Alicia laughs, stretching her arms out towards the baby. Monroe is still little, although bigger than when they'd last seen her, and she coos over the little girl, Maryse watching closely while Ricardo leans over the grill, trying to help Heath keep their meal from burning. The couples finding themselves with a rare day off for all four of them, meeting up had been a no-brainer. Ricardo had considered inviting Alberto and Sofia even, but Alberto was busy with his own business dealings and he didn't want to put Heath or Maryse on the spot, considering.

"Better watch it," Maryse warns Alicia with a soft, loving smile as she pokes her baby's lips gently. "Hold this one long enough and she'll make you want to have one of your own."

Alicia casts a quick glance at Ricardo before shrugging, turning to beam at Maryse. "Wouldn't be the worst thing I could think of."

Maryse's brows furrow as she realizes. "So things are no better with WWE?"

"Not really," Alicia shrugs. "We'll see." She presses a kiss to Monroe's cheek and sighs. "So what about you guys? Any plans?" Her smirk turns smug as Maryse colors. "Like, wedding bells maybe... First comes baby, then comes marriage?"

"Ha-ha," Maryse says dryly. "I haven't been asked. I'm not about to push the matter." She takes Monroe back and Alicia holds her hands up.

"Sorry, just a question," she says, before turning to give Maryse a minute to compose herself, let her temper cool. She drapes her arms around Ricardo's neck and kisses him enthusiastically, giggling when he turns to squeeze her, kissing her back. "Hello, fiance."

"Hola," he says, running his hands up and down her satin camisole. "Are you and Maryse playing nice?"

Alicia pouts. "Trying," she insists, glancing at Heath, who pauses in his grill-tending to look over at his significant other. "Tonight then?"

"Yep, all goes well," Ricardo murmurs, kissing her before turning back to place some potatoes and corn on the cob where Heath directs him. Despite the lingering tension, they have a delicious meal and Monroe sleeps soundly through it all, baby monitor crackling with the sounds of her breathing and soft noises.

Heath and Ricardo are talking quietly over their plates, sipping beers slowly, when Alicia turns back to Maryse, eyes wide and sincere. "Listen, I just wanna apologize for earlier. I didn't mean to tease you, or make you feel bad about doing things out of the so-called norm. You shouldn't feel weird just because Monroe came first before you and Heath have everything else figured out. It's 2018. Whatever, you know? As long as you're all happy and healthy, that's the important thing."

Maryse nods. Fumbles with her napkin. Nods again. "Oui. I agree. The important thing." She casts another look at Heath, who misses it while whispering with Ricardo, and then stares down at her hands for a few moments. Squaring her shoulders, she stands up and walks over to Heath's chair, gripping his hands and tugging him up-right. As he gapes at her, she forces a small smile. "May I have a minute?"

Ricardo and Alicia exchange glances as Maryse drags him into the grass, then drops down to one knee before him, fumbling with a small box she pulls out of the folds of her dress. His jaw drops as she stares up at him. "We're not conventional," she says. "We've done a lot of things backwards, or not at all, and to most, we probably don't make sense. The French-Canadian and the southern boy." She laughs and shrugs. "But I was reminded the only thing that matters is that we're healthy and happy, and I haven't been happier or healthier than when I'm with you. You ground me, Heath Slater, and you're an incredible father to our baby, and I... I want to show the world what exactly you mean to me." She pops open the box, revealing a simple gold band, and he swallows hard, touching it with a trembling finger.

"Maryse," he says in a choked tone, eyes filling with tears. He eases down onto his knees in front of her and laughs softly, tugging his own box out of his jeans pocket, the small but beautiful diamond inside entrancing her. "I was gonna..." He sniffs and wipes at his eyes. "Ricardo and I were talkin' about the logistics of having a double weddin'. If you wanted... I know it's soon, but I don't wanna wait." He stares up at her, biting his lip. "What do you think?"

"I think you'd better put that ring on my finger," she says through her own tears, laughing as he pushes the ring into place and waits patiently while she does the same for him. "I love you," she breathes. "I love you so much."

