Packing Up the Baggage {Héctor}

[Deleted]

While he was gathering the drinks in his arm, Héctor noted that Imelda was silent shortly after his last comment. He half wondered if perhaps she was lost in thought about those times when they had let many people pidiendo posada into their home, a Christmas tradition of allowing guests to seek shelter, to celebrate with her famous rompope. Oh, she knew how to make it so sweet, he wondered if even Rosita liked it as much as he did! That was when he blinked in acknowledgement and stopped what he was doing in place upon registering the fact that he had not had some since he died.

"Sí, and maybe if you hadn't written that stupid letter, you could have..."

The tall skeleton instantly stiffened when Imelda seemed to have registered that same thought. His brown eyes widened and he slowly put the drinks upon the counter after hearing her sharp comment, turning around to face her with a nervous frown spreading over his teeth as if he acknowledged that he made a mistake. "..Imelda, por favor (please), I.." He tried to gently talk to her so that she would not be so angry.

"I don't want to talk about Rompope, Héctor...por favor…

“Imelda..!" Héctor pleaded with her gently when she crossed her arms defensively, but she continued with the notion that he should never mention rompope again, even throwing back his pleading words at him. "...I know, Imelda, I know.. “ He took her sharp words all in and did not throw it back at her like he would have immaturely done to anyone else, wanting her to know that he was finally on the same page with her. He took a few steps forward, but stopped when she turned around to face the wall. When she mentioned that it reminded him of him coming early, and noticed how she paused in her words when she was about to mention Ernesto murdering him but finishing off with a “fine,” Héctor threw his hands up in the air helplessly. “..Okay, okay, fine! I apologize for saying that! I will never talk about rompope again!" With a guilty pout tugging his mouth, he then crossed his arms similarly to her, but he only turned slightly to the side; he still respected her not to even think about putting his back towards her.

As he leaned against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed over his ribbed chest, Héctor stared down at the floor, lost in thought for only a few seconds, simply wondering sadly to himself how similar Imelda was to him in this manner. Back when he thought he had food poisoning, he didn’t like mentioning his death either. Still, he only didn’t like to mention it because he didn’t like reminding anyone to make fun of him for it, but it seemed that Imelda didn’t want to mention a word because it reminded her of things that she didn’t want to remember. He wondered if this is how it all went for the rest of his family, how it started with not mentioning his name, not mentioning music..not passing down any of his stories.. all in hopes of purposely forgetting it even happened, forgetting that he ever existed. Was it really so easy for her to do? Since he had found himself in the land of the dead, all he had were memories of his family, only fueling his desire and desperation on how badly he wanted to be with them again. The skeletal musician flickered his brown eyes to steal a glance over at Imelda within those brief seconds of silence, his brown eyes examining her pained features on her angry expression. His arms that were crossed over his chest loosened again, slowly lowering his arms and bringing his hand to gently rub his other skeletal arm with a guilty frown. She was really hurt.

“...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..."

When she angrily shot back at him again, Héctor immediately pulled down his straw sombrero, holding the frayed rim in his hands in front of him. His eyes widened upon recalling that letter that he had written about extending the tour. Then, his eye sockets tilted upwards remorsefully, only imagining how hard it must have been for her to explain his extension to Coco. His mouth parted to try to say something, but her next words shot through him so painfully, it was almost as painful as the surges he felt piercing into his soul when he was disappearing into the Final Death. "Oh..” He uttered sympathetically as he gradually embraced his hat by his chest tighter and tighter, narrowing his eye sockets as he closed his eyes to bear through the pain he felt. The picture of Coco in his mind waiting for him by the window, waiting for her papa to come home for her birthday and then Christmas, that was as agonizing as the poison that tore him up inside. “Oh, Coco..” He uttered weakly, his voice cracking a bit in tone as if he truly would have cried with tears falling down his face at this moment if he was able to produce tears. He would have went on to say ‘what have I done?’ but he choked on the words before they could escape his parted mouth. All he could do is repeat that constantly in his mind, thinking about what he had done to hurt his poor little girl like that. It was no wonder she never put up his photo even after Imelda had died. All this time, she probably thought he had abandoned her even on her birthday, and she probably never knew how much he loved her.

A sharp exhale left his body, and he opened his eyes over to stare at Imelda again. “I'm so sorry for putting you through all of that, Imelda..." He finally was able to say when he found himself the strength to get out of the land of speechlessness, though he felt that he was apologizing so much already and it was not enough after what he just heard. “I could never ask you to forgive me after that.." He finished solemnly, staring down at the floor defeatedly. “You’re right, Imelda.. It’s my fault.. I never should have written that letter about that gig at the capital... I should have just written that I was finally coming home..” Héctor closed his eyes, thinking what would have happened if he had just written that he was coming home instead of writing about extending the tour,instead of blindly letting Ernesto convince him that it was his big chance to support his family in doing what he loved. How different his life would have been if he had just written that he was coming home. It didn’t even matter anyway. This was real life. Even if had explained his reasoning the day before about why he went on those tours for his family, he still had to take responsibility for the consequences to what he had done.

“That last letter I wrote..I only meant to extend it until a few days after my birthday.. I didn’t care about missing my birthday, but I could never have extended it long enough to purposely miss the birthday of my Coco.. Or even to miss Noche Buena with the family..” Héctor tried to bear through the pain of remembering Coco waiting for him by the window as he explained about that letter, since she had asked. “..I know that is no excuse.." He said it for her with a shake of his head in his own disappointment of himself, because he truly believed it wasn't an excuse himself. "I should have listened to you, Imelda. I should have just played at the parties and weddings in Santa Cecilia..that was what I wanted to do when I was trying to come home..” He tilted his eye sockets with longing in his voice, wishing that he could have just played in Santa Cecilia; they always had weddings or fiestas for him to play. “But I still never should have left Santa Cecilia in the first place.. ” Those were the familiar things he always repeated himself in his mind whenever he dwelled on his guilt through the nights when he was unable to do something else positive to get his mind off of it, even repeating it to Miguel when they were stuck in that sinkhole. It was something that constantly repeated in his mind as much as that popular Remember Me song seemed to remind him whenever it was being uttered by everyone because of that stupid Ernesto.

“I would have probably still been alive and.. we would have still been...a family..” Héctor continued gloomily, staring at her morosely, knowing that he was the reason that he had torn this family apart. “I would have danced with Coco in her quinces..even in her wedding with Julio..” It was obvious in the way he spoke about this, that he celebrated Coco's birthday every year, bothering Chicharron or anyone else that it was his little girl's birthday, how old she would be at this time. His daydreams consisted of how her quinces would be like if he were still alive, dancing the father-daughter dance with her then. He covered his eyes with a skeletal hand for a moment before sliding it down his face again and looking at her with a soft, remorseful sigh.

“I know you don’t want to talk about this, Imelda, pero bueno (but okay).. why don't we put the cards on the table, just for one moment?“ Héctor had his moments when he was up front about things, much like he did to remind Miguel about reality checks or about his current situation, or even to Ernesto not telling the boy the truth about the songs.. and this was one of those rare times that he was finally going to be up front with reality to Imelda.  “I don’t have a lot of time here..All of this? This is only temporary, Imelda.." He gestured to himself with a wry frown, his bones a lot whiter than before when he was being forgotten. "I still don’t even have a photo to put on the ofrenda..” His tone was as-a-matter-of-factly, not at all asking for sympathy, just stating the reality. His cynical side was coming out, revealing a Héctor that had changed to become more grounded in reality and no longer a part of that fantasy world that he used to be when he was a boy chasing after a musical dream. 96 years of living in the shanty town of the forgotten had given him plenty of reason to ground himself in reality and appreciate that nothing was more important than family. He was not thinking that some miracle would happen. Facts were facts. He had no other photo than the one that Miguel had accidentally lost, and as soon as Coco would come through that gate, he was going to leave this world and onto the next. That was the reality.

“But I know that I will spend it all apologizing to you and making it up for as long as I'm here..not to ask you to forgive me.. but because I want you to know that I am truly sorry for hurting you and Coco, and that I never meant to cause the family so much pain.." The centurian skeleton truly hoped that she would know that his intentions, though they were the wrong decisions in the end, were truly in the right place. He never meant to hurt his family. "And if I don’t get to see Coco…” He paused with a soft sullen sigh, “..I hope that, when you see her...that you tell her how much I loved her.. and how much I missed her..That’s all, Imelda..I'm sorry..por todo (for everything).." Héctor frowned sincerely with a bow of his head, hoping that all that he said and planned to do to make it up would at least allow Imelda to tell Coco that he missed her and loved her, since she probably never got to hear it, and probably never will be able to hear it from him.  

[Mamá Imelda]

The fact that the beginnings of Héctor's pleading with her at her angry response sounded so very like the same he'd done when trying to explain an extra tour or unexpected trip didn't really help, but even in her agitated state, Imelda recognized an undertone that hadn't been there before.

Whether it stemmed from fear or genuineness, she couldn't say, and hopefully the latter. Probably.

Of course she had only meant she didn't want to discuss Rompope now, but she was too busy trying to figure out what to do with all of her emotions to even try to explain that right now! She glanced enough to notice Héctor slumping against the counter in his own posture with his arms crossed. That, also, was familiar to every one of their arguments before. She was sure the two of them looked comical at times, with how they similarly crossed their arms...and not that this was an argument per-say right now.

Héctor was doing nothing but agreeing, and somehow it still didn't help. Because the hurt had already been done.

When she turned to deliver her all but accusation, just the one she hadn't had the chance to yet, Héctor lowered his hat the same as he had before and stood there, holding it, seemingly in supplication to whatever she felt the need to throw at him, perhaps verbally or of the shoe variety. But she was beyond that last one, and when a part of her knew he still may not deserve her harsh words.

If she wanted to deliver a physical hit, it seemd her revelation could do far better than any shoe, though that had of course not been her intent. Even with all this was dredging up...she wouldn't hurt him just for the sake of it. Imelda blinked, feeling herself on the verge of not-tears as well as she recalled all of it, and Héctor seemed no better.

Well but good! He had to have some true inkling of what he'd put them through, and his doing such to Coco had been the one part Imelda found so hard to forgive, and which had built up her bitterness. Imelda sighed as Héctor went on to agree, calming somewhat and her gaze softening a bit.

Suspicion took over her gaze again as he spoke about planning on missing his birthday, but not Coco's or Noche Buena. It was still risky, which was the whole of her point! To cut it that close anyway.

Imelda sighed again, glancing aside, "I'm aware Ernesto takes a larger chunk of the blame still...I just...". She shook her head. It had all just come bubbling to the surface. Little surprise, she hadn't even had a full 24 hours to deal with her bitterness and the new revelations about what happened. But she was glad to have Héctor back, she knew that much.

She glanced up to him again, "That's all I ever wanted, Héctor", she said to his lamenting they couldn't have just been a family, and with him there for all of the important moments. But they had a chance now!

On that note...

Imelda straightened, eyes widening again off a different emotion, and far more suspicion and stubbornness about where he might be headed...

"I know you don’t want to talk about this, Imelda, pero bueno (but okay).. why don't we put the cards on the table, just for one moment?"
“I don’t have a lot of time here..All of this? This is only temporary, Imelda..I still don’t even have a photo to put on the ofrenda..”

"We don't know that...", Imelda rushed, and for once she was also the one forgoing logic and clinging to what seemed crazy dreams perhaps. She frowned, almost looking annoyed again, "Héctor don't you even...", but his serious point sort of broke in on hers, and Imelda let it. And it wasn't all so unrelated to what she would have gone on to say.

She sighed again. "Of course I'll tell Coco...", she said softly, "I mean you will!", Imelda shook her head a bit, getting herself back to her point of before and placing her hands on her hips, somehow this fitting more just classic annoyed with him, "I didn't mean for you to get all...dramatic, I just...I've spent a lot of years bottling all of this up, Héctor, and...it's going to come out...at bad times it seems", she sighed and lowered her hands, her gaze almost sorry as she glanced to him.

"I'm...sorry it had to be now. You can mention Rompope, I only meant...not today...and of course I'm happy you're remembered and here, and I wouldn't chase you off for the world...and please...please don't let me if I ever do have to...be honest, like now", a soft, almost vulnerability came to Imelda's voice at this last, she'd chased him off before, and part of her feared what her honest responses may do again, and it would be all the fault of her temper.

With another sigh her voice returned to it's normal, normal, between annoyed or even the rarer vulnerable, "And no, I don't know what Miguel will be able to do but...after everything else that boy did...I know you're not going to be forgotten, Héctor". Even if it was just her being desperate maybe...but Imelda had to believe this...

"Well, now that I've thoroughly ruined the mood, here...let me help you carry some of those", Imelda walked over to where he'd set the bottles.

[Deleted]

Héctor placed his frayed son jarocho hat on his head again as he listened to Imelda share her thoughts and feelings. At Imelda's mention of Ernesto being mainly at fault, the centurian skeleton's fists clenched tightly at his sides, his eye sockets narrowing with a hard frown on his face. In place of what used to be his annoyance with musicians, it was now pure hatred for Ernesto. The one that used to be his best friend, who lied to him about everything until just discovering it recently thanks to Miguel. Every time he even thought about Ernesto, it instantly filled him with so much anger. Ernesto took everything away from him! He even tried to kill his chamaco, Miguel! 

