Coco: Miguel and Micaela in the Land of the Dead

Micaela Rivera was the twin sister of Miguel Rivera. They lived in a little town in Mexico called Santa Cecilia. Miguel and Micaela lived in a nice home that connected to the workshop where their family had been making shoes for almost a century. Their great-great grandmother Mamá Imelda had begun making shoes a long time ago and Riveras had been making shoes ever since.
Mamá Imelda's husband had left her and her daughter, Miguel and Micaela's great grandmother, Mamá Coco, when Coco was only three years old. Ever since then Mamá Imelda had banned music. Miguel struggled with this strictly enforced rule. He loved music more than anything he could think of, except maybe Micaela, of whom he was very protective.
Micaela had no opinion on music good or bad. In fact Micaela had no opinions on anything except books and art. Micaela could not express any kind of emotion and she was unable to talk to her family like a normal twelve year old should. Instead of speaking she used a crude sign language and drew things out in notebooks.
Doctors in Mexico City could not understand what exactly was preventing her from expressing herself and speaking. They put her though many tests in her youth. She by the time she was eight she could read and understand books beyond her age level, but she could not write. Doctors only could conclude that there was nothing wrong with her inputting information, only outputting it. They suggested she stay at home learning at her own pace and the family should continue to let her express herself in the arts, all except for music.
So Miguel went to school every day and Micaela stayed at home reading and drawing and sitting with their great grandmother. Some days she would sit with their abuelita, Mamá Coco's only remaining daughter, while she cooked. Abuelita liked giving Micaela food to taste. Abuelita could also talk on and on forever and knew she wouldn't be interrupted by Micaela.
Sometimes Micaela would spend time with her Mamá and Papá, tio and tias in the workshop. Like her brother, she had no real interest in making shoes like the rest of the family. She seemed to enjoy painting the shoes, however. When a shoe would be ruined beyond repair they gave her the shoe to paint however she wanted to and they would set the colorful shoes around the shop. Doing this made them feel like she was included in the family business, like she was not different from the rest of them.
Not that they treated Micaela poorly because she could not express herself fully. Her family was disappointed they might never see her smile, but they never treated her as a burden on them. She lived, to all their knowledge, happily enough.
On Dia de los Muertos, Micaela was cutting out the pretty papel picado in the center courtyard, while her twin went out to shine shoes. The three day holiday meant that he did not have to go to school like he normally did. Micaela would have rather he stay home and help her cut out the paper, but he said he wanted to go earn money. She knew the real reason, he wanted to listen to music.
When Abuelita, Tio Berto and her cousin Rosa entered the courtyard with a downtrodden Miguel, Micaela was curious and she followed her Abuelita and brother into the ofrenda room. Abuelita was not happy with Miguel listening to music and her shouting at Miguel had upset Mamá Coco. Micaela could not understand why music was banned or rather why music was still banned. Mamá Coco use to sing to them all the time when she would look after them as babies. She could remember that very clearly. Why didn't Mamá Coco end the ban on music if she loved it so much? That was something Micaela thought about a lot.
The rest of the day was spent cleaning, cooking and decorating for Dia de Muertos to begin that evening. Micaela was in the room she shared with her brother painting her face to look like a skeleton. This was one of her favorite things to do for Dia de Muertos because face painting was an expression. She could make her skeleton smile if she wanted. Micaela knew what smiling was and she use to try to smile for her family, but she quit that years ago. Instead she used a lot of yellow paint to express joy and happiness.
Micaela had just finished with her makeup, pulled her hair into a long pleat down her back and pulled on a blue hoodie over her long tee and jeans, when she heard a loud crash in the courtyard. She hurried out of her room to find her whole family standing in the courtyard with Miguel as the center of attention. All of his stuff from his secret hideaway was laying at his feet, including his homemade guitar.
Micaela knew the guitar was something very precious to Miguel. She had heard him play it before and it was something that made her want to paint pretty colors. She wanted to draw him playing the guitar too, but she knew he would be in trouble for it, just like he was now. Micaela moved to her twin's side.
"That man's music was a curse!" Abuelita was saying to Miguel as Micaela took his hand. This was something she did when she was uncomfortable. Holding hands was one of the few things she knew how to do to express how she was feeling, besides slapping her hands down in anger or frustration, which she unfortunately had done a lot.
Miguel squeezed her hand tight to comfort both of them and then let go, scooping up the homemade guitar and beginning to strum it. Abuelita became very angry, snatching the guitar from Miguel and smashing it on the ground several times. Micaela slid her arm around her twin and she felt him flinch as he tried not to cry out loud. Abuelita approached them and cupped Miguel's cheek.
"Come you'll feel better once you eat with your family," she said kindly. Micaela knew this to be a tone Abuelita used when she was trying to remind them how much she loved them and yelling at them did not mean she did not love them.
"I don't want to be in this family!" Miguel snatched the photo back from his Papá and Micaela grabbed his free hand as Miguel began to run out of the compound, their family was left crying after them. Miguel sniffled as as they ran keeping a firm grip on his sister's hand. There was no way she was going to leave him when he was feeling sad. They were always there for each other, all of their lives.
Micaela had never been to Mariachi Plaza before. There were so many sounds, so many colors and so many interesting people. A band was playing and singing under a gazebo as Miguel pulled her around it. She liked the sound, but of course her face remained almost blank on the outside. She was not paying attention to what Miguel was saying to the woman at the gazebo.
"I need a guitar," Miguel hissed to her pulling her close. "Can you ask around for a guitar?"
Micaela nodded and drifted off from her brother. She rarely had interaction with others but she felt they would understand her as well as her family did at home. Unfortunately they did not. The first two men she asked immediately brushed her off. Finally she found a small group with a guitar at their feet who seemed willing to understand her.
Micaela first pointed to herself, the the guitar and made a strumming motion with her hands before pointing to herself again.
"You want to hold the guitar?" The eldest of the group asked confused as he picked up the guitar.
She shook her head and repeated the actions, then she pointed at the clock tower and pinched her fingers together to indicate a little bit of time. Someone's eyes lit up with understanding.
"You want to borrow the guitar. Sorry chica. We go on any moment now."
Micaela bowed her head and nodded before walking away. She heard them mutter behind her as she stepped away. They were disconcerted at how she looked. None of them wanted to let her borrow the guitar. She did not look trustworthy to them. Micaela realized that inside she felt ashamed. People could see she was different even under her paint.
"There you are, come on," Miguel said pulling her away from the plaza. "I know where we can get a guitar. We can win the contest and our family will see how great music is. Then I will teach you how to play. We can play together. The De la Cruz Kids. What do you think?"
Micaela only squeezed his hand. At least Miguel always talked to her and Mamá Coco like they were normal. She only wished she could tell Miguel how much she loved and adored him for this.
Soon she found herself following Miguel through the Santa Cecilia cemetery. Almost every grave had marigolds placed upon it and food and other nice things for their loved ones to enjoy in the afterlife. Yet again Micaela had never been to the cemetery and found the orange glow of the grounds a beautiful picture her fingers itched to paint on a canvas, tactfully of course.
Miguel led her to a large mausoleum.  A bust of the man Micaela recognized as Miguel's idol, Ernesto de la Cruz was centered above a locked door. Her brother marched through the paths between families trying to blend in and not be noticed. Micaela just followed until a large xolo dog hurried up to her bother. This must be the dog her brother was always telling her about.
"No, Dante, cállate." He picked up a chicken leg from an ofrenda and tossed it so that Dante would go after it.
Micaela did not approve of this, but there was nothing she could say or do. She continued to follow her brother around the mausoleum and peered into the same window Miguel did. Inside she could see the stone casket that must have held what remained of Ernesto de la Cruz. Above the casket hung a beautifully done portrait of the singer and his famous guitar.
"See that guitar," whispered Miguel. "It belonged to our great-great grandfather." He pointed to the painting above the guitar. "We are going to borrow it. I promise we will return it. I need it to win that contest. You understand, right?"
Micaela looked into her brother's eyes for a few seconds. This would make him happy and nothing felt nicer than seeing him happy. Right now he looked upset and stressed. Slowly she nodded her head.
"Okay," he said nodding back at her. "Follow me." He looked to the sky. "I'm sorry," he muttered and slammed his shoulder into the window breaking the lock. He slipped inside, looked around and approached the casket.
Copying her brother, Micaela followed him inside. There were marigold petals leading from the casket to the door outside. She always loved the feel of the soft petals so while Miguel was getting his guitar she knelt on the carpet of petals and gently ran her fingers over them. She double blinked in confusion when some of the petals seemed to glow for a second.
Looking up she found Miguel climbing down from the casket with the guitar. He looked so happy to have the guitar in his hands. She had seen the photo Miguel had taken off the ofrenda of their great-great grandparents and Mamá Coco. This was clearly the guitar the man in the photo was holding. The instrument was well preserved despite its age. Micaela stood up and put her hand on Miguel's shoulder as he spoke to de la Cruz.
"I'm going to play in the plaza, just like you did," Miguel said and then he raised his arm and strummed the guitar.
Something felt different. The marigold petals lifted up around them as if a strong wind had whipped around them. Something was definitely different. Micaela felt different, like something had physically changed about her. She could not quite put her finger on what had happened to them.
People were talking outside the mausoleum. Flashlights shone inside the windows and someone shouted that the lock on the window was broken. They had been caught! Miguel tried to explain to the guard they were only borrowing the guitar and it was their great-great grandfather's, but the man walked right though Miguel.
Micaela's eyes widened in surprise. She did not realize what she had done for when she locked eyes with Miguel, it was her same even stare. Miguel was frightened. He tried escaping out the door, but he kept running through more people pushing to enter the mausoleum. Micaela rushed after him falling thorough several people on her way out. As she stood up she glanced down at her hands which were now opaque and glowed as golden orange as the flower petals all around her.
When Micaela heard her parents calling for her she looked around frantically and followed their voices, but like the other people they had met since taking the guitar, her parents could not see her. Her Papá walked right though her like everyone else.
In a panic, she began looking around for Miguel. Micaela spotted him being pulled from an open grave by a-a skeleton. Blinking rapidly, Micaela looked around at all the skeletons walking around among them. Some were dancing and singing, some were enjoying the offerings their living families had left for them, almost all of them were smiling and having a wonderful time. Micaela was touched at the scene.
Suddenly Miguel was speeding toward her. As he passed he grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him as they ran and hid themselves behind a tombstone. "What's happening?" Miguel muttered aloud to her as he peeked out at the skeletons around them. There was nothing Micaela wanted to do more than to comfort her brother, but what could she do; she didn't know why they could not be seen or why there were skeletons.
Dante had returned and licked Miguel on the cheek startling the boy who jumped and pulled his sister protectively behind him. "Dante? Wait! You can see us? What is going on?"
Dante barked and began running off. Miguel took Micaela's hand and pulled her after the dog. They dodged graves as they followed Dante through the cemetery. The dog seemed to know where he was going, or at least he seemed to want to help them. Suddenly they found themselves in the path of a short skeleton with a thick mustache. Miguel could not stop in time so they crashed, scattering his bones about the cemetery.
Miguel began to apologize profusely. The head of the skeleton turned to them as his bones began to magnetically pull themselves back together. Some of his spine tumbled from Miguel's hands where he had been trying to pick them back up.
"Miguel? Micaela?" The skeleton said dumbfounded.
Another skeleton much taller and larger came barreling toward them scattering the first skeleton all over again. She wore a floral pink dress and scooped the Rivera's into her arms and hugged them tight crying out their names with joy.
"Remind me how I know you," Miguel said when she released them. Micaela looked around as yet another, taller and leaner skeleton helped put the first back together properly.
"We're your family," the second skeleton replied.
Both Miguel and Micaela looked at the three skeletons and comprehension dawned on them. Miguel looked shocked as he named each of them. Papá Julio,  his sister Tia Rosita and their Abuelita's sister Tia Victoria.
Micaela looked about them feeling an enormous amount of pride. She and Miguel were getting to see the loved ones that had passed into the other land on this Día de Muertos. Something very special was happening to them, either that or they were dying.
"They don't seem quite dead," Tia Victoria said with a deep skeptical frown on her skull. She poked Miguel's cheek gently and stood back in shock as a living girl passed though Miguel.
"They aren't quite alive either," interjected Tia Rosita.
So they were somewhere between dead and alive. Micaela looked down at her glowing hands again. Still, this was something special and every second she was like this she felt something different about herself. The sensation she felt was like being stuck in a too tight Sunday dress all day and finally being able to take it off in the evening. Only this was something in her mind, something in her very body that was loosening.
