Chapter 23: Bienvenido a la Familia

The next morning at the shoe shop things were as busy as ever. Between all the workers coming to and fro carrying bolts of leather, crates of boots and other supplies, one would have missed the stranger weeding through all the comings and goings. That is if it weren't for the flashy bright suit he was sporting, clashing against the casual, earthy tones of the staff, and the slicked up pompadour that crested over the crowd of heads. The young man sauntered over to the door of the main living quarters of the Rivera house and gave a hearty knock, straitening his tie and holding up a bouquet of flowers. Héctor opened the door and immediately scowled at who it was.

"Ah, buenos dias, Senor Rivera! How are you and your lovely family doing this morning?" Ignacio Cavallero said with a gleaming white smile. Ignacio was the youngest grandson of the town's mayor and self-proclaimed handsomest man in Santa Cecilia, if not all of Oaxaca. It was true the boy was tall and handsome, but he was also known as the town lothario and was spoiled rotten by his family's wealth. His own greeting at Héctor oozed with insincerity, something that irked Héctor from the start.

"Hola, Ignacio. I'm surprised that you're here to pick up your father's boots yourself. Don't you have manservants to do that for you?" Héctor asked. "Well they're not going to be ready for a few days, so-"

"Oh no, Senor Rivera, it's not about Papi's boots. I am here for more sentimental reasons." He held up the bouquet and grinned with a slimy charm. "I've come to court!"

Héctor glanced at the bouquet with a raised brow. "Well as flattered as I am, I'm already married chamaco."

Ignacio let out a braying laugh. "Ah, you are funny Senor! But actually I have come to court your lovely daughter, Socorro!"

Héctor's already soured mood turned a little darker at that. "And how exactly do you know that my daughter is available to court?"

"Ah, bad news travels fast, I'm afraid. Everyone is talking about last night when that carpenter's son broke poor Socorro's heart. I wasn't there myself, but I heard that she was absolutely shattered." Ignacio sighed despondently before perking up. "But this is good news for me! Now is my chance to be her literal knight in shining armor and sweep her off her feet!"

"Papá, who is it?"

A small, tired voice from behind Héctor caused both men to look as Coco came to the door. Her eyes were still swollen from a night full of crying and they appeared lifeless. When she saw Ignacio however she mimicked her father's scowl. "Oh, hola Nacho."

"Ignacio!" the man hissed in instant anger, before coughing and putting on a love-struck expression. "Ay, Socorro! What a vision you are this morning! I'm sure that with a little make-up you could hide that puffiness and look even more stunning!"

Coco's eyes widened with hurt, but then she glared harder. "What do you want, Ignacio?"

Ignacio thrusted the bouquet into Coco's arms and bowed like a gentleman. "Socorro Rivera, it would be an honor for both of us if you would consider to be my most treasured novia! With both of our family's wealth and prestige, we are truly a match made in heaven."

Coco looked at the bouquet of flowers in her hands as she felt tears threatening to come out again. As lovely as the assortment of flowers were, they were nothing compared the simple flowers that Julio would pluck from the ground and place behind her ear. Then he would say that her beauty put all the flowers in Mexico to shame, and he would kiss her so sweetly… She shook the thoughts away and turned back to Ignacio. "W-well… Thank you for the flowers Ignacio, but-… I don't think I'm ready just yet to be involved with another man. I hope you understand."

"I thought you might say that, what with the wounds still being fresh, so I've come prepared!" Ignacio pulled out a sheet of paper from his jacket pocket. "A poem that I wrote myself just for you, my dear Socorro. Let the words provide a soothing balm for your heart and lift your spirits high." He cleared his throat and began.

Ay Socorro, mi Socorro, your awful night is done,

Your heart has weathered every rack, but the prize I sought is won,

The church is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,

While follow eyes the steady keel, of Socorro bold and daring!

He finished with a beaming grin and Coco looked at him as if he had just asked her to eat a plateful of bugs. Then she turned to her father. "Papá, please get him out of here."

"With pleasure." Héctor smiled before taking the smug boy by the arm and leading him toward the street outside.

