Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the last set of emails. It was fun writing an older Spock. Also, did you catch some foreshadowing regarding certain things that happened in Star Trek Beyond?

Day 244: Coming to an Understanding

From: MomOU

To: NyotaUM

Time arrived: 10/24/2260 00:00:01

Subject: Thank you for the pictures of your birthday

Thank you for sending the birthday pictures. I'm happy to see everybody having such a great time together. Also, it was just adorable to see your boyfriend feeding you cake. The two of you are good together. I'm glad you found somebody who really cares about you. That's just obvious from the way he looks at you alone. That's all I really want for you.

I am sorry that the situation has become so toxic with your father. I wish it didn't come to that, but I can understand why you need to keep your distance from him. I promise to keep trying to reach out even though it feels awkward at times.

I'm sorry about not being there for you when you lost Marc and Gaila. I should've tried harder. All of us lost friends during the battle of Vulcan. I lost Sarah and her wife. They were serving together on one of the ships that was destroyed.

Sarah always told me to leave your dad, but I didn't do it until after she was gone. She was my Marc, and I don't think I'm ever going to replace her. I don't think you've ever replaced him, but you do have all these new people in your life like Jim and Sulu. I am so glad that you do.

I'm sorry that your friend is getting transferred far away. This happens, but Sarah and I remained friends through dozens of different assignments, so I think you and Rebecca could do similar. Your real friends stay with you no matter where you end up in the galaxy.

Also, congratulations on getting toxic people out of your life. Ming told me all about Pike's problematic niece, probably things you don't even know. I hope she gets her head on straight on Delta Vega. I heard there is an excellent therapist assigned to the research settlement there. I hope she makes good use of it because there are issues that need to be worked out. That's something Christine needs to work on. You don't need to concern yourself with it.

Ming has decided that she is taking me to her Starfleet grandmothers' support group. I don't know how that is going to work, but I heard they have excellent wine and cookies. I'm going to try at least once. I could use a nice cookie and a glass of wine.

I assume that the switch out has happened by this point. I think I heard something about Enterprise surveying some volcanic planets soon. I don't really get to know that sort of thing anymore since I'm at the Academy doing Barnett's old job. He is so happy to be doing something off-planet now that the kids are in high school.

I only know about the crew switch out thing because I just sent 50 interns there. I expect Jim and Spock to send them back to me in better shape than when they left the Academy. Or at the very least, I hope that a bunch of them resign. I didn't purposely send the worst interns to Enterprise, but the Kirks do have a reputation for handling problem children.

PS: I also heard from Ming that her youngest daughter is helping somebody on Enterprise plan an elaborate proposal. Is there something you need to tell me?

Xxxxx

From: NyotaUM

To: MomOU

Time arrived: 10/24/2260 00:00:01

Subject: Re: Thank you for the pictures of your birthday

I'm glad you like the pictures. I sent more from the Star base. Yes, the crew switch out happened. I may have cried a lot hugging Rebecca. I'm expecting my first email from her any day. We did promise we would stay in touch, and I think that will happen.

I'm not as upset about the end of my relationship with Christine as I thought I would be. We've been drifting apart for a while, and what she said about wishing her aunt would have a miscarriage was just too much. She should've known not to say something like that to me after what happened. She knew I was a mess after losing the baby. Why is she so angry about her aunt having a kid? Is this kind of like jealous kids' syndrome? I've heard of that. I hope this is not actually a thing because I do not want to deal with Josephine freaking out if I ever get pregnant again.

Which isn't going to happen until the end of the five-year mission. I'll barely be in my early 30s, which is still prime childbearing age and I could always freeze some eggs. And yes, Leonard is perfectly okay having a kid when Josephine's ready to go to college. You know writing that down made me realize that we are planning to be together in five years. Which makes sense, I adopted his daughter. Like if things fall apart, she will still be my responsibility and be my child, but I don't think things will.

Sorry to disappoint you, but I was not the Enterprise crewmember getting engaged. That would be Sulu and his boyfriend Ben. They've been together about a year, maybe a little longer, but it's real and they don't have anywhere near as much marriage related baggage as my current boyfriend.

I'm not sure if you're aware of how messy Leonard's divorce was, but it was legendary. The first time I met Leonard, or rather the first time I was exposed to him, I overheard him tell Jim that the only thing the ex-wife left him was his bones. It turns out that wasn't hyperbole. She took everything from the family business to full custody of Josephine. It wasn't until right before her death, almost 5 years after the divorce, that Leonard was starting to get any decent visitation and that was only because Jim and Spock were paying for his new legal team.

Leonard and his first wife were totally wrong for each other. Add an overbearing father and substance abuse issues, and you have a recipe for absolute disaster. I'm sure because of that there's this little part of his mind that may be a bit hesitant.

Then there's me who keeps losing people. I lost two friends to death and almost lost a third. I think a part of me is just afraid of losing more people I love, which might explain our break last year or at least part of it. It was more people than that. Grandma hurt so much. Sarah was where I spent summers after losing her so that one hurt too, but I think I can only process one loss at a time.

Yes, she would've been so happy that you left dad. That relationship was toxic. Which I think may add even more fuel to my marriage issues.

So just because there's not a ring anytime soon doesn't mean we're not committed to each other because we are. As I mentioned earlier, we share a child together. Children are a more significant commitment than marriage. Children are forever and I think at some point we will expand our family. I don't know when, but we will.

Anyway, I'll write back later. Something is happening and I'm being called to the bridge at this hour. That is never a good thing.