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.
"Eddie, are you listening?" she huffs, tilting her head into her hand and furrowing her eyebrows at me. I want so desperately to poke the little "v" that forms on her brow with my finger, but I think better of it.
"I am, sweetheart," I insist, blinking a few times. "I'm sorry I've just missed looking at you and I'm a little tired. It's easy to drift into a daydream."
She blushes slightly at that, obviously not expecting my honesty and she clears her throat. She moves to stand, her hand reaching to grab my plate and I grip her wrist, making her pause.
"I'll get the dishes," I insist and she opens her mouth to protest. Before she can make a sound, I lean forward and am kissing across her face. I pepper her skin with searing kisses until she leans against me, her resolve completely shaken.
"You take Orion and I'll do the dishes." I say and this time she doesn't protest. She brings him into the living room and sets him on his playmate, getting down on the floor and laying beside him as I turn and clean.
I scrub the dishes and make sure all the cookware is clean. I wipe down the counters and the stovetop, ensuring all the knobs are off. I move into the dining room and clean off the table with a damp and soapy cloth, scrubbing away any grim. When I am satisfied with how everything looks, I turn the light off and head into the living room. Ripley is finishing changing a rather nasty smelling diaper and Orion is settling back in on the floor. Once she returns from washing her hands, she curls up on the couch beside me. The warmth of her body seeps into my side as I lean heavily against the arm of the couch. Elvis moves off of where he was perched on the shelf above the window to cuddle in Ripley's lap, purring loudly. I sigh deeply, glad to be home.
"Did the two of you just hang out at home today?" I ask, trying to keep the conversation going so I don't fall asleep.
"No, we went out with Chrissy, did some shopping, and then came home and hung out for a bit." Ripley laughs softly. "Orion has more clothes by now then I think he will actually get the chance to wear."
"Good," I breathe, my eyelids heavy. "That's the life I've always wanted for him."
"I know, baby," Ripley says, her voice soft and reassuring as she leans up to kiss the underside of my jaw. "I just worry with you traveling so much lately. When are you expected to leave next?"
"We are headed to New York next week," I sigh, already dreading the travel, the jetlag, and leaving them again. "We will only be gone for a few days at least. It won't be like when we went to Houston and we had to stay for two weeks. I'm still surprised about how big of a metal crowd they have."
"Is there anything that would make all of this easier?" Ripley asks quietly and after a long pause. I open my eyes to look at her. Her face is riddled with concern and she is worrying on her bottom lip. I sit up slightly, pulling her more closely against me.
"What do you mean, sweetheart?"
"Well, I hate to say it, but would you leaving and getting all of this done in one go be easier than going back and forth?" Her fingers play with my shirt and I run my hand gently down her back. "I know that the travel is part of the job. Indiana really doesn't have a lot of options for success and I understand that this job will require you to travel no matter where we live, but I just get the growing sense that the harder this gets, the more likely we are going to need to make a big and uprooting move. I want to work through the small things now so we don't do something huge and hasty out of desperation later. I like Hawkins, but if we have outgrown it, then we need to decide our next move as a team."
Her little shoulders tremble slightly towards the end of her speech, her emotions getting the better of her and I continue to try and rub soothing circles into her back. My beautiful, anxious girl. Always two steps ahead of me.
"I don't think we've outgrown Hawkins, yet," I tell her honestly and she opens her mouth to protest. I give her a look and she snaps her mouth shut, realizing it's still my turn. "There is still a lot we have to do here. You have to go to school, I have to help teach Dustin how to drive, we have to help Steve keep his head while Robin continues school at ISU, we need to convince Wayne to take a vacation and travel outside of the state, and you need to have time to rebuild your relationship with your mom. There is still so much left to be done here and we are just getting started. Yes, the band is taking off and doing great, but all the best musicians need a home to go back to and this is mine. I don't want to move to LA or New York or Atlanta. I want to return here to you.
Now, I'm not saying we can't have maybe a townhome or apartment in these other places as a means for easier and more comfortable travel, but that's an issue for when we have MULTIPLE number one albums and I am travelling the world.
I would love to have you and Orion with me. You don't know how much it kills me to not be able to see you both when I return from work, when I have dinner, when I lay my head down to sleep. I know we didn't plan to have him and I know it might be silly for me to think this, but I'm glad that you at least have him with you. The absolute loneliness that I feel when I am away is nearly unbearable, but what gets me through is knowing I am providing for you both and that you have each other."
Ripley nods along to what I am saying, her fingers still tugging on the fabric of my shirt. Her lips are red and angry looking from where she has been chewing on it.
"I feel so silly for hating this as much as I do," Ripley grumbles and I shake my head.
"Don't feel silly because I hate it too."
"I've missed you," she whispers and I lean forward to kiss each of her cheeks.
"And I you. Every single day."
"How are we going to manage the tour?' Ripley asks and I sigh softly.
The label has been talking about a nationwide tour, excitedly trying to solidify venues and dates. For right now, the band has just been travelling to highly populated cities and doing a few interviews, performing at a few clubs, or even on late night television. A tour would mean playing arenas to our fans and a much longer stretch of time away from our families. We are definitely excited for the opportunity, but the idea of not seeing Orion or Ripley for months makes my chest ache. As it is, each time I come home from being away for a few days, I feel like Orion has grown and changed in some way. I can't even begin to imagine what I would miss if I was away for months.
Ripley has been so strong throughout this entire process. Honestly, this is the first time she has really vocalized any concerns about our future or about our time apart. She has always been my rock, my safe space, and my calm. So to see her worrying about the things I barely dare to think about is a little unnerving, but I can't fault her for them. Even with the unease, there is an odd comfort in knowing that I'm not alone in my fear.
"We will have to work together to make it work," I say honestly and she looks up at me with deep blue eyes. "We will need to be honest about our feelings and the things that are bothering us. We need to still make time for one another every day, even if it's just a ten minute phone call at the end of every day."
"My heart hurts just thinking about it," Ripley sighs and leans back against the couch, her head leaning back.
"Then for tonight, lets not think about it," I tell her and she peeks over at me. "I just got home. I'm tired. You're tired. For tonight, lets just be together and not think about tomorrow. I just want to be right here, right now with you and Orion. Just know that I'm going to do whatever it takes to make things work. At the end of the day, I'll always be in your corner."
She smiles and nods at that and leans back into me, her weight a welcome comfort. Orion plays happily with his toys on the floor as I wrap my arms around Ripley and we both talk in hushed tones about a little bit of everything and yet nothing at all, just enjoying each other's company.