Mirabel was finished with her cooking and asked Camilo to get the large platter from the cabinet. He paused as if deciding something, then pulled out the stool and retrieved the platter. He helped her put the arepas and sausages on it, accidentally ‘dropping’ one (into his mouth). Luisa was just finishing peeling the eggs when Mirabel spotted Isa as she entered the kitchen. Luisa immediately stopped what she was doing to head her off.

“Anything I can do?” Isa asked her.

“No, we are good, but you might want to go freshen up. You’ve got sticks in your hair,” Luisa whispered, “and Isa, where are your shoes?”

Isabela noticed Abuela then and touched her head and simultaneously looked at her feet. She turned red as she rushed out of the kitchen, leaving a trail of leaves behind her.

Luisa sighed as if a crisis had been averted and Mirabel wondered, had one? Of course, that meant if Isa was back, then it was time to get the food set up. Dolores was already up and putting out the bowls of strawberries and juice glasses on the table.

Mirabel placed the last of the breakfast food on the sideboard as Camilo was busy putting his cakes in the cold box after pouring his milk mixture over them. Isa returned minus the sticks and with new huaraches and Mirabel gently nudged Abuela who was still sitting with her eyes closed near the window. There was a squawk from Pico as he swooped into the dining room to announce the arrival of the honored guests. Abuela stood and watched with amusement as Antonio was talking up a storm while still holding his Tío Bruno’s hand, followed closely by Julieta, Agustín, Félix and Pepa.

“Feliz cumpleaños!” Everyone shouted together.

Pepa’s cloudburst into a rainbow as Félix pulled her closer and whispered to her. Julieta smiled as Agustín, gave her a peck on the cheek. Bruno, who had picked up Antonio, smiled as well as Antonio all but crushed his head in a hug as one of Bruno’s rats squeaked with delight. Casita joined in and clattered its tiles.

There were hugs all around and everyone got their breakfast and settled around the table. After a quick ‘Salud!’ everyone got down to the serious business of eating. Everything was quite loud for this being breakfast. Antonio once again reprised his adventure with Isa. Camilo laughed when he got to the part about the stick. Camilo turned to Isa, and she informed him that it was not just a ‘stick’ but a flowering tree. Antonio pulled on his brother’s shirt and whispered, “It’s a stick.” Camilo snorted juice.

Mirabel, who was sitting next to Dolores, noted that she had a curious look of surprise on her face. Her shock melted into a smile, and it made Mirabel wonder what was up. She got up to fetch a few boiled eggs and Casita clattered the tiles quietly near her, and Mirabel looked out the window to see Mariano Guzmán and his mother coming up the path. Mira glanced up at the clock and saw it was almost 11:30 already. Guess time does fly when you’re having fun. The wall clock chimed the half hour and Abuela said as she waived for everyone’s attention, “My goodness, look at the time. Let’s go, let’s go.” Everyone did, and this inspired a flurry of activity, almost as chaotic as breakfast had been. The table was cleared in record time and dishes were piled up by the sink as everyone rushed about getting ready to go out.

The front bell rang and Dolores rushed over to answer it. Casita opened its door and Mariano and his mother came in. Her Abuela took her shawl down from the peg near the door and greeted them while somehow managing to ignore the chaos of her family rushing about. Mirabel waved to them as she hurried to her room. She opened the wardrobe and Casita pushed a small drawer near the bottom open. Mirabel pulled out her mantilla. She fussed with her hair as she pinned the lace to her head. Mirabel had managed to salvage the much-loved item from the wreckage. Lace making was one of those hobbies she had first delved into, and she smiled at the memory of her mother gushing at how beautiful her handiwork was. Once upon a time, her mantilla had been a pretty blue that matched her skirt, but when Casita had fallen it got pretty beat up. The blue had faded because of all the yellow dust from Casita’s plaster and turned it to an odd green color that complimented her glasses. Fixing the tears had been one of the first things she did as she sat teaching the technique of making lace to her sisters in the evenings. Both were quick studies, and by the end of summer both had made respectable mantillas for themselves. Mirabel had always been a fast worker and after finishing hers, she got to work making one for Dolores, her mom and Tía Pepa.

She headed back downstairs as everyone appeared dressed for Mass. There would be no work today. No one was wearing the clothing that displayed their Gift. What she was not expecting was to see her Tío Bruno there. He had steadfastly declined going since returning to the family. Abuela only broached the topic once, and Bruno’s reaction to the request was not pleasant. She did not ask again after that, and Mirabel wondered what had changed his mind.

