15. Chapter 15

AN: This is the last full chapter before the epilogue. You are all awesome!

I've posted the first chapter in my new Encanto story called "Waiting on a Miracle." I encourage you to go check it out!

Mirabel did indeed get to come 'home' the next day. She was a little weak still, but was able to walk short distances.

Isabela had helped to arrange decorations and they were ready with 'Welcome Home' banner and flowers and food when Julieta and Agustín walked Mirabel through the doors of the church.

Everyone had joined in the preparation, even Abuela. She was hanging back, giving them all space, but still there. It was Abuela that had suggested that they all take the day off from the house to celebrate Mirabel's recovery and return home.

Dolores had been surprised by this. Maybe she was actually trying to change. A couple of weeks ago, she would have been lamenting the fact that they wanted to take a couple hours off - now she was suggesting the whole day?

Dolores decided the time would tell, and pushed the thoughts away in favor of greeting her prima.

"Hola, prima." Dolores grinned widely. "Happy to be free?"

"You have no idea." Mirabel joked. The adults were giving her space, but all of the grandchildren were huddled around her. Dolores didn't know if anyone was going to address what she shared last night - they were.

All Luisa said was, "You know that if you were to leave… we'd come after you, right? We would never give up on you, hermana." Mirabel swallowed and nodded, and that was that. But it felt like a weight was lifted off of the whole group.

Then Antonio was at her feet, raising his hands to be picked up.

Mirabel obliged, grunting as she did. "I swear you've grown a foot since the last time I picked you up." She teased him. "You're getting too big for me to do this."

"Never!" Antonio declared, clinging to her. Isabela was right by her side, chattering away, and Luisa stood as close as possible too, though besides her proclamation, she was quieter than Isabela was. She also looked like she was ready to catch Mirabel (or Antonio) if her muscles failed her.

Dolores was concerned too - Mirabel was doing a lot for her first day free, but she seemed to be handling it alright.

"You okay?" Dolores heard from her side. She turned to see Tío Bruno.

"I'm fine." Dolores assured him, still watching Mirabel and her sisters.

"I heard about last night." He said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Oh no." Dolores put her head in her hands. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tell Abuela and the whole family-"

"Relax, sobrina." Bruno soothed. "You apologized to Mirabel, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Then stop stressing it. Mirabel seems content."

"Yeah, she does." Dolores couldn't place the feeling that that statement brought up in her, but apparently, Bruno was too perceptive - maybe it came from all of his time observing the family.

"You know, it's normal to feel jealous." He mused.

"Jealous?" Dolores was incredulous, but the more she processed the word, she realized she did feel jealous.

"Yes, jealous." He said quietly, making sure their conversation stayed between them as the continued to watch Mirabel interacting with her sisters, Camilo, and Antonio. "You two have quickly become close - I daresay you see her as a sister more than a cousin. And seeing her with her hermana's can be… difficult."

"It's stupid." Dolores murmured. "I should be happy that her sisters are treating her well - I am happy that they are. But-" Dolores shrugged. "Yeah, I'm a little jealous." She admitted.

Even as they spoke, Mirabel was looking around in confusion before her eyes landed on Dolores and Bruno. Mirabel reached a hand out, beckoning for Dolores to join them.

Bruno laughed. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, mi sobrina. Mirabel isn't going to leave you out, she loves you. And just because you aren't her sister the same way that Isa and Luisa are… doesn't mean she can't be your sister too."

Dolores nodded as she listened to her Tío speak. Then he kissed the side of her head and pushed her forwards. "Go, join your hermanos and primas."

"Thanks, Tío." Dolores grinned at him before doing what he said - joining the celebration.

It wasn't long before Mirabel did grow tired, and she fell asleep sitting up, her head leaning on Dolores' shoulders as a pillow.

They set her up in a bed that they had made up for her - over the weeks, the villagers had slowly been able to get beds for every member of the Madrigal family, so that they were no longer sleeping on the floor.

Mirabel settled into her bed, but she had a grip on Dolores' clothes that she wouldn't loosen.

"Here, prima." She heard from behind her. She turned as best as she could to see Luisa there, pushing Dolores' bed over.

"Thanks," Dolores said, but it came out as a question more than a statement.

"You make her feel safe." Luisa said simply. "And if you're what she needs to feel safe," Luisa shrugged. "I'm going to make sure she has it. It's neither of your fault that we treated her the way we did."

"Thanks, Luisa." Dolores said, getting situated in her own bed while managing Mirabel's grip.

Slowly other beds were pushed in. Camilo pushed his bed to the top. Luisa's bed appeared behind Dolores, and Isabela's bed on the other side of Mirabel. Antonio didn't bother with his bed, just crawled up in between Dolores and Mirabel.

They all fell asleep, protecting their Mirabel.

—-

The next day, Mirabel insisted on going to the site of the house and seeing how it was coming.

The adults were arguing about letting her go, knowing that she needed rest.

