"So you're teaming with Jinder for Mixed Match Challenge?" Ricardo asks, feeling a little odd about it. Alicia squints over at him, adjusting the hat on her head to block out the most sunrays. "Won't that be weird for you?" He had tried, with some levels of success, to get her to meditate, but she's always so hyper and eager to move, do things, experience life, that she hadn't been able to do it for too long most of the time.

"Why would it?" she wonders, rolling over to look at him with a bright smile. "He's a big Ashanti fan, too! Isn't that great? Maybe we can listen to some of her songs together while we prepare!"

Ricardo pales, about to interrupt to correct her when she barrels on, kicking sand around with her feet happily, and he decides to let it go, leaning over to kiss her shoulder. "So wedding plans coming along nicely?"

She turns and laces her fingers together behind his neck, skin glistening in the sun overhead. "Yes! It's all amazing." She kisses him nose. "Maryse and I have gotten along really well, despite our styles being so different. I think it'll all compliment everything really well."

He grins at her. "I'm glad. Can't wait to see it all put together." He pauses. "Can you believe it's just a little over a week away now?"

She shakes her head. "I can't, no. It feels like we've had to wait forever." She tilts her head. "But I guess between moving to Texas and my recovery, time has moved fast enough when I really think about it."

"Yeah, we've been through a lot the last months," Ricardo muses, squeezing her sides as she leans in and kisses him again. "And we've made it through pretty well, all things considered."

"Yeah." She smiles up at him and kisses him. "So, I have to leave for WWE soon. Are you going to be ok bowling with Alberto?"

"I think so," he hedges. It's finally almost time for the bowling event he and Alberto had agreed to work together on for Salvation Army, and he's not entirely sure how to feel about it. For charity, he reminds himself, taking a few deep breaths. "It'll be fine."

She smiles at him, patting his cheek. "Of course it will." She stretches up to kiss him and he sighs against her lips softly. "I have to go pack though. I'll come say goodbye properly before I have to leave."

"Ok." He squeezes her once more before letting her go, turning to look up at the sky as an easy September breeze blows over his skin. I'll be fine, he reiterates to himself.

And, incredibly enough, he is. Alberto is on his best behavior, they bowl pretty well considering, and a lot of money is collected over the course of the evening. Outside afterwards, Alberto smiles at him as they lurk by their vehicles, neither exactly eager to leave. "Wedding day is coming up soon, hmm?"

Ricardo nods. "Si. Are you still coming?"

"Where else would I be?" he wonders, smile twitching at his lips."Do you still wish for me to be your best man?"

Ricardo swallows, thinks about those he could make an offer to. Mike, maybe. And...that's pretty much it, unless he asks someone from his wrestling school, but he'd rather not try that bit of desperation just yes. "If you still want to be," he says awkwardly, rocking forward and backwards on his heels with his hands tangled behind his back.

"I do," Alberto confirms, and part of Ricardo's tension dissipates.

"Gracias," he says slowly, watching him.

"No worries," Alberto says with a small smile. "It is my pleasure, and I have wanted to see you having a stress, good wedding for awhile now. You're getting close," he tells him. "Are you nervous?"

Ricardo shrugs. "No? Yes... maybe." He exhales. "I came very close to this point in the past, and..." He stops, flushing slightly. "Lo siento, I know you'd rather I not dredge all of that up again. Water under the bridge and all, si?"

"Perhaps," Alberto says softly. "But I can understand why it would be on your mind, today of all days." He claps Ricardo on the shoulder. "I will never forgive myself for my actions towards you in the past. All I can truly do is try to make up for them as best as I can in the present. If you'll allow me."

Ricardo sighs. "Si, El Patron. I want you to remain part of my life, even if we're neither of us sure what that entails right now." He tilts his head. "Let's just take it a day at a time, hm?"

"Whatever you want, mi amigo," he says. "I refuse to push you into something you're not comfortable with. I'm just glad tonight has gone well and we have collected lots of money."

Ricardo nods, wondering for a few moments how Raw has gone while he was busy here- if Alicia is doing ok between dealing with Mickie and Alexa, and navigating her new partnership with Jinder Mahal. Resolving to fast forward through the show as quickly as he can once home, he turns his focus back onto Alberto as they exchange goodbyes and he gets into his car, exhaling softly. With the wedding looming so close, it feels weird to be communicating with Alberto about remaining part of the wedding party, but Ricardo reminds himself that Alicia is not Paige and history will not repeat itself. "She loves me," he tells himself in the rearview mirror before sticking the key in the ignition to start it. "No one else."

His phone beeps then and he blinks hard, instinctively grabbing it and checking his text messages. One new one from Alicia is the most recent, and all it has is a line of red heart emojis. He chuckles and sends her a couple back before finally easing out of the parking lot, feeling a lot more secure in both his tentative friendship with Alberto and his future with Alicia.