A/N: I have a ko-fi page now! If you want to help me stay caffeinated to keep the words flowing, my account name over there is corneroffandom. Thank you! Either way, enjoy the chapter.
Ricardo hears his phone ringing mid-Monday, standing in the middle of the ring at Hybrid and trying to psyche himself up. He exhales and rolls out, grabbing for it and smiling a little when he sees Alberto's name flashing there. "Hola?"
"Hola, mi hermano," Alberto greets him. "So I wanted to call you because I've been invited to bowl for Salvation Army and I would like you in my corner. What do you think?"
"Bowling?" Ricardo muses. "Yeah, si, of course, you know I'm up for anything that helps charity. When?"
"September 10th. There are a few other things they may want us involved in in the weeks to come, I'm not sure, I'll be in contact with them. What do you think?"
"I think I'm in," Ricardo says easily. "It sounds fun." He hesitates for a moment, mulling over if he wants to tell Alberto what's going on in his world. "Um, so I'm at Hybrid right now," he says. "Um, I'm thinking about taking my first bumps since injuring my back."
Alberto doesn't say anything for a moment. "I'll be there in ten." He hangs up before Ricardo can respond, the former ring announcer shrugging, not too surprised by that response.
When Alberto arrives, Ricardo is pacing around the ring and walks over to the doors to let him in. "I haven't done anything," he says before Alberto can start to question him. "Come on."
They enter the ring and Alberto watches closely as Ricardo plants his feet and takes the form for bumping. "How do you feel?"
"Fine," he says. "Ask me later once the adrenaline wears off."
Alberto sighs. Watches his best friend shrewdly as he drops back, bumping and standing, bumping and standing. After a few sets of this, he stands up and Alberto reluctantly follows his commands, clotheslining him down and helping him to practice other common moves. They finish after about ten minutes of steady work, Ricardo breathing heavily as Alberto lays next to him. "How's your back now?"
"Sore, but in a way I'm used to," Ricardo says. "I may be feeling it in the morning, but I'm just... glad to be able to do something again. As frustrated as I get with wrestling sometimes, I miss it when I can't do it." He eyes Alberto. "You may understand that."
"On some level, si, of course I do," Alberto says softly. "I'm glad you're happy, mi hermano. I hope you don't let injuries get so bad before you admit you need time off in the future, though."
Ricardo sighs. "I know. I'm awful about it. I'm working on it though. I promise you."
Alberto smiles half-heartedly. "Well, that's all we can ask from you." He sits there quietly and watches while Ricardo goes back to feeling out simple moves in the ring for the first time in weeks.
-x
Maryse and Alicia's intense discussions are echoing through the living room from where they're busy in the kitchen as Heath and Ricardo sit on the floor and watch over Monroe Sky as she squirms around on her stomach, reaching chubby fingers out towards her toys. Outside of listening to make sure neither of them have to go in to stop their fiancees from killing each other, both men are totally focused on the baby between them, sappy grins on both of their faces. "She's so big!" Ricardo exclaims.
"Tell me about it," Heath laughs. "It feels like yesterday I could hold her easily in one hand... now she's gonna be crawlin' before I know it, and... damn, it all goes so fast, man." He shakes his head and chuckles as she looks up at him, eyes dark and searching. "Daddy's right here, everything's ok, lil MS." He strokes her soft cheek and smiles when she fusses a little, reaching out for him. Obligingly, he lifts her up and kisses her nose. "Do you hear your mommy?" he asks, flinching when things get particularly loud between the two women and Ricardo leans over to get a good look at what's going on.
Monroe pouts, eyes wide and wet, and he clicks his tongue at her. "It's ok, baby girl. They're just overly enthusiastic about everything. Don't worry. We're ok." He kisses her forehead and holds her close to his chest, the sound of his heartbeat relaxing her as she drifts, fingers tangling in his shirt.
"You're such a good dad," Ricardo observes. "You were always a natural with Sara too." He thinks sometimes about having kids with Alicia someday, when she's done with WWE, and ready to move onto the next stage of their lives together. But for now, his niece and nephew, Heath and Mike's kids, will have to tide him over.
As if reading his mind, Heath drops a sleepy Monroe into his arms and Ricardo cradles her close as she falls asleep in his arms. "Don't sell yourself short," he tells him. "Kids and animals, they can tell when someone's great, and Sara and Monroe always loved you too. I just had more time with Sara since Mike and I filmed Marine 4 together, is all." He smiles, remembering that time in Vancouver, getting closer to Maryse and beginning to fall in love with her.
Ricardo smiles. "Do you think those two will be able to compromise?" he wonders, nodding towrds the kitchen where things have eased down to a dull roar as they continue taking notes and talking lowly amongst themselves.
Heath tilts his head. "Well, we can hope, I guess," he says with a faint smile. "I'd rather not have to drag AJ into things to calm them down. She was always really good with Alicia."
Ricardo mulls over it while running his fingers through Monroe's hair. "Yeah, I guess," he sighs. "Man, I remember when my niece and nephew were this small." He rests his face on the top of her head and chuckles. "They're so small and easy to snuggle. I kind of miss it, now the kids just run all over the place and I'm lucky just to get them to sit down long enough to color for five minutes."
Heath grins at him, brushing his fingers over his daughter's back. "I kinda can't wait until she's a little older so we can play." His eyes are soft. "I'm on the road a lot, but she'll never doubt I love her." He sighs. "It's hard enough for me, I can't imagine how someone like Mike feels with Sara Louisa, he's a lot busier than I am between reality TV and filming movies and everything else. At least I know when I'm going home every week. It usually seems up in the air for him."
Ricardo nods, feeling some sympathy for Mike as well. "Yeah, it always seems really rough for him. But they manage, thankfully technology makes it a little easier I guess."
They sit for awhile before realizing just how quiet it's become in the kitchen. Exchanging uncomfortable looks, they put Monroe down in her basinet and goes to see what's happening. "Everything ok in here?" Heath asks, leaning over to kiss Maryse.
Alicia looks up from the magazine she's perusing and cups the side of Ricardo's face as he leans over to glance at the glossy pages. "We're doing ok," she chuckles. "We've figured out a lot of it, I think."
"Really? And no one died?" She laughs and swats at him before closing her magazine and turning to face him. "So what kind of wedding are we having then?" She pushes a chair out for him and Heath sits on the other side of Maryse, the women showing them their plans, Heath and Ricardo exchanging glances at points and nodding along at others, not even sure what to say but knowing instinctively to leave it to their significant others with as few comments as possible.
