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"So how have you been, papa?" I asked, handing him the basket of foods from my cloud
"I've been doing as fine as I could be in the walls" Papa said half-heartedly
"Pa, did you really have to leave and made everyone but me and cousin Dolores believe you left the encanto?" I asked again
"I had to, for Mirabel. I didn't want her to suffer the same fate I did, shunned by everyone because my gift wasn't helping" Papa answered as he took a bite of the arepa
I just looked down with a sigh, turning away from my father. I mean, I can somehow understand why he did that, I was there when he took the vision of Mirabel but what about me? I'm his daughter, albeit adopted, but still
"Mijita, you okay?" Papa spoke up, sensing my silence
"I'm fine, don't worry, pa" I dismissed
But there was this nagging feeling that something is wrong, like I should be aware of something bad that is about to happen but I can't pinpoint what or where it is
"Elisa, you are clearly not fine, you aren't this quiet" Papa said, breaking me from my trance once again
"Do you want to stay at your room instead? I could go with you" Papa offered as I just nodded
"I'd appreciate that papi" I said as we both got up and went through the walls and to the secret door that leads back to my room
"So what do you want to do?" Papa asked
"Could we play cloud tag again? Like old times?" I asked as our personal clouds floated beside us
"Sure, mija. You're it!" Papa exclaimed as his cloud picked him up and he started flying away from me
"Ay, you cheated, pa!" I jokingly grumbled before I also got on mine and started chasing him around my large room of clouds
Twisting and turning in the air, trying to catch my papa as we both let out loud laughs of excitement and adrenaline. How I missed spending times like this with him. Ever since he "left", I wasn't able to spend time with him this much so it's a good change
"You're it!" I exclaimed, finally managing to corner him and maneuvering my cloud to avoid his advances as he chased me back when my clouds suddenly started disappearing and reappearing as I feel my gift weakening causing me to panic and lose control, falling off my cloud
"Elisa!" Papa shouted, catching me in his cloud, barely saving me from my fall as we both landed on my bed
"What's wrong, mi cielo?" Papa asked as I took deep breaths to calm my racing heart
"The clouds, they were slowly dissipating and I felt my gift fading slowly" I confessed
This must've been the nagging feeling I had before in the walls and it could only mean one thing. The magic, the miracle candle is in danger
"I'm going to see what's going on outside, pa, you should go back now before anyone sees you" I said as I fix myself up to look as if nothing had happened
"Come visit again sometime, mija" Papa said before closing the secret door as I left my room
Everyone was gathered outside Antonio's door as Mirabel and Abuela Alma seems to be arguing by the stairs
"I swear the cracks were there, they were everywhere!" Mirabel exclaimed as Abuela put her hand up to stop her
"That's enough" Abuela said as I sneaked into Isabela's side
"There is nothing wrong with La Casa Madrigal! The magic is strong!" Abuela Alma exclaimed proudly to assure the village people
"And so are the drinks" Abuela added as everyone laughs lightheartedly at her sentence
"Please, music" Abuela said, clapping her hands twice as Luisa carried a piano and had Tio Agustin play it before the joyful music started again and everyone went back to Antonio's room to continue the celebration
"Isabela, what happened?" I asked, walking beside her
"Mirabel here claimed that Casita had cracks, the doors were flickering and that the candle almost went out, can you believe it? Ugh" Isabela said as she rolled her eyes at the thought of her sister trying to ruin our primo's night
