achitka - Tumblr blog

achitka · 1 month

Text

Doors - Chapter 48

Anselmo (God's Divine Protection)

Well hello,

It's been a hot minute since I've updated this story. You'll discover the ending of the last chapter was slipped into this one as well with a little more depth. That can happen. Anyway, on with the stuff. Mirabel's curiosity may be the end of her. Isabela feels like she's getting the hang of imperfection. Bruno is discovering what it's like to be not exactly correct when his Gift clashes with another. As for the end - well it's bound to happen eventually.

---------------------------

Anselmo (God’s Protection)

Félix sat with his cuñado as the pair commiserated on the state of their oldest daughter’s current love lives. Gus was drinking a glass of wine as he told Félix about his conversation with Isabela that had ended in a staring contest until his wife intervened.

“Julieta says I’m being dramatic. I’m not overreacting, am I?”

Félix let out a chuckle, “Maybe just a little, hermano. Isabela does appear genuinely taken with Señor Márquez. You have to admit, he is nothing like those that have pursued her in the past, and at least he seems like a good person. I’ve never heard anything bad about him, and even Alma seems to like him. You have to admit he’s been very polite and conscientious.”

“True,” Agustín said and laughed a little, “You would think I’d be less worried considering she was supposed to be married by now.”

Félix smiled. Isabela’s prior betrothal to Mariano Guzmán had come crashing down with Casita and now Isa’s former intended was engaged to his baby girl. He had to admit Mariano had adjusted rather well to Dolores’ needs. He was far quieter than he used to be and sincerely appeared to love his daughter. He glanced over at Agustín and noted his melancholy and said, “On the upside, Isabela is finally going back into town, so perhaps she’ll spend a little less time focusing on her sister.”

“There is that,” Gus said and took a sip of his wine.

But more to the point, what do you think of him?”

Agustín pulled his wine glass a little closer and replied, “I haven’t actually spoken to him yet. Seems like every time I think I’ll have an opportunity, something will happen. ”

“Ah, well, I understand he’s living with the Aguilars. You could just pay him a visit.”

“That’s true,” Gus agreed and fell silent for a time, then said, “There is something I could use your help with.”

“Of course, what do you need?”

“Julieta asked me to see if the old shoe shop might be a viable solution for Bubo’s housing problem.”

“Jorge’s shoe shop?” Félix asked, as he reflexively crossed himself.

“Yes,” Gus said and took another drink, “I’ve been given the dubious task of seeing if Bubo will agree to that. I looked at it earlier and aside from being very dusty, it looks solid. I was hoping to get your opinion as to any needed repairs.”

Félix nodded and said, “That might be a hard sell. Do you plan to tell him about Jorge?”

Agustín tapped his mostly empty wine glass, added a little more to it and said, “Probably should.” Then asked, “Did you have a chance to look at that vision tablet Bruno created this afternoon?”

“Actually, no. Was there something concerning?”

Gus nodded and said, “Miguel Rodriguez appeared to be speaking angrily to Mirabel. But what worried me more was that Mira was in her bedclothes.”

“Has Bruno said anything?”

“Not yet. I plan to ask him the next time I see him. Where is he anyway?”

Félix shrugged and replied, “Probably feeding his rats somewhere.”

Agustín nodded as he took another drink and yawned as he changed the subject, “Dolores and Mariano picked a date yet?”

“Not that I am aware of, and Pepi would have made sure I knew that.”

“Pepa still getting on with Señora Guzmán?”

“Mostly, though truthfully, I stay as far away as possible while those two sort that out. Did Juli tell you that we’re probably related to Tuli through Rodrigo.”

“How?”

“According to Pep, Rodrigo is the nieto of Alma’s sister, Juliet, and he also is José’s primo.”

“No kidding. That’s the woman Julieta was showing me a picture of just before Tuli fainted. You know, I never considered that Alma would have family outside the Encanto.”

“I’m still a bit astounded there is a world outside the Encanto. Not gonna lie, I really am interested in visiting a few of the cities nearby. The new folks talk about electricity like it’s everywhere now and there are these gadgets called telephones.”

“Telephones?”

“Devices you can use to speak directly to someone far away.”

“That does sound useful. You know, you should come with us to Bogotá. Get a look at some of the appliances that Bruno told us about.”

“Not a bad idea,” Félix said as he got up.

Agustín rose, then, finished his wine, and together the pair left the kitchen.

---------------------------

Bruno watched Mirabel leave and when he was sure she was all the way down the stairs, he let out a sigh of relief. “Tío?” came a muffled question behind him. Bruno hopped off the table and Antonio popped up, scattering some of the clothes he’d been hiding under. He jumped off the table as Parce came down from the upper tower, and he ran over to the jaguar. After giving the jaguar a good squeeze, he scrambled onto Parce’s back and Antonio yawned as he asked, “So what’s next, Tío?”

“For you?” Bruno replied. Antonio nodded and Bruno said, “Bed.”

“Awww…but I’m not tired,” he said, stifling another yawn.

“No?”

Antonio shook his head and another yawn escaped, causing him to blink his eyes.

“Either way, we’ll just say it’s because you’re six.”

“Six and a half,” Antonio corrected, arms crossed.

“Fine, six and a half, but that changes nothing.”

“But-” Antonio started to say until Fura popped out of Bruno’s ruana and started squeaking furiously at his sobrino. Bruno wasn’t sure what set the rat off, and he stroked her in an attempt to calm her. However, Fura did not relent, and Antonio’s face was now set in a frown. Parce chuffed loudly, and the rat went silent. Bruno noted the big cat’s hackles were up.

“Sorry, Toni. Don’t know what’s gotten into her today,” Bruno said nervously as he continued to pet Fura, “Tomorrow is soon enough to do the other stuff.”

Antonio sighed and did not hide his disappointment as he patted Parce’s neck and said, “Okay, Tío.” Parce let out a low growl, and Fura instantly returned to Bruno’s ruana without another sound. Satisfied, the big cat chuffed again then turned and headed for the stairs.

“Buenas noches, Toni, and thank you for your help,” Bruno said a little weakly. Fura was shivering against his neck, and Bruno wondered if Parce had said something threatening. Still, Parce never interfered unless he felt Antonio was in harms way. He was a good friend. Antonio only waved as he disappeared down the stairs. Bruno turned and looked at the mess of clothing he’d created and almost set about fixing that but just the thought made him tired so he too, headed down the stairs.

Fura poked her head out as Bruno looked both ways before heading to his room. He really did not want to explain what he was doing up in the tower. He heard Isa and Gus’s voices, but couldn’t really hear what they were saying. This was good as they were much less likely to notice him as he hurried to his room. Once inside, he set Fura on the pillow that was on the corner of his desk and pet her until she settled. As he did, he noticed the corner of a vision tablet peeking out from under some sketches. He didn’t remember putting it there, but this afternoon was still pretty hazy. He sat and set aside the sketches and examined the three pieces the tablet had broken into when he’d stepped on it. As he picked up each, he tilted them until he found the one with Antonio. The image of his sobrino was dim and the animal he was speaking with was not in view.

Bruno tapped the cracked tablet. It chimed pleasantly, so he tapped each piece five times, and left his fingertips on the last. The reverberation made his hand tingle a bit; it was one of the things he’d found endlessly fascinating when he was still small. This vision had shown Bruno the same things, but during the making the order of it would get muddled, and it always came back to one person. Antonio. His sobrino would pop in and out of view. Always on the periphery, and like that butterfly of Mira’s vision before the breaking, Antonio’s coloring would waver from green to gold. Usually just before Antonio talked to one animal or another. It was clear he was watching, waiting for something to happen. Like his prima, Antonio would collect information. No one really paid attention to his sobrino’s animal friends. They were everywhere and would tell Antonio things, then he would ask them to ‘do stuff’ for him. In his visions, the animals would vanish, but something small would change. Nothing obvious, but it would prompt Bruno to do the vision again. It had made him dizzy as his eyes struggled to keep up.

Antonio wanted to be a part of whatever their family was doing. Just because he was six and a half did not mean he wasn’t able. Bruno wasn’t sure if Antonio knew that Tuli was not physically a girl, and if he did know, he gave no sign. Every stitch of clothing he picked out would customarily not have been suitable for a boy. There was always a chance his friends had told him and he accepted it. But it was challenging to know just how much knowledge of Tuli’s situation the youngest of the Madrigals had.

He’d asked Dolores to keep an ear on him, and the things she heard were puzzling to her to say the least. Most of it was apparently reports of what Mirabel was up to. Mira hadn’t been able to spend much time with Antonio lately, so that did make sense. He was also getting reports about his friends. She also mentioned that her little brother’s afternoon naps were getting longer, making her think he was on the edge of overusing his Gift. With the school being closed. Antonio had been able to do pretty much what he wanted, but that would change tomorrow. There was an unwritten rule that all the Madrigals followed to not use their Gifts during school hours. Too much of a distraction.

He didn’t really have the energy to redo that vision he’d forced earlier. Truthfully, there was no reason for him to ask Antonio to stop what he was doing either. Nothing had happened that was actually bad, just unexpected. Bruno tapped the vision tablet to start it ringing again. It calmed him enough that he decided, not much would likely change between now and breakfast. Still, Bruno found it was intriguing. He was used to his Gift being immutable. The things he saw, unchangeable. He liked that now it was actually a definite, maybe. It was nice to know that he could, in fact, be wrong. He did not, however, want to burden Antonio with too much. He would need to talk to Félix and Pepa about how best to include their youngest child.

Bruno looked down at the center of the image. The cracks weirdly separated the three main parts of the vision. One part held what he decided was the tree Isabela had grown earlier. The name Anselmo stuck in his head for some reason, though he couldn’t really say why. One section was devoted to Casita shut up tight, not a shutter ajar. The last was of Mirabel speaking with Miguel Rodriguez. Initially, he had been far more concerned because Mira was in her bedclothes, but his sponty before supper showed him Isa’s part in that. Bruno knew there was no way Isabela would allow any harm to come to her hermanita.

Bruno opened his sketchbook and looked at the image of the laughing child. There was no question that was Tuli. Perhaps Tuli would, in fact, get to stay in the Encanto. This last sponty had also shown him Tuli when she returned to Casita with her Tío. She did not look at all unhappy and Bruno, at first, mistook the stuffed rat on Tuli’s shoulder to be Fura. The toy look remarkably similar to her. He glanced over at the rat still asleep on the pillow. She’d disappeared for a time after dinner until Antonio brought her to him.

He was pretty sure Rodrigo was also able to understand the rats. It made him wonder if only closely related members of that family could understand them, or if any relation could learn. Bruno was also curious to know if he could learn, it would certainly make his rat novellas easier to direct. He’d asked Antonio about it while his sobrino was picking out clothes and Antonio said Tuli had told him that their family’s magic was weak, so Bruno might be able to. Bruno had no idea what to make of that statement.

He turned his attention on the section with Mira. Chances were that this would be happening very soon, since his sponty showed Isa was wearing the same clothes she had on for her date with Bubo. Looking at it made him a bit nervous, but Mirabel did not have an expression of fear or concern. If anything, her stance reminded him of her mother. Julieta was very used to telling people things they did not want to hear. But she did it in a way that was gentle, and you knew she was listening. Not like the look Mirabel gave him as he handed her the bundle, this told Bruno he’d said way more than he intended when he let slip that Antonio picked out the clothes. That girl held on to information like a sponge, and would sort it as new information came in. Eventually, he knew that Mirabel’s curiosity would get the better of her, and then she would ask him some random question. Bruno would probably tell her something unrelated, and she would still figure it out.

He looked over at Fura, she was still asleep, so he turned to the other rats nearby and held out a hand. He hadn’t fed this group yet and motioned to them. They scampered up his sleeve and settled in his various pockets, with Tino sitting on his shoulder. There was a knock and Bruno saw it was Gus when Casita opened the door for him. He set the sketches back on the vision as Gus came in and sat on the nearby sofa.

“What’s up?” Bruno asked. Gus must have been the one to put the vision tablet on his desk. Of all the ones he’d made earlier, this was the only one he hadn’t destroyed outright.

Agustín was rubbing his knees, then patted them then pointed to the desk and asked, “I’m hoping you can shed a little light on... that. That Señor Rodriguez… he’s just a little too over the top, if you know what I mean. And you made so many… is there something I need to know?”

Bruno looked back over to the desk and replied, “I had a sponty earlier that showed Isabela was with Mira. Honestly, I don’t think Mirabel is in any kind of danger.”

Agustín relaxed a little, then took a deep breath and said, “Speaking of my oldest, there’s one other thing,” he paused until Bruno nodded, so he continued, “Julieta has tasked me with helping Bubo find a suitable place for him and Tuli to live. She said your Mamá brought up the shoe shop as a possibility. What do you think?”

