El Milagro || C. Madrigal

CHAPTER 1

"V! Wait up will you?!" Gabriel shouted as he almost tripped over, yet again, on his own feet. Valentina just laughed loudly at her younger twin before slightly turning her head slightly, looking at her brother while still running ahead of him.

"Darse prisa Gaby! We're almost there!" the girl shouted as she quicken her pace, hearing a groan of frustration from behind. They continued on running in the busy street, nearing their destination.

Few years had already gone by. The twins, Valentine and Gabriel are now 13 years old. Where are they going you ask? Well...

"Finally!" Gabriel shouted panting and sweating as they arrived at the gate. After a few minutes of waiting for her hermano to catch his breath, Valentine nudged Gabriel's shoulder stating a quick "Vamo" before walking in the gates.

As they walked, they noticed a few people in the area as well. They waved at a few they recognized but continued on walking, both knowing that they too are visiting their loved ones. Not long after, the twins stopped in front of a gravestone.

"Hola, Abuelo Manuel" Gabriel stated, smiling softly.

"Hola, Abuela Elisa. We came to visit." Valentina said softly as she placed and leaned the bouquet of flowers on their beloved grandparents graves. The twins kneeled silently. After about a minute, Gabriel sighed, caressing the necklace around his neck that was given to him as a gift from our Abuelo and Abuela. "I can't believe it has already been 6 years since they passed." he said softly to his hermana, slightly leaning on her shoulder.

Valentina placed a hand on the ruana that was wrapped around mostly on the left side of her shoulders. The same ruana that was made for her by her Abuela for her 7th birthday. She just nodded as a response to Gabriel, feeling calm as she quietly stared at the names engraved on the stone in front of them.

In Valentina's mind, she recalled the day, just a few months after their 7th birthday. The day their family lost both Abuela Elisa and Abuelo Manuel.

________

"Abuela? Papi said to call you." 7 year old Gabriel said in a slightly hushed voice as he opened his grandparents' bedroom door.

Silence.

He find it unusual for their Abuela not to be up at this hour of the day. Abuela had always been early to wake up. Even his papi thinks it's strange, that's why as he noticed that it has already been 11:30am, he politely asked his hijo to wake both his grandparents up.

"Abuela?" he said a little louder as he slowly stepped closer to his Abuela and Abuelo's shared bed.

Silence.

"Abuelo, are you awake?" the boy then asked, looking to where his Abuelo is laying down on the bed. The boy suddenly had a sudden urge to go and call for his mami and papi. He quickly turned around to get out of the room, at the exact same time, Valentina arrived just in front of the open door.

"Gaby, what's taking so long? Papi's getting impati-" Valentina's words were cut off as Gabriel dashed out the room, rushing down the stairs in a panic, calling out for the adults.

"PAPI! MAMI! TIA! ABUELO AND ABUELA'S NOT RESPONDING TO ME!!" His screams were surely heard all around the house. Valentina paused, then looked directly at the lying bodies on the bed.

"A-abuela?" she stuttered. Eveything became a blur, she ignored her father and his sister Tia Alehandra as they rushed in the room along with Tio Ernesto, Tia Alehandra's husband. All of them, screaming, but for some reason, Valentina couldn't hear them as she just focused on the bed, her small body still standing on the doorway.