"Fine, it's alright. I can wait." Ignacio said as he brushed himself off and put his poem back in his pocket. "I'll just give her some time, but soon she'll come to realize that we are simply meant to be. You must know this too, Senor Rivera. Surely I, Ignacio Cavallero, would be a much better match for her than a son of a lowly carpenter!"

"Walt Whitman." Héctor said.

Ignacio looked up. "Que?"

Héctor crossed his arms and glared. "That was Oh Captain, My Captain by Walt Whitman chamaco, albeit with your own words messily placed into it. I wonder why, however, you chose to steal from a poem about the death of Abraham Lincoln instead of the thousands of other romantic poems in the world." That was strike one for the boy in Héctor's book. If there was one thing he couldn't stand it was a person taking credit for others' works.

Ignacio's face paled as he realized he had been caught before puffing up with arrogance again. "Forgive me, Senor Rivera. I didn't know that some orphans could be so well read, especially in another country's literature. I guess Papi was right about you new money people. They always try to make up for what they lacked early on, and end up trying too hard."

Strike two. "Why don't you go back home to your Papi? His boots will be ready in two days, and make sure you send someone else to get them."

Ignacio bowed. "Of course, Senor Rivera. But don't count me out just yet! I will win your daughter's heart, and our families will become one. Mark my words." And with that he turned on his heel and left, not noticing the crude gesture Héctor made at him behind his back.

It took another five days before Coco managed to leave the house, although it was unwillingly. She had been making shoes almost nonstop, barely eating and sleeping, and when she did go to her room the soft sounds of crying could be heard from the other side. Héctor was tempted many times to either go in there and console his poor daughter or go over and drag Julio back to apologize, but Imelda held him back each time. However even she knew that Coco had to leave the house at some point. So she decided that the whole family would go out to lunch that day and then to the marketplace for some shopping.

Once again Coco barely ate anything at the café, giving half of her meal over to Matty, and she trailed sluggishly behind her mother at the marketplace stalls. She tried to block out the stares of the townspeople and whispers that she knew were being made about her behind her back. Imelda would hold up a new blouse against her chest or direct her attention to a pair of earrings and other jewelry, but Coco was slowly reaching the end of her tether. She couldn't bear to be out in public anymore and was ready to bolt.

Just as she was about to announce her intention to leave, a voice started crying out from amongst the crowd. A high-pitched, desperate voice, pleading at whoever they were talking to. As it got closer the Riveras heard two more voices.

"Hermano! Please Julio, this is a very bad idea!"

"Mijo, stop! You are in no condition-"

"Get offa me, Papá! You too, Rosssita!" A voice slurred in agitation, and as the crowd parted Coco gasped at what she saw. Julio was making a beeline towards her, his eyes bleary and his face completely red, straining against the hold of both Facundo and Rosita. He stumbled to his knees and was hoisted up by his father, but he swatted at him clumsily to finally break their hold on him. "Gotta do this! Gotta make it right!"

"Héctor, stop him! He's drunk out of his mind!" Facundo pleaded.

Héctor stood in front of Coco and glared down at the drunken young man. "I think you better listen to your Papá, chamaco. After what you pulled the other day I don't think Coco wants to hear anything else you-"

Julio growled and pushed Héctor to the side, his usual timid and gentle nature replaced by liquid courage. "I ain't here to talk to you! Y-y-you chapulín!"

Héctor was shocked. "Ch-chapulín? What?!"

"Coco Rivera!" Julio shouted as if he was on the other side of the plaza instead of just two feet away from her. "I am sorry for what I said to you!"

Coco hid behind her mother, not daring to look at Julio and trying not to cry as she glared down at the ground. She clutched at her mother's shoulders tightly and pressed her forehead against her back, biting her lip. Imelda winced a little as her daughter's fingers dug into her skin, but she too was glaring at Julio. This would normally send the boy into a mild panic attack, but his focus was only on Coco.

"I am sorry, and I am an idiot! You're not too tall! You're not even tall in the first place! You are the most perfect girl in the whole world! It's m-me…" He clenched a fist onto his throbbing head and pulled at a tuft of short cropped hair. "I'm too damn short! Too short to be even considered a real man! But I don't care if I was only a centimeter tall, my feelings for you would be the same amount that could fill a giant's heart! I am so madly, helplessly in love with you Coco!"

