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Warning.
No warnings for this chapter.

If you'd like to skip the smut skip when you see rats.

︵‿୨ - November 1 1950 - ୧‿︵

  Mirabel rocked too and fro on her toes a moment before knocking again.

  Nothing.

  “Vaya.” It couldn’t be helped, she supposed. Bruno’s room was enormous, it wouldn’t be shocking if he couldn’t hear her. Abuela had asked her to go talk to him. It had been like this since her tío returned to the family. Whenever conversations between the two of them were uncomfortable Mirabel would inevitably become the middleman. Middlewoman? Nonetheless, she figured it would be better to try and get this over with now rather than later.
  She nudged the wooden door with Bruno’s likeness open just a crack. The small entryway echoed with the sound of falling sand. She called out tentatively.

  “Tío Bruno?”

  Only the soft echo of sand replied.

  Mirabel tip-toed gently inside, closing the door behind her and calling out a bit louder.

  “Tío Bruno! Abuela wanted me to talk to you!”

  Mirabel took a deep breath knowing this wasn’t going to be a fun conversation. The fact she was barging into his room unannounced was likely not going to help. She’d tried asking Casita to get her uncle's attention for her, but Casita still had very little control over this room's interior. She tapped on the wall by the curtain of sand like her uncle had taught her and watched the curtain part just enough for her to pass through. Her shoes tapped softly on the metal grate that caught the curtain before padding down creaky wooden stairs to round tile floor. The base of the tower was still a bit empty, but it was cleaner now, so that was something. Looking at the tall winding stairs made her momentarily grateful she never got a room of her own. The thought of scaling this tower every day sounded like a nightmare. Bruno seemed unphased by it though. Man must have had legs of steel. At least she didn’t have to make it to the top this time. Her uncle’s bedroom was only halfway up.
  She eyed the stairs and counted the flights she’d have to scale.

  “This is gonna take a while.” She sighed.

  Twenty minutes of climbing and her breath was getting short. She did her best not to let the frustration get to her, but could feel the complaints escaping her mouth in breathy grumbles.

  “Great way to scare away the visitors, huh?”

  Mirabel stopped for a second to catch her breath when a familiar sound caught her attention. It was Tío Bruno, he was talking to himself, sort of.

  “Carlos, what are you saying?” It was a squeaky falsetto, but unmistakably her tío’s voice.

  “We can’t keep doing this, Juanita. Think of what it will do to the family!” Came a gruffer equally exaggerated declaration.

  “Tío!” Mirabel called up, a bit more annoyed than she intended. She trotted up a couple more steps to her tío’s bedroom.

  Bruno stood awkwardly hunched over a small table with a couple of his rats in hand and stared wide-eyed for a moment. Her tío was a strange man with strange hobbies. At first, she had assumed it was just the isolation talking. The more time she spent with him the more she started to suspect he was just naturally a bit…off.

  “Oh, hey Mirabel.” He smiled awkwardly. “I was just, you know,” he set the rats down and wrung his hands together before awkwardly gesturing towards the cardboard sets he’d built for them, “Just watching mis novelas He chuckled.

  “You’re still doing those?” Mirabel asked skeptically and she invited herself into his space and began eyeing his chair greedily.

  “You can sit if you want.” Bruno nodded to his chair as he noticed the sweat on his sobrina's brow.

  “Gracias a Dios.” She gasped as she flopped down in his seat. It was warm. The chair was old but seemed to have been repaired since the last time she was in his room. Bruno’s old poncho was draped over the back of it. Rather neatly, as though he hadn’t touched it in a while.

  “You know we can get you a real television. You could watch real telenovelas.” Mirabel reminded him playfully.

  “I know,” He whined, “But, we have fun with it.” He turned to Carlos and Jaunita, the stars of the show. “We have fun right chicos?”

  Juanita merely blinked up at him while Carlos began grooming under his foreleg. Or perhaps it was the other way around. Mirabel has a hard time telling the small furry creatures apart.

  “Yeah, you guys get it.” He smiled as he picked up Juanita and scratched lovingly under her chin.

  Mirabel sucked in her lips and drummed the arms of the chair as she thought. Her tío needed more human friends. That was a given. Unfortunately, she kind of doubted he’d be inclined to make many after what she was about to say next. The topic had come up at more than one town meeting now and she was hearing the same question from folks on the street. Abuela didn’t want to ask because she knew her son was still sensitive. Maybe this was Mirabel’s gift this whole time. Being the only person who could just say things outright.

  “Folks in town are starting to ask about you.” Mirabel announced.

  Bruno put Juanita down. “That so?” He replied nervously. He didn’t turn to face her. She could see the ruana she’d made for him pull tight around his shoulders as he tugged the front closed.

  “Yeah.” She replied gently as she leaned forward. She rested her elbows on her knees and tilted her head to the side. She tried to get a glimpse at his face. “People are wondering when you’re going to start doing visions again.” She said matter of factly.

  Bruno mumbled something and looked down. She could tell he was still fidgeting with his ruana.

  “Could you speak up a bit?” She asked as sweetly as she could.

  “Never…” He muttered a bit louder. Shooting a brief glance back that passed by in a flurry of mad curls.

  “Jamás de los jamases?” Mirabel tried to sound playful and kind. She knew this was a big ask and truthfully she wasn’t sure it was a fair thing to ask of him.

  “No!” He snapped as he spun around before recoiling and saying again with less conviction, “No, no...”

  He paced the small space anxiously ringing the embroidered fabric around his neck. He tugged so vigorously she almost worried the stitching would come loose. “I’m not going back to that.” He said fearfully, “ I can’t,” unsure, “I won’t.” angry.
  His pacing continued to get more frantic. She could see him spiraling downward. She stood up to go steady him. Placing her hands on his shoulders she held him gently as she could.

  “Tío, respira.”

  Bruno loosened his grip on his ruana and took a deep breath in, then out. She could feel his shoulders relax a bit under her grip. He looked in her eyes and she regretted asking. There was so much sadness in those eyes. This profound heartache that she could feel in every muscle.

  “I-I can’t go back to that life.” He said sadly before looking down at his feet and sneering bitterly. “Me niego a ser el chivo expiatorio de el pueblo otra ves.”

  “I understand.”

  Her tío pulled loose from her and continued to complain as he paced over to his bed. His hands dropped down to his side and his body relaxed however which reassured Mirabel. He sat down on the bed slouching forward and resting his cheek in one hand as he gesticulated with the other.

  “No one wants to hear what I have to say. People always think they do, but they don’t.” He waved his free hand dismissively. He wasn’t looking at Mirabel really. He seemed to stare off into space as if lost in his own thoughts.

  Mirabel sat on the bed next to him, inching closer till he snapped out of his irritated trance to look at her. She snuggled her head under his arm forcing him upright.

  He smiled.

  “It’s ok Tío. No one was going to force you. I know I was stubborn before.”

  Bruno wrapped his arm around her and put his hand on hers. “It’s ok Mija. You had good reason to be.”

  “Besides.” He said waving his hand enthusiastically. “It was a crisis! What was I supposed to do? Not help in a crisis?” His playful inflection let her know he’d be alright. “I could never do that.”

  “Perdón por pedirte. Abuela wanted an answer for people so they’d stop asking.”

  “Así que te mandó a comerte el garrón, eh?” Bruno quirked an eyebrow and Mirabel let out a little half laugh.

  Mirabel was about to think of a witty retort when hurried petite footsteps could be heard rushing up the steps. The disruption caught Bruno’s attention too as they both turned to see who the sound belonged to. Dolores stood panting in the doorway. Her delicate fingers brushed against the stone frame for support as she tried to catch her breath. Her brown eyes were wide as dinner plates.

  “Are you ok? Is something wrong?” Mirabel was sincerely worried as she stood up to go support her prima. Dolores however flew right past Mirabel whose supportive arms swung through the empty air.

  “Por favor, por favor, por favor, tell me what happens next?!” She pleaded as she invaded Bruno’s personal space. She gripped at her dress desperately and leaned in close to his face.

  Bruno was noticeably taken aback. “Cómo?”

  “Are they breaking up or not?! They’ve been putting off this conversation for three years, Tío Bruno! Three years!”

  An awkward though rather charmed smile tugged at his lips. “You mean Juanita and Carlos?” He asked.

  “Of course, Juanita and Carlos!” Dolores replied irritably as if she assumed it was obvious.

  Mirabel groaned audibly and her tío laughed.

  “That’s what this is about? I thought something serious had happened, but no you ran all this way just to ask about his novelas de ratas?” She chastised.

  Mirabel crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks. Bruno’s face lit up.

  “You’re a fan of my telenovelas?” He beamed in disbelief.

  Dolores seemed to become more aware of herself again and returned to her usually quiet demeanor. The silliness of it all seeming to dawn on her. She clasped her hands bashfully in front of her chest. “I’ve been listening to them for years.” She admitted.

  Dolores fiddled with her delicately manicured nails and looked down at her hands shyly. “I always liked your stories.”

  “That’s really sweet of you mija.” Bruno smiled before a sudden look of realization dawned on him. “Wait… how long have you been listening to mis novelas?”

  Mirabel cut him off before Dolores could elaborate. “I still can’t believe you knew he was here this whole time and didn’t say anything.” She complained.

  Dolores's eyes flicked back to Mirabel beneath thick eyelashes though she didn’t turn around. “With a gift like mine, you learn a lot of things that are better left unsaid. If tío didn’t want to be found I trusted he had a good reason.”

  “Sure didn’t trust me.” Mirabel’s blood boiled a bit. Perhaps she was tired from all the stairs but the thought of that horrible dinner still filled her with stress and frustration.

  “Mirabel.” Bruno soothed.

  “Bruno can hide in the walls for years like el rey rata but you can’t just talk to me before blabbing to the whole family.” Mirabel chastised her cousin. Dolores looked like she might have said something before their tío intervened.

  “Mirabel, that’s enough.” He asserted as he rose to his feet.

  Mirabel looked down at the floor.

  “What’s done is done. Everything worked out in the end right?”

