Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

2018 was a very good year for Héctor Rivera. He was getting much more remembered. Every week it seemed his bones were getting a little whiter and he could feel himself getting a little stronger. People in the Land of the Dead were treating him better after everyone had found out that he was really a brilliant songwriter and that Ernesto de la Cruz had been a fraud and a thief, and that he’d murdered Héctor for the songs he’d written. People praised him for the songs that were rightfully his and shunned Ernesto for his awful deeds. Over time, Imelda had warmed back up to Héctor and was willing to welcome him back into the family, and their old romance was beginning to blossom again. But most importantly, Héctor had been able to experience his very first Día de los Muertos where he could actually cross the Marigold Bridge to see the living world, and best of all, Coco had been with him. She had passed away earlier in the year, and no words could’ve described the joy Héctor had felt when he finally got to see his little girl again.

For so many years, he’d tried to see her on Día de los Muertos, and for so many years he had experienced failure after failure. His wife and his daughter were the most precious things in his world, and he would’ve given anything to see them both while they were still in the Land of the Living. But even though he didn’t get to see them until after they had both passed away, he counted each day that they were with him as a blessing. His family was whole again, and he couldn’t be happier. Coco had missed her papá dearly, and she loved seeing him happy, which is why a couple weeks after their first real Día de los Muertos, she began coming up with a great idea. Because she hadn’t seen her father since she was about three years old, she couldn’t remember exactly when his birthday was anymore, but she did know that it was coming up soon because she’d heard Imelda discussing it. Imelda really wanted his next birthday to be very special because it would be the first time the whole family was together. The previous year’s birthday had been the best one Héctor had had since he was still alive because it was the first one he’d spent with his family. But now Coco was with him, so it was even better. A week before November 30th, Coco spoke to her Mamá Imelda after making sure Héctor wasn’t around to hear.

“Hola, Mamá,” said Coco as she walked up to Imelda, who was in the workshop sewing up a pair of shoes. 

“Oh, Coco! How are you, mija?”

“I’m doing fine, Mamá,” Coco smiled. “I wanted to talk to you. I know Papá’s birthday is coming up, and I had an idea I wanted to tell you about.” She could hear guitar music coming from elsewhere in the Rivera home. It was a somewhat unusual sound to hear in the house, after decades of not allowing any music, but it was one the family had welcomed happily. The lovely sound always clued the family in to Héctor’s faithful presence. She lowered her voice a little.

“But we’ll have to get him out of the house first.”

“How do you suppose we do that?” Imelda asked.

“No sé, but I’m sure we can come up with something. Maybe we can send him on some sort of errand.”

“Hmmm.”

The guitar music stopped, and Imelda and Coco glanced at each other hurriedly. Imelda thought quickly. She looked at the sewing needle in her hand and hid it underneath the shoe she was working on. Héctor entered the room they were in looking quite cheerful.

“Oh, my two favorite girls in the world!”

He kissed Imelda as he passed through and then hugged Coco and kissed her on the cheek. Héctor had a bit of a habit of giving Coco hugs that were rather long. He’d been separated from her for such a long time and felt guilty about it for so many years, so he wanted to make up for it. But Coco didn’t mind. She’d missed him just as much as he’d missed her.

“How are you, mija?”

“I’m just wonderful, Papá.”

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Imelda asked her husband. The cheerful musician gave her a bright smile.

“Every day is a good day if I can spend it with my girls. But I’ve also just been making great progress on my music. It feels good to get back into writing music again.”

“That’s wonderful,” said Imelda. She glanced at Coco and smiled. “Héctor, would you do me a favor?”

“What is it?”

“I lost my good sewing needle, and I need to finish this shoe order. Do you think you could run out and get me a new one?”

“Oh, yeah, I can do that for you. Do you need anything else?”

“Nope. Just a new needle.”

“Okay,” said Héctor cheerfully. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Gracias, mi amor,” said Imelda with a smile. “¡Hasta luego!”

Héctor left to go to a store and get a sewing needle. Coco and Imelda watched him leave and kept on watching until he was out of their view.

“Okay,” said Imelda. “That should buy us a good ten minutes or more. So, what’s your idea?”

“Well, I was just thinking. Papá missed out on a lot of things after he was...” She trailed off, shaking her head as if to erase a bad memory. She still couldn’t shake the shock of finding out her beloved papá, whom she’d waited countless years for, had been murdered. “I mean, after he died. I always wished he could’ve been there for some of the important moments in my life, and I know he wished he could’ve been there, too. So, I think I know what gift he’d want for his cumpleaños more than anything else.”

“And what’s that, mija?”

Coco looked around, as if worried that her papá would still be able to hear even though he wasn’t in the house. Coco leaned in close to Imelda and whispered into the place where her ear used to be. Imelda listened intently and gasped in delight once Coco told her the idea she had.

“Oh, mija,” said Imelda, her voice warm and a bit emotional. She placed her hands over her heart, or where it would be. “That is a wonderful idea. Your papá will absolutely love it, I’m sure of it. Now go and tell the others, and make sure they know it’s a surprise.”

“Of course, Mamá. Gracias.” Coco started to make her way out of the workshop to let the rest of the family know about her plan. She glanced back as Imelda took the needle out from under the shoe and kept stitching. “Mamá, what are you going to do about the needle?”

Imelda shrugged.

“I guess I’ll just have two.”

Coco laughed and then hurried on her way.

Chapter Text

The next few days that passed by were quietly busy as the whole family worked on preparations for Héctor’s special surprise, all right under his nose. Or at least what used to be his nose. Since it was such a close-knit family, it was a bit difficult to get everything done without him finding out, but somehow they managed to keep everything hidden. There were only a couple more things to be done, so Coco, Tía Victoria, and Tía Rosita were out of the house finishing up the last minute preparations. Papá Julio and Tíos Óscar and Felipe were getting shoemaking supplies for the next week’s orders. Imelda and Héctor were both in the shoemaking workshop, enjoying some downtime while there was a break in the stream of customers. Imelda was working on sewing up a pair of nice black boots with her new sewing needle while Héctor sat nearby strumming his guitar, pausing every now and then to write down the notes in his new songbook.

