𝐈'𝐦 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤.

Stage 5: Acceptance

Third  p.o.v

It had been 1 week since Mirabel went missing, and the village people, including the Madrigals, had given up. Even Julieta had stopped searching for her youngest daughter.

Everyone had come to terms with the fact that they had now lost 2 family members. First Bruno, and now Mirabel.

The family was still in shambles, with Julieta's side of the family being cold and distant to abuela, and Antonio never leaving the nursery.

The candle had ignited again, just as it did when Pedro died, saving his family and village. Once again, the candle gave light when the family was in their darkest moment.

The village was still repairing the large crack that started from the mountains, and ended at the Madrigal home. People said that sometimes they could hear Julieta and her mother arguing. Their arguments always ended in Julieta storming off.

For once, the village was quiet, no music in the streets, or children singing, just silence.

Dolores always used to pray for one moment of peace and quiet, but now she wished her príma was there, singing and dancing. The quietness of the village drilling a hole in her head.

Isabela remembered how she would be annoyed with her little sisters constant singing, or how she wished Mirabel would stop being in her way. Now, just like her mother, she realized how much she took her sisters presence for granted. Oh how Isabela wished for nothing more then to turn back time and apologize to Mirabel. To tell her how sorry she was for being a horrible sister, to hug her and tell her how much of a amazing sister Mirabel was. But all she can do is sit in her room, and stare into nothing as she realizes how quiet the casita is without her little sister.

Luisa..oh poor Luisa, she was taking this just as bad as her mother. I should've been a better sister was all that ran through her head, what if scenarios played on repeat, If I just paid more attention she'd wouldn't have left, those thoughts ate Luisa alive. Maybe if she just took more time and actually hung out with Mira, she wouldn't have left. She couldn't focus of helping the village rebuild damaged buildings, all she could focus on was the guilt she felt, sometimes she swore she could still hear the rhythm of her sisters dancing. Luisa slowly came to terms with the fact that she failed to save her family.

Julieta wasn't the same, she didn't leave her room, if she did, it was to cook for her ruined family. If you were to enter Julieta's room, you'd see her staring down at the only picture they had of Mirabel. The grief stricken woman had come to face the fact her baby was gone, she would hug the photo and pretend it was her daughter, even though the photo didn't share the same warmth her little girl did. Julieta barely spoke anymore, only saying 'good night' and 'I love you' to her husband and daughters. When she would cook for her family, she would remember how Mirabel used to help her, always bouncing around the kitchen, trying to find something she could help with. Julieta hardly ate, after she was done cooking, she would retreat back to her room, only eating when Augustín would bring her a plate of food. Her husband and her daughters were the only things keeping her grounded. Even though Julieta accepted the truth of her youngest being gone, she still wished this was nothing more then a bad dream.

Antonio was still not fully grasping the full extent of what was going on, only knowing that Mirabel was gone. So, he would wait in the nursery for her to come back. Until someone finally told him Mira wasn't coming back, of course as a child he didn't want to hear that his favorite family member was gone, but he sort of knew why she would have left. Even though he was a child, he saw and heard how abuela treated Mirabel compared to how she treated the rest of the family. Antonio saw how Mirabel's smile would fade at abuela's backhanded comments, but she would always pretend it didn't hurt her. Laying in what used to Mirabel's bed, Antonio wishes his favorite príma would come back home.

Alma didn't know how to feel. She didn't know if she should feel guilty or feel justified in what she said to her giftless granddaughter. At the moment, she felt a mix of both, though she wouldn't admit it. Her pride was to big, (one day it'll cause her downfall..) Alma instead kept herself busy by helping the village. Unfortunately, the village somewhat knew what happened between Alma and Mirabel. There were some who would whisper to others, and some who would side eye Alma. The old woman was just to busy trying to keep up the facade of perfection to notice.

And once more, when Alma came back to the casita, another argument broke out.

"Julieta, I need you to-"

"Not now mamá," Julieta's words were obviously filled with subtle anger,

Alma was tired of her daughter giving her the cold shoulder over what was an accident (only Alma saw this as an accident, even though what she said to Mirabel caused her to flee.)

"Julieta I am tired of your attitude towards me. I've already apologized for what I've done."

That statement had the impact of a bomb. It blew up right in Alma's face.

"Apologized? You gave me a half assed apology for making my daughter leave and most likely get hurt in those woods, and you want me to forgive you?!"

During every fight the mother and daughter had, Julieta never cursed. So this was a shock to everyone present, especially to Luisa and Isabela.

"Don't you ever use that language-"

"No, I'm sick and tired of always trying to get you to listen. Just for once understand that you're in the wrong! You made your own son leave because of some gift he never asked for!"

"Your brother made the choice to leave. Just like Mira-"

Alma did not get the chance to finish her sentence before Julieta cut her off.

"Don't you even think about blaming them for what you made them do. Bruno left because you all made him seem like a bad guy all because he showed you a future you didn't want to see! My daughter left because we all ignored the fact she wasn't happy!"

As Julieta finished her sentence, the earth shook. No buildings were broken, thank goodness, the village had just finished repairs. The mountains seemed to roar in disapproval, the earth beneath them shaking in sadness, and the candle shone brightly in anger.

The family had accepted Mirabel's disappearance..

The encanto however, hadn't.