Coco lessened her grip on her mother and gasped, the tense pressure around her heart finally lessening after almost a week. She peeked from over Imelda's shoulder to look at Julio, seeing how sad and defeated he looked. The same as she had felt.

Julio sniffed and scrubbed a hand over his watering eyes. "I've been in love with you since I was five years old, when you danced at the plaza. Your Papá was playing for Día de los Santos Reyes at the gazebo. You were wearing a ruffled dress covered in bows that your Mamá had made you, and it was blue and yellow and green. And you just twirled and giggled and danced to the music, and you looked like a little butterfly. Una querubín…"

"And I hoped to one day dance with you too. So I practiced all the time for years, even when I knew you didn't like me, so I wouldn't screw it up. When you finally asked me to dance at your quince años I thought it was a dream come true! That you finally loved me as much as I loved you! And these last three years have been such bliss, I never wanted it to end…"

Coco listened as Julio spoke those sweet words to her, the tears finally falling but a small smile gracing her face. Then her glare returned. "If that's true, then… why did you say those things? Why invite me out to dance and then break my heart?"

Julio winced. "I didn't ask you out to break up with you, not at first when I invited you… I was going to ask you to-"

"Oye!"

The crowd turned towards a new loud voice, several of them backing away in fear as Ignacio came storming towards Julio with two of his manservants marching behind him. He glared at Julio with disgust and hatred as he bore down on him. "What are you doing, carpenter? Socorro is dating me now! You were supposed to stay away from her!"

"I-I can't!" Julio cried out. "I tried but I'm dying without her! I'm-" his broken face turned into a glare. "I'm not afraid of you! You can't stop me from being with the woman I love!" He raised a fist and nearly connected it with a cowering Ignacio's jaw, but it was caught by one of the manservants and crushed backwards. As Julio cried out in pain, Ignacio pulled himself upright and punched Julio hard across the face, sending him flying into the plaza fountain.

Coco screamed as Imelda held her protectively against her. "Julio!"

"I tried to talk sensibly with you, amigo." Ignacio said as Julio came spluttering up from the water. "We both agreed that you are not suited for someone as regal as Socorro. Think of what midget children you would produce! A man is not supposed to be eye to eye with his wife, he's supposed to look down at her and hold her in his large embrace. Protect her from harm and shield her from trash, like you." He nodded at his manservants and rolled up his sleeves. "Hold him up."

"Eye to eye?"

Ignacio and his manservants paused on their descent towards poor Julio, turning to see Coco looking at him with a smoldering fire in her eyes. "You said eye to eye… And look down-… It was you? You told Julio to say those awful things to me?"

Knowing that he was caught, Ignacio tried to save face and pulled a simpering look at Coco. "Socorro, mi amor. It was for the best. Surely, you can see-"

WHACK!

In one swift move Coco had knelt down, slipped off her elegant, calfskin, steel toed boot and slapped Ignacio hard across the face, sending him spinning and tumbling to the ground. Héctor was shocked at the violence coming from his little girl, Matty was impressed, Rosita cried out in alarm, and Imelda pumped her fist in the air with pride.

"How dare you?!" Coco screeched. "I don't care if Julio was a plague-infested flea, he would still be a million times better than a snot-nosed, preening peacock like you, Nacho!" She put her boot back on and walked past the groaning Ignacio. "And no one calls me Socorro, pinche cabrón." To everyone's shock and amusement Coco crawled over the edge of the fountain and waded into the water next to Julio, where she placed her hand on his bruised cheek and softly smiled at him. "Julio…"

Julio stared dazedly back at her, before grinning himself and tracing his finger on her cheek. "Mi Coco…"

"Pequeña puta!"

Coco was snapped out of her happiness when an enraged Ignacio took her by the arm and pulled her towards him. She gasped in horror when she saw his nose, bloodied, bent and crooked as her boot had broken it into a new angle.

"Get away from her!" Julio yelled out as he stumbled, trying to get out of the water.

