Día del { Amor } y la Amistad [Tag: Imelda/Rivera Family]

[Deleted]

Despite knowing Imelda for more than a hundred years, husband to her for only about 6 years, Héctor Rivera didn't get to celebrate the most romantic holiday with the love of his life as often as he would have wanted. Now he was making sure to catch up on all the years he had missed! Héctor got to work on his idea last night, managing to take bouquets of roses from a wedding that had just occurred in one of the ballrooms just when they threw the roses away after the ceremony was done - what a waste! There were perks to playing music for weddings: you got dibs on all the things that the rich people wanted to throw away! Although Héctor stopped playing at concerts, he still remembered how things worked and he was at the perfect moment just when they threw away the flowers. He instantly grabbed all those bouquets, got the kids to take some, and then ran to get to work on dispersing a trail of flower petals in the apartment, much like the trail of golden cempasuchil petals during the Day of the Dead, but just so that his reina could step on flower rose petals and not the floor the next morning.

After that, he placed a single card on Imelda's night table, being held up by the clock so that it'd be the first thing she'd see when she'd turn to leave the bed, written in his cursive writing similar to all the ones he had given to Imelda while he was still alive, that read: 

Do you want to be my Valentine? Please Circle:



Si! (Yes!) o Definitivamente! (Definitely!) o Otro Deseo (other wish): __

Héctor was courteous enough to put the other option for her to say no, but he was definitely going to make her write it in to add to that level of difficulty in doing so. He hoped she wouldn't, in all honesty, for he thought that they were passed that now. He just did it because he always included it when he was still trying to court her, so it was out of tradition. 

The best part of waking up? More than Folders in a cup, was waking up with Imelda in his embrace and the alluring perfume of her hair that rested underneath his bearded chin. The devoted skeletal husband embraced his wife as he slept almost as if to always protect her heart from ever breaking again, but also because it easily became second nature to him so quickly  - as though the hundred years he slept alone never happened, only because he thirsted for that affection every single day. Then, the skeletal musician breathed soft verses where her ear would be, to gently awaken her to music using the verses he wrote for her when he was still alive: 

"Cerca está el amor (Close we are to love)
Ya se siente su encanto (You can already feel it's enchantment)
Nunca creí que algo así iba a llegar para mí (I never knew that something like this would happen for me)"

[Mamá Imelda]

During the previous day, before having to act like she had absolutely no plots of her own, Imelda double checked to things yet again. She was so unsure about so much of it...

It was just because it all mattered so much now, she realized. The last time things like Héctor’s birthday and Valentines has rolled around, they were still figuring things for the most part. She’d taken him back of course, shortly after that fateful Dia de los Muertos, but they were taking slow, careful steps still by next February.

That was, for the most part, taken care of now, and Imelda had the freedom to just lavish on Héctor and make up for lost time. That was what was so daunting!

She considered Héctor gift, beside her own card, adjusting the placement of the one. It would do. Hiding it was a harder accomplished thing! Thankfully Rosa could help her a bit, and Imelda had done all she could to plan it all just right. Still, Rosa ran in a bit late of the time she'd said she'd help her great-great-grandmother with getting the gift (for a reason she couldn't state, she said, but with a smirk that made Imelda suspicious Hector put her and Miguel up to something again).

Still, she proudly presented her find! "Oh, Mija!", Imelda smiled. It was beyond perfect! Hopefully. How easily Rosa had been able to find a budding cactus, perfect size for a potter, and with such a stunning red flower still amazed Imelda, though per her whole intent she had put in her own agony to get Héctor his cactus flower by sitting and dealing with Devil-box computer issues as her great-great-granddaughter effortlessly found and ordered it like it had been at market!

Even promising to go pick it up.

Imelda chalked it a bit more up to her great-great-grand-kids being geniuses more than technology being intuitive.

Of course it was more for Héctor to get her flowers, but while Imelda had always followed tradition, in a way she hadn't, ever since first meeting Héctor, so he probably wouldn't be too thrown off by her continuing to do such.

She then quickly hid the secondary, more major, surprise of the day before her husband arrived back, and acted as much like everything was normal as she could. He might have noticed a few extra ingredients in the kitchen, which she planned to use to make some of his favorite foods the next day, but that was an ok secret for him to know beforehand.

Imelda tried to go to bed and then wake up with her plan firmly in mind and to be followed to the letter next day, but Héctor was his typical distracting self, and not that she truly minded. Still she had that familiar sense of trying to recall a plan upon waking and then found recalling it a bit difficult given something else snagged her attention.

