India is gorgeous. The time zones trip Ricardo up a lot- he thinks it's partially because of jetlag, and partially because sometimes he forgets where he's at, but nope, when he's awake, his American friends are either preparing for evening wrestling events or long in bed. He frowns at his phone, the latest attempt at facetiming with Alberto or Paige falling flat. He sighs and wipes at his eyes, reaches over for a comb to work his hair over as best as he can. He has to leave soon to prepare for another day of teaching the hungry, eager students waiting for him at Khali's school, but it bugs him that he's been unable to talk to any of his friends for the past couple of days.
He's only been awake for a few hours on Wednesday when his phone lights up. Facetime invitation from: Alberto. His eyes light up and he all but dives for the device, accepting the invitation. "El Patron!" he exclaims, staring at his best friend's face as he stares, confused, down at his phone before he sees Ricardo and his eyes light up as well.
"Mi hermano! There you are, I wasn't sure what I was doing with this thing at first." Alberto smiles ruefully. "I need my technologic wiz back to help me with this nonsense." Ricardo chuckles weakly and Alberto notices his discomfortable, changing the topic before he can start to feel too guilty. "Mi hermano, I remembered you mentioned you could see Total Divas, watch the conclusion to what happened with Paige and that perro drummer."
"Si," Ricardo says slowly. "What about it, El Patron?"
Alberto grimaces. "I thought perhaps you'd want to watch it, here now. Like this... I mean, if you have the time. Perhaps I can fastforward through segments that hold no interest for either of us."
Ricardo laughs sheepishly. "Eh, El Patron, that's nice of you, but I wouldn't put you through that torture. It's fine, I'll watch it some time."
"No, no, I... I figure we could mock everyone and..." He swallows. "Well, I just miss you, mi hermano. But if you don't want to, I understand."
Ricardo immediately cuts in, "No, no- actually, if you really don't mind, that's... that's a perfect way to start my day, El Patron. Let's do it." So they do. They watch all of it, not just Paige's scenes, and Alberto shakes his head so many times that Ricardo's afraid he'll exhaust his neck muscles. What he'd hoped to see with Paige doesn't happen; she hem and haws the entire episode, discussing the matter wtih Big Show, with Rosa, with Alicia, and getting different opinions everywhere she turns. By the time the episode ends, she decides to forego having the badly needed conversation and goes to Japan for media, leaving the matter undecided. Ricardo closes his eyes and curses under his breath.
When he opens his eyes again, Alberto is staring at him. "Are you alright, mi hermano?"
"Si, gracias for watching that with me, Alberto." They sit quietly for a few more minutes before Ricardo sighs. "Lo siento for leaving like this, but I have to go check in at the school. I'll try to catch you on here again soon." Smiling at his best friend, he waves and then presses the button to end the call before unfolding himself from where he'd been laying on the edge of the bed for the last forty minutes and goes to finish getting ready for the busy day ahead.
Even though there had been no clear resolution, Ricardo is thankful that the show is over for now. At least he feels like he can breathe for a few months until it returns to TV with a new season and inevitably everything will start to go wrong again.
-x
Paige hasn't been back home since seeing Ricardo off on that Thursday. She'd handled Thursday Smackdown as best as she could, tried to do her tag partner duties on Raw, but dammit, she's not in the mood for Charlotte or Becky's stupidity so leaving them shaking in the wind makes her feel good for some reason, especially when they lose. Once Raw is over, she really has no choice but to return home to Florida. Nearly desperate not to go back to Alberto's house right away, she drives around Miami for awhile, taking it all in, remembering places she and Ricardo had gone to over the last year.
It's only when she realizes that tears are pouring down her face that she slowly eases the car towards Alberto's house and lets herself in through the gate, parking haphazardly by the house. Her eyes are still redrimmed, but she's not crying right now, so she considers it a win and goes inside. Sofia is where she's always at, in the kitchen, preparing lasagna and garlic bread, and Paige gives herself a few moments to breathe in the delicious smells before speaking. "Hullo, Sofia."
