It's no doubt tonight is going to be another night of restlessnes for her, that or sleeping while thinking of things she does not want to think about anymore. Either she closes her eyes and sees him in her mind, or she stays awake worrying about him, why he hasn't sent a single letter since last month and where in the world he is.
Imelda doesn't like either option.
She'd rather not think about Héctor until he shows up at the door and gives an explination. Until he pleads with her to please, just listen, his voice cracking with desperation and a broken expression on his face. Until she watches Coco run up to him and wrap her arms around his legs. Until she knows if he still cares, if he knows what he's caused being away this long.
His last letter said he should be coming home today. Imelda should've known it was too good to be true.
She rolls on her side, facing the bedroom door and the empty bedside. She can hear Coco's soft singing and see the light from her room coming through the cracked open door. Imelda shivers from something other than the breeze from her open window. When, if, Héctor comes back, Imelda will give him punishment. She'll slap him, not too hard, but hard enough that Héctor staggers back, stares at her pleading, teary eyes.
Then she'll apologize, and maybe he'll kiss her. Maybe she'll accept, lean into him as he embraces her once they're done.
But for now he's not here.
The air around Imelda grows cold once again as her daughter's whispers dissolve into snores. The bed suddenly feels too large without Héctor's body blocking the other side. The room seems too quiet without hearing his soft breathing, his airy laughter and occasional noises he makes in his sleep as if he's singing.
And when did it get so dark at night?
Not even the moon brightens up the space. Its light shines on the desk where Héctor usually perfers to sit whenever he gets new music ideas and has to write them down. Imelda can see the balled up pieces of paper he usually always forgets to throw away.
Imelda feels her eyes tug down, and she sighs, too overwhelmed with memories and the future conversations she'll have with Héctor when she sees him again to stop herself nodding off.
She settles for grabbing Héctor's pillow and holding it in her arms as she drifts off. It's not the same as having her arms around him, but it'll do for now.