*we see alma having a drink of tea with her best friend, the matriarch of the Guzman family Maria Guzman in the cafe of the plaza in encanto. Alma stopped drinking, frowning slightly, hearing her voice*

Mirabel:ah Mariano glad I've caught you!

Mariano:Hey Mirabel, can I help you with something?

Mirabel: actually yes the kids wanted me to sing a song that's a duet mind helping out?

Mariano:i...I don't know my voice isn't really made for singing

Mirabel:Oh nonsense, it's fantastic! I've heard pleaaaaaaase it would really make the children very happy

Mariano: Hmm... Oh, alright, if it's for the children, I suppose

Mirabel:Great!

*Mirabel grabbed Mariano's wrist and dragged him away, Mariano laughed as he was being dragged by the 15 year old girl*

Mariano:And here i thought it was Luisa with the super strength

*That was the last thing Alma and Maria heard before their respected grandchildren disappeared from sight. Alma was about to scoff when she heard Maria chuckle*

Maria: Hay that Mirabel, you can see why she's the favorite madrigal of encanto, huh? She's like a ball of energy

*Alma did a spit take, tea falling on her dress as she looked at Maria as if she grew a second head *

Alma: What are you talking about? Isabela is the favorite madrigal. She's the flower the next figure head of the miracle

*Now it was Maria's turn to look at her best friend as if she grew a second head*

Maria:What are you talking about? Isabela isn't even the 5th favorite madrigal hold on, Miguel! Miguel, come over here!

*An older gentleman walked up to the table with a smile on his face*

Miguel:Hello ladies, what can I help you with?

Maria:Quick question: Who's your favorite madrigal?

Miguel:Mirabel, no question, no hesitation

*Miguel said his smile became bigger, alma looked at Miguel with her eyes wide*

Alma:b... but why?

Miguel:Why? What kind of question is that? She's Mirabel! That girl has helped me so many times in the bakery that I feel guilty not paying her, I tried, but she just refused and insisted I give that money to an orphanage. Hay, what a sweet girl. Shame my son has his eyes set on another. I would love to have her as my daughter in law

Alma:And isabela?

Miguel;.  .  .what about Isabela? I mean, I've seen her in town, but she's never come into my shop. It's a good thing to do those petals and pollens would be a nightmare to clean

Maria:Thank you, Miguel. I'll be sure to come for a visit~

*Miguel chuckled, winking at Maria as he left before Alma could say something. Maria screamed again, "

Maria:Carlos! Come over here a second!!

Carlos;hello ma'ams what can I help with?

Maria:favorite madrigal?

Carlos:Mirabel, of course, she fixed my wife's wedding dress an hour before the wedding. That girl deserved that extra piece of cake

Maria:Thank you, hernesto!!

Hernesto:You rang?

Maria: favorite madrigal go

Hernesto:Mirabel, my kids love her. The same goes for every parent of the kids, Mirabel babysits

Alma:But that's just a job, right? Everyone in the madrigal has a job to do

Hernesto:a job she does for free whenever we try to give her money, she refused. One time, we all but forced her, and the next day, she came with new toys for the children with the money we gave her

*A few of the adults around chuckled at the memory and the absolute look of defiance the younger woman gave them*

Maria:Maya!

Maya:yeah I heard, Mirabel since Julieta's food only works on humans it couldn't help my little paco, Mirabel refused to accept that and went to the forest to find some herbs, she found them and gave them to me and now? Paco is better than ever that girl has a heart of gold

Lucas:What's going on?

Maria:talking about the best madrigal

Lucas: Oh, Mirabel, obviously, helped my mother paint her house when I was too busy to help

Lily:Mirabel? We're telling Mirabel stories because I have one, the time she jumped to the lake to find my wedding ring that slipped off my finger when i was swimming

* And so it went on for another 3 hours of maria calling people out and asking each time the answer was the same Mirabel, Mirabel, and Mirabel. Alma was more than shocked she was astonished that Mirabel did so much for the community for free. That astonishment quickly was replaced with horror as she remembers each and every time she pushed Mirabel away*

Maria: Mirabel is first followed by Julieta on a veeeeery distant second, Antonio, on number 3 for being so adorable. Luisa in Fourth and Pepa number 5 and leaving Isabela at number 9, Agustin and felix are scored higher than her

Alma:I don't understand. What about Isabela? Why is she so low? Don't people like her?