"Go ahead and wallow in his filth, you little whore!" Ignacio said nasally as gripped Coco's arm tighter, causing her to cry out in pain. "But I'll teach you not to mess with the Cavalleros!"

Strike three. "Oye, chamaco."

Ignacio whipped around at whoever was intruding on him and was met with Matty's fist whipping his face to one side, and then Héctor's fist sending him plummeting to the ground again. This time he did not get back up, knocked out cold as his nose bled profusely, and now bent at the opposite angle. The crowd cheered as one of the most reviled men in Santa Cecilia had finally met his match with its most revered family. The two manservants were frozen in fear as they looked down at their fallen charge, at a loss of what to do until Héctor cleared his throat at them.

"Why don't you two take your master back home? I'll pay for whatever damage was done to his face, don't worry. I doubt he'll ever breathe normally out of that nose again, though." Héctor rubbed his knuckles and nodded proudly at his son, who beamed right back. As the two brutes hefted up the unconscious fop Héctor held up a hand. "One more thing."

Héctor made his way over to Facundo and placed an arm around his shoulder. "You make sure to tell his grandpa that his little reign over the city is coming to a close." Then he addressed the surrounding crowd. "As of today I am offering my full support to my friend and neighbor, Facundo Magallanes, for his campaign as the next mayor of Santa Cecilia!"

The crowd cheered even more exuberantly this time, coming over to pat the astonished Facundo on the back and give them their promises of votes and their congratulations. The manservants used this opportunity to sneak away, dragging Ignacio away like a sack of potatoes.

Facundo looked up at Héctor with gratitude. "Gracias, mi amigo! I promise I won't let you or the townspeople down!"

"No problemo, Facundo." Héctor said. "And just so we're clear, you always had my support, even with our children fighting."

"Si." Facundo nodded and turned glistening eyes at the fountain. "Looks like I not only gained a campaign sponsor, but also a new daughter."

"Eh? What are you?- Oh! Ew! C'mon!" Héctor retched in disgust as he saw his daughter back in the fountain with Julio, their fingers entwined in each other's hair and sloppily kissing for the entire world to see.

Rosita was standing next to the fountain, clutching and smothering an irritated Matty against her bosom as she sobbed with happiness at her brother and best friend. "You two are such idiots!" she wailed. "I love you both so much!"

"All right you two, break it up!" Héctor said as he splashed water onto the two lovebirds. "No one wants to see that!"

Coco unlocked her lips from Julio's, grinning at him as she got up and pulled him along. "Come on, mi amor. Let's go."

Julio nodded dreamily back at her. "Si… Let's go."

"And where exactly are you two going?" Imelda finally said, her arms crossed and looking at them sternly. This time Julio had enough sense in him to fear her like usual.

"The church." Coco said as Julio hung onto her shoulder. "We're getting married."

"Getting'… marrrrried…" Julio slurred happily.

"I think not!" Imelda glared at the two. "No daughter of mine is getting married fully drenched to a man who is drunker than a skunk. No, we need to plan this out. There's the food, and the guest list, the cake, and you are going to wear the most beautiful dress in all of Mexico! But I'll need a few days to make all of this work."

"B-but Mamá!" Coco said as she glanced at her drooling fiancée worriedly. "What if he changes his mind again?"

Imelda smiled. "He won't mija, trust me. Now why don't you drag him over to that café and get some coffee into him. I want to see him ask you properly and sober." She watched as the two slowly made their way to the café and turned to Héctor smugly. "What did I tell you, mi amor? Everything went according to plan."

Héctor rolled his eyes. "Imelda, I had to punch a kid. Was that part of your plan?"

Imelda inspected his knuckles. "You're fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go plan the wedding I've been dreaming of for the last eighteen years!" She giggled in delight as she took Rosita and Facundo with her, already talking about the wedding party and what they would wear.

Héctor looked at his wife's retreating figure and shook his head, once again bewildered and amazed by her. Matty came up to him and sighed. "This family really is loco, isn't it Papá?"

"Hmm… Maybe just un Poco Loco?" He grinned at Matty, expecting him to laugh, only to be disappointed when the boy rolled his eyes and left his father by himself. "Hey, that was funny! Hey!"