The seven days of celebrating Abuela Alma's life went faster than Catherine realised it would. Even if she had felt off ever since touching Abuela.
None of the triplets, and the husbands, let any of their kids walk with Abuela to the crematorium room. Casita helped.
Catherine stayed with Bruno, holding his hand. The six of them watched as Casita pushed the body into the flames.
"Clear skies..."
Catherine looked at Pepa. Her eyes were closed and the thundering cloud she'd had all week stayed strong. She was taking steady breaths.
"Pepa," Catherine whispered. "Just let it out. No one is going to be mad."
"You have done so well, Pepí," Félix said.
Pepa leant into her husband and her control snapped. She finally, for the first time in seven days, cried.
Agustín had a hand on Julieta but that triplet had finished crying. She was the matriarch now. The oldest in the family born Madrigal.
Bruno let go of Catherine's hand to raise his hood.
Then the smell hit. At first, once Pepa began to grieve, all that they could smell was the rain. The change was sudden. Hit them all though affected Catherine the worst.
It was a small she had unfortunately smelt before, but this time, after feeling off all week, her stomach twisted and rolled, and she taste vomit in the back of her mouth. She tried to keep it down, to stay with Bruno. And failed. Catherine ran outside into the rain, knowing she wouldn't make it to the sink. Bruno followed her out and made sure her braid stayed behind her shoulders.
"I'm sorry," Catherine mumbled.
"Get her inside, Brunito," Julieta said softly.
Though surrounded by the rain, and outside, the smell couldn't reach her so Catharine was feeling a bit better. Wasn't sure how long it would last, so she accepted Bruno's help to stand and walk around Casita to walk inside.
Everyone was still standing in the courtyard waiting, and they all turned to look when Bruno and Catherine walked in.
"Tío Bruno?" Isabela stepped forward.
"I'm fine now, mi amor," Catherine said softly. "Just let me sit..." her eyes had travelled by themselves to the second floor, more directly, to the candle's window.
There was no flame.
"Bruno," she said.
Confused, Bruno followed her eyes and he felt cold. The candle was out.
"But... Pepa..." Catherine said pointing to the rain coming into the courtyard.
Bruno let go of Catherine to run into Mirabel's room and to the candle.
Isabela followed with her eyes, only to freeze when she noticed the candle.
Catherine made it halfway up the stairs before her stomach rolled. This time she was at least able to make it to the bathroom.
Bruno slowly approached the candle in the window. It was definitely out. Nor was it glowing with magic anymore. In fact, it was just a regular old candle! Had someone switched it out while no one was looking? Surely not, everyone in the village relied on la familia Madrigal.
So what happened?
Bruno looked through the window, quickly finding his sobrina Dolores. She was watching him and her hands were still over her ears.
"You can still hear?" Bruno asked and she nodded.
Isabela approached her baby sisters, who were curled together crying.
"You two," Isa said. She sighed and hugged her bawling sisters. "Mirabel..."
Mirabel looked at Isabela, who turned to look towards the candle and Bruno. Both Luisa and Mirabel looked and stood with a gasp. Dolores approached, still covering her ears.
"Nothing's changed," Dolores said.
"You can still-?" Luisa began to ask.
"I can still hear everything," Dolores answered.
Just to check, Isabela grew a small Palma de Cera in her palm.
"What's happening?" Luisa asked.
Mirabel ran up, catching Camilo's attention. And he finally saw the candle.
"Sofia, look after Toñito, please?" Camilo asked.
"Is everything okay?" Sofia asked.
"Don't know yet... I'll be back."
Camilo ran to follow Mirabel. Sofia saw the candle and quickly turned to keep an eye on Antonio. He was still playing with his animals.
But without the candle, how did they still have gifts?
"Mirabel!" Camilo called. He caught up at her door and they both walked in.
"Dolores can still hear, and Isa still has roses coming out of her-"
"Mirabel," Bruno said quickly interrupting his sobrina.
"Tío Bruno, what's going on?" Camilo asked.
"I don't know," he answered. "I never saw this happening."
"Did someone swap the candle?" Camilo asked.
"I don't think anyone in town would do that," Bruno answered.
"So why is there no candle, but you all still have your gifts?" Mirabel asked.
Mirabel approached, wanting to simply take the candle. The moment her hand touched the candle it lit up in a beautiful yellow flame.
Catherine came out of the bathroom in time to witness the magic light dance around in the rain. Everyone still in the courtyard looked up to watch the magic dance in spirals, swirls and flowers like fireworks above their heads.
