Packing Up the Baggage {Héctor}

[Mamá Imelda]

<<Rehashing for aid of stalkers and us <3 but not going over lines Imelda did't say too much >>

So much had happened already; and still there was no time with which to be weary even. Ernesto de la Cruz was dealt with by loyal Pepita but...things were far from good.

"Miguel! It's almost sunrise!"

It wasn't that Imelda wasn't concerned with what was occurring, and Héctor's...disappearing, but she had to get Miguel home! They both did. Too much of his skeletal form he would take if he stayed was visible. Enrique. Luisa. Everyone. Imelda knew the boy's parents, her great-grandson and his wife, had not slept all night and were no doubt pacing the floor or out searching still.

Her words, My Way or No Way, couldn't remain true.

Miguel's denial, trying to stay there with his recently discovered great-great-grandfather, the should have been patriarch alongside her, was heartbreaking even without a heart. And it was all her fault...if she had only listened when Héctor first came around...

Distraction like that was not useful right now, Imelda shoved it aside for later! Although she should have kept to it perhaps...right now, listening to both...both of her boy's words as they discussed Héctor's current situation and Coco forgetting him...

Héctor held up the petal,but was so weak he could hardly move it! Unthinkingly, not bothering with the complex things still left between her and Héctor and needing resolved, Imelda reached over and took his hand in hers, helping him. Plus...if he disappeared and she didn't get the chance...she wanted to have done it.

"You have our blessing", Héctor had said.

"No conditions", Imelda made sure to add. Sure she would still add what she said about remembering they loved him, but he probably wouldn't forget that, and there was no time with which to repeat herself.

Their great-great grandson disappeared in a swirl of petals, like last time, and yet so not like last time. They weren't in an office and...

Imelda glanced down to her...to Héctor (she was still unsure what title she would use...they weren't exactly reconciled...were they?) and lowered his hand, but still didn't remove her own, from distraction she told herself. Did distraction explain away holding him...

"We did it. He's home", she breathed relieved.

One problem averted. Now as to the other...

Their situation pressed upon Imelda more and more. Let go of his hand. Sit back. You are not at this stage just yet, he still..., Imelda shushed that part of her brain (metaphoric).

"H-Héctor...", she tried to find words. Ignored the rest of the family standing off to the side. What were Oscar and Felipe thinking right now? They knew most of all of them...

"Héctor I...no te preocupes, Miguel will do it".

He had better...it was on the tip of Imelda's also metaphoric tongue to tell Héctor not to leave her again...

[Deleted]

"Go home.." Héctor whispered to his great-great grandson when they spoke their simple blessing after he was no longer strong enough to continue to cup Miguel's cheek with his hand to comfort his cries. He felt his skeletal body quiver painfully, causing his eyes to slowly close weakly as Imelda helped move his hand over to send Miguel off with their blessing. Miguel may hate him for it now, but he knew that he would thank him one day. In the end, nothing was more important than being with family, and Héctor could pass on to the Final Death knowing that at least he saved Miguel from sharing the same fate.

"We did it. He's home"

Flinching at his body quivering painfully again, Héctor slowly tried to open his eyes to look up at Imelda when she said "we" and she never let go of his hand. As simple as that tiny detail was, it was enough to make him smile, even if it was weakly. She was so beautiful, and the little things that she had done up to this point, such as helping him with Ernesto, hearing her sing and dance again, and even her actually jumping into his arms and embracing him afterwards.. it only made him that much more certain that she was truly the love of his life. 

"Gracias.." Héctor finally managed to say with a weak smile, though his brown eyes that gazed up meaningfully into her beautiful brown eyes hoped that she understood that he was thanking her for so much more than even her kindness that he knew she didn’t have to give now. He wanted to say thank you for everything she had done to take care of the family on her own, without him. It was because of her alone that Coco lived a long and healthy life. Even if it meant that he couldn’t get to see her, that was more than what any papa could ask for. He only hoped that anyone who heard his final wishes would tell Coco how much he loved her.

"Ah..!" The trembling that went through his entire body ached all the more now, causing him to groan while his expression flinched at the pain that he tried not to do so much in order to not ruin the moment between them. It was the first time in 96 years that he could be so close to Imelda. He wanted it to last as long as possible, even if he knew that Coco was forgetting him. 

"H-Héctor..." He heard her say, "Héctor I...no te preocupes, Miguel will do it".

"Imelda..." The musician's voice was more quiet and frail as he felt all of his energy dissipating away, flinching with a soft groan of pain that traveled through his entire body. He could not tell what Imelda wanted to say when she said "I.." and were he in a better shape, the hopeless romantic would have asked her what she wanted to say earlier, hoping in his wildest dreams that she would say that she loved him as much as he loved her. He knew better than to assume she would instantly do that, however, after so many years of hating him. He wished he could have said something romantic to her, but he did not want to make her uncomfortable by saying how much he loved her for those reasons, and he was not longer strong enough to describe in so many words just how much she meant to him.

With all the remaining strength he had as his body began to completely glow and whither away before he would slowly disappear into the Final Death, wherever that may take him, Héctor was no longer strong enough to keep his eyes opened, but he managed to whisper to her with a peaceful smile: "I'm home.."  Those were the words he wanted to tell her years ago, when he packed up his things and left towards the train. He wanted to run to the house and tell her that he was home, kiss her deeply, and shower his little Coco with kisses with the promise that her papa was never going to leave again. He was going to help Imelda be a part of Coco growing up, watch her marry her husband  Julio and be a grandpa with Imelda until they both would be together in their dying days, and even here. These were all things he wished he had been able to do had he not left, had he not died. Now, after 96 years, he was finally surrounded by his family like he always wanted – he was finally home.

[Mamá Imelda]

Héctor smiled, and Imelda could well guess why...she'd said we, hardly thinking about it, but even now that she did...she wasn't sure she would take it back. He whispered a Gracias that Imelda did figure stretched pretty far and beyond helping him send Miguel home and being with him now.

He flinched again, another tremor going through him, his bones flashing, and Imelda couldn't help it, she gripped his hand tighter, afraid, even as she spoke to him that he really would be gone, that she would be proven a liar and Hector would fade right before her eyes; it left his voice so weak as he spoke her name, far weaker than it had any right to be.

He should be belting out Gritos and annoying the neighbors.

Imelda bent closer, just to try to catch what he went on to say, it was so low now.

"I'm home.."

Home? This? No...Imelda realized, he...he was talking about...she gave a quick glance to the family still standing off to the side, the men with their hats off, and then glanced back down to him. He was right, she supposed, and the unfairness of it all, and how he was only here now as he was fading, made Imelda shut her eyes before opening them again.

More unthinking gesture came as she reached over with her other hand to brush some of his hair aside, recalling, and not fighting the memories this time, the first time she'd hesitantly done so when they were courting (it was shortly before he got the nerve to kiss her for the first time), and countless times in-between.

Even whatever it was they got here and in death, something akin to a wig maybe, it was still his hair, it still felt the same.

If she could cry, she would have been, "...I...I meant it, alright?", Imelda whispered, just in case this really was her last chance...and sure of her words even if not, "You--you've always been...", Imelda knew she didn't have to specify. He would know she was admitting to what she'd before denied, saying he was the Love of her Life.

She even kissed his forehead, and bright skull markings, lightly before sitting back and her eyes widening. Was...was he looking better? (Oh...and she had to have said it right then...she would not live this down) Imelda allowed herself a small smile at the fact before looking serious again, seriously cautiously optimistic, "H-Héctor?", this time it was a question, a checking on him. A checking that she wasn't going loco.

[Deleted]

The once energetic Héctor felt his energy fading away with his bones flashing more and more with each tremor of pain surging through his body. From behind closed eyes, the weakened Héctor could feel his raven hair being stroked the way that Imelda used to do so many years before. It transported his thoughts to back then, when she always liked to make sure that he looked straightened up whenever she saw him, or whenever he had to go out. He loved that about her. It was just another one of those small details that Imelda would do that showed how much she cared, and he thrived on it even more since it had been decades since he had been given any kind of affection. It truly filled him with peace.

When Imelda then whispered to him saying that she meant it, at first, Hector wasn't sure if he heard this right, or if perhaps he was now mixing his thoughts with reality as his bones began to glow and he felt himself slipping away. Yet when she confirmed it again, there was no verbal response from him; he was too weak to respond, which was the biggest indicator of all that Héctor was not doing well at all. The only thing that he managed to do was a soft exhale left his mouth as he felt her kiss his forehead, one of relief and peace at the thought that she loved him as much as he did, and the very last breath he would have before he felt himself leaving his body.

The musician's bones glimmered brightly for several seconds before they suddenly stopped glowing. Soon, he could feel himself have more air to breathe and he felt his energy returning back to him enough to slowly open his eyes again to catch the tiny smile Imelda wore on her expression before she became serious again. Soon, Héctor had the energy to slowly sit up, and he glanced at his hands to find that they were whiter. His bones were changing color; it was no longer yellow but much whiter, stronger color. There was only one reason as to how this was suddenly happening. "Coco..she's..." He looked up at Imelda with shock and a heartfelt smile, one that would have tears in his eyes if he could, "..remembering me.."

Glancing over at the sunrise, he realized that Miguel had done the impossible. He wasn't sure how the boy did it without his photo, but his great great grandson truly DID it! He helped Coco remember her Papa! Now there was still a chance that he could see her again! Turning back to Imelda, he smiled softly at her, "You were right, Imelda.." She was right about Miguel being able to help Coco remember in time. But that was not was the only reason why she was right..

"...I really AM the love of your life! HA HA!" The energetic Héctor couldn't help but yell that out to the world with a laugh out of sheer joy and excitement that he still had a chance, then he instantly embraced her. Within a few seconds, he then rested his forehead on hers as he peered down into her brown eyes with a fond gaze and a loving smile, wanting to kiss her so badly but knowing that he was probably already pushing his luck as it was. "And this time, I will show you every day for as long as I am with you.." He was not promising, he was set on making it happen; he will show her how much he loved her every single day, as long as Imelda would have him in her life. He knew that he did a poor job as a husband and as a father, but he was set to make things right, starting with her. He hoped Imelda would know how much he meant it. Slowly getting up to his feet, the tall musician held out his hand to help her get up on her feet as was his gentlemanly fashion, though never expecting her to take it. 

[Mamá Imelda]

Before noticing the improvement, Imelda didn't regret her actions, not deep down in some hidden place of herself, nor as Héctor gave one final pulse of light like this finally was it. At least she'd been able to tell him that before...

The glow died down, but Héctor did not disappear with it! He finally breathed in fact. Ok, they were all still dead, but in the way the Dead still did.

Imelda just sat, stunned, as Héctor slowly sat up, the answer coming to her as well, but hardly able to believe it had worked as well as she had promised in a vain hope for herself as well; not until Héctor went and said it!

"Coco..she's..remembering me.."

Imelda looked the same sort of stunned as when she realized and was told her daughter had been forgetting her Papa, but a lot more hope to the look this time.

"You were right, Imelda.."

Imelda knew enough, and knew Héctor, in his right mindset, enough to be slightly suspicious where this was going...

"...I really AM the love of your life! HA HA!"

She wanted to sigh, wanted to scold him for holding onto that and then bringing it up so...Héctor like! But she hardly could with all the other emotions going through her. She shook her head, looking almost the same sort of embarrassed she had after singing, and pushing a strand of her hair back in the same move.

She might have tried to find a reply, but she was hardly given time when Héctor instantly embraced her, like when she'd run off the stage, except it stalled longer, and...he rested his forehead against hers in a move that hurt emotionally in a way, it was all so familiar and being brought back up. That painful hope she'd squashed was being brought back.

Even if Imelda had tried to not listen to what he went on to say, she couldn't help but hear it as his soft sincere voice went on.

"And this time, I will show you every day for as long as I am with you.."

Her eyes shut, opening again to watch as he stood, and still just silently watching and trying to gather her thoughts as he held his hand out once more. The last time she'd denied it...

This time, Imelda slowly reached up and let him help her to her feet, standing, unsure, once she was on her feet once more, "...Well...I...suppose it would be unfair to not...let you try", she gave a soft smile. She was still going to have to sit down with him and discuss...everything, they were still going to have to find their way through this, but Imelda was for trying.

Glancing to the side, she noticed the hesitant family, even now, hanging off to the side, unsure and awaiting her directive on how to proceed. She smiled again, not relinquishing her hold on Héctor's hand, and leading him slightly over, "I suppose first you should meet everyone, well Oscar and Felipe you of course know..."

[Deleted]

Héctor smiled sheepishly upon hearing the love of his life - he never got tired of even thinking that - tell him in her own feisty way that there was still a chance, allowing him to at least try. "Imelda.. that is all I could ask for.." He smiled softly in return, though his smile gradually grew to be brimming with delight upon noticing that she continued to hold his hand until he parted his lips in amazement when he noticed that she was leading him to the family. His surprised smile suddenly became a softened, grateful one that Imelda was allowing the introductions to finally happen, as if he were finally being accepted into the family - just like he always wanted.

"Oscar! Felipe! Heh hey! You know I could never forget you.. oye, muchachos, you fought really well back there! Where did you learn how to fight like that?!" Héctor grinned at Imelda's younger twin brothers and commented on their impressive fighting skills against the guards that surrounded Ernesto, knowing them fully well from his adventures of trying to win Imelda's heart both when he was alive and even in death. It was so nice to finally be able to speak to them again, and interact with them again. These two were the only ones that he really knew of his family, since he was dead and isolated from the family before he could meet his other family members here, so it hurt when they shut themselves away in obedience to Imelda's previous desire not to see him. He was ecstatic and relieved to hear that it was no longer the case!

The tall skeleton smiled warmly and clasped the shoulder of Coco's husband after he shyly stepped forward to greet him for the first time, introducing his name as Julio. It was his first introduction to meeting his son-in-law, Coco's love of her life. "Ah, it's good to finally meet you, hijo!" There was amusement in Héctor's tone when he said 'hijo,' finding it ironic that he was calling Julio his son-in-law despite the age difference in appearance when they were dead. In more seriousness, especially after glancing over at Imelda with a sheepish smile, he smiled warmly at Julio again and added: "Thank you for showing love to my Coco.." There was a heartfelt tone in his voice when he said this, and perhaps if he was able to have tears, his longing eyes would have surely watered as if he wished he could have been there for Coco at her wedding, to even walk with her daughter down the isle and give her away to Julio. He knew there was no way to change the past, but he was glad that Coco at least found love in her life - even if it wasn't from her papa for too long. It was a small comfort that perhaps whatever loved he showed Coco, she found in Julio. 

