he adventures of the Star Traveler Andromeda that started in Among the Stars, Beyond the Farthest Planet, and So Far From Home, continues in the final chapter The Voyage Home.
Kacey helped Natalia clean up after their dinner. Their children were bathed and in their pajamas and played on the floor with their toys. The girls were due shortly for their practice time. Their mothers were also expected to come over and she took out snacks along with glasses and drinks which were set out on the counter.
"Are your parents coming over also?"
"Probably. Kate mentioned it earlier that they might come over. I think mom has been avoiding me a bit lately."
"Why do you think that? You have not talk to her yet, have you?"
"No not yet. Things have been fairly hectic the last few weeks. That is why I think she is avoiding me. I guess she expects me to make some sort of scene. When I do talk to her it will be just the two of us."
"That is the way it should be. Kacey, if you play tonight, will you play those two songs I like?"
"Of course. Honey you never have to wait to hear what you like. All you have to do is ask. I will play them anytime for you."
"What ever made you decide on the violin when you were in school?"
"Growing up I was not allowed to watch a lot of garbage on television. What I was allowed to watch was educational or musical programs geared more towards classical rather than what was popular at the time. I think what really fired my desire to play the violin was watching an old disc with my great grandfather. It was a disc of a group of Irish women singers. Their violinist completely blew me away the first time I watched her. Granddad told me that I could one day play like her if I really desired it. So when they offered me the chance to learn the violin, I jumped at the chance. Then every time I watched a show that featured a classical violinist it made my desire stronger. Unfortunately he died before he could hear me play. He was a classical violinist when he was younger and when he died he left me his violin. The same one I still play." "Then that means it is close to a hundred years old." "Older than that. It was his father's that was passed down."
"I am certainly happy you chose the violin. Why did you learn the guitar and piano?"
"Truthfully, for a month, each summer, I went to a music camp where they encouraged us to try different instruments. For the rest of the summer my friends and I taught each other." The door chimed. "There are the rug rats." Kacey stated as she went to open the door. "Come in and start your warm up." She told the girls. Kate and Anya strolled in after their children.
"How are you feeling?" Kate asked.
"A lot better now that we have left that debris field far behind."
The girls took turns at the keyboard as they warmed up. Kate and Anya sat on the love seat and watched their daughters warm up. They had graduated from sharing the keyboard when their arms were not long enough to reach all the keys to taking turns.
"Who is going first tonight?" She asked.
"It is Erica's turn." Erin stated and moved way to sit with her parents. Erica opened the music sheet of the latest song they were learning. Kacey leaned against the counter as Erica practiced. She let the girl play the piece all the way through. When she reached the end she looked at Kacey.
"You did two things wrong. Do you know what they were?"
"I did not look at the signs."
"That is one. What do you think the second one is?"
"Did I play it too fast?"
"Is that what you think you did?"
"Uh huh."
"You are correct. Now try it again without the mistakes." Erica played the piece again. Once again Kacey let her go all the way through with out comment. "That was much better. Do you remember what we did last night?"
"When you played with us?"
"Yes are you ready to do it again?" Erica nodded. Kacey picked up her violin and the two started playing.
Kate and Anya listened to them. "They sound good together. How many times have they done this?" Anya asked.
"Last night was the first time she played with them." Natalia replied.
They finished the piece. Anya and Kate applauded.
"All right Erin, your turn." The girls changed places. Erin got into position. Kacey nodded for her to start and as before let her play all the way through without comment. "That was not bad, however you also made two mistakes. Do you know what you did wrong?"
"I did not watch the signs and umm I missed some notes."
"Correct. Your eyes got ahead of your fingers. That is why you missed the notes. Erin you are allowed to look at the keyboard if you are not certain. This is practice and the place to make mistakes. Ready to try again?"
"Kacey is really good with them. Kate whispered as they watched the practice session. Erin played the piece again."
"Much better." Kacey said, as she picked up her violin again. "Ready?"
"Ready Aunt Kacey."
"Begin." The two started to play. They went through the piece and ended together. "Good job." Kate and Anya applauded again. "You both did very well and if it is all right with your mothers, I think you deserve a reward."
"Can we mama?"
Anya nodded. "Kacey you are doing a wonderful job with them."
"Thank you, but they deserve the credit. They do all the work. The desire to learn goes a long way." Kacey brought out a plate of cookies that she placed on the coffee table along with two glasses of milk for the girls. "Would you care for another drink?" Kate held her glass out while Anya shook her head no. The children made their way over to the adults.
"Mama up." Patrick demanded, as he held his hands out to Natalia. Caitlyn headed for Anya and held her hands out. Anya picked the girl up and bounced her on her knee which made the child giggle. She stopped. Caitlyn bounced to make her continue.
" Will mom and dad be coming?" Kacey asked.
"I put the invitation out there." Kate answered.
"Kacey seems to think Patricia is avoiding her." Natalia supplied.
"You have not talked to her yet?"
"I have been a little busy these last few weeks Kate and I have not had the opportunity."
"When I talked to her earlier she said they would come over." Kate said with a twinkle in her eyes. "Maybe something came up."