Bruno sat back in his chair as he thought of his friend’s home. It was a small house with an even smaller yard. Thankfully, there was also no longer a shed in the back. That had been torn down over ten years ago. The house itself was in pretty good shape and was actually in a good location, having been swallowed up by the town, so it was no longer on the outskirts. It was also nearby the new school, and Pepa had even kept up the yard after he took to the walls. He really should thank her for that, Jorge had been a good friend to all the Madrigal triplets. Bruno smiled to himself and thought, it would be nice if there were people living there again and said, “It has been empty for a long time.”

“I know, then there’s the other...”

“Yeah, we’ll have to tell him about that.” Gus nodded and Bruno said, “I can do that if you’d like.”

“No, I was planning to speak with him anyway, given my daughter’s interest. Might as well see what his reaction will be.”

Bruno nodded and stood up. Tino and the other rats squeaked a little and Bruno said, “Well, I need to get these guys fed, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Agustín got up and they left Bruno’s room. Gus headed for his own, and Bruno headed down to the kitchen to wait for his sobrinas to return.

--------------------------------

Isabela sat on her bed as she undid the intricate braid her mother had plaited earlier. She was feeling foolish after her conversation with her father. The standoff was only broken when her mother appeared and hustled her off to her room. Seriously, what did he think she was going to do? Isa paused when a random thought answered that question, and she blushed. She almost laughed at the irony, since conversations like that one hadn’t been needed when she was dating Mariano. She was never actually alone with him, and went out of her way to not be. That, and Señorita Perfecta would never have even dared to do such things. Obviously, it was her level of interest in Bubo that had prompted her Papá to well… be her Papá. This thought made her smile because it was proof to herself that she really was just like anyone else and still be alright. It could have been worse, but at least her father waited until Bubo had left with his Tío.

Her thoughts drifted, and she picked up the potted plumeria rubra she planted, and was very pleased to see three small leaves had unfurled from the cutting. She knew what its flowers looked like and resisted the urge to make the cutting bloom. She took it to the balcony and opened the doors to set it outside. The morning sun would definitely help green it up. She was adjusting it when something moving across the lawn caught her eye. Was that Mirabel? Was she sleepwalking? Normally, Isa would ignore this, but she thought she saw the shadow of someone else as she leaned over the rail. Maybe it was her imagination, but then again, Mirabel was now the focus of the magic of the Encanto. She sighed and asked, “Casita, did Mira ask you not to tell anyone she was sneaking out?”

The house clattered yes… then quickly clattered no.

Honestly, Isa thought. She looked at her shoes near the door and decided she didn’t have time for that. She poked her head out, the house was quiet, so she slipped out of her room. She went down the stairs and to the back door. She could hear her father and Tío Félix in the dining room talking, and growled when she found the door wasn’t budging. Casita clattered a tile or two and Isa whispered fiercely, “And you shouldn’t have let her wander off by herself, Casita. Now open the door.”

More tiles clattered angrily, but the back door popped open, and Isabela looked toward the voices, no one came out of the dining room, so she slipped outside and headed in the direction she’d seen her little sister take. Isa came around the corner of the house and stopped in time to see Miguel Rodriguez talking to her sister. Isabela had to admit her sister really had come a long way. Mira didn’t look afraid, or uncomfortable speaking with him. Luisa was a little too right when she said Isa was jealous of Mira and since yesterday’s debacle, Isa determined the best way for her to help Mirabel was to give her some tips for dealing with irritating folks. Teach her some of the ways of Señorita Perfecta.

Isabela noted that Miguel was swaying slightly and almost wanted to run over there. She moved a little closer, if it came down to it, she could wrap that pest up in vines so thick he’d be lucky to be able to breathe. Her fingers actually twitched slightly at the thought, so Isabela waited and watched.

--------------------------

When Mirabel reached the oak tree, she looked up in its branches. It was still glowing, or at least to her it was. Slowly, she reached toward it and gently touched the bark. Her fingers tingled and she smiled. The tree glittered a little more, and Mira felt the peace of the tree. She pondered why that was happening. Was it representative of how much of Isabela’s energy had gone into its making? Was she adding to that somehow? And why so big?

Isa said she thought the tree had told her its name was Anselmo. Tuli had said it was surely a guardian tree. Mira didn’t know enough about that tradition to make any sense of that statement. She decided she would ask Tuli what she meant by that, or maybe her Abuela. The glow briefly intensified and this reminded Mira of what some of the kids in town had told her about how the main road, and even the cracks in the houses, repaired themselves in a flash of colorful light when the Encanto’s miracle was revived. Was this tree a part of that?

Mira smiled as she remembered the joyous quiver she’d felt when the doorknob clicked into place, bringing her Casita to life. She was curious if her Abuela had had similar experiences. Could she still feel when the magic was active? So many questions raced through her head. When she took her hand off the tree, the leaves above her rustled slightly, and that made her giggle. This tree was actually so much larger than the one she remembered, and she wondered if she’d be able to climb it.

“Beautiful evening, yes?”

Mirabel turned, then froze as the speaker came into view. Miguel Rodriguez had appeared harmless enough during dinner... but you never know, she thought as she pulled her robe a little tighter around herself. Showing someone you were afraid gave them power. A lesson she’d learned when dealing with her Abuela through the years, and Mirabel had grown to be an expert at hiding those feelings. Still, she really wasn’t expecting anyone to be out and this close to Casita at this time of night when she considered the direction he’d come from; had he been trying to get inside? Mirabel felt a moment of real anger that churned in the pit of her stomach. She’d never felt unsafe in the Encanto, but now… Mirabel almost sighed as she remembered she’d told Casita not to tell anyone what she was doing. Probably not the best idea, and now this one was between her and her home. A light breeze brought the smell of alcohol to her, and Mirabel was a little more concerned for her safety. Her Mamá always said; drunk people did stupid things. Keep your wits about you, Mirabel. She forced herself to relax. She was smart enough to deal with this situation, but had to work to keep the smile on her face. Feeling a little more confident, she nodded in response and said, “Buenas noches, Señor Rodriguez, out for some air?” She was amazed that that had come out so smoothly. More determined to remain calm, she thought of a saying her Abuela would use whenever Isa was nervous before some outing. ‘Que no te vean sufrir’ Never let them see you sweat. Definitely useful advice.

Miguel nodded and said, “Couldn’t sleep. Had a bit of indigestion.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Señor,” Mirabel said as she watched him fidget with something in his pocket. He tilted his head as he swayed a little. His expression appeared surprised that she was being conversational, as if he were expecting an entirely different reaction to his slight regarding the quality of the food at supper. Her nerves were building, and though she was now more wary, she still felt calm. He’d not actually done anything alarming, yet, as she added, “Well, I’m going to head back in. Getting late and I have a busy day tomorrow. Perhaps we’ll run into each other in town?”

He nodded again, so Mirabel started toward Casita at as normal a pace as she could manage.

As she passed him, he cried, “Wait!” and reached out for her arm. Mirabel side stepped and Miguel went down, flat on his face. Was he that drunk? Mirabel thought as she backed several steps away.

When his head came up, his expression was all anger, disgust, and fear as Miguel said angrily, “You little witch! You did that on purpose!”

Mirabel was glad she was well out of arm’s reach but noticed then that Miguel’s foot was caught on a root that was sticking out of the ground and said, “I didn’t do anything, Señor. You tripped on a root.”

“You’re lying! You used your devil magic..!” he stopped mid-sentence as Mirabel took another longer step back and almost jumped out of her skin as she bumped into someone behind her. A hand was on her shoulder and Mirabel looked over. To her great relief, she found Isabela standing there looking down at Miguel in full Señorita Perfecta mode. Mirabel’s anxiety evaporated seeing her sister there; beautiful and furious. She stepped in front of Mira as Miguel freed himself from the root and said sternly, “It’s time for you to go, Señor.”

Miguel scrambled to his feet and wavered again. He almost looked as if he was going to rush at them, but Isa fixed him with a look so dangerous that even Mirabel was worried. Miguel’s fear won out and his mouth clapped shut. He cleared his throat as if to say something, but nothing came out. He then made a brief show of straightening his clothes before turning then silently stalking away, and at the edge of town, started to run.

Isabela’s frown increased as she watched Miguel until he was out of sight and muttered, “Jackass.” She then rounded on Mirabel, and Mira took an involuntary step back. She shrunk in on herself, hands balled up in front of her as she waited for her well-deserved scolding from her older sister. To her great surprise, Isa no longer appeared angry as she gave her an actual hug and asked, “You okay hermanita?”

Mirabel blinked and nodded, saying, “Yeah, I’m okay. Sorry…”

Isa undid her hands, took one of them, and moved closer to the tree. “Don’t be. You didn’t do anything wrong beyond sneaking out of the house.” Isa said as she inspected the ground at the base and asked, “Did I hear correctly? Did that drunk idiot trip over this root and blame you for it?” Mirabel shrugged and watched her sister poke at it with her bare foot. The root slipped back under the grass as Isa continued, “Can’t believe he accused you of using magic.”

“I know, right?” Mirabel said with a bit of forced laughter. She squeezed Isa’s hand as she felt that odd twinge of remembered anger and jealousy. She pushed that aside then realized what Isa just said, “Wait, you mean you didn’t...”

“Oh no no no, I mean, I could have. I was actually thinking I should strangle him with some vines and feed bits of him to a sundew,” Isabela paused at Mirabel’s look of horror and continued, “Well, maybe not strangled, but the sundew part... Anyway, you seemed like you had it handled, except for at the end. But thankfully it worked out and by the way,” Isa said as they started toward Casita, “Don’t do this again.”

Mirabel frowned and nodded then she asked, “You’re not gonna tell Mamá or Pá about this?” she trailed off as Isa raised an eyebrow, Mirabel was astounded that her sister was still not at all angry.

Isa looked back in the direction they’d come and gave Mirabel’s arm a squeeze as she said, “I have to.”

Mirabel sighed as she felt her panic rising. She adjusted her glasses and asked, “Please, can’t you just this once… not?”

“That man is not right, Mira, he’s dangerous,” Isa said, and Mirabel knew she was talking about Miguel. “Our parents need to know…everyone needs to. Who knows what that one would have tried to do if I wasn’t here? He hasn’t even been here an entire day, and he’s already trying to stir up trouble.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Mirabel said and sighed again. Resigned to her fate, she decided to think about anything else, and her thoughts wandered back to the tree. She didn’t recall seeing any roots poking out of the ground when she’d arrived. Had the tree helped her? And why Anselmo? “I wonder why it would use a Portuguese name?”

“Anselmo is Portuguese?” Isabela asked.

Mirabel didn’t realize she’d said that out loud but replied, “Yeah, I'm pretty sure it means God’s protection.”

“Huh, that is interesting, so when did you learn Portuguese?” Isa asked as she tapped her chin, “You’re going to have to teach me.” When Mira didn’t respond, Isa poked her arm to pull her attention away from the oak and said, “I know you're curious about that tree; I am too. But you have to remember that things aren’t the way they used to be. We don’t know everyone in town anymore, and these new ones, some of them... ”

“That was pretty dumb, huh.” Mirabel said and felt the heat rise in her face as Isa only nodded. Miguel clearly had made up his mind that the Madrigal Gifts were the devil's doing. He did not know the family’s history and probably wouldn’t believe it if he’d been there to witness it. Chances were very good there would be rumors flying around tomorrow of how she’d hexed him or some other nonsense. She also remembered he seemed to have come from the direction of Casita. Isa was right, she was just going to have to face the consequences for sneaking out alone after dark. Her mother was going to kill her. Mirabel’s anger rekindled, knowing she was going to be lectured by every adult in the house once they learned of it. “Guess it’s time to stop hiding behind being Giftless.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you’ve never been Giftless. Annoying, stubborn, foolish, definitely. But not Giftless.”

“Thanks?” Mirabel replied and gave her sister a gentle push as she almost smiled.

“You’re welcome, hermanita, now let’s go,” Isa said and chuckled as she turned Mirabel toward the house, “But seriously, Mira, you need to think things through before you go climbing out any more windows in the dead of night to look at a tree.”

“How did you know I climbed out a window?”

“Because that’s how you always used to go out after dark.”

“You knew about that?”

Isa only smiled and said, “Come on, let’s get inside.”

Mirabel nodded, and she realized her anxiety was building the longer they stood out there. So after a deep breath, together they slipped quietly into Casita. As they headed for the back stairs, a voice from the kitchen halted them, “Sobrinas, un momento.”

---------------------------

Mirabel froze, but Isabela rolled her eyes as she looped an arm in her sister’s and guided her into the kitchen. Tío Bruno was sitting at the worktable feeding leftover bread and cheese to his rats. Isa noticed he had darker circles under his eyes as he motioned for them to take a seat. He took out his sketchbook and flipped it to a page showing an angry Miguel, directing his ire at Mirabel. Her Tío frowned as he tapped it, saying, “First off, Mira, please don’t do that again, and please do not leave Casita by yourself until these new ones are better acclimated.”

