With things opening up, people trying to find some semblance of normalcy, Ricardo finds himself in an awkward position of being aware the pandemic is not over, but wanting to fill out his calendar. So he takes a deep breath and tries, takes a few dates here, a few dates there, and tries not to think too much about how anxious it makes him feel. He figures it's normal, everyone a little hesitant to get their feet wet right away. But still, still, it's wrestling, and he loves every second of it, so under the nerves are a fair deal of excitement too.
"You're looking forward to this, huh?" Alicia asks, a small smile on her face as she leans back and gently strokes Andre's back.
He nods. "I am. It's been so long." He stares fondly at her, at their son, and Alicia grins softly at him.
"It has. I'm happy for you that this is working out. I know... I know you worry when it's been awhile, that perhaps interest wanes. But when you're this good, how could it, right?" She winks at him and a pleasant warmth curls up deep in his sternum as he smiles at her.
"I love you, Alicia," he says softly and she leans in, tangling her fingers in his shirt collar, dragging him closer, pressing a warm, searching kiss to his lips. When he sighs and deepens the kiss, letting out a soft moan that she seems very happy to hear, she shifts forward, settles in his lap, trails her fingers through his hair.
"I love you too," she breathes into his skin, against his lips, and he almost feels like crying as she traces warm, soothing circles against his shoulders. "I love you so damn much, Ricardo Rodriguez."
He sighs into her, enjoying the warmth of her skin under his fingers. "We..." He hesitates as she kisses his jaw, tilting his face up to give her a better angle. "We might wanna move this elsewhere."
She pulls back and smirks at him. "Yeah?" Her eyes are so dark, he feels like he's drowning as they examine each other. "Yeah, let's," she agrees breathlessly. "I'm sure Sofia could-"
The sudden, shrill ringing of his phone distracts them both. Ricardo frowns, shifts a bit, grabs at the device before it can vibrate itself off of the table. "Just give me a minute, I'll-" His words stop, die away as he stares at the screen as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Who is it?" she asks, truly worried by the look on Ricardo's face, how quickly he had paled. "Ricardo? You're scaring me-"
"It's Alberto," he says quietly, unable to look away from the name flashing on his phone for the first time in months. She can do nothing but watch, trying to help him relax, as he presses to answer the call.
"...Hola?"