As Imelda worked, she closed her eyes and smiled, listening to her husband’s music and enjoying feeling his presence near her. Hearing him plucking at strings and humming to himself brought her back to the old days when they were young and bright and their lives were filled with music. She remembered how they used to dance and sing together and how he’d made her heart flutter whenever he was around. Sometimes it was a little hard for Imelda to think about the old times with Héctor without remembering how hurt and alone she’d felt when he never came back. She didn’t want the good memories to be influenced by the bad ones, but it was difficult. She couldn’t just shake off all the years she’d spent wondering where he went and why he didn’t return. The wound was deep, and it would take time to heal. Even though she now knew that he hadn’t run out on her and he’d had every intention of coming back to her, she still felt hurt if she dwelled on it for too long. But sitting there, listening to Héctor’s lovely chords and the sound of him singing quietly under his breath, everything felt simple and calm and just right for once. She opened her eyes and gazed at him, watching the deep concentration in his eyes and the way he played so skillfully. She smiled, feeling the old flutter in her heart.

“Héctor?”

He stopped his playing and looked up at her.

“¿Sí?”

“Do you know what day tomorrow is?”

“Hmmm,” he said as he wrote down a couple notes. “It’s Friday.”

“No, no!” Imelda laughed. “I meant what else tomorrow is.”

“Well, it’s the start of the weekend. People like to go shopping on the weekends. It’s probably a busy sale day.”

“Héctor, mi amor, don’t you know tomorrow is your birthday?”

Héctor looked up from his writing and dropped his pencil.

“Oh! That’s right,” he said, as if he’d suddenly remembered. “Wow, has it really been a year already? I guess I just lost track of the time.”

“I can’t believe you almost forgot your own birthday!” Imelda said, surprised. “Do you know how old you’ll be?”

“As far as I’m concerned, I’m still stuck perpetually at 21,” Héctor laughed. “I think I lost count years ago.”

“Well, this is the year 2018, which means-“

“Dios mío, I’ll be 118,” Héctor said in surprise. “That doesn’t even seem possible! The world sure was different 100 years ago. Things have really changed.”

“You know, I never forgot your birthday,” said Imelda. “Even when you were gone, even when you didn’t come back, every year when I saw November 30th come across the calendar, I knew what day it was. Though I have to admit remembering that day was…rather painful for me. After everything.”

“Really?” Héctor looked down and his voice got softer. “I would think you’d want to forget about that day entirely. Maybe that’s why I forgot about it myself. I hate thinking about how that day must’ve made you feel. Knowing it was the day your no-good husband who hurt you was born.”

Imelda set down the boots she was working on and turned to face him. She hated hearing Héctor talk so negatively about himself. She’d finally managed to forgive him for everything, but he still couldn’t forgive himself. All the doubt, all the heartache, all the misunderstandings of the last nine decades still weighed on his weary bones. 96 years of self-deprecation was a pretty difficult thing to shake off, after all.

“Héctor,” she said sternly. “Don’t say things like that. You are not a no-good husband. You filled my life with love and happiness for the few years we were together. And when we had Coco, everything felt complete. We were our own little world, and I loved you just as much as my husband as I did as the father of our daughter. When you left, I was heartbroken. But now I know that it wasn’t your fault for not returning. Yes, it still hurts sometimes. All those years are hard to forget. But why wouldn’t I want to finally remember the man who gave me my little world?”

Héctor’s eyes were sad, and he turned to avoid her piercing stare.

“I’m sorry, Imelda. I just still feel so guilty for what happened. I never wanted you to feel alone. I never wanted to leave you to have to fend for yourself. I was the one who was supposed to support us, and I let you down. I never should have left home. I should’ve been there for you.” He flicked the pencil across the table absentmindedly. Imelda frowned and took Héctor’s hand so he’d turn to look at her. When she spoke, her voice was deep and clear, but soft and warm, willing Héctor to latch on to every word she said with full focus.

“Neither one of us can go back to where we were before you left, and I don’t think we can ever truly let go of those years we spent in the aftermath of what happened. But what we can do is hold each other up so we can rebuild our lives together. No one knows about what we’ve been through more than we do. That’s why we need each other now, so we can support one another. It’s not your job to be the sole supporter anymore, it’s our job to be there for each other. You’re here now, and that’s what matters. We’re together again. We can start over. I love you, Héctor. I don’t want to be without you anymore.”

Héctor took both of her hands in his own. They both looked at each other, and for a moment it was like they were young and carefree again, looking into each other’s eyes and making that promise to stay together for better or for worse. There was a smile on Héctor’s face again, and as long as they were together in that moment, nothing else really mattered, not even 118th birthdays.

“Don’t worry, Imelda,” he said genuinely. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m gonna stick with you forever, and that’s a promise I intend to keep this time. You’re mi corazón, and I’ve never stopped loving you. No dejaré de quererte.”

Imelda’s heart was fluttering again. She still loved her husband, and knowing that they could start over, just she and him and the family they shared, made everything feel okay. She embraced him happily, and when they kissed it was like everything was just right. She sighed contentedly.

“Tomorrow is going to be very special for you, I just know it.”

“It will certainly be the best birthday I’ve had in a very long time,” Héctor agreed. “Last year was just wonderful, but anything could’ve topped all my other birthdays.”

“Do you remember the last birthday you spent in the Land of the Living? Coco and I sent you a feliz cumpleaños letter in the mail.”

Héctor was quiet for a moment as he thought back to the last birthday he’d spent alive. Miles and miles away from Santa Cecilia, in some dusty hotel somewhere. He’d stayed in so many hotels during the tour, they kind of all started to blend together in his mind. Who knows what city he’d been in at that point? It wasn’t Santa Cecilia, and that’s all that mattered. Ernesto, for his part, had tried to throw Héctor a good birthday. There had been music and drinking and laughing with some of the folks they’d met on their tour, but no amount of jokes or drinks could dull the longing in Héctor’s heart to see his wife and daughter again. What good is a birthday if you can’t spend it with the people you love most?