Mirabel nodded as she sank a little lower in her seat. Isa poked her lower back, forcing her sister to sit up. Mira shuffled a little in her seat, but straightened and gave her an irritated glance. Her little sister needed to learn how not to be meek in the face of scrutiny from her elders.

“Now tell me why you were out there,” Bruno asked.

Mirabel shifted again but did not slouch this time as she replied. “Well, I just wondered if it was the same tree Abuela had Luisa pull down. You know, when I was seven... so I wouldn’t hide in it anymore,”

Bruno nodded and accepted that answer, he then turned to Isa and asked, “Can you tell if the tree was already there, or did you create it with your Gift?”

Isabela shrugged as she thought about what she was feeling when the tree began to grow. “When I ‘make’ something I can usually feel a beginning and an ending... like tying off a string, so I think the tree was already there, but it was much smaller, maybe just a sapling. When I use my Gift on already living plants, I feel a sort of fullness, and it’s not as draining. I didn’t feel at all tired afterward, if that makes any sense.”

Again, Bruno nodded and said, “You know, your Tía says that hers is much the same.”

Isa had never really thought about how her Tía’s Gift actually affected the weather but did remember her Tía Pepa would offer advice when she was having a tough time creating one flower or another. Creating weather from nothing had to be even more draining than making giant marigolds.

Bruno flipped a few pages and stopped on one that made both her and her sister lean in. It was a sketch of Señora Vargas, Tuli and Antonio. Isabela immediately wanted to wrap the woman in vines and squeeze the life out of her. The Señora was leaning over Tuli pointing at Antonio with an expression that made her think she was not saying kind things.

Bruno noted her frown and said, “I am not completely sure what’s happening, but it’s already been made clear that she has no love for those of us with darker skin. I don’t believe Tuli would be swayed by her nonsense, but she’s been through enough. She doesn’t need this one causing her grief.”

Mirabel nodded and asked for the sketchbook to take a closer look. Bruno hesitated before he pushed it to her. Mirabel adjusted her glasses as she sat staring at it. Her Tío looked nervous, and Isa wondered why. She glanced over at her sister and could tell Mira was concentrating very hard on the details as she ran a finger over the figures there. After a few moments, she asked, “Tío? Is this why Antonio picked out Tuli’s clothes for tomorrow? And is that Camilo?” she asked as she pointed to the child in the background. Isa leaned over and had a look, but the child she was pointing to was not very detailed at all. Isa looked back at their Tío. He had that knowing smile on his face, and Isa was surprised when he nodded.

Isa asked to see, and Mira pushed the sketchbook to her and set to tapping the table. Bruno was watching her with interest and asked, “Mira, have you talked to Antonio lately?”

“A little. Tía asked me to tell him about the ‘no Gift rule’.”

“She asked you to do that?” Isa asked.

“It just came up. We were talking about Doris’s kids starting school and I asked her about it when we were making dinner. She said she talked to him about it, but was worried because Toni’s been so used to talking to his friends. Since he gained and lost his Gift so quickly last year, she’s afraid he’ll get lonely.”

“That’s a valid point. What did you tell him?”

“I was actually just repeated what Tía had already said. That his friends would be there when he got out of school, so it was something he could look forward to.”

Isa was only half paying attention as she looked at a different sketch. This one showed Tuli with a floppy looking Fura on her shoulder. Tío Bruno tapped the table, and she shut the sketchbook and pushed it back to him. He took it and went back to feeding his friends. Isa and Mira exchanged glances and started to get up when he said, “Isa, there’s one other thing.” They both sat back down, and he continued, “Your father is going to visit Bubo tomorrow to help with finding him a place to live with Tuli if she stays.”

“Oh, she’s staying,” Mirabel said. Their Tío tilted his head as she continued, “The Doctor said she’s not well enough to travel yet, so Mamá suggested she stay with us.”

“Her Tío really agreed to that?” Isa asked.

“He probably only did because Bubo is here as well, since he plans to stay... ” she noticed Isabela’s scrutiny then and added, “I guess?”

“So she’ll be staying... ” Tío Bruno said this to no one as he began flipping through his sketches.

“Yes, but she’ll be living in Casita,” Mirabel said.

Isa wondered how Mirabel knew all that, since she was in her room with everyone else. She decided their Mamá probably told her when she was being talked to by their father. Again, Isa smiled at the thought of that happening. Bruno again went silent. Isa and Mira waited, but he was now very focused on feeding the rats. Isa tapped Mira’s shoulder. They both got up and Isa pulled Mira into the hallway.

To her credit, Mirabel resisted a little as she did this and when they got to the top of the stairs, Isa said as they walked to Mirabel’s room, “Remember, no more wandering out after dark by yourself.”

Mirabel smiled then hugged her, saying, “Thanks for looking out me.”

“You’re welcome, Humm,” she said and hugged her little sister back. “I’m glad I was there to help. Now go to bed... for real this time.”

Mirabel nodded, and Isa waited until her sister’s door was closed before continuing to her own room. She opened her door and was greeted by the buzz and clicks of the nighttime insects, and quickly got ready for bed.

Her bed no longer had those flowing curtains of flowers around it. And she smiled as the vines came down and attached themselves to the four corners of her bed. It lifted a few meters off the floor, and Isabela set the bed to gently swinging as she pushed her head into her pillows. It had been a good day, she thought. Very good.

-----------------------

With her daughters gone, Julieta came into the kitchen and sat next to her little brother as Bruno gave Maria an extra bit of cheese. They sat in silence for a while until Bruno flipped open his sketchbook to the very last page and pushed it to his sister. Julieta stared at it for a time, then brushed the face there. As she did, Pepa came in and sat down on the opposite side of Bruno. Julieta pushed the sketchbook to her, and a dark cloud formed as she looked at it. Pepa closed the book and returned it to her brother. Bruno tapped the cover five times, then stowed the book. The rats being sufficiently fed disappeared into his ruana and Bruno said, “Siempre estaremos juntos, hermanas.”

“Siempre estaremos juntos, hermano,” the sisters intoned as Julieta and Pepa slipped an arm around Bruno.

------------------------

Next Chapter: Lost in my head somewhere.

Previous Chapter:

0 notes

achitka · 1 month

Text

Ah using the kiddos against her lol

Top ten anime betrayals Zelda how could you

< Part 15 - Part 17 >

Masterlist

#goemon in hyrule #my art #lupin iii #lupin the third #lupin the 3rd #lemonspades #lupin #goemon ishikawa xiii #link legend of zelda #goemon

2K notes · View notes

achitka · 1 month

Photo

A nice place to wake up in.

The Art of Kiki’s Delivery Service (2006 art book)

#kikis delivery service #so pretty #art #kiki's delivery service #hayao miyazaki #studio ghibli #background art #anime art #environment art #art book

81K notes · View notes

achitka · 2 months

Text

Goodnight Wesley, most likely kill you in the morning...

Weird Al should be immortal but barring that I think he should do some weird hybrid Dread Pirate Roberts/Willy Wonka thing.

When he's ready to retire, he should choose someone new to take his place, train them to the best of his ability, and pass the mantle. They, in turn, will change their name and, from then on, Be Weird Al.* Despite the fact that they may not resemble him in the slightest, we will all have a societal obligation to pretend it's the same person. Hm? That? Oh, that's Weird Al. No, what are you talking about? It's just Weird Al. No, nothing's changed. I don't know what you mean.

The most important thing, though, is that the entire selection process for the Next Weird Al should be public. Televised. Hell, we should all get to vote in it.** It needs to be the most talked-about thing on the planet and then we all need to shut up about it and pretend it never happened faster than you can (not) say Game of Thrones. What do you mean. That's just Weird Al.

*I mean, no one would listen to Weird Dan.

**Our votes shouldn't actually have any influence on anything, of course. They should be completely ignored. The public could not be trusted with the responsibility of selecting a new Weird Al. But we should get to vote.

#weird al #the dread pirate roberts #sing-you-fools

11 notes · View notes

achitka · 2 months

Text

Word. Remember, deep, cleansing breaths.

Mirabel: Everything will be ok. You can not stop it.

Mirabel: Everything will be fine. You have no choice.

Isabela: What the fuck kind of pep talk is that?

Mirabel: Ominous positivity.

#encanto #incorrect quotes #mirabel madrigal #isabela madrigal

43 notes · View notes

achitka · 3 months

Text

Doors (Chapter 47) Meanwhile

Hello.

So as the title of this chapter says... meanwhile...

Just needed to catch up with a few folks I've lost track of... Anyway, Alma is tired. Bruno is just being Bruno. Mira just can't seem to shut out her intrusive thoughts. Bubo's Tío is not at all sure he's making the right decision and Isabela is a bit miffed, being the oldest is such a pain sometimes.

-------------------------

Meanwhile...

Alma was now sitting by herself as Rodrigo was speaking with José a few meters away. Julieta’s handling of the newcomers had been just about flawless. When she told her about Doris’s reaction to being unknowingly magically healed, Alma agreed with her daughter’s assessment that the Doctor should be there. Spending the entire day in the plaza handing out pieces of herself was something Alma never appreciated how wearing it was for her daughter. Though she doubted Julieta would ever deny anyone healing, it was a good thing that she was learning to better assess whether people truly needed her magical help.

Casita clattered some floor tiles near Julieta, and Alma looked toward her daughter. The house just said that Tuli had fainted and could she please come to Luisa’s room. Her daughter looked up toward the balcony as she put the photos she was holding back on the table, and she and Agustín headed toward the stairs. Tuli, Alma noted, had been very withdrawn during dinner. Hardly eating and barely taking her eyes off her Tío. Pepa was gone and Bruno had finished looking at the pictures and was now back in the chair he vacated earlier.

Bruno pulled his chair closer as he watched his sister leave and asked her quietly, “Something happen?”

Alma leaned closer and said, “Tuli has fainted, and Juli is going to check on her.”

Bruno nodded and said, “Then she’s in good hands. Ummm, Mamá there’s a photo over there… ”

Alma thought she knew which one he was talking about and asked gently, “The one of the little boy?”

Bruno nodded and Alma said, “It is a picture of my hermanito. He unfortunately passed during an outbreak of cholera when he was almost two. He was the only boy, and my mother wanted at least one picture of him.”

Bruno sat back for a moment then nodded. Alma realized she’d never shared with her children why they were named the way they were. Because they had been forced to flee the night they were born, Alma had relied on the conversations she and Pedro had had before they were born to decide what she would call them. She noticed Bruno was pulling at the sleeve of his ruana. He obviously hadn’t quite gotten over his overuse of his Gift earlier in the day. He looked over at Rodrigo and José and asked, “So, did they say how long they will be in town?”

“Rodrigo said he plans to stay for several weeks. He wants to interview people about what he called the thousand-day war. I am not sure about José, though. Probably a few weeks at best.”

“You think he’ll let Tuli stay here. I don’t think she’d do well any place else.”

“I agree, however, he is her guardian, so we have to respect his decision.”

“I know, I’m just worried she’ll try something desperate.”

Alma nodded and looked past him when Agustín returned. He went over and spoke briefly with José. Rodrigo said something and took the photos José was holding, and left with Agustín in the direction of the stairs. Camilo’s door opened and he and Mirabel came out of his room. Alma got up as Pepa returned and Rodrigo came over as well. He handed the photos to Pepa, thanked them for dinner, then asked them to let José know he would wait for news about Tuli back at the camp. Rodrigo’s non-reaction to this made Alma think this was something that had happened more than once in the past. She noticed Luisa came out of her room at a normal speed, so was probably headed for the kitchen to fetch something for Julieta. Alma headed for the stairs and Pepa caught up after putting away the other photos and grabbing the box. Bruno had already gone somewhere else, that made Alma think that he was trying to ward off a vision, or maybe he just went to the kitchen.

Reaching the top, Alma felt exhausted and gripped the wall for support.

Pepa was now right next to her and asked, “You alright, Mamá? You look a little pale.”

Alma nodded, paused and then shook her head. “I am feeling a bit tired, Pepita.”

Since her illness, Alma was learning she needed to take the Doctor’s warnings about her health very seriously. She took the arm that her daughter offered, and after a moment, they headed toward Luisa’s room. Mirabel and Camilo were lingering there, so Pepa shooed them further down the hall as Luisa returned with a basin and some towels. She came out and joined them as the front door opened. Isa and Bubo came in and headed directly toward the back stairs. Luisa met them and had Bubo go into her room, then once Isabela joined them, they all went to Mirabel’s room to wait for Julieta. Some tiles shifted nearby, and Mirabel said, “The Doctor’s here.”

