Ever After

“You don’t know for sure…” Chelsea murmured, trying her best to comfort her distressed friend.

“All the signs point to yes, Chelsea. I think it’s pretty clear. Oh, this is so inconvenient!” Kali knotted her fingers in her hair. She just wanted to lie down on the floor and cry at her misfortune and never get back up.

“Aren’t you on the pill?” Chelsea asked fretfully.

“Yes, but I don’t know, I must’ve missed a day, or, or something…” Kali was beginning to pace.

“Hey, relax, Kali. We’ve still got an hour or two before people start coming back to the bus. We can go get you a pregnancy test and talk this over, alright? C’mon.” Chelsea grabbed her purse from Matt’s bunk and threw it over her shoulder. Kali merely stood there, looking close to tears. Chelsea grabbed her by her shoulders.

“Hey! Listen to me; this isn’t the end of the world, alright? Let’s go, we’ll figure this out.” She grabbed Kali’s arm and pulled her out of the bus, letting the bus driver know no one was on board. They walked to the nearest drugstore in complete, stony silence. Kali stared straight ahead like she was nothing but a zombie and Chelsea was planning disaster relief.

When the little blue box was purchased, the two walked into the customer bathroom and Chelsea waited while Kali started the test. Then all they had to do was wait for something to show up on the tiny screen.

Biting her lip, Chelsea piped up, “Why are you freaking out so much, Kal? A baby isn’t so bad. At least you’re married.”

Kali sighed shakily. “I know, I just…I wanted more time with just Josh and I after getting married. And we’re on a country wide tour right now. It’s too inconvenient, and it’s just my luck.”

Chelsea pulled Kali close. “I’m sure Josh will be ecstatic nonetheless. You’ve seen him with his sister’s kids; he’ll make a great dad. And as for touring, don’t worry your pretty little head about it. It’s just a couple months and believe me; we’ll get you in to see doctors along the way.”

Kali smiled weakly but it quickly faded. “Josh…Chelsea, how am I going to tell him? What if he pulls protective husband on me and wants to cancel the tour and go home? It wouldn’t be an unusual thing for him to request.”

“You just…tell him when you feel the time is right. The time better be right soon, though. And if he says anything like that, you tell him there’s no way that’s happening. This baby wants to be on the road!”

Kali giggled feebly. The white stick beeped and the two girls froze before leaning down to look at it. There, right in the middle of the tiny digital screen, was an equally small positive sign.

Kali’s shoulders slumped. “Oh…shit.”



Kali and Chelsea sat outside the tour bus trying to get some fresh air. Kali was slumped against Chelsea’s side like a rag doll and Chelsea was rubbing her arm consolingly. The Alberta sun warmed their skin but that was all it did. Inside, both were feeling quite the opposite of warm. Chelsea felt helpless and useless with all her failed attempts to make her friend feel better. Kali felt completely empty on the inside. She didn’t know whether to cry or scream or giggle. She just felt desolate.

Suddenly two girls strode up to the bus, shopping bags hanging from their arms and voices chattering happily. They stopped dead in their tracks and fell silent when they saw Kali and Chelsea leaning up against the bus the way they were.

“Chels? Kal? What’s wrong?” A slim girl with collarbone length blondish red hair, long legs and pale skin asked. Her name was Sam Ayley and she was Mike’s wife of two years. The two had met shortly after high school at a housewarming party for a mutual friend and had quickly become inseparable. She was caring and respectful but wouldn’t waste a perfectly good chance to make you laugh.

As it turned out, it seemed all the boys had decided to invite their significant other on this tour. Ian’s girlfriend of over a year, Patty, was eyeing Chelsea and Kali with concern. She was thin, tanned, with long brown hair and eyes to match. She was extremely nice and giving, and always seemed to be there for her friends. Ian had met her in a restaurant where she had worked for a couple years and decided he wasn’t going to leave her alone. Eventually she’d given in and so far hadn’t decided to run out on him. No one thought she ever would.

Kali and Chelsea jumped, having not heard the girls come up. They both sat up a little straighter but it took more than they had left in them to wipe their faces of their miserable expressions. Chelsea looked at Kali and raised her eyebrows a little as if to say, ‘Well, are you answering that question? And if so, are you answering it honestly?’

Kali took a shaky breath and looked at her knotted fingers in her lap. “Nothing. We were just having a heart-to-heart over some tough things.” she mumbled.

“Are you sure?” Patty asked. “You both look really upset…”

Kali shook her head and forced a weak smile onto her lips as she looked up at her friends. “No, we’re fine. We just want to see Matt and Josh.”

“Oh, we saw them on our walk over here from the mall. Mike wanted to make a stop at Starbucks and then they’re coming here. They’ll be here in no time.” Sam smiled brightly. She turned to Patty. “Speaking of, we better go put our purchases away before Mike and Ian see them all and faint.”

