For the next few weeks, Hector had been avoiding Imelda by doing double gigs. He was just so hurt by all the things she said, that he didn't want to go near her again.

"I'll be gone for the evening," he announced, emotionlessly, one early afternoon.

Qué!?" Imelda asked, a but surprised. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be playing at the cantina tonight," he responded. "It's for a late night show." Usually before Héctor left for gigs, he would always give Imelda a hug and a kiss goodnight. But this time, he walked past her as if she were invisible, toward the door. What was the point of kissing someone who didn't want anything to do with you? Had Héctor not been facing the door, he would have turned around and seen the heartbroken look on Imelda's face. But he didn't. He took a deep breath and exhaled, before opening the door.

"Tell Coco, I said buenas noches," the musician said. Then, he shut the door behind him, which made Imelda wince.

"Oh hermana, you really blew it," Oscar shook his head.

"Yeah, what did you do?" Felipe chimed in.

"The poor guy asked you-"

"To actually marry him-"

"And you turned him down cold!"

Imelda blinked her eyes to fight the tears. If only he knew the aching in her heart when she wanted him to kiss her goodnight.

"What were you thinking?"

Her brothers' exclamation brought her out of her train of thought.

"I had bad dreams," she grumbled. "Stupid dreams!" She walked away sniffling, up to her room.

"What bad dreams?" Oscar wondered.

"Yo no sé!" Felipe answered. "I'm just as confused as you are!"

"Papá?"

Coco waddled out of the nursery, into the hallway, looking for her father. "Papá?" The older infant toddled into her parents' bedroom. "Papá!"

She didn't see her father, but she found her mother sitting on the big bed.

"Papá is not home, mija," the woman spoke gently. "But he'll be home." 'I hope!' She thought the last part. Imelda lifted her daughter and held her close to her chest for a few minutes before letting her crawl on the bed. She feared that she was repeating her past; the way Héctor was acting toward her reminded her of how Ernesto acted after her first baby died. Only except there was no condemnation or swearing from him. Just the cold shoulder. But that still made Imelda worry. What if she ruined her second chance for love and happiness? What if Héctor didn't love her anymore? "Oh, why oh why, did I have those stupid dreams? Stupid dreams of Héctor hurting me?" She gave a small sob. Her daughter grabbed a handful of ribbons from her bed and put them on her head.

Her twin brothers who were standing in the hallway, heard her from her bedroom door.

They walked together downstairs, agreeing that something must be done.

"We must do something; Héctor can't go on for days not speaking to our sister!" said Oscar.

"Yes, but our sister has to come to her senses!" Felipe replied. "After all, she turned him down when he asked her to marry him."

"She said it would not be possible for the church to marry them because she is divorced!"

"Have they try the state court?"

"No, but I don't see why not."

"Let's convince our parents and his elders about taking a trip to the state court tomorrow."

"Why not tonight?"

"The state court closed an hour ago. Besides, we need to spy on Héctor."

"Por que?"

"To make sure that he is not doing something wrong."

"You're right, we must make sure that he is faithful."