  Mirabel sighed. “Yeah I guess.”

  “Then just leave it for now alright?” He asked as he put one hand on her shoulder and the other on Dolores. He looked her in the eye and she could tell he didn’t like seeing his sobrinas argue. For his sake, she agreed to let it go. Mirabel still shot Dolores a look only to receive a shrug and a small squeak.

  Dolores looked back up at Bruno. “So do you think they can make it work?” She asked him pleadingly.

  “Well, it’s complicated.” He replied as he launched into a tangent about plans for future plotlines only to have Dolores cover her ears. Bruno stopped, surprised by the sudden gesture.

  “No lo estropees.” She insisted and thier tío laughed.

  It got Mirabel thinking. Bruno seemed pretty pleased to find he had a fan. He liked talking about his stories. He was obviously a creative person. He was funny and compassionate. Folks in the village only ever talked about his powers. It was all they ever seemed to see. She needed some way for the rest of the town to see him the way she did. She just might have had an idea.

  Mirabel crept quietly back out onto the stairs as her tío recited the rest of the “episode” he’d been performing to Dolores. She needed to work quickly if she wanted to get everyone on board before the night was out.

︵‿୨ -❇- ୧‿︵

  After another twenty-minute descent and a quick snack break in the kitchen, she went to talk to Antonio. He was still little and went to bed early though he’d likely take the least convincing. His skill with animals would no doubt be a big help. She asked Luisa about her new woodworking hobby and if she might be willing to do something fun with it. Camilo laughed at her proposal but said it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard and simply had to be involved.

  Mirabel hesitated at her sister's door for a moment. They’d been getting along a lot better since Isabela opened up but she still wasn’t sure if she’d be interested in something so silly. Not to mention she knew she wasn’t the biggest fan of rats. Eventually, Mirabel worked up the courage to knock and Isabella answered with some surprise.

  “Is there something you need?” She asked, considerably less irritated than would have been expected before.

  Mirabel fumbled a bit “So Tío Bruno...”

  “Yes?” Isabela replied quizzically.

  Mirabel took a breath and belted out. “So Bruno hasn’t left the house since he came back. Except he didn’t really come back since he never really left… That’s not the point. He’s still super closed off and he needs to get out more right? So I have this idea to help get him out of the house but I don’t think I can convince him to do it on my own so I thought if I got everyone in on it…” Mirabel trailed off as she watched her sister shift her weight and cross her arms thoughtfully.

  After a moment of contemplation, Isabela replied, “So what’s your plan?”

  At the dinner table, that night the kids kept exchanging knowing glances with each other. Antonio couldn’t help but snicker. Abuela seemed confused but didn’t press the issue. Mirabel was sure her mamá knew something was up. Thankfully Bruno seemed to continue obviously devouring his sister's fried plantains. Dolores shot subtle frustrated glares around the table that hushed her primas and hermanos. Thankfully Papá and Tío Félix really carried the conversation at the dinner table that night and Bruno seemed not to notice the kid's suspicious quiet too much.
  Once everyone had dispersed and the dishes had been washed and put away the kids gathered back at the table to discuss.

  “You all are terrible at keeping secrets.” Dolores flustered. She stood beside Mirabel with her arms crossed.

  “You’re one to talk.”

  Dolores cleared her throat and Mirabel rolled her eyes.

  “Right, right. Agua por debajo del puente.” She turned back to the rest of the entourage. “So everyone is clear on the plan?” She asked.

  “I suppose I can help with the decorations.” Isabela replied coolly through a playful smile threatened to escape her as she thought about what they were trying to do.

  “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make anything impressive.” Luisa worried as she rubbed at the back of her neck.

  “It’s fine Luisa. This is just for fun, so no pressure, ok?” Mirabel reminded her.

  Her middle sister smiled back softly. “Yeah, of course.” She thought for a moment. “About how big does it need to be?”

  Mirabel leaned back and crossed her arms as she thought. Sucking in her lips she tried to picture what she had in mind and compare it with the size of her tío’s rats. Before she could think of the answer Dolores drew a rectangle on the table with her finger.

  “It needs to be big enough to fit at least a few actors at once. It’s better if it’s a bit too big than too small so something like this should give us enough extra space.”

  “So, you’re in on it too then?” Mirabel clarified. She hadn’t actually explained the plan to Dolores but when they had all gathered for dinner it had been clear Dolores had heard at least one of Mirabel's many pitches.

  “Nope.” She squeaked. Mirabel was surprised given her prima's enthusiasm earlier. “I want it to be a surprise.” She clarified.

  “How are you ever surprised by anything?” Camilo griped. The mild frustration of years of ruined pranks was evident.

  “I choose what to focus on. I’ll just have to keep myself distracted while you work.”

  “So it’s decided. We’ll ask him tomorrow then?” Mirabel asked the group.

  “Sure.”

  “Yep.”

  “Sounds like fun.”

  “This is gonna be so much fun.” Antonio chirped as he bounced in his chair.

  “Tonito, go brush your teeth.” Tía Pepa called from upstairs.

  “Coming Mamá!” Antonio called back. He trilled excitedly as he hopped down from his seat. “I can’t wait for tomorrow.”

︵‿୨ - November 2 1950 - ୧‿︵

  The next day at school dragged on. Mirabel couldn’t help but sketch out some patterns in her notebook. Camilo snickered when the teacher pulled her notebook away and she had to explain that she was designing dresses for rats. The whole class had a laugh and Camilo couldn’t stop smiling ear to ear. Mirabel was usually a good student. Thankfully the teacher returned her drawings with a very confused warning.
  After class let out there were chores to do of course. Formerly agreed to obligations around town. Though the workload for the Madrigal children had eased up considerably since Castia had been rebuilt which left a lot more time at the end of the day for recreation. One by one they finished their tasks for the day and gathered outside their tío's door. Camilo couldn’t stop grinning mischievously. Antonio bounced up and down though he tried to resist the urge. Luisa seemed confident while Isabela still seemed a bit skeptical. Mirabel gave the door a knock and hoped her tío wasn’t too distracted to notice.

  “Ready guys?”

  “Let’s do it.” Luisa and Antonio chimed.

  “He’s not gonna go for it.” Isabela maligned.

  “I think it’s worth a shot.” Camilo replied.

  “Only because you wanna make fun of him.” Isabela glared.

  Camilo morphed into a tiny Isabela and fluttered his exaggerated eyelashes. “Who me? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Come on Camilo, we're doing this for Tío Bruno. This isn’t a prank, it's supposed to be fun for him too.”

  Camilo returned to his normal height and grumbled. “My pranks are fun.”

  Dolores stopped and listened a moment as she passed by the narrow hallway cluttered with Madrigals.

  “He’s heading downstairs.” She squeaked and fluttered off so as not to entangle herself too deeply in their mischief.

  Mirabel crossed her fingers and smiled. The excitement waned a bit however as she considered it may take a minute for him to reach the door. After a few awkward minutes of silence, she knocked again and pressed her ear to the door.

  “Vengo, vengo!” She heard echo off the walls of the tower.

  She tried to listen for his footsteps and heard the sand curtain part. She was too slow to react however and nearly fell over the threshold when her tío finally opened the door. In hindsight that was fairly quick given how many steps there were. Bruno may have been scrawny but he was surprisingly quick when he wanted to be.

  Bruno looked down at the gaggle of youngsters and cocked an eyebrow. “Is this some kind of intervention?” He inquired.

  Mirabel hopped to her feet, took a crate from Luisa and slammed it down in the entryway. She stood atop it and excitedly announced.

  “Tablas!”

  “Uh…” He leaned back.

  “It was Mirabel’s idea!” Antonio squealed excitedly and he ran to tug on Bruno’s hand.

  “Tablas?” He asked looking down at Antonio and back at Mirabel.

  “Mi hermana’s a big fan of your dumb novelas de ratas and we want in.” Camilo clarified, though he really didn’t explain anything.

  “They’re not dumb.” Mirabel reprimanded shooting daggers back at Camilo. She stood upright and brushed her hair back with both hands.

  “We thought it might be fun,” Mirabel explained. “If maybe you could take your rats out to town square and put on a little show. You know, something silly for the kids. We could help you put it together. Luisa agreed to make you a little theater and Camilo can help with voices. Isabela and I are gonna work on costumes and sets…”

  Bruno pulled back a moment and stopped her. “Perdona?” He screwed his face up a moment and rubbed at the back of his neck as he tried to process what his niece had just proposed.

  “You want me.” He said slowly. “To do my telenovelas. In public. Where other people can see me?”

  “Yes. That is what I said. That is correct.” Mirabel replied as her resolve began to falter.

  Bruno chuckled awkwardly, “Well that’s certainly an idea isn’t it.” He stood on tiptoe to peer over the kids towards the kitchen. “You know I think Beatrice could use some fresh water. I should go get her a clean saucer.” He pointed with his hand pulled close to his chest and began to push past the kids.

  “I told you.” Isabela whined.

  “Sé bueno con tu hermana.” Bruno called back as he scurried down the hall.

  “Come on Tío Bruno, it'll be fun.” Mirabel pleaded. Trotting along behind him.

  Bruno hopped down the stairs skipping steps and putting space between himself and the small army of his sisters' children.

  “We have a very different definition of fun mija.” He chuckled awkwardly, speed walking into the kitchen. Mirabel was persistent.

  Bruno never left Casita and barely left his room most days. He needed something to break him out of his shell and what better way than to show off his talents doing something he loved? He was anxious about people and she understood that but any reputation would be better than bad luck Bruno.

  “Tío.” She breathed as Castia caught her with the kitchen tiles before she could fumble her stop. Bruno reached up for a saucer. “I really think people will enjoy it. You could finally be known for something other than your visions.”

  Bruno looked back at her as he struggled to reach the high shelf. Casita seemed to be pulling it just out of reach to redirect his attention. “No one wants to hear my dumb stories, Mirabel.” He said dismissively before glaring at the disobedient wall fixture.

  Isabela elbowed Camilo harshly in the ribs as the crew caught up with them. Luisa came over and pulled down the small saucer Bruno had been reaching for.