Her Tío Bruno came down, wearing the new shirt and pants her father had made for him. He was looking at Abuela. Mirabel could see how uncomfortable he was, and a look came into his eyes that made her think he would turn around and head back to his room. Abuela turned and saw him there, she smiled and returned her attention to Señora Guzmán and her Tío seemed to relax. Her father was grinning from ear to ear even before Bruno’s sisters started complimenting him on how well his clothes fit. There was a small bulge in his shirt pocket that he was alternately patting then ignoring. A tiny head popped out, and Mirabel struggled to remember the name of that one. Fura… that was it. He had given her that name because her fur was black as night and had eyes to match.

Camilo was standing off to the side as he leaned down to listen to whatever his little brother was saying. Her sisters joined her as they came into the foyer. The clock chimed the three quarters hour and everyone headed out the door. As she had always done, she turned and waved goodbye to Casita. Casita waved back, and Mirabel let go of the breath she did not realize she had been holding. This habit had not actually stopped after Casita fell. Every night while they were rebuilding, she would wave as she left, sometimes returning after everyone had gone home for the day. She would pat a wall or talk to the empty halls, hoping for an answer. None ever came.

That had been her biggest regret, losing Casita and why she had worked so hard to rebuild her home. She had never had a Gift to lose, but Casita had always been a true friend to her. Listening to her when she was lonely or just sad. Always offering a cheerful response. She had only had a crude understanding of the things Casita was saying at first, but as she got older and her family more distant, she understood Casita as well as her Abuela and mother. She had leaned heavily on Casita’s support, as it really was her best friend. Then Casita died and it was her fault. Isabela nudged her out of her thoughts.

“Hey, you in there?” she asked when Mira had not responded to her question.

“Yeah, Mira. You okay, you went all glassy eyed on us.”

“Sorry, guess I was daydreaming again,” she said, blinking back tears.

“Uh, no,” Isa said, “You’re upset about something.”

“Yeah, spill it, hermanita.” Luisa said.

“Can we talk about this after mass?” she asked, looking down at the street.

Her sisters exchanged worried looks, and each took one of her hands that she had not realized she had knotted up in front of herself.

“After mass,” Isa said gently.

“And don’t think we are going to forget about it,” Luisa added.

Mirabel nodded, relieved she wouldn’t have to explain that. Well, at least not right away. To distract herself, she looked around at the townsfolk and realized they were all watching their little group. There were murmurs from some of the closest. She glanced at Dolores, who was frowning. Mariano noticed too, but he did not have any experience having Dolores as a girlfriend with her Gift. Dating anyone could be stressful, but dating someone with magically enhanced hearing was gonna be the real challenge. She just hoped he would deal with it as well as her Tío and Father had. To his credit, Mariano took note and patted the arm she had looped in his. He did not know why she was unhappy in that moment, but it was clear he was concerned for Dolores. Dolores looked up at him and seemed to grip his arm a little tighter, relying on his support. It was then that Mariano proved to Mirabel that he was more than just a big dumb hunk. He must have figured out what Dolores was reacting to because he gave an uncharacteristically withering glance at the crowd around them and people actually stopped talking.

The priest, Señor Flores, was on the steps of the church, welcoming the parishioners as they arrived. As the whole Madrigal family moved past him, he smiled even more broadly. He no longer wore the toupee of years past, choosing instead to wear a biretta with his vestments. Her Tío Bruno gave him the barest of nods as he continued forward with his mother on his arm.

Mirabel and her sisters were sitting in the pew, with her father behind Abuela and Tío Bruno. Her Mom and Tía Pepa were sitting on either side of them. Tío Félix, Dolores, Camilo, and Antonio were in the pew behind with the Guzmán’s. The church itself was not large enough for all the folks that wanted to attend that Friday afternoon service. The vestibule was full, and the doors had been left open for those still outside. The Mass itself was pretty standard stuff, it was the announcement at the end that caused the stir.

As Señor Flores looked at Abuela, she nodded, and he began as he raised his hands skyward and said for even those in the street to hear; “Please join me in wishing the most blessed of birthdays to Julieta, Pepa and Bruno Madrigal. Feliz cumpleaños Julieta! Feliz cumpleaños Pepa! Feliz cumpleaños Bruno!” The crowd readily joined in, but there was a noticeable drop in participation when it came to her Tío. “My fellow parishioners, as most of you are aware, the Madrigal Family has had their miracle and magic restored to them through the grace of God.” There were murmurs from the congregants as he continued, “However,” he paused and waited for the quiet to return. “Some changes are to be expected, and the family asks that you keep your requests to yourselves at this time. Please bring any, and all, needs to any of the members of the Town Council. A meeting will be held here later this week, the time and date for which has not been set.” And before anyone could protest, he said, “Please bow your heads and receive the Lord’s Blessing…”

Mirabel craned her head around and saw Mariano take his hands down from Dolores’s hands that she had covering her ears. Camilo was giving Mariano an appraising look, as if deciding whether this person was worthy of his sister. Antonio was scrunched down also covering his ears, he had never been a fan of loud people and Camilo pulled him closer to help calm him. Isa elbowed her and Mirabel remembered where she was, and she quickly faced forward and lowered her head.

