The Magic Is Strong

The question takes her by surprise, eyebrows springing up and eyes widening. She quickly corrects this, trying to return her expression to a neutral one so as to not offend her mamá. ❝Oh! No, no.❝ Her answer is almost as much an impulse as her reaction to the question was. She doesn’t want to waste her mother’s time. 

She has to remind herself that mamá is trying. Shrugging off her help like that isn’t going to help the progress she’s made and is trying to make. ❝How about we go for a walk?❞

“A walk would be very nice.” She was serious; a walk sounded very good right about now. “Maybe we could talk some more?” Alma felt likeshe had a lot of talking to do - a lot of time to make up, too.

"Well, Camilo, if that is what you want to do! I am no longer going to put pressure on anyone in this family." She folds her hands in front of her chest.

A tiny smile spreads over Luisa’s face at hearing Abuela out of all people, say these words. Abuela was in charge, after all, and if she said it was ok to relax…

“Gracias, Abuela. I’ve, uh, been… wanting to read that book papí got me. Y’know, about the myths?” Over three years ago, but that was before.

And she didn't want to be in charge, not to the degree she had before. Being in charge was ... a lot, she found, and putting it all on her own shoulders was tiring. She had to learn that her family could handle themselves, for better or worse.

Luisa. Deserving. A break. It sounded foreign! Luisa takes a deep breath, and like she expected, her heart rate keeps steady. “Lo siento, Abuela. I didn’t- I just..”

Her hands rub together and twist her bracelets, as she struggles, but finds words. “I just.. I don’t know what to do, if I don’t have chores to do. Is.. Is that strange?”

Oh. Alma felt a sinking feeling settling in the pit of her stomach for a moment, but pushes that aside in favour of appearing strong. Luisa needed her, she could feel bad about herself later. Even if Luisa worrying this much about needing to work was her fault.

Luisa’s brow furrowed slightly, squaring herself up now they’d arrived at the marketplace. “But what? I can do it!” There was… anxiety in her voice, with the hurry she’d said it. What was there to prove? Luisa could lift, and carry, all.

“No, no. What I meant to say, there is a lot to do, but - you do not need to worry about it.” There were others out there who would love to help- ever since they rebuilt la Casita, the townsfolk had expressed interest in taking part in teh chores for the town.

That was another thing she’d have to get used to. Her mother actually asking how she is instead of being concerned with how those emotions presented themselves. And in return, she allowed herself to be honest about her feelings. ❝A little blue today, but nothing I can’t handle.❞

Already the cloud over her head was lessening in density, shifting from a puffier cumulus into a wispy cirrus. Pepa loved her mamá, no matter what the past held. It was good to finally feel like she could connect and talk to her.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” Another foreign question, something she was struggling to even let herself ask. They didn’t talk about these things, not really - they never had, anyway - and despite everything changing, Alma found herself struggling to change herself.

“You won’t regret it, I promise.” 

Luisa swells with pride. “What else have you been up to today, Abuela? Anything I can help with? Yes, I know I should take it easy, but I like to help.”

She wasn’t assuming she would, honestly- Luisa was always so thorough and careful, Alma would put her own life in her hands. Which, thinking about it, probably would only stress her out further.

“Sí. Jorge is also here,” the seer replies with a nervous laugh, rubbing his arm with his hand. “You know I’ve…I’ve been thinking about adding another one! Developing him was a challenge but-but I think I got it down now!”

Bruno smiles, but it completely crumbles down mere seconds later. “Lo siento, I know you don’t like when I play my characters. I’ll-I’ll, uh, work on it. Yeah…”

“Hm. Are you - why do you think you need them?” She seems tense - Bruno had always used these roles to avoid facing her actual emotions. And Alma felt like it was her fault, like most every problem in this house.

The appearance of blood had guilt rise thick and sharp in Mirabel’s throat. She offers to help Mateo to sit down, frowning deeply. “Still, I should’ve been a little less…loud, with my entrance.”

Mirabel only becomes more hunched into herself with Abuela’s words. She glances at her grandmother, giving an apologetic look. She didn’t mean to cause more problems! “I-I can get you something to soak up the blood? And I’ll let Mamá know to make something quick…” Or perhaps she can leave and give space like Abuela said.

“Please, go get something for señor Castillo here,” she asks, sighing. She wants to explain, so make sure that Mateo knows that he’s still welcome to stay, even if he doesn’t raise anything, even if he is not useful. No one has to earn their keep hjere.

cantcarryitall​:

Mateo looked up at her, glaring. He wasn’t putting up with this. He’d find somewhere else. Find someone else. He got up, turning to the door and opening the door.