  “Gracias.” He replied.

  “I remember the stories you used to tell us when we were little.” Luisa said, gesturing toward Isabela. “You always seemed to be having so much fun. I bet other kids would love to hear your stories.”

  Bruno looked to his older sobrinas as he gripped the saucer thoughtfully. Mirabel watched him attentively as he thought. “I dunno niños. I’m not sure other people would find mis ratas as endearing as I do.” He replied as he reached for the faucet.

  “That’s too bad.” Antonio looked down at the floor. “I was really looking forward to practicing with them.”

  The disappointment in Antonio’s voice made Bruno flinch. His tiny sobrinito who had never had a chance to know him but still showed him unconditional kindness. Bruno’s hand recoiled from the faucet. He set the saucer down and rested his weight against the countertop. His head hung low for a moment as he thought. Mirabel’s breath caught in her chest as she watched him think. It was a very silly idea and his reaction had made her second-guess herself. She had sincerely thought it would do him good. Perhaps it was cheating though, gathering up her primos and hermanas to tag team him like this.

  Bruno threw back his head and groaned. “Está bien, me tienen.” He surrendered.

  Mirabel squealed with delight before composing herself.

  “I know it’s silly but what harm could it do? Besides, if you're not having any fun we can always call it off.”

  Bruno crossed his arms and eyed her up and down skeptically.

  “Tú prometes?”

  “Lo prometo.” Mirabel assured confidently.

  Bruno fidgeted a moment before compulsively knocking on the cabinets beneath him. He crossed his fingers and puffed out his cheeks.

  “I guess we’re doing this.” He gasped out.

  “Gracias Tío, you won't regret this.” Luisa patted him gruffly on the back. “It’ll give us a chance to spend more time together. Really catch up, right Isabela?” Luisa turned to her colorful sister.

  Isabela flipped her hair. “Maybe we’ll learn what’s got Dolores so excited.”

  “I call dibs on co-writer.” Camilo chimed.

  “You did always say your real gift was acting.” Mirabel quoted Bruno’s words back to him playfully.

  “I did say that.” He whined reluctantly.

︵‿୨ -❇- ୧‿︵

  For the rest of the week, the group would gather in a different magical room each afternoon to work on their play.
  Camilo, true to his word, kept hovering over their Tío’s shoulder as he wrote the script. They argued over jokes and line delivery. The constant onslaught of laughter and goofy voices made it clear he was far from a nuisance. Antonio sat with them and helped explain to the rats where they wanted them to stand and how to move. Rats being rats of course only have so many gestures they can do but Bruno was no stranger to making do and always prioritized his furry friend's comfort. He seemed enraptured by the chance to hear what they had to say. Mostly they talked about food.
  Luisa worked on building the stage. Isabela and Mirabel worked together on costumes and props. She had a fun time doing arts and crafts with her sisters. It felt nice. Getting to bicker and smear glitter on each other's faces. She couldn’t remember the last time she and her sisters had just sat down to spend time together like this. Perhaps this wasn’t just for Tío. As she whittled more and more afternoons away this way Mirabel realized how much she needed this too.

  It turns out spending ten years alone gives one a lot of time to indulge in their hobbies and Bruno had a variety of artistic skills he’d dabbled in. He would get up from wherever he was situated to write, stretch, and check on each of the Madrigal children. He’d always find ways to involve himself in whatever someone was up to. Helping Luisa with some of the stage's finer details, giving advice on set pieces, or sharing his enthusiastic thoughts on the costumes. He had a way of making everyone feel like their contributions were appreciated.
  Dolores would always come and collect them for dinner. All the while she insisted her brother try not to spoil the plot for her. She always seemed charmed by the conversation when they set the table. News of this hair-brained scheme, of course, took no time at all to spread to the rest of the family, and suspiciously a few folks in town heard about a mysterious surprise in the plaza. Realizing he might actually have an audience certainly rattled her Tío but he wasn’t ready to call off his evenings of crafting and jokes with his sobrinos.
  Occasionally Mamá , Papá, Pepa or Félix would pop in to see what they were up to. Most seemed supportive even if Pepa took the opportunity to take potshots at her brother. Bruno never seemed bothered by Pepa’s jabs though and always shot back with little hesitation. Camilo would provide backup and his mother would storm off in a huff. Mirabel always caught him making it up to her later. Mamá seemed to be a bit put off by the concept but was nonetheless very supportive. She seemed to be happy just to see her brother being more involved with the family.

︵‿୨ - November 8 1950 - ୧‿︵

  Friday night rolled around. Thanks to Dolores a handful of folks were now expecting something come Saturday evening. Despite the nerves, Bruno still seemed to be thoroughly enjoying putting together the finishing touches with his family.
  Luisa had constructed a more sizable stage than originally planned. Bruno seemed happy with the room it freed up for rat choreography. The stage was about half the size of a bathtub and sturdy enough to support a single adult's weight. With some ingenuity from Camilo a small trap door had even been constructed in the middle to allow for some very rudimentary special effects. Isabella had made pods from her plants that could be crushed in one's hand to create colorful puffs of “smoke”. The crew were performing a dress rehearsal while Dolores was spending the evening with her novio to keep herself distracted.

  “Mirabel can you make the sleeves bigger?” Antonio pushed a little pink dress into her lap. “Juanita says it’s too tight.”

  Mirabel had drastically underestimated the difficulty of sewing clothes for rats. Small, four-legged, picky clients. She was already struggling to finish the last costume before dinner time. She sighed as she looked down at the dress.

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  The rat in Anotnio’s hand squeaked. “She says thank you.” Antonio translated sweetly before trotting over to the stage with the others once more.

  “I make no guarantees.” Mirabel called to him.

  They decided to spend the last night in Luisa's room. A sandy beach with palm trees and an inexplicable breeze that Mirabel found deeply soothing. The family had offered to build her own room when they rebuilt the Castia but she instead opted for an extension onto the nursery. When the magic returned the door to her little expansion lit up with her name. Her likeness burned into it holding la familaia's flame. She was proud of that door. The room itself was comfy, with a space for her to sew, but modest. More importantly, she was nested right beside the nursery still. She loved being there for Antonio and decided she’d rather be able to help look after any future sobrinos. With how things were going she suspected Dolores might find herself rather busy someday.
  Today she was content to sit back and watch the others as they crowded around the stage that had been set up in the gazebo. Everyone seemed to be having a blast. She was glad she could bring the family together like this.

  “Mirabel, come over. I want to show you something.” Her Tío called out to her.

  Mirabel carefully pinned the suit she was working on in place and collected her supplies in her bag before heading over. She could always finish it in her room after dinner. She may have had a late night ahead of her but it seemed like a small price.

  “Qué onda?” She asked. As she got closer she could hear stifled snickers and Bruno looked… taller?

  “Can I run a set by you mija? I’m just not really sure if this joke is gonna work.” He said with an anxious smile, tugging at his ruana.

  “Uhm, sure?” She sat down between her sisters hesitantly. Antonio couldn’t stop snickering. Something wasn’t quite right.

  Bruno’s face lit up as he excitedly began reciting an opening narration gag from behind the stage. He hovered over the top of the curtains waving his fingers and making exaggerated faces. A bit too exaggerated. Before long someone came up from behind and gave him a light swat on the back of his head.

  “Stop trying to steal my lines!” the real Bruno scolded.

  Camilo shape shifted back. “I wasn’t.” He insisted, “My impression is getting better though, right?” Camilo turned to Mirabel.

  “Oh, not even close.” Mirabel mocked as she leaned back on her hands.

  “Oh come on, that was perfect!” Isabela laughed.

  Mirabel rolled her eyes as Luisa and Antonio could no longer contain their giggles. Bruno sat down cross-legged behind the stage. He had to lean to the side so his face could be seen.

  “Still too tall.” Bruno corrected as he tested the pull cord on the curtains.

  “It’s not my fault you're so short.” Camilo grumbled.

  “Seven-foot frame.” Bruno retorted.

  Isabela laughed even harder and Camilo turned beat red.

  “Well come on! How are you supposed to be scary walking around at like five-foot-five.” Camilo whined.

  Mirabel laughed as her tío eyed his sobrino mischievously.

  “Oh, so I’m not scary enough for you?”

  “You’re not even a little spooky.” Camilo pouted. “Honestly tío you really let me down.” Camilo crossed his arms and shook his head, clicking his tongue disapprovingly.

  Mirabel stifled a giggle as she watched Bruno sneak up behind her primo. Bruno quickly rapped his fingers up Camilo's back making surprisingly believable angry rat sounds. Camilo let out a high pitch squeal as he jumped and almost tripped over the stage.

  As everyone was enjoying a laugh at poor Camilo’s expense Abuela’s voice came lofting over the breeze.

  “Dinner is ready.” She called.

  Everyone began collecting up their things. Abuela pulled up her skirt to avoid the sand and made her way over to the gazebo. Mirabel was surprised to see her actually come over to inspect their project. They’d been working on it a little over a week and she’d yet to take much interest. She watched as her adult son helped to detangle a rat from a bespoke suit and Mirabel's heart sank a little.

  Bruno had sand in his hair and rat hair on his ruana. He spoke to his tiny actors like little children. He was happy. Odd but happy. Abuela wasn’t.

  She could tell Abuela thought this whole idea was ridiculous and embarrassing. The matriarch had been doing her best not to say anything. It hurt that despite her son's joy it seemed she still struggled to look past his quirks. At least she was trying.

  “Bruno.” She commanded softly. Bruno dropped what he was doing to look up.

  He hadn’t noticed his mother’s approach and scurried to his feet. He shook the beach sand from his hair and patted fur off his clothes

  “Sí, Mamá.?” He asked nervously.

  Abuela looked down at the stage where Mirabel finished untangling Carlos the rat. Her expression was pensive as she rubbed her palms together.

  “You built this?” She asked.

  Bruno looked down at the stage. “It was more of a team effort really. Luisa did most of the woodwork.” Bruno looked like he might say more but stopped himself so as not to overwhelm his mother with his usual rambling.

