Believe It Or Not (An Eddie Munson Story)

Winds of Change

Eddie's POV:

I come home to the smell of orange chicken. The meat simmers lowly on the stovetop and the delectable aroma fills my nose and lungs as I inhale deeply. It's like a huge weight has slid from my body. My duffel swings against my body as I peek in the kitchen, noting that dinner is just about ready to be set on the table but Ripley and Orion aren't in the front rooms. I hear her soft voice drifting from the back of the house and I wander towards it, like a moth to flame. 

"I need to finish getting dinner on the table and you, mister, need to preoccupy yourself long enough for mommy to tidy up a bit before daddy gets home. You have been fed, burped, and changed. Aunt Chrissy got you a brand new bouncy chair and we are going to try it out and help mommy with what she was doing."

Ripley fusses openly at Orion and he makes happy gurgling sounds, always the most talkative little man. She doesn't notice me watching them and I just take a moment to enjoy being home and enjoy their presence. Ripley lifts Orion off of the changing table and turns to walk out of his bedroom, her eyes lifting to meet mine. 

"You're home," she breathes, a smile slipping onto her lips. 

"I'm home." 

I drop my bag on the floor as she hurries forward, her free arm coming up to wrap around my neck. I hold them against my chest, humming as I breath them in. Ripley smells sweet and subtle and my eyes automatically close as every ounce of tension and stress leaves my body. I duck down and kiss the top of Orion's curly head. He smells of fresh baby and cotton linen. 

"I've missed you both," I say, pulling away and taking Orion from Ripley. I kiss her sweetly on the lips. She smiles against me before pulling away.

"We missed you too," she answers before sliding around me to head back into the kitchen and check on the food. She turns off the burner and takes the skillet off the heat. She spoons rice from the pot and places some at the bottom of each bowl before topping them off with orange chicken. I bounce back and forth with Orion in my arms, running my hand gently over his head as I watch the steam roll off of each bowl. Ripley sets the bowls at the table and I place Orion in his bouncer. I set his seat on top of the table as he fusses. I sit beside him and use my hand to bounce the chair as Ripley brings us each a can of soda to the table and then sits. I wait for her to take the first bite, still working to settle Orion before I dig in as well. 

"This is amazing, sweetheart," I tell her around my food and she smiles, peeking at me from across the table. Ripley has been taking some cooking classes on Saturday nights at the local community center since she hasn't been able to start school until the spring semester. The classes have provided her with a hobby and she has taken a lot of pride in the things she cooks for us, each meal is special and well planned out. I appreciate all that she does. 

A part of me is upset that I didn't stop to get something for her before heading home. Once our plane landed, I was hyper fixated on just getting home and getting to see them. I didn't even think about my time spent away or how Ripley most likely would have worked to make sure I didn't have to worry about a thing when I got home. A knot forms in my chest as my eyes scan what I can see of the trailer as we talk. The house is clean aside for the toys she had just been using with Orion. You wouldn't think that a sole individual with an infant has been occupying this space. I know she put the extra effort in for me and as I look at her, I'm filled with so much admiration. 

Her golden hair has been growing and the curls tumble over her shoulders and kiss her collarbone. She's got her elbows propped up on the table and she is using her hand to try to outline the intricate timeline of a book she read while I was away. Her fingers dance in the air, slender and graceful and I am mesmerized by the way they glide in front of her. Her eyes are bright and they shine even brighter by the light reflecting in from the kitchen making her entire face glisten with early evening wonder. My hand still reflexively bounces Orion and when I peek at him, he is staring at her too. Both of us deeply entranced by the beautiful creature before us.