Everett Barlow

25 .. Hava Hills Native .. Diner Boy .. Reformed Bad Boy

[karivickry]

Baby Makes Three || Karrett

[karivickry]

Kari huffed and puffed, twisting and turning her body around on the bed to try and get comfortable. It was no use at this point; she wouldn’t be comfortable until this baby was out of her body. “I’m fine,” she mumbled through gritted teeth, digging her nails into Everett’s palm. She felt so bad. She really did. And she would probably apologize for it later on, but right now she couldn’t think about anything else besides the pain coursing through her body and the baby that really needed to make an appearance sooner rather than later…

It had been 5 and a half hours since Kari first entered the delivery room. 5 and a half long, painful hours that made her want to pass out. “Ev,” she breathed, reaching up to wipe what felt like a bucket of sweat from her forehead, “I can’t. I can’t do it anymore.” She closed her eyes, breathing heavily as she let her head rest on the pillow behind her. The nurses went to grab the doctor, wanting to see how far Kari was dilated in order to determine if she was ready to push. God, she hoped she was. “I need to get her out of me. I can’t do this anymore,” Kari said softly, clenching her eyes shut to try and stop herself from crying.

It was stressful. Too stressful. All she wanted to do was bring her daughter into the world so she didn’t have to think about the pain anymore. She probably looked like she hadn’t showered in five years, and she was sure that Everett’s hand was close to being broken. “Kari,” her doctor said, giving her an encouraging smile. “I think we’re ready for you to start pushing.”

[everett-barlow-blog]

It was brutal. Everett hadn’t believed it would be this bad. He doubted Kari had thought it would be this bad either. Now the day had finally arrived and the reality slap hit hard. It really was as brutal as all the books and classes had told them it would be. It was long. It was torture. Everett didn’t know how much longer his incredibly strong and fearless wife would last. He didn’t know how long he would last watching her go through it. Her pleading only brought on the agony Everett felt inside. “Yes, you can,” he told her. “You can do this. It’s just a little over.” He did his best to give her comfort and support. But, he agreed with her completely. He just wanted it over. He wanted the happy result at the end without all this pain.

When the doctor finally told them it was time, Everett released a breath of relief. “You’re almost done,” he whispered to his wife, kissing her temple. “Just hold out a little longer.” He glanced a worried, apprehensive look at the doctor hoping just that. “It will all be worth it,” he added just as the worst was about to begin. He gave her his hand, giving it back after rubbing at the bruises already turning black and blue. He knew she hadn’t intended it. She may not have taken it now, but it was all he could offer her. “Baby,” he said, giving her a smile as the excitement started to grow. “It’s time. You can do this. Push.”

[karivickry]

Baby Makes Three || Karrett

[karivickry]

Kari felt bad for making Everett take his eyes off the road. She knew that he liked to be in complete control when he was behind the wheel. He didn’t want to repeat that night. So, she tried to remain calm, cool and collected as he went just a little bit faster to get them to the hospital. Once they were there, Kari was grateful to have someone who worried so much as Everett did to be there for her. She wrapped her arm around his neck as he slipped his own behind her back, guiding her through the doors. “I’ll be fine,” Kari mumbled with a smile, hoping that it would calm both her nerves and her husband’s.

Thankfully, the phone call beforehand worked, and there was a nurse ready and waiting with a wheelchair. “What a way to wake up, huh?” the nurse asked with a smirk, taking Kari’s hand to help her get into the wheelchair. With nervous eyes, Kari looked up at Everett. “No turning back now,” she said softly, knowing that they were in their final moments of being just husband and wife. Soon enough they would be parents. Mommy and Daddy. “Let’s get you to your room and get you all set up,” the nurse said, nodding for Everett to follow as she wheeled Kari around the corner to the delivery room section of the hospital.

A while later, Kari was in a typical hospital gown, breathing heavily as another contraction overcame her. “Sorry,” she muttered, looking up at Everett with apologetic eyes for how hard she was squeezing his hand. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead, and she closed her eyes as it trickled down her nose, too. This sucked. All this pain and discomfort. Was it necessary? Couldn’t they give her something for this? But Kari knew it would be oh so very worth it in the end when her daughter was in her arms.