  The stage wasn’t perfect. It was crude and a little uneven in places. It was, to its credit, more ambitious than originally planned. No doubt because Luisa wanted to stay involved with the production and kept looking for more work to do. She didn’t have to of course no one would have minded if she simply sat and watched and talked with the others once her part was finished.

  “It's… interesting.” Abuela replied. “And you’re going to be performing, in the plaza tomorrow?” She asked. The way she said performing sounded probably more patronizing than intended.

  Bruno pulled his ruana closed and shrunk in on himself. “Sí pues... We didn’t have a date set exactly but Dolores kind of forced our hands.” He chuckled nervously.

  “Ya veo.”

  Bruno rung the fabric in his hands. “We can always call it off. I know it’s silly and it really isn’t that important.”

  It felt like she’d been stabbed. Seeing how quickly her Tío was willing to throw out all their hard work to appease his mother. She might have been angry if she didn’t know all too well how he felt. It still hurt.

  “No, no.” Abuela replied and put a gentle hand on her son's shoulder. “I can see you’ve all been working very hard on this project. I’m just glad to hear you’ll be leaving the Casita for a bit.” Bruno seemed pleasantly surprised by her response but said nothing.

  “As long as you make sure everyone is getting their chores done and this little hobby doesn’t get in the way.”

  “Sí, sí, desde luego.” Bruno assured. He straightened up in an attempt to look more responsible.

  He paused.

  “Will you be stopping by to watch?” He asked sheepishly.

  Alma looked a little surprised by the question and did her best to let him down gently. “Oh no. I have a prior engagement tomorrow, but you have fun.”

  “Bueno.” Bruno looked down at the ground.

  Alma left to go wash up for dinner and instructed Bruno and Mirabel to do the same.

  “She’s embarrassed by me.” Bruno maligned once his mother was out of earshot.

  Mirabel stood up and dusted off her dress. “She’s not… Look, we're all still figuring things out right now.”

  She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Estará convencida. Baby steps.”

  At dinner that night the crew couldn’t help but enthuse about the upcoming performance. Abuela said very little though Mamá, Papá, Pepa, and Félix all seemed to enjoy hearing about the project. Papa and Félix especially. They’d always been a bit less uptight than Abuela and her daughters and seemed to find the whole affair quite charming.

︵‿୨ - November 11 1950 - ୧‿︵

  When Saturday rolled around people were in a hurry to get their chores done. Abuela made sure no one cut any corners. The plaza was busier than usual and some folks milled about. Curious to see what the mystery surprise they’d heard about would be. Bruno shuffled anxiously with the box of equipment in his hands.

  “I didn’t expect there to be so many people.”

  Mirabel could tell he wanted to back out. She had promised he could at any time. Mirabel was about to say something when Dolores beat her to it.

  “You’ll do wonderful.” she insisted as she hooked her arm around his.

  Bruno smiled nervously back at her. He held his breath and shifted the weight of the box so he could cross his fingers. People were starting to stare as the crowd of Madrigals flooded the space and began setting up in the middle of the plaza. Bruno sat behind the stage placing props down for the first scene while Dolores and Luisa found a comfortable place to sit. Antonio seemed to be talking with one of the actors though Mirabel knew the rest were hiding under Bruno’s ruana.
  Bruno seemed to be muttering neurotically to himself as he started setting up. Yet again Mirabel was about to take action but Antonio seemed to have it handled. He whispered something to the rat in his hands who scurried off back to their papá. Juanita, the romantic lead of their comedy of errors, scurried onto Bruno’s shoulder and nibbled at his face. This made him laugh as he cupped her in his hands and held her close to his face. The rat's affection seemed to calm him down considerably and Mirabel started to think maybe she could just sit back and enjoy the show.
  She hadn’t realized just how much responsibility she’d taken on when it came to Bruno. He was the adult, she knew it wasn’t her job to take care of him. She couldn’t help it. He gave up ten years of his life to protect her. On some level, she felt maybe a bit… responsible? Guilty?

  “You sleep alright?” Isabela’s voice broke through her trailing thoughts. Her hermana mayor sat down on the cobblestone beside her. Her hair was green today. A deliberate strip had been colored in the front. No doubt as a show of support though she’d never say as much out loud.

  Mirabel took her glasses off to clean them with her dress. “Oh fine, I was just up late last night finishing the costumes. Everyone’s worked so hard on this. I couldn’t just leave you all hanging on opening night.” She replied.

  Isabela nudged her playfully. “Don’t kill yourself over some dumb tablas de ratas.” Her sister teased. “You’re not usually so uptight.”

  “Since when did you start paying so much attention to me?” Mirabel rolled her eyes.

  “Since you're mi hermanita.” Isabela replied sweetly. She looked down at the ground a bit ashamed. She could tell her sister wasn’t proud of the way she’d treated her growing up. Unfortunately apologies didn’t come easy to her. She got that from Abuela.

  She had to hand it to Isabela. She didn’t know her sister could be so much fun to hang out with. It had been so long since they really acted like proper hermanas. “Even if this is a flop I’m glad we got to spend time together.”

  “Me too.” Isabela rested her head on her shoulder.

  Camilo apparently decided the crowd wasn’t big enough. He shape shifted into a larger man with a booming voice and flashy suit. Cane in hand to wave around for emphasis he drew in the stragglers.

  “Habitantes de El Encanto! Amigos! Vecinos! Come one, come all, to witness the debut performance of Los increíbles Madrigals en La Rata y la Hija del Quesero.”

  Bruno’s eyes looked like they’d pop out of their sockets. He glared up at his nephew with puffed cheeks. Camilo simply winked playfully at him. Bruno’s eyes darted about the gathered crowd before his head ducked back down behind the curtains.

  Mirabel started to stand up but felt a hand on her arm. “Where are you going? The show's about to start.” Isabela asked.

  Mirabel looked at her sister then back towards her uncle who’d sufficiently hidden himself behind the stage. She took a deep breath and sat back down. He’d be ok. Everything was going to be fine. Children began to huddle around on the ground in front of the stage and adults found places to sit, stand, or lean within view. Camilo settled out of his announcer persona and took a seat behind the stage with their tío.

  Mirabel’s breath caught in her throat and she found herself crossing her fingers in her lap.

  The curtain rose and a low mumble could be heard from behind the stage. The townspeople murmured amongst themselves. She could faintly make out Camilo whispering to Bruno.

  “Tu habla mas alto, they can’t hear you.”

  Bruno’s opening narration came out shaky and stiff at first. He fumbled a line or two as he pushed props onto the stage with a little wood hook that had been designed for that purpose. When the lead actors stepped out onto the stage Mirabel could hear a few disgusted sounds make their way through the crowd.

  Bruno’s narration paused for a moment and she heard Camilo give him his line.

  The narration resumed. Mirabel had to resist the urge to run back there and make sure everything was ok. But then...? The first joke of the play landed. To her surprise the crowd was sent into shocked raucous laughter. The air seemed to clear.

︵‿୨ -❇- ୧‿︵

  Bruno’s voice became clearer, more confident. He sounded like he did at their rehearsals. Once the story began proper Bruno and Camilo both would stick their heads out from either side of the stage. Accompanying their dialogue with wild faces and other comedic flourishes. Camilo would shape-shift for each character he played. He played all the female roles. Bruno voiced the narrator, the romantic lead, and the love interest's stern father.
  The story was of a pair of star-crossed lovers. Carlos in this story was a rat who’d lost his nose in a terrible fire and couldn’t smell. The rest of rat society shunned him, save for the lovely Juanita who was charmed by his many antics. Her father however was a world-famous cheese maker and would never approve of their love. Bruno preferred not to change his rat's names in his stories as it just confused them most of the time. Carlos and Juanita were obviously his favorites at the moment, though he claimed not to have favorites. As the play wore on and Bruno got more laughs from the crowd he grew louder, bolder. Camilo was a natural fit for his role being probably the only Madrigal who could keep pace with Brunos’ theatrics.
  The whole performance was very cheesy.

  Despite her worry, Mirabel had a blast along with the rest of the crowd. Mamá, Papá, Pepa, and Félix shuffled in and struggled to find room to sit as they arrived late. The play wasn’t terribly long and in the grand scheme of it, the crowd wasn’t enormous by any means. It was about as big as could be managed for such a small stage. When the story concluded there was a round of applause and Bruno and Camilo stepped out from behind the stage to take a bow. Pepa cheered the loudest. Her vibrant rainbows lighting up the growing twilight.
  Their little show had been a bigger success than anyone expected. It took no time at all however for parents to start collecting up their children and the crowd to disperse. Pepa went over to plant a kiss on her son's cheek.

  “Mis chicos.” She cooed and her brother blushed and wrung his hands together.

  Pepa gave him a sly grin. “You did good hermanito.”

  “Good, they did fantastico!” Félix cheered as he lifted up Antonio and praised the performance of the furry actors.

  “I’m amazed you kids built all this.” Papá remarked as he inspected the stage and its various moving parts. Luisa beamed as she explained to their father how she built it.

  Mamá patted a hand on Mirabel's cheek. “This was a wonderful idea mija.”

  That night marked a noticeable shift in the town and in her Tío Bruno. While Isabela and Luisa more or less went back to their own hobbies. Antonio lost interest having already taught Bruno’s rat’s more than enough stage commands. Camilo continued to write and perform with their Tío every Saturday. It began to blend into the ebb and flow of local life. The crowds were never as big as that first night, but local children would gather excitedly to settle in every Saturday evening to the playful antics of the tables de ratas. Parents would laugh as they caught passing jokes, sometimes more than the kids. People started asking about Bruno’s visions less and less. Parents would thank him as they carried off sleepy little ones who’d worn themselves out laughing. Rocco, the owner of the bar with the only working television in town, invited him over for drinks. People spoke more kindly of the man who had lived behind Casita’s walls.
  For once people were talking about Bruno, and that wasn’t a bad thing.

To Love at all is to Love Entirely: Homecoming by angelamyrose on DeviantArt <<< Previous Chapter / Next Chapter >>>

Description

Warning.
No warnings for this chapter.

