The Lost Miracle

Chapter 8: The Nieta

"Mirabel!"

Abuela Maria went up to her now granddaughter and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. The elder whispered a request in her ear, to follow her to a quiet hallway that led to the rest of the house. Mira obliged and went. Abuela Maria stopped in front of her own bedroom door.

"My girl," Maria began. "I've waited for this day for quite some time..." Mira beamed. She always felt that the Salazars were her family. But now that she and Alejandro were to be married, it would be official. Of course, official things don't often matter, anyone can be a part of a family if the love is strong enough, but for Mira... Something about all of this made her bloom.

Maria opened the door and brought something out to Mirabel. The Salazar's tapestry. Maria unfolded it to reveal a chalk outline of a curly haired girl next to Alejandro's figure. Mira covered her mouth with her palm as her tears fell onto the tapestry. "Would you do me the honor of adding mi nieta to our family tree?" Joyful tears rained down, nearly drenching the tapestry if not for Mira wiping her eyes.

"Yes- yes!" Mira took a moment to collect herself and embrace her Abuela. "I-I'd be absolutely honored!"

•••

"I'm glad you're so happy about it!" Andro whispers to his betrothed. Mira had just finished telling him about her conversation with Abuela Maria. "But, uh- are you sure you don't want me to stitch you in?" Mira snorted.

"You!? Sewing!?" She giggled while her love smirked. "You can't even get a thread through a needle eye!"

"Hey, at least I'm not as bad as mama!" he said. Which was true, Mira recalled when she first began sewing for the town and she tried to teach Josephina how to mend one of her daughter's dresses. It somehow ended up with more holes than it began with... It was a great mystery to everyone, and a great dismay to both Josephina and Mercedes.

"Speaking of mama," Andro started again. "I'm happy to report that she'll be arranging the wedding for us." Mira's eyes widened.

"All by herself?!"

"She'll have Mercedes and Abuela to help her."

"But-" Andro quieted his worried love. He knew she would protest

"She'll be fine, you need to enjoy yourself." Mira opened her mouth to protest, only to be hushed again. "Mi amor, I know you hate for others to do work for you. But I also know that if you were to do this, you'd never have a moment of peace." Mira looked down and thought for a moment, staring at her swaying feet.

"I suppose I wouldn't be... completely opposed to someone else planning all this..." He spun her around and leaned close.

"Oh! I should go thank them..." Mira spun out of her amor's arms and searched around the room for her new sister-

...Only to see her old one. And her other sister. And her cousins. And... Mariano? What was he doing here? What were any of them doing here? Were they passing through? Did they see me?

Don't be upset or mad or sad or scared at all- This is fine- Everything is fine. Totally fine. Maybe they didn't even notice me-

The girl in blue stepped forward, walking into the house yet stopping before she could fully enter. She stood in the door frame, her eyes surprised and melancholic, mouth hanging open, mirroring her youngest sister's expression. Her lips moved slightly, no sound escaping, but Mira knew exactly what Isabela had said.

"Mirabel?"