An exhale of a breath calmed him down when Héctor humbly thought about his own part of being a fault, however. It wasn't just Ernesto's doing. "I know what I did was wrong, Imelda.. I still let him convince me that my big moment was to perform in Mexico City..That was the only reason I extended my stay.." He explained sadly, knowing that it's not like Ernesto had a knife to his neck and forced him to do all of that, he let himself get convinced by Ernesto in the first place. He could have just firmly said no and not allowed it to happen in the first place..but he didn't.. not until later.. not until it was too late. "I thought if I could perform at the capital, I could support my family for life, doing what I loved.." When he got that opportunity to play at the capital, he thought that was his big chance to really support his family. Performing at the capital was like playing for the world. "But it wasn't for me..I never even got to perform there..my big moment was back home in Santa Cecilia with my family.. I was so focused on chasing that dumb musical fantasy, I lost sight of what was important to me..my family.." In the end, Ernesto was the only one that performed there in Mexico City, using his songs that made him famous!  But he didn't care about that as much as it affected his family, and when he saw Miguel running away from his family for that same musical fantasy, he wanted to protect Miguel from doing that to his family before it would be too late. 

Eyelids lowered over his brown eyes and a frown formed on his face upon hearing Imelda try to say that it was not possible for him to disappear. "Ay, Imelda.."  A skeletal hand slid over his face, before lowering it down with a sigh, gazing at her solemnly now as he decided to tell her that he saw the photo with his face torn off, the one Miguel showed him in the sinkhole that made him realize that they were family. "I saw the photo that was supposed to be on the ofrenda.. the one that used to be our photo.." He didn't say it with a hint of accusation, just still in the same soft tone of voice that stated facts as he saw them, "that was the only photo I had left.." They didn't have money to be paying for expensive photography back then. The fact that he even had another photo of himself while he was there was simply because he earned enough money to do it while he was on tour and he wanted to send his family a letter with his picture to remember him by. "Without my photo to put up on the ofrenda, I am running on borrowed time! I don't know how much time I have left.." He explained, hoping that she would see the logic in this reality.  "After everything you told me... I just wanted to know if Coco could at least know that her papa was sorry for hurting her.." That was the only reason he brought it up. After hearing how crushed Imelda was when he never came home after that extension, especially Coco during her birthday and Noche Buena, he just wanted to make sure that if he disappeared, Coco would also know how sorry he was as much as he told Imelda how sorry he felt. He smiled appreciatively when Imelda said that she would tell Coco, thankful that at least that would happen even if he was not able to do it himself. 

"I don't want to fight about it anymore." Héctor finished gently in a mature manner with a shake of his head. He was not going to blame her for the photo because it was something he unintentionally caused to happen, but he was not going to argue about this discussion of the photo on the ofrenda anymore. He lived through 96 years of seeing people pass away through the final death because of not having a photo on the ofrenda and even nearly went through it himself. He knew how it all worked. He wasn't going to get his hopes up. Brightening up again, as was his usual norm after dealing with his sadness, he smiled reassuringly at Imelda again. "Hey..Hey! It's okay, Imelda! It happens to all of us! We just got to make the best of it!"What was important was taking advantage of every day and making it the best day, and he planned to spend every day making it up to her until he would disappear. 

Héctor nodded with a sympathetic frown when he listened to Imelda sharing her feelings about trying to sort out her feelings that she had pent up for so long. "I know, Imelda..I know what it's like to hold on to a feeling for so long" He wasn't going to say that he knew exactly how she felt, especially because she had different feelings than him, but he also had been holding onto this guilt and sadness for as long as he was in the land of the dead as well, though perhaps now it was mostly anger at Ernesto. "You never chase me off, Imelda.." He reassured her, gently venturing to place a hand on her shoulder out of comfort, though his longing eyes truly just wanted to embrace her in his arms. "What happened last time.." He faltered with a sigh, recalling that day all too well and feeling bad that she took him not coming back to her as him being chased off. "..It was because I gave up on music.. and I was running out of time with Coco.. " He didn't dwell too long on the fact that he had given up for music for years and focused more on the fact that he wanted to focus on seeing Coco since he was starting to be forgotten. When he mentioned giving up rompope, he wasn't kidding; The same way he was willing to give up saying rompope, he did the same for music, something that he used to love. Héctor parted his mouth when she said to stop him from being honest, and shook his head to respectfully decline her wish. "No..No seas así, (Don't be like that), Imelda..I would rather you be honest with your feelings than lie to me.. you can hate me if you want, but I would rather hear the truth.." Although he was not one to talk for his lies, as Miguel put it, the scheming skeleton never lied when it came to things that were important, and Imelda sharing her thoughts and feelings with him was important. After spending most of the 96 years being lied to about his own death, he did not want Imelda to lie to him about her own feelings like Ernesto had. He could take her saying hateful things, but he would not be able to take finding out that he was lied to the whole time by her as well. 

Imelda trying to cling onto hope that he would be remembered caused the skeletal musician to smile a little. He still didn't believe it to be true though. Unless someone secretly took a picture of him sleeping at a hotel, though why anyone would pay for that would be beyond him. Still, this time, he decided to keep his cynical thoughts to himself. He knew she was trying to cheer him up like Miguel tried to in the sinkhole and since it came from Imelda, he truly appreciated that kindness anyways. When she spoke about ruining the mood, his smile widened more as she drew closer to him, his brown eyes providing a tender gaze down at her. "I want to share all the moments with you again, Imelda... I want to be by your side por las buenas y las malas (through the good and bad).. for as long as you want me to.." He added with a timid smile before gently lifting her hand to kiss it, before lowering it down again. He truly meant to do what he said, wanting to make the most of his time here just being with Imelda, even if it was just sharing their feelings.. it was still progress. They were at least talking, and that was all Héctor could really ask for after not even expecting it to ever happen. "Hey! You never got your drink, Imelda! Did you want something? I could get it for you!" He offered the love of his life enthusiastically again with a grin, wanting to make sure Imelda was tended to in his usual gentlemanly way; he always wanted to make sure Imelda's needs were always met. 

[Mamá Imelda]

A hard expression, one that never belong on Héctor’s countenance, took place at the mention of Ernesto. Imelda couldn’t really blame him; she had similar feelings even just saying the name again, though she’d buried them to do so.

Yet Héctor next sighed, accepting his own part in all of it as well. It was so different than the last time they’d discussed all this, when they were both alive.

As Héctor mentioned the tour extension, a hit went through Imelda, not on purpose, just at all the emotions she had felt when reading his extension letter. And her assumptions...

Imelda just listened to Héctor now tell his reasonings behind the extension. Reasons she should have guessed all along.

”I’m sorry Héctor...at the time, I thought...” Imelda cut off, off an instinct to always hide her innermost hurts and fears, to help her family, or avoid hurting him now.

But honesty was what was needed now, for full healing, and maybe if he knew, her bitterness would be a bit more understandable.

”I thought you’d found someone else...it’s stupid now I know...” Imelda glanced aside.

Héctor cynical statement, and even defending it, was so odd for him, as was her hope perhaps. He was usually the hopeful one, or had been back before. Yet as he wiped a hand over his face, Imelda's look didn't change after her statement, except to stubbornly hold a bit. I'm right and you know it. She didn't press the issue, though.

The look changed, to one of stunned shock, at what he said next though.

I saw the photo that was supposed to be on the ofrenda.

It should be no surprise to her that Héctor had at least realized as much, with how long he couldn't cross and even her words when they met back up, but...that didn't mean he'd actually seen the evidence of her anger...not until he said he had. And she couldn't even tell him the whole of that picture, how he had literally been hidden away, folded back, in the frame but not there or part of the scene at all...as if he never had been there...

It hadn't been Imelda's choice which of her pictures got used for the ofrenda after she died, but her feelings after seeing it that first year and now were different. There was more shame now.

Héctor's point was that it was all he had left, but Imelda shut her eyes against the news that he'd seen it. "Lo siento...I'm...sorry you had to see that", Imelda was doing a lot of glancing aside, but she did so once again. He'd always known how impulsive she could get in the heat of anger, but there was impulsive, and then there was what she'd done...

She sighed again as she faced Héctor, mostly at his words and pushing the point. She wouldn't argue it either.

Next Héctor was brightening up like his old self. Imelda wasn't sure if the avoidance was good, but she would go with it, for this moment, in case he was right...

She didn't shy away from the hand he placed at her shoulder as he assured her she couldn't chase him off. In fact she covered it with one of her own lightly, before letting her hand drop, but trying by the touch to convey her gratitude. She then blinked stunned at him at his next words.

He gave up music?

"You...stopped playing...just like that?!", he may have just as believably told Imelda he traded off one of his arms just to do it, except that she did believe him, he was serious as he said it. "Héctor I..."

She finally found a shy smile, "I guess the Sunrise Spectacular was practice for us both then...".

"I don't hate you", Imelda could say that much with truth, she knew, and did as he went on, before sighing, "I...I'm not sure where everything else falls after that, but...we'll just take it day at a time I guess". And since he said he'd walk that with her.

Héctor lifted her hand to deliver a kiss to it, probably the only one he felt he was able to at the moment, and until she said otherwise. She...still needed time before that though. She did reach over as he lowered her hand, to cover his with her other one again briefly. "I'd like that", she said simply but meaningfully to his saying he wanted to share all the moments with her.

Imelda rolled her eyes as Héctor bustled about the drinks again, but smiled fondly also. "I'll just make myself some tea, gracias, but you go on, give those to everyone else, I'll...be out", she smiled again to make sure he knew she wasn't brushing past his offer. Imelda felt this quiet moment in the kitchen closing, by just the mere fact of how long they had loitered already, and wasn't sure if she should let it flow or try to grab onto it forcibly. That last hardly ever worked for her.

[Deleted]

”I thought you’d found someone else...it’s stupid now I know...” 

The centurian musician hung his jaw in shock after hearing Imelda think that he would be with someone else; in his widened brown eyes alone with his slanted eye sockets tilted upward, it was clear that it hurt him to hear her say that after how much he loved her, how much he waited for her. He silently lowered his head down, realizing in that moment that she did not acknowledge him to be her husband. He knew that, although he may be the love of her life, there was a long journey before he could think to be her husband again. "It's not stupid, Imelda, I.. know how it looks.."  He replied softly, staring down at the floor only once before keeping his eyes back on her eyes out of respect. He didn't say more after that. He couldn't. How could he blame her? He thought she had moved on, too, when she rebuffed him in the land of the dead and wanted nothing to do with him,  and he wasn't ready to hear about her trying to move on anymore than she had with the shoe business. It was too much right now, perhaps for her as well.  

"Lo siento...I'm...sorry you had to see that"

Imelda did not forgive that easily, so when she apologized for him seeing that, even if she didn't apologize for doing that, he still took it to heart as at least something when she didn't have to apologize for anything. After hearing that she thought he had abandoned the family before Coco's birthday and Christmas because he had gone with someone else, it made so much sense why she did that to his picture. "I know why you did, Imelda.." He replied earnestly, acknowledging that he understood how angry she must have been. "And I know that it's not your fault.." He said with a sigh, closing his eyes as he against accepted responsibility for this giant mess that he had put his family in. He was glad that she wasn't going to argue with him anymore concerning the bridge. If anyone knew anything about crossing the bridge and the final death, it was sadly him. 

"You...stopped playing...just like that?!"

A solemn nod was Héctor's initial response to Imelda's shocked response about giving up music just like that. He supposed he owed her an explanation though, or else she'd probably demand one later on. "That day, Imelda.. it wasn't enough when I found out Ernesto stole my songs.. after seeing you and the family hating music like that...That was when I knew that you were right, Imelda...." He shook his head sullenly, his expression full of sadness as he thought about that point in his life when he realized that he had absolutely nothing. It was her reaction along with the rest of his family that he needed to see to realize that he had lost everything because of music. At the time, he thought he lost his friendship because of music, not knowing Ernesto was also his murderer, but he thought reuniting with his family was something he had been looking forward to ever since he died.. yet Imelda's reaction to music caused him to see that he had truly lost everything that mattered to him. "I realized that musicians were nothing but self-important jerks! ..That day, I knew that I lost everything to music.. It tore me away from everything that was important to me.. All because I decided to chase that stupid musical fantasy! And I.." With a defeated shrug of his shoulders, he let a sigh escape the sad, guilt-stricken frown forming over his bearded chin, acknowledging that he was also one of those self-important jerks for doing that to his family because of that fantasy."..I didn't want to be a part of it anymore.. So, I gave it all up.. I stopped playing ever since..at least until last night after spending time with Miguel.." He finally admitted that sad truth about giving up music for 50 years with a small smile at the end upon mentioning Miguel. Sure, he still found ways to make him smile, as even saying Miguel's name brought a small smile to his face again, but he wasn't the same person that she knew when he was alive; he was more cynical and grounded now, even trying to talk Miguel out of music and performing several times. He felt bad for doing that to that chamaco now, though it was probably a good thing that Miguel ended up being so stubborn about it. He wished he could have been as stubborn as his great-great grandson was when he was that young; he never would have allowed Ernesto to convince him all the time until he finally stood his ground at the very end of his life. Thankfully, because of Hector's lack of stubbornness, he still tried to help Miguel despite how many times he tried to get him away from music, which only ended up bringing Hector back to the music. Héctor with no music to pass the time equaled a Héctor that would turn his creativity to schemes, and he ended up drinking tequila with his fake tias and playing cards, betting for items in order to work his way to borrowing things that would later help him out with his scheme to cross the bridge. He wasn't going to tell Imelda all of that. He didn't want to look any worse than how he already looked in her eyes. 

"I guess the Sunrise Spectacular was practice for us both then..."

A shy smile formed on the tall musician's skeletal face as he absent-mindedly rubbed his elbow with his other hand. The expression he wore now demonstrated a look of a reminiscing adoration, like he was already thinking about that time when they were younger and practicing together, where she was learning how to sing in front of the crowd. "..It was almost like hearing you sing for the first time, Imelda.." He added timidly, remembering feeling his jaw drop when he heard her sing in that performance, and he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. He wasn't wrong with what he had said earlier. She still got it, and he was glad the audience saw it, too, and gave her the praise she deserved.  