"We need Mamá Imelda. She'll know what to do," Papá Julio said confidently. He was just about to lead them off somewhere when a pair of tall thin skeletons came running up. They explained how Mamá Imelda could not cross over. Miguel called out their names and they looked at the other set of twins in shock. Mamá Imelda's little brothers, Felipe and Oscar were nearly identical as skeletons.
"Then we will go to her," Papá Julio said much more confidently than he looked. He took Miguel by the arm and began leading them through the cemetery.
Micaela took her Tia Rosita's hand. The bones felt different, but not bad. She looked up blankly at the woman who smiled brightly down at the girl. Micaela could see the sadness she saw behind the smiles of her family sometimes. She saw it more often when she was younger, when they thought she could never live a normal life, but it was still sometimes there when they would try to understand what she wanted. Abuelita was the worst about it when she was trying to understand what Micaela wanted to eat for dinner.
Her shoulders rose and fell in an attempt to show resolve, but no one noticed. They were making their way through the cemetery in an urgent attempt to get back to Mamá Imelda. When they turned a corner, Micaela saw the most beautiful and amazing sight she had ever seen in her entire short life. A huge bridge made of nothing more than marigold petals arched before them and out of sight. Micaela could only assume that this would lead them into the land where their late family lived.
Papá Julio walked through what seemed to be an invisible barrier and Micaela could see how he became more solid looking and he lost the orange glow. While her brother paused at the bridge, she followed her family onto the bridge without a backwards glance. For the first time in a very long time Micaela was experiencing something new and she was with family so nothing bad could happen to them.
Miguel eventually followed them and Dante came along for the journey. Dante bounded on ahead of them and now Miguel rushed ahead following the dog. As they walked along the bridge, safe and sound, Micaela observed the skeletons heading off to the cemetery. Many carried empty baskets for returning with offerings. All of them were cheerful and smiling. She was enthralled and amazed at the sight of them. Then they caught up with Miguel and she saw her first sight of the Land of the Dead.
Micaela dropped her Tia's hand and stared. Once more she was stunned by the beauty of a place. There were so many colors; pinks, greens, yellows and blues. Buildings stacked higher and any she had ever seen in person. Skeletons waked to and fro everywhere. A little girl pointed at Miguel who promptly pulled up his hoodie to cover his head better so he looked a little more like those around them. Micaela copied him only to cover her ears which were not painted to look like a skull. Otherwise she fit in well with her relatives.
As the young Rivera twins looked around at this new land, a large brightly colored animal swooped by and landed on a pyramid near the end of the bridge. On the pyramid there were several other brightly colored animals. Micaela was about to burst with wanting to express how how happy she was. She tugged on her Tia's arm and pointed. Tia Rosita pulled her into a hug.
"I know I want one too."
Micaela blinked up at her Tia, appreciative that she understood.
Soon they were standing in a line that went into the Land of the Dead. Micaela looked around and around trying to memorize everything she saw. Part of her wanted to paint everything she saw exactly, but a very logical voice in her head told her it would be better to blur the lines a little. She really did not think anyone would believe them when they got back to the Land of the Living.
"Yes, it is I, Frida Kahlo," said a high pitched voice that made Micaela's head whip around so fast she felt a little dizzy. Her hands wrapped around Miguel's arm as they both stared at the skeleton with a prominent unibrow. "Shall we skip the scanner? I'm on so many ofrendas it will just overwhelm your blinky thingy."
Micaela's mouth opened a little in awe. She loved Frida's work. She adored Frida Kahlo like Miguel adored Ernesto de la Cruz. There was nothing more that Micaela wanted to do than to meet Frida Kahlo. She was a brilliant artist from Mexico who, like Micaela herself, suffered from some sort of ailment. By the time Frida had passed, she had lost a leg and was in a wheelchair. Micaela's heart soared thinking that one day when she died she could be set free from her muteness.
The machine Frida was standing at buzzed loudly and a red light lit up the screen. Frida looked bewildered as the officer running the machine told her no one put out a photo on an ofrenda for her. Micaela was confused for a moment. Surely someone had Frieda on an ofrenda. Suddenly Frida pulled off the unibrow and removed her frock to reveal a battered skeleton who spoke in a light crisp voice.
"Okay. When I said I was Frida, just now. That-that was a lie. And I apologize for doing that."
The officer shook her head slightly and reminded him that he needed a photo in order to cross over the bridge. Whomever the skeleton was did not want to listen to her. He took off ducking over and under an officer who blocked his way by splitting himself in half. Micaela and Miguel watched curiously as he ran for the bridge. Unlike themselves and the other skeletons they had met, this one seemed to sink down into the petals. He began trying to swim for it, but the petals seemed to hold him back until he finally gave up.
Two officers approached him, walking easily on top of the petals and lifting him up under the arms dragging him back toward the Land of the Dead. "Fine. Okay. Fine. Who cares. Dumb flower bridge!" He shook his fist as they pulled him back through the gate.
Micaela's arms dropped to her side in disappointment, not for the skeleton not being Frida, but because he could not freely cross. He seemed so desperate to cross.  Tia Rosita turned to them.
"I don't know what I'd do if no one put up my photo. Come on niños. It's our turn."
"Welcome back, amigos. Anything to declare?"
Papá Julio winced. "As a matter of fact, yes."
Miguel and Micaela were pushed gently forward and their hoods were pulled back off their heads. The officer looked between them for a second before he realized what he was seeking. His jaw literally dropped to his desk. The corners of Micaela's mouth twitched upward and she took a step back in surprise. She had almost expressed an emotion.
As they followed yet another officer, Micaela did not pay attention to anything around her anymore. Her hand was in Tia Rosita's again and she let her Tia lead her along. Thoughts buzzed in her mind about what had happened to her. Why was she suddenly able to almost smile. Was this the feeling that had been happening to her since Miguel strummed that guitar. That seemed like such a long time ago.
They entered a large building where families were crossing everywhere and were led up a flight of stairs. The officer left them to return to duty and they were left alone to find Mamá Imelda. Micaela finally looked up when a woman's voice began shouting about how her family always put her photo up on their ofrenda. She whipped off her shoe and began beating a very old looking computer with it. Micaela did not need for someone to name this woman; only a Rivera woman could use a shoe like that. They had found Mamá Imelda.
A moment later Micaela and Miguel were pushed once again out in front of the rest of their family. Mamá Imelda narrowed her eyes at them suspiciously. "What is going on?"
To their right a door opened and a short man stepped out holding a folder in his hands. "Are you the Rivera family," he asked checking his folder as he spoke.
Soon they were in his office and he was chattering on about a curse. Miguel and Micaela had been sent to the Land of the Dead for taking the guitar. Miguel and Mamá Imelda had the same argument he had just had with Abuelita. Why could he not play music? Micaela stayed out of everything. Her mind was still on emotions. Standing just behind Tia Rosita, she practiced pulling up the corners of her mouth. She was excited when she was able to pull them up several times before being distracted.
"You gotta do it before sunrise," the clerk said in a loud voice.
"What happens at sunrise," asked Miguel.
Papá Julio shouted and pointed at Miguel's finger. The first finger on his left hand had begun to look like a skeleton's. Micaela looked at her own left hand. The finger on her left hand had also begun to change. Miguel had turned pale at the sight of the bony finger and almost fainted had Papá Julio not propped him up and gently smacked his face. Micaela rolled her eyes, to her delight, and stood calmly by her Tia. Nobody seemed to pay her any mind at the moment so none of them knew how much she was changing.
As Tia Rosita gently nudged her to stand with Miguel to receive the blessing from Mamá Imelda, Micaela thought about what was happening. If they had to be home by sunrise, when Día de Muertos ended, then, logically, they must be dying. Not returning by sunrise would mean they would forever be in the Land of the Dead. There would be no returning home for them, except on Día de Muertos, but only if their family put up their photos.
Mamá Imelda looked at her great great grandchildren. "Miguel, Micaela, I give you my blessing, to go home, to put my photo back on the ofrenda," she paused and took a quick breath. "And to never play music again!"
Miguel took a step back offended. "She can't do that."
Mamá Imelda looked at him steadily. She could add any condition that she wanted to the blessing. Micaela looked between them recognizing a battle of two very strong wills. She was beginning not to want to go home just yet. If she could only practice emotions here, maybe she could replicate them when they went home, but Mamá Imelda was a force not to be easily reckoned with and she wanted to send them home to put her photo back on the ofrenda.
"Fine," Miguel snapped.
"Now had the petal to them," the clerk said with a nod.
That was how simple it was to go home, thought Micaela. She wanted to stay longer. She wanted the freedom the Land of the Dead was giving her. Why couldn't they stay, except Mamá Imelda wanted to visit the rest of their family tonight.
Miguel reached out and Micaela copied him so they touched the petal at the same time. The petal seemed to multiply and enveloped them in a whirlwind. The next thing Micaela knew was she was back in the mausoleum. She felt the heavy burden of whatever kept her silent and emotionless grip her like an iron fist. Her arm dropped to her side and she bowed her head as if she were exhausted.
Her bother on the other hand was very lively. He rushed to the window they had broken into and looked outside. There were no skeletons outside. His finger was back to normal. Chuckling Miguel dropped back from the window and rushed toward the guitar, which had been retuned to it's place on the wall.
Looking up just in time, Micaela reached out and grasped Miguel's arm just as he passed her on the way out of the mausoleum. Once again there was a rush of petals, Miguel slammed into the clerk's desk holding his empty hands out like he was holding the guitar still. Micaela looked around blinking rapidly. She felt the freedom the Land of the Dead gave her and she wriggled her nose and mouth a little and managed a small, soft gasp as Mamá Imelda got into Miguel's face pointing a finger at him, scolding him.
"It's my life, you already had yours," complained Miguel.
As Micaela stood watching, hating how easy it was for her to pretend to not show emotion, Miguel went to each of the other family members asking for their blessing instead. None of them would go against Mamá Imelda's wishes.
"You go home my way or no way," she told them.
"You really hate music that much?"
"I will not let you go down the same path he did."
That struck with Micaela. Mamá Imelda was trying to protect them from the pain she suffered. Micaela understood that now as she looked at her great-great grandmother. There was hurt behind her eyes, hurt that her husband had brought, hurt that Miguel was giving her now by wanting to play music. Miguel was not their great-great grandfather.
Miguel pulled Micaela to his side almost instinctively. He had pulled out the photo and folded it so they could see their great-great grandfather's side of the photo.
"He's family," Miguel muttered.
Their family surrounded them pleading with them to go home. Mamá Imelda knew what she was talking about and it was too dangerous for them to stay so long in the Land of the Dead.
Miguel began pulling Micaela toward the door. "Con permiso, we have to go to the restroom." He pulled the door open behind him and ducked out. Somehow Dante had followed them.
Micaela felt something thrilling in her stomach as Miguel pulled her down a flight of stairs and they hid to one side of the staircase. Dante got pulled along with them. From the balcony above they could hear Tio Oscar telling someone how they had run away. Soon the whole building would know they were there and their family only wanted to send them back home.
Miguel pulled his hood back over his head and pulled the string tight. He turned and quickly did the same to Micaela. She blinked at him. She could blend in better than he could why did she have to wear the hood so tight.
"Vámonos," Miguel hissed standing up and walking quickly toward the exit. "If I want to be a musician, I'll need a musician's blessing. We have to find our great-great grandpa."
They did not make it very far before an officer caught them. They were too conspicuous. Micaela wanted to tell Miguel this, that they should have split up and met outside somehow. The officer, fortunately for them, was surprised to have found them so easily and quickly was startled as he reported them. Then a group of excited skeletons separated them from the officer and Miguel made a break for it, escaping capture and the return to their family.
Catching their breath, they hid in a nearby corridor. Miguel would have liked to stay there for a few more minutes, maybe let their family start searching for them outside, but Dante had other plans. He whined a bit and gave a soft bark before heading off down another corridor. Groaning Miguel followed and Micaela followed both of them unwilling to get lost from her brother while they were running away from the family.
Miguel caught Dante and pulled him into a corner and kept him quiet and Micaela crouched with them. On the other side of a window an officer was talking to someone. He was listing off a number of charges given to someone. Micaela recognized the second voice as the man who had tried and failed to cross the marigold bridge.
The skeleton desperately wanted to cross the bridge for some reason. He even tried to bribe the officer with tickets to the Ernesto de la Cruz concert. Miguel gasped and Micaela could almost hear the thoughts going through his head. They were going to ask him for help getting to de la Cruz, she just knew it.
When he was finally dismissed with only a warning from the officer, the skeleton limped past them and out the door. Miguel grabbed Micaela's hand and pulled her along after the limping skeleton.
