Chapter 5

For the first time in five years, I stepped through the main hatch and found myself outside the hull of the Enterprise. Leesa was right behind me. Being the ship’s master and commander, she was, by tradition, the last to leave the vessel. Everyone else was already on the large platform standing in formation.

Leesa took her place at the head of the formation, and I took my place one step behind her. The Chief of the Boat, Command Master Chief Swanson, smartly saluted her after calling the rest of the crew to attention.

“Posts!” Leesa commanded, prompting Master Chief Swanson to take his position toward the back of the formation. Officers and enlisted chiefs followed suit in the formation. Leesa and I turned as Alan came forward, resplendent in his uniform, his four stars gleaming. Leesa saluted smartly as she reported to him.

“USS Enterprise reporting as ordered, sir,” she barked. “All personnel present and accounted for.” Alan returned her salute, then softened a bit.

“Welcome home, Captain,” he said. “It’s been a long time.”

“Yes, sir, it has,” Leesa replied. We spent the next 45 minutes presenting promotions, commendations, and medals to crew members, including Kyra. I proudly pinned the commander’s silver oak leaves on her uniform. It was difficult, but I resisted the urge to take her in my arms.

I couldn’t help but notice Kyra’s parents, Tom and Gloria, watching the ceremony. They smiled and applauded when Kyra received her commendation and her promotion. I also saw my parents standing close by. For some reason, Dad chose to wear his old Corps uniform. They also smiled and applauded when Kyra was recognized.

After the crew had received their accolades and promotions, Alan motioned for Leesa, Jim, and me to form up in front of him. He took an ornate folder from his aide and turned to everyone assembled.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I have the distinct pleasure of promoting three very deserving individuals today. Not only are they being promoted – they each will be starting their new jobs as of today. Captain Leesa Hawkins, it is my distinct pleasure to promote you to the rank of Commodore. You are also hereby directed to report to the newly-formed Star Fleet Academy in San Francisco, California, where you will serve as the Academy’s first Commandant of Cadets. Congratulations.”

Alan pinned Leesa’s new rank insignia – a single silver star – on her shoulders. He shook her hand when he finished and congratulated her on her new rank and assignment. Then he turned to me.

“Commander William Jones – I remember the day you first reported to me on the USS Armstrong. You were a Senior Lieutenant at the time and served as my weapons officer. That is a mission I will never forget. I have followed your career closely, and I take great pride in promoting you to the rank of Captain. I am also pleased to announce that you will take the center chair as master and commander of the USS Enterprise. Congratulations, Bill. You’ve earned it.”

“Thank you, sir,” I said in response as he pinned the eagles on my shoulders. I heard applause behind me as Alan shook my hand. Then he turned to Jim.

“Lt. Commander James Decker – Believe it or not, son, no one has yet to match your scores at the Academy or at Advanced Operations School. I’ve kept my eye on you ever since I saw you at the Academy. I take a great deal of pride in promoting you to full Commander, to serve as the Executive Officer of the USS Enterprise. Congratulations, Commander.”

“Thank you, sir,” Jim said as Alan pinned the silver oak leaves on his shoulders. They shook hands, and Alan turned to the assembled group.

“We have one small bit of business yet,” he said, motioning to Master Chief Swanson, who smartly marched to the flagpole in front of the formation. He lifted the colors and stood at attention behind Alan.

“Attention to Orders,” Alan declared, prompting the formation to snap to attention. “By order of Star Fleet Command, Commodore Leesa Hawkins is relieved of her post as Commanding Officer of the Enterprise.” Swanson marched forward, presenting the ship’s colors to Leesa, who accepted them. She turned to face me.

“I stand relieved, sir,” she announced.

“From this moment forward, Captain William Jones is directed to assume his new post as Commanding Officer of the USS Enterprise,” Alan announced. I turned to face Leesa and accepted the colors from her.

“I accept my post, and the responsibility that goes with it, sir,” I stated. After taking the colors, I faced Master Chief Swanson, who took them from me and replaced them in the holder, returning to his post.