Next, Héctor was introduced to Julio's sister, Rosita. "Rosita! It's nice to meet y- Oof!" Just before he could say anything more on Coco's daughter, Victoria, the slender skeleton was immediately caught off guard when he was promptly embraced by Rosita, to which Victoria followed suit with a hand on his back. Julio became a part of the embrace as well. To be embraced by family was something that he had never expected before, and it just filled his soul with so much peace and happiness; As if the emptiness that he felt without a family was finally filled. Héctor closed his eyes to bask in that warmth before opening his eyes again. "Gracias.." Héctor's soft tone was sincere after embracing them ardently, truly appreciating this embrace and knowing that there was a lot that they needed to catch up with. Still, he had all the time in the world now that Coco somehow managed to remember him. The tall skeleton in the raggedy clothes glanced over at Imelda lovingly, making sure to hold her hand in his. The gentleman did not presume at all that he would be invited back to their house and everything would instantly be back to normal, so he did not venture to make any ideas, allowing Imelda to make the decision based on whatever she was comfortable with for right now. He would be happy to work with whatever she could give him; and for someone that has lived in the poorest side of town in the land of the dead, he was satisfied with being given even the smallest things.  

[Mamá Imelda]

Héctor's softly spoken words, and softer smiles, sent another thrill of the almost familiar through Imelda. No, not almost. She remembered this. That was the part she was having to come to terms with now. All the memories she was letting in by letting him in, even a bit, and...what to do with them all.

The part of her that had denied and pushed him away all those years was getting softer and harder to hear; was being rebuffed by all of the new facts she had since learned this night.

Of course, as she said, it didn't erase years of raising Coco alone but...

She stood, off to the side herself, though still right by Héctor, as he went through his greetings of the family and they of him, releasing him his hand back to shake hands with and remaining silent but for helping with who was who. She couldn't help a smile at the greeting her brothers got. They had been so loyal, not questioning any one of her decisions and banning Héctor with her...for right or wrong.

Julio caught the strangeness of the greeting as Héctor called him hijo and Imelda chuckled softly with her son-in-law's grimace and later smile, especially at Héctor's later words. The smile had already faltered on her own lips (though she found another small one for Héctor as he glanced to her) as the even amusing tidbit recalled again how young Héctor had always appeared in death, even those first few times trying to speak to her.

She should have realized straight off! She just thought the years had been good to him before he no doubt died younger than her at least still.

As for how she thought he had spent those years, Imelda had never thought on that if she could help it.

Even reserved Victoria stepped forward to greet her grandfather; Imelda smiled again, and felt the slight pang as the family hug happened without her. Well but unless she remedied that...

It...it was too soon still though...she proved this to herself by even allowing herself to lay a hand at Héctor's shoulder once more in small acceptance of her own, and all that that brought on! To hold or be held...would be too much like those early days of their relationship, too much to take at the moment.

She still was not planning on letting him go now, and readily gripped his hand back as he slipped it in hers again and recalled that she had decisions to tell of. A glance to the rest of the family showed they awaited out the next step still.

"Héctor...you...you can come over, of course, I--I'll show you the house", Imelda smiled smallish, but then it fell as she gazed into her husband's eyes seriously, asking and hoping he understand, "but I don't think you should stay the night. Not...not yet". I need time...

<>

She was given said time of course. It was what lead to them now sitting alone in the front room, or Héctor sitting. After a tour of the house, everyone else had turned in, even as dawn fully broke, to get what sleep they could. They could function without it, of course, but habits died hard.

Imelda turned, finding now that it was just her and Héctor. She gave a small smile, and truly looked him over once more. "You...seem well healed already...", she commented, "If in dire need of shoes...and a patch job...". It was more at odds with his white bones now. "Dame"Imelda sighed and stepped up, "Give me your jacket, I'll patch it up", she held her hand out for the bit of clothing, glancing to the sewing basket by the sewing machine still sitting in said front room which she intended to use.

Of course in the end he had no argument, Imelda glancing up at him from where she sat on the stool just patching the smaller holes with needle and thread currently. Of course now without his jacket he looked even more awkward and Imelda couldn't help giving a small chuckle as she glanced back down, "You're still skin and bones even without the skin...", her smile fell at the words though, and as she could hardly stop herself going on, though the words were addressed to his jacket in her hands and the needle which had paused, "I...I remember that was one of the things I worried about with you...on the road, if...", she cleared her throat, though she wasn't sure how that move still worked, and still refused to look up as she focused on the needle and thread again, blinking.

[Deleted]

The embrace by his family was a hope for the long-exiled musician that they have all come to forgive him as well, but he knew that it may have also been because of the emotions that they all felt when Héctor's dying wish was only to help return Miguel home, wanting Coco only to know how much her papa loved her. While Héctor remained positive just as he did to those that were annoyed by him and his antics for borrowing and not returning, even he recognized that there were generations of pain and anger that he had to get through with them in order for all of them to fully be healed. His wide, fond smile that he wore when she invited him to their house faltered a little on the self-effacement side when she added that he was not allowed to sleep over, his expression becoming more diffident or unassuming, but his eyes were full of understanding when he nodded in agreement to her words about not staying over. Héctor was given more than he even bargained for to even be introduced to the family and let inside the house that he was never allowed to enter for decades, so he was willing to settle for even this for now. 

Upon given the tour of the house that he was never allowed to enter, Héctor quickly noticed that the home was a lot more expansive than he was used to, compared to living in his small, shack-like home back in the shanty town of the Land of the Dead. He was modest, however, and never mentioned anything about his home in comparison, merely complimenting how nice everything was set up and how great they were at decorating. He didn't mean to sound flattering, but it was his way of using the truth and acknowledging the great things they do in order for them to see him in a more positive light, so that they wouldn't see him as this terrible person that they always envisioned of him anymore. It would take some time before they could fully see that, of course, but Héctor was willing to do the work in order to help them see that.  

After bidding his family members farewell, Imelda called on him to sit down in order for them to discuss things, as she had mentioned before. Obediently and quickly, Héctor sat down, removing his tattered straw hat from his head out of respect and holding it at his finger tips while he gazed up at Imelda with an awkward smile at the silence that loomed between them for a minute or two. Much like Pepita, he could tell that Imelda's eyes were scanning him, sizing him up like a predator to a prey. It felt very much like the way she did when she gave him a once over when they were dating. 

He sat up when she finally spoke about being healed and smiled humbly, grateful that his bones were no longer yellowing but a healthy white color. "Eheh..well I.." He began, not sure if he should mention that he wasn't completely healed from his broken tibia bone, his ulna bone, and one of his ribs being cracked, but he was truly grateful that he was overall way better than before. His bones were stronger now and the possibility of breaking anymore was a lot less than before. He wasn't able to say more when Imelda went on to comment about the torn clothing that he was wearing, including his lack of shoes. That made him self-conscious to think that he was really not presentable enough for her. "Eh you see.." He quickly fixed his unkempt raven hair with a sheepish grin that bared his gold tooth, hoping to be as presentable as possible. This felt just like he was dating her all over again! 

"Dame."

When she commanded him to give him his suit jacket, Héctor looked on at her incredulously. "I-Imelda, you don't have to..!" He added with a bashful smile, knowing that she really didn't have to do this after everything.  When she stepped over and commanded him again to give her the jacket, he quickly decided that he was going to show her that he was listening to her this time and would do as she said, instantly standing up to pull off the suit off of him and handing it over to her. "..Gracias..!" He added timidly to her, wanting her to know how much he appreciated this. Even Ceci gave up on helping him out after helping him give him the clothes in the first place, which he ended up getting battered in another brawl, and certainly would not have done it afterwards after losing her Frida Khalo dress. "You still got talent for that too.." He added softly with a warm, reminiscent smile as he watched her admiringly sewing away at the jacket, wondering how she was going to fix the jacket having one sleeve torn completely off while the other sleeve that he did have had a ripped hole in it. It made him reflect on the last time she had fixed up his outfit when they were younger.. she was always so tender in this way, and it was beautiful to watch her still have that side of Imelda that he fell in love with.
 
Having no undershirt and his jacket being torn from his abdomen down, it wasn't like he wasn't already showing too much of his ribs beneath as it was. Still, it felt like decades since he had been completely shirtless to Imelda, so it almost felt like the first time, which is why he wore a sheepish grin as he stood there with his top off and only wearing his bandana and his torn pants held together at his hips by a rope for a belt. However, when Imelda looked up at him, he tried his best to straighten up and look confident. 

"You're still skin and bones even without the skin..."

Well, that deflated him.. but only by a little! The slender musician tried to strike a pose like all the muscular men would do, though with no muscles in his arms - it just looked silly. What was worse was that he never really had muscles to show off even when he was alive. Ernesto was the one that had all the brawn. "Ah, come on! ..Even with these bones, sigo muy guapo (I'm still just as handsome), eh?" The slender skeleton wore a charming, gold toothed grin as he maintained his pose jokingly before he relaxed back into his regular stance with his smile decreasing upon watching Imelda's expression change to one that was more solemn just as she was reflecting on one of her worries about him long ago.   

"I...I remember that was one of the things I worried about with you...on the road, if..."

Héctor frowned with sympathetic brown eyes upon hearing how worried she must have been for him while he was out touring. He never did get to hear her entire side of the story. "...If what?" He ventured to ask delicately, wanting her to continue to share her worries and fears with him, needing to hear her side of the consequences of what had happened for his mistake. As painful as it was to hear it, this was the conversation he knew that he would have with her, that he had been wanting to have with her for decades. That was why he actually maturely appeared as if he were willing to hear it all. He was prepared for it for decades, willing to bear all that she would have to say so that it would not be bottled up inside of her anymore; were it possible, he wished he could absorb all the pain in all the words that she would say just so that she wouldn't have to be in pain anymore.  "You have been suffering alone for too long, Imelda..and it wasn't even your mistake.." He finally said morosely, staring down at the floor shamefully. "It was mine.." He admitted guiltily, knowing that this was his mistake that she ended up suffering for as well. Although he had also suffered in his own consequences for his mistake, this wasn't Imelda's burden to bare and he felt guilty for causing her to suffer for so long alone for something that she didn't do.  

[Mamá Imelda]

Héctor wilted at her directive, as he did so many times with so much Imelda imposed, but never complaining or blaming her even. Just sinking in a bit, perhaps, but always regarding her with that hopeful look. How could you think all of that devotion had walked away?!

His comments and praises to the house would have seemed insincere, except Imelda knew him, and even flattering people, Héctor couldn't hide his feelings well enough for her to not notice them. He was a bit desperate perhaps, but he meant every comment he threw their, and her, way. While the family was all there, it was easier, once they left and it was just her and Héctor, she couldn't turn aside to answer something someone else asked or said as she gathered her thoughts.

Of course she had decided they would have this talk.

Héctor fidgeted with his hat and words just like when they were dating. Imelda forcibly shoved aside thoughts of a cactus flower and the young, stupid musico presenting it nervous but triumphant...

He of course tried to find a way around giving her his jacket, but Imelda would take no argument, as ever. If she was going to be associated with him again...or he with her...no, that wasn't the real reason, she knew. She cared that he was taken care of and presentable.

She nodded aside his thanks, but his further words were harder.

"You still got talent for that too.."

Her hand stilled in its work, and she glanced to him, before going back to it, unsure what to say to that exactly. Imelda frowned, just in concentrating, as she examined the exact state of his sleeves, and held up slightly the one missing side, "Do I even want to know...", she muttered, half to him, before bending to rummage in the basket and see if she could salvage it in any way with matching or such.

She sewed a testing strip of other on as she threw out her comment.

"Ah, come on! ..Even with these bones, sigo muy guapo, eh?"

Imelda scoffed lightly with a pin held between her teeth before retrieving it and sticking it in its intended spot, still not glancing up as she threw out, "I didn't say it wasn't a compliment...". She sewed one more line, then glanced up to him, having not missed the stupid pose, so like what he did so many times when they were dating, and to no better effect.

A smile pushed at the edge of her mouth, "Si...", she immediately turned back to her work, and was grateful skeletons couldn't blush. This was all too close to copying conversations when they were dating.

Héctor of course had to ask, yet again, for what she'd been about to say. Imelda understood the reasoning, he just wanted to help her, to air it all out. She shook her head, but did answer, "If...if you were going to waste away more without my cooking", had been her point, and was said half teasing, but for some reason she went on, and seriousness crept in as she spilled all of what she'd kept to herself even those times he left and did come back, to not burden him, to be supportive. "As well as...if your hotel rooms were insulated enough, were you ever cold, did you make your trains, how tired were you after a performance, did Er--, Imelda choked on that man's name now!

"Did he push you too hard, I knew even then he could and...", Imelda shook her head again, "Things I knew you wouldn't put in your letters, to not worry us; Silly things, you know...", she'd kept her focus on the jacket and yet now glanced up to Héctor once more, as after letting him take this in, he went on.

"You have been suffering alone for too long, Imelda..and it wasn't even your mistake..It was mine.."

"I could have let you explain", Imelda glanced down again, "I...I believed so easily...", she blinked again, almost glad she didn't have to try to curb tears, that she could hide it better. She glanced to Héctor once more, "I...I'm glad you're too stubborn...to be fully forgotten, Héctor...", her smile came a bit easier, "Or maybe I didn't try as hard as I said I did".

Imelda held up the jacket to inspect and sighed, "It is what it is, here", she went to hand it back, but paused, and standing, came over to where he was, to drape it over his shoulders. She'd let him put his own arms through. "Now don't...pull the stitches, and tell me if it's too tight". It was almost like she hadn't just spilled her heart out.