"Hey! You really know de la Cruz?"
The skeleton turned around, clearly not in a mood to be bothered. "Who wants to—" he stopped mid sentence and gasped at the sight of the living Miguel. "You're alive!"
Miguel hissed and snatched the skeleton with his free arm stuffing him and Micaela into a nearby phone booth. With Dante joining them, the booth was very crowded. The skeleton backed into a corner looking at Miguel with a shocked almost terrified expression.
"Yeah, we're alive," he pulled up Micaela's sleeve exposing her soft brown skin underneath to prove she was alive too under her makeup. "And if we want to get back to the Land of the Living, We need de la Cruz's blessing."
"That's weirdly specific."
"He's our great-great grandfather."
The skeleton stammered. His mouth fell open and his eyes rolled back into his head falling into his open mouth. Miguel flinched back grossed out by the action, but Micaela could not help herself, she giggled.
Miguel turned to her now in shock. "You-you laughed." Micaela nodded and smiled as the skeleton punched himself lightly in the jaw to pop his eyes back up into their sockets. "You are smiling?" The skeleton looked between them clearly confused. "She can't express emotion in the Land of the Living. That was the first time she has ever laughed or smiled."
Micaela grinned up at the skeleton. She liked him. He was funny, charming and she felt a strong connection with him. He had impressed her with dressing up as Frida and she wanted to know if he actually knew her.
The skeleton looked between them skeptical and he turned his back on them muttering to himself. When he turned back he gripped Miguel's hoodie lightly. "You're going back to the Land of the Living?"
Cringing Miguel pulled open the door to the booth and backed out. "Maybe this isn't such a g—" he began but the skeleton interrupted urgently snapping his fingers.
"I can help you! You can help me. We can help each other!"
"Miguel!" Mamá Imelda shouted from across the building.
Miguel jumped as the skeleton extended his arm and announced himself as Héctor. "That's nice!" Miguel cried grabbing Héctor"s extended arm and running off with it.
Micaela had been so fascinated with Héctor she had not seen Mamá Imelda until she was halfway across the floor. Her eyes grew wide and she followed her brother out of the building, but he was so far ahead and she got caught in a large family of skeletons. They were all laughing and shoving each other about and she got caught in the middle.
Suddenly a hand gently gripped her upper arm and pulled her along. "I got you princesa," Héctor said gently. "Espéranos, chamaco," he cried out to Miguel as they exited the building.
They ran through the crowd, Miguel tossing Héctor his arm back as they went. Micaela took Héctor's hand as they ran. Finally they slowed down to a walking pace. Micaela refused to let go of Héctor's hand, but he seemed just as content to hold her hand.
"Everyone keeps staring," Miguel complained.
"You do stick out, chamaco," agreed Héctor. He looked down at Micaela who beamed at him. "Do you have anymore face paint?"
Micaela shook her head and Héctor frowned. "We gotta find something to help you blend in..."
"I have some shoe polish," said Miguel, pulling two canisters out of his pocket. Micaela looked at him like he was loco. As much as he hated to make shoes, he still carried around shoe polish.
"EPA! That's good enough! Let's help you blend in, eh?" Hector said pulling them into a deserted underpass and opening the canister of white shoe polish.
While Héctor painted Miguel's face, Micaela began exploring the underpass. She was disappointed there were no graffiti pieces on the walls here. She loved graffiti art when she could see it.
"Not too far, princesa," called Héctor as she peeked around the corner.
"Okay," she said back absently. Miguel's head snapped around to stare at her and Héctor frowned almost messing up his masterpiece.
"You've never been able to talk either?" Héctor asked a little surprised as Micaela stared back at her brother openmouthed.
"No," she replied. She liked the sound of her voice. Groaning and whimpering were the only noises she had ever been able to do before now. She wondered at how she was able to speak words she had ever spoken before. "I," she hesitated. "I think it is because we are-we're dying. So I am different down here." She turned her back on them noting the strange sadness in Héctor's eyes. Something made her not want to make him sad.
"We need to get you home," she heard him mutter to Miguel before returning to his work. He told Miguel to look up as he finished. "Ta-da! Dead as a doorknob!"
Micaela moved back toward the other two now that he was finished. Héctor was explaining how the Land of the Dead ran on memories. As long as a photo was on an ofrenda then someone who had passed on could cross over on Día de Muertos.
"You don't get to cross over," said Miguel.
"No one's ever put up my picture... but you can change that."
Micaela looked over her twin's shoulder down at the photo of the living Héctor. He seemed so familiar. Like she had seen him somewhere before, but maybe it was just her having seen him in the Land of the Dead.
"This is you?" Miguel said skeptically.
"Muy guapo, eh?" replied Héctor.
Micaela grinned at him earning a grin back from the skeleton.
"You you get us to our great-great grandpa, then I put up your photo when I get home?"
"Yes! Great idea," Héctor said enthusiastically. He frowned. "One hiccup: de la Cruz is a tough guy to get to. And I need to cross the that bridge soon. Like TONIGHT. So, you got any other family here, you know? Someone a bit more... accessible?"
Miguel stiffened and then he blatantly lied. Micaela, from years of forced practice, kept her face straight. Secretly she wanted to stay here for as long as possible. She did not know why, except if was a relief to be understood by others and not have to worry about being misunderstood.
"If you can't help us, we'll find him ourselves," Miguel said confidently and he walked calmly out of the alley, whistling for Dante as he walked away.
Micaela exchanged a glance with Héctor and held out her hand for him to take. "I'll get you to your great-great grandpa!" Héctor said rushed as he took her hand and they caught up with Miguel and Dante.
Together the trio headed off into the city that was the Land of the Dead. Micaela's head turned all around and she smiled at everything and everybody. "Everything is so beautiful," she whispered to Héctor.
"It's so weird hearing you talk," Miguel said over his shoulder.
"It's better than hearing you chatter all the time," said Micaela with a grin. "Nobody wants to hear you talk about your dimple."
"Hey!"
"Break it up. Break it up," Héctor said with a small chuckle. He separated them so one twin was on either side of him now.
"Just don't embarrass me in front of de la Cruz," Miguel muttered and Héctor rolled his eyes.
"It's not going to be easy, you know. He's a-he's a busy man... What are you doing?" Héctor had just looked down at Miguel who was limping next to him.
"I'm walking like a skeleton."
'No, skeletons don't walk like that."
"It's how you walk," commented Miguel still imitating Héctor. Micaela clicked her tongue in annoyance at how rude her brother was being.
"No, I don't," grumbled Héctor before looking down and realizing he did have a similar walk. He shoved Miguel with gentle annoyance. "Stop it!"
Suddenly Miguel gasped and hurried away from Micaela and Héctor. "Ernesto de la Cruz's Sunrise Spectacular...! ¡Qué padre!"
Héctor slumped off after Miguel explaining that Ernesto put that show on every year. Micaela could hear the disgust dripping from their guide's voice. There was no doubt in her mind that he knew de la Cruz and something bad had happened between them. Being silent all her life had taught her to pick up on context clues from people's voices and body language. She was also unsurprised when Héctor confessed he did not have tickets, earning him a glare from Miguel, but he did know where de la Cruz rehearsed.
Taking back Micaela's hand, Héctor pulled her away from the de la Cruz sign, which she had lost interest in immediately, and she had been leaning heavily over the banister looking at the interesting people celebrating Día de Muertos below. She could swear he squeezed her hand a little nervously as they walked along. Glancing down at their linked hands, she saw that all of her fingertips were now white. Micaela gave him a gentle squeeze back. She was confident he would get them home in time.
Leading them down busy streets, Héctor took them through the Land of the Dead. "So what are your names anyway? Not that I have a problem call you Princesa or Chamaco." Hector chuckled a little poking Micaela in the cheek making her giggle again.
"I"m Miguel and that..."
"I am Micaela," she cut in sticking out her tongue because now she was going to introduce herself.
"Good to know, Princesa." He seemed genuinely happy she was speaking up for herself.
A few streets later and the crowd thinned to almost nobody. They had come upon a warehouse. Micaela was struggling to keep walking when she saw the huge graffiti art on one building of a colorful alabreje. Héctor gently pulled on her arm until they reached a fire escape. Héctor detached an arm and used his suspenders to shoot his arm up to the third floor window.
"Does that not hurt?" Micaela asked him as they all looked up and waited.
"Nah," replied the skeleton with a grin.
"You better have my dress, Héctor!" A women shouted from the window and tossed his arm back down to him before lowering the ladder. Héctor reattached his arm and motioned for Micaela to go ahead of him.
"Hola," Miguel said softly as he climbed through the window. Micaela copied him and they stood aside as Héctor confronted Ceci. Micaela was disappointed this was not Frida  but she was pleased when the woman mentioned Frida. She did not pay attention to Miguel and Dante leaving the room.
Slowly she approached the dummy that Ceci had been working on when they entered the room. The dress and skirt were very colorful and pretty. Micaela saw several more dresses that Ceci had to finish.
"I have to make another dress for Frida! Do you understand how long it takes me to cut and sew every single one of these dresses."
"I know. I'm sorry. I tried to get it back. I really did."
"He really did, Señora," Micaela interrupted. She looked up innocently into Ceci's eyes as the woman whipped around to look at her. "I heard him ask for it back but the officer said no. I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry about, Princesa," Héctor said soothingly. "Losing the dress was my fault."
"Who is this?" Ceci asked narrowing her eyes suspiciously at Héctor.
"She's a living kid I'm trying to get to her family so she and her brother can get back home... Wait! Wait! Wait! Where is your brother?"
Micaela looked around just as shocked as he was to realize Miguel was gone.
Héctor groaned and clapped his hand to his face in exasperation.
"Children from the Land of the Living?" Ceci asked surprised. "Forget about the dress, Héctor. Go on and find the other one and keep them out of trouble or rather you keep him out of trouble." Ceci pointed to Micaela and then to Héctor.
"Señora, your dresses are beautiful. I'm sure you can have them done in no time..."
"Come on, Princesa," Héctor said taking her hand realizing she was about to apologize again. He pulled her out of the room. "Like I said... you did nothing wrong, but thank you for defending me."
"You only wanted to cross the bridge..." she whispered and she knew he pretended not to hear.
They made their way through the warehouse. Micaela was enraptured and enthralled. There were so many forms of art here. This was the perfect place for her. Soon Héctor had to put an arm around her and simply drag her around as he asked if anyone had seen a little boy in a red hoodie.
Finally Héctor spotted him staring out the windows. Micaela stopped short. Standing there with Dante at her heels was the Frida Kahlo. Once again Micaela was silenced. There was no doubt that his was Frida Kahlo. Frida was petting Dante as Miguel pointed furiously out the window. Micaela could only stand there.
"Hello," Frida finally said to her with a smile. "Are you any relation to him." She nodded toward Miguel and Héctor. Micaela could only nod before she bowed her head and gripped her hands in front of her in a shy awkward manner. Frida chuckled and Micaela could hear the clip of heels as the artist approached her. Frida gently tilted Micaela's head up so they were looking at each other. "Ah! You too have the spirit of an artist, albeit different from your brother's."
"I want to be just like you, Señora," whispered Micaela.
"Being just like me would be boring. You need to be just like you and you will produce wonderful and magical art. I hope we meet again," Frida said cupping Micaela's cheek and Micaela knew Frida was not in the least bit fooled by her makeup. "Someday, in the very distant future."
"Yes, Señora."
Frida chuckled again and nodded for Micaela to join her brother and their guide. Micaela hurried off wanting to tell Héctor and her brother what Frida had said. As she reached them Héctor was addressing one of the band members packing up from their rehearsal with Frida.
"Hey, it's Chorizo!" One of the band members cried and the others began to laugh.
"Ha ha, very funny guys. Very Funny," Héctor said flatly pinching the the bridge where he nose use to be.
Micaela went up to him and gazed up at him with a small frown on her face.
"Chorizo," asked Miguel.
"Oh, this guy's famous! Go on, go on, ask him how he died!"
"I don't want to talk about it," Héctor said half glancing at the twins. Micaela frowned heavily now and she turned her face to the violinist.
"He choked on some CHORIZO!"
All of the musicians and, to Micaela's horror, her brother began laughing. Héctor defended himself making it clear that he did not choke, that he had gotten food poisoning. The musicians only laughed harder.
"This is why I don't like musicians... bunch of self-important jerks!" He turned his back to them and crossed his arms slumping in anger and embarrassment. Micaela gently touched his arm, but her brother interrupted announcing he was a musician, making Héctor turn back toward him.