Héctor. Crooning. It was the only way to really describe his singing, he wasn't boisterous in the same way Ernesto was (may that rat stay in that bell far away from them!), and even with all his enthusiasm in songs like Poco Loco, sang softer, more gentle and sincere.

Smirking, Imelda turned to face Héctor, giving a kiss to where his nose once was (she missed his goofy features a lot of times and not that he wasn't still handsome even in death). "You're very distracting, you know that?", she muttered. She really could stay like this, but...

"Alright, not that this isn't nice, but here let me up, I have to make you the best...".

After getting herself to a sitting position, Imelda was paused by what was beside the clock. "What is this?", she asked with another smirk towards Héctor, though she knew. She then read it, and considered it far longer than they both knew she had to. "Hmm...you know it's an interesting question...I just don't know...", she could only keep the teasing up a bit and next laughed. "¡Claro!*", she leaned over and delivered another kiss, but was careful to allow herself the opportunity to then escape. "Now come on, I have to make all your favorite things". Imelda went to put her feet off the side of the bed, possibly into her house shoes she would defend did not look grandmother-ish...but then she was one, so if they did it was alright. At any rate, she didn't do either, as the rose petals on the floor to their doorway, and probably beyond, paused her.

She glanced over to her husband once more. "Héctor...what are those?", she didn't sound upset in any way, and in fact smiled wryly. He was just so...him!

<<*Of course that's supposed to be of course
Feel free to have Héctor butt in all he wants ^^>>

[Deleted]

"You're very distracting, you know that?"

That sounded so much like something Imelda would say when she was young to him, that it just made his expression look so touched the way his eye sockets tilted upwards and his smile widened, "Seriously?! I distract you?!" At this point, after reuniting with her again, Héctor certainly knew that he could be distracting to her, especially when he sat next to her while she was making shoes -  he just liked hearing her say it. This wasn't even their very first Valentine's Day, even if it was their first in a long time back in the land of the living, but Héctor was still enamored by the little romantic things she'd say as if it were their first time! Even if it seemed tough to anyone else, for Héctor it spoke volumes that would make his heart sing if only he had one. "You know, for someone who has so many songs dedicated to you... I always thought you were the distracting one, mi amor!" A reminiscent smile slid across his face as he lowered his eyelids half-mast over his brown eyes, stroking Imelda's pretty hair away from her beautiful face. Imelda was the reason that the musician was so distracted around Ernesto, the very reason he couldn't even continue with the tours and wanted to go back. If only Imelda knew how many times he spoke about Imelda and Coco around Ernesto, the distraction he had was so real! 

Brown eyes widened with slight anticipation in his nervous smile when Imelda took longer than expected with the Valentine's Day card. Even writing it in the similar way that he would have to Imelda when he was younger, she even still made him feel the same way! Ay, Imelda always had a way of keeping him in suspense like this since they were young! She always kept him guessing! After chuckling softly at her answer, he would have mentioned to circle, but he melted at the kiss his wife gave him and completely forgot about everything else, kissing her back just as sweetly.  

"Héctor...what are those?"

"What do you mean, mi vida?" Héctor acted so innocent when he walked around to see what she was looking at, purposely walking on the ground next to the flower petals that started from where she would step on her bed. Only Imelda was allowed to step on the flower petal path around the entire suite, after all. The skeletal musician glanced down with a smile before gazing back at her. "Oh! The rose petals! You mean a reina like yourself is not used to walking on flower petals?!" Imelda should be well used to it given how many times she's walked the flower bridge, but even more so because she was a reina and she needed to be treated as if there were always flowers beneath her feet. The way that she walked with such elegance, it was almost like she knew she deserved it, too. "Bueno, that only means I got to do it more often!" Gripping at his suspenders with his hands, the enthusiastic skeleton shot her a charming grin. Of course, the only way she'd be able to step on rose petals would be here in the land of the living. They only had marigolds in the land of the dead. Therefore, she could consider this as a warning for the many more occasions in which her petite feet would be kissed by the many flower petals beneath her! With that, the tall, skeletal musician held his arm out for his wife to walk with him out the door, with her on the trail of flower petals, as if she were every bit like the queen that she was.

