Until You're in My Arms Again {Héctor, Imelda}

[Coco Rivera]

After months of coherency, and sharing stories on her Papá, Coco was hesitant to leave her family as they were all gathered around. She had known for a while yet, and since losing Julio, that it would be a day of mixed feelings; but now it doubly was. Miguel, through his own grief, kept reassuring her that her Papá was waiting, and all of them, and though she saw the same confused wondering, on how he could know so firmly, on Rosa and many others of the family's faces, they all took to the hope and seemed to be hopeful for her sake.

She cupped his cheek one last time, and kissed his forehead, then moving down the row of kids to do the same. Benny and Manny at least seemed blissfully unaware of what her feeble hugs meant before their sister took them back. She reminded the boys to be good, Gloria to watch out for everyone and asked Elena not to worry too much. Feeling her daughter's kiss to her forehead, she then felt herself fade.

She wasn't sure what she expected to come next (well she had a few ideas) but looked genuinely stunned as she blinked and saw...petals? Marigold. Oddly dented in color with it not being Dia de los Muertos. Coco glanced around, and then noticed she was standing on her own two feet!

In a way she hadn't in years! She lifted her feet, seeing sandals, not house-shoes, and then gave a testing up and down both sides. She also took notice of her skeletal appearance, that somehow didn't frighten her. But more to the point...yes, she could probably... Coco tested her theory, taking off running across the space, and giving a little laugh as she felt little difference from 20-something, appearance aside!

"Uh, Ma'am?", a smiling skeleton (she wasn't at all startled to see him either) caught her attention from the steps of a large building she was near. "If you'd come this way, we'll get your sorted". Coco nodded, somehow feeling very similar to how she had that time one of the merchants caught her dashing through the market like an errant teen, not the mother of two young girls as she was at the time. In a similar fashion, she fixed at her dress, giving a smile that tried to look sheepish, but was too joyous for such, and followed him inside.

[Mamá Imelda]

Imelda scowled at the modern cookbook she had got off one of the neighbors here in the Land of the Dead. Just because she had lived to see Coco utilize such things as even an up to the 1970's cookbook didn't mean she would ever understand some of the steps. She quickly snapped it shut with an annoyed frown, "I know what I'm doing", she almost told the book itself in reprimand, before setting it aside and considering the pot before her.

Cooking. Shoe-making. Imelda knew her way around both through years of repetition, and did not need some book to tell her about its fancy ideas!

She was considering her next move, refusing to admit that the recipe might have a better way about it, when the phone over on the other counter rang. Héctor was doing something in the other room, so Imelda went over and answered it distractedly. "Hello?". As the voice on the other end spoke, she soon brought her gaze from the pot, and thinking through her plan, to the phone in her hand.

"What? Oh...yes...I see...we'll be right there". Imelda hung up, and then wiped her hands on her apron, not nervous per-say. She was...that odd mixture of happy and sad for her living family that new arrivals caused. But this current one, while not a surprise, held an air of tension.

Coco.

Glancing to the doorway from the kitchen to the front room, and then back over to the pot, Imelda walked over and removed the latter from the stove. Dinner was going to have to wait. Though they didn't need to eat, Imelda next chided herself or not having everything already prepared! Coco was going to come in to an incomplete...!

That was not the main issue though, and her girl would forgive her, Imelda knew. First things were first. Imelda walked over and through the doorway, scanning and thankfully finding Héctor. She didn't know if he knew the phone had rang, but walked over and, without any other words, pulled over the footstool to sit facing him, her look saying this was serious and required all his attention. "Héctor...that was Department of Family Reunions that just called...", she informed, then paused, gathering the best way to go on.

<<Figure I'll give some reaction room, though let me know if you want me to go into it all>>

[Deleted]

A faint strum of a melody gently played as Héctor sat on the couch, staring out the window just to admire the view. Back in the slums where he lived, he knew the view wasn't great but, having his fake family there were what made the view all worth while.. Except now, he didn't have to sit on a rooftop to admire the view this time. He could just admire it from here, from inside the same house that Imelda lived in. The melody transitioned from different pieces of romantic songs that he listened to with Imelda when they were trying to catch up on songs, until it returned back to his wife's favorite - La Llorona, before it always found its way back to playing Remember Me. It was something like listening to a live, instrumental remix tape of a compilation of different songs that just transitioned together so beautifully, ending on one note that was the same one that another song would start on. Héctor was playing on a different guitar though, one he borrowed of course. No, he didn't have his famous skull guitar, he would have to cross the bridge for the next Día de Muertos for that. Not that he was counting on it though. No, it wasn't possible. He was still without a photo. 

It was safe to say, for all the authorities that he had ever gotten into trouble with, the former con artist officially gave up on all his schemes. What was the point? His photo was the only means of hope he had of crossing that bridge. Without a photo, he was never crossing that bridge. He already accepted that fate. Yes, the once restless spirit was finally starting to settle down with the help of Imelda letting him into her life, her home..allowing him to grant himself a few moments of peace while playing guitar when he wasn't out trying to make the most of being his family. He still had his moments where he'd just have a burst of energy to go watch a novella with Victoria or play some music with Julio and Rosita... or yes, even get teased by Imelda's twin brothers, secretly enjoying it. He couldn't fully calm himself down without Coco after all. Nonetheless, even though his schemes were over, Coco was still all he could think about. 

The melodic strings of the guitar were so tender as he played their secret song. It was obvious to anyone that he was thinking of her in that moment. Somehow, he felt that she was also thinking of him. He could feel it in his bones that she was still remembering him. His bones felt a little bit stronger, not as brittle. Even glancing down at his skeletal arms, they were even whiter than before, healthier, but still not as bright as Imelda's of course. Still, the slender skeleton was the healthiest he had ever been since a few months ago when he nearly slipped away into the Final Death. Even though his broken bones were still bandaged up, he did feel one of his cracked ribs suddenly repaired. He wasn't fully better, but he was getting there at least, which was far more than he could say after a few months back when his situation was a lot more grim. 

Somehow...somehow, Coco was still remembering him. How? How did that chamaco do it? He'd ask himself that every day while he would count his blessings that he was still here, being remembered, as well as to anyone around him that asked him what he was thinking about. Once, he dreaded to think that he missed the chance of seeing his little girl again before he would fade away. Now, even the cynical skeleton realized that maybe it was possible to see her before he'd fade away after all.

