Ever After

Josh’s face fell. I need to talk to you. Those words never meant anything good. Instantly a cold frost spread throughout him and coated his insides sickeningly. He didn’t know what was about to happen but he was already dreading it completely.

“Walk with me?” Kali whispered. The ghost of a smile passed her lips for the twentieth of a second but did not brush her eyes.

Josh simply nodded with a stiff neck and followed her almost robotically. He could only imagine the things he was about to hear and they all made him feel sick to his stomach.

Kali didn’t speak for a few moments. She wrung her hands together in a continuous circle in front of her stomach and chewed her lip. Clearly she was thinking hard about something, but she was taking too long. Josh felt ready to explode with anxiety, or throw up.

“Kali, what’s going on?” he asked, holding her arm and pulling her to a stop near the edge of the lot. “What’s the matter?”

Slowly Kali lifted her eyes to his face and sighed. His expression was bordering on pained. She had to tell him now or he’d lose it. The outcome of her telling him might not be any better, but she had to take her chances.

“Well, you know how I’ve been getting sick a lot lately,” she began in a crackly voice.

Josh made a small choking sound. “What is it? The flu? You’re not dying, are you?”

Kali had to suppress a laugh. Josh was such a hypochondriac sometimes, especially when it came to her. She simply smiled gently and shook her head.

“No, I’m not dying,” she answered. “It’s something else.”

A bit more life returned to Josh’s eyes. He started breathing again.

“Good,” he sighed. “What is it, then?”

That’s when Kali faltered. She looked down at her fingers again and started biting her lip. It was now or never and she couldn’t deny it. But she also couldn’t bring herself to look into those pale blue eyes and speak those two words that could make or break everything…

Josh reached out and, using his thumb, freed her lip from her teeth. Her eyes flickered to his again and he furrowed his brow slightly.

“Kali, please,” he begged quietly, “I’m dying here.”

You and me both, she thought. She took a shaky breath in and forced herself to stare straight into those worried blue eyes. Preparing herself, she parted her lips and tried to make her voice as gentle as possible. It was hard when it was so shaky, but she couldn’t do anything to control it now.

“Josh, I’ve been getting sick because….well because…” Her mouth fumbled with the words and she had to drop her voice to a whisper, “I-I’m pregnant.”

Josh’s hand fell to his side. He simply stood there, staring. The worried expression was gone, replaced by an entirely vacant one. He didn’t even blink. Kali began to panic again. Oh no, he’s going to completely freak out, she fretted. This is going to be bad…

Finally Josh managed to get one barely audible word out. “W-what…?”

It was definitely not what Kali had been hoping for. Was he really going to make her repeat those words again? Her eyes burned and filled with tears that threatened to overflow at any second. Her lip quivered softly and she opened and closed her mouth, trying and failing to speak again. He doesn’t want it, she thought, he doesn’t want me…

Silently, her tears began to fall.

Josh unthawed before her eyes. He brushed her tears away with his gentle fingers. His eyes were still vacant and he looked like he didn’t quite know what to do with himself. He and his wife were in the same boat.

“Don’t cry,” he whispered. “Why are you crying?”

“Y-you’re so…quiet,” Kali mumbled back thickly. “Please, just…tell me—tell me what you’re thinking.”

Josh was silent for another moment while he collected himself. He stared at his wife’s sullen face, analyzing her wide, glassy eyes. Slowly, a smile spread onto his face, forming into a large grin. His eyes sparkled and he looked at her carefully.

“I’m going to be a dad?” he asked quietly.

Kali tilted her head to the side and nodded.

Josh’s grin got surprisingly bigger and he pulled her into him in a hug, picking her up in the air and spinning her around. Kali gasped at his sudden motion and he simply laughed into her shoulder.

“I’m thinking that’s the best news I’ve heard all day,” he said breathlessly. “Are you sure you’re pregnant? How do you know?”

Kali blushed softly. “I missed my period and Chelsea bought me a test which came up positive.”

“I can’t believe it,” Josh’s grin was lopsided and he was practically vibrating with excitement. “Who have you told?”

“Besides Chelsea, no one,” Kali shrugged, “unless she tells Matt, which I wouldn’t be surprised if she did.”

“We have to have a meeting, right now, and we have to tell everyone!” Josh exclaimed, pulling Kali back towards the bus. “Then we have to phone our parents and tell them that—”

Kali pulled back on Josh’s arm gently and he turned to face her. She peered into his eyes curiously, trying to calculate his mood.

“You’re really okay with this?” she asked.

“Yes, baby, why wouldn’t I be?”

“I-I was just so worried that you wouldn’t be…I thought you hated kids.” She chewed on her lip. “Plus we just got married a few weeks ago; I thought maybe it was too soon to start a family.”

“Kali, as much as I’d like to keep you to myself for as long as possible, I’m overjoyed to start a family with you,” Josh smiled and brushed his fingers against her cheekbone. “And yes, I have problems with screaming kids on airplanes, but that’s because I’m always stuck near them and they aren’t my kid.”

Kali smiled and felt the weight that had been on her shoulders all day disappear. She breathed in deeply and buried her face in her husband’s chest. She’d overreacted all day for nothing. Josh was happy and excited, and she was beginning to realize she was too. You hear that, Little Invader? She asked the little thing inside her. Daddy loves you already, and so do I.

Josh kissed Kali’s head and held her close for awhile. He’d admit he hadn’t quite seen this coming, but he felt so happy over it. He swore to himself he’d try his best to be a good father to his unborn child. He’d be a great father, and an even better husband.

“Ready to tell everyone the news?” he asked.

“You mean the news that Josh Ramsay can’t keep it in his pants? Sure.” Kali chuckled.

Josh rolled his eyes but kissed her lips quickly. “Right, that. C’mon, baby.” He pulled Kali into the tour bus and quickly rounded everyone up into the main room and kitchen area. His excitement and eagerness were evident, coming off in waves from his body. Everyone knew right away something big was up, and they were all casting searching glances in Kali’s direction. She merely smiled, shrugged, and tried her best not to give anything away. Chelsea raised her eyebrows at her and grinned, giving her a secretive thumbs-up.

Kali had to suppress a wild giggle. She couldn’t believe it. Only a few days ago she’d been Kali Ramsay, wife, and now she as Kali Ramsay, wife and expectant mother.

I knew this was going to be one hell of a year.