[everett-barlow-blog]

Everett knew this most recent contraction would not be the end of this. But, he couldn’t help but hope and pray that it would. As much as he tried to support his wife, he felt helpless as pain after pain shot through her. His hand was throbbing. It was most definitely bruised. He wouldn’t admit any pain though. He knew it was a shadow of the pain that Kari was feeling right now. “It’s fine,” he hushed to her again. “You’re doing great,” he told her, stroking the sweaty hair form her face and bringing the attention back to his wife.

“It’s almost over,” Everett added, hoping just this. At the end of it, the pain would be worth it. It would be forgotten. In it’s place they would get something that outweighed this moment by tenfold. They would get that little girl that Kari had wanted for so many years. But that moment didn’t feel like it was coming any time soon. This night felt like it would go on forever. “Are you sure you didn’t want anything?” Everett asked her. Their doctor had offered it when they came in. Kari was Kari. Kari was Kari who was the strongest, most fearless person he knew. They had read about possible affects of painkillers. But watching her like this was terrible.

[karivickry]

Baby Makes Three || Karrett

[karivickry]

Kari graciously let Everett guide her downstairs and to the front door. She pouted at Cody, wishing that she could take him with them to the hospital. “You’re gonna have a new friend to play with when we come back,” she murmured to the dog, lightly brushing her fingers against the top of his head. They left the house, and Kari’s heart began racing. This was it. When she returned home, she would be a mother. A parent. Mom. Suddenly, it all felt like it was happening so fast. Where did the time go? The kiss on her cheek brought her back to reality, and Kari smiled at the sound of her future daughter’s name. “I can’t wait,” Kari gushed softly, stopping in her tracks. She placed both hands on Everett’s cheeks, bringing his mouth to hers in a loving kiss. “I love you,” she said softly before wiggling into the passenger seat of the car.

As they began their drive to the hospital, Kari’s hands flung to her stomach, clutching it tightly as a contraction ripped through her. “Fuck,” she hissed, closing her eyes to try and drown out everything. She knew Everett was going to be concerned, but she just needed him to focus and get her to the hospital. No time for concern right now. “I think she said to tell you to drive a little faster,” Kari teased, breathing heavily as she threw a glance in Everett’s direction.

[everett-barlow-blog]

Everett savored that kiss for only a moment. While he would have wished it to be longer, they had the more urgent matter to attend to. Isabella Barlow. She was well on her way. “I love you,” Everett echoed back before jumping around to his side of the car. He gave a quick glance over at Kari before backing out onto the street. Typically Everett’s eyes were glued to the road. That one fateful night all those years ago had changed forever how he drove. However, Everett attention was only half on his driving tonight. And when Kari suddenly gasped in pain, his eyes snapped to his wife. While he knew what was happening, that first contraction brought the worry to the forefront of his mind.

“Babe?” he questioned, a hand reaching over to rest on hers. He was asking how she was. Asking for reassurance that things were okay (even if more than a little painful). Her answer didn’t comfort him much despite her attempt to pass over this first contraction. The few seconds of distraction had his eyes away from the road and his one hand just loosely holding onto the wheel, drifting them slightly to the left. He didn’t have time to respond to her words, instead being alerted to his distracted driving by a blaring honk.

“Shit!” Everett cursed, his attention shifting quickly back to where it should be. “Shit…” he muttered again, feeling like an idiot for having done what he had sworn never to do on the road again, lose focus. “I’m sorry,” he apologized to Kari, only meeting her eyes for a second. They were on the way to the hospital now. They didn’t need any other reason to go there too. He internally cursed himself again for putting them at that risk. Thankfully, they didn’t have much longer to go. Everett’s grip stayed on the wheel the rest of the time. He was grateful when he was finally able to pull into the hospital parking lot and was quick to get to Kari’s side once more and help her out. Everett sighed out another ‘sorry’ and ‘how are you?’ as he slipped his arm around her lower back and guided her inside.

