The Gift Swap (DISCONTINUED)

🦋Four🦋

It had taken a while, but finally every Madrigal except Abuela was seated at the dinner table.

Mirabel took initiative, placing both hands on the table. "Okay, here's the deal. All of our gifts have swapped, meaning we need to figure out who has what."

"Mirabel, could you speak up, please?" Julieta asked. "I can't hear what you're saying."

Mirabel huffed irritably. "I would, but I don't want a migraine."

Dolores nodded. "Super hearing is no joke," she said. It was a surprise to hear her normal voice, not just a whisper. In fact, she looked sort of...relieved? Maybe even happy?

Mirabel turned away from Dolores. "Anyway, as you might have guessed, I have Dolores' gift now. Isa has Pepa's, and Camilo has Isa's. Did anyone notice anything strange when they first woke up?"

Bruno hesitantly raised his hand, and Mirabel nodded at him. "Um...my tower has a giant tree running through the middle."

Antonio tapped his fingers on the table. "That's what my room used to do."

"My room is made out of stone," Pepa grumbled, clearly annoyed, and Luisa looked up.

"I woke up in a room full of mirrors," Dolores offered.

Camilo grinned at his sister. "Hey, that's my room!"

Félix frowned. "Camilo, what happened to you? You're covered in scratches."

Pepa, realizing he was right, put both hands to her mouth, taking in the state of her son. "How did this happen?"

"Thorns. It hurts," Camilo admitted. "In fact, it hurts so bad I don't think I can do my chores toda—"

"No," Félix and Pepa deadpanned, and Camilo pouted.

"We should find out who has my gift," Julieta said. "I think I have Mirabel's, because my room has no magical elements to it at all."

Agustín nodded, putting his hand over hers. "It was the strangest thing—waking up in a nearly empty room, with nothing but furniture."

Mirabel nodded and then hastily looked to the last two, who were sitting at the end of the table. "Luisa, Antonio? Which gifts do you think you have?"

Luisa shrugged wordlessly, but Antonio said, "My room was covered in sand. Do I have Bruno's gift?"

Silently, Bruno looked at the youngest Madrigal in dismay. Obviously, he didn't like the idea of a small child having the gift he despised.

"I think that leaves me with healing," Luisa said, but it sounded more like a question. She'd stayed quiet ever since Mirabel explained the gift situation, looking at the table and picking at a hangnail.

Antonio leaned over and pat Luisa's arm for comfort, and she smiled softly at him.

"Okay..." Mirabel said, nodding. "So...Mami has no gift, Pepa has super strength, Bruno can talk to animals, Isa has weather, Dolores has shapeshifting, Luisa has healing, Camilo controls plants, I have super hearing, and Antonio can see the future?"

Everyone at the table nodded, murmuring in agreement. Camilo sneezed just then, and a cactus exploded underneath Isabela's seat.

Instantly a thunderclap sounded. Dolores yelped and popped into Isabela's body. "You did that on purpose!" Isabela accused piercingly, standing up.

"No, I didn't!" Camilo snapped, getting to his feet as well. "You think I can control these things?"

Mirabel, tired of the noise, put her hands over her ears, and Dolores (still looking like Isabela) glanced at her sympathetically. "Sorry, Mirabel."

"Mhm," Mirabel mumbled, not taking her hands away. "Could you guys keep it down?"

Nobody heard her but herself. Camilo and Isabela continued to shout at each other, and Isabela's cloud grew darker.

"Camilo!" Félix snapped, pulling his son down by the arm. Camilo flopped back in his seat with a small huff, and Isabela slowly sank back down, glaring daggers. Dolores shook herself to turn back, but ended up looking like Antonio instead.

"We need to get a handle on things," Julieta said. Everyone glanced in her direction, and she said, "It would be a good idea for everyone to go to their respective rooms and get a hold of their new gifts."

"Good idea," Bruno said, but it was clear he wasn't thinking of himself. He was watching Isabela's thundering cloud warily.

"Luisa?" Camilo asked, and Luisa looked up. "Not to push or anything, but I really need something for these cuts. They're burning!"

The formerly strong one nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

Julieta stood up. "I'll help you, mi vida. I don't have a gift anymore, so there's plenty of free time on my hands."

That seemed to make Luisa feel better. A small smile found its way on her face. "That works for me."

Slowly, the meeting began to disperse. Camilo followed Luisa, Agustín, and Julieta; Pepa and Félix wandered off to who-knows-where; Isabela stormed off—literally—and Bruno stood up to leave, but Antonio ran over and grabbed his hand.

"Can you teach me how to see the future, Tío?" Antonio asked.

Bruno cringed. "I don't think so, Antonio. It's not a good gift."

Antonio frowned. "Oh." He kicked at the ground with his shoe, and Bruno felt somewhat guilty.

"But hey, we could have some fun with talking to animals!" he said. As he spoke, his eyes lit up while he realized the possibilities. "I've always wanted to know what my rats were saying."

Antonio giggled. "That sounds fun! Let's go find one." He tugged on Bruno's hand and led him off to rat hunt.