Believe It Or Not (An Eddie Munson Story)

Epilogue

Eddie's POV:

"Nora! You have to put your shoes on so we can go," Michelle calls from the foyer.

The little blond angel pouts from in front of me, tears welling in her eyes. Her little blond curls are tied up in pig tails and she looks as sweet as a cherub. Her sad expression nearly breaks my heart in two as I pat her little head. 

"But I don't want to go," she cries as her mother comes around the corner with her coat and an expectant expression. "We didn't even get to see grandma."

I watch as Michelle ducks down and guides Nora's arms into her plush baby pink jacket, whispering reassurances in her ears as tears trickle down her chubby little cheeks. 

"We'll see grandma next time," Michelle insists as she lifts Nora up into her arms. The little girl wipes at her eyes with her sleeve before looking right at me, her sapphire stare making my heart ache. 

"You promise, grandpa?" She asks and holds out her little pinky for me to take. A smile spreads across my face as I wrap my large pinky around her tiny one and nod. 

"I promise," I tell her and she finally smiles. Her mother sighs and her shoulders sag with relief as she quickly kisses me on the cheek and heads for the door before Nora can protest again. 

I watch them go from the window, my fingers lightly pressing against the glass until their car vanishes from sight. With a sigh, I turn towards the silent house and my eyes wander over all the familiar decor. A huge wedding day portrait hangs over our fireplace, Ripley and I smiling at one another and not looking at the camera. This home holds a million members and for a moment I am lost, recounting birthdays, Christmases, and random Sundays sprawled across the couch as our children, Orion and Michelle, play loudly upstairs. I make my way through the living room and into the kitchen where the backdoor leads out into the yard. 

The air outside is warm, and the sun shines down on me, making my skin tingle. I walk through the garden, flowers blooming and stretching towards the light. I find the flowerbed that I'm looking for and I duck down, my knees and back aching with old age as I pluck a few flowers and gather them in my hands. Once I'm satisfied, I gingerly get up and make my way past the garden and up a small hill. Under the tree at the very top sits a tombstone and I stand before it, my hands trembling. 

Ripley Michelle Munson

Beloved Mother and Wife

"Forever and Always"

I buried my girl underneath our tree nearly five years ago. The ache in my chest has never left me though and as time goes by, I'm convinced it only gets more and more pronounced. Cancer is a nasty thing and if I could have, I would have taken it from her a million times over. 

As I watch our family grow and I meet the grandchildren who will never meet her, I do my best to keep Ripley's memory alive. I keep the house just as she left it, as though she should be home any minute rather than gone from beside me forever. Orion and Michelle visit every chance they get, bringing their spouses and bundles of grandbabies with them. The house is never quiet and yet my soul never stirs. Instead, it rests here beside Ripley until eventually I can join her. 

"Hey sweetheart," I croak, my voice battered and sad. "I brought these for you."

I set the bouquet of forget me nots in front of her tombstone and the breeze momentarily picks up, making me shiver. 

"Nora came by today," I tell her, a smile finally breaking across my face. "She looks exactly like you and she gives Michelle quite the run for her money."

I chuckle as I move over to the bench by her grave. The bench that has been here since we bought the house, and we spent many nights sitting at and staring at the stars. I tell Ripley all about my life without her. How our kids and their children are doing. How the band finally got indited into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. How my muscles ache and my doctors are worried. I ask her how Steve is doing, since he passed nearly ten years ago, leaving yet another black hole in my heart. I ask her to watch over our family. I ask her if she has found peace.  Anything that comes to mind, pours out of my mouth and into the silence and at the end, I allow myself to cry. 

I stay out on the bench until the sun starts to set and the air turns freezing. I hobble back towards the house and I go about the rest of my nightly routine, cooking, cleaning, and then finally climbing into bed. 

As I drift off to sleep, I dream of Ripley. Her golden hair thick and beautiful and her deep blue eyes staring into my soul. She's just as she was when we were eighteen, vibrant and beautiful. She smiles widely at me and reaches out her hand for mine. I take it without hesitation. When I look down at our joined hands, my fingers are no longer wrinkled and cracked with age. They are smooth. A mirror beside us reveals that I am young again, my smile big across my face. From over Ripley's shoulder I see Steve looking down at us, his arms crossed over his chest and a grin on his lips. When I look back down at my girl, realization sinks into my chest, and she gives me a tentative smile. Her eyes search mine and I can feel her rubbing soothing circles against my wrist. 

"It's time," she whispers, and her voice still sounds far away. The fear I thought I would feel doesn't come as I let my angel take me home. Back to her side, where I've always belonged. 

The End