If you'd like to skip the smut skip when you see rats.

︵‿୨ - November 1 1950 - ୧‿︵

  Mirabel rocked too and fro on her toes a moment before knocking again.

  Nothing.

  “Vaya.” It couldn’t be helped, she supposed. Bruno’s room was enormous, it wouldn’t be shocking if he couldn’t hear her. Abuela had asked her to go talk to him. It had been like this since her tío returned to the family. Whenever conversations between the two of them were uncomfortable Mirabel would inevitably become the middleman. Middlewoman? Nonetheless, she figured it would be better to try and get this over with now rather than later.
  She nudged the wooden door with Bruno’s likeness open just a crack. The small entryway echoed with the sound of falling sand. She called out tentatively.

  “Tío Bruno?”

  Only the soft echo of sand replied.

  Mirabel tip-toed gently inside, closing the door behind her and calling out a bit louder.

  “Tío Bruno! Abuela wanted me to talk to you!”

  Mirabel took a deep breath knowing this wasn’t going to be a fun conversation. The fact she was barging into his room unannounced was likely not going to help. She’d tried asking Casita to get her uncle's attention for her, but Casita still had very little control over this room's interior. She tapped on the wall by the curtain of sand like her uncle had taught her and watched the curtain part just enough for her to pass through. Her shoes tapped softly on the metal grate that caught the curtain before padding down creaky wooden stairs to round tile floor. The base of the tower was still a bit empty, but it was cleaner now, so that was something. Looking at the tall winding stairs made her momentarily grateful she never got a room of her own. The thought of scaling this tower every day sounded like a nightmare. Bruno seemed unphased by it though. Man must have had legs of steel. At least she didn’t have to make it to the top this time. Her uncle’s bedroom was only halfway up.
  She eyed the stairs and counted the flights she’d have to scale.

  “This is gonna take a while.” She sighed.

  Twenty minutes of climbing and her breath was getting short. She did her best not to let the frustration get to her, but could feel the complaints escaping her mouth in breathy grumbles.

  “Great way to scare away the visitors, huh?”

  Mirabel stopped for a second to catch her breath when a familiar sound caught her attention. It was Tío Bruno, he was talking to himself, sort of.

  “Carlos, what are you saying?” It was a squeaky falsetto, but unmistakably her tío’s voice.

  “We can’t keep doing this, Juanita. Think of what it will do to the family!” Came a gruffer equally exaggerated declaration.

  “Tío!” Mirabel called up, a bit more annoyed than she intended. She trotted up a couple more steps to her tío’s bedroom.

  Bruno stood awkwardly hunched over a small table with a couple of his rats in hand and stared wide-eyed for a moment. Her tío was a strange man with strange hobbies. At first, she had assumed it was just the isolation talking. The more time she spent with him the more she started to suspect he was just naturally a bit…off.

  “Oh, hey Mirabel.” He smiled awkwardly. “I was just, you know,” he set the rats down and wrung his hands together before awkwardly gesturing towards the cardboard sets he’d built for them, “Just watching mis novelas He chuckled.

  “You’re still doing those?” Mirabel asked skeptically and she invited herself into his space and began eyeing his chair greedily.

  “You can sit if you want.” Bruno nodded to his chair as he noticed the sweat on his sobrina's brow.

  “Gracias a Dios.” She gasped as she flopped down in his seat. It was warm. The chair was old but seemed to have been repaired since the last time she was in his room. Bruno’s old poncho was draped over the back of it. Rather neatly, as though he hadn’t touched it in a while.

  “You know we can get you a real television. You could watch real telenovelas.” Mirabel reminded him playfully.

  “I know,” He whined, “But, we have fun with it.” He turned to Carlos and Jaunita, the stars of the show. “We have fun right chicos?”

  Juanita merely blinked up at him while Carlos began grooming under his foreleg. Or perhaps it was the other way around. Mirabel has a hard time telling the small furry creatures apart.

  “Yeah, you guys get it.” He smiled as he picked up Juanita and scratched lovingly under her chin.

  Mirabel sucked in her lips and drummed the arms of the chair as she thought. Her tío needed more human friends. That was a given. Unfortunately, she kind of doubted he’d be inclined to make many after what she was about to say next. The topic had come up at more than one town meeting now and she was hearing the same question from folks on the street. Abuela didn’t want to ask because she knew her son was still sensitive. Maybe this was Mirabel’s gift this whole time. Being the only person who could just say things outright.

  “Folks in town are starting to ask about you.” Mirabel announced.

  Bruno put Juanita down. “That so?” He replied nervously. He didn’t turn to face her. She could see the ruana she’d made for him pull tight around his shoulders as he tugged the front closed.

  “Yeah.” She replied gently as she leaned forward. She rested her elbows on her knees and tilted her head to the side. She tried to get a glimpse at his face. “People are wondering when you’re going to start doing visions again.” She said matter of factly.

  Bruno mumbled something and looked down. She could tell he was still fidgeting with his ruana.

  “Could you speak up a bit?” She asked as sweetly as she could.

  “Never…” He muttered a bit louder. Shooting a brief glance back that passed by in a flurry of mad curls.

  “Jamás de los jamases?” Mirabel tried to sound playful and kind. She knew this was a big ask and truthfully she wasn’t sure it was a fair thing to ask of him.

  “No!” He snapped as he spun around before recoiling and saying again with less conviction, “No, no...”

  He paced the small space anxiously ringing the embroidered fabric around his neck. He tugged so vigorously she almost worried the stitching would come loose. “I’m not going back to that.” He said fearfully, “ I can’t,” unsure, “I won’t.” angry.
  His pacing continued to get more frantic. She could see him spiraling downward. She stood up to go steady him. Placing her hands on his shoulders she held him gently as she could.

  “Tío, respira.”

  Bruno loosened his grip on his ruana and took a deep breath in, then out. She could feel his shoulders relax a bit under her grip. He looked in her eyes and she regretted asking. There was so much sadness in those eyes. This profound heartache that she could feel in every muscle.

  “I-I can’t go back to that life.” He said sadly before looking down at his feet and sneering bitterly. “Me niego a ser el chivo expiatorio de el pueblo otra ves.”

  “I understand.”

  Her tío pulled loose from her and continued to complain as he paced over to his bed. His hands dropped down to his side and his body relaxed however which reassured Mirabel. He sat down on the bed slouching forward and resting his cheek in one hand as he gesticulated with the other.

  “No one wants to hear what I have to say. People always think they do, but they don’t.” He waved his free hand dismissively. He wasn’t looking at Mirabel really. He seemed to stare off into space as if lost in his own thoughts.

  Mirabel sat on the bed next to him, inching closer till he snapped out of his irritated trance to look at her. She snuggled her head under his arm forcing him upright.

  He smiled.

  “It’s ok Tío. No one was going to force you. I know I was stubborn before.”

  Bruno wrapped his arm around her and put his hand on hers. “It’s ok Mija. You had good reason to be.”

  “Besides.” He said waving his hand enthusiastically. “It was a crisis! What was I supposed to do? Not help in a crisis?” His playful inflection let her know he’d be alright. “I could never do that.”

  “Perdón por pedirte. Abuela wanted an answer for people so they’d stop asking.”

  “Así que te mandó a comerte el garrón, eh?” Bruno quirked an eyebrow and Mirabel let out a little half laugh.

  Mirabel was about to think of a witty retort when hurried petite footsteps could be heard rushing up the steps. The disruption caught Bruno’s attention too as they both turned to see who the sound belonged to. Dolores stood panting in the doorway. Her delicate fingers brushed against the stone frame for support as she tried to catch her breath. Her brown eyes were wide as dinner plates.

  “Are you ok? Is something wrong?” Mirabel was sincerely worried as she stood up to go support her prima. Dolores however flew right past Mirabel whose supportive arms swung through the empty air.

  “Por favor, por favor, por favor, tell me what happens next?!” She pleaded as she invaded Bruno’s personal space. She gripped at her dress desperately and leaned in close to his face.

  Bruno was noticeably taken aback. “Cómo?”

  “Are they breaking up or not?! They’ve been putting off this conversation for three years, Tío Bruno! Three years!”

  An awkward though rather charmed smile tugged at his lips. “You mean Juanita and Carlos?” He asked.

  “Of course, Juanita and Carlos!” Dolores replied irritably as if she assumed it was obvious.

  Mirabel groaned audibly and her tío laughed.

  “That’s what this is about? I thought something serious had happened, but no you ran all this way just to ask about his novelas de ratas?” She chastised.

  Mirabel crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks. Bruno’s face lit up.

  “You’re a fan of my telenovelas?” He beamed in disbelief.

  Dolores seemed to become more aware of herself again and returned to her usually quiet demeanor. The silliness of it all seeming to dawn on her. She clasped her hands bashfully in front of her chest. “I’ve been listening to them for years.” She admitted.

  Dolores fiddled with her delicately manicured nails and looked down at her hands shyly. “I always liked your stories.”

  “That’s really sweet of you mija.” Bruno smiled before a sudden look of realization dawned on him. “Wait… how long have you been listening to mis novelas?”

  Mirabel cut him off before Dolores could elaborate. “I still can’t believe you knew he was here this whole time and didn’t say anything.” She complained.

  Dolores's eyes flicked back to Mirabel beneath thick eyelashes though she didn’t turn around. “With a gift like mine, you learn a lot of things that are better left unsaid. If tío didn’t want to be found I trusted he had a good reason.”

  “Sure didn’t trust me.” Mirabel’s blood boiled a bit. Perhaps she was tired from all the stairs but the thought of that horrible dinner still filled her with stress and frustration.

  “Mirabel.” Bruno soothed.

  “Bruno can hide in the walls for years like el rey rata but you can’t just talk to me before blabbing to the whole family.” Mirabel chastised her cousin. Dolores looked like she might have said something before their tío intervened.

  “Mirabel, that’s enough.” He asserted as he rose to his feet.

  Mirabel looked down at the floor.

  “What’s done is done. Everything worked out in the end right?”