Everyone watched as the magic swirled around the Madrigals. How it shifted forms and shapes as it spun around Camilo. How it swayed as soft waved of sand around Bruno. Fluttered like a swarm of butterflies around Mirabel. The magic danged out of the room and dove for la familia Madrigal.
And not just the kids.
The magic danced to Isabela and surrounded her with flowers. She laughed for the first time in a week as the magic spun her around.
The magic lifted Luisa and made her lift her arms, spiralling in mountainous, jagged like movements.
It spun around Dolores in ripples of calming sound, easing her hands away from her ears and muffling the noise while filling her ears with the most peaceful, melodic, white noise she'd ever heard.
The magic pulled Antonio's attention as much as it did everyone else's. The magic formed silhouettes of many different animals that ran around him, tickling Antonio and lifting him slightly off the ground as a condor bird. Antonio was beaming being surrounded by the animals of the magic.
The magic spiralled around Catherine, in joyous little bubbles she couldn't help but smile.
Even down with Julieta and Pepa, the miracle magically dances around them.
Pepa's spiralled and swirled, spun like a hurricane and sprinkled around her like soft snowfall.
Around Julieta, it took the shape of herbs, tonics, the heat of a cooking fire. The swirled of steam on a cold night.
The magic even danced around Agustín and Félix.
All of it happening at the same time.
"What is happening?" Pepa asked.
"Tío!" Mirabel said but was staring at Catherine as she stood on the balcony, surrounded by the same magic that did everyone else.
Bruno looked away from his own swirling magic to look out and saw Catherine as she smiled and even laughed with the bubbles swirling around her.
Then, just as magically as it had started, the magic of the miracle filled those it danced around, with warmth before it faded away. Like the leftovers of fireworks slowly disappearing around them.
"What the hell was that?" Camilo asked.
Still grinning, Catherine's eyes met those still looking at her. Bruno.
"I don't know, but the candles burning again so that's good," Mirabel said. "Huh?"
Mirabel picked up the candle as Bruno rushed out to meet Catherine as she made her way to him.
"Mira?" Camilo asked.
"There... There are two butterflies on the candle now," Mirabel said.
"Huh?"
"There used to be just one mariposa on the candle but now there are two."
Camilo looked from the candle, wondering what on earth his prima was talking about. Before his eyes drifted out of the window. They first went to Bruno and Catherine on the balcony as Catherine threw her arms around his Tío's shoulders and they embraced. Camilo felt a bang of happiness and jealousy. Catherine was such a nice person.
Camilo was glad his Tío wasn't alone anymore.
Then his eyes drifted to Sofia, who was still with Antonio. Antonio was talking excitedly to Sofia and Mariano, who had joined them, about the magical animals.
Pepa, Julieta and their husbands returned to everyone, following after the magic had disappeared around them.
They each went to check on their children.
"We're fine, Mamá," Isabela said. "Better than fine, actually."
"Mamá! Papá! Did you see it! Did you see?" Antonio gushed.
"We did," Félix said.
"Where's Mirabel?" Julieta asked.
"Where's Camilo?" Pepa asked.
"Mirabel's room," Isabela and Dolores both answered their mothers.
Though, when Pepa and Julieta began making their way upstairs, leaving their husbands with the other kids, Julieta froze when she caught sight of Bruno and Catherine.
"Bruno," Julieta said. As they broke apart, Julieta continued walking. "Did you see what happened?"
"Are you feeling any better, Catherine?" Pepa asked.
"Quite better," Catherine answered.
"Well, the candle went out," Bruno began explaining.
"What?" Julieta and Pepa asked.
"But when Mirabel touched it, it did the weird magic spiral thing-"
"That we witnessed," Julieta said. "It came to us in the basement, too."
"It was strange," Pepa continued. "It even spiralled around Félix and Agustín."
"It did?" Bruno asked.
He looked at Catherine as she did him.
"But... I'm... I'm not a Madrigal..." Catherine mumbled.
"Huh?" Pepa asked.
"It spiralled around me as well."
"It did?" Pepa asked.
She then, her eyes still watering slightly in her grief, did look to her hermanito and had to smirk.
"Need to tell us something, Brunito?"
"Eh? What?! I... what do you mean?" Bruno asked.
"You know exactly what I mean."
"N-no! I don't..."
Bruno was blushing. After the magic had spiralled around his hermanos and Catherine, he had a feeling he knew exactly what Pepa was asking about. She wasn't even a Madrigal...
Yet.
"This might be a discussion best had once everyone has left," Julieta said.
