STF

Alindor's Quarters - Meeting Elizabeth Alindor

Posted March 27, 2019, 12:25 p.m. by Lieutenant Commander Jarred Alindor (Chief Engineer) (Steven Sigle)

Posted by Ensign Kalani Kāne (Science Officer) in Alindor’s Quarters - Meeting Elizabeth Alindor

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Jarred Alindor (Chief Engineer) in Alindor’s Quarters - Meeting Elizabeth Alindor

Posted by Ensign Kalani Kāne (Science Officer) in Alindor’s Quarters - Meeting Elizabeth Alindor
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Original post https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf5/saracen/notes/22573/ https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf5/saracen/notes/31007/

SNIP

Elizabeth pulled her hand from Kalani’s and ran back into the bedroom. The move stunned Kalani who looked at Jarred concerned. “Maybe she is just overwhelmed” she suggested biting her lip. Sounds could be heard from the bedroom indicating Elizabeth was tearing it apart. “Should I go or you,” Kalani let her voice trail off not sure how to finish the sentence. Sure she and Jarred were a couple but that didn’t mean Jarred would want her 100% stepping in on all decisions about the little girl two hours after she had met her.

Jarred smiled as he looked at Kalani. “No… I think I know what she is looking for. I was hoping she would bring this. We had a book, I didn’t always get to be there, two or three trips a year, fewer in the last year. Still… I always tried to call. For all my shortcomings and spouts with alcoholism I did try and call, despite everything I never wanted her to think I didn’t love her. Maybe at first I didn’t, angry and fearful when she got thrown in my lap but I spent two weeks alone with her before my parents could come. ” Jarred said as he paused and patted the floor next to him for her to sit next.

Kalani bent down and ducked under the sheet awning to their tent and sat down next to Jarred. “Not sure it will hold up in a red alert but it should hold up to a family of three for one night,” Kalani said before laying her head on Jarred’s shoulder. Her tummy felt weird saying things like that. It was her dream but right now all of her focus and Jarred’s had to be on the little girl in the next room. “I am not sure if I should be scared or elated that you were able to build a tent so fast like this. Sure it is not exactly chief engineering education worthy but most men don’t think this outside the box for the mundane things. You surprise me Jarred Alindor,” she squeezed his arm once giving him a makeshift hug. “How you adapted so fast to Elizabeth arriving has shocked me. I am not saying you deserve father of the year because of a tent and a dinner but you don’t seem scared and I am kinda scared out of my mind here baby. I’m not going anywhere but I am gonna need a bit of a learning curve okay. So give me the Jarred Alindor Crash Course on Parenting 101.”

Cuddling next to her he kissed her cheek before continuing. He needed this, this sense of normalcy between both of his loves. “I was scared, I told you that much but… there was that two weeks. I knew nothing about how to handle a three month old baby. She was tiny, she cried a lot pooped vomit… and not all of that was hers. Still, I needed toys, things to occupy her. I began to replicate toys for infants, and that’s when I found it… a book. Honestly if you asked me then I don’t know what posses me to read a book to a three month old, she couldn’t sit up yet let alone understand stories.” he said as he looked at the door hearing the scuttling still going on.

Elizabeth emerged wearing the same expression Jarred wore when he was deep in thought trying to solve a problem.

“You did bring it didn’t you little one? I told Nana and Papa to make sure to snag it.” he said, hoping he wouldn’t have to ask his parents about it.

“Yes, but it is not in my bags. It’s in my....backpack,” she said gleefully grabbing the bag from the front door and once again disappearing into her bedroom. “Don’t start without me Daddy,” she yelled sounding a bit nervous but a lot more excited.

“So… where was I, the book. It was called ‘Constellation Lizzie.’ Now the name, I didn’t have a nickname for her untill that moment, it stared at me. Lizzie… Elizabeth. It was then when I began to call her Lizzie as I read the story to her. Don’t ask me why, it made her calm, maybe my voice… but the book came with this toy, a little flashlight type device. You darken a room and shine it on the ceiling and it would make it look like stars… our stars… these stars.” Jarred said as he looked up at the room, the smallest of tear seem to leak from his eye as he wiped it away.