The violinist explained that there was a music competition that they could enter if they really wanted to get into de la Cruz's party. Micaela watched as her brother stared at his almost completely skeletal hands. He was planning to get into that contest and he asked Héctor if he knew were to get a guitar. Héctor tried to convince him the idea was crazy, but he glanced at Miguel's hands and then at Micaela's and sighed.
"I know a guy..." groaned Héctor. He slung an arm around Miguel's shoulder and they began to walk off.
Micaela paused a moment, watching them go. "I like Héctor," she suddenly said to the musicians. "He's been really nice to my brother and me. He is going out of his way to help us and-and having been made fun of all my life... well, I just don't think it was very nice of you making fun of how he died. That's very personal. Would you want someone to know how you died if you tripped and fell down a flight of stairs. No." She didn't say anything more as she followed her brother and Héctor out of the staging area. Micaela could feel the stunned silence behind her as she caught up and took Héctor's hand.
He released it quickly, scaring her for a moment, before he put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to his side. Micaela knew he had heard her stand up for him. Maybe he was too embarrassed to say anything, but she didn't need it. She really did like this skeleton, there really was some deep bond she knew she and her bother had with him now and she was going to protect him if she could.
They walked for a long time in silence, back through the busy streets for a bit before once again reaching a more deserted area. Unlike the warehouse, this place had a sadder feel about it. Micaela sensed it immediately. This was not a place of creativity and life, this was a place of peace and... she did not want to say it. To think there was a place where death was present even in the Land of the Dead was a difficult thing to wrap the mind around, but she could feel it.
They were going down some long, narrow, rickety stairs. Héctor was asking Miguel about music, now that he had time to cool off from the teasing. Micaela's mind was on the place.  This part of the Land of the Dead was darker and colder. Her mind was brought out of her morbid thinking when Héctor fell off the end of the stairs and she gave a small shriek of alarm.
"It's alright Princesa," he called up to her as she and Miguel watched his bones slide back together like Papá Julio's had earlier. "Keep up. Come on."
They hurried down after him. As they walked through an archway, they both looked up to see skeletal angels painted on the arch. Micaela took her brother's hand. The angels confirmed her suspicions that this was a place where skeletons seemed to go when they were dying. She did not like it and wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Héctor called out to other skeletons as they passed through walking on tottery wooden planks that were constructed just above some sort of body of water. Miguel asked if everyone here was Héctor's family, and their guide explained how these were the forgotten. Those people who had no family to visit on Día de Muertos because their family would not put up their photos. Micaela looked around at the dilapidated homes they lived in, but most of them were smiling and laughing. In fact the three woman Héctor approached were playing cards and they cackled merrily when he poured them a drink from a bottle he had found along the way.
"Is Chicharrón around?" Héctor asked of the ladies. They all frowned and pointed to a building behind Héctor.
""I don't know if he's in the mood for visitors..." one of the warned, but Héctor headed on inside.
"Who doesn't like a visit from Cousin Héctor."
Miguel followed Héctor inside curiously and pulled Micaela with him. She looked back over her shoulder at the three old women. They were watching them with curious interest and a sad sort of knowing look in their eyes. Then the curtain of a tent flapped in front of her and they were out of sight.
Inside the bungalow tent was crowded, not with people but with junk. There were stacks everywhere and Miguel released her hand when he knocked over a tottering pile of whatnots. Micaela gasped and helped him right the pile as they followed Héctor further into the room. The back of the house was open out onto the water and a hammock hung at the back also piled with junk.
At first Micaela thought nobody was home, but then Héctor lifted a dusty old hat to reveal an angry skull hidden beneath. Héctor held up one of the shot glasses he had taken from the Tia's outside and offered it to the man.
Cheech was not having it. He turned over in a huff. He wanted them all to leave. Micaela felt they were very much intruding in Cheech's house. She was not sure how well Héctor knew him. She was startled when Cheech jumped and grabbed the guitar laying with him in the hammock. He shouted at Héctor about other things he had borrowed and never returned. Now Micaela was very concerned that they were not friends and he was giving a bad impression of Héctor. Then again, all of these things could have been like Ceci's dress and Héctor tried to get them back but failed. What could anyone want with someone else's femur though?!
Micaela did not have time to dwell on this thought. Cheech had just risen out of the hammock to wave an accusatory finger at Héctor who bent back in fear when suddenly Cheech fell back into the hammock tired and gasping. A golden glow had highlighted his bones and he lay there gasping as Héctor rushed forward.
"I'm fading, Héctor. I can feel it. I couldn't even play that thing if I wanted to. You, play me something."
Micaela and Miguel looked surprised at Héctor and he looked surprised at Cheech.
"You know I don't play anymore, Cheech. The guitar is for the kid..." He motioned to Miguel.
Cheech was insistent. Glaring at Héctor. "You want it, you got to earn it..."
Sighing Héctor gently lifted the guitar and began tuning it. The guitar was old but much loved and cared for. "Only for you, amigo. Any requests?"
"You know my favorite."
As Héctor began to play a soft melody, Miguel took a seat on a crate and Dante sat next to him watching Héctor just as attentively as Miguel. Micaela decided to sit at Héctor's feet, watching his fingers daftly move across the strings. She had seen Miguel play in his hideaway, and she knew she could play anything he learned. This was something new and she thirsted for anything new in her world.
Héctor began a song about what was, Micaela assumed, a very ugly woman. She did not like the lyrics, but the music was beautiful. Even as she memorized the motions Héctor played and the words he sang, and he had the most beautiful voice he had ever heard not that that was saying much, she thought about the meaning of the song. Clearly this was not an ugly woman, this was a beautiful woman whom the speaker of the song loved very much, but knew he would not have a chance in a million years to court. At least that was how her mind had interpreted it.
Héctor suddenly paused in his singing. He glanced over at Miguel and down at Micaela and continued the song, clearly changing the words to be more appropriate for children. Micaela knew from context clues the real word and a small smile appeared on her face; once Héctor had looked away, of course.
"Those aren't the words," Cheech grumbled.
"There are children present," soothed Héctor and Cheech seemed appeased as he relaxed back into the hammock. Héctor finished the song and Cheech chuckled.
"Brings back memories," murmured the now grinning skull. "Gracies."
He closed his eyes looking peaceful. Micaela glanced at Héctor who looked very sad again. The orange glow overcame Cheech again, it brightened into a soft beautiful light before dissolving into dust and floating out over the water. The hat fell softly to the ground behind the hammock.
Micaela did not like the sudden feeling she was having. She had experienced joy, amazement, wonder, concern, happiness, awe, pride, fear, excitement, and anger. She had experienced a rainbow of new emotions, but this one she did not like at all. The corners of her eyes began to prickle like needles were poking her. Something thickened in the back of her throat and she wanted water to swallow it down. There was a deep unexplainable pain in her chest and stomach. This was sadness. If this was what sadness felt like, she never wanted to experience it ever again. Sadness was painful; the heavy burden of the emotional range.
Héctor stood and took a glass. He raised it up in a salute and tossed it back before heading out. Micaela stood up and stared at the place Cheech had been seconds ago. She sniffled and a tear slowly dropped from each eye. She had never cried before and she quickly wiped them away so they would not ruin her disguise.
"Wait... what happened?" Miguel asked also staring.
"He's been forgotten," Héctor said softly. He explained how people in the Land of the Living needed to remember you in order for you to remain in the Land of the Dead. When those living forget someone in the Land of the Dead, they disappeared. "We call it the final death."
"Where did he go?" Miguel asked.
"No one knows."
Micaela stood on her tiptoes to look further out over the water where Cheech disappeared. Her hands clutched over her heart. She hurried over to Hector and took his hand unable to stand looking where there had once been a moving, thinking being. This first experience with a death would stick with her for the rest of her life.
"But I've met him. I could remember him, when I go back..."
Héctor put an arm around Micaela's shoulder. "No, it doesn't work like that, chamaco. Our memories... they have to be passed down by those who knew us in life, in the stories they tell about us. But there's no one left alive to pass down Cheech's stories..."
There was a moment of silence between them before Héctor shook himself. He patted Miguel's back. "Hey, it happens to everyone eventually." He said in a light voice as he attempted to defuse the tense and sad situation. He must have seen a lot of these final deaths, Micaela thought as Héctor gave Miguel the guitar and put his arm back around her guiding her out of the home of sadness. "C'mon "de la Cruzito. You've got a contest to win."
They made their way back out, past all of those nearly forgotten still cheerfully chatting with one another. They were all ignoring the inevitable, existing life to the fullest they could in the Land of the Dead. Hector never mentioned to any of them that another soul had been lost. They all ignored it.
Back in the busier part of the city, Hector hustled them onto a trolly and they moved to stand at the back. Micaela was unsure about the height so she sat on her knees between Miguel and Héctor, who was causally sitting on the rail fiddling with the guitar so it was properly tuned for Miguel. He had passed Miguel the photo again and Miguel was staring at it while Micaela watched the city float by in awe.
When they reached the Plaza de la Cruz, Héctor jumped off and handed the guitar back to Miguel, who had jumped over the rail easily. As easily as if he were lifting a feather, Héctor picked up Micaela and lifted her over the rail, spinning her around once before setting her down both of them laughing joyfully.
Everyone in the plaza was amping up for a great time. According to Héctor, bands would play and the audience would choose who they like the best to send to Ernesto's party. At first Micaela did not think her brother would have a chance, but once they were signed up and sent backstage she watched the other bands. They weren't that great in her opinion. The stage manager was a nervous stressed out wreck. Micaela, who had obtained some scrap paper and a pencil at the sign up table, drew a quick sketch of him and slipped it to him when he was calling out who was next.
Miguel was last to sign up and would be last to play. Micaela had found a crate to use as a table and was sitting on the ground furiously doodling. She drew all kinds of skeletons she had seen including Ceci and Frida. She drew Cheech once but it made the sad feelings come back and she crumpled it up and tossed it in a nearby bin backstage. She didn't draw any of their family, because she didn't want Héctor asking about them and getting Miguel in trouble for lying, but there were a lot of drawings of Héctor.
"So what's the plan," Héctor asked excitedly rubbing his hands together. "What are you gonna play?"
"Definitely "Remember Me,"" replied Miguel before playing the first four notes.
Micaela paused in her work when Héctor reached out and grabbed the neck of the guitar stopping Miguel. "No, not that one. No!" His body language had changed immediately. There was something wrong with the song.
"C'mon, it's his most popular song!"
Héctor grimaced. "It's too popular."
Miguel and Micaela looked around at the other performers. They were all playing or singing the song in various styles with various instruments. The song had been playing almost everywhere they had gone that day, even Ceci had been playing the song while she worked. They had heard it everywhere except Shanty Town. Micaela wrinkled her nose, it really was too much.
Héctor glanced down at Miguel with an expression that Micaela thought looked like he was saying: "I told you so."
"Um... what about "Poco Loco?""
"EPA! Now THAT'S a song!"
The stressed stage manager came to tell Miguel he was on standby and called for the next act, a large group of skeletons with trumpets, drums, clarinets and a huge sousaphone. They looked like Miguel's biggest competition of the night and when they heard them begin, Micaela wondered again if her twin even had a chance.
Héctor had found a guitar strap somewhere backstage, Micaela ignored that it might be stolen, and was attaching it to the guitar for Miguel. "You always this nervous before a performance?" He asked Miguel with mild concern.
Miguel confessed he had never performed before and sat down on the crate Micaela was using to draw. She looked up at him angrily. She got that he was nervous, but he didn't have to sit down on her drawings.
Héctor cried out: "What! You said you were a musician!"
"I am! I mean I will be, once I win."
Micaela stopped drawing since her brother had decided to remain on the crate while Héctor freaked out.
"That's your plan! No, no, no, no, no, you have to win, Miguel. Your lives LITERALLY depend on you winning! AND YOU'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE?!" He reached out to try and take the guitar away from Miguel. "I'll go up there..."
Miguel leaned back to keep the guitar away from Héctor making Micaela dodge him. "No! I need this!"
"Why," Héctor cried his voice a little strangled with worry and frustration.
"If I can't go out there and play one song... how can I call myself a musician?"
"What does that matter?!"
"'Cuz I don't just want to get de la Cruz's blessing. I need to prove... that I'm worthy of it."
Micaela, frowned. She knew he wanted to be able to play music when they got home, but she never realized Miguel was willing to chance both of their lives just to play music. They had both changed while being in the Land of the Dead. She had hoped that if he lost, he would at least return to Mamá Imelda so they could go home, now she had some doubts. Was her brother so desperate he was willing to risk everything for this once chance? She wanted to ask Miguel, but Héctor had given in. Maybe if Héctor had enough confidence in Miguel to let him play, then there was a chance, so Micaela, like she had most of her life, remained silence.