“Sí, I do remember. That was the best part of the day. I loved your letter. It was my favorite gift that year. I hated having to be away from you on that birthday. Sure, I had Ernesto, but I would’ve much rather celebrated with you.”

“This year will be your best birthday ever,” said Imelda.

“That would be lovely.”

Imelda put her hands on Héctor’s shoulders and brought him in close, humming contentedly. He welcomed the touch, leaning into her hands and closing his eyes as their cheekbones met.

“What would you like for your birthday, mi amor?” Imelda asked warmly, almost a whisper.

Héctor thought for a moment and picked the pencil back up.

“I don’t need anything. I have you and Coco. What more could I want?”

Imelda smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

“Well, in that case, I do believe this will be your best birthday ever."

Chapter Text

The next morning, Imelda woke up early and crept out of bed as quietly as she could, so as not to wake her sleeping husband. Even when he was still alive, Héctor slept like the dead, but Imelda didn’t want to take any chances on him waking and seeing the surprise before it was ready. She put on her very best dress. It was the same shape as her favorite purple one, but this one was a deep, emerald green. She put on a matching necklace and her usual boots and headed for the door. For a moment, she paused and looked at the sleeping face of her husband, a soft smile creeping over her features.

“Feliz cumpleaños, mi amor,” she whispered before gently opening the door and stepping out into the hall. As she left the Rivera household to step outside, she had to quickly duck as Óscar and Felipe were walking right by the door, each twin carrying one end of a pillar.

“Ay!” Imelda cried as she ducked underneath the pillar and hurried away from it. “What are you doing with that?”

“Oh, ¡buenos días!” the twins called. “About time you were up.”

Imelda simply put her hands on her hips and tapped one foot as she waited for an answer to her question.

“We’re moving it into position,” said Óscar.

“So we can get the decorations ready,” Felipe added.

“It’s supposed to go there.”

Imelda pointed towards the open courtyard where a second pillar was already standing, with Papá Julio balanced at the top of a ladder beside it, placing marigolds on the top in an ornamental design. Tía Victoria was standing on the ground with her hands on the bottom rung of the ladder to keep it steady.

“Ah, sí. I told you they were supposed to be next to each other,” said Felipe to his brother.

“Hurry up and get it into position,” Imelda ordered.

The twins followed suit and walked over to the other pillar, setting the one they were carrying down about five feet to the left of the other. It hit the ground with a loud thud, causing Imelda to wince.

“Shhhhh!” She turned and looked at the door, waiting to see if the noise caused Héctor to emerge. When nothing happened, she breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to her brothers. “Please be careful not to make too much noise. We don’t want to wake him up.”

“Don’t worry, Imelda,” Óscar replied. “He’d sleep through a train crashing through the window.” Felipe laughed at his twin’s remark.

“I just don’t want to take any chances. This surprise has to be perfect.”

“And it will be! Everyone’s helping,” said Papá Julio as he stepped down off the ladder and clapped his hands together to clear them of any stray marigold petals. He gestured around him to the courtyard, where Rosita and Victoria were helping to arrange chairs into rows and the twins were putting marigolds on top of the second pillar to match the first one. Even Pepita was doing her part by “supervising” as she lay in the sun, warming her colorful fur and feathers. Elsewhere, some of the family’s friends were getting their own preparations in order.

“Where’s Coco?” Julio asked, looking around and noticing she wasn’t with everyone else.

“She’s getting ready. You should be too,” Imelda replied pointedly, looking Julio up and down and seeing he was still in his work clothes.

“There’s plenty of time. I’ll be dressed before the party,” he assured her.

“You’d better be,” she said before walking off to check on the other preparations. The rest of the family watched in stunned silence as she walked away, until Felipe broke the silence with a light chuckle.

“Don’t worry about it, hombre,” he laughed in response to Julio’s shocked face. “She’s just being a stress head.”

“Felipe, shhhh!” Óscar hushed him frantically.

“No te preocupes, she can’t hear me,” he replied.

“No, I meant-“ Óscar raised his hand up under his chin and bared his teeth awkwardly as he pointed subtly to his left. Felipe turned his head to see Pepita right up in his face, her glowing yellow eyes glaring down at him and her soft growling sending vibrations through his bones.

“Oh. Uh, nice kitty?”

***

Away from the hustle and bustle, Imelda retreated to a quiet corner of the house, opening a closet door. She stood on her tiptoes to reach a wooden box on the top shelf. The box was large and covered in a thin layer of dust, which she delicately brushed away with her hand. She was almost surprised that Héctor hadn’t found the box yet, with how tall he was. She thought back to a distant memory of herself and Héctor from back when they were alive. Voices and laughter echoed in her mind as she relived the memory.

“¡Vamos! You can do it!” Héctor said, teasingly holding Imelda’s hair brush up high where she couldn’t reach it.

“Héctor! You know you’re practically a head taller than me. I’ll never reach it!” Imelda replied, standing up on the toes of her shoes and straining with her arm.

“Then I guess you’ll just have to jump for it,” he shrugged, moving it higher even as she jumped, so as to keep the brush just out of her reach.

“Come on, Héctor. We’re already late. You’re gonna make us even more late if you won’t let me finish my hair!”

“That is unfortunate,” Héctor replied, putting a finger on his chin in mock concentration. “Then I guess I can let you have the hairbrush.” He looked down at Imelda, his eyes sparkling mischievously. “For a kiss.”

Imelda glared back up at him, but there was no real anger in her eyes. A teasing smile came across her lips and she held up her hands in a shrug, mimicking his.

“Alright. Then I guess I’ll just go with ratty hair.”