Kalani’s mouth opened as she made the connection as to why she could not recognize the star pattern on the ceiling. It was custom tailored for the two Alindor’s. She had no words as Jarred’s simple story was revealing far more about him than he probably intended.

“It was a hard two weeks, no drinking and a crying baby but at night… she was perfect angel as long as I read that book to her. When she left I gave it to my parents, and told her to keep the flashlight… and I kept this.” Jarred said as he reached over pulling out the old tattered book. “See my first ever gift to her was the flashlight, and she still has it, when I call she takes out her flashlight and shines it in her room and I… I read this book.” he said as he held the cover carefully, as if it was some prized valuable from some ancient culture.

“I wasn’t the best father, but this book was… something that spoke to me. It is a story of a daughter, Lizzie and the constellation her Father named after her. When he was sailing the seas they could always see that constellation and know they were never fully apart.” Jarred said those words as he heard the door opening as little footsteps came rushing in.

Elizabeth bowled into the tent with all the grace of a rampaging rhinoceros. The light from the flashlight piercing the dim of the tent like a spotlight sending unintended stars into Kalani’s and Jarred’s vision. Kalani squinted and raised up the hand that was around Jarred’s arm to shield her eyes. Holy crap Jarred did you power that thing with dilithium crystals, she blinked rapidly.

“Well, did you find it little one?” he said as he smiled widely. His smile told so much, love, care, devotion. But the story told more, it spoke of despite his failings from day one he never gave up on her. He felt a failure, was in many ways but he never let his nature harm her. He did all he could to make her world perfect, to give her the stars.

“Yes, I found it,” Elizabeth forced her way between the two adults with a little butt wiggle to secure her spot in the relatively small spot. “I kepted it in my bag because sometimes they make you put your bags in the back and I didn’t want to lose it. Do you have our book,” she asked flopping backward onto the pillows she instinctively knew were there. “Can we read it three times…no four…five,” Elizabeth said switching on the flashlight and tapping her outstretched toes together as if impatient for Jarred to begin. The light from the flashlight lit up the tent like a mini sun. For Jarred to project an image that large and crisp on a surface, the initial light source had to be bright. In a regular bed it would have been normal but in this enclosed space and in a space that had previously been highly darkened by the dim room lighting the flashlight dazzled. Moving over more to give Elizabeth some extra room by her Daddy, Kalani rolled on her side and looked across the tent. Elizabeth was acting like this was something she had done a thousand times yet Jarred admitted they had only read it a handful of times over the past year in the same room. It was just another example of how Alindor did the best with what he had creating a sense of normalcy in a highly unnormal situation. Kalani sent Jarred a smile until Elizabeth turned it into an expression of amusement.

“You can’t sleep like that,” Elizabeth said to Kalani looking at her on her side. “Daddy says ‘if you don’t lay back you don’t get jack,” she informed Kane with utter confidence. “So are you going to lay on your back so you can see the stars or not get to sleep here?”

“Well if that is the rule then I had better follow it. I wouldn’t want your Daddy to boot me from the tent,” Kalani half laughed as she got comfortable. The “sky” of the tent had a slight green tinge to it because of the color of the sheet but it still was beautiful.

“Okay we are ready for you to start,” Elizabeth said tapping her feet together again more impatiently.

Ensign Kalani Kane

“So here we go…” Jarred said as he opened the book, beginning the story you could tell he had perfected the story telling craft. Each word was done to draw out the effect as the wonder came across Elizabeth’s face. He knew the right parts to pause, voices to make and sounds to create to help weave a magical tale as he shared the moment with the two most important women of his life.

“And then what did the star say to Lizzie?” he said as he looked over at her, it was clear this was a big part for the two as he smiled widely as he waited for her response.

