8. Chapter 8

It took Dolores a long time to fall asleep that night, and even once she did, it was a restless sleep. She couldn't stop seeing Mirabel slumped over, unresponsive, over and over again in her dreams.

She woke early in the morning to Camilo shaking her shoulder. "You good?" he whispered, not wanting to draw attention to them.

She laid there, breathing heavily, and nodded. "Yeah, thanks."

He gave her a concerned look, but reached down and grasped her hand before closing his eyes and going back to sleep.

When his hand eventually fell, Dolores decided it was time to get up. Or at least, that she couldn't continue to lay there, allowing her thoughts to wander and get away with her. They never ended well.

She had made sure everyone was accounted for before she went to bed the night before - everyone had been present except for Tía Julieta, who was of course with Mirabel.

So where was Isabela?

Dolores tried to quell the panic that was rising in her throat. Isabela had probably gone to see Mira and hadn't come back.

It didn't matter that her older prima was one of her least favorite people at the moment, she still couldn't stand the idea that something could be wrong.

Dolores quickly made her way to the back of the church and into the entryway. She figured Isa might be in the bathroom, and was planning to check there, but what she found in the entryway startled her.

Nobody was there, but there was a collection of food, set out and ready to eat. At some point, apparently recently, someone had brought a bunch of food for them.

"The villagers have developed a meal schedule." Her Abuela spoke from behind her, and Dolores tensed - both from her current frustration with her, and the fact that she had startled her. "At least for the next few weeks, our food will be provided by different families in the village while we start working, with their help, to rebuild our home."

That must have been what they were discussing yesterday when they had realized that Mirabel was injured. It was good, since really the only ones who could cook well were Abuela and Tía Julieta. And the last thing that her Tía needed to be worried about was cooking food. She needed to be able to focus solely on Mirabel and her other daughters.

"That's really nice of them." Dolores said, her voice flat. The Madrigals had helped keep the town afloat with their gifts for decades - she was relieved to find that they apparently had realized that the Madrigals were human too, and were giving them assistance now that they were the ones that needed it.

Dolores excused herself to the bathroom, and was starting to get nervous when she didn't find Isabela there. When she came out, she realized she had to ask the only other person awake. "Do you know where Isa is?"

Abuela looked up at her. "I believe she went to see Julieta and Mirabel."

Dolores felt her heart rate ease. Of course that's where her prima had gone.

Dolores had gotten out of bed for a reason, but she didn't want to be alone with Abuela either, so she went back in and laid down.

She didn't intend to fall back to sleep, but the next thing she knew, she was awaking to the noise around her as people started to get up and start moving.

Dolores sat up. Not everyone was awake yet, Camilo was still knocked out on the bench above her. Antonio was already up and had gotten some food, along with Luisa and Papa. Mama and Tío Bruno were still sleeping. Bruno was on his back and Pepa on her stomach, and at some point in the night she had thrown her arm over him.

Julieta had come back and was asleep, with Isabela curled up next to her. Tío Agustin was gone, and Dolores could only assume that he was with Mirabel.

Dolores got up and got herself some food before sitting down next to her Papa, leaning into him.

"Your Mama has really missed your Tío," He said fondly, watching them.

"I'm glad he's back." Dolores murmured. "Now, if Mira would just wake up, our family would be complete."

Felix smiled sadly, combing his fingers through her hair. "Sí, that would be very good."

It wasn't long before Mama and Tío Bruno were awake and getting their own breakfast. Even without her enhanced hearing, Dolores could hear her Mama fussing at him to get more food while they got their breakfast.

Isabela woke up and quietly went to get her breakfast, returning and sitting with Luisa.

Mama and Tío Bruno came back, and Dolores was sure that her Mama had played a role in how much food was on Bruno's plate. Pepa ruffled the hair on Camilo's head as she passed him, causing him to start awake.

"Get some food, mijo. It appears you're the last one awake."

Camilo nodded, already alert at the mention of food.

Once everyone was eating, Abuela decided to address the family. She explained that the village was going to help them to rebuild their house, and today would start with clearing the area and salvaging what they could and that she expected everyone to help.