Héctor did hear the complaints Imelda made to herself in the kitchen, smiling to himself in amusement on how much he missed hearing his adorable fiery wife in the same house as him. Well, he wasn't sure if wife was the word, but he still missed her doing that all the same. He wanted to be with her in the kitchen, just like they used to before when they were alive, but perhaps it was too soon. He did offer one suggestion to her about her using the recipe book, then quickly, and sheepishly realized that he should perhaps not give that sort of advice to someone that knew how to cook and decided not to bother Imelda while she was cooking in the kitchen. As humorous as it was, even though Héctor turned out to be a famous celebrity, he was treating Imelda like she was as much of a famous celebrity as Frida Kahlo. He didn't want to bother her at all, especially after he had just moved into the bedroom only yesterday.. and.. it wasn't the smoothest transition either. At first it started off great, then it got awkward as far as which side of the bed to sleep on. Only because Imelda had been used to sleeping alone for so long. Héctor slept alone for just as long, too, but he could never get used to sleeping alone. His restlessness and his guilt for sleeping alone in the tours before he died wouldn't allow him to sleep, so he usually snuggled with a bunched up blanket. He wasn't even sure if snuggling with Imelda was even allowed. Finally, Héctor didn't help things when he had a nightmare that he pretended to sleep off. He hoped Imelda didn't notice. Still, this was a step in the ladder that Héctor was honestly grateful to be on, one that he didn't think he'd get to be with Imelda at one point.  

The skeletal musician instantly looked up at Imelda from his guitar when she sat down on a footstool in front of him, getting his fullest attention, even the strumming of his music instantly stopped with a skeletal hand instantly stopping the strings from vibrating. The hopeless romantic looked at her with such pure hearted obedience, as though he was ready to hear any command and he'd carry it through just to please her. 

"Héctor...that was Department of Family Reunions that just called..."

"..What??" Héctor blinked his widened eyes with eye sockets that tilted upwards in worry if he had gotten into trouble. He didn't do anything this time! Unless that warning citation that he had thrown away was actually secretly a real citation all this time! ..Though he thought that he had Imelda worked it out with the authorities in regards to his criminal history. Was it something he missed?! He had better not be in jail! Not after he finally got the chance to move in with Imelda! Wait. No. No. Wait. Wait a minute. Imelda's face. It wasn't angry, like it would have been would it have been about him getting into trouble. Was it a family member? A frown curved on his face at that moment as he put the guitar on the couch next to him. "Okay, Imelda...dime (tell me).. Why did they call?" He asked gently of Imelda, deciding to ask a little more calmly than before and giving her a chance to explain things before letting all of his thoughts continue to race. 

[Coco Rivera]

They had explained that they were calling her parents. Her, a hundred years old and they “were calling her parents”! The thought amused Coco, but was also just a distraction from the word parents. Both Mamá and Papá...

And Coco was excited enough at seeing her mother again...

In fact, once she knew that was who the helpful man behind the counter was calling, she leaned forward and asked if maybe she could please talk to her! But Mamá, ever practical, had of course hung up to begin heading over, Coco could guess even before the man confirmed by saying they were on their way.

They...

”My...my Papá, Héctor Rivera...he’s really here?!”, Coco had been asking that of the poor man a bit since arriving.

“Yes ma’am”, the clerk nodded, and decided to keep what he knew of Héctor Rivera’s...prior legal issues to himself.

Coco meanwhile was busy absorbing this news! She would finally see her Papá again! Miguel had been right...oh that dear, smart boy! Not that she had doubted it for an instant, how else had he learned Papá’s secret song, the way he sung it?

She clasped her hands before her, grinning and looking stunned. Oh but why couldn’t she just go over to the house herself?!. No, no, she had to let Mamá do this her way, and gather everyone together. Julio, Victoria, her dear sister (Coco cut any in-law title) and uncles!

[Mamá Imelda]

She should have maybe gone about this differently, Imelda felt, as she saw the worry flicker across Héctor’s face. Well, but...this was going to take some tact and doing either-way! She couldn’t just walk in and say “Oh by the way Coco’s here!”.

Well, or mostly couldn’t.

Reaching over, she took his hand, ”Lo siento, it’s nothing like that Héctor...”, she said and smiled, even as he asked why they had called.

Oh but she knew what was going to go through his head! Of course she did, even those few years of marriage? She knew Héctor. Always had. Always would, even with the changes they both went through. She had to also be here, like this, near, to reassure him.

She couldn’t fail him again...

Not only as she had in the past, but...last night.

Héctor had done a great job at hiding his distress and nightmare, but still, Imelda had heard him when he woke up...and considered what she might do to help, laying still, faced the other way, and until he laid down again. She hated that she did nothing but...it was a first step, there was so much still to work through.

But to point!

”It’s nothing you’ve done...or me”, only to him would she admit that they might want recompense for their Devil-Box she broke, ”It’s an arrival”, she let his mind slowly follow along with her over the facts gradually.

As she thought through it all, Imelda smiled. ”Actually, I’m...so glad we have good news of a sort to share. Héctor...I know we’re still finding our way but...”.

But there was gradual and too gradual.

”It’s Coco...she’s here”, Imelda said softly, keeping a hold of Hector’s hand, and smile on her face.

[Deleted]

”It’s nothing you’ve done...or me”,

Héctor blinked in confusion when Imelda apologized and reassured that it was nothing that he's done, or her. He smiled a little, knowing what she meant about that after learning about what she had done to those blinky computer thingsy from the security guards recently. He used to think he was the only one that was a little bit too...passionate in doing whatever it takes when it comes to family, but Imelda was the same way. They were two of a kind, as far as the security at the Department of Family Reunions were concerned. 

"It’s an arrival”

Oh, it was family. Well, he called it family, but he wasn't sure if that was probably still a work in progress considering he had just moved into the home yesterday. Victoria was though, the only one of his flesh and blood here - so to speak. He didn't venture to say anything regarding his assumption that it was family, wanting things to go in Imelda's pace out of his desire to do things to her comfort level. The skeletal musician kept quiet and attentive, only thinking about who it could be, but honestly he didn’t mind who it would be since any family was always welcomed. Right now, he was just basking in the moment with Imelda’s hand on his.
 
