"Hey, Carter, don't forget your cane!"
"Ha, ha. Your turn comes soon enough, Parker."
The on-going duty pilot laughed at Carter's expense and headed off to the boarding tube. Alan shook his head resignedly and stripped off the orange flight suit. Unfortunately, the mission to check out an anomalous sensor reading had turned out completely routine and way too brief. He had no excuse to be late and everyone would know that. Having the head of Data Analysis and communications as one's wife could on rare occasion be a drawback.
Alan felt old. Granted, he was only one day older than yesterday, but today he turned forty. They were still stuck on this rock, his hair was definitely getting thinner, and his birthday cake would have too many damn candles. Well, he guessed it was better than the alternative. Too many good friends were already dead and he wasn't ready to join them yet.
He civilly acknowledged the good wishes as he made his way across Alpha. Normally not one to turn down an excuse for a good time, he had been dreading this milestone. At least Sandra and Danae would be waiting for him in the rec center. They could face his party together. Tony would undoubtedly make a few snide comments but the presence of the kids should keep him civilized, or at least limited to mild double entendre. John should be good for some moral support. He took a deep breath and steeled himself to walk through the door.
"Happy Birthday!"
Danae was finally asleep. She was completely tuckered out from running around all over the rec center with Lysee and Roberto. She had collapsed against his shoulder on the walk back and had been slipped into her bed with nary a whimper.
Now, he and Sandra could have some time together, just the two of them. He loved all the kids, and Danae was a daily miracle, but he did miss being able to seduce Sandra whenever the mood hit. He closed the door to Danae's small room and looked around to find Sandra picking out some music. She looked over to him and smiled.
"It was nice party, Alan. I thought Tony behaved himself very well, but Bill might get some scolding from Annette before his night is through."
"Well, he deserves it. He knows that she's never liked to see him get drunk." Alan walked over to Sandra and wrapped his arms around her. Although they had been married for almost three years, it never failed to amaze him how small an armful she truly was. She always loomed larger in his mind and heart.
To Alan's delight, Sandra took his hand and led him into the bedroom. She stood on tiptoes to give him a kiss, but when he bent to return the kiss with interest, she ducked away and walked across the room in the opposite direction from the bed. To his growing bemusement, he watched as Sandra knelt down in front of the built-in dresser drawers and opened the bottom one. She pulled out and set aside a few of her special things too precious and full of memories to risk around children, and then pulled out a small, flat item wrapped in tissue paper of the kind he had not seen in years.
"Alan, do you remember back before you left on the Mars Mission you brought back some threads and fabric from Maine?"
Alan smiled as he leaned against the wall and inadvertently rubbed his left hand where that lobster had taken a good pinch. "Yeah, Kelly and I went down to pick up some fresh lobsters for the going away party. Now that was one hell of a party. You were off-base then, for some reason."
Sandra simply smiled but did not look up from the small object she held in her lap, her hands repeatedly smoothing it flat. "Do you remember what you requested I do with that thread?"
Alan thought hard as this was obviously important to Sandra, but he was at a loss. It was over eight years ago, for goodness sake. Pushing himself off the wall, he walked over and sat on the floor behind her. While he could usually talk himself out of a problem, especially with Sandra, sometimes plain, old distraction worked much better. And was much more fun, besides. He wrapped one arm around her and started to nibble along the side of her neck. She ignored him. He tried slipping his free hand under her uniform top… but was thwarted by her belt from reaching skin. She sat straight and still. He sighed and laid his cheek against her soft, dark hair. Oh, well. "Sorry, love. I just don't remember."
"I did not think so." Sandra unwrapped the tissue paper and gently removed a small card. The watercolor on its front was of seagulls flying low over a pier jutting out into a turbulent Atlantic Ocean, lobster pots stacked haphazardly in the foreground. The card was slightly weathered itself and Alan thought he could just make out a hint of sea-water coming from it. He looked over Sandra's shoulder as she opened the card and read the handwritten message.