  Mirabel sighed. “Yeah I guess.”

  “Then just leave it for now alright?” He asked as he put one hand on her shoulder and the other on Dolores. He looked her in the eye and she could tell he didn’t like seeing his sobrinas argue. For his sake, she agreed to let it go. Mirabel still shot Dolores a look only to receive a shrug and a small squeak.

  Dolores looked back up at Bruno. “So do you think they can make it work?” She asked him pleadingly.

  “Well, it’s complicated.” He replied as he launched into a tangent about plans for future plotlines only to have Dolores cover her ears. Bruno stopped, surprised by the sudden gesture.

  “No lo estropees.” She insisted and thier tío laughed.

  It got Mirabel thinking. Bruno seemed pretty pleased to find he had a fan. He liked talking about his stories. He was obviously a creative person. He was funny and compassionate. Folks in the village only ever talked about his powers. It was all they ever seemed to see. She needed some way for the rest of the town to see him the way she did. She just might have had an idea.

  Mirabel crept quietly back out onto the stairs as her tío recited the rest of the “episode” he’d been performing to Dolores. She needed to work quickly if she wanted to get everyone on board before the night was out.

︵‿୨ -❇- ୧‿︵

  After another twenty-minute descent and a quick snack break in the kitchen, she went to talk to Antonio. He was still little and went to bed early though he’d likely take the least convincing. His skill with animals would no doubt be a big help. She asked Luisa about her new woodworking hobby and if she might be willing to do something fun with it. Camilo laughed at her proposal but said it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard and simply had to be involved.

  Mirabel hesitated at her sister's door for a moment. They’d been getting along a lot better since Isabela opened up but she still wasn’t sure if she’d be interested in something so silly. Not to mention she knew she wasn’t the biggest fan of rats. Eventually, Mirabel worked up the courage to knock and Isabella answered with some surprise.

  “Is there something you need?” She asked, considerably less irritated than would have been expected before.

  Mirabel fumbled a bit “So Tío Bruno...”

  “Yes?” Isabela replied quizzically.

  Mirabel took a breath and belted out. “So Bruno hasn’t left the house since he came back. Except he didn’t really come back since he never really left… That’s not the point. He’s still super closed off and he needs to get out more right? So I have this idea to help get him out of the house but I don’t think I can convince him to do it on my own so I thought if I got everyone in on it…” Mirabel trailed off as she watched her sister shift her weight and cross her arms thoughtfully.

  After a moment of contemplation, Isabela replied, “So what’s your plan?”

  At the dinner table, that night the kids kept exchanging knowing glances with each other. Antonio couldn’t help but snicker. Abuela seemed confused but didn’t press the issue. Mirabel was sure her mamá knew something was up. Thankfully Bruno seemed to continue obviously devouring his sister's fried plantains. Dolores shot subtle frustrated glares around the table that hushed her primas and hermanos. Thankfully Papá and Tío Félix really carried the conversation at the dinner table that night and Bruno seemed not to notice the kid's suspicious quiet too much.
  Once everyone had dispersed and the dishes had been washed and put away the kids gathered back at the table to discuss.

  “You all are terrible at keeping secrets.” Dolores flustered. She stood beside Mirabel with her arms crossed.

  “You’re one to talk.”

  Dolores cleared her throat and Mirabel rolled her eyes.

  “Right, right. Agua por debajo del puente.” She turned back to the rest of the entourage. “So everyone is clear on the plan?” She asked.

  “I suppose I can help with the decorations.” Isabela replied coolly through a playful smile threatened to escape her as she thought about what they were trying to do.

  “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make anything impressive.” Luisa worried as she rubbed at the back of her neck.

  “It’s fine Luisa. This is just for fun, so no pressure, ok?” Mirabel reminded her.

  Her middle sister smiled back softly. “Yeah, of course.” She thought for a moment. “About how big does it need to be?”

  Mirabel leaned back and crossed her arms as she thought. Sucking in her lips she tried to picture what she had in mind and compare it with the size of her tío’s rats. Before she could think of the answer Dolores drew a rectangle on the table with her finger.

  “It needs to be big enough to fit at least a few actors at once. It’s better if it’s a bit too big than too small so something like this should give us enough extra space.”

  “So, you’re in on it too then?” Mirabel clarified. She hadn’t actually explained the plan to Dolores but when they had all gathered for dinner it had been clear Dolores had heard at least one of Mirabel's many pitches.

  “Nope.” She squeaked. Mirabel was surprised given her prima's enthusiasm earlier. “I want it to be a surprise.” She clarified.

  “How are you ever surprised by anything?” Camilo griped. The mild frustration of years of ruined pranks was evident.

  “I choose what to focus on. I’ll just have to keep myself distracted while you work.”

  “So it’s decided. We’ll ask him tomorrow then?” Mirabel asked the group.

  “Sure.”

  “Yep.”

  “Sounds like fun.”

  “This is gonna be so much fun.” Antonio chirped as he bounced in his chair.

  “Tonito, go brush your teeth.” Tía Pepa called from upstairs.

  “Coming Mamá!” Antonio called back. He trilled excitedly as he hopped down from his seat. “I can’t wait for tomorrow.”

︵‿୨ - November 2 1950 - ୧‿︵

  The next day at school dragged on. Mirabel couldn’t help but sketch out some patterns in her notebook. Camilo snickered when the teacher pulled her notebook away and she had to explain that she was designing dresses for rats. The whole class had a laugh and Camilo couldn’t stop smiling ear to ear. Mirabel was usually a good student. Thankfully the teacher returned her drawings with a very confused warning.
  After class let out there were chores to do of course. Formerly agreed to obligations around town. Though the workload for the Madrigal children had eased up considerably since Castia had been rebuilt which left a lot more time at the end of the day for recreation. One by one they finished their tasks for the day and gathered outside their tío's door. Camilo couldn’t stop grinning mischievously. Antonio bounced up and down though he tried to resist the urge. Luisa seemed confident while Isabela still seemed a bit skeptical. Mirabel gave the door a knock and hoped her tío wasn’t too distracted to notice.

  “Ready guys?”

  “Let’s do it.” Luisa and Antonio chimed.

  “He’s not gonna go for it.” Isabela maligned.

  “I think it’s worth a shot.” Camilo replied.

  “Only because you wanna make fun of him.” Isabela glared.

  Camilo morphed into a tiny Isabela and fluttered his exaggerated eyelashes. “Who me? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Come on Camilo, we're doing this for Tío Bruno. This isn’t a prank, it's supposed to be fun for him too.”

  Camilo returned to his normal height and grumbled. “My pranks are fun.”

  Dolores stopped and listened a moment as she passed by the narrow hallway cluttered with Madrigals.

  “He’s heading downstairs.” She squeaked and fluttered off so as not to entangle herself too deeply in their mischief.

  Mirabel crossed her fingers and smiled. The excitement waned a bit however as she considered it may take a minute for him to reach the door. After a few awkward minutes of silence, she knocked again and pressed her ear to the door.

  “Vengo, vengo!” She heard echo off the walls of the tower.

  She tried to listen for his footsteps and heard the sand curtain part. She was too slow to react however and nearly fell over the threshold when her tío finally opened the door. In hindsight that was fairly quick given how many steps there were. Bruno may have been scrawny but he was surprisingly quick when he wanted to be.

  Bruno looked down at the gaggle of youngsters and cocked an eyebrow. “Is this some kind of intervention?” He inquired.

  Mirabel hopped to her feet, took a crate from Luisa and slammed it down in the entryway. She stood atop it and excitedly announced.

  “Tablas!”

  “Uh…” He leaned back.

  “It was Mirabel’s idea!” Antonio squealed excitedly and he ran to tug on Bruno’s hand.

  “Tablas?” He asked looking down at Antonio and back at Mirabel.

  “Mi hermana’s a big fan of your dumb novelas de ratas and we want in.” Camilo clarified, though he really didn’t explain anything.

  “They’re not dumb.” Mirabel reprimanded shooting daggers back at Camilo. She stood upright and brushed her hair back with both hands.

  “We thought it might be fun,” Mirabel explained. “If maybe you could take your rats out to town square and put on a little show. You know, something silly for the kids. We could help you put it together. Luisa agreed to make you a little theater and Camilo can help with voices. Isabela and I are gonna work on costumes and sets…”

  Bruno pulled back a moment and stopped her. “Perdona?” He screwed his face up a moment and rubbed at the back of his neck as he tried to process what his niece had just proposed.

  “You want me.” He said slowly. “To do my telenovelas. In public. Where other people can see me?”

  “Yes. That is what I said. That is correct.” Mirabel replied as her resolve began to falter.

  Bruno chuckled awkwardly, “Well that’s certainly an idea isn’t it.” He stood on tiptoe to peer over the kids towards the kitchen. “You know I think Beatrice could use some fresh water. I should go get her a clean saucer.” He pointed with his hand pulled close to his chest and began to push past the kids.

  “I told you.” Isabela whined.

  “Sé bueno con tu hermana.” Bruno called back as he scurried down the hall.

  “Come on Tío Bruno, it'll be fun.” Mirabel pleaded. Trotting along behind him.

  Bruno hopped down the stairs skipping steps and putting space between himself and the small army of his sisters' children.

  “We have a very different definition of fun mija.” He chuckled awkwardly, speed walking into the kitchen. Mirabel was persistent.

  Bruno never left Casita and barely left his room most days. He needed something to break him out of his shell and what better way than to show off his talents doing something he loved? He was anxious about people and she understood that but any reputation would be better than bad luck Bruno.

  “Tío.” She breathed as Castia caught her with the kitchen tiles before she could fumble her stop. Bruno reached up for a saucer. “I really think people will enjoy it. You could finally be known for something other than your visions.”

  Bruno looked back at her as he struggled to reach the high shelf. Casita seemed to be pulling it just out of reach to redirect his attention. “No one wants to hear my dumb stories, Mirabel.” He said dismissively before glaring at the disobedient wall fixture.

  Isabela elbowed Camilo harshly in the ribs as the crew caught up with them. Luisa came over and pulled down the small saucer Bruno had been reaching for.