[karivickry]

Baby Makes Three || Karrett

[karivickry]

Kari couldn’t help but laugh at Everett’s immediate reaction. Well, at least she knew that he was just as excited as she was! “She’s coming,” Kari confirmed with a smile that matched her husband’s. His look of concern made her realize what was actually going on. Her baby was definitely coming, and it could happen any time in the next 24 hours. At least, she hoped it would only be that time frame. Kari had heard stories about people in labor for days, and she really wasn’t looking to add her name to that list. She was thankful that Everett had the towel in hand and could assist her in the clean-up; there was no way she was going to be able to bend over to clean herself up. She would probably fall forward!

"I’m okay right now," Kari said with a nod, assuring both Everett and herself. But, she knew they were going to need to get to the hospital sooner rather than later. Contractions could start any minute, and Kari was not going to want to be in transit for too long with those painful bursts. "The bag’s in the corner. We should go. And you should call on the way to let them know we’re coming," Kari ordered in the most polite manner she could muster at the moment. As excited as she was for her daughter to arrive, Kari was absolutely terrified of the whole giving birth thing. She hoped Everett’s hands were sturdy, because she planned on squeezing the shit out of them.

[everett-barlow-blog]

Kari’s words of her condition relaxed Everett. She was okay. Right now. He knew it probably wouldn’t be like that for long. Kari and him had discussed this enough. They had done the parenting classes and read through the books. (Kari had done more of the reading; Everett had glanced and commented.) The bag they had ready had been prepared well in advance after hearing all the other stories of early arrivals and unready parents. The bag was there to ensure their story wouldn’t be anything like those. Everett was grateful for Kari’s persistence that they do it. It gave the opportunity to move sooner and think less. “We’ll get it and be on the way,” he told her, putting an arm around her lower back and helping her back into the bedroom.

Everett got out a change of clothes for himself and her. After changing, Everett slung his bag over this shoulder and grabbed his cellphone charging on the dresser. “I’ll be right back,” Everett said as he did a double take at Kari to see if she needed him now. He took the steps two at a time as he headed down as he dialed the hospital. They had plenty of people to call, but the hospital would be first. Cody’s eyes snapped open when he came down and Everett let him out as he loaded the car with the bag and the car seat they soon would need. That deep realization was setting in all around him. It was finally time. Coming in again, Everett put some extra food in Cody’s dish. He wasn’t sure how long it would take. He hoped for the best. Back upstairs Everett went to Kari’s side once more. “We’re ready,” he said. It wasn’t a question. They were ready for this. As he guided her down the stairs and through the front door, Everett gave Kari a little kiss on the top of her head, hugging her just a little closer as they walked forward. “When we come back, we’ll be bringing Isabella home too.”

[karivickry]

Baby Makes Three || Karrett

[karivickry]

Kari smiled against her husband’s lips, pecking them once more before letting her head fall against his shoulder. “Maybe tonight,” Kari repeated with a wide smile, glancing up at Everett. She wanted this baby to finally arrive. Waiting nine months to meet someone, especially your daughter, was nine months too many. Every night before she went to bed, Kari silently prayed that it would be the last night she had to go to sleep with a baby inside of her. It wasn’t because being pregnant was too much; she just wanted to start her journey into motherhood.

Her eyes flickered to the corner of the room where a large duffel bag was packed with everything Kari would need for when she actually did go into labor. They knew they had to be prepared because it could happen any day or night. “She’s going to love you, too,” Kari replied, placing her hand on her large stomach. “And I love you,” she added softly, leaning up to kiss Everett again. She nodded towards the light, silently asking Everett to turn it off so they could get some sleep. Being pregnant really did get to her, and being tired was the norm for her.

At about 2 AM, Kari groaned as she woke up and wiggled from Everett’s grasp. She usually could sleep through the night, but that baby always woke her up at the worst times to go to the bathroom. On her way back to bed, Kari could tell something wasn’t right. She felt a trickling down her legs, and she knew that it could only mean one thing. “Holy shit,” she breathed, staring down at her stomach. “Ev,” she said loud and slow, not wanting to move from the spot she was standing in. “I think she’s coming today,” Kari said, the finality in her voice proving that her water was definitely broken.