“Captain Jones,” Alan said, handing me a small envelope. “Your first mission as master and commander of this vessel is something a bit unorthodox. I would like you to give myself and a select group of individuals a short trip aboard Enterprise to help us appreciate what you and your fine crew do on a daily basis. When can you be ready for launch?”

“The engines are still warm, sir. We can be ready in an hour,” I replied.

“Very well, Captain,” Alan smiled. “Prepare to launch in one hour.”

“Aye aye, sir,” I responded. “Master Chief Swanson. First shift on station. Everyone else at their posts. We launch in one hour.” Swanson snapped to attention.

“Aye aye, Captain,” he barked before turning to the crew. “First shift to stations. All personnel report to your posts. Launch in one hour. MOVE!” The crew bolted from the formation and ran back into the safety of the giant vessel. I turned and saw my parents approach. Tom and Gloria were close by.

“Congratulations, son,” Dad exclaimed, giving me a manly hug. “Captain of the Enterprise. Damn. I’m so proud of you boy.”

“Thanks, Dad,” I told him. He turned to Kyra and gave her a hug as well.

“And how’s my lovely daughter-in-law?”

“I’m doing great, Pop,” she said. “You’re looking good!”

“Well, it’s that mountain air, you know. Nothing like it!” He turned to Alan. “Admiral, it’s good to see you again,” he boomed, shaking hands.

“It’s good to see you as well, Master Chief,” Alan said. “You ready for the ride of your life?”

“Wait,” I interjected. “You’re on this exhibition?”

“Hell yeah,” Dad said. “Why do you think I got all dressed up? I wanna see my boy in action!”

“Mom, are you coming as well?” I asked.

“Of course,” Mom said. “So are Tom and Gloria. And a few others. Bob and Carol Decker are here as well.” I know they were Jim’s parents and saw the surprise on my new first officer’s face.

“Well, Jim, I guess we’d better give our guests a smooth ride,” I said. “Better get to it.”

“Aye aye, sir,” Jim said with a smile. He hugged his parents and headed into the ship.

“Who else is coming?” I asked Alan.

“No one important. Just the Senator who provides our funding,” Alan said with a wry smile. “Of course, I’ll be there as well as Commodore Hawkins. I’d like to see how well she trained you.”

“Well, I guess we’d better make this a good run, then,” I joked. Alan chuckled at that.

“Please do. It’s nothing fancy, just a quick run around the block,” Alan said. “We should be back in a couple hours. And before you ask, I’ve already had our guests cleared by medical.” That took a load off my mind.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do,” I said.

“We’ll come with you, if you don’t mind,” Dad said. Tom and Gloria stood next to my parents.

“Of course,” I said. We turned and headed back to the ship. I saw Tom look up at the giant vessel in amazement before entering.

“My God, that’s a big ass ship,” he declared.

“Not nearly as big as the man commanding her,” Dad proudly remarked. At that moment, I felt ten feet tall. Dad had always supported my career, but hearing him say that in public meant more to me than all the medals and commendations I had earned over the years.

We entered the vessel and made our way to the bridge. Our guests looked around in awe, taking in the highly advanced stations.

“Senator John Jacoby, Captain,” one of the guests said, extending his hand. “This is quite a ship.”

“Yes, Senator, it is,” I said. “And worth every penny it took to build her.”

“I’m sure it is,” he said with a smile.

“If you’ll excuse me, Senator,” I said before turning to the crew. I motioned for Jim to take my old seat. He looked at me a bit funny, then sat down and began his countdown, receiving status reports from the other stations. I looked at the center console – Leesa’s old chair.

“Go ahead, Captain. It doesn’t bite,” I heard Leesa say from behind me.

“It just feels ... strange, not having you at the conn,” I told her.

“Get used to it, Bill. This is your ship now.” She smiled, then left to join the other guests along the back bulkhead where temporary seating had been secured. I looked at the center chair for a moment, then sat down and looked at the envelope Alan had given me.