Maria: Don't get everybody wrong. Isabela is a good child, but like you said before, she's the flower of the encanto, a flower you look at, but the second you walk away from it, you forget all about it. Mirabel, on the other hand, she's just....well, she's just Mirabel. There's no hiding. She has her flaws, of course, but those flaws make her endearing they make her human. Isabela, well... she's just too perfect to be relatable

*Alma felt as if someone gut punched her. All the wind was taken out of her body. While Maria just drank her tea*

Alma:I...I don't even know what to say, I thought...

Maria:What? That Mirabel did nothing but get in the way?

*Another gut punch and another slurp of the tea. Maria sighed*

Maria: it's not my family so it's not my place to judge how you raised your children and I never did but since it's all out in the open now I guess I'll give you my two cents.
everyone knows how you see her alma they just don't say anything since they know you'll just blame it on Mirabel making trouble for attention. But hey, it could be worse. People like Isabela, not like she's Dolores

Alma:Oh God, now what....

*Alma said, having her hands on her face. I'm not sure if she could take another reveal at her old age. But the cat was already out of the bag and might as well take the kittens out. "

Maria:Yeah, she quickly became the new black sheep after your son left the village. And this time it's all your fault she became that. People call her "Alma's rat" want to take a guess on why?

Alma:I...I would never use their secrets against them! I'm simply making sure....

Maria:puta shut up

*Maria said 105% done with Alma's victim mentality. Alma sighed and remained quiet, Maria being one of the few that could get alma to do that*

Maria:it doesn't matter what YOU do with the secrets since it's Dolores who'll get the blame at the end they don't care that it's you that's making her do that they don't care if it keeps them safe

*Maria got up and paid for her drink. She looked at Alma, who had just been stuck in her head*

Maria:Dolores became the new Bruno, and you have no one to blame but yourself. If something doesn't change soon, they'll also be saying,'we don't talk about Dolores'

*Maria said as she left, leaving Alma there with her thoughts*

Scene change

*It was the end of the day everyone was at dinner. And Mirabel was extremely uncomfortable. Why? Well, since she noticed Alma looking at her*

Mirabel:Uh...do you want me to pass the bread abuela?

Alma:Hmm? Oh yes, thank you Cariño, and how was your day?

*The whole table stopped what they were doing and looked at alma, that was the first time since they could remember that Alma was even remotely interested in mirabel. Mirabel looked shocked but quickly shook it off and gave a nervous smile*

Mirabel:it uh, it was good? The children wanted me and Mariano to sing a duet after a duet. I'm pretty sure we sang Pimpinela whole album before they were satisfied

Alma:Well, I'm sure you sang wonderfully, What else did you do today? I'm sure it wasn't just that?

*Pepa and Julieta, we're looking at each other as if the other knew what exactly was going on*

Mirabel:I uh, oh yeah, I helped the church with the food collection/food drive

Julieta:What? That's the first I've heard of something like that

Mirabel: Well, because we don't need it? There's not a single person in the encanto who goes hungry. But father Alves god bless him he can't sit by while the towns around us aren't so lucky, so he along with others me included of course, we collect food cans or make food that father Alves takes with help of the construction workers of the town and they climb up the mountain to give food to those that need it the most

*Now Mirabel was feeling even more nervous since something was very, very wrong. She was the center of attention in Casita that hasn't happened since her failed ceremony*

Julieta:Again, why wasn't i informed? I could've helped out with food

Mirabel:Well, uh actually, you kinda were? Um, it happened months ago like I want to say February, I think? Yeah, February, you were so busy running around making food that you weren't paying attention to Father alves. Ask for your help. You just said yes and forgot about it. Since you were so busy, I decided to help and make the food for you

