Follows Chance Encounters
Constancy (May 2528)
Cayson Reynolds may have been only four (nearly five) years old, but he could still sense the tension around the dinner table that night. He knew it had something to do with the two new people on board Serenity, people that Karina claimed were her grandparents. She had explained to Davis and Cayson that they were only hers and Davis' though, no one else's, because they were Uncle Simon's and Aunt River's parents. Though Karina was an insufferable know-it-all most of the time, Cayson had to admit that they did look quite similar to Aunt River and Uncle Simon, so it was certainly possible. Whoever they were, however, no one except Karina seemed to like them much, even Simon. That puzzled Cayson who thought everyone loved his parents. He certainly loved his.
The woman spent most of the dinner talking with Karina who was simply happy with the attention. Uncle Simon and the man glared at each other for most of dinner, and Aunt Zoe and Uncle Trey did as well. Uncle Jayne, as usual, mostly ignored the tension though Cayson thought he caught a glimpse of his glare from time to time, too. Aunt Prudence and Aunt Kaylee attempted to make small talk and dispel some of the tension, but the others rebuffed their attempts, and they fell silent. Aunt River entered the room about halfway through dinner, seeming oblivious to the tension. She gave her parents a single glance before moving to the kitchen to serve herself food. "We're three days from the drop," she announced. "Course is set already."
"'Preciate it, River," Aunt Zoe said, her eyes not leaving the strange man.
"Could make it two, but Alliance ships are in the way."
"An extra day is fine if it means avoiding the Alliance," Aunt Zoe agreed.
"They'll be gone soon. No use getting upset," Aunt River announced, sinking into a seat between Toby and Rose. Rose immediately began to ask questions about the ship, always eager to learn more. Though only nine, she had already declared an intention of becoming a pilot like her father.
Aunt Zoe finished dinner early and stood. "Think I'll go relieve Inara for a bit," she announced.
"Make her come and eat something," Uncle Simon said. "She gave nearly a pint and a half of blood to Mal before he stabilized, so she's probably not feeling all that well." Aunt Zoe nodded in agreement and left the room.
"Mom's hurt, too?" Rick questioned.
"Your mother's fine," Aunt Kaylee soothed. "She just went a little overboard in helping your dad." He nodded, accepting that explanation. There was nothing new about that.
"Baba's going to be okay, too, right?" Aanya questioned.
"Your father will be fine. He's just stubborn." Cayson turned to the source of the voice and smiled when he saw his mother standing in the doorway. She looked a bit tired, but otherwise she seemed perfectly healthy, giving credence to Aunt Kaylee's assurances that she would be okay. He knew his father would be as well. Cayson could always rely on the constancy of his father's strength. He had been shot or otherwise wounded many times in Cayson's short life, but he always bounced back quickly, rarely staying in the infirmary more than two or three days. Cayson hoped that one day, he would be as strong as his father, able to take a bullet for his family and keep on fighting, bringing six separate men down. His father was Cayson's hero, the one man Cayson believed could do anything.
"How're you holding up, Inara?" Aunt Kaylee asked.
"I'm fine. Just wishing my husband would be a little less bullheaded. I'm glad he at least consented to painkillers." She moved to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of tea. Uncle Simon glared at her as she walked toward the table.
"You need to eat, Inara."
"I'm not hungry."
"It doesn't matter. You lost a lot of blood today, too. You need to eat to regain your strength."
"Please, Mom, listen to him," Ben pleaded. Inara looked at her oldest son and sighed before returning to the kitchen to grab a plate of food. Ben caught Cayson's eye and smiled. When one of their parents was hurt, the other tended to forget to take care of himself or herself. The Reynolds children had become experts at ensuring that did not happen.
Though the conversation was still stilted due to the presence of strangers, dinner was not overly unpleasant. Afterwards, the kids all scattered in different directions, hoping that the distractions of the day might let their parents forget silly things such as bedtimes. As he often did when he had nothing else to do, Cayson wandered the ship, and his feet soon brought him to the infirmary. He started to enter, hoping his father was awake and talking. Often, the drugs that Uncle Simon gave him after he was hurt made him a bit loopy, and it was always funny to talk with him in that state.
However, Cayson stopped at the door, noting that though his father was awake, his mother was sitting beside him already, and he did not want to interrupt their hushed conversation. In addition to his father's strength, his parents' love had always been a constant in Cayson's life. They loved each other and their children and their ship and crew completely. And as much as their parents' displays of affection sickened the Reynolds children, it was comforting to know that they had two parents who loved one another.
On this particular occasion, Cayson's mother was leaning over his father where he lay on the infirmary bed, one hand clasping his and the other gently caressing his cheek. She said something which caused him to chuckle and then wince with pain. A crooked smile appeared on her face as well as she made a second comment. Though Cayson could not hear his mother's words, he did hear his father's response. "I love you, too, tianxin. More than I ever thought possible. And I'm grateful every day for all you have given me." He raised his head slightly, and Cayson's mother leaned down to kiss him. Suppressing a sound of disgust, Cayson turned away. He had, unfortunately, seen where kissing could lead when he grew too curious, and though he did not understand exactly what was happening (despite asking a number of the crew members), he had decided he never wanted to see that again.
Unfortunately, the kids' freedom was short-lived. With Cayson's parents in the infirmary and Uncle Simon preoccupied with his parents, it fell to Aunt Kaylee, Aunt Zoe, and Uncle Jayne to put the kids to bed, an experience none of them minded. Uncle Jayne always had the best stories, and he did not censor them like some of the other adults did. In addition, he was quite gullible, and it was generally easy to talk him into a few extra minutes of stories.
In the end, they did all finally climb into their own beds, and Rick and Ben fell asleep quickly. They always had, and the period between when they fell asleep and when Cayson succumbed to slumber had always been one of Cayson's favorite times. He enjoyed lying in his bunk and listening to their quiet breathing above him and feeling the hum of Serenity's engines beneath him. As the youngest, he had the bottom bunk of the three-bunk stack, but he did not mind. He liked lying so close to the ground where he could feel what Aunt Kaylee called the heartbeat of the ship, the low, soothing hum that indicated that Serenity was still moving, taking them somewhere new and exciting. Serenity was the third constant in his life. He loved sitting in the engine room with Aunt Kaylee, watching her work (and even helping with some of the simpler tasks). His mother always claimed he had his father's wanderlust, and that was probably true because he liked nothing better than to be flying, no matter the destination. He already knew that he wanted to continue to fly for the rest of his life, to feel the hum of the ship beneath his feet and hear the steady heartbeat in his head. It was his destiny.
His father's strength, his parents' love, and Serenity had all shaped Cayson in different ways, had helped him to grow and learn during his short lifetime. He knew they would continue to shape him as well. They were his constants, his touchstones, the beacons he looked to in the dark. And no matter what, he trusted those beacons to keep shining.