Dolores appeared in Mira’s room shortly after that, and went to the window where Isabela was standing. Alma hoped her nieta’s date went well, since she’d been so looking forward to it. Bubo Márquez was probably the furthest sort of person Alma would have thought Isa would be interested in, but Alma had to admit, she liked the young man. Isa leaned into Dolores and asked her prima a question, and Dolores replied something very softly. When Isa asked her another question, Dolores nodded, and Isa frowned before giving her prima’s arm a squeeze, then turned and plopped onto the sofa nearby. Dolores remained at the window and sat on the bench watching something outside. Probably Mariano. Alma had concluded that Dolores knew that neither Mariano nor Isabela had wanted the relationship she’d pushed them into, but was unable to say anything. The signs had been there, but Alma had been blind to the obvious for too long.

Luisa picked up a book off a shelf and draped herself over the arms of the overstuffed chair and started reading. Pepa left with Camilo to get the tray in his room and make a snack for Tuli. Pepa mentioned that she’d noticed Tuli had hardly touched her food and thought that could be a part of what had caused Tuli to faint. Mirabel was lingering near the door and Alma indicated she should come with her toward her room, and Mira reluctantly followed.

“This will only take a moment,” Alma said, “I just wanted to let you know that you are doing a wonderful job of looking after Tuli. I can see it was the right decision to put her in your care.” Mirabel’s worried expression faded, and she smiled. Alma gave Mirabel a hug as she added, “I’m going to bed now. I’m sure Tuli is alright, your Tía mentioned she thought Tuli was not eating enough, so she went to make her a snack. Did studying with Camilo go well?”

“Oh yeah, we got through all of it. So, he should do well for his testing tomorrow.”

“That is good news. Good night, Mirabel.”

“Good night, Abuela. So, you want the door shut?”

Alma nodded, so Mirabel left and closed the door behind her. Alma sat on her bed. She’d already decided whatever it was that was bothering her nieta was tied to the breaking, so when Valentina commented on that as she was measuring her for the new clothes, Alma paid attention. She told Alma about how Mira was blindly stacking cookies in her kitchen and was so focused on that task that she was oblivious to everything around her. Valentina was of the mind that after living with their nieta for almost a year, she did not think Mira had come to terms with Casita dying the way that it did. It wasn’t guilt that it had happened, though that was a small part of it, but more the guilt that she’d so ‘easily’ set aside that sorrow to help her family. Fear that it could happen again if she wasn’t hyper-vigilant. This was what was making Mirabel anxious and Casita somewhat unpredictable. Julieta had mentioned that Mira’s sleepwalking was always tied to her anxiety, and Alma could see that anxiety was very tied to herself. Her relationship with Julieta’s youngest child, since the breaking, she thought had been improving. But appearances could be deceiving, and Mirabel seemed reluctant to tell anyone what was bothering her.

Alma realized that Mira was dealing with her loss in a way not unlike what she had done. She’d pushed Pedro’s loss so far down that there was barely enough of her old self left to raise her three babies. She understood how hard it could be to control those parts of yourself. She’d only just gotten settled into her own routines when her children were given their Gifts. This, once again, threw her world into chaos. Alma realized she should have been more willing to ask for help dealing with that new reality, but instead she doubled down. Wanting, no needing, to control everything to keep her babies from harm. Valentina also told Alma in no uncertain terms that she needed to give Mira time and maybe help her find a way to grieve for the loss of her best friend. She was concerned for Mirabel and admonished Alma to not overwhelm the girl with petty day-to-day things.

Alma changed into her bed clothes and Casita turned down the lights as she sat with a blanket in the rocking chair near the window. She was still tired but knew she would not be able to sleep yet, so she looked out over the town as she rubbed the locket she was holding. She did not open it, doing so would only lead to that remembered sadness. Alma paused and thought, perhaps this was what people had been trying to tell her… she looked down at her hands and popped open the latch. Valentina was a very perceptive woman and also added that Alma, too, needed to deal with her own loss if she was going to be able to help Mirabel with hers. She stared at Pedro’s beautiful face and said, “Tomorrow, I will take our children through that yellow door and share the joy you gave me on that day.” In her mind, she saw her husband smile, and this made Alma smile too.

------------------------------

Mirabel closed her Abuela’s door and quickly went back to her own to see if anything was happening outside of Luisa’s room. She did not want to impose on Dolores just because she was curious. She was still getting used to being ‘in charge’ of anything and knew her prima would tell her if she’d heard something she really needed to know. Isa looked worried as she stared out the window. When they were washing dishes, her sister had said that she and Tuli had a good talk while they were working in the fields. Tuli, it seemed, wanted to learn French because she planned to go to France one day to learn ballet. Isa had offered to teach her what she knew since she learned some French from Abuela when she was younger. Mirabel had learned what Isa knew by lurking in the background during her lessons. Sometimes being invisible had its little perks.

Casita shuffled a tile nearby and Mirabel stepped further back into her room and then heard Luisa’s door open. The Doctor, her mother and Tuli’s Tío came into the hall. The door closed, so Bubo must still be in there. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but what no one knew, except possibly Dolores, was that when Mirabel put a hand on any flat surface, Casita could and would talk to her. It was really just a series of thumps, and Mira always had to really concentrate to understand any of it. Tuli’s Tío, aside from looking mildly irritated, was listening closely to what the Doctor was telling him.

While Casita relayed what was being said, Mirabel knew this was totally eavesdropping, but she just had to know. When she’d given Tuli the Rosary earlier, she felt that disturbing wave of hopelessness she’d noticed before. Tuli needed something and Mirabel was very worried about her honorary hermanita. She needed to think of a way to help her, but she didn’t have a clue as to how she should go about that. She looked over at Luisa, who was watching her from over her book. Mirabel smiled, and her sister cocked an eyebrow at her. Luisa noticed so much more than anyone gave her credit for. She was a lot like their Mamá in that way.

The conversation in the hall had ended, and Dolores moved away from the window and pulled at Luisa’s sleeve. Her sister got up and followed their prima into the hall. As they passed her, Luisa gave her a look that told Mira she knew she was up to something. Mirabel watched them and saw her mother waving to her, so Mira came out of her room to join her sister. Dolores was headed back toward her room and smiled at Mira as she passed her. Mirabel reached her mother and sister and her Mamá said, “Mira, Tuli will be spending tonight in Luisa’s room, so can you head up to the tower and find a nightgown and some clothes for tomorrow?”

Mira nodded and started for the tower stairs. As she neared the top, she realized a light was already on and thought, that's weird. She came into the room to find her Tío Bruno perched atop a mess of once neatly folded clothes, holding a small bundle. He had his eyes closed but did not have his hood up, so probably not a sponty, but she was curious as to what he was doing there. Mirabel couldn’t see everything he had, but it all appeared to be folded neatly. Her Tío had been acting a bit odd since before supper, but maybe he would explain, so she asked tentatively, “Tío?”

Bruno’s eyes popped open, and he said, “Mira! Just the sobrina I was hoping to run into!” His tone sounded unusually restless.

“Okay… ”

He waved for her to come closer, so Mirabel did, and she asked, “You okay Tío?”

“Never better,” he said as if he were not sitting atop a table with clothing piled up beneath him. The silence stretched and Mira said, “Tío, I’m supposed to… ” she pointed to the clothes her uncle was sitting on, and he responded, “I know,” and held out the bundle.

Mirabel took it and asked, “What’s this?”

“Clothes… nightgown… Antonio picked them out,” his said earnestly.

Well, that was why she’d come up there, still… “Isn’t Antonio in bed?” Mirabel asked.

“Yes.”

He said nothing else, and it was still not an answer. Mirabel noticed his hands were twitching a bit as he pulled at the cuffs of his new ruana. He’d already pulled a few threads loose, and Mira resisted the urge to find a pair of scissors.

“Thanks, Tío,” Mirabel said as she started to turn but stopped and looked at him again and asked, “You're sure you’re doing okay?”

He didn’t move for a moment, just stared through her, then abruptly nodded. Mirabel tilted her head and was met with silence, so she headed toward the stairs. As she reached the bottom, she pulled up short to keep from running into her Papá who was carrying a somewhat large box.

“I see your mother has you running errands too, Corazón," he said as she fell into step with him.

Mirabel nodded and said, “Just went to get Tuli some clothes for tomorrow.” Mirabel was somewhat concerned for her Tío and said, "Ummm Pá … Tío Bruno was… ummm… you know, never mind.”

Her Father nodded, but it was clear he was curious. They reached Luisa’s room and Mira knocked, and waited until Casita opened the door for them. Her father looked around, and her mother shrugged at his unspoken question. He set the box inside the door, then left the room, closing the door behind him. Mira noticed then that only her mother, Tuli and Luisa were here, and Mira wondered where Isa, Bubo and his Tío went. She put down her bundle and leaned back into the door with her hands behind her. Casita started telling her something that caused Mirabel to involuntarily let out a bark of laughter. Everyone was now looking at her, so Mira quickly scrunched her hands in front of herself and smiled weakly. Luisa was again looking at her with suspicion, her mother just rolled her eyes, while Tuli just looked confused.

Her mother waved her over, and Mira retrieved the bundle as she stepped away from the door. Tuli got off the bed and Mira handed Tuli the package and said, “There’s a nightgown and some fresh clothes for tomorrow. Luisa usually gets up pretty early, so heads up for that.”

Her mother gave her a look and Mirabel resisted the urge to run into the hall, but her mother then turned to Tuli and said, “Get some rest, and we’ll see how you're feeling in the morning. The school will be reopening tomorrow and since you’ll be staying for a while, Mira will be going with you to get you registered.”

“Will Antonio be going?”

“Yes, but he is in a lower grade.”

“Oh,” Tuli replied and nodded.

“Get some sleep, you’ve had an exciting day, and tomorrow will be too,” her mother said, and to Luisa her mother added, “There are some extra pillows and blankets in the box.”

Luisa nodded and said, “Thanks, Mamá.”

Her mother nodded as she handed Luisa a small bottle, giving her instructions on how it should be used. She said goodnight, then gave them both a hug saying, “Buenas noches, dulces sueños, hijas.”

Tuli was clutching her stuffed rat and had a curious smile, as if she was remembering something pleasant. Mirabel started when her mother tugged at her shirt, and Mira left with her. She looked over the rail and saw Isa sitting in the courtyard with their father. He had his arms crossed and Isa was mirroring his position in the chair across from him. Her mother looked down at the pair and sighed. She turned to Mira, saying, “I think it’s time you headed for bed as well, Mira. We’ll discuss what’s needed to get Tuli registered tomorrow.” Mirabel reluctantly looked away and back at her mother, who added, “I am also going to ask you to not listen in on private conversations, Mira, however tempting it may be.”

Mirabel shrunk in on herself a little and nodded in reply. How did she know that? Mira thought. Her mother noticed her chagrin as she took Mira’s face in her hands and said after she kissed the top of her head, “I know you don’t mean any harm, Corazón. Good night, Mira. Dulces sueños.”

“Good night, Mamá,” Mirabel replied, then headed to her room. She’d been found out already. Though she wondered how her mother knew, she figured it was probably something the prior Casita was capable of. Which made her wonder if perhaps her mother had used that as well. She did tend to turn up at the most random times… usually when Mirabel and Camilo were planning something prankish. Well, she supposed, it really was just eavesdropping and being nosey would surely lead to trouble. Mirabel changed into her nightgown and pulled on her robe. Casita turned down the lights as she sat on the window seat and looked out at the town. For so many years, she’d been an outsider in her own community. Now she was smack in the middle of everything.

There was always the underlying feeling she just shouldn’t be in charge of anything. Mirabel really had forgiven her abuela for a lot of what happened after discovering the underlying cause of it all, and she just couldn’t find it within herself to hold a grudge. She was genuinely happy to see her family back together, with actual hope for their futures.

She pulled her robe tighter when an errant breeze blew in. She felt unusually calm, so decided it was probably for the best that Camilo had managed to get her to admit she was still having problems with the breaking. He let her ramble and blubber for a little bit, then had her laughing about the ways Casita would often aide and abet them with their shenanigans. She thought about what she wanted to do tomorrow. Breakfast, then getting Tuli ready to start school, go to her abuelos shop and help with the sewing, go see the twins, and thank them for their work on the costumes… there was something else she was forgetting. She concentrated on that, but it was not coming back to her, so she let her thoughts wander as she watched the lights in town going out one by one.

Mirabel’s eyes drifted up… she could just see the edge of the tower from here, and she thought about the doors up there. It was for certain that they were all tied to her abuela, none had existed prior to her going up there that first day. Maybe they were remnants of the first Casita and Mira thought, it would be wonderful if they were. A lot of the materials used to build this house came from the old, though, her Casita still insisted they did not know where they originated. When she thought about it, that made sense, since there were lots of things about her own mother she didn’t know, nor had she bothered to ask.

She watched some fireflies as they flitted in and out of sight. Mira decided she was going to need to figure out exactly how she and Tuli were related. She was curious what her Abuela’s sister was like. Bubo’s Tío called Rodrigo primo, but she was not sure if that was by marriage or what. She was going to need to talk to Bubo, or maybe she could get Isa to ask. She was also curious as to how Antonio had picked out Tuli’s clothes. She was pretty sure Antonio had been in bed the entire time Tuli had been with Luisa.

