=/\=
"Bailey, how in the world am I going to tell my mother this? She won't listen; she'll freak out! You know my mother. After she kills me, she'll kill you. Then when the murder charges come about she'll say that it was justifiable homicide!" Naomi was pacing Bailey's quarters, as he sat on the couch, listening. Bailey and Naomi hadn't told anyone of their engagement, and tonight they were having dinner, in the mess hall, with his parents, her mother and stepfather, and the rest of the senior staff, who was like family.
"Naomi, everything will be fine. Come here." She stopped pacing and sat down next to her husband to be. He put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned against him. "Naomi, don't worry. You haven't let anyone see the ring, have you?" she shook her head. "Good. I want this to be a surprise. I don't know how we're going about this, but we'll make it up as we go, okay?"
"Wait, you don't have a plan?!" She looked at him, her eyes wide. Naomi got off the couch and started pacing, again.
"Naomi, we are going to be fine. Now, we have to go, or we'll be late to our own dinner." She sighed, and let him lead her out. To the mess hall, or to her doom, she didn't know which.
Everyone was buzzing in the mess hall. No one could figure out if this was good news, bad news, or just plain news. Bailey and Naomi hadn't arrived yet, and everyone was speculating. Then the two walked in.
"Please, sit down. Sorry we're late, but Naomi couldn't decide what to wear," Bailey said. Everyone looked at the two, Naomi in her green knee length dress, and Bailey in black pants and a white shirt. He looked so much like his father the resemblance was uncanny. They sat down. Naomi was almost trembling.
"Uh, Bailey has something he wants to tell you." Naomi blurted out. Bailey looked at her in surprise.
"Chicken," he whispered into her ear. "We wanted to tell you that we are, well, we're getting married," he announced to everyone's surprise. At first there was just silence, then Tom spoke up.
"It's about time!" He got up to hug his son and his future daughter- in-law. Everyone but Samantha got up to hug the happy couple. Sam just sat there, mesmerized.
"Mom, are you okay?" Naomi asked her mother.
"My little baby is all grown up!" Sam started to sob. Naomi and Joe both went over to comfort her. Joe held her in his arms.
"Mom, I'm 24 years old! It's time for me to grow up." Sam looked up from her tears and went to hug her only daughter. "And besides, you still have William." Naomi spoke of her 14-year-old half brother.
"I know, but he's not my little girl!" Naomi hugged her mother. Sam pulled away. "I'm fine, really. I know it's time for you to get married," she walked over to Bailey. "Take care of my baby, Bailey. I know you'll love her." She hugged her future son-in-law. Bailey let out a deep breath. He had been worried that Samantha Wildman-Carey would not except him into her heart, but he had been wrong. The Captain, who had not left her position on the ship despite her being 65-years-old, hugged her former bridge assistant.
"Naomi, you have a lot ahead of you. Especially since you are marrying a Paris." Both Tom and Bailey shouted out in protest. Everyone laughed. "Congratulations, really. Be happy, both of you. Now, let's eat!"
"Bailey, how in the world am I going to tell my mother this? She won't listen; she'll freak out! You know my mother. After she kills me, she'll kill you. Then when the murder charges come about she'll say that it was justifiable homicide!" Naomi was pacing Bailey's quarters, as he sat on the couch, listening. Bailey and Naomi hadn't told anyone of their engagement, and tonight they were having dinner, in the mess hall, with his parents, her mother and stepfather, and the rest of the senior staff, who was like family.
"Naomi, everything will be fine. Come here." She stopped pacing and sat down next to her husband to be. He put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned against him. "Naomi, don't worry. You haven't let anyone see the ring, have you?" she shook her head. "Good. I want this to be a surprise. I don't know how we're going about this, but we'll make it up as we go, okay?"
"Wait, you don't have a plan?!" She looked at him, her eyes wide. Naomi got off the couch and started pacing, again.
"Naomi, we are going to be fine. Now, we have to go, or we'll be late to our own dinner." She sighed, and let him lead her out. To the mess hall, or to her doom, she didn't know which.
Everyone was buzzing in the mess hall. No one could figure out if this was good news, bad news, or just plain news. Bailey and Naomi hadn't arrived yet, and everyone was speculating. Then the two walked in.
"Please, sit down. Sorry we're late, but Naomi couldn't decide what to wear," Bailey said. Everyone looked at the two, Naomi in her green knee length dress, and Bailey in black pants and a white shirt. He looked so much like his father the resemblance was uncanny. They sat down. Naomi was almost trembling.
"Uh, Bailey has something he wants to tell you." Naomi blurted out. Bailey looked at her in surprise.
"Chicken," he whispered into her ear. "We wanted to tell you that we are, well, we're getting married," he announced to everyone's surprise. At first there was just silence, then Tom spoke up.
"It's about time!" He got up to hug his son and his future daughter- in-law. Everyone but Samantha got up to hug the happy couple. Sam just sat there, mesmerized.
"Mom, are you okay?" Naomi asked her mother.
"My little baby is all grown up!" Sam started to sob. Naomi and Joe both went over to comfort her. Joe held her in his arms.
"Mom, I'm 24 years old! It's time for me to grow up." Sam looked up from her tears and went to hug her only daughter. "And besides, you still have William." Naomi spoke of her 14-year-old half brother.
"I know, but he's not my little girl!" Naomi hugged her mother. Sam pulled away. "I'm fine, really. I know it's time for you to get married," she walked over to Bailey. "Take care of my baby, Bailey. I know you'll love her." She hugged her future son-in-law. Bailey let out a deep breath. He had been worried that Samantha Wildman-Carey would not except him into her heart, but he had been wrong. The Captain, who had not left her position on the ship despite her being 65-years-old, hugged her former bridge assistant.
"Naomi, you have a lot ahead of you. Especially since you are marrying a Paris." Both Tom and Bailey shouted out in protest. Everyone laughed. "Congratulations, really. Be happy, both of you. Now, let's eat!"