[everett-barlow-blog]

Everett had always been a pretty heavy sleeper. As a little boy, his mom used to find him in all sorts of old places and positions fast asleep. She used to say that he could sleep through an earthquake. As an adult, he wasn’t as bad as that, but once asleep it took more to wake him than a simple shake. Recently, however, Everett had been almost as anxious as Kari for Isabella’s birth. Because of that, his body was waking each time Kari slid from bed. It allowed him a moment to check on her. That was what had happened when Kari lifted herself from bed and headed to the bathroom like she had been doing each night. This time, though, just moments before he drifted back to sleep, he heard Kari’s gasp. A second later he heard the call.

Everett’s eyes snapped open and he sat up. “Kar?” he called, shoving the blankets off of him and getting out of the bed. Not spotting her, he rounded the corner into the bathroom where he expected her to be. Sure enough, Everett spotted his wife standing in the bathroom with the wet stain running down her legs and ending in a puddle beneath her feet. Everett’s eyes widened in a terrified. “Holy shit!” He exclaimed, repeating the same words he hadn’t known she had just said. “She’s coming? Now?” He asked. He assumed yes. And that brought a grin across his face. “She’s coming,” he answered for himself and kissed Kari fully on the lips before thinking anything else. After a second, he pulled back with a sheepish look on his face. “Sorry.” His excitement had gotten the best of him, but now the look he gave his wife was one of concern. “How are you feeling? Are you okay?” He stood back to check her over as he reached for a towel to help clean her up.

[karivickry]

Baby Makes Three || Karrett

Kari couldn’t see her feet anymore. It was blocked by her enormous belly that was currently carrying Kari and Everett’s first child. A girl. She was far too impatient to wait until the birth to know the gender; it gave her more time to come up with a name. Isabella. It was a name she had loved since she was little, and she was thrilled that Everett loved the name, too. Thankfully, the pregnancy lasted the entire 9 months without complications. Sure, there was the lovely combination of morning sickness and strange cravings, but Kari loved being pregnant more than anything. She just couldn’t wait to meet her daughter. Even the word made her heart flutter with excitement. Years ago, Kari never thought she would be able to get pregnant. Hell, she didn’t even think she would ever get married. But now, she was married to the most wonderful man on the planet, and they were about to become parents.

"Maybe we’ll meet her tomorrow," Kari said with a grin, her eyes fixed on her husband who was resting his head on her large stomach. She said it every night, hoping that the next day would be the big day for them. That day still hadn’t come, but Kari could feel that it was getting close. Isabella had to come soon, or else Kari thought her skin might stretch off her body. She could hardly get out of bed without Everett’s help, and they both knew how much she hated depending on other people. Kari wanted to meet her baby more than anything. She wanted to start her journey into motherhood, and she wanted to share precious moments between her husband and child. "Do you think she’s gonna like me?" Kari asked, reaching her hand down to run her fingers through Everett’s hair. This was how every night had been for the past few weeks. They just relaxed and talked about what might happen on the big day that they had been waiting 9 months for.

[everett-barlow-blog]

Little would anyone have imagined Everett Barlow in the position he was in now. His head resting atop his wife’s pregnant belly would have been a farfetched thought of anyone who had known him a few years back. Yet, here he was now, perfectly content doing just that. Everett and Kari Barlow’s nighttime routine began with that one question: Maybe we’ll meet her tomorrow. Everett’s response was the same one he had been giving the last few nights. “Maybe tomorrow, maybe tonight,” he replied, his own anticipation joining with hers. While this little baby girl had a due date, they knew she could be coming any day. It was a waiting game that neither of them was all that patient to play.

For a moment, Everett let himself imagine what it would be like. He stoked the swell of Kari’s belly as he imagined finally being able to hold this little being in his arms. Their daughter. “I can’t wait to meet you,” he whispered softly to Kari's stomach before placing a feather light kiss to the bump. It wasn’t a strange thing for him to do. He hoped she heard it. He hoped she’d know just how much he already loved her. And he hoped, just as Kari did, that she would love him back. Of course, he had no doubt that their little girl would love Kari. He told her just that. “You’re going to be the perfect mom,” he promised her, rolling away from her stomach so he could prop himself next to his wife instead. “And she’s going to love you so much.” His thumb came up to brush across her check before he leaned in to place a soft kiss upon her lips.

