A/N: This is a belated Christmas oneshot that takes place after my story Getting used to you. I meant to post it four nights ago but got busy with holiday plans. I figured that since we never saw Elena apologize for breaking Miguel's guitar, we'd get to see her apologize for breaking someone else's. Happy holidays, guys!


Elena wakes up before anyone else and sits up in her bed, blinking in the harsh sunlight coming from her window. She's been doing this a lot more lately-- going to sleep late and waking up unreasonably early, and then failing to get back to sleep no matter how hard she tries.

She doesn't know why-- it could be because some nights, she still has nightmares about how she died. Or it could be how she sometimes finds herself thinking about her family in the Land of the Living without warning, wondering how they're doing, how work in the shop is going, or about her husband who would surely be joining her here in a year or two. It could be the fact that it's getting closer to the holidays and she still experiences the childish joy and anticipation of the times she'll have, sharing the happiness of the season with her family.

Or it could be the guilt she feels every time she thinks about a certain family member, and the hope that she'll be able to make things right with him this time around.

For the past few weeks, Elena has been scolding herself for being so cold toward Héctor. Ever since she broke his guitar, things had been worse between them than before. He acted like he was scared of her; she would enter a room and he would abruptly leave, he would be telling a story and get to a funny part and then look guilty for laughing, he would be playing a song on the loaned guitar he was using and completely stop when she looked at him. He no longer came to the shop to watch them work, and he was always tense around her now.

Elena knows that all of it is her doing, and she needs to put an end to it.

She quietly gets out of bed, goes over to her dresser in the corner of the room, and grabs the red-and-green checkered dress she kept on the first hanger. She knows that the Christmas party her family always holds won't be for another few hours, but Elena still zips up the dress and fixes her hair anyway. After making sure she looks presentable, she puts on the shoes that go with the dress and heads downstairs.

All of the lights are off in the living room when Elena gets there, casting long shadows from the couches to the walls and obscuring the family photos that hang there. Using the wall to brace herself, Elena makes her way to the side table where the telephone is, picking it up and dialing the numbers. She knows the number by heart; her best friend owns the place and is always available. She's the only person who can help Elena right now.

After three rings, a crisp voice finally clicks the line.

"Who is it?"

"Aurelia?" Elena asks carefully, making sure to keep her voice down.

"Elena?"

"Sí. It's me." Elena tightens her grip on the phone, pulling it closer to her face and twirling her finger around the cord absently. "Listen, I need a favor. Are you open right now?"

"Yes. Why?" Aurelia's voice turns suspicious. Elena has never asked her for anything before.

"It's... I can't really talk about it here." Elena hesitates when she hears movement upstairs. When it fades, she cups the receiver and lowers her voice. "I need you to fix something for me. Can you meet me outside your store in twenty minutes?"

"Sure," Aurelia answers slowly. "Is something wrong? You're never up this early."

"I'll explain everything when I get there," Elena says urgently. More movement from above her confirms that everyone's getting ready to start the day. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

She doesn't wait for her amiga to answer as she slams the phone down and dashes to grab her things.


Many people consider it ironic how Elena used to hate music but has a friend who specializes in instrument repairs. Since the ban had been lifted, that joke has tapered off a little bit, but Elena still receives many curious looks when she walks to Aurelia's shop with Héctor's broken guitar in hand.

After about a three minute walk, she arrives, satisfied to see that there's no line. It's not at all hard to find the store; Elena's friend has always had a taste for bright, childish colors, so everything about the shop from the bricks to its awning is colored in a blush pink. That coupled with its two large windows and wide blue door makes it stand out among the taller, darker buildings on the street.

When she enters, she glares at two customers who are looking her over next to the secondhand violin section. When they falter, she continues walking until she's at the counter where Aurelia is waiting for her. All conversations stop as Elena makes her way to Aurelia's counter.

The woman smiles carefully when Elena stops in front of her. "Buenos días, Elena," she says brightly as if they hadn't just spoken over the phone a few minutes ago. She he keeps the weird expression on her face as she fingers the short sleeve of her uniform and plays with the dark gray strands of her braid nervously.

Elena places the pieces of Héctor's guitar on the counter. "I need you to fix this for me," she says.

Aurelia's smile fades as she looks down at the ruined instrument. She fingers the loose strings and splintered neck suspiciously, and when she's done assessing the damage, she gasps and snaps her gaze back to Elena, wide-eyed.

"Is this..."

Elena nods, cringing in shame and playing with strands that came loose from her hairstyle. "Yes. It's Héctor's guitar."

Aurelia narrows her eyes, frowning. "Did you... did you break this?"

