Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the last chapter. You're all beautiful. Your comments keep me writing.

Day 37: Sulu Family Values

From: Mommy_Susan
To: SuluHG2260
Time arrived: 3/27/2260 00:00:01
Subject: I'm pretty sure your family now hates me

What did I do to deserve quality time with your crazy family? Did I mention it was raining so I couldn't go hide in the gardens when it all became too much? If I hadn't brought Liz, it would've been awful. Okay, it was still awful, but it would've been categorically awful instead of just unpleasantly awful. Liz is good at running interference. Ben is fabulous, but just doesn't have Liz's skills in that area.

Everybody was talking about how we conceived our daughter, everyone including your mom and the grandpas. I don't even know how they know, but they all knew. The real story. Not the cute story that we're planning to tell our daughter about us deciding to co-parent together because we decided that we wanted to have a family and we were sure we would never find anybody. But rather the embarrassingly true version about the kinky three-way on Risa complete with boyfriend who couldn't tell the difference between contraceptive lube and fertility lube. Why did I ever sleep with him? I mean was the ship that devoid of good people? (I kind of think I really invited you there to teach him how to get someone off). I am never making that mistake again. I'm getting a pleasure seeker 9000 from the red-light district and letting it go.

Oh, by the way I am supposed to tell you not to include classified-ish information in your emails to your boyfriend. The disaster that was your last mission regarding the coup d'état has just been made public now that you're on your way to your next mission which is probably something innocuous like star mapping. Oh, and it's the really sanitized for public consumption clean version so I know something bad went down even though you told me nothing but told your boyfriend way too much. Thankfully you have a boyfriend that knows not to say things that are classified. Doctors are great at keeping things confidential, so excellent choice in boyfriends.

Oh, your aunts loved your boyfriend. They just simply adore him and think he is the greatest man on Earth if not the entire Federation. Unfortunately, they see me as a whore who apparently sleeps with gay man because she thinks she can turn them straight. They said that right in front of me unaware that I understand pre-warp Japanese. Seriously, what is wrong with them? Do they not realize that bisexuals are a thing or whatever you frame your sexual orientation as? I know I can't be the only female you've ever had sex with. I've been there having to be someone else right? You're more skilled than my ex.

OK I have attached pictures of your baby being cute and adorable and causing all sorts of trouble. I had to change her outfit three times. You should write her a letter about your day or has it been so boring that you just have nothing to write about. I guess that's better than you asking her about who she wants to live with. Although, if was that boring you probably should write more. I don't think you're in the letters show up like once a month section of the galaxy yet.

Although I'm sure it's coming. It's going to be worse when I go back. The teaching has been fun. Well it's been useful, and I don't how my friend Gina can take being a junior high teacher. Freshman cadets are awful enough. I couldn't handle preteens and teenagers. Well, teenager teenagers, not almost adult teenagers. Why do we let 17-year-olds join Starfleet?

Anyway, write me back.

Xxxx
From: Benjamin_2254
To: SuluHG2260
Subject: Next time I go to the family reunion you're coming with me

Time arrived: 3/15/2260 00:00:01
I did decide to go to your family reunion because I like Sue and I couldn't leave her alone. Her sister and her boyfriend could only do so much to defuse the situation. It seemed only fair especially because she went with me to brunch the day before to tell my husband's family that I am going to use Starfleet daycare instead from now on and they won't get to see their granddaughter every day. There is a lot of Mandarin cursing involved that Sue had to translate for me since I only know a little Cantonese.
I shouldn't be surprised by the reaction. They despise Starfleet. They get angry when you even say the word because they blame the organization for what happened to their only child. Obviously, that went worse than your family reunion, but only marginally because nobody started crying. OK nobody started crying over the age of two. The kids managed to throw a tantrum, a joint tantrum at that.

In addition, I got asked multiple times by your mom about our poly relationship with Sue. I choked on my beer when she asked that. Your aunt also asked the same thing. And one of your sisters as well. The one that's already planning our wedding. Although in her case, I think she only asked for wedding planning purposes. Your family is weird. Thankfully, the food was good. Ridiculously good and your dad sent me home with leftovers.

Which is another thing that made it better than the encounter with my in-laws – former in-laws. I don't know what to call them sometimes. The person who originally tied us together is gone, but I'm raising their granddaughter and they're still in my life. I can't believe it's going to be two years in a couple weeks.
Sometimes it feels like it's still just happened. You know I didn't even take my wedding ring off until the week I met you? He still my husband in my heart. I love you. You know I do. I so would not have put up with a very Sulu family reunion without you even being there if I did not love you, but Zack took a little bit of my heart when he died. You're helping me get through it.
Anyway, be safe out there.

