Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the last conversation. You are so absolutely fabulous.

Good news: I have a new beta reader again for this story. Katruna has taken over beta duties, and I am very appreciative.

Day 282: Family 2260 style

From: Benjamin_2254

To: Mommy_Susan

Time arrived: 11/30/2260 00:00:01

Subject: I will always support your choices.

Thankfully, you made the right one, and I don't have to convince you otherwise. You absolutely made the right choice. I know the fiancé would love to be working with you. However, I think it's better for your mental health to take a step back and do something different in Starfleet.

Don't look at this as giving up your one-shot to get something but waiting for the right time. You are an excellent Starfleet officer. I ultimately believe that you will get your ship someday. More importantly, it will be the right ship and not some guilt present.

I probably know more about the Hamilton fiasco than someone who just barely has the security clearance should know. Your mom says way too much when she's angry. There's truth in wine, and your mom has been drinking and telling a lot of truth lately. Also, I think she forgets that I'm fluent in pre-warp Mandarin. Although even I learned a few new curse words.

I'm hopeful, though, that things will get better as we get closer to seeing you. It's been a rough few weeks. I'm already packing, which makes sense because I am leaving San Francisco for at least the next three years, maybe even longer. I had no idea how much stuff I had until I had to pack. There was even some Zach stuff that I kept, including his ridiculous chair. I would describe it, but there are no words, so I sent you a picture of our kids lying on it. It's ugly but comfortable. I always hated the thing, but I could never bear to get rid of it. It was such a piece of Zack. Even now, I'm just putting it into storage. Do you think Hikaru will understand?

I'm sure you're well aware of the limited personal property you're allowed to bring when you join Starfleet, even as a contractor. Thankfully the kids get a separate allowance because otherwise, we would be screwed. Also, your mom is putting all the Christmas/Winter Solstice/Polar Bear Remembrance Day presents in her luggage. So, it won't count it's against any of us. The head of Starfleet has a different luggage allocation than the rest of us peasants, especially when she's on official duty. Are you aware that she's going to be doing an event on New Vulcan? A dedication ceremony along with a tour of the New Vulcan Science Academy. Also, Starfleet and New Vulcan are signing an MOU regarding science cooperation. Ming was also invited to stay at a certain ambassador's personal residence, so that means we might have a family day or two.

After that, your mom is coming with you and Liz to Yorktown. She is allegedly doing an inspection of the Starfleet facilities there and a dedication ceremony before going back the San Francisco. On the other hand, I will be staying for a few more weeks for training at the VSA. We are still deciding if K will stay with me or go with you and Liz to Yorktown. If she stays with me, then Zack's mom will also remain with me. Otherwise, she'll go on to Yorktown with you.

Do you consider it a good or bad thing that you get to spend that much time with your mom? I know your relationship with her is complicated. I would at least encourage you to talk to her. She loves you. She's probably bad about telling you these things, but it's obvious she's trying to at least make an effort. You need to try to at least meet her halfway. I say that as somebody who's lost both their parents already. You understand because you've lost your dad at a young age.

I know that Liz is babysitting. (I'm not asking Zack's mom that.) Also, apparently, we're going to have to have an intervention with Gina. You know she might just be coming from a place of best friend concern; your mom may have also told me stories about some of your past boyfriends. I actually met the last ex. Seriously what did you see in him? The only good thing he ever did for you was accidentally pickup fertility lubricant instead of contraceptive lubricant. In light of how horrible he is, I could see Gina being concerned.

Or she may be overreacting. I have been getting a mix of the two with some of my friends about the engagement. A few are happy. And by few, I mean Zoe and Zach's mom. If anybody has the right to be upset about my pending remarriage, it's those two. They are happy about it. Zoe already has a wedding book together.

Others think I'm out of my fucking mind. How dare I consider getting married again? I had no idea I was still friends with so many people who were biphobic. Obviously, I'm not friends with these people anymore. I cut a few loose earlier for similar comments. But at least they had the decency to mention this when the truth about Desi came out.

What is their problem? They waited for my engagement to tell me that they are uncomfortable with me being involved with a guy who had a kid the straight way. Did they just think this was some kind of rebound thing? That I would eventually get it out of my system? Actually, that may explain all the invite to singles night at Purple Hills. Some people deserve to be smacked upside the head. Like I need this right now.

Others were upset that I fell in love again. Or they think it's too soon for me to move on. Fuck them. It's not even moving on; it is moving forward. Who are they to dictate that? That's none of their fucking business.

I never thought I would fall in love again. Zach was too perfect for me to find another person to share my life with. Lightning doesn't strike twice. I found someone perfect for who I am now, a single parent/widow with a jaded heart by some miracle. True love shouldn't come twice in a lifetime. Yet somehow, I did find it again.

Even better, I get this whole bonus family, including you. Sue, you are probably one of my best friends now, if not my best friend. You probably have taken that spot because I think the current best friend might be getting kicked out entirely. We will discuss that over drinks in Yorktown. Drinks with very high alcohol content, just us. I'm going to have to get your sister a sensational present to make up for all the time she's going to have to watch my kid for us to hang out.

A part of Liz is sad that her time with Desi will be cut short with us moving to Yorktown together. I think it's more like we're just going to be splitting childcare duties. At least this way, the kids will be spending less time in daycare. That's always a plus. Although at Yorktown daycare, they're going to meet so many people throughout the universe, so it might be a perfect opportunity for both kids to broaden their horizons. Language training is definitely going to be a must. I'm already trying to teach the kids pre-warp Mandarin because the girls need to connect with their heritage. We will have to work on pre-warp Japanese and Korean as well.