Héctor’s eyes went wide in shock. He hadn’t been expecting that kind of response.

“Lo siento, I didn’t mean-“ His words were cut off as Imelda suddenly reached up and grabbed him by his tie, causing him to lean down towards her. Imelda planted her lips against his. Héctor’s eyes stayed wide in surprise at his wife outsmarting him. He relaxed into the kiss, letting his guard down. Imelda reached up and grabbed the hairbrush out of his hand.

“Ha! Got you,” she said, her own mischievous smile growing on her face.

Héctor shook his head, aware of the deep red blush spreading across his cheeks.

“Mi amor, you really do make me un poco loco,” he said as the two of them shared a heartfelt laugh.

Imelda smiled at the distant memory. They certainly had been a sweet, joyful couple, once upon a time. Her heart ached at the years of longing and sadness she’d felt for so long, but Héctor was back now. They could be that carefree couple once again. Setting the box down on a table, she opened the lid to peer inside. A sheet of pristine white tissue paper covered the contents underneath, but on top of the paper lay a folded card with Héctor’s name on it. She ran her hand gently over the tissue paper and it crinkled under her touch. “I hope you like your surprise, mi amor,” she whispered as she placed the lid back down again. Then, gathering the box in her arms, she set out for her and Héctor’s room.

“Héctor? Are you awake?” she asked as she knocked on the door.

Even though Héctor slept like the dead, one of the only sounds that would always wake him right away was knocking at the door. After becoming a father, his ears had been trained to pick up on the sounds of any kind of distress his daughter might have in the middle of the night. There had been times when he’d hear Coco crying from her room, or the soft tap of her tiny knuckles against their wooden bedroom door. The sound would instantly cause Héctor to stir, and he’d hurry to his daughter’s side, knowing she needed her mamá to wipe her tears and her papá to sing her back to sleep with his gentle voice. Even now, so many years later, that instinct still burned inside Héctor, and he quickly woke up.

“¡Sí, sí! I’m up! Is everything alright?” he called from the other side of the door.

Imelda shuffled the box into one hand so she could open the door with the other and came into the room. She smiled to herself, holding back a laugh as she looked at Héctor, sitting up in bed but still in his pajamas, with his messy black hair sticking up in all directions. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he continued to wake up fully.

“Is it time to open the shop? I’ll help you, just let me get-“ He took his hands down from his eyes and blinked in surprise upon seeing Imelda, looking absolutely lovely in her best dress. “Imelda! ¡Te ves tan bonita!”

“You really think so?” she said, tucking her hair behind where her ear used to be and turning in different angles to show off the dress.

“¡Sí! That is such a pretty color on you. Not that any color wouldn’t look pretty on you,” he replied.

“Gracias,” Imelda smiled. “Well, come on, it’s time to get ready.”

Héctor glanced at the clock on the bedside table and would’ve jumped out of his skin if he still had any.

“Ay! I didn’t realize I slept in so late! I’m sorry, Imelda. The shoe shop was supposed to open ages ago! I’ll get ready super quickly and then we can-“

“Héctor, cálmese. There’s no need to worry. The shop isn’t open today.”

“It isn’t?” Héctor asked. He looked genuinely puzzled. “Why not?”

Imelda couldn’t keep herself from laughing at her poor husband’s frazzled look.

“Because it’s your birthday!” she exclaimed. “We’re going to have a fiesta! Get up, get up!”

Héctor smiled widely at his wife’s enthusiasm, his gold tooth gleaming. He stood up and opened their closet, starting to reach for his purple vest and red tie.

“Ah, ah, ah,” said Imelda, wagging her finger. Héctor turned to look back at her. She grinned. “It’s a special occasion. You need to wear something special, too.” She produced the wooden box and placed it on the bed, pushing it in Héctor’s direction. His eyes lit up when he saw the gift.

“Feliz cumpleaños, Héctor.”

He wordlessly crossed back over to the bed where the box was, still wearing a smile on his face. He lifted the lid carefully and took out the card with his name on it to read what his wife had written.

Para Héctor,

Feliz cumpleaños, mi amor. I am so happy to have you back with me. You are the love of my life, and my family is finally complete now that you’re in it again. Happy 118th birthday, happy one year (and some change) since our reunion, and may we be together for countless more. Te amo, mi corazón.

Love, Imelda

As Héctor read the note, his smile grew with every line. To be loved by Imelda again was a feeling he had thought he’d never again get to experience, but now here he was, finally welcomed back into his beloved wife’s heart. He almost didn’t even need music to be happy now that he had Imelda and Coco. Though of course, it was nice to have all three. He looked up at Imelda, looking once again like the young man who had fallen head over heels for her the moment he’d laid eyes on her so many years ago. He pressed the card to his chest.

“I’m the love of your life?” he said, just like he had at the Sunrise Spectacular a year ago.

Imelda rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

“You know you are. Now come on, open your gift.”

Héctor peeled back the layers of white tissue paper and was stunned to see what lay underneath. It was a handsome, brand new charro suit, just like the one he’d worn in their family photo, the one that had finally let him cross the Marigold Bridge. It was practically an exact replica, right down to the light cream color, custom embroidery, and delicate silk tie. He ran his fingers over the fabric in wonder. He hadn’t been able to wear such fine clothes in years.

“Gracias, Imelda,” he whispered in astonishment. “It’s beautiful.”

“I’ll let you try it on,” she replied, standing up off the bed where she’d been sitting. “Let me see how muy guapo you look,” she teased as she stepped outside and closed the door with a soft click. She smiled to herself, thinking about Héctor and his birthday and all the wonderful things he deserved on such an occasion. She’d given him his gift, but there was still so much more coming his way. Her heart (or what it had been) raced at the thought. She heard the sound of Rivera shoes against the floor as Coco walked up to her mother.

“Did he like his present, Mamá?” she wondered.

“Sí, mija,” Imelda replied earnestly. “And now it’s your turn.”