"What about Mirabel?" Camilo sounded put out. "Someone needs to be with her during the day."

"Either Julieta or Agustín can handle that while the rest of you help."

"But-" Luisa and Isabela started together, but Abuela cut them off.

"Mirabel is not even aware that anyone is there. One person is more than enough. Our focus needs to be rebuilding our home."

"No, Mama." Pepa stated, glaring daggers at Abuela. Dolores was sure that if she still had her gift, she would be thundering and storming. "I understand that we all need to help with the house, but the children will all have the option to take turns sitting with Agustín or Julieta and Mirabel throughout the day. They are not slaves, they are children. And it is time that they are treated as such and protected as such. So one of them at a time will be allowed to see Mirabel today and take a break from the house."

"Pepa-" Abuela started, her voice tight with warning.

"Mama, I am standing firm on this. This is not a request."

"I am in agreement with Pepa." Dolores was startled to hear Tío Bruno speak. "The children will need breaks, and they are worried about Mirabel. Keeping them from her will not end well for anybody."

"I agree as well." Papa wasn't one to stand up to Abuela either, so this surprised Dolores too - though it was normal for him to back up Mama whenever necessary, so maybe it wasn't so strange.

Abuela did not look pleased. "Fine. But I do not want to hear any arguments about whose turn it is to sit with Mirabel today. If I hear an argument, the whole thing is off."

Dolores figured that was the best they would get, and was thankful when nobody argued back with her.

Antonio and Camilo were already sitting with her, and Isa and Luisa got up and came and sat with them, making a circle.

"Okay, let's come up with a plan to make our shifts with Mirabel run smoothly." Isabela stated. "We don't want Abuela to cancel them because we disagree."

For once, Dolores agreed with her prima.

"So, there are five of us - 8 if you count Mama and Papa and Tío Bruno." Camilo started. "Do we want to do longer breaks that occur less often, or shorter ones more often."

"Shorter that are more frequent." Luisa had been largely quiet throughout the whole ordeal the last couple of days, so Dolores was surprised to hear the conviction in her voice. So was everyone else by the looks they gave her. Luisa blushed as all the attention turned to her. "I mean, I have done physical labor every day for over 10 years. It will be hot and exhausting work. Shorter breaks that are more frequent would be better."

"So, approximately every 30 minutes or so we switch off?" Dolores suggested. The rest nodded in agreement. "For the most part, I think that when one of us comes back we tell the next person to go."

"What about Antonio? He can't walk back and forth from the village by himself." Camilo pointed out.

"Yes I can!" Antonio huffed.

"Mama would kill me if I allowed that." Dolores said dryly.

"But-"

"We can take turns taking Antonio with us." Isabela suggested.

"He'll need more breaks anyway." Luisa agreed. "When one of us sees he needs a break, we make sure he goes with the next person into town."

Camilo and Dolores agreed, knowing that at Antonio's age, he wouldn't be a huge help anyway.

"Let's go youngest to oldest," Isabela suggested. "It will be easiest to remember that way. So Camilo, you start your day over there. When you come back, Luisa and Antonio can go, and then they will send Dolores, and then I will go, and when I come back I can send Camilo again. And we all just make sure that we are checking about Antonio."

They all agreed that this was a good plan. Dolores was impressed at the change she was seeing in her older prima today, and was happy about it. It seemed like maybe her prima was seeing how bad things had been and was making an effort to change them.

They dispersed then to go get ready for the day. Villagers had brought them clothes at some point, since everything they owned had collapsed in Casita. Everyone managed to find some clothes that would fit them and do well for working all day. Dolores was sitting, trying to tame her hair back out of her face, when Mama came and sat down next to her, taking over her hair as they spoke.

"You and your hermanos and primas seemed like you were having a serious conversation this morning." Pepa prodded.

"We came up with a plan. So that we can see Mirabel and not argue."

Pepa looked impressed. "Excelente. Let's hear it."

Dolores outlined their plan to her. "I know Abuela said only one of us at a time, but we would be wasting just as much time for one of us to walk Antonio up there and back. Plus, Mama, he's five."

