Heath visits again, trying not to disrupt further Miz and Mrs taping. Ricardo invites him in, offers him iced tea, and sits with him while Heath stares out over the beach. It's quiet, and pensive, and Ricardo's not sure what to say or do for him. Remembers how it felt to learn about Paige and Alberto, cutting his losses and moving on as best as he could from that situation. It had led him here, yeah. Back home with his family, falling further in love with Alicia every day, but he can't deny that it aches, somewhere deep inside, every time he reflects on his best friend and the woman he'd thought he'd loved at the time hurting him so deeply, so easily. Can only imagine how it must feel to be Heath, having to hold onto this lie for so long, unable to even claim his own children in public.
He reaches over and squeezes Heath's shoulder. "Is there anything I can do for you?" he wonders once those dark, exhausted eyes rest on him.
"Actually, maybe," Heath says slowly. "I... I've been wonderin'." He stares down at his hands, shakes his head. "I remember... I..." He sighs. "I remember when you first left WWE. You said you could barely feel like getting out of bed, and eventually you just decided not to bother going in to work, because they weren't going to use you anyway."
Simplistic version of what was going on all of those years ago, but Ricardo nods warily anyway. "Si, that was the crux of it," he muses. "What brings this on?" He stares at Heath. "Are you planning on...?"
"No," he says quickly. "Well, I mean, I don't think so. I dunno, man. I got kids, and Maryse, and I don't wanna just... bail on my contract, but." He stares at his hands. "I feel so... tired all the time, I ain't happy, they just keep jerkin' me around." He exhales shakily. "Losin' Rhyno really fucked things up. I ain't been on TV in so long, I prolly won't even remember where the cameras are if I ever do get used again."
Ricardo makes a soft clicking noise and reaches over, massaging between Heath's shoulderblades. "I'm sorry," he says sincerely. "I remember all too well how that feels. I know it sounds really difficult right now, but I think Maryse would like her husband to be happy and fulfilled, not just sloughing through a whole lot of nothingness. You know? I mean, I'd think you were both stable enough to endure while you look for something else, something better."
Heath buries his face in his hands for a few moments, then looks up, eyes suspiciously wet. "But what if I do that, 'n' then no one wants me?" Something else Ricardo is deeply familiar with, that pain, the failure of not being enough for the business you love more than almost anything. "Then I've sacrificed everythin' and didn't get nowhere with it. That's not fair, to the kids, or Maryse, or... well anyone."
Ricardo stares up at the blue sky overhead for a few long seconds, trying to formulate his thoughts in a way that would make sense. "Yeah," he says quietly. "It is a risk." He casts a quick glance over at Heath. "But would you rather sit and do nothing for some money and be miserable, or actually invest in yourself and go out there and fight for what you enjoy doing the most?" He had. It'd hurt, he'd suffered for it physically and mentally, never quite finding stability in places to live or things to do until he'd finally ended up here- close to family and friends, willing to give him chances, help him out. Alicia by his side, supporting him every step of the way. Despite all of the doubt and anguish, he thinks he'd make the same decision time and again.
"I dunno," he says bemusedly. "I have no honest idea what to do."
Ricardo resumes massaging his back. "Luckily, you have a lot of time to think about it," he says softly. It's the holidays, so there are reduced schedules in wrestling, and activities to do with children and Santa and gifts and decorating and so many other things to keep Heath's mind occupied from why WWE just refuses to give him even a minute on the multiple hours of programming they put out weekly. "You'll be alright. I know you will."
Heath exhales, some of the tension in his muscles fading under Ricardo's ministrations. "God, I hope so," he mutters.
Later that night, Ricardo lays in bed next to Alicia, listening to her breathing, feeling her hair tickle his arm. "Do you ever regret it?" he asks her softly and she stirs, eyes gleaming in the pale moonlight drifting in from the window.
"Huh?"
"How your WWE career went, the way it ended. Do you ever regret leaving?"
She thinks for a few moments, then sits up, trailing her knuckles down his jaw. "Never," she says softly. "I mean, I don't regret any of it. Working for WWE led me to so many incredible places, helped me to meet so many amazing people. Led me to this place, by your side, sharing this life with you. I have absolutely no complaints." She leans in and kisses him. "Are you ok?" she asks, easing back and searching his face with gentle, worried eyes.
"Oh yeah," he says, looping an arm gently around her waist. "Just thinking about something Heath and I were talking about earlier." He draws her in closer and kisses her neck. "I have no regrets either, just so you know," he whispers against her skin. It had been a hard road but it's hard to focus on any of that when she's leaning over him, so beautiful and perfect that it constantly takes his breath away.
She smiles. "You'd better not," she teases, sighing softly when he nips at her lightly in response.