”Actually, I’m...so glad we have good news of a sort to share. Héctor...I know we’re still finding our way but...”.

Now that made Héctor really focus on Imelda. The way Imelda spoke, it was sounding like she was sharing big news. He hadn't heard her speak to him this way since she announced that they were having a child together. Wait, wait, wait, wait...Did that mean?! 

”It’s Coco...she’s here”
 
As soon as she said it, as soon as those words escaped her beautifully painted lips, the paternal skeleton parted his mouth in shock. His cynical mind almost dreaded to think if it was another case of just hearing exactly what he wanted to hear, and not the reality. “..C-Coco??” He desperately asked for a confirmation, any sign that this was real. His eye sockets tilted upwards with an expression that held all the sadness in the world, as if incredulous that this was actually happening to him when he almost thought he missed his chance! Then, his expression was mixed in with overpowering enthusiasm. “Coco, she-? I-I can see her?!" Suddenly, it almost sounded as if he choked a sob and couldn't even speak anymore. Overwhelmed with emotion, he placed his hands over his mouth and tried to breathe, trying to gather his words. He had been watching people escape into the Final Death many times enough to be used to it, but he wasn't allowed to see the rest of his family before when they entered the land of the dead, so this was the first time that he was given such an experience! And now he was beyond thankful that it was an opportunity to see his girl after so long! In a matter of seconds, Héctor went from the overwhelming mix of sadness to pure happiness to suddenly feeling so nervous!

This was very rare for the musical performer to experience, only ever experiencing it around this family. "Okay..” He instantly stood up to pace, trying to calm his racing thoughts. He was trying hard to contain himself. “Okay, okay..Okay..shake it off, shake it off...c'mon..” He tried to close his eyes to shake off his nerves, the way he would to Imelda or to Miguelito before performances. "Okay...okay...okay.. okay....!" He tried to calm his thoughts as he paced frantically, but they were just racing! What would she think of him?! Did she remember him in a good way? Or in a bad way? What should he tell her?! How could he make her see that she was his world? "Ay, sorry Imelda..I'm sorry, I just..."  Héctor finally sat down on the couch again, trying to calm himself down from pacing, before bowing his head down with his eyes closed. "..I can finally see my girl..!" After 96 years, longing to see her again, he was finally given this chance to see her even without a photo in the ofrenda. A deep breath. A deep, unneeded, but at the same time very much needed, breath caused his rib cage to rise and fall as he attempted to compose himself while his skeletal hands were covering his face. He probably would have cried if he could. Suddenly, Héctor jumped to his feet again with excitement in his expression. “C’mon! We got to meet her!“ Well, for Héctor, it was meeting her. He hadn’t seen his little girl since she was 3.

On the way to heading over to the Department of Family Reunions to meet with Coco, he thought more of how she looked like. He knew some things about her, given that he'd ask Imelda and Julio all the time and received some facts, like her dancing, her favorite shoes to make, how she snuck away to meet with Julio..but..he didn't know what she looked like! The last things he remembered were when she was wearing her trenzitas in her hair. In another instance, he realized that Coco would have a similar problem too! “Hey Imelda, you think..?“ No, he wasn’t going to say that, his cynical side stopped him from asking a dumb thing. Unfortunately, it had already started to come out. A sigh escaped his mouth, feeling dumb for even saying this, but he decided to talk more about his thoughts and feelings after the giant misunderstanding that caused his family to split in the first place. “...Coco will… recognize me?” He finished, tilting his eye sockets with hope in his brown eyes. As far as he was concerned, he didn't have any other photo. What if he was less than she expected?

[Mamá Imelda]

The fact that the nervous, excited tension, almost fit the last time she was telling Héctor about Coco's "arrival" was lost on Imelda in her trying to put her words to form. Another thing the same though. His and Ernesto's attempted gaining a name for themselves had still been a thing when she'd discovered she was having a child, and a big part of Imelda had feared Héctor might freak out with the dual responsibility.

He had of course, but not in the way she'd anticipated. Héctor hardly ever, really, had grand emotions in the way Imelda fully anticipated, it being a surprise every time.

Héctor's similar reactions finally brought the similarities to Imelda's mind as well, and she smiled a bit as she watched him to terms with it.

Some of the stuttered words were different, and at the same time not.

"Ay, sorry Imelda..I'm sorry, I just..."

Imelda knew, even before he said it, and yet gave him the space to further take in all of his emotions...and tried to avoid her own guilt again that she had denied him seeing Coco for so many years.

“C’mon! We got to meet her!“

Héctor was rushing on ahead again! Imelda blinked out of her own distraction and did her best to follow! She smiled, before Héctor stopped, looking unsure again. For reasons he went on to state.

“Hey Imelda, you think..?...Coco will… recognize me?”

The words brought that hit of guilt again. Imelda reached over to take Héctor's hand again. "I do", she assured softly, then sighed as she realized she may have to state how she could think such, especially after everything she'd done to ensure Coco didn't remember Héctor...

Imelda glanced aside a bit, "Héctor...I was so wrong to try to get Coco to...forget you, but...as I said...it never really worked; the dancing and sneaking around, she...stubbornly kept to every thing you'd ever done or said, even if she couldn't recall the specifics, to my surprise and frustration". Imelda had admitted all of this before, and smiled at it now.

"And somehow she recalled you and...passed that on...". Imelda got a bit sidetracked from her mission of assuring Héctor Coco would recognize him by where this took her thoughts. She gave his hand a squeeze.

"I was more than a bit afraid, you know...Coco was the only one who could pass on your story and...I feared it might be...too little to late, but I'm glad it wasn't, I...", Imelda shut her eyes, as a confession (or more just late words?) threatened forth, but at oh so bad timing. "Te...te amo, Héctor", it was still said sort of lowly, as she opened her eyes again to face him.

"I know what you're going to think", Imelda rushed on, "but...I'm just saying it for her sake, I...". She paused, to take in Héctor's reactions.