"What could possibly come..." Kacey stopped. "Never mind that is one visual I do not want."
Kate laughed. "Are you still under the assumption that parents do not have sex?"
"Damn Kate stop." Kacey protested.
Kate laughed harder. "Anya what do you think?"
"Of course parents have sex. I know mine did not limit themselves to just one time."
Kacey covered her ears.
"Look at it this way. You are a parent. Does that mean you no longer have sex?"
"Hell no, but we are still young. They are, well they are not so young. Damn Kate those are two words that do not belong together EVER."
Kate howled with laughter which cause Anya and Natalia to laugh.
Patricia and Liam could hear their laughter in the corridor. Patricia carried a cake. "Tis a good sound Patsy." Liam stated as he rang the admittance chime.
Kacey opened the door to admit her parents.
"I am sorry we are late. I wanted to finish this cake to bring over." Patricia stated and handed the plate to Kacey. The twins ran to their grandparents.
"Grandma, grandpa," they called together.
"Thanks mom." She placed the cake on the coffee table. Patrick not to be outdone by his bigger, older cousins, squirmed of Natalia's lap and ran to Liam.
"Poppy," he yelled..
Caitlyn left Anya's lap and ran after her brother. "Ama," she called out.
"You would think by their reactions that they have not seen their grandparents in weeks." Anya whispered to Natalia.
She nodded. "That is very true. Kacey you do remember what happened the last time you put a cake on the coffee table?"
"Sorry sweetheart." Kacey stated and moved the cake to the counter.
"What happened?" Kate asked.
"Patrick happened. He saw the cake and went for it with both hands. He had chocolate frosting smeared on the table, rug and himself. We were lucky enough to intercept him before he made it to the couch."
Everyone laughed. "What she is not saying is he had just had his bath." Natalia added. "Chocolate was in his hair, ears, up his nose and smeared into his pajamas. He looked like he fell into a vat of chocolate."
"Oh no." Anya gasped as she laughed.
"If you look close enough you might still find bits of chocolate still imbedded in the table design." Kate held her stomach as she laughed.
"Yeah I was in the doghouse until I gave him another bath and cleaned up the entire mess." Kacey said from the kitchen, as she poured drinks for her parents.
"After doing something like that I am surprised that you are not still in the dog house." Kate commented.
"It was touch and go for awhile." Natalia admitted.
Kacey handed the drinks to her parents and pulled the rocking chairs out of the nursery in case they wanted to rock the children.
Natalia nudged Kacey. "Hey what about what you said you would do?"
"Yes I did tell you I would play for you." Kacey took a sip of her drink before she went to the music machine. She programmed a few selections and picked up her violin. She started the machine and played. Natalia smiled at her as she played.
While she played, Patricia and Anya took plates and silverware out of the cabinet for the cake. She finished one song and went into the next. Natalia wiped a tear from her eye. She continued to play for several songs. When the music stopped Natalia went to Kacey and kissed her.
"Thank you."
"My pleasure always."
"Aunt Kacey, how can you hit the right notes when you close your eyes. You do not look at the notes or the strings." Erin asked.
"Lots and lots of practice. You will get there eventually. I have ben playing for a lot longer than you have. Ask grandma or grandpa how many times I hit the wrong notes when I was just starting."
"That is true." Patricia said from the kitchen. "What was that first piece you played?"
"The English translation is The Volga Song by Franz Lehar."
"It is very beautiful but also very sad and touching. I tear up every time she plays it."
"Lass didn't ye play that at one of the Marine concerts?" Liam asked.
"I did. It was one of the concerts we gave for the President. It was because of that piece I received the invitation to the World Symphony."
"Wow you never told me that." Natalia stated.
"I did consider both invitations for quite some time. I have the video disc of that performance here someplace. It was televised and we were all given copies of the show."
"Who wants cake?" Patricia called out as Anya carried a tray into the living room. Kacey looked past Anya to Patricia who motioned for her to come to the kitchen. She walked to Patricia's side as she continued to slice the cake. "I know you are busy, but do you think you can make some time to talk?" She asked softly.
"Sure. I am off tomorrow."
"Ten hundred hours?"
"That will be fine. Want me to take this tray in for you?"
"Please." Kacey picked up the tray and carried it to the living room. Patricia followed her. "What were you all laughing about earlier? We could hear you in the corridor."
"Kacey is still living under the assumption or delusions that parents do not have sex." Anya stated.
"Those words do not belong together." Kacey argue.
"Lass I hate to be the one bursting that bubble, but..."
"DAD." Kacey covered her ears and sang, "La, la, la, la" Kate laughed so hard she inhaled crumbs from the cake and started coughing. Anya patted her back. "That is what you get for laughing at me." Kacey stated."
Natalia nudged her. "Be nice."
Patrick climbed into Laim's lap where he was content to help his grandfather share the cake.
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Kacey lingered over her coffee after kissing Natalia good by when she left for her duty shift. Their children were in day care so that the two women could talk without interruptions. She checked the time before finishing her coffee and heading into the shower. She emerge twenty minutes later dressed in jeans and a button down shirt. Her feet were bare as she grabbed another coffee.