"I agree." Pepa soothed. "That's an excellent plan. I will handle Abuela if she's upset about Antonio." There was an edge to her Mama's voice that made Dolores grin. Her Mama would put Abuela in her place if she made a fuss about the schedule, she was sure of that. "Antonio will not be able to do as much as everyone else, nor should he have to. I am proud of you for working with your primas and hermanos to make a plan. A well thought out plan that you are all in agreement with, no less."

Dolores shrugged. "We need to start looking out for each other, like we said last night. As much as we can all annoy each other, we're family. And Mirabel's injury has made that more important than it ever seemed before."

Pepa kissed the side of Dolores' head, having finished wrangling her hair. "Alright, let's get going and get to work." She said.

Everyone else was just finishing getting ready, and they headed out. Camilo caught her eye and Dolores nodded, and he discreetly separated to go check on Tío Agustín and Mirabel.

They were starting with clearing the area and salvaging whatever they found that could be saved.

Everyone took a section of the house and started working on it. Antonio and Luisa and Dolores decided to start near the nursery. Luisa was still rather strong, even without her gift, due to the years of physical labor she'd done. So Dolores helped her to clear parts of the building, and then they would work with Antonio to go through the rubble.

They didn't find much. A cracked picture here, a dirty and torn piece of clothing there.

Dolores was startled to find, when the moved a large piece of the wall, to find the dresser that had been in the nursery in rather good condition.

She had to stop Antonio from rushing forward - they needed to make sure it was safe before he came in - she was not allowing another head injury to occur on her watch.

Dolores and Luisa determined that the dresser was in such great shape that they could probably keep the whole thing, and they both managed to move it out of the wreckage, and Antonio came over and they all started looking through the drawers.

It had a lot of Mirabel's things in it - especially her sewing and embroidery supplies. Some of her clothes were in there. Dolores wanted to cry when they opened a drawer and found some pictures. It wasn't many, but they all had Mirabel in them. There were a few family pictures, mostly from when Mirabel was young, probably before her failed gift ceremony. There was an adorable picture of her and Antonio grinning at the camera together when he couldn't have been more than two years old. Mirabel had kept a picture with Camilo, both of them covered in flour from a failed attempt to cook something for their Mamas for Mother's Day - Dolores remembered that fiasco and the trouble both had been in, but both kids, no more than 8 years old, were beaming at the camera, both with gaps in their teeth, which just made it more adorable.

There was a few pictures of Mirabel with her sisters or with her parents, and even one with the five of them. But they were more posed pictures. Not candid like the others.

Dolores was relieved to find a picture of herself with Mirabel and Antonio. Mirabel was probably 12 Antonio was clinging to her leg like a koala, while Dolores was trying to peel him off, for some reason that she couldn't remember now. And her and Mirabel were both laughing at Antonio. At the bottom, she found a really old picture, where Mirabel had to be maybe 4 years old, because she was sitting on Tío Bruno's lap, while he read her a story.

She looked up to see Luisa was crying, and that caused the tears that had already filled her eyes to spill over.

"What?" Antonio asked. "What's wrong?"

"Most of these pictures are from when Mirabel was younger." Luisa said softly.

"Yeah?" Antonio still didn't understand.

"We failed to make sure she was still included as she got older. Most of these pictures are from before her ceremony. There are very few from as she got older, and I don't see any in her of her in the last… I don't know, five years?" Dolores shot a questioning look to Luisa, who was nodding.

"At least." She agreed.

They finished going through the dresser, mostly finding some things that they were sure Mirabel would be thrilled to still have, and then Luisa and Dolores moved it to where they were piling all the salvageable stuff.

Luisa pocketed the pictures though. "I'm going to take these to her room. I know she won't know they are there, but they obviously mean a lot to her if she kept them. I want her to have them with her."

Dolores and Antonio both agreed that that was a good plan, and then Camilo showed up. "Luisa, your turn to go with Antonio."