<<I'll pick back up with Coco when they get to the department <3>>

[Deleted]

"I do"

Héctor glanced down at the hand that Imelda reached out to hold into his. The hopeless romantic smiled a little to himself upon hearing her words. Back then, he would have boyishly daydreamed of the day when she'd say that on their wedding day, but the centennial skeleton would take what he could get and not assume anything, much like he never thought he'd hear her say that he was the love of her life! Now, he simply found delight in the feeling of the way their hands would touch. It wasn't at all new anymore, holding each other's hands, but he just couldn't get enough of it. He was so grateful to even have such attention given to him after all these years. His pinkish brown eyes gazed attentively at the beautiful purple hue in her brown eyes as she spoke about her regrets. For Imelda to admit that she was wrong, he did not take lightly. They each had regrets that they frequently shared between each other within these past several months. Héctor maturely, bravely, and gently listened to them all, even bearing through the pain of some of them as just seeing Imelda so hurt was enough to hurt him, but it was the only way to truly heal. 

Listening to Coco's story of defiance in continuing to dance and want to incorporate music in secret always brought a secret smile to his face. He could tell the kind of woman that Coco grew up to be just by listening to the way Victoria spoke about her mamá, or the way Julio talked about how he felt for her - in a respectful way anyone would speak to the father of his wife, of course. Now he knew how Miguel felt; Coco was like a celebrity that he knew so much about, but desperately wanted to meet. 

"And somehow she recalled you and...passed that on..." 

That "somehow" was what constantly plagued his mind almost obsessively as to how it even happened. More than that, he was also not sure what Coco remembered precisely about him. Was it a good memory about him? Was it a bad memory about him leaving? He knew that she used to have good memories of him when she tried to keep music despite the ban, but what about now? His picture wasn't up even after Imelda had passed on into the land of the dead. What did Coco think about him now? He wasn't sure. Now that he was finally getting to see her for the first time in almost a century, his ribbed chest was rising and falling a little quickly - both from excitement and from nervousness. Imelda's words were reassuring though, even the way that she gave his skeletal hand a squeeze.  

"I was more than a bit afraid, you know...Coco was the only one who could pass on your story and...I feared it might be...too little to late, but I'm glad it wasn't, I...", 

Héctor tilted his eye sockets as he gazed down at her upon hearing her mention about him slipping away to the Final Death. He had been afraid, too. He was afraid of never seeing Coco again; it was the entire reason he was trying to avoid being forgotten to the very end.. but he cared more about Miguel returning home. In the end, he'd rather let it happen to him than someone he cared about. Yet to hear Imelda admit to being afraid of losing him, it just warmed him to his core to think that she truly cared about him that much when he was fading away, recalling those moments when she admitted that she meant it; that he really was the love of her life. 

"Te...te amo, Héctor"

In this culture, using "amo" for love was a whole other level of love. It was never to be taken lightly. It was meant to be said for a love that was everlasting, the kind you tell the one you want to spend the rest of your life with your husband or wife. For anyone else outside of that, it was always used as 'te quiero,' only to mean that you love someone the way you'd love a family member. Imelda used amo, as though she truly saw him as the love of her life! Like her husband! With a parting of his mouth in shock, a soft, affectionate smile slowly drew on his face. "Imelda, you-?" Unfortunately, Imelda quickly interrupted him before he could finish.

"I know what you're going to think, but...I'm just saying it for her sake, I..."

Héctor blinked his eyes widened from his thoughts, stunned that she even knew what he'd think. He wasn't used to Imelda reading his mind since... well, since they were alive. His smile faltered a little shyly for even having his mind race like that. Imelda was making him feel like a boy sometimes. Still, he held back in his romantic words or romantic gestures, only because the last thing he wanted to do was scare her to make her feel like he was pushing her, so he naturally let her do what she felt comfortable doing. "Hey, it's okay.." Héctor reassured her tenderly, wrapping his arms around her to gently embrace her deeply. "You don't have to say it.." She didn't need to feel like she was forced into doing anything that she didn't want to. He placed his bearded chin on top of her head. If only he were alive right now, she'd know how much his heart beat for her. "Yo te amo, Imelda..enough for the three of us.." He murmured as he rested his cheek on top of her raven hair, not even bothering to ask if she'd heard it or not. If she reacted, he'd never see it while she was in his arms. It was understandable for Imelda to find it hard to admit that she loved him when she spent so much time hating him, but he had to say it because this was just something that needed to be said regardless if whether it was acknowledged or not. If the amount of time that he waited for them meant anything, he loved Imelda and their daughter more than anything in the world. 

The skeletal musician pulled away from the embrace only slightly, placing his hands on her shoulders as he gazed at her in front of her with a soft smile. "C'mon..she's waiting for us," Héctor smiled, then took her hand as he gently lead her to the Department of Family Reunions in anticipation for meeting his daughter for the first time in years. Given that he had no idea what she looked like now, he had no idea what to expect.

[Mamá Imelda]

Even Imelda couldn't have answered the one nagging question Héctor had, and if Coco's memories were more good or bad. Not really. Of course she had to believe they were good memories herself, and...how could they have got worse since Miguel had gone back? Not that she thought Miguel went and spilled his entire adventure.

Imelda knew her family. Their family; and she knew Miguel did too. Elena would...no doubt be very skeptical if such was said in her presence. Ah and no fault to the dear child, as Imelda would always think of her grand-kids, and she would learn! Though not for many years to come, hopefully.

But on to the arrival they had now.

This prior musing only made it in distractedly around Imelda sharing her deep fears. It would always feel odd to do such, but shouldn't around Héctor.

The first time Imelda told Héctor she loved him since their parting, she knew, she had to be clear about exactly how far she could ever see it going, in a way. Like when she had just impulsively called him the love of her life, and backing that up now with her words and deep titling.

She...was still finding her way to showing him it and letting herself take the steps necessary, but she knew her words were true.

She loved him; as deeply as she had before.

Héctor understood this though, cutting her off from trying to find her words, which she didn't realize until after she said such came out wrong! She wasn't saying it for Coco's sake alone, but her not got swallowed up in the emotion of saying it all at all*, and still Héctor understood, wrapping his arms around her. She was at the point where she could let herself hug him back. Well, would be odd if she both couldn't and yet could say what she had, Imelda mused, and yet it also would have made perfect sense...

"Yo te amo, Imelda..enough for the three of us.."

And with the safety of Héctor not seeing her reactions, Imelda shut her eyes, taking in the words back more than she would be able to admit she did at the moment.

