Zef had the morning off and because of the stress toll of the last few days, she wasn’t moving as quickly as usual. After leaving the Ghelfis the night before, she’d stopped by Alex’s quarters to check on him. He’d been slumped across his bed, still in the clothes he’d warn to the meeting. Knowing her way around the bedroom, Zef had helped him change out of the slacks and shoes and into a pair of pajama pants and a tshirt. After that, she’d tucked him into bed, made him drink an entire glass of water and told him she’d stay until he was asleep. And she did.

Once he was breathing deeply and in slumber land, Zef left and returned to her own rooms. She’d left a note on Alex’s kitchen counter that said she’d be back this morning for coffee at 1000 hours.

Taking care with how she dressed and looked, she pulled on a gown of light turquoise and fastened a wide belt around her waist. Adding delicate touches of silver jewelry and a hint of makeup, Zef twisted her hair to one side and slipped her feet into sandals. After a final check in the mirror, she put a large bag over her shoulder that contained fruit and cheese and the special drink Anasera supplied her with, and set off for Alex’s quarters.

She palmed the chime and hope he would be happy to see her.

—Zef

The door slid open and the room was empty. But there was a coffee and tea set on the hideous coffee table, and Alex’s voice came from the bedroom. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

He came in fastening his uniform top. He looked at Zef and smiled and said “Sorry… working lunch later on. But you look fantastic, Zef. Really.” and he sat down on the couch. He looked at her and said “Thank you, by the way, for last night. I was… not at my best.”

Alex

She was a little hesitant to enter the room because things were still unsettled between them. “Good morning. Are you feeling better?” She walked to the couch and took a seat, setting her bag on the floor next to her feet. Out came the bottle of herbs and essences, which she sat on the table. “I can’t drink coffee this week, but the baby juice is just for me.” She wrinkled her nose as she looked at him. “Trust me, you don’t want any.”

—Zef

Alex gave her a half smile and said “Well, with a name like that, you can absolutely keep it.” and he poured a cup of coffee for himself and put a finger on the bottle slightly. “May I pour?” he asked.

After the drinks were settled, he leaned back and said “So it seems we have some talking to do…”

Alex

Zef took a deep breath, preparing herself for whatever was to come. “Yes, this is a good time for you to ask questions about the Degansa, or about me, or about us.”

She picked up the cup of juice and took a sip. “Alex, I’m sorry I didn’t put it together about your mother before I brought this all up. If I was anywhere near worth my position, I would have remembered and taken a different route to let you know.”

—Zef

“Zef… you have had a lot on your mind. More so than normal. And you put it together before I did, and it was me that was in it. So please… let that go, okay? I’m just… relieved… that you did. And I thank you for it.”

He paused and took a drink. He set the cup aside and said “So in the… events… of the past few days; I think something extremely important was lost. And I would like to ask you before we go further… do you still feel the same? Or did I manage to screw that up, too?” He didn’t want to hear what he feared, but he wanted to know before he wasted any more of her precious time.

Alex

“Are you asking me if I still love you?” That part hadn’t changed. There were obstacles they needed to get past, but the depth of her feelings wasn’t one of them. His anger had hurt her, the accusations had hurt her more, but Zef was hopeful they’d be able to talk those things out.

“Yes, Alex, I love you. But how do you feel about me now?”

—Zef

Alex smiled a self-deprecating kind of smile. “Zef… I sincerely doubt my feelings for you will ever change; except for getting deeper. I think… I think that’s another reason I reacted so… well… miserably.” He reached over and took her hand and said “I don’t know if it was the shock, the timing, the… whatever it may have been… a part of me felt… less. As if I wasn’t important to you. And you are very important to me, Zef. Probably more than you know.”

Alex

She took another drink from the cup on the table. “So, where do we go from here, Alex? We can’t take back the things we said, or the yelling or any part of what’s happened the last couple of days. So what do we do to get past this…this tension?” Her gaze was clear as she asked the question. ” How can I begin to make it better for you? What do you need from me?” They were honest questions that only he could provide the answers to.

—Zef