She smiled as she thought of Antonio’s enthusiasm to learn how to speak to the bugs of the Encanto. Bubo had shown him and Tuli the best way to catch them, and Antonio was a little disappointed he wasn’t able to understand them. He still wanted to talk to them but said it was just too hard. Mira wasn’t sure if that was because he hadn’t figured it out or if it was because he would need to practice… a lot. He commented that Tuli was a bit of a scaredy-cat but was getting braver all the time. That said a lot coming from her primo. He was quiet but tended to be a bit blunt.

“Casita?” The tiles near the window shuffled and Mira asked, “Do you think Tuli’s going to be okay? I’m really worried about her. Sometimes... I can feel a hopelessness, and I know her Tío said she can stay… I just hope nothing happens that would change his mind.” The house tiles moved again, and Mira sighed and added, “No, it wouldn’t be right, so please don’t do that.” More tiles moved and Mira said a little more forcefully, “Seriously, Casita, don’t do that. Promise?” there was a short silence, then another shift. “Thanks.”

Mirabel was tapping the sill and feeling really wide awake. She was tired earlier, but now… not so much. She looked back at her door. It glowed softly in the darkened room. She’d always dreamed of having a door like the rest of her family, and still did to a certain extent, but this door was different. It was a tangible connection between Casita, her Abuela and herself. The shimmering oak depicted made her think of that oak tree Isa had created earlier. Mira was fairly certain it was in the same area as the one she used to climb when she was a kid, and leaned out to get a better look. It really was too dark to see, but the outline was there. Mirabel stepped up onto the window seat, then climbed out onto the windowsill. She let her feet dangle for a few moments before she eased herself onto the roof.

Casita clattered a tile nearby and Mirabel responded, “I’ll be careful, and don’t go telling everyone what I’m up to.” There was another louder burst and Mirabel hissed, “Chitón, you’ll wake everybody up.” Casita waggled one of the shutters and Mira sighed and said, “Sorry, I don’t mean to snap, but I can take care of myself and if Mamá or Pá finds out, I’ll get yelled at.” Mira patted the sill again and said as she pulled her robe tight, “I’ll be back before you know it.”

Mirabel headed along the roof tiles toward a trellis that was at the side of the house. She ducked as she passed the windows along the way. Hopefully, everyone was asleep but why chance it? She quickly climbed down and ran toward the great tree that Isa had said named itself Anselmo.

-----------------------------------

Rodrigo Iguarán was writing quickly when the tip of his pencil snapped. He glared at the small hole the pencil created and sat back as he tried to remember where in his pack he’d put his pocketknife. He was absently tapping on his notebook but looked up when the tent flap opened, and José stepped in. José’s face held a deep frown as he sat down on the only chair and let out something akin to a growl.

“Something wrong, Gabi?”

“No.” His answer was abrupt, and after a moment added, “Maybe… ” he growled again then shook his head and said “No.” He took off his shoes, then carefully positioned them under his cot. Rodrigo watched him go about moving all the items in the tent that were not quite where he thought they should be. Something was bothering his primo enough that he was adjusting everything in eye shot. This was a habit he’d gotten from his Abuelo. Whenever his Abuela regaled them of the magical, and his Abuelo was there, he too would begin adjusting the physical world to suit himself.

“How is Tuli?” Rodrigo asked.

“Tuli is fine. The Doctor said they need to eat more and rest.”

“Well, that’s good news,” Rodrigo said cheerfully. José only grunted in reply, so Rodrigo asked, “For how long?”

José looked at his hands then said, “A minimum of six weeks, possibly longer.”

“Ooof, so will you be staying or were you planning to take Tuli and go anyway?”

José didn’t answer right away. Instead, he was busy adjusting a stack of clothing that he’d taken from his pack. Rodrigo watched as he matched up all the corners and thought he’s definitely not happy with this development. José moved back to the chair and said as he rubbed his knees, “I’ve agreed that Tuli can remain here as long as he stays with the Madrigals, so he’ll be staying when I leave.”

Rodrigo was taken aback, while it was true, they were all related, it was out of character that José would allow for something like this. He knew part of the problem was he still saw Bubo as a child. As Bubo said, he’d not been one for some time and even if he tended to be impulsive, he was not a fool. The other part was if he did leave Tuli behind, he would have failed in his purpose for this journey. If the Doctor was saying Tuli should stay, his primo would have to take that into his decision making. All during their journey, José had said that when (he never said ‘if’) they found Tuli, they would head back to Bogotá as soon as possible. José must have caught his look because he asked, “You think leaving Tuli a mistake?”

“Honestly?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

His cousin appeared to be hoping for a different answer because he frowned and asked, “Then you agree that Bubo would be a better guardian?”

Rodrigo took a deep breath before he replied cautiously, “In this instance… probably?”

“Probably?”

There was a hint of anger in his voice that made Rodrigo add, “Gabi, if you’ve suddenly changed your mind, or you’re looking for someone to shout at, then fine, shout away. But at least don’t lie to yourself. If you leave with Tuli, you’ll end up in the same cycle of nonsense that created the situation that caused her to run in the first place. I know it, Bubo knows it, and you know it too.”

“You said ‘her’.”

Rodrigo clenched his teeth and said sharply, “Quit saying that, I know what I said, Gabi, and so what? I know that it’s your decision, but perhaps you should be willing to see if he will do better than they have in the past. You must see how incredibly blessed you are that Tuli found their way to this place alive. I don’t even want to think about what that smuggler did to them.”

José deflated some as he let out a sigh and said, “I know. I’m sorry.”

Rodrigo took a deep breath, he was determined not to be angry, so asked, “What did the Doctor say?”

“He said, for the most part, Tuli’s physically alright but only just. Too thin and probably not sleeping. Fragile was the word he used.” José laid back on the cot, covering his eyes with his arm. He was quiet for a time, then added, “I’m not sure why I was under the delusion that Tuli…” he stopped as he uncovered his eyes and stared at his hands. “Maria’s been haunting my dreams of late. Telling me what a fool I’ve been and how could I have let this happen to her. Sometimes it feels like…” he trailed off as Rodrigo finished his primo’s thought in his head; Your sister guided Tuli here and away from you. Still, Rodrigo resisted the urge to mention he’d called Tuli ‘her’. Little by little, his primo was learning to accept Tuli’s reality, he just hadn’t realized it yet.

It was probably for the best. José’s own fiancé, Mercedes, had told Rodrigo privately that her husband-to-be should find a way to send Tuli back to their abuelos or ask another of his married brothers to take her in. Tuli was clearly withering in his care, and his refusal to see those effects was not helping. This included his not using Tuli’s given name, which she said was nothing more than him being spiteful. He needed to learn he couldn’t control everything, try though he may.

Rodrigo looked away and reached into his pack to locate his pocketknife. His thoughts turned to his own fiancé. Juana had admonished him to not stay away for too long chasing his stories. The lure of so many folks that had survived the thousand-day war was going to be difficult to resist, and he did need to get back to Cartagena. He wondered then where Bubo was, so asked, “Bubo back at the Aguilars?”

“Yes, we stopped there, and he showed me the tiny storeroom he’s been living in. Very spartan.”

“Tiny? Is he living in a closet?”

“No… actually, for one person, it’s not too bad.”

“You sound almost disappointed.”

“I would have thought he’d have his own place by now. He’s been here almost a year.”

“You did say he was patrolling the outskirts of the village for the past few months.”

“Yes, I suppose it wouldn’t have mattered.”

“You know, if I didn’t know better, Gabi, I would think you were looking for an excuse.”

“Excuse?”

“Yes, to justify taking Tuli when you go.”

“Tuli’s going to be staying with the Madrigals.” Rodrigo sighed, but his cousin was no longer looking at him as he said, “Rodrigo?”

“Yes Gabi?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Just keep reminding me that I’m not wrong to leave Tuli here.”

“Alright. Just try not to shout at anyone. Especially Bubo, he is a good man.”

“Right.” José said as he caught the ‘man’. He let out a small laugh and added, “He is a good man. Not gonna lie, Bubo being here did make my decision easier. I just wish they had some sort of mail service here. I understand them not having any phones but no electricity?”

“I’m sure we’ll find a way, Gabi. Maybe there is a magical answer.”

José gazed up and nodded and said, “Probably. I saw you were speaking with Señor Félix during dinner; did he mention how the smuggler died?”

“He said it was probably a heart attack.”

“A heart attack?”

“Yes, apparently his youngest son, Antonio, can speak to animals. They believe his son asked the jaguar that landed atop the smuggler to frighten him away, but he ended up scaring him to death.”

“How unusual.”

“Less than he deserved, if you ask me. And to think he traveled with us for almost three weeks. Thank goodness we never found the women and kids he was tracking. Did you know they are also here?”

“No, I hadn’t heard. I’ll need to thank them for looking after Tuli.”

“So, did Bubo happen to mention how his date went? He’s quite taken with the young lady he was sitting with at dinner. You should have seen his face when she walked into the dining room earlier.”

“I can imagine, she is quite beautiful. Still, right now, I am actually more concerned about Señora Vargas causing trouble. I have no illusions that she will, first chance she gets.”

“She is a challenging one. We’ll need to keep an eye on that brood of lackeys she’s collected on the trip here. I’m sure Miguel already told her that Paola was at dinner. That young man… I’ve forgotten his name.”

“The shapeshifter?”

Rodrigo nodded.

“Camilo.”

“Yes, such a remarkable Gift. I wonder if he can shape-shift into anyone. Do you have any plans for dealing with her?”

“Not yet, but... ” José paused and seemed to be working something out in his head. He chuckled to himself and said, “Right, I’m going to bed. Good night Rodrigo.”

--------------------------------

Isabela sat on her bed, feeling foolish after her conversation with her father. The standoff was only broken when her mother appeared and hustled her off to her room. Seriously, what did he think she was going to do? Isa paused when a random thought answered that question, and she blushed. She almost laughed at the irony, since conversations like that one hadn’t been needed when she was dating Mariano. She was never actually alone with him, and went out of her way to not be. That, and Señorita Perfecta would never have even dared to do such things. Obviously, it was her level of interest in Bubo that had prompted her Papá to well… be her Papá. He at least waited until Bubo had left with his Tío.

Her thoughts drifted, and she picked up the potted plumeria rubra she planted, and was very pleased to see three small leaves had unfurled from the cutting. She knew what its flowers looked like and resisted the urge to make the cutting bloom. She took it to the balcony and opened the doors to set outside. The morning sun would definitely help green it up. She was adjusting it when something moving across the lawn caught her eye. Was that Mirabel? Was she sleepwalking? Normally, Isa would ignore this, but she thought she saw the shadow of someone else as she leaned over the rail. Maybe it was her imagination, but then again, Mirabel was now the focus of the magic of the Encanto. She sighed and asked, “Casita, did Mira ask you not to tell anyone she was sneaking out?”

The house clattered yes… then quickly clattered no.

Honestly, Isa thought. She looked at her shoes near the door and decided she didn’t have time for that. She poked her head out of her door, the house was quiet as so she slipped out of her room. She went down the stairs and to the back door. The door wasn’t budging and Casita clattered a tile or two and Isa said, “And you shouldn’t have let her wander off by herself, Casita. Now open the door.”

More tiles clattered angrily, but the back door popped open and Isabela headed in the direction she’d seen her little sister take.

Next Chapter...

Last Chapter:

7 notes · View notes

achitka · 3 months

Text

arson...yasssss

Isabela: People say I have a unique way of "lighting up the room"

Mirabel: …it's called arson and those people are witnesses.

#encanto #incorrect encanto quotes #isabela madrigal #mirabel madrigal

65 notes · View notes

achitka · 4 months

Text

I’ve been playing Disney’s Dreamlight Valley since I got it for Christmas. Mirabel is a gettable character. The game is one very long series of quests that can be over complicated but… still playing so far

#encanto #mirabel madrigal #mini-casita #video games

4 notes · View notes

achitka · 4 months

Photo

better than santa

Happy Holidays from the Holiday Boar

#holiday boars will now be a thing with my grandkids #I need to find a boar

393K notes · View notes

achitka · 4 months

Text

Doors (Chapter 46) Caja de Recuerdos

(Box of Memories)

The holidays be upon us. It's just past midnight and I somehow managed to get through almost another day - go me. Anyway, on with the show: Pepa gets stuff, Tuli's issues are definitely becoming more apparent, Isabela is not all that sure that being a shut in is working for her anymore, Luisa is the bomb diggity and Dolores - good god, but I love that woman. She is very helpful at stripping everything to its component dialogue. Makes my laziness a little less obvious. Hope you all enjoy.

