"I've missed you," Alicia mumbles into Ricardo's shoulder, sighing softly as he traces shapes against her spine.
"I've missed you too," he whispers back, lips quirking up into a smile. "It's good to be home. God, Andre's gotten so big."
"He has," Alicia agrees, leaning up on one elbow to look at him. "I tried to show it in pictures but I know it's really different to see it in person. He'll probably be crawling soon. I'm glad you're here to help me, things might get kind of rough and I don't really want Sofia to feel obligated to help all the time with him, I know she'd do it gladly but she does enough around here as it is.."
Ricardo nods, cradling Alicia's face in his hands and smiling softly at her. "This is true. I'm happy to be home to help with him more too. I know things haven't been easy for you while I was gone, you've been so patient. I can never repay you."
She shakes her head, tilting her face to kiss his palms. "You don't need to repay me, we're a couple. It's a give and take, when you need me, I'll do what I can, just like I know when I need you, you'll do your best. That's just how things work."
She shifts, straddling him, and he breathes in deeply as she hums and kisses him, teasing him with gentle licks. "I love you," she breathes against his mouth and he sighs, hands exploring for the first time in what feels like forever.
"I love you too," he hums, bracing her lower back as she trails kisses down his jaw to his throat. "So much."
The next few days pass in a lazy, pleasant reunion, Ricardo content to stay at home, spend time with his son, with Sofia, with Alicia. Reorienting himself to the ways of the house. Then, barely four days later, the phone rings. He frowns at the number before answering it.
Alicia pauses on her way to check on Andre when she sees the look on his face, stopping short and trying to decipher what his half of the conversation could possibly mean. When he finally hangs up and she approaches, he leans forward, digging his hands into his hair, tugging roughly. "You're not going to like this," he tells her quietly and she swallows.
"Ok, what was it?" she wonders, bracing herself for what he's about to say.
"The Egypt school called. They want me to come back, continue training the course." He stares at her, a quiet kind of desperation in his eyes. "Alicia..."
"You want to do this," she says quietly and he swallows.
"Yeah," he breathes out. "I think I do. It was... it was really amazing over there." He suddenly moves, gripping her hands. "Listen, it doesn't just have to be me. You can come, Andre is older now, he... he'd be alright, I'm sure. We can even bring Sofia. What do you think, can we at least consider it?"
She gapes at him. "You... you mean it," she breathes out. "You'd... you sound like you want this Egypt thing to be permanent."
"Maybe I would," he hedges. "Or at least kind of long term. It... it was refreshing, after America, the last few years. I don't know." He stares at her, hopeful despite himself. "What do you think? Is that completely impossible?"
"I don't know," she says honestly. "I... need time to think about it. I mean, there's Andre to think about, and I don't... don't entirely feel comfortable springing this on Sofia, she... she should be able to make a decision without feeling like we're leading her one way or another. You know? She might... she might like it here, she might want to stay, and that's... I don't really blame her. It's a lot of change." She cups his face and stares deep into his eyes. "I love you, Ricardo, and I will think seriously about this. That's all I can give you right now. Alright?"
"Likewise, that's all I can really ask of you," he says, curling his fingers gently around her wrists. "Thank you, Alicia."
She smiles sadly at him and excuses herself, going to check on their son. She makes it as far as Andre's room, shutting the door firmly behind her, before slumping back to rest against the wall. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do," she says to the little boy. "Egypt sounds amazing, and if it was just Ricardo and I, this decision would be so much easier to make. But I'm a mother now, and I have to do what's best for you. How do I know upending you possibly permanently to an entirely new country is that?" She closes her eyes and breathes deeply. "I wish you could talk..."
Shakes her head, she takes in a few deep breaths, trying to calm her heart rate. "It's ok, though," she continues. "Momma will figure this out for you, don't worry." She smiles and leans against the wall, closing her eyes. "Nothing to worry about at all, my sweet baby boy."