Opening it, I found that he had already filed our flight plan. The trip would take us around Jupiter, then return to Starbase One. A short flight, but enough to give our guests some good memories. I handed it to the navigator, who encoded the plan into the system. I looked around and saw the bridge was a flurry of activity as everyone worked to prepare for the launch.

“Status, Number One?” I asked Jim after about a half-hour. He smiled when he looked at me, then gave his report.

“All stations report ready for launch, Captain,” he said. “Outer hatches sealed, bay depressurized. Star Base Command is ready to retract umbilicals and gangplanks.”

“Give the word,” I told him.

“Aye aye, sir,” Jim responded as he gave the directions. I felt the umbilicals retract and noticed the slight flicker indicating the ship was now on its own power. I heard a ping from the console attached to my chair and looked to find a message from Base Flight Control.

“We are under our own power now,” I heard Leesa inform our guests.

“Opening outer launch doors,” the tinny voice said from my chair speaker. I saw the giant doors in front of us slowly slide open. I pressed the intercom button and made my first announcement to the crew as Captain.

“All hands, this is the Captain. Stand by for launch.” I began the now-familiar rundown.

“Ops,” I called out.

“All systems go for launch,” Lt. Rios replied.

“Engineering!”

“All systems nominal and within normal parameters. Go for launch, Captain,” said Lt. Commander Michaels from the engineering station.

“Weapons!”

“All systems calibrated and locked, sir. All weapons accounted for,” the Weapons Officer said.

“Comm!”

“Communications five by five, Captain,” the senior communications officer replied.

“Navigation!”

“Course laid in and locked, Captain. ETA to Q-Point 15 minutes,” said Lt. Trujillo, the senior navigator.

“Number One!”

“All personnel present and accounted for, Captain. All systems and stations report go for launch,” Jim said. I punched a button on my console.

“Starbase One, this is Enterprise. Request clearance for launch.”

“Clearance for launch approved, Enterprise,” said a voice from the communications speaker overhead.

“Maneuvering thrusters only. Ahead one quarter, helm. Take us out,” I said.

“Aye aye sir,” the helmsman replied, gently pushing her controls forward. I felt the ship slowly move forward and heard slight gasps from the guests behind us. This was nothing, I thought, but I could understand their reactions. I saw the doors get larger as we inched forward, and then we were clear of the bay and in open space.

“Oh my,” I heard Gloria gasp as Earth appeared before us. We slipped past our home planet, and I knew we were on our way.

“We are clear and free to navigate,” Lt. Trujillo said.

“Ahead full,” I ordered.

“Ahead full. Aye aye, sir,” the helmsman repeated. I felt the extra g-forces as the ship’s speed increased.

“Engineering ... status,” I remarked.

“All systems go, warp bubble forming,” the engineer said.

“Set vector for Q-point,” I said.

“Aye aye, sir,” Lt. Trujillo responded, as his hands flew over the console in front of him.

“Q-point is where the Captain or whomever he designates gives the word to engage the faster-than-light engines,” I heard Leesa inform our guests. I was glad she was there as I didn’t want to explain all this. I had enough to do just keeping my nerves under control, knowing that every move was being evaluated by two seasoned ship commanders, a powerful Senator ... and my Dad. I felt the g-forces increase as the ship gained speed.

“Now at max-Q,” the helmsman said.

“Very well,” I said. Once again, I heard Leesa patiently explain the statement to our guests.

“ETA to Q-point one minute, sir,” Lt. Trujillo said. I pressed the ship-wide comm button on my panel.

“All hands, this is the Captain. Stand by for light speed,” I announced. Afterward, I glanced at Jim, who gave a knowing smile and a slight nod. Unlocking my chair, I swiveled around to face our guests.

“Master Chief Jones,” I said, causing the guests to look at me in anticipation of my next statement. “Would you care to give the word, sir?” Dad’s eyes grew wide as he understood the meaning of my question.

“Uh, yes, sir. I’d be honored,” he said with a smile.

“Very well, Master Chief. Make it so,” I replied, returning his smile. I saw the looks of approval on Leesa’s and Alan’s faces and knew I had done the right thing. I swiveled back around and took a deep breath. Pucker time.

