Coco finds herself thinking of Mamá's words as she and Julio talk later that day. Everyone is in the living room, relaxing and talking with one another as the afternoon continues. The sound of laughing fills the air occasionally as well.
Coco turns to face Julio. "Did you know that Mamá used to attack Papá when she chased him away?"
Julio nods. "He never told you?"
Coco shakes her head as she looks upstairs. Papá is most likely up their again, so there's almost no chance he'll hear them talking about him.
Coco regards Julio again. "Did you see her do it?"
Julio shrugs. "Sometimes. He'd try to talk to Mamá Imelda occasionally. He always knocked on our front door and when she saw him, well... it was never fun to watch."
Coco shudders. She remembers watching Mamá rip Papás face out of their family picture when Coco was little. Mamá was still angry at Papá for leaving them, and she'd went through a fit of rage that lasted at least a week.
Coco had rescued the torn piece of the photo after Mamá had gone to bed. She couldn't bear the thought of Papá's face missing from their picture.
Coco never suspected that Mamá had carried that anger with her after she died, and though she strangely isn't suprised at the news, part of her is frightened.
Coco sighs and fidgets with her hands. "Did you ever see her do it?" she asks.
Julio nods slowly and shudders as well. "Sí. She'd tear after him with her fists in the air. Although he was always pretty fast, Mamá Imelda always got ahold of him one way or another."
Coco's hands squeeze to fists, trying to shield her fear.
Julio puts an arm around her. "At least it's behind her now," he says.
Behind her, Coco thinks with sadness. Not Papá. Maybe that's why he acts so different around Mamá now. She can't help but think of her and Papá's talk yesterday. She knew something was off with him What if this is what it is?
Coco squeezes Julio's hand and says, "I'm worried about him."
She thinks of her childhood, when Papá would seem didheartened after an argument with Ernesto and act dazed and distracted around Mamá. He'd refuse to explain, brushing her off and sometimes getting angry.
Coco thinks of how he doesn't like worrying people, how he'd try to brush off her concern with one of his cheerful smiles.
He still clearly thinks it doesn't worry anyone.
But Coco knows no one's fooled.
Julio looks at her and gives her a little smile. "Just be glad you didn't witness him and Mamá Imelda's arguments," he tells her.
Coco nods and doesn't say anything, looking out the window as the sky begins to darken. She tries to force the image of Papá's tired face out her mind.