Though, then, Casita began to empty.
"Abuelo, can I stay and help tidy up?" Sofia asked. "I want to spend more time with Ca-Mirabel! You know, make sure she's okay ever since all that magic spiral stuff happened and all that."
Señor Arturo chuckled but agreed.
Eventually, all that were left in la casa Madrigal, was the family, Catherine, Mariano and Sofia and everyone began to work together, and their gifts, to return Casita, to what it was.
"You didn't have to stay, Sofia," Camilo said.
"I wanted to," Sofia answered.
After cleaning, the whole family (and Catherine, Mariano and Sofia) had dinner together, on the ground, in the rain, in the courtyard, under a bountiful of umbrellas and tarps.
"Something definitely happened today," Isabela said taking a sip of wine. "Does anyone else feel it?"
"Feel what?" Julieta asked.
"I think I know what you mean, Isa," Luisa said. "I feel... somehow, stronger."
"How is that possible?" Mariano asked.
"I don't know."
"Exactly. I feel it, too!" Isabela said.
"Hm... it is a little bit easier for me to differentiate sounds since before," Dolores muttered. Listening to try and test.
"I don't feel any different," Camilo stated.
"I don't feel anything either," Antonio said. "I want to feel stronger!"
Dolores smiled.
Catherine looked at Bruno.
"What about you? Feel any different?" she asked.
"No," Bruno answered.
"I don't either," Julieta said.
Pepa looked up to the blanket of tarps and umbrellas above them.
"Nothing's changed for me," she mumbled.
Félix chuckled before he kissed her temple.
"So, what happened?" Sofia asked.
"I don't know, but we should all be grateful for each other right now," Julieta said. "For each other, for the families, for the town, for the miracle."
"Um..."
Everyone looked at Sofia as she spoke.
"W... I... ah... what's going to happen now if someone else comes through the mountain? I mean, so far we've had fifty-fifty luck when it comes to the type of people who've come through that crack, right? First was Señora Catherine who's practically a Madrigal at this point in all but name."
Catherine and Bruno blushed.
"And..." Camilo and Mirabel covered her mouth, both of them looking at Luisa.
"It's okay," Luisa mumbled. She picked up a bit of pumpkin. "I know now he wasn't a good person."
"Who else is saying I'm practically a Madrigal?" Catherine asked.
Sofia shrugged.
"Dolores?" Bruno asked.
"Does it make you nervous, hermanito?" Pepa asked. "That they're calling Catherine a Madrigal in all but name?"
"You should fix that, hermano," Félix said with the same tone as his wife.
"Wh-what are you two saying?" Bruno asked.
"You should fix it, Brunito," Pepa said. "Mamá gave her blessing and I quote, 'marry her, Brunito'. Can't get more clear than that."
"Hm. Yes. Yes," Félix said.
"Wh... what?!" Bruno gasped.
Agustín laughed with his daughters at Bruno's expense.
"Sofia," Julieta said, cutting in. "You're right. We will need to be careful."
"Should we close the mountain altogether, Mamá?" Isabela asked. "I'm sure Lu and I can manage that if it's what's best."
"Hm," Julieta muttered. Her eyes drifted to Catherine. "No, I think we should leave the mountain as it is."
Catherine looked at Julieta.
"I hope you're not saying that for my benefit," she said.
"You think we should close the mountain?" Bruno asked.
"I think..." Catherine said. She sighed before continuing. "That there are some genuinely good people out there. But where there is good, there is also darkness. I think both the pros and the cons of keeping the mountain open should be weighed up while keeping me out of the picture."
"You don't think you'd ever want to go back to London?" Pepa asked.
"I can't see myself going back any time soon."
"Pros and cons about leaving the mountain open..."
"More visitors means a chance for the encanto to grow like it never has before," Julieta said. "But it means a risk to the miracle every time someone new arrives."
"Mamá?" Luisa said as she fiddled with some lamb. "Señor Miguel told me of a battle happening in Colombia that is avoiding us."
"A battle?" Catherine asked.
"La Violencia," Luisa said. "Other countries apparently call it a Civil War."
"Civ... did he say how long it's been going for?"
"A few years?"
"A few..."
Catherine went cold, she felt sick again.
"Señora?" Julieta said. "You didn't know?"
"They... they sent me... to a war zone? And didn't tell me!"
Catherine's stomach rolled and as she stumbled up to rush Casita set the staircase from the courtyard straight to the bathroom. Bruno hurried to follow.
"I just need to rest, Bruno," Catherine said after cleaning her mouth. "I haven't properly stopped since your mother got sick. I just need to rest. I brought it on myself."