_______________________________

Isa nudged Mirabel, who was craning her neck looking at Dolores and Mariano.  Mirabel faced front and blushed as she lowered her head for the blessing. Isa was about to do the same when she caught sight of her mother and Tía Pepa’s look exchange. She could not see what they were seeing, but it probably had something to do with Tío Bruno or Abuela. She could see the sadness in her mother’s face that just as quickly was hidden away. She had never wondered very much about her mother’s upbringing, but now…Isa decided it would be better to care about that later, and she too lowered her head.

_______________________________

Dolores covered her ears and closed her eyes to better shut out the shouts of the parishioners wishing the triplets a happy birthday. She felt hands, she assumed were Mariano’s, covering hers and opened her eyes in time to see Mira face front and lower her head for the Blessing. She moved her hands slightly, and Mariano took his hands away. She had been worried how he would react to her Gift, worried it would be too much for him. Of course, it had only been less than a day but so far, so good. She smiled up at him to show her appreciation, and he smiled back.  Oh, what that smile did to her brain.

As she too lowered her head for the Blessing, she looked at the back of Mirabel’s lowered head and wondered how much of what was happening with the Miracle and Casita was due to her prima. When Casita fell, the silence at first was deafening, and it took time to adjust to the change. When it came back, she was genuinely afraid. But since the night, even before she had opened her door, she noticed her enhanced hearing was easier to shut down, easier to modulate. It was a welcome relief to say the least. Something she had wished for since she was five.

While she had never spent a great deal of time with Mirabel, whenever they were together, Mirabel would notice when she wanted to be left alone and would even go as far as to distract people away from her. Like her darling brother. Ah Camilo, he was growing up so fast. She paused in her thinking, ‘You sound like your Mamá.’  

_______________________________

Julieta looked past her mother’s bowed head at Bruno and Pepa. He was looking straight ahead, face blank. Pepa turned and caught her eye and looked meaningfully at Bruno’s hands. Julieta leaned slightly forward, and when she saw the rosary there, she blinked. That should not exist. But there it was.

She clearly remembered the day four-year-old Bruno had finished it. He had spent more than a week working on it and had been so proud of it. She thought of their mother, how she had praised his piety with much love and kisses when he had given it to her for her birthday. But Julieta also held the memory of the day she, Pepa and twenty-year-old Bruno sat on the roof of Casita as he carefully, almost methodically took it apart. He had likely been up there for hours before Pepa came to get her in the kitchen. They climbed and sat on either side of Bruno while he worked. Ignoring them while mumbling; ‘Sana, sana colita de rana. Dame un besito para hoy y mañana’ the bitterness in his voice was palpable.

Their mother and Bruno were, more often than not, at odds with one another. Over the years, as a sort of punishment, their mother would ask Casita to shift his room to the tower. She knew that he hated that more than anything else. Each time he had relented and conformed to her wishes. Bruno’s room had moved no less than four times in the past six months, but this time, he flat out refused to do any more visions. So, it was this day his room moved permanently from the hall to the tower. To seal it, their mother had Casita move her own room between hers and Pepa’s.

She had banished him in his own home.

His hands were shaking now, and several of the beads he had spent hours removing bounced down Casita’s tiled roof. He watched them fall and became frustrated when several others bounced after them. She had wondered how he had gotten a hold of it. Obviously, he had entered their mother’s rooms and taken it back. Now he pulled the next one off and crushed the tiny clay rosette with one of Casita’s tiles and watched the wind blow it away from him. Pepa’s cloud started to drizzle, and she was stroking her braid in a vain attempt to make it stop.

Bruno looked at what remained and frowned. The anger in his face was clear, and Julieta thought he looked more like the image on his door than ever before. He had let his hair grow long, and he was angry most of the time. Pepa thought he did it to stop everyone telling him how much he resembled his father, and in the same breath tell him how much he was not like him at all. Bruno continued now with much less care as he crushed several more until only the wooden crucifix remained. He lifted the tile to bash that as well, but Pepa took the tile he had raised and Juli told him it was enough.

