~ Rivera Hacienda, November 1, 1971.

Socorro looked down at her notebook, and sighed before she closed it. Brushing her gray hairs at the mirror before she braided it in pigtails. Julio walked closer, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's ok, mi amor." Coco leaned into her husband as he tried to reassure her.

Coco let her tears fall, and held him. They stayed like that for a few minutes before she finally collected herself together, and left the bedroom with her husband.

"Buenos días, Mamá, Papá." Their eldest daughter put the picture down once the couple entered the room.

"Buenos días, Mija." Coco replied, and looked at the photo that the glasses woman just put down on the table.

"Do you think we'll need to use it?" Victoria asked.

"I hope not yet, mija."

Another couple entered the room, Elena, Coco's youngest daughter, and her husband, Franco.

"Buenos días, mi familia." The round belly woman greeted her family.

Everyone got in a car, and Julio drove them out of the hacienda. Passing the neighbors that were scattering marigolds, and hanging papel picados as they made their way to a hospital.

~ A113, Hospital General de Santa Cecilia

"How are you today, Abuelita?" Elena asked as she took a seat next to the old woman's bed.

"I'm ok, mija." The old woman wheezed with her eyes shut, "Where are your parents?".

The elder's hoarse voice made Elena shivered. It was weak, and agonizing, nothing like her natural voice that the Riveras usually heard.

"They are talking with the doctor, Abuelita." Victoria replied as she stood with her back against the wall.

"Don't stay here too long." said the elder, "We got orders to finish."

"We have informed the delay to the customers, Abuelita." Elena tried to reassure her, "It 's día de los muertos.".

"You'll be a mother soon, Elena. The money will be more necessary once the baby is born."

The door flung open, and Elena's parents entered the room.

"Hola, Mamá." Coco greeted her mother.
"Go back to work, mija."

"But Mamá-"

"Go…".

It wasn't a shout, but everyone could hear "El Tono de Mamá Imelda" in it. The Riveras looked at each other in silence before they gave the matriarch a goodbye hug. Imelda grabbed Franco's arm before they left

"Don't ever leave them." The matriarch looked at her grandson-in-law.

"I'll take care of them, lo juro." Franco replied, and Imelda let go of him.

Elena heard their small talk, she totally understood what her Abuelita meant.

~ Rivera Familia de Zapateros.

The elder twin worked at the workshop with a plump woman, the 3 stopped immediately once Coco, and Julio entered the workshop with their daughters, and son-in-law.

"How was"

"Imelda, Coco?" Filipe finished Óscar's question.

The pigtail woman sighed, "The doctor confirmed she might not last tonight." Socorro replied to her Tíos, "She won't let us stay with her.".

The plump woman hung her head down sadly, Mamá Imelda has always overworked herself, and even was finally bedridden, she refused to let it affect her family stabilization.

"Should we make an ofrenda?" Rosita asked.

~ Empty Room, Rivera Hacienda.

Jullio pulled a table in with Franco's help after Coco, and Victoria swept the floor. Óscar, and Filipe placed a family photo of Mamá Imelda on the Ofrenda, and lit the candle. Elena placed a pair of boots as the offering.

"It's beautiful." Coco smiled as the Riveras looked at Mamá Imelda's ofrenda.

"Mamá…" Victoria fidgeting her fingers, "What will happen to the music ban?".

"We'll continue it for Mamá Imelda." Elena replied before her mother could give her answer.

"But mija-"

"Music makes her sad. Mamá." Elena insisted, and gestured to the young woman in the photo, "Can't you remember what he did?"

The pregnant woman asked, and pointed at the man in the photo, making a cat immediately jump to the photo.

"Pepita!" Socorro scolded the cat.

It quickly ran away, leaving the broken framed photo on the floor. Elena picked the photo up, unfolding to reveal another portion where the man with no face was holding a skull-head guitar.

"I'll go get the broom." Coco left the room.

"We will buy-"

"The new frame."

The elder twin rushed outside, and Franco walked to his wife.

"We'll take care of this, mi amor.".

"You can wait in the living room till the Tíos return." Julio added with a gentle smile.

Elena nodded, and left the room with the photo.

Welcome to the first chapter! This story was set in 1971, so Imelda was 72, Coco was 53, and Elena was 23. Thank you so much for reading:)

Tono = Tone

Lo Juro = I Swear