Chapter Text
Welcome to Encanto, the happiest land in all the world. The citizens are currently celebrating Día de las velitas , their annual festival. On this day people place candles on their windowsills and roam the streets filling the bare spots with the blinding light of the candle. All the villagers take this day to gather in unity to celebrate.
At least, most of them do.
Alma Madrigal was a stern woman. She had to be, the whole town depended on her and although one might think it's silly to put the pressure of leading the town on a widows back what better person to do it than the woman who was able to get back up again mere hours after losing her husband, the woman who showed them kindness behind her red shot eyes, the woman who comforted their young children as they woke up from night terrors of the previous town they just escaped. Yes she was stern but she had to keep up her image because without it she was just the shell of the woman she truly was and she could never let her naked body be exposed, her weaknesses, her fears and insecurities and because of that she had to suffer for the benefit of the town, for the Encanto.
The villagers mourned for her husband and wondered what would happen to her kids. Would they grow up weird and indifferent as a result of the absence of their father or would they push past expectations and do great things.
The children, triplets, symbolized new life in this newfound home and so they were cherished every birthday celebrated by the whole city. And although most of this came from the villager's pity they soon came to realize that there wasn’t much to feel bad about. Alma Madrigal was a strong woman, kind but stern as they all have witnessed and she managed to raise all three of her children to extreme excellence. She had to because they were the first form of new life in this village, a symbol of hope, that things can get better and that life is possible here. So as hard as it was to raise her three kids she could not let that struggle be seen. All the nights she spent awake with her kins, the migraines, the feedings all had to be hidden. She had to suffer for the benefit of the town for the Encanto.