[Deleted]

Truth be told, Héctor did hear Imelda's mutter about whether she really wanted to know about his torn up sleeves, especially the one missing side. It made him flinch as the tall skeleton tried to sink lowly in his seat whilst he childishly turned his head to pretend that he didn't hear that, hoping that he could get away with it just because it was mentioned so lowly and he wasn't asked directly. As much as he wanted to tell Imelda everything, he didn't want to give Imelda a bad impression about his life at his lowest point for the sake of not wanting to bring up the fights he had with others in the land of the dead; she was finally coming around to see him in this positive way, he didn't want to give her a bad picture about all his schemes that fell short just yet. Especially since she actually acknowledged that him being skin and bones was a good thing.  

"Si..."

In an instant, that musician was on cloud nine like he was a teenager all over again. It was amazing how one word touched his soul the way it did, but her even acknowledging that he was handsome even now was something that was truly a rare treat that he did not take lightly. If that was the one compliment that he would get for the day, then he was grateful for it. Yet Imelda added onto her statement regarding her concern about whether he was going to waste away with him not being at home with her cooking.  "Eh...in a way.." He began his response to her, but paused for a brief moment thoughtfully upon realizing that he literally did waste away without her cooking in the sense that he died from being away from her.  "..I guess you could say that..."  He tried to chuckle at that ironic thought in his own sheepish way, before shaking his head. "I probably would have still been alive if I hadn't left in the first place and ate only your cooking instead.." He remarked lowly with a wry smile that turned into a disappointed frown at himself, letting the guilt eat him inside that he could have just stayed where he was. It was forever haunting him, and it was the one regret that he would never be able to escape from.

Héctor listened to Imelda's gentle voice with an adoring smile as she went on to list all of her concerns that she had while he would be out on tour. It warmed him inside to think that she had all of these worries on her mind, though it also made him feel sad that he never got to address her concerns the moment she felt them.. leaving her to always have those worries with no one to reassure her. When she finished, he decided to begin with answering all of her concerns. Even if it was too late to have those questions answered, he wanted to answer them to prove that he would forever be willing to address her concerns in the same manner. "On that last tour, when I said I was eating well in the letters.. that was a lie.." He admitted with a tiny smile, before his expression drew more serious again as he recalled those memories of him being on tour. "I was feeling homesick, so I was losing my appetite...before you know it, I was surviving on appetizers.. mostly tamales, or.. chorizos.." He hesitated on saying that last one only because it stuck with him in such a negative way, causing an annoyed frown on his face upon recalling the story that Ernesto had made up for his poisoning, and all the musicians laughing at him. "But even they weren't the same as the ones you used to make at home.." That was the reason that Hector was so thin in comparison to the rest of the men that at least wore a belt even when they were dead. Being homesick had made him become so thin from eating so little, that no belt would fit him around his bony waist, just the rope. Unfortunately, Héctor had a hard time pushing away his emotions like all the other men, and he felt them so strongly, that when he was depressed, he could be really down on himself. Imelda could not have been more right about what she had said about wasting away. It was almost as if she somehow knew what was going on even without him telling her. 

"The rooms were also cold at night.. I remember it was cold to even be outside sometimes..but the jacket I wore to the performances warmed me enough.. well, that and the tequila.." He smiled sheepishly, not sure if he should venture to even add that last part about the shots, but she had asked, and it was the truth. Ernesto would make a toast on every occasion, and honestly, it did keep him warm. These were the things he of course never mentioned in the letters, not only because he wouldn't to give that impression to Coco for her to read, but also because he tended to be a little bit inappropriate when he would drink too much. Let's just say, if his songs would become perverted when he would drink too much upon creating them, then that letter would definitely not be for kids if he were to write them; he was definitely thankful that he didn't write a letter during those times, too. When he began to address her question regarding Ernesto, a sigh drew on his face with a frustrated expression as he thought about the effect Ernesto had on him, hating how stupid he was for believing in his best friend and letting himself get convinced by him so easily. "I guess Ernesto always had a way of convincing me to do things ever since we were boys.. " He wished he could say that Ernesto pushed him in such an obvious way, but Ernesto did it in such a convincing, inspiring way, that it just felt like it was right. He related a lot to Miguel in this way, which was why he was so cynical of that stupid musician; he didn't want Miguel falling for it too, but unfortunately the boy was too stubborn to listen to reason before it was too late. "When Coco was born, all I wanted to do was to only be the best papa that I can be..to provide for my family in the best way that I can..so when he'd say that I had all the more reason to take this opportunity to do what I loved to do if I wanted to make more money for the family with our music.... I just felt that if I didn't do this, I'd be a sorry excuse for a papa.. and so, each time he would give me these reminders, I let him get to me.. every.. single.. time.. " His head suck down lowly with a sullen frown on his countenance, acknowledging that he was the one that allowed Ernesto to convince him of these things, he allowed himself get pushed around by him and allow himself to think that he wouldn't be good enough father if he didn't take the opportunity that he was given. "It was how I got through all those performances.. and I remember being so tired after every performance, still recovering from all the parrandeando (partying/going out) the night before.. " He remarked with a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head at the poor decision that was to let himself get involved with Ernesto's partying after their rehearsals. He paused with a small smile up at her again, "but every chance I could, I would always play the songs you used to sing.. and the song that Coco and I used to sing together..it helped me to sleep at night in those days, so I'd always dream that I was home with you and Coco.. " Each time he would strum his guitar on his bed, he would play each song with his eyes closed and pretend to hear Imelda's singing and Coco's laughter soothe him until he could finally go to sleep. "Only after a while, I couldn't take it anymore..I got too homesick! The more time I spent away from the family, the more I was feeling like a monkey performing for strangers.." He drew a disgusted frown at the feeling of how the performances were starting to become so routine, without any real meaning in them anymore. It was like he was slaving away in each performance rather than doing what used to be his passion. In each performance with Ernesto, it all seemed so fake. "That was when I realized that this wasn't my dream..It never was.. I just wanted a family.."  He added softly, looking up at her with a sad smile. Being an orphan with no parents, that was really all he could ask for, and he let the one dream he finally had come true become destroyed. "That photo you were fighting to get for me.. I wanted to send that photo to you and Coco to remember me.. but that night.. I chose instead to follow my dream and finally come home.." He faltered upon recalling that night that he died, not wanting to continue into the details that would make Imelda feel uncomfortable of how Ernesto had tricked him into drinking poison and convincing him, just like he always did, even while he was dying how it was food poisoning. His fists clenched up tightly in anger at the thought of it, before he let them go with a sullen sigh. "..That was the only train I missed that I really cared about, anyway.."  The skeleton added positively with a shrug and a small smile, answering her previous question regarding if he missed his trains or not. The one thing he'd always regret was even getting on that train in the first place. 

It hurt him to see Imelda beat herself about all of this when she said that she wished he had let her explain. "You were right to be angry, Imelda.. I never should have left in the first place.. I'm just happy to have the chance to explain..I didn't think I would even have that chance.." Even now, he didn't know just how Miguel had managed to get Coco to remember him. Héctor couldn't help but smile affectionately at her teasing of him being stubborn enough to not be forgotten, or whether she was not being as hard as she said she would. "Haha! I think you know by now that you can't get rid of me that easy!"  He smiled confidently, knowing that he planned to forever be a thorn at her side ever since he met her in hopes that one day she would love him as much as he loved her. He didn't miss, of course, the way her hands would touch her shoulders as she helped put the jacket on. She was probably helping him put it on, but the hopeless romantic couldn't help but dream that it would be for more than that! "Wow..This looks good, Imelda! Almost brand new!" It truly was a clever thing to just turn it into a vest in the way she did! "Gracias!" At this point, the gentlemanly Héctor wasn't comfortable enough to mention about the torn pants, so he decided to ask something else. "So how was Coco in all of that time that I was away?" He ventured to ask her, wanting to know all that Imelda had dealt with on her own.. in both while he was a way on his tours, and even in death. Since Coco was still living, he wanted to know all that he had missed about his little girl growing up until he would see her again. 

[Mamá Imelda]

It was a wonder Imelda finished even the converting patching of the jacket when she did, with the amount of times she was paused in her work by something Héctor said.

"Eh...in a way....I guess you could say that...I probably would have still been alive if I hadn't left in the first place and ate only your cooking instead.."

Imelda glanced to him again, her breath seeming to catch with emotion, before she tried to focus once more on her work. How many times..., she asked herself, How many times had she berated Héctor, to herself, while he wasn't there, about his very choice of leaving. When he was possibly even already dead, she just didn't know it.

Here, in the Land of the Dead, awaiting out when he could visit her and Coco on Dia de los Muertos, and...she'd never allowed it.

Héctor went on to answer every one of her concerns, and though Imelda didn't glance up, she listened attentively, and even paused her work at times.

"On that last tour, when I said I was eating well in the letters.. that was a lie.."

"I had a feeling it might have been...", Imelda commented lowly, and mostly to herself as she nevertheless listened to Héctor go on, a whole host of emotions flickering through her with every answer. She knew enough, even then, to guess about the tequila, and when he was on the road with Ernesto, the partier.

Héctor went on to explain, in more thorough words than she'd ever allowed out during their discussions over his going on the road, quite all of the logic behind it.

"When Coco was born, all I wanted to do was to only be the best papa that I can be..to provide for my family in the best way that I can..so when he'd say that I had all the more reason to take this opportunity to do what I loved to do if I wanted to make more money for the family with our music.... I just felt that if I didn't do this, I'd be a sorry excuse for a papa.. and so, each time he would give me these reminders, I let him get to me.. every.. single.. time.. "

The part about For Them, she'd known, but she'd never understood, thinking everything that mattered was there in Santa Cecilia, and...well thinking it half an excuse almost! Thinking of Héctor what were Ernesto's thoughts, she realized.

"I...I thought I knew, well even, the affect he had on you, but I guess I never did...", He'd been Héctor's closest friend, she'd always thought she shouldn't step in front of that, too much, that...if Héctor trusted him...

It recalled to mind that Imelda really should come as clean and honest as he was being with her, no matter what she feared he would feel at the time.

About the talk she'd had; but she didn't want to interrupt what Héctor was saying now, so she let him finish his retelling of events at least.

"..That was the only train I missed that I really cared about, anyway.."

Imelda gave a small smile back to his own, "Héctor...gracias, for...for answering all that, and...I should be honest with you too. D-did Ernesto ever tell you I spoke with him? Before you left. I--I didn't want you to know, to think...I was meddling, but...I asked him, for the sake of the effect I knew he had on you, to...reconsider", Imelda frowned, shaking her head, "I should have known by the way he brushed me off, even then, he was no good!*".

After coming clean of her own secrets, Imelda put it behind her and finished up with the jacket.

"Haha! I think you know by now that you can't get rid of me that easy!"

Imelda smiled, and honestly she didn't think she wanted to...

"So how was Coco in all of that time that I was away?"

Héctor then asked for his own further truth giving, beyond what she had volunteered, not that Imelda minded, and after her own hard questions. Imelda remained standing before him, but while she let her hands fall from his shoulders, she took up one of his hands again as she answered, "Confused of course. It should come as no surprise with all this, Héctor...she held out so much faith, far more than me", Imelda knew he wouldn't want her beating herself up over that, but it was so hard not to! And he was to good to her to ask her not to anyway. "I never told her what I suspected, never once hinted that...you might have just walked off, for which I'm glad...", Imelda glanced aside.

"Still...I banned music, as you know, because...I couldn't bear to be reminded...and her dancing was the same, it only...only brought up memories of when she was three and younger...when you were still there", she meant and Ernesto hadn't stolen him, and glanced back to watch his expressions and see that he understood this, "But she was like Miguel in that area, only hid her dancing; once trying to keep an honest mistake extra pair of dance shoes Oscar and Felipe made to dance in. I...banned dancer customs after that. Then she later snuck off to the plaza to meet and dance with Julio, oh I could have grounded her!", Imelda shook her head, before glancing up to Héctor with a smile, "But instead I pulled him into the shop".

Imelda sighed again, but smiled, "She...she's always been your little girl, Héctor, and that's what's hurt so much". But that hurt was slowly starting to heal with what she now knew...

Héctor had always been the one to take first steps in their relationship, from following her to play outside her window, to asking to marry her, but Imelda allowed herself a bit of a first move, and when she knew he needed the reassurance, moving lightly to hug him, recapturing that familiar feeling of fitting perfectly just under his chin.

<<*Using discussed plot things for later, but I think, and hope, that's a safe assumption for Ernesto's actions however that thread goes>>

[Deleted]

Well, just as he wondered if she might've known about his lack of appetite out in the tours for even mentioning it as a concern, it seemed that she had only confirmed it when he heard her low comment that she had a feeling. Imelda really did know him so well. That might've been a little intimidating for someone when it came to hiding things; but for Hector, he didn't care to hide things intentionally, he just didn't want to worry her and worry Coco. In fact, he just saw it as it meaning that the year or so of courting and the three years of marriage were profound years, where they both knew each other very well.  She really was the love of his life. 

"I...I thought I knew, well even, the affect he had on you, but I guess I never did..."

"You were not wrong, Imelda.. There was a time when I wanted to sing for the world… but that was before I realized that my dream was only for you and Coco..I was the one that let that dream go to ruin.."  She wasn't entirely wrong; Héctor acknowledged that he did say that this when he was younger, only because he thought that he and Ernesto shared the same dream, but that changed when he realized that having a family was what he always wanted all along and playing music for the world was Ernesto's dream. Unfortunately, his desperation allowed him to let Ernesto's words sink into his mind to think that he needed to prove himself to be a good father, and in the end he nearly lost everything that he ever wanted in his life if it weren't for the fact that Imelda was giving him this chance at this very moment. 