"I never met her, but she has always felt like a friend." Sandra said quietly, almost to herself.
Alan waited patiently. He knew that Sandra would tell him in her own time. Rushing her did no good; he had learned that from experience. Finally, she leaned back against him and allowed him to support her slight weight. She turned slightly and handed him the card, her eyes dark with an unreadable expression. Alan kissed her gently, and keeping one arm around her, took the card and held it up.
January 8th, 1998
Dear Ms Benes,
My Harry tells me you do needlework. I can only imagine how lonely it must get up there on that moonbase, so I thought you might like some new thread colors and fabric. If you even need anything else, just e-mail me and I'll see what I can do.
With warmest regards,
Jenny Fields
Alan smiled as he recalled the good times he had had on the trip with Kelly and the Fields. "She was a really nice lady. Didn't talk much and when she did she always called me 'Captain,' but very, very kind. I've often wondered how they did after Breakaway living right there off the coast of Maine." His face lost its smile at that thought, but then something else then caught his eye. In faded ink below the first message was a second, and he recognized his own handwriting. He tilted the card for better light. He read the note and the smile returned. "Yeah, I remember now. I never thought you'd actually do it, I just wanted to say good-bye, I guess."
"To someone you barely knew?"
"To someone I wanted to know better."
Sandra placed her hand on top of Alan's where it rested against her waist and laced her fingers amongst his. After a moment of simply enjoying his touch, she reclaimed her hand and opened the remaining tissue. "Well, you were wrong, Captain Carter. Happy birthday." Sandra unfolded a small piece of dark blue cotton cloth and handed it to Alan. She sat up and turned to see his expression.
The very nature of the organic cloth made it special in its own right among the synthetic fabric of Alpha, but what was on it made it invaluable in Alan's eyes.
There, in profile, done in innumerable tiny cross-stitches with complex shading and depth, was an Eagle passing high above the blue-green majesty that was their lost home. Alan's heart skipped a beat when he recognized the beloved outline of his homeland waxing full in the Southern Hemisphere. He sat running fingers over the design. "It must have taken you ages."
"A while." There was silence while Sandra watched Alan. "Julia thought we should be together. She never did like Paul."
Alan looked at Sandra frankly surprised. This was a first. Sandra never mentioned Paul Morrow by name. "Well, I always guessed your kid sister was a smart one." Alan looked back down at the Eagle and recognized it as the expression of love that it was. "Thank you, Sahn." He looked up and touched her face, surprised to see tears on her cheeks. "What's wrong?"
"I love you, very much."
Alan smiled broadly and stood, holding his hand out to Sandra. He helped her up and then kissed her deeply and passionately. Not letting her completely go, he turned to place the Eagle on the top off the small bookshelf being careful to make sure it was flat. They would have to find a way to hang it next to Sandra's treasured needlework Acropolis. Alan then turned back to brush last, few tears off Sandra's face and kiss her again.
Whenever Sandra became too maudlin, Alan now knew just the cure. He unclipped her commlock and turned it to private mode before placing it next to the Eagle. He undid her belt and dropped it to the floor and then swept her off her feet to deposit her in the middle of their bed. Then, in one of his better maneuvers, he proceeded to peel himself and Sandra out of their uniforms and love her thoroughly, completely and repeatedly, until she had no doubt at all how much he truly cared for her.
Before he fell asleep, Alan looked about and found that message from Maine on the floor next to the bed. He read the notes one last time, and with a thought of belated gratitude to Jenny, folded it carefully and placed it out of the way. Who would have thought Sahn would actually have done it? He smiled as he gathered his sleeping lover in his arms and closed his eyes. Being loved so well by someone so special, well, just perhaps it made turning forty not so bad after all.
10 Jan.1998
Sahn, How about doing one of an Eagle? You've got about 8 months. I'll pick it up on my way back.
~~ Alan
February 2006
MGK