When Coco grows up is when Imelda figures out just how much of Héctor's personality she has in her. Imelda had seen pieces of him in Coco when she was little, but never as much as she seems to now.
Now she's a year younger than Héctor was when Imelda last saw him. Now her smile can stretch wider across her face, and her laugh and her voice have matured.
Now Héctor's quirkiness and love of music don't just show when Coco's in front of musicians; it shows everywhere, from Coco's impulsive and determined nature to her random acts of kindness to Imelda and other people in town to the angelic face she gets when she's deep in thought or spots a group of people dancing with their loved ones. An even more annoying thing is the way Coco sometimes sneaks behind Imelda's back to dance with her friends, just like how Héctor constantly had to do when he wanted to hang out with her.
And every time Imelda gets close enough to catch Coco and her amigas showing off their dance moves to the few people that gather to watch them (the rest stay away out of fear, Imelda guesses), Imelda will get that feeling, that unnatural stabbing sensation in her heart that she has no name for and that had come up less frequently since Imelda got her business started.
She'll feel sadness at first, thinking of her and Héctor's first dance together or all the things she sacraficed for him, then she'll feel anger when she wrenches herself back to reality and realizes that Coco is breaking the most important family rule and that those sacrafices she'd made are pointless now since she'll never see Héctor again. Imelda finds herself pushing back tears of rage and frustrating longing whenever she lectures Coco or drags her home.
And the defiance Coco gives in return only strengthens those feelings.
Imelda decides that making Coco help with the shoemaking business and deliver the orders to their customers will take her mind off of music-- and off of Héctor-- and it will help her learn that it's better to be working than clinging to useless thoughts from the past.
Coco still finds ways to listen to music, though, especially on weekends or when Imelda asks her to do some deliveries around town. One time Coco even kept the to-be-delivered shoes for herself and danced in their courtyard with them on until Imelda found her and made her take them off.
But Imelda can't keep her eyes on Coco all the time.
Imelda finds her in town one day, much like the others when she's late coming home and it's up to Imelda to find out why. She makes her way to the town square, trying to block out the sound of guitars, trumpets, and violins as she walks past the numerous mariachi bands. Imelda expects Coco to be surounded by her friends, being applauded and praised as she broke the rules. That's the sight she usually sees, and while it is breaking the rules, it's forgiveable.
What Imelda finds, however, is not that.
Coco is dancing alone-- no, not alone, Imelda realizes quickly. She's with someone Imelda doesn't recognize.
Coco is with a man who looks to be her same age, and it's obvious from how close they're standing, to the way Coco leans over and kisses his cheek while he twirls her under his arms, that they've been doing this for a long time. And that they are more than friends.
Imelda's heart hurts so much. She feels herself trembling and her hands curling to fists. She charges up to them and pulls them apart, looking from Coco to the mystery person as she interrogates him.
She asks for his name. She asks how long he has known Coco for and what his intentions are with her. He answers both her questions, telling her his name is Julio and that he wishes to marry Coco one day, which makes Imelda tense slightly as she remembers the love she had felt when Héctor proposed to her. She pushes that feeling away (which is harder than she wants it to be) and questions Julio some more, perking up slightly when Julio tells her that he's skilled in upholstery-based craft.
Imelda asks him if he would be interested in joining her family business, and he says yes. When he accepts is Imelda grants him her blessing to marry Coco.
Coco's eyes shine with a love Imelda recognizes all too well as she watches Coco and Julio loook at each other and grab each other's hands. For a brief moment Imelda feels the sensation of Héctor's touch as she watches them.
As her and Coco walk home later that day, Imelda finds herself conflicted, thinking of her decision to let Coco be married. What if Julio leaves Coco just like Héctor had left Imelda?
But as Imelda glances over her shoulder at Coco, seeing the lovestruck look in her eyes, then looking farther into the distance and seeing Julio watching them with the same expression, Imelda lets her fears be silenced partially.
Julio clearly loves Coco, she thought.
Julio is clearly nothing like Héctor.