“Wait..What? You..You did?” The musician parted his mouth slightly with a stunned look upon hearing Imelda tell him about a time that she had confronted Ernesto to get him to reconsider. With a bemused frown, he tried to reflect for a moment if it had ever come up, but he couldn't remember a single moment when Ernesto came up to him about his wife telling him to reconsider. "No.. he never told me this..!”  It hurt him to think that his best friend at the time hadn’t even talked to him about his wife's worries and fears - even after being at their wedding and knowing how important it was to him! Héctor clenched his bony fists tightly in frustration, “But what can I expect from a man that would not even mention to you that I was dead!” The fact that he died was not as big of a concern to Héctor, he didn't care about himself so much as how his absence affected his family when his best friend never told his wife that he had died. If Ernesto had simply told her, she would have understood where he was for so long and he would have his picture on the ofrenda, then would have been able to see her and Coco from the land of the dead. Even his so-called best friend robbed him of that! Not to mention that he tried to kill his great great grandson as well! "If I ever see that man again..!" Héctor muttered his threat lowly at the thought of just lunging at him and punching his eyes out at the sight of him, before taking a breath to calm himself down. This was how he got his clothes ripped, and Imelda was only now just mending that. In reality, he was not aware of what became Ernesto because he was dying (which was ALSO Ernesto's fault), but that was not important right now.  

"Confused of course. It should come as no surprise with all this, Héctor...she held out so much faith, far more than me"

Héctor tenderly took her hands in his when she did, nodding in understanding upon hearing how confused Coco must have been, but looked into the sadness in her eyes with a frown upon hearing her say that she did not have as much faith in him. "I don't blame you, Imelda..I still left the family..I left you alone to care for Coco.."  He couldn't imagine how that must have been doing that all on her own without a husband returning back from a musical tour. Still, his sad smile upturned a little more upon hearing that she had so much faith in him. It didn't surprise him. He had sang to Coco since Imelda was even pregnant with her, and especially when she had opened her beautiful eyes for the first time; music was all Coco knew.  They had a secret song for that very reason each time they were apart. The fatherly skeleton listened to Imelda speak about their daughter with affection in his eyes as he only tried to imagine how Coco looked when she was older, dancing just as she did when he last remembered her at the age of 3, but now all the more beautifully as her mother used to do later on as a young woman. He smiled a lot more upon hearing how rebellious his daughter was despite the bans that Imelda had put in place. It reminded him of how rebellious he used to be when he wanted to sing to Imelda while her parents were asleep just for the chance of her going out with him. Even Miguel also turned out to be the same with the music ban as well. "Even in spite of your bans, she is alive for 99 years because of you.. Hicistes un gran esfuerzo (You tried very hard)..y lo lograste!(And you succeeded!)" He reassured her with a proud tone in his voice and an endearing smile, one of gratitude that was long overdue for Imelda to hear. Despite everything, Imelda did a great job in helping their daughter live to a long life by herself. He couldn't ask for a better mother than Imelda. 

"She...she's always been your little girl, Héctor, and that's what's hurt so much"

"Oh.. my Coco.." With an affectionate squeeze of her hands in his, Héctor closed his eyes and murmured her name as Imelda's words touched his very soul. It had been too many years since he had heard anyone tell him that; he always had to reassure himself. "I can't wait to see her again.." He added gently with a tone that was still in amazement that he was finally able to live to see her one day. All thanks to Miguel. 

The tall skeleton in the blue vest opened his eyes to feel Imelda moving closer, and to his surprise, actually embracing him! He felt his breath get caught in his throat when he finally felt the embrace of his wife that he had not felt in a century, and instantly wrapped his arms around her back warmly against her, tilting his head so that a part of his chin and the side of his face could rest on her soft hair. If he had a heart, he knew that it would be beating rapidly against her. With his eyes closed, he felt as if his very soul was at peace as he hugged her so lovingly against him. "Te quiero, Imelda.." He murmured lowly within an exhale, low enough for her possibly not to hear it, but it was something that just came from within him and he couldn't hold it back as much as he tried to refrain from making her uncomfortable. He loved her for years, and he would still wait for her because he only wanted her. "You should get some rest, Imelda.." He gently said, a little louder for her to hear this time, and slowly parted from the embrace by a few inches to gaze down at her with a sweet smile. Even he recognized that she had gone through a lot chasing after Miguel and then Ernesto, and dealing with all of the emotional things that happened today.  "Te veo en unas horas..(I'll see you in a few hours).. Maybe you can even show me your shoe shop..” He was genuinely interested in all that her wife learned how to do on her own, and he wanted to be supportive of that. As a form of goodbye, the tall gentleman then used both his hands to hold both of her hands together gently and slowly raised it up to his mouth to kiss the middle of both her hands, as if to kiss both her hands at the same time. "Thank you for doing this with me.." With a smile that was appreciative of her giving him this opportunity, but slightly filled with longing as if he already missed her, the musician slowly turned to leave the house in order to head back to his place at the shanty town of the land of the dead.   

[Mamá Imelda]

Imelda gave a soft smile to what Héctor admitted to, of having once wanted to play for the world, before that dream was amended; by her and Coco.

She had misjudged that last part. Off false assumptions, even of Ernesto and how he would have told her if something had happened to Héctor.

Her husband (yes, he still was that she decided) expressed genuine shock and said that Ernesto hadn’t told him of their secret discussion. Imelda hadn’t figured he did either way, even before she knew the exact depth of his depravity!

Hector’s reaction, and unheard threats to Ernesto, cause Imelda to frown concerned, but for Héctor’s sake.

”You don’t have to worry about him again, Héctor”, she didn’t say they didn’t, though the rest of her family was safe as well, ”Pepita knocked him under the bell of his gaudy stage”.

Of course that didn’t mean he was dead, he was already dead, but detoured hopefully.

As Imelda could have (and did) guess, Héctor rebuffed her blaming of herself; she shook her head, reveling in the feel of him holding her hands even as she started the move, ”You’re...you’re far to good to me”, she whispered.

She also smiled at Héctor’s praise that just proved her point, and heartfelt wish of seeing Coco when she came here. And Imelda would more than allow it this time of course!

Héctor moved to hug her back and Imelda just soaked in the long overdue feeling. He muttered something she thought she caught, but couldn't be sure. His next statement she did catch as he moved back slightly to smile at her. It would be a lie to try to say she wasn't tired after everything, still a big part of her was sorry to have this tentative moment just moved into after a century halted, much as she saw all the practical reasons.

"Of course", Imelda answered as he asked about a tour of the shop, smiling again, but finding it fell a bit in awe as he kissed the top of one hand, in a way both.

"Thank you for doing this with me.."

She could only nod, her voice seeming stolen, and it took a few moments for her to follow him to the doorway and shut it, but after leaning against it slightly, watching him walk off. Again it was all so familiar a feeling from the early days of him courting her. In a way it was like he was again, trying to tread lightly and gain her favor. He already half had it, though, maybe even more so.

<>

This last point was perhaps proven in that Imelda was up early, humming even so shortly after her own music ban was lifted, and adjusting counter space. She could only fix so much of past mistakes, and maybe it was the symbolism and thought more than the action. Either way, despite the late hour of finally getting to bed, Imelda was up about the same hour as she ever was from just resting more for the mental clarity (and again they didn't really need sleep) and a few stops at a few shops she knew of but had avoided before and she had a very nice early century--their century--record player from a store that kept older tech on hand for the varying generations here.

Maybe it was because she recalled telling Héctor she didn't own a record player when she first officially met him all those years ago, and maybe because she recalled tossing one out to be smashed on the pavement shortly after he left.

Imelda then saw that the rest of the shop was tidy and went to the door at the knock, almost just as she had finished up both. Héctor was greeted with a warm smile at least, "Did you even sleep?", she half teased, knowing it could be put to her as well.

[Deleted]

After being among family and the love of his life, the walk back home was not exactly riveting. Still, once he was greeted by his fake family in the slums of where he lived, Héctor felt the feeling of being among family again enough to cheer himself up once more. Everyone there seemed impressed at how great he looked, even asking him where he got his new vest and wondering where he borrowed it from this time. Although Héctor would respond happily that he's being remembered, it seemed hard to believe for the fake family members that were all being forgotten. Yet it was obvious by the bright white color of his bones and the way that his fibula bone no longer came out when he walked, granted still with a slight limp because of his broken bone that was tied up, but with a much better gait than before! It almost gave the rest of the people hope like never had before; that it was truly possible for them to be remembered as well! Well, let's just say that they counted their blessing with a round of tequila.  

Although Héctor should have rested his mind after the crazy day he had with Miguel, he couldn't help but miss that boy! He wanted to ask him just how he managed to do the impossible, how Coco was able to remember him even without his photo. He also couldn't help but daydream about his wife, about her admitting that she was the love of his life and that embrace that they shared. Now, after 96 years, there was truly hope; there was truly a chance that he could finally fix things. 

"Hey, primo! Que onda?!(What's up?)" Héctor greeted his fake cousin with a grin as he headed over to Cheech's old place, "Ah, just heading in for a few things!" With a quick gaze around the place, he noticed a lot of Cheech's stuff was being given away. He picked up the pipe with a small smile, thinking about the time that he had to replace it with his femur after he had lost his femur in one of his many ridiculous schemes, where he borrowed so many things from him that he was not able to get back. They were all crazy ideas for the sake of trying to cross over that bridge. "You were right, Cheech.." The skeletal musician mused, thinking back to all the times Chicharron told him that he was never going to cross the bridge with all of his crazy ideas. He would never be able to cross that bridge without a photo, but at least he would be among family. "And I'm finally starting to play music again.." He added softly, finally admitting to himself that the old musician was right about that too, not being able to give it up completely. Before meeting Miguel, Héctor had given up on music and musicians. Taking up the trumpet and the pipe, he waltzed out of Cheech's shack for a house and went over to his place to keep it there for safe keeping. The tall skeleton in the blue vest then decided to take off in a happy sprint to head out towards the shoemaking shop, when he was greeted by his fake aunt asking him where he was off to in such a rush. "Hey! Tia Chelo! I'm going to see the love of my life!" Even just saying that uplifted Héctor spirits even more, grinning at her with a wave before running off to meet Imelda and the rest of his family.

Standing outside of the shoemaking shop, much like he did to Imelda's home, he gazed at the shop that he had always been wanting to see from the inside, but never being allowed in. With a knock on the door, he was delighted to find Imelda's welcoming smile, not at all what he was used to still so it made it even more special. Upon hearing her good humored comment, his affectionate smile grew to an amused one in which he uttered a chuckle, knowing that they didn't have to sleep when they were dead. "Eh! I had dreams.." He joked with a shrug, a timid smile forming on his face upon actually referring to the fact that he was daydreaming, "Did you?" He asked her playfully back, wondering if she had gotten any rest. "Hey this place is bigger than it looks!" He commented approvingly upon turning his attention to the vast space of the shoemaking shop, walking a step or two forward to take all the sights of everything with a smile that was drawn on his mouth for satisfying his curiosity about this place. "Where is everyone?" He asked of her, before noticing the section where the shoe polish containers were. A small reminiscent smile formed on his face as he picked it up and opened it, inspecting the untouched black paint polish inside and recalling how how he used this to recreate Miguel's skeleton face paint after making an offer with someone to buy it at this shop. Ah..He really missed that boy! 

[Mamá Imelda]

"Eh! I had dreams..Did you?"

He meant did she sleep well, of course, but another part of that question seemed to come off as asking if she dreamed of him...

"Héctor...", Imelda smiled and turned aside...to let him in and begin the tour of the shop, but had she still been alive a blush would have tainted her cheeks. "I slept well enough", she answered and dodged answering the other part of the question.

"Hey this place is bigger than it looks!"

She smiled, realizing that he probably had a very detailed mental image of the outside, given how many times she had had to turn him away. Not always here, but a fair amount. "Yes, they'd just put in this whole block I believe when I...arrived", while she wasn't sure if that had been the actual time frame, she felt like Héctor might know...

She knew he knew when that was that she had arrived, because the amount of time before he began bugging her to try to get her to listen was very short. She never knew if he got prior knowledge on the fact, or he just spotted her one day and, like old times, she didn't know it until he approached one day.

"Where is everyone?"

Was a good topic to get on to distract herself from her line of thought and how she had been less than kind, with what she believed, at the first meeting. Not that she couldn't also be faulted when first meeting him alive also.

"After yesterday, maybe still sleeping, though I doubt it; they're probably just running late, and I'll allow it today, again, after everything", she gave a light chuckle, at herself a bit, and admitting she kept the shop on a bit of a tight schedule. She walked up closer and saw that Héctor had approached and picked up one of the canisters of shoe polish. Instantly she thought on the same thing he did.

Imelda had wondered, when confronting Miguel again, in disguise, how he had acquired such a detailed one; then after finding out he'd been with Héctor...

She placed a hand on her husband's shoulder, smiling at the canister and then him, curiosity in her gaze, "I did wonder over Miguel's disguise", she admitted, "Was it...your handiwork? You dabble at making art galleries as well as compositions?", she smiled, but sounded impressed.

"Not that it fooled me for an instant", she went on in a more normal tone, stepped out a bit, but still with the smile, "I just couldn't catch up to him. Up to you both I suppose...", she shook her head, "I should have guessed that too, who else would get Miguel halfway across the city and with Pepita on his tail", she gave him an affectionate smile this time though, and noticed the look that had been on his face.

"Well but I told you I'd give you a tour!", Imelda reminded herself, and because the issue of Héctor missing Miguel was another tough one. She didn't know if there was a picture that would allow Héctor to cross the bridge ever; she'd been so thorough in clearing all reminders of him. Yet she somehow believed Miguel would find a way to fix this as well.

"Well this is the main shoe making area and shop", she gestured, "You of course saw the sitting room yesterday, um, that's a recent addition", she acknowledged the existence of the record player off in a corner on another table. She'd finished the tour of the kitchen when Julio and Rosita showed, with Victoria with them, all of which greeted Héctor again, though it was odd to see him allowed in the shop and home.

"I should have known Oscar and Felipe will be the ones to sleep in the longest", Imelda commented to herself, and the family a bit, Héctor included in that now.

<<Hehe, I didn't want them to get in the way but figured they should show up>>

[Deleted]

With the way that Héctor felt for Imelda, it was as if it hadn't been 96 years since he had been able to be with her; it was as if time had stopped for the hopeless romantic Héctor, who couldn't help but have these same hopes and (day)dreams that she was just as crazy about him as he was with her, that he was truly the love of her life. He smiled tenderly at the way she said his name and the way she turned away shyly, before he, too, glimpsed away also just as timidly as he felt his soul swell at the thought that perhaps there may be hope that he could recover the same love he had with his wife. He tried to use this time to learn more about her though, knowing that there were aspects about Imelda that he did not yet know, and focused on the different areas of the shoemaking place to figure out how it was all done, though he wasn't really quite able to envision it; he hadn't even seen his wife do an actual shoe before.

