The Lost Miracle

Chapter 29: The Way is Clear Now that You're Here

It's not bad... Mirabel thought to herself as she drank the warm drink from the old man. Osvaldo drank from his own mug and spoke of his wife, who used to make this very drink for him every time it rained. It's just that papa's is so good, and I've only ever had his. I'm just used to better tasting aguapanela... Osvaldo finished his cup and his story and placed his mug on the table.

"I wanted to thank you," he began. "For making a proper lock for the gate."

"Oh, it's no-"

"And I'm sorry." Mirabel looked up at him and blinked.

"Wh-what?" she said with a small laugh. Did she hear him correctly?

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "For all the things I said when you were younger, I just-" he sighed and looked at the few drops of liquid in his cup, rotating the mug and rolling the drops around inside. "I never realized how much my words probably hurt you until you... well... what happened to you?" He widened his eyes and raised his hand. "-If you don't mind me asking!" Mirabel waved her own hand and furrowed her brows.

"Oh no, no- It's okay," She said. "It's actually a very sweet story..."

•••

Alejandro ignored the pelting rain on his body. He ignored the thundering that almost made him deaf. What he couldn't ignore was the hand on his shoulder.

"Alejandro!" A strong feminine voice cried. Andro looked behind him.

"Luisa?"

"Where's Mirabel?" She asked, tightening her plum ruana around her.

"I-I don't know," she handed him a spare ruana, the light blue fabric soon covered him and was even sooner soaked. "I think she saw your abuela and got scared."

"Look, Mirabel is a smart girl," Luisa began. "She'll know to get inside in this rain, so we need to do the same."

"Are you serious?" he asked, not completely shocked. "You want me to leave her out here!?"

"That's the thing," Luisa argued. "She's probably not even out here. Chances are she took shelter inside somewhere. We need to go back to the casa like everyone else!"

"Yeah, I think your hermana would disagree."

"For the last time, she's probably inside-"

"Not Mira!" Andro pointed behind her at a woman in a dark blue ruana. "Her!"

•••

"That's uh..." Osvaldo began, taking in Mirabel's story. "That's quite a tale..."

"Yeeeah..." She awkwardly said. "I don't even know what happened, I just saw Abuela and my legs just- took me away!"

"Well, what did she say to you?" Osvaldo asked.

"She..." Mirabel looked down, embarrassed. "She wasn't even talking to me..." Osvaldo poured himself a fourth mug of his aguapanela. He gestured the pot towards the girl who shook her head politely. Two mugs of that stuff was two too many.

"You were that scared of her?" he asked, sitting back down.

"I don't know what I felt..." she leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "I just panicked and I don't know what to do now..." Osvaldo thought for a moment, took a long sip from his mug and sat it down, his hand still gripping the handle.

"I didn't have a big familia." He began. "Neither did my wife. We didn't have any children and after she passed I needed time- a lot of time- to take that fact in." He looked up at the girl. "What I'm saying is: If I had a familia as grand and big as yours, I'd cherish it. But the choice is yours. You should take some time to decide whether to cherish your familia-" they turned to the open window where drops of water still fell from the roof to the window still. The two heard the echoing cries of the three people searching for their loved one. Mira! Mirabel! Hermana! Amor! "-Or, you could cherish them right now without hesitation." Mirabel looked down and out the window. She pushed out the wooden chair while a determined look was drawn on her face.

"I..." she began. "Need some time to think about it..." She looked out the window, watching as the drops of rain water on the roof continued to fall. "If they come by here, can you..." she thought for another moment. "Can you tell them I'm okay?" Osvaldo nodded with a smile. Mirabel let herself out, but stopped at the kitchen door. "Señor?" He looked up and raised a confused brow at her. "Thank you." He didn't say you're welcome. In fact, he said nothing. He simply smiled at the girl and went back to his aguapanela.

•••

Isabella ran down the hill towards her littlest sister. "Mirabel!" she cried. The younger hermana turned around, her face wasn't confused or angry... was it annoyed? "Mirabel- Thank goodness!" She caught up to her sister, only for her to step back. "Mirabel, come on we need to go back to the casita-"

"No we-"

"Mirabel, please-" Isabela pleaded. "We need you-" Mirabel rolled her eyes.

"No you don't..."

"W-What?-"

"You don't need me!" Mirabel shouted at her sister. Isabela recoiled from the shout, her hand drawing near her chest. "You never needed me- none of you did! The only thing you needed was a clear conscience!" Isabela slumped her shoulders as tears welled up in her eyes. "The only reason you want me back is to feel better about yourselves- you don't care about me- you never did!"

"...Is that how you feel?" Mirabel's lips tightened to a line and then released a singular word.

"Y-yeah..." Isabela stepped towards her sister.

"Mirabel," she started. "I wanted you to come back to apologize. I don't want to apologize because I want to feel better, I want to apologize because I feel bad-" Snot ran down her nose as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Ah-and I am sorry- I-I was a horrible sister and a bad person- I was so frustrated in being perfect that I took it out on you and that was horrible and- and- I'm sor-sorry!" Isabela sobbed, her fists pushing against her face to rub off her tears. "I'm so- sorry! I-" Isabela was interrupted by the brush of curls against her face. Mirabel embraced her sister for the first time. It was close and wonderful and full of love.

"Te perdono..." It wasn't until they heard the calls of Mirabel's name from the others that they let go. "I need a moment... please... I promise I'll be back, I just need some time to- to think..." Isa nodded and before she fully realized what she had given permission for her to do, Mirabel was gone.