"Do you... wanna stay here tonight?" Bruno asked.
Catherine chuckled weakly. Every night for the past week she had been going back to her house and the thought of sleeping in Bruno's bed again did make her giddy. But the distance between his bed and the nearest bathroom...
"I think I'm going to go home," she answered. "Poor Casita has had to deal with enough of me today."
"I'll... I'll walk you, then."
"Okay."
So Bruno walked Catherine home, even made sure she got into bed safely before returning to Casita.
"Bruno!" Pepa said once he returned. "We decided we're going to keep the mountain open and everyone in la familia will be keeping an eye, or ear, on the crack for any visitors. If they have weapons they're not allowed in, what do you think?"
Bruno didn't hear, he was too busy worrying about Catherine.
"Brunito, is Señora Catherine okay?" Julieta asked.
"She says she's just tired," Bruno said.
"Tired doesn't lead to being sick, Hermanito. At least, not that much."
"You think it could be worse?" Bruno asked.
"Um..."
"Julietta, do you think there's something wrong with her? Like with Mamá?"
"Brunito, calm down."
"Answer, please, Julieta! Do you think she's sick!"
"I don't know, Bruno!" Julieta yelled right back. All three of her daughters flinched away.
Julieta took a steadying breath and stood so she was at the same level as her brother.
"We'll see how she feels tomorrow, Brunito. Even stomach bugs can be recovered by a good night's sleep."
"Tío Bruno?" Camilo said. Sofia had cowered into him while Bruno and Julieta were shouting. "If you're that scared for Señora Catherine's health, couldn't you have a vision like you did for Abuela?"
"We can't ask him to do that, Camilo," Agustín said.
"Why not?"
"Because what if Tío Bruno sees something he doesn't want to see?" Mirabel asked.
"It was just an idea," Camilo muttered.
"It... it's okay, Milo," Bruno mumbled. "I... I'm worried but... I...if she..."
"I'm sure she'll be fine, Brunito," Julieta said and rushed to hug her brother.
Camilo had been right though. Bruno could easily find out what was wrong with her if he just had a vision. But the last time Bruno had a vision, he saw his mother's death. The last time he'd had a vision for someone sick, his mother died.
He was terrified to look again. But he was curious... and scared...
"Bruno... wait and see if she's better tomorrow. Then there's no point in worrying," Julieta said softly.
"And if she's not, the Doctor can look at her," Pepa offered.
"Señora Julieta, can't you just heal her?" Sofia asked.
"Unfortunately I cannot heal most things that cause an upset stomach," Julieta explained. "A cut, broken bone, actual damage to the stomach lining, then sí. Anything else is a chemical response or imbalance and that I cannot heal."
"Oh."
"It was a nice thought, though," Mirabel said.
"It's getting late," Mariano said. "We should be getting home, Sofia."
He stood and Sofia sighed as she joined him.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay the night, Mariano?" Dolores asked, her cheeks flushing.
"No!" Félix yelled as Camilo fake gagged and Isabela and Mirabel laughed at Mariano suddenly very embarrassed. "Absolutely not! Get out!"
"Papí!" Dolores sad, covering her ears.
"Come on, Sofia, I'll walk you home," Mariano said.
"Okay. Guess I'll see you tomorrow, Camilo?" Sofia said.
"Wh... oh... yeah... sure," Camilo answered.
"Dolores-"
"Papí, if you're going to keep yelling can I get my earplugs?" Dolores asked.
"Félix," Pepa said. She smiled as she put a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Remember what we were like at their age?"
"That's my point," Félix grumbled.
"I don't want to know," Dolores said. "'Bye, Mariano."
"Goodbye, Dolores," Mariano whispered.
"I do!" Camilo yelled, making his sister cover her ears again immediately.
"Me, too!" Antonio said with equal enthusiasm.
Julieta and Agustín laughed. Bruno smiled.
"Wasn't it around Dolores' age when Félix finally asked you out, Pepita?" Julieta asked.
"Sí," Pepa answered. "Took him long enough."
"I can still remember how Pepa was before their date," Bruno admitted.
"Really?" Luisa asked.
"She was so nervous."
"Casita had never been stuck with a localised cloud for so long before," Julieta joined in.
"Okay, you two can be quiet now!" Pepa grumbled.
"Your Tío Bruno said-"
"Good luck, you'll need it!" Bruno said and chuckled.
"Pepa took it seriously."
"Of course, I took it seriously!" Pepa said. "It's Bruno!"
