Welcome Home

He turned off the water, dried himself, put on his pjs and headed to bed. He knew she wasn’t awake; she was a very sound sleeper. He walked in the bedroom and saw her. She was beautiful when she was awake but even more so when she was asleep. The lamp was on by the bed. She only slept with the lights off when he was home; a leftover fear from childhood that he found adorable. She was lying on her side, arms around a stuffed penguin with a military uniform on it. A toy he had given her. Apparently she slept with it while he was away; said it smelled like him. Her body was tense and there was a slight frown on her face. She looked tired. He knew she didn’t sleep well when he was gone. He saw that she was wearing his favorite nightgown Not the one that made him want to ravish her, the one that made her look ethereal. He used to wonder how she always seemed to be wearing it when he came home from his trips, especially since she never knew when he would be back. She told him she wore it every night, awaiting his return.
He climbed in bed and spooned against her, wrapping his arm around her. Instantly her body relaxed and she scooted back, fitting herself to his form. She sighed contentedly, her hand coming to rest over his, though still, she was not awake. He leaned his face into its usual spot, buried in her hair, which always smelled like something sweet he couldn’t identify. Truth be told he didn’t want to know what it was. It just smelled like her. He inhaled deeply, comforted by the fragrance. Oddly, it was his breath on her neck that woke her. She jumped slightly and turned over to look at him. The smile on her face was like a full moon in a clear sky. Her eyes glistening, she hugged him tightly and whispered, “Welcome home, soldier”. He kissed her so she wouldn’t see his tears.