"I don't hate you"

She didn't.. hate him. Those words struck Héctor enough to cause him to blink his brown eyes to gaze at her in shock. That glimmer of his hopeless romantic self that Imelda was bringing back to the cynical skeleton again ever since she first proclaimed that she was the love of his life caused him to slowly hope, even wonder if maybe that meant that she loved him too? He nodded when he heard her say that she wasn't sure about the rest of it, but at least she mentioned figuring that out one day at a time. He smiled appreciatively down at her with a meaningful expression in his eyes that truly thanked her for saying that from the bottom of his spiritual heart. He needed to hear such words, that she didn't hate him, because it was only slowly fueling that hope again that maybe things would one day be back to the way things were before. 

"I'd like that"

A small, affectionate smile formed on Héctor's face upon hearing those words that she wanted the same thing, too. "..Me too, Imelda.." He spoke gently in his shy tone of voice, though his expressive eyes indicated that he was truly genuine in what he said. He wanted nothing more than to be the kind of man that Imelda deserved to have in her life again. He would give up anything just to have that chance again, and he hoped after all that he said, that she knew he would, too. The tall skeleton nodded obediently upon hearing her tell him to take the drinks over, though a part of him still wanted to stay, to bask in her presence, maybe even feel the way she touched his hand just to get that kind of affection again.. perhaps the part of him that felt that he was still her husband, but he knew better than to keep pushing her at this critical time. After he grabbed all the drinks in his arms, the lanky skeleton used the tip of his bare foot to open the door and then bumped open the door with his slender hip, before heading over to bring the drinks to his family. 

"Oye familia!! Heyyy!! I'm back again!" The chipper Héctor greeted all of them just like his fake family as soon as he stood in the doorway with a bright smile, almost as if all the emotions that he shared earlier never happened. He distracted those sad thoughts so often while he was stuck in the land of the dead that it was almost an art. Almost. He wasn't good at always bringing himself back all the time, as demonstrated with Miguel and even recently with Imelda when he was sharing his sadness with her. "Hey! Look! I got you your drinks! I apologize for keeping you waiting like that, but I think I'm having a really hard time recovering after that Final Death thing almost happened, you know?" He explained the delay to his family as he set the drinks down on a table and then grabbing his straw hat to fan himself of the fake tears in a dramatic way (or perhaps feminine way depending on how you looked at it), the skeleton trickster cleverly touching upon the sentimental subject of the Final Death just so that they wouldn't question what the delay was all about and that he technically wasn't lying about ether. He purposely made himself look bad or "off" because of the Final Death thing rather than getting Imelda involved. "So, I am just all over the place today!" In an instant, he broke himself apart with a grin just to take out his rib cage with one hand, his skull now on his spinal column attached to the rest of his body without a rib cage. "I'm still really falling apart!" He joked before breaking into a laugh as he gathered up all the drinks into the rib case in a flash, as if the rib cage were a basket for the drinks.  "Haha! Hey! Pero me extrañaron, no?! (But you missed me, right?)" He exclaimed confidently as he began passing out the drinks to everyone, treating them the same way he treated even Chicharron, who didn't care to see him either when he was still alive, but even Héctor knew that deep, deeeeep, deeep down, they just had to miss him!

"Oh..yeah, we did.. and gracias for the drinks, m- uh.. Héctor, but.. w-where is Imelda?" Julio ventured to ask the question that was probably on everyone's minds that moment when Héctor returned without Imelda with him.

"Eh! Well, after helping me out with everything, she is just making herself some tea to drink! She'll be right back!" The clever skeleton responded casually with a shrug, not wanting them to suspect that anything terrible happened between them by technically not lying. She did help him. A lot. They made some progress by sharing more of their feelings in this way. After passing out drinks to Julio and Rosita, he came over with his rib basket to Victoria.  "Ah, c'mon! I know you weren't just waiting for the drinks! You can admit it, Victoria, eh?!" He narrowed his eye sockets with a playful smirk at his granddaughter, holding out from giving her the beer as if he wanted her to admit it first, "Haha! Hey! I'm just kidding! Here you go!" Once he gave his granddaughter a drink, he finally he came up to Imelda's twin brothers and then peered closely at the bottle he pulled out from his rib cage basket. "Wait, wait, wait, wait...A ver, a ver..(Let's see, let's see)... yes! This is the one! This one is yours!" He cleverly grinned as he gave it to Oscar, then pulled out the other one and eyed it just to make sure with a pensive stroke of his bearded chin, before nodding, "Annndd...Yes! And this one is 100% yours, muchacho!" It may have been nearly a hundred years since he had interacted with Imelda's twin brothers while he was still alive, but he knew better than to treat both drinks that looked the same to be treated the same when it came to the twins that always used to insist that they were different. With a satisfied grin after finally delivering all the drinks to the right people, he began to piece himself together again, with his rib cage intact this time. 

"Oh! You didn't get anything to drink for yourself?!" Rosita noted, realizing that Héctor did not have a drink with him. 

"Nah, don't worry! I got plenty at home!" As he slumped back on the seat that Imelda had assigned for him, Héctor remarked casually with a wave of his hand and a sheepish grin as he leaned against the table with his elbows propped on the table, not wanting to take from his family or mention that he didn't have much to his family for them to feel bad for him because technically there was plenty to drink when it came to tequila back in the shanty town of the Forgotten. Needing something to do with his hands, the centurian musician distractedly picked up the shoe that Imelda was working on to hopefully distract his family from anymore questions like that. Yet he actually wasn't looking at the shoe with feigned interest, but actual interest. His eye sockets arched as the clever smile formed over his bearded chin, much like he did when he used to think of a song in his head, or when he thought of a brilliant scheme. For the first time in years, however, his creativity from the lack of music didn't turn to scheming like it usually did, but instead flowed into ideas of how a design would look on the shoe. Maybe because of that newfound hope that Imelda had just given him. "Hey! Oigan! (Listen!) Maybe someone could use that fabric paint they put on the dresses to color the leather with many different color designs!" He suggested excitedly, thinking of how the shoe would look with different colored designs like it were a sugar skull! His smile grew wider and his tone more enthusiastic as ideas were just flowing. "Oye, oye! (Hey, hey!) Or maybe someone could cut designs into the leather and make 'em look like papel picado!" He grinned at his family, lifting the shoe up over his head enthusiastically at his ideas, before lowering it again with a timid chuckle and a shrug, "Eh!..it was just a thought?" 


(I just wanted to add that he gave up music for 50 years since Imelda died around the 70s so that I remember to reference this in case it comes up again)

[Mamá Imelda]

Imelda hadn't expected no response out of Héctor at her statement, she was just unsure what it would be. The clear hurt made sense, and hurt her in a way further. She glanced down, hearing him as he went on. She'd spent so many years expecting no apology and now...it was almost like she was being given too much, not that it wasn't necessary and she didn't take it to heart also Héctor repeating his earlier apology.

"That day, Imelda.. it wasn't enough when I found out Ernesto stole my songs.. after seeing you and the family hating music like that...That was when I knew that you were right, Imelda...."

She might have softly replied to remind him she was always right, but she couldn't over these emotions.

"I realized that musicians were nothing but self-important jerks! ..That day, I knew that I lost everything to music.. It tore me away from everything that was important to me.. All because I decided to chase that stupid musical fantasy! And I....I didn't want to be a part of it anymore.. So, I gave it all up.. I stopped playing ever since..at least until last night after spending time with Miguel.."

Imelda's lips pursed, and she might have also wearily exclaimed over his realizing that now, and all the good it did. Not in saying, like she had, that she couldn't forgive, just in expressing the emotion. The mention of Miguel paused and softened it though. "When he first arrived here, rambling about guitars, I thought it was the worst thing ever to hit the family...", again, she almost added, and also stalled it, but smiling softly as she shook her head, and glancing to Héctor again. "Now I'm glad he did". She could say that much also.

Miguel could have had no idea the full emotions swirled up at the Sunrise Spectacular, when a scramble in Imelda's mind for something to sing lead to a song that had been just waiting, seemingly always, in the back of her mind. The one that had started her journey with Héctor in a way. She'd started without accompaniment, not even expecting it, but then when she'd heard his guitar layering in and glanced to him, she almost heard his words from all those years back again.

It's just me. You can do this.

No dejare de quererte

At the first time, in the Land of the Living, she'd been distracted in a twirl and not even analyzing how the words may be true for her and this goofy kid to have come by with his guitar. Last night...it was almost a promise even before she knew it was.

"..It was almost like hearing you sing for the first time, Imelda.."

Imelda tucked a strand of hair shyly again, or tried, she had no ear to capture it with now. She smiled softly back to Héctor's own smile and as they seemed to leave it on unsure trying. That wasn't necessarily bad, though, and was a promise of its own.

After Héctor left the kitchen, Imelda turned to pour water into the kettle (she wasn’t into those new electric ones that she’d seen before death but still) and set it on the stove. It was alright that it was electric...

She had a moment or two, and after setting the tea bag in a mug, stared at the kettle as if willing it to move faster.

Really she was lost in thought of all that had just occurred. She’d brushed past even during, but now thought over it all again, and shut her eyes. She couldn’t cry, and that was good, because Imelda felt emotionally as drained as she had after Héctor left, either on tour or those times here after she’d chases him off.

There was a hope with it this time but...

Why was that worse?

Imelda went to pinch the bridge of her nose still off habit, but of course didn’t have one anymore, so instead held her fist to her mouth as the gasp of a sob still threatened to give her away. She swallowed the sound as she’d learned to do, and until they were just soft breath. Maybe she was mourning, again in a way, who he'd been, and what the cynical creeping into the earlier talk showed was no longer there. Who she'd been, and what her own bitterness had robbed. Really she was just dealing with all of the emotions brought up again in a swirling mess.

But Héctor, himself, and whoever he was now, was still there to be found, if she would...

She almost expected to feel Coco tug on her skirts. Her daughter had caught her once after just such an instance of emotions, without the hope. She’d covered well and almost in a follow up snuggled her girl until they both felt better.

Coco had had a close call, Imelda knew, also off the memory dip. She may soon join them. Would she find a happy family?

”I don’t know, mi vida”, she answered hypothetically, in a whisper, opening her eyes and staring at the kettle again. ”I thought him coming back to us would be easier somehow...”

But Imelda couldn’t lose him again!

The kettle whistled as if along with her resolve even softly. Imelda let it gain literal steam then lifted it and poured her tea.

Another thought hit as she waited for it to steep. Let the family say what they would!

The plate of pan dulce was for everyone, but two she'd always known were Héctor's favorite were of course for him alone. After arranging the plate, and with the tea still seeping, Imelda let herself lean slightly at the doorway, unseen, and listen to a bit of the conversation from beyond.

"Quite a way to go about it...", Victoria seemed unable to help herself from commenting on how Héctor delivered her drink, but smiled and took it.

Oscar and Felipe both laughed as Héctor guessed right, and were tempted to say he had guessed wrong, just to do such, but did not; "Gracias Héctor".

As she fetched her mug and entered, Imelda almost rolled her eyes at all this she heard, it was her fridge he had raided, but she got the point and try the family was attempting, her brothers especially perhaps.

Héctor was giving shoe design help as Imelda set the plate down, "Well, if we're making a refreshments stop of it, I figured we could pass these around too" she informed the family (and Héctor? Héctor included?) it was hard to know yet.

"Though Héctor, I do recall these seemed to be what you would always come back with when making a run?", Imelda delivered it as casually as she could, on purpose, and held over a small plate of her own perfect recollection on Héctor's taste. Perhaps an olive branch, though the fact that she was also speaking as if the talk in the kitchen hadn't happened hit Imelda as well.

She sipped at her tea, once he had taken the plate, "And as to making our shoes look like paintings, I...well I'd have to see a blueprint before I agreed to anything", Imelda had been all set to just shoot the idea she'd overheard down, and surprised herself by the option she gave it even.

She didn't want to dismiss it entirely, though, it would be like dismissing Héctor; though she recalled his ideas from earlier in life, and was scared of what he meant!

[Deleted]

Just watching Imelda purse her painted lips like that, much like even Ceci did when she was frustrated with him, Héctor knew that his answer wasn't completely the best one, but it was the honest one. He knew that his big moment was with his family when he wanted to come back home to Santa Cecilia after that tour, but he had no idea how much music had destroyed his life until he met Imelda and realized that she and her family hated music.  A small smile formed on his face when she spoke again, in a lighter tone about music. 

 "When he first arrived here, rambling about guitars, I thought it was the worst thing ever to hit the family... Now I'm glad he did".

"Ah, Miguel.." Héctor began with a smile, uttering a soft chuckle as he thought about Miguelito's antics with his passion for music, "..he really helped us get back into the music after all this time.." He rubbed his bony elbow with a shy smile as he regarded Imelda, still recalling how beautiful her voice was at the Sunrise Spectacular. Despite how tough he tried to be on Miguel, he was also glad that he couldn't really be all that tough on him and that Miguel was as resilient as Imelda was, with the exception of how Ernesto completely betrayed him like that. He could never forgive Ernesto for throwing him away like that either. 

Although he loved sharing what he had with his fake family (and borrowing, if he were to be honest), there was nothing that pleased Héctor more than to make sure that his real family was taken care of. He smiled proudly upon taking on that task, always liking to feel useful, and especially if it was going to help his family warm up to him. 

"Well, if we're making a refreshments stop of it, I figured we could pass these around too"

Héctor glimpsed over curiously at Imelda when she came in with that announcement, smiling to himself when he noticed the plate of pan dulce that she was setting down on the table. He glanced back at the shoe in front of him though, not assuming in the least that he was included in that. Still, he kept that smile as he observed the shoe nonchalantly, only thinking about how much he loved seeing Imelda taking care of the family like that. He just imagined how great she was when she was alive in doing these kinds of things, always making sure everyone was taken care of in that way. At least he knew that his family never died of hunger or sickness, Imelda was there to tend to them just being the way that she was. 

