7. Chapter 7

Julieta stayed by her daughter's side all night long. She didn't fall asleep, determined to make sure that her daughter stayed breathing throughout the night. And that gave her a lot of time to think.

She had been kept so busy cooking that she had never had the time that she wanted to spend with her daughters, and that free time seemed to dwindle more and more each year, even as her own family grew.

As a result, she hadn't been nearly as aware of what was going on with her daughters as she should have. And she felt like there was likely a lot more that she wasn't aware of that they were each struggling with individually.

Isabela. Her oldest. Julieta wasn't blind, she noticed that her daughter had slowly stopped doing much of what made her happy to conform to what Alma had wanted and expected from her. But her behavior the last few days still was shocking to Julieta. They had tried to raise their children to be compassionate, and she had always tried to emphasize the relationship between her children, especially after Bruno left, leaving a gaping hole in Julieta's heart. As triplets, they had grown up close. And she would never trade the pain she felt when her hermano disappeared for not having that relationship in the first place. And she had always wondered if maybe she had been a better sister, maybe he wouldn't have left.

So she couldn't fathom her daughter's actions towards her youngest sister over the last few days. It was not how they had raised their girls to treat each other.

She hoped that when her daughter came over, she might be able to get some insight into what was going on with her.

And then there was Luisa. Her precious middle child. She shouldered too much, Julieta knew, but she didn't realize that Luisa thought that the safety and protection of the whole family was on her shoulders. It was too much for her daughter to handle. And Julieta had allowed her own mother to run Luisa ragged, not saying enough or standing up for her enough to allow her daughter a break.

As she thought more about it, she realized that Luisa had barely been home in recent memory. She would leave for the village as soon as the day started, and come back when it was dark, sometimes well after dinner time. Doing the chores that Abuela had set for her.

She was determined to help her daughter to learn that there was more to life than chores and helping people. She was determined for her to realize that there were things that she could do - and should do - for fun. Not because she had to.

And then, of course, her youngest. Mirabel. Julieta would probably have nightmares the rest of her life of seeing her daughter running into a crumbling house, ignoring her calls, while Julieta was unable to get to her. And then watching that same house fall around her, knowing she was inside? Forget it. Add to that that she had disappeared before they could find her and now she's in a coma?

Julieta may never forgive herself for that.

She hadn't noticed everything that was going on with Mirabel either, she was sure. Dolores had stepped up, which Julieta would always be thankful for, but she couldn't stop wondering what exactly Dolores had heard that spurred her into that action.

Julieta had a guess.

Julieta didn't know enough when Bruno left to notice the signs. And she'd been too busy to notice the signs with her own daughter, but thinking back, there were so many similarities between two of the most important people in her life that it broke her heart.

Bruno and Mirabel were both the youngest, and they both were so sensitive. Both were practically ostracized by the town - Bruno for how they saw his gift, and Mirabel because of her lack of gift. And the family treated them the same way. She had watched as the spark had left Bruno's eyes, his refusal to use his gift, his hesitance to join family activities because he felt unwelcome. She hadn't seen it as it was happening then, and she had missed it with her youngest, the same signs, the same reactions.

If she just hadn't been so busy, maybe she would have noticed sooner. Maybe she could have stopped all this.

Maybe Mirabel wouldn't have thought that the only way to finally gain acceptance into the family was to save the miracle. Maybe, her daughter would be awake and chattering and smiling her beautiful smile, instead of laying on the bed, with Julieta wondering if she would ever see her beautiful eyes behind those glasses, or wondering if she would ever see her daughter bounce with excitement ever again.

She swore to herself, no matter what the future held, she would make more time for her family. Without her gift, she should be rid of the pressure to spend her days and some of her nights in the kitchen and making house calls for every little injury.

Julieta was so lost in thought as she contemplated her daughters, that she didn't hear her visitor until she spoke.

"Mama?"

Julieta whirled around, startled to hear Isabela behind her.

Her eldest looked… broken. She looked like she'd been crying for hours. Her eyes were puffy, her face chapped, and even her hair held static in it.

"Mija," She said quietly, holding out her arm for her daughter. Isabela stepped forward hesitantly. "I was wondering when you would come over here."

"I know you didn't send for me." She said, shifting from one foot to another. "I just - I wanted to see her. What's in her arm?" Her daughter sounded fearful.

"It's called an IV." Julieta explained it's purpose, and Isabela nodded, relaxing as she understood it was meant to help her hermana. "Did you want to see her because she's your sister or because you feel guilty?" Julieta asked her daughter, though her voice held no anger.

Isabela looked startled, and her tears started up. "Because she's my sister and I love her." She sniffled. "I - I do feel guilty, I should feel guilty, but seeing her is not going to assuage my guilt."