[everett-barlow-blog]

A Flash Forward Moment | Future

Everett was not a teacher. He had no process of how to get someone from point A to point B without magically taking that large leap. Learned behaviors and activities… he figured he’d be able to cover those type of things. Hadn’t he learned to cook from doing the same thing? He’d sat on the counter and watched his dad each day till he was mixing up his own batter and flipping his own burgers. It had been easy. Riding a bike was not a skill learned from sitting and watching. Unfortunately, it also wasn’t a skill learned entirely from trial and error either. Parenthood… was one of those skills. Trial and error. And Everett was hovering on the edge of error as he stared at the bike that Kari demanded him to teach Bella to ride.

Entertainment.

She’d done it for pure enjoyment.

Everett had challenged that Kari wanted their daughter to stay alive, right? Kari’s answer was a smile that tinted her cheeks red as she held back laughter. Math! He could teach math! He could teach her math and how to read and how to cook. Kari didn’t want to trade.

So, Everett lowered the seat. He inflated the tires. And he’d stocked up on helmets, kneepads, and elbow pads. There were plenty extras. Just in case.

Bella was a bundle of energy as she squealed in delight at the new big-girl bike that she was going to master riding. Purple helmet on, matching pads (even if she said they clashed with her glitter jeans and dancing monkeys shirt.) She let Everett tie up her light-up shoes, giving her preferred sandals a fleeting look of sadness. But Everett insisted that if she wanted to ride a bike (which she very much did), she’d have to wear closed-toed shoes.

And now. Garbed in protective gear, she stood over the bike with a wide grin. Everett was sure that the smile he tried to give back to her looked more like a grimace. While little miss Bella didn’t see anything concerning, Everett looked ready to have a heart-attack. He looked up and wondered if the video recorder in Kari’s hands was going to be focused more on him or her for prosperity’s sake. He could see the prospective titles now: ‘Bella learning to ride a bike’ or ‘Daddy having a heart attack.’ Everett sent her one more helpless glance, only to be sent a flashing white grin and thumbs up in return. He didn’t know how he ended up with the short straw! This little girl would never learn to ride her bike!

“Okay,” Everett clapped, green eyes back to his daughter. “Let’s learn to ride a bike!” Everett’s energy was his typical when spending his time with the four-year-old blond. “Alright, first…”

But, just as Everett’s enthusiasm set in, Bella’s seemed to vanish. Her little face suddenly looked less sure about this bike riding deal than it had moments before. Everett noticed the drop instantly and stopped. He was beside her as she stood on the ground, cradling the bike between her legs. Her small hands gripped the handle bars with a vice-like grip. Dropping on his knees, a hand rubbed on her back as the other gently rubbed at her whitening knuckles to loosen them up.

“Hey there baby girl,” he cooed. “You’re okay. What’s the matter?”

Bella shyly hid her face, turning away from Everett and the camera that her mother may or may not be holding up. “I’m scared.”

Everett immediately understood. He understood the fear of the unknown. Bella was learning something now she’d never done before. It was new. It was different. It was scary. Everett gave her a warm and comforting hug, wanting to rid her of any fear that she had. “I know it looks scary. But we’re going to practice and practice before you’re going to do it all on your own. I’ll be right here the whole time and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Bella lifted her unsure eyes to him. “Promise?” she asked.

Everett nodded, no flinching necessary. “Promise.” With that, Everett stood. Again he prompted, “Ready?”

Bella swallowed her fear and nodded. “Ready.”

[everett-barlow-blog]

Simple and Sweet || Karrett

[karivickry]

Kari blushed when Everett’s lips touched her neck. It had been a while since they had a moment like this, and Kari wasn’t going to let the moment pass. After all, it was Valentine’s Day. And although they had decided not to do anything too crazy this year, Kari wanted to make it special and keep it intimate. She went shopping that morning for a reason. “How about you meet me upstairs in five minutes?” Kari murmured, placing her hand on Everett’s arm to silently ask him to let her get off the couch. With a teasing smile, she disappeared upstairs to quickly slip into the new underwear set that she purchased earlier in the day. Everett was going to just take it off, but she had to do a little modeling for him first.