Héctor told Miguel he needed to loosen up. He raised his arms and shook himself enough so his bones rattled hard. He grinned at Miguel who copied him.
"Now gimme your best grito!"
"My best grito?"
"Come on, yell! Belt it out!" Héctor jumped up shouting and landed in a relaxed pose before sitting back up motioning for Miguel to try.
Miguel took a deep breath and began squawking. Dante whimpered and went to hide behind Héctor who leaned back wincing. Micaela wanted to lash out and criticize her brother's poor grito, but she did not want to make him angry or more nervous. She looked over toward the stage as the band's music swelled to an end. The crowds cheered and she looked up at her brother worried.
The stage manager called for Miguel to go on. He looked kind of sick. Micaela looked up at him concerned. She hoped he did not become sick, Miguel was not pretty when he got sick.
"Miguel," Héctor said putting his hands on Miguel's shoulders. "Look at me. Hey! Hey, look at me. You can do this. Grab their attention and don't let it go!"
"Héctor," Miguel whimpered..."
Héctor ignored this. "Make 'em listen, chamaco! You got this!"
Miguel timidly walked onstage. Micaela found it painful to watch. She stood by Héctor in the wing as they watched him. Dante climbed the steps and sat down to watch the show as well.
"What is he doing," Héctor asked them as Miguel just stood there. The crowd began to murmur making Miguel even more nervous. Someone called for them to bring back a previous act and Miguel looked back over at them. Héctor silently mimes loosening up again and doing the grito.
Finally Miguel took a deep breath. He let out a loud grito getting the audience's attention and even got some to call back. He raised his hand as Michaela had seen him do so many times before. Suddenly he strummed the guitar confidently. Miguel began to play the song's intro. The audience slowly began to cheer and Miguel began to not play at them but for them even leaning into the crowd making them laugh and clap harder.
Héctor smoothly slid under the arm rail and stood on the steps watching Miguel with pride and joy. Micaela felt both happy and sad about the emotion on Héctor's face. The three of them had bonded and that kind of made them like a mini family. She almost did not want to go home. She wanted to stay with the funny skeleton.
Suddenly Héctor was being pulled onto the stage by Dante. Micaela gasped and climbed up the steps, but she couldn't go out there too. She was not a performer. She was a different kind of artist, like Frida had said.
At first Héctor seemed shy but then suddenly he was dancing and twirling and having a grand time. The audience was really getting into the song. Then Héctor began singing along with Miguel and Micaela nearly cried. He was so happy to be performing, just as much as Miguel and something just seemed, right about the whole scene.
As the song ended on a long note, Héctor picked Miguel up so that he was sitting on his shoulder. The crowd went wild. When Héctor gently set Miguel down, Micaela rushed on the stage and hugged her twin. As they hugged Héctor gripped Miguel's shoulder.
"Hey, you did good! I'm proud of you!"
Miguel swelled with pride and looked back out at the crowd to take in their appreciation. Then he saw them, Tio Oscar and Felipe were talking to someone motioning as if they were talking about how tall someone was. He soon spotted his other relatives in the crowd. Papá Julio was talking to the Emcee. Miguel gasped and gripped Héctor and Micaela by the arms.
"Ow!" Micaela cried as he drug them down into the opposite wing.
"We gotta get outta here."
"What," Héctor said in surprise. "Are you crazy? We're about to win this thing!"
Micaela spotted the Emcee taking up the microphone. She called out to calm the audience with an important announcement. Dread filled her stomach. "Please be on the lookout for two living children. They answer to the names of Miguel and Micaela. Earlier tonight they ran away from their family. They just want to send them back to the Land of the Living..."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Héctor said freezing in place. "You said de la Cruz was your ONLY family." Micaela bowed her head and clinched her hands in front of her. Tears were prickling her eyes again because she was a disappointment to Héctor. She had been a disappointment to all her family, or so she felt, all her life because she could not communicate easily. Now she had done something to disappoint someone and it had been fully within her control.
"I'm not gonna miss my one chance to cross that bridge 'cause you want to live out some stupid musical fantasy!"
That hurt Micaela too. Both Héctor and Miguel had been selfish tonight about getting what they wanted and leaving her out of the situation. She wanted to be mad at both of them, but found even that was hard. Had she not wanted to stay here in the Land of the Dead just to be able to talk and feel? She was just as selfish as they were.
"It's not stupid!"
Héctor grabbed Miguel's arm and began pulling him to the stage."I'm taking you to your family."
Micaela moved to follow willingly, but Miguel dug his heels in. "Let go of me!"
"You'll thank me later..."
Miguel managed to get his arm out of Héctor's grip. "You don't want to help me, you only care about yourself! Keep your dumb photo!" He pulled the photo out and tossed it into the air. Héctor went after it. "Stay away from me," cried Miguel snatching Micaela's arm again and pulling her along.
"I want to go home now, Miguel. That wasn't nice what you did. He just wants to cross the bridge."
"He's selfish."
"So are you. So was I. You want to meet your idol and play music in the Land of the Living and I wanted to talk and feel. Well, now I feel bad. I feel sad for Héctor! Don't you understand?"
"You just like him because he treats you like normal and he made you laugh."
"Miguel-"
"Go back to him! Go home and be silent and never hear music again, just like Mamá Imelda wants!" Miguel threw his sister's arm down making her cry out in pain again. "Go back to him. Take his photo home. I'll get to de la Cruz on my own! Then we'll all get what we want."
Tears streamed down Micaela's face as Miguel ran away. Her brother did not seem the same. He had hurt her feelings, on purpose. Dante followed Miguel and she hoped that the dog would guide Miguel to where he needed to go to get back home.
"Héctor! Héctor!" She began crying out for the only skeleton she knew. "Héctor, where are you? Please!" She began pushing through the crowd in the direction Héctor had gone. "Héctor!"
And there he was suddenly. He pushed through the crowd toward her and Micaela hurried to him throwing her arms around his neck as he lifted her up in a strong hug. She was murmuring "I'm sorry" over and over again into his shoulder as he held her there. His soft voice soothed her as he rubbed her back.
"It's okay, Princesa. You're going to be fine. Shh."
"I"m sorry I didn't tell you! I want to go home. Please find my family and I will take your photo home. Just check that Miguel makes it back after your visit."
"Hey! Hey, it's okay. I understand..."
"We all did selfish things tonight..." Micaela continued sniffling.
"I know, Princesa. People are, by nature, selfish creatures. We all do it. Now calm down a bit and we'll find your family."
He set her back down gently and wiped her tears away, gently smearing her face paint so she could still fit in and her family would recognize her. Micaela sniffled and her chest heaved a little as she tried to stop crying.
"I don't like crying. It hurts."
"I know, Princesa," Héctor said softly and he bent and kissed the top of her head. "Are you okay now? Want to climb on my shoulders and look for your family. We'll get you home and I will make sure Miguel gets home too."
Micaela nodded and in a swift movement, Héctor had her sitting on his shoulders. He held onto her legs tightly as she looked around. The crowd was thinning now that the contest was over. The band that went on before Miguel had been given the award since Miguel was not around to claim it himself. Micaela thought that would make it easier to spot her family, but none of them were around. Miguel and clearly seen them. How else would he know they were looking for them here?
"They've left," Micaela murmured sadly. "I don't see them anywhere."
"Are you sure, Princesa."
"I don't see them, I'm sorry."
Héctor lifted her back off his shoulders and set her down gently. "We'll find them somehow, or..." He shook his head and crossed his arm resting his chin on his fist, thinking. "We can try to get into Ernesto's place. If we could convince security that you are his great-great grandchild..."
"What if we..." Micaela began but bit her lip and flinched back from Héctor.
"Hey, no, what's wrong? What's your idea?" Héctor said gently and pulled her back to him kneeling down so they could look at each other easier.
"I-I could lie again..."
Héctor frowned. "You know lying is wrong and I am a very good bad example of that." He gently shook her shoulders and grinned at her. "I don't want you to have to lie again, but I also need to get you home, because you have a long life ahead of you. You deserve to go back home and live it and if lying is what gets us there..."
"I can go ask for your costume back... I can say Ceci needs it back for de la Cruz's show. They all seem to love him..." Micaela frowned a little wondering if she even wanted to be related to such a popular person. "I bet they will give it back gladly."
Héctor laughed out loud and Micaela finally smiled a little. "EPA! What an idea! That just might work. Come on! We'll need to hurry."
Soon they were on a trolly back to the Marigold Grand Central Station. This time Héctor took an empty seat on the inside of the car and Micaela took the seat next to him. She was tired. She did not often get to stay up this late and who knew what time it was so she leaned gently against her guide. Héctor chuckled a little and put his arm around her. She could take a nap while they were in transit.
"Is she your daughter," an elderly woman from across the car asked.
"No," Héctor said sadly. "I"m just trying to get her back to her family."
The woman looked surprised, but smiled at the young man. "Well, it's nice you are helping her get back to her family and on Día de Muertos."
Héctor nodded but said nothing as Micaela sighed against him. Skeletal fingers reached up and smoothed some flyaway hair that had been pulled from her pleat. If only...
The trolly stopped and Héctor nudged Micaela awake. They exited the trolly and moved toward the station. At the steps Héctor turned her to face him. "Now you know the plan. It's your plan. It's a good plan."
"Ask at the front desk. Say I am Ceci's assistant and ask for the costume you borrowed earlier back."
"Exactly and if you see your family you go to them. That's our deal."
Micaela nodded and frowned. She was not ready to say goodbye to Héctor and he didn't give her a chance. He turned her back around and gently shoved her in the back.
"I'll wait here for you."
The plan worked without a hitch. Micaela went into the station looking all around for her family as she made her way to one of the front desks. Since it was later in the night there were less people around. They were all in the Land of the Living with their families or out celebrating here in the Land of the Dead.
When she told the officer what she needed, the woman was glad to oblige. "I'm going to see the Sunrise Spectacular for the first time this year. My husband managed to get us tickets. I don't want anything to go wrong with Ernesto's show."
Micaela nodded saying nothing afraid of slipping up. Soon the dress, wig and false unibrow were in her arms. She did as she had promised and continued looking for any of her family on the way out, but she could not see any of them. They must still be out looking for her and Miguel themselves.
Héctor was impressed when Micaela spotted him and ran into his arms. "Great job, Princesa." He laughed and hugged her. "Now come on. Frida and her assistant need to get to Ernesto's party."
They took yet another trolly to as close to Ernesto de la Cruz's tower as possible This time Micaela could not sleep. She looked up at Héctor as they rode. He was staring down at his hands deep in thought and she did not want to interrupt him, but a sudden sniffle made him turn to her.
"What's wrong, Princesa?"
"I was thinking about your friend... and then what you said about how you were being forgotten... That-that's going to happen to you..."
Héctor smiled sadly. "Yes, Princesa, it is going to happen to me too," he paused. "Soon," he added. "I can feel it too. It is why I want to cross the bridge. I want to see my girl one last time before she forgets me. The final death happens to almost everyone. Now Frida... Frida will be around forever. Her art is in places all over the world... and even Ernesto..." he cut himself off. "It is just part of existing and-and I've almost come to accept it."
"I'm going to miss you, Héctor," Micaela sniffled. "You-you made me laugh and I'm-I'm never going to forget that, I'll never forget you."
"It's nice to know someone will." He leaned over and kissed her temple.
"Héctor," Micaela said timidly eyeing his vest.
"Hmm?"
"May I, keep your photo?" She looked up at him, her eyes glittered in the dim lighting of the trolly as tears welled up within them.
"Of course you can. You can always remember our little adventure tonight with it."
"I have an eidetic memory," she sniffled and smiled at Héctor sadly. "I haven't forgotten anything since I was a toddler. I just can't talk and I can't write. I've tried... the letters come out jumbled. I can just paint and draw."
"You keep it up." He shouldered her playfully. "Paint me. Put me up in an art gallery next to some of Frida's work."
"I promise," Micaela told him as the trolly reached their station. She knew he had been joking, but she was very serious. Héctor, just as he was now, would be the first thing she painted when she got home. Her eyes briefly studied his face carefully for all the little details.
Héctor shook his head as if to say she were unbelievable before the got of the trolly. Once they were off the trolly, they found a dark alley that Héctor could change in. Micaela was impressed at how fast he could dress. Now that she had seen the real Frida up close, there was no way she could have fallen for Héctor's act earlier. She told him so.
"Well, it's a good thing most people can't," muttered Héctor.
He was right most people parted ways as they came through the crowds. Hector walked with confidence and the air of someone who commanded attention. Micaela walked just behind him carrying the doodles she had done in her arms as she pretended to be "Frida's" assistant. Héctor thought this was a nice touch.
