As if their relationship wasn't intolerable before, this is next level. Victoria can't even walk past Héctor without recieving one of his stares or fearful glances. It pains her deeply. The most optimistic person in her familia refuses to talk to her.

And if she's normally the quietist, then his silence is like a stab in the back. A punch in the face.

It even saddens her to look at his face, which always looks tear-stained. Victoria has tried talking to him, but one look at his hurt experession and her words die in her mouth.

Before they were just ok, now, relationship-wise, they're 100 below 0.

And it's the most excruciating thing Victoria has ever put up with.

At first Victoria didn't look who she was sitting next to as she plopped down next to Héctor, and she wouldn't have noticed if an eerie silence hadn't come over the room right then. That's when she saw Héctor, guitar in hand, and staring at her in that very same depressing way he had been for the last few days.

For a moment they just stared at each other, and then Victoria spoke.

"I don't regret what I said about Ernesto." she says sternly. Héctor widens his eyes. Mamá Imelda shoots Victoria a warning look.

Victoria nods. "I don't regret it one bit. You need to stop talking about him."

"I can't." Héctor says, voice heavy. "If I stopped talking about him, I'd be as bad as him: betraying the fact that I knew him in life."

"That's probably what he wants," Victoria replies, "I mean, the whole world hates him now."

"Not the whole world."

Those words catch Victoria off guard.

Héctor explains. "Ernesto had tons of amigos," he says, "I don't know how much. Definently more than me. None of them liked me, but they practically worshiped him. I know they miss him." Héctor draws in a breath. "I miss him, too."

Victoria doesn't say anything for a while. Then she says, "He was lucky to have an amigo like you."

Héctor stares at her. "You think so?"

Victoria nods. "You're kind, funny, quirky, and a great músico. If he thought that life was better without you, he's completely loco."

Héctor laughs. "I guess. That's what Imelda told me."

"I'm not wrong," comes Mamá Imelda's voice from behind.

It makes Héctor laugh harder and Victoria joins in.

"By the way," Héctor asks once he calms down, "what's that book you're reading? What genre?"

"I don't know," Victoria answers, "I think it's comedy/science-fiction. Hard to tell."

"Odd mix." Héctor says, "Can I read it?"

"I'll give it to you when I finish."

"I'll be quick," Héctor promises.

Victoria shakes her head. Héctor sighs, fake-disappointed.

Another silence follows, but Victoria recovers quickly. "I'm sorry." she tells Héctor.

Héctor stared at her. "Sorry for what?"

"For saying that I wanted you forgotten. I used to want that, but now I don't." Victoria smiles. "In fact, you kind of remind me of one of mi amigas."

"Really?"

Victoria nods. "She gets on my nerves sometimes too, but that doesn't mean I don't like her." Victoria looks Héctor dead in the eyes. "And just because you annoy the heck out of me doesn't mean I don't like you. We're family. I couldn't have a better abuelo than you."

Héctor gasps and wraps his arms around Victoria, clearly happy. Victoria laughs. The mood shifts in the room after that, but as long as the mood is happy, Victoria doesn't care.

It's better than fighting with your familia.