Pepa sat surprised and staring at what her mother had just handed her. When she had told her earlier that she wanted to help her with the family history she was working on. Pepa never imagined she would give her all this. She knew about this box of photos and had feared it had been lost in the breaking. Her fingers twitched, and she noticed her mother’s small smile before she returned her attention to their guest. She stared at the box of photos and began to gently lift them, being careful not to take them out of the box. Pepa had wanted for years to see the photos that were now, right here in her lap. She paused when she came upon a photo of her father. He was sitting, pen in hand, looking thoughtfully at papers strewn across a very ornate desk. It actually reminded her of the one in Bruno’s room. She wondered if it was taken at her parent’s old home.

She flipped through a few more and paused on another of her father. He was working on a piece of furniture, but had turned back to face the camera, so she couldn’t’ tell what sort of furniture it was. This was actually something Pepa did not know about her father, and she realized that that was the norm. The pain that was always evident when Mamá spoke of him caused herself and her siblings to stop asking questions.

Others were of everyday things like the afternoon market, photos of various buildings and landscapes, usually with one or both of her parents. Some were picture post cards of faraway places. Pepa resisted the urge to dump them into her lap, and had completely lost track of the conversation between her mother and Rodrigo. Bruno had alluded to her before supper that Rodrigo was probably the one related to their mother and the actual focus of that first sponty. He told her that it wasn’t until he completed the sketch that he realized his error. Before the breaking, Bruno had often taken his spontys at face value and disregarded them once they ended. Now that he’d taken to sketching them, something their mother would not have allowed when they were younger, he could get a second opinion. She was relieved that it was Rodrigo, and not Señora Vargas, who was related. Her brother had gone back through the bulk of those sketches and found that Rodrigo was in a lot of them. That’s what sent him out on the patio to wait for Bubo and that also meant that José, Tuli and Bubo were relations as well, distant, but still family.

It was almost overwhelming, and Pepa could feel the cloud forming and started to fidget. Not wanting to rain on these precious items or their guest, she excused herself to go to the table that was a few meters away behind the sofa. She put the box on it as she sat down then began to pick up each photo, then carefully turn them over to see if there were any names or dates written on them. There were a total of seven pictures related to the wedding. There were a few group pictures that showed two pairs of smiling older people. She flipped one of them and read the names of what could only be her abuelos. Some were a little faded, but the people in them could be easily distinguished. Julieta and Bruno came over then, and even though she wanted to snatch all the pictures away, she didn’t. They were just as curious about their family as she was. The three of them looked over at their mother, who was now speaking with Tuli’s Tío. Luisa and Tuli were gone, probably to her room.

They returned their attention to the pictures and Bruno said in a whisper as he pointed, “Pep, you look just like this lady here.”

Pepa flipped it over and read, “Pepita and Sixtos Madrigal – Pedro’s parents” She appeared much younger than in the wedding photos and her hair was very light, but since there was no color to the photos, she couldn’t really say whether the woman was a blonde or was a red-head like her. This was a box of questions, that was for sure. Julieta was looking at another photo of the woman, who Pepa thought, was the same woman in the wedding photos. Julieta turned it over and her eyebrows went up. Bruno was choosing photos, reading the backs and replacing them.

“What are you looking for, Bruno?”

“Just seeing if any of these people have my name.”

Bruno continued to search further into the box, now passing them to Pepa, so she could add them to her growing number of piles on the table as Julieta watched. Bruno got almost to the bottom of the box when he paused and took out a picture of what appeared to be a sleeping child of maybe one or two. He turned the photo over and whispered, “Bruno at rest – October 1884” he set the box down as he handed the picture to Pepa and said, “I don’t think he’s sleeping.”

Pepa and Julieta both looked closely at the photo. The sister’s exchanged glances, and Julieta said, “I think you’re right about that, Bruno.” The handwriting on the back was unfamiliar, and Pepa thought it was likely her abuela’s. She nodded and handed the photo back to their brother. He looked at it again, then gently set it on the table with the others. When the husbands appeared, Pepa got excited all over again as she showed Félix the small piles. Agustín stood behind his wife as she held up the photo of the woman identified as their tía. It was such an odd thought that they even had any. Did she have any on her father’s side? That her mother had a sister who was still alive really made Pepa want to leave the Encanto and meet this person. This also made her wonder about those doors in the tower. Now that her mother recognized a few of them, the possibilities were so enticing, so many left to explore. She was quite looking forward to finding out about that yellow one. She just hoped that nothing would happen between now and noon to keep them from that.

Pepa looked up as Casita shifted some floor tiles at the clock and realized it was later than she thought. Julieta glanced up at Camilo’s room, then touched Pepa’s arm. Pepa nodded as she set the picture she was holding back on the table and headed for the kitchen. She quickly put together a tray with a plate of cookies and some really weak coffee that was still fairly hot. She quietly dropped it off and noted Mirabel appeared a bit tired and Camilo was concentrating on something with his eyes shut. Not wanting to disturb them, she exited and headed back to the courtyard.

Julieta and Agustín were gone, and her mother was speaking quietly with Bruno. Rodrigo and José were discussing the two photos Rodrigo was holding as they waited nearby. Félix was going through the piles, being careful not to mess up her ordering system. She joined him and put a hand on his shoulder, and he said, “These will make a nice addition to the ones you were working on earlier, Pepi. Probably a good thing you haven’t placed any in the book yet.”

“Yes, but I am thinking now I should draw up a family tree as well.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea, mi vida,” Félix said, “I’m going to make sure Antonio found his bed. Tuli is still with Lulu?”

“Yes, she’s looking after her while Mirabel helps Camilo study.”

“I wonder how that’s going.”

“From where the piles were when I dropped off some snacks just now, it looks like they are about finished.”

“Very good, I’m off. I’ll see you upstairs, mi vida?”

Pepa blushed and said, “In a few minutes. I’m going to help Mamá see our guests off.”

He nodded, and she watched her husband head for the stairs. She turned back to find Bruno had vanished, along with the picture of that sleeping Bruno. She sighed and began placing the photos back into the box. When she was finished, she replaced the lid, tapped it twice, then went to join her Mamá.

-----------------------

Tuli absently pulled at her locket as she walked with Luisa up the stairs. She wondered if Luisa really did have a collection of stuffed animals in her room. It didn’t make any sense to her. Mirabel’s older sister was really nice, but she was really tall and super strong, so why would she need that? They reached the door and Luisa smiled as she opened it. Tuli went in and was surprised when she looked down to find fluffy clouds surrounded her feet. The floor was covered end to end with rainbow clouds, that billowed softly toward the other side of the room. Tuli noticed then all the shelves and bookcases were crammed with every kind of stuffed animal she could think of in between the books.

“Wow! Señorita Luisa, you weren’t kidding,” Tuli said as she let go of her locket to reach down to touch the cloud that was flowing gently around her feet. This caused Tena to slide off her shoulder and disappear into the misty covering. “Oh no! Tena!” she cried as she dropped to her knees and began frantically searching. Reaching down into the cloudy flooring, she found it was deeper than she was expecting, since her knees had remained on top. She was starting to panic and was searching desperately when Luisa touched her shoulder. Tuli continued searching and said tearfully, “Tena’s gone, and I just got him back.”

“It’ll be all right, Tuli” Luisa said,” and Tuli looked up at her. “Don’t worry, Casita can help with this,” and she asked the house, “Casita? Can you help us find Tena?”

A cloudy floorboard poked itself up out of the top layer a little ways away, and the stuffed rat appeared draped over it. Tuli let out a sigh of relief and gently took the rat with shaky hands as she said, “Thank you, Casita.” The floorboard plopped back into place, leaving behind a small smiley face that appeared just above the surface for a moment, and this made Tuli giggle. She then held up Tena and waggled a finger at the stuffed rat, saying, “Don’t you scare me like that again, Tena.” Tuli paused as she remembered what her Tío said about being afraid when she ran away. Was he as scared as she just was? She decided she didn’t want to think about that, then hugged the rat to herself.

“You okay, Tuli?”

Tuli nodded and said while looking around, “I’ve never been in a room that was so… soft.”

“Best room ever,” Luisa said and did a quick twirl. This made the clouds puff up around her, and Tuli placed Tena back on her shoulder as she nodded in full agreement. She glanced back at Luisa’s door. She’d noticed in Isabela’s room that the image appeared on both sides. She’d examined Isa’s door when she went to get the scarf from Mirabel’s room, and noticed then that Isa’s door was very crisp and clear. Luisa’s picture looked a little fuzzy, and she wondered why there were animals in the background. They weren’t always there, so that made it all the stranger. Maybe it was because Luisa felt the way Tuli did. Stuck in the middle of being who she really was and who people thought she should be. But who wouldn’t want to be super strong?

Luisa had Tuli come sit on the bed as she gathered a number of the plushies from around the room. She piled them up on her bed, and Tuli arranged them in neat lines as Luisa told her their names. While she was doing this, Luisa told her how she used to collect the donkeys after they would get out of their pen in town. She was demonstrating how she would pile them up on her shoulders, and Tuli said, “I think you’re making that up.”

Luisa smiled and said, “If only.”

Tuli was still skeptical, so Luisa decided that next, they would play a game of balancing the stuffed animals atop their shoulders. Luisa managed to get ten donkeys on her first try, then picked up five more without losing any of the others, tossed them in the air and caught those as well. Tuli decided this would be easy, but kept losing one or two when she would reach down to get the next one. She was starting to get frustrated, and it took her several tries, but she was pleased when she managed to get her pile of donkeys seven high.

“Nice job, Tuli,” Luisa said, setting an extra one on top. The donkey pile collapsed, and both started laughing as they put the plushies back on the shelves and Luisa asked, “What would you like to do now?”

“I don’t know. Sometimes I would watch TV, but I was only allowed to watch it for an hour. Then I would go to my room after and read. Tío was usually working, and he has a lot of books… Didn’t go outside much, and besides, I’ve never had many friends.”

“Me neither. Being super strong, I was afraid I would hurt someone accidentally. Once I was done with my chores, I was usually pretty tired, so I would stay in my room and read. But now, I have way fewer chores and,” Luisa said as she pointed to the archway, “I can go to the beach any time I want.”

Tuli could not help but smile. She loved the beach. She loved the ocean.

Luisa noticed her smile and asked, “You wanna go?” and she held out her hand.

“A real beach?” Tuli asked as she looked at the archway. Luisa nodded and beckoned to her again, so Tuli took off her shoes and said as she took Luisa’s hand, “I’ve always wanted to go to the beach at night. I bet the moon is twice as beautiful.”

Luisa nodded and said, “I like to watch the tide come in. Is peaceful,” and they headed across her room to the archway. “Careful in the dunes,” Luisa said. The sand was still warm from the earlier sun, and this felt nice on Tuli’s feet. Luisa pointed toward the shore and said, “I’ve been staying off the sand since there were some turtles nesting there.”

“Real live turtles? I’ve never seen one. Are they as big as the books say?”

“Yes. I even helped one fill in her hole to cover her eggs. Helping animals is why I want to be a veterinarian.”

“What’s that?”

“An animal doctor.”

“Can girls really be doctors?”

“This one will be,” Luisa said confidently. She helped Tuli up onto some rocks to better see the beach. Luisa sat down and indicated Tuli should come sit with her. Tuli did, and Luisa asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“I want to be a ballet dancer,” Tuli said. “They’re so graceful, and I want to learn how to standup on my tippy-toes and be able to dance all night.”

“That’s amazing Tuli. I’ve only seen pictures of ballet dancers. I really hope you get the chance to do that. You know, Isabela is actually a very graceful dancer. She learned a lot from our Tía Pepa, and she would take lessons from one of the ladies in town. Maybe she can give you some pointers, without the cacti, of course.”

Tuli smiled, the cactus lady had turned out to be pretty nice. She’d believed Isabela hated her because of who she was. Tuli could see she was wrong about that and asked, “Luisa, do you think he’s having fun?”

“Who?”

“Bubo,” Tuli said and pulled at her locket.

“Hope so.”

“I think Bubo really likes Isabela. He was staring at her all during supper.”

“Yeah, that happens a lot around Isa.”

“Do you think she likes Bubo? A lot of the boys back in the city say girls won’t like boys who are short, like Bubo is.”

Luisa smiled and tilted her head then said, “I’ll be honest, my sister’s never shown an interest in anyone. That includes her former almost fiancé.” Luisa leaned in and added, “Isa did mention this morning that she thinks your primo is adorable.”

Tuli smiled and hoped she would be able to stay here with Bubo. If he had to leave this place because of her, Tuli would never forgive herself. Then Tuli said, “Wait, I didn’t know Isabela was engaged,” feeling a little confused, “How can she go on a date then?”

“Well, she was never actually engaged. It was actually more of a betrothal.”

“What’s that?” Tuli asked, she’d never heard that word before.

“Our Abuela had picked out a husband for Isa and made a promise to the other family that she would marry a certain person from that family. When the other family agreed, then Isa and that other person were betrothed, or just promised to one another.”

“People really do that?”

