Pepa walked out of the nursery to (let the rain fall) and to call her cuñado. She walked out the door to the backyard to see Dolores trying to keep Isabela from going in.
"Tia. Please. I want to go." Isabela begged her. Luisa stood beside them, eyes pleading to see her hermanita.
"I need to go."
Pepa's heart broke but she just hugged Isabela who hesitated before hugging her back. Pepa opened her arms for Luisa as Luisa then rushed forward, hugging her tia tight, being mindful of her strength.
"Lo siento, sobrinas. Give her time. Okay?" Pepa told them, kissing Isabela's head and Luisa's cheek before pulling apart. She kissed Dolores's forehead before walking over to her esposo and cuñado.
Agustín and Félix was sat on a small table overlooking the grass area where The Grandkids were sat before. Poor Agustín was so in his thoughts, he didn't realize Pepa calling him until Félix put a hand on his shoulder which caused him to flinch.
"Lo siento." Agustín apologized, whilst sitting in his chair properly. It was then when he noticed Dolores dragging Isabela to sit back down on the grass, next to Luisa who had sat down. Camilo, Carlos and Mariano was distracting Antonio who would most likely want to be the first one there before anyone else.
"Mirabel woke up." Pepa spoke up. Agustín snapped his head towards Pepa, eyes widened.
"But she's..." Pepa stopped mid sentence. Agustín had immediately gotten up from his spot which did cause him to trip on the way in, but he didn't care. His hija was awake and that's all that matters.
An annoyed sigh leaving Pepa's lips. Mirabel was sleeping and was not to be disturbed. She needed the rest after everything that's happened. Félix got up so him and Pepa could made their way back to the nursery together. Isabela looked back at their retreating figures, huffing in annoyance. She attempted to get up but Dolores pulled her back down again.
"No. She's sleeping right now. She doesn't need visitors."
"Visitors?! We're her sisters?!"
"Isabela. Por favor. She needs time." Abuela said, softly, popping her head out the door.
"C'mon. Dinner time."
The Madrigal Grandkids including Mariano reluctantly got up and went inside for dinner.
_______________
"Mi vida?" Félix's voice called Pepa out her thoughts as they walked, slowly in each others arms to the nursery.
"What?" Pepa answered, a little harsh that she had intended. Félix gave her a look that he's always given her throughout their marriage. Been married long enough, words aren't needed for him to ask her what's wrong. Also, the raining cloud above their heads gave it away, as it did all those years of their marriage.
Pepa sighed with her eyes closed before opening them and looking into her esposo's dark brown eyes filled with nothing but love and care.
"Lo siento." She apologized, as Félix pulled her closer.
"It's okay, mi vida." Pepa leaned her head onto her husband, one arm around her husband and the other in front with their fingers intertwined together. Pepa turned her head and buried it into his shoulder as a cloud appeared above her head, immediately crying out her emotions.
"She was scared to go to sleep, Félix." Pepa cried into his shoulder. Félix's eyes widened as tears welled up in them. He wrapped his arms around his esposa and let her cry, placing multiple kisses on her head.
"She was afraid she wouldn't wake up." She sobbed, as Félix guided her to one of the benches in the courtyard. He took a bright yellow umbrella out of nowhere and put it over their heads so they wouldn't get soaked.
"She was so scared. So scared she..." Pepa couldn't finish but that was all Felix needed.
Félix comforted her for a bit until Pepa got off the bench and walked towards the nursery, wiping the tears of her face. Félix sighed before closing the umbrella, blinking the tears away and following his esposa.
_______________
Agustín ran all the way to the nursery. He tripped a few times on the way but his hija was awake. His hija was awake and he wanted nothing more than to hug her tight and tell her no one will ever hurt her again.
He got to the nursery and threw the door open. Julieta's head shot up from leaning on Mirabel's head and she subconsciously tightened her grip on her hija. Agustín met Julieta's eyes with confusion in his.
"I thought- I thought she was awake." Agustín whispered to Julieta (out of breathe) as he walked in and brought a chair near Julieta and held her hand.
"She's resting right now." Julieta answered, intertwining their hands together.
