Fly High, Butterfly

Chapter Fifteen

Mirabel steps away from the nursery's table, deep in thought. Strewn across the table lay two sketches for designs for an apron and a simple hairband. Birthdays were taken just as seriously as Coming-of-Age ceremonies in the Madrigal family, and she was not going to slack on her birthday gifts.

She had already finalised the designs for her mamá and tía, but when it came to Bruno's... she was stumped. Unlike Julieta and Pepa, he didn't wear any accessories she could make...

Wait!

With a newfound determination, Mirabel begins preparing for the gift.

The celebration party is spectacular, but Bruno has always preferred to stay out of the spotlight due to his shy and introverted nature. After the cutting of the cake and song, he makes his way from the dining room to a corner of the kitchen to catch a break from the townsfolk his sisters had invited. While most of them had changed their view of him after his return and he was glad for that, he still felt uncomfortable around a crowd.

"Tío Bruno?"

"Mirabel?"

If it had been another person, he might have jumped in surprise and dropped his rat. He recognises Mirabel's voice before she steps into view holding a flat emerald-green box wrapped up tightly with indigo yarn.

"It's me, tío. Happy birthday! I know everyone puts their gifts in the dining room, but I wanted to give mine personally." Mirabel smiled.

Bruno takes the present from her hand. It feels light.

"Open it."

He does. Inside, there is a neatly folded hazel-green ruana. Fanning it out with his hands, it's nearly identical to his own. Pale yellow hourglasses the colour of sand line its edges, with small dark green mouse icons in between them. Flipping it around, he sees that dark green hourglass patterns adorn the hood and a small emerald brooch is pinned to the centre front of the high-cut collar. His eyes fill with fascination as he turns it from front to back. He was certain that all the embroidery had been done by hand.

"Do you like it? I mean, I figured you've been using the same ruana for the last ten years and I-I am pretty good at sewing things so-" Mirabel quickly stammered.

"I love it. Thank you, Mirabel."

Mirabel smiles, shoulders relaxing. While she hadn't known him for most of her life, she felt a special empathy for him. Both of them being ex-outcasts in their family, he could understand her feelings better than even Antonio or her parents.

Despite her lack of a gift, Mirabel did have talents that she took pride in. Her skills in the accordion, for instance. Her ability to sing and dance. But most of all, her embroidery skills.

While most of the town had seen or even complimented her beautifully patterned teal skirt, most of them didn't know she had sewn the designs herself, or the representation behind them. She had picked up embroidery even before her failed gift ceremony, and afterwards it had become a way to express herself (and distract herself from the fact that she had little duties to do, being giftless).

Each of her family had a symbol on her skirt. On the front, the now-gone magic candle represented Abuela, with a cluster of Isabela's flowers below it and Antonio's animal friends further down (his had been a coincidence; he had always been fond of them and she had grown to associate them with him). To the right, Luisa's weights and an orange chameleon lay imprinted. Pink musical notes and a partially covered sun for Dolores and her Tía Pepa adorned the back, with a cute little basket of food on the left side for Julieta.

She hadn't realised that there was pattern one missing until a little after the Casita had been rebuilt and everything was finally back to normal, with the Madrigal family no longer homeless and the magic restored. Her long-lost uncle Bruno needed one too.

While she chatted with her tío in the kitchen, one could see a newly-added pale green hourglass embroidered on the side of her long skirt.

Her family was finally whole again.

(From then on, Bruno was almost always seen wearing the new ruana, much to Mirabel's pleasant surprise and pride.)