She turned on the tub faucet, letting the water run hot and fill up while she changed. Knowing that she was on a time restraint, Kari quickly shed her clothes and current bra and underwear. She then put on the sexy pink push-up bra and cheeky bottoms, hearing Everett coming up the stairs. Her hands rested on the bathroom doorway, and her body leaned forward to see if Everett was in sight. He was. Her heart raced in anticipation and excitement. “I know we said no gifts, but I couldn’t help myself,” she said with a grin, letting her eyes graze his body.

[everett-barlow-blog]

Everett’s eyebrows lifted up as Kari lifted herself off him and bid him to wait. Not at all ignorant to what it implied, Everett’s face already showed the anticipation of whatever Kari had in store for him. After all, it was Valentine’s Day and Kari had just been shopping. Though he hadn’t had a peek at the bags and therefore didn’t catch sight of that fateful pink one, he was pretty sure there was something special for this occasion. With that thought in mind, he was thrilled to see what she had picked up. As commanded, Everett gave her a few minutes before taking the same path as she had and found himself entering their bedroom to a fantastic sight ahead of him.

Everett’s eyes scanned down his Fiancé’s body with a very appreciative look. They may have said no gifts… but which of them would ever listen to that? Besides, it was a gift to both of them. “No argument here,” he made sure to say, though his eyes sucked in the sight of the lustful pink over her tan flesh rather than looking up. She knew how to play him well. “I never mind a present to unwrap,” he cockily added as his eyes finally found hers and he crossed the distance to let his hands explore the new attire too.

[everett-barlow-blog]

Simple and Sweet || Karrett

[karivickry]

Kari smiled happily, letting the idea of a summer wedding sink in. Five months. They could do this, right? When Kari set her mind to something, she did not stop until she had exactly what she wanted. Hell, she wanted Everett and made sure that she got him. And now she had him forever. A wedding, reception, and honeymoon were going to be tough things to plan (and fund), but she had faith that they could do it. “I know we can do it,” she agreed with a nod. A few months until they were official. Until their family officially began. He was already her family now, but Kari couldn’t wait to call Everett her husband. This is what she always wanted, and now she had it with the right person.

"Being married is gonna be so fun," Kari gushed, lovingly gazing at her fiance. "You can come home and I’ll have dinner ready for my husband. I’ll just have to learn how to cook. And then we can take Cody on a husband and wife walk on the weekends. And then we can take husband and wife showers,” she added with a smirk, listing all of the things they already do together but knowing that it would be even better when they were married.

[everett-barlow-blog]

“This summer,” Everett gave his nod of approval. The decision was made. This summer, just in a few months, they would be married. While Kari exuberantly babbled about all the things that they would do, Everett’s smile stretched wide, watching her with a loving amusement. Almost always the more restrained one, Everett shared his happiness with chuckle and an appeasing nod. It was still hard to imagine the moment when suddenly they would become husband and wife, but it was a moment he was looking forward to. It was the hope he had needed when the troubles all began.

“Husband and wife showers?” Everett repeated, his voice rising in purposeful intonation. His interest playfully peeked. “You didn’t mention these earlier,” he complained to her, as if she had been withholding very important information. “I would have proposed a whole lot sooner.” He winked at her, using his hands on her back to pull her in closer. “As is, we should practice those. You know, make sure we’re ready for this whole husband and wife thing.” For extra measure, his fingers snuck under the hem of her shirt from where they had lingered on her lower back to tickle the soft skin and his lips pressed down lightly along the dip in her neck.

[everett-barlow-blog]

Simple and Sweet || Karrett

[karivickry]

"I think we could do it," Kari agreed. She knew as well as Everett did that their financial situation wasn’t the best, but she wanted to get married to him more than anything in the world. If it meant that it would be done with whatever funds they could manage, then so be it. Hey, a beach wedding would be cheaper to begin with. And it would be so… Kari and Everett. Much of their relationship had to do with the beach, and it would be the perfect place for them to officially tie the knot. "My mom can help us with the planning. Maybe she’ll get us a wedding planner. I’ll have to ask her about it. She’s like over the moon excited about the wedding, so she’ll do what she has to do," she chuckled, knowing that her mother would do whatever it took to make sure her daughter had what she wanted.