So I know more of your long-term plans, but what are you working on right now that you're resting and recovering? I can totally send some wedding stuff your way. Do you think Hikaru will have any suggestions or input, or will we be the ones doing most of the wedding stuff?

Anyway, write back when you can. You know I always look forward to your emails. Now I'm going to get to hear all the juicy Enterprise gossip.

XXXXX

From: Mommy_Susan

To: Benjamin_2254

Time sent: 11/30/2260 22:32:01

Subject: I strive to be the supportive friend.

I feel like I'm the juicy Enterprise gossip at the moment. Everybody is speculating about our relationship. Jim offered to assign me a room on paper. I don't feel like faking it to make other people comfortable. I moved past that phase of my life in high school.

Pavlov is back with his ex. Whether they are actually back together or just sleeping together again, I don't know. It's none of my business. If he wants me to know, he'll tell me or rather tell Hikaru because we don't do secrets.

Why do I feel like nobody told you that Hikaru pretty much did Jim's wedding by himself with minimal help from his sister? The first one before they were forced to redo their wedding vows on New Vulcan. Again thank you for not doing a New Vulcan wedding. I really hope you're bringing lots of sunscreen. It's going to be a scorcher.

Let's just say your fiancé can definitely plan a wedding. We've actually have been doing a lot of wedding planning. We had a lot of time to work on this during the height of the Hamilton investigation because Hikaru wasn't allowed anywhere near the ship. The sister sent us a website that we've been using. Although Starfleet knows when the data will get pushed to her and you. I'm sure by now, Ms. wedding planner has given you the link. You should share it with Zoe. We have chosen a color scheme together, though. We have also successfully picked out the bridal party, but you have veto power.

I may have started doing the wedding planning stuff as a distraction. I just needed to focus on something. I might actually keep working on it by myself. The Vulcans are invading soon, so your fiancé is back to his day job, and I'm all by myself all day. I must keep entertained somehow. Training modules are boring.

This will probably be another thing that we will go over drinks by ourselves. Because the sister-in-law would just get way too involved, and you don't need that. Remember to be forceful with her.

Also, I don't care how cute it will look. Neither kid is carrying the pillow down to you and the fiancé. Someone is going to end up swallowing a ring. Peter is probably too old to be ring bearer under normal circumstances. However, the ring bearer should be mature enough not to swallow the ring. Since princess keeps spilling pudding on Kevin, I don't think she's there yet, and I don't think she's going to get there in the next six months. That's just a mother's intuition. K might be there developmentally, but you're going to have to convince me before I'll sign off on that.

If you want me and Liz to take K while you concentrate on your crash course at the VSA, I'll be happy to do it. I feel like I'm kind of going to be a stepmom in a lot of ways. I guess my role probably needs to be discussed too. Okay, now I understand why Jim got me a copy of The Idiot's Guide to Family Bonding.

Your real friends are going to be by your side no matter what. Gina might be questioning my judgment right now, but she still brought me brownies. Gina has agreed to back off until she talks to you. I offered her your email, but she wants an in-person discussion. I have this feeling that alcohol might also be involved.

Yes, some of it is her being overprotective. We talked today, and I told her about what Liz said yesterday. She is worried because I have spectacularly awful taste in boyfriends. The guy I barely avoided having a kid with was not even the worst. I had to get a restraining order once. That was a nightmare.

Also, that nightmare was why I ended up taking my initial Hamilton assignment. It may have been why I rebounded spectacularly to the asshole. I should have just broken up with him instead of scheduling a threesome, but I don't regret it. Also, at least Hikaru can make me orgasm. The other guy not at all

There may have been some recent orgasms. No sex yet, but let's just call it extreme cuddling. It was nice. Although I'm not telling Gina that.

Okay, let's get back to the fact that your friends are assholes or former friends because you are no one's doormat. That's my favorite thing about you. They should be happy you found somebody else and that you're not drowning in grief.

My mom drowned. Not like what happened with Winona, but it wasn't good. Winona threw herself in the bottle, and mom threw herself into Starfleet.

She wanted to change things, so what happened to her wouldn't happen to somebody else. It's why she said fuck it and completely disobeyed Starfleet orders and went straight to Tarsus. She saved a lot of lives. I don't know everything that happened there, and I probably never will. But I know it would've been worse if she would've followed orders.

What I'm trying to say is you're better off without these people. You don't need them, you have your new family. Also, we are going to meet tons of new people in Yorktown and make better friends. Or at least ones that aren't ridiculously controlling. There is a difference between concerned friends and needy, controlling friends. Gina is concerned, and I'm just going to keep my mouth shut about what I think about where your soon-to-be former friends fall on the spectrum. But again, congratulations on throwing them to the curb. I'll get you a cupcake.

Part of me is looking forward to seeing mom in person. The other part of me is dreading it. Our relationship has always been complicated. Her going back to work after dad died and sending me to live with grandma didn't help things. But I understand. Everybody deals with the trauma differently. She needed to work, and I need to be with my family. Maybe because of her need to work, that's why I want to be with my family. But if she didn't do what she did, then I wouldn't have Liz as part of my family. Maybe things end up the way they're supposed to. We're all one big family here.

Are you sure you really want to marry into this? We are not the most stable family in the galaxy; everyone has at least one therapist on call. No one would be shocked if you ran away. If it's really true love, I don't think you'll ever want to. I think it's true love.

PS: Your fiancé is perfectly OK with you keeping the ridiculous chair. He thought the kids were adorable in that picture, by the way. Although you're right, it is ridiculously ugly. Although somebody thinks it looks comfortable. Idiot.

To be continued