Chapter Text

Back in the bedroom, Héctor stood staring at the new charro suit for what seemed like forever, hardly even being able to believe that it was actually his. When was the last time he’d ever been able to wear clothes like this? He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d owned something so nice. He’d been wandering around the Land of the Dead, mostly in the shantytown of Los Olvidados for years, picking up scraps and wearing his old, tattered rags. Thin, frayed pants ripped off at the knees, a faded jacket missing a sleeve and with a tear in the other one, nothing to cover his bony feet on the harsh, uneven ground. When he’d been welcomed back into the family, he’d been given new, clean clothes. A new, handsome vest, pants without holes that reached down to his ankles, and best of all, the pride of the Rivera family; a pair of handmade shoes. After so many years of just barely scraping by, Héctor never imagined he’d ever own anything as wonderful as the simple but clean and nice clothing he’d been given after the family had accepted him again, but the charro suit was something else entirely. When he put it on, turning in the mirror to look at himself from all angles, he felt more like himself again than he had in decades. The cream-colored sleeves were the perfect length, and the silk tie caught the light beautifully. When he saw himself in the suit, it sent him back almost 100 years, when he had posed in a photo with his gorgeous wife, his precious daughter, and his beloved guitar, all the things that mattered most to him. He almost looked alive again. At the very least, he felt alive again. As he stood looking at himself and smiling, there was another knock at the door.

“Papá? Are you in there?”

Héctor jumped at the sound of Coco’s voice.

“Sí, Coco! I’m coming!” Héctor hurried to the door and opened it to greet his daughter. When he opened the door, he stopped short upon seeing Coco. She was wearing a beautiful, white, off-the-shoulder dress, trimmed by lovely, delicate lace that went down to her feet, upon which she wore a matching pair of white Rivera shoes. On her head, she wore a flower crown made of marigolds, and two more decorated the ends of her long twin braids. Her eyes were bright and she had a warm, cheerful smile on her face.

“¡Feliz cumpleaños, Papá!” Coco cheered.

“Oh, Coco. Te ves tan hermosa,” he said.

Coco grinned even wider, picking up the ends of her dress and spinning in a little circle, just like she had so many years ago when she would play dress up as a little girl.

“Gracias, Papá. You look nice too. Just like our family photo!”

Héctor ran his hands over the fabric of the sleeves of his new jacket, admiring the soft texture.

“It’s a gift from your mother,” he beamed.

“Are you ready for my gift?” Coco asked.

Héctor smiled gently, shrugging.

“Oh, I don’t need anything. I have you and your mamá. I’m already happy.”

“I knew you’d say that,” Coco laughed. “Still, it’s your birthday, and I have something special planned just for you.”

Héctor leaned down to give Coco a warm hug, the sweet smell of the marigolds in her hair overwhelming his senses for just a moment.

“Gracias, mija. You’re very sweet.”

Coco smiled, taking her father’s hand and starting to lead him forward.

“Come with me, Papá. Your surprise is outside.”

Héctor and Coco walked together through the house, father and daughter, hand in hand. Héctor still hadn’t quite gotten used to that sensation just yet. The last time he’d been able to hold his daughter’s hand, she’d been so small that she could wrap her entire hand around Héctor’s thumb. Her tiny fingers curling around his, warm and secure. His hands were rough and calloused from years of plucking guitar strings, but to a little girl, they were strong and reassuring. The hands of her father who once brushed tears from her cheeks and tried, unsuccessfully, to braid her hair. His hands were still rough, but Coco didn’t care. She was holding hands with her papá again, and suddenly it was like she was that little girl staring up at her father with love and admiration. The two of them walked through the house towards Coco’s surprise in contented silence, until Coco spoke up and broke the quiet.

“This is the first of your birthdays that I’ve spent with you in over ninety years,” she said suddenly.

The knowledge of all the time that passed was like an icy jolt to the heart, and Héctor found himself stunned and silent, eyes wide with memory and regret. Coco looked up at her father, noticing his expression. All the lonely years flashing through his mind. She patted his hand and gave him a sympathetic smile.

“It’s okay, Papá. It’s not your fault. You would’ve come back home to us if you could. Still, I missed you all those years. Wondering where you were, and why you didn’t come back. But I still believed that you loved me, even if I didn’t understand what happened.”

“I did, Coco. I always loved you. I never, ever stopped,” Héctor replied, his voice a bit shaky from emotion.

“I think one of the things I miss the most when I think about those years is all the milestones in my life that I didn’t get to share with you. My first day of school, my quinceañera, and others. I know you wished you could’ve been there for them too,” Coco reminisced.

Héctor’s heart was heavy thinking about all the lost years. So many memories that he never got to make, so many stories that he never got to share, so many songs that he never got to write.

“I would’ve given anything to have been there for you,” he said softly.

Coco squeezed his hand.

“I know, Papá. And I thought the one thing you’d want for your birthday more than anything else is the chance to experience some of those things.”

Héctor was just about to ask Coco what she meant by that when she opened the door and led him outside the Rivera house to the courtyard. Héctor’s eyes were wide in surprise at the sight that befell him. The courtyard was filled with chairs, upon which multiple guests were sitting. They were lined up on either side of an aisle decorated with strewn marigold petals. At the end of the aisle and the rows of chairs were two pillars topped with more marigolds and fabric draped between them. Julio was standing near the pillar on the right, dressed in a nice suit and holding his hands together. Behind him, there was a pastor holding a Bible. Óscar and Felipe stood beside Julio, both of them dressed nicely as well. Across from them, Rosita and Victoria stood wearing matching dresses and holding bouquets. Upon hearing the door close, the guests all turned to see Héctor and Coco, calling out greetings and cumpleaños congratulations. So many of the Rivera family’s friends were in attendance, all dressed in nice formal wear. Among the guests, Héctor could spot Ceci, Gustavo and his fellow musicians from Frida Kahlo’s studio, and even Frida herself, who had become a friend to the Riveras after helping them out at the Sunrise Spectacular. Looking at all the guests and the setting and the way Coco was dressed, with flowers in her hair and her white gown adorned with lace, Héctor suddenly realized what was going on.