  “Gracias.” He replied.

  “I remember the stories you used to tell us when we were little.” Luisa said, gesturing toward Isabela. “You always seemed to be having so much fun. I bet other kids would love to hear your stories.”

  Bruno looked to his older sobrinas as he gripped the saucer thoughtfully. Mirabel watched him attentively as he thought. “I dunno niños. I’m not sure other people would find mis ratas as endearing as I do.” He replied as he reached for the faucet.

  “That’s too bad.” Antonio looked down at the floor. “I was really looking forward to practicing with them.”

  The disappointment in Antonio’s voice made Bruno flinch. His tiny sobrinito who had never had a chance to know him but still showed him unconditional kindness. Bruno’s hand recoiled from the faucet. He set the saucer down and rested his weight against the countertop. His head hung low for a moment as he thought. Mirabel’s breath caught in her chest as she watched him think. It was a very silly idea and his reaction had made her second-guess herself. She had sincerely thought it would do him good. Perhaps it was cheating though, gathering up her primos and hermanas to tag team him like this.

  Bruno threw back his head and groaned. “Está bien, me tienen.” He surrendered.

  Mirabel squealed with delight before composing herself.

  “I know it’s silly but what harm could it do? Besides, if you're not having any fun we can always call it off.”

  Bruno crossed his arms and eyed her up and down skeptically.

  “Tú prometes?”

  “Lo prometo.” Mirabel assured confidently.

  Bruno fidgeted a moment before compulsively knocking on the cabinets beneath him. He crossed his fingers and puffed out his cheeks.

  “I guess we’re doing this.” He gasped out.

  “Gracias Tío, you won't regret this.” Luisa patted him gruffly on the back. “It’ll give us a chance to spend more time together. Really catch up, right Isabela?” Luisa turned to her colorful sister.

  Isabela flipped her hair. “Maybe we’ll learn what’s got Dolores so excited.”

  “I call dibs on co-writer.” Camilo chimed.

  “You did always say your real gift was acting.” Mirabel quoted Bruno’s words back to him playfully.

  “I did say that.” He whined reluctantly.

︵‿୨ -❇- ୧‿︵

  For the rest of the week, the group would gather in a different magical room each afternoon to work on their play.
  Camilo, true to his word, kept hovering over their Tío’s shoulder as he wrote the script. They argued over jokes and line delivery. The constant onslaught of laughter and goofy voices made it clear he was far from a nuisance. Antonio sat with them and helped explain to the rats where they wanted them to stand and how to move. Rats being rats of course only have so many gestures they can do but Bruno was no stranger to making do and always prioritized his furry friend's comfort. He seemed enraptured by the chance to hear what they had to say. Mostly they talked about food.
  Luisa worked on building the stage. Isabela and Mirabel worked together on costumes and props. She had a fun time doing arts and crafts with her sisters. It felt nice. Getting to bicker and smear glitter on each other's faces. She couldn’t remember the last time she and her sisters had just sat down to spend time together like this. Perhaps this wasn’t just for Tío. As she whittled more and more afternoons away this way Mirabel realized how much she needed this too.

  It turns out spending ten years alone gives one a lot of time to indulge in their hobbies and Bruno had a variety of artistic skills he’d dabbled in. He would get up from wherever he was situated to write, stretch, and check on each of the Madrigal children. He’d always find ways to involve himself in whatever someone was up to. Helping Luisa with some of the stage's finer details, giving advice on set pieces, or sharing his enthusiastic thoughts on the costumes. He had a way of making everyone feel like their contributions were appreciated.
  Dolores would always come and collect them for dinner. All the while she insisted her brother try not to spoil the plot for her. She always seemed charmed by the conversation when they set the table. News of this hair-brained scheme, of course, took no time at all to spread to the rest of the family, and suspiciously a few folks in town heard about a mysterious surprise in the plaza. Realizing he might actually have an audience certainly rattled her Tío but he wasn’t ready to call off his evenings of crafting and jokes with his sobrinos.
  Occasionally Mamá , Papá, Pepa or Félix would pop in to see what they were up to. Most seemed supportive even if Pepa took the opportunity to take potshots at her brother. Bruno never seemed bothered by Pepa’s jabs though and always shot back with little hesitation. Camilo would provide backup and his mother would storm off in a huff. Mirabel always caught him making it up to her later. Mamá seemed to be a bit put off by the concept but was nonetheless very supportive. She seemed to be happy just to see her brother being more involved with the family.

︵‿୨ - November 8 1950 - ୧‿︵

  Friday night rolled around. Thanks to Dolores a handful of folks were now expecting something come Saturday evening. Despite the nerves, Bruno still seemed to be thoroughly enjoying putting together the finishing touches with his family.
  Luisa had constructed a more sizable stage than originally planned. Bruno seemed happy with the room it freed up for rat choreography. The stage was about half the size of a bathtub and sturdy enough to support a single adult's weight. With some ingenuity from Camilo a small trap door had even been constructed in the middle to allow for some very rudimentary special effects. Isabella had made pods from her plants that could be crushed in one's hand to create colorful puffs of “smoke”. The crew were performing a dress rehearsal while Dolores was spending the evening with her novio to keep herself distracted.

  “Mirabel can you make the sleeves bigger?” Antonio pushed a little pink dress into her lap. “Juanita says it’s too tight.”

  Mirabel had drastically underestimated the difficulty of sewing clothes for rats. Small, four-legged, picky clients. She was already struggling to finish the last costume before dinner time. She sighed as she looked down at the dress.

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  The rat in Anotnio’s hand squeaked. “She says thank you.” Antonio translated sweetly before trotting over to the stage with the others once more.

  “I make no guarantees.” Mirabel called to him.

  They decided to spend the last night in Luisa's room. A sandy beach with palm trees and an inexplicable breeze that Mirabel found deeply soothing. The family had offered to build her own room when they rebuilt the Castia but she instead opted for an extension onto the nursery. When the magic returned the door to her little expansion lit up with her name. Her likeness burned into it holding la familaia's flame. She was proud of that door. The room itself was comfy, with a space for her to sew, but modest. More importantly, she was nested right beside the nursery still. She loved being there for Antonio and decided she’d rather be able to help look after any future sobrinos. With how things were going she suspected Dolores might find herself rather busy someday.
  Today she was content to sit back and watch the others as they crowded around the stage that had been set up in the gazebo. Everyone seemed to be having a blast. She was glad she could bring the family together like this.

  “Mirabel, come over. I want to show you something.” Her Tío called out to her.

  Mirabel carefully pinned the suit she was working on in place and collected her supplies in her bag before heading over. She could always finish it in her room after dinner. She may have had a late night ahead of her but it seemed like a small price.

  “Qué onda?” She asked. As she got closer she could hear stifled snickers and Bruno looked… taller?

  “Can I run a set by you mija? I’m just not really sure if this joke is gonna work.” He said with an anxious smile, tugging at his ruana.

  “Uhm, sure?” She sat down between her sisters hesitantly. Antonio couldn’t stop snickering. Something wasn’t quite right.

  Bruno’s face lit up as he excitedly began reciting an opening narration gag from behind the stage. He hovered over the top of the curtains waving his fingers and making exaggerated faces. A bit too exaggerated. Before long someone came up from behind and gave him a light swat on the back of his head.

  “Stop trying to steal my lines!” the real Bruno scolded.

  Camilo shape shifted back. “I wasn’t.” He insisted, “My impression is getting better though, right?” Camilo turned to Mirabel.

  “Oh, not even close.” Mirabel mocked as she leaned back on her hands.

  “Oh come on, that was perfect!” Isabela laughed.

  Mirabel rolled her eyes as Luisa and Antonio could no longer contain their giggles. Bruno sat down cross-legged behind the stage. He had to lean to the side so his face could be seen.

  “Still too tall.” Bruno corrected as he tested the pull cord on the curtains.

  “It’s not my fault you're so short.” Camilo grumbled.

  “Seven-foot frame.” Bruno retorted.

  Isabela laughed even harder and Camilo turned beat red.

  “Well come on! How are you supposed to be scary walking around at like five-foot-five.” Camilo whined.

  Mirabel laughed as her tío eyed his sobrino mischievously.

  “Oh, so I’m not scary enough for you?”

  “You’re not even a little spooky.” Camilo pouted. “Honestly tío you really let me down.” Camilo crossed his arms and shook his head, clicking his tongue disapprovingly.

  Mirabel stifled a giggle as she watched Bruno sneak up behind her primo. Bruno quickly rapped his fingers up Camilo's back making surprisingly believable angry rat sounds. Camilo let out a high pitch squeal as he jumped and almost tripped over the stage.

  As everyone was enjoying a laugh at poor Camilo’s expense Abuela’s voice came lofting over the breeze.

  “Dinner is ready.” She called.

  Everyone began collecting up their things. Abuela pulled up her skirt to avoid the sand and made her way over to the gazebo. Mirabel was surprised to see her actually come over to inspect their project. They’d been working on it a little over a week and she’d yet to take much interest. She watched as her adult son helped to detangle a rat from a bespoke suit and Mirabel's heart sank a little.

  Bruno had sand in his hair and rat hair on his ruana. He spoke to his tiny actors like little children. He was happy. Odd but happy. Abuela wasn’t.

  She could tell Abuela thought this whole idea was ridiculous and embarrassing. The matriarch had been doing her best not to say anything. It hurt that despite her son's joy it seemed she still struggled to look past his quirks. At least she was trying.

  “Bruno.” She commanded softly. Bruno dropped what he was doing to look up.

  He hadn’t noticed his mother’s approach and scurried to his feet. He shook the beach sand from his hair and patted fur off his clothes

  “Sí, Mamá.?” He asked nervously.

  Abuela looked down at the stage where Mirabel finished untangling Carlos the rat. Her expression was pensive as she rubbed her palms together.

  “You built this?” She asked.

  Bruno looked down at the stage. “It was more of a team effort really. Luisa did most of the woodwork.” Bruno looked like he might say more but stopped himself so as not to overwhelm his mother with his usual rambling.

