I would love to read and watch more fiction that deals with what love is like after “happily ever after”.

Some good examples I can think of include:

The Anne of Green Gables sequels after she marries Gilbert (especially Anne of Ingleside) — dealing with how the two of them navigate having kids, the balance between career ambitions (he is a doctor, she is a full time mother who writes for magazines on the side) and domestic chores, and the insecurities that come from ageing and wondering if your partner is still attracted to you. I was surprised by how well written it was and how it showed a beautiful romance and marriage that readers had followed since the two main characters were teenagers in the first flush of romance, which still had its ups and downs.

Wanderlust on Netflix, which show a long time married couple who love each other but have lost their sexual spark, so they decide to explore an open marriage, and it brings them closer together.

The Let Down (comedy show) about a couple who have their first child and navigate the challenges of parenthood, expectations of motherhood, and work commitments in a humorous way.

Too many other works of fiction that deal with long term relationships normally focus on when a relationship is dysfunctional. Think “Revolutionary Road”. Or “Mad Men”. But you can have fascinating, relatable fiction about the complexities and difficulties of “life after happily ever after” that still shows how people can maintain and grow love across years and decades.