Ever After

Father's Day

A/N: It's still Sunday in the Orange County. Happy Father's Day, Archie!

This wasn't beta'd, btw.

***

"Sigurado ka ba?"

He paused, fingers lingering on the button below his neck, as he saw his wife's reflection on the mirror.

A smile tugged at the corner of Archie's lips. She was wearing his old UCLA shirt, and her hair was still damp from the shower they took almost half an hour ago. Yet, his wife has never looked more beautiful. A little paler than he's used to, but stunning nonetheless.

Roxy was casually standing by the bedroom door, right shoulder leaning on the frame. Her unperturbed stance would have worked, if not for the concern clouding her eyes.

"Yes, love," he reassured her. "Sabi sa news, the thunderstorm might get worse in the afternoon." He finished buttoning his shirt before turning around and facing her. "You and Riley stay here where it's warm and dry. And you need to get some rest, too. Para mawala na yang migraine mo."

A sigh escaped Roxy's lips. "Okay na ko," she said, but he only raised an eyebrow in response, still unconvinced.

She walked toward him and rested both palms on his chest, smoothing wrinkles on the dark blue fabric that only her trained eyes could see.

"Kung bukas na lang kaya?" She suggested quietly.

"I promised Z that I would go today," he reminded her.

They listened to the steady beat of raindrops on their roof for what seemed like a full minute. Then her eyes lit up.

"Tawagan ko kaya si Ate? Day off naman niya ngayon, pwede niyang bantayan si Riley."

"Rox-"

"Bibilisan ko magbihis," she promised.

Archie sighed.

They've been married for seven months, two weeks, and two days.

Pure marital bliss - he understood it now.

They couldn't get their hands off each other, could barely stand the hours that they were not together. Being apart was a struggle, as if an invisible string would grow taut the moment they were more than a few meters apart.

A lot of things had changed, yet many stayed the same.

A good example - they've been communicating really well now, but the banters never left. Most of the time they just end with a kiss.

On the tip of her nose.

His jaw.

Her smooth shoulders.

Or the base of his neck.

They feel more settled. They've never gone to bed without resolving an argument. She indulged his every whim, and he has never denied her anything... Until now.

He took her left hand off his chest and brought it close to his lips so he could press a sweet kiss on top of her wedding ring.

"I need to do this, Roxanne," he said.

She cupped his jaw and softly replied, "Alam ko naman, Archie. Ayoko lang na mag-isa ka."

"I'm a big boy na," he joked. "Don't worry, I won't get scared of tombs, and ghosts, and whatever lurks in the dark."

She chuckled. Then his wife stared outside the window and watched the raindrops fall for what seemed like forever before she nodded and said, "Okay."

He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Yeah?"