"Though Héctor, I do recall these seemed to be what you would always come back with when making a run?"

The skeletal musician's romantic reminiscing instantly paused with a blink of his eyes upon seeing the plate of two familiar pan dulces in front of him. Not only were they familiar, but they were his favorite: The Abrazo and the Puerquito. His eyebrows arched as he stared down at them, recalling all the memories that he had with them - sometimes they were even his lifesavers when he didn't have time to eat - before he glanced up at her in surprise with his mouth parting slightly, but speechless. At that moment, he knew that she was trying to repair the bond in her own way. He could tell. "Oh, gracias, Imelda.. you.. didnt have to do that.." He thanked her with a meek smile, before glancing down at his plate again in disbelief. He hadn't had food served to him in decades. He didnt stuff it halfway in his mouth like he usually did when he was younger while he was doing something else. Back when he was alive, he was always moving around or doing something else whenever he ate a pan dulce, never really stopping what he was doing to savor the taste. This time, however, he gently put down the shoe on top of the table and broke one of them it in half, eating it piece by piece and just savoring the taste. Not eating for a long time made him appreciate the taste of food in the rare moments someone shared an offering with him.

For that reason, Héctor decided not to eat entirely the two pan dulces from his plate. He wanted to save the rest for later. He just hoped no one would notice. He smiled brightly upon seeing Imelda actually consider his design idea if she could see a blueprint. "Really? You want me to draw it for you?" It suddenly gave him something to do. It was a purpose that he hadn't had since he gave up music and lost his job, or at least until Miguel came into his life, giving him the purpose to guide Miguel through the land of the dead so that he could get his photo up. Héctor noticed that the shoe was all but finished except for the shoe laces. "Wait! Imelda, let me help! I could get you your shoe strings!" The tall skeleton instantly got up to the section where he remembered Imelda showing him the strings, picking something that would match the color of the shoe. He was going to take every opportunity to help out as much as he could.  

"Hey, Imelda.. you think I could maybe.. help out in the shop?" The centurian musician asked with a timid smile, wanting to see how she would feel about him helping out around here. "Come on, I could sweep up the floors!" He quickly offered with a sheepish grin in case she said no, naturally always being used to no's with everyone around him, but hoping to convince her that it would be a good idea. He did not know yet that the entire world heard Miguel announce that Ernesto had stolen his songs, and that was he was slowly garnering fame after that happened yesterday. Either way, sweeping was not a problem for him. Getting a purpose to help out his family again while being close to Imelda and his family? That sounded like a dream. 

[Mamá Imelda]

There was a lot more in Héctor's musing with her over Miguel's antics, and his small statement, Imelda knew, but she let it, and the moment pass. And it seemed Héctor kept some things to himself as well, and didn't comment when she mentioned the pan dulce, though she caught his small smile. Not that Imelda knew for certain he was keeping thoughts to himself, or any idea of what they could be.

She had genuinely surprised him with her offer though. Imelda saw Héctor blink at the plate almost unbelieving. Well...made sense...after some of the other ways she'd treated him...

And yes she was trying to repair that, if it was possible.

"Oh, gracias, Imelda.. you.. didn't have to do that.."

Imelda only gave a small smile back. No, but it didn't go to waste, she knew. The action and extension in a way. If she noticed how Héctor didn't just stuff it halfway down the same way he had before, she didn't comment on it. With that done, there was nothing else for her to do but sit down to her work once more, and the familiar habit of losing and distracting herself from her thoughts there; though she didn't fully do that this time. She moved on from wondering over the way Héctor savored the pan dulce, even saving half, but was almost forced to stay engaged with answering him about blue prints and such.

"Really? You want me to draw it for you?"

It was so familiar, from before, for Héctor to ask or say something like that, with his usual brand of enthusiastic, and for Imelda to almost teasingly reply back nonchalantly or vaguely, like she didn't care about things she may care more about than she let on; almost a game. She couldn't fully do that here, though, and not with how things sat and the try they both were making...but Imelda was still reminded of it all as she gave a more definite smile back, "That's be great, Héctor". She supplemented Fine for that reason as well.

Héctor hopped up to get her shoe laces for the shoe. Imelda would have told him it wasn't needed, but it was like scolding a puppy for helping at this stage, so she didn't intervene and just smiled smallish to herself. As she glanced over to where he was getting them, she caught her brothers' eyes and that same teasing look they had got sometimes when she and Héctor had been courting.

Her look told them to shut up before they even spoke.

Oh but they were getting every bit of fodder, if they did want to tease her. Not that Imelda was complaining exactly.

"Hey, Imelda.. you think I could maybe.. help out in the shop?"

She blinked, thinking over it, and Héctor of course went on defending himself and his skills before she could fully answer.

"Come on, I could sweep up the floors!"

Something struck her as wrong in Héctor sweeping their floors...

Because he was supposed to be an integral part of the shop perhaps, and...things going wrong aside. But it was another try from him.

As she pondered, she noticed the shop noises had stilled again, as if everyone was waiting for her answer, and they probably were. "I...could find better things than sweeping the foors, Héctor...", she began, then smiled, "But sure...it...it would be nice to have you coming around", she made herself admit.

Victoria dropped a pencil she'd been using on measuring something and bent to pick it up with a muttered sorry.

[Deleted]

He was already expecting it. Héctor was expecting either a no, a nonchalant sigh, or a rolling eye to indicate that she was not as interested as she secretly was; at least, that was what he finally had come to understand when he was swept up in the confusion of trying to figure out what all of that meant, which is what lead to one of his famous songs about her. Except recently, she really did all of those things because she wasn't interested... until she suddenly admitted that he was the love of her life, which once again swept him up into shock once more. So, now the rules were back to the start where she would do all of these things because she secretly liked him?

"That'd be great, Héctor".

Well that completely threw him for a loop. His eyes widened in bewilderment. Imelda really had a knack for keeping him on his toes and keeping him guessing all the time! An intrigued smile formed on his face at that moment, taking delight in the way she always caught him off guard in this way. He missed this. She made him crazy in keeping him guessing like this, but he loved her so much for it. He grinned happily when he managed to convince Imelda about having a job here, though he raised an eyesocket curiously when she didn't have in mind for him to be sweeping. "Yes!! I could even start now if you want!" His smile grew to one of delight and one that was sheer hopeless romantic in nature upon hearing her say that she didn't mind him coming around more often! That was a good sign all things considering wasn't it?! Suddenly, he heard Victoria drop her pencil, which caused him to excuse himself from his seat to go over to help her get it, "Oh, I got it, mija!" Ever since he found out that Victoria was his granddaughter, the only one in this room of his own blood, - and who, unbeknownst to him, had the same cheekbones as him - he just wanted to do anything possible to be close enough to get to know her; for the moment, it involved helping her with picking up a pencil. Unfortunately, his movement away from the table revealed the plate of pan dulces all the more clearly to the rest of her family, but especially Rosita.

"Oh! You're not eating!"

Upon hearing Rosita point this out, the skeletal musician abruptly halted in his steps with a blink of his brown eyes and turned to glance over at his daughter-in-law inquisitively, being caught off guard by that as well. Despite having a fake family, Héctor wasn't used to someone watching out for his appetite in the shanty town simply because he always automatically shared everything he had. The last person that cared about his appetite was Imelda, even with her asking the other day about whether he ate during the tours of the cities, but he wasn't used to having other people around to care about him like family in this way. He always tended to busy himself too much when he was alive to eat, which was why he was always so skinny. He smiled sheepishly as he glimpsed over at the pan dulce. "Eh, well, you know, I don't want to get too full.." It wasn't technically a lie, he didn't say that he WAS full, just that he didn't want to get full. It was impossible for him to get full off of two pan dulces if he'd never eaten in a long time though. Not being used to this in a while, he had forgotten that it was frowned upon to not eat everything off your plate. Although he would have just said that he wanted to save it for later, he didn't want to give away the fact that he didn't have that much food where he lived. He didn't want that kind of sympathy. Thankfully, Héctor still had to get Victoria's pencil to use that as a distraction away from the topic! He knelt down in front of the table, since the pencil had rolled a ways underneath the table until it was now in front of it. "Tada!" The kneeling skeleton presented the pencil to her with a bright smile. "There you go, mija.." He said gently, smiling up at his granddaughter endearingly. He hoped that this would be the start of the many things that he would do to help her and to be close to his granddaughter. Maybe he could even find out what it was that happened to her. Despite him abruptly asking everyone else how they died as a tour guide, he knew better than to ask that of his family members. It was easier to say that to people that you'd never see again than family members that you actually wanted to stick around with. He knew that from experience after dealing with Gustavo and telling him how he had died.

Back to his previous business though. Obviously hoping that they forgot about the pan dulce to not bring it up again. The tall skeleton then casually leaned on the table he was previously at, leaning closely by Imelda, his elbows on the table. "So, Imelda..you said you got better ideas in mind for me?" He spoke so vaguely with his eyelids half-lowered and that charming grin, it almost sounded like he was asking if she meant when she said she could 'find better things for him to do than sweeping' meaning more than just cleaning. Of course, his grin turned sheepish and he safely decided to add that he meant cleaning just in case. "You know, I can be hardworking too, Imelda. Tell me what I can do to help!" He asked with a mixture of excitement and curiosity on his skeletal expression, wondering what kinds of things she had in mind for him as far as helping out with this place. He wasn't being ironic when he said that he was hardworking. He really was hard working in comparison to Ernesto, who liked to party even when they were alive; Héctor had to be the one to ground Ernesto into practicing for the rehearsals all the time, of course, that wasn't without the passive boy being able to give into Ernesto and party after rehearsals were over. No, Héctor really took being a musician seriously and took his time in creating the songs until they were just right. Even after he gave up on musicians, Héctor moved on to being a tour bus guide for work until he was fired and being forgotten to the point where no one wanted him for a temporary stay, which ended up not being as temporary as most people thought.

"Pfft this is nothing compared to cleaning up Chich's mini van..!" Héctor mused to himself as he glanced around the room as far as organization went. This place was pretty organized save for the freshly few scraps on the floor that his family had done from the shoes that they were making now. Suddenly, the skeletal musician paused with widened eyes upon realization of something. Chicharron's guitar! Where was it?! After he tried to mentally back track his steps to recall the last place he saw it, he suddenly uttered a gasp with widened eyes of despair. "Ay, no!" He instantly pulled down his hat to groan in his hat out of exasperation and agitation. "Eugghhhhh!!!" Once that was done, he lowered his hat from his face onto the table with a deadpan expression. "I got to go back to Ernesto's dumb mansion!" Héctor slid his skeletal hand over his face in frustration suddenly upon realizing that the last place Miguel had it with him was in the mansion. It must still be there! His tone of voice wasn't excited though, it was more of reluctance for having to go back to that dumb place that Ernesto lived after everything that happened. "It was a guitar for Miguel that I borrowed from my friend, Chicharron, just before.." He explained to Imelda before faltering with a morose sigh, deciding that talking about the Final Death was not want she wanted to keep hearing, even though he was so used to seeing it himself. "..Ah fine, it's fine, I'll just go and pick it up. Imelda, you..?" He wanted to ask if she wanted to go with him, but he hesitated with a shy smile, figuring that he was probably pushing his luck as it was. "..You need anything else before I go?" Héctor resolved to do whatever she wanted of him to do first before he would get that guitar, proving where his priorities are with helping out her and the family.  Although he would ask Imelda if she wanted to go anywhere with him, he couldn't ask Imelda to go with him to Ernesto's mansion just for a silly guitar; he was already pushing his luck, and not even he wanted to go back there unless there was a very good reason.. but still, he wouldn't mind having company if she or anyone else did considering everything that happened last time he was there. 

[Mamá Imelda]

Imelda of course knew the game she was supposed to be playing better than anyone. In a way it was...refreshing, to feel like they had gone back to those times. That this was a new start in a way, with all the promise of the other.

That her stubbornness hadn't irreparably ruined everything.

And keeping Héctor on his toes was still sort of fun; Imelda held in a smile at his utterly bewildered look, a bit stunned she could still shock him so well, surely even with their time apart he had more clues than that, but oddly thrilled by it too.

Of course there were some things about Héctor that would never change! And Imelda wouldn't have them change either.

"Yes!! I could even start now if you want!"

Imelda just rolled her eyes slightly, but smiled that smile that Héctor should find familiar of indulging him. "Whenever you wish". Oh this, and lapsing into something like a familiar pattern felt good!

Imelda was given a small moment to absorb this as Héctor bent to retrieve Victoria's pencil so caringly. Imelda watched, her metaphoric heart warming slightly and then hurting that she had robbed him of years with which to be a caring grandfather. Well not her, that...person! She was slightly baffled by what had caused Victoria to drop her pencil, she was usually so on point and careful, and honestly it wasn't like Imelda was even actually flirting yet! Her cheeks would have reddened at even that thought but thankfully couldn't.

Imelda still kept a beat and watch of the room even with not pausing her work, as she so effortlessly did, and so of course caught Rosita's over concern. It was a very telling thing about Héctor's inclusion for her to do such.

"Eh, well, you know, I don't want to get too full.."

This statement was met with a snort from the corner the twins occupied, "Get too full! That Flaco!", they fell into their own familiar pattern of teasing. Imelda smiled to herself, of course that hadn't been exactly what Héctor had said, but leave it to her brothers to use it in any way they could.

Victoria blinked, and took the pencil, still a bit awkwardly, "Uh...Gracias".

Héctor was back to the table post-haste. Imelda kept her focus on her work.

"So, Imelda..you said you got better ideas in mind for me?"

It wasn't like she wasn't used to how he was, or had been, it had just been so many years since trying to show him serious things around Héctor being teasing or playful. Pulling such teasing now might be a bit soon, Imelda thought but wasn't sure if she would tell him. She blinked and glanced up to him even as he retracted and went on.