"Oh! Paige!" the housekeeper exclaims, drying her hands off and quickly walking up to the British diva. "How are you feeling?" she wonders, hugging Paige gently. "Are you well?"
"Yeah, Sofia, I'm fine," Paige says, smiling brokenly down at the housekeeper. It's a lie, and it's obvious. "Um, but can we talk for a minute, Sofia?"
"Of course, darling. What is it?" she asks, guiding her into the living room and helping her sit down on the plushy couch.
"I know you like a clean house," Paige says, already feeling like she's tripping over her own words as she struggles to think of the best way to explain this. "But, um... well... I was thinking about taking everything out of the second floor room and... and returning it to Ricardo's room."
Sofia nods, perplexed why any of this has to do with her preference towards her cleaning style. "That makes sense, yes-"
"But here's the thing." Paige wipes at her eyes and looks miserably at Sofia. "I know this may sound creepy, but... could you not clean Ricardo's room for awhile? It's just... his bedding, and his clothes, and everything... smells like him... I just need some time surrounded by something of his, and I think... that's the best I'm going to get." She looks desperate the longer Sofia says nothing. "What do you say? Once I'm stronger, and don't feel this need, I'll gladly clean everything for you, top to bottom and wall to wall. I promise. You wouldn't even notice it just sat there for a little bit of time."
Sofia sighs and leans forward, hugging her before whispering in her ear, "I miss him dreadfully... of course, I will not touch his room until you say that it's ok once more." She leans forward and hugs Paige again. "Stay strong, mi hijastra. This time will rush past, you'll be amazed."
Paige wants to believe her, she really does, but it all seems so hard right now. But something registers with her and she lightly pushes back. "Um, Sofia? What does hijastra mean?"
A soft smile crosses Sofia's face as she pats Paige's hands, leaning forward. "It means my daughter in law," she clarifies with a grin when Paige gapes at her, fresh tears filling her eyes. "You and Ricardo will have a gorgeous wedding once you're both ready for it," she vows, squeezing Paige's fingers. "I just know it."
"Thank you," Paige whispers, her voice choked with tears. "I'm gonna... I've gotta go. I'll see you later, Sofia. Thank you for everything." She smiles tremblingly at the woman before turning and walking back down the hall, towards Ricardo's bedroom. The night before he'd left, she'd been unable to come here. Had stayed in her room and been repaid for it when he'd come to her, when he'd finally claimed what he'd wanted from her physically and emotionally. She rests her hand on the door, trying to breathe, and peering down the hall, towards the living room. The ring resides in Alberto's wall safe there, a lingering presence in her dreams, a sign of what could be in her waking hours.
She hadn't found the strength to look at it since Ricardo had shown her it, but now she turns her attention to the door blocking her from Ricardo's things. His scent. His soul. She sighs and finds the doorknob, twisting it forcefully and pushing her way inside. Immediately she's overwhelmed by everything Ricardo. His books, his Buddha statue, CDs, a couple of Zubaz that he'd had no choice but to leave behind upon realizing he was dreadfully over the luggage limitations placed by the airport.
She takes it in, breathes it in, and then cries out roughly as it all becomes just a little too much to bear. Her inate loneliness in the halls of the WWE upon PCB collapsing in on itself, the loss of his comforting, beautiful presence... She falls to her knees next to his bed and buries her face in the mattress, drenching it in her tears when she breathes in and smells his scent. That which always reminds her of grass and the sky, picnics by the pond... She sobs and immediately drags herself up right before burying herself in Ricardo's bed, her face pressed against his pillows, cocooning herself in his sheet and comforter.
It's not the same as having his arms around her, soft kisses pressing against her forehead, her nose, cheeks and mouth, but when she closes her eyes and breathes in deeply, she can at least pretend. Make herself believe for at least a little bit longer...