Seemingly all too soon, Héctor pulled away, and Imelda was still processing all of it so much, he was allowed to take her hand and sort of lead the way for a few paces anyway, before her taking charge nature came back. Just in not knowing what to do with herself if she wasn't the one with the plan.

"Ok, they're going to want some paperwork filled out also", Imelda said as they made their way up the elaborate steps and into the lobby again, "let me go first, I know how to get these people to the point."

To that end, she stopped off at the first desk they came to to thankfully face a different woman in a much kinder way than she had last time, when needing to speak to someone about her picture mix-up. A simple giving of their name and the woman nodded, though looked almost relieved at how easy their request was this day. Imelda didn't know it, but between her behavior last year and Héctor's trips over the bridge, their family was on an informal sort of watch list...

Imelda had her own mental plan fully laid out, as ever, she would deal with the desk clerk, give Héctor a moment, then greet her girl herself...but her own plan went out the window as they entered and a figure that was not all that surprising to her, given she'd seen her only year before last (only being stalled the one time), stood from the chair to face them. Oh but Coco was standing better than she ever had and...it was something in that shy excited smile of greeting as she spotted her mother first. Though it was not like the last look Imelda had received from her daughter, the last she could direct at her, last she could see her, on Imelda's own deathbed, she saw that younger woman clearly in it, as she'd smiled, assuring her mother she and they would be alright.

As a matter of fact...Imelda had been a bit too far fading to ever be sure, but Coco might have also whispered some sort of words about Héctor at the time, And if you happen to see Papá, do try to be nice, Mamá...

Imelda felt a wave of regret that she had broken that promise, though she'd never actually promised.

"Oh, Coco...", she selfishly rushed forward to hold her girl to her after so long of not. Not as long as Héctor, sure, but...oh it still felt like far too long. "Oh Mija, I saw it all, every year...well not last year...obviously...oh but I'm so proud of how you've kept this family together, oh..more than you know...", with all her words meant, she reminded herself of Héctor no doubt waiting (if he hadn't run...no, he wouldn't), but her own words needed said after how harsh she'd been at times, "So proud...and sorry", she stood back to cup her cheeks, smiling happily.

She then cleared her throat, "I'm, um, afraid I broke your last request of me, but...", she tried to get to "introducing" Héctor, glancing over to him.

<<*Ack I realized my typo in her meaning to say she wasn't saying it because of Coco, but I also went with it instead of edited >>

[Coco Rivera]

"So what else can you tell me?".

As Coco all but leaned across the desk towards the poor clerk--though still politely sat at her seat, and just on the end of it, with her hands clasped under her chin excitedly, eyes sparking the same emotion--this question came out more enthused than interrogating.

She then listened, enraptured, to even his stuttering attempts to explain Héctor Rivera in a way that did not exactly paint him poorly to his daughter. Even the clerk (not the same from Family Grievances) was not sure why he tried to do such, and hide some of the times the skeleton's attempts over the bridge had landed him in jail. He wasn't caught up enough on the reasoning for that to be the reason he refrained.

He was saved from finding further answers as the door opened, and both glanced towards the door. Coco stood up, just excited for whatever family members it was. Mamá still had the same way of walking into a room, Coco noticed, as she noticed it was her, commanding attention, and Coco wouldn't say that was a bad thing.

It had caused panic in her a few times, and when she tried to hide dancing shoes or such, but now it was nothing but familiar comfort! Her mother's hug took all of her focus and Coco hugged back, her words trying to tell her mother how she'd missed her stalling for taking in her own. Oh...

For the first time, Coco found one odd fact of being a skeleton and that she couldn't cry, because in her blinking touched at the words, tears would have been there if she could. Hearing Mamá say she was proud of her was not something Coco took lightly, and after so many hard discussions, nor her actually apologizing!

As Mamá pulled back, Coco smiled to her, and wanted to assure her it was all alright now, but she instead blinked baffled over some of the rest of what Mamá had said. "So...Miguel really did...come here?!", she would have to take that in later, right now there was too much else. She looked further intrigued by Mamá's admitting to breaking what Coco wasn't even sure if she'd heard. Well, if she meant....

Coco followed her mother's gaze over to...the other skeleton who had come with her. Her memories of her father were from three years old, again, making it all so much of a miracle, and so, she wasn't even sure herself what she had expected, but that something vaguely familiar was there...

"Papá...?", Coco's head tilted to the side, almost childishly again, and she searched out that familiar to further familiar. Yes! There it was! She suddenly saw it so clearly!

"Papá!". She suddenly launched herself across the space separating them and squeezed him in a hug. She didn't have her sister-in-law's crushing power to it, thankfully, "You're here, you're finally here!", Coco said happily, and meant her words in a good way.

[Deleted]

"Ok, they're going to want some paperwork filled out also. Let me go first, I know how to get these people to the point."

"Okay, Imelda!" Héctor readily agreed and stepped to the side to allow his wife to go settle those paperwork matters, smiling fondly to himself as he watched his feisty wife from behind before it suddenly turned into a nervous smile as he peered around him. Suddenly, he realized that he was standing there in the middle of the place that he always passed by in his rush to cross the bridge. There, the tall, slender skeleton nervously stood, - nervous for the impending arrival of his long-lost daughter, but also nervous because he felt like he was being watched. It was quite obvious that most of them knew him by name given all the times he tried to cross the bridge, and most recently unknowingly helped a fugitive like Miguel hide from being caught by them. "Heh..Hola..!" While rubbing his forearm nervously, Héctor decided to break the tension and tossed a sheepish smile at all the officers that eyed him with scrutiny, hoping it was reassuring to them that he wasn't planning on anything, though that probably made him more suspicious? He wasn't sure.

Thankfully, he smiled in comfort once more when Imelda joined his side and they entered a room. This process was so unfamiliar to him, so he mostly remained quiet with a meek smile next to Imelda. He didn't know when he would see Coco or if there was more of this red tape - more doors, or more people to see - before he'd finally see her. Once in the room, he saw someone standing up from a chair, which he thought was another person they had to talk to before he'd get to see his girl. That was, until the woman had turned to look back at them with a face that was lit with excitement, much like his own countenance tended to do, but with the exception that Héctor's expression now was more awestruck than anything as his eye sockets rose over his widened magenta-brown eyes. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. This was.. Could it be?! All this time, he wondered - no, dreamed - how much his little girl had changed over the years but, she.. wore the same trenzitas just as she did when he last saw her, still wearing the pink color that he remembered her wearing the last day he left after singing their special song.. for the very last time.. 