  The stage wasn’t perfect. It was crude and a little uneven in places. It was, to its credit, more ambitious than originally planned. No doubt because Luisa wanted to stay involved with the production and kept looking for more work to do. She didn’t have to of course no one would have minded if she simply sat and watched and talked with the others once her part was finished.

  “It's… interesting.” Abuela replied. “And you’re going to be performing, in the plaza tomorrow?” She asked. The way she said performing sounded probably more patronizing than intended.

  Bruno pulled his ruana closed and shrunk in on himself. “Sí pues... We didn’t have a date set exactly but Dolores kind of forced our hands.” He chuckled nervously.

  “Ya veo.”

  Bruno rung the fabric in his hands. “We can always call it off. I know it’s silly and it really isn’t that important.”

  It felt like she’d been stabbed. Seeing how quickly her Tío was willing to throw out all their hard work to appease his mother. She might have been angry if she didn’t know all too well how he felt. It still hurt.

  “No, no.” Abuela replied and put a gentle hand on her son's shoulder. “I can see you’ve all been working very hard on this project. I’m just glad to hear you’ll be leaving the Casita for a bit.” Bruno seemed pleasantly surprised by her response but said nothing.

  “As long as you make sure everyone is getting their chores done and this little hobby doesn’t get in the way.”

  “Sí, sí, desde luego.” Bruno assured. He straightened up in an attempt to look more responsible.

  He paused.

  “Will you be stopping by to watch?” He asked sheepishly.

  Alma looked a little surprised by the question and did her best to let him down gently. “Oh no. I have a prior engagement tomorrow, but you have fun.”

  “Bueno.” Bruno looked down at the ground.

  Alma left to go wash up for dinner and instructed Bruno and Mirabel to do the same.

  “She’s embarrassed by me.” Bruno maligned once his mother was out of earshot.

  Mirabel stood up and dusted off her dress. “She’s not… Look, we're all still figuring things out right now.”

  She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Estará convencida. Baby steps.”

  At dinner that night the crew couldn’t help but enthuse about the upcoming performance. Abuela said very little though Mamá, Papá, Pepa, and Félix all seemed to enjoy hearing about the project. Papa and Félix especially. They’d always been a bit less uptight than Abuela and her daughters and seemed to find the whole affair quite charming.

︵‿୨ - November 11 1950 - ୧‿︵

  When Saturday rolled around people were in a hurry to get their chores done. Abuela made sure no one cut any corners. The plaza was busier than usual and some folks milled about. Curious to see what the mystery surprise they’d heard about would be. Bruno shuffled anxiously with the box of equipment in his hands.

  “I didn’t expect there to be so many people.”

  Mirabel could tell he wanted to back out. She had promised he could at any time. Mirabel was about to say something when Dolores beat her to it.

  “You’ll do wonderful.” she insisted as she hooked her arm around his.

  Bruno smiled nervously back at her. He held his breath and shifted the weight of the box so he could cross his fingers. People were starting to stare as the crowd of Madrigals flooded the space and began setting up in the middle of the plaza. Bruno sat behind the stage placing props down for the first scene while Dolores and Luisa found a comfortable place to sit. Antonio seemed to be talking with one of the actors though Mirabel knew the rest were hiding under Bruno’s ruana.
  Bruno seemed to be muttering neurotically to himself as he started setting up. Yet again Mirabel was about to take action but Antonio seemed to have it handled. He whispered something to the rat in his hands who scurried off back to their papá. Juanita, the romantic lead of their comedy of errors, scurried onto Bruno’s shoulder and nibbled at his face. This made him laugh as he cupped her in his hands and held her close to his face. The rat's affection seemed to calm him down considerably and Mirabel started to think maybe she could just sit back and enjoy the show.
  She hadn’t realized just how much responsibility she’d taken on when it came to Bruno. He was the adult, she knew it wasn’t her job to take care of him. She couldn’t help it. He gave up ten years of his life to protect her. On some level, she felt maybe a bit… responsible? Guilty?

  “You sleep alright?” Isabela’s voice broke through her trailing thoughts. Her hermana mayor sat down on the cobblestone beside her. Her hair was green today. A deliberate strip had been colored in the front. No doubt as a show of support though she’d never say as much out loud.

  Mirabel took her glasses off to clean them with her dress. “Oh fine, I was just up late last night finishing the costumes. Everyone’s worked so hard on this. I couldn’t just leave you all hanging on opening night.” She replied.

  Isabela nudged her playfully. “Don’t kill yourself over some dumb tablas de ratas.” Her sister teased. “You’re not usually so uptight.”

  “Since when did you start paying so much attention to me?” Mirabel rolled her eyes.

  “Since you're mi hermanita.” Isabela replied sweetly. She looked down at the ground a bit ashamed. She could tell her sister wasn’t proud of the way she’d treated her growing up. Unfortunately apologies didn’t come easy to her. She got that from Abuela.

  She had to hand it to Isabela. She didn’t know her sister could be so much fun to hang out with. It had been so long since they really acted like proper hermanas. “Even if this is a flop I’m glad we got to spend time together.”

  “Me too.” Isabela rested her head on her shoulder.

  Camilo apparently decided the crowd wasn’t big enough. He shape shifted into a larger man with a booming voice and flashy suit. Cane in hand to wave around for emphasis he drew in the stragglers.

  “Habitantes de El Encanto! Amigos! Vecinos! Come one, come all, to witness the debut performance of Los increíbles Madrigals en La Rata y la Hija del Quesero.”

  Bruno’s eyes looked like they’d pop out of their sockets. He glared up at his nephew with puffed cheeks. Camilo simply winked playfully at him. Bruno’s eyes darted about the gathered crowd before his head ducked back down behind the curtains.

  Mirabel started to stand up but felt a hand on her arm. “Where are you going? The show's about to start.” Isabela asked.

  Mirabel looked at her sister then back towards her uncle who’d sufficiently hidden himself behind the stage. She took a deep breath and sat back down. He’d be ok. Everything was going to be fine. Children began to huddle around on the ground in front of the stage and adults found places to sit, stand, or lean within view. Camilo settled out of his announcer persona and took a seat behind the stage with their tío.

  Mirabel’s breath caught in her throat and she found herself crossing her fingers in her lap.

  The curtain rose and a low mumble could be heard from behind the stage. The townspeople murmured amongst themselves. She could faintly make out Camilo whispering to Bruno.

  “Tu habla mas alto, they can’t hear you.”

  Bruno’s opening narration came out shaky and stiff at first. He fumbled a line or two as he pushed props onto the stage with a little wood hook that had been designed for that purpose. When the lead actors stepped out onto the stage Mirabel could hear a few disgusted sounds make their way through the crowd.

  Bruno’s narration paused for a moment and she heard Camilo give him his line.

  The narration resumed. Mirabel had to resist the urge to run back there and make sure everything was ok. But then...? The first joke of the play landed. To her surprise the crowd was sent into shocked raucous laughter. The air seemed to clear.

︵‿୨ -❇- ୧‿︵

  Bruno’s voice became clearer, more confident. He sounded like he did at their rehearsals. Once the story began proper Bruno and Camilo both would stick their heads out from either side of the stage. Accompanying their dialogue with wild faces and other comedic flourishes. Camilo would shape-shift for each character he played. He played all the female roles. Bruno voiced the narrator, the romantic lead, and the love interest's stern father.
  The story was of a pair of star-crossed lovers. Carlos in this story was a rat who’d lost his nose in a terrible fire and couldn’t smell. The rest of rat society shunned him, save for the lovely Juanita who was charmed by his many antics. Her father however was a world-famous cheese maker and would never approve of their love. Bruno preferred not to change his rat's names in his stories as it just confused them most of the time. Carlos and Juanita were obviously his favorites at the moment, though he claimed not to have favorites. As the play wore on and Bruno got more laughs from the crowd he grew louder, bolder. Camilo was a natural fit for his role being probably the only Madrigal who could keep pace with Brunos’ theatrics.
  The whole performance was very cheesy.

  Despite her worry, Mirabel had a blast along with the rest of the crowd. Mamá, Papá, Pepa, and Félix shuffled in and struggled to find room to sit as they arrived late. The play wasn’t terribly long and in the grand scheme of it, the crowd wasn’t enormous by any means. It was about as big as could be managed for such a small stage. When the story concluded there was a round of applause and Bruno and Camilo stepped out from behind the stage to take a bow. Pepa cheered the loudest. Her vibrant rainbows lighting up the growing twilight.
  Their little show had been a bigger success than anyone expected. It took no time at all however for parents to start collecting up their children and the crowd to disperse. Pepa went over to plant a kiss on her son's cheek.

  “Mis chicos.” She cooed and her brother blushed and wrung his hands together.

  Pepa gave him a sly grin. “You did good hermanito.”

  “Good, they did fantastico!” Félix cheered as he lifted up Antonio and praised the performance of the furry actors.

  “I’m amazed you kids built all this.” Papá remarked as he inspected the stage and its various moving parts. Luisa beamed as she explained to their father how she built it.

  Mamá patted a hand on Mirabel's cheek. “This was a wonderful idea mija.”

  That night marked a noticeable shift in the town and in her Tío Bruno. While Isabela and Luisa more or less went back to their own hobbies. Antonio lost interest having already taught Bruno’s rat’s more than enough stage commands. Camilo continued to write and perform with their Tío every Saturday. It began to blend into the ebb and flow of local life. The crowds were never as big as that first night, but local children would gather excitedly to settle in every Saturday evening to the playful antics of the tables de ratas. Parents would laugh as they caught passing jokes, sometimes more than the kids. People started asking about Bruno’s visions less and less. Parents would thank him as they carried off sleepy little ones who’d worn themselves out laughing. Rocco, the owner of the bar with the only working television in town, invited him over for drinks. People spoke more kindly of the man who had lived behind Casita’s walls.
  For once people were talking about Bruno, and that wasn’t a bad thing.

To Love at all is to Love Entirely: Homecoming by angelamyrose on DeviantArt <<< Previous Chapter / Next Chapter >>>