family together so... so that we could say 'goodbye'." Her smile widened as she grasped her sister's hand and whispered, "But now you're here. And you and I are going to be okay. I'll adjust to being in a wheelchair, and you'll learn to walk again. And when you grow up, you'll find love and have children, and you'll be happier than ever."

Leaning in to hug her sister, Mirabel wasn't certain she fully believed Isabela's words, but she couldn't bring herself to argue.

Scene 5: Are there stitches for barely holding yourself together?

As a nurse entered Mirabel's room to remove the stitches from her head, chest, and abdomen, Julieta rose from her chair beside her daughter's bed. "I'll handle this," she insisted, moving toward a box of gloves to grab a pair.

"Are you sure, Doctor? It's not a problem," the nurse, an older woman named Sasha, replied, appearing a bit wary.

Julieta's tone edged with sharpness as she responded, "She's my daughter. I'll do it."

Sasha nodded quickly and began to leave, murmuring, "Si, señora."

After placing the suture removal tray on the bedside table and picking up the tweezers and scissors, Julieta started to carefully extract the thick, black stitches, reflecting on Mirabel's injuries as she worked. When Mirabel awoke, she would find herself very different than before the house had fallen.

The stitches from her amputations had been taken out a few days prior, but the thick scars remained red. As Julieta touched the end of what was left of Mirabel's right leg, she imagined her daughter learning to walk again with prosthetics. Perhaps Mirabel would even be able to run for the first time...

As she gently removed the last of the abdominal stitches, Julieta pondered what would happen when Mirabel got married and wanted to start a family. The internal injuries on Mira's left side were so severe that she had lost her spleen, an ovary, and part of her uterus. Though it wasn't enough to classify as even a partial hysterectomy, the chances of having a full and healthy pregnancy were extremely low.

Putting a gloved hand on her daughter's chest, Julieta pulled her thoughts away from Mirabel's injuries and focused on feeling her heart beating steadily... her breathing...

"When you wake up, corazon," Juli silently said to her daughter. "-you will be different. Inside and outside, you won't be the same as you used to be. Maybe you'll have problems with your brain and you won't even be my sweet little girl anymore... But whoever you are, I will love you. I will always love and care for you, mi vida."

Hearing the door open, Julieta didn't bother looking up as she heard two people coming in. "Juli, you can let one of the nurses do that, you know," Pepa gently pointed out as she watched her sister start 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 quick-dissolve healing 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.

Sitting on the arm of Julieta's chair, Pepa wrapped her arms around her sister before kissing the top of her head. As Bruno joined them, Juli couldn't help but wonder if the cost of having her brother back would be her daughter's life.

Scene 11: God plans, sisters nudge... or shove

"I heard that you and Rabbi Sandoval were hitting it off before the wedding," Pepa murmured as she sidled up to Bruno during the reception, a wide grin on her face.

"What? Who said that?" Bruno asked, looking surprised. "I-I-I mean, yes, we were talking and she wasn't looking at me like I was being weird with the 'knock on wood' thing, but..."

Unable to keep her amusement to herself, Pepa began laughing and soon, Julieta had joined them looking curious. "What's so funny?" Juli wanted to know, sipping her glass of wine.

"I think Bruno has a crush on Rabbi Sandoval," Pepa chimed in a singsong voice.

Julieta's eyes widened as she choked on her wine, coughing. "I beg your pardon?"

"According to a reliable source," Pepa explained after a moment, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "- our brother and Ashleigh were very comfortable talking to one another before the wedding. I hear that Brunito even let her tap him on the head after showing her his 'knock on wood' ritual."

Turning her attention to Bruno as she set her wine glass down, Julieta hugged him tightly, beaming with joy.

It was exceptionally rare that Bruno felt comfortable enough with someone outside the family to not only show them his 'knock on wood' routine, but teach them how to do it properly. And Bruno letting Ashleigh knock on his head at the end... well, that was roughly the equivalent of a marriage proposal in and of itself.

"You should ask her to dance," Julieta suggested, quickly.

"What?!" Bruno exclaimed, eyes wide in stunned shock. "No, no, no, no... I-I mean, w-we agreed to go get coffee sometime, b-but... A-And I-I-I don't-"

"Shhh..." Pepa shushed, smiling reassuringly. "Don't overthink it. Just go up to her and ask her to dance."

But Bruno's mind had already begun its whirlwind of negative thoughts. "Wh-What if she says no o-or laughs at me?" Doing his routine as he knocked on the table and his own head, he downed the rest of Julieta's wine before anyone could stop him.

"Bruno? Brunito," Julieta said, quickly, touching her brother's arm, her eyes full of concern as she watched him look for the table where Felix was playing bartender. "I'm sorry. Hey... Look at me." As Bruno focused on her, she gave him a warm smile and murmured, "Lo siento, hermano. We didn't mean to push you. Pepa and I just want you to be happy."

Nodding in agreement, Pepa gave Bruno a one-armed hug, resting her head on the top of his. "I just thought maybe Ashleigh could be someone you could be close to. Juli and I... we just don't want you to be lonely."

But Bruno was slipping into the grips of an anxiety attack and he tore away from his sister to go sit on the floor in a corner of the courtyard, the hood of his ruana pulled down to hide his face.

As Pepa and Julieta knelt down next to him, they were joined by Ashleigh Sandoval who put a hand on his shoulder as she murmured, " Bruno? Bruno, it's okay. You're safe, alright? Listen... Can you do something for me? I want you to take a deep breath, alright? Can you do that?"

Bruno nodded frantically and after a moment, he managed to take a few long breaths before looking up at the three women, blushing furiously when he saw Ashleigh.

"It's okay," Ashleigh reassured him, knowing that Bruno was probably embarrassed that she was seeing him in such a distressed state. "Anxiety attacks are nothing to be ashamed of," she promised, lifting the hood of the ruana. "I used to cry when I had my attacks." Sitting on the floor and putting an arm around Bruno's shoulders, she asked, "What triggered it?"

Looking at Ashleigh, Bruno looked away before whispering something to himself.

"We were... we were trying to play matchmaker," Pepa confessed, frowning as she reached for her brother's arm. "We thought he should ask you to dance."

Leaning back as she considered how to respond to the reply, Ashleigh gave Bruno a warm look as she said, "Well, have to say I don't think I've ever made a guy so nervous he had an anxiety attack before. You might be the first, Bruno." Frowning slightly as she realized that humor wasn't going to work, she slowly got to her feet, gently pulling Bruno up with her. "Do you want to go get some latkes from the kitchen?"

At the mention of latkes, Bruno raised his head and thought for a moment before straightening up and pushing his hood back as he nodded. Letting Ashleigh take his arm and lead him towards the kitchen, he even smiled a bit as they went.