"But Pepa said..." Agustín started saying but was interrupted.
"But Pepa didn't get chance to say anything else." Pepa answered, walking into the nursery as if nothing had happened before. An annoyed look was plastered on her face, with her hands on her hips as Félix walked in behind her. Julieta turned to Agustín who looked at her sheepishly but with confusion in his eyes.
"She did wake up. But was still tired from the effects of the drug." Julieta explained. Agustín reached out a hand and moved the curls away from their hija's beautiful face.
"She fell asleep a while ago." Julieta turned her head to look at her bebé who was sleeping peacefully in her mama's arms. She kissed her hija's forehead softly and ran her fingers through the dark curls. She looked so small. So vulnerable. Just like the day she was born.
Félix took Pepa over to the other bed, sitting on the edge. They both wanted to stay till she woke.
Especially Pepa. She would keep that promise to her sobrina.
_______________
(IF UNCOMFORTABLE DON'T READ)
She couldn't move. She felt paralyzed. She didn't know why the world was so fuzzy. Why was the world so fuzzy? Why couldn't she lift her head. Her arms. Why-
"Shut up. Kiss back."
What?! No. No, no, no, no. She wasn't here. She's was at- at Casita. Not here
But now there are lips on her neck and hands around her waist. He took his hands down farther. He
"good girl."
Mirabel wanted to cry as the words were whispered in her ear.
Mirabel could feel her gut web itself into complicated swirls. She wasn't here. She wasn't here. She-
Where's her mama? Please!
She could feel the man crawl atop her and-
No! NO! PLEASE!
PLEASE! ANYWHERE BUT HERE!
_______________
It was quiet in the nursery until Julieta could feel Mirabel shaking in her arms.
"Mirabel?" Julieta said, looking down at her hija. She moved the curls away from her bebé's face that had covered Mirabel's eyes. Mirabel mumbled in her sleep as she subconsciously tightened her fists on Julieta's dress.
Some of her hair stuck on her forehead as Julieta noticed small droplets of sweat started trickling down Mirabel's forehead. Julieta moved her arm and felt Mirabel's forehead and cheek, ignoring the sweat before she turned around to face her esposa.
"Quick! Pass me that cloth!" Julieta urged, pointing to the cloth that was on Mirabel's old desk.
Agustín tripped out of his seat in a hurry and grabbed the cloth. He gave it to Julieta who quickly wiped Mirabel's forehead. Pepa was by her sobrina's side in no time, moving the chair out the way in case of another seizure.
Julieta adjusted herself so she and Mirabel was in a better position.
"Mirabel?"
Mirabel started to stir but only 'responded' by her fingers curling around Julieta's dress. Her mouth twists into a pout. The next second, Julieta and Pepa see are tears running down Mirabel's face.
Their hearts skipped a beat-She's crying in her sleep. She hasn't even woken up yet, and she's crying.
"Mirabel, por favor. Wake up." Julieta pleaded, trying not to cry herself. Pepa clenched her hands into fists at her sides, attempting slightly in keeping her cloud away.
Agustín didn't know what to do. He once again felt helpless. So helpless. Félix noticed and walked forward to take his cuñado away from the bed. Agustín didn't flinch or move away or anything. His eyes never left his hija.
"Mirabel, abre los ojos, por favor."
Mirabel's eyes snapped open, covered in cold sweat. But Julieta didn't care. she sighed in relief until she noticed her hija was still shaking. Her warm hazel eyes flickered around the room, her lips slightly parted. Her heart pounding against her chest like it would burst out any second. Her chest heaved up and down rapid fast.
Then, it hit all at once. She suddenly felt light-headed and sick. She could still fell the pain when she was given the drugs, despite being healed by Julieta. She could still feel his hands on her body. She felt dirty. She felt disgusted. She felt violated, used.
The thought made her gag, lurching forward, as Pepa rushed to get a trashcan and placed in her lap, as Mirabel's stomach emptied out the food her mama had used to heal her. Julieta rubbed Mirabel's back as Pepa held a glass of water on the side. A strangled sob escaped Mirabel's throat as her stomach rolled again and she swallowed hard.
