The week passes slowly. Ricardo looks in on Raw results at times, but for the most part, he keeps his head down and focuses on training. Helps everyone as best as he can, finding it easier to focus the longer they work on things.
Alberto's allegience with Zeb Colter had been weird enough to wrap his head around, but then Ricardo learns that he's working with Sheamus, Wade Barrett and Rusev in a faction called League of Nations. He tries to make sense of it but, without being able to talk to his best friend properly, it's hard to figure out what exactly is going on with him.
He paces around the ring once letting his students leave and sighs, trailing his fingers over the ring ropes. "Ugh, ay dios mio," he sighs. Unable to think very straight right now, he heads upstairs and settles on top of his bed, pulling his abandoned sketch pad over and starting to draw out random cartoons. He had ignored it pretty well up to now, too tired, too busy, to think of much of anything beyond training. But now, with everything going on at once, he can't deny it anymore. He misses home; he misses Alberto, and Sofia, and Paige, Mike, John, Alex and the rest.
Sighing, he rolls over onto his side and stares at the wall. "Four more months to go," he murmurs, burying his face in his arms and falling into a light doze.
Days pass and Ricardo's just let everyone go for the night, staring out over the canvas of the ring, when his phone buzzes in his pocket. He blinks and grabs it, answering it without looking. "Hola?"
"Hola, mi hijo," Sofia greets him. "There are some people here who would like to say hello to you."
Ricardo smiles as she pulls back the phone and a chorus of familiar voices yells hello at him. "Who all is there, Sofia?"
She chuckles fondly. "Everyone but Paige and senor," she says somewhat sadly. "Both were booked on Smackdown this week, but AJ, Mike, Alex, Alicia, John, Star, and I are here. I'm going to send you a picture," she says after a moment.
He pulls the phone back when it beeps and stares at the picture of food covering the kitchen counters. All Thanksgiving-themed foods imaginable taunt him and he groans. "That's evil, Sofia. It all looks so good."
She chuckles warmly. "We'll have a special meal just for you when you're home, mi hijo."
Ricardo nods. "Hey, Sofia, did El Patron go get the gift for the baby shower...? Do you know?"
"Si, he did, everything's perfect," she promises. "We will talk tomorrow then?"
"Si, we definitely will," he agrees. "Happy Thanksgiving, Sofia. I miss you."
"I miss you too, mi hijo. Take good care of yourself. Adios."
"Gracias, I will. Adios." They hang up and Ricardo sprawls out in the middle of the ring, staring up at the ceiling. He's going to miss Christmas, and Royal Rumble, and Baby Mizanin's birth and so many other things. He won't even be home for his own birthday. But this was the responsibility he'd taken on, and he won't stray from it now. It's just hard, especially when he knows his friends and family are struggling in so many different ways right now.
He sucks in a deep breath and stretches. Everything will be alright. Everyone will be alright until I can come back... They'll have to be. And I will get to talk to Paige and Alberto tomorrow, so that's nice.
After sorting things around the ring once more, he heads back upstairs to get a decent night's sleep before the next day's video call during the baby shower.