chapter eighteen

Casita was standing again in all its glory — well as much glory there was without the essence of the miracle — and Carla couldn't be happier, but right now, she was too busy huddled around something in the corner along with the rest of the family — excluding Abuela and Mirabel — to actually admire it.

"Woah! It really looks like the real thing!" Camilo said, amazed, as he held up the thing to admire it.

Isabela quickly snatched it from him with a glare. "You're not holding onto it. You'll only break it." She then passed it to her mother while Camilo sent her an offended look.

Julieta smiled as she looked down at the shiny golden doorknob they made and shook her head. She then looked down at Antonio before holding out the doorknob for him to take. "I think it'd be best if Antonio gave it to Mirabel."

Antonio's eyes lit up at that before eagerly nodding his head and carefully taking the doorknob from his tia's hands.

Antonio took a moment to admire the knob in his hands with wide eyes before turning and leading his family towards where Mirabel and Abuela were admiring Casita.

Abuela looked up and smiled once she saw the rest of her family coming over.

Antonio and Bruno reached them together but Bruno went to stand beside his sobrina while Antonio stopped in front of Mirabel with a wide smile on his face.

Mirabel just looked about ready to cry then and there when Antonio carefully placed the doorknob into her hands.

She looked up to be met with the sight of her family, all of them together looking at her with looks that made her feel like she finally belonged.

Even though she always had, ever since the beginning.

She then looked down to see Antonio holding onto her hand as he looked up at her with the same look on his face. He then gave her an encouraging smile as he gestured for them to walk forward.

And walk forward, they did.

She glanced at her tio, tia, primo, and primas.

She then glanced at her hermanas.

Her parents.

Bruno.

All of them were wearing proud smiles. All of them were giving her warm gazes.

She then looked at the one person she's desperately tried the hardest to please over the last few years.

Mirabel's eyes watered as Alma caressed her cheek with that look on her face.

Just like she'd always hoped for, her abuela finally opened her eyes to see her for all she was. To her for all she was.

Now it was her turn to open her eyes. To finally accept herself for all she is.

So she looked down at the doorknob. She looked down and saw herself. saw herself for all she is. She smiled a watery smile.

She glanced back at her family one last time before finally walking up at the steps and fixed the knob in.

And then a bright glow shone against her glasses.

Mirabel took a step back as that glow spread across the door. Then it ran further around the house, and then it extended around the whole village.

The whole family beamed. No, the whole village beamed. Casita was back. The was back.

And they all knew it.

Because in front of them all was the proof. A door. A glowing door with many figures carved into it.

Without warning, the bricks of the arched doorway moved in a wave and the windows above it creaked as it moved back and forth, waving at them all.

Mirabel was the first to recover from the shock and waved back with a fond smile on her face. "Hola, Casita."

And then they were all dragged inside.

Carla looked around in awe, feeling an immense feeling of warmth when she saw that Casita had regained its color and life.

Though her admiring was cut short when Antonio suddenly ran past them riding on a very familiar animal. Her eyes widened as her gaze followed her brother's figure before they landed on Isabela. Her eyes only grew wider when she witnessed her prima grow plants on the walls and the floor near her.

She didn't even have the time to be astonished to see the strange colorful plants again as the excitement of having their gifts back filled her.

She closed her eyes and concentrated before feeling an extremely familiar sensation spread through her whole body. Next thing Camilo knew, his twin had disappeared from beside him.

She couldn't help the joyous laugh that escaped her mouth when she opened her eyes to see that her body disappeared from view.

But strangely enough, she didn't feel quite as relieved as she thought she'd be if she ever regained her gift again. She supposed it was because she didn't actually it anymore.

She had spent walking around people completely visible, and she was fine. She liked to think that she had completely gotten used to being around a large group of people that wasn't her family, but she knew that she was still only a few steps in. She still has a long way to go, but that was fine with her.

Because now that she finally took that huge step forward, she wasn't going to stop any time soon.

And that was the thought in her head as she was dragged across the room by Casita and in between her family so they could take another family portrait in front of a huge crowd.

Unlike last time, she didn't feel anxious or embarrassed at all. All she felt was pure joy and that showed when she gave the brightest smile she could as she pulled her twin close, ready for the picture.

But of course, Casita wasn't just going to stand by and watch them take a picture, was she/he?