"Yes, they'd just put in this whole block I believe when I...arrived"

"Eh.. about a few days or so before, give or take..." Héctor recalled with a shrug of his shoulders, glancing around at the different tools that each area of the shoemaking shop did, wondering what each machine did. He had been around for 70 years before he met Imelda again, so he was able to give an accurate account of how many things have changed, including the new areas and the different types of music, and when they did. That was why he made such an excellent tour guide, before he got fired anyways. In reality, it had been close to a week of when she had arrived when they had put this whole area in, but he wasn't going to bog her with the details because he was too much of a gentleman to tell her that she was completely wrong. Instead, he focused on the different tools in the room that seemed so foreign to him. He wasn't able to recognize what each of them could even do. He had never stepped inside a shoemaking shop, come to think of it. Just ordered some pairs from the outside - which was sadly a great many due to him growing so much when he was younger, sadly perhaps because most of his money that he made went to his clothing more than even food.

Upon asking where the rest of his family was, he found himself smiling fondly at hearing her soft laugh as well. He had heard her laugh before when she finished singing La Llorona, but he still never got tired of hearing it. "Tremenda siesta (That's some huge nap), eh?" He chuckled jokingly along with her, though he knew that it was a very well deserved nap considering everything that had happened yesterday. Eyeing the black and white shoe luster, he smiled upon feeling Imelda's presence near him, knowing that she knew that he was missing his great great grandson that was somehow the very reason he was even alive right now.

"I did wonder over Miguel's disguise", she admitted, "Was it...your handiwork? You dabble at making art galleries as well as compositions?"

"Haha yes! It looked good, eh?!" The skeletal musician grinned triumphantly upon recalling how well he painted his great great grandson's face given only his own fingers as brushes. He then rubbed the back of his head behind his raven hair shyly as he smiled to himself meekly upon hearing Imelda sounded impressed when she figured out that Miguel's disguise was part of his handiwork, comparing it to making art galleries as well as compositions. "Eheh..Well.. I had a lot of time in my hands..I just wanted to practice.." He meant to say that he had gotten the luster paint because he wanted to practice shoeshining just so that he could get her attention, but it was not said aloud. The only reason he faltered was because that idea was a failure when he realized that he no one wanted to get a shoeshine from someone that didn't even have shoes. "Eh.. I picked up a few things when I pretended to be Frida.." And he borrowed many things as well.. The con-artist glimpsed off to the side, deciding that she perhaps did not have to know about his many schemes at the moment. Suffice it to say, he had spent a lot of time in the Art District of the Land of the Dead for the last several months before el Dia de los Muertos enough for Frida Kahlo herself to not look upon him like a stranger.

"I think I even gotten better than those drawings I used to do for Coco in my letters.." Héctor smiled a little with a shake of his head. That was not to say that Héctor besmirched his own doodles, for he had healthy esteem enough to know that they were distinguishable drawings at least - if he drew a dog, at least it looked like a dog. In all honesty, he didn't draw it to be perfect, he mostly doodled those on the letters he would write during the times when he would think about his little girl instead of talking about what songs they were going to play, or instead of eating as much. He did what he could to entertain his little girl from far away, but also to entertain himself with the idea that his little daughter would smile upon seeing his letters with the small doodles on them. Besides, it's not as if they were hanging up on display for the entire world to see right now.

"Not that it fooled me for an instant"

The composer turned to watch her step away for a bit with a smile that reflected her own. He knew better than to fool his own intelligent wife, but he did not know at the time that Imelda was even chasing him to begin with. Although, now that he thought about it, it kind of made his soul swell at the thought that Imelda had been chasing him this whole time. She seemed disappointed that she couldn't catch up to Miguel, or even him. "Haha! And to think that you were only chasing after the love of your life the entire time!" He placed a hand on his chest where his heart would have been with a bright love-struck smile, never forgetting that moment ever. If he had only known that she was chasing him at the time, he surely would have stopped in his tracks! It was not common for a woman to chase after him, especially Imelda!

"I should have guessed that too, who else would get Miguel halfway across the city and with Pepita on his tail"

"Ah, Pepita was just giving me a head start.." The tall skeleton in the vest waved it off with a skeletal hand, smiling playfully while defending the alebrije. It wasn't entirely true for he honestly did not even know that Pepita was hunting him down either, besides the fact that Pepita always obeyed Imelda's orders in the end more so than anyone else. He turned towards Imelda so that he stood in front of her, peering down at her with a fond smile. She didn't have to know all the schemes he had done for her to have even thought that it would make sense that it would be him that would lead Miguel away across town. "It's true, Imelda.." He finally admitted to his crime with a small smile, "But I didn't know that he was running away from his family..I thought it was only the police!" That wasn't exactly the best answer either, however. The sketchy skeleton grinned sheepishly, not wanting to have revealed that he had some trouble with the law, and tried to quickly make things sound better. "..but when I found out that he had lied about having family here after that talent show, I had told him to stop chasing that music fantasy of his and go back to his family.. and that's when he ran away from me.." A sad smile formed on his face as he thought about the way he had done it. He had called music a stupid fantasy, only because that was how he viewed music at that time...he just didn't want Miguel to make the same mistake and leave his family for music like he had done; nothing was more important than family. Amazingly, it was only Miguel that made him change his outlook on music, when he was forced to dance and perform along with him and even played for the first time back stage for Imelda while she sang. "The funny thing is, I didn't even know he was my great great grandson until we were both thrown into that sinkhole.." He mused with a chuckle, shaking his head at the thought that he had done all of that for his great great grandson the entire time. "But I thought..Even if my photo would be put on a stranger's ofrenda, I could maybe finally cross over the bridge and see Coco.." He explained the reason why he was helping a stranger run away from police. All of his schemes was only to see his little girl. Now, his photo would sadly never be recovered to see her, and he had tried all of the schemes he could come up with; that bridge was hard to cross no matter how many times he tried. Still, he was happy that he would be with his real family here in the land of the dead.

"Well but I told you I'd give you a tour!"

Hector brightened up again with a smile. Normally, he was the one that would have to brighten himself up, but it seemed that now he had Imelda to help him out with that too. As he observed the areas that Imelda had gestured to him, he turned curiously to see what the recent addition was when he grinned broadly upon finding that it was a record player. "You got a record player?!" He instantly walked over to observe it closely, smiling reminiscently at the details as he recalled how much he had missed listening to the record player at their home when he was alive, "It almost looks just like the one we got long ago!" When he stood in front of her again, he gazed down at her with an admiring smile, wanting to ask what made her get one, but already knowing the answer. She was trying to let music in again, and it meant that she was letting him in.

Just as he had finished saying that, he turned to find the rest of the family coming in. Ever the gentleman, he swiftly stepped over to greet his son-in-law, Rosita, and his grandchild. "Buenos dias, Julio! Rosita! Hey! Que onda, Victoria?" Héctor wasn't expecting them to reciprocate with the same enthusiasm, but honestly he was just happy to be among family. Yet what could anyone expect from him when even he was chipper around Chicharron that told him to his face that didn't even want to see him most of the time.

Héctor smiled to himself upon hearing Imelda poke fun of her twin brothers. He liked being a part of the family discussions, even if it was just for sillyness. That was when he realized that he would now be able to see how all the machines worked and what everyone was able to do! "Hey why don't you show me how the familia Rivera gets it done here! C'mon! I got to see how all this works in action!" The musician encouraged them enthusiastically as he sat himself on a box like he was about to watch an exciting performance, and it was in it's own right! He was about to watch his wife and his family perform together to make shoes!

[Mamá Imelda]

"Eh.. about a few days or so before, give or take..."

Héctor was perhaps being a bit vague, and that was perhaps very telling on how right Imelda was, or wasn't, in her guess on the time, but she actually didn't ponder this possibility too far either, after just allowing for the maybe of it. She scanned over the tools herself, and whole workshop, just getting up a plan for how best to go about the tour and what to show first as Héctor joked about the family's siesta, which brought another small smile to her face.

It would be a lie for Imelda to say she hadn't missed this, and hearing Héctor's jokes on a regular basis. She had, very much, it was what contributed to her so forceful banishment of every reminder of him!

"Haha yes! It looked good, eh?!"

Imelda just smiled and nodded, she had wondered at the time, and mostly during her confrontation of him in the alley way when she got such a good look at the details, what kind of artist he'd somehow convinced along his way to do the job; and it had just made her curse artists in her head again, especially as Miguel rushed off away from her!

Héctor's words on wanting to just practice could stand as they were, and didn't have to raise suspicions of why, especially as he cut off when he did.

"Eh.. I picked up a few things when I pretended to be Frida.."

She had been aware of that scheme! In fact she'd almost run across him one time due to it, though he may not have known, back when she was still avoiding him and after quite a few times of having to send him away. The familia had been running late and all filing into a line to go through the typical and annoying devil box scanners when she recognized something familiar about Frida trying to get through.

She had quickly shuffled the family off to another line, making up some excuse about the worker and something she had done before that had annoyed Imelda and cringed both at the very fact that he would do such in public and the very public display of his being dragged off again.

Mortifying at the time, and shaming now. She had always accused him of all the wrong, but she could have treated her husband better too in many of those instances. Well, but they were behind them! Though were they...

"Yes, I was surprised to find Miguel had met Frida Kahlo of all people", she'd known who she was, even avoiding all forms of art as she did, "and not to mention you with him", Imelda gave a chuckle, or tried, though it came off a bit forced. She would not say it was still bothering her, though at the time of learning how many times Héctor had visited the art district, she had wondered if in all the time he'd found someone who didn't just push him aside.

Was Ninety Six years of waiting really a fair ask? Of course everything in Héctor's devotion since she'd allowed him back even in so short a time-frame should have dispelled any of those crazy thoughts, but then his devotion before should have helped her through the doubt of his never coming back, and it didn't.

The mention of those drawings he'd done for Coco helped, and the memories of domestic life they brought with them. Imelda's chuckle turned fond and real again, "Aye, she'd bother me from the moment your letters arrived, no matter what I was doing, to read it that very instant, and always said she knew exactly what you'd drawn, and I just went with what she said...", Imelda laughed, and cut off herself on adding "until I could ask you", since she had never got the chance, and also tried to move on since even that sweet reminder could lead to thoughts of having to comfort Coco after the letters had stopped.

"Haha! And to think that you were only chasing after the love of your life the entire time!"

Imelda rolled her eyes, "You still only hear what you want to hear, Musico", but there was nothing but fondness in her 'criticism' and even calling him that again like she had when they were dating. Her smiled showed his guess was correct though, even when she hadn't known it.

He claimed Pepita gave him a head start, and Imelda chuckled again, honestly he wasn't wrong in her devotion either, and at the first instance of having to ask her alebrije to chase Héctor off, Imelda had wondered if she would do it; and been surprised when she did.

"But I didn't know that he was running away from his family..I thought it was only the police!"

Héctor seemed to realize his mistake the moment he spoke. Imelda simply turned back to him with a slightly quizzical and amused look, "and you just helped a random kid do that and run away from the authorities".

"..but when I found out that he had lied about having family here after that talent show, I had told him to stop chasing that music fantasy of his and go back to his family.. and that's when he ran away from me.."

Imelda's look melted to something softer. "He ran away from me too", she admitted, in continuing of admitting things, and having to glance aside again as she did. "Shortly after that I suppose, Pepita and I found him. Even...even after I sang then too, to show him I understood, and...explained how much I had loved those early days when...when you were there and everything was good. Before Coco brought even more good. He only accused me of making him chose sides, which I was, and, well, got into Ernesto's clutches as you know", Imelda sighed at herself again, then glanced back up to Héctor.

"But I thought..Even if my photo would be put on a stranger's ofrenda, I could maybe finally cross over the bridge and see Coco.."

"I know you said not to be anymore, but...I'm sorry you had to go through that kind of desperation, Héctor", Imelda said sincerely.

She laughed again as Héctor pointed out the record player, "Sí, it does!", she agreed, smiling up at him softly and knowing she didn't have to say why she'd got it. "I, um, notice I forgot records though", she admitted, "Maybe we should go later and remedy that?", the possibility of having to avoid Ernesto's ripped off records in such a store, and curious questions from the clerk perhaps, didn't occur to Imelda.

After enough of them were arrived and assembled, Héctor requested an insight into Rivera Shoe Making; Imelda wasn't so sure her craft was designed for such observations, but she couldn't say she would mind showing her husband how good she, and they, had gotten at their craft. She glanced to the others, who shrugged as if it was up to her, as it ever was.

"Well alright", she smiled over to him, sitting there on his box and looking as interested as a person could, and then tried to ignore him just so she could work as they set about their usual routine. It was halfway through cutting a strip of leather she noticed how far away he was and how that would probably hinder.

She thought about it for two seconds, then pulled up a stool beside her own, "Here, why don't you sit here, you can get a better look at the table".

[Deleted]

"Yes, I was surprised to find Miguel had met Frida Kahlo of all people and not to mention you with him", 

Héctor smiled a little meekly, chuckling upon hearing her soft laugh as well, though he wasn't entirely sure the true reason why she laughed. "Ah, but if it were not for that, I would never get the chance to see the entire familia Rivera all looking like Frida Kahlo!" He laughed a lot more now humorously, just recalling his whole family including Imelda dressed up as Frida Kahlo. Imelda being willing to be a part of his and Miguel's fraudulent scheme was truly a gift, and she did it well! It may be once in a lifetime (or maybe not), but it was nice while it lasted! 

When Imelda described how it was for like for Coco to get her letters and some of them with his little drawings on them, the fatherly musician wore a reminiscing smile as he pictured his little Coco getting excited for his letters, just like he hoped she would when he would write them. It seemed like everytime Coco was mentioned, he would just inwardly melt with a dream-like sigh. No one would ever understand how often he thought about how old she would be as the years would go by and what she must be like. He would calculate how old Coco would be after every year, even bother Cheech when it would be Coco's birthday, then brag about Coco being 15 years old..before becoming depressed that he wasn't there to be with her to dance with her in her parties. As she grew older to an adult, he then wondered if she would find anyone to love, or if she had kids, how was she like as a parent to them? Let's just say it was enough for him to go crazy sometimes, crazy enough to do anything to see her again..

