Eden was lying awake, the bed too empty for her to sleep, listening to the thunder. Her ears were also tuned to the sound of Greyson calling for her. The boy was terrified of thunder. Maybe he’d sleep through it, and she wouldn’t have to worry.
The war was over. The news had reached the base a week ago. The Lheik generals and diplomats were meeting with Earth and Ragfrost forces to negotiate a surrender. For the first night in two years, she didn’t have to worry their town was going to be invaded or bombed. She shouldn’t be afraid. Then why was she lying in bed at one in the morning, listen to the thunder and waiting for her son to call for her or the other shoe to drop?
Maybe when John came home, she should finally sleep again.
I should probably check on them anyway. Eden thought, sitting up in the bed, her floor slowly hitting the cool of the hardwood.
#
They laid across each other in their beds, illuminated by the glow of the hall light; a girl, on the cusp of pubescence, ink-colored curls pulled back in a ponytail, a little boy, grade-school age, pink flush against creamy brown skin.
Both her children were sleeping peacefully, obviously to the world outside of their dreamland.
For a minute Eden just watched them, taking them in. For a moment John’s words from when Rosemary was born. Did we just make this? How did we make this?
They were helping her parents with food distribution at one of the last refugee camps. Her water unexpectedly broke and she wound up giving birth in a ramshackle field hospital with minimal medicine and a nurse practitioner overseeing everything, but after twelve grueling hours, her slick, wailing baby was in her arms.
Her mind was torn from reminiscing by a roar of thunder, a crack of lightning, the startled yelps of her children, and the lights going out all at once. Running for the dresser, Eden felt herself bump into another body snatching the flashlight. Turning it on, the light shined on Rosemary’s face.
“You alright, baby?” Eden asked urgently.
“Yeah,” Rosemary breathed.
That was when they both heard a whimper. The girl handed the flashlight to her mother, who shined it on Greyson, who was curled up in his bed, wide-eyed.
“Hey,” Eden hushed, gently hurrying over to the bed, sitting on the edge and pulling her son into a hug, “It’s alright baby. You’re safe. We’re all safe.”
As she looked over his shoulder, she noticed something from outside. For a moment it looked as if someone was peeking into the window.
“I’ll be back in a second sweetie,” Eden said, walking over to the window. She pulled the curtain open and saw the bushes in front of the window move.
This could be serious. “Rosie, take your brother and get in the coat closet.”
Rosemary gathered up Greyson, asking, “What’s going on?”
“Hopefully, nothing.” Eden responded, not wanting to scare them unnecessarily in case she was being paranoid.
#
Eden went back to her own bedroom and pulled out a strategically loosened floorboard under her bed. She pulled out a rifle, steadying it near her side, one finger ready to turn off the safety at a moment’s notice, and walked back down the hall, to the back door.
Still in her nightgown and barefoot, she crept through the backyard quiet as a mouse, her senses on high alert. She heard more rustling and the sound of footsteps. She turned towards the noise and the flashlight beam fell on it.
The creature had a vaguely human shape, but it clearly wasn’t human. It’s body was disturbingly gaunt, with skinny arms that hung too low, fingers that were two long, its skeletal system, its nervous systems, its organs all visible through translucent, almost transparent skin, its eyes a gleaming unnatural gold. The same gold eyes Greyson had.
“John!” She shouted, dropping the gun, and running to her husband, wrapping him in a joyous embrace. “I thought they weren’t letting the troops come home yet.”
“The Lheik just signed terms of surrenders and I got my return orders.” John explained, “Thought I’d surprise you all. Didn’t that use to be something your soldiers did?”
“Sometimes,” Eden huffed, putting on as if she was annoyed. And indeed, she still had a few questions. “And why are you creeping around your own house in the middle of the night?”
“Well, first the bus was late,” John began, “Really late, so by the time I got home you are were already in bed, so I thought I’d just sleep in the workshop, but I couldn’t fine the key, so I went to go look for it.” He held up the keys for her to see. “Somehow they got in the bushes.”
“Oh.” Eden said, staring at the keys, “How the hack did they get there?”
“Beats me,” John shrugged, “I was hoping you knew.”
“No clue,” Eden suddenly laughed. Was this really happening? Or was she dreaming?
“How are the kids?” John asked.
Then she remembered. “Oh no, the kids!” Grabbing his wrist, she ran for the house.
#
“Rose, Greyson, it’s okay, you can come out.” Eden called out, unable to contain her excitement, laughing again as she added, “You won’t believe who it is.”
The coat closet opened, and the siblings came out, Rosemary gripping Greyson’s hands, both of their faces lighting up when they saw their father, crying joyously in unison, “Daddy!”
Both groups ran down the hall and met and the middle. The children lunged at both father, all hugging them at once.
“It’s good to see you, too,” John laughed, with tears in his eyes at the same time.
“You know,” Eden said when everything calmed down, “This calls for celebration. How about s’mores?” It was their favorite treat. They even made them for Christmas.
“Sugar at three in the morning?” John questioned.
“Hey, nobody’s going to be able to get back to sleep anyhow,” Eden replied.
“Alright,” John conceded.
#
And so they made s’mores and hot chocolate on the stove, and didn’t go to sleep until it was about time to get up. Sometime around noon Eden rolled over in the bed in was surprised discover another body stopping her. Her eyes fluttered opened, and she found herself staring into a boney shoulder. Her eyes moved up to John’s face. For some reason, Eden couldn’t just stop staring at it, his face. In the light from the window, it might be the most handsome she had ever seen it.
“Eden,” John groaned, “You know how I feel about staring.”
Being part of the first groups of Ragfrost to flee to Earth after the planet’s destruction John had gotten his fair share of staring as kid. So, he didn’t like it when people stared at him.
“Sorry,” Eden said, “I just…can’t believe you’re actually here. I wished for you to be here every night you were gone, like you can’t believe, and now…”
John silenced her with a kiss. Suddenly an intense feeling welled inside her. “I think you can do a little better than that, solider.” She breathed, leaping on him and throwing him on his back, her heart beating faster, her breath quickening.
John smiled between deepening kisses. “I think I can too…”