It's funny how life comes at you when you least expect it. By Ricardo's experience, it's always the moment when you have your focus elsewhere, your back turned, that it just hits you, twists you in a direction you weren't expecting.

Like when he's trying, again, to get ahold of promoters in Egypt to discuss his return, which is starting to seem less and less likely as time goes by, and his phone goes off with a number he doesn't recognize. He almost lets it go, figuring it's a spam call, but then something comes over him, frustration over the Egyptian promotion he'd spent the last few months of his life at all but ignoring him welling up, and he answers it. "Hello?"

It takes a second to register with him, what the person on the other end is saying, but when it does... when it does, his entire face lights up in disbelief. Since leaving WWE, he had struggled. No one believed he could wrestle, most just saw him as a ring announcer- a commentator, the years he'd spent in local indys in California, all the time he spent training other superstars had meant nothing. All they cared about was what they saw on TV, and all they saw on TV was... a guy with a bucket speaking Spanish and being the shield for Del Rio. Which he hadn't minded at the time until it'd assisted in getting him trapped in this one role that no one really cared to see beyond.

So when he goes to update Alicia on the latest, it's with a dazed look on his face. She looks worried at first, when his silence draws on and on, but then he smiles at her, almost choked up on emotions. "Alicia," he murmurs. "AEW wants me to try out on Spanish commentary." Yes, it doesn't take him out of that role, in fact it all but enforces it, but still. Still. He would be working again, on TV, and maybe- maybe he could help the young up and comers in the business, especially the luchadores. Guys like Fuego Del Sol, fresh in the business and just needing a little support to get further in their aspirations. And just getting to reconnect with other people, who he worked with in WWE.

Her face lights up as she realizes what he means, cradling his face in her hands and beaming up at him. "I'm so happy for you, Ricardo," she says, hugging him tightly. "I know you've tried so hard for something like this." He nods into her shoulder and she eases back, kissing him. "When do you have to go?" she wonders.

"Soon," he sighs. "They want me to go to Massachusetts to try out."

She nods, taking his hand, leading him to where they leave their luggage. His is already partially packed from his trip to Florida, and she helps him toss in a few thing- thick clothes in case it's cold, the professional wear he'll try out in, and a scribbled mess of a drawing from Andre for good luck. She chuckles and kisses him again. "I'm so proud of you," she tells him, eyes fluttering as his hands rest on her hips.

"Gracias," he sighs, leaning his forehead against her. "I never thought... I mean, hell, no business was very interested in me after WWE. That this... this would happen now. I hope... I hope they like me."

She plays with his hair. "I don't see how they couldn't." She smiles up at him. "Either way, I am so proud of you for never giving up. I know it hasn't been easy all of these years, most would have a long time ago."

"Probably," he agrees with a sigh, pressing his forehead to hers. "I love you, Alicia."

"Love you too, Ricardo. Forever and always."

A day later, he's sitting in Boston, nodding along to instructions given about what they're looking for. It's different than WWE, which mostly just threw you out there and expected you to either sink or swim on your own. AEW actually has some direction, how they want things to be. He really, really likes it, and hopes he can stay.