They easily made their way through the crowd of guests trying to get into the party and up to the front of the line. Near the front of the line there were photographers snapping photos of Héctor and Micaela chewed her bottom lip nervously. Her image was forever captured in the Land of the Dead. She wondered what that meant. Maybe they would edit her out or something.
"Yes, it is I. Frida Kahlo. "This is my assistant."
"It is an honor, señora." The security guard bowed and let them in immediately.
"Gracias..." Héctor said waving his hand offhandedly. They entered the funicular and the door closed behind them. Micaela sighed in relief and Héctor, looking nervously over his shoulder as they rose into the air, reapplied the unibrow.
"You are a ham," Micaela teased him and then she lowered her voice to a whisper. "That was kind of fun."
Héctor grinned back at her. "Just don't make it a regular thing okay, Princesa. I have to be a responsible adult too... and that means getting you home even if it means facing Ernesto after all these years..."
Micaela felt Héctor did not want to explain himself right now and she wasn't about to ask. The funicular stopped at the top of the tower and they got out looking around at all the guests. There were people everywhere dressed up to the nines, in the best clothes. Micaela saw all kinds of styles from recent things she had seen in books and magazines all the way back to Aztec garb.
As they made their way deeper into the party, Héctor asked about de la Cruz. Guests told them, in awed hushed voices, that Ernesto was showing his great-great grandson off to some of the more prestigious guests. Many party guests had left the main building and were milling around outside. Soon they would head off to the arena to watch the Sunrise Spectacular. As Héctor and Micaela entered the mansion they were able to easily make their way to the main hall.
There they were, near the guitar shaped pool. Ernesto had a petal in his fingers and was speaking to Miguel. Héctor made a soft growl and Micaela was not sure what it meant as he stormed into the main hall. She followed in his wake.
"We had a deal, chamaco!" Héctor shouted.
"Who are you? What is the meaning of this?" Héctor steps out into the light. "Oh, Frida. I thought you couldn't make it."
Héctor sighed and rolled his eyes pulling off the wig, unibrow and dress and putting his hat back on as he limped toward them. "You said you'd take back my photo. You promised, Miguel. AND you left your sister all alone."
Miguel backed into Ernesto's arms as Micaela followed Héctor into the light."Sister," Ernesto asked.
"Yes. I thought she was going back to find our other family. She doesn't care about music. She's mute. She can't sing or talk."
Micaela was hurt and she hid behind Héctor who shot Miguel a glare.
"You know this, uh... man?" de la Cruz asked as he put his hands defensively on Miguel's shoulders.
"We just met him tonight. He told us he knew you..."
De la Cruz finally got a good look at Héctor as he and Micaela reached them. "Hé-Héctor?"
Héctor ignored de la Cruz and pushed the photo he had taken out of his pocket into Miguel's hands as he knelt in front of them. Micaela moved to stand next to her brother between him and Héctor. "Please, Miguel, put my photo up."
De la Cruz snatched it out of Héctor's hands before Miguel could take it. Micaela frowned up at him not at all happy, but the man was large and intimidating, nothing like Héctor who was kind and approachable. "My friend, you're being forgotten."
Héctor stood up and pointed a finger at de la Cruz. "And whose fault is that?" Suddenly Micaela saw years worth of anger and anguish escape her friend. He accused Ernesto venomously of stealing his songs. Miguel cut in trying to convince Héctor that de la Cruz wrote the songs himself. Then Ernesto admitted to taking the songs. Miguel and Micaela stared between the two skeletons as they argued. De la Cruz did not seem to want to help his old friend. Micaela was becoming suspicious. De la Cruz's body language was telling her something far different from what his soft voice said.
Héctor began to talk about a night long ago. He had decided he no longer wanted to play music for the world.. He wanted to go home.
"We drank together and you told me you would move heaven and earth for your amigo."
"Heaven and earth? Like in the movie?"
Héctor looked down at him in curious impatience. "What?"
"That's Don Hidalgo's toast... in the de la Cruze movie, "El Camino A Casa."
"I'm talking about my real life, Miguel."
Miguel pointed to a movie clip. The three of them watched as those exact words were said in a toast to de la Cruz'a character. De la Cruze took a sip of his drink and spat it back out claiming it was poisoned before they began to fight.
Héctor looked shaken. "That night, Ernesto. The night I left..." Héctor began to retell what had happened to him. He was planning on leaving. He missed home. Ernesto was against it. De la Cruz felt he was nothing without the songs that Héctor wrote. When de la Cruz could not convince him to stay, he suggested a drink.
"You walked me to the train station, but I felt a pain in my stomach. I thought it was something I ate... or something I... drank." Héctor placed a hand where he stomach should have been and then over his heart. "I woke up, dead."
Micaela looked at de la Cruz's back in utter horror. How could anyone do such a thing, just for some songs.
"You're confusing movies with reality, Héctor." de la Cruz soothed.
"All this time, I thought it was just bad luck. I never thought that you might have... that you..." Héctor lunged at de la Cruz knocking him to the ground. "How could you?!"
Miguel pushed Micaela behind him. "Héctor!" He cried unable to believe what he was hearing, what he was seeing.
De la Cruz cried for security as he and Héctor scuffled on the floor. De la Cruz looked bigger and stronger but Héctor would have obviously been the victor had security not burst in.
"You took everything away from me!" Héctor cried. The guards rushed in and pulled him off de la Cruz. He struggled with them as well, but there were two of them and they were as strong as they looked. "You rat!"
"Have him taken care of," de la Cruz called and then in a softer voice. "He's-he's not well."
"I just wanted to go home! No, no! NO!" They could hear Héctor's cries fading away.
Micaela took Miguel's arm. She was shocked into silence. There were things that pointed to de la Cruz murdering the man they had spent most of their night with, the man who had tried so hard to get them home. Miguel stood there looking at the doors where Héctor had been pulled through and off to who knew where.
"I apologize," de la Cruz said and Micaela tensed by her brother's side. She could not look de la Cruz in the face. She was scared, more scared than she had been all night. "Where were we?"
"You were going to give us your blessing..." Miguel said slowly turning around to face him pulling his twin with him. Her face was tucked against his shoulder.
"Yes. Uh... Sí." He pulled out the marigold petal. "Miguel, my reputation, it is very important to me. I would hate to have you think..." He glanced between the twins.
"That you murdered Héctor... for his songs?"
"You don't think that," de la Cruz said genuinely. "Do you?"
"I — no! Everyone knows your the... the good guy."
Miguel did not sound confident in his declaration. De la Cruz frowned and folded Héctor's photo and slipped it into the pocket of his coat.
"Papá Ernesto? My Blessing?" Miguel asked timidly grimacing a little. This was not the same man who had been showing him around his tower moments ago. This was a dark and dangerous man. He crushed the petal.
"Security!" The guards rushed back in. "Take care of Miguel..." he glanced at Micaela who had looked up at the call for the guards. "And his sister. They will be extending their stay."
"What?! But we're your family."
"And Héctor was my best friend," explained de la Cruz. He glanced back over his shoulder as the guards took Miguel and Micaela by the arms. Micaela began to struggle kicking out hard trying to loosen their grip. He explained that success was not free and he had to do whatever it took to seize his moment.
Miguel froze in horror as he now understood what that quote meant. Murder. Ernesto de la Cruz would stop at nothing to became a success and he did so by murdering his best friend and in order to keep that a secret he would murder his own family. "No, NO!"
Miguel cried and struggled as he was drug out of the mansion. Micaela was no longer making a sound shocked into silence but she still kicked out and punched at her guards. They drug them to the edge of a giant sinkhole. Suddenly Miguel was lifted up by his arms and tossed down. Miguel screamed as he plummeted four stories into the water. He could hear Micaela finally give a sharp, piercing scream as she too was thrown into the sinkhole.
Coming up for air, Miguel looked around. Micaela had never been swimming before. She struggled and choked a few feet away from him, trying to stay afloat. Reading about swimming and actually swimming were two different things. Miguel put and arm around her and began swimming toward a large rock that was still above the water. Carefully he pulled her up and patted her back before crying out for help. When no help came he fell to his knees pulling the still sputtering Micaela with him.
They sat there in silence. Micaela had finally coughed up the last bit of water in her lungs. Her throat burned from the scream and the icy water. She shivered and pulled herself closer to her brother. They could both feel it. Dawn was mere hours away.
"I'm sorry," Miguel whispered to her.
Micaela whimpered. "Me too. We were both selfish. It-it happens."
Miguel pulled her into a hug. He hoped they would at least become skeletons in the Land of the Dead and not simply disappear. Surely their family would remember them, they would put their photos on the ofrenda. Then Miguel remembered that he said he did not care. Maybe his family would forget him like they forgot his great-great grandfather, though in retrospect it was probably wise of them to forget de la Cruz.
Suddenly they heard a noise from behind them. They were not alone. Together Miguel and Micaela jumped up to see who was with them. Relief flooded them as a beaten up and downcast Héctor emerged from the shadows.
"Héctor?" They asked in unison.
"Kids?" He replied shocked to see them.
"Héctor!" They cried still in unison as they ran to him. Héctor embraced them lovingly, wrapping his arms around them as if they were his own.
Micaela was silent, shaking terribly from shock, fear and the cold. Héctor didn't provide any physical warmth, but she needed his emotional warmth at least.
"You were right," Miguel began crying. He was far more shaken by de la Cruz's betrayal than his sister. He was his idol and now Miguel knew he was nothing but a selfish murderer. "I should have gone back to my family..." de la Cruz did not deserve to be called family anymore, in Miguel's opinion. He was just as bad as their family had said, worse.
Héctor pulled Miguel closer gently stroking his head. "Hey, hey, hey..."
"They told me not to be like de la Cruz, but I didn't want to listen. I told them I didn't care if they remembered me. I didn't care if I was on their stupid ofrenda. I-I pulled Micaela with me and now-and now..."
Héctor pulled them both closer to him holding them tight against him. He wondered how Ernesto could have abandoned these wonderful children. Then again he murdered for some songs, it should not surprise him, but these kids. They were special, so very special. Why would anyone not want them? "Hey, chamaco, it's okay. It's okay."
"I told them I didn't care."
Héctor was about to soothe the boy some more, but a flicker of gold flashed over his bones and he fell back, weakened.
Miguel and Micaela moved to either side of Héctor kneeling beside him as their voices echoed his name in worried tones.
"She's forgetting me," whispered Héctor.
"Who?"
"My daughter."
Micaela gasped softly and shifted closer to Héctor. His daughter was why he was so sad, why he needed to cross the bridge. She was forgetting him. He was a parent and that was why he was so concerned with getting them home. He understood what losing a child meant even if the situation was reversed.
"I just wanted to see her again," he explained. "I never should have left Santa Cecilia. I wish I could apologize. I wish I could tell her that her Papá was trying to come home. That he loved her so much. My Coco..."
Miguel and Micaela stared at each other. Suddenly they realized. All the clues were there. Ernest and Héctor had been friends and gone off together. They both came from Santa Cecilia.
"Coco?" Miguel whispered as he put his hand into his pocket and pulled out the photo of his great-great grandmother and Mamá Coco. He stared at the faceless musician. Micaela watched with anticipation as, slowly, Miguel handed the photo to Héctor.
Héctor looked confused at the photo. "Wh-where did you get this?"
Both Miguel and Micaela leaned in to look at the photo too. "That's our Mamá Coco," he said pointing to the toddler Coco. "That's our Mamá Imelda." He pointed to Imelda. "Is that... you?"
"We're..." Héctor began and Miguel finished the sentence with him. "Family?"
Micaela sobbed at Héctor's shoulder and nudged his shoulder with her forehead something she had done as a sign of affection with her family since she was very little. She understood now, she understood the bond she had made with Héctor. It was not just that he made her laugh, that he made her feel like family. He was family. They had found their great-great grandfather, finally, but he was dying... She sobbed again.
Héctor stared at the photo and explained how much he missed Coco. How he wish she had missed him and how he hoped she would put his photo up someday. He had hoped to see her someday, either by crossing the bridge or when she passed on, but if she forgets him... he would disappear forever.
"You'll never get to see her..."
"Ever again," Murmured Héctor softly, sadly.
"Coco does miss you," Micaela whispered. "She does."
"Yeah," added Miguel. "She wanted your photo when it fell of the ofrenda. She wanted to see it, to remember you."
"But she is forgetting..." Micaela said sadly.
Héctor smiled sadly and was quiet for a very long time.
"You know, I wrote her a song once. We use to sing it every night at the same time, not matter how far apart we were. What I wouldn't give to sing it to her... one... last... time..."