Upon leaving their bedroom arm linked, Héctor was mildly distracted by Miguel and Rosa, greeting them with a bright smile. "Buenos días! Feliz Día del Amor y la Amistad!" He took the time to embrace them both extra for helping him out with the roses. He had a special treat for them both later on though. After all, this day was more than Valentine's Day like the Americans celebrate it, it was about friends and family as well. Guiding Imelda down the flower petal path to the kitchen with his arm, he whistled for his great-great grandchildren to follow. "C'mon, vamos a desayunar! (Let's go have breakfast!)"  As soon as he turned to gaze ahead of him, his eyes caught something on the table that made him instantly freeze and part his mouth incredulously. "Qué?! Imelda, you got-?! Ohhh, no me lo puedo creer! (I can't believe this!)" He glanced over at her in shock, before placing a hand to his ribbed chest upon noticing that it wasn't just any flower, it was a cactus flower! The very sight of it touched him to the core of his soul. "This is for me?!" The ancestral skeleton glanced back at Imelda and then Rosa just to make sure that it was, an amazed smile spreading over his mouth before glancing back at the potted flower as if he still couldn't believe it was right in front of him. "..how did you get this?!" It was almost magical the way that they were able to get such a thing! Cactus were hard to get, and he would know, but it was especially rare to find one with it's rare but beautiful flowers on it! "Ohh..Thank you for this! This really brings me back!" Like, by a lot! He was like what, 16 when he did this for Imelda?! That was a little more than 100 years ago! As if it were yesterday though, his mind went back to that moment when he tried painfully taking the flower atop of the cactus all those years ago, all just for Imelda to give a nobody like him a chance.. An adoring smile formed on his lips at that moment, before he turned and gave Imelda an amorous peck on the lips as if not only to thank her for the cactus flower just now, but just for giving him a chance that would lead him to this moment. 

[Mamá Imelda]

Imelda's own smile grew as Héctor feigned surprise at her saying he distracted her; in his own teasing back, she knew.

"What do you mean, mi vida?"

She would never tire of his a million little pet names and reminders of his love, but, as ever, didn't address how touched they made her feel every time he said them (and he said them a lot!) just smirked half amused over at his innocent look.

"Oh! The rose petals! You mean a reina like yourself is not used to walking on flower petals?! Bueno, that only means I got to do it more often!"

"Héctor...", Imelda shook her head, but her smile to him said she was, for the moment, not going to think about the clean up and accept the gesture for the sweet one it was. Even if Héctor's words were almost a threat of it happening again. And again. She readily took his arm, with another head shake that he had reserved the petal path solely for her, and greeted Miguel and Rosa also as they entered the main room and kitchen.

She saw the path extended the whole apartment it seemed, and Héctor had no doubt roped the kids into helping with that...as she had also with Héctor's gift, Imelda would admit to herself. Dear Rosa had kept both secrets apparently, to her own amusement no doubt.

It was Imelda's turn to be slightly unsure as Héctor spotted the cactus flower center piece. What if he thought it was kind of a silly...

Her fears were unfounded.

"Qué?! Imelda, you got-?! Ohhh, no me lo puedo creer!"

Imelda's smile softened.

"This is for me?!"

"With only slightly less pain, and Rosa helping navigate parcels around here", Imelda replied, But yes, all yours mi musico", Imelda didn't do as many titles, so they meant perhaps a bit more from her when she did, and even if every one of Héctor's still meant something even with repetition. Her own smile grew with the memories as well, and she brushed aside some of his own hair after kissing him back. "I still feel lucky you were insane enough to come back", she whispered to him and before stepping around to see about how the kids had done with breakfast.

[Rosa Rivera]

Rosa turned the centerpiece one more time, just to ensure, before nodding to herself and Miguel that she was pleased with it. "After now knowing him too, I'm not surprised, but it's the sweetest story I've ever heard, how he got pricked a million times over doing a dare Mamá Imelda used to get rid of boys", she told her cousin with a grin. And if she ever got back, she just might steal the idea, or spirit of it for when the boys at school started becoming annoying. Unless she actually liked him.

"oops...", on a walk by, helping Miguel see to things, Rosa slightly messed up the petal path Papá Héctor had laid out and kicked the ones she'd disturbed back into place. It was good enough, and she didn't think Papá Héctor would notice anything (or care) as he and Mamá Imelda came into the front room and kitchen. She giggled, hugging him back as he hugged her and Miguel, and greeting the both of them before she and Mamá Imelda awaited out Papá Héctor finding the cactus flower, which he did pretty quickly.

Rosa grinned, and shrugged, as Mamá Imelda pointed out she had helped, "You can find anything on the internet".

Though deep down she found it adorable, and would never tire of watching her great-great-grandparents just be cute, Rosa had to make a face at their kiss, and since she hadn't been afflicted by finding any of the boys in her class cute yet. "Well if they don't make us lose our appetite, I started in on pressing the tortillas", Rosa went and got the plate to half present for heating as well as further help with.

