Chapter 13:

I apologize for my silence. This is one of my most popular stories and I haven't touched it for months. It's disgraceful! But better late than never I suppose. This one shot was requested by many of my viewers and it is a very simple one. Hector asks Imelda on a date in the Land of the Dead. How can something so simple be so moving? We might never know. If you want to request your own one shot for me to do, please feel free to leave a review or a direct message. I love reading them! They always brighten my day! But without further adieu, Chapter 13!

"Ha! Ha! I win… again!" Rosita giggled as Hector gave out an aggravated groan.

"Come on!" The older skeleton cried as he looked down at the chessboard in disbelief, "I almost had you that time! How about just one more game?"

"Sure! Why not?" Rosita shrugged suspiciously with another laugh before moving to collect her pieces from off of the chessboard. Hector did the same, but he had to collect his pieces from the neat, little pile that Rosita had made after she had taken out almost every single one of them. Julio, Oscar, and Felipe laughed at Hector's efforts to beat Rosita as they sat watching the new chess game unfold, while Victoria rolled her eyes before going back to her book.

The dead Riveras were currently in the middle of one of their relaxing nights where they just did whatever they wanted while being in the company of the rest of the family. Hector had joined this particular event a couple of weeks after the events of Dia de Muertos. He had been silly enough to challenge anyone to a chess game after he saw the chessboard collecting dust on a shelf, and Rosita had answered that call. If there was one thing that Rosita could do just as well as making shoes, it was playing chess. The usually bubbly, somewhat flamboyant skeleton was actually a master of strategy when it came to the game, and Hector was now learning this the hard way… and Imelda felt no sympathy for him.

If he wanted to play chess with someone without knowing how good that someone was, that's his fault, she told herself as she continued sticking her needle and thread into the square piece of cloth in her hands, and she could feel how her actions were getting more aggressive as she thought about her husband. It's his fault for getting tied up in that nonsense of a game.

Imelda wanted to slap herself.

It was just a game! It was just a game, and she was acting like it was some life decision that he should think long and hard about. He had probably just mentioned the piece of wood with its black and white surface to help them relax after he noticed how tired they were from a long day of work. He hadn't been hoping to win when he mentioned the game; he had been hoping to help. Imelda sighed as she stopped her hand's unfocused movements. Why couldn't she stop thinking about Hector in such awful ways? She looked up from her lap as her goofy husband gave another funny noise of disapproval when Rosita took his Queen away. She felt her own smile cross her face as her brothers and son-in-law laughed at his ridiculous, flailing arms and concentrating pout. Why was it so hard to forgive?

She had to cut herself some slack. Being mad at someone for multiple decades because you thought something that wasn't true is hard to shake off, but she still felt bad. Every time she saw him do something that reminded her of her younger years, her first thought was of how he used to make her feel loved… which quickly brought upon her memories of heartache and loneliness… but that meant that she had not forgotten the memories. She still loved him deep down after all this time, and she had been hating herself for years because of it. But now that the truth was out and Hector was redeemed, she didn't know what to feel or how to feel it. She was a woman craving attention but was also fearful of interaction.

She felt herself tense when he heard him laugh from across the small room. She wanted to hide away from his gaze that she had felt multiple times that evening. She wanted to get away from his voice that was talking to her family, but she also wanted him to talk to her like he talked to them. He was so calm when he was around them, but he became a scared mess around her.

Imelda sighed.

And she deserved it.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Hector cried out again, and Imelda knew that signaled the end of yet another game, "Just one more! I think I've got it this time!"

"Sure!" Rosita laughed her wholehearted laugh, "I've got nothing better to do!"

"But unfortunately I do," Imelda said as she took her opportunity. She took off her reading glasses, put them in the pocket of her apron, and placed her piece of stitching work next to her on the couch, "I have to check and make sure that new leather hasn't dried up yet. I will only be a moment." Without waiting to hear the responses from her family, Imelda got up from her seat on the couch and headed out the outside door towards the workshop. Hector watched her go with a sad, but relieved, state of mind. He could finally talk to his family about important matters that he couldn't stand holding in anymore.