*Mirabel said as she kept eating, hoping that the conversation was over and it almost was with everybody in their own head, that is until Dolores decided to speak*

Dolores:You're leaving something out

*Mirabel squeeled as Dolores had a small smirk on her face picking at her food*

Mirabel:w...well I uh... might've started things out with...pretending the food i made came from you, mami. Father Alves caught me and asked why I lied

Agustin:Why did you lie? I didn't raise you to lie

Mirabel: "You didn't raise me at all. Casita did more of a job than you,"

*Mirabel thought before that thought was smashed to the back of her head*

Mirabel:Because I thought they wanted mamis magical food, boy, was I wrong. Father alves didn't care who made the food he just wanted more hands to make the food. He didn't realize you were so busy that you couldn't do it. I'm pretty sure he asked for your forgiveness

Julieta:he did? When?

*Mirabel shrugged, not knowing since well she wasn't there for it. Julieta looked down at her food in thought*

Julieta"god what else did I forget this year?"

Mirabel:a..anyway after that, I uh help clean a house some of the kids my age threw eggs for fun and then I came back home

*Felix saw Camilo lip twitch he was suppressing a small smirk. Felix kept his mouth shut sadly for camilo, feliz wasn't the only one who saw it.

Alma: something you would like to say, Camilo?

Camilo:What me? No, no, of course not!

Dolores:he did it with some friends of his

Camilo:snitch!

*Dolores shrugged, alma glanced at Dolores with mixed feelings*

Alma"I didn't even ask her, and she still told me. Why did she do that?"

*Alma thought, she was starting to get frustrated with herself she felt as if the pieces were all there but she couldn't put them all together right. She shook her head and looked at Camilo frowning at the younger boy. Camilo shifted in his seat at her gaze*

Camilo:she started it. The owner of the house is always so mean to everyone

Mirabel:Now that's just not true, Mrs. Rodriguez is a lovely woman. She's 85 Camilo. What would she have done if people didn't come to clean her house for her? And she's mean only to you and your friends since you walked all over her flower bed and left running without even apologizing

*Mirabel said matter of factly, alma gave a small smile to Mirabel for her honesty, then went back to frowning at Camilo*

Alma:after dinner you will be in charge with cleaning every dish, utensils pots and pan your aunty Julieta used to make dinner after that you will go to your room and give me the names of those friends of yours. Tomorrow, you'll go to serñora Rodríguez home with your friends and apologize to that poor woman. Isabela goes with him and makes sure he does that and offers her to make a new flowerbed

Isabela:yes abuela i would love to

Mirabel:Um...abuela? That's kinda not needed the flowers bed I mean, the apology is completely needed. But the community already made her a new flowerbed

Alma:they did?

*Alma said her attention back on Mirabel, much to isabela's annoyance*

Mirabel: Of course, when I told some people what happened, more specifically the flower shop, we all came together and made her a new one.

Alma:You organized that?

Mirabel:w...w... well, I wouldn't say organized. I just told a few people what happened, serñora Rodríguez was very happy, though that bed means a lot to her since her late husband made her that before he passed. I just.... couldn't let her live without that since it kinda reminded me how abuelo left the candle for you

*Mirabel muttered and went back to eating, wanting to go to the nursery as fast as possible completely out of her element, having everyone look at her. Alma eyes couldn't be wider if she tried seeing Mirabel, she got up and walked up to her, Mirabel looked up just in time to see something she and everyone in the table hasn't seeing since before her ceremony,  alma kneeled down and kissed Mirabel's forehead giving her a soft smile*

Alma:I'm very proud of you, Mirabel...

*It took a second for what Alma just did to reach everyone's brain when it did they still didn't believe it. Least of all Mirabel herself, her eyes looked as if they were about to leave her body, her lip quivered a little as she looked back at her food not Knowing what to say or do anymore her mind was on autopilot*

Mirabel:t.. Thanksabuela...