"What if I carried her up there?" Luisa finally suggested, all of them having grown tired of the argument. "Then she isn't exerting herself to get there. And we can set her up as the designated break person - we all know that she's the best at watching out for people, she'll know when to make someone take a break. And she can do that by sitting down almost the whole time. And if she get's tired, I'll bring her home."

The adults finally agreed that this was a reasonable solution, and Mirabel beamed at Luisa.

"Gracias, hermana." She was excited. Ever since she had woken up and heard what had been going on while she was in a coma, she had wanted to see the progress on the house. She had been thrilled to discover that they had found some of her things, especially the pictures that they had decorated her room with.

The whole family went up the the house to keep working. Townspeople were already there, some of them having even continued working the day before, since there was progress done since the last time Dolores had been there. They got Mirabel settled, and Luisa was right - she was really good at making sure her family took breaks. Nobody was going to dare ignore her or argue with her. At one point, Antonio fell asleep, his head on her lap.

The next couple of weeks were like that, and significant progress was made on the house. But the day that Mirabel in particular was waiting for finally arrived - the day that Dr. Gonzales would determine if she could return to normal activities. Julieta and Agustín joined her for her appointment, while the rest of the family made their way to the house.

Eventually, Mirabel came bounding up the road, her parents following more slowly behind her. "I'm cleared!" She called out.

She was instantly swarmed by her family members, all of whom were cheering and chattering excitedly. Having Mirabel cleared was a weight off of every single member's shoulders.

Mirabel, despite being encourged to take it easy, jumped right in. She was helping Dolores with one of the walls, when they realized they needed someone taller.

Mirabel grinned wickedly for a second before disappearing, promising Dolores she would be right back.

Dolores didn't know what to make of it, but her heart hammered quickly when she saw who Mirabel had decided to ask for help.

Mariano.

Dolores shot Mirabel a look that she artfully ignored.

"It looks like Luisa needs help, I'll be back," Mirabel said cheerfully, taking off before Dolores could even think of a response.

Mariano did turn out to be a big help, and as they worked together, Dolores found that their conversation flowed naturally - after she got past the butterflies in her stomach.

Mirabel stayed conspicuously gone all day. She squeaked when, at the end of the day, Mariano said, "I'll see you tomorrow," With a grin that melted her heart and a little wave, he left.

Mirabel was on her moments later. "You two seemed to be having a good time." She smirked, as Dolores continued to watch him leave.

"That was cruel!" Dolores laughed at her.

Mirabel shrugged. "You enjoyed it." She accused.

Dolores didn't answer, but she felt her face heat up.

"Dolores!" She heard Isabela from behind her and Dolores froze, panicking.

"Isa?" She said hesitantly.

"You and Mariano look so cute together!" She squealed quietly.

"Wait… what?" Dolores was surprised. Sure, Isabela wasn't getting married to him anymore, but Dolores had not been made aware as to why.

"You like him, right? You seemed to be having a good time." Isabela looked so excited.

"I'm… so confused." Dolores said, still not answering the question. "Isa, you were the one engaged to him."

"But I didn't want to be," Isabela waved her off.

"What?"

"Long story. Anyway, if you like him, you should totally go for him." Isabela gave her a quick hug before taking off again.

"Mira," Dolores turned to her, confused and a little frustrated. Mirabel had promised not to say anything. "Please tell me that I had nothing to do with the engagement being called off."

Mirabel looked surprised. "You don't know?" she asked.

"Know what?"

"Isabela didn't want to marry him." She whispered. "She was only doing it because she thought that Abuela wanted her to. Mama and Papa were furious when they found out, they called off the engagement for her."

"So you didn't tell anyone that I like him?"

"No," Mirabel rolled her eyes. "Isabela figured that out all on her own."

"Hmm."

They were apparently not the only two that had been paying attention to her interactions with Mariano that day. Tío Bruno gave her a knowing look, Papa did not look happy, and Mama planted herself besides Dolores on the walk back to the church, asking for her to tell her about him.

Later that night, Tío Bruno sat down next to her. "What's wrong?" He asked her gently.

Mirabel looked up from across from Dolores where she was working on a new embroidery project with the stuff they had recovered from the nursery, plus some new material she had gotten from town.

"You told me that the man I would want to marry would be betrothed to someone else."

"You're right." Bruno said. "But my visions don't show the whole story."

"But-"

"Dolores, he was betrothed to someone else." He said gently, waiting for her to get it.

"Oh." She looked up, eyes wide. "He was engaged to Isabela, but now he's not. It didn't mean that he necessarily got married?"

"No, sobrina, apparently not."

Dolores felt tears spring to her eyes. "Oh." She murmured, letting out a sigh of relief. "That's been on the forefront of my mind all day. I… I feel better now."

"Good." Bruno kissed the side her head, standing up. "I hope it works out the way that you want it to."

Dolores and Mirabel exchanged a grin. Everything was coming together.