Elaine Shara carried a dark blue velvet bag in her hand as she strolled through the ship. Debriefing was done and as far as it felt like for her, nothing had changed. For the moment. Sure, they had their names cleared and there was a new medal to add to her small collection (Micah would have to frame theirs when they got to Tennessee, but as far as her brain was concerned, she was still on the job. It happened every time she went under cover. There was just no easy way for her to slip back into her own self other than to wait it out. And the longer she spent in a cover, the longer it took.

Seven months was a long time and as she knew all too well, reintegration took its sweet time.

There was a moment after she left her and Micah’s quarters that she momentarily missed the cramped old Azzy. She missed being able to knock on Bethy’s door through the bathroom. Strange as that might be, there had been a sort of forced camaraderie inherent in tighter quarters that she sort of missed.

Making her way down the deck, Shara pressed the chime on Gadi’s quarters, her Elaine-swagger still annoying embedded in her body. At least she had managed to feel comfortable in her old clothes again: black cargo pants and a grey tutleneck.

~Shara Calloway, CIO