She took another cup down and started a pot of tea for Patricia and checked the storage area for something for them to munch on. She left empty handed unless Patricia wanted to eat teething biscuits that they kept on hand for the children.
Kacey poured the hot water over the tea bags in the ceramic pot and placed it on the table with honey and lemon. The door chimed. Kacey looked at the monitor before she walked to the door.
"Come in mom." Patricia handed Kacey a plate of cookies as she walked in. Kacey placed the plate next to the tea pot. She grabbed napkins before she sat down. "I made you pot of tea. Please have a seat."
"Thank you dear." Patricia stated as she sat down and poured a cup of tea. "Those cookies are your favorite, I brought as a peace offering. Kacey refilled her cup before she sat down. "What would you like to ask me?"
"I guess the first question is why? Why would you not tell me about the internal deficiency I have?"
"Internal deficiency?" Patricia repeated and gathered her thoughts. "Kacey you were only fourteen the first time I took you to see Doctor Stephans. I was worried about your lack of periods even though all other aspects of puberty developed."
"When the girls came along?"
"Yes. She ran tests and while you were getting dressed, she told me what was going on." Patricia stated. "You were only fourteen. I did not know how to tell you that you were born with only one ovary and an underdeveloped uterus. That the chances were extremely slim that you could get pregnant. And that if indeed it did happen, you would never be able to carry a child full term. How do you tell your child something like that?"
"I am no longer that fourteen year old girl, mom. There were many years between that day and now, yet you still did not say anything."
"When I realized that no man would ever turn your head, I thought good, I did not have to worry about you trying to get pregnant. Then Natalia came into your life and you decided to have children. I almost told you then, but then Natalia became pregnant. After the babies were born, I figured you would stop with two. At that point I decided that you need never know. I had no idea you would get tested to expand your family, until Kate told me."
"Did you tell Kate and dad?"
"I told your father that same day I found out. Kate did not know until the day you left for the academy and we helped you move into your dorm. The day we met Mike. I let it slip that at least we did not have to worry about pregnancy."
"So Kate knew?"
"Honey please understand. Yes I told Kate, but I asked her not to say anything. That I should be the one to tell you when and if you needed to know."
"You made that decision, mom."
"I made the decision." Kacey stood and walked to the window. "What are you thinking about? Please do not shut me out." Kacey was silent for a long time. Patricia did not think she would answer when she started to talk.
"I do not think you want to hear what is going through my mind."
"Please no more secrets. Please tell me."
"I was remembering how angry you were when you found out Kate and I kept secrets from you. Yet..."
"Yes that was very hypocritical of me."
"Very hypocritical, mom. I was fourteen when you found out and for seventeen years, you kept this to yourself." Kacey turned to face Patricia. "What did you think would happen mom? Did you think I would go off the deep end with the knowledge, or maybe become promiscuous because I could not get pregnant? On top of that dad and Kate, and by extension Anya knew, while I was kept in the dark. Like I was a child who needed protection from the big bad world."
"That was not what we felt."
"Then what? Pity? Let's all feel sorry for Kacey because she can never get pregnant. That is the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard." Kacey shouted.
"I had no idea how to tell you." Patricia admitted. "How do you find the words to tell your child that she has a condition, that would end any chances of ever having a child?"
"Having children was never a part of my plans until I met Natalia."
"After I found out, I spent I do not know how many weeks maybe even months trying to understand how something like that could happen. How my beautiful, intelligent, talented, otherwise perfectly healthy daughter could never be able to have children of her own."
"Seventeen years mom. seventeen years and you could not as you put, it find the words to tell me. You said it was something I was born with."
"You see the world in black and white at times, but there are many more shades than those two colors. Let me ask you this. If you found out that Caitlyn had this same problem, would you tell her? Be honest. Would you?"
"Yes, Natalia and I would tell her when she was old enough, and mature enough to understand and handle the knowledge. I would make sure she heard it from someone who loves her and would not let her hear it from a stranger."
"I am so sorry you did not hear it from me. Parents are not perfect. We make decisions for our children until they are old enough to make their own decisions. We can only hope and pray that the decisions we make for them are the right ones and the best we can do for our children. Sometimes they are right, but then there are times when our decisions are so wrong that we can only hope is that our children realize that we are human and not perfect. That some day they will be able to forgive us and not hate us."
"I do not hate you mom. Angry yes, but not hate."
"I will settle for that. I know I have no right to ask for favors, but I hope you will grant them. I hope and pray that you can rise above your anger and not shut us out of your life and your children's lives. That you do not blame your father or Kate. I deserve your anger. They do not."
"I would not deprive our children of knowing their grandparents and aunts, but..." She stopped and turned back to the window unable to finish.
"I see. Kacey you are a beautiful, talented, and courageous woman that I love dearly. I made a mistake. I am not perfect. I can only hope that someday you can find it within yourself to forgive me." Patricia met Kacey's eyes in the window reflection. She moved to place her hand on Kacey's arm, watched her stiffen and withdrew her hand. She turned and walked to the door. Before she left, she turned. "I will not try to convince you that I did what I thought was right at the time. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, you know where to find me." Patricia walked out of the door leaving Kacey to stare out the window.