"I need your help with something!" Hector said urgently so he drew the attention of everyone in the room.

"Well if it's about your ability to play chess," Felipe laughed.

"We already know you need help," Oscar cackled.

"No, it's not about chess," Hector sighed as he looked fearfully at the door that his wife had just walked through, "It's about Imelda."

"What about her?" Julio asked as he nervously fidgeted with the brim of his hat that lay in his hands.

"I hate to admit it," Hector said as he watched his granddaughter actually let go of her book and come over to them to be closer to the conversation, "But you guys know Imelda a lot better than I do now. She's definitely changed in the decades since I've known her, and I feel like I know nothing about her anymore. What I'm trying to say is… I want to reconnect with her. She was everything to me before Coco even existed, and I want to make amends. What should I do to get back into her good graces?"

"Well being around us and her all the time is definitely helping," Victoria said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Really?" Hector asked in amazement.

"Sure," Felipe said with a smile, "She hasn't been this relaxed in a long time."

"She is usually so strict about everything, but since you've come back she's been a lot happier," Oscar agreed, "She doesn't even usually let us play board games," he gestured to the chessboard for emphasis, "She usually gets all angry about it saying that it is 'counterproductive to our worth ethic.'"

"Yeah, I haven't played a chess game in years," Rosita smiled as she took one of Hector's knights with her pawn, "And I was surprised we didn't get yelled at when you pulled it out. I'm so happy you came back and even wanted to play with me. Not a lot of people do."

"I wonder why," Julio said under his breath before his sister shot him a glare.

"See! I had no idea she is usually stricter than this," Hector said as his shoulders slumped, "But I don't want to change her. I just want to get to know her again. She seems so distant while you guys are so open. I don't know what I'm doing wrong."

"I think you just need to be a little bit more forward," Oscar said as he gave his brother-in-law a comforting pat on the back.

"More forward?" Hector asked questioningly.

"Oh! You could ask her out on a date!" Rosita squealed, "That would be so romantic!"

"A date?" Hector asked as his voice went a couple of octaves higher.

"Yeah!" Felipe said in excitement, "That's a great idea! You can take her around the Land of the Dead like you did back in Santa Cecilia all those years ago!"

"You've been all over the city," Oscar said, "There are bound to be places that you want to take her."

"There are a few," Hector said as he felt hope serge in his chest, but it quickly deflated, "But I don't have the money to do anything. I don't think Imelda wants to jump onto the backs of rail cars."

"We can lend you the money," Rosita said without hesitation, "I mean you are family after all. What we make is ours to spend! Just think of the places she'd like, and we'll give you the money to take her there."

"Really?" Hector asked as his heart swelled, "That's so nice of you guys! I'll make it worth it too. I'll give her a night she won't forget!"

"That's the spirit!" Felipe cried before he, and the rest of the family, heard the doorknob turn.

"And not a moment too soon," Oscar whispered before Imelda opened the door.

She immediately knew something was off by how quiet it was in the room. Her family and silence did not hold hands. She gave them all suspicious glares that they all returned with guilty smiles. The worst one was Hector's which looked like he had done something incredibly wrong. She looked around the room expecting to see an object broken or out of place, but she found nothing. She gave the whole room a deadly stare.

"What were you doing?" she asked with a little bite.

"Ummm…" Hector went to answer her, but Rosita beat him to it.

"We were just discussing what color dress you look best in," Rosita said with a smile that spoke the truth, but it was, in fact, an absolute lie.

"Now why would you be discussing that?" Imelda said in pure surprise as she placed her hands on her hips. Rosita gave the twins a look that Hector didn't understand, but clearly they did.

"Because you need to look your best for a night on the town," Oscar said.

"Oscar and I believe that you look better in blue," Felipe said before shooting a glare at Rosita that turned into a sneaky wink, "But Rosita here says you look better in purple."

