Posted by Civilian Micah Pikelsimer (Federation Security Agent) in From the Shadows Comes Hope

Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Executive Officer) in From the Shadows Comes Hope

(snip)

Micah’s knife moved faster, and more than once the blade went tink off of metal fingers holding vegetables and fungi. “Nadine, I’ll tell you what I told your sister. Shara and I both know it was hard on you all. And we are taking that into account. We always did. Every second we were away we knew it was hard fo you all. But you three need to cut her some fu<&ing slack and stop reminding her at every chance how bad you had it. It’s not a g0dd&mn contest, got it?” His voice was stern, sharp… and carried with it all the care and protectiveness he had for his wife.

Micah

It took all of her control to stifle her reaction (being a primary school teacher had its advantages some days). Nadine scooped up the ramps she had finely diced and dumped them into a small bowl. Grabbing some oil and vinegar, she silently whisked it all together with some salt and pepper, Micah’s words and tone hovering in the kitchen. “No one said it was a contest and no one is making it into one. We’re all allowed to have feelings about the situation, Micah. And we’re going to have to work through them.” She found something to put the dressing into that they could pour it from and carefully transferred the dressing form the bowl. “Shara’s allowed to have her feelings too and she is more than capable of telling us what’s going on with herself, as she has been. And yes, you both might have factored in a general sense of difficulty, but you have no idea what exactly we’ve been going through, and if you keep trying to shut down the conversations we’re trying to work up the courage to have, you never will.”

In the living room, Shara laughed at something Gavin said and their conversation seemed to be continuing without too much fuss.

~Nadine & Shara

The door opened and Faye entered, followed by Daggum. Faye gave her mother a tentative smile. Shara just beamed and waved her over, pointing to the screen. Faye came around the back of the couch adn waved at the sight of Gavin. “Well, if it isn’t my intrepid uncle. How goes it?”

Gavin smiled. =/\=Well. Better now that I’ve heard from Shara.=/\=

“I bet,” Faye said. “It was nice seeing you. We’ll talk again later.” Gavin gave a nod and Faye moved off towards the kitchen. She poked her head in but gave some space and didn’t actually enter. “Anything I can help with?” she asked softly.

~Faye & Co

Daggum went to the couch and took a seat. In the kitchen, Micah turned and looked at Faye and smiled. “Hey, kiddo. C’mon and help me cut these veggies. How ya doin’?” he asked a little softly

Pikelsimer, FedSec Senior Agent

Nadine gave Faye the hug she felt her sister needed and gave the two some space. Faye soaked up that hug and then found a knife, eyeing what Micah was prepping and then setting to work. “I’m okay. I think.” The knife slid through a carrot with precision. “It hurts to love you all so much, you know. And it’s more than just trauma crap rearing its head, which is a part of it, but it’s not all of it. Things have been happening for me Micah. And I want you all a part of it. But you know me, or I thought you did. I struggle with uncertainty, with ambiguity. The time you were away it felt like I was often in a low-key panic attack, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Because it always has. I thought I learned how to live with the feeling of hope for the future on the Manhattan, but it’s been hard since I left there. The Athena has not been an easy place for me to be, even though I have Daggum and he makes it all worth it.”

Shara gave Daggum a genuine smile and turned the screen towards him a bit so he could see Gavin, who was in uniform and probably in his ready room. =/\=Hey, how’s married life?”=/\= he asked warmly.

~Shara & Co.