Ever After

The little girl carefully pulled her mother’s hairbrush through her own long light brown hair. Her little pink tongue was out to show full concentration as she worked on the task. She kept brushing until there were no knots left and her hair flowed like satin down past her thin shoulders. She then reached up on her tiptoes and grabbed a little headband with a red bow on the side and placed it delicately on her head. After a little adjusting, she smiled at herself in the full-length mirror with pride. She stood up, flattened out her little red and white checkered dress and dashed out of her parent’s bedroom to the kitchen, where a tall black dog greeted her with friendly sniffs of approval.

“Mommy, mommy, look!” The little girl raced to her mother’s side, tugging gently on the woman’s pants. “I dressed myself and did my hair!”

The woman peered down at her daughter and gasped. A large smile took her features over and she bent down to inspect the young girl closer.

“Oh my goodness, you look so beautiful!” She lightly stroked the satin columns of the little girl’s hair. “You did this all by yourself?”

“Yes, mommy,” The girl nodded proudly. “I used your hairbrush because it’s magic.”

“Oh, it is?” The woman smirked.

“Yes! It makes your hair all smooth and shiny, and it did the same to mine! It’s magic.” The girl was bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“That it did,” Kali chuckled softly at her daughter’s excited face. “For a 3 year old you’re pretty quick to catch on. Go show your daddy.”

“Okay!” The girl disappeared down the steps to the small studio in the basement, calling for her father.

Kali grinned after Avery. She could hardly believe it’d been three years to the day she’d given birth to her. Three years, and still every time she saw that little angelic face light up in a goofy smile she felt completely at peace with the world. Avery was her little blessing, and she couldn’t have asked for anything more perfect.

Avery Ramsay had been the missing puzzle piece in Josh and Kali’s life. Since the first day they brought her home everything had been better for the both of them. They were a family, and it felt right. Not to mention the fact Josh was totally in love with his daughter. Avery had Kali’s eyes, hair colour, and kindness, but she also had Josh’s smile and wacky energy. She was a little spitfire, and that only made Josh adore her even more. It made Kali very happy to see her husband so content with everything.

Kali set the timer for the birthday cake she was baking and snuck downstairs to spy on her little family. She leaned against the doorframe of the little studio and admired Josh, who was getting Avery to spin around for him.

“You’re one perfect-looking birthday girl,” Josh exclaimed. “I’ll have to give you a heavy stick as a gift.”

“Why, daddy?” Avery reached her little arms up towards Josh, who pulled her up to sit on his lap.

“Well because,” Josh said, brushing back some of Avery’s long hair, “you’ll need something to beat the boys off of you.”

Avery giggled and lightly slapped her dad’s chest. “Daddy, boys are icky.”

“Yes they are,” Josh nodded, “and don’t you forget that.”

“Oh I won’t,” Avery shook her little head. “What did you get me for my birthday, daddy?”

“You’ll have to wait and see,” Josh tapped Avery’s nose with his finger. “But even if you hate it, promise me you’ll say you love it.”

“I promise,” Avery giggled.

“Yes, daddy, what did you get me for my birthday?” Kali asked, stepping into the studio and shooting her husband a suggestive look.

“Mm, you’ll also have to wait and see,” Josh smirked. “But I already know you’ll love it, you always do.”

Kali chuckled and leaned down to kiss him. Avery promptly made a face at the sight of her parents kissing.

“Ew!” she exclaimed. “I’m gonna go play because that’s gross!” She hopped off her father’s lap and raced up the stairs.

Both Kali and Josh laughed at their daughter’s escape. Kali lightly wrapped her arms around Josh’s chest and kissed his throat affectionately.

“How are the songs coming along?” she asked.

Josh was nearly finished the tracks for the new album. They’d been recorded; he was just putting the finishing touches them. He’d been at it for a month already, but he was almost finished and he was very excited for the final product.

“Great so far,” Josh nodded. “I’m almost done, thankfully.”

“That’s great, baby,” Kali grinned proudly. “Remember guests are going to start showing up around 2 for Avery’s party.”

“I’ll be ready, I promise,” Josh kissed her cheek quickly.

“Good, because I love seeing you in a tie,” She winked at him and laughed before walking back up the stairs.

Josh just chuckled and shook his head, continuing to piece together the tracks for the new album.