Héctor continued staring at the photo and then softly he began to sing. It was the same song they had heard everywhere all night, "Remember Me." Only now it was a soft, kind lullaby. Micaela leaned against Héctor staring at the photo too. If only de la Cruz had not murdered Héctor; things would have been so different. Mamá Imelda would not have been so hurt, Coco would have grown up with her Papá and music in her life. Miguel would have had music. They would never have ended up here. She closed her eyes and sighed. She missed her Mamá Coco, she missed her Living family.
The song concluded and the final soft note echoed throughout the sinkhole. Micaela sniffled and Héctor reached up and gently stroked her cheek. Her makeup was now completely gone and he looked over to see her, really see her, for the first time. He could see it now. Some of his Coco in them. He had seen his Imelda's stubbornness in Miguel and he could see his cleverness in Micaela. They were both creative like him. He just wished they were not all stuck here, dying.
"He stole your guitar," Miguel suddenly said. "He stole your songs!" He stood up now looking frustrated. "You should be the one the world remembers, not de la Cruz."
"Miguel," chided Micaela softly.
"I didn't write "Remember Me " for the world. I wrote it for Coco. I'm a pretty sorry excuse for a great-great grandpa."
Micaela shook her head and kissed his cheek. Miguel took a few steps back looking passionate. "Are you kidding? A minute again I thought we were related to a murderer. You're a total upgrade!"
Héctor looked unimpressed and Micaela rolled her eyes a bit. Sometimes Miguel was a drama queen.
Miguel knelt before Héctor. "My whole life, there's been something that made me different... and I never knew where it came from, but now I know. It comes from you. I'm proud we're family!" Miguel turned and looked up out of the sinkhole. "I'm proud to be his family!" He shouted into the air and then let out his most powerful grito yet.
Héctor stood up and pulled Micaela along with him taking her hand and squeezing it. He shouted too. "I'm proud to be HIS family! I'm proud to be THEIR family!!!" He picked Micaela up and spun her around as they grinned at each other. Miguel and Héctor shouted for a few moments and then fell silent.
They were still stuck in the sinkhole. Micaela stopped smiling. She tucked herself under her Papá Hector's arm and sighed. This is where things ended for all of them. She was very afraid Héctor would not last the night, like he had told them earlier. If only they could get his photo and a marigold petal. They could go home and maybe save him. If Mamá Coco could just tell them one story about their Papá...
Then she heard it. A very familiar howl. All three Riveras looked up and there was Dante. He bounded around the hole barking. Then a different head appeared, one Micaela had never seen before. Pepita roared sending Micaela into hiding behind Héctor for protection. She had never seen something so big and loud! Then she heard Mamá Imelda laughing.
"Imelda!" Héctor said with guilty surprise. Micaela peeked around him and up at her great-great grandmother.
"Héctor," she seemed to growl.
"Y-you look good..." Héctor tried.
Pepita descended into the sinkhole with Dante on her back, and took up the remainder of the large stone they were using as an island. Miguel immediately climbed onto the alebrije's back. Micaela looked doubtful. Not that she was afraid of the animal or of flying on it's back, she wasn't about to climb on without her great-great grandpa.
Imelda eyed Héctor who still stood in front of Micaela. Slowly she nodded and looked away. If he had to ride with them, she was not going to look at him.
"Up you get, Princesa," He said lifting her up onto Pepita's back.
Micaela did not let go of Papá Héctor's hand until he was onboard. However, she could not help him when Pepita took off at top speed and Héctor slid further down it's back. She was too busy making sure her Papá Héctor did not fall off the alebrije that she did not see Dante transform into his own alebrije form.
When they landed, Miguel slid off and into the arms of their awaiting family. Héctor fell off but quickly righted himself and offered Imelda his hand. She huffed and ignored it. Instead Héctor offered his hand to Micaela who took it and hugged him briefly before joining the rest of her family.
"Mija," Tia Rosita cried kissing her face all over as her Papá Julio, Tia and Tios all patted and rubbed her back welcoming her back warmly with hugs and kisses. While she was being hugged by the rest of their family Mamá Imelda had pulled Miguel into her arms.
"Mijo, I was so worried! Thank goodness we found you both in time." She motioned for Micaela to join her and pulled the girl into a double hug. "And you!"
"Imelda." Héctor tried to speak.
"I want nothing to do with you! Not in life! Not in Death! I spent decades protecting my family from your mistakes. They spend five minutes with you and I have to fish them out of a sinkhole!"
Miguel pulled away from her to stand between their great-great grandparents and Micaela went to Héctor. She saw the hurt in Mamá Imelda's eyes and that hurt her too. She didn't want to choose sides, but justice for Héctor was important to her. Mamá Imelda had to know what happened.
"We weren't in there 'cause of Héctor. He and Micaela were in there because of me. He was just trying to get us home... I didn't want to listen, but he was right. Nothing is more important than family."
Mamá Imelda looked at Héctor startled that he taught Miguel what she had tried to explain all night. Micaela left Héctor's side and hugged her brother beaming at him with pride shocking Mamá Imelda more.
"I'm ready to accept your blessing, and your conditions. But first, we need to find de la Cruz. To get Héctor's photo."
Miguel stood up to Mamá Imelda. He explained that Héctor deserved to be on their ofrenda. He was family. Mamá Imelda tried to argue, but Miguel used her own stubbornness agains her and told her what de la Cruz had done.
Imelda remembered de la Cruz, but still she did not think he was capable of murder. She looked to Héctor inquiringly.
"It's true, Imelda."
"He poisoned him!" Micaela interjected passionately desperate for her Mamá Imelda to believe them.
"He only wanted to go back to you and Coco!" Miguel repeated, but the family was shocked to hear Micaela talk.
"It's not important right now," she said stomping her foot a little. Tears were starting to prickle in her eyes. She was tired. She was ready to go home, to make sure Coco remembered Héctor and he would not fade away.
"And so what if it's true?" Mamá Imelda said shaking herself from the shock of seeing her great-great granddaughter speak and emote. "You leave me alone with a child to raise and I'm just suppose to forgive you?"
"Imelda, I—" Héctor's words were cut off as he shimmered gold again and fell to his knees. Miguel and Micaela took either side of him. "I'm running out of time. It's Coco."
"She's forgetting you," Mamá Imelda whispered.
Miguel and Micaela helped Héctor to stand. They remained at his side, determined to convince Mamá Imelda to help them.
"You don't have to forgive him, but we shouldn't forget him."
Mamá Imelda frowned and shook her head a little. "I wanted to forget you. I wanted Coco to forget you too, but..." she was about to go on but now Héctor cut her off.
"This is my fault, not yours. I'm sorry, Imelda."
"If we help you get his photo... you will return home? No more music?"
Miguel nodded. "Family comes first."
Mamá Imelda gazed at them for a long moment. "I-I can't forgive you," she paused and sighed. "But I will help you."
Miguel and Micaela beamed at each other.
"So how do we get to de la Cruz?"
"I might know a way..." Miguel said.
"Frida..." Micaela whispered with a sly smile.
Héctor could not be more proud of his great-great grandchildren. Imelda frowned at them doubtfully and shot another glare at Héctor. He had been teaching them something bad, she just knew it.
The whole Rivera family and Dante managed to climb on Pepita's back. Miguel guided Pepita to the warehouse, where he hoped Frida would still be preparing for her show. Miguel and Dante sat on Pepita's head as Miguel gave instructions. Micaela sat behind him, between their great-great grandparents.
"When did you," Mamá Imelda began. "How are you able to..."
Micaela did not look at either of her great-great grandparents. She did not want to make them even more sad. Staring straight ahead she spoke softly. "Because we're dying. The longer we were here... the more I felt I could do. I-I have felt all kinds of new emotions tonight and I've been able to talk so much my throat kind of hurts... I don't like to be sad. I don't want to feel that anymore tonight. I want to get Papá Héctor's photo and go home. I want... I want everyone to be happy."
Héctor inched a pinky over to Micaela's and they linked them. She blinked back the tears threatening her again and allowed Mamá Imelda to kiss her cheek. Whatever she felt toward her husband, she loved her great-great grandchildren and she was proud of them even if that meant them standing up to her.
Frida was unbelievably helpful when Miguel asked her to help them sneak into the show. Apparently she had never liked de la Cruz. Ceci, however, was not happy. She had to adjust three costumes to fit the smaller Rivera's, but she calmed a bit when Micaela enthusiastically volunteered to help. The dresses were done in no time and soon all the Riveras looked like Frida.
Micaela was over the moon happy to look like her idol. Miguel did not even hold it against her that her idol was being wonderful while his... Her family enjoyed seeing her so happy, even if in the back of their minds they all knew it would end when she returned home. They let her twirl in the mirror and beam at herself for as long as she could.
On their way to the arena where the Sunrise Spectacular would be performed, the Rivera's came up with a plan. Each of the Dead Rivera's would have a petal and whomever got Héctor's photo first would give it to Miguel or Micaela and send them home. If they were separated then they would contact the others to make sure both kids got home before sunrise.
The Riveras waited with the other Frida Dancers for the show to begin. Miguel grinned when he heard the orchestra play the tune he had invented for Frida to use. When the dancers had all exited the Riveras slipped out of the papaya and snuck around backstage. As they passed her, Frida smiled at them in a satisfied way.
"Good luck, muchacos." She murmured to them.
Micaela giggled. She hated having to abandon her costume, but she felt better when Miguel ripped off his unibrow and cried out in pain. She snickered at him and he shoved her gently. They both felt confident they would be going home soon and Héctor and the rest of their family would visit them. Once they were rid of their Frida costumes they went over the plan once more. The Riveras were nothing if not efficient.
"Now, we just have to find de la Cruz..." began Mamá Imelda but she froze as she went around a corner.
"Yes?" De la Cruz asked of her.
Héctor threw out his arms stopping the others from following Imelda out.
Imelda shrieked!
"Don't I know you?" De la Cruz began before letting out a sharp cry as Mamá Imelda had pulled off her shoe and slapped him with it so hard his head spun around.
"That's for murdering the love of my life!"
Héctor's chest swelled with pride as de la Cruz inquired who she was talking about. He jumped out from around the corner. "She's talking about me!" He softened and looked at Imelda. "I'm the love of your life?"
"I don't know! I'm still angry at you."
"Héctor? How did you..." He cried out again as Imelda slapped him again so his head spun in the opposite direction.
"And that's for trying to murder my grandchildren!"
"Grandchildren," he replied slow on the uptake.
Miguel jumped out to stand with his great-great grandparents and Micaela followed him. Her hands were on her hips and she glared up at de la Cruz.
"You! Wait, you're related to, Héctor?"
"The photo!" Miguel cried pointing it out in his pocket.
The rest of the family emerged from around the corner and all glare at de la Cruz. He grimaced and, with an unsure chuckle, turned and ran.
"After him!" Mamá Imelda shouted.
They all ran after him. Héctor asked Imelda about calling him the "love of your life..." She tried to deny it but Miguel said he heard her say it too. Micaela giggled pleased about that whole situation. She had high hopes they would reunite once they made sure Hector would not fade away.
De la Cruz shouted for help from his security guards. They had been snacking on the catered sweets backstage, obviously they had not been needed very often. Soon they were battling the nine Riveras.
Micaela and Tia Victoria had a security guard to themselves while Miguel helped Tia Rosita. Tia Victoria was not much of a fighter, but she was swift. She and Micaela danced around the guard keeping him in one place. Once Tia Victoria had him looking right at her, he had apparently not found Micaela much of a threat, so Micaela took advantage.
One quick bounce and she had his skull in her hands. The whole situation was very awkward, but Micaela popped the head in a large empty trunk and locked the lid. One guard was permanently down as he fumbled trying to get his head out of the trunk.
Micaela and Tia Victoria beamed at each other before hurrying to assist Tia Rosita in keeping a guard down. Miguel had gone to help Mamá Imelda with de la Cruz. She soon shouted that she had the photo and they all looked up. Mamá Imelda was rising into the air on de la Cruz's platform. In his momentarily diverted attention, a guard had captured Miguel until Dante barreled into them scattering bones.
The guards all became distracted and the Riveras took advantage. Héctor, Miguel, Micaela and the Tia's hurried up the stairs leading to a wing of the stage. They had turned in the direction opposite of de la Cruz so they were on opposite sides of the stage. Mamá Imelda had now risen into de la Cruz's place, a large spotlight had been placed on her and her image was being projected on two large screens.
As they reached the wing, security guards were approaching Mamá Imelda from the opposite side. She became nervous and knocked the microphone, nearly tipping it over before she righted it.
