The house is quiet. Alicia is sprawled out next to him on the couch, blinking slowly as she watches the TV sleepily. He thumbs through a book, trying to focus, and finding that he can't. A lot of things are weighing on them both, causing quite a few restless, sleepless nights for the both of them. He sighs and glances over at her, smiling as she blinks back at him. "Hey."
"Hey," she hums, cuddling closer to him.
"How are you feeling?"
She shrugs. "Ok." One of her better mornings then.
He leans in and kisses her forehead. "Do you want anything?"
"Not really." She leans into his warmth and he rubs her arm gently, holding her close. "Just don't move for awhile?"
"Sure," he says fondly, pressing his face into her hair and lightly kissing her temple. "It's gonna be alright." She's been in contact with her doctor, and they're proceeding cautiously towards getting her examined in a couple of days, and they're both nervous about it.
"I hope so," she says softly. "I really do."
He stays with her, breathing in as soothingly as he can, until her eyes start to slip closed, her breathing calming. He starts murmuring soft affirmations and she's fully asleep before he can finish a full set of them.
He closes his eyes and wishes things were different, that the timing was better. That he'd be able to go with her, and experience this with her, keep her calm during the examination. He slowly soothes his fingers over her abdomen, smiling a little bit. "We'll do the best we can, won't we?" he whispers, leaning his head back and trying just to relax, a little bit. Maybe get some sleep himself.
Alicia and AJ spend a lot of the next few days on video chats, talking about anything and everything. Sometimes Ricardo hangs around and listens, most times he takes the dogs for walks or just to nose around the backyard.
Sofia contacts him early Sunday morning to inform him she's safely in California, squared away in Mike and AJ's guest house until she feels confident enough to come be with them. "I don't really have any furniture, and all of my personal belongings are in storage for now. So that won't be a concern!"
"That's fine," he says with a faint smile. "I'm just glad everything's working out." And he is. It'll be nice to have her, once she's done self-quarantining. "Look, if something happens, if you need anything, call, alright? I know times are strange, but we'll do our best to help with whatever it is."
"Gracias. I think I'll be fine! Mike and AJ ordered me plenty of groceries, and there's pretty much a full kitchen here, so nothing to worry about!" She gets even more vocal when she's stressed, and he exhales slowly.
"Alright," he responds softly. "Just... remember. Any time, feel free to call."
"I will, mi hijo. I will. No worries."
They hang up a little later, and he stares up at the sky, watching clouds drift lazily. It's a beautiful day. He casts curious eyes towards the house and wonders, briefly, about going to the park, just to kick a soccer ball around, alone. "Maybe tomorrow," he decides, content to lay in the grass and listen to the dogs bounding around, the soft murmur of Alicia's voice coming from the open window in the living room.
Things are stressful, tense. He misses wrestling, he wishes there weren't so many frightening things happening right now, but there's still a wave of contentment deep down within him, lulled by the thoughts of having Sofia back with him, and the future Alicia and he could have with their child. He curls his fingers around the grass, feeling it tickle his palm, and grins upwards, enjoying the sun against his skin.
It'll be a long, slow road, but he's sure things will be just fine with time.
