Without Her

When Mirabel landed in a mass of petals and flowers with her sister, Isabela, she never expected to feel closer to her than ever before.

“You’re a bad influence.” Isabela teased, flicking a flower bud towards Mirabel. The two laughed, relaxing further into the cushioned landing.

“What is going on?” Mirabel watched Isabela jolt up in a panic upon the sound of Abuela’s angry question. The two girls scrambled up in varied emotions.

“Abuela! It’s ok! Everything’s…We’re gonna save the miracle. The magic…”

“What are you talking about? Look at our home! Look at your sister!”

“Please just…Isabela wasn’t happy.”

“Of course she isn’t happy. You ruined her proposal.” They turned to look at the anxious girl, arms crossed around her middle in a self-soothing hug.

“No, no, no. She needed me to ruin her proposal and then we did all this! Then the candle burned brighter and the cracks,” Mirabel was still giddy on the adrenaline of her realization, desperate for Abuela to hear her.

“Mirabel.”

“That’s why I’m in the vision! I’m saving the miracle!”

“You have to stop, Mirabel.” Abuela shouted, stopping Mirabel's rant and drooping her smile. “The cracks started with you. Bruno left because of you. Luisa’s losing her powers, Isabela’s out of control, because of you! I don’t know why you weren’t given a gift, but it is not an excuse for you to hurt this family.” Cracks split the house up all around them, Mirabel in shock and agony that is clearly written on her face. No one said a word, watching the two in the center of the house.

“I will never be good enough for you. Will I?” Mirabel finally asked, coming to terms in stuttering breaths. Abuela looked at her in surprise, eyes widening, brows relaxing and raising on her face. “No matter how hard I try. No matter how hard any of us tries. Luisa will never be strong enough. Isabela won’t be perfect enough. Bruno left our family because you only saw the worst in him.” Mirabel confronted angrily, tears falling from her cheeks.

“Bruno didn’t care about this family.” Abuela retorted, tears in her eyes.

“He loves this family. I love this family. We all love this family. You’re the one that doesn’t care. You’re the one breaking our home.” Abuela looked furious and astounded, taken aback she would ever utter such words.

“Don’t you ever-”

“The miracle is dying because of you.” Mirabel seethed, getting closer to Abuela in a confrontational manner. Abuelas hand reacted fast, meeting Mirabel's face in an instant, sending her sprawling to the ground with a cry. A deep fissure spread in between them, traveling through the house, scaring the whole family.

“No, no, no!” Pepa cried.

“The candle!” Felix warned. Mirabel scrambled to her feet once more, racing for the candle.

“Casita! Get me up there!” The house was quick to obey, sending down the railings as a ladder, Isabela and Camilo running to stop her. As Isabela tried to swing herself over with her plants, they disappeared, everyone's doors ceasing to glow. She was sent tumbling to the ground, Camilo also losing his powers and falling beside her. Mirabel saw the mountains surrounding them cracking and falling apart, just like their house. She went back to the mission on hand: save the candle. Save her family. Save her village.

“Careful, Antonio!” Felix warned, grabbing his son before he was hit with a door. “We gotta get out of here!” He yelled at the others. Julieta and Augustin still tried desperately to reach their daughter, but were forced out by the house itself. Bruno was quick to grab his rats and his bucket, busting out of the fragile house; horrified to see Mirabel still trying to get the candle.