"I say you look your best in black," Victoria piped up, and Hector was dumbfounded by how easily this story was coming to them. They obviously had done this before.

"What do you mean 'night on the town?'" Imelda said with a mocking tone of voice as she glared at her brothers, "What are you planning?"

"The better question is what is Papa Hector planning?" Rosita said with a smile before turning her head to look at Hector. Said skeleton was frozen in place as all eyes settled on him. He looked between Rosita to the twins and then up to Imelda's face that was screaming confusion and curiosity. He became enchanted by her beauty for a millisecond before a movement from Rosita caught his eye. She was pointing up at Imelda, but she was using her body as a blockade so Imelda couldn't see it.

Were they expecting him to ask her out now?! He wasn't ready! He was too nervous!

Hector looked fearfully back at Imelda, who hadn't budged since the conversation began. Only her eyes were moving; blinking rapidly as they swung from one family member to the next before falling back on him. Hector took a moment to breathe and admire her again.

He looked from her beautiful, fiery eyes to her hair in its usual bun, and then down her arms to her hands. These hands were still resting on her hips, that were cocked to the side slightly, and one finger was tapping impatiently against the fabric of her dress. The dress she had picked out for the day was a dark green one with black accents. Her low collar and her shining facial markings were enough to make his bloodless face hot, but that's not what he wanted to focus on.

He remembered the first time he had asked her on a date, and he remembered it being just like this. Silent, still, and terrifying. Hector remembered her awaiting gaze, much like the one she wore now, and remembered how awful he felt after he realized he was making her wait. He then realized that was exactly what he was doing now. He was making her wait. He was cutting into her precious relaxation time, and what kind of a good husband did that? All he needed to do was suck it up, and get it over with. And with that in mind, he spoke.

"Imelda, mi amor," Hector said as his hands clutched one another in an attempt to make them stop shaking, "I know we are not exactly on a good basis right now, but I want to change that. Even though we have both matured and grown, I still want to reconnect with you. I was hoping that maybe… if you don't mind… sometime later this week or even later than that if this week doesn't work… would you like to go out on a date with me…?"

The silence that met his words was enough to make him regret his very birth.

The rest of the family turned fearful eyes up to their matriarch's still face and waited. Hector felt his heart beat faster every second the silence continued. All he could do was watch her face as he waited for a reply.

He had noticed that the only reaction he had gotten from her had been right after he had said his part. Her eyebrows had raised, and her eyes had sparkled with something Hector couldn't identify. He wanted to say it was wonder, but he knew that was him being hopeful. For all he knew she could be thinking up an array of insults to shoot in his face. He decided guessing what she was going to say was useless, and that patience was the key. He just stared at her and waited.

Imelda had definitely not been expecting that to come out of his mouth.

What should she say…?

On the one hand, she was incredibly touched by his offer. It was not every day that she was asked on a date. She hadn't gone on a date in over ninety years, and her last date had been on was with him. She was honestly surprised he was going down this cautious path instead of hugging her until her bones cracked. He was being extremely courteous, and she thanked him for that. But on the other hand, she was scared to see how it would go. He was right. They had become incredibly different people in the years they had been apart, and she wasn't even sure there was even a spark to turn into a flame anymore. Previously she had been afraid that he no longer cared about her and that he just cared about their family, but his question turned those fears on their heads. She hated to admit after all these years she still cared about him. He was still adorable and loveable, and she hated that her heart was melting for him all over again. But now she wasn't so sure if she was angry. She didn't want to be alone anymore, but she also didn't know if she had the energy to try again. She was basically as nervous as he seemed to be, but she wouldn't allow him to notice.

She kept her glaring eyes on him to hide her own run-wild emotion as she continued to think.

She could go on a date and hopefully go in the direction that would lead to them rekindling their romantic relationship, or she could not and run away from the possibility of an awkward evening with cringeworthy smiles and small talk. Also, she would get bombarded with questions from her family if she went on the date, but she would also get bombarded with questions if she didn't…

"Imelda."