“There’s my birthday girl!” Josh raced into the living room, scooped his daughter up and set her on top of his shoulders. “It’s law that the birthday girl gets to ride around on her daddy’s shoulders on her birthday.”

“Daddy!” Avery exclaimed in a fit of giggles and she put her little hands on top of her dad’s head, simply admiring the view from 6 feet off the ground.

In the kitchen, Chelsea laughed with Kali while the two women decorated Avery’s birthday cake.

“She has him wrapped around her little finger, doesn’t she?” Chelsea asked, smirking at Josh zooming around the living room with his daughter laughing on his shoulders.

“Oh, she’s a daddy’s girl, through and through,” Kali chuckled. “He spoils her.”

“Well I certainly can’t blame him, she’s adorable,” Chelsea grinned and put a hand to her stomach. “It kind of makes me excited, you know? I wonder what Matt’s going to be like as a father.”

Kali chuckled. “I think Matt will be a great dad. When’s your due date again?”

“Next month, the 5th,” Chelsea bit her lip. “It’s surreal.”

“I know the feeling,” Kali nodded.

“Oh, I know you do,” Chelsea winked at her. “When are you going to pop out another little Ramsay?”

Kali blushed and looked down at the cake. “Maybe soon, maybe not for awhile,” she said quietly. “We’ll have to wait and see.”

“Wait and see my ass,” Chelsea smirked. “You’re pregnant right now, aren’t you?”

Kali simply shook her head and smiled a tiny, secretive smile. “We’ll have to wait and see.” She carefully lit the three candles on top of the cake and picked it up. “Who’s ready for cake?”

“Me, me!” The herd of children all rushed to grab seats at the kitchen table. Avery, of course, got the chair at the head of the table, and sat there with pride. Her mother brought the cake around and set it in front of her while everyone sang her Happy Birthday. Josh’s arms wrapped around Kali’s midsection and he kissed her cheek softly while they sang.

“Make a wish, sweetheart,” Kali fixed a piece of her daughter’s hair after the song had ended.

Avery made a little thinking face before leaning down to blow out her candles at once. Everyone clapped and Kali picked up the cake to go and cut it for everyone.

“So what did you wish for?” Josh knelt down and looked at Avery.

“I can’t tell you, because then it won’t come true,” Avery shook her head and looked at her dad with a sassy expression that said ‘you should really know that, dad.’

Josh laughed. “Oh, but you can tell me. I’m in cahoots with the birthday wish-granter, so it’s fine if I know.”

Avery bit her lip and nodded, leaning in to whisper in her father’s ear, “I wished for a little sister,” She pulled back and made a little face. “I guess a brother would be okay, too, but I really want a sister.”

Josh’s eyes widened a little. “A baby sister, huh?”

Avery nodded eagerly. “Do you know how to get me one, daddy?”

Josh blanched. “Uh…well, yes, but, I’d have to talk to your mother first. Babies aren’t, um, easy to get.”

“Oh. Okay,” Avery just shrugged as her cake was placed in front of her and it provided a distraction.

Kali looked down into her husband’s mystified eyes and her smile faded a little. She titled her head curiously at him. Josh stood up and walked with her back to the cake.

“Want to know what your daughter wished for?” he asked softly, picking up plates of cake to bring to the guests.

“Oh no, was it a pony?” Kali sighed. “I wished for a pony one year and I never got it. It was kind of a crushing blow to my childhood.”

“She wished for a baby sister or brother, preferably sister,” Josh’s lips twitched up in a tiny smirk.

Kali’s eyes widened and she paused. “What?”

“You heard me,” Josh kind of chuckled. “What are we going to do about that, Mrs. Ramsay?”

Kali’s face became blank for a second and she shrugged. “Nothing,” she said bluntly.

“Nothing?” Josh raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing.”

“Why nothing?”

“We don’t have to do anything,” Kali said plainly.

“Wait, what?”

Kali bit her lip and looked up into Josh’s blue, blue eyes. “We don’t have to do anything because…well because I’m already pregnant, Josh.”

Josh was like ice for a second. His eyes were wide open and his mouth followed suit. He just stared in shocked awe at his wife for a second before his mouth moved uselessly for a minute until he managed to push one quiet word out of it.

“Really?”

Kali nodded and broke out into a grin. “Really.”

“H-how long…?” Josh embraced his wife in a stiff hug.

“Not long enough to start telling everyone, but getting close,” Kali chuckled. “If everything goes as planned, it looks like Avery will be getting her wish.”

