<USS Avalon> "Late Night Chat"

"Late Night Chat"
By: Lt. Melanie Redgrave
 
The light winter rain tapped gently at the large bedroom window. It was a  
soothing sound and would normally lull Melanie into a blissful state of  
relaxation, but tonight her mind was just to hyper to relax. She replayed the  
last 
week over and over before moving onto what had happened with her mother and  
her boyfriend. Melanie couldn’t help but smile each time she thought of 
Elijah  
as her boyfriend. It had been a long time since she’d had one. lovers,  
girlfriends, even a partner, but not a boyfriend. She had to admit she liked 
the  
idea and the way it made her feel. 
 
Her mother had liked the idea as well. She had been able to tell at dinner  
that evening that something had shifted between Melanie and Elijah; and Melanie 
 could tell that she was pleased. Despite the rough start, Melanie was fairly 
 sure that her mother liked Elijah. She was also fairly sure that her little  
journey of self discovery was still a sore spot for her mother. She had tried 
 more then a few times to explain that her need to know the truth had nothing 
to  do with the life her mother had given her or with her mother at all, it 
was just  something she needed to do. She’d tried explaining that she was 
happy 
with her  life and wouldn’t trade it for anything, but that there was a piece 
of her  missing. Melanie didn’t think that her mother understood that. 
 
Melanie looked out her window for a moment longer and then walked over to  
her bags. She pulled out the box Georgia had sent her and then slipped on her  
long white dressing gown. It was rather late but she knew that her mother would 
 still be up. She padded down the hallway as quietly as she could so she 
wouldn’t  disturb Elijah and then knocked softly on one of the double doors 
that 
lead to  the master bedroom. She waited until she heard her mother say come in 
and then  slipped inside the room. 
 
A little girl smile broke out on Melanie’s face as she looked over at her  
mother. Juliana was sitting in an over stuffed arm chair near her small fire  
place with her feet up on a matching ottoman, wrapped in a light throw, with a  
small tea service on the small table at her side. 
 
“Is there something wrong, Ducky?” Juliana asked as she closed the old book 
 
she’d been reading. 
 
Melanie shook her head as she walked across her mother’s bedroom. She sat  
the box she’d been holding down on the small coffee table which sat between 
the  
chair her mother was in and a matching one. “I wanted to talk to you.” 
 
Juliana moved her feet off the ottoman, tucking them under herself, and  then 
poured a second cup of tea for Melanie. “What about, Ducky?” She asked as  
she handed her daughter a piece of raspberry cream candy. 
 
“About what was behind your snippyness this afternoon.” Melanie said  
honestly as she took the chocolate. 
 
“Was I being snippy?” Juliana asked in a level tone. 
Melanie couldn’t  help but roll her eyes. “You know Mother, it’s not that 
I 
didn’t want to tell  you what’s been going on, it’s just that so much has 
happened that I didn’t want  to even try to explain over a comm channel.” 
 
Juliana’s face softened which made her look kind and loving. “I know my  
love.” 
 
“Then why did you make those remarks about my not seeing you as someone to  
confide in?” Melanie asked as she frowned. 
 
There was a long pause while the elder of the two got her thoughts  together. 
“Because in all honesty I was reacting based on my fears.” 
 
Melanie moved closer to her mother. She reached out and traced the gold  band 
that her mother still wore on her left hand. “Fear of what, Mother?” 
 
Brushing hair from Melanie’s face, Juliana tried her best to explain.  “
Parents who adopted their children all share the same fear, Melanie, though  
it’s 
degree varies. They’re afraid that when it’s all said and done the pull of  
biology will be stronger then anything they can offer.”
 
“The pull of finding out about that piece of me that was missing was  strong, 
Mother, but not stronger then us, just different.” Melanie said softly.  
“I’
m not going to set aside who I am and what my life has been now that I know  
the truth. Your still my mother, your still the woman who raised me and shaped  
me into who I am. The only thing that’s different now is that I have a 
sister,  and Georgia, and a second set of parents who gave me the life  you 
helped  
me to sculpt. I‘m still your daughter. I’m still the little girl you named 
after  your grandmother and Daddy’s mother, it’s just that now I have a 
second 
middle  name. ” 
 
Juliana’s eyes were misty but she ignored them as she reached out and  
brushed hair from Melanie’s face. “So tell me what you’ve found out, 
love, and  
about this second middle name?” 
 
Melanie smiled, then kissed her mother on the cheek before going over and  
getting her box. She showed her the pictures and told her about the holovids 
and 
 about talking to Georgia. Her mother held her while she talked about Celeste’
s  death, her illness, and  about Skyler’s lack of memory. She talked about  
Georgia and about how she was now set on looking after her. 
 
Juliana smiled and wiped at Melanie’s tears when Melanie was finally  
finished. “I’m glad things worked out love, and I’m sure that Skyler will 
come  
around. I’d like to meet this Georgia of yours. I’m glad someone’s going 
to be  
looking out for you and I’d like to thank her and Celeste.”
 
Melanie looked a little confused. “Thank them?”
 
“For giving me such a precious gift.” Juliana said as she hugged Melanie.  
“
And I think adding Soliel to your name is a wonderful idea.”
 
Melanie smiled. “I’m glad you think so.”

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