"So," Ricardo muses on Wednesday, once Alicia is back home after Raw, Paige's return still fresh on both of their minds. "What do you want to do for Thanksgiving?" He tickles her side lightly and she buries her face in her pillows, giggling maddeningly.
"Well," she says after rolling over and straddling Ricardo, pinning his hands at his sides so he'd stop tormenting her. "We could spend the day in, I can cook that little turkey you bought, and maybe a pie or two... whatever sides you want... Just have a quiet day for the two of us..." She leans in and kisses him as he grins. "Sound good?"
"It sounds great," he murmurs, staring at her through his eyelashes.
"Then I guess that's what we'll do," she hums, teasing him by nibbling at his lips with her teeth before kissing him again. "What else do you want to do? Football?" He grimaces against her and she giggles. "Meditation?"
"Maybe..."
"Taking puppy for a walk?"
"Could," he says, hands trailing up her back and making her shiver as he starts to stroke up her neck, scritching at her scalp.
"Or we could just spend the entire day in bed," she offers with a smirk, knowing by the look on his face that she'd hit a winner. "Like that, huh?"
"Yes," he says fervently, causing her to giggle again.
"Well, then, I guess that's what we have to do then." She nuzzles into him and kisses him happily. "It's gonna be the best Thanksgiving ever."
He smiles up at her, eyes gleaming as she brushes her hair out of her eyes and starts trailing kisses down his jawline to his throat, humming with each press of her lips against his warm skin. "I love you, Alicia," he murmurs, leaning back against the pillows and toying with her hair as she nuzzles into him.
"I love you too," she mouths into his skin.
Their Thanksgiving goes as planned. Alicia goes back and forth from the kitchen to the bedroom, only gone long enough to baste the turkey before she's snuggled back up with Ricardo, enjoying his warmth against her side as she drifts, happy and calm for once. The puppy is the only reason they leave the house, walking him around the block a couple of times before going back inside to eat, Ricardo's eyes widening when he sees the turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, rolls and pumpkin pie. "How did you do this?" he laughs, leaning in to kiss her. "I thought I didn't let you out of bed long enough for all of this."
She beams up at him. "My little secret," she winks, tracing a finger over his lips. "Now come on, let's eat." They sit at the table, her dressed in his sweat pants and a tank top, and him in jeans and her new merch shirt, quietly serving up the food until both of their plates are full, soda fizzing in their glasses as they tuck into the food. She pauses for a second, watching him taste the turkey for the first time. "How is it?"
He smiles at her. "It's great. I wish you had time to cook more often." She laughs at this, a pleasant kind of flush on her face, and he reaches over to take her hand, kissing her palm lightly. She tangles her fingers with his for a moment, squeezing gently, before they pull apart to continue to eat before the food gets cold.
Back in bed, he's reading while she half-listens to the TV droning on, her inattention to the show obvious when she notices immediately when he puts his book down and kisses her. "What's up?" she murmurs, eyes drifting closed as he rubs slow circles between her shoulderblades.
"Been thinking again." Usually gets him into trouble, he knows, but she simply blinks up at him as he exhales. "About leaving Florida. For real this time."
She'd had her heart set on leaving with him before, just for things to fall through, causing him to change his mind, and she frowns, sitting up. "Where'd this come from? I mean, it made sense before, when things were shaky with Alberto and everything, but..." She coughs, something coming to her with a rush. "Is it because of Paige?"
"Not really," he says. "I don't know, I've been restless and unhappy for awhile. Not with you," he hastens to add. "Just... professionally. I used to be more than this, you know? Even when I was competing on the California indys. I think if I make a change, somewhere, somehow, I'll regain it. Hopefully."
She cups his hands. Stares him intently in the eye. "I will support whatever you decide, Ricardo, but I can't go through what happened last time again. If I agree to move and it falls through at the last minute..."
"It won't," he promises. "I'll be much more careful with my plans this time. I swear to you."
She searches his face for a few moments longer, then nods. "That's all I can ask for," she muses, leaning and kissing him. She's not sure what this next chapter of their life together will bring but she vows to be patient with him while he figures things out.
