Kela was already pottering around the kitchen, aromas of fresh baking wafting through the house by the time the two sleep tousled women walked in the next morning, their fingers gently intertwined as Dax led Lenara over to a seat at the table. Kela looked genially at them both and smiled, happy to see that everything had resolved itself. "It's strange" she mused "you appear to be like a pair of love struck teenagers" she murmured to them as she sipped her tea "yet, at the same time like an old married couple, I suppose that is an aspect of you both being joined…and having…past history" she raised her eyebrows n question towards Jadzia before continuing, becoming very motherly in tone. "Well, are you going to properly introduce me Jadzia?" she asked gently chiding her daughter.
Dax laughed "your observations, as always are incredibly accurate!" she replied with a raised eyebrow "Mom, this is Dr Lenara Kahn, whom I told you about, Lenara, this is my mother Kela"
The two women regarded each other for a moment before Kela stood and moved around the table to hug the surprised young woman "Welcome to the family my dear" said Kela as she released her.
Having recovered from her brief moment of shock Lenara smiled shyly "Thank you, I can't tell you what that means to me" she replied honestly looking towards Dax with a shy smile whilst ducking her head slightly.
Jadzia stood in the dappled sunlight of a Trill summer surrounded by a semi-wilderness that was her mother's garden, a steaming cup of Ladok, a native Trill drink she hadn't had in years, clasped between long fingered hands. She took a deep breath inhaling the rich array of aromas around her the smell of the grasses, the heat of the sun making the scents stronger, altering them slightly though she still managed to identify several of the plants in the near vicinity, before letting it out in a semi-sigh highly contented with her lot in life. She moved through the high grasses and surrounding vegetation with graceful ease, towards her favourite spot in the garden where she used to go as a child and young adult to sit and contemplate, or when she simply wished to be alone. She ducked slightly as she moved through the overgrown thicket, and then sat with a slight thump once she'd reached her destination. A tall, incredibly leafy and sprawling plant, with thick stems and large umbrella like leaves formed a breezy canopy overhead, both protecting her from the elements and prying eyes, whilst allowing her a clear view of the area. She closed her eyes and lay back amongst the lush vegetation, her Ladok momentarily forgotten, after a moment she cautiously cracked an eye open to check that no-one was watching then gave a very childlike wriggle, lightly drumming her feet on the ground in gleeful abandon. Kahn had agreed to be hers, she sighed peacefully and sat up, and scooted herself back until she rested against the trunk of the overhead tree, she crossed her legs and continued drinking her tea in a manner more suitable for someone who was both 32 and 350 years old.
Lenara stood in the almost subterranean kitchen with Kela a short while later looking out at the garden, hands similarly wrapped around a steaming cup of the Trillian beverage, the familiar spicy aroma enveloping her reassuringly. Her eyes searched briefly for the location of Jadzia, seemingly unable to find her she turned in query to Kela who smiled lightly "Has she vanished?" she asked the younger woman knowingly, Lenara nodded feeling marginally bewildered at having been left with her partners mother, and of her apparent disappearance. Kela placed a calming hand on her shoulder "Don't worry dear, she'll have gone to her happy thinking place, she still believes I don't know about, she used to spend hours there as a child" Lenara smiled at Jadzia's inability to pull one over her mother, even though she was now an adult in her own right, she indicated that she understood and resigned herself to having to wait for Jadzia's return. Kela regarded the younger woman thoughtfully for a moment "I think she'd make an exception for you though…since she is so evidently enamoured with you, just follow the path until you get to the big tree over there with the large umbrella leaves." She pointed it out as she spoke "She's under there!"
Lenara smiled at her "Thank you" she left her cup on the table and made her way out into the garden, finding the path Kela had indicated, she picked her way gingerly through the long grasses letting them gently graze along her skin, making her itch slightly, though she found the feeling quite pleasant until she came under the canopy of the tree. Jadzia was sitting cross legged, her eyes closed and a look of rapt happiness etched across her features in the dappled and rippling sun filtering through the leaves of the plant overhead. Lenara stood in a patch of sunlight. Letting it warm her shoulders for a minute and gazed at the mahogany haired beauty that had chosen her, a smile equal to Dax's graced her face as she regarded her with unfettered adoration. She stayed very still and quiet so she could observe her partner in a rare moment of peace, however, it took only moments for Jadzia to quirk an eyebrow and mutter softly "Lenara" before fully opening her eyes and looking straight over at her, she motioned with a hand for Kahn to join her, patting the grass in front of her invitingly.
Lenara smiled "How did you know I was here?" she queried in hushed tones mindful of their peaceful surroundings as she made her way over to where she was sitting.
"Risian perfume" replied Jadzia "You always did have such a fondness for it" she added as she uncurled her legs, stretching them out before her. Lenara walked over and sat between Dax's legs, her back leaning into the curve of Dax's body who inhaled deeply as she laid her head on Lenara's shoulder "Yup, Risian perfume" she uttered sub vocally. Lenara smiled softly as she kissed the top of Dax's head before resting her fairer one against it. Dax brought her arms round to envelope Kahn in a warm embrace.
"It's the one you gave me a few weeks ago, when I was on the station" she spoke after a short interval of peaceful silence "I hadn't the heart to wear it though before yesterday" she continued "It reminded me too much of what I had been so foolish to give up, of what I thought I could live without" she paused before adding in a soft whisper "I was so wrong, giving you up again was the hardest thing I have ever had to do!"
Dax smiled almost sadly into Kahn's hair "I stood on the promenade for so long, just hoping you wouldn't turn up and then when you eventually boarded, I waited hoping you would come back through the airlock" she said her voice catching "Lenara, I'm so sorry if I was being too pressurising in asking you to stay like that, it was unfair of me to make such a demand of you with so little warning or time to make a decision"
They turned their heads until the were facing each other, Kahn raised her hand and gently almost reverently brushed the dampness from Dax's cheeks "Oh my Dax" she said "My poor Dax" before kissing her gently, before they returned to their original positions, simply revelling in the closeness of each other for a time.
"Jadzia, Lenara…lunch is ready" came Kela's voice from the house a short time later "That is, if you're interested" she added her voice betraying that she was smiling as she spoke.
They untangled themselves and Jadzia stood, holding out an arm for Lenara to take hold of so she could help her up. Jadzia's eyes glinted mischievously, biting her lip lightly in thought for a minute before uttering "Race you!" in childlike joy and scampered off at a light jog leaving Lenara standing amongst the undergrowth for a moment, her face a picture of indecision. Suddenly she shrugged and throwing caution and her usual serious demeanour briefly to the wind, she too set off running, her inner voice chiding her for her childishness all the while as she moved towards the house, catching up to Jadzia in the middle of the lawn area and semi-tackling her taking them both to the ground in a surprised tangle of limbs, their mingled laughter drawing Kela from the house hands on her hips as she regarded the two women.
"What am I going to do with the two of you?" she asked in a mothering tone
Jadzia gazed up at her mother as she pushed some of Lenara's hair off of her own face "Hi Mom" she replied nonchalantly from her horizontal position.
Her mother smiled "Come on little one" she told her tall daughter
Kahn smiled through her embarrassment at being caught in such a position "Little one?" she whispered questioningly into Dax's ear as they extracted themselves from each other once more, standing up and brushing grass from their clothes, Lenara carefully rearranging hair that had come loose as they ran.
Dax shrugged as she gazed down at herself "Well, I was little…once!" she replied with an ironic grin in her defence, before they followed Kela into the house.