The Lost Miracle

Chapter 22: Point Break

 The knocking at the door stopped Antonio in his pacing tracks. Ever since the andean bird sang its wake up call, the boy had stayed restless in his room. He was beyond nervous of his future confrontation with Luisa, who he had not even heard coming. The knocking continued. Antonio's feet walked towards the door. His mind was now blank, his body leading him to the scolding of a lifetime. Antonio had always been good, never being yelled at by either of his parents. His mother had sworn that he could do no wrong, it was physically impossible. That wouldn't change after this, Luisa wasn't a snitch, but the guilt. The guilt would eat him alive and spit him out, never letting him rest.

The door opened and the soft worried wrinkles of Pepa Madrigal met her son's eyes. "Buenos dias, papito," she laid a kiss on each of his cheeks. "Tonito, I need to talk to you," Pepa sat on his bed and smoothed out the sheets next to her. Antonio sat in the spot next to his mother and she sighed. "What's Mirabel doing here?" Antonio blinked.

"What?" He whispered out. The cousins didn't discuss how they would re-introduce her to the rest of the family, they had planned to discuss it before breakfast, but no one else was awake, so he simply waited. No one had planned that, according to Pepa, Mirabel would wake up and make breakfast to feed the whole family.

After a long winded explanation, Pepa finally understood. "So she's just been in another town?"

"Mmhmm," Antonio answered.

"Why did she come back?"

"Uh- she," he thought for a split second. "She wanted to see tia Julieta again." Pepa let out a light laugh.

"Well, if it were me, it'd take more than my mama to get me back home."

"Wai- what?" Antonio asked. "Why?"

"Well, Tonito, think about it," she began. "Mirabel was loved in that town. Not that we didn't love her but ah- I must admit we had a funny way of showing it." She looked down in shame. "She must feel how we felt when we had our gifts. You may have been too young to remember," Not really Antonio thought to himself.

"Mami, you hated your gift." He said.

"Sometimes I did," replied Pepa. "Somedays I would be angry, a thunderstorm or a hurricane would interrupt and everyone knew who to blame. But when you make a rainbow on someone's wedding, or refill the river during a drought, people treat you like royalty. It was bad but the good times outshined the bad ones." Antonio was too lost in thought to roll his eyes at his mother's pun. I never made her feel that way. I was always nice to her.

Pepa stood up and kissed her son on the forehead. "Thank you for the explanation, papito," she said. "I know this may be odd," Yeah- this is way more than just odd, mami. "-but try to understand. There are many sides to a story." Pepa knew this well. After her wedding day, this saying was engraved in her mind.

Pepa left her son, her silent footsteps not being heard from behind the door. Antonio sat down and looked out the window, a bright red sparrow peaking in from between the shutters. He walked to his window and opened the shutters, letting the bird in along with the warmth of the sun.

"Y'know, I was alway nice to Mirabel." He told the bird. "I always needed her, and what does she do? She left! For years, I didn't have anyone. Noone to talk about how crazy abuela is, no one to ask for help after I lost my gift, nothing! And now we're all just okay with her?" the bird chirped and tilted its head. Antonio sighed and sat on his desk. "At least I know she feels bad for leaving. You should've seen her face when I told her how her mom has been all these years. I'm actually..." Antonio slowly looked up from the bird. The familiar stomps of his cousin could be heard outside in the hall. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Here it comes. The bird hopped to the window sill, wanting no part in the interaction that would soon take place. He stepped towards the door. Some people are awake, so she shouldn't yell. Another step. At least I got Mirabel to come back! She should be thanking me, not being mad at me! He took another step. It's not like I really did anything wrong, Mirabel is kinda the reason tia's like this so it's kinda on her... Another step. He put one foot forward and leaned towards the door, turning the knob. I haven't been this nervous to open a door since my fifth birthday. At least then I had a hand to hold. The door opened, revealing the tired face of Luisa.

She walked in and stood with her back against the desk. She crossed her arms and simply looked at Antonio. He shut the door behind him and folded his hands behind his back. He stared at her purple sandals, the straps woven tightly around her ankles.

"Why did you think that was a good idea?"

"L-"

"What part of that tiny brain of yours made you think about telling my sister about my mothers state?" Her fists clenched.

"I-"

"Listen to me. Here's what you're going to do. You are going to apologize to Mirabel for making her feel so bad that she had to come back. You are going to make polvorosas and arequipes if you have to. You will do everything you can to make her feel better. Mirabel has enough on her plate and now she thinks that mi madre is in that state because of her when she's not. She's not back here because of you, you didn't do something great or helpful to the family. She is here right now because of mama." She paused to take a breath. "Don't come down for breakfast, we're telling mama then, it'll just be them and papa." Luisa turned around and walked to the door, stopping before she opened it.

For the first time since she walked in, Antonio looked up at her face. Her hair was loose, not having been brushed yet for the day. Her lips were pressed together, forming an almost perfect line. Her voice had been angry and hoarse during her speech. Her eyes were unblinking, if she did blink tears from her glassy eyes would fall. Antonio couldn't help but stare at those eyes. She sighed and scoffed. She exited the room and mumbled words that only Antonio would hear.

"I can't believe you did that to us..."

Antonio was still. She didn't yell. He thought. She didn't yell but that didn't change the disappointment, it didn't change the hatred. He stood in disbelief and wonder. Wondering if he deserved that scolding. I didn't do anything, right? I got her to come home, it's what everyone wanted. Everyone but her. Everyone but Mirabel. 

(Hello everyone! Cedar here. I just wanted to tell everyone that there will no longer be artwork at the end of the chapters. I don't make the art myself, I have them commissioned by a friend of mine. (@smolgraciegirk on instagram if anyone is curious) I'm trying to save up some cash so I won't be paying for the artworks anymore. Thank you for enjoying the work and understanding.)