A New Gift!

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On the other side of the curtain, casita plays a little count down with the instruments used to make music. And at the end of the countdown, it pulls the curtain aside to reveal Itzayana to the crowd, rolls out a fake red carpet, and puts two spotlights on the little girl.

The crowd of townspeople clap as soon as they see Itzayana. They quiet down a second later as she looks out to the crowd.

She sees her tiá's, Julieta and Pepa, to her left. Her cousins are also waiting there and they all smile at Itzayana, waiting patiently for her to get her gift.

Itzayana looks to the top of the stairs last. She sees Abuela waiting up there with the candle on the right side of the glowing door. And behind Abuela is Bruno. He gives his daughter an encouraging smile.

With support from her entire family, Itzayana begins walking. She takes her first steps toward her door, toward her gift.

Every single eye is on Itzi as she walks down the centre of casita and toward her stairs. She has to focus in her mind and try her best not to run up the steps. Itzayana takes it slow, one step at a time, careful not to knock over the candles on each.

As soon as she reaches the top of the stairs, Abuela steps in front of her with the candle.

"Will you use your gift to honour our miracle? Will you serve this community and strengthen our home?" Abuela asks with a soft, loving smile. She lowers the candle to Itzayana's level so the little girl can put her hands into the wax.

Itzayana looks up at Abuela and nods, her smile reaching from ear to ear.

Once Abuela approves, Itzayana removes her hands from the candle and the matriarch steps aside to let Itzayana go forward and touch the doorknob to her door.

The child takes two big steps toward her door, her eyes landing on the doorknob with an I on it. Itzayana sucks a deep breath in and reaches forward, hesitating for a fraction of a second before her hand touches the door.

As soon as she grips the doorknob, golden magic flows from the knob itself over the rest of the door. It's so bright Itzayana has to squint her eyes.

And after, it looks like the door is waiting for something, for Itzayana to figure out what her gift is.

She turns to look at the crowd. Itzi gasps, everyone in the crowd is surrounded by some sort of aura, a coloured aura. Most are pink in varying intensities. Itzayana's subconscious tells her it means they're happy, excited.

Even Abuela and Bruno are surrounded by aura's. Abuela's aura is a soft pink. But her father's aura was a jittering grey aura. He was anxious.

Something tells Itzayana to calm him down. So she pushes past Abuela as the crowd murmurs.

"Papá, you're nervous. It's okay! I have my gift," Itzayana says happily, taking hold of his hand and flooding Bruno with a feeling of calm.

His aura changes from grey to a soft shade of yellow. Bruno takes a big breath and looks down at his child in awe.

Strangely, Itzayana now feels anxious. It isn't as intense as it was earlier in the day but it's definitely there.

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