Ever After

“Oh, you’re home!” Chelsea threw her arms around Kali’s neck, hugging her friend tightly.

Matt Webb, Chelsea’s boyfriend, smirked at the newlywed couple. “And both of you are as pale as you were when you left.” he noted.

“You just wish you could rock the pale skin like we can,” Kali stuck her tongue out at him.

Josh and Kali had just arrived home to Vancouver from their honeymoon in Hawaii. They’d only just finished unpacking when they’d been attacked by two of their closest friends. Their apartment was a cluster of people, pets, and gift bags from Hawaii and some from their wedding that they hadn’t gotten around to putting away. It felt good to both of them to be home.

“How was it? Tell me everything, please!” Chelsea gushed, her light brown eyes twinkling. She was tall and had long, gorgeous auburn hair, dimples, and perfect curves. Excitement was practically rolling off of her in waves.

Josh raised an eyebrow and smirked, wrapping an arm around Kali’s waist. “Are you sure you want to know everything?” he asked scandalously.

Chelsea made a face and sighed. “On second thought, never mind. I’ll assume it was wonderful,” she mumbled. “You have a way of ruining things, Ramsay.”

Josh chuckled at her comment and kissed Kali’s head before moving to the kitchen to sort through gifts. “Sorry, Chels.” He picked up a blue bag and a red one and handed them to Matt and Chelsea. “Here, we got these for you.”

“You didn’t have to buy us gifts on your own honeymoon!” Chelsea exclaimed, hesitantly taking the red bag from Josh.

“Think of it as a thank you for being in the wedding party.” Josh winked as the couple opened their gifts.

Kali was sorting through the mail that had piled up in the week that they were away. There were bills and flyers, the usual junk, but one envelope had handwriting on the front, addressed to Josh. She recognized the return address as his grandparents and could faintly make out ‘Happy Birthday’ in a fancy font through the thin envelope. Ah yes, Josh’s birthday is in a week, Kali thought with a smile. She was already working up ideas about potential gifts in her head.

“Hey, babe, here’s an early birthday card from your grandparents.” She handed him the card with a secretive wink.

Josh raised his eyebrows and a slow smile crept onto his face. The only reason he looked forward to his birthday each year was because Kali always had something different planned to surprise him in the greatest ways.

“These are the greatest guitar picks ever, thank you!” Matt grinned as he sorted through his pile of various picks. Some were vibrant, others were striped, some had characters on them and others had funny sayings. He picked up a picture and squinted at it. “Is this a roasted pig?”

Chelsea was fiddling with her Hawaiian flower hair accessories and handmade jewellery. She pulled out a purple lei and put it around Matt’s neck.

“You got lei’d!” she giggled.

Josh and Kali burst into laughter, both at the irony and at Matt’s confused face.

Josh pulled Kali into his side and sighed in contentment. He was home with his wife, pets, and a couple of his closest friends. He hadn’t felt that happy and relaxed since the night he’d gotten out of rehab. Everything was coming together for him, finally. After spending so long trying to fix everything, he could finally say he loved his life. He wouldn’t trade it for the world.



Kali carefully put the back onto the photo frame and set it on her bedside table. It was a photo that had been taken at her and Josh’s wedding. She was on Josh’s back, with her bouquet in the air, laughing as he gave her a piggyback ride. The happiness captured in the photo made her smile and she chewed on her lip before she felt warm arms wrap around her waist and soft lips kiss her cheek.

“I like that picture,” Josh murmured.

“Me too.” Kali put her hands over Josh’s momentarily and turned to face him. “So, are you excited for your birthday?”

“Mm, I’m excited for whatever it is you have planned for me this year,” He smirked at her.

“Oh, the usual,” Kali played with a piece of his hair, twirling it around her finger. “I do have a little something extra special planned for this year, though.”

“What are the chances of you telling me what it is?”

“Zero.” She winked and pulled back the thick white covers of their bed, crawling under them. Bennie the dog nuzzled up to her and sighed in contentment.

Josh groaned and got in on the other side. “I can’t wait a week.”

“Well, you’re going to have to.” Kali shrugged while she scratched behind Bennie’s ears. She wanted to tell him now, but she knew it’d make a much better birthday present. She could hardly wait to see his face when she told him. She really just loved to see him happy and smiling, especially after everything he’d gone through in the past.

Josh gave up the fight and settled for cuddling with his dog and telling her how much he’d missed her while he was in Hawaii. Kali couldn’t help but to chuckle at him and his odd traits. He was like a little kid most of the time and while that made him harder to handle, it also made him more enjoyable. He was her best friend and the man she loved and she didn’t care who knew it.

Her cell phone vibrated on her bedside table and she grabbed it. Seeing who the text was from, she eagerly opened it with bated breath.

It was a message from Derek, her assistant manager at her mother’s café that she’d taken over. It read: I’d b more than willing 2 take over the café 4 a couple months. What’s the occasion?

Kali just smiled and typed a quick reply.

Josh’s birthday present.