Everett’s comment made her laugh. “Hey, it wasn’t a booty call!” she shouted, playfully slapping Everett’s arm. “I genuinely wanted to see you again. I just didn’t know how else to ask,” she said with a smile. The memory of that night and the day after made her cheeks flush. She knew back then that Everett was going to be someone she cared about. There was something in the way that she fit with him that made her feel it in her bones. “I did get what I wanted. You,” Kari said softly, leaning over to place her lips on Everett’s again.

[everett-barlow-blog]

When Kari brought her mom into the conversation, Everett knew a wedding this summer was beginning to be more than just a possibility. Financially, Kari and Everett were both twenty-something young adults. They weren’t rolling in any money. They did well getting by with enough cushion a, but just that wouldn’t be enough to fund a whole wedding, reception, and honeymoon. Kari’s mom offered a chance to have those things despite. While the Barlows were under enough stress with the diner, Kari’s mom had the means (and desire) to help them out. “She’d love that,” Everett agreed. From the few times they had met, he knew Kari’s mom loved her completely. She wanted the very best for her and she seemed to approve of him as that best.

“We could do this,” Everett agreed. His smile stretched as she leaned in to kiss him. He readily accepted the kiss and kissed her back. “That’s some five-six months. We’ll have to figure out a lot of stuff. But people have gotten married in less than that.” It would be close enough to a two-year mark for them. Two years that Everett had fallen completely in love with Kari. They really were going to be married… and, more than likely, soon. It was a realization that Everett was perfectly happy to accept. “Let’s see if we can do it.”

[everett-barlow-blog]

Simple and Sweet || Karrett

[karivickry]

Kari let an amused smirk appear on her face when Everett nodded towards the wedding magazines he had been reading. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t surprised to see Everett indulge in that kind of reading material. “I can’t believe you’ve been reading these,” Kari giggled, narrowing her eyes playfully at her future husband. She loved him for it, though. If Everett wanted to start getting serious about their wedding plans, Kari was all ears. Now that they were engaged, she didn’t want to wait forever to make it official and begin to start a family with him. Of course, she needed things to be okay with the diner and with Everett’s parents before any dates could be set, but thinking about it wasn’t a bad idea.

"I wouldn’t mind this summer," Kari admitted, wondering if Everett would agree to that. That was only in a few months, and it would take some effort to get everything in order before then. But, Kari could do it. They could do it together. She was sure of it. "But it’s whatever you think is best. I’ll whip out the handcuffs whenever you want," she said playfully, giving the term a double meaning. Her eyes moved from his face to the diamond ring on her finger, and a smile crept over her features. "The beach would be nice. Reminiscent of when I kicked your ass on the waves the day after my birthday," she added with a laugh.

[everett-barlow-blog]

So completely out of character, Everett was not one to pick up anything remotely feminine. Kari had him caught. “It was closer than the remote,” Everett tried to justify, a pathetic excuse whether it was true or not. He lamented with a smile on his face, hardly able to keep a defensive state with the woman he loved laughing so. “Alright, I was curious,” he gave in, shrugging a little. How could he not have been a little curious? Though hardly a man’s plan, it would be his wedding too. It would be their moment to share. And, while he hadn’t planned on being caught looking, it didn’t hurt Everett to flip through and get some idea of what other couples did.

It was this magazine that was leading him to the thoughts that he wanted something far from flashy and ornate that these were. He wanted simple, personal, and something perfect for them. And though she had these magazines, he couldn’t imagine Kari wanting the ballroom multi-million dollar wedding either. Coming down from the tease, Kari was more serious. This summer. “We could do it,” Everett nodded as the pieces began to be put together piece by piece. “We won’t have a ton of money, but the diner should be back up by then. If all goes well, I’ll be done with school…” It almost made since. “Unless we need more time,” he added, not sure what time frames should be like for planning a wedding. He was flying blind with this.

