4. Let's Talk

"Mirabel." Her Mamá started. "We need to talk about this."

"No, we really don't." Mirabel said as she stood up. A tug at her wrist stopped her from going anywhere.

"Mirabel." Tío Bruno held her back. She shrugged herself out of his grasp as the family approached her and walked to the back of the theatre.

"Casita," She banged on the wall where the door that was previously there once stood. "Let me out!"

"Mirabel," Luisa said, placing her hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine! It's not that big of a deal!" Mirabel turned and said. "Besides, we aren't like that anymore."

"But we were," Pepa said.

"And we want to be better than that." Abuela added.

"Would you guys stop! I said it's fine!" Mirabel yelled at her family. Her mamá, papá and Abuela finched, that was the first time they had heard her yell at anyone let alone her own family.

Mirabel." Pepa scolded her, a cloud once again appearing above her head.

"Casita! Open the door!" she yelled pounding her fists on the wall, progressively getting louder and louder and seemingly more desperate.

"Mirabel, we just want to help," Camilo said.

"It doesn't matter, okay!" She turned and faced her family, tears began to pool in her eyes.

"But it does matter Mirabel, you're hurting." Isabela voiced.

"No, I'm not! I'm fine! That's in the past!" Mirabel pressed.

"Mirabel." Bruno said as he stood up.

"You guys are worrying over nothing."

"Mirabel."

"We still have an entire film to watch."

"Mirabel."

"We don't care about a stupid movie!" Dolores yelled.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Mirabel!" Bruno snapped, startling everyone. "Uh, sorry, sorry." He gently pushed passed his nieces and nephews. "Oops, sorry, excuse me." Then his sisters and brother-in-laws. "Oops, watch your toes."

He made his way to the front of the mob then walked up to Mirabel. "Mirabel." he grabbed her hands and chuckled slightly. "Look kid, we just want to help you."

"I don't need help." Mirabel pushed.

"Okay… fine. Maybe you don't want to or need to talk about it. But I think everybody else does." His head nods towards everyone behind him. He watches as Mirabel considers his words, as the cogs in her head turn.

"Fine. You guys get five minutes." She says as she gently pulls her hands away and crosses her arms. Within an instant everyone starts talking, nobody stops to wait for anyone else.

"Woah, woah, woah. Slow down. I'm not Dolores. I can't hear what everyone is saying." She says, a little more snarky than intended.

"You severely overestimate my abilities." Dolores countered, causing everyone to giggle.

Then they stop. They all so clearly look like they all want to break out in questions, just like earlier, but nobody does. All they do is stare at one another waiting for someone to break.

"Look if no one is going to say anything I'm going to go back to my seat." Mirabel breaks the silence. It was as if Mirabel had then opened the gate that had kept them all in. Once again, they all began talking over one another.

"Okay. This isn't working." Mirabel said, stopping everyone. "Let's try this… Mamá, you go first."

"Okay… Mira, mi amour, if you were hurting this bad why didn't you tell us? Any of us?" She questioned.

Mirabel shifted her weight from one foot to another before answering. "I was already a burden on the family. I was pulling you guys down and disappointing you all. The last thing that I needed was to tell you guys how I was feeling and you guys banish me or something."

She dared to look into her Mamá's eyes and regretted it immediately. If she hadn't known any better she would assume that she had just completely betrayed her.

"Corazón, you know we would never do that, right?" Her papá said as he walked up to his wife and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You know you could and still can always talk to us." Her mamá added.

"Well yeah…" She shifted her weight once again and tightened her grip around her waist.

"Mira… You know we love you, right?" Isabela pushed past Dolores and Camilo to stand next to her parents.

"I know… it's just… nevermind."

"No, say it." Luisa joined in.

"It's just-" She cut herself off again, thinking of the best way to put her feelings into words. "It's just hard, you know, I'm surrounded by a magical family who are adored by everyone and whose, in the minds of the townspeople, worth is dictated by their gift." She started doing her best to push back the tears that began to burn behind her eyes and away the crack in her voice.

"I know… I know you guys love me but." She cut herself off again, feeling her throat tighten with the threat of a breakdown. "But it's hard when it seemed like no matter what I did, I was doing it wrong." Tears managed to escape her eyelids and fall down her cheeks. She quickly swiped them away hoping that no one saw them.

"It's hard being the only Madrigal kid without a gift and all anybody ever sees me for is the things I do wrong. I try so hard to make you guys proud of me. I try so hard but-" Her knees gave way as her throat tightened and tears began to pour.

She felt so alone. So weak. She felt like a burden.

She could feel sobs building up in her chest but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't keep those down either.

Then she felt warmth. She slightly looked up to see her mamá holding her tightly. It was followed by her papá, then her sisters, then her whole family were all in one big group hug.

"respiraciones profundas Mira." She heard Camilo whisper.

After a few moments, everyone pulled away. Some family members wiping away their own tears.

"I just want you guys to be proud of me." She said quietly, her head aimed at the ground.

"Oh, Mirabel." Her mamá said as he held her once more.

"You have no idea how proud we are. Especially now. Nunca he estado más orgullosa de llamarte mi niña especial." (I have never been more proud to call you my special little girl.)

"I love you Mami."

"Te amo más de lo que podrías saber. Todos lo hacemos." (I love you more than you could possibly know. We all do.)

"I'm pretty sure that our five minutes is up." Mirabel giggled, causing everyone to laugh.

"Does that mean we get to keep watching the movie now? I wanna see how it ends!" Antonio's happy voice said as he bounced on the balls of his feet.

"Yeah, I think it does."