timeless memories || mirabel madrigal X female reader

03. on that night your light caught my eyes

“(Y/n), mija ?”

Your mother was home. She was probably exhausted, so you decided not to make her wait and exit your room as soon as you hear your name. Esme, who was silently reading next to you for the past two hours while you worked on your homework, looks up from her book to watch you run out.

“Hey mom !”

She gives you a tired smile, dropping her heavy bag on the floor to open her arms. You quickly hug her, taking in her familiar scent with a satisfied smile.

“Have you eaten yet ?” she asks, taking her coat off and handing it to you so you can hang it in the closet. You do so as she lets out a sigh of relief, finally removing her shoes.

“No, it’s Friday. We eat together.”

“But I came home late today. You should have made the twins eat, at least.”

“Sorry, sorry. You know how they are, they didn’t want to miss an opportunity to spend time with you, so they refused and locked themselves in the bathroom until I accepted to wait for you.”

“Well, this is flattering.” She giggles, placing her working bag at its usual place while you start setting the table. “I feel bad for not being here often, mija.”

“We all know you’re doing your best, mamá.” You squeeze her shoulder as you walk past her to grab a few plates.

“But you still have to explain to the twins why I’m not here every once in a while.”

“They’re kids. They throw tantrums when they’re upset. And they're upset when they miss you.”

“And what are you, then ?” She nudges you, joining you in the table’s setting.

“I am a grownup.” You proudly flick your hair, making her laugh. “And grown ups don’t get to throw tantrums. They cry and suffer in silence.”

Of course, you said this in a dramatic way, emphasizing the joke. But still, it was partly true.

"MOM !” The twins cry out in unison as they run towards your mother to hug her legs, immobilizing her. Esme enters the room more quietly, waiting for the twins to finish assaulting her with kisses to greet her.

Meanwhile, you continue to set the almost finished table, when another voice is heard.

“Well, girls ! Don’t let (Y/n) do all the work !”

Your father stands in the doorframe, arms crossed with a smile. The twins pass from your mother to him, jumping in his arms and leaving you to finish setting the table alone nevertheless.

“Hey, Dad. Good to see you.”

He had finally stepped out of his workroom, probably because he was out of paint or inspiration. Usually, he was in there for at least a week, getting out only to cook dinner for the family when nobody was home. He had a particular way of working, and meeting people often took away his creativity. He needed to always be on his own, not to be interrupted by conversations.

But hearing the twins screaming through the walls all day didn’t bother him at all.

Your mother bore with that because one, she loves him, two, when he finished a painting, everyone in town was willing to buy it, and it often brought a lot of money.

You sit around the table and they all start to chat happily, eating the meal your father had prepared. You don’t talk much, as always; Esme has a lot to say about what she learnt at school, Rita invents stories she claims really happened, and Sol reinstaures the truth about it. It’s hard to place some words between Esme’s excited speech and Rita’s protestations, and you know how tired your mother was, so you didn’t add to it.

As for your father, he was all too happy about getting out of his workroom, and kept on making weird faces to make your sisters laugh.

Instead of participating, your mind drifts to the time you spent with Mirabel. You guess she must be celebrating her birthday with her family right now, and wondered how it was going. Quite well, probably, since the weather this evening was quite warm and the sky was cloudless. No hurricane in sight.

You wondered how an evening in the Casa Madrigal was. Probably as hectic, if not more, than one in the Muñoz family.

___

“Goodnight, girls.” Your mother whispers, then closes the door of your sisters’ room. It was a hassle to get them to bed, they had insisted on watching one more movie after the one you just viewed.

Your father couldn’t say no, but you and your mother could. Eventually, they did go to bed, despite mumbling under their breath that they were totally able to stay up late. Your mom couldn’t anymore, though, and she was almost falling asleep standing. You hurry her to bed after she kisses your forehead in the corridor. Your father had spent too much time kissing your sisters goodbye, falling asleep as soon as he sat down on his bed to put on his pajamas. He didn’t even have time to wish you goodnight. Spending so much time alone had seriously damaged his social battery.

You still had to turn off the lights in the house, so you did, tidying up a few things as well before returning to your chamber.

You plop yourself on your bed, sighing in satisfaction at the comfort. You don’t feel too tired yet, so you look out the window. From there, you had a good sight of Casita, Mirabel and Camilo’s house, up on the hill. You always loved its colors, and the plants that grew on its walls. The lights in some rooms were still on, and you wondered which ones’ they were. Your room was plunged in darkness, and slowly you fell asleep, watching the landscape and the starry night sky.

___

Mirabel opened her window, looking outside with a sigh. She had spent a good evening, gotten a few gifts, and eaten cake. Everyone was nice to her and relatively paid attention to her. It was nice.

Next to her on his bed, Antonio soundly slept. He had stuffed his mouth with cake and passed out almost instantly after wearing his pajamas.

Mirabel stared at the few houses that were still lit, wondering if anyone she knew well lived in those. She smiled as the one her eyes had randomly set on suddenly turns invisible among the darkness as someone probably switches the lights off. It’s like catching a private moment of this person’s life, the moment they decide to call it a day, but without intruding on their intimacy. It’s something everybody shares, and Mirabel took this as a sign to switch off the nightstand’s light and go to bed.

She closes the window silently and wraps herself in her blanket, remembering a brief instant the time she spent with you in the kids’ classroom. She really enjoyed it, and she always felt like you two could be good friends, but she didn’t dare to approach you. She had unknowingly kept some kind of distance between her and all her classmates, never truly finding any best friend. So she was glad her intuition was right.

Mirabel fell asleep with a smile on her lips that night.

___
words : 1214