Meant to Be

A Budding Friendship

The rest of the week went by, and now it was Friday. Lupe and Victor had come over to help get ready for the Loyas' arrival, and Mirabel was really excited.

Mirabel had just taken out the silverware, and she and Lupe were setting the table.

"Are you excited about Enrique coming over, Mirabel?" Lupe asked.

"Very," Mirabel smiled. "It's going to be a lot of fun. I just don't know what to expect."

"Don't worry so much, Mira," Lupe said. "As long as you both have a great time, everything will be fine."

"Gracias, Lupe," Mirabel smiled.

In no time, Enrique's family arrived, and Mirabel's family was happy to see them.

"Hola, amigos," Rosa smiled. "So glad you could make it."

"We wouldn't miss it," Señora Loya smiled.

"Not unless you have a good reason for it," Mirabel remarked. Then she saw the Loyas give her rather confused looks. "It's a long story that involves some serious heartbreak."

"Oh, no," Julieta frowned.

"Well, we have the whole night," Felix said.

Everyone got together in the living room, and Mirabel explained what happened before the month started. "And so, I punched him in the eye, and when I told my parents what happened, that's when I decided to move back here," she concluded.

"Wow, I'm sorry you went through all that, mija," Señora Loya sympathized her.

"Gracias," Mirabel said. "I have to admit, leaving behind my friends and family was painful, but my decision to move to Vega City offered a lot of benefits. I stayed with Abuelo Pedro for the last four years of his life, and going to those fancy art schools got me a serious art degree and an amazing career. Plus, Vega City is beautiful."

"That's good to hear," Señor Loya smiled.

"Do any of your ex-friends in Vega City know you left?" Felix asked.

"I didn't exactly tell them I was leaving, nor did I leave a forwarding address," Mirabel replied. "But should they ever come to my apartment, they ought to know that I at least moved out. No way do I ever want to put up with them ever again in my life."

"Good to hear," Enrique smiled.

Later, everyone got together for dinner, and Enrique was sharing a good joke.

"And so, the mermaid says, 'Well, I definitely smell something fishy!'"

Everyone laughed at that joke, including Mirabel, who let out a snort. She was a little embarrassed, but Enrique just smiled, charmed by her silly laugh.

After everyone ate, they walked around the house, and the last room they stopped in was Mirabel's art studio.

"And this is Mirabel's art studio," Rosa said.

"I still can't believe you decided to turn it back," Mirabel said. "When I was here for Lupe's wedding, it was full of boxes with junk."

"We had it cleaned out when you said you were moving back," Esteban smiled.

Enrique turned to a drawing table to find Mirabel's draft for the mural. "Wow, you sure have an eye for creativity," he smiled.

"That's my etching of a mural for the studio," Mirabel smiled back. "Each butterfly represents a different holiday of the year. I've even included ones that we don't actually celebrate, like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa."