23. Chapter 23

A/N: Edited 6/7/22 to clarify a few minor things and to tidy up the references/footnotes.

Edited 7/5/22 for spelling and grammar.

*cracks knuckles * It begins. o.o

Chapter 23

Tatiana Valencia approached Alma Madrigal on Tuesday evening.

Alma had gone with Isabela after supper to get some avocados for what Mirabel had excitedly deemed 'family spa night', and they strolled leisurely through the town, talking of Isabela's plans for the opening parade tomorrow.

In the past, the parade was always beautifully, ornately planned to the tiniest detail. Especially Isabela's part – which consisted of lots of roses, perfectly ordered petals, and lots and lots of practiced poses.

This year, Isabela had something different in mind.

"I've been walking along the parade route all week," Isabela said, motioning to the cobblestone street that marked the start of the parade, "I've been dropping pollen and seeds along the cracks. So that when I step like so…" She planted her foot firmly in front of her, just past the starting line, sending a pulse of her power into the road – and the cobblestone street before them turned into a carpet of moss and native ground cover, tiny flowers in dozens of colors creating abstract swirls and patterns on the street before them.

Alma gasped.

Isabela stepped back and withdrew her power, and the plants receded into the street. Alma turned to her with wide eyes, amazed at her display. Isabela noticed, and a pleased smile played on her lips as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I'll be tossing jacaranda and tabebuia as we walk, and when we get to the -"

"Qué pena, Señora Madrigal, Señorita Isabela. I'm sorry for interrupting." Tatiana Valencia appeared from a side street beside them, and she shifted awkwardly on her feet. "I've come to discuss the murales."

Isabela raised her eyebrow at her.

Alma stepped forward, a frown on her face. "It is a little late to be discussing the murales, Señora Valencia. It was supposed to be completed by the start of the festival."

"I know." Tatiana hesitated, her lips pressed together in a thin line. "I – have come to some hard realizations the past few days. Juan - " she sighed and looked away. "Everything I've ever done has always been for him. I just – want mi hijo to – to be happy. To have every thing and every opportunity he needs. To be comfortable and live a good life." She lifted her chin. "I am not sorry for that."

Alma and Isabela exchanged a look.

"But - " she sighed. "I have – made some mistakes. And I am sorry for those."

"More like sorry you were called out for them," Isabela muttered under her breath.

"Perhaps." Tatiana admitted sharply. "It is hard to be sorry for something when you think you were in the right. And though I still believe I was in the right for much of it…and that certain other parties were wrong…I acknowledge I have been…overzealous in my efforts to protect and provide for my son." She sighed pitifully again. "Has…has Señora Moreno spoken with you? About – about the restitution?"

It was Alma's turn to sigh, and Isabela barely suppressed an eye roll. "Lucía has spoken with us. She assured us your…cooperation in finding Josefina was enough to make restitution."

Tatiana looked relieved.

"You are lucky you did not owe restitution to me," Alma said mildly. "I would never have been so gracious."

Tatiana swallowed. "Yes. Well - "

"Your son, however, has done an admirable job. His kindness has more than made up for your…lack of effort."

Tatiana blinked, and then narrowed her eyes. "What did Juan do?" Her voice was measured and even.

"He helped fix the manuscript Josefina used by mistake in her groups' silleta project. He led several other children in an effort to remove the necessary pieces of paper, clean them up, and tape them back together. It took most of Monday afternoon, from what I understand. It was quite thoughtful on his part." Alma paused. "Were you unaware?"

Tatiana looked away and sniffed.

Alma rubbed her thumb over the locket of Pedro. "May I give you some advice, Señora Valencia?" She asked after a moment, her tone kind.

"I suppose you'll give it to me anyway, so you might as well." She replied stiffly.

"There was a time when I was like you in more ways than I care to admit," Alma said quietly. "I cared deeply for my family, but piled burdens on their backs and then pushed them away with my ridiculous expectations, all in a misguided attempt to protect them from some unknown threat - and they began hiding things from me, too." She paused for a moment. "I was the threat, Señora. I hurt my family. Not some outside person, or outside circumstance. It was unintentional and I am deeply sorry for it, but it happened nevertheless. I am now taking steps – such as the schedule you seem to dislike so much - to better protect my family. I am still learning, but I think – I think we are all healing. We are all happier."

She looked to Isabela, and Isabela smiled and nodded in confirmation.

Alma turned back to Tatiana. "It is not too late for you to fix your mistakes as well, Señora." She give her a small smile of encouragement. "But," she added, and her smile fell away, to be replaced with an icy, severe look. "If you ever call my son a maldicion again, you will receive no services from our familia for a month. And every subsequent incident will result in a longer suspension of services."

Tatiana's face twitched for a moment, but she nodded in acknowledgment and took a deep breath. "I – I have received two ideas for the murales, from an artist I found in San Cristobál...after no one in the Encanto was eager to listen to my suggestions," she muttered, irritated. "Her name is Selena de León. She is young, but she is – she is good. One of her ideas will allow the murales to be complete by the end of the festival. It will still be done during La Feria de Las Flores…just…not before." She reached into her mochila. "May I…show them to you?"

Alma and Isabela looked over the proposals with critical eyes.

The first was a beautiful and realistic, but static portrait of La Famila Madrigal, including Félix and Agustín. Or at least, that's how it was labeled. It was certainly a lovely design but no one looked quite right. That wasn't a slight to the artist - but the artist probably would have had more luck had Tatiana humbled herself enough to ask Lucía for some of Alejandro's sketches. It was similar to the murales Alejandro had painted, but not as vibrant or as welcoming. Tatiana said it would take weeks to complete.

The second made Isabela gasp. She looked to her Abuela, who covered her mouth with trembling fingers. After a moment, Abuela looked to her, and Isabela nodded.

"May we take this?" Alma asked Tatiana. "I will show it to mi familia tonight, but – I think this is the one we will choose. If they approve, I can get approval from the other council members before the festival begins tomorrow."

Tatiana nodded and handed both designs over.

Alma and Isabela turned to go, and Alma looked over her shoulder. "Gracias, Señora Valencia. This was...done to my satisfaction."

Tatiana nodded in reply and turned on her heel.

That evening, Alma and Isabela showed the family the rough draft of the murales Tatiana commissioned from Selena de León. They passed both around the table after the dinner dishes had been cleared.

Abuela and Isabela waited as the second design went around the table, earning whistles and gasps and raised eyebrows and impressed grunts. When it came back to Mirabel, who was sitting beside Abuela, her jaw dropped. "I've never seen anything like this!" She exclaimed.

The murales was a beautiful impressionist portrait of the Encanto; the blurred shapes of people filled the streets of the vibrant, colorful city – including la familia Madrigal. A rough image of what could only be Isabela stood near the fields surrounded by flowers; a label indicated Bruno walked through the streets with a rat on his shoulder; Pepa stood on a balcony, radiating light, Félix beside her. Julieta offered food at a stall in town beside Agustín, Luisa lifted a large stack of sacks of grain, and Antonio rode a jaguar through the streets, trailed by monkeys and birds. Camilo spread his arms dramatically before a crowd of children, Dolores sat holding the hand of an older woman, listening to her talk. Alma and Mirabel stood side by side near Casita, overlooking the village. The colors of the top of the villagescape – the vegetation and mountains - blended into the shoulders of Pedro Madrigal, who was surrounded by a brilliant sky, golden butterflies, and the words To Love At All Is to Love Entirely.(1)

The majority of the murales would be made by the overlapping hand-prints of everyone in the village, overseen and directed by the artist.

Selena de León had made notes that accompanied the rough draft. She explained that the impressionist nature of this murales meant she would not have to sit and make sketches of every person in the family; Pedro's portrait she would need to study, but the rest of the family would be less detailed and easier to complete. She'd apparently based her images in the rough draft on their descriptions from Señora Valencia, but noted that she'd make adjustments in person and that this was only her rough draft.

If they allowed her to begin the day the festival began on Wednesday, she would be putting the finishing touches on the murales by Sunday afternoon.

They all agreed to the design.

La Feria de las Flores began with a parade, after lunch and siesta on Wednesday afternoon.

Isabela would be the first to step out, dressed in a bright rainbow of colors with blue, red, and yellow streaks in her hair.

Alma and Mirabel would be right behind her, followed by those in the Madrigal family who wanted to participate. This included Pepa and Félix, Camilo, Antonio and his animals, and Julieta and Agustín. Bruno had opted out for obvious reasons, still being uncomfortable in front of crowds, and Dolores and Luisa and joined him for similar reasons – it was too loud for Dolores and too much attention for Luisa. Julieta went more to support her daughters than for her own enjoyment, and Agustín preferred to be with his wife. She ensured he stayed upright for the duration of the parade.

Bruno, Luisa, and Dolores, along with Mariano and Señora Guzmán, stood beside Lucía and her family near the start of the parade. Everyone was dressed for the celebration. The Madrigals were wearing their best outfits. Bruno had nervously agreed to allow Isabela and the other ladies to give him a 'make-over' last night after they'd agreed to the new murales design, and to his surprise - everyone in the house attended. Agustín said he loved spa days with his daughters and it had been too long since they'd had one all together.

Isabela had explained to Luisa everything she was doing, in detail. When Bruno looked at her in question from behind an avocado-lemon-honey mask, awkwardly attempting not to let any slide off of his face and hit the floor, she'd explained that while make-overs and spa days had been an expectation for her before, and she enjoyed participating in them - organizing them for everyone wasn't really her thing. But it was Luisa's.

"Luisa's going to take over family spa day once she gets the hang of it," Isabela explained proudly.

And so, everyone that wanted to, got their nails trimmed and their skin lotioned and their faces masked and their hair trimmed and styled. (Everyone in the family participated…Antonio got bored after his mask and went to play with his animals, but relayed to his familia that his capybara, Chispi, insisted on participating in the entire ritual. He didn't mind Luisa practicing on him and seemed to enjoy her gentle ministrations as she brushed and cleaned his fur.)

Isabela had even helped Bruno shape and clean up his beard. Bruno had to admit it was relaxing and that he felt good afterward. He wore his new ruana from Mirabel, and though his hair was loose for today, Isabela, Luisa, and Mirabel had promised to help him slick it back and tie it in a ponytail for his performances…and for dancing.

He wiped his hands nervously on his slacks. His ruana from Mirabel was newer and nicer than his old one, but being newer meant that it was also thicker and warmer. His palms were sweating already.

Lucía stood beside him, and her shoulder kept brushing against his, sending goosebumps up his arm and making him feel slightly lightheaded. She had done Josefina's hair in a long braid and pinned it up into a bun with a large flower on the side. They both wore the traditional dress for the festival. Josefina's was a white, off-the-shoulder lacy blouse with a vibrant green and yellow skirt. Lucía's was a similar style, but its voluminous skirt was a forest green and navy blue - the same one she'd worn to the celebration the night Casita was finished and the magic returned. She, too, had braided her hair into an intricate design that twisted and sat at the nape of her neck, with flowers pinned at the side. Sofia and her extended family – those not in the parade, at least - stood nearby and were similarly dressed, her girls wearing dresses and her boys wearing guayaberas and slacks. Josefina held her mother's hand, careful not stray too far, even in the midst of all the excitement.

"Lucía," Bruno murmured quietly, as they waited for the parade to start.

She smiled at him. "Sí?"

"I – ah – did – um – anyone tell you about the murales?"

Lucía blinked. "No. Did Tatiana come to your madre with a proposal? It seems a little late. The festival is…here already."

"She – ah – she gave Mamá the proposals last night. We agreed to it. I mean – uh – we chose one. Well, she and Isabela chose one, but we all – we all liked it."

"Oh. That's good news, sí? Who did she…who will be painting it?" He watched her carefully, but aside from a slight hesitation, she didn't seem to be upset.

"Um – an artist by the name of Selena de León? From San Cristobál."

"Oh? She didn't want to go to anyone in the Encanto?"

Bruno shrugged. "I – I don't know. Who knows what goes on in that woman's head…" he muttered and shuddered slightly. Lucía's lips pressed together in an effort not to smile. "Anyway…the – the rough draft is – it's something else. We'd – we'd never seen anything like it before."

"Oh?"

"Sí," he said. "I think – I think you might like it."

She smiled at him, and it seemed genuine. "Then I can't wait to see it. Is she starting during the festival, then? Señora de León?" Something inside him breathed with relief.

"Señorita," he continued as the sounds of the band warming up for the parade drifted toward them. "She's – only eighteen."

"Eighteen!" Lucía exclaimed. "That is young! She must be very talented!"

Bruno shrugged. "Apparently. I guess we'll find out for sure by the end of the festival."

Lucía blinked. "How is she going to finish the entire murales in five days?!"

Bruno smiled. "It's – a surprise. Sort of – ah – a community effort. They're going to explain more at the opening ceremony."

"Oh, that - "

"Mamá!" Josefina squealed in excitement as the band began its first synchronized notes and Isabela walked by. Josefina's mouth dropped open in awe as the carpet of flowers bloomed around Isabela and shot forward ahead of her. "Mamá, look! Isabela! Isabela!" She called, waving enthusiastically.

Isabela stepped out first. Her wondrous, magical carpet of flowers in the road made the onlookers gasp and cheer with delight. She smiled and waved, tossing jacarandas and tabebuia to the adoring crowd. She winked at Josefina as she passed and tossed her a bright yellow tabebuia. She blew her tío a kiss and he blushed and laughed. Josefina beamed.

After la familia Madrigal came two dozen people carrying silletas. They wore the traditional white and navy outfits. Men and women alike carried the intricately designed flower arrangements, and the crowd clapped and cheered as they walked by, bent nearly in half to carry their loads, waving proudly.

When the silleteros had passed, the band followed, leading the way for the dancers. The band of local musicians carried tiples and accordions, drums, and brass instruments, playing lively music that made Josefina bounce so much Lucía's arm was flailing attempting to hold onto her hand. She laughed in delight at Josefina's exuberance, and Bruno grinned at the sight of them. When she caught him staring at them, he had to remind himself to focus more on the parade than the woman and child beside him.

Then the dancers came. Young men and women dressed like flowers, bees, and butterflies sparkled in the sun. The men, dressed as bees and butterflies, moved and spun around the young women with dizzying speed, and the young women flared their flowery, jewel-colored embroidered skirts, their matching headdresses trembling in the breeze. They spun in sync with one another. The effect was dazzling.

After the dancers had passed, Lorenzo's extended family rode on horses. The horses had been bathed and brushed and decorated, and the majority of them stepped in sync in two long rows. Itziar brought up the rear, and Lucía laughed and nudged Bruno, inclining her head toward her favorite stubborn horse. She plodded along and kept trying to eat the flowers Isabela had grown along the road.

"Must not have fed her enough ahead of time," Bruno mumbled. He watched her from the corner of his eye. "Although sometimes I think there's not enough food in the entire Encanto to satisfy her."

When Lucía laughed again, he smiled.

This year, the parade had an extra addition at the end. Since the road to San Cristobál had become more easily accessible, new goods and products were showing up in the Encanto with astounding speed. Apparently, many of the raw materials and products from within the Encanto were worth a fair bit of money outside the mountains. Several of the older children at school had gotten their hands on bicycles via their parents' trips, and had decorated them for the festival. They had practiced riding them every day for several weeks, and now rode them proudly through the street, bringing up the rear of the parade. (2)

Josefina watched them pass with wide eyes, and Lucía knew before Josefina even turned to look at her with that pleading expression that she would want one. "Not now, mi amor," Lucía murmured. "Maybe when you are a little older. Your feet wouldn't even reach the pedals."

"But Mamá," sighed Josefina wistfully as they passed, taking in the shiny metal and the pedals and gears and chains and flowing streamers, "I think I'm in love. They're just – gliding and moving and their feet aren't even touching the ground!"

As the parade passed, those observing would join behind to follow it to the center of town, where the opening ceremony was held. It was more casual than being in the parade itself, and while several members of the party probably would have preferred to avoid walking in it altogether – it could not be avoided entirely if they wanted to be present at the opening ceremony.

And so, once the bicycles passed, those watching began to trail after them.

Bruno walked beside Lucía, and when Josefina pushed her way in between them and asked to be swung, they did so, a few times, until the crowd got bigger. Bruno's heart swelled with contentment and he decided, again, that this was worth it. He'd take whatever place Lucía allowed in her and Josefina's life and be content with it. (It didn't stop the desire for something more, but it tempered it for the time being.)

Once they reached the town square, the opening ceremony began. A large stage had been set up outside the town hall and instruments lined it, ready for their players to delight the crowds with music for salsas and cumbias and all variety of dancing, later on. Banners and buntings in a rainbow variety of colors decorated the shop fronts, windows of houses, and balconies. Home-made silletas and flowers and produce arrangements were also prominently displayed in windows and on balconies and in shops and stalls. One street off the side of the town square was designated as the marketplace and lined with stalls. This year, there were even a few stalls set up from San Cristobál. Tables and chairs lined the perimeter of the square, and the center of the square was left empty for the crowds to gather and later, to dance. A podium was placed in the center of the stage for the opening ceremony, and would be moved out of the way for the bands to perform later.

It began with a blessing by Padre Tomás behind the podium on stage – a prayer of gratitude and acknowledgment of the blessings they'd received in the form of the Encanto and the gifts of the Madrigal family. He began to ramble, but at a delicate cough from Abuela at the three-minute mark, he quickly wrapped it up.

Abuela introduced Mirabel and invited her to make the opening remarks, which Mirabel did with her trademark enthusiasm and clumsiness. It made Bruno's chest swell with pride, and he caught Lucía looking at him with a happy, knowing smile as well.

"What?" He whispered.

"I'm happy for her, too," she whispered back.

"Shhhhh!" Scolded Josefina.

After Mirabel finished up her speech, Abuela took center stage. "Mis amigos, mis vecinos, mi Encanto – muchas gracias for your support, for your hard work, for your contributions to our beautiful community. You have helped us repair and restore so much in the past months, and we are all grateful to you. As you know, the murales of la Familia Madrigal on Señora Díaz' shop was damaged during the events that caused Casita to fall. Señora Valencia - "

A low murmur went through the crowd at the mention of the woman's name. She'd been a topic of gossip for weeks now.

" – Señora Valencia has kept her word and found an artist to paint us a new murales on Señora Díaz' wall. The design was approved by mi familia and by the council, early this morning. It is something – truly special. And it will require – some minimal help from all of you to complete."

Another murmur went through the crowd, some voices excited, others discontent. This was La Feria de Las Flores – a festival – not a time for work.

"I have here Señorita de León, who will explain her vision and what she needs from you. It will not be much, lo prometo – it should be a happy addition to our festivities, not take away from them. Please give her a warm welcome to our Encanto!"

A young woman stepped forward. She had a mane of wild yellow-gold curls held back from her round, serious face with a navy blue head band, lightly tanned skin, and although Bruno couldn't see the color of her eyes from this far away, they appeared to be light. Under a pair of faded coveralls, she wore an old blouse so paint-splattered it was difficult to tell what color it had been originally, and red sandals on her feet.

She looked over her shoulder uncertainly, and when Abuela gave her an encouraging nod, she stepped forward. "Hola," she addressed the crowd, her voice small.

"We can't hear you!" Shouted someone in the back. Probably Osvaldo.

"Hola!" She projected her voice, speaking as loudly as she could. "My name is Selena de León. I moved to San Cristobál with mis hermanos two years ago. I am originally from Bogotá. I studied art there for…years. Since I was a child. Thank you for choosing my proposal. I believe it captures the spirit of the Encanto. Or," she grinned suddenly, "as much of it as I've been able to see, based on my limited observations. I hope I honor your community."

She explained the premise of the murales – the general layout, the inclusion of Pedro Madrigal, and the use of hand-prints to make the majority of it. She explained that she'd assigned time slots to families based on where they lived, dividing up the Encanto into several sections.

"It will only take you a moment," she assured them. "I have done something similar before, and already have the colors organized. All you need to do is brush the paint onto your hand, place your hand on the wall where I tell you to, and then wash it off and be on your way. The hand-prints will be complete by Friday evening, and I will take Saturday and Sunday to add any details and touch ups. Your murales should be complete by Sunday afternoon. It won't look like much when we first begin, but - "

Bruno's attention drifted from Señorita de León to Lucía beside him. Her lips were parted in surprise and her eyes shone as she listened. She must have felt his eyes on her because she turned to him, and she made a small, breathy sound in the back of her throat.

"That's amazing," she whispered. "I can't wait to see the finished murales. Josefina," she crouched down in front of her. "You will get to be a part of the murales, mija. Just like your padre. It will be different, but it will be all of us. What do you think?"

Josefina blinked. "I still miss Papá's," she said softly. "But – if we can't get his back – I guess this is pretty good, too."

Lucía hugged her and kissed her forehead, and Josefina wiped it off and wrinkled her nose, smiling.

La Familia Madrigal were the first on the schedule for the murales, mainly because Selena said she wanted to get to know the family and make some sketches to improve on her rough draft.

The festival would begin in earnest tomorrow, with produce, flower arrangement, and baking contests, and games, plays, performances, concerts, dancing, and food. For the rest of the afternoon, families could roam the streets to view the marketplace, displays, and schedule of events, and get an idea of where they wanted to spend their time the next few days.

Selena had come with an old donkey she'd rented and an old cart full of rusted paint tins, rags, and brushes. (Apparently, Tatiana had assumed the Madrigal family would approve of at least one of the designs and had already arranged for the young artist to arrive that Wednesday.) And apparently, Selena's tired old cart was easily mistaken for the town's waste wagon, as someone had thrown a bucket of rotting fruit skins into it. She wrinkled her nose at it and began scooping them into one of her empty buckets, and didn't notice the Madrigal boy coming up behind her.

"Need some help?"

He startled her and she spun around. She thought he matched the description of Camilo that Señora Valencia had given her, with his yellow ruana and tawny curls.

He flashed her an easy-going grin. "You're too pretty to be hanging around garbage."

She blinked, and then she smirked as she re-focused on her task. "Now, that's not very nice. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself." (3)

It took him a full second to understand the implication, and he stared at her with a disbelieving half-smile on his face. "Ouch."

She turned away and mentally kicked herself. Be nice, be nice, be nice…. "Sorry," she apologized. "My mother always told me the midwife bathed me in vinegar as a babe and I've been sour ever since."

Camilo looked at her warily, unsure of what to make of her.

Selena laughed, and the sound was strained. "She was joking. She was a good madre. She just liked to tease me."

"Right…." he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

She bit the inside of her cheek and noticed other people congregating around him – probably the rest of the Madrigals. She sighed and turned to swipe the last of the fruit skins in the bucket and set it beneath the cart, out of the way. She then grabbed a stool from the back of the cart and tentatively set it beside him, before perching herself on the end of the cart with a pad of paper and a pencil.

"Anyway! Wanna go first?" She smiled at him and hoped she'd done enough to make amends. She really wasn't usually this sour, even if she did have a tendency to speak before thinking it through. It was just – it had been a rough couple of years. And she needed the money from this job. She and her brothers, both.

She sketched each member of the family quickly, noting the adjustments that needed to be made. In her original draft she'd made Pepa too short, Julieta too round, and Bruno too…mysterious. Her brows drew together as she took in the man before her, fidgeting on her stool. He seemed shy and nervous, not some mysterious dark force that the tight-lipped Señora Valencia had hinted him to be. She sensed some tension between the woman who had sought her out and the family and village she was sketching for.

She needed to make slight adjustments to all of the family members, and did so with quiet efficiency. She only spoke to ask them to move slightly this way or tilt their head that way, and to answer the questions they asked of her.

"I began studying art when I was around ten years old. The sister at my school – it was run by nuns - noticed my doodling and suggested I take one of their art classes as an elective. The rest was history. I've loved it ever since."

"I have two brothers, one older and one younger. My older brother is twenty-one and works for a butcher in San Cristobál. My younger brother is fourteen and still in school there. My parents are dead."

"Oh. Lo – siento." Julieta Madrigal's shoulders seemed sink slightly, burdened by that information.

Selena paused. "Gracias." She did not look up from her sketch and did not offer up more information than that.

After she had wrapped up for the day, Luisa Madrigal offered to move her cart for her. Selena blinked. "Oh, it's fine, I'll go - "

She choked on her words when Luisa literally lifted the cart off the ground and balanced it on her shoulder.

She blinked rapidly to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "I – what – you – how?"

Señora Madrigal exchanged concerned glances with the other adults in her family, and Luisa put the cart down with an embarrassed smile.

"Señorita," Señora Madrigal said. "Did Señora Valencia not…explain to you about our family? Your plan for the murales seemed to…depict our powers, and I…assumed she told you. About the gifts."

"You mean…she wasn't…this isn't…" Selena slumped against the blank wall behind her, her pale green eyes wide. "Ay ay ay. I thought the gifts were…you know…normal gifts…that she wanted depicted in…fantastical ways? Like – she said you were strong. I just – I didn't think -" She turned to Isabela. "Did you literally create flowers out of thin air? I thought – it was – a magic trick, a slight of hand, for the festival -"

"If you are uncomfortable with the job, it's alright," Señora Madrigal reassured her. "We will release you from your - "

"No!"

Selena bit her lip at the surprised looks on their faces at her tone. "I mean – it's fine. I'm fine. With it." She crossed her arms in front of her and smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. "With the magical qualities you – ah – possess. What - can you do, again?" She squeaked. (4)

Before her eyes, Camilo stepped forward and shifted into several people – first, his prima Luisa, then his tío Bruno, and finally – Selena herself. "The question is - " he said, and his own voice came out of her body – "what can't we do?" He grinned at her with her own lips.

Her mouth dropped open, and she stepped forward to inspect the carbon copy of herself.

Well, almost carbon copy.

"You forgot my freckles," she said in a dazed voice.

It had taken the rest of the afternoon for the Madrigals to settle things enough with Selena that both she and they felt comfortable moving forward with the project. The young woman seemed to have adjusted as well as could be expected, and seemed particularly enchanted with quiet Antonio and his gift of talking with animals. For all her brusque manner earlier, she kept her tone gentle and she was very sweet with him – explaining that her younger brother loved animals, too.

The family then made their way home to prepare for the festival the next morning. It would be in full swing tomorrow and the main event they were all interested in was the first performance of Una Princesa y Un Pirata. The little acting troupe had three scheduled performance times - one Thursday, one Friday, and one Saturday; all three of them in the late afternoon.

Pepa and Félix spent the remainder of Wednesday evening re-teaching Bruno how to dance while Mirabel and Agustín played accompaniment on the accordion and piano, respectively. Dolores and Mariano danced as well, and Pepa and Félix used the two of them as a demonstration, when they wanted to point out moves that were difficult to explain when they were in the moment themselves.

"Look how he holds her waist, hermanito. Such a gentleman. And his elbows are at the perfect angle!"

"See how she moves her foot, like that? Make sure your foot follows hers. Sweep the foot. Now you try."

"Ooof."

"Ouch."

"Bruno."

"Your foot, bro – no…your other foot."

Camilo watched with amusement as Bruno attempted to lead his much taller hermana. "Tío," he laughed, and shifted into Lucía. "May I have this dance?" He curtsied dramatically and fluttered his eyes in a way Lucía never would.

Bruno flushed. "No! No no no!"

Pepa paused, a thoughtful gleam in her eye. "Mijo," she crooned sweetly.

Camilo shifted back into himself. "Mamá, it was a joke." He held up both hands in the defensive position and backed away.

"Maybe it was, but you're about Lucía's height even without shifting into her. He'd have a much easier time leading you."

Camilo pursed his lips for a moment. Then, he shrugged and made an exaggerated curtsy and let his tío lead him around the courtyard, until all of the steps Pepa had taught Bruno and made him practice again and again and again all those years ago came back to him.

Thursday morning came bright and sunny, and a slight breeze kept the sun from becoming unbearable. Selena began her murales, Luisa helped carry some produce to the judging stands for the produce contest, Isabela helped judge the flower arrangement contest, and the rest of the Madrigals slowly wandered from Casita, either exploring the festival or helping Bruno carry the last minute additions to the small rat stage they'd set up in town.

Lucía purposely took the route through the stalls in the marketplace with Josefina, allowing her daughter some grace and letting her exclaim over all the things available for sale. There were fruits and veggies, homemade butters, jams, and honeys, candy and baked treats, carved figurines, dolls and toys and books and handmade jewelry from both the Encanto and San Cristobál.

Lucía bought Josefina a cup of fresh-cut papaya and smiled at her exuberant thanks.

But Josefina's favorite stall, strangely enough, was one from San Cristobál. A man had a table set up with wind-up toys. They were little tin animals that had a small crank or turnkey in their back, and when wound, they would move – some would hop, some would waddle, some would walk, some would flap their wings or flippers or fins in strange jerking motions – but they were shiny and colorful and Josefina loved them. She watched them for twenty minutes before Lucía gently pulled her away and told her they needed to be in the town square for the first performance of their play.

Josefina decided to watch the first performance from the audience, next to her tía and tío and all her primos. She sat in the front and waved enthusiastically when her mamá poked her head around the stage before the play started to check on her. Repeatedly.

Bruno tentatively put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked at him with sheepish gratitude. "I'm…being a little much, aren't I?" She felt her face flush slightly.

His smile was one of warm affection. "Heh. I think it's understandable. But - she's surrounded by seven of her closest family members, eh? And – I think – I think she's learned her lesson. She'll be okay."

She smiled at her hands. "You're right. Of course." She nodded and raised her chin in determination, still smiling that small, happy smile. "Ready for your first performance, Ramón?"

He tilted his head and wasn't sure whether to ignore or embrace the way his heart leapt at the way she looked at him. He swallowed. "As I'll ever be, Imelda."

The performance was a resounding success. Thursday's performance drew a small crowd, but the play's adorable rat actors, intricate stage props, and a-little-bit-of-something-for-everyone adventure-romance plot caused it to be praised and exclaimed over by everyone who saw it.

Bruno and his family joined Lucía and her family for dinner in the town square Thursday evening to celebrate a good first performance. They talked and laughed and enjoyed each other's company, and Pepa and Félix were the first on the dance floor after they were done eating. But when Bruno finally got up the courage to ask Lucía to dance, she'd been packing up and telling Josefina to say good-night. The little girl had hugged everyone, but gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek and, her arms still around his neck, once again told him with a wide grin, "Te quiero, Bruno…you were a fantastic Ramón!"

Lucía gave everyone in the play a hug as well, congratulating everyone for their hard work. She lingered in Bruno's arms for just a moment.

"Buenas noches, Bruno," she said softly, and then pulled away and reached for Josefina's hand.

"Buenas noches, Lucía," he whispered after her, and it felt like watching his heart walk away.

On Friday, word of mouth spread and the crowd for the second performance was even larger. Luisa had worked out her nerves and her voice rang with confidence, Camilo was hamming it up to the annoyance of Bruno and the delight of the audience, Mariano and José played their parts with aplomb, and Bruno and Lucía played off of each other flawlessly. Josefina watched with wide eyes from backstage as they shouted and argued and pleaded and teased and confessed and proposed and lived happily ever after as Ramón and Imelda, with dizzying emotion and increasing passion. Their performance received cheers with the round of applause when it was over.