“No. You don’t want to see him now. He looks around…25. You’re older, he won’t be-”

His hand gripped the doorknob tightly.

“He’ll be a skeleton at best.”

Mirabel, having done as she’s asked, felt maybe now was a good time to come in. She wasn’t eavesdropping, no never! But she knew they were talking, and Casita pretty much signaled her to wait. 

The moment the tiles dropped she was bounding forward, gripping the door and swinging it open. Only for a loud THUNK  to make her startle and squeak. Oh gosh! “Lo siento lo siento!” She flails her hands in Mateo’s direction for a moment, grimacing at the fact she hit the poor man. Turning to Abuela, she takes a deep breath.

“Uhm, I got the nursery all set up. And Mamá will be down in a second. Uh…” She pauses, noticing the tension in the room, looking between the two. Uh oh, did she interrupt something? Is everything ok? Biting her lip, Mira folds her hands behind her back.

Abuela was just standing there, watching the door hit Mateo in the face, and then Mirabel’s immediate freakout. For a moment she felt like she might want to sit down, but she couldn’t show weakness- not when she was needed most.

“Mirabel,” she says, looking at her granddaughter. Hopefully Julieta would have some of her cooking with her her or else Mateo would be left with a broken nose, or worse. Not the best way to be introduced to the Encanto.

And like that, Luisa feels seen by Abuela. She was listening, and now agreeing too? She might have to pinch herself, just in case.

“Just think of the baby donkeys, Abuela. With a sturdier fence, they’ll grow up protected.”

“Oh, you know that’s my weak spot.” And it was true - she’d always been partial to babies of any kind.

“You don’t want to see how they come back.”

His voice had immediately changed, the nervous tone fading into one that was serious. One that sounded like he’d gone through something horrible, that he never wanted to talk about. He looked up at him.

“I want to see him again.” Her tone matches his, just as serious as she stands up a little straighter. “If I let you live here, will you... will you let me... see him?”

Mateo didn’t want to say, his breath starting to get quicker as he thought of it. He tried to slow his breathing. Shaking himself as tears fell down his face, looking up at her.

“Talking to the dead.” He paused, looking at the ground, in an attempt to hide his face. “And raising them.”

She could believe it. There was no way he is lying - he wouldn’t know him otherwise, or her children. Alma tried to calm herself down, enough for her to find the strength to reply.

Mateo stared back at the blank space, his eyes lit up as he stared. “He told me.” He said, standing up and rubbing his arm. He felt awkward, he felt anxious. Why did this always have to happen to him? He closed his eyes.

“He’s here, he says he misses you….He misses….Pepa, Julieta, and Bruno as well….”

He sounded horrible, didn’t he? He reached into his hair, gripping it and tugging at it. It was clear this was stressful for him. The actions would probably remind her of a certain name he’d just listed.

“He’s watched you for years…..All these years……”

Alma’s eyes narrowed. There was no way he’d know about her children, their names, and  ... his name. It wasn’t a stretch to expect someone living in an Encanto to be able to talk to the dead, but...

Mateo nodded, sighing and playing with his hands. “I….It’s big, yeah but…..” He blinked, hearing a tug from the other side. His eyes lit up and he looked over at an empty space, before turning back to her.

“Do you know a Pedro?”

Alma was about to ask what he meant when he asked about -

Pedro. She felt her knees going weak, and had to lean forward to catch herself on the back of the chair, somewhat awkwardly.

Mateo frowned. “It starts with Abuelo Angelo, who married Natalia, who was killed, his sister Aurila, then there’s tia Esperanza, who gave birth to Sofia, Leta, Victor, Diego and Carlos. Sofia had Zoe, leta and her husband Gabrio had Maria, Diego married Georgia, they’re expecting their first. Tia Miranda had Camila, Beatriz, Gabriela and Alejandria. My mami has me, fuega, Hugo and Pablo from my dad, who passed. Then she had Dayana with her new husband.” He mumbled.

“This is - this a lot of people.” And here she was, thinking she had a large family herself. Turns out it could definitely be worse - or better, depending on your point of view on the matter. Twenty-eight people, if she counted them correctly.

Huh, that’s a nice sentiment. Anything is possible in an Encanto. She smiles to herself, then clears her throat slightly.

“Y’know, I’m sure we can come up with more sturdier fences.” Luisa starts, almost timidly. “Think of the long-term benefits, Abuela. No donkeys escaping every other day, I’ll have more time for more, uh, or different chores.”