Chapter 24
Kara felt great as she lounged on Lee's new couch, watching the news on television.
When they'd arrived from the furniture store, Lee had ordered them pizza and insisted on giving Aria a bath on his own as a test run for the following weeks.
The idea of Lee keeping Aria for ten days was starting to grow on her, especially with the way Aria was growing attached to Lee.
The phone rang and Kara looked at it with some discomfort, not knowing what to do. Technically, it wasn't her phone, or her house, no matter what crazy feelings of domesticity were running through her head.
"Hey Kara, would you mind getting that, please?" Lee shouted from the bathroom, followed by a loud splash and a girly giggle.
"Hello," Kara spoke into the handset as she picked it up.
"Kara?" the ever familiar voice asked with surprise.
"Sir?" her voice broke just a little bit.
"I'm retired, Kara, drop the sir," he replied with a hearty laugh. "Lee told me you were coming to visit him, but didn't tell me when or I would've scheduled a visit as well."
She missed him. She hadn't realized how much until she heard his voice. Fear of his wrath over her cowardly exit had kept her from calling him, because there was no one else in the entire universe whose regard she cared for as much as Bill Adama's. "I'm sorry," she apologized- for everything, including keeping Aria from him.
"It's okay, I guess I can wait until Christmas to see you and her," Bill added, making clear that her presence during the Earth-based end-of-year festivities was an order.
She always spent Christmas with Mary and the kids, and she wanted to tell him just that, but instead she replied, "Yes, sir."
He chuckled at her use of the word again, but the truth was that she had no idea what to call him. He'd always be the Commander, the Admiral to her.
"I feel like I need to thank you, Kara," he added softly.
"For what?" Kara asked, confused.
"For giving me the most perfect granddaughter an old man like me could ever want," Adama replied. "Lee sent me some pictures, and I could not believe my eyes."
Kara smiled and refrained from replying that Aria wouldn't be half as gorgeous without the Adama genes to help out. "You're welcome." She wanted to apologize to him, wanted to give him some explanations, but she just bit her lip.
"Tell Lee I'll call him back next Sunday," Bill asked with more emotion than she ever thought possible.
"Aye-aye, sir," she replied with a smile as she prepared to disconnect the call.
"Hey, Starbuck?" he called out before she hung up.
Kara picked up the receiver again.
"What do you hear?"
Kara felt her eyes watering just slightly as she replied. "Nothing but the rain."
Adama laughed. "I'll see you in a few weeks, Kara," he said before he was gone.
As Kara hung up the phone, she realized she was forgiven.
And a minute or two later, she also realized she'd agreed to spend Christmas with the Adamas.