"You know, I can be hardworking too, Imelda. Tell me what I can do to help!"

Imelda gave it serious thought. What...wouldn't make him feel he'd been brushed aside but also...kept him nearby perhaps. For Imelda thought of an old storage closet that needed going through but it was all the way on the other end of the shop.

While she was thinking, Héctor of course went on.

"Pfft this is nothing compared to cleaning up Chich's mini van..!"

Imelda glanced sharply to him, "It would be insulting if you did compare my shop to some friend's van", she only sounded teasingly insulted though and her small smile showed she wasn't actually all that upset. She glanced down to her work again, and was about to ask who Chich was, realizing with a slight hit, of just her own regret, she knew absolutely nothing of Héctor's life, or death, for all those years apart; but Héctor's complaint to himself interrupted.

"Ay, no! Eugghhhhh!!!"

She, and probably the whole shop, looked to him and watched.

"I got to go back to Ernesto's dumb mansion!"

The words sent a shock of panic through Imelda. Back there! But what if that sneaky no good...what if he had somehow got out of that bell and was there now? The thought of him doing anything further to Héctor was something Imelda couldn't process!

"It was a guitar for Miguel that I borrowed from my friend, Chicharron, just before....Ah fine, it's fine, I'll just go and pick it up. Imelda, you..?"

Héctor explained further, next turning to her. Imelda was already standing with the slight false assumption. "Of course I...".

"..You need anything else before I go?"

She paused and blinked at him, a small silent conversation of understanding almost passing, she felt, or coming to realize herself Héctor's thoughts on this. No of course he wouldn't ask her to go with him if it was so dangerous; but of course she wasn't letting him go alone!

"I'm coming with you Héctor", her words left room for no argument, but of course of everyone Héctor always had to most leeway with trying, "If anything...!", Imelda stopped her words, pondered not saying them, but then in the interest of how hiding important things let them come, or changed them about, though her voice was sort of small as she went on "I'm not losing you again...".

As she did when she said emotionally showing things, Imelda quickly changed the subject, turning to the family, "Julio", she quickly picked someone to be in charge, "You watch the shop, we'll be right back". It was it's own promise that dumb Ernesto was not going to try anything.

Imelda then bustled outside to wait for Héctor, and try to pretend she hadn't been as transparent as she had.

[Deleted]

"Whenever you wish"

"Okay! Then I wish to start as soon as you want me!" Oops. Oops. Oops. Héctor mentally kicked himself right now. He didn't mean for that to come out like that! It was a good thing he didn't blush because he would have by now. Instantly, he rubbed his forearm with a shy smile. "Eh, I mean.... whenever there is a need?" He corrected himself timidly with a shrug, hoping that Imelda understood that he didn't mean it the other way.. just whenever a job was needed to be done, he hoped that she could just count on him to do it. Sadly, Héctor was too cynical at this point to believe that Imelda could really want him in the other way, especially after their exchange in the kitchen earlier. 

A hint of familiarity rung in his ears upon hearing the snickering from Imelda's twin brothers, making fun of his thin physique. They weren't the only ones that used to call him calaca when he was alive, which was ironic given that at least a belt could fit him when he was alive - now that he was a skeleton, he was too thin for even a belt to fit him now. Still, he had a perfect good reason for saving this pan dulce.. he just didn't want to say it out loud. "Ha-ha! Very funny guys!" He waved it off with a skeletal hand and a small boyish pout, which he couldn't help but turn into a tiny smile upon feeling like.. it was almost like home..that hint of familiarity. He could take this. At least they weren't mad at him like they used to be. Plus, this was better than what the other musicians said to make fun of him for, though little did he know that that would soon stop as well given that most of the people in the audience learned that he was murdered instead of choking on a chorizo. 

"It would be insulting if you did compare my shop to some friend's van",

Héctor flinched upon realizing how that sounded, "Eh.. what I said, just now?... I meant to say that there is no comparison, Imelda!" He tried to fix his words, bearing his sheepish grin at her. Technically, that wasn't a lie. The mini van was gone, so there was really nothing to compare her shop to anyway. Also..He wasn't just some friend. His smile faltered a little bit as he thought about Chich. If only his fake cousin could have come back from the Final Death like he did. The tall skeleton shook those thoughts away and attempted to be positive, smiling more at her again. Well, there was no sense in dwelling over it; it would happen to him eventually, so he might as well make the best of it now. He was disgrunted that unfortunately, part of that time would be spent going to that dumb mansion just to get a guitar, but he knew that if he didn't get it now, it was just going to be picked up by someone else or maybe even the security later on. What were the chances that the dumb quasi-nesto would come out of his bell anyway?   

"I'm coming with you Héctor",

The last thing the centenarian skeleton expected - but in retrospect, knowing how Imelda was, SHOULD have expected - happened. His eye sockets slanted upward while he parted his mouth in shock, half inclined to shake his head but he stopped himself from doing so. He didn't want to drag Imelda into this just for a guitar, especially if it would end up in potential danger if Ernesto did come out of his dumb shell, but even he had to recognize that Imelda was just like La Adelita. Imelda proved that she was not afraid of Ernesto, though he still didn't like him knocking her down like that. While he found himself in the land of speechlessness, Imelda continued, even saying another unexpected thing:  

"If anything...! I'm not losing you again..."

Imelda said that last part so quietly, Héctor's eyesockets arched while he blinked in his cynical disbelief as if he were hoping he wasn't hearing things out of his tiny amount of hope left in his hopeless romantic heart to dream that she would say such things to him like before. Yet as she continued to command Julio to watch the shop, it struck him that this was real. His rib cage elevated as if he took a deep breath from his heart pounding. She really said that! When Imelda walked passed him, Héctor was slowly pulling himself out of speechlessness and finding words again. Imelda walking away spurred him into action once again. He instantly grabbed his remaining pan dulce in both of his hands. "Wait, wait..Victoria?" He entrusted his untouched pan dulce that he wanted to save to his granddaughter. "Save this for me. I'm coming back for this!" He called out to her pleadingly before he stuffed the remaining bit of pan dulce that he was eating earlier in his small bag that was tied around his waist and ran over to catch up with Imelda. 

As soon as he joined Imelda's side, Héctor parted his mouth so many times as if he wanted to tell her something. He wanted to thank her for coming with him but, he wasn't sure if that would come off as weird since it wasn't exactly what Héctor would have liked to be thankful for anyway. It wasn't like it was a date or a dance that he wanted to thank her for. It was going back to Ernesto's place, his ex-best friend that murdered him. Who would thank anyone for going to that place? "..You said that you don't want to lose me again, Imelda..?" He asked instead with a romantic smile, wanting to make sure that meant what he thought it meant.

[Mamá Imelda]

"Okay! Then I wish to start as soon as you want me!"

Though Imelda felt she fully understood Héctor at any given moment, and what he both would and wouldn't say, this statement, and the way it came out, caused a pause and Imelda sharply glanced up in stunned shock.

"Eh, I mean.... whenever there is a need?"

Of course she'd known this was what he meant! But everything was so awkward right now and as they were finding a way to even speak comfortably around one another. Even...even the thought of possibly allowing Héctor to kiss her again seemed so incredibly foreign, even after her singing and his playing of just the other night.

Imelda did nothing to help the awkward either, just smiling a bit tightly and glancing back down. Letting the moment pass, and as her brothers teased Héctor.

"Eh.. what I said, just now?... I meant to say that there is no comparison, Imelda!"

She aimed another small smile to him...and noticed his forlorn expression. Had she stepped on a sore spot without knowing...

Imelda pushed the thought aside, partly to move on, and partly because she didn't like thinking on Héctor's time here but abandoned by them in the town of the Forgotten.

As she stood and followed Héctor out, or intended to, if he didn't pause, she noticed everyone's stunned expressions.

Victoria's own stunned gaze went from her grandparents to her grandfather's pan dulce and as she gave a small nod to this request. Oscar and Felipe just shared a look.

Outside Imelda just focused on her quick steps before she felt more than saw Héctor join her at her side. of course wanting an explanation of what she had just said!

"Congratulations, you can still hear...", Imelda half-snapped out and quickened her pace. She wasn't sure why she chose to be difficult in this exact moment. Probably the embarrassed emotions; and that statement was easier than...actually addressing what was swirling inside her. Wasn't once a night enough for that?

[Deleted]

The awkward silence at the beginning was not the best feeling in the world, though he still smiled awkwardly throughout. He felt like that shy boy again when he was 16! Except this was different because Imelda didn't hold any grudges towards him in the beginning like she did now and they were also married now.. weren't they? Well, they used to be..that was not a truth he wanted to face right now. Perhaps what made it not the best feeling was the fact that Imelda said nothing towards her ever wanting him or him wanting her one day, so that hurt a bit. He knew as much because she said it to him in the kitchen, but.. this was a wake up call to further supplement what she had said earlier. Still, it just made him try all the more to prove that he could still be the love of her life. 
 
"Oh s-si, of course, Mamá Imelda!"

Héctor regarded Julio now, whom he initially regarded as a son-in-law, though he cynically figured that perhaps it wasn't the case anymore. Not quite yet. He then watched as Rosita glanced over at Victoria holding Héctor's pan dulce and offered to put it on a plate for Victoria to hold with her helpful tone of voice saying: "Here, mija!" The only one that was truly part of his blood so-to-speak was Victoria, no matter what he was in the end. That was why it was such an easy decision for him to entrust the pan dulce to Victoria. Even if Imelda and him were not officially married anymore, Coco was always his daughter and Victoria would always be Coco's daughter and his granddaughter. No matter what. 

"Congratulations, you can still hear..."

Although it did falter for a second or two at the ends of his smile, Héctor's smile remained despite Imelda's usual push back. He bravely accepted as much given how badly he had hurt her, but he was truly focused on the fact that she didn't deny her words this time! Also, at least she was still talking to him. He would rather take all of her criticisms than to have her silence. Oh, if he could just tell all the husbands of the world that would complain about their wives criticizing them, he would tell them that it was the greatest feeling in the world for their wives to care enough to say those things. The moment Imelda stopped caring to talk to him, it was as if his world shook. He would do anything to continue to get her to criticize him or talk to him, just to hear her care enough to talk to him. He'll take it all. Even her wanting to come with him to this dumb mansion, he'll still count that as a blessing! 

As Imelda tried to increase her pace, Héctor tried to increase his pace as well in order to catch up to her, limping slightly as he did so. Though his limp was not as pronounced as it used to be given that his fibula bone was not coming loose as he walked, there was still a small limp that could be noticeable if anyone were to really observe him closely, given the taped condition of his tibia bone. The skeletal musician did start to notice people were looking at them and seemed to be talking in whispers around them, but he figured it was because of Imelda's spectacular performance, not knowing that they were being recorded back stage.  

Suddenly, the centenarian skeleton stopped abruptly, venturing to offer a suggestion with a sheepish smile, "Hey Imelda, eh..this is the faster way?" He didn't want to insult her sense of direction but, having been around for 96 years, he knew all the short cuts and the fastest trollies to get to places he wanted to be. That was how he was able to reach Miguel at the mansion so quickly after getting his Frida costume. "Come on, don't worry! I got spare tickets for the both of us!" Héctor grinned confidently, pulling out the two tickets from his bag that was tied around his rope belt. The other All Day ticket was Miguel's ticket, which was how they were able to get anywhere in this place. He noticed a crumb fall from the corner of his eyes, causing him to turn with his eye sockets raising to notice that the ticket was full of crumbs! His eyes widened. But how-?! Oh yeah, he forgot that he stuffed his pan dulce in there. Héctor frantically waved the tickets in the air to make the crumbs fall out of the tickets, causing most of it to fall off.  "Eheh..it's still good?" He shrugged with a sheepish grin, hoping she wouldn't be too thrown off by that. Ay, why did all the dumb things have to happen to him around Imelda. He was supposed to look impressive! As he took a second to wait for Imelda's response, all the while Héctor smiled hopefully as he pleaded in his mind: Please don't take Pepita. Please don't take Pepita. Please don't take Pepita. 

[Mamá Imelda]

Imelda wasn't any more comfortable, in her awkwardly trying to focus on work she still couldn't focus on, after her words, though she wasn't in Héctor's state of anxiety over where they stood. Probably because she held the answers to that, just locked up. And not that she withheld to be cruel, but she could hardly make her even small perhaps come out verbally.

And there was the rest of the family to consider! Sitting prying in the room, no matter how focused they seemed on their own work.

Julio gave an affirmative answer, for him, as she and Héctor left, and Imelda nodded to herself that at least that part of life wasn't complicated and she was still matriarch, however they fit Héctor into that also. Victoria noticed her aunt's offer to help with the plate and took it, all of them seeming thrown for a loop.

As they walked, Imelda took notice of how Héctor's limping was getting worse as he struggled to keep up. Tonto...I didn't ask you to over do it just because...

Imelda kept her slightly annoyed thoughts to herself and yet subtly (or attempted) slowed her pace. She ignored the crowd. Now as to calling Pepita...

"Hey Imelda, eh..this is the faster way?"

Héctor drew her attention again. Imelda glanced over to see him holding up tickets for...

No no no no no...

Though she remained calm, her eyes widened slightly, but not for the crumbs Héctor knocked off before facing her hopefully again.

"Eheh..it's still good?"

"Grand...", Ok her sarcasm wasn't getting them anywhere... Imelda sighed and let some of her mask down, "Héctor...", she bit her lip, and gave a subtle glance to make sure they were alone, she would admit this to him alone. Once she got to admitting. Facing him again, she glanced from him to the ticket. "Pepita is guaranteed safe...those things...well they make me nervous ok".

Imelda Rivera, matriarch of the family, didn't admit to being nervous lightly...or ever.