Said matriarch jumped as she turned to her brothers. Felipe had sounded so much like her own mama it frightened her.

"Please," Oscar continued.

"Don't listen to your head, hermana," Felipe said with a knowing smile.

"Listen to your heart," Oscar said with a face matching his brother's.

Imelda sighed as she turned back to Hector, who looked between the twins and her in utter confusion. She smiled as his silly movements and faces, and as his hat spun around on his head with each quick turn of his head. Her brothers were right… she was thinking too hard. She knew what she wanted, and she was greatly surprised that he wanted it too. She just wanted to handle it like a matriarch instead of a lovesick teenager. But she had to be honest with herself. There was no difference.

"Of course Hector," Imelda smiled for the first time all evening as Hector's entire being lit up, "I would love to go on a date with you."

Suddenly Hector let out a grito that nearly shook the entire house before wrapping his arms around her. Imelda froze, and her entire family froze too, before Hector pulled away and rested his hands upon her upper arms.

"You won't regret this!" Hector said with his widest smile on display, "I'll give you the time of your life! I've got to prepare!" With that, he dashed out of the room, and the family heard the front door of the house open and close behind him. They all looked up at Imelda with silent, wide eyes, and she opened her mouth to say something, anything, before they heard the front door open and close again.

"I'm so sorry," Hector cried as he ran back into the room, and screeched to a halt in front of Imelda again, "Does tomorrow work for you? I can come by around the time you guys close the shop… or we can make it the day after… or the day after that…"

"Hector," Imelda said with a raised palm that said 'stop, breath', "Tomorrow is perfect."

"Ok! Great!" Hector said before he turned to go again, but a thought seemed to stop him. He turned back to her, gave her a sheepish smile that she didn't understand, before quickly placing a light kiss on her cheek. Imelda felt her cheeks catch on fire as Hector dashed out again, "I'll see you tomorrow mi amor!" He called before the family heard the door open and close yet again as he left. Rosita, Julio, and Victoria all looked terrified as they watched their Mama Imelda, but Felipe and Oscar looked at their sister with huge smiles on their faces.

Imelda couldn't even think straight as her hand carefully reached up to lightly touch her kissed cheek before a smile slowly graced her face. She had no idea that would feel so good, especially considering she was a skeleton without any nerves. She didn't know how much she wanted a kiss, even a small one, before that moment. She was now craving more…

"So Imelda," Felipe started with a cheeky smile, which gained his sister's attention.

"How do you feel?" Oscar smiled too as Imelda gave a lovesick smile.

"Loved," was all she could say as she continued to rub her cheek, which finally helped Rosita, Julio, and Victoria relax.

"I look ridiculous," Imelda whined as she readjusted her dress in front of the mirror in her room for the hundredth time.

"You look gorgeous Mama Imelda," Rosita smiled as she tied a light pink ribbon around Imelda's waist, "Papa Hector is very lucky."

"That's not true," Imelda sighed as she looked at her white, floral dress carefully, keeping an eye out for anything out of place, "I don't deserve him. I was so mean to him… He has every right to be nervous. I don't know what I will do most of the time. My mood could have me enjoying his company one moment, and then have me smacking him with my boot the next."

"I think you should have more trust in yourself Mama Imelda," Rosita said as she secured the bow, and stood up to meet Imelda's gaze through the mirror, "You always do what you think is right, and you're incredibly intelligent. You'll know what you want and need, and will be able to tell them apart. I personally think Hector is a perfect match for you, but I obviously don't have the experience to say that with full confidence," Imelda sighed as she thought about her daughter-in-law's words before Rosita continued, "When I heard all the stories about your husband that ran away, I imagined a large, possibly dangerous man that had no respect for anyone or anything, who was too preoccupied with his own goals that he didn't stop to think about the people he trod upon. I was definitely very far off track."

"Years of rage can exaggerate a story," Imelda said as she looked down at her perfectly polished, high heeled boots.