Luisa looked… almost uncomfortable. "I haven't worked long enough to take a break. Dolores, you go and take Antonio with you." her voice was quiet and anxious.

"No, prima." Camilo said. "We all agreed to the schedule. The work isn't going anywhere." He motioned with his head. "Go see your hermanita."

Luisa still hesitated, but nodded. "Come on Antonio. Let's go see Mirabel."

He was much more enthusiastic. "Yeah!" He exclaimed, jumping up and down. He took Luisa's hand and she led him to the village to go see Mirabel.

"I'll work with you." Camilo commented. "You can catch me up on what we are doing."

Dolores nodded, and led him back to the nursery, showing him how they were moving debris to one spot and salvageable stuff to another.

Felix and Pepa were going through the salvaged stuff, determining what to do with it, and loading it onto a cart to go to town. The village had agreed to have church in each other's homes to allow the Madrigal's to repurpose the church as their own home until Casita was rebuilt, so they were able to store whatever was salvageable there. Bruno and Isabela were working in the kitchen, and there were villagers coming in and out, all taking time to help where they could.

The day went on like that. There were no problems with the kids switching off for a break, except for once.

Isabela was taking Antonio with her for her second break. It was right after they had had lunch, which was probably the only reason Abuela even noticed, their schedule had been going so smoothly.

"Why are you taking Antonio with you, Isa?" Abuela asked.

"Well, he can't walk to the village on his own." Isa said, not even paying much attention to her Abuela as she finished picking up from lunch and gathering Antonio.

"I said only one of you at a time."

"And I said I'm taking Antonio with me." Isabela stated, and then leaned down and picked him up.

Antonio had worked really hard all morning, but anyone could tell that he was tired. He was only 5, after all.

"Isabela, that directly contradicts my instructions this morning."

Isa had apparently decided not to respond, not halting her progress to leave. But it didn't matter, because Pepa stepped in.

"So you're saying that you would prefer that either your youngest grandson does not get to see his prima at all or that you would prefer to allow him to walk back and forth from the village by himself? At his age?" Pepa was spitting mad. "No. Isabela, take Antonio with you. And should he fall asleep, leave him there." Her voice was hard as steel.

"Pepa, please." Abuela brushed her off. "We all need to step up to make this happen."

"He's five!" She snapped. "He, more than any of us, is only a child. You don't see any other children his age up here."

And she was right. Now, there had been children from the village that had wandered up, wanting to know what was going on and wanting to help, but none had been allowed to help without a parent there, and none of those as young as Antonio had parents that were giving permission.

Abuela pursed her lips, and seemed to realize that while none of the villagers were specifically watching them, they had still drawn a lot of attention.

"We will discuss this more tonight." She declared, allowing the discussion to end.

Pepa didn't look like that was going to be enough for her, but Bruno and Felix both calmed her down, and redirected her to the tasks at hand.

Dolores, Camilo, and Luisa were still working together - the five of them, including Isa and Antonio - had slowly drifted together, working as a group in each section they were in. And it was going well. Dolores hadn't expected them to be able to get along this well for even this long, and was pleasantly surprised to find that they could.

They were all looking out for each other, but Dolores, Camilo, and Isabela had come to an unspoken agreement to look out for Luisa more. They made sure that she took water breaks and would rest outside of her time to see Mirabel. They all realized she had been significantly overworked. This was part of looking out for each other. That agreement didn't just apply to Mirabel - it was the whole family.

And they were off to a wonderful start.

AN: Okay, a couple of things:

1. I'm still struggling with the direction of this story. I'm linking a survey that literally only has one question so that I can keep responses in the same spot - Do you want to see an Abuela redemption arc in this story? Because I'll be honest, I've been trying to force it, and it's not going in that direction. I'd like some feedback on your thoughts as I plan the ending to this story. I know how FF can be with links, so you should be able to remove the spaces and get there, but I'll also link it on my profile!

www . surveymonkey r / NMJLF9L

2. I've posted a new Encanto story - it's a sickfic, and full of fluff. Go check it out! It'll have 3 chapters, and its already completed. The second chapter will go up either today or tomorrow.