She was also fully aware Héctor had ridden Pepita when he was nervous but...well at the time it had been just desserts in a sense. Was this his chance for payback? No...Héctor would never do that, she realized. In fact if she did this, she was going to have to rely on him a lot, she also realized, and it would perhaps be its own step. She just stood there, unsure, but not demanding they take Pepita.

[Deleted]

Héctor slowed his pace slightly as Imelda did, though he had no idea why. Maybe she got tired easy. He didn't think it was because of his bones. Either way, they were close to the area where they had to make the decision to make the trolley.. at least he hoped they would take the trolley. Imelda's eye widening made his sheepish smile draw wider as he stood there pathetically holding up the tickets, taking that as her not really impressed with the crumbs that were on it. Imelda sounded like she was going to make another one of her sharp comments, but she stopped, causing him to arch his eye sockets curiously. 

"Héctor..."

The skeletal con artist shifted his eyes from one side to another as she did so and stepped closer, thinking that this was some kind of secret that he was instantly apart of. He didn't know how he would get pulled into these kind of secrecy type things, but something was telling him in his invisible gut, that things were just going to go downhill for him from here. Miguel did this to him too many times! 

"Pepita is guaranteed safe..."

"What?! Imelda-!" Héctor couldn't help but react to that comment at first in as much of a hushed tone of voice as he could, wanting to whine before placing his hand on his forehead as he calmed himself, lowering his eyelids to a deadpan expression with a frown as if to ask if she was really arguing this. Because this was crazy! That is not guaranteed safe! At least there were cables on those things! Pepita just decides to do one sudden turn in her little joyride, then they fall and break all the bones! Breaking bones that is not supposed to break was NOT fun nor guaranteed safe! At least the trollies always went the same pace and the same direction! 

Ayyyyyyy. This was just like all the times that Imelda made him do crazy things when they were young! Imelda was making him loco!

"Those things...well they make me nervous ok".

The cynical musician was about to ask if she was loco for seriously suggesting that Pepita would be safer than the trollies until he closed his mouth and blinked his brown eyes upon hearing her say that she was nervous. Instantly, his expression softened from shocked to understanding. Oh, sure, Héctor knew more than anyone when Imelda was nervous. He could see it on her face just before she was performing, but Imelda had never admitted to anything like that to anyone out loud to just anyone, the last time being that she was worried about him during those times when he left to play at concert close to a riot during the Mexican Revolution and.. even though she never said it and though he was too immature to realize at the time, but those arguments they had were her being worried about him going to the tours, too. "But-!" The centenarian skeleton tried to whine like a kid, wanting to say that Pepita also made him nervous, but he ultimately failed to finish saying anything and relented with a deep sigh. He could never intentionally force to make Imelda uncomfortable, even if it was fair.  It also occured to him that Imelda didn't trust him, and for good reason. Then, suddenly, Chicharron's voice popped into his head: You want it? Then you got to earn it. And he knew that if he wanted Imelda's trust, he would have to do a lot more to earn Imelda's trust about riding something with him that would make her nervous. "Aughh.. Okay fine! We'll ride Pepita.." He removed the hand out of his forehead with a shift of his eyes off to the side and a pout tugging on his face. His other skeletal hand folded the tickets back into his bag tied around his rope belt. Miguel was just like her in this way! In the end though, the centenarian skeleton maturely acknowledged that he deserved to feel the most uncomfortable out of the both of them considering what he had done. 

"'Guaranteed safe'..No! Qué cosa!"..(Literally translates to 'what a thing!' But it's slang for sarcastically saying: Unbelieveable!)" As he waited for Pepita to arrive, the pouty skeleton muttered cynically to himself lowly under his breath with a cross of his arms the way he muttered to himself when he was questioning why Miguel wanted to be a famous musician to perform like a monkey in front of strangers. Yeah, it was his alebrije technically first, but he was just fine with walking or taking the trollies! He got along just fine without any help from any alebrije! The thought did cross his mind that if it weren't for Pepita, he wouldn't have been able to get out of that sinkhole, and if it weren't for Pepita's fast pace, Miguel wouldn't have survived that fall after Ernesto dropped him. Ayyy. Fine, Imelda was right about Pepita being faster, but that still did not make him feel any less nervous! 

[Mamá Imelda]

Héctor leaned in, like she was about to tell him a secret, and of course in a way she was.

"What?! Imelda-!"

Amidst her own explanation, Imelda sighed, why had she expected a different reaction out of him! She was close to being actually annoyed, but her later statement had some effect. He looked...understanding...for one moment.

He tried to argue it further before relenting.

"Aughh.. Okay fine! We'll ride Pepita.."

Imelda was a bit surprised there wasn't a further fight about it and that Héctor relented even this easily. She was also relieved though, and a bit of the tension in her shoulders lessened, "Gracias Héctor", she said simply, but there was an undercurrent of true gratitude and relief. They walked off further so she could whistle for the Alebrije.

She acknowledged Héctor's own nervousness, though, and even as he muttered about it!

"'Guaranteed safe'..No! Qué cosa!"

Imelda smirked to herself, "Cálmese Héctor, Pepita won't drop you". This was probably another fact he'd question.

There was another fact she had yet to state.

Well or two...

"Héctor, about earlier...", he may not know which issue she meant, and Imelda didn't get to clarify before Pepita's roar sounded out and the Jaguar landed before them. Imelda walked forward to pet her then deftly hoist herself up on her back. She breathed in a sigh before going on, "Well come on, and...of course you can ride up here this time...".

[Deleted]

Imelda was ultimately treated way better than Héctor would have treated anyone else in her position. He would have argued immaturely just like he did to Miguel, but.. Imelda was different in comparison to anyone else. The first time riding Pepita out of the sinkhole was enough for Héctor to know that this was going to be the same all the time, and he was not keen on doing things for the second time. No, after what Ernesto did to him, he was finally learning his lessons and not falling for the same mistakes again. The only reason he was doing this again was.. because he loved her, and still despite all his fears and nerves, he was still willing to put that all to the side for her or anyone else he cared for. Ultimately, the skeleton was self-sacrificing, and he would rather take the hit than see her, Miguel or anyone else hurt, physically or emotionally. 

"Gracias Héctor"

And for that. Just watching the tension leave her shoulders as she spoke those words... That was what he wanted to do: take the years of tension off of her shoulders. Chich was right. If he wanted something, he had to earn it. Héctor just smiled at her endearingly. In the end, though she was making him un poco loco by saying things in reverse like Pepita being safer than a trolley, Imelda was always like his queen and he respected her too much to allow her to be afraid or uncomfortable in any way. 

"Cálmese Héctor, Pepita won't drop you"

Neither would a trolley. Héctor sighed, trying to take in Imelda's reassurances, though his fears were not really allowing him to take it in by much. He could easily drop himself from certain heights without a worry, but there were certain heights beyond that one that would easily cause bones to break apart that were not meant to break apart and she at least never had to experience that kind of pain.  Still, he turned his head over his shoulder to peek over at her by his side with his eye sockets tilted upward when she was about to mention something from earlier, his expression one of curiosity as if he was not at all grumbling earlier. Héctor had a way of getting over things pretty easily. However, the fact that Pepita's roar caused Imelda to drop the entire subject made him lower his eye sockets to a dead pan expression at Pepita. Really Pepita? You couldn't just roar at another time?! 

Just before he could think to offer his hand to help her, the skeleton musician's mouth parted in amazement as he watched the petite Imelda get on the alebrije with ease. Imelda was something else. Héctor eyed the tail with his eye sockets tilted upward with worry upon recalling how much Pepita's tail swayed side to side as they flew. Ay! The things he did for love! Technically, falling on the ground could not be worse than the pain of the Final Death. Nothing could be worse than that. He didn't know why that wasn't reassuring still. Probably because he would realistically rather not deal with pain at all? Why did he have to choose between two different types of pain? 

"Well come on, and...of course you can ride up here this time...".

Well. That made things un poquito better. If only just a little. The tall skeleton smiled a little brightly upon hearing that invitation and readily took it. "Ah, gracias..!"  He smiled up at Imelda shyly as he looked up at her atop of the tall alebrije from down below. He then raised his arms up to grab onto Pepita's hair or something and clambered up behind Imelda in such an awkward way, it was almost similar to how he would get on a horse without a saddle probably. In fact, his hand slipped and he somehow face planted onto Pepita's back, his chin hitting her furry back. On second thought, he decided to stay laying on Pepita like this behind Imelda and holding on for dear life. It worked last time. 

[Mamá Imelda]

Imelda found a small smile back to Héctor's own endearing one after he dropped the subject of the trolley...because she admitted she was nervous. She wished, in a way, she could be as open as Héctor was with his emotions, but then he had spent all those years apart still just hoping for a chance to see her again, while she had been busy burying what she felt.

What she said she once felt, but knew wasn't true now. She was just trying to take this calm and calculated, like all those years ago at their beginning...and Héctor was rushing on ahead. Again.

After her offer for Héctor to ride up there with her, Imelda watched him. Granted Pepita had made it a bit easier on her, helping her with a leg to use as a step. The Alebrije seemed content to just let Héctor figure it out. Imelda hid a smile, then sighed inwardly as Héctor "managed it", sort of. Whatever, if she helped him right himself then came another tricky subject of if she let him sit with his arms around her or not. She'd prepared herself that that was what she was saying she was alright with with her invitation, but now...

Well taking it step at a time also wasn't a bad thing.

"Alright Pepita, to the ugly mansion", she spoke, and the Alebrije took off, seemingly not even questioning why they were going there. Last time, Imelda had ignored Héctor's presence, but this time she glanced back every now and again to make sure he was still there. Which of course he was.

They made good time over to the mansion Imelda wasn't fond to see again and Pepita landed outside. Imelda hopped down before Héctor had to decide if he would offer his hand or not and stood looking up at it with plain to see distaste, then glanced over and around for something. "Pepita, go guard the bell", she didn't even have to say why or for who. Pepita flew off and over to the structure.

"See, a trolley isn't also a guard cat", Imelda gave Héctor a small smile. When would he stop doubting she knew what she was doing? Well...they were at an awkward stage still, but even so!

"Alright", she sighed, bracing herself for actually entering the detestable mansion, "Let's hope we can find it quick, where do you think Miguel left it?". She had enough of the story to know that was why they were here.

[Deleted]

If only Héctor knew that the love of his life actually did care enough to pay attention, perhaps he would have tried to look back at her as they headed to what Imelda called the "ugly mansion" that used to be Ernesto's fancy mansion. He would have been touched to know that she cared about him enough to look over her shoulder to see that he was still with her, at least. However, as it stood, the skeletal musician did not even veer his head to look back to see if she was watching because he was mostly trying not to look down as he gripped onto the alebrije for dear.. after life? He was just relieved that it finally stopped. 

Once again, the tall skeleton slowly ventured to extend his foot out like a duckling testing the waters, his expression full of concern that he couldn't even touch the floor even with his height - still something he wasn't used to for the tall skeleton, and practically losing his head in the process of falling off of Pepita. He still couldn't get that right even after the first time. Still, Héctor tried to keep his charms and smiled sheepishly out of his hopes that she didn't see him do that, and extended his hand out to help her dismount Pepita in a gentlemanly fashion before he realized that Imelda had already hopped down without even waiting for him to do that! Imelda even gave it a face of distaste, causing his smile to falter slightly as he lowered his hand down to his side again, though he still tried to keep his nervous smile spread over his bearded chin. 

"Pepita, go guard the bell",

Héctor tilted his eyesockets upward as he glanced over curiously when Pepita instantly took off without even a questioning gaze when Imelda commanded her to guard the bell. He blinked in surprise at such an idea that never occurred to him. That would be the best way to make sure Ernesto doesn't try escaping while they were ransacking his mansion. Imelda's teasing remark about a guard cat being better than a trolley made him smile a little as he turned his attention back to her. "Okay, yes, that was a good idea, Imelda.." He admitted gently with a small, impressed smile. He wouldn't admit that Pepita was a good idea because he still preferred the trolley but.. that was a good idea to have pepita be the guard against Ernesto from escaping. In fact, Imelda had a lot of good ideas. If only Imelda was with him when he was figuring out all of his ideas to cross the bridge. She probably would have supplied him with even more good ideas. Ah well. That was over with. As they turned to face the mansion, being in the outdoor courtyard on the second floor above the trolley-type of elevator, Héctor glanced back over his shoulder to watch the direction where Pepita seemed to land, never having seen which bell Pepita had kicked him under, and engraving the direction into his mind with a look of determination in that frown that he wore that he was going to pay Ernesto a visit as soon as he had the chance. He still had a few things to say to that idiota that he couldn't otherwise when he was passing away to the Final Death. 

"Alright, Let's hope we can find it quick, where do you think Miguel left it?"

If the skeleton could swallow, he would have. A sheepish grin spread across his angular face, much like the kind that he would wear when he would be caught in a lie. In reality, he just felt a little embarrassed that he was not really helpful at the moment in regards for finding this guitar as easily. That was partly the other reason he took it upon himself to go here himself, he had no idea where it was and he didn't want to waste anyone's time trying to search a whole mansion looking for a guitar. "Eh... actually? ..I.. don't really know where it is!"  He exclaimed insecurely with a shrug, "By the time I met up with them in the main lobby.. Miguel didn't have the guitar with him,"  That smile faded to a solemn frown upon recollecting what transpired after he managed to sneak through the entrance in his Frida costume to see Miguel talking with Ernesto. A sigh escaped his mouth at the thought of going back there with all those dumb screens that made fun of his life. He gazed at her with his eyelids lowered and a cynical frown. "C'mon, I'll show you to the lobby." There was a hesitation in his voice as well as his frown on his face as he trudged over up the stairs to the lobby, preferring to guide anyone anywhere else but there. 

As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, a security guard stopped them. "Hey! How did you get up here?! No one is allowed to be here." 