"Well, I hope that you can move past those hard years," Rosita said as she placed a hand on her Mama Imelda's shoulder, and Imelda turned to look at Rosita's actual face and not her reflection, "And I hope Papa Hector can help."

Imelda only nodded in response as she began to wander into her own thoughts. Rosita knew that wouldn't do her any good, so she pulled her Mama Imelda into one of her signature hugs. Imelda, who was surprised at first, smiled as she hugged Rosita back. The other skeletal woman knew exactly what she needed to feel better. Her warm hugs could brighten anyone's day, and they succeeded again when it came to Imelda.

"Thank you mija," Imelda said as Rosita let go, "You are very wise." Rosita smiled before they both heard a voice call up from downstairs.

"Imelda!" they heard Oscar yell.

"Hector's here!" Felipe finished, which was followed by some chuckling.

"Don't tease him!" Imelda yelled back down to them, and the laughter immediately stopped. After she said that, Imelda then turned to Rosita, "And please don't tease me," she said under her breath, which made Rosita giggle behind her hand. The two women walked out of the room, and down to the first floor. They stepped into the kitchen, and Imelda felt her cheeks heating up again as she looked up at her husband. She watched Hector look her up and down… and she did the same to him.

He was smiling his goofy smile, and his eyes shone like bright stars. He had attempted to look more presentable than usual. He had replaced his torn vest with a newer one, it looked like he had tried to patch up his striped pants too, and his straw hat was nowhere to be seen. Imelda felt a little better because she had thought she had gone too formal, but apparently they both had the same idea.

"Imelda," Hector gasped, sucking in a fast breath, "You look truly beautiful!" Beautiful was an understatement. He had seen her in multiple different dresses since he had been invited back into the family, but he had never seen this one. The dress had a base of white with light pink, light blue, and yellow flowers covering it. She had a light pink ribbon tied in a bow around her thin waist and a little flower of the same color in her braided hair. Her braid cascaded down her back from where it started all the way near the top of her head. Her gorgeous brown eyes spoke of her curiosity and anxiety, which he could guess reflected in his own, and he felt the urge to hug her close until she had no negative emotions to speak of.

But they weren't there yet.

Hector knew he needed to take this slow if he wanted to have a chance, and that was exactly what he was going to do.

"Thank you Hector," Imelda said as she tried to get her cheeks to cool down, "And you looked relatively handsome yourself." Hector looked very happy by her answer, but it made her brothers grumble impatiently.

"You guys go enjoy yourselves!" Oscar said cheerfully as he pushed his older sister towards the front door.

"Don't worry about us," Felipe said as he pushed Hector towards the door. His words were mostly directed at Imelda, "The house is in good hands!" The twins surprisingly succeeded in pushing the Rivera matriarch and patriarch out of the door and into the cool evening.

"You two better not break anything," Imelda growled through the open door before looking at Victoria, who was holding her book in her arms while she watched the whole situation unfold before her, "Please keep an eye on them for me mija. You're more mature than both of them combined."

"You can count on me Mama Imelda," Victoria said as she gave her grand uncles a gaze that was almost as scary as her grandmother's.

"Thank you," Imelda breathed before Rosita reached for the door.

"But in all seriousness. Please don't worry about us Mama Imelda," Rosita said as she gave her brother's mother-in-law a kind smile, "This night is all about you guys. You should only think about each other. Have fun!" With that, the door shut behind them.

Hector gulped before turning to Imelda.

This was the first time he had been completely alone with her since they came to the Land of the Dead. Before he could think about anything else, anything to say, she let out an irritated sigh.

"I don't know what has gotten into them," Imelda huffed before turning her gaze from the door to her husband, "They seem to be very excited about this."

"Yeah…" Hector breathed, suddenly incredibly scared about being in her presence, and only her presence, "They are a sweet but rambunctious lot."

"Indeed," Imelda said before silence enveloped their small conversation.

Imelda's boot tapped anxiously against the stone of her home's walkway, and Hector rubbed his thin, sleeved arm nervously.

This was what Imelda had feared.

