Posted by Commander Dira Myqian (Executive Officer) in Family Woes

Posted by Lieutenant Alexis Bonner (Assistant Chief Medical Officer) in Family Woes
3 hours. Her mother had cornered her as she left sickbay after her shift. She had now been in their guest quarters on deck 9 for T.H.R.E.E. hours. Alexis couldn’t take anymore. If they had been baking it would be one thing. But nooooooo the only thing her mother was interested in baking was a wedding cake. Alexis even gave into that, but, according to her mother, they couldn’t bake a cake before they decided on a theme. Alexis just stared at her like she’d grown tentacles out of her eyes. The purpose of the celebration was a wedding. That was theme was it not? Her mother looked at Alexis like she was speaking gibberish. Her mother hadn’t stopped talking or making inquires of the computer since. Alexis was absolutely certain, that somewhere on this now far too small ship, racing between stars, Solomon was laughing. She was not amused. “No mother.”

“But Alexis, it’s gorgeous. You’ve said no to everything. Why not this one?” Allison couldn’t fathom why Alexis wasn’t more excited.

“Because it’s insane and giant and…how am I even supposed to fit through a normal door way with something that…that floofy?” Alexis could think of no other word to describe the amount of lace and crinoline and layers and satin on that thing. It was better than the last one that looked like it had no fabric but was all beads and sequins.
“No mother. I have my dress uniform. I am an officer after all.”

“But about what Solomon…” Alexis cut her off, “Kane, mother. He prefers to go by Kane.” Allison sighed, “Okay, Kane. What about what Kane wants?”

“If he has an opinion about it, he will either tell me or he will simply take care of it.”

Allison finally turned the PaDD off and set it down. She turned her full attention on her daughter and stared at her really hard. “Alexis, I don’t understand you.” Alexis rolled her eyes, a new habit she’d picked up. Her mother had never understood her. “Getting married is a big deal. This is important, your life is going to change. Aren’t you excited? You do want to marry him don’t you?”

That was easy. “Yes I do. I would argue however that ‘getting married’ is not nearly as a big a deal as ‘being married.’ A single moment in time will not determine our happiness or success together.” Her life had already changed and for Alexis this whole thing about an extravagant wedding was just…she didn’t know. She’d never thought about it. Obviously her mother had and she had this ideal in her head about a fairy tale and Alexis despised fairy tales.

Allison patted her knee, like she was a little girl and then held her hand. Alexis really wished her father would appear right about then, or an emergency in sickbay, or a page to come collect Frigga. No conversation with herself and her mother ever started with Allison patting her knee and then holding her hand. “Alexis, sweetheart, Kane is an amazing man. He must be to see how unique and special you are, but it’s a big deal for a man to propose. It’s not a fleeting conversation or random question. He’s put thought into it and how it will change his life and shape his future. This…this is not some experiment that you walk away from when you see the results. Kane is not a puzzle for you to solve. He’s a living breathing person who deserves to be loved deeply.”

Ice poured down her spine, settled in her stomach and turned to hot molten lead that burned through her painfully. “I do love him.” Allison sighed and Alexis pulled her hand away. Did her mother really see her like that? Her own mother? “You don’t think I can do you? You don’t think I can love some one.”

“No sweetheart, I know you do love him, but everything you do is different. Does he realize that? Can you love him like he deserves? You should be excited and happy.”

Alexis stood, “I am excited and I am happy. He knows how my mind and my heart works, and that I am strange and different and will never be like anyone else. It doesn’t bother or disappoint him.” He knew and would never treat her like the common denominator in a series of failed attempts at dating and relationships. “Just because I’m not excited like you expect me to be, or want to immerse my life in the lie of a fairy tale doesn’t mean I’m I don’t love him like I should. I’m not you.”

Alexis felt sick and hurt and wished…it didn’t matter. She left. She had to get Frigga, she had reports and experiments to check. Anything but dealing with her mother. In the corridor the doors shut behind her and she muttered subvocally some really colorful swear words and then out loud a few more in Mandarin she’d picked up from Solomon and then her hands moved in a few FSL curses as well.

Bonner

As Bonner stepped out, someone side stepped around her to avoid a collision. It was Myqian. The XO certainly didn’t need telepathy to know that the doctor was upset, angry even. Her ebony eyes searched Alexis, even has the near miss had caused her heart rate to jump. “Whoa, that was close. Are you alright?” she said with concern.

Commander Myqian, XO

Alexis came an abrupt halt and seeing who she had almost bowled over, her posture became more straight and straight. She looked flustered before she was able to swallow some of her irritation. Myqian would still feel the swirl and storminess of it. “Cmdr Myqian. I apologize.” Was she okay? No not really, but it would have to be the XO that would run into her and notice. Myqian would be able to tell Alexis’ desire to leave, but for once it was not the first officer she was trying to avoid. “Oh,” did she really want to explain to Myqian that she was not? Well it wouldn’t do any good to lie, the woman would be able to tell. “No. I suppose not.” She moved down the corridor, not rudely or, oddly enough, not an attempt to get away from Dirs, but to get away from the door before her mother decided to try and follow her.

Bonner