“It will never be enough Juli and I don’t know why you two can’t see that,” Bruno said barely above a whisper. He looked over the edge and got up, “I could jump…” he did not finish the thought as Pepa’s shower intensified. Bruno sighed, and his face softened back to the Bruno they were used to. He looked at Pepa and said with a small smile, “Just kidding Pep… I gotta go.”

He left then, and Pepa hugged the tile before putting it down. Casita bounced it back into place, and Julieta picked up the small cross. Pepa’s rain stopped, and Julieta finally felt the tears that were slipping down her face. He wasn’t kidding. She put the cross in her apron pocket and she and her sister made their way off the roof. They stood together looking up that staircase that led to the tower, aware that their brother’s door was wavering and Julieta feared Bruno would run away and leave them behind. She knew that if he ever did, she would not fault him for it, she refused to. Worse than that, she knew that she wanted to leave too.

Julieta was jolted back to the present when the organ began playing to announce the end of Mass. Bruno had already stashed the rosary away, and everyone stood to leave. The Blessing was over, so the Priest and altar boys processed to the back of the church. The mass of people standing in the vestibule and the steps parted for them and the altar boy took up positions on either side. The Madrigals, as a whole, made their way to the exit. Abuela stopped and thanked Señor Flores for the wonderful service. She rejoined Señora Guzmán, and together they walked toward her home without a backward glance. Dolores and Mariano headed in the opposite direction. Pepa watched them go with a look of sadness, and a wispy cloud formed over her.

“You alright there, hermana?” Bruno asked.

The cloud above her head turned darker for a moment, but then quite abruptly vanished as Félix came up behind them. “I’m good, Bruno.”

He nodded and turned to Julieta, “Well, I’m off to do… something.”

“You could help with the dishes,” Julieta said with a tilt of her head.

“I could, but that would be unlike me,” Bruno replied as if that should be obvious.

Julieta smiled at him, “Oh, I almost forgot,” she said as Agustín handed her a small, wrapped package. “I made these for you this morning.” She passed it to him and added, “Each one tastes different, so please let me know which you like best.”

Bruno took it and hefted it. “I will do that. See you guys later,” he said, and walked away in the direction of the mountain split.

Agustín turned her around and put his head against hers and said, “You will not be doing dishes, mi amor.” And he looked meaningfully at his daughters, who were standing nearby.

“But…”

“They are three capable young women, and besides, they already volunteered.”

“Oh, then what-” she stopped when she caught the look in his eye. “More sandwiches then?” she asked with a shy smile.

“Definitely,” he said as he took her hand and guided her away from the church.

_______________________________

Pepa curled her arm into her husband’s, and she watched her siblings wander away. Looking back, she noticed Antonio all but falling asleep in Camilo’s arms. Félix went over and took him. Antonio seemed to wake up for a moment, then was right back asleep.

“So, if you don’t need me for anything right now…” Camilo said hesitantly.

“You could help with the dishes,” Pepa said with a tilt of her head.

Camilo shifted to his Tío Bruno and replied, “I could, but that would be unlike me.”  

“Honestly…”

Camilo shifted back to himself and added, “There is something I need to talk to Mira about…for my show.”

In all the excitement yesterday, she had forgotten about that. Isa was giving him a look, but Luisa said, “We’ve got it covered, Tía.” Isa shifted her look from Camilo to her, and Luisa just smiled as she turned Isabela toward the Casita. “See you later Mira, let’s go Sis, the sooner we get there the sooner we’ll be done.”

Mira looked askance at Camilo. Clearly, she had no idea what he was going on about, but Camilo was looking meaningfully over at a group of kids their age, then back at Mirabel, and she said softly, “Oh yeah.”  Camilo waved her over and Mira, now bereft of her sisters, left with Camilo for the other side of the plaza.

“Well, it appears the decision has already been made,” Pepa said to Félix, watching them go.

“It’s good they can have some fun away from the old fogies.”

“Who you calling old…” there was a roll of thunder and Félix said, “Juli and Gus, obviously.”

Pepa quirked a smile and they both looked around when they heard startled shouts. Parce was carefully padding his way through the crowd, and a few of the nearby townsfolk were reacting to the jaguar like he would eat them on the spot. The only way something like that would happen is if someone were silly enough to try to hurt Antonio. Pepa looked at her sleeping baby in her husband’s arms and shooed away the small thunderhead. Parce nudged her and Félix gently, she sighed and said, “Félix, let’s get him home before someone does something foolish.” And together they headed up the path toward Casita.