She knew that this would happen. They would kind of start talking like normal people, but then their nerves would get the better of them. She was just grateful that they weren't in a heavily crowded place or something. That would have been ten times worse than this, but this was still pretty bad. The only way it could get worse was if her brothers decided to open the front door to make sure that she and Hector had gone.

Imelda looked around for anything, anything, to talk about. Anything to break the uncomfortable silence. Imelda's eyes looked from the quiet, dark street to the starry night sky and then to the fence around her front yard. She looked all the way along its long perimeter before she spotted something familiar on one of the fence posts. Without giving a second thought, Imelda began to walk towards it and away from her front door. Hector immediately rushed to follow her.

He followed her as she walked out of her property and onto the neighborhood road. She then took a sharp right and walked along the fence around her front yard. He gulped when she came to a halt next to a certain object he had placed there not even five minutes ago.

"What is this doing here?" Imelda asked with a sly smile as she picked up Hector's signature hat from where it was hanging on her fence.

"I was debating the entire trip here whether or not to wear it," Hector smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I decided against it in the end. It seemed to stand out from my newer clothes." Imelda rolled her eyes before forcefully placing it back on top of his head enough to cover his eyes.

"It stands out just like you do mi amor," Imelda smiled as Hector readjusted his hat so he could see. His face expressed complete shock at her actions which surprisingly helped Imelda gain more confidence. "Did you have an idea of what we were doing tonight?"

"Huh?" Hector asked as shook himself out of his lovesick stare, "Yes! Of course! Allow me!" He offered her his arm, which she took after rolling her eyes.

He was acting like such a goof, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"And then I told him that I was a pirate from the Caribbean Sea looking for my lost treasure!" Hector laughed as he and Imelda walked along the marketplace boardwalk. They had indulged in a wonderful dinner up in the top levels of the city, and Imelda had quite enjoyed it. She never got out enough to find good places to eat, but it seemed that Hector had had all the time in the world to explore the enormous city. He knew where all the beautiful parks were, where to find the best musical plazas, and where not to go. He was currently explaining what happened to him last time he went to one of these undesirable places.

"He then immediately stated that we were dead and there is no Caribbean Sea here, so I had to make a run for it!" Hector continued to laugh at his own story, and Imelda couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of it. He found all the ways to make a serious and possibly dangerous situation funny, and half of the time he didn't even mean to do it. He just wanted to get away without getting any of limbs broken, which irked Imelda more than she cared to admit.

She had never been to one of these undesirable places that he described, and she was glad she hadn't. But it made her sorry for him. He had searched the deepest parts of this underworld in a last chance attempt at crossing the bridge. He had been trying to find a black market way of crossing the Marigold Bridge, but he had found violence instead. It broke Imelda's heart to think of him limping home after someone broke his leg with a pipe (this was one of the many stories he had told as a means of entertainment over dinner). She hoped it hadn't been far before he had gotten the aid, or tape, he needed to make it heal enough so it didn't hurt anymore. He still had a limp, but he assured her that he was no longer in pain.

But that took her thoughts elsewhere. Where had Hector been living since he came to the Land of the Dead? Judging by the state of his normal clothes, Imelda could infer that it wasn't a five-star hotel. This made Imelda curious. She hated how easily her curiosity took off in the silliest of moments, but she knew her curiosity would not be satisfied until she knew the truth.

Maybe this could be the best way to reconnect, Imelda thought. By showing each other the deepest darkest parts of ourselves. She had yet to give her half of this scenario, but she knew she would definitely do it if Hector did his half. She was all for equality, but the worst of it was… she knew Hector would never say no to her.

"Hector," Imelda felt bad for cutting off his new story, but she knew that he didn't mind in the slightest. She hadn't seen him this happy since she said yes to his marriage proposal back in Santa Cecilia.

"Yes?" Hector turned to her with a huge smile on his face, and it made her smile too.

"Where have you been living all these years?" Imelda said bluntly, but sincerely, "You seem to know a lot about the city, but I know that you must have had a place to call home. Where?" Imelda watched as his smile faltered a bit and knew that she had assumed correctly about his terrible previous conditions.

