Chapter Text
"Whatever gift awaits will be just as special as you." Abuela promised her.
Mirabel walked down the aisle, with the villagers seeing her.
She was never afraid of people looking at her. She didn't love it like Camilo did, but she didn't hate it.
So she just walked.
Her Abuela smiled so lovingly down at her.
So Mirabel put her hands on the candle and then on the door.
It glowed.
And there was a likeness of her standing there with ghosts surrounding her.
Her expression looked a bit pained, like Dolores' on her door, as opposed to Isabela's smile on her own.
"What does it mean?" She heard Papa whisper.
A cold burst of air batted at her curls and she saw a ghostly outline of the man in the painting.
"Abuelo!"
"Abuelo?" Abuela repeated.
The man in question took her hand and engaged her in a little dance. "Lo siento for putting all this on your shoulders."
Mirabel didn't understand.
Abuela ripped her away from the dance.
"You can see your Abuelo?" Abuela said. She didn't know how to read the tone of voice.
Mirabel nodded.
"Where?"
"Well he's not here now." Mirabel said after looking around. "But when he comes back again..."
"I will have a list of things I want you to tell him."
"Si."
Mama politely coughed. "Let's open her door."
Mirabel had been so confused by Abuela's actions that she forgot she was going to get her door.
So she opened it.
It was creepy.
It was like a graveyard.
Julieta and Agustin stayed outside as the rest of the villagers entered.
There wasn't any dancing but at least they wanted to see.
"Bruno..." Julieta called out as her brother tried to take this opportunity to hide.
He stopped. "Si?"
"I know I never ask you to do this. But this gift...her room...it's so dark for someone like her." Julieta said.
Bruno nodded. "I know. She's sunnier than Pepa on her happiest days."
"Exactly." Agustin spoke up. "We need you to..."
"You want me to have a vision about this."
"I would appreciate it."
Bruno nodded. He hesitated before hugging his sister. He clasped a hand on Agustin's shoulder.
"Don't worry."
It was hypocritically coming from Bruno but he had to try something.
Bruno had a vision.
A vision of the house breaking.
A vision of the spirits surrounding Mirabel.
A vision of Mirabel's spirit joining the spirits as the house cracked.
Bruno stared at the tablet. He turned it this way and that, one side it was Mirabel's solid body and a solid house, the other way it was Mirabel's whispy spirit body and the cracks.
Bruno had had this vision to reassure Julieta and Agustin that nothing was going to happen to the bright spot in all of their lives.
Instead he saw this?
Mama would kick her out.
And to know she might die...
No.
No this was not...
He broke the vision and ran.
Mirabel was sitting on her bed, staring at the gravestones. They didn't have any names or dates on it.
At least, Isabela told her that. Mirabel wasn't the best at reading just yet.
The adults seemed concerned but Mirabel was just so happy she had a chance to make the family proud.
A shock of cold air batted her curls and she looked up.
"Hola again Abuelo."
"Hola nieta."
"Abuela has a lot of stuff she wants to tell you. But she didn't give me it yet."
"Don't worry about it."
A transparent somewhat glowing rat climbed up and nuzzled Mirabel's chin.
She giggled.
Abuelo watched her with a somewhat sorrowful yet loving expression. He kissed her forehead. "Happy Birthday Mirabel."