Loco De Atar - EN

La Despedida

Of course Héctor had previously consulted Imelda before asking Ernesto to be Coco's godfather. The young mother had only reluctantly agreed, for she knew how much the singer meant to her husband... yet she did, however, keep an eye out every time he'd take the child in his arms. (As if it might occur to Ernesto the crazy idea of ever hurting her.)

But the latter was incapable of hating Coco and hated Imelda all the more instead. So he was only too happy to show exaggerated affection toward the little girl, just to make her mother mad.

When she got older she took her first steps with Tío Nesto, as she now dubbed him.
Soon Imelda could go back to work at the shoemaking shop now that her daughter no longer required her constant presence; more often than not she came home to Coco quietly sitting in Ernesto's lap while he sang, since Héctor's was occupied by his guitar.

As for the young father nonetheless, he was completely clueless about the silent war going on between his wife and his best friend. On the contrary, all he could do was rejoice at having both his family, Ernesto and the music!

The only element yet missing was for them to play for the whole world.

Which is why when Coco turned two, Héctor and Ernesto got on the road again to take a chance in the nearest city.
...And others after that, but he'd still come back to Imelda and Coco as often as he could with the money they'd made.

However, Coco's birth had made drastic changes in the situation.

Playing in tabernas wasn't enough for the young man to provide for his family. Neither was Imelda's salary from the shoemaking shop. Fortunately Óscar and Felipe, who were living with them, often came over to help out.

Meanwhile, despite Héctor's constant promises that he believed in his dream and they'd soon be so rich and famous that nobody in the family would ever, ever need to work again, Imelda's doubts grew bigger and bigger.
At first she would only drop little practical comments, like Coco only possessing one pair of shoes that she would soon outgrow.
But as time passed her tone shifted, so much that at some point she really began arguing with Héctor, begging him to get a "real" job, and to show more consideration to his own family than to one stupid dream that sure wouldn't feed his daughter.
As for Ernesto, he was always aware of everything that was said between the couple since his friend would always come to him for advice (and it only made him more satisfied).

The mere idea that Coco, the sole element preventing Héctor's heart to lean towards him, might actually endanger the couple's harmony, was enough to keep his hopes high like never before.

The singer, who had been waiting on fate to give him a hand for so long, and thus was starting to think his moment was finally coming closer, racked his mind for a way to aggravate Imelda's discontent for Héctor and their music.

~

'What, you really don't see how badly she's treating you, my friend?!' Ernesto exclaimed one day that they were rehearsing without Coco, who'd stayed with her mother for once.

'...Come again? Who?' Héctor mumbled back, more focused on the lullaby he'd been writing down in his notepad.

Ernesto rolled his eyes with obvious exasperation.

'Imelda, of course!'

The younger man paused to look at him — and sighed.

'Ay, Imelda, right... It's because she fears we might never seize our moment.'

'Precisely, and that's why I have a bad feeling about this', the elder mumbled, arms crossed.