“Sometimes, but in the end, she didn’t get engaged because... Ummm, well… stuff happened,” Luisa said and shrugged.

“Was it because the house broke?” Tuli asked in an almost whisper.

“Oh, you heard about that?” Luisa asked.

“Toni told me about it,” Tuli replied, “He said it was because Mirabel was fighting with your Abuela.”

“I guess in a way that’s true, but it was a little more complicated than that.”

“Oh,” Tuli said and let out a yawn as she looked up at the moon. The moon was full tonight and it made the sand sparkle. Before the bad stuff happened, her mother had promised to take her to the beach at midnight so she could see the full moon. Tuli frowned and thought, just one more thing she would never be able to do with her Mamí. She felt tired and was a little cold, so scooched closer to Luisa who put an arm around her and Tuli said, “I really miss my Mamí.”

Luisa gave her a gentle hug as Tuli looked out at the water then closed her eyes, listening to it. She took a deep breath and the smell of the sea helped calm her already frayed nerves. Feeling a little better about the day, she opened her eyes to find her Mamí sitting beside her. Tuli blinked. Her Mamí looked just as she had before the bad people came. Tuli turned and realized that Luisa was gone. This made her a little anxious, but at the same time so happy, and she whispered, “Are you a ghost?”

Her mother only smiled.

Tuli pulled Tena from her shoulder and said, “Look, Mamí! I got Tena back. Tío fixed him up, and now he’s just a pretty as he was… ” Her mother put a hand on her cheek, so Tuli stopped talking. Her Mamí would do that when Tuli was rushing and she wanted Tuli to listen. But her mother still didn’t say anything as she turned and held out her hands. Confused Tuli took them and climbed off the rock with her onto the beach. From somewhere, she heard her Mamí’s voice as she sang the first song Tuli ever learned.

Girls are already dancing

With their gloves inside out

And the moon goes without wings,

Goes without wings, without feet.

Oh, round-faced moon!

How from above you see,

Come dance in the circle

Two and two and two are six.

Together, they twirled in the sand and Tuli felt actual joy as she sang those lyrics with her over and over. Not even caring that her scarf had come loose when the song ended. Her Mamí gently touched her face again as she kissed Tuli's forehead and then turned toward the water. The moon was shining very brightly over the waves as her mother started toward that light. It wasn’t fair that she couldn’t go with her, Tuli thought, and she took a step to follow. An abrupt darkness fell, swallowing the moonlight, and her Mamí disappeared. “No!” Tuli cried, “Please, don’t take her from me again! Please... ” the darkness continued to march toward her, and Tuli felt the inevitability of her demise.

Why was every good thing in her life always followed by something horrible? She knew why. She truly was a cursed child, and it would be better for everyone if she were dead. She should have done something to help her mother or died trying. Then at least she would be with her. Everyone thought so. She could see it in the looks they gave her. She felt cold inside and Tuli was down on her knees watching the approaching darkness. It continued to swallow everything around her. Light, sound… everything. She was stupid to think she could ever really be happy. Stupid to believe anyone other than people like Santiago wanted her to be this way. Stupid to believe she should try again. This was the way things were meant to be, she thought, she was a mistake from the beginning. Something akin to peace washed over her as she closed her eyes and let the gloom envelop her.

-----------------------------

Luisa noticed Tuli wavering next to her as she said, “I really miss my Mamí.” Luisa had put an arm around Tuli to keep her from falling off the rock shelf they were sitting on, giving her a gentle hug. When Tuli went completely limp, Luisa thought at first, she’d fallen asleep. So, she picked her up and headed back to her bedroom. Tuli’s stillness made Luisa nervous, so she laid Tuli on the bed and decided she wasn’t sleeping. She’d helped her mother with unconscious folks before, so she moved the pillow under Tuli’s feet and covered her up to her chin and asked, “Casita, can you ask Mamá to come to my room? I think Tuli’s fainted.” There was an answering clatter and Luisa nodded.

A short time later, Casita opened the door and Luisa’s parents came in. Her mother sat beside Tuli and flipped open her eyelids. This made her mother frown, and she said, “Dolores, I’m sorry to interrupt your date, but can you please go to Dr. González’s home and ask him to come to Casita? Agustín, can you get her Tío?”

Agustín left, and she said to Luisa, “Tell me everything that happened before she fainted.”

Luisa did, and her mother nodded and said, “Okay, mi vida, can you please get me some cool water and towels?”

Luisa nodded and felt a little relieved her mother had not requested the tub, so probably no fever. She passed her father and Tuli’s Tío as she made for the stairs. She got the requested items and found her Abuela, Tía Pepa, Mirabel, and Camilo in the hall. Since her door was open, she went inside and set the items her mother asked for on the nightstand.

“Thank you, mija,” her mother said as she wetted one of the towels. After placing it on Tuli’s forehead, she turned to José and asked, “Has Tuli ever fainted like this before?”

“Yes,” Tuli’s uncle replied, “but not for a very long time.”

Her mother nodded and asked, “When would you say the last time was?”

“At least four years ago,” he said.

José was sitting at the end of the bed holding Tena. When Fura appeared and squeaked questioningly at him, he looked at the rat, then at the stuffed one he held. They were all but identical. He gave Fura the barest of nods, and she scampered lightly up his arm to sit on his shoulder. Luisa figured that Tuli’s uncle, Rodrigo and probably Bubo all knew what the rats were saying. It was definitely a family thing. Fura was squeaking quietly, and Luisa wondered what the rat was telling Tuli’s Tío. His expression never changed, nor did he acknowledge the rat further. Just sat and watched Tuli sleep.

Her mother touched her arm and said, “Can you wait in another room, mija?”

Luisa nodded and asked, “If Bubo’s back, should I send him in?” Her Mamá looked to Tuli’s Tío. He nodded, so Luisa headed for the door.

----------------------------

Isa felt Dolores nudge her with her foot and promptly stopped talking. She tried not to blush; she knew she was totally rambling. Bubo probably didn’t need to know all about the life cycle of the wax palm, and he did not seem to mind that she wasn’t actually giving him a chance to get a word in edgewise. She’d never talked this much to anyone outside of her family about things she actually cared about. Isa picked up her coffee and took a long sip. Dolores handed her a plate with a small pyramid of square, bite sized cakes she called pinafores. Isa set down her coffee and accepted the plate, which she set between herself and Bubo.

He picked up one that was coated in dark chocolate and decorated with white and orange stripes and asked, “I wonder what flavor this is?” He broke it in half, smelled it and said with a smile, “Oh, orange.” He was also not shy about putting it back together and popping the whole cake in his mouth. Isa picked one that was covered with a light pink frosting and tiny blue flowers. She set it on her napkin and examined it. She was trying to decide what sort of flower they were supposed to be. Maybe they weren’t even real flowers, but damn they looked familiar. Isa did not like that she didn’t know and restrained herself since she found she wanted to go ask the baker. After taking a bite, she looked at her hand when she felt the slight rustle and almost sighed. Instead, she lifted her hand as she finished the small cake to examine the tiny flower on the end of her finger more closely.

“Do you know what kind of flower that is?” Bubo asked.

Isa didn’t answer right away. The light blue five petaled flower had a star pattern at its base. There was also a smaller yellow five petal-like arrangement at its center, and Isa said with a smile, “Oh, it’s a tiny forget-me-not.” As she said this, the flower grew to its normal size, and she showed it to Bubo, but he wasn’t looking at the flower. He was watching her. She smiled and lifted her hand a little higher, then Bubo remembered to look at the flower.

“I see she’s back to dropping flower petals everywhere,” a voice from a table nearby said. Isabela knew that voice, it was Lorena Ramirez. Isa looked over at her one-time friend as a twitter of laughter came from the two other women with her. She felt her vine sleeve sprout and closed her hand, letting the flower fall apart. She picked up her coffee in an attempt to keep herself from strangling them with vines but caught the look Dolores was giving her. As if to say, screw them. So, Isa set her cup down and regrew the flower. Bubo’s eyes flicked from Mariano back to her, and he asked as he adjusted his glasses, “Tuli was telling me that Cecilia’s mother has flowers like these growing in her backyard. Do they only come in blue?”

In answer to his question, she sprouted a variety of colors on her other fingertips. This time she brought her fingers together and grew out the stems. The stems wound around each other, and she handed Bubo the small bouquet. He gently took it and slowly spun it a few times to look at the different blooms. He even turned them upside down to examine how the stems were holding together and said after righting them, “I think I prefer these paler blue ones.” And after smelling them, placed it in his shirt pocket.

“I’m actually fond of the pink,” Dolores said, “It’s a shame they don’t come in orange, though.”

That wasn’t a natural color for this flower, but since she could, Isa repeated what she’d done earlier and produced a small bouquet of orange forget-me-nots then handed them to her prima. Dolores smiled then turned and gave them to Mariano. He accepted the flowers, and he also placed them in his shirt pocket.

Again, she heard Lorena, she was speaking just loud enough that Isa would hear her over the noise of the other patrons. Commenting on how sad it was that she could only grow tiny flowers now, otherwise she might faint. Isa’s vine sleeves had crept down to her elbows, and Dolores was tapping on the table. Mariano was watching her prima with a look that said, ‘Oh dear.’ Dolores abruptly got up from her seat, and both Mariano and Bubo paused in their rising when she said, “I’ll be right back.” She turned then and made her way into the shop and disappeared from view.

“Where is she going?” Isabela asked Mariano.

Mariano was looking in the direction Dolores had taken with an amused expression and replied, “She mentioned something about eggs yesterday… or maybe it was the day before.” Then shrugged.

That wasn’t an answer and Mariano continued to pretend he knew nothing when he caught her expression and to change the subject he asked, “Dolores tells me you’re working with the farmers to strengthen the food crops with your Gift. Have you had any success with that?”

Isabela was a little taken aback. The entire time they were ‘dating’ he’d never asked her anything about her Gift. But that world had been a very different place, and she nodded and replied, “I’m hoping that I’ll be able to help the plants ward off any diseases that might be in the soil.”

Bubo asked, “Is that the same thing you were doing in Antonio’s room?”

“Mostly, but in a more focused way. I know it would take too much out of me if I tried to do an entire field at once,” Isa said and picked up another cake bite. This one had a light green frosting and yellow dots. She liked the minty taste and asked Mariano, “So have you two set a date yet?”

“No, still waiting for Dolores on that one,” he said with a small smile.

“How’s your mother handling that,” Isabela asked.

“With almost quiet impatience,” Mariano replied.

“I bet,” Isabela said and laughed a little.

Dolores was on her way back, and she was holding a small plate covered with a napkin. She stopped next to Lorena and set the plate in front of her. Lorena sat back in her chair, as Dolores bent down and whispered something as Lorena slowly began to lift the napkin. She dropped it back into place and her face went white. She looked up at Dolores, and Dolores whispered something else as she tilted her head. Lorena looked back at the other women, who were murmuring to one another. Lorena glanced back at the plate, then toward their table, and Dolores patted her on the back and walked away.

When she sat back down, Isa asked, “What was that all about, Doli?”

“An uncomfortable truth,” Dolores said.

Bubo and Mariano both had that look that said, whatever it is, we do not want to know, but Isabela wanted to know and decided she’d ask Dolores about it when they got home. Isabela noticed then that Lorena's friends were no longer at the other table. Lorena was alone, staring at the napkin. Lorena looked back in their direction, then back at the plate. Isabela looked at Dolores. She tilted her head and Isa realized Dolores had heard something, and Isa felt concern for this person she thought of as her former friend. After the breaking, it had been Isa who had pulled back from that relationship. There had been so many indirect piteous comments she’d overheard that she shut herself off from everything and decided she’d go to Lorena’s house tomorrow and see how she was doing. She watched Lorena turn back to the plate and wrapped the napkin around whatever Dolores had brought her, she then got up and left the café.

Still, Isabela wanted to relax and smiled at her prima who patted her hand, then, to Mariano’s delight, turned the subject to a possible wedding date. By the time they’d narrowed it down to a June wedding, most of the desserts were gone. In that time, Isabela had found out that Bubo was an only child, that he was not a fan of thunderstorms. Also, that before he left the city, he’d been saving money to buy a car. Isa had only seen pictures of automobiles, and they seemed a bit frightening to her. She still wanted to ride in one, though.

Dolores was finishing her wine when she let out a squeak and Mariano touched her hand. Isabela knew what that sound meant and asked, “Doli, what’s happening?”

“I don’t know, Luisa just told your Mamí that Tuli fainted.”

“Is she alright?” Bubo asked.

Dolores held up a hand as she closed her eyes, and everyone went quiet as she listened to what was happening in Casita. She opened her eyes and said, “Tía wants me to get the Doctor and bring him to Casita. She didn’t say it was an emergency, so I’ll see you two back there. Mariano, can you please help me with this?” She asked as she snitched the last pinafore, then was up from the table and on her way with Mariano in tow.