“Coco, is this your wedding?” he asked, stunned.

“A vow renewal, technically,” said Imelda, appearing behind Héctor and putting a hand on his shoulder as he took in his surroundings. “But yes, basically a wedding.” She smiled as she handed Coco a bouquet of flowers to finish her bridal look. “We’re recreating it for you. It was Coco’s idea.”

Héctor looked at his daughter, so full of surprise that he barely knew what to say.

“You did all this for me?”

“Of course, Papá. It’s your birthday, after all. I wanted to do something really special. And well, this is what I came up with.” She gestured with her bouquet at all the guests, still smiling at the two of them. Héctor stared back at everyone, completely stunned by the spectacle that his family had been able to pull off. Imelda nodded to Gustavo, and he nodded to his musician pals. They picked up their instruments and started playing “Here Comes the Bride” as all the guests stood up.

“I’ll save you a seat,” Imelda whispered to Héctor before walking up to the front row next to an empty chair reserved for her husband.

Héctor and Coco stood watching everyone, taking in the sight of the family’s hard work coming to fruition.

“You know,” Coco said after a moment, “I never had anyone to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day.” She looked up at Héctor, whose eyes were so full of emotion she swore he’d be crying if he still could. “Would you do it, Papá?”

He choked back a strangled sob and looked back at Coco, seeing her for a moment as the little girl he remembered, and then finally as the incredible woman she’d become. Her eyes were so full of love and hope and joy, and Héctor wanted to hang on to that look forever. When he spoke, his voice came out in an awed whisper.

“Of course I will.”

Coco beamed up at her father, linking her arm with his as he led her to the edge of the petal-covered aisle. He took a deep breath and then the two of them stepped out onto the aisle, walking down through the rows of chairs as the music continued to play.

Héctor walked seemingly in a dream. He almost felt like he was floating down the aisle with his daughter’s arm linked with his. For years as he wandered around in the Land of the Dead, alone and melancholy, he very frequently thought about his family back in the living world. How were they getting along without him? What were they up to? Had Coco been married by now? Did she have any children of her own? Had Imelda perhaps found a new man to love? Why hadn’t his photo ever been put up on their ofrenda? Did they even know he was gone? So many questions that had lingered in his mind for decades.

Héctor had been very aware of the time that had passed, and that Coco and Imelda’s lives were going on without him. He often thought about the milestones that Coco was probably experiencing as he kept up with the passing years and how old she would have been. Milestones that he didn’t get to see her reach. He mourned the passing time and the things in Coco’s life that he knew he would never get to see, and her wedding had been one of the biggest and most important. Of course, he had no way of knowing when Coco’s wedding was, or if she ever got married at all. But Héctor often thought about it anyway, longing to be there to support his daughter. To tell her how beautiful she looked, to tease her fiancé with the threat of making sure he knew Coco’s papá would always be there to protect her no matter what, to play music for the reception that would keep the guests dancing and singing and laughing until dawn, and most importantly, to walk her down the aisle. After Héctor died, he realized with a broken heart that he would never get to be there for such a special occasion. But now, here he was, arm linked with his daughter, surrounded by music and color and friendly faces as he guided Coco down the path of marigold petals to meet Julio at the end, who was beaming with joy as he remembered his actual wedding day.

For Héctor, it was almost too good to be true. After finally getting to cross the Marigold Bridge for the first time just a few weeks prior, Héctor was elated to be able to accomplish this dream he had always wanted to chase. He blinked to remind himself he was awake. Héctor and Coco reached the end of the aisle and the musicians finished playing. The pastor looked up at Héctor with a bright smile before speaking.

“Who presents this woman to be married?”

Coco patted her father’s arm and looked up at him, her eyes bright and a huge grin on her face. Héctor’s eyes met hers, filled with as much love as he ever had for her, looking just as he had so many years ago when he’d sang their special song for her before he had to go. Coco nodded at him, and he squeezed her hand before turning to the pastor.

“I do,” announced Héctor with confidence. He glanced over at Imelda, who was looking at him proudly and nodding reassuringly. He gave her a smile. “We do,” he added.

The pastor bowed his head in acknowledgement.

“Please be seated,” he said, addressing the crowd.

The guests took their seats, and Héctor turned to Coco. He held her cheekbones in his hands and kissed her on her forehead before wrapping his arms around her in a warm hug.

“Gracias, Papá,” Coco whispered.

“Por supuesto, Coco,” Héctor whispered back. He took his seat beside Imelda, who immediately held his hand and kissed him on his cheek. Coco and Julio held hands as the pastor began to speak.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the renewal of marriage vows between Socorro and Julio Rivera. Just as they loved each other in life, so too shall they continue to love each other in death, for love knows no bounds. They have made the decision today to renew the vows they made to each other in life, so that they can continue to spend their days in holy matrimony. We shall all be witnesses to this testament to their love. May I have the rings, please?”

A low growl filled the air, and all the guests turned around in surprise to see Pepita strolling down the aisle, holding the wedding rings in her mouth. At the end of the aisle, Pepita loomed over Julio, who winced nervously as he held out his hand. Pepita dropped the rings into his open hand and then casually strolled back down the aisle before laying down on the ground nearby to watch the rest of the ceremony. Julio sighed in relief.

“She scares me,” he whispered to Coco, who giggled in response.

The pastor continued his speech.

“Before we continue with the vows, is there anyone here who feels that this couple should not renew their union? Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Unsurprisingly, no one spoke up.

“In that case, we will proceed,” said the pastor. “Julio, you are first. Do you, Julio, take Coco, to once again be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, until final death do you part?”

Julio looked at Coco, barely able to contain his excitement. He felt just as he had when he’d married Coco so many years ago.

“I do.”