It was violating. She'd been completely helpless. She'd-
She gagged again, mind spinning. She wanted to tear at her skin because he could have touched her anywhere. He did touch her...
She'd never know.
She'd never know-
Wait. No. She knew. She knew.
She knew everything- everything that happened. She was awake- awake during it all. She wanted to rip her skin off, free from him.
"Mira!" her mamá called frantically, holding her tight and keeping her from hurting herself in her panic.
Her Tia reached over to help but Mirabel couldn't focus on anything but her fear. Javier had taken everything from her. Her confidence. Everything. She didn't- she didn't know-
After a frantic few minutes, she slumped against her mama, dragging in shallow breaths as her vision swam. Mirabel breathed like her lungs are going to pop out of her chest. A little sob leaves her, small and vulnerable, breath hitching in her chest like a dying thing. Her mamá and Tia were talking but she couldn't focus on them.
"Corazón?" Julieta's muffled voice caused her to flinch, despite Julieta talking in a low volume.
Mirabel ripped the soft warm hands off of her, eyes wide and scared. Agustín stepped forward and was quickly by his esposa's side.
"No! Stop!" Mirabel shrieked, shocking everyone in the room.
"Please!" Mirabel wrapping her arms around herself. The trashcan was removed from the bed as Félix tied a knot in it and moves it to the side, a mental note made to take it when he goes.
"Shhh. It's okay. It's okay." Julieta reassured as she held out her arms and attempted to remove Mirabel's hands from squeezing her stomach to hard.
"Mama?" Mirabel cried, tears rolling down. Julieta wrapped her arms around her hija who flinched but eventually relaxed in her mama's hold, with hesitation in her eyes as she cried. It scared everyone in the room how hesitant Mirabel was to hug back.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Mirabel buried her face in her mama's chest, hugging her closer as she apologized profusely.
"Shhh, it's okay. Mama's here. Don't be sorry, mi vida." Julieta comforted,
"He's on me. I can feel him. He-he-he's on me. I-I-I want him off me." Mirabel sobbed into Julieta's chest as Julieta hugged her closer, refusing to let go. Tears rolled down Julieta's cheek as she ran her fingers through her hija's hair to calm her down whilst rocked back and forth slowly, Mirabel clinging onto Julieta.
"Mama please." Mirabel begged as everyone cried silently. They wanted to be there for her but had no clue how to help her.
_______________
Downstairs
Dolores gripped her spoon tight as she closed her eyes to stop the tears from escaping. Her hands were twitching to cover her ears. She could hear the clear pleading in Julieta's voice for Mirabel to wake up. Dolores sat frozen in her seat as she listened to her tia try to comfort her youngest prima, try to calm her down. A quiet sob choked her throat as the retching and sobbing echoed in her ears. She looked down at her lap, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat as she heard her prima cry and scratch at her skin like she wanted it off. Her tears betrayed her by escaping her eyes and trickled down her cheeks while she heard her prima's panic attack end where Mirabel hugged Julieta as if it was her lifeline.
Dolores couldn't take it. It was too much. The guilt of not hearing her prima in the first place weighted on her shoulders. And now, just sitting here whilst she can hear her honourary hermanita loud and clear yet she does nothing.
She shut her eyes and unknowingly tightened her hand that Mariano held under the table. Mariano frowned and turned to look at his esposa with concern in his eyes. He saw the tears and the mark they left behind.
"Mi amor?" Mariano asked, concerned.
"Are you ok..." Mariano fussed over her, catching the attention of the other Madrigals.
Despite being a women gifted with super hearing, she didn't hear her esposo. Instead, she dropped her spoon, got off her chair and walked out of the dining room.
"Amor..." Mariano called out, getting up from his seat. He sighed as he heard their bedroom door close.
Mariano got his and Dolores's plate, placed them on a tray with a few of Dolores's favourite snacks and then walked up stairs to their bedroom where he saw his esposa curled on their bedroom, crying. He rushed to place the tray on Dolores's desk, got in their bed and held his esposa as she cried in his arms.
The rest of Madrigals ate their dinner in silence for the first time in awhile. Some eating, some picking at their food before eating, the rest, losing their appetite.