And then the grin swept across Kari’s face again. Everett playfully huffed. He rebuffed with, “Oh yeah, that time you wanted a booty call and I was ever the gentleman and denied?” He sent a cocky smirk her way, remembering that day. What a crazy start to all of this. He leaned back on the couch, his hands rolling down Kari’s sides to rest around her lower back. “Though I think it was this same couch we ended up on after all that. Guess we both got what we wanted that night.”

[everett-barlow-blog]

Simple and Sweet || Karrett

[karivickry]

Kari hadn’t had the desire to go out and do anything for herself lately. She wanted to help Everett and the diner, and her mind was just not focused on anything else. So, when things were finally starting to get better and the diner was beginning to get back on track, Kari felt like she needed a much deserved morning to herself. She woke up early for a jog, showered successfully without waking up Everett, and then headed out to the mall to do some retail therapy. It had been a while since she bought anything sexy for Everett to play with, so she had to stop off at Victoria’s Secret to grab a few things.

When she returned home, Everett’s voice greeted her before his body did. Summer? The beach? Was he talking about their wedding? Since the engagement, Kari and Everett hadn’t exactly discussed details or anything of the sort. Now, they could finally begin to talk about what she had desperately been wanting to talk about. “This summer?” Kari asked, wondering if Everett wanted to get married sooner rather than later. She set her bags down on the kitchen counter and made her way to the couch, sitting down on Everett’s lap with an arm around his shoulders. “You sure you wanna handcuff yourself to me that quickly?” she asked teasingly, greeting him with a kiss.

[everett-barlow-blog]

While Everett had been purposefully vague in his question, he waited expectantly for his fiancé to pop into the living room to see what he was talking about. Her slightly confused question brought that playful smile to his face and he looked over the couch as she came in. “Hey,” he greeted, as she slid onto his lap. The disturbed Cody was more excited about seeing Kari than having been forced from his spot. Everett chuckled as the dog’s stubby tail wiggled ferociously, but eventually pushed him back gently so he could wrap his arm around Kari and return the soft peck.

“For the wedding,” Everett confirmed, putting aside the magazine giving away what he had been looking at. When she didn’t say yes or no, Everett took her next question as a partial agreement. Summer. Beach. It was so much a part of who they already were. Why marry in a church when neither of them was religious? It might appease his mother, maybe, but that wasn’t a big enough reason for Everett. Kari’s next question solicited a simple shrug from Everett. He supposed he hadn’t thought exactly about when in relation to now. “I don’t know,” he said, giving away that he hadn’t necessarily thought about when exactly the wedding would be. He cracked a little smirk. “I don’t mind the handcuffs. This summer or next. My feelings for you won’t change.” They were already living together. His parents had just claimed her part of their family. The wedding would make things official.

[everett-barlow-blog]

Why I Love California

[heidikovens]

Hawaii’s water is like, perpetually warm. It’s wonderful. I was there when I was about 8. I’m not really a beach person, though.

[everett-barlow-blog]

I was there once and if I wouldn't get island fever, I'd move there. You live in California. In Hava Hills. Next to the ocean. How can you not be a beach person?

[tori-castle]

Yeah, I’m pretty good with my hands. I can definitely help out, and I’ll do it free. 

[everett-barlow-blog]

I guess I forgot, didn't you help out with starting up the Warehouse too? I appreciate any help. Thanks Tori.

[everett-barlow-blog]

Why I Love California

[heidikovens]

Like, there are people surfing today. Sometimes I don’t like Hava so much, but I’d rather be here than anywhere else.

[everett-barlow-blog]

Oh yeah- 60 degrees is just fine for surfing. I can't imagine a place that you'd be an idiot for going outside let alone in the water. Then again, Hawaii's probably got it better than us.

[everett-barlow-blog]

Why I Love California

While most of the country is below the freezing point and going through some polar vortex, today we're still going to manage a 65 degree temp. Glad to be me and where I am.

[tori-castle]

I was really sorry to hear about that, Ev… Do you need any help rebuilding or anything?

[everett-barlow-blog]

Yeah, it sucks. Thanks though. I'm not sure if there's anything that you could do right now. Are you handy with tools? It's mostly manuel labor for awhile. Then it will be painting and decorating and stuff.