The Ripple Effect

A knocking on the front door echoed down the hall, and Orion’s head snapped toward the sound. Why did he groan?

“My mother visits me every Saturday morning,” he explained.

“Yoo-hoo! Orion! Where are you, love?” a woman called, her voice trailing throughout the house. “I’ve got a present for my grandson, too!”

He scurried out of the room before I could even react, probably to stop her before she woke the sleeping boys. I crept into the hallway and peered into the room. Only Rein had sat up, but he just smiled sleepily to me before collapsing once more.

With nothing else to do, I tiptoed onward and peeked around the corner to see Orion hugging his mother. She was smiling happily.

“So she is here then? Oh, I am so very happy, my love! Where is she? Surely you let her sleep in your bed, yes? I don’t see her on the couch.” The woman glanced around. “Well? Where is my new daughter?”

I blushed furiously. These people were absolutely bonkers!

“Mother, listen. It’s not that easy. Look, you can meet her, but there are ground rules. She… She doesn’t know.”

She furrowed her brow. “Oh. That does make a mess of things. But she has a son—”

“Yes, she does,” he said quickly, shushing her just as things were going to get interesting. “And her little brother is here, too.”

“Three little boys? Honey, you’re going to be run ragged. You know we only had you and…your brother.” Her smile faded. “And that was enough to make a right mess of things.”

He only nodded. “We’re managing. But a daughter would be nice.”

“And still planning more?” she scoffed. “You are surely a king of kings indeed.”

He grinned. “I can't help it. I want to have at least one child with her, if not more; I don’t care that we’re already watching over three, that people will see me as a loon.”

“Family is a lovely thing indeed.” She glanced around once more, and I ducked behind the wall when her eyes brightened. “Oh, I think I just saw her! Sophie, dear, please do come say hello!”

I felt like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar as I slowly dragged myself into the kitchen. Orion smiled brilliantly to me, offering an outstretched hand that I took if only for the familiarity. His grin only broadened before he pulled me into his arms completely.

“Sophie, this is my lovely mother, Melissa,” he introduced me, brushing his thumb across my cheek. “And Mother mine, this is Sophie. The boys are still sleeping, so you’ll have to forgive them.”

She smiled to me. “If I had known, I would have brought all of the boys gifts. I suppose they can share then? Jonathan’s a good boy.” Then she clasped her hands together in front of her. “So Orion tells me you have a son as well? And a little brother around the same age?”

I nodded. “Rein and Brian.”

“I should say it’s a shame things didn’t work out with Rein’s father, but I think you’ll find Orion is a doting male if anything.” She grinned to her son. “That’s not just me be being prejudiced either. He’s a catch, isn’t he?”

“Mother,” Orion groaned, bearing it with utmost patience as she grabbed his cheek and gave it a nice pull. I could not help the laughter that slipped past my lips, at which he glowered.

“Oh, mercy me: I didn’t bring the photo albums with Orion’s cute little baby tushie,” she cooed, patting his cheek roughly before winking at me. I stopped laughing, now mortified as Orion guffawed like an ogre!

“Mother, don’t expect new grandchildren so soon,” he teased, not helping the red creeping up my face.

“Honey, you’re embarrassing your lovely lady,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “I just wanted to extend the invitation for lunch today. Of course all of the boys are welcome to come as well. If Rein and Brian are anything like Jonathan, I’m sure we’ll have a grand old time.”

“So you live here, too, then?”

As soon as I asked, I remembered that Orion had already told me this.

She nodded happily. “My entire life. But ask Orion about that; he had to sit through family legacy lectures when he was a boy.” Melissa laughed then. “But we live in the large house due north of here. Actually, soon we’ll be trading Orion homes.”

“Why is that?”

She stumbled for a bit, and a quick glance toward Orion’s stern face let me know that he was the cause of her lying.

“Why, there isn’t enough room in this house for you and the children you already have, dear.”

“Just…Just how big is this house of yours?”

She smiled. “Plenty big, I promise. I believe there are…six bedrooms? Orion, does that sound right?” He nodded, glancing to me for some reason. “Since we only ever had two children, the rest of the rooms are just unused. But with your three boys and daughter, well, you’ll just have one spare. I guess you could always have two daughters.” She raised an eyebrow at me. “Since you’re both apparently insane and want to even think about having more than three kids running around, I guess that’s an option as well.”

I choked on my own breath, and Orion had to slam his hand into my back to save me from dying.

“That escalated too quickly, didn’t it?” Melissa asked worriedly. “Well, it’s out there now!”

“Mother!” Orion groaned, his face now red.

“I didn’t mean I wanted to have a kid, Orion; I was making a joke!” I clarified, flailing my arms. “I was just saying I’m surrounded by testosterone!”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing. But I do want to have a child with you, Sophie,” he mumbled, his eyes boring into mine. “Or two.”

“Why are we even talking about this? We’ve known each other a few days!”

“Sophie,” he warned, his voice low, “let’s not do this in front of my mother.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Fine. Melissa, I think lunch would be lovely. We just have to get the boys ready.”

She nodded. “Okay. I guess I’ll leave you at it then. At eleven-thirty, we’ll say? I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you, too, Mother,” he murmured, the words obvious on his face. “See you soon.” Then he turned to me, his face fallen. “Sophie…”

“Don’t. Let’s just get the boys ready.”

“I always let you avoid what you don’t want to discuss, but not this time,” he told me, catching my wrist firmly. “Tell me this: do you or do you not want a future with me and Jonathan?”

“Orion—”

“I need to know, Sophie,” he said, his voice not wavering, “if not for me, I need to know for Jonathan. He loves you to tears, and I can’t just stand by and let him get hurt.”

“I would never hurt him, Orion.”

“That doesn’t answer my question. Do you or do you not see a future here?”

I shifted uncomfortably. “It’s only been a few days.”

“You keep saying that, but time is irrelevant to me. Do you even want me around? If not, I will leave you alone. If that’d make you happy, just give me the word.”

“Orion, stop it,” I pleaded, tugging my hand out of his grasp.

His gaze fell. “Oh. I see.” He glanced up to me, his face broken beyond belief. It had only been a few days, so why did he look almost dead! “I’ll drive you and your boys home, don’t worry about lunch. Jonathan will get over it eventually.”

“Orion, stop!” I snapped, grabbing his arm firmly and jerking him towards me; only, he was stronger than I, so I only managed to drag myself to him.

“I’m sparing you the grief, Sophie!”

“No, you’re not! Stop being so ridiculous!”

“And just how am I ridiculous? I just asked a question, and you gave me all that I needed!”

“Like hell I did!”

“It sure sounded like you did!”

“You are impossible! Just shut up, Orion, and stop being stupid!”

“Give me one damn good reason,” he hissed, getting all up in my face.

“Fine,” I growled.

He opened his mouth to yell more, but he was going to awaken the sleeping angels in the other room. I grabbed his face in my hands, effectively startling him, and I dragged him to me roughly.

His eyes shot open wider than I had ever seen, but then they fluttered shut as his arms wrapped tightly around me. He worked against my rough kiss, molding his lips gently against mine until I responded in the same way. An involuntary sigh slipped past me as his hands moved to the small of my back to pull me even closer just as my hands reached up to rake through his hair. His body shuddered beneath my touch, just as my skin tingled at every spark that he ignited.

When I pulled back, he kissed me for a fraction of a second before embracing me fully.

Then there was cheering, and I turned in Orion’s arms to see the three boys grinning and giggling. I just smiled softly, leaning back against Orion who peppered more kisses to my cheek.