"Eww..." Karl muttered in disgust as he tied up the garbage bag filled with rotting tomatoes. The scent was awful—sharp, sour, and absolutely unbearable. He wrinkled his nose, turning his head away as he tied the knot tighter. "Why am I always the one dealing with this stuff?" he grumbled under his breath, clearly annoyed. His hair messy, and his expression full of irritation as he shuffled toward the door.
Karl frowned. "Now what?" he muttered, dragging his slippers across the floor with a tired sigh. The smell of the tomatoes followed him like a curse as he reached for the door handle.
"Who’s here at this hour?" he said out loud, his tone annoyed, his mind still thinking about tossing the garbage and finishing his nap.
He opened the door quickly—without care, without thinking.
Everything inside him came to a halt.
Standing before him was Ruby.
Ruby in the flesh—standing under the afternoon sun with a glow on her skin and a softness in her gaze. Her newly cut hair framed her face so delicately that Karl forgot how to breathe for a second. Julian stood beside her, calm and watchful, but Karl didn’t even notice him at first.
The bag of tomatoes slipped from his hand.
THUMP. It hit the ground. The foul smell burst out instantly.
His mind didn’t even register the stench. His eyes were still fixed on her. His lips parted slightly. His breath caught in his throat. She’s back.
"W-wife..." Karl’s voice cracked.
Ruby blinked, confused, and instinctively stepped back with Julian. Their expressions twisted slightly—not at him, but at the bag now lying open on the doorstep.
"Goodness, Brother Karl..." Julian said, frowning. "What is that smell?"
Karl blinked, looking down.
And then he remembered.
He quickly turned around and rushed out, grabbing the bag like it was on fire and hurrying toward the outdoor bin. "I didn’t know it would fall like that! I wasn’t ready—I didn’t know—just give me one second!"
When he returned, a little out of breath, the first thing he did was wipe his hands against his robe and try to fix his hair, clearly nervous now. Then finally, his gaze settled on Ruby again.
And this time... he saw her properly.
Her hair. It was shorter now, elegant. The layers framed her cheeks and made her red eyes stand out even more. She looked more mature somehow. More powerful. But still soft... still his wife.
He didn’t speak for a moment. His heart was thudding.
"You changed your hair," he finally said softly.
Ruby nodded. "Yeah... I thought it was time."
Karl looked at her for a long moment, eyes filled with something between awe and disbelief. "You look... so beautiful," he whispered.
And Ruby’s lips curled into a small smile.
"We are tired, Karl!" Ruby said with a smirk, brushing a few strands of hair away from her eyes. "Are you really going to make us stand and talk with you just at the door?" Her voice was light, teasing but there was something in the way she spoke... low, slightly tired from the journey, but full of warmth. And Karl didn’t miss the soft tone... it sounded kind of sexy.
Karl’s ears turned red.
His whole body stiffened for a second like a frozen ghost.
Why did her voice suddenly sound like a slow love song? Why did it feel like someone poured warm tea into his soul just now?
"C-come in," he said quickly, clearing his throat and stepping aside like a good boy. "Don’t just stand there..."
Ruby and Julian walked in, and the second they entered the house, their shoulders dropped in relief.
"Ahh finally..." Julian said, placing the small bag down beside the sofa. "I forgot how good it feels to sit on our own couch."
Ruby didn’t say anything at first. She just sank into the sofa like her soul had been waiting for this moment forever. Her head tilted back slightly, and she closed her eyes with a soft sigh. "Home..."
Karl stood there quietly, watching them both. Something twisted inside his chest.
He had been grumbling about rotten tomatoes five minutes ago. Now he was staring at the witch he loved sitting in their living room, looking like she just came out of a movie. Her newly styled hair framed her face in soft waves. Her lips were pink, her eyes glowing and her presence made the whole house feel like spring again.
"I’m making tea," he muttered suddenly and turned around before anyone noticed how stupidly emotional he looked.
Ruby peeked one eye open and looked at Julian, who just gave her a tiny smile and mouthed, he missed us.
She chuckled silently, brushing her fingers over the armrest of the couch. "It’s good to be home," she whispered.
"Wife!" a voice echoed from down the hallway.
Milo, who had been napping in his room with his legs tangled in a soft blanket, suddenly jolted up like someone poured cold water on his face. His messy hair stuck out like a little puffball as his eyes blinked rapidly.
He rubbed his eyes once, still half-dreaming.
Milo’s eyes flew open completely. That wasn’t a dream. That was real. He heard wife and Julian voice.
He jumped off the bed, almost tripping over his own feet as he hurried barefoot across the room, swinging the door open with a loud thud.
"Wife!!" he called again, this time louder—like a child spotting candy from across the road.
Ruby, still seated comfortably on the sofa, turned just in time to see a blur rush toward her. Before she could react, Milo had already leaped straight into her lap with the grace of a happy cat. She instinctively caught him, steadying both of them with a small laugh.
"Milo!" she gasped, smiling in surprise.
But he didn’t say anything for a moment.
He simply wrapped his arms around her tightly and pressed his face into her neck, rubbing his soft cheek against her shoulder like a baby ghost starved for affection. "I missed you so much..." he whispered.
—To be continued...🪄