Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the last section. I appreciate it. We made it to the one-year mark. I can't believe we got here. It was always my goal for this to be one year in the life of our team, and we made it.

I do know my endgame for this story and series. We're closer to that point than many realize—more details to come.

Day 366: Happy Anniversary Enterprise

From: mental_health_help_desk_Suarez
To: Spock' s_cuddlebunny
Time arrived: 2/18/2261 00:00:01
Subject: It was lovely to see you

I am so happy I saw you at the surprise wedding the other day. I love a good wedding, and your father-in-law does throw a charming last-minute party. Sorry about the wedding cake, but at least you realized you couldn't have any before your cheeks swelled. Kudos to Dr. McCoy for getting you to the point where you can be in the same room as a Vulcan summerberry wedding cake and not go into anaphylaxis. Although maybe the summer berries are different enough from Earth strawberries that it doesn't trigger the same severe reaction.

I am so sorry you spent yesterday in long meetings with the VSA when you could have spent time with the rest of us. I've had several meetings there over the last few weeks due to the recent planning of the new psychology program. Vulcans like to go over every single detail at least three times. I hope it wasn't too dull.

I expect your time on Starbase 39 will go better. I know you and the children are very nervous about the inspection of the Minors on Enterprise program. Gina is too, which is why the wedding happened yesterday. If the program ends, she will apply for a teaching position at the International School. Being a Vulcan citizen will help with that.

I'm glad everyone has a backup plan if the Minors on Enterprise program is not renewed. It's good to be pragmatic. Just don't be overly pessimistic. For someone who doesn't believe in no-win scenarios, you tend to expect the worst. Maybe everything will go okay this time. You never know.

I have faith in you anyway. You tend to pull off the impossible every day. You're good at that.

Xxx

My dear sweet Sugar Vulcan:

Happy first anniversary. You have survived your first year as a captain with only a tiny coup and a couple of weird things like Ensign eating plants. I think we've done well. We've lost people like Arlene, but we gained Peter. I didn't know when we left Earth a year ago that we would find our child on this journey, but we did. I am so grateful that I am on this journey with you. No matter what we encounter next, I know I will get through it because I have you by my side.

You are a wonderful husband, father figure, and captain—you are patient and understanding. You bring out the best in people. You are a natural leader and had much more experience than I did on day one. They should've made you captain instead of promoting a baby cadet. But I'm glad things went as they did because they led me to you, and I absolutely love our life together. I wouldn't change a thing.

So hopefully, you'll find this note while putting up your meditation mat. Peter originally wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed, but we realized we would have to wake up at 4 AM to do that. Our child likes sleep too much. This is another reason to lament you need less sleep than me. We are going with a post-meditation breakfast. We're trying out Amanda's pancake recipe again. Wish us luck.

Xxx

Dear James:

Thank you for breakfast. You and Peter are improving. Your latest attempt at Amanda's pancakes tastes very similar. The only difference is that you use the Vulcan equivalent of blueberries instead of summer berries, but it is a change I appreciate. I do not want to trigger your anaphylaxis by kissing you after consuming something you are allergic to.

I am grateful that I've had you with me for this year as captain of Enterprise. Everything you said that I am, you are as well. You're great at managing the day-to-day operations of the ship. You deal with a little things, so I do not have to. You're also better at interpersonal relationships than I am. I am glad that we are managing the ship as partners. I'm also appreciate that we are raising Peter together. I am so happy we survived this year together, and I look forward to the next four. Even if we leave the ship in the coming weeks due to the end of the program, I have no regrets.

You are well aware that I almost didn't come back to Starfleet after my mother's death. That might've been why you were given command of Enterprise instead of me. I am uncertain if I would have been in the correct headspace to be captain. That was another reason I was ready to leave and join the rest of my people in trying to create a new home, but I ran into the Elder first. He made me realize that being on Enterprise was something that I needed to do. I am so grateful for his intervention. I do not know where my life would be without being here. I am so thankful for you and for Peter.

I'm ready for whatever happens next with you by my side. I love you always, my T'hy'la.

Xxx

From: Spock' s_cuddlebunny
To: mental_health_help_desk_Suarez
Time arrived: 2/18/2261 13:23:01
Subject: Re: It was lovely to see you

If you expect the worst, you know how to get through it. I'm not saying I expect us to lose the program. I don't. But I would rather be prepared for that possibility than not. Scenarios are less likely to be unwinnable when you prepare for all possibilities.

I am glad Gina has a backup plan. Her backup plan means that Peter won't lose his favorite teacher. So I am grateful for that, at least.

Oh God, they did go over everything three times. Spock and I played our vocabulary game to keep things from getting monotonous. Even the newest Mrs. Gina was exhausted by it. I think that might be why she wants to come to Enterprise, besides her wife being on the ship. I'm just happy for a new member of the science team.

Also, Spock will get to speak Vulcan to somebody who is not Nyota or me. That makes my husband happy. OK, and Peter. He's getting better at it. Our Vulcan movie night has been helping him out immensely. So, there's that, at least.

We have another day of travel before we get to Starbase 39. We couldn't do the big fancy dinner outside to celebrate Spock's one year as captain. However, he did get breakfast this morning. Peter helped me; it was adorable. You have pictures. I'm also sending them to my father-in-law. I think he would like them.

Thank my husband for realizing that Vulcan summer berries are in the strawberry family. I'm grateful not to spend the entire wedding with a swollen tongue. I'm glad that you and the Elder were there for the celebration. The old Vulcan seemed happy. Maybe he's just grateful for the chance to spend time with the great-grandbabies. I'm glad we ended up doing that instead of our romantic dinner.

However, we do have reservations for the day after we arrive. Somewhere very exclusive where I can get an actual steak, and the husband can get a cauliflower steak that tastes like something.

We have a ton of meetings scheduled when we get to the base, so we need to take a moment for ourselves. I know the inspection is going to take a lot of our time. However, I'm unsure if we're being interviewed as ship captains or as parents of kids in the program. Probably both.

Anyway, write back when you get a chance. These letters are already taking more time to get to us.

PS: The Sulu wedding is now on 29 May. It's a bit of a moving target. I think we were so distracted with Gina's wedding that no one told you. I know for a fact you're getting an invite. You should try getting to Yorktown for a few days this summer.

To be continued…