Bubo was sitting frozen, staring at his hands, and Isabela could almost feel the guilt. She got up and said as she took his hand, “Come on, Bubo. Let’s go help your prima.” He nodded, and together they headed for Casita.

Casita let them in, and Isa guided Bubo to the back stairs, and they walked around to Luisa’s room. Her sister’s door was open, but Luisa was standing outside talking to Mirabel and Abuela. Camilo and her Tía were headed toward the stairs with a tray. When Luisa saw them, she came over and told Bubo he should go in her room with his Tío to wait for the Doctor. Isabela joined her sisters and their Abuela, then went over to Mirabel’s room to wait.

---------------------------

When the doctor arrived, he was carrying a small bag that he set on the end of the bed, then spoke to Julieta. She relayed everything she’d been told up to this point. He checked Tuli’s pulse and his eyebrows went up. He then pulled out his stethoscope and listened to Tuli’s heart and lungs. He sat back and reached down into his bag and pulled out a small envelope.

“Señora, do you have a small bottle?” the Doctor asked.

“Yes,” Julieta replied, reaching into her apron, “do you need anything else?”

“Just a small amount of water to dissolve this,” he said as he opened the envelope. He placed a piece of paper on the bed stand and poured a small pile of white powder from the packet onto it. Julieta put a small amount of water into the bottle she had with her, then handed it to the Doctor, and he said to Julieta, “These are smelling salts. They can be used to help wake up someone who’s fainted. However, when dealing with a child, it’s better to use much less than a full dose.”

Julieta nodded and the Doctor, with practiced ease, used the paper to put some of the powder into the bottle, the rest he returned to the packet. After closing it with the stopper, he gave the bottle a good shake.

“Señor Bubo,” he said and indicated where he wanted Bubo to sit so he could prop Tuli up. “I’m going to wave this under Tuli’s nose, and I’ll need you to keep her arms at her sides as best you can.”

Bubo nodded, but was still alarmed when Tuli’s head jerked back into his chest. The Doctor handed off the bottle to Julieta, and Tuli slowly opened her eyes. When she saw the Doctor, she cried out and jerked herself away in her effort to get out from under the blankets.

“Tuli, Tuli, it’s okay,” Bubo said, as he lightly restrained her, “I’m here. The Doctor was called because you fainted. No one will hurt you here.”

Tuli’s eyes darted to all the faces around her. She turned and Bubo smiled slightly. She blinked then nodded, and he released her as her breathing evened out. She saw their Tío and flinched.

The Doctor noticed this as well and said gently, “Now that you’re awake, Tuli. Tell me what you were doing when you fell asleep?”

“I was sitting with Señorita Luisa by the beach... ” she paused as she looked at their Tío, he nodded so she continued, “I was thinking about my Mamí because she promised to take me to the beach at night... but we never got to do that. I don’t remember much after that...”

The Doctor nodded and asked Tuli to open her mouth and as he continued on with his regular exam he asked as he looked at her neck, “I see you have a locket.” He touched the hand she was using to hold it, and she released it. He carefully brushed her hair back and nodded. “Try not to pull too hard on it, Tuli. You're cutting into your skin on the back of your neck.”

“Yes sir,” Tuli said and held on to Tena with both hands instead of grabbing the locket.

“Did you enjoy your supper?” the Doctor asked and Tuli nodded, and he continued, “Are you hungry now?” Tuli shrugged then nodded again. “Then perhaps a snack before bed then, eh?” Tuli smiled a little, then glanced again at her Tío. She shrunk in on herself, but it was clear the Doctor knew where she was looking.

The Doctor got up from the bed, then rummaged in his bag and pulled out a small bottle. He removed one small tablet from it and handed it to Julieta, saying, “After Tuli has a snack, crush this on some paper and put a small amount in some water. It will help her stay asleep. I don’t recommend using it more than a few days in a row, else she may become dependent on it.”

Bubo realized that their Tío had Fura sitting on his shoulder. He set Fura and Tena on the bed as the Doctor motioned to indicate that Julieta and her Tío should join him in the hall. Fura pushed her nose under Tena and brought the stuffed version to Tuli.

Tuli smiled as she accepted the stuffed rat and said, “Thank you, Fura.”

Fura squeaked in reply and scampered off the bed and disappeared into the cloudy floor. Tuli turned the stuffed rat in her hands and said, “I’m sorry I ruined your date, Bubo. I wish I could be... not like this.”

Bubo gave her a squeeze and said, “You didn’t ruin anything, Tuli.” he pulled the pillow out from under the blankets and placed it behind her. He moved around in front of her and said, “In fact, I think it went pretty well.”

“Really? Isabela wasn’t mad?”

“Nope, definitely a dramatic ending though,” Bubo replied and pointed, “I see you have Tena.”

“Tío brought him,” she said and held up the toy, “He looks almost brand new.”

Bubo took the toy and said as he hefted it, “Tch, I think Tío’s over fed him. He’s gained some weight,” then handed Tena back to her.

“You’re silly.”

“It is one of my many failings,” Bubo said and adjusted his glasses, “Abuela always said so.”

Tuli pushed back the blankets and looked around Luisa’s room and said, “This room is so perfect... do you think it would be okay if I sleep here tonight?”

Bubo was taken aback and replied, “Really?” then took a good look around and said, “It is pretty girly in here. You sure you don’t want to stay with Antonio?”

Tuli nodded and said, “I love Toni’s room, he’s so much fun to play with and all of his friends are nice… but it reminds me too much of… the forest… and I don’t want to keep you up all night like I did last night.”

“Well, that’s not up to me, nor would I be able to stay with you. You’ll need to ask Señorita Luisa.”

“Oh yeah, you’re a boy,” Tuli said as she pet Tena. She remembered she still had Mirabel’s rosary. She took it off and offered it to Bubo, saying, “Can you give this back to Mirabel for me? Tell her it helped a lot.”

“I’ll do that,” Bubo said, taking it and placing it in his shirt pocket. The forget-me-nots dropped onto the bed, and Bubo picked them up and showed them to Tuli. “Got these from Isabela. They are pretty, no?”

Tuli nodded and they both turned when the door opened again and their Tío came back in. The Doctor and Señora Julieta were gone, so Bubo decided Tuli really had just fainted. There was an uncomfortably long silence that was only broken when Tuli said, “I’m sorry, Tío, I didn’t mean to faint and make everyone worry... ”

He set the tray nearby and held up a hand. Tuli stopped talking and Bubo could see Tuli was terrified of what her Tío was about to say. She was now had a white knuckled grip on both her locket and Tena. He did not indicate that Bubo should leave, so Bubo remained where he was and put his hand on Tuli’s.

He sat at the end of the bed and asked, “You’re not in any trouble, Tuli. Are you feeling better?” Tuli nodded, then let go of her locket as she resumed petting Tena. Their Tío nodded and picked up the plate with a small jelly sandwich which he offered to her. Tuli’s anxiety was clearly visible as she took a few bites of the sandwich. She chewed it very slowly, then set it back on the plate. “Done already?” Tuli nodded again, and he then offered Tuli the cup of juice. Bubo wondered what his Tío was thinking, since this was nothing if not supremely awkward.

But then Bubo thought, maybe he was trying to understand Tuli. Not just the fact that she was a girl, but more importantly that she was a little kid who had been through far too much. He turned to Bubo and said in an almost conversational tone, “I know I said I would give you my answer regarding Tuli staying here in a few weeks. But... something important has changed, Bubo.” Tuli had her eyes closed now with her hands balled up in front of herself as their Tío continued, “After speaking with the Doctor, and Señora Julieta, I’ve decided it would be best for Tuli to remain in the Encanto.” Tuli’s eyes popped open, and she leaned forward “But,” he said, looking around, “She is to stay with the Madrigals. The things we spoke of earlier, Bubo, still apply, but I may have to return to the city sooner than expected, and this will give you more time to get things settled.”

Bubo was not at all sure how to respond to that and just said, “Yes, sir.”

“I can really stay?” Tuli asked.

“Yes, you can stay,” their Tío replied

Tuli got to her feet and asked again, “I really don’t have to leave?”

Bubo knew why Tuli was asking again. More than once she’d been told one thing only to have something else happen instead.

Their Tío then added, “You don’t have to leave.”

“Bubo, I don’t have to leave!” Tuli made a little jump.

Bubo nodded but wondered what had brought about this turn as Tuli rushed over to her Tío and gave him a hug as she whispered, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

-------------------------------------

A few minutes earlier...

Dolores was leaning against the window in Mirabel’s room as she watched Mariano head back home. Abuela had gone to bed saying she was tired. Isa was sitting on the sofa, being unusually quiet. She’d asked her what was on the plate she gave Lorena. When she found out what that was, Isa sat on the sofa and hadn’t moved from that spot. Luisa was half asleep reading a book, while Mirabel was surreptitiously watching the goings-on in the hall. Her mother and Camilo were still in the kitchen making a snack for Tuli, and her brother was telling her about his new job at the school and how he was looking forward to that. Dolores was now half listening to what was occurring in Luisa’s room. Half listening to the Doctor as he explained what was happening with Tuli.

Doctor (Julieta, has Tuli fainted before this?)

Tía (Just when she came to us. Camilo unintentionally frightened her when he discovered her in the woods. But we’ve all noticed she seems to get lost in her memories.)

Doctor (Señor José, would you say that this happened before she ran away?)

José (You are aware that Tuli is not a girl, yes?)

Doctor (That was not the question I asked.)

José (No, not to this degree.)

Doctor (I understand you are considering taking Tuli back to the city with you when you leave here?) another silence.

José (It is a possibility.)

Doctor (Well, then you may want to plan to be here for at least six weeks, possibly more. That child is in no condition to travel any distance at this time. They are under weight, traumatized and probably not sleeping as they should.) there was a pause and the Doctor continued, (Unfortunately, I have been in Colombia long enough that Tuli is not the first child I’ve treated with similar experiences. I am in no way parceling out blame here, but you need to understand how fragile Tuli is right now.)

José (So you’re recommending I abandon my sister’s child here?)

Doctor (Not at all, but I need you to see that it would not be in this child’s best interest to leave a place they feel protected after dealing with all that’s happened to them very recently.) There was another long silence.

José (I’m not against Tuli remaining here. However, my sobrino, Bubo, is not as ready as he thinks he is for this sort of responsibility.)

Tía (If that is the only obstacle, Tuli is welcome to stay here in Casita until Bubo is better prepared.)

José (That is very generous; nevertheless, I couldn’t presume to-)

Tía (It is not a presumption to offer a solution.) There was another pause and her Tía continued, (I am going to assume that your hesitation is actually tied to the fact that our family does not see a problem with how Tuli views herself.)

The silence stretched until José must have nodded because he said, (In a way, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to accept it, but Bubo made the point that I should at least try to understand. Very well, Señora, I will accept your offer.)

Doctor (That’s good news. José, would it be acceptable for me to periodically check in on Tuli?)

José (Yes, of course.)

Doctor (I’ll come tomorrow, then every few days after that. Good night.)

Tía and José (Good night, Doctor.)

Tío Gus (Here’s the snack you ordered, madam.)

Tía (Thank you. Can you please take this to Tuli for me, Señor José?)

He must have nodded, since Dolores did not hear a response. She got up from the window sill and as she walked by Luisa, she tugged at her sleeve, indicating she should come out into the hall with her. She waived to her Tía after Luisa’s door closed behind José. She told her Tía that Tuli had asked Bubo if she could spend the night in Luisa’s room. Her Tía looked to her daughter and Luisa nodded.

“Well, I’m headed for bed now,” Dolores said, “Do you need anything else from me Tía?”

Her Tía was waving for Mirabel to join her and said, “Can you ask Isa to join us, please?”

Dolores nodded and smiled at Mirabel, who looked apprehensive. She went into Mira’s room and sat next to her Prima, nudging her arm. Dolores could see that Isa was having a time dealing with what she’d told her about Lorena. “You better not be blaming yourself for her situation, you know that right?”

“I guess, but it wasn’t until you ‘mentioned it’ that I realized just how much I’ve cut myself off from the town,” Isa said, "from my friends."

“You needed some space. That’s not a bad thing."

“Does Juan know?”

“Do you really want me to answer that question?”

“No, not really. I want to go see her tomorrow... but not because of that,” Isa said as she tugged gently on her braid, “Maybe I’ll take Mirabel with me... ” Dolores just looked at her and Isabela added, “Probably not the best idea, huh.”

"I think you can handle it. Anyway, your Mamá wants you to come out in the hall.” Dolores held up a hand and added, “No. she did not tell me why. I’m going to bed. A night in town is always a bit much these days.” Dolores got up and pulled her prima up with her.

“Oh, okay, good night, Doli,” Isabela said then added, “Thank you, for tonight and... I had a wonderful time.”

Dolores nodded and headed for her room.

Next Chapter...

Previous Chapter:

3 notes · View notes