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THE MADRIGAL HOME was truly a sight to see on the night of a gift ceremony. The tiles danced, welcoming the townsfolk in to celebrate the glorious day, beautiful arrangements of flowers were placed along the walls and banisters. The house was truly bustling with the sound of laughter and cheers.
In the middle was a spiral wooden staircase, leading to a glowing golden doorway. Above held a hand painted banner with the name Valentina, the newest Madrigal family member to receive a gift. All was going according to plan for the night, except for the fact that Valentina was nowhere to be found.
While the rest of the town was slowly arriving, the members of the family were hunting in every room and corner looking for Valentina. Bruno paced back and forth, trying think of where the little girl could be.
"Valentina!"
Young Isabela took to checking the rooms once more, checking to see if there was some place maybe they had missed. She slowly pushed open the door to the nursery, softly calling out Valentina's name. She noticed the pile of blankets on the bed twitch and ruffle.
"Val?" Isabela called softly for the girl, moving to take a seat on the bed. She pulled the covers back to reveal the small form of Valentina, sniffling and crying under the blankets. "What's wrong?" She whispered in an attempt to comfort her cousin.
"I'm scared," Valentina sniffled. "There's a lot of people."
"It'll be okay," Isabela reassured. "The second you get up to that door you'll forget all about them." She got up off the bed, extensing her hand out towards her. "Now, come on. Tío Bruno is worried sick about you."
"Promise it'll be okay?" Valentina asked, looking up at her older cousin with wide eyes.
"I promise," Isabella smiled. She knelt down, producing a small flower in her hand, and gently tucked it into Valentina's unruly abundance of curls. "Here, it matches your dress."
Valentina stayed clinged to Isabela's hand as they made their way back. Bruno sighed with relief as Isabela returned with his daughter following behind, thanking her as many times as possible before she slipped past the curtain and returned to her family.
"You're gonna do great, okay?" He encouraged, pulling the five year old into a hug. "You're gonna get such a special gift thats as special as you." He reassured as he kneeled down to her level, straightening her hair the best he could.
"Promise?" She giggled.
"I promise," he smiled. Felíx poked his head through the door, letting them know that its time to start. "I'll be waiting at your door." With that he disappeared behind the curtain, almost tripping on his way.
Abuela stood at the bottom of the stairs, the candle which fueled their magic in her grasp. "Forty years ago, we were blessed with a miracle, and we as a family have always vowed to use that miracle to help our beloved community. Tonight, we are gathered once more as a new family member receives her gift tonight!"
As Abuela began ascending up the stairs, the curtains pulled away to reveal Valentina. The tiles leading the staircase in front of her flipped to a vibrant red, and when she didn't move the tiles nudged her feet. She looked up, making eye contact with her dad who gave her a smile from above.
The young girl slowly walked down the path and up the stairs, coming to Abuela at the top. Abuela bent down, allowing Valentina to hold her hands to the candle. "Will you use your Gift to honor our miracle? Will you serve this community and strengthen our home?" She nodded, her eyes wide as she looked from Abuela to the glowing door way in front of her.
She stepped towards the door, standing in front of the doorknob. With the eyes of the entire family and town on her, she grabbed the doorknob, a glowing yellow light burst from where her hand was, spreading along the door in a blinding light. In a burst, her door formed, showing an outline version of Valentina with what appeared to be a giant clock behind her with an hourglass in her hands.
The crowd watched in wonder as a burst of purple light erupted around the room as visions of the past danced through the sky. It was strongest around Valentina, whose eyes glowed a magnificent bright purple before returning to their natural dark green as the visions faded. "We have a new gift!" Abuela announced, the crowd erupting into cheers.
Valentina opened her door excitedly, greeted to the sight of her brand new room. The floor was decorated in a wonderful purple tile, and the room was illuminated by great windows that allowed the moonlight to seep through. The room was lit by candles that lined the walls, casting a warm hue onto the walls and floor.
In a celebration the town partied for hours, the sounds of laughter and music continuing into the night. Valentina played with her cousins Camilo and Dolores until Tía Pepa ushered them to bed as it was getting late. One by one people began to leave as the night crept on until the house was finally quiet once again.
Bruno grabbed only a few things from her stuff back in the nursery, a nightgown for her to sleep in and the stuffed bear she had been gifted that she refused to sleep without. He helped her get settled in, tucking her in with her bear right beside her. With a kiss on the forehead goodnight, he turned to return to his own room.
"Will you stay? Please?" Valentina asked, terrified of the idea of being alone in the massive room. He agreed without a second thought, laying down and pulling her close, and it wasn't very long before the little girl fell asleep.
Bruno felt as if he couldn't sleep that night. He couldn't forget the look if almost disappointment on his mothers face at the reveal of Valentina's gift. It was similar to his, and as time went on his gift was made to seem like a burden as he was blamed for things out of his control. He hoped the same wouldn't happen to her as it was made out for him.
