Chapter Text
Mirabel was a very intelligent girl. Other than being a fast learner, enjoying puzzle solving and putting a lot of effort into skills she believed important- She was particularly skilled in pattern finding.
So when she took a moment to understand her families patterns, everything clicked. Don’t get her wrong- Mirabel loved her family, they just never put in the effort to show they loved her too.
Well, sometimes they did. Other times not so much. That’s what she noticed first. Then she noticed how on certain days of the month she got more attention than other days. Whether it was from her parents, or Antonio, or even Camilo and Dolores- Mira wasn’t even close them since her 5th birthday. She didn’t blame them, well not all the time, deep down she knew it was mostly Abuela keeping them apart.
There were even days when Isa felt the guilt of treating Mira like shit and insisted in spending some time with Mirabel. Even though it was very awkward, Mira appreciated it. But those days were far and few.
Same with Luisa, who, whenever she could, spent a day with Mirabel to relax. They made flower crowns and discussed books. Mira taught Luisa how to sew and Luisa taught Mira new forms of martial arts. Those days were some of the best, yet they seldom occurred, Luisa was one of the busiest Madrigal after all.
Mirabel never really connected to Tía Pepa, they made small talk and certainly loved each other but only at arms length. Mira was almost certain that some part of her tía blamed her for Bruno’s disappearance. She’d be lying if she said it didn’t hurt, but as always, she pushed it down and put on a smile. But on most days, they both avoided each other as much as they could.
Mirabel loved Tío Felix though, he was one of the few who never treated Mirabel differently, perhaps because he could relate. He told the best stories and sang the funniest songs. Just being around her tío elevated her mood. She could hang around him all day and not complain, alas he was also busy, not to mention both him and Pepa had 2 kids to raise.
Mira spent a lot of time with her Mamá and Pa. Both of them loved her dearly and she could feel it deeply. She kept her Mama company in the kitchen, watching and learning the magic happen. Then she walked along side her, helping distribute to the villagers on most days. Other days she helped Papá with the small chores like getting firewood and babysitting. Even then, abuela claimed that she distracted them, forcing her to stay behind.
That’s when Mirabel connected the dots. She could track the days when they’d be less busy and would choose to spend more time with her. After all, when your whole family spends most of your life busy with chores and separation from you, you’d treasure every minute you get with them.
So she started plotting, she made graphs, tables, charts and predictions. She never uttered a single word for fear of Dolores hearing. It’s not like she would really care anyways- Mirabel thought- but it was just a precaution. Just in case her maths added up, just in case the states aligned to help Mira figure out how to better her life.
And the stars did align.
The first week was an experiment, as she waited with bated breath. Right on cue, Antonio crept into their shared room and asked to play. Inside she celebrated her hypothesis coming true, outside she just smiled and nodded.
That wasn’t enough evidence though. Mirabel took it upon herself to chart further. She scanned for the full month- the last few days were less confident than the first- then waited.
On week one she expected a visit from Dolores with new make up styles she wanted to try and a load of new gossip. Week two was dedicated to helping Mamá y Papá with their normal chores. Week three had radio silence, it was probably going to be the busiest week in a while. Then towards the end of week four, she expected to be greeted by multiple exhausted family members, who desperately needed a break after the last week.
That month went exactly as planned. As the first week ended, Mirabel understood how to use the predictions to its fullest potential. She began waking up earlier to help Mamá bake right in the morning, she brought some extra food with her as she embarked with Pa- just in case.
She bought extra supplies for week three, a week where she could easily get a lot of work done. A good time to finish Camilo’s birthday present. And for week 4, she cleaned her room and brought snacks, prepared for an impromptu grandkid sleepover.
The thrill of finding the pattern wore off slowly as month 2 came around. It was time for Camilo’s birthday- which meant there was only a week where she got any company- oddly enough only from Camilo. The rest of the time was devoted to the celebration and getting work done.
Still, she enjoyed spending a week with him. It felt like their childhood again. She had the odd feeling that Camilo wasn’t doing great, making a mental note to check up on him soon.
Camilo’s birthday was a lot of fun, and he loved his present (a beautiful, intricate gold necklace shaped as a star that opened to show a slot for a picture) which was just the cherry on top of a fun day with her full family. She loved it.
The rest of the month was meh. She spent a good amount of time with Antonio, it was enjoyable, but she missed hanging out with people more her age. Not that there were any other than Camilo.
It was the next month Mirabel was more excited for. Week 4- the final week of the month- was her 15th birthday. Her Quinceañera. She had literally been waiting for it for her whole life.
The first one she had gone to was Isabel’s, and she loved it. Then it was Dolores’s, then Luisa’s. All of them were amazing. Even though she remembered Luisa’s best, Mira knew that all of them were amazing. Yeah, she couldn’t wait for her own. A moment where she could actually feel everyone’s love.
So, Mirabel grinned as she planned the next month. She had already designed and was half way done with her dress, all that was left was her jewelry and tiara. Mira hoped that Isa would help her make the tiara, and she already spoke to Mamá about getting some jewelry.
Tío Felix would handle the music, Mamá and a couple of the villagers were in charge of food. She wasn’t worried about the dancing at all- everyone in the family was surprisingly good at it- and most of the formal attire still fit everyone, except for Camilo’s. Mira had already begun resizing it for him though. The main issue was that Antonio didn’t have any formal wear, and Mirabel was almost out of material and money.
Of course he did have his suit for his birthday, but god forbid he wear it anytime before his big day, the day he (hopefully) gets his gift. So Mira had to figure something out. Antonio would absolutely detest being left out of his favorite persons quince. She would hate him missing out.
Basically- Mirabel had almost everything covered. And boy was she excited. The only thing left to do was remind everyone.
But, a frown started to emerge as she planned out the next month. Yep, she had a week full of her family spending time with her, and there was also a lul where everyone was busy, but as she approached the actual date- with a gasp Mirabel fell onto her bed.
She would celebrate her birthday- her coming of age- alone.