Alindor, CE

Lizzie pressed her body hard into Jarred’s side. This was her favorite part of the story. While her Daddy always read the book to her this part he left for her to read to him. Sometimes he read it with her but that was before she could read by herself.

Somewhere out there beneath the pale starlight. Your Daddy’s thinking of you and loving you tonight. So cuddle up in bed and say a prayer because your daddy is wishing you sweet dreams somewhere out there. And even though he knows how very far away you are Little One. Close your eyes and know tomorrow you will wake under the same bright sun. And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby, know you are always sleeping underneath the same big sky. Somewhere out there, your Daddy loves you through and through and one day you’ll be together somewhere out there out where all your dreams will come true,” Elizabeth said softly and then looked up at Jarred as he closed the book. “I love that part,” she smiled up at him. “Can we read it again?”

Elizabeth Alindor

“Again? It’s bed time little one. I think we even lost Kalani already.” he said as he looked over at her as she snored loudly. “So… what do you think of her so far baby?” he asked her in a soft voice to not wake Kalani.”

Alindor, CE

“She seems nice,” Elizabeth said laying her head on Jarred’s arm so that she was nestled in the crook of his arm snuggled up close to his body. A long pause filled the room only punctuated by Kalani’s snores. Her daddy’s friend seemed nice but Nana didn’t tell her Kalani or that she would be here the entire time.

“Daddy,” Elizabeth said looking up at him. “Is Kalani your best friend?”

Jarred looked at her, he wasn’t sure what to say to that. It wasn’t far off the truth but it wasn’t 100% accurate either.

“Is that why Ralph has a bed here? Is she here all the time? You said you were going camping a few weeks ago and she said you and her camped in a tent like this when she helped me get ready for bed. Then you said if we didn’t sleep out here that I would sleep in my room and she could sleep with you? Do you have sleepovers with her all the time,” she asked innocently.

Elizabeth Alindor

“In a way doll, you would call her my girlfriend… but one day she could be my wife. That’s why she took me camping to show me the wild, she loves animals and I love her. That doesn’t mean I don’t love you anymore though pumpkin. I love you more than anything, it’s why I love having the two girls I love most in the world under one roof.”

Alindor, CE

“And your best boy,” Elizabeth said sitting up. Reaching down she scooped up Ralph who was asleep in a circle at Kalani’s feet. The fox let out a slight whimper as she dragged his body up to between her and Jarred. Batting a paw at the air, Ralph tried to flip over from his back but at two pounds he was no match for a determined five-year-old as she wrapped an around his neck and curled up with him like a stuffed animal instead of a living pet. Letting out another whimper he looked at Jarred.

“Ralph wants to sleep with me. He just isn’t comfortable yet,” Elizabeth said confidently as she held him tightly in place preventing the squirming fox from freeing himself.

“He told me earlier,” she confided to Jarred, “didn’t you Ralph,” she finished the sentence pressing her nose to the Fox’s as if staring into his soul. Ralph let out a sigh and side glanced toward Jarred. This little human was a lot of fun during dinner but was proving rather annoying at bedtime. Hoping to appease her need for love Ralph licked her nose. This caused her to giggle loudly and jiggle him about. Okay, maybe she wasn’t so annoying. She did seem to want to play all the time. Reaching up with a paw he batted her in the face letting out a growly yip. He was sleepy but if she was up to playing more so was he. The paw across her nose made Elizabeth laugh louder. Leaning over she nuzzled her face in his neck and let out a loud zerbert. The sound was something new and caused Ralph to bark happily swatting at Elizabeth now with both paws and wagging his tail.

Elizabeth Alindor

“Oh did he now? Well he wants to sleep, and so should we peanut. So… how about you let Ralph nestle up with you and we all get some shut eye. It’s a big day tomorrow and I want to make sure you have plenty of sleep.” he said softly, leaning in he kissed her cheek as he leaned in to let her rest in his arm, using his free hand to give Ralph small scratches as they settled in.

Alindor, CE


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