"Well, it's not pretty, but it is home nonetheless," Hector said as he scratched the back of his neck, "I've been living in the land of the nearly forgotten so to speak. We are the ones who have no photos on ofrendas, no family, and no one to live with, so we live with each other," Imelda watched as his eyes became unfocused and as his mind went to old memories. She also watched as he lifted his head suddenly, and put on his signature smile, "It is better than it sounds though. While we don't get comfortable beds or running water, we still have each other, which was more than enough. They care for me, and I care for them. We share everything, and we never leave anyone behind. It is a great group of people honestly. It has been an honor to live with them as long as I have."

"Can I see it?" Imelda asked innocently, and Hector immediately reacted.

"What?" He asked with a start, "You actually want to see it? It's not a pretty place, and it's pretty filthy. I don't want to get your beautiful dress dirty."

"I'm done with pretty dresses Hector," Imelda said in her usual commanding voice. The voice she used when she wanted people to listen to her, "I've been living at the top for so long that I forgot what it was like to live at the bottom. Please show me."

"As you wish mi amor," Hector said as he took an immediate right turn off the brightly lit boardwalk.

The further they went, the darker it got.

Imelda stayed close to Hector throughout the journey. They walked down multiple staircases, some more well kept than others, and Imelda noticed how much older the buildings got the further down they went. She began to see pyramids built by ancient societies when they got to the lowest levels. She was amazed that she had never known they existed.

"Watch your step along here," Hector said as he led her down a bridge of some kind, built of incredibly old wood. He meant his warning wholeheartedly she knew because she had already counted at least nine places where a skeleton could fall through, "We obviously don't usually have guests, so we only fix it if it's entirely necessary. We can't afford to lose any materials for things that are not completely necessary."

"That makes sense," Imelda said as she watched the walkway below her carefully. The last thing she wanted to do was slip and fall through. That would be just embarrassing.

"Weeeee."

Imelda heard Hector's voice call before she heard the sound of bones crashing against stone. She looked over the ledge in front of her to find Hector reassembling himself at the very bottom of the bridge's support beams.

"I find that's easier," Hector grinned up at her with all his teeth, including his golden one, "But you can use the stairs if you'd pref-"

He jumped when he heard the sound of bones hitting against stone that was identical to his. He then looked down to find Imelda reassembling herself as well. She was laughing as she replaced her skull.

"I haven't done that since I first became a skeleton," Imelda giggled as her sockets clicked back into place, "I forgot how weird it feels to be separated but yet still together. The most I do is accidentally knock my head loose or lose a hand as I hammer a shoe too hard, but that was fun!"

Hector couldn't help but laugh at her predicament too. He had never expected the skeleton version of his beloved wife to jump from that height on any given day. He suspected she would be too good for that, but here she was giggling because she had done something relatively childish. Hector found his heart expanding. She was having fun... with him! He found that his night was getting even better.

Hector guided Imelda through the archway that led to his little nearly forgotten world, and Imelda, naturally, took it all in.

The entire town was built upon a body of water that seemed to spread in every direction underneath the huge city above them. The town was built entirely out of wood and seemed to be just a bunch of shacks linked together by bridges similar to the one she had just jumped from. Even in the late hour, skeletons were everywhere… and Imelda couldn't find one skeleton alone. They were all huddled around fires or card tables in their ragged clothes laughing and talking up a storm. Imelda smiled. Even in their dire situation, they still found a way to stay happy. Imelda was realizing more and more just how Hector was able to keep his cheerful personality.

"Cousin Hector!"

Imelda saw one of these groups call to her husband like they had known each other for years… which they probably had.

"Hey guys!" Hector called back.

"We haven't seen you for ages," one of the men in the group said as he rearranged his cards, "We were starting to fear the worst had happened."

"Nope, I'm still here and breathing," Hector smiled, "No need to worry."

"Well that's good to hear," a woman in the group said, "And I believe that Tia Chelo has something for you."

