The Unloved

Bruno's return

I hear Abuela yelling and find her yelling at Mirabel.

"You have to stop Mirabel!"

Mirabel looks terrified.

"The cracks started with you. Bruno left because of you. Luisa's losing her powers, Isabella's out of control, because of you! I don't know why you weren't given a gift, but it's not an excuse for you to hurt this family."

I stand next to Luisa and Isabella as we see the floor cracking more.

"I will never be good enough for you." Mirabel says, "Will I? No matter how hard I try. No matter how hard any of us tries. Luisa will never be strong enough. Isabella won't be perfect enough. Bruno left our family because you only saw the worst in him."

"Bruno didn't care about this family! He doesn't even love his own daughter. He left her and her mother!"

I start to cry and Tía Julietta holds me as I cry.

"Bruno loves this family." Mirabel says. "I love this family! We all love this family! You're the one who doesn't care. You're the one breaking our home! The miracle is dying... because of you!"

A big crack goes between them. And up towards the candle. Isabella, Mirabel, Camillo, and I all run towards it. I use the wind to push my self up but half way there I fall to the ground. Isabella uses a vine but she fall too. Casita catches her and she lands next to me. Camillo is jumping but transforms back to himself and falls. He grabs onto a rail but falls next to Isabella.

"We have to get out of here!" Tío Felix yells. Casita pushes us all out by the floor and we see Mirable climbing to the candle.

We watch as casita falls down. We all run inside and I see Tía Julietta with Mirabel. I sit down and begin crying.

"Cassandra!" I look up to see Leonardo running from the town. "I'm so glad you're okay. I saw the house fall and immediately ran here. He sat down next to me and hugged me. "What's wrong?" He asks when he sees me crying.

"Abuela said my papa didn't love me and my mama. And that's why he ran away. I never knew him but I always thought at least he would always love me, no matter what. But I guess he doesn't. No one loves me. I'm unloved."

"Cassandra. You are not unloved." He kisses my head. "I know someone who cares for you very much."

"Who?" I say wiping my eyes.

"Me obviously!"

I laugh and kiss him on the cheek. "I care for you very much too!"

All night we walk around the Encanto calling Mirabel's name. Camillo and I are walking in the forest when we hear the bells going off. We smile at each other and run back to the house. When we get there Tía Julietta and Tío Agustín are talking to Mirabel.

"I'll be okay." We hear him say.

"Not if we don't have a house." Camillo says. His dad elbows him. "What I can't say we don't have a house? What's that? Not a house." I laugh and roll my eyes.

"Look at this home we need a new foundation," Mirabel says. "It may seem hopeless but we'll get by just fine. Look at this family a glowing constellation so full pf stars and everyone wants to shine. But stars don't shine they burn, and constellations shift. I think it's time you learn you're more than just your gift."

"And I'm sorry I held on to tight." Abuela comes over. "Just so afraid I'd lose you too. The miracle is not some magic that you got the miracle is you," she turns around and Bruno walk around the corner. I gasp and stand there terrified to move. "Not some gift just you. The miracle is you. All of you. All of you."

"Okay so we gotta talk about Bruno." Camillo says.

Antonio stands next to him. "That's Bruno."

"Yeah there's a lot to say about Bruno." I say.

"I'll start okay!" Bruno run over to Pepa and Felix. "Pepa sorry bout your wedding, didn't mean to be upsetting, just wanted you to know that your bro loves you so. Let it in, let it out, let it rain let it snow let it go!"

"That's what I'm always saying bro!" Felix laughed.

"Got a lot of apologies I got say." He says to Julietta.

"Hey we're just happy your here okay?"

"Come into light!" Pepa runs over.

"Let the triplets unite!" Agustin hugs them.

"And no matter what happens we're gonna find our way!" Julietta says.

"Yo I knew he never left I heard him every day."

"Yet you failed to tell me?" I say to Dolores.

We all hear sounds coming from the town.

"What's that sound?" Abuela asks.

"I think it's everyone in town!" Says Antonio, as he looks down the street.

I look out and I see them and Leonardo was leading them. When they get to the house I through my arms around him and he picks me up as we hug.

"Lay down your load." The towns people say, "We are only down the road. We have no gifts but we are many, and we'll do anything for you."

The next few weeks everyone in town helps rebuild our home. Whenever I'm working I find myself glancing over at leonardo and finding him looking at me just for us to turn around nervously.

I am helping Tía Julietta set up her kitchen and when he sees me struggling he runs over and helps me.

"That one's a keeper." Tía Julietta said, making me laugh.

We finally finished rebuilding our home and our family lines up on the side walk leading to the door. I stand next to Camillo on the opposite side as my father. I'm still not totally comfortable with him.

Abuela and Mirabel are at the end of our line up.

Mirabel looks yo at Abuela. "Home sweet home, I like the new foundation."

"It isn't perfect."

"Neither are we."

"That's true. Just one more thing before the celebration."

"We need a door knob." Bruno comes to the other side.

Antonio stands in front of them and held up a door know. "We made this one for you."

Mirabel walks up fo the door as I hear our family whispering. "We see how bright you burn. We've seen how brave you are. Now see yourself in turn"

"You're the real gift kid let us in."

"What do you see?" abuela asks her. "Abre los ojos."

"I see-me. All of me"

Mirabel puts the knob in the door and the house becomes alive again. We have a party that night about Maribel's return and the restoration of Casita.