Butterflies

Chapter 9- The River

A yellow butterfly. Mirabel. The candle's brighter. Isabela and Mirabel... hugging?

I ran out as the house cracked. Mirabel and I ran to the roof, risking the dangers of the falling debris. People called out our names. Mirabel and I grabbed the candle. It was on its last flame. We fell to the ground and were covered by doors. Dust covered us. The candle went out.

We sat there for a few moments. Their home was gone. Their gifts were gone. And it was all because of some stupid vision. Tears threatened my eyes as Mirabel looked at me the same way I probably looked. I helped her up and we slipped through the debris, escaping the searching looks.

I grabbed my horse from the stable. Mirabel and I rode out. Out of the town, into the mountains. Finally, we reached the narrow path through the mountain that led out of Encanto. I stared. I looked back at Encanto before realizing that they were still looking for me. Camilo would push until he found me.

"(Y/n)!" Mirabel grabbed my arm, motioning to the ground

Ezra parked us at the river. I pulled my skirt up and took off my shoes. I let my feet wade in the water. Mirabel held her knees to her chest as she cried. I couldn't blame her. I did that often, when Mother would yell or hit Mateo and me. I would find a safe spot in the forest surrounding my city and cry, letting the blood from my cuts dry out sometimes.

"Mirabel, (Y/n)..."

"I'm sorry," Mirabel said after a moment. "We didn't want to hurt us. I just wanted to be something I'm not."

Senora Madrigal sat between us. I looked up at her. She smiled at me. "You look so much like your abuela."

"I've never heard that before." I took a deep breath, trying to smooth the lump in my throat. "Thank you."

"I've never been able to come back here," Senora Madrigal admitted. "This river... is where we were given our miracle."

I looked out at the water. It made perfect sense. The stones looming above them. The water rushing past my grandfather's feet as he tried to protect Abuela and my mother. I could imagine it vividly. Especially from the descriptive way Abuela told me.

"Where Abuelo Pedro..." Mirabel trailed off.

"I thought we would have a different life. I thought I would be a different woman." She paused for a few moments. "I was given a miracle. A second chance. And I was so afraid to use it. Until I lost sight of who our miracle was for. And I am so sorry, to both of you. You'd never hurt our family. We are broken because of me."

A butterfly fluttered into a string of grass. The same butterfly I saw in my vision.

"Abuela, I can finally see." Mirabel led her out to the butterfly. "You lost your home. Lost everything. You suffered so much all alone. So it would never happen again. We were saved because of you. We were given a miracle because of you. We are a family because of you. And nothing could ever be broken that we can't fix. Together."

"I asked my Pedro for help. Girls..." Senora Madrigal trailed off.

The sun rose as she hugged Mirabel. A swarm of butterflies circled us. I laughed, letting the sun hit my face. I found a family that would care about me. I found a boy who made me feel like I truly belonged. My place, my people. I found it all.

Mirabel and I helped her out of the water. I heard shouting in the distance.

"She didn't do this!" Bruno rode a horse through some bushes. "She didn't do this!" He got off of the horse. "I gave her a vision. It was me. I was like, go. And she was like, she only wanted to help. I don't care what you think of me. But if you're too stubborn to-"

Abuela hugged him, surprising him. He faltered. "I feel like I missed something important."

"Come on," Mirabel said with her arm around me.

The four of us got on the horses. I was steering Ezra with Mirabel behind me. Ezra went through the mountains and back into town. The church bells rang in the distance. We looked at the crumbled mess that was the Madrigal's home.

"Mirabel?"

"(Y/n)?"

I ran to the voice. I hugged Camilo in relief. He hugged me back, kissing my forehead in relief. People seemed to come to us as we hugged. He hugged me as if I was going to leave again. I was afraid he would be mad for a split second. But he kissed my temple, and I finally knew he would never get mad at me.

I pulled away as Camilo said, "Um, not if we don't have a house."

Felix elbowed him. "What? We don't have a house. I can't say we don't have a house? What is that? Not a house."