[Deleted]

"With only slightly less pain, and Rosa helping navigate parcels around here",

Papá Héctor glimpsed impressively between Miguel, Rosa, and then Imelda for arranging this cactus flower pot to arrive here, especially given Rosa's comment about the internet. "Slightly? Haha! That's a good one!"  He couldn't help but burst out a laugh at the thought of it only being slightly less painful. Oh, Imelda only knew her side of things. She never knew about all the spines he took out from his hand and arm before he met her. That was the most painful experience he had to face, aside from being poisoned of course. All in the name of looking impressive to Imelda though! He couldn't be his guapo self with spines on his hand! That was not even counting the number that the dogs had done to him. He didn't say more on that though because something else caught his thought process on what was just said about the internet. "Wait, wait, wait..wait.. you mean I could have gotten a bunch of flowers all at once from that internet thingy the whole time?!" He remarked in surprise with a face palm, then gave Rosa a deadpan expression as if this were a part of one of her playful teases, before softening with a sigh and smiling softly again. Oh, Rosa got away with anything. It was a weakness Héctor shared for his girls. Still! She could have told him this instead of watching him go through the work of convincing the staff to borrow a bunch of flowers and carrying them all to the hotel! Ay. She was just like Imelda getting him to go through the hard work instead of the faster way! "Ay, she got that from you, mi amor.." Héctor glanced over at Imelda with a small smile, knowing that Rosa definitely learned that from Imelda! Either that, or Rosa simply got it from Imelda's side of the family naturally, as was her already teasing way. Either way, Imelda would get away with anything though, and it worked out like it did for Rosa. Rosa was gonna find a good guy with that kind of strategy, if he did say so himself!   

"But yes, all yours mi musico",

Although he didn't have a heart, Héctor's face visibly melted like his heart would have when his wife said those words and returned his kiss. It meant a lot coming from Imelda to say that he was her musico, especially allowing music back into her heart the way she allowed him into her heart. His eyelids lowered half way as that serene smile slid above his bearded chin while the love of his life stroked his raven hair away from his face. He still basked serenely whenever he received that kind of affection, just like when Coco used to. 

"I still feel lucky you were insane enough to come back"

"You know that I'm loco for you, Imelda.." The slender skeletal musician replied devotedly with an affectionate smile, gently holding her hand in his. "..I always want to come back.." He murmured back sincerely, wanting her to know just how much he meant that, before turning his head attentively to Rosa upon hearing her comment about losing her appetite. A shy smile formed his face as he gently let go of Imelda's hand, rubbing his other arm sheepishly.  

"You need any help?" Héctor volunteered to offer his help whenever possible. Oh, Rosa was doing a better job handling the tortillas than he did that one time he failed to properly heat up a tortilla when he was still alive. Still, he learned from his experiences, and especially after watching Imelda cook and helping her with anything she needed in the kitchen. Héctor was definitely not the traditional kind of guy to just not do anything and wait to be served. He wanted to help any way that he was able to. 

[Mamá Imelda]

"Slightly? Haha! That's a good one!"

Héctor's words, though said with a laugh, seemed to confirm what Imelda had...not exactly suspected as wondered on, and if there was anything about that night he hadn't spoken of, or other injuries. Of course, there also didn't need to be any. Those she had seen had been bad enough. Oh, thank every Saint there was her mother had never found out about that whole escapade!

"Ay, she got that from you, mi amor.."

Imelda could hardly deny her penchant for teasing Héctor, and just smiled to this 'accusation'.

Rosa's teasing wasn't just limited to Héctor though, and she had to make a face at Imelda and Héctor's kiss similar to a few Imelda had made when about her age and when her mother would bring up boys and courting. Back before she met the most surprising of all the neighbor boys to grab her attention! Imelda wasn't bothered though and just chuckled (after looking touched at Héctor's sentimental words that would never get old) and gave her great-great-granddaughter a peck to the cheek on her own way by.

"Just you wait, Mija, it'll hit you too". And, assuming this would be back home, she and Héctor would over analyze any finds of Rosa's from the ofrenda on a yearly basis!

[Rosa Rivera]

Rosa,for her part, and even with hearing the story, was not fully caught up, and didn't know all the facts about this cactus flower Papá Héctor had found. Still, she didn't feel she had to either, not to still enjoy the story, and hints Papá Héctor dropped even now that he'd gone through more than he let on!

It would just be surprising if he hadn't!

"Wait, wait, wait..wait.. you mean I could have gotten a bunch of flowers all at once from that internet thingy the whole time?!"

Papá Héctor's look almost accused her of withholding this information on purpose! Rosa's smile grew, especially as she knew his annoyed look wasn't all that serious, as he proved, dropping it after a bit. "Well you never asked if I knew another way", she proved Papá Héctor's point, perhaps, about what she'd inherited or picked up from Mamá Imelda.

