Ricardo rocks slowly, staring down at Mariana. Across from him, Alicia is sitting in a matching chair, rocking Clara gently as well. "Look at you," he says softly. "About to celebrate your first ever Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to this."
"You know, you saying that," Alicia murmurs. "They're almost a month old."
"Wow," Ricardo hums. "That's true. They've already gotten so much bigger than when I first saw them."
Alicia smiles tenderly at him. "They really are. I was so worried through so much of the pregnancy," she confesses. "Twins, it felt so daunting. Like, one child, I could handle taking care of. But two of them? And then the pre-eclampsia. I just... I thought for sure i'd fail at it somehow. That we... that we wouldn't have this."
Ricardo's eyes soften and he bites back some frustration at not being bale to reach over to comfort her while they cradle the babies so close right now. Instead, he reaches out his socked feet towards her and wiggles his toes until she looks up and giggles slightly, meeting him way with her own, their toes pressing close. "I never doubted that you'd be strong enough to see this through," he tells her softly. "You are the strongest, most determined woman I've ever met. Add in that it's for your children, and..." He sighs. "I just knew we'd be here one day, taking are of the babies while Andre was napping down the hall. I knew you'd succeed."
"You're my biggest cheerleader," she says, tears in her eyes.
"Always have been, always will be," he tells her., tickling her gently with the side of his foot.
She giggles helplessly and muffles it by kissing Clara's cheek. "Your daddy is teasing me," she pouts into her daughter's skin. "I hope when you're older, you'll help me outnumber him and your brother."
"Oh, look at that," Ricardo smirks. "They're barely named, and you're already trying to turn them against me."
Alicia laughs gently and shakes her head, eyes gleaming in the soft light as she stares at her husband. "Never," she vows. "Never, ever."
His smile grows. "Me neither," he promises her softly, running his finger gently over Mariana's pudgy hand, grinning when she grips at him.