A/N: If I Could Reach Into The Past: Chapter 3

Chapter summary: They say that love never dies and that absense makes the heart grow fonder.

Beautiful.

That was the only word Manolo could think of as he gazed at his Maria. Resting on her palms against the pane of her window, hair undone messy while her nightdress remakes smooth and pristine. It looked as if time hadn't touched her, and instead had left her be...

As if time allowed her to wait for him while the rest of the world turned-

Though, that was far from the truth. The wrinkles around her eyes were still every present in the window's reflection. Years of hard work and motherhood had stained her features in a way that was both fitting and becoming of her. Manolo was happy for her, even if that very string of thoughts made his heart clench tightly behind his ribs. He would always be happy so long as she was.

"That girl is in so much trouble..." Maria spoke, her voice giving way to her true age. "Shes learned from y-"

She had turned, her voice scratching to an abrupt halt as she was faced with a man other than her husband. The way her face scrunched up in surprise and utter confusion made Manolo's face burn with both second-hand embarrassment and love... And pain, as on of her palms had left the window and cracked hard against his face- the jagged diamond of a wedding band cutting into his cheek deep enough to remind him that he was in fact alive again.

"Gah- Its nice to see you again too, señora Mandragon..."

In an instance, it felt as though all the air has been sucked from the room. Time held Maria in a position of a raised hand and a face of fear. All there was left to do was to wait- And prepare himself for another slap should Maria feel it necessary.

Though it was likely that she did not feel it, as her fear soon melted into an emotion that Manolo could not quite place.

"M-Manolo-" Maria gasped. In an instance, her palm was at cradling his injured cheek, albeit doing a poor job with the way it trembled the moment it touched his skin. "H-how- You died! We had you buried-"

"Maria!" Manolo laughed, wrapping his own hand around hers. "I know it is a surprise- but I have so much to tell you... About the Land of the Remembered and La Muerte-! Maria, I fought every bull my family has ever killed just to come back here and see you again."

"This... This is just crazy." A laugh tore itself from her throat, lining the word 'crazy' with a breathy echo that held anything but happiness.

"I agree, but crazier things have happened- like freeing pigs from their pens and destroying half the town?" The small joke seemed to be effective it pulling a quite geuine laugh from Maria.

"Or fighting a duel with a guitar." She added, now calmly stroking her thumb over his skin, seemingly testing to see if it was real.

"Or even Joaquin getting married." The off-coloured jab had Maria's face fall suddenly. Regret welled up in Manolo's heart, both from making such a beautiful face stop smiling and from the memories of their past. He was expecting another slap, or for Maria to pull away from him. What he didn't expect was for her to hug him as tightly as she did.

"Manolo, I missed you so miuch..." She muttered, nuzzling her face against his. "I tell my child about you everyday-"

"I'm aware... She told me herself." He sighed, "She is just like her mother."

Cautiously, he raised a hand and rested it on the back of her head, several loose curls falling over his fingers as he did. What he wouldn't give to stroke through them, offer Maria some form of comfort in that very moment... But he willed the wish away. This was his best friend's wife now. He had no business doing something so intimate, albeit, innocent. The embrace felt like it had lasted a lifetime, though it had been just 2 minutes before Maria finally pulled away from him.

"Nita... She always said you would come back one day." Maris said, "I never thought she would be right."

"Yes..." A pause, "But enough about that- Theres so much I want to know- 14 years to catch up on!"

"Y-you're right! Yes- Where to even start, right?" Maria laughed, happiness now present in her voice as she clapped her hands together and folded them into her lap.

"How about from the beginning?"

"... 14 years ago- you passed away from a snake bite. Chakal came and attacked the town- but we survived it. The town banded together and we managed to drive him out for good. It was amazing! I just wish you could have been there to see it..."

A pause, and a gesture for her to continue was given.

"We lost so many... Your father, your grandmother- townsfolk... But for the most part, we survivied." Maria sighed heavily. "My daughter was born shortly after, and Joaquin and I married and moved into my father's manor... We knew Nita was special the moment she could walk. She took one of my skirts and 'faught' off a 'dangerous' pig with it... Though it was just Chewy."

"Uh-oh. Perhaps your stories of me were not the best thing to be telling the child?" Manolo teased. "San Angel's next greatest bullfighter could be your child."

"If you were to teach her, I wouldn't be surprised." Maria scoffed. "But that is not the life I want for her."

"You're starting to sound like my mama." Manolo signed, shaking his head. "Papa would've been thrilled to have another bullfighter to train... I miss them both terribly now."

"I understand..."

Manolo began to speak, but found that no words came out, nor did he have anything roaming around in his mind. Offering to train the little Mondragon would be a step in the wrong direction, as neither of them agreed with the sport. Though, in a strange way, he found that he would also miss the ring and early morning practices with his father. Without the killing, bullfighting still had a fond spot somewhere in his heart.

"What to do now..." He mused. "I am the last of the Sanchez family now..."

"Manolo-" Maria stopped, biting down on her lip hard. It looked as though she was holding back a floodgate as hard as she could, but just after a moment had decided against releasing the flood just yet. Instead she just sighed and shook her head. "Stay here for the night, and think about it in the morning."

"I've had 14 years to ponder, Maria." Manolo offered quietly. "I know you don't approve, but I think I will return to the ring for the night... Just to spend some time there. Somewhere familiar... Without my family-"

"Manolo-" Maria wrapped her slender arms around him again, pulling him close to her. "We're still your family."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Maria... But I feel as though I've intruded enough." He began, starting to stand but finding Maria's hold eas anchoring him to the floor.

"Please... I never stopped loving you since then... I can't have you step out of our lives again." Her tone was soft and low, and Manolo faintly caught the shudder than ran through her words as she spoke.

"Maria..." He soon had her wrapped up in his own hold, 14 years worth of love held behind it as he did. The time taken from them meant nothing anymore.