Josh looked stunned. “Yeah, looks like it…”

“What’s going on over here?” Ian snuck up to the pair with Mike and Matt in tow. “You two look a little…dazed, to say the least.”

“Did you eat some special brownies in preparation for the big day or something?” Matt winked.

Kali chuckled. “No, it’s just our daughter, finding new ways to amaze us every single day.”

“You two must be real proud of her,” Mike mused. “She’s 3 years old and she’s already one of the smartest, sassiest kids I’ve ever met.”

“She’s definitely a Ramsay, that’s for sure.” Ian smirked at the little girl gorging on cake with her cousins and friends at the table.

“We’re very proud of her,” Josh grinned. He kissed Kali’s head. “Thanks for gifting her to me, by the way.”

“Three years go by and I finally get a thank you,” Kali laughed. “That’s my man.”

“Well, you know, I wouldn’t want you to get cocky about it.” Josh winked.

Kali laughed and playfully slapped Josh’s chest.

“As long as everyone’s happy, that’s all that matters,” Ian said with a mouthful of cake.

“Are you happy, Ian?” Josh asked.

“Dude, I have cake, of course I’m happy.”

Josh’s hand wrapped around Kali’s waist and she leaned against his chest, gazing up at him with her bright green eyes.

“Are you happy, Mr. Ramsay?” she murmured.

Josh looked down at Kali and, just like every time he looked at her, he felt an extreme lightness in his chest as he remembered just how long he’d loved her and why. She was perfect to him and for him and he wouldn’t want to be with anyone else for as long as he lived. And in Kali he saw their future child and all the happiness and good memories it was going to bring their little family and he got a strange desire to laugh.

“I’m very happy,” he whispered, “thank you.”

Kali grinned and got up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

“Ew, mommy and daddy are kissing again!” Avery exclaimed, pointing a cake-covered finger at her parents. “They’ve been doing that a lot…”

All the adults laughed and the kids just made faces at the thought of parents kissing. It was all too hilarious.

“You just eat your cake, birthday brat.” Josh smirked.

“Okay.” Avery shrugged and finished her piece of cake as if nothing had interrupted her. Everything was simple, easy, and a good time to her. And Kali and Josh found the innocence and optimism of their daughter infiltrating their own lives and providing them with a warm brightness that they didn’t have before. And they were so, so thankful for that, especially after everything they’d gone through prior to her birth.

Things got a little hectic after that, with all the cake cleanup and wiping of cake-covered mouths and fingers and chatty kids. More than once Josh made a comment about how he never pictured his house this full of kids before and how the thought used to make him shudder. But, despite the busyness of it all, everyone survived unscathed.

“Mommy, daddy, can I open my presents now?” Avery asked in a tiny voice.

Josh and Kali smiled down at her.

“Of course,” Josh nodded. “That’s what birthdays are all about! Present time, everybody!”

The kids rushed to the living room and Avery hopped in the middle of the madness, eagerly awaiting a present to be put in front of her. Matt grabbed one of the bigger presents and handed it to her.

“This one is from me and Aunty Chelsea,” He winked. “It’s the best one.”

“Yay!” Avery had that huge grin on her face as she tore away at the paper.

Josh and Kali stood close to the action, but not too close. They both knew Avery wanted to open her presents herself this year and they didn’t want to interfere with that. But, ever the protective parents, they kept a watchful eye for paper cuts or overexcited guests.

Kali peered up at her husband and admired him in secret for a minute or two. He looked so content and he fit into the father role as if it was made for him. She remembered back to the hazy memories of her late childhood, sitting on top of the café roof with Josh, eating licorice and watching the sunset. Surprisingly, she could remember their conversation like it was yesterday, and it brought a smile to her face.

“Hey, Josh?” she said softly.

“Yeah, babe?” He looked down at her and his lips pulled into his goofy crooked smile at the sight of her.

“We’ll always be best friends, right?” she asked, her eyes shimmering at the memory.

Josh chuckled. “Yes, forever,” he nodded, “even when you’re a meanie.”

Kali laughed and kissed him softly, falling in love with him all over again. He was still her ever after, even after all the time that had passed.

The pair returned their attention to their daughter, who was gasping at the large Barbie her Uncle Matt and Aunt Chelsea had bought her. She was so young and innocent, with a whole world out there waiting for her. And Josh and Kali knew that they could face it all together, as a family, with heads held high.