The storm last night was terrifying. Luckily, Mira was there to sing him lullabies and protect him.

Antonio was able to sleep pretty well with her there to help him.

-

When morning comes, he can tell Mira wasn’t able to sleep very well. He tries to say sorry but she tells him that he shouldn’t feel bad about needing comfort. Everyone needs support sometimes and she’s happy she was able to help.

Casita and her set up the table for breakfast while he waits, listening as some doors open up and some of their family stumble out. He sits next to Mira’s spot at the table as she goes to help Tía make breakfast.

The meal itself is fairly simple, Mira helps him make his plate, letting him pick and choose what he wants- even if she does make him pick a vegetable. His nose scrunches but he knows she makes sure she’ll eat it if he doesn’t like it.

It’s nice. Cause he really hates cucumber days and on those days she won’t even make him grab a veggie. Instead she’ll get him some carrots later cause veggies are important.

Today, however, Tía made eggs with some red and green things mixed in. He supposes he can try it. When they’re sitting and he tries a bite, he forces himself to swallow. He can tell she notices his disgust because when no one is looking she sneaks it off his plate and pats his head.

Mira smiles at him and Antonio knows she’s proud that he tried it. It makes him feel warm as he listens to Abuela talking about the plans for the day.

”Isabela, see what you can do about the flooded crops. Julietta, you are gonna be on injury duty again.” She orders as they eat. She must have already told his mom to keep from damaging things further cause he can see Pepa fighting her anger and his dad glaring at the elder Madrigal. “Mirabel,” He hears and looks up and his Mira. Abuela never addresses her so openly during this. It’s new and he’s scared. “Madame Aletha has agreed to watch the children today. Everyone is gonna be needed to help with repairs so I need you to bring Antonio down.”

“Yes Abuela.” Mira says and he’s upset. He doesn’t wanna go to Aletha! He wants to stay with his Mira! It’s not fair! It’s not right! And he can’t even complain! Not when his Mira is fighting to stay awake, her head drooping to the side before jerking back up multiple times through breakfast.

His spoon hits the plate and Abuela tells him to be careful. Cecilia says that old people tend to lose their hearing but apparently Abuela’s lost her sight first.

-

The walk to Aletha’s is long. That’s perfectly fine with him though. It means he can listen to Mira talking as she brings him and a basket of stuff down. He also has a basket!

Mira filled it with some toys, a lunch, and snacks in case he and the others get bored or he gets hungry. He can see as they walk that the storm messed up a lot. Some trees had fallen and he can see on landed on a house.

That would have been really scary. His hands tighten on the basket but he can feel a hand gently gripping his shoulder, giving a comforting squeeze. His Mira is so cool. She always notices when he gets scared.

She’s the best.

When they arrive she hugs him and tells him to be as good as he always is. He giggles when she messes with his hair. He watches as she talks with Madame Aletha before Benita and Luis call him.

“Hi!” He calls back. “I got some toys Mira made. There’s a puppy and a parrot and she made a fishy-!”

”Is that your mom?” Benita interrupts, pointing back behind him. He turns around, expecting to see Pepa coming over. Instead he watches as his Mira hands something to Madame Aletha and walks off. Likely going to find where she can help out the village. “She’s so pretty! Her skirt has butterflies!”

It takes a moment to realize she thinks his Mira is his mom. He feels warm and giddy and he is so unbelievably happy at the mistake. He knows Mira isn’t his mom. He does! But… his mom doesn’t feel like what the others say a mom is and Mira does all the things their moms do.

“Mira is always pretty!” He says instead. “She’s super cool! She sings me lullabies and makes me toys and tells me stories! And last night she stayed with me the whole time!”

”My mom did too!” Luis adds, “She got me and my brother into her room and let us sleep there when everything got really loud. She was sleepy though. Usually Mami is fast and telling us to go outside but today she was all ‘give me a bit Mijo, mami needs a moment’ which was weird.”

It’s then that Aletha calls them all over, letting them know the rules they have to follow in her house. He lets his thoughts wander, knowing Benita will tell him about how unfair all the rules are when they’re set free.

It’s still hard for him to wrap his head around it. Why does his Mira act like what a mom should. Why doesn’t his mom do these things?

Why does Mira know his favorite song and food and animal but his mom doesn’t even know his favorite shirt? Mira said that Pepa was his mother but he doesn’t even know her. Not really.

Maybe he should ask Mira when she comes to get him later. Even if he was told Pepa would come, he knows that his Mira, flustered and out of breath will arrive around dinner time to take him home. Apologizing for being late even though she wasn’t the one supposed to get him.

Aletha will give her that weird look again, telling her it’s okay even though Antonio will have stayed a couple hours after the last kid had gotten taken home.

He likes when Aletha babysits though. She always pulls out a book and helps him read through it when he’s the only one left. And she hasn’t told Mira about it. He told her that he wants to surprise Mira when he’s better at it.

Antonio is brought back out of his thoughts as Benita, predictably, starts complaining about the rules Aletha made. Luis jumps in to saying that it isn’t fair that he can’t leave the yard. ‘Cause how else are you supposed to play forest tag if you can’t go into the trees.

“Maybe that’s the point of not being allowed there?” He suggests, pulling out the toys Mira gave him. It’ll be a long day if they don’t have anything to do but it’s not typically to hard to get the other two to play with him.