Miguel remained seated on the roof even after practicing, the last dinner would be ready in 5 minutes, and he wanna spend as much time as he could with the dead before Día De Los Muertos tomorrow, but he didn't think he could fake the smile in front of them. He was used to doing that, but he didn't know why he couldn't do it, not this time...
"You okay, Mijo?" Héctor asked as he climbed up to sit next to the boy.
"Sure, why?" Miguel tried his best to look confused in front of one of the men who knew him best.
"I… don't know how you feel." Said Héctor, using the same tone he did when he said 'that was a lie,' and Miguel knew that tone well, "But I'm used to acting like I was okay, and I'll be honest with you, it didn't solve anything." his face turned sad, "It did nothing but made everyone feel worse.".
"So what did you do?" Miguel asked.
"I talked to our familia." Héctor smiled proudly, "And I feel so much better, the feeling is still there, but I know I'm no longer alone.".
The golden light from the setting sun lit up Héctor's smile as he stared out at the city. Miguel could clearly see the love in his eyes as he talked about their family. He chose them above everything, I could never be as good as him, Miguel sighed.
"Can I tell you something?" Miguel asked finally.
"¡Por supuesto!"
"I love our familia, and I wanna build a family of my own like you did with Mamá Imelda, surrounded by love, but at the same time I still wanna go after a music career.".
"You don't have to rush in finding your future wife, Mijo." Héctor replied, "I know Imelda, and I grew up together, but we didn't actually have a romance thing until I was 18! You can absolutely go for music first, chamaco.".
Wait, why does this sound weird, did he think I'm looking for a girlfriend? Miguel thought.
"I'm not talking about Señoritas, Papá Héctor." Miguel chuckled, "I'm talking about my dream, and our family." Miguel's smile turned sad, "I don't wanna leave them, but at the same time I still wanna reach for my dream! and I feel like a bad person for feeling that.".
"You're not." Héctor replied gently, but serious, "What made you feel that way, mijo?"
"Well, You could have reached for the music career, but you chose to stay with our familia, and that was amazing!" Miguel smiled as he thought about their family, "I want to be like you, but I...I…".
Miguel started to shake as he tried to think of the word that never came to him. Héctor held Miguel to his chest, trying to calm him as the boy was shaking.
"It's okay..."
"I don't know what I should do." Miguel confessed.
"I understand, chamaco, it's okay." Héctor rubbed the boy's back, "You don't have to do what I did, make the path for yourself." he told the boy, "Your family will always be here for you, you can come to them anytime as you reach for your dream."
The boy nodded, and returned the hug. Letting the tears dry as the smile finally rose on his face.
"¡La cena está lista!" Elena shouted from down below.
Héctor let go of Miguel, and they climbed down from the roof to join the family in the dining room.
~ Kitchen
Everyone took a shower after the meal as Elena washed the dishes with Coco wiping them dry, and Héctor put them in the cabinet.
"Do you really have to go?" Elena refused to look at her mother.
"We have to, Mija." Coco replied.
"But don't worry, we'll visit you every Día De Los Muertos." Héctor quickly added.
"I really love having you around, Mamá." Elena admitted, "And I've got used to your company too, Héctor." She put on her regular tough face, "Honestly I'm glad that everyone can't go back to the land of the dead. I had a really good time".
"We do too, Mija" Coco replied, and held her daughter.
Héctor joined the hug, tomorrow won't be easy. The 3 eventually let go with a rueful smile as Coco looked down on the floor, and then at her house arrest ankle collar.
"Hey! Tomorrow the police will finally take my collar back, why don't we do a family photo in the courtyard?" Coco suggested, "We have plenty of selfies, but it would be nice to have a good large family photo."
"¡Gran idea!" Héctor replied excitedly.
~ Living Room
The whole family gathered in the room with their instrument, and papers as they rehearsed La Banda De La Familia Rivera's version of 'Remember Me'. Ernesto might have managed to steal that song from Héctor, but he never knew that it's not the finished version.
Ernesto never knew the secret lyrics, because Héctor didn't write them for Coco. Coco, and Imelda wrote them for him. And the 3 would sing that together every time Héctor returned until that fateful night.
We all have reunited, and will be part again until it's their time, so I guess at least we could leave this version of the song to the living to remind them that we love them, Coco thought as the family rehearsed it one last time.
~ 2019 Día De Los Muertos ~
The Police released the collar on Coco's ankle, and left the house as the others were busy dressing up for La Gran Foto De Familia. All the dead wore the same outfit they wore when they appeared, knowing that they might turn back into skeleton anytime.
Miguel set a camera in the courtyard preparing for the photo. Imelda sat on the center well with Coco on her lap, and Héctor standing at her left. Óscar and Felipe stood at her right with Julio, Victoria, Elena, Franco, Gloria, and Rosita as Enrique, Luisa holding baby Coco, Berto, and Carmen holding Benny and Manny along with Abel, and Rosa stood at Héctor's left.