Julieta motioned for her daughter to come closer again, and she pulled her down into the chair next to her and into her arms as she let her daughter cry.

When Isabela calmed down, Julieta asked her a question. "Isa, mija, what were you thinking? Why were you so upset at the idea of your sister being a part of your engagement?"

Isabela didn't speak for a moment, but when she did it was like everything came pouring out at once.

"I just - I didn't want her at my engagement because Abuela kept making comments about Mirabel about how she had messed up this or messed up that and how she had ruined Antonio's ceremony and how she hoped that Mirabel had more sense than to do something to mess up my engagement and Abuela was so excited and involved in the engagement, I didn't want to disappoint her, and Abuela has always been so hard on Mirabel that I thought if she wasn't there, then the night would go perfectly, and then Abuela wouldn't have anything to be mad at her for, but I was so stressed because I didn't want the engagement so I wasn't nice to Mirabel but then you were upset with me and I felt like I couldn't win no matter what I did, and it came out to Mirabel and I don't even know why I was so mad at her but I was, and I never expected that to cause such a problem and destroy the miracle, Mama, I didn't!"

Isabela burst into the tears again, throwing herself into her mother's arms, and Julieta hummed, running her fingers through her hair as she allowed her daughter to cry the fear and frustration out.

When she had settled again, Julieta had to ask her most burning question. "Isa, you didn't want to get engaged to Mariano?"

Isabela looked at Julieta with wide eyes. "I didn't say that."

"Yes, mija, you did." She said gently, and watched her daughter's face crumble again. "Mija, mija, I'm not mad at you." She tried to soothe her daughter, worried for the amount that she had been crying today.

"I don't like him like that," She admitted quietly, after she had once again regained control of her tears. "I never have. But Abuela was so excited for it, I didn't think I could say no."

Julieta's heart broke. She had learned a lot from her daughter's ramble - first, she had never noticed that her daughter didn't want to marry the boy that she was currently engaged in.

But second, she seemed to be trying to protect her sister - in an unproductive and poorly executed way, but protect her nonetheless.

"Then we will call the engagement off." Julieta stated simply, and Isabela turned to her with wide, shocked eyes.

"But Abuela-"

"Does not get to dictate who you marry." Julieta finished firmly. "I wish you had spoken to me about this sooner, mija. Your Papa and I would never have let it get this far. Never."

"Do I have to break it off?" Isabela asked, fear in her voice.

Julieta tightened her grip on her eldest daughter. "No. Let me handle it with both Abuela and the Guzman's, okay?"

"Gracias, Mama." She said, blinking up at Julieta in surprise.

"I haven't protected you or your sisters enough from the pressures that come with being a part of this family." She said gently. "It's time I change that."

"No Mama, you didn't do anything wrong."

"But I did." She sighed. "I love all three of you so much, and I have failed all of you. But I'm going to fix it, or at least, try to. Things are going to be different going forward."

"We talked about that - not you failing us, because I don't think you did - about making sure things are different going forward." Isabela shared with her the conversation most of the family had had earlier, while they were leaving Julieta and Agustín alone with each other and Mirabel.

"I think that that's a fantastic idea, mija. It's going to be hard work, to change the way our whole family has acted and thought for decades."

"Dolores started it. She's been really good with Mirabel. And anyway, Mirabel is worth it." Isabela stated quietly, taking her sister's hand in hers.

"Yes. Yes, she is." Julieta kissed the side of her head. "All of you are worth it. We are going to change more than how we treat Mirabel. We are going to take better care of ourselves and each other, as a family. We lost ourselves when we stopped focusing on the family and their wellbeing."

"But Abuela-"

"You let me and your Tía Pepa handle Abuela." Julieta said quietly.

"And Tío Bruno?"

"Your Tío has never really been one to stand up to your Abuela," Julieta started, but Isabela shook her head.

"I think we'd be surprised." She mused. "I think, for Mirabel - I think he just might. Maybe not if it were just him, but for Mirabel? You should have heard him earlier. I think Bruno will help."

Julieta's heart ached for her poor hermano. "Well, Bruno is more than welcome to help if he wants to." She said, making her voice light. "It's late, mija. Do you feel better now? Like you can sleep?"

"I want to stay here." Isabela sounded like a pouting child as she spoke, but Julieta couldn't help cracking a smile.

"Then stay here. But sleep, mija. Everything looks brighter in the morning."

And Julieta held her oldest daughter in her arms as she continued to keep vigil over her youngest, quietly continuing to contemplate how things had gotten so messed up, and how she had somehow managed to miss it all.

AN: I did not originally plan this chapter - most of this story is from Dolores' point of view. But I think it's necessary to see what is going on with both Isabela and Julieta. I hope you all enjoy!