"Sing," Miguel hissed to her waving his arms. "Sing!" He urged even though she shook her head.
The guards were approaching fast, staying out of the spotlight. She felt she had no choice. Mamá Imelda glanced briefly down at her husband's photo and she remembered how much she loved singing while he played.
"Ay de mí, Llorona, Llorona de azul celeste..."
"So pretty," Mirana murmured as her Tia's jaws dropped.
Miguel found Héctor a guitar and a microphone and Héctor began to play. As he played Mamá Imelda began to descend the staircase avoiding the guards. She looked straight into Héctor's eyes making him smile at her. Something changed within her.
"No dejaré de quererte," she sang to him. Her voice grew bolder, louder as the orchestra joined them and the music swelled. "No dejaré de quererte!!!"
Mamá Imelda danced around the stage as if she belonged there. The guards did not want to interrupt the performance so they tried to stay out of the spotlight, but continued to try and capture her and take away the photo.. Mamá Imelda continued dancing and shoved the microphone in one of the guard's arms. Finding himself in the spotlight he cringed away.
She found a break in the guard and began hurrying toward her family, but suddenly someone grabbed her arm. When she turned around, de la Cruz had grabbed her and began to sing with her. Try as she might she couldn't escape his grip. Finally the song ended and he sang to the crowd hitting the high note. While he was deep into his performance, thinking he had won in taking the photo from her, Mamá Imelda stomped hard on his poorly made shoes with the heel of her boot. De la Cruz screamed in pain and she snatched back the photo, rushing to the wing and into her husband's arms.
Micaela and her brother hugged too. They were going home. Everything had succeeded. Miguel cleared his throat to get their great-great grandparents' attention.
"Oh!" Mamá Imelda beamed at them and handed Miguel the photo. "Miguel, Micaela, I give you my blessing. To go home. To put up our photos and to never..."
Micaela felt a moment of dread. She and Miguel would soon be locked back into their silent and music free world.
"To never forget how much your family loves you."
They both looked up at her surprised. Miguel beamed at her. Micaela was at least happy her brother was free to pursue music... if their family believed them.
"You're going home." Héctor said. He put his hands on Imelda's shoulders. Their relationship seemed to be on the mend. Micaela could not help but noticed how peaceful their great-great grandpa looked at that moment.
Then everything was shattered. A hand snatched them both away from the petal they were reaching out to take.
"You're not going anywhere," de la Cruz roared. He held Miguel fast by his hoodie and had wrapped an arm around Micaela's waist lifting her up and tucking her under his arm.
Mamá Imelda lunged for them but de la Cruz shifted using Micaela to knock her down.
"Mamá!" Micaela cried and he tightened his grip on her waist making her gasp for air.
"Imelda," Héctor rushed forward to help her up while de la Cruz began to back away.
"Stay back! Stay back. All of you."
All of the Riveras began to move forward following de la Cruz's progression back.
"Stay back, Not one more step."
Dante growled and lunged forward biting into Miguel's boot and trying to drag him back toward the Riveras. De la Cruz yanked Miguel away pulling him out of his hoodie. He dropped the red jacket to the ground with disgust.
Héctor moved forward cautiously. "Ernesto, stop! Leave them alone!" The golden glow flashed over his bones once more and Héctor fell to the ground. "They are living children, Ernesto!" Héctor begged of his former friend. He looked across the floor to see Miguel's terrified face. Micaela was still struggling in Ernesto's one armed grip.
"They are a threat!"
Ernesto did not realize his voice was now echoing through the stadium. The Tia's had turned on the nearby microphone and camera. Everyone in the crowd could now see and hear their idol as he threatened to murder two innocent living children.
De la Cruz continued stalking Miguel, pushing him to the edge of the balcony they were on. The balcony which overlooked the edge of the arena. He grappled with Micaela as he moved forward vowing to keep Héctor's relations from keeping his memory alive. Miguel shouted to Ernesto that he was a coward and called him out for what he really was; a liar and a thief.
"I am the one who is willing to do what it takes to size my moment." He lifted Miguel up by his shirt. "Whatever it takes." Then he tossed Miguel over the side of the balcony. With a swift movement of possibly years of practice he caught Micaela up in his arms bridal style and then dropped her too.
"No!" Hector shouted as the rest of the Riveras surged forward to search for Miguel.
They gasped when they saw Micaela only a few feet below. While her brother had been tossed, she had simply been dropped and she had managed to grab onto a jutted stone on the side of the stadium. Her face was flushed from fear and tears were streaming down her face as she looked up at them. She was afraid her brother was gone forever.
While de la Cruz sauntered away confident he had rid himself of the children. Mamá Imelda whistled for Pepita. Hopefully the alabreje would catch Miguel in time. Dante had flown after him slowing down his progress. While Pepita rescued Miguel the Riveras each detached their arms and gripped them together to form a chain. Micaela gasped as a hand grasped her wrist and soon she was pulled up the side of the stadium.
She was in a terrible state when they pulled her back up and reattached their arms. The girl was sobbing and crying loudly as her family wrapped her in their arms. Héctor and Imelda sandwiched her in a hug.
"You're fine, Princesa," Héctor whispered wiping away her tears as Imelda smoothed her hair.
"M-Miguel," she whimpered still drying and sniffling.
Suddenly Pepita landed behind them. Everyone but Héctor and Imelda surged forward to hug him and Micaela threw her arms around him. The eldest Riveras exchanged worried glances.
"Miguel! I thought..." Micaela gasped into her brother's neck. "I love you!" She breathed. She had never said it to anyone every before and she had been so afraid she would never be able to tell him, ever. Relief flooded through her as she spoke the words.
"I love you too, Mica," he whispered.
Mamá Imelda finally rushed forward and embraced Miguel. As she hugged him tight, relieved he was alive, Héctor tried to approach, but he stumbled to his hands and knees with another flicker. Miguel and Micaela rushed forward to help him.
"Héctor! The photo, I lost it..."
"I can paint it. It will be just as good right? We just need to get Mamá Coco to remember..."
Héctor gave a weak nod. "It's okay, mojo. It's o..." He clutched at where his stomach use to be and fell back to his side as another stronger flicker rushed though him.
Miguel knelt by him, rolling him over. Micaela sat back on her heels at her great-great grandfather's head. She took off her own hoodie and folded it under his head to make him more comfortable.
"No, Héctor! Hector, you have to hold on."
"Miguel," Mamá Imelda cried hurrying around them to her husband's other side. "It's almost sunrise!"
"No, no, no, we can't leave you. We promised you'd see Coco!"
Héctor struggled but he reached up to cup Miguel's face. Micaela gasped when she looked at her brother. She could see his face beginning to fade like his hands, arms and neck. The skin around his eyes was darkening.
"We are out of time, Mejos," whispered Héctor. He leaned up to look at Micaela who was crying again and gently fluffing his hair. Her bottom lip trembled. What if they didn't get to Mamá Coco in time. What if she was beyond remembering her Papá?
""I just wanted her to know that I loved her." He pulled out the marigold petal, his bones rattling a bit with the effort. "You have our blessing, Miguel, Micaela."
"No conditions," Mamá Imelda added.
The petal glowed bright as Héctor struggled to lift it. Mamá Imelda gently took his hand in both of hers. Micaela almost didn't move, but she slid over to her brother watching her great-great grandpa mournfully.
"No, Papá Hector, please!"
"Please stay," Micaela echoed her brother.
"No..."
Héctor's eyes began sliding closed. "Go home..." he breathed.
"We won't let Coco forget you! Aaahh!"
The petal touched Miguel's chest and Micaela touched it with the tip of her finger. There was a swirl of the marigold petals and they were transported back to the Land of the Living.
Micaela lay on the floor of the mausoleum, her head resting on a pillow of petals. She could feel the grip of her autism over her even though her face was still wet. Warm morning sunlight shone through the windows of the tomb warming her still damp face.
Miguel sat up. He glanced out the windows too and then grabbed up the guitar. He rushed out grabbing up Micaela as he left. She stumbled along after him for a while before he released her so that she could run on her own.
Santa Cecilia was almost deserted. Everyone was in bed from celebrating the previous night. As they ran, they passed their Tio Berto and their cousin Abel asleep on a bench. They had apparently been looking for them. Then Papá came around the corner and called for them, but they were on a mission.
Finally the compound was in sight. Miguel pushed through the gates and turned toward Mamá Coco's room, but Abuelita jumped out in front of them.
"Where have you been?!" She snapped at them, blocking their path.
"We need to see Mamá Coco, please..."
Abuelita had spotted the guitar. "What are you doing with that? Give it to me."
Miguel kept it out of her hands and dodged her. He swung Micaela into the room and shut the door behind them locking it buying them some time. Micaela was already sitting by Mamá Coco's chair gently waking her up from a nap and stroking her knee.
"Mamá Coco? Can you hear me? It's Miguel." He gazed into her eyes. "We saw your Papá. Remember? Papa?" He showed her the torn photo. "Please if you forget him, he'll be gone... Forever!"
Mamá Coco did not respond. Their Papá added his pounding to the door. Abuelita must have gone for the key. Miguel tried showing her the guitar, but Mama Coco just stared off into space. Micaela felt lost and it almost hurt not being able to cry.
Keys rattled in the door as Miguel begged their great grandmother to remember. The door flew open and the whole family poured into the small bedroom.
"What are you doing to that poor woman!?" Abuelita cried. She shooed both of them away. Micaela backed into the corner made by the bed and the wall. She stared just as blankly at Mamá Coco as her great grandmother stared out at the room. They were too late. "Apologize to your Mamá Coco." Abuelita suddenly commanded of Miguel.
Miguel moved to apologize but his foot hit the guitar. He stared at it. "Mamá Coco? Your Papa, he wanted you to have this." He picked up the guitar. Abuelita gasped and moved forward to snatch it away, but Papá stopped her.
Miguel knelt beside Mamá Coco and adjusted the guitar on his knee. Micaela slid across the floor and rested her forehead against his shoulder leaving him room to play. Softly and tenderly he began to play Coco's song.
The longer he played the more aware Coco became. Micaela looked up when her Mamá softly exclaimed. Mamá Coco was remembering. Maybe Papá Héctor would be okay. Suddenly Mamá Coco began to sing with Miguel. They finished the song together.
"My Papá use to sing me that song." Mamá Coco told her great grandchildren.
"He loved you, Mama Coco. Your Papá he loved you so much."
Micaela touched her heart and gazed at her Mamá Coco.
A smile spread across Mamá Coco's face. She turned to a nearby table and opened the small drawer in front. She rummaged for a few seconds before pulling out a notebook.
"I kept his letters," she said. "Poems he wrote me and..." She pulled out a torn piece of paper and handed it to Miguel. Héctor's face smiled up at his great-great grandchildren. Micaela fell to her hands behind Miguel, her body relaxing. At least everyone could know him, know the truth about him.
Miguel helped his sister to sit up and she leaned against him as he put the photo together. They stared at it as Mamá Coco began to speak again.
"Papá was a musician. When I was a little girl, he and Mamá would sing such beautiful songs..."
Miguel stood up and gave his Mamá Coco a hug. Micaela followed suit and soon everyone was hugging Mamá Coco and Miguel and Micaela.
Things changed immediately. Music was now allowed into their lives. That day Tio Berto took the truck into town and came back that afternoon with a stereo system and several albums for them to try. The whole family took the day off working to listen to music and to hear Mamá Coco's stories about Héctor.
Micaela enjoyed listening to everything, but she could never show anyone. Part of her was relived. There would be no more crying. Sadness was the most painful emotion of all. Part of her was constantly frustrated. She took her frustration out with paint.
The next morning she woke Miguel up by stepping on his bed with a paint marker she had from her collection. She was drawing musical notes on the wall above his bed. At first he glared up at her as she stepped all over him in order to get all of the notes up. Then he realized she was painting the notes for "Remember Me" on his wall and he slid out of bed with the guitar, having slept with it, and he began to play it.
Abel and Rosa were soon getting musical lessons in instruments of their choice. Although they were never as into music as their cousin was, they still enjoyed playing them. Abel preferred making shoes to music, but he still enjoyed the hobby. Rosa, too, had other interests than music, preferring to work in her little garden. However, a year later they were both proficient enough to play with Miguel on Día de Muertos.
By the next Dia de Muertos, Mamá Coco had passed on. Her memory had only come back for a little while, long enough for her to tell them many stories about her Papá, but eventually her illness overtook her. With Mamá Coco's death came the birth of Miguel and Micaela's little sister. She had been named after her great grandmother, in her honor. The Riveras seemed to have found themselves and were at last a whole family.