The skeletal musician parted his mouth in shock upon hearing that Miguel still ran from him even after Imelda had sang to Miguel before even her performance, and even mentioned that things back then were so good before. He smiled affectionately at her as he recalled those days when he would play and she would sing with her, and then dance together. He saw her dancing again in her performance with Ernesto, though she knew for the most part it was trying to get away with him, it was still with the same grace that he remembered. His smile faltered upon thinking about Ernesto after Héctor went after Miguel, sneaking into that mansion as Frida only to find out that his best friend had poisoned him. He frowned as he stared down at the floor, feeling like an idiot for putting all of his trust in his own best friend and letting all of this happen.  

"I know you said not to be anymore, but...I'm sorry you had to go through that kind of desperation, Héctor"

Héctor glanced up and smiled a little weakly at her, "Ni modo..(It's whatever/It can't be helped)..I guess I really am un poco loco.." He mused cynically with a wry smile that slightly curved down to a frown, thinking about what Imelda or Ernesto used to call him enough for him to name a song after it, and just realizing about how crazy he was for putting all of his trust into his friend, letting himself get convinced by the stupid musical fantasy about performing for the world. As always, Héctor tried to pull himself out of that gloom, "..but still I count it as a blessing! I would not have been able to meet Miguel if I were not un poco crazy!" He proclaimed enthusiastically with a chuckle as he did a play-on words with his song, knowing that he would not have been able to meet his great great grandson if he were not so crazy to see his daughter again. He then looking at her with a soft, affectionate smile as he gently placed his hand on hers, "I would never be able to have this chance.." He referred to not only the fact that Miguel had somehow helped prevent him from going to the Final Death, but also just to even have a chance to be with Imelda again, especially when she was finally letting music into her life again. 

The musician smiled softly to himself with a shake of his head upon hearing that she didn't get any records for the record player. True to the song, Imelda was also un poco crazy sometimes when she didn't make sense and got things backwards, but she would never be wrong in his eyes. He was happy to be the crazy one trying to figure her out. He understood her, too, it had been a while since she had used a record player, he supposed. "..you said 'we'?" The hopeless romantic glanced over at Imelda in surprise upon hearing her say 'we' as in that they both go to the record store together! "..you want to go out to the record store with me?!" He placed a hand on his ribbed chest with a love-struck smile, not believing that she wanted to go out with him! It was to the record store, but he was counting that as the closest thing to a date! "Yes! Claro que sí, (of course) Imelda!" Oh, if Héctor had a heart it would be pacing so quickly right now! 

As soon as Imelda agreed to showing him how they all make a shoe, the skeleton's countenance further lit up eagerly. "Órale pues! (Alright!) I've got to see how you all perform!" Héctor encouraged his family excitedly as he sat on the box, glancing between his son-in-law, then his granddaughter, and then his daughter-in-law to see if they each did their own part of the shoe making process or if they just all worked on their own shoes separately. He then watched Imelda further away cutting away at the leather with an adoring and proud smile, before blinking upon suddenly asking him to sit next to her! He parted his mouth in shock, but dared not question it out of fear that she would back out of that idea as he instantly bolted over to sit next to her with a timid smile, "Eheh.. gracias!" The gentlemanly skeleton thanked her for allowing him a place to sit next to her, trying not to look like he wanted to do that so badly but probably figuring that he wasn't doing as good of a job at that right now. He felt like he was courting her still! "A ver..a ver..(Let's see)...Bueno, you were right, Imelda.." He pretended to be pensive and stroked the tiny beard on his chin for effect, as if he were considering which of his two seats were better before he finally came to the conclusion that she was right, "..the view is so much better from here!" He tossed her an affectionate smile before glancing down at the table to see her work, as if he were referring to the closer view to the working table, though he would shyly steal a glance at her every now and then. Truthfully, it was mostly a better view because he got to view the most beautiful woman in the world making shoes.. 

"So, how many shoes can you make in a day?" Héctor asked aloud curiously as he watched her hands work her magic with the leather, trying to figure out how that was going to all come together to make a shoe. He then asked how much they sold them for, before gradually asking more about the specifics: "What kind of shoes can you make? And which one is your favorite to make?" He asked the family, curious about the types of shoes they were able to make whether it was boots or sandals. He wondered if Imelda's favorite were boots, but he preferred to ask rather than to assume. The whole point was to get to know her and the family well. He didn't have to guess about her or his family anymore. He could now just ask. As he observed her continue to make the shoe, the musician briefly wondered if Miguel was any good at making shoes, since it was clear that he did not like the idea of going back to his own family that were experts in making shoes. Then, he suddenly came to a realization that Pepita was tracking Miguel somehow, but strangely did not know that he was with him until much later. Was it because he had no shoes and Miguel did? "Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait....Wait.. Wait.."  He waved his hand as he suddenly pondered on this, stroking his tiny beard pensively before glancing over at Imelda with widened eyes in surprise. "..You can tell a size shoe just by looking at las huellas (footprints)?!" His tone was excited as if he hoped that he was right about understanding this correctly.  That would be shocking if it was true! Glancing down at his bare skeletal feet underneath his torn up pants, he wondered about his own shoe size. It felt like years since he had gotten shoes, and he was never able to get some because his family would not have sold him any. "Imelda... what size shoe am I again?"  He asked with a curious smile, wanting to see just how she would be able to measure it in action. He wasn't asking for the purpose of getting shoes, he just wanted her to show an interest in him anyways and check him out, even if it was just his feet. Alas, he was still 21 years old in spirit! 

[Mamá Imelda]

Héctor was just plain hopeless. Imelda had thought it many times over the years and since meeting him, and in various emotions from bemused to angry. It was good to think it in a positive light again and as he went on turning everything to good and saying he'd enjoyed seeing the whole family dressed up like Frida Kahlo. Oh no doubt he had! And Imelda could only imagine how amusing he'd found it for her to do such.

Yes, maybe even before she'd admitted to his being the Love of her Life, she'd admitted a bit of it to herself to even go along with the crazy scheme in the first place! She'd said all along that it was to get Miguel home, and since that was a condition on his own end, but that may not have been the full truth.

She did have to wonder how she could have ever seriously thought what she did as she now watched the soft smile that played across his face at the mention of Coco. Héctor made no secret of his even deeply felt feelings, never had, and so his adoration for their little girl was clearly visible even in his small smile and it warmed Imelda's metaphoric heart again.

He of course shrugged off her apology, and not to any bad, or insult to Imelda.

"Ni modo...I guess I really am un poco loco...but still I count it as a blessing! I would not have been able to meet Miguel if I were not un poco crazy!"

She didn't miss what he was doing, and working around song lyrics he had once come up with. Imelda hadn't walked into the actual plaza where he and Miguel were performing during the family's search for him, just for her general avoidance of all areas of music, and had perhaps, even unknown to herself, blocked out any familiar lyrics even while she waited at the outskirts, though really she'd been too busy pacing and waiting on her family's results to really be listening to anything.

Before Pepita spotted Miguel and gave a roar to indicate such, setting her and Imelda on their later final chase of the boy.

Héctor also didn't stop at only being grateful for the chance with Miguel...

Imelda gave another soft smile to him as he took up her hand again.

She didn't blame Héctor for his optimistic hope, after all she'd before done in driving him away, and so though it almost hurt again, the painful hope as she mentioned records and getting them together, Imelda was quick to nod, Sí...of course, I--I'd love it if you'd come with me, Héctor", she let those words, on their own, sink in before going on, and so she didn't ruin it; "Who else knows music like you do?".

A few well deserved compliments after so long would not go amiss.

She should have tried to count the seconds, just to do such, between when she suggested Héctor sit closer while they worked on shoes and when he actually did such. Imelda smiled softly to herself and then him, and knew he wouldn't keep quiet, not that she would say she wanted him to.

"A ver..a ver.....Bueno, you were right, Imelda....the view is so much better from here!"

"Well of course, I'm always right", Imelda teased to him on what he was always seeming to agree to, and without lifting her gaze from her work, though she caught the double meaning in what he said of course, and was so very glad she couldn't blush anymore. Even this beginning time around Héctor, she was slowly feeling more and more closer to Seventeen than a grandmother.

Héctor's questions were thrown to the rest of the family as much as they were to Imelda, so she let Rosita, Victoria and Julio have space to answer while she smiled again at his curious nature. Everyone was used to letting Imelda give definitive answers though.

"So, how many shoes can you make in a day?"

"It depends on the orders and day", Imelda answered, not looking up from her work even as she did such, just in having perfected keeping her focus and dealing with everything from Coco's own childish questions at times to other interruptions. "We've done as far as 200 before". Some of that was finish work though, but Imelda still counted it and even it may not have been their best.

"What kind of shoes can you make? And which one is your favorite to make?"

She let the others answer as she thought. Julio loved wingtip work the best, while Victoria was partial to huaraches. Finally a lull fell and Imelda answered, pausing to glance to Héctor as she did, "I suppose there's something in making a full sturdy pair of boots come together that I like, though that's any shoe really", she said, turning her attention back to her work as she went on, "I confess others, like Coco actually, had more skill at the detailed carvings of the boots, though she never liked it much. I have a feel she'd say dance shoes were her favorite...she missed them so when I banned them. I have to try to remember to somehow tell Elena, next year, that's alright now...", she muttered to herself then gave a slight pause as she realized Héctor may not know who that was.

"Um, Elena is Coco's youngest, Victoria's sister.".

Héctor was astonished that they could tell a shoe-size by a footprint, but it was the most natural thing in the world, Imelda laughed lightly, "¡Claro que, Sí! How else would we size shoes?", she smiled to him, it falling a bit just in surprise at the last question. She didn't even reach for her measuring tape. "Unless you've done anything drastically different...you're a size 12, Héctor, always have been" she answered softly before bending about her work again and handing off some cut leather for the others to use.

Since it was clear, from his words as well as actions here, that Héctor was getting a feel for how they went about shoe making, ever practical Victoria realized that might give him a false sense this day, so she commented lightly to her grandfather, pushing aside how odd it was to be allowed to talk to him and for him to be here, "Mama Imelda does a bit of everything, not just leather cutting".

"She could run it all, if she had to", Rosita helped with a bright smile.

Imelda, sensing they were just talking her up in front of Héctor, muttered that they were not helping. Even if it was true.

A commotion signaled Oscar and Felip finally showing up and trying to just sneak in about their work, with only a slightly surprised wave to Héctor, the only new addition to the shop.

<<Hehe, just knew I should get Oscar and Felip there, carry on with the questions, don't let them interrupt/do with everyone as you will <3>>

[Deleted]

Sí...of course, I--I'd love it if you'd come with me, Héctor. Who else knows music like you do?".

Héctor gazed at her tenderly with a heartfelt smile upon hearing her say that she would love for him to come with her, never imagining that one day she would ever say those words to him again. He smiled meekly when she complimented him, which wasn't all the time, but that was always what made him appreciate those moments when she did more. "..You, Imelda.." He responded gently with a small smile, before looking down at her hands that he held in his shyly. "After that performance..I know that you still got it.." He glanced back into her beautiful brown eyes with a fond smile, realizing that even after years of hating something so much, she never was able to truly get rid of it in her heart, and this was something that she had even before she met him. Although his cynicism would never allow for himself to expect anything from Imelda, but in this same way that music never left her, perhaps that was what could allow him back into her heart, too. 

 "Well of course, I'm always right"

A reminiscent smile drew on the countenance of the centurian musician when he heard Imelda's feisty nature teasing him again like she used to all those years ago. "That is true, Imelda.." He agreed with a nod, acknowledging that she really was right about him not leaving Santa Cecilia the whole time. "..you will always be right for me.." There was a double meaning in the casual remark he said with such a clever smile, indicating that she would always be right in his eyes, but also secretly meaning that she was the only woman that would be right for him. He heard a soft giggle over by Rosita, who muffled it with a hand and pretended to focus on her shoe making, which caused him to toss a warm smile at his daughter-in-law. Ah, Rosita was so sweet! 

The tall skeleton rested his chin on a hand, with his elbow propped up on the table, listening with an enthralled smile at the answers he had gotten from the family members that slowly pitched in with their input, taking a delight in hearing what they liked to make when it came to shoes. He parted his mouth widely in shock upon hearing how many shoes that they can make! "2..200?! Sin romperse los codos?! (Mexican saying that means: without working so hard)" He asked, already trying to make the calculations in his mind about how much they would be making give the average price of the shoe. "Que bueno! (How great!) I am PROUD of this family!" He eagerly recalled Miguel's words that he had said in the sinkhole, truly recognizing just how right Miguel was to say that after getting to know his family.  

Héctor turned to Imelda when she spoke about what she liked to make, causing him to smile when he found out that his prediction about her enjoying to make boots was true. It kind of made him feel better to know this, though he really just based it on the fact that he remembered that she did like to wear boots. Still, maybe he wasn't completely clueless about Imelda despite the years he had missed. When she spoke about Coco though, his smile drew wider upon hearing Coco's skills in the details of the boots, though he never made the connection about her designing the way he would artistically design things. He just thought she was so creative, and especially looked adoringly at how Coco even liked dance shoes. Of course she did! She was probably the best dancer there was! "You know that you can even dance the jarabe with using your own bones as heels for the zapateado? It's true! I even danced with Miguel on stage! You got to try dancing without shoes one day!" He wondered if his family ever tried going barefoot before, or even thought about dancing without shoes! It had been a while since he had danced when he was pulled onto the stage with Miguel, but it all came back to him in an instant! And it worked out well with using the heels of his bones as a way to do the zapateado, which was a folk dance by stomping a rhythm along with Miguel's guitar playing! He would never have been able to do that in the land of the living unless he had heeled shoes on! 