“Helm, at my command,” Dad said with an authority I knew all too well. “Stand by to engage light speed.”

“Aye aye, Master Chief,” the helmsman replied. I looked at the countdown clock.

10... 9... 8... 7...

“Stand by,” Dad announced.

4... 3... 2... 1...

“Engage!” I had experienced this many times, but it never failed to excite me. The transition to light speed and beyond is unlike anything one can imagine. For a brief millisecond, everything seems to stand still, and then...

“Now at Warp 1.03,” the helmsman announced.

“Roger that, helm. Steady as she goes.”

After I caught my breath and saw the familiar rainbow effect as the ship accelerated to a speed just a bit faster than light, I unlocked my chair. I swiveled around to check on our guests. Except for Dad, Leesa, Alan, and Kyra, the faces of our guests seemed frozen in a state of ... shock? Awe? Wonder? Perhaps a bit of all those emotions.

“How is everyone holding up?” I asked.

“You ... you do this all the time?” Gloria finally stammered, looking at Kyra, who smiled back before responding.

“All the time, Mother,” she said. Gloria looked at her daughter with an expression I couldn’t read, and it seemed to fall between pride and amazement.

“How do you manage it?” the older woman finally asked.

“Oh, it grows on you after a while,” Kyra said.

“What do you think of her, Master Chief?” Alan asked Dad. “After all, you helped design her.”

“This is a kick-ass ride, Admiral,” Dad exclaimed, drawing laughter from the rest of the bridge crew, myself included. I looked at our official guests and wondered how they fared.

“What do you think, Senator Jacoby?” I asked.

“I have to agree with the Master Chief, Admiral,” the older man said. “That was a kick-ass ride. And I flew hypersonic jets when I was in the Air Force. I’m very impressed.” He looked at my father before continuing. “Did you really help design this?”

“Sure did, Senator. But these engines are far beyond what I helped design,” Dad said.

“Master Chief Jones helped design the original frame for this craft and some of the original systems you see here, Senator,” Alan interjected.

“Wait ... Master Chief Jones ... Captain Jones ... Are you two related?” the Senator asked.

“Yes sir, we are,” I answered. “The Master Chief is my father.” The Senator smiled as he nodded his head.

“Well, Master Chief, you must be proud of your son, commanding the ship you helped design.”

“I am, Senator,” Dad said. “I couldn’t be more proud of my boy.”

“Listen, we have some time before we reach Jupiter. Why don’t I give you a nickel tour of the place?” I asked.

“That sounds like a splendid idea, Captain,” the Senator said. “I’d love to see more of this ship.”

“Consider it done,” I said. “Number One, ping me when we reach Jupiter if you would please.”

“Yes, sir,” Jim said. I got up and led our guests off the bridge and took them around the vessel, introducing them to the available section heads. Kyra, Leesa, and Alan had already seen all this, but the others enjoyed the tour immensely. I felt the ship drop out of light speed as my wrist communicator beeped, and I knew we were approaching Jupiter.

“Yes, Number One?” I asked.

“We are approaching Jupiter, Captain,” Jim’s voice said from my communication device.

“Thank you, Number One, I’ll take our guests to the observation lounge,” I told him before signing off. I escorted them all to the observation lounge so they could get a good look at the gas giant below. Gloria and Mom gasped when they saw the huge planet below, the Red Spot swirling.

“It almost looks like you could just reach out and touch it,” Gloria said.

“Except it’s a long way down,” Kyra quipped.

“Go ahead and take a couple pictures if you want,” Alan said. “Not many people get a view like this.” They all pulled out their camera phones and took pictures of the planet. Dad asked me to take a picture of him and Mom, then another of him, Mom, and Kyra’s parents with the planet in the background.

“Don’t you want a picture of me?” Senator Jacoby asked.

“Sure, why not?” Dad said, taking photos of the Senator with the other three. I was reminded of that old 20th-century saw about the most dangerous place is between a politician and a camera.

