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The day Luisa got her door was the most exciting day of her life. Being the only grandkid to get a power for the time being, the party was huge and the family pulled out all the stops for it.
When it came to packing her things from the nursery, which she shared with Camilo and Mirabel, she talked on and on about what she expected her room would be. She was so excited to have a space to herself after being with her sister and cousin for a long. Julieta couldn't help but laugh as she watched her middle child ramble on to the two little ones, who couldn't seem to have cared any less, but it didn't matter to Luisa, she would tell everyone that would listen.
Once it came to get her door, she couldn't wait, had wanted to run right up those stairs, but her mother and father had given her a long talk about being careful and taking her time tonight, not wanting her special night ruined because she got hurt. As she stood, looking up at the glowing door, her mind raced through the possibilities that her power could be and what her room would look like.
As she touched the door, she watched in aww as the lights shifted, revealing her gift as strength. She looked over at her parents in excitement, glad that she got a cool power that would be helpful to her family. She also forgot about her room until her mom motioned for her to go inside.
Taking a deep breath, she threw the door open, still wondering what the inside would hold. To say her heart sank a little when she saw the stone wall was an understatement. She looked around quickly, hoping to find something that would actually fit her personality and the bright colors that she enjoyed, like her sister's room.
Seeing the disappointment on his daughter's face, Agustín started rambling on about how cool her room was, and how big and tuff she was going to grow up with this new power of hers. Not realizing that her father was trying to make her feel better, she started to feel guilty, realizing that she should be thankful for what she was given. So she put on a smile and thanked her Abuela and the candle, talking about how excited she was for her room.
Later that night, when it came time for the kids to all go to bed, Luisa came up with every excuse to get to stay up with the adults, trying to get any of the family members pay attention to her to get her out of bedtime.
"Go on Luisa. It's your first night in your new room. Aren't you excited?" Abuela asked, causing the guilty feeling to settle back in her stomach. She nodded silently and went upstairs with her dad to go to bed, her mother joining them after Mirabel had gone to sleep.
"It's alright mija. We can always decorate your room however you want." Her mom said softly as they got her settled into her bed.
"No Mamá. It's perfect. It's just what I wanted." She lied, hoping that she was convincing enough. She didn't want to seem like a spoiled brat that wasn't thankful for what she got.
After exchanging a look, both her parents placed a kiss on her cheek, bidding her a good night. "Remember, we're just across the hall if you need us." Agustín said over his shoulder, while Julieta shooed him out. "You can always come to our room, if you get scared." He said quickly as his wife shut the door to block out his words.
Luisa layed awake for a few hours. Everytime she went to fall asleep, she something would prevent it. She hadn't thought about how much she would miss all the noise the babies made or even just their presence.
The music and chatter from downstairs was long gone, and she was sure the rest of the house was in bed. Carefully, she got out of bed, trying to be as quiet as possible. She went out her door and started to make her way to her parents' room, deciding that she just didn't want to be alone. Stopping outside their door, she hesitated to open it. Looking back at her own door, she was reminded of her new power. She was supposed to be the strong one of the family. How could she be strong if she ran to her parents whenever she felt lonely?
She decided to go visit the nursery, maybe being around the babies would help her feel sleepy. She opened the door as quietly as she could, knowing that waking the babies would wake the whole house. Going and sitting on the floor in front of Mirabel's crib, she was thankful for all the space that was there now that her bed was gone, but in the moment, she wished that it was still there.
Reaching through the bars of the crib, she touched Mirabels hand gently, smiling as the smaller fingers grabbed her hand. "Don't worry Mirabel. I'll grow up big and strong. I'll take care of everyone." She said softly, still not wanting to wake up the baby. Her eyes were beginning to feel heavy, but she wasn't ready to go back to her big stone room. Convincing herself that she would just stay for a few more minutes, she didn't even realize when she fell asleep against the side of the crib.
Julieta wasn't sure why she woke up in the middle of the night. Maybe it was just stress of one of her babies being in a new place, or maybe it was something about the look on Luisa's face when they put her to bed, but she couldn't go back to sleep without going to check on her middle child. Her thoughts were only proved when the bed was empty and cold. Trying not to panic, she quietly checked Isabela's room, wondering if she had gone to her older sister for comfort, but not finding her there either.
By that time, Agustín had woken up and gone to convince his wife to go back to sleep. After being told that Luisa wasn't in her room, he agreed to help look. The search wasn't long though, when the next door they opened was the nursery. Both parents were conflicted to find their two youngest were both asleep with joined hands. Not wanting to disturb either of the girls, they ended up bringing some bedding into the room to make the most comfortable bed that they could for Luisa on the floor next to the crib.
Both hesitated as they went to leave, not sure if they were making the right choice to not take her back to her own room. "I'm sure she'll be fine. There must be a reason she's there." Julieta said, sounding like she was trying to convince herself as much as her husband.
"I'm sure she will too. Remember, she's gonna be our strong girl." He replied, causing both of them to look over at the new door in the house. Both had to take a deep breath. "Hopefully not to strong." He added as their minds wandered to what their daughter's future might be.