It wasn't uncommon to hear Héctor singing to Coco before he said goodnight to her. He'd started doing it since she turned a year old. Every night, he would sing her one of his songs while Coco sat on her bed, hands folded and legs slightly swinging, watching him and humming along if she knew the melody. It had become their nightly ritual: after Coco got settled in bed, Héctor would have his guitar ready, starting to strum the beginning notes whenever Imelda left them alone.
At first Imelda stayed with them, swaying to the music while she stood behind Héctor and watched his and Coco's every move until the songe ended. Sometimes she joined in, Héctor's hands freezing over his guitar strings momentarily to give her a wide-eyed look. There were a couple of times when Héctor and Imelda put on a sort of show for Coco, dancing together in front of her bed as she smiled and laughed at them.
But after a while, Imelda stopped listening. Or, at least she no longer stood in Coco's bedroom with them. She still listened, standing just outside Coco's bedroom door or in her and Héctor's own room, facing away from the hallway until the music ended but still cherishing the sound.
And it became such a normal thing, to hear her daughter's and husband's voices join together as they sang, that it became impossible not to listen to them. Even if Imelda wanted to stop listening, she couldn't. Héctor's music and love were impossible to unhear or escape. It just couldn't be done. Imelda didn't know how, but it was as if Héctor's music put some kind of spell on her. No matter where she was, no matter if she was right next to him or not, she could always hear him.
Whether she wanted to or not.
This time when she passed Coco's door, it gave Imelda more pause than usual. She didn't have to look into the room to know Coco was grinning, that Héctor had his guitar in hand and had started playing and singing. Imelda soon realized what song it was, too. It was the one that Héctor had wrote only weeks ago. And unlike his other songs, this one is softer, filled with more tenderness than usual.
Imelda stepped just ouside the bedroom door, leaning on its frame and looking inside the room.
Coco was sitting on her knees, slightly leaning forward with her head tilted up at Héctor and an adoring smile on her face. Her eyes, as large and expressive as his, were sparkling with so much excitement that Imelda felt her heart clench for no apparent reason. Héctor was kneeling at Coco's level, strumming his guitar and singing their song as Coco giggled and leaned closer. The moonlight from Coco's bedroom window made both Héctor's dark red suit and Coco's pink nightgown glow.
Imelda felt a smile pull at her lips as she watched them, though she couldn't help but feel a deep pang in her chest as she remembered how Héctor would often serenade her in almost the same way.
She watched as Coco reached her arms up and held Héctor's face in her small hands. Héctor's eyes became glassy, though Imelda knew it was from love rather than sadness. She knew it wasn't possible, but Imelda felt as if Héctor loved Coco more than her, just as he often seemed to prefer Ernesto over the two of them. But that wasn't the same, was it? That was Ernesto; this was Coco.
Two entirely different situations.
At least, Imelda hoped they were.
Coco's hands moved from his cheekbones down to his chin as Héctor sang the final line, and Héctor seemed to lean into and savor the touch for the briefest moment.
Then the song was over, and he slowly pulled away.
Imelda felt as if she should be in there with him, just like she used to do, but she felt rooted to her place, as if her feet were cemented to the tile floor. She felt as if she could still see Coco's hands on Héctor's cheeks. The image kept flashing before her eyes as she continued to stare at them.
Coco was still staring at Héctor as she pulled her blankets over her. Héctor just smiled down at her with no words spoken, just a final kiss on Coco's forehead before Héctor started to walk away. Then Héctor stepped toward the door, and Imelda veered away, pushing herself up against the wall in a blur of nervous movement. Somewhere inside of her, she didn't want Héctor to know she was watching them.
Héctor stopped walking for a second, pausing just outside the doorway and turning his head in her direction. Imelda just smiled at him, but inside she felt like crying. She knew it was stupid, but the feeling of sadness wouldn't go away. She couldn't help but think that Héctor was putting Coco before her, no matter how much she knew it wasn't true.
Héctor stepped closer, and in that instant the first tears fell. Héctor took both her hands in hers, and Imelda could feel the callouses in his fingers from years of guitar playing. Her name was whispered as they stared at each other, Héctor's face lighting up with the smallest smile. Then he leaned down, pulled Imelda closer to him, and gave her a soft, long kiss. Imelda closed her eyes as she stood, letting out more tears and wrapping her arms around him just as he did to her.
After a while, Héctor pulled back, gave her another smile, and lead the way to their bedroom. Imelda lingered in the hallway for a moment, willing the tears to stop and her heart to slow down. His gentle touch was still at the front of her mind as she followed him and layed next to him, allowing herself to fall into blissful sleep.