Héctor watched as Imelda continued making the shoe when Imelda said that she wanted to somehow communicate with someone named Elena that it was alright for Coco to have dance shoes. He smiled a bit in confusion, but he didn't say anything to tell Imelda that she was wrong about communicating with anyone that was living. If she were anyone else, his cynical side would have told them that it wasn't possible, or else he would have tried that already in his many daydreams of how Coco would be like, asking for her forgiveness and pleading with her not to forget him. He literally tried anything and everything. Yet Imelda was slowly helping to become hopeful again, just like he used to be. 

"Um, Elena is Coco's youngest, Victoria's sister."

The skeletal musician blinked in surprise and parted his lips into a growing smile again. "..Coco had two daughters?" He glanced over at Victoria, who simply gave a nod in confirmation. Oh Coco! He missed out on so many important events in her life! He could have been that grandfather that had taken care of his granddaughters when they were younger while Coco would focus on her dancing or going out with Julio. He mildly wondered what had happened to Victoria for her to have died at such a young age as well, and he would have asked if it were a random stranger that he wouldn't see again like he did as a tour guide for the newly dead people, but he decided to withhold that simply because he wanted Victoria to warm up to him.  

¡Claro que, Sí! How else would we size shoes?"

"..With a measuring tape?" He replied with an answer he guessed, grinning sheepishly with a shrug, not really knowing what else to think! It was truly shocking that Imelda could do all of that with just seeing a footprint! She certainly knew more about shoes that he initially thought! Who taught her how to do all of this? He was curious to see how she was going to put it into action with his own foot, but her response caught him off guard. 

"Unless you've done anything drastically different...you're a size 12, Héctor, always have been"

While he only asked this just to have her pay attention to him, which he got when she smiled at him, he was thrown off by the result he had instead. He expected her to use her expertise in figuring out what shoe size he was, but he never expected her to remember his shoe size! For some reason, that touched him dearly to know that she still remembered his shoe size after so many years! "..You still remembered that, Imelda?" He asked with a sentimental smile, finding it so endearing that she remembered these things about him all this time. Again, Imelda was slowly bringing his hopefulness back from being in a world of cynicism. 

"Mama Imelda does a bit of everything, not just leather cutting".

"She could run it all, if she had to"

Héctor grinned upon hearing his family members chip in to talk about how great Imelda was in being able to do the entire shoe making process by herself! "And you started all of this by yourself? I'm so proud of you, Imelda!" When he left his wife and his daughter home to take care of the finances, it surprised him and delighted him to find out that she actually attempted to fend for herself. "How did you learn how to do all of this?" He asked her curiously, wanting to know if she learned from anyone.. though there was a tinge of worry in his smile as a part of him hoped it wasn't someone else that she possibly could have been with after him.."How long have you been doing this?" He asked after she gave her answer with a smile, wondering how many years of experience did she have in making shoes, not knowing that it had anything to do with his death. The musician quizzically noted that the sound of the rhythm that he had been normally hearing from the zapateria instantly decreased upon asking that.  

[Mamá Imelda]

Her question had been rhetorical of course, so Imelda didn't expect too much of an answer, and not the one she got...and even though he had said as much once before.

"..You, Imelda..After that performance..I know that you still got it.."

Imelda was far too old, in both actual age and then years here, to go glancing aside like some love-struck teenager, but...it was all hitting her again, despite and maybe because of the years apart. This feeling was super familiar and...it was nice to feel it again, and let good emotions slowly cover up all the bitter ones she'd built over the years.

Nice to not have thoughts of Héctor tainted anymore.

She was almost sorry to move on to her tour and shoe making, but it was important that especially with the family here, she didn't give herself too many overtly embarrassing situations to then be teased over, though hardly anyone but Oscar and Felipe would actually say anything.

"That is true, Imelda....you will always be right for me.."

Imelda caught both of his meanings; it was surprising, but pleasantly so, how easy she found understanding him again even after all those years apart. Try as she had to forget him, it obviously hadn't worked well at all..and except for the part where it almost did. The seriousness of his first statement was almost overwritten by the last, but Imelda just smiled in small agreement, though she didn't say such then and there, and just smiled down to her work again; especially as she heard Rosita giggle.

Héctor listened to their answers like an enthralled child, and it was so very endearing, though Imelda didn't trust herself to tell him so and in front of the rest of the family. Somehow his genuine praises and shock were more touching than all the other accreditation Imelda had received over the years, even just in personally knowing she had done a good job.

She had cursed him so many times over her having to do it all...but hearing his praises, well Imelda was suddenly glad she didn't have to blink to curb sudden moisture.

"You know that you can even dance the jarabe with using your own bones as heels for the zapateado? It's true! I even danced with Miguel on stage! You got to try dancing without shoes one day!"

Héctor gained a startled short laugh, of denial, out of Imelda for his statement. She would not be doing any such thing...and was about to tell him so, but paused. Would it really be so bad to let him try? Well...but no...no no, there were certain things that were too far, and that was one of them! Dancing without shoes! He only did such because he had to before.

This was familiar though, too, Héctor trying to coax her out of her structured shell of rules and what was and wasn't done.

"We'll see", was how Imelda kindly said no.

She also caught his words on dancing on stage with Miguel, before she and Pepita had found him again apparently; it was so odd to Imelda how, even avoiding the plaza as she had been, she could have completely missed hearing even a snippet of his or Miguel's singing. She had just so forcefully tuned it all out by then as to not hear it at all...

The startled pause in activity at Héctor's statement slowly lifted again, and work continued.

"..With a measuring tape?"

Héctor gave a guess to Imelda's rhetorical question. She smiled, allowing herself to admit (to herself!) how cute his try was. "Sí, but after a while you don't even have to read the numbers to make a judgement, that and we just always know a Rivera boot".

This answer could have undermined her own show in remembrance, but she didn't even glance to Héctor's feet before she answered 12.

"..You still remembered that, Imelda?"

She paused again at his tone, and glanced to him, giving a soft smile of her own, "Of course, Héctor...", she even lightly reached over to cup his cheek, oh so briefly, and with the nosy family glancing up, before focusing again, "It only takes one argument with the current shoe-maker in town over how the arches are not quite wide enough to recall such things".

"And you started all of this by yourself? I'm so proud of you, Imelda!"

She smiled, small and pleased, same as she had to many other compliments of the same, but taking it to heart far more than she had any other word of praise.

"How did you learn how to do all of this? How long have you been doing this?"

The noise in the shop ceased, and Imelda glanced over to Héctor again, puzzled, before realization dawned. He...he thought it had been a side job...after he left...before.... Imelda just stared at her husband, then swallowed and glanced down. This was a new step, they were trying to make things good once again...oh Héctor! Why'd he have to go and ask...

But it was only right he did, Imelda realized, and she owed him an answer. Imelda stared, unseeing, at the leather she'd ceased cutting, "Things...things were fine...at first...the money you sent in your letters, it...it was enough, I...I kept thinking how I'd have to apologize maybe when you got home..., Imelda gave a breathless laugh, then actually answered, "I...I didn't have to try to figure out what to do until...until the letters stopped.... Until Ernesto killed him!

Imelda's hands bunched the leather, then smoothed it again.

She paused a small bit, swallowed and went on, finding the strength to glance to Héctor again, "Senor Perez apparently knew how to make shoes also, of all things, far better than even the other shop in town. He...taught me", and thankfully Senor Perez had been an old widower long before Héctor had left, so there was no threat of her husband even thinking anyone close to his age had tried to woo her...during that.

There had been a few bold men in town, but that was a whole other topic! And Imelda certainly wasn't going to volunteer to talk about it.

<<I thought using the cactus guy again was adorable ^^>>

[Deleted]

That timid smile that the skeletal musician wore quickly turned into an affectionate one upon hearing that short, but sweet laugh from Imelda. Oh, Héctor loved hearing it each time he could, regardless of whether she laughed to be ironic or not just now. It was almost melodious in a way; like a song he hadn't heard in a long while, playing it's familiar tune all over again. Music was slowly coming back to the former musician in a big way ever since Miguel had reintroduced himself to it after he had given it up; now little things like the sound of a laugh was inspiring for him, it was nice to have that sensation again.

"We'll see"

"..We will play it by ear, eh?" Héctor shot her a charming grin at such an answer, leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed behind his head. His eyelids lowered over his brown eyes and a reminiscent smile then formed at the ends of his mouth as he watched her continue to make her shoes. This was the similar to the kind of answer she would give him all the time when they were younger, the ones that made him go loco trying to figure out if that meant yes or no. In this case, Héctor only heard that it was possible. After all, she never said no. "That is all I needed to hear, Imelda.." He added casually with an timid smile, before lifted his skeletal fingers to stroke his bearded chin pensively for a moment. Hey. There was that rhyming again! Ever since he met Imelda again, the former songwriter seemed to be inspired enough to start coming up with song lyrics in his mind and then now rhyming casually without even meaning to. Héctor shrugged off those thoughts, however. His cynical nature that had given up on music and musicians recently caused him not to care much about rhyming for music writing. He gave up songwriting a long time ago. Instead of using this crafty nature to write songs again, the skeleton that leaned back in his chair with the intrigued smile playing on his face above his goatee was simply focusing his crafty nature on just how he was going to convince Imelda to dance with him without shoes.. 

"Sí, but after a while you don't even have to read the numbers to make a judgement, that and we just always know a Rivera boot"

Now, if the ability for his entire family to be successful in a business all after being able to take a trade skill and learn from each other was not fascinating enough, then this was even more fascinating. Héctor slowly sat up in his seat again, leaning his head against a hand propped up by his elbow with fascination for Imelda's incredible sense of judgment that he had never noticed before. Being able to size shoes based on looking at feet or footprints sounded like an astounding skill. Ah, Imelda was so great at everything she did. He mildly wondered if his wife could possibly be in line with the police work if she wanted to, though he decided it was better that she wasn't. No, it was a good thing she dedicated herself to shoes because if she were a policewoman with her capability of hunting down people, his criminal record probably would have gotten longer than it was. In any case, not only was that fascinating, but she was also able to tell what kind of shoe was a Rivera boot. Here, he thought that all shoes looked the same! It was a good thing he never said that aloud at least. 

"Of course, Héctor...It only takes one argument with the current shoe-maker in town over how the arches are not quite wide enough to recall such things"

Imelda's smile was always infectious enough for the love-struck Héctor to smile back at her shyly, but his eye sockets arched with his mouth parting slightly when she cupped his skeletal face in that manner. For a moment, he practically didn't even breathe, his brown eyes momentarily gazing at her painted lips on her mouth and how close he was to being able to kiss her. Oh, he truly longed to, but the gentleman refrained from doing so, and managed to pull his eyes away and instead looked up into her large, beautiful brown eyes. Héctor was many things, but he always learned from his lessons, which was why he did not allow Ernesto's excuse for stealing his music to phase him; in this same way, he knew from his experience that Imelda was being the way she was when they were younger, luring him in her own coquettish way before she would playfully move away, so he knew better than to kiss her at this moment. Still, the hopeless romantic would wordlessly listen to her speak while he would bask in the beauty of her eyes and the affection of the way her skeletal hand cupped his face; after all, it was the most affection that he had received in the last 96 years that he had been here. 

"Things...things were fine...at first...the money you sent in your letters, it...it was enough, I...I kept thinking how I'd have to apologize maybe when you got home.."

When she turned away to continue about her work, Héctor listened as the musical tune of the familia working on shoes dwindled away. That was when he knew that he had struck a chord with something that he had said. He raised an eye socket quizzically at Imelda when she began talking about his letters. He had no idea what that had to do with his question, but he decided not to interrupt. A tiny smile appeared on the edge of his mouth though, finding it a bit of relief to hear that the money that he had earned form the gigs was enough to support his family. That was all he ever wanted. When she continued mentioning something about apologizing as soon as he would get home, Héctor's eye sockets rose again with a mixture of confusion and a bit of trepidation. What did she mean by that? Did she want to apologize to him because she found someone else while he was gone on tours for so long? Well...Even if she said that he was the love of her life, she still could have moved on if only for Coco..he sadly decided to allow her to speak without interrupting, only because he didn't have the heart to speak at the moment.. 

"I...I didn't have to try to figure out what to do until...until the letters stopped...." 

That was when it all hit him profoundly; enough for him to close his eyes for a brief instance with a parting of his mouth to exhale softly. "..Until I..died.." He finished for her softly, his eyebrows tilting upward with a sullen half-lidded gaze at her, a melancholy frown curving down the tips of his mouth. After being in the land of the dead for so long, talking about death was a common occurrence, especially while defending his own death against those dumb musicos. Still, it was hard to hear that the time of his family's financial struggles began the moment he had died. At the mention of Señor Perez, he breathed a soft sigh of relief to know that Imelda didn't find someone else.. was that selfish to think? The skeletal musician smiled a little as he pictured her learning how to make shoes from Señor Perez, the one that had snuck into his farm to get cactus flowers for Imelda. He used to hang out with him when he died several years later before the old widower sadly passed to the Final Death just before Imelda came in. 

"I'm glad you were able to find a way to provide for you and Coco when I was not able to, Imelda.."  The musician smiled at Imelda genuinely with a reassuring nod after hearing how Imelda practically put las manos sobre la obra to find a new skill and use it for work. He held a lingering smile of adoration as he watched her. It was much like the way he could watch her sing or dance; she could be breathlessly captivating enough for him to keep his attention only on her, that he would barely register Ernesto talking to him sometimes. This time, she didn't even have to do that, just listening to her find a skill to learn and provide for their daughter made her seem so much more powerful, it was all that he ever knew that she could be capable of. "It was one of my fears when I found myself here..I don't know what I would have done if I found out that anything happened to the family because of me.." He mused with a frown as he glanced over at the rest of his family. If Imelda did not turn out to be the kind of woman he knew she was capable of, if she and Coco had just died of starvation, or had gotten sick.. he would have truly been devastated. He never would have been able to be a part of seeing this big family that he had before him, something that he always wanted to be a part of since he was in the orphanage. "I always hoped that maybe.. Ernesto would have sent you a letter to explain what happened to me.. knowing how important my family was to me...and at least send you my cut of the check from that last show we did.." Héctor's expression was one of longing, expressing how deeply he wished that happened.. that even if he died, his family could at least be provided for.. and at least know what happened. He always wondered if the reason he couldn't cross the bridge was simply because perhaps the letter had gotten lost.  Even though he later found out that Ernesto stole his guitar and his songs, he clung to the hope that maybe.. part of the royalties were given to his family. Although he was sore about his music being stolen, he was still willing to forgive his best friend up until he found out that Ernesto also murdered him and probably never sent his family anything at all, not even giving them an explanation! Angrily, he pulled his hat off his raven hair and gripped his hat tightly with a mash of his teeth, feeling so guilty and hurt that all of this happened, that Imelda had to struggle to find work because they were not given any financial assistance from his best friend. "After being a part of my life for so long.. I never thought that self-important tonto would keep it all for himself!" That man kept his guitar, stole his music, and then kept the money that he owed them! Oh, if he ever got out from being underneath that bell..! Héctor had half a mind to kick that bell every time he would pass, just to hope that the ringing of Ernesto's ears would never stop! It was an immature thought, but it was one that he thought of nonetheless!

Glancing back at Imelda again, the tall skeleton suddenly blinked in the realization that Imelda had a sense of judgment that transcended far beyond just judging sizes for shoe making. She had this sense of judgment ever since they were young and married and seemed putt off by Ernesto. He remembered that she had been against him leaving to all of those tours that Ernesto convinced him to go to, and it was only just now when he realized that she had a stronger sense of judgment about things even more so than he had. Why couldn't he have sensed all that Imelda could sense? Héctor held his hat with his two hands by his chest, looking at her meekly. "You know?...I never realized your sense of judgment until just now, Imelda...you...felt it all this time.." He mused quietly with a small, sad smile tilted at the corner of his mouth, before he exhaled a sigh with a shake of his head, disappointed at himself. If only he had Imelda's sense of judgment, perhaps he would have seen all of the signs. "..If only I just paid more attention..if only I listened.." He couldn't help but sigh sadly, recalling all the times that he was so adamant about wanting to go on the tours to play for the world and provide for the family at the same time.. he was just as tonto as Ernesto when he was younger to have such poor judgment in comparison to Imelda.  "I'm sorry, Imelda...I'm sorry I didn't listen to you.." He apologized with a sincere gaze at her, realizing that he had not truly apologized for not listening to her about not leaving in the first place. He had tried apologizing so many times and was always cut off long ago, he never really got to say what he was sorry about. He had taken ownership for his mistakes and that the entire thing was his fault but, he needed to take the opportunity to fully apologized for not listening to her in the first place when she was so against it from the start. "I don't expect you to forgive me..I just have to make it right.." He reassured her that he was not expecting her to forgive him just yet, he remembered and respected what she had said before, but he was going to make it better. That was a promise to himself that he was always going to listen to Imelda no matter what he believed. 

"Hey! How about I get a couple of cold drinks for the hardworking family!" Immediately, Héctor stood up from his seat with a grin, always trying to be optimistic despite how down he got. That was the only way he kept himself sane all these years in the land of the dead. "Imelda, you want anything? Victoria? Rosita? Algunas bebidas? (Something to drink?) How about you, Julio? Something to drink? Ah, c'mon muchachos, I know you two are craving some chelas (beers), eh?!" He asked about the room, finally addressing the twins at the end, wanting to get their orders so that he could go fetch them for all of them. "I'll be right back!" As soon as he got the orders, he dashed off the door. Minutes later, however, he popped right back into the room. "Heh-Heyyy! You know what? How about I have a look into your fridge first?" Héctor grinned sheepishly as he quickly shuffled his way over to where he remembered the kitchen was at. "..Eheh you see, mine is just..." The skeleton trickster paused with a guilty grin at the moment as he reflected on his Chicharron's mini fridge being at the bottom of the water by the bridge. "Ehh.. it might have gotten a leak..?" Was that still possible to happen with mini-fridges? Instantly, the skeleton zipped away and disappeared into the kitchen without waiting around for an explanation of that. He didn't want to get into the fact that he didn't have a fridge full of drinks and food to provide to his family like he would have wanted. Being forgotten without any offerings, that was sadly hard for him to do.  

[Mamá Imelda]

In the same way Héctor missed and reminisced about her laugh, Imelda found that cute act of his a bit refreshing to behold after all these years, even when he was being a bit cheeky. She recalled the family sitting just a little ways away and at the other work benches behind them and only gave a small smile in response to Héctor asking if they'd play it by ear.

She didn't know that they two, and watching her not only figure out her thoughts on Héctor, but all her subtle gestures and words, were quickly becoming the most interesting Telenovela in the history of any of them for the rest of the family to watch either enraptured or confused. Or somewhere between the two.

The rhyme went past her notice, but not the look on Héctor's face as he sat up straight again. The clearly impressed one, as she said she could tell shoe-sizes, and other facts, simply by the print on the ground. It wasn't the first time Héctor had looked impressed with something about her, be it her singing or even not letting anyone cheat her, but she'd forgotten how touched that look made her feel.

Maybe it was part of what lead to her boldness later, and allowing herself to cup his cheek as she answered. It was too familiar on her end too, another step in what she was allowing herself to do, after so much time, and despite having earlier run a hand through his hair when she felt he was fading.

Imelda doubted if she should have, and then caught his glance down, and wondered briefly if he would be so bold as to kiss her...and what she'd do if he did!

He didn't though, and Imelda...thought she was relieved. It was too soon maybe...

She knew what Héctor probably thought, and he wouldn't be wrong, she could be a tease, but...with good intentions about it all.

The later having to explain about the shoe business coming up was part of reconciling, and telling all; airing everything so they could move on, but it didn't make the words easier to say. Imelda tried to push down her own old annoyances even as she related, reminding herself of the truth, and also hated to now hurt Héctor by having to say it all.

"..Until I..died.."

Imelda was glad she couldn't cry anymore, because something about Héctor putting it all that much into perspective would have brought moisture, and did have her blinking as she nodded.

"I'm glad you were able to find a way to provide for you and Coco when I was not able to, Imelda.."

Years ago she would have snapped at him for such words, since they would have seemed bold when she believed it was all his fault she had to, now she just glanced over to him sadly.

She would still say she hadn't wanted to; she would have given almost anything to have had him there all along...

At his finding something in that to admire, and his adoring look, Imelda gave a soft smile back, and was glad he went on, so she didn't have to find a response just then.

Her own look turned serious as she listened. He spent all those years worried over them...and she'd never believed he did.

"I always hoped that maybe.. Ernesto would have sent you a letter to explain what happened to me.. knowing how important my family was to me...and at least send you my cut of the check from that last show we did.."

It, again, was so transparent now...

No of course Ernesto had done no such thing.

Imelda was, oddly enough, the one to reach out and place a hand on Héctor's forearm, to calm him, as he ranted. Not that she would say she was so much more mature than her husband, to be able to ask for mercy for Ernesto, and she hoped herself he never got out of that bell, but he also didn't deserve even this much angst over such a...

Imelda then blinked, surprised, as Héctor praised her intuition, glancing down and then shaking her head, "I'm sorry as well, Héctor, I...never should have lost hope like I did", Imelda was honest with herself, and him, and realized she placed out an apology of her own, but didn't, necessarily, perhaps, accept his.

While she pondered if she would just yet, Héctor changed the subject on to offering them something to drink. An olive branch in it's own way. A few of the family took up the offer, hesitantly giving their requests, and Imelda was about to ask if he meant to go all the way to Shanty Town when Héctor sheepishly admitted his fridge was gone and maybe he should get it from theirs.

Imelda gave a slightly bored look that wasn't surprised, and was all so close to how they would have functioned back before, Héctor even dashing into the kitchen without further explanation. Imelda sighed, but smiled, as she stood and followed after, finding Héctor no doubt trying to pretend he knew where everything was. "It's all organized in there, don't mess it up" she said, but with a smile to her tone and as she leaned against the door-frame and watched him.

[Deleted]

"I'm sorry as well, Héctor, I...never should have lost hope like I did"

When Imelda lowered her head and apologized, the hopeless romantic centurian skeleton parted his mouth at her apology and instantly wished to lift her head and tell her that she did not deserve to feel so sorrowful for something that was all his fault. Oh, he really wanted to.. but just because Imelda had reached out to touch his arm when he was frustrated about Ernesto, it did not mean he had the same right. After all, Héctor was treading on careful waters, every moment a timid step towards recovery. Instead, he shook his head to lightly disagree with her, wanting to fully take all the responsibility and the guilt away from her. He would rather deal with the worst feelings, the worst guilt, than to watch her go through it herself; he loved her too much than to allow her to suffer, too. "I was the one that gave you a reason to lose hope...I'm so sorry Imelda.." He apologized sincerely, his expression full of guilt and sadness for being the cause of Imelda to feel like she lost hope as a wife, slowly sliding his skeletal hand over to her bony fingertips, slowly inching its way in hopes of placing his large skeletal hand on her dainty hand if she would allow it. He wasn't sure if she still counted their marriage or not, but to him, she was still the best kind of wife. After all these years, she still admitted him to being the love of her life, when she didn't have to still feel that way.  That was devotion enough for him to know that she was still the most devoted wife any man could be lucky to have. Héctor did not miss the fact that she hadn't forgiven him, which was why he said as much when he spoke about not expecting her to. He knew he just had to make it up every day, for the rest of his life, if she would allow him to. 

"It's all organized in there, don't mess it up"

Recalling the tour he had been previously given, Héctor was rummaging through the rooms just a bit til he found the kitchen, really not knowing where things were but quickly figuring it out. The fact that his family was waiting on him made him speed through that quickly enough to be able to find the fridge and open it. His mouth was parted in awe when he saw all the food and drinks that would be enough to last for several months, almost not even registering Imelda coming in by the doorway and saying that comment.  Being from the shanty part of town, he never got offerings, so he wasn't used to seeing so much filled up in the fridge before. “..You still keep it organized with all the drinks together?” Héctor finally snapped out of his thoughts as he commented timidly to her with a wistful smile, thinking about the time when they were together and how she kept it organized with all the brands being together as if they were all families that belonged together - that may not have been how Imelda saw it, but that's how it reminded Hector whenever he noticed her way of organizing. For Héctor, he was okay with them all being blended. He didn't mind one drink being different next to the other, they were all part of the big family no matter how different they were next to each other!

“Oh, no, Imelda..I would never think of doing that!" The skeletal musician promised shyly with a wave of his hand, as if the very thought of being disorganized was simply not in his vocabulary! That was when perhaps Imelda's look caused him to register a memory he had where he did the opposite of that. “...no, wait! That was a lie! I know there was that one time when I mixed them all up when I was helping you put way all the ingredients to make your famous rompope..” He grinned sheepishly, placing a hand on his arm shyly, before he turned his attention to focus on the orders and grabbed two beers for the twins, among the other drinks that the rest of the family had reluctantly ordered. Héctor even eyed the beer and tequila himself, those being the only thing he was accustomed to drinking back in Shanty Town that he usually shared with his fake family, but he decided not to grab one for himself. If this were back in the shanty town that he lived in, he would have most assuredly begged to have one, but he wanted to maintain his gentlemanly roots around Imelda.

[Mamá Imelda]

It threatened to annoy her, how easily Héctor took the blame for everything, but really at the moment it was nothing but sweet. Imelda smiled up to him, to thank him, and found his hand hovering as if wondering if he could place it on hers. Glancing back up to him, she gave him a small enough smile to encourage that small a moment at least.

And truth be told, she wanted to try to recapture some of what they had had before. Slowly, but still.

Maybe she should have known it would all get messed up... by her own doing even. There was just so much she couldn't ignore and which was still left between them.

Imelda was given no hint of it coming, everything was still good, even well on it's way to good memories, as he brought up his adorable way of interpreting how she placed the bottles in the fridge, all like a family. And why couldn't they let the families mingle? Imelda chuckled as Héctor insisted he would never dream of doing such a thing.

All it took was one off comment a part of Imelda knew Héctor didn't mean...

“...no, wait! That was a lie! There was that one time when I mixed them all up when I was helping you put way all the ingredients to make your famous rompope..”

Imelda looked stunned. Like a deer caught in headlight, actually, and maybe Héctor saw her space out a bit, go into memories she shouldn't...

Rompope...

She only ever made it at Christmas time, but that Christmas of '21....she hadn't.

Because he died..., a part of Imelda's mind tried to remind her of logic, but logic hardly worked with her emotional states, and more than her anger at Ernesto, she saw a letter her husband had still written saying he was extending his tour. Sure he'd apparently headed back earlier than planned but...how long exactly had been planned? Imelda wasn't sure if she couldn't recall because Héctor hadn't said, or she had torn that part when she'd torn the letter after reading it.

She'd felt it the moment she'd seen that the tour was going to be extended. What about Coco's birthday that December? What about Christmas? Was she supposed to walk into mass without him and...

When Imelda had said Héctor had left her to "raise a child alone", she hadn't been telling the half of it. That first string of birthday and Christmas without him had been the roughest, she would say, because she didn't know what to tell Coco about why he wasn't there. Then every one after.

"Sí, and maybe if you hadn't written that stupid letter, you could have...", by the time Imelda caught the outburst, she realized that somewhere in her being lost in memory she'd frowned and clenched her fists. She managed to stop her words, but only half-heartedly in a way.

She should maybe apologize, but...she didn't feel like it! Her point still stood, maybe if he hadn't let Ernesto convince him the tour was more important he wouldn't have been in a position to...

Imelda knew she should maybe calm herself before she spoke any further, so she turned suddenly, crossing her arms and breathing in, once, twice, tres..., she was suddenly very grateful she'd followed Héctor into the kitchen, where there was a bit of privacy. Imelda strove to remind herself of facts, but her voice was still tight, controlled, as she went on, "I don't want to talk about Rompope, Héctor...por favor...", she addressed the wall, not him, but that was easiest right now, "It's only going to remind me that...you headed back early, and Ernesto...fine", Imelda couldn't finish Ernesto's part in all of it.

Yet as she went on, she swung to face Héctor again, "...but where do you get off writing to me that you're extending your tour and leaving me to somehow tell Coco?! Do you know she waited by the window for you and would hardly look at her birthday cake that year? Never-mind Christmas and...", but that wasn't his fault! Imelda paused herself, clenching her fists and eyes shut once more, trying for a reign on her emotions.