"Oh, Coco..."

If Héctor had a heart, then it practically jolted through his skeletal frame upon hearing that name before he watched Imelda rush over to embrace her, his mouth remaining ajar with a mixture of bewilderment and amazement. The way he was processing it, it was almost as if he felt like everything was happening in slow motion, like he was still in one of his many dreams, and how he dreaded snapping himself awake now. Yet Imelda said her name.. and it was all the confirmation in the world that he needed right now. It was everything that he had dreamed of; it was all that he had strived to accomplish just to see her again..

It was.. Coco.

Then, he saw it. Coco's smile. That smile was always enough to melt his heart; and if he had a heart, it would have melted his in that moment to see her smiling again in front of him. She looked so.. happy, just like he remembered that she did. It even made him smile a little in fascination, just watching that hint of wonder on her face, like the way he always remembered her having on her little face. When Héctor finally heard her speak, a sigh of relief actually left his mouth, almost glad that she spoke about Miguel and nothing about him given his fears of what she thought of him. It wasn't the voice of his little girl anymore like his dreams would seem, to be sure, but.. It was the real voice of Coco! His daughter, talking to Imelda, right in front of him! If he ever had the chance of crossing over the bridge, even knowing that she would've never been able to see him, he would have settled for this moment right here.. 

"I'm, um, afraid I broke your last request of me, but...",

In an instant, everything felt as if it had suddenly sped up! Upon catching Imelda's expression, it was enough to snap him out of his thoughts, but it wasn't enough to snap him out of the land of speechlessness that he was in. All Héctor could do was stare at Coco dumbfoundedly, and his heart would have raced out of sheer nervousness now if he had one; a sharp contrast to how calm the musician would be before any audience.  Ironically, it was quite similar to how the musician felt when he was younger and first wanted to talk to Imelda and couldn't, settling on playing guitar along to her singing instead. Yet Héctor was filled with so much desire to embrace her and give her all of his affections, but what if she didn't like that? What if she didn't like him? All the worries and thoughts he had previously had re-entered his mind. What should he say?!  

"Papá...?"

She called him papá. Another breath escaped the skeletal musician's mouth at that moment, almost as if he had forgotten about unnecessarily breathing after all that thinking. She called him papá! The same word that always echoed in his daydreams whenever he thought of her, one that Héctor never thought would have repeated so many times in his thoughts while he was alive - she... said it to him again, after all this time. Héctor's eyesockets arched over his widened eyes as if he couldn't believe that she actually addressed him as such. "Coco.." Removing his hat and holding it up to his chest with his hands, Héctor parted his mouth to say 'it's me' with a faint, nervous smile, but his words failed him because a breath caught his throat and he probably would have teared up just not being able to get over hearing her calling him Papá again after 96 years. He wanted to say so much. He thought maybe he should explain everything in that moment. No, he should first apologize. She deserved that much. She deserved so many things. She deserved everything - 

"Papá! You're here, you're finally here!" 

In an instant, the slender skeleton felt the embrace of his daughter as she said that with such bliss, that all of his fears melted away and he instantly embraced her, wrapping his arms around her deeply. "Coco!"  The desperate father instantly bent down and embraced his daughter deeply - the biggest hug he had ever given, and the long overdue one that he had always wanted to give her. "Ohh, I'm so sorry, Coco! All I wanted was to try to come home! I never should have -! " He almost choked a sob even saying that he never should have left her and his family, then felt his knees weak and bend even more as he embraced her all the more. He even shut his eyes as if to keep from tears falling down his eyes, almost as if he had forgotten that he couldn't physically cry despite being a skeleton for 96 years. "Oh my Coco... tu no sabes cuanto te quiero (you have no idea how much I love you).." Héctor looked back down to peer at her adorable eyes with a affectionate, yet sad smile, hoping that she would believe him when he said this; that he tried to do anything and everything for her because he loved her so much -  though he felt that he honestly deserved it if she didn't believe his words. He cupped her cheek with his skeletal hand, just taking every detail of her adorable features as if he was still in disbelief that this was all happening for him. "..Oh mija, I love you so much!" Suddenly swept up by the emotion, always taking a risk on personal boundaries, Héctor instantly lifted her in his arms and twirled around with her in the air once before setting her gently down and showering her with dozens of besitos all over her skeletal countenance. Then, he gave her another deep, tight hug as he leaned forward to rest his cheek on her cheek and gently murmured with his eyes closed once again: "Thank you, Coco.. Thank you for waiting for me.." He murmured as he stroked her cheek endearingly with a hand, recalling all the times that his little girl waited on him to come home. He realized that he never verbally thanked her for waiting for him each time he came home to greet her, and he wanted her to know that it meant - quite literally - everything to him that she still waited for him long enough for him to see her again after all these years...and that she.. remembered him. 

[Coco Rivera]

As she took in Papá standing there, holding his hat, looking all but nervous, further wonderful memories flooded through Coco, even if Papá might not call them such. He did that when he had been gone too long also, and after apologizing to Mamá. Even with as few memories as she'd had to cling to, Coco had forgotten that! Or...somewhere in her later forgetting had forgotten that particular of expression, perhaps. It all came back now, and as she rushed forward!

His hugs still felt the same...Coco would have been crying again as well, if she could.

"Ohh, I'm so sorry, Coco! All I wanted was to try to come home! I never should have -! "

She'd always said, all those years, and any time his supposed actions were brought up in her and Mamá's discussions, that she didn't need any answers, that she trusted he would have come back if he could. Once, in those teen years that could just be so hard, she'd even sort of criticized Mamá not trusting to this, in a still safe way. Yet, hearing his words now, Coco realized she'd sort of been shoving aside her own doubts. Lying to herself. Of course she'd wondered too.

"Oh my Coco... tu no sabes cuanto te quiero.."

She shouldn't look so surprised by such obvious words. Like how Miguel had tried to tell her...

And even if she still hadn't been able to understand how he could have known, she'd appreciated the words and gesture, in a sense. Even if he was lying for her sake, she told herself. But of course her little Miguelito hadn't been, and here Papá was saying it as well!

As he then suddenly spun her, Coco laughed, recalling with joy those memories too. And the Besitos!