Coco looked dreamily at her husband, remembering how she’d felt on this day so many years ago. But as happy as she’d been to marry him, there was still a piece of her heart that felt heavy, knowing that she had walked down the aisle alone, accompanied by no music as it had been banned in her home, and without her father in the audience to watch her take her vows. But now, her heart was full, now that her papá was there. She smiled lovingly at Julio as the pastor addressed her next.

“Do you, Coco, take Julio to once again be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, until final death do you part?”

“I do,” Coco answered.

“Please exchange the rings as a symbol of your everlasting love,” instructed the pastor.

Coco and Julio smiled at each other as they each slid a ring onto each other’s left ring finger. The pastor addressed the crowd happily.

“By the power vested in me by the Land of the Dead, I hereby reaffirm this couple’s marriage, and pronounce them to still be husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

“Don’t look, Papá! I’m about to kiss a boy!” Coco called out jokingly.

Héctor laughed at his daughter’s antics, but his heart was full. He’d finally gotten to witness Coco’s marriage, kiss and all. After Coco and Julio kissed, the pastor made his final statement.

“Damas y caballeros, it is my pleasure to present to you Señor y Señora Rivera!”

The crowd erupted in applause, cheers, and loud gritos of excitement and congratulations. Coco and Julio, hand in hand, walked back down the aisle, followed by Victoria and Óscar, Rosita and Felipe, and finally Héctor and Imelda. After the wedding party made their way down the aisle, the guests got up, row by row, and followed them.

“¡Vamos todos!” Imelda called to everyone. “It’s time for the fiesta!”

More cheers erupted as the crowd followed the wedding party down the street to a large plaza filled with tables, chairs, and open space for dancing. There was a gazebo where Gustavo and his fellow mariachis took the stage to begin playing upbeat music. String lights decorated the area, filling the plaza with beautiful points of golden light. The Riveras had hired servers to provide food and drinks for the guests, and everyone was in high spirits as they danced, cheered, sang, and ate. Imelda led Héctor to a table in the center of the plaza, where everyone could see them, along with the other members of the Rivera family.

As Héctor sat at the table watching all the guests having fun and his entire family sporting bright smiles, he could hardly believe that they had gone to all this effort for him. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d actually felt wanted and loved and like someone cared enough to do something special for him on his birthday. Being surrounded by his family, with good Rivera shoes on his feet and beautiful, clean fabric on his arms, with food on the table and music in the air, it was as if Héctor was in a dream. He never imagined his afterlife would change so drastically. To come so far in just a year, it was more than he could’ve ever hoped for. Every day was a blessing, and he held them all close. He was surrounded by people at the fiesta, coming up to shake his hand and wish him feliz cumpleaños. He laughed and smiled and joked with guests, having a wonderful time. In the midst of all of this, a sound kind of like a bell ringing pierced through the noise of the crowd. Everyone quieted down and turned to see Imelda at the main table, tapping a butter knife against a glass to get everyone’s attention.

“Ay! Settle down, please! The time has come for the happy couple to share their first dance!”

Coco and Julio were standing holding hands in the middle of the plaza, all bright eyes and smiles. Now all they needed was music. Gustavo and his fellow mariachis made room in the gazebo for an extra player.

“Hey, Héctor! Little help over here?” Gustavo called out, motioning with his arm for Héctor to come and join them on stage.

“¡Sí, Papá! Come play for us!” Coco agreed.

Héctor smiled widely at her while the crowd of guests cheered to encourage him to play.

“Here, mi corazón. Go play for your little girl,” Imelda said warmly, producing Héctor’s beautiful white guitar with the skull carved on top and handing it to her husband. He grinned as he took it from her and hurried to join the others on the gazebo.

“Vamos, muchachos. Let’s play for this lovely couple,” Héctor announced, gesturing towards Julio and Coco. Héctor’s fingers fell across the delicate strings of his guitar, producing a beautiful melody. The other mariachis followed suit, catching on to the melody as they all played a lovely rendition of “Contigo Aprendí” for the pair of lovers to dance with each other.

Coco put her hands on Julio’s shoulders, and he put his hands on her waist as the two of them swayed together. In life, they had never been allowed to have music and dance together, as much as they both secretly wished they could have. Especially for Coco. Music had meant a lot to her. Music was the love language of her papá, and not having it in her life hurt almost as much as not having him. But now, she could finally have both. She rested her head on Julio’s chest as the music carried them through the plaza. After being without music for so long, they were both pretty rusty when it came to dancing, but it didn’t matter how awkward they were in their movements, all that mattered was the love they shared just holding each other. Julio spun Coco nervously a couple times, causing her to laugh. Dancing was something they’d have to get used to. Luckily, they had all the time in the world to do just that.

Héctor’s heart was full watching his daughter dance with her own love of her life. Even though he hadn’t been there, he was so glad that Coco had found love, and that she’d grown up surrounded by people who cared about her. Knowing that Coco was loved and appreciated by everyone in her family, all the way down to her great-grandson, Miguel, and everyone else in between, was all Héctor could have ever hoped for in his unfortunate absence. It was a father’s wish; for his family to grow up being loved. As the song ended, the entire crowd cheered and applauded. Once again, the sound of Imelda clinking a glass brought back quiet and order before she spoke up, gazing knowingly at Héctor.

“It’s time for the father-daughter dance,” she declared.

Everyone turned to look at Héctor, but he only had eyes for Coco. She looked up at him, full of excitement. She’d waited so long for the chance to dance with her papá, and now she finally could. Coco held out an outstretched hand towards the gazebo, welcoming Héctor to step forward. He looked back at her, eyes bright and emotional and he gave her a subtle nod as he leaned his guitar down against the side of the gazebo and stepped down to join his little girl on the dance floor. No words even needed to be said about what to play for their dance. Everyone knew there was only one song for Héctor and Coco to dance to.

