Ricardo holds his one month chip up. "Well, I've made it this far," he tells Alicia with a small smile, adjusting the phone so she can see easier.
"I'm so proud of you," she says softly, examining the chip. "I know it wasn't easy, to admit that you needed help or making it through the last month so far away from Andre and me. I'm so glad you're still doing your best."
"I don't want to disappoint you again," he says quietly. "I want... I want to be everything you and Andre deserve. That's why I think this move to Pennsylvania would be good for us. It's a lot easier, a lot calmer here. I think it'd be good for all of us. You know?"
Alicia grins. "Yeah. It looks amazing, I've googled it to figure out some things. It all looks really, really good. I'll miss our friends, but I would love to live there with you. You just give me the word and I'll start figuring out movers and maybe find some places to look at when I visit you. When is that again?"
"My therapist says I'll probably be allowed a visitor or two in the next couple of weeks. I won't be able to come with you, but you can let me know what you like, and we'll take it from there."
Alicia smiles. "I'll be so glad to see you in person again. Touch you, hold you."
He smiles at her. "You'll even be able to kiss me for a little bit."
She lets out a shaky little sigh. "I've missed you so much. Just touching you and being able to look into your eyes without it being a pixelated phone screen."
"I miss all of that too," Ricardo tells her softly. "I am so, so sorry about all of this. I will do my best to stay on track with my recovery so we never ever have to go through something like this again."
"I believe you," she responds, gentle. Quiet. "And I know the signs, so I can help. Hopefully. I... I'll do my very best in the future to..."
"It's not your responsibility," he tells her. "I know you want to help, but if... if I start to spiral again, I need you to take care of yourself and Andre ahead of everything, ok? We, uh. We know that I'm not in a good place mentally when this happens. I'd never forgive myself if I did something to you or Andre, or Sofia. So please.."
Alicia stares deeply into the screen. "I would never believe that you'd hurt any of us. But I promise. I will do my best to help you while keeping all of us safe."
"I'm sorry I'm so high maintenance," he sighs. "You have Andre to take care of, and you're pregnant, and now you have to babysit your husband as well? It really isn't fair."
"Hey," Alicia says. "Our vows said in sickness and in health. And I have no doubt if roles were reversed, you'd do the same for me. So I don't want you feeling bad about any of this, alright? I love you, and I want to be there for you, and so I will do just that. You take care of yourself, and I will take care of our kids and myself, and when we're all together again, living in a nice little house in Pennsylvania, all of this will be worth it. Alright? I promise you."
Ricardo smiles. "You know, there's no one I trust more than you. whenever you promise me something, I just... I feel so light and comforted... like I have no doubt that it'll happen, one way or another. You're a very powerful person, Alicia. I always feel like anything you put out in the universe will work out in the way we both need and want it to."
She smiles lovingly at him. "I hope I can always be that for you," she says softly. "I definitely want to be."
"So far so good," he ells her, sighing out a deep exhale. "Man, I wish I could hold you right now."
"Soon," she tells him, fingers flexing as she closes her eyes, imagining the warmth of his arms around her, her face pressed into his neck as they sway lightly to some nonexistent music. "Very soon."
"I love you," Ricardo murmurs.
"I love you too," she responds, eyes gleaming. "Forever and ever."
Hanging up with Ricardo always feels like losing a piece of herself, but Alicia is tired and he senses it, Alicia humming as she lays back down and resting a hand on her stomach. "Little one, you're going to have such a good life. I promise you. No matter how things shake out. I will take care of you, and your daddy, and your big sister. It's going to be amazing."
She sighs, closing her eyes. She drifts into sleep quickly with a soft smile on her face.