Finding Mirabel

The Night

Luisa isn't letting go of her sister. She has never seen her break down like that. She has never seen anyone break down like that.

Several families have volunteered their houses for the Madrigals to stay in for the night and the following until their house will be rebuilt. They had separated. Tià Pepa's side of the family, Tiò Bruno and Abuela were staying in a house close to the river. And her side of the family was staying in a house closer to their Casita or what was left of it.

Looking out of the kitchen window and squinting Luisa was able to see the ruins. She occasionally looked outside because she might see Mirabel's silhouette in the pale moonlight but so far, she saw nothing.

She isn't going to sleep anyway. She can hear her mother crying in the guest bedroom upstairs, all the way down to where she was sitting on the sofa in the living room. Isabela can probably hear her too. Her older sister's head is lying in her lap. Her eyes are open and looking at the darkness in the window in front of them.

Luisa has been stroking her thumb over Isa's shoulder ever since they sat down like this a few hours ago. It was now dead of night out there and it was so very dark. They both knew what it meant. It meant that Mirabel was terrified, alone, and maybe even hurt. Or "worse". Luisa couldn't even think about "worse".

"I love you, Luisa." Isabela said, her voice shaking and raw from not using it since she broke down hours ago.

"Te quiero más, Isa. I love you more." Luisa said in a quiet voice scared of breaking the silence they held for so long now.

"As soon as she gets back, I'm never letting her out of my eyes ever again."

"I'm going to hug her until she's sick of it and then I'm going to hug her a bit more."

Isabela chuckles at that. She can already imagine it. Mira looking over Luisa's shoulder pretending to be annoyed and rolling her eyes at Isabela. She imagines Mira begging to be set down. Then she imagines herself walking up to them and just taking Mira into her own arms and not letting go either. And she imagines them all laughing. Pure happiness.

"Do you remember Mira being scared of the dark?" Isabela says after losing the smile she had on her face.

"Yeah. Mamà always had to put a candle onto her nightstand, and it had to keep burning through the night. I remember the last time she was allowed to have it. The whole house nearly burned to the ground because it fell over. Casita was basically throwing Tiá into the Nursery together with her raincloud. And seconds later she's coming out with Mira and Camillo again. All of them completely soaking. We had to replace the nightstand and a dresser." Luisa says chuckling to herself. Even though at the time it happened it scared her badly now she can laugh about it.

"I tried for a whole day to make her some flowers that glow in the dark. You know? Like Fireflies?"

Luisa nods at her sister.

"And then I finally succeeded, and I was so proud at myself, and I showed them to Mira. It was something I'd never grown before. She was so happy she kept thanking me over and over again. I put them on her nightstand every night. She told me I'm the best sister ever."

"What? No way! I'm way better than you, Isa!" Luisa said outraged at the obviously unfounded favoritism.

Isabela just started laughing and Luisa soon joined in, and they both forgot their troubles for a moment.

Alma Madrigal never considered herself old. Not when her first grandchild was born. Not when her 6th grandchild was born. Not on her 75th birthday. But now she felt older than she ever did.

She woke up from her fainting spell when the sun was just about to set. And she woke up very confused. Her hijo, her son was back, and she couldn't be happier about that. If it had happened any other day, she would have sat with him for hours.

But not today. Not tonight. She needed to keep watch. She needed to look out of the window because she needed to look for her grandchild. She might come into the village late at night, looking for shelter. She wouldn't know which house her family was staying at so Alma had to stay awake and alert. Looking for her Mija.

She closed her eyes. Just for a minute. She needed to pray. "Padre nuestro, que estás en el cielo. Te pido tu ayuda para encaminar mi camino. Amén. Our Father, who art in heaven. I ask for your help to guide my way. Amen."

As she opened her eyes again, she couldn't help them from clouding over with tears. She was the one at fault for Mirabel running away. She was the one to blame for their Maribel to think she wasn't welcome at home anymore. She was the one who shouted at her. She truly was the one destroying their home, their family, their miracle. Their Mirabel. She let the tears fall.