Elena nods again, looking down at the scuffed floor as she remembers that night. The harsh crack of the wood and Héctor's alarmed cry are sounds that haunt her every day. His look that he gave her after the fact causes her enough guilt alone.

That's why she's here. She didn't get to make it up to Miguel when she broke his guitar in the Land of the Living. She can't make the same mistake with Héctor. If she wants to have a better relationship with him, she has to do this first.

When she looks back up, Aurelia is still frowning at her. "What happened?"

"I--" Elena halts when she feels people staring at her, then crosses her arms. "I don't want to talk about it. Can you just fix it, please? I need it in three hours."

Aurelia startles. "Three hours?"

"It's my present for him." Elena has never felt so flustered. Her friend's reluctance is making her angry, but she takes a deep breath and clenches her teeth. "I'd appreciate it if you could have it ready by tonight."

Aurelia sighs and shakes her head. "For damage like this... I'd have to order new strings first, and that alone could take at least two days."

"I already took care of it." Out of the pocket of her dress, she pulls out two packages of fresh guitar strings. They're so pristine and new that they shine in the artificial light. "And I know you have the wood and paint that you need right here, because I've seen the items your customers walk out with," she adds as she slides the strings across the counter's surface.

An impatient person behind them yells at Elena to hurry up. It takes everything Elena has not to whip off one of her chanclas and smash his face with it.

Aurelia presses her lips together, looking back at her coworkers. Of the two visible, one is busy repairing the wood of a fractured drum, and the other is polishing the brass of a trumpet and putting it into its package for shipping. "I guess I could try," she says slowly, her left hand gripping her arm tightly as she looks at the broken pieces again. "But since it's a rush order, it'll be very expensive. One thousand pesos at the most."

At this, Elena perks up. "If you let me pay you in installments, I can do that."

Aurelia sighs, putting her hand to her chin in thought. After a minute, she sighs deeply, hands up in surrender. "Okay, fine. I'll see what I can do. Maybe I'll ask some of my staff to help. But I can't make any promises."

Elena grins as hope and gratitude swell in her chest. In an impulsive moment, she reaches across the counter and wraps her arms as tight as she can around her amiga. "You won't regret this, Aurelia. Gracias."

Aurelia breaks out the embrace and pushes her away. "De nada. I'll call you when it's finished, okay?"

"No." Elena walks over to one of the chairs by the shop's door. "I'll wait for you."

Aurelia, having been Elena's friend for almost sixty years, knows when not to argue. She heads to the workstation in the back after scooping up the broken pieces in her arms.

Elena leans back in her chair and gives a relieved sigh, feeling happier than she has in a long time.


Since the shop is closed for the holidays, everyone resides in the house instead, talking and laughing with warm drinks in their hands or placed on the side tables in the living room.

Mamá and Tía Rosita are busy cooking the dishes and treats that will be served once the fiesta starts. Elena hears them chattering and the banging of the pots and pans as soon as she steps inside. Mamá Imelda is busy sternly explaing to Tío Oscar and Tío Felipe that, no, they cannot have a trampoline put in their bedroom as one of their presents this year-- same as the last ten years they've asked. Papá and Victoria are reading side-by-side, Victoria's arm around his shoulder, laughing softly as she reads one page.

Elena hopes to get by unnoticed, but right as she's climbing the stairs, Mamá Imelda turns around and looks up at her. "There you are, Elena!" she says, sounding relieved. "I was wondeing where you were. I haven't seen you all morning."

Elena fights a cringe. "I was just out doing some... shopping," she answers. It's not the full truth, but it's not a lie.

"For three hours?" Victoria marks her page and peers up at Elena with a skeptical expression.

"Yes." Elena responds, tight lipped. "I had to do something and it couldn't wait." Looking around the room, she realizes something. "Where's Héctor?"

"He's with his other family right now," Mamá calls from the kitchen over the noise she's making in the kitchen. "He should be home soon."

Elena relaxes. She doesn't want him to see the gift she has until later.

She almost misses the spark of realization and hope that flashes across Mamá Imelda's face. "Elena, did you buy something for him?"

Elena can feel everyone in the room brightening as they stare at her. She can feel their anticipation at the hope that this means there will be a shift in the relationship, an end to the tension that has been around since their fight.

She stiffens and hides the present behind her back. "I might've," she replies tightly. "But it's a surprise, so do not tell him, okay?"

Everyone nods, but from the way Mamá Imelda smirks and Tía Rosita's excited squeal can be heard from the kitchen, no one will let this go.

For the second time today, Elena feels more embarrassed than she has in decades. "You guys are so dramatic," she scoffs as she stomps up the stairs.

But even she can't ignore the twinge of joy she feels when she finishes wrapping Héctor's gift and adds it to the pile downstairs.