Patty chuckled and followed Sam to the bus doorway, tossing Chelsea and Kali a comforting smile before disappearing.

Kali felt something like an ice cube slip down her throat and weigh on her stomach. Her insides clenched in dread and worry and she unknowingly put a hand over her tummy.

Biting her lip with fear in her wide eyes she turned to Chelsea. “They’ll be here any minute! What do I say to him, Chelsea? What do I do?”

“First, you should relax,” Chelsea smiled lightly. “Just tell him what comes to your mind. You’ll find the right words to say to him, Kali.”

“Nothing is coming to my mind! I don’t know what to say or do— What if he gets mad? What if he starts acting different and realizes he doesn’t want to be with me anymore?” Panic had Kali in a death grip.

Chelsea gave Kali a look. “Are you kidding me right now?” she sighed. “Kali, you and Josh dated for nearly ten years before you got engaged. Through everything you two kept strong. Anyone with eyes can see he loves you more than life itself, and you love him the same. If Josh tries anything like that, the world really is about to end.”

Kali didn’t say anything. She just looked around for any sign of her husband and continued biting her lip. She mentally hit herself for thinking that could happen because she knew Chelsea was right; it never would. It’d just been the panic installing idiotic ideas in her head.

“Hey, look at me,” Chelsea turned Kali’s face towards her own. “When you see him and you’re alone and you look into his eyes, the words will just come to you. It’ll be tough getting them out but you’ll be able to do it. You’re freaking yourself out right now because you’re scared, that’s all. You’ve never dealt with this before. But trust me; Josh will be happy about it. He may not like other kids, but he’ll love his own. And if he makes any smartass remarks just remind him it was his ‘little friend’ that poisoned you.”

Kali laughed weakly and allowed Chelsea to hug her tightly. The sound of car tires pulling into the empty lot got closer and the girls looked up to see a taxi van coming to a stop a few yards away. Kali froze as she saw the familiar black, white, and red Chucks step out from the left side. Oh god, oh god, oh god, why is this happening to me, she whimpered.

Chelsea patted her back gently and sighed. “Good luck. You’ll be fine, and so will he.” She stood up and walked to Matt, stepping into his arms.

Matt. There was no doubt Chelsea would tell him everything when they were alone. Kali buried her face in her hands momentarily and then stood up. Her legs trembled beneath her and she hugged her arms to her body tightly.

“Hey, Kali!” Ian grinned. “Is Patty inside? Or is she still out raping my wallet behind a designer dumpster?” His blue eyes sparkled with humour and love and he pulled his sunglasses from his curly head of light hair.

Kali nodded and smiled tensely. “She’s inside.”

Mike came up behind Ian, his fohawk reaching new heights, just opening his mouth to speak.

“Sam’s inside, too.”

He smiled warmly. “Thanks.” He patted Kali’s shoulder as he got onto the bus, nearly knocking her over.

“There’s my beautiful wife,” That warm voice that normally sent butterflies twirling through her stomach had a bright smile in it as it got closer to her. There was a little flap of a butterfly wing or two in her belly but that was all. It was like all her butterflies had been drugged. Or maybe the new intruder has them all in a chokehold, Kali thought.

Josh’s arms enveloped Kali and she sighed, hugging him back and never wanting to let him go. He smelled good, like her favourite cologne and of home. He was warm and happy and Kali felt a little better already. She just hoped his smile wouldn’t fade with her news. She looked up to try and find his eyes to see if it’d help any, like Chelsea said, but he was wearing his neon green sunglasses. Doesn’t matter, she told herself, that’s just as much Josh as his eyes are.

“How was your interview?” she asked quietly.

“It was alright. About as good as an interview can be, I guess. How was the bus?”

Kali swallowed and looked away. Traumatic. Frightening. Panicky. “It was boring.”

“I missed you baby.” Josh leaned down and kissed Kali’s lips.

It was too late that she realized she hadn’t kissed him back. Josh pulled away with his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pulled into a frown.

“Is everything okay?” he asked. Worry seeped into his tone.

Matt and Chelsea finally walked past and Kali locked eyes with her friend. Chelsea gave her a look, willing her to understand it would all be okay, but she needed to tell him. Then she was gone, into the bus.

Josh’s thumb gently turned Kali’s face back to his own and he stroked her cheek.

“Kali? What’s wrong? Did you get sick again?” He was really worrying now. His voice was much too quiet and soft for him.

Kali’s heart pounded in her chest and her fingers fluttered around her stomach, lightly brushing it. I know you’re in there, Little Invader, help me out. We have to do this. She took a deep, steadying breath in and let it out in a gust of air. Running shaking fingers through her long hair she looked up at Josh’s face and removed his sunglasses. Those icy blue eyes were staring at her with building worry and confusion. They almost looked sad, but they did the trick. They were still the eyes Kali had fallen in love looking at, and they took away the majority of her terror. She took another shaky breath in.

“I need to talk to you about something.”