Héctor narrowed his eyes at the security guard as he balled up his skeletal hands by his sides. "If no one is allowed here, then why are you allowed here?!" He retorted back immaturely in their defense, much like he would have to the musicians or even Miguel; He would never talk this way to Imelda though. However, he was already annoyed at having to go back to this stupid mansion to see that stupid lobby and now he was mad at the security guards for still defending Ernesto despite what he did to Miguel, after trying to kill him twice now! 

[Mamá Imelda]

If Imelda noticed that Héctor had been holding out his hand at all, she didn't give any indication. There was enough going on that she had to work through and figure out, she...didn't need to ponder if she would ever let him take her hand again. Which would be merely a step. Or hold her like he once had, he didn't have a heart beat to feel anymore as she recalled she seemed to fit all but perfectly against him and under his chin as they would sway in dancing or just being...

Telling Pepita to go guard the bell was welcome distraction and as she shoved these thoughts back where they'd lived for years, to be analyzed later.

Then she could side glance over to him again without fear.

How shocked he looked at her plan almost insulted her. Of course she had this under control. A false sense of it, in reality.

"Okay, yes, that was a good idea, Imelda.."

”Of course”, was all she said, but it was its own leniency towards Héctor. Anyone else, and she would have gone on to defend her point. She didn’t have to do that with Héctor, she knew.

He also got away with more...

Such as his sheepishly admitting he didn’t know where the guitar was. Imelda sighed, but more at the situation than at him.

"By the time I met up with them in the main lobby.. Miguel didn't have the guitar with him,"

Imelda didn’t sigh again, outwardly, but turned her mind to what now. ”Well...”, as she turned to Héctor to comment, she noticed the shadow in his expression and fell silent herself. She could guess where Hector’s thoughts were, given where she and Pepita had found him...

Ernesto wouldn’t do it again, Imelda was resolved, but couldn’t quite make the resolve verbal before Héctor went on.

C'mon, I'll show you to the lobby."

Shantytown, with its load of bad recollections of what she’d allowed was more preferable...but Imelda followed.

The security guard shocked her, just for still being here. Whatever for? Ernesto surely couldn’t still pay them and Imelda highly doubted loyalty. Though she of all knew Ernesto’s manipulative capabilities and ability to turn one’s thoughts process. Why else had Héctor agreed...

This was not the best thing to recall right before confronting the security guard, but Imelda moved in front of Héctor as she noticed him floundering, or resorting to immature toss outs.

Imelda was hardly capable of putting aside her anger either, she could just still function and work results with moderate skill along with. Intimidation having more luck than Immaturity.

”Look, mi familia and I are getting tired of defeating you”, she reminded who they were, and saw a flicker of hesitation in the security guard, before he stood tall again, glancing them over.

Fine, if that was how he wanted to play it!

Imelda expertly pried her boot off to use it to further get her point across, bringing it down, and next blinking in surprise as the security guard caught her hand! Admittedly, she went to pry it back, so wasn’t sure if he just let go, or if she was shoved aside (like with Ernesto!) but she let out a frustrated noise as she found herself on the ground!

”You...!”, she was already making to stand up, to this time give him more of her mind!

[Deleted]

"Of course,"

An endearing smile formed on the slender skeleton's face upon hearing Imelda's confident words. Héctor was glad, of the two of them, that she never lost sight of her worth, even after all that she had endured without him. Yet he knew Imelda was that way since he met her, so he was glad that she never lost that part of her self even after all the years. She was truly worth so much, like an apple that was the highest on the tree that he was willing to make the climb to reach for, which was why the passive Héctor was even willing to deal with his fears of flying if it meant another chance to even be remotely near her again. 

Héctor couldn't hide how bad he felt in the apologetic frown he wore when Imelda sighed outwardly and expressed her annoyance or frustration, though he wasn't sure if it was at him or the situation given that she was still sore with him. His cynical side figured it was at him, unfortunately. The last thing he wanted was to waste her time. If anything, he wanted to use all the time that he had left in this world to make it up to her, not make her annoyed. He was too passive to tell her no though, not only because he was a normal guy that would find it hard to say no to the love of your life wanting to be with you somewhere.. but especially because, he acknowledged that Imelda was strong enough to take care of herself, too. 

”Look, mi familia and I are getting tired of defeating you”

Speaking of which, the centenarian skeleton blinked when Imelda immediately moved in front of him while he was trying to stand up to the security guard, wearing a smile that was a mix of admiration and slight concern because he naturally didn't want to see the love of his life get hurt. He wasn't surprised though, being used to how she handled Ernesto, but he did part his lips in surprise when Imelda didn't say "and Héctor" or anything to indicate that he was also in that mix.. which meant that he was included in the family part?! "Imelda.. you also included me?" The hopeless romantic tilted his eyesockets upwards as he gazed at her an affectionate set of half-mast eyelids as he could practically feel his soul spiriting inside of him like it was his own heart beat. The idea of being included in the family by Miguel felt amazing, but the idea of being included in the family by Imelda.. that was like a dream come true that he absolutely had to make sure he wasn't just hearing things! With a hand on his skeletal chest, he just watched the love of his life defend in front with a touched smile, not caring in the slightest as she pulled out her boot to threaten the security guard in the front. It was the norm for him. He was too focused on Imelda and her words that touched him to the core of his bones just now.   

That smile seemed to quickly fade into one of concern when Imelda's hand was suddenly gripped by the security guard and she was instantly flung to the side! "Imelda!" Héctor immediately hurried over to meet her by her side, the gentleman still holding his hands out to help her up in case she needed to hold on to his hand to balance herself as she slowly tried to get herself up again.  Even if he knew that Imelda would never take his hands, given the other various times that she refused his help, he still nobly provided it for her because he wanted her to have that option. Héctor wasn't stubborn in comparison to Miguel or Imelda, but you could never ask Héctor to give up his roots of being a gentleman, having grown up with his religious mannerisms in the orphanage. 

It was in that toss that reminded him of all that this security guard had done. It wasn't enough that he tossed him into the sinkhole, he didn't care so much about that, but then this man tosses Miguel out and now he pushes Imelda to the side! As soon as he made sure Imelda got up, Héctor narrowed his eyes and moved in front of Imelda with his fists balled up. "Ey! You can't get away with what you did!" He exclaimed, pointing a finger at him in the air in an accusatory manner. "Even after throwing us in the sinkhole like that.." He added with annoyance in his tone, already including this man pushing Imelda as one of the things that this man could not get away with! Poor Miguel already had to deal with now being twice thrown off a cliff like he was garbage. Perhaps that struck Héctor more because it was his former best friend that was behind the orders to have Miguel being tossed off the cliffs twice like that, and also because Héctor was also an orphan that was used to being treated like garbage by musicians and everyone else and Miguel did not deserve that kind of treatment. As he thought about how scared Miguel was when he was in that sinkhole, his balled fists clenched tighter as he mashed his teeth together, obviously getting angrier by the second enough to instantly bolt over to the security guard and knock him down flat on the man's back. 

"Miguel is NOT garbage to throw away!" Héctor defended his great-great grandson, but this meant that he sadly never said that he himself was not garbage - much like he said musicians were self important jerks, himself included, he pretty much felt like garbage ever since he left Santa Cecilia. "He was just a living boy! You could have killed him!"  Héctor tried to punch the man out while on top of him on the ground, but the security guard was able to grab his bad arm that was partly taped together, causing the musician to wince in pain before he was kicked off of the security guard. Now, the security guard stood up as Héctor remained on the floor, gripping onto this taped up bone to make sure that the tape would hold, before looking up at the security guard that looked about ready to kick him where his taped up leg was exposed by the tear in his tattered striped pants. 

"Don't take it so personal, I just do what I'm told. In the end, this place is mine for the taking until Ernesto gets back. So unless you want the other foot to break, señor..."

[Mamá Imelda]

"Imelda.. you also included me?"

"Not now, Héctor!", Imelda snapped back, not taking her focus off of the security guard. This whole thing felt like Déjà vu, and their prior conversation yesterday about him being the Love of her Life, also back when she was trying to focus on getting past Ernesto's dumb security guards!

A part of Imelda realized she didn't say no...just like she hadn't said no earlier. But like the other thing, she had to analyze it later! Not right at this moment!

She kept being forced to at least half place Héctor somewhere, though, or figure out what she would and wouldn't allow. Imelda almost felt more than spotted him in her peripherals, and as she focused on getting up. That too was like when Ernesto had shoved her aside when she tried to defend Miguel, and Héctor rushed over to her to help. Then it had slightly surprised her more than now. She had been fine (as she always asserted) and Miguel the one in need of aid!

Also why did he have to keep shoving in her face how wrong she'd been! Héctor wasn't doing that, and wouldn't, Imelda knew, but that was half the point! His quiet, unassuming way of just always being there if she needed, of never raising his own voice back when she'd told him to never come near her again, just highlighted how wrong she'd got her assessment of him and the situation.

She could make amends now, she realized; a small bit...

But taking his hand was just so much right now. Imelda settled for a light grip at his forearm as she stabilized herself in standing. She almost feared Héctor's response, but he was busy reprimanding the security guard.

"Ey! You can't get away with what you did! Even after throwing us in the sinkhole like that.."

"What...", Imelda looked stunned, whispering to herself as the words made it in. He was one of the one's who had...

Imelda just stood stock still, taking this in, and so only able to vaguely taking in Héctor struggling with the security guard.

Her own anger surged up enough at the revelation, but then somehow was added to as the man kicked Héctor aside and stood, leaving him crumbled on the floor still.

"Don't take it so personal, I just do what I'm told. In the end, this place is mine for the taking until Ernesto gets back. So unless you want the other foot to break, señor..."

The look on his smug face was ruined a bit when Imelda's boot she hadn't put back on crashed against the side of skull! Somehow, despite no doubt being part of the tussle yesterday, he seemed unused to this. "Hey...", he went to respond back, but in that time Imelda had marched up, unconsciously standing so that she was between Héctor and him, and gripping the man's coat. "That is enough! ¡Ahora escuchame! (now you listen to me) You...shabby shoed, brain-less lacky!", Imelda's hold tightened, "You are gonna go back to the hole you live in, or did before, and get out of our way, and never come near either of us again! Or my cat's gonna have a new chew toy out of your head! ¡¿Entiendes?! (understand)".

Imelda then forcibly let go enough to cause the big man to stagger back, and if not all out fall, have to support himself against the wall and stood there glaring at him with as much fury as a women scorned was said to have, and then some!

The guard righted himself, seeming to try to regain his tough attitude of before. "Well...I...".

Imelda had had enough a while back in this encounter, and gave his skull a firm spin with her boot just for...everything, and a sharp whistle for Pepita. The Jaquar seemed instantly there, glowering enough to send the security guard stepped back, and even if she didn't, but seeming content to just keep him from Imelda and Héctor, until further ordered.

It was a more pressing duty, Imelda felt, than the bell, at the moment.

"Maybe when we come back we'll have her plop you in the sinkhole, see how you like it!", Imelda muttered to herself more so than him as she turned to see if Héctor needed help up now, and felt the small wave of how uncharitable that was, and what her own religious Mama would say, and she should tell herself, but she also didn't care right now!

Without a word, because she couldn't think of anything to say, Imelda bent to brace under one arm and sort of help Héctor up. She doubted she was much help helping him up, slim as she was. The contact this required, she just didn't think about...

Averting her gaze once he was settled on his feet also. "Come on, let's find that guitar", with her typical no-nonsense manner, Imelda walked ahead of him inside.

[Deleted]

"Don't take it so personal, I just do what I'm told. In the end, this place is mine for the taking until Ernesto gets back. So unless you want the other foot to break, señor..."

With a narrowing of his eyesockets, Héctor mentally decided to forget about what he had said regarding all musicians; no, now it was just everyone that associated with Ernesto were all self-important jerks! Including.. himself..he'll admit, though he'll probably never forgive himself for listening to Ernesto and leaving in the first place. Before he could argue back, not that his arguments held much weight as a passive man, Héctor blinked his widened brown eyes over his arched eye sockets upon watching the man receive a giant chancletazo after a shoe instantly slammed across the man's face with such perfect precision; and he only knew one person that had such a strong arm like that and with such incredible aim!

Imelda.

The skeletal musician parted his mouth, not out of shock, but out of admiration for Imelda because all he heard was: 

"..and get out of our way, and never come near either of us again!"  

His skeletal hand instantly pressed against his ribcage in that moment. Imelda said "our" way, and she even meant to include him when she said "us!"  The hopeless romantic was barely fazed by Imelda's yelling at the man, not at all put off or startled in the least. In fact, he was completely relaxed with half-lidded eyes while she proceeded to hit the man across the face with the shoe, solely focused on the beautiful woman in front of him with only a longing expression. As long as it wasn't towards him, he didn't care if she was yelling or hitting someone else; Imelda always had her reasons for doing things and he completely supported her. While Imelda gave the security man a painful reminder of just the kind of strong woman she was, all Héctor could think about was the love of his life defending him once again, still incredulous that she even said "we!". She said we!! That included him, right?! Héctor was hoping she wasn't talking about Pepita who swooped in just now. After all, this wasn't his first nor his second time being defended by Imelda. Before dealing with Ernesto here in the land of the dead, the last time she did that was when they were both alive; when she cared about him, when she..loved him. Just the tiniest possibility that Imelda could ever find her way to loving him again, it was enough to light up his soul with hope that maybe one day.. it would be possible. 

The centennial musician snapped out of his thoughts and blinked his eyes in surprise when he realized that Imelda placed her hands on his shoulder. Just the simplest touch was taken as affection for Héctor, and it warmed him in his very core. While Héctor was helped up to his feet again, even if his expression betrayed him wincing slightly at his arm that he managed to re-tape again, he couldn't help that adoring smile at her even if he wanted to. Ah, the way Imelda made him feel.. it was like when he was young and falling in love with her! Nothing could change the way he'd feel. Even if she didn't want anything to do with him now, even after 96 years, he'd wait forever for her.   

