Bruno wants kids. Always has. He watched the younger kids run around in the town, making sure they didn’t hurt themselves. He saw it happen before it did. Not because of his gift, just common sense. Running around in the rocky paths, going up the steep hills, climbing the trees. And he helped be careful, or he took them to Julieta when they got hurt. When he carried a sniffling child and told them it would be ok and they calmed down and, for once, someone understood he didn’t want to do wrong, he wanted kids.
Bruno wants kids. But he’s not married. No one wants to marry him. Pepa and Julieta have been married for a while, them and their husbands try to help, but there are some things you can’t fix. You can’t fix people. You can’t fix a personality. You can’t fix a gift. He appreciated them trying, he did. But if no one wanted to be with him, there wasn’t much he could do about it.
Bruno wants kids, but kids don’t want him. He tries to talk to them, interact, try and be nice, but they all run away from “creepy Bruno”. Their parents have told them he’s a jinx, or a bad person, or whatever they’ve come up with in their heads. If he can’t even get a few 5 year olds to talk to him, how is he gonna deal with his own kid?
Bruno wants kids, and his sisters have them first. Two girls, a few months apart, named Isabela and Dolores. Bruno was the last person allowed to hold the girls every time, but he didn’t care. They were perfect. He was allowed to babysit Isabela with Agustín while Julieta slept. Pepa wouldn’t let him near Dolores, which was fine. After a while, Abuela didn’t let him near Isabela either. Which was fine. Because Luisa was born a little while after, and he could spend as much time with her as he wanted. He couldn’t wait to have kids of his own.
Bruno wants kids, and kids want prophecies. His neices decided they did, anyway. He was nervous, because why wouldn’t he be, but he accepted. Three prophecies, that’s all. Luisa was first, and he saw that she would get a new dress. She was happy. Next was Isa. She would get the life she wanted and her powers would grow stronger. She was happy. Then was Dolores. The man she loved would be betrothed to someone else. She wasn’t happy. She wasn’t mad either. She didn’t really understand, which was fine. As long as she wasn’t mad.
Bruno doesn’t want kids. By the time Mirabel and Camilo are born, he’s given up on it. Pepa grants him the honor of holding Camilo this time, which he takes gratefully. Abuela isn’t at home when Mirabel is born, so he’s the third person to hold her, after her parents. She’s a little small, he thinks. But she’s perfect. They both were. He babysat them together sometimes. They loved each other, and said they were twins. They might as well have been. Bruno watched how close they were, how happy they were that he was there, and he cried.
Bruno doesn’t want kids. He’ll never have any. Not if Abuela would treat them like this. You can’t meet people in the walls, anyways. If his kid ended up without a gift and they got the same treatment as Mirabel? He wouldn’t stand it. He couldn’t. He can’t stand it as it is. Every time Mirabel is upset he has to cover his ears and try so hard not to listen. He’s a coward. He can’t believe himself.
Bruno doesn’t want kids. But he keeps a little hope, once Antonio is born. Both Félix and Pepa are 45. So is he. It’s not too late, then. He can’t hold him, he knows that, but he sneaks into the nursery at night sometimes. Just to look. To introduce him to the rats, and to his Tío Bruno, that he will only meet under the cover of the night when everyone is asleep.
Bruno doesn’t want kids. He’s a bit busy nowadays, what, with the family, and the house, and he’s doing prophecies again. He doesn’t have time. There are enough kids in the house. Isabela and Dolores are old enough to marry and have kids of their own, he can’t have kids now. But when he watches Antonio talk to the rats, enthusiastic and listening to whatever they say, he can’t help but feel a pain in his chest.
Bruno doesn’t want kids. But he likes them. He plays soccer with the kids in town. He gives them prophecies. He talks to them, tells them stories, helps them out sometimes. One little girl asked for him to braid her hair, so he did. Before she ran off to play, she said “thank you, Tío Bruno!” and Bruno froze. Other kids started calling him that as well. Adults started after a while. He’s not “creepy Bruno” or “the one we don’t talk about”. He is Tío Bruno.
Isabela is jealous that Mirabel isn’t burdened by a gift and can do whatever she wants
would offer her help but thinks that she would snap at her because she ‘always wants stuff done her own way’
sometimes wishes her gift was more helpful like her mother’s
when she makes a mistake she pushes it onto Mirabel because she recognizes that she isn’t allowed to make a mistake but Mirabel is
she made Mirabel a little daisy necklace before her ceremony
she’s nervous around Abuela
“Abuela’s stern voice disrupts the quiet of the courtyard. I’m not sure where she came from but she is standing over Mirabel, watching her do her project. That would make me so nervous.”
Luisa thinks that she’s ‘not supposed to get tired or worn out’ and hopes Abuela doesn’t notice when she does
everyone loves her hugs because she’s strong and she really wants a hug
Isabela made her a flower crown on her ceremony day
Mirabel decorated the nursery’s ceiling with pictures representing family members
“I watch Abuela smile at her daughters and her grandchildren. Why doesn’t she smile at me like that?”
apparently they can feel Casita ‘smiling with pride’
“I’m not sure what to do. I want to comfort her because that’s my duty as the oldest sister, but I don’t want Abuela to be angry with me, too.”
Luisa’s room is a gym
“I don’t remember the family having that much fun on my gift day. Mostly everyone wanted to watch me do tricks with my brand new strength. You know –lifting heavy things, moving houses and churches, digging deep holes. Honestly, I felt a little like a performer at a circus. I still do, actually.”
she has the slightest bit of repressed anger/irritation
Mirabel thinks everything comes easily to Luisa and is irritated that she does everything everyone asks of her except what Mirabel asks
Luisa never cries, gets tired, or takes naps
Isabela feels like Mirabel is lucky for not being responsible for anything
she thinks Mirabel is Agustín’s favorite child, and that she needs to try harder for him to like her
she envies Mirabel because she doesn’t need to care about what others think of her
Félix and Agustín are good friends
parallels between Bruno’s room in the walls and Mirabel’s nursery room
Luisa doesn’t believe that Mirabel disturbed Antonio’s gift ceremony on purpose
isn’t emotionally strong and will cry when yelled at, and is impressed that Mirabel can stand up to Abuela
“I back up into the shadows a bit. Just because I’m strong– I used to be strong (don’t cry, don’t cry) –doesn’t mean my grandmother doesn’t frighten me a little, especially when she’s mad.”
Luisa has a panic attack during the final confrontation between Mirabel and Abuela Alma when the house is crumbling down
“I knew it. I knew it was my fault. Why can’t I be everywhere at once?”
she’s afraid of the dark
Abuela thinks Mirabel is similar to Pedro
Bruno’s ostarization from the family was the beginning of the cracks
before Casita was destroyed, Isabela refused hugs
Dolores becomes much more talkative after the destruction of Casita
the doors become representative of the family members’ entire personalities, instead of just their gifts