It turns out that, on his way home, Héctor had purchased one gift for each family member. Elena doesn't know how he got them wrapped without anyone noticing, but during the gift exchange, everyone has something from him.

It astounds Elena when everyone gets his gifts. He'd gotten a new ledger book for Mamá Imelda to keep track of the shop's orders, two sets of blueprints for Tío Oscar and Felipe for when they decide to try new shoe designs, a collection of books for Victoria that all come from her favorite authors, a cookbook for Tía Rosita with an empty space in the back so she can craft her own recipes, and a photo album for Mamá and Papá to share since they're the ones who collect pictures that no one wants to hang up but no one wants of get rid of either.

"How much did all of this cost, Héctor?" Victoria wonders out loud, narrowing her eyes in his direction.

Héctor shrugs and waves it off, grinning. "Don't worry about it."

Knowing that that means far more than he should've been spending, Mamá Imelda rolls her eyes and reaches across her seat to smack his arm. Everyone else groans.

Héctor throws up his hands in defense. "Hey, don't get mad at me. I don't care how much money I spent. If you guys are happy, than so am I."

Elena looks down when his gaze seems to land right on her, feeling too guilty to look at him. She suddenly remembers that, one day after their fight, she had told him not to waste his time trying to buy her anything this year. A quick glance around confirms that he'd heartbreakingly honored her wish. Thinking of his words from earlier, she feels her non-existent heart sink. Why had she chosen this time of year out of all of them to be so cruel to him?

He might be happy, but she isn't. She so badly hopes that her gift makes things better between them.

Héctor himself walks away with a few things: two of the latest records by his favorite musician from Tía Rosita, a brand new notebook and pen from Mamá, plus an old card game that Tío Oscar and Tío Felipe challenge him to the day after the party in hopes of finally being able to beat him. He accepts all of the gifts with a smile, and Elena can tell that he adores the people who bought them for him than the gifts themselves.

When it's time for Elena to give her present, she tenses. She grabs it from its position leaning against her seat and hands it to him abruptly, still avoiding his gaze. She hears Héctor inhale sharply as he takes it from her, as if he's afraid of what's inside.

He speaks, and she inwardly cringes at the hesitance in his voice. "You got me something?"

"Yes." She finds it in her to look up at him, resisting the urge to narrow her eyes. "Yes."

He frowns with confusion. "But... you told me not to..."

"I know." What is it with people making her so anxious today? She squeezes her hands to fists in her lap.

"Are you sure you're okay with this? I can still--"

"Héctor, open it. Now," she snaps. "It's fine. I don't care."

She glares at him until he relents, hesitantly ripping at the purple wrapping paper and opening the box underneath.

Suddenly, he goes still. Elena watches as he stares, wide-eyed and speechless, at his newly repaired guitar inside.

It's been repainted, as flawless as it was when Mamá Imelda had bought it for him. The strings that Elena had bought for it practically glow. The details-- the white and silver stripes that line the body, the blue swirls and delicate lines, the head carved into the shape of a skull, the gold tooth painted into its mouth-- have been carefully recreated, as if Elena's friend had leaned in and sketched and colored every design meticulously.

Héctor slowly takes it out, and everyone in the family grins in approval. Tía Rosita puts her hand to her chest, Victoria shakes her head with a huge smile on her face, and Mamá gasps at its handiwork, filled with as much disbelief as Héctor is.

Finally, Héctor looks right at her. Elena can see him trying to keep the smile off of his face. "You fixed it?"

Elena nods.

"Why?"

Elena shrugs. "I--" She pauses, fighting back tears. "I felt bad about breaking your guitar when we had that argument. My amiga works at the shop across from us, and I had her repair it for you."

Héctor doesn't respond, and Elena can't tell what he's thinking.

She continues, not caring that there's a tear already trailing her right cheekbone. "I don't want us to fight anymore. I know it might seem like I'm mad at you, and I was. But I'm not anymore. I'm willing to give you a chance now, which I should've done in the first place." She takes a trembling breath. "I'm sorry."

Everything is silent, as if everyone is holding their breath. In the silence, Elena feels a spike of dread. She was wrong. It's too late. Héctor will never forgive her. She shouldn't have done this. She--

Before she realizes that she's standing, that Héctor has gotten up and walked toward her, she feels his arms consume her in a tight embrace, a sob of relief escaping from him as he holds her there. After a few seconds, Elena returns his affection, grinning into his shoulder.

"Muchas gracias, Elena," he whispers joyfully.

Elena smiles wider, letting more of her tears loose. "Feliz Navidad, Abuelo."

For the rest of the night, Héctor plays whatever song he's asked to, the smile on his face brightening the room more than any song or present. And Elena dances with him and the rest of her family, feeling like this is truly the best holiday she's ever had.