"Come on, let's find that guitar",

Héctor smiled to himself as he watched her walk on ahead, averting her eyes as she always liked to do even when she was young, and trailed along behind her. That would be the only reason why he'd even smile going back to this dumb mansion again. As they entered the expansive pool lobby, the smile on his face slowly began to dwindle as the sounds of all of Ernesto's films began to play in the background while he proceeded to look around the pool area for the guitar. He used to never care about listening to the dumb films. He was even good at ignoring it just as easily as he did when he first came in to this place looking for Miguel, given the amount of practice he had of being exposed to Ernesto's music that he stole from him everywhere he looked. In fact, he easily avoided the cinema in the land of the dead, though perhaps it was easy because he only knew about silent films when he died in the early 20s; however, after hearing that Ernesto had films from all his fans, he was even less interested in seeing them. Now? Now it was so much harder to ignore the films, only because Miguelito had finally pointed it out to him the truth behind his death.  

His famous guitar rift that he used to play in one of his songs for Imelda was heard. 

Just ignore it. Focus on the guitar. Focus. 

Ernesto saying "Dante" caused Héctor to steal a half-curious glance over at the films again. Hey! So that's where that chamaco got the name for that dog! Wait. Wait. Dante? Dante.. why would Ernesto choose Dante? That name was uncommon in the traditional time of Mexico, and Ernesto wasn't exactly looking at baby books. In fact, that name was only made popular by one of his favorite authors, Dante Alighieri. All Héctor could think about was Dante's new book translation that was released in Mexico around his time in 1915 called ‘La Vita Nuova,' or 'La Vida Nueva' (The New Life) in the Spanish translation. Wait a minute. He once showed Ernesto that book because the story of Dante falling in love with Beatrice reminded Héctor of how he met and fell in love with Imelda. They were childhood sweethearts, and Dante loved his Beatrice so much that he wrote about how he felt for her even after her death! Oh, it was like Dante knew exactly how Héctor felt in those romantic poems! He still remembered Dante's poems from that book like it was yesterday, still marveling how similar it reminded him of Imelda:  

Such sweet decorum,

and such gentle grace

attend my lady’s greeting as she moves

that lips can only tremble into silence,

and eyes dare not attempt to gaze at her.

Moving, benignly clothed in humility,

untouched by all the praise along the way,

she seems to be a creature come from Heaven

to earth, to manifest a miracle.

Just thinking of such romantic stanzas like those caused Héctor to be momentarily distracted by staring amorously at Imelda to really think too deeply as to whether Ernesto had gotten Dante from that book or not. He suddenly didn't care why Ernesto called his horse companion Dante.   

Another one of Héctor's songs being played by Ernesto snapped him back to the cruel reality that he was in now. He tried to continue to look for the guitar, he really did. However, he couldn't help but steal a glance over at the TV screens again. Ernesto being a priest playing one of his songs on guitar would have been 'amazing' to anyone else but Héctor. He gave a deadpan expression as he resumed back to looking for the guitar. Ernesto used to tease him for being so religious because he chose only one girl to spend the rest of his life with instead of many like him, but now Ernesto decides to go off and pretend to be a priest?! "Pfft. What a hypocrite!" Héctor muttered under his breath with a roll of his eyes and continued to focus on a different place to search for the guitar. 

Then, one of the songs he used to sing to Imelda at her balcony was heard, causing him to look up and notice that it was Ernesto singing to someone that had the same hair as Imelda. It wasn't Imelda, but.. he couldn't help but wonder if he was trying to copy his life with this one! Except that wasn't Imelda's reaction at all to his song, but Héctor wouldn't have it any other way. It was almost like Ernesto changed it all on purpose! The next clip next to it was them kissing. He mashed his teeth angrily. No. No. No. No. Imelda was talking about HIM when she said that HE was the love of her life, not YOU stupid Ernesto! 

Okay, ignore it..ignore it..!!! The guitar is more important right now than that dumb Ernesto who thinks that he could have the love of his life! 

"Tonto (Dumb) Ernesto.." Héctor couldn't help but mutter lowly to himself scornfully, never searching for something so angrily in his life! His anger almost instantly faded away and his searching slowed upon hearing the one film that Miguel said was called, El Camino A Casa, that revealed the truth about his death. Suddenly, Hector turned around with a hurt expression, not wanting to watch it again. Yet his expression quickly changed to one of concern at the realization that Imelda had never seen these either! In a swift, fluid motion, Héctor placed a skeletal hand on her shoulder to call to Imelda's attention instead of at the screens. "Hey, it's not here, Imelda!" He hoped he could just get Imelda away from the screens. "Why don't we just go look somewhere else?" He suggested as he gestured up the stairs with a saddened, desperate smile, hoping she wouldn't listen to the screen in front of her or not pay attention. Looking anywhere else was a preferable option than exposing her to a dumb version of his life and his death like this. 

Unfortunately, even if he wasn't watching, he could still hear the film in the background.

That film, where he found out from Miguel was about Ernesto poisoning him, showed Ernesto being the one that was poisoned instead, only he spit it out and fought back, which was, much like his other dumb films, only changing up his life to make it "better" version than what really happened, just like he did to change Remember Me. 

If only he knew that it was poisoned. If only he could have spit it out and tried to fight his way home. He would have been with his family all these years.

Héctor closed his eyes with his fists firmly clenched by his sides, trying so hard to ignore it, trying so hard to forget about the flashback that relived in his mind all over again... but he couldn't. The land of the dead was built on memories; you can never forget. His fists shook at how tightly he clenched it as soon as his last memory of life flashed through his mind. Then all the memories of him listening to Ernesto's advice about Seizing your Moment in his life flooded into his mind. He still couldn't believe it. Ernesto was practically family and he ruined his life! HE took everything away from him! It hurt him still.

[Mamá Imelda]

It would have been easy to try to say that she had been talking about Pepita with her words of us...except she knew that Héctor wasn't going to be fooled by such. So she didn't offer any explanation, and just moved on to getting the guitar, as she said. She still caught Héctor's smile, even from behind, or more...felt it...like before.

She ignored that too. Not to hard when upon entering Ernesto's mansion, she was stalled a bit by just taking it all in. Not so much in being impressed, as being more disgusted by it all. It was the first time she'd seen the inside, but not the first time she'd thought on it. It had taken a few trips when Héctor was trying to gain her attention, and explain, after her arrival to the Land of the Dead to notice how...even before fading, he didn't really look like she would have expected. Clothing and...status wise.

She'd thought...to her shame now, that Héctor had shared in some of the parties here that had been the talk of Land of the Dead, even for her who avoided hearing about it at all!

All those years, she'd assumed he was still in contact at least with Ernesto, that the both of them had left her and Coco without answers. Why else would Héctor's best friend, and Coco's honorary tío, leave them without answers?

Of course now she knew!

Imelda shoved away her angry thoughts and gave a scoff, glancing around. "Typical...", was her commentary on the place. She turned her attention from everything but the places where a guitar could be, not really caring to pay attention to what she could tell were walls of Ernesto's films. She'd never seen a one of course, and would have avoided even hearing about them if the neighbors hadn't always been gossips and spreading news.

Not to her, they knew better than that.

Imelda sighed, and was about to comment on how hard of a job this would be, finding one beat up guitar, when a familiar rift of one caught her attention. She wasn't sure at first that thinking on guitars again hadn't just called it to mind. "What in the...?", suddenly interested, Imelda turned, spotting out the film.

It wasn't the only one either, Ernesto apparently had ripped off everything!

If he had stolen Coco's special song, it shouldn't have surprised her, Imelda knew, but still...she shook her head, before one particular film, and balcony scene, caught her attention. "Is that...did he?", upon turning to incredulously rant to Héctor, Imelda found that her own anger might be wasted with how upset Héctor himself looked!

The reason suddenly made sense to Imelda, part of her own annoyance, and as he had clearly picked an actress who looked the most like her he could! She...had said she didn't care to have any of Héctor's affections again; despite going back on that a million times, but still...something in his muttering brought a familiar touched feeling and Imelda side glanced again, smiling a small bit before going back to searching.

The word poison caught her attention without her knowing why, and she might have just moved on, if not for noticing Héctor become more pensive. Imelda glanced and found the movie it came from, even as Héctor suggested moving on in a very telling way.

Ernesto had copied everything else and...Miguel had said he had murdered Héctor...no!

Imelda's eyes widened and she glanced back down from the film to her husband (yes she'd still use that word. She thought). "Héctor...is that...did...?". For slightly repeating herself, Imelda couldn't even finish her question, but her eyes shut with a possible answer to questions she wouldn't really have asked.

The neighbor's dog had gotten into some rat poison once, and Imelda knew, more than she'd ever wanted, some of the details; and to even remotely think...

Even with all they did it was a lost cause, and Ernesto had probably just left him and...Imelda almost felt she could see it now, with what she knew now of how Héctor had tried to come home and...

Imelda watched Héctor's own telling reactions, and then glanced to the side, her own features clenching again, though she remained staring at a spot of the marble; and yet a rant was not what came next...oh her anger at Ernesto now knew no bounds for sure! But also; "I'm sorry Héctor...", her voice was strained with emotion, "You...you shouldn't have...gone alone like that. And not like that at all! I...should have been there! I should have stopped him! I...". Imelda now started pacing, "Oh that low-life son of a...", she couldn't settle on an insult and so censored her own self through trying to pick, before deflating in guilt again; it all just coming up somehow with knowing the particulars.

[Deleted]

Héctor physically winced with a pained frown behind closed eyes when he heard Imelda's reactions and knew that it was too late; she saw everything. And as he suffered through his last memory alive, she continued to watch the better version of his death until it was finally over.  "I packed up my songs that night before our performance at Mexico City.. it was the performance that would have made us famous.."  He had already mentioned why and how homesick he felt that night at the capital of Mexico before when they first talked, so he didn't repeat himself, "I told him that I didn't care if he hated me, I wanted to go home! He could manage without my songs..This was his dream, not mine!" He exclaimed boldly as the day he said it while he was still alive, a rarity if no one had heard Héctor put his foot town like he had to Miguel. He didn't become cynical from being in the land of the dead. He became cynical after growing sick of dealing with Ernesto. "He let me go with a toast..he said that he would move heaven and earth for me.." That was the only part of the film that was accurate. "When we walked to the train station together...I remember how close the train was right in front of me.. how close I was to finally going home! But then I felt a terrible pain in my stomach..he said that it must have been food poisoning, but I could feel myself go unconscious... until suddenly, I woke up... dead...."  He turned around to gaze at her with his eyelids half-lowered and a melancholy frown on his face. The cynic wondered if Imelda would ever reconsider what she said, what would she think of the love of her life if she knew that he wasn't that "mighty" in his death at all like Ernesto tried to portray in the movie, El Camino a Casa. He didn't get to spit out his drink, there were no fight scenes.. he didn't.. even get a proper burial or much less a grave with his name on it. For the rest of the world, including his own family later on, it was as if he never existed. Seriously. The cynical skeleton thought it was all so ironic how he started as a nobody from Santa Cecilia, and in the end, he died a nobody. Why would anyone want to be with someone like that?  
  
"You...you shouldn't have...gone alone like that. And not like that at all! I...should have been there! I should have stopped him! I...Oh that low-life son of a..."

Imelda instead showed that she didn't care about him not looking mighty in his death, even wanting to have stopped him if she was there. It was true, Imelda would have still been performing with them if they didn't have Coco, though he wouldn't have traded Coco for the world. Coco was his chance to see that the world didn't have to be his family, he could have a family of his own. Imelda was so similar to him with the pacing and censoring of bad words, but he immediately reached over and placed his hands on either side of her arms while standing in front of her; he had to stop her from continuing to think that she should have been there. "No, no, no, no..Hey....hey! Listen to me, Imelda! Listen..I would have done anything to have seen you and Coco one last time..but after what Ernesto did to Miguel, throwing Miguel off the roof like that.." Héctor faltered, not even wanting to think about Ernesto murdering his family. It was already hard enough seeing Ernesto nearly do it to Miguel. Yet after watching Ernesto kill off Miguel by throwing him off the cliff, even after begging Ernesto to please consider that he was a living boy... Héctor wondered what would have happened if Imelda or (dare he think it, Coco) was there with him on tour that night. One of his thoughts that he dwelled on last night after surviving the Final Death was: how long had Ernesto planned to kill him for his songs? Was he doomed to eventually be killed by Ernesto for his songs no matter what? "I would rather let it happen to me than to let it happen to you and Coco." Héctor's solemn tone was never so firm in this belief, almost comparable to how strongly he was against Ernesto on his last night alive. "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you and Coco!" He exclaimed with emotion in his voice before he dared to place his forehead on hers and closed his eyes, almost as if he wanted to hide the emotion on his face if he could, though he was glad that he couldn't have tears. Did he just have bad luck no matter what he did? He would have loved having died surrounded by loved ones instead of having his body abandoned like he was garbage, but.. He would seriously go crazy, even more crazy than he already was if they were with him and became witnesses like Miguel was for Ernesto, where he would dispose of his wife and his daughter in the same way! No. NO. The guilt that he would have for causing them to suffer? It would be a thousand times worse if he was the cause of their death. Much like he would take the sacrifice of the Final Death for Miguel to return to live in the land of the living, he would do the same for his family. "But..That doesn't change that I wish I never left your side, Imelda.. I wanted to grow old with you! With Coco!...but.. I'm so sorry, Imelda.." He'd have so many years to live if he just stayed by Imelda's side. He'd say sorry a million times and it still hurt him at his core just the same as the first time he would utter it.