"Thank you, Coco.. Thank you for waiting for me.."

As she hugged him back, Coco took in again all Miguel had said of what the real story was. What she hadn't really doubted, but now; here; knew with more certainty was true!

"Miguel told us...oh Papá I'm so sorry you had to...be alone like that as well, that Tío Ernesto...", who didn't deserve that title anymore she realized...and it still pained her to ponder the level of betrayal of all of them he had committed.

As she blinked and stepped back, she glanced sadly, but with a small almost apologetic smile back over towards Imelda. "I guess Mamá was right all along, and we shouldn't have ever let him the house".

[Mamá Imelda]

Imelda tried to not let her last experience here taint how she dealt with the Department Staff now. They were helping her (and Héctor) see Coco, still, she didn't feel exactly bad at how prompt her no-nonsense demeanor got things done.

There were a few more things to fill out after her own greeting of Coco, for which she also wasn't exactly sorry; it gave her something to focus on in trying to give Héctor and Coco space for their own reunion. Thing was, she had a hard time concentrating on her own distraction and not focusing on the two...or recalling all the ways Coco had ultimately been right and herself wrong in that unshakable faith of hers.

She caught how hard it was for Coco to not still title Ernesto, even after he had also left them with no answers. A red flag she should have seen, she'd told herself ever since discovering the truth.

"I guess Mamá was right all along, and we shouldn't have ever let him the house"

As she finished up and pushed over to the Agent one of the last bits of paperwork, Imelda blinked at sort of being addressed again and glanced over to her girl, giving another sad smile, "Hindsight, Mija, I don't think even I could have claimed to have known that well...well but enough of dwelling on unpleasantness, let's get you home". Imelda still just had that knack of moving on to the next thing needing done.

[Deleted]

"Miguel told us...oh Papá I'm so sorry you had to...be alone like that as well, that Tío Ernesto...", 

"Miguel?" Héctor offered a small smile despite Coco's apology, which she didn't have to make since it was all his fault that everything happened the way it did. Besides, he wasn't truly alone when he had his fake family, though it was devastating not to be around his real family for so many years. Yet all at once he had a million questions about Miguel! Unfortunately, that was ruined with the talk of Ernesto, which instantly made him frown at the fact that Coco still titled him as a tío out of habit. Ayy.. how he HATED that name. But he was so happy with meeting his girl for the first time right now, that he was going to refrain from ruining the moment with further talk about him, much like he did with Miguel talking about Ernesto. He still couldn't help but roll his eyes off to the side at the mention of him though; he couldn't hide his displeasure even if he wanted to, though it was mostly guilt that he was feeling for even allowing Coco to be exposed to someone she called Tío until he betrayed them all. 

"I guess Mamá was right all along, and we shouldn't have ever let him the house"

Inviting him into their home, causing all of this to happen, Coco's words just riddled him with guilt. Yet the biggest part of what she said was she said "we," including everyone else into the fault. "No. It was my fault, Coco.." He clarified that Coco didn't need to have regrets about that when it was all his fault for allowing him into his life, every single aspect of it. Imelda spoke about not knowing fully in hindsight, which spoke volumes on how he felt about him. He just felt so..dumb, for believing in all of that. Yet he shook those negative thoughts away and before he could say anything, Imelda already beat him to it. He smiled at her in agreement. "Yes.. let's not talk about him right now, Coco..c'mon! The rest of the family are waiting to meet you!" He agreed with Imelda enthusiastically, then gently offered his hand for Coco to take while they'd walk together.  

"I got to spend some time with Julio, you know? Getting to know all about him.." Héctor mused in such a fatherly way, as if he were surveying whether he approved or not. Of course, it was too late for approvals or not, but he still wanted to have his chance to do it. "Ah, he's okay!" He shrugged before grinning at her. "No, he's great, Coco.. it was nice getting to meet him! He told me all the kinds of dances he used to do! But he didn't want to dance without you! I thought that was such a good answer, eh Coco?" He placed a hand on his ribbed chest with a romantic grin, then looked shyly at Imelda, rubbing his arm. They hadn't danced together in public yet, but it was not for him to reveal as much to Coco.

[Mamá Imelda]

Imelda didn't miss how Coco still titled Ernesto either. The dear girl, she was far too good and kind, even to people who didn't deserve it, and of course it had been an early ingrained thing, they had both thought they could trust Ernesto enough for Coco to be around him, and not realized until far too late that they could not!

Héctor of course took the blame upon himself, for allowing Ernesto into their home. Imelda would have pointed out she held the power to truly stop it, had she wished to wield such, but let the subject drop.

Pondering over Miguel was far superior, and Imelda's brows furrowed, slightly confused as well, as she pondered just how much Miguel would have perhaps shared, and how much, especially Elena, would believe. Her granddaughter was a wonderful person (both were, and the compliment had nothing to do with how people often said she was like Imelda herself) and had done much to hold the Familia together, but...well going along with said good traits, she was also a rightly so suspicious individual.

No Miguel probably hadn't told everything.

As they concluded their business with the Department Agents and headed home, Héctor mentioned what he'd gotten out of a talk with Julio. Imelda knew, even before she saw evidence of it, how nervous Héctor had made the poor skeleton, but then Julio could get worked up over anything, like Pepita, and...well when one considered Héctor was his Suegro, and he was having to endure a meeting he perhaps thought he would skip, it made sense.

Actually Imelda was glad her...wrong impression of facts hadn't soiled the two's interaction, and Julio held no ill-will over supposed hurt done to Coco.

She caught Héctor's look and just gave a blank one back herself, but for a small smile of amusement she knew he'd catch, but she was not going to answer here and now whether he would ever get her dance in public again...

[Coco Rivera]

Coco saw both Mamá and Papá muse over what Miguel had said, no doubt. She smiled, it all made more sense now, of course, but even without the evidence, she had believed her great-grandson, and not just because he knew things he wouldn't have otherwise. No, that just helped him in concocting a believable way to explain to the rest of the family his knowledge of Papá's letters and how he had known enough to know she had letters that proved Papá wrote all of his songs.

Ultimately that was the kicker that silenced even the most staunch of Ernesto's fans in the Land of the Living, dated letters in Papá's handwriting containing lyrics.