"Listo!" Miguel smiled after he pressed the button.
The camera started to count down as the boy rushed to stand between his parents. Everyone smiled, and then the most magical photo of the family was taken.
"Remember me, Though I have to say goodbye
Remember me, Don't let it make you cry
For even if I'm far away I hold you in my heart
I sing a secret song to you each night we are apart"
After they were done with the photo, the family started setting things up for the celebration, hanging papel picado, and making tamales. Rosa printed out the grand family photo, and had the whole family sign it before she placed it on the ofrenda so the dead could take it home.
"Remember me, Though I have to travel far
Remember me, Each time you hear a sad guitar
Know that I'm with you the only way that I can be..."
Héctor placed the red sombrero on Miguel's head, and the boy smiled. The whole living family have dressed in red mariachi outfits with their instruments ready as the sun was setting, painting the sky in golden color.
"Until you're in my arms again
Remember me"
Miguel finished the last strumming after Héctor sang the last word, and then all the lights went up, and the whole family came in! The song turned upbeat right after Óscar, and Filipe blew their trumpet with Julio playing drums, and Enrique played the bass.
"Remember me, If you can still recall
Remember me, When darkness starts to fall
For even though I'm far away you take me everywhere
We'll sing our secret tune and soon I'm with you here and there."
They don't need any mic to overcome the loudness of the instruments, and the amps. Everyone just danced, and played along with the song, pouring their loves out for one another.
Recuerdame, y si pronto he de partir
Recuerdame, nuestro amor a de vivir
Y yo con este triste canto te acompañaré
Hasta que ya en mis brazos tú estés..."
Everyone played out their improvises, and poured out their best skills before they burst out together in the grand "Recuérdame!".
"Que nuestra canción no deje de latir
Sólo con tu amor yo puedo existir
Que nuestra canción no deje de latir
Sólo con tu amor yo puedo existir
Remember me."
Los Giritos del Amor filled the courtyard as the song ended with the beautiful fireworks. Héctor smiled, and wiped his tears before he hugged his familia, surrounded by their love. And then suddenly the dead's bodies started to glow in golden color, and with a PUFF! of marigolds, they all turned into their original skeleton forms.
"Wow!" Abel gasped excitedly.
"I guess that means it's time we go back to our place." Imelda smiled ruefully.
Miguel held Héctor's hand tight, not ready to let go. The living Riveras walked the skeleton Riveras to the cemetery. It glowed a warm orange with candles and marigolds. The other families were there too, sending off their skeleton relative.
And when the glowing Marigold Bridge finally came into view, the sparkling cityscape of the Land of the Dead emerged. It was still as beautiful as Miguel remembered, but this time way more cleaner, with more roads for the vehicles, and obviously stable looking trolleys.
"Aww, I can't wait to see our home again." Rosita smiled.
"I'll miss you a lot." Mamá Coco smiled at the baby Coco in Luisa's arms.
"See you someday, hermana." Elena hugged Victoria.
"Gracias por todo." Héctor smiled at his living familia, and they all nodded with tears.
Miguel broke down, and held Héctor tight. Héctor returned the hug, and then the whole Rivera joined them, both living, and dead. Héctor wiped Miguel tears after they finally let go of one another.
"We'll be here every year, Mijo" Imelda reassured him.
"And one day, when it's finally your time, we'll come greet you." Héctor smiled.
Miguel nodded, and smiled with hope. The dead Riveras joined their hands, and together they crossed the golden bridge with the offerings as the living waving goodbye until their skeleton relatives finally faded out of sight.
~ The End ~
I used the 2018 Óscar Performance's Version + Lafourcade's Solo Version of 'Remember Me' in this chapter. At first, I wanted Héctor to do the Bernal's version for the family, but I want the whole family to be able to join too. So I googled Remember Me's lyrics in both Ernesto, and Duo's version, and found out that Ernesto's version didn't have "Que nuestra canción no deje de latir / Sólo con tu amor yo puedo existir!".
Photo Position
Rosita / Gloria / Franco / Elena / Victoria / Julio / Óscar and Felipe / Imelda ~ Coco ~ Héctor / Enrique / Miguel / Luisa holding baby Coco / Berto, and Carmen holding Benny and Manny / Abel / Rosa
Thank you so much for sticking around till the end! Honestly I wanna add what changes happened in the LOTD, but I think it's better if I left that to your imagination.
Vocab
¡Por Supuesto! = Of Course!
¡La Cena Está Lista! = Dinner Is Ready!
La Banda De La Familia Rivera = The Rivera Family Band
La Gran Foto De Familia = The Grand Family Photo
Todo = Everything
Happy New Year!