Ever After New York

After, After.

Two years later...

(Hero's POV)

We sat on the beach, watching Annie playing in the sand. She was almost three now, a mound of blonde curls bouncing on her head as she toddled down to the water to find more shells.

Jo and I hadn't conceived the night of our wedding, and part of me felt relieved. I wanted time to be married to her for a little while first, before having another baby.

Part of me was also afraid of going through what we went through the last time she gave birth.

There was no way in hell I was going to lose her.

But I could see how badly she wanted another, so I gave in.

I couldn't even begin to tell you how many times we've had sex just in this past week alone. Not that I wasn't enjoying every bit of it, but I was damn near exhausted.

Still, it amazed me how much Jo turned me on after all these years. She could bat her eyelashes together and I'd be a goner.

We've done some movies here and there in the past two years since After wrapped. But as promised, we made time to be Annie's parents.

Jo looks at me and smiles, her long blond hair blowing in the breeze. "It's a beautiful day, huh?"

"Yeah." I sigh. "I'm surprised we don't come to the beach as often as we should given that we live in Los Angeles. Especially since we live right down the street from it."

"Annie seems to enjoy it." She hums.

I look at her, noticing the slight frown forming onto her lips. "What's wrong, baby?"

"I think we should stop trying for a while." Jo tells me.

"Why?" I ask.

"I don't know. Maybe we're trying to make something happen that isn't meant to happen."

"Jo..."

"It's okay." She says, smiling softly at me. "Really. It's okay. I'll get over it."

Before I can respond, I hear someone whistling. I immediately look towards Annie, making sure that she was okay before turning my head towards the sound of the whistling.

I squint at the two males approaching us, recognizing one of them as an old friend.

"Sean?" I question, a grin spreading onto my lips.

"Oi mate!" He says. "What's it been... like, ten years?"

I lift myself from the blanket and walk towards them. Sean pulls me in for a quick embrace before introducing his friend. "Hero, this is Alex. Alex, Hero."

"Hello." He says with a smile, extending a hand to me.

"What's up." I say, returning the gesture.

"Fancy seeing you here, Hero." Sean says with a grin.

"Yeah, I'm here with my girl." I say, looking over my shoulder at Jo who was down by the water playing with Annie. "Well, girls." I add with a laugh.

"Oh shit, you two are still together? What are the odds." He chuckles.

I smile as I remember our conversation at the deli in New York years ago, the irony of his words amazing me.

"What is it exactly that needs to be discussed? I mean, you like her, she likes you. You shag, she gets knocked up, and you live happily ever after in your Malibu mansion. The end."

"I guess it worked out for you two in the end then?" Sean confirms as he nods his head behind me.

"Yeah. It's amazing man. Life is great."