Chapter Text
Alma Madrigal is a proud woman, with the right posture and a strict look. And that is why no one could have imagined that she would find herself in this position, standing in this damn river where she lost her husband so many years ago, surrounded by golden butterflies hugging her granddaughter with tears in her eyes.Her whole life she was trying to correct the imperfection of this family, which honestly...was never meant to be perfect.
"I'm taking you home abuela," Mirabel whispered, moving to look at her abuela, who just nodded, smiling at the girl.
Mirabel kindly helped her out of the cold water when they were interrupted by a voice.
"She didn't do this!" A horse jumped out of the bushes and there was...Bruno! She hadn't seen him in so long.
“She didn’t do this!” He continued,“I gave her a vision!” He tangled in the reins of the horse as he descended as she just froze watching her son approach her.
"I told her to go! She just wanted to help! But if you're so stubborn..." the shock his face was clear as his mother flew towards him hugging him.
"Brunito..." she almost cried of happiness. "I think I missed something important," he said, while to an even greater surprise Alma kissed him on the cheek and took his hand and led him to Mirabel who was waiting for them on horseback.While he was stuttering again, stuttering, "What's going on? Where are we going?"
“Home.” Mirabel sighed, taking the reins in her hands as they rode away. And yet, unaware of the number of golden butterflies surrounding the water behind them again that began to sparkle strangely.
They traveled for several minutes until the sounds of people desperately shouting met them.
"They...everyone wanted to find me?" She said, dismounting as she looked at the ruins of the caste that people had left behind to tease her. Alma slowly got off her horse with the help of her son.
"Of course kid, what would we be without you," said her tío Bruno.
Mirabel smiled as her grandmother approached her and kissed her on the cheek. They continued to walk as people began to notice them.
“Mirabel!” Julieta shouted as she ran to hug her daughter who was walking towards her.
"Oh miha, we were so worried. Where are you ..." Augustine said as he opened his jaw wide to see Bruno and Alma walking slowly behind Mirabel.
"Mom..." Pepa whispered.
Alma smiled sadly and pointed to her son, who smiled uncomfortably as the sisters ran to him and hugged him for the first time in ten years.
"My..." she paused, looking away to hide her tears as a small pair of golden wings distracted her.
"Our children Pedro...finally together" she smiled sadly turning once more as she habitually reached out to catch the ends of her scarf when she realized it was gone.
"Dios mio, I forgot it by the river."
She turned ready to leave when Bruno called her, obviously upset as he ran awkwardly towards her.
"Mom!"
He almost tripped over his ruan as he grabbed her shoulder stopping her.
"Whe-Where are you going?"
Seeing the concern in his face made her breath stop.
She was a heartbroken.
Did he think she would leave him again?Again...she should never have let that happen, and the second time she wouldn't have endured it. How could she ever think he didn't care about his family? How did she not realize how much she was wrong...how?That would remain a question forever.
She mentally pushed those thoughts away as she continued to listen as he happily spoke excitedly to share it with her.
"I hugged Juliet and...and Pep forgave me! And..an .."
She touched him slowly on the cheek as he was frightened as if he would now wake up from this dream again in his dusty armchair so far and yet so close to the family...of his progenitor.
But luckily he was wrong,his beloved mother's warm hand rest on his skin once more as he wanted to cry from happiness by mechanically getting closer.
"It's a beautiful mijo, but now I really have to go back for the scarf it's getting dark. Stay with the sisters and I'll be back soon," she said, kissing him on the cheek once more.
She watched him leave as tears began to gather in the corners of her eyes once more. "Ah Brunito... I hope you will really forgive me one day."
She sighed and wiped away the tears thinking It's okay, you'll go there, take the scarf, come back and you'll fix everything!As you're tangled up, you're going to untangle everything.
Her leg was ready for a new step when suddenly something crashed into her. She was about to teach a naughty child or teenager a lesson about running when she felt her arms around her.
"I love you mom"
She smiled.
"I love you too Brunito ..." the word remained on her lips when she realized that she had gone to rebuke him again. Why did she even want to say that! She loved hugs. She loved hugs from her children. She loved to hug her children ...When was the last time she did that?
"...me too."
He smiled and turned slowly back.She waved at him as tears streamed down her cheek.
Not often enough,was the answer...not enough.
She turned and walked slowly toward the river as thoughts occupied her mind.
How was I so blind? I let the flame of the candle burn stronger than my love for family. I neglected them, I neglected the real miracle because of a few gifts.
I disappointed the love of my life.Pedro would be so ashamed of me when he saw what I had turned into.When he saw how I misinterpreted his victim.How I treated his own son as an enemy of the family.
Bruno tried so hard to please everyone, but his gift was unpredictable and was slowly changing him.When did his curious spirit become frightened and insecure, when at every whisper and strange sight in the village he jumped up and hid behind it?
When did SHE let that happen? She didn't know...
She didn't even know when she started yelling at Pepa who was just expressing her emotions. She taught her to pull herself together and nervously rub the braid convincing herself that she was fine as she mumbled a well-known sentence trying to calm down.
And her oldest, Julieta. She has had so much
responsibility since she was ten that it has become commonplace over time. She ignored her black curls of hair that were slowly turning gray from day-night cooking for someone who couldn'tput bandaid on his stupid finger with a paper cut!
She was not kind to her grandchildren either.
Isabela wanted real life not perfect you wanted to herself!She was so obsessed with that,that she didn't notice a fake smile every time she approached her just to straighten her shoulders.
Luisa,on the other hand, never needed it. She always had a proud demeanor, giving off a look of fearlessness, refusing any help as she prayed to herself that someone would take the pressure off her back.
With the high goals she set for them,there was Mirabel that she neglected the most. She made her grow up believing she wasn't special as she struggled to prove otherwise.While she was the one who saw them as more than just their gifts.
The gift of hearing was not easy either, but her
granddaughter handled it well, even though she may have asked too much of it from her. Hearing about things that weren't very nice hurt the girl so much that she cried all the time.
Her brother used to try to cheer her up, but in vain. She kept telling him to change to something "more useful" and now she understood why it was a mistake. Always a lively and funny member of the family Camilo,sometimes didn't know who he was.
And her youngest Antonio, he was so happy when he got his gift, and for the first thing he did for her, she told him that he would find a better use.
"Better?" For God's sake Alma! Your grandson liked his gift and wanted to do something nice for you! Why didn't you appreciate it ?! Why did you let yourself be the one to hurt your family?
She was supposed to protect them from everything, but she couldn't protect them from herself...
"Was I that bad?"
She asked a question whose answer she feared deep down.
With a little thought, she kicked the stone in her path. When did she become so stiff and stern?
Suddenly, a golden butterfly flew past her, diverting her thoughts from it. He circled around her until she laughed and held out the hand he landed on.
"Well, hello to you too, little friend."
He fluttered his wings a few times as if in retaliation as he flew away and landed next to her scarf.
"Ah, that's where I put you down." She approached him and bent down to pick him up. "Thank you," she said kindly, and as soon as she picked it up the butterfly flew away from her sight.
"Alma years don't go easy on you, you started talking to insects." She was getting ready to get up and for a moment she saw her reflection. Her smile immediately dropped when she noticed the red color blurring the water in front of her. She raised her head and saw what made her scream for the first time in fifty years.