“Make sure you play it right, hombre,” Héctor said as he made his way over to Coco. He glanced back briefly at Gustavo. “And no touching the guitar,” he added teasingly.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, amigo,” Gustavo replied, holding up his hands. He smiled softly and nodded to his fellow musicians as they began to play an instrumental version of “Remember Me”. It wasn’t bold and flashy like the version Ernesto had made famous. It wasn’t a meaningless, cheesy love song with sweeping melodies and show-offy flair. Instead, it was a simple, intimate lullaby. A love letter between father and daughter. A heartfelt, soulful promise about the love that knows no distance.

Héctor took his daughter’s right hand in his left and put his other hand on her back while she placed her left hand on his shoulder and the two of them began to sway together. The entire crowd watched happily as Héctor and Coco danced. Imelda had her hands over her heart as she watched, while the other Riveras gathered around her in joy and solidarity. Héctor and Coco had huge, loving smiles on their faces, having waited for that moment for so many years. Héctor spun Coco around as they danced to the song that he’d written especially for her so many decades ago. Gustavo and the musicians filled the air with the familiar melody, bringing back the many beautiful memories of father and daughter. Even after Héctor left, even after he never got to come back, the song had connected them through all the long years, and even across two different worlds. Now, finally, she was in his arms again, just as his lyrics had always said. Coco looked up at her papá, feeling safe and warm and loved as he danced with her and quietly sang the words to their special song, and she sang with him.

“Know that I’m with you the only way that I can be. Until you’re in my arms again, remember me…”

Héctor spun her again as the song came to a close and the crowd clapped for them. After that, the dance floor was open for everyone, and Gustavo and his fellow musicians filled the whole plaza with music that kept everyone’s spirits high. Coco and Héctor stood together, taking it all in. The plaza was filled with dancing couples, and the tables were filled with people talking and eating and catching up. At the family’s table, the Riveras were laughing and enjoying each other’s company. It was just the kind of environment one would expect at a wedding, or a 118th birthday party. As Héctor and Coco stood side by side, he squeezed her hand.

“Is this anything like your wedding, mija?” he wondered softly.

“No, Papá,” Coco answered, squeezing his hand back. She threw her arms around him in a hug. “It’s better. You’re here.”

Héctor smiled as he hugged Coco back, savoring every moment that the two of them were together again.

“And I always will be.”

***

As the night wore on, the fiesta continued to bring in joy and laughter as everyone celebrated Héctor’s birthday. There was food, gifts, dancing, and of course, music. When Héctor wasn’t interacting with his friends and family, he was onstage with the other mariachis, performing the music he loved so dearly. Cheers and gritos rang out long into the night. During a break in the performances, Héctor sat with Imelda at the Rivera family table, just enjoying each other’s company amongst the lively festivities of the party. Imelda sighed contentedly and leaned against Héctor’s shoulder.

“What is it, mi amor?” he asked.

“This is the first time the whole family has been together and really gotten to enjoy themselves in I don’t know how many years,” Imelda replied. “For once, there’s actually music! Oh, it feels so good to have music again. And everyone’s together and it’s just so wonderful.”

“I still can’t believe you guys did all this for me,” said Héctor, staring out at the fiesta all around them.

“You deserve it, mi corazón,” Imelda murmured, taking Héctor’s hand in hers. She leaned her cheek against his and hummed. “And now that you’re here, every birthday will be like this. We can celebrate together every year, for as long as we have each other.”

Héctor closed his eyes in contentment as he enjoyed the warm feeling of Imelda’s hand wrapped around his and the weight of her cheek leaning against him. He allowed the sensation of music in the air to fill his bones and tuned in to the sound of laughter and talking all around him. The sounds of family and friends joined together in one place, full of happiness and love. He’d waited so many years for that feeling, and he reveled in the knowledge that, with his memory now preserved in the living world, he could enjoy that feeling for decades to come. True, the lonely years still came back to haunt him from time to time. It would take a while before the almost century of doubt and lonesomeness could ever be truly washed away, and the occasional nightmares of that time would end, but for now, he was right where he wanted to be. With all the love and companionship and togetherness he’d craved for so long, what more could he ask for on his birthday?

A loud cheer pulled him from his thoughts, and he opened his eyes to look at the crowd, where a group of female party guests were gathered in the center of the dance floor.

“Oooh! Coco’s gonna throw her bouquet!” Rosita exclaimed, grabbing Victoria’s hand and dragging her excitedly toward the other ladies. “¡Vamos, sobrina! Let’s go see who gets it!”

Héctor and Imelda looked at each other and smiled before Imelda got up to follow the Rivera women. In the center of the group, Coco was grinning widely and held her bouquet in her hands.

“Ready, señoras?” she asked, and all the women cheered in response.

Coco turned around and closed her eyes before tossing the bouquet behind her. The bouquet soared through the air before falling right into Imelda’s hands, much to her surprise. Everyone hollered with excitement and Coco opened her eyes, smiling happily when she saw that her mother had caught the flowers.

“Mamá Imelda caught the bouquet!” Rosita announced happily as everyone applauded. Imelda laughed excitedly and ran into Héctor’s arms just as she had at the Sunrise Spectacular a year ago.

¡Mira, corazón! I caught it!”

The two simply smiled and laughed for a moment, feeling like the young couple they had once been, and could be again, now that they were together. They looked lovingly into each other’s eyes before glancing down at the flowers still in Imelda’s hands.

“I guess this means it’s our turn,” she said softly.

Héctor grinned and put his hands on Imelda’s back and dipped her, causing her to let out a quick yelp of surprise that dissolved into more laughter as she held onto Héctor’s shoulder with one hand, the other still gripping the flowers.

“Mi amor, I do!” Héctor replied enthusiastically.

They kissed while friends and family alike clapped all around them. As the fiesta wore on, Héctor enjoyed just being together with his beloved wife and daughter, and the big family he’d finally been welcomed into, and all the new friends he’d been able to make after the truth about him had been revealed to everyone. It felt so good to be accepted and remembered, but it felt even better to be loved. And as long as he had Imelda and Coco, it truly was the best birthday ever.