They look up as Ricardo and Alicia approach, sappy smiles on their faces. "Soooo?" Ricardo asks. "Are we doing the double wedding gimmick?"

Heath and Maryse exchange glances, his smile soft and sure, giving her the courage to take this next step. "Yes!" Maryse says, getting to her feet with a little help from Heath. He dusts at the grass stains on her knees but she ignores it, staring at the ring and discussing with Alicia what dress styles to go with and how to best meld both of their tastes together to form this gorgeous, unforgetable wedding for the four of them.

-x

All in all, Ricardo is having a great week. The double wedding plans with Heath and Maryse are slow, but coming together nicely so far, and he is contacted by a stand up comedian from California, offering him VIP tickets to his event in Texas that weekend. He mulls it over before placing a call. "Hola, El Patron," he says, staring down at the DM before him with the information.

"Ah, hola, mi hermano. Is everything alright?" Alberto asks, some worry clearly creeping in his voice.

Ricardo feels bad for a moment that Alberto thinks he'd only call if something was wrong, but swallows it down. "Si, uh, everything's great, actually. I was offered some VIP tickets to Felipe Esparza's event tomorrow night and I was wondering if you and Sofia would like to come with me and Alicia?"

Alberto pauses for only a second. "Of course," he says. "Sofia and I would both like that very much."

Ricardo can hear the smile in his former employer's voice, and it enboldens him. "Well, uh, while we're on the phone, I'm wrestling later on, if you wanna come and check it out, that... that'd be nice." Things are still a little awkward, somewhat tense, but better. Much better than they were even two months ago.

"Si, of course," Alberto says softly. "Text me the address, I'll be there, mi hermano."

Ricardo does so, and then has to leave to prepare for the event.

When it's time for his match, he checks the crowd out and sees Alberto and Alicia sitting together, Alicia making a face at him for not informing her ahead of time, and he stifles his laughter even as he nods in their direction, entering the ring with his lips twitching. It's dumb, he thinks, but knowing that Alberto is there seems to distract him, and he turns wrong in the first few minutes of the match. His back, which has started to join the rest of him in nagging him after most matches the last few months, twinges worse than usual, but he doesn't think much of it, trying to proceed as normal... until he's hoisted up and scoop slammed down, the wind knocked out of him as pain shoots up his spine and leaves him frozen in agony, staring up at the lights. The referee clearly isn't sure what to do, his opponent eager to continue, and Ricardo forces himself to finish the match to a losing conclusion, gasping in agony as he rolls out of the ring and stumbles to the back, sweaty and in pain so bad that he barely makes it to a nearby bench before his knees give out.

He's still sitting there, head buried in his hands, when he hears footsteps approach him, Alberto's warmth pressed against his side a moment later. "Mi hermano, what's wrong?" he asks, hands prodding lightly at his back. "Alicia knew something was wrong as soon as you took that scoop slam. Talk to me."

"My back's been nagging since February," Ricardo admits, casting a woeful glance at the older man. "I landed wrong tonight. It..." He bites down on his tongue as Alberto presses just so, sending fresh pain stabbing up his spine. "AY Mierda!"

"Lo siento, lo siento," Alberto soothes. "I'm sorry, mi hermano. I think you should see a doctor..."

"They can't do anything, and I can't afford it anyway," he hisses. "I just... want to sleep it off... and go to Felipe's show tomorrow..." His eyes are desperate, beseeching, and Alberto sighs, troubled. "Por favor? If it gets worse, I'll let you drag me to the hospital personally... but not right now."

"Fine," Alberto concedes reluctantly, ruffling Ricardo's hair just to give his hands something to do. "But only if you let me make sure you get home safely tonight. No complaining." He pokes Ricardo's nose, chuckling a little when he flinches, looking crosseyed for a moment. "You're my little brother. I have to make sure you're going to be ok. Si?"

"Fine," he sighs, relieved when Alberto eases an arm around him, helping him up and over to the showers so he can get cleaned up and change clothes. "Gracias," he mumbles.

"Any time, mi hermano," Alberto says, rubbing his shoulders. "You're gonna be just fine."

Ricardo hopes so, dread and denial swirling together deep within him as he yet again faces an uncertain future.