Dolores had to smile, even if her family were being too loud.
"Pepita had the cloud all night and accidentally electrocuted herself twice on their date," Bruno finished.
"And Félix once," Julieta added.
Luisa, Isa and Camilo laughed.
"Why would you tell Mamá that, Tío Bruno?" Antonio asked.
Bruno looked at his sobrinito before smiling at Pepa.
"You've never asked me that question," Bruno said.
"Are you going to answer?" Pepa asked.
"Please, do," Félix said.
"Eeh..." Bruno looked to Julieta who smiled.
"Go on," she said.
"Wait, you were in on it?" Pepa asked.
Julieta giggled.
"Pepa," Bruno mumbled. Nervous about how his sister would take his secret. "I said what I said that day because... I saw that if I didn't... if your date went sunshine and rainbows, it wouldn't end sunshine and rainbows. You know what I mean?"
"No," Pepa answered.
"I do," Félix muttered.
"What?"
"Wait, so... are we alive because of you, Tío Bruno?" Camilo asked.
"I wouldn't go that far. I just made sure their first date went well," Bruno said quickly.
Pepa ran up, tripping on her dress in the process, and hugged her brother tightly. The rain above their heads eased a little.
"Gracias, Brunito," Pepa whispered.
Bruno chuckled and hugged his sister back.
"Oh! If we're sharing embarrassing stories from when we were Isa's and Lola's age, I remember one about Agustín and Juli," Pepa said quickly letting go of Bruno.
"Don't bring Agustín into this," Julieta said.
"You brought Félix into it," Pepa argued. "It's only right I bring Agustín."
"There are too many to even try to remember what you're thinking off, Pepa," Agustín mumbled, hanging his head.
Pepa turned to Bruno.
"Arepa?" Pepa said, seeing of Bruno remembered.
He laughed at the memory.
"Arepa?" Agustín asked.
"Please, don't," Julieta muttered.
"So, you all know how Agustín is very clumsy? Always hurting himself?" Pepa asked.
"Mmhm," Isabela said.
"Yeah, that's Papí," Mirabel added.
"He used to be worse," Pepa continued. "He would sometimes have to see Julieta two maybe three times a day!"
"Wow."
"Papí?" Luisa said and laughed.
"Okay, now I know what story this is," Agustín grumbled. "Really? This one?"
"What about Tío's clumsiness?" Dolores asked.
"Well, one day, Agustín was visiting Juli only the first time that day, mind you," Pepa continued. "He had broken his nose somehow-"
"I walked into a tree. Don't ask. That branch came out of nowhere," Agustín said.
"Sure it did, Papí," Isa said.
"What did you tell him, Juli?" Bruno said. "You healed his nose and then told him...?"
Julieta groaned into her hands, her ears going pink.
"She told him that he should take care of his, and I quote, beautiful face," Pepa said.
"Agustín was so shocked he tripped on air and face planted in front of the entire village," Bruno added.
"So, nothing's changed then?" Mirabel asked.
"Ay, Dios," Julieta said and sighed. "It was embarrassing for me as well. I didn't mean to say it! It just came out!"
"If it weren't for that slip of the tongue, he never would have spoken to you and we all know it," Pepa said. "Oh, do you two remember the time we swift outfits?"
"Which time?" Bruno asked.
"You switched outfits with them, Tío Bruno?" Isabela asked.
Bruno shrugged.
"I remember the first time we switched outfits and thought that, because we were triplets, we all swore that no one would tell the difference," Julieta said.
"Bruno pretended to be me, I was Julieta and Julieta was Bruno," Pepa said. The triplets laughed at the memory.
"That sounds adorable," Isabela said.
"How old were you?" Dolores asked.
"I think that was before our gifts," Bruno said.
"I remember the one time, I was Pepa, Pepa was Bruno and Bruno was me," Julieta said. "It was the last time we swapped before Mamá refused to let us do it anymore."
"Drown in my sadness!" Pepa said really belly laughing now. The storm of grief had stopped. Bruno and Julieta laughed with her.
"You're too old for this nonsense!" Bruno said, quoting their mother from back then.
Everyone was either laughing or smiling. Dolores made a plan. She planned on telling Catherine everything.
"So," Bruno finally said after a few steadying breaths. "What's the plan for the mountain?"
The family calmed down and explained, again, to Bruno, as they cleaned up for the night.
~~
Memories were borrowed/inspired by fanart/fancomics:
@lvnamuraart and @kinschi_draws on Instagram. Please go check out their work it's beautiful and hilarious.