Hector weakly grabbed the petal from his vest. The final death was coming to him, he knew it and the spasms were getting closer together.
"You have our blessing, Miguel," He whispered, barely able to get the words out.
"No conditions," Imelda said sadly, taking his hand in both of hers to assist in holding his up.
"No, Papa Hector, Please," Miguel begged.
"Go home," Hector managed before another wave of magic shook him.
"I promise I won't let Coco forget you!" Miguel declared, right before Imelda moved the petal to his chest.
Miguel vanished in a wave of orange marigold petals, no sooner was his sold form gone that Hector's arm dropped from Imelda's grip. Another wave hit him, and he could no longer hold his arm up.
"Hector," Imelda trailed her hand over his cheek bone and cupped his jaw.
Hector was barely able to open his eyes to look at his amor, his love, his wife. He tried to move his hand to hold hers, but another shiver stopped him.
"I'm s-sorry, I-Imelda," He shuttered.
"No, Hector," She could feel the tears burning her eyes, her vision was blurred as the tears threatened to spill over. "You- I'm sorry."
Another shutter hit Hector and she pulled away from him. He fell completely still, the color of his calavera markings had all but vanished, his eyes didn't twitch, everything about the way he lay there told her there were only seconds left.
"No! Please Hector!" The tears fell as she grabbed his vest in her fists. She wanted to shake him, to hit him, force him to wake up, she didn't want to lose him again, not after having just got him back.
"I didn't mean it, not any of it. I don't want this. I don't ever want to forget you, I don't want Coco to forget. Please come back, I'm sorry. I never wanted this for you, for us." She sobbed into his shoulder as she held his still body up to her chest, trying to cradle him.
Imelda was oblivious to her family watching on, watching their sister, grandmother, mother-in-law, the monarch to the family, the one woman who built the family up and didn't have a soft bone in her body, melt. She couldn't stand it, she had only ever broken like this twice in her life, and now once in death. Once when Coco was born, the second when she realized Hector wasn't coming home, and now at the thought of losing Hector again.
More spasms pulsed through Hector's already weak body, Imelda just held on to him. She kept sobbing her apologizes in his would-be ear. One final spasm passed through his body before his foot started turning to dust.
"HECTOR! Please!" Imelda begged. "Please Miguel! Coco, remember. Remember your papa! Remember the songs, the fun times." She hiccupped with sobs as her love was vanishing.
"Remember me, though I have to say goodbye." Imelda started singing. She was unknowingly singing in parallel to Miguel back in the living world.
"Remember me, Don't let it make you cry.
"For even if I'm far away,
I'll hold you in my heart.
I'll sing a secret song to you each night we are apart.
Remember me, Though I have to travel far."
"Remember me, each time you hear a sad guitar."
Imelda froze when she realized that Hector has joined her. He smiled up at her from her arms. The tears started streaming even more to the point where she couldn't finish singing as Hector slowly sat up on his own and finished the song, looking directly in her eyes.
"Know that I'm with you the only way that I can be,
Until you're in my arms again.
Remember me."
"Hector!" Imelda suddenly threw herself into his arms. She was a young girl again, she was a child again with her first crush. The only thing she could do was hold on and not let go.
"Imelda, I-"Hector hugged her back, he held her tightly, afraid the shivers might come back, afraid he was really gone forever and this was just a dream. He didn't want to lose his amor again. "Mi amor, Imelda"
"Oh, Hector. Please," Imelda sat up and straightened her skirt, trying in vain to hide how much she had been crying. Tears still filled her eyes and she tried brushing them away with already wet hands, Hector could feel the tears on his jacket soaking in. "Please forgive me, Hector. Forgive me for causing this."
She started babbling, asking him to forgive her repeatedly.
"Hey, hey, hey." He put his hands on her shoulders to try and steady her. "Imelda, amor, cariño, sweetie. I should be apologizing more. I left you, I should have come home sooner."
Imelda looked at him though her tears. Suddenly her lips, or what would be her lips, were pressed on Hectors. At first, he wasn't sure what to do, being dead for so long, not having anyone to give any affection to, let alone kiss, he assumed she hadn't kissed anyone like this since he had left, he was stuck, not knowing. Then he relaxed, it just felt right. His eyes closed, and his body relaxed, hers followed as he put his hands on her hips. She pulled herself closer to him to deepen the kiss before they finally broke.
"Imelda," It wasn't Hector talking this time. It was Oscar and Felipe in unison from the group.
The pair jumped at the realization that their whole exchange had just been watched by the rest of their family. They stood, straightened their clothes and would be blushing if they had any blood or cheeks. Imelda shyly tucked loose hair back into place while Hector picked up his hat.
"We haven't seen that kind of behavior since you were 20." Her brother Felipe said, a mischievousness, look on his face.
"Well, uh," Imelda tried, too embarrassed at having behaved like that in front of her grandchildren.
"Oh leave her be," Papa Julio cut in with a wink, "We were all like that at some point or another."
The family shared a small chuckle before they turned to leave, leaving just Imelda and Hector still standing very close to each other. Hector took Imelda's hand in his, she smiled at him before stretching to give him one last, soft kiss on the lips.
"Hector, welcome back." Oscar said peeking out from behind the curtain.
"Welcome back to the family." Felipe agreed before they both disappeared again.
"I'm home." Thought Hector as he and Imelda, together finally, followed the family off the stage and back home.