"Really?" Hector asked, "What for?"

"You'll see," the woman said as she slammed her cards on the table, "I win!"

Hector and Imelda turned away from the group and continued on their way as they heard groans coming from the table. Hector laughed under his breath, but it soon disappeared. She knew what he was thinking.

He would have actually been gone if it hadn't been for Miguel. In every other possible future, he wouldn't have made it and the nearly forgotten would have truly had to think the worse. He would have left this world without being satisfied with his life. He would have died a slow and painful death alone, and there would have been nothing to stop it.

Imelda took ahold of her husband's arm as they walked and gently laid her head against his shoulder. She felt him stiffen at first before he completely relaxed. She felt all those thoughts in his head wash away as he began to think about her and her alone. She knew he was. He was so nervous about pleasing her that this was probably the only thing going through his mind right now. He was worrying about her and, in turn, she was worrying about him.

"Hector!"

"Tia Chelo!" Hector called back as he led Imelda over to another makeshift table, but this one wasn't covered in cards. This one was covered in empty shot glasses and there were two sleeping skeleton women resting upon it. Chelo rolled her eyes at her sleeping companions.

"Couldn't beat me," she laughed as she looked up at her old friend. Chelo then smiled up at Imelda before asking, "Now who might you be?"

"This is Imelda," Hector said happily.

"I'm his wife," Imelda finished Hector's unspoken thought. She knew he had been debating saying it, so she said it for him. She saw Hector's smile grow even bigger at her words.

"Well, aren't you just gorgeous," Chelo said with excitement, "This old fool has obviously told us so much about you, but he didn't mention just how beautiful you were." Imelda felt her cheeks burning at her compliment, and she stuttered before she replied.

"Well, thank you," Imelda said as she looked down at her boots. Hector smiled at her flustered state before speaking.

"I was told that you had something for me?" Hector said it more like a question because he himself was unsure.

"Yes," Chelo said as she turned around in her seat and reached for something behind her, "I've been keeping it by my side since I found it considering it's incredibly valuable." Hector and Imelda gazed in amazement as she handed him a guitar. It was a little chipped and in need of a good polishing, but other than that it seemed to be in pretty good condition. Hector took it with trembling hands as he looked it over.

Imelda knew her husband well enough to know that when he was handed a guitar, he needed to examine it. So she grabbed a nearby chair and set it down next to him. He gave her a sheepish grin before grabbing another chair for her. They both sat down at the table together.

"Where did you find it?" Hector asked in awe as he strummed the chords and found the perfect tune of each string.

"Out and about," Chelo said with a sly smile that said she was keeping her masterful secrets, "Can you believe that someone was about to throw it away. Humph! Shameful."

"Indeed," Imelda said as she stomped down all the bad feelings she was beginning to feel. She used to be that person. She would have been the one to throw away such a beautiful instrument, but she knew she shouldn't think about that. This was her precious time with Hector, and she would not waste it.

Hector began to strum a melody along the strings, and Chelo turned to look at Imelda.

"I've also heard that you can sing." Hector's head shot up at that, and he looked towards his wife with a worried stare.

"Well, I'm a tad bit rusty," Imelda said as she looked at the guitar. She didn't dare make eye contact with the woman in front of her.

"Nonsense," Chelo said with a wave of her hand, "Music is music! It can never be rusty! It flows through you. Always has, always will. It comes to those worthy of it even in the darkest of times, and you are worthy my dear." Imelda looked between Hector and Chelo before she gave a nervous laugh.

"I don't know," Imelda sighed.

"I'll go slow and easy," Hector smiled as he started strumming a different tune, one she knew well. She sighed and smiled at him.

"Ay, de mi llorona," she began as the words flowed through her lips like honey: smooth and calm, "Llorona de azul celeste."

Hector smiled at her the entire time and encouraged her to continue. She didn't even notice when more skeletons came over to listen to her or what time it was. She just sang like she hadn't done in nearly a century, and enjoyed every second.