“We’d better head back to the bridge,” I said. “We’ll be entering light speed again, and it’s best if we’re not here, standing when that happens.”

After returning to the bridge, we secured ourselves in our seats and made the jump to light speed. I made sure our guests were doing okay, then turned to Jim.

“Status, Number One?” I asked.

“All systems go, Captain,” he responded. We pulled back into Starbase One and shut everything down. When all stations reported secure, I addressed Jim one more time.

“Go ahead and release the crew for leave, Number One.”

“Aye aye, sir,” Jim said. “I know they’re looking forward to it. As am I.” I stood and faced our guests.

“I hope you’ve enjoyed your little trip,” I told them.

“It was a memorable and rewarding experience, Captain,” Senator Jacoby said, shaking my hand. “Thank you very much. I know you’d much rather be at home with your family after spending five years in deep space, and I appreciate you taking the time to humor us. I feel comfortable knowing Enterprise is in such capable hands.”

“My pleasure, Senator,” I responded. “I had two very good teachers,” I added, looking at Alan and Leesa, who smiled with appreciation.

“So I understand, Captain,” the Senator said. “Well, I’d best be going. Good day.”

“Listen, I need to speak with Captain Jones and Commander Decker for a few minutes, if you don’t mind,” Alan told Kyra and our parents after the Senator left.

“That’s quite alright, Admiral,” Kyra said. “Ping me when you’re finished and we’ll catch up. I’m going to change into something a bit less formal, then we’re going to find a restaurant, grab a bite to eat and catch up,” she told me.

“Sounds good,” I acknowledged. “I’ll see you all later.” Mom approached me after Kyra, her parents, and my father left the bridge.

“Bill, I want to thank you for what you did for your father. You have no idea how much that meant to him,” she said with a tear in her eye.

“I think I do, Mom. After all, he did help design this ship. And I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him, in more ways than one. I just wanted to show my appreciation in some small way,” I told her.

“You did, son. And thank you again. I haven’t seen him so happy in quite a while,” she said before kissing my cheek. “I love you, son, and I know your father does as well.”

“I love you, too, Mom,” I said. “You’d better go catch up before they get too far. I’ll be done here shortly.”

“Alright. We’ll see you on the base.” After she left, I turned to Alan.

“Why don’t we go into my ready room, Admiral,” I said. Alan nodded his head and motioned for his aide to join him. Jim followed us into the room, closed and secured the hatch after we were all inside. I took my seat, invited the others to join me, and offered them a cup of coffee or tea. They all accepted the offer of coffee, so I poured each a cup from the dispenser.

“I wanted to speak with you about your upcoming mission, Bill,” Alan said.

“Alright. So, where are we going, Admiral?” I asked.

“No place specific, at least not at the moment,” Alan said, taking the case from his aide, who also happened to be a Captain. Alan opened the case, pulled out a tablet, and turned it on.

“I don’t understand, Admiral,” I responded, more than a bit confused.

“It seems we have a bit of a mystery that needs to be solved, Bill,” Alan said. “Three and a half years ago, we began receiving reports from other interstellar missions of what they initially thought were ‘sensor shadows.’ Basically, they reported seeing something right on the edge of their trackers that mimics and echoes their movements.

“At first, we believed there was maybe something wrong with the calibration of the sensors, but multiple teams of engineers and analysts reported no issues.”

“So, we’re chasing sensor ghosts now, Admiral?” Jim asked.

“I understand and appreciate your skepticism, Commander,” Alan said. “If they were sensor ghosts, as you surmise, then it would stand to reason we would see this phenomenon with all of our missions. But we don’t.” He pulled up a map on his tablet and showed it to us. It was a standard 3D star map, but an oblong area was depicted in a different color. “All of the reports came from within this specific area of space.”

I looked and saw the forward edge of the area was about nine light years out. The back end of the oblong did not appear to be delineated.

“All of the reports came from this sector of space?” I asked. “And nowhere else?”

“Yes,” Alan said. “And there’s more.” He pulled up an audio file and