*Mirabel said softly. Alma turned around and walked to her chair. When she wasn't looking, Mirabel cleaned the tear that managed to escape her eye socket. After that, no one could say anything, too shocked to even speak, so they just ate in peaceful...well in shocked silenced. Once everyone was done and Camilo grabbed all the plates, Mirabel was the first to walk to her room in the nursery, with the other kids joining her going to there room, the adults were about to join them in that action*

Alma:Stay a moment. I need to talk with the 4 of you. Julieta, could you make us some tea? Pepa is gonna need it for this conversation

*Julieta nodded and left, Pepa looked at her mother confused*

Pepa:Mama, what's going on? Are you ok?

Alma:I'm.... conflicted, but I'm fine, we'll discuss what we need to discuss after Julieta comes back

Meanwhile, with Mirabel

*We see her on the bed , whose 2 sizes are too small for her anymore staring up at the ceiling, her hand on her forehead where Alma kissed her. Her mind still processing just what the hell happened on dinner a few moments before, she was taken out of her thoughts when the door opened she looked and held a soft smile on her face as it was antonio with his jaguar parce*

Mirabel:hey Toñito what's wrong, buddy?

Antonio:i got lonely in my room. Can I sleep with you?

*Mirabel bit her lip, she wanted to say yes she really did, but she knows Alma won't like it. She looked at Antonio and his big puppy eyes and sighed*

Mirabel:Just make sure you're out of here before abuela sees you. You know how she is

*Antonio smiled brightly and snuggled next to Mirabel, Mirabel looked at parce, who was looking at them. She didn't need Antonio's gift to know what he wanted, so she petted the bed*

Mirabel:Come on, you too

*Parce gave a slow blink to Mirabel and hoped on top of them both it was cramped and snug for the 3 of them, but they made it work as they fell asleep*

Back down

*Camilo was busy with the dishes so he couldn't hear even if he wanted to do it and he did want to. Julieta returned with the tea. She placed one of each of the other adults and herself before she sat down. Alma grabbed her drink and drank it*

Alma: it's....been brought in to my attention that the villagers of the encanto has....ranked us on who they like the most where you all landed is not important so pepa don't even ask i dont need you and Julieta arguing on who's higher

*Pepa huffed with her arms crossed indignant that he mother had that little faith in her*

Pepa/Julieta"I know I'm higher than her anyways."

Alma:what matters the most and the reasons why I asked you all to stay is on who's number one and who's number 11 aka the last Mirabel was number 1 and.....and Dolores was on last place

*It took a few moments till the information reached them, Julieta had a small smile that her daughter was at least appreciated outside Casita. Pepa, on the other hand she was drinking her tea, her hand firmly on her cup a little more pressure, and she would break it. Felix started rubbing pepa's shoulders to help calm her down. Alma shad to bit her tongue not to tell Pepa to control herself as she almost did*

Pepa:There hating her for something she can not control. How is that fair!?

Agustin:How was it fair for your brother since that's basically the same thing

*In the walls, Bruno smiled softly. Agustin was always a good man who defended him. Pepa scowled, looking at Agustin, who gave her a glare of the same size*

Pepa:That is completely different....

Agustin:You're right, Antonio and Camilo don't blame Dolores for her gift like you and your wedding

Alma, enough, both of you, Pepa, control yourself and accept that he's right

*For a what must be a 4th time tonight the adults were shocked at alma and her admission*

Alma:Yes. I... I'll completely take the blame for this one, since I am to blame for them hating her so much and...and I was to blame for Bruno leaving I didn't protect him as I should've

*Alma said with a scowl on her face it takes a lot for Alma to admit her faults, not wanting another one of her family to leave is a lime alma doesn't want to cross again. In the walls, Bruno was completely taken back by her mother's saying that like Mirabel, he didn't know how to react*

Julieta:Then... then how do you plan to fix this problem? You must have a way to make people have a change of heart over Dolores

Alma:I do. I also expect the 4 of you to start screaming at me so please control your emotions I'll hear your complaints and listen do what you have to say but I will not tolerate screams at my face am I understood?

*The 4 nodded, alma sighed looking at the ground before he looked back up at her children, her eyes hard and cold since it what was called for*

Alma:I want Dolores and Mirabel to marry

To be continued or 5 chapters ahead on Patreon

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