Love you

Xxx
From: SuluHG2260
To: Mommy_Susan
Time arrived: 3/27/2260 6:35:01
Subject Re: I'm pretty sure your family now hates me

I don't think my family hates you because I have yet to receive an email from the family, but usually they show their disdain by not sending me care packages.
Also, if your mom read my letter to my boyfriend than I'm really worried about her reading this letter mostly because she may kill me for some of the things you wrote. It just kind of slipped. I'll be more careful I really should know better. Good to know it was redacted.

Of course, because she's probably reading this. There's no way in hell I'm going to tell you if I had sex with anyone else of your gender. You'll just have to wait until June to find out the answer. Your mom scares me.

Things are good aboard Enterprise. We are starting on our next assignment which is star mapping. So, lots of flying around for me and very little botany time for me outside of working on Jim's "Vulcan homeopathic medicine" project. Which is sad because the rest of the team is still trying to figure out why things got so bad on that planet that there was a coup d'état without me. I was really looking forward to that. But my skills are needed elsewhere right now. Maybe we'll get to explore some of the planets.

In other news, I am teaching a teenage fencing class or at least it seems that way. I now have three that I'm instructing; J, Josephine and Ashley 2. I think Ashley 2 and Josephine might hurt each other but it's only been one session with all three of them, so we'll have to see how things are in May or June. I may have to ask you to send up some of my equipment because the replicated stuff just isn't the same. You have the hook up.

Tell Desi that I love her and she's just the cutest little cuddle baby. I can't believe she dove headfirst into a pie at the reunion. Let's be glad that my family gathering happens during early spring and is indoors, otherwise she would've been covered in mud. (Sorry it was raining so you couldn't hide outside in the garden.) Imagine how much trouble she would have got into outside and she's not even walking yet. Has she graduated to crawling?

I'm sorry I should've warned you that one of my second cousins is at Starfleet Academy and I'm pretty sure she lives in the same building as your sister. I'm not sure because I can kind of tune out everything that cousin says to me. She's always bragging about her wonderful children (that she had when she was barely 18) and making snide comments about how I was probably going to die without children due to the gay thing (despite the gay grandparents). I bet she didn't see Demora coming.

I'm kind of sad I wasn't there because I would have love to see all their shocked faces over that. I really wanted to be smug about that in person. Oh well it is what it is. Be safe and don't strangle the freshman. Maybe you can ask your friend for some teaching tips. Ask her for some ideas for me since I'll be teaching emotionally stunted teenagers how to fence.

Miss you both. Give baby girl a giant hug for me.
Xxxxx
From: SuluHG2260
To: Benjamin_2254
Subject Re: Next time I go to the family reunion you're coming with me

Time arrived: 3/15/2260 07:07:41

I am sorry you had to put up with my family. I guess they were on their best behavior at Christmas because I was there. Thank you for being there for Sue since things got so crazy. I forgot that one of my cousins lives in the same building as Liz and knows all the Starfleet gossip. I really did not need that many family members to know about anything that happens on shore leave.

I'm sorry that Zack 's family was kind of awful. You probably shouldn't mention who you're now dating. Most people know me as the idiot who didn't think to split the charges among the three of us, so we could've blown the drill up instead of… What happened. I can't believe it's almost been two years either. Time just goes by quickly now that I have a 9-month-old.

I must apologize for my family again. With my sister, it probably was for wedding planning which is why I always promised myself I would elope if I ever found somebody I want to spend the rest of my life with. Although that was before I saw what she could do with an elopement. She really can do a 24-hour wedding and it was amazing. My mom and my aunts were just being my mom and my aunt's. They just love gossiping. Hey, but at least you don't have to put up with grandma and the grandpas are respectful, usually. The cousins not so much. But at least the food was good, which makes me sad because I've eaten all my snacks and now it's just rec go cater food till June.

Starfleet life is good. I received another reminder to be careful how much I tell you. It's not that I don't trust you. It's that I am afraid of my daughter's grandmother. Like terrified. Sue's ex-boyfriend is on Delta Vega; Delta Vega, land of ice in darkness and scary creatures that will eat you in a heartbeat. I don't want to go to Delta Vega.

I'm glad I'm helping you with your Zack related issues. I know you must have a lot losing him the way that you did. And I know part of you will always love him and that's okay. You can love more than one person. Especially you because your heart is just that big.

Anyway, love you. I will write again soon. And again, sorry about my family. I'm pretty sure you can avoid everybody until probably Thanksgiving now. Possibly Christmas, if you're lucky.
To be continued.