They had dinner together again, but Lucía leapt up in the middle of it, realizing she'd forgotten it was their time slot to put their hand-prints on the murales. She pulled her Papá and Josefina away and they hurried to the murales, where Selena was working with fierce concentration.

They paused in awe at the sight. Selena was nearly done with the town's hand-prints, and the layers and layers of paint created a beautiful, ethereal scene of the town. Pedro Madrigal was clearly recognizable over it, his eyes somehow both serious and playful, warm and kind. She'd set up a ladder and Camilo and Luisa had helped set up a sort of scaffold for people to reach the highest part of the wall, and she'd worked from the top down. Now, she was almost done, and there was no need for a ladder anymore.

"Are you la familia Hernandez?" Selena called over her shoulder, slathering green and brown paint on their older neighbor's hand.

"Sí," Lucía replied breathlessly. "Lo siento for being late."

Selena nodded. "You're the last ones for your section, but you're right on time. No problema. Here, Señor Martinez. Can you hold your hand sideways and place it right…here?" She guided him to the wall and he pressed his hand against it.

"Gracias, Señor," she said tiredly. "You may wash your hands in the basin there." She gestured with her head and wiped the sweat off her brow with her arm, her hands too covered in paint to be any use. She'd braided her wild curls but some still escaped in wisps around her face.

Lucía's heart twisted and she was reminded of Alejandro. "Señorita de León," she said slowly, as the young woman blinked and stood back and squinted at the murales, before turning around and nodding to herself. She walked over to another can of paint, this one a dark blue, stirred it, and poured it into a smaller dish, and then absentmindedly waved Lucía, Josefina, and Señor Hernandez over.

"Señorita," Lucía repeated, and Selena looked up at her.

"Qué pena – lo siento. Did you have a question?"

"When was the last time you had something to eat or drink?"

Selena frowned. "Ah – um…"

"If you have to think about it, it was too long ago," Lucía said firmly. "You should rest. Go have something to eat. Do you need us to get you some water?"

Selena shook her head. "No, no – I'm fine. I don't need anyth -"

"Señorita de León, I don't mean to impose, but – my – my late husband was the artist who painted the previous murales - "

"-and he was my Papá!" Josefina piped up beside her.

"Sí, gracias, Josefina. And I know – I know he often got distracted and…immersed in his work and I think – you look like you need a break. Would you like some help? With anything?"

Selena tensed and frowned. "Look, I know I might look a mess, but - "

"I know how to stir the paint to avoid air bubbles. I can follow directions very well. And although I am no artist myself, I can paint a palm as well as the next person, if you tell me what colors you would like on their hands. It would save you some time, at least for this evening."

Selena looked as though she might faint with relief. "Okay," she said after a moment. "But just for tonight."

"Of course," Lucía smiled. "Let me run home and change into my work clothes, and I'll be back as soon as I can."

She and Josefina ran home to change and ran back again, stopping just long enough to buy some food from a street vendor to give to Selena. Abuelo waited patiently, allowing his palm to be painted and pressed to the wall. He cleaned his hands in the nearby basin and stood to the side, waiting for Lucía and Josefina to return. When they did, he guided Selena to wash her own hands in the basin, and then sat her on the end of her cart and gave her what Lucía and Josefina had brought her to eat.

Lucía and Josefina and Señor Hernandez spent the rest of the evening helping Selena.

Several members of la familia Madrigal spent the rest of the evening conspiring with Sofia Rojas to make sure Bruno had the opportunity to dance with Lucía the following day.

A/N: Sorry for the slight delay, and any spelling/grammar errors. I've had a headache and the words are starting to blur together.

1) The inspiration for Selena's murales is from a deleted scene in Encanto, as is the phrase 'To Love At All Is to Love Entirely."

2) I incorporated aspects of Medellín's Feria de Las Flores into the parade and festival of the Encanto, although it is not meant to be a completely accurate depiction of Medellín's festival. Researching the festival with all its flowers and food and music makes me want to see it some day, though that seems like a pipe dream at the moment. : )

3) I borrowed Selena's line from the movie "The Bad Guys". I watched it with my girls last weekend. I thought it was cute and funny.

4) Intentional Flynn Rider/Tangled reference

Que pena - what a shame/excuse me - used as a sort of 'sorry/pardon me' in Colombia

I'm not thrilled with this chapter but I think it's because I'm too excited for what comes next. :D

God bless you and have a great week!