Papá took the blame for allowing her to get so close to Ernesto; Coco still just felt so saddened by the whole thing. Had everything been a lie?

They moved on, to a far superior story of Papá meeting Julio! Coco's eyes lit up, and she only looked a bit unsure as Papá said he was "Ok". He quickly clarified he was kidding though, and Coco giggled to hear of Papá's approval! She had always hoped and wondered.

"I know isn't he just?", she asked biased. She glanced between Papá and Mamá and decided it was safe enough. "We snuck in so many secret dances you never knew about, Mamá", Coco giggled again, "Like right after the wedding, when I locked Pepita in the kitchen so she wouldn't tell on us!". Coco laughed again, happy she could tell of these secrets now, and since it was clear Mamá and Papá were getting along now, though one of them had never been the one fighting that, she knew enough to know!

<<I feel we're wrapping up?>>

[Deleted]

(Almost! I wanna address the fact that he could come back to the land of the living, since he doesn't know the whole story about the photo) 

Just being able to finally be close enough to see his daughter's face light up like that, just like she used to, it was enough to make Héctor's heart soar. Even talking about Julio made her light up, just like Julio lit up whenever he talked about Coco. It was very romantic to see! It was almost like.. the way he felt for Imelda. He noticed that small smile on her painted lips and he couldn't help but smile to himself in return. Coco's talk about the things she did to hide from Imelda made him smile to himself. This sounded all too familiar! "Long ago, Imelda..that's not far from something that we used to do.." He mused softly to Imelda in a shy way with a rub of his forearm before she could say anything against Coco's sharing of secrets. They hid a lot, too, though it mostly involved hiding from her father, who was intimidating from the start. He probably had a mini heart attack one time from almost being caught kissing her father's daughter!

Héctor smiled brightly upon hearing that melodious laughter from his daughter. Oh, how he could hear it again and again forever! Yet the idea of forever made him suddenly morose upon realizing the gravity of the situation. With Coco here, that meant that he didn't have much time here, though he was lucky to have this one chance of seeing her again. It was just like he told Miguel after Miguel had the idea of going back and remembering Cheech. It doesn't work like that. They had to have known you in life, and Coco was the last person that knew him in life. 

"Coco.. there's something I got to tell you.." He began after exhaling an unneeded breath, and he placed a hand over his face briefly, just thinking that this sounded so familiar to him. It was just like all the times he had to tell her that he had to leave. "This is hard for me because.. all this time, I've been trying to see you again..but now that you're here..it was all that I wanted..." His eyesockets tilted upwards with his saddened pinkish brown eyes as he stared at her, gently cupping up her chin with his hand. He would have tears in his eyes if he were alive, but the tone of his voice was enough. "The thing is, I don't have my photo up.. and without my photo, I..I.." I have to go away again..and where I'm going, I can't come back. He parted his mouth to say it, but he couldn't. He felt his head lower defeatedly. He didn't want to say that. He couldn't say that to Coco's face again. Not when she was finally here in front of him. It's funny how he could give a reality check about fading away to the Final Death to Miguel, but to Coco? It was hard enough to make his voice crack and render him speechless. 

[Coco Rivera]

Everything was just so great, with getting to see Mamá once more; and the almost unexpected reunion with Papá (except that Miguel had tried to tell her), that his serious tone caught Coco off guard a bit. She turned to him, curious, and...no she wouldn't say concerned.

"This is hard for me because.. all this time, I've been trying to see you again..but now that you're here..it was all that I wanted..."

Coco gave a small smile; but there was a but to his statement, she could tell, and she just waited for it, in a sense. This all did feel so very familiar...it was like she was four again and...he was explaining...going away.

Very on point apparently.

"The thing is, I don't have my photo up.. and without my photo, I..I.."

A wave of emotions swept through Coco, but the primary one was relief. Oh was that all?

"Papá...you don't have to worry", Coco grinned, clutching his hand he'd brought up to her cheek and squeezing it, her gaze shifting from him to Mamá...since neither of them knew!

Mamá didn't know.

Yet she couldn't help looking triumphant, in a joyous way, as she faced Papá again. "I...saved it...".

But how much did he know...?

Coco glanced from Mamá back to him again, and hoped she wasn't delivering unknown news...

"After Mamá...well I mean, after the picture was...damaged, I...well I already had your letters so...I saved the snippet with them! You're...".

Coco beamed again, "Elena taped it back together and, she promised me, this year, you'll be up, on the Ofrenda".

But she should maybe explain that change in opinion too!

"Oh! Since everyone knows now, that you didn't...leave; or your letters prove your songs were stolen, put with what Miguel said, and I told the family what I recalled of you. They're all very sorry they doubted you".

Ok, Coco thought they were, and had little proof, they could have been humoring her, but either-way! She believed them, and Elena's promise!

[Mamá Imelda]

Imelda was still processing exactly how many secrets Coco had kept from her! Secret dances? Plural?

She knew about hidden shoes and one or two dances, alone, and Coco's sneaking to the plaza in the first place but...she shouldn't be surprised actually.

And then, as if Héctor knew his little girl needed his help...

"Long ago, Imelda..that's not far from something that we used to do.."

She tried to keep a neutral smile, but it cracked again, in that telling way she knew Héctor could read, even if she said very little. "Well, I hope you have since apologized to the poor cat", she said to Coco, but her smile showed she wasn't completely serious.

Héctor went on to regretfully try to explain how now that Coco was here...oh it was all her fault! Imelda glance down. How could he not blame...

"I...saved it..."

Coco's words brought Imelda's focus back up. What...

Their girl was constantly glancing between her and Héctor, no doubt realizing she was giving away secrets she'd held even closer than her dancing shoes Imleda had discovered after a bit.

"After Mamá...well I mean, after the picture was...damaged, I...well I already had your letters so...I saved the snippet with them! You're..."

That Coco even knew, or had been watching that fit of rage of hers was one regret on Imelda, but the rest of her words were shocking as well!

She'd gone behind her back and...oh Coco!

"Elena taped it back together and, she promised me, this year, you'll be up, on the Ofrenda"

Imelda was left speechless, not something that happened lightly!

"But...where did you keep all this all this time?", she asked in soft shock, then realized it didn't matter.

"You stubborn girl...", but where it might have before been said in reprimand, now pride shone through Imelda's tone and gratitude in her eyes as she smiled.