She scrunched her face in denial of Mamá Imelda's words also and before Papá Héctor came over, offering aid. "Sure, if you want to get another plate", it wasn't really something Rosa couldn't do herself, she just didn't want to say she needed no help and brush past another bonding opportunity with her great-great-grandfather.

[Deleted]

(I did not mean to abandon this thread! We WILL finish this! >.< sorrryyyy!! )

"Well you never asked if I knew another way,"

Ay, she definitely got that from Imelda. "Well you-!" Papá Héctor tried to argue, but he failed to come up with anything and gave up with a slouch of his shoulders, before rubbing his forehead with his skeletal fingers. ".. ah, okay, fine.." Eh, he was still right about her getting it from Imelda in any case! Did she have any of her personality from him, he wondered?

"Just you wait, Mija, it'll hit you too"

It was kind of cute the way Imelda would say things that could easily mean a shoe to the face if those same words were said to a different person. Héctor just smiled affectionately to himself as he kept a hand placed on her shoulder, silently agreeing with his wife about Rosa having feelings one day, but it was fine if Rosa didn't just yet. She had plenty of time! Though she was still going to be his little great-great granddaughter forever, just like Coco was always going to be his girl. The moment Rosa would though, they were sure to search for clues and maybe even train Dante to get some answers! Pepita is not trainable, he tried. All to make sure that she would be treated well - oh, now he understood how Imelda's father was like! Those secret meetings where he'd sneak around with her were still intimidating because of her father though. 

While the skeletal ancestor provided some assistance to his great-great granddaughter, he wore a curious smile as he helped Imelda to a seat at the table so that she could sit first. "That cactus story..What was the story that you heard, Rosa Linda?" He ventured to ask, knowing that the way stories got passed down from them, it was probably a little bit.. off? Or a lot, given that they were completely off about him abandoning his family. He wore a curious grin though, almost as if he were waiting for Miguel's first grito, while waiting with a listening ear to decide if the story was true or not.

[Mamá Imelda]

Imelda hid her smile as she listened to Héctor and Rosa banter. Maybe her great-great-granddaughter did get it from her, she wouldn't be the one to speculate on that, but she could also certainly hold her own, for which Imelda was proud; and, part of why she would tease him herself, Héctor was far more amusing than he knew when 'riled up' or just defending a point of his!

It didn't mean he couldn't concede easily also, as he did, leaving Imelda to suspect he was secretly still just saying she "Got it from her" in his head. Just because Héctor hadn't said such recently, didn't mean he'd never told Imelda his "observation"*.

They were united on the front of finding out all they could when, and if, Rosa did catch the eye of a young boy of Santa Cecila, Imelda could tell, though she would also try to keep Héctor from prying too far and bothering the two, unseen or no; and again, if. Imelda recalled the times and how being single wasn't a curse anymore, as it had been in her and Héctor's day.

"That cactus story..What was the story that you heard, Rosa Linda?"

Héctor returned to asking Rosa about. It had been a recently shared story, Imelda tried to recall if she had ever told even Coco about it, but she had told Rosa earlier, when the girl helped her locate this cactus. In a bid to share more good stories about Héctor with her living family, to sort of make up for not doing so for so long. Of course she did not tell her great-great-granddaughter she went and invited a boy into her room without her parents knowing, innocuous as it had all been or no.

<<*I just imagine Héctor's mentioned his 'theory' of Rosa getting a lot from Imelda before. Let me know if you think not ^^>>

[Rosa Rivera]

Papá Héctor started off trying to defend, before dropping it. Rosa just grinned. He did that a lot, either for not wanting to argue with her, or because he had nothing to win with. Whatever the reason (and probably the first), it was the usual pattern of their banter and Rosa was glad their banter had a pattern and she could tease him in much the same way she did Miguel. Was glad to get to know both of her great-great-grandparents, and share this day with them.

She refrained from commenting her thoughts as Mamá Imelda joined in with saying it would just hit her one day, unexpectedly, finding some boy cute.

Maybe, or maybe not. She knew all of her family would have opinions when, and if, it did happen though, Papá Héctor and Mamá Imelda included!

Papá Héctor asked what she had heard on The Cactus Story. "Oh, well, Mamá Imelda was just explaining why it had to be a Cactus plant, and admitted she...gave you the impossible task of getting a cactus flower from a harsh neighbor, but you did it, though...she said you looked like you still lost, even if you got the flower, with the amount of needles you came back with", Rosa grinned.