Ricardo wakes up after a night of scattered sleep to find sun drifting in through the gaps of their blinds, squinting around when he realizes he's alone in bed. "Alicia?" he calls out, thinking it's too early for her to be awake. He gets up and stumbles around, waving vaguely at Sofia as she sits at the kitchen table and sips her early morning coffee before continuing on to find his wife.

Alicia isn't in the living room, nor the bathrooms. He finally spots her in the corner of their son's nursery, leaning against the wall, listening to him breathing steadily. Ricardo takes in the defeat on her face, how she's digging her fingers into her palm, and approaches slowly. "Hey," he says quietly and she looks up at him. The tears dripping down her face tells the tale and he quickly joins her, wrapping his arms around her. "Shhhh," he soothes her. "What's wrong? Is Andre-"

"Andre's fine," she exhales into his collar. "He's perfect. My poor, sweet little baby." She pulls away and looks up at him, tears still dripping down her face. "Do you think we... we were selfish to bring him into the world? It's such a heartless place sometimes."

Ricardo exhales and rests her face back against his collar, stroking his fingers through her hair as he thinks about how to answer her. "No," he says honestly. "If I thought that, then I'd have to think everyone who had kids right now were only thoughtless, inconsiderate assholes. Do you think that?"

She shakes her head against his collar, and he rocks her back and forth gently. "It's just so hard sometimes," she mumbles into his shirt. "The world is such a cold and unfeeling place sometimes."

"I know it is," Ricardo says gently. "But who knows, maybe kids like Andre will be the push the world needs to be gentler and more loving in the next generation."

Alicia eases back and examines him with a careful eye before grazing his jaw with her hands, gentle but bracing. "You really think so?" He nods, not looking away from her once, and she exhales shakily. "I... I have something to tell you," she mumbles.

"What is it?" he asks when she stops, uncertain how to proceed if the way her eyes are flickering around is any indication.

She finally leans forward and presses her forehead to his. "I'm pregnant," she breathes into his skin and all he can do is gape at her. "Andre's going to be a big brother." She sniffs and wipe at her eyes. "Are you up for another kid?"

He stares at her incredulously. "Alicia, I..." he swallows and struggles to hold a tight reign on his emotions so he can comfort and reassure her. "Alicia, I've wanted children for so long, but so many of my relationships ended poorly, I never thought it was possible. You've given me Andre, and now you've giving me another." This time the tears do poor down his face, two heavy little rivulets and he quickly wipes away and moves past. "I love you so much," he tells her. "And I want to be involved, every step of the way. Just please... take care of yourself. Let others take care of you. If you want a home birth, that's fine, just let us figure it out together. Alright?"

Alicia remembers giving birth alone, and how badly it could've gone if she hasn't been insanely lucky. "Of course," she tells him gently. "I can promise you that. We'll deal with every step of this pregnancy together."

He smiles at her, overwhelmed in love and adoration as she takes his hand and rests it on her still flat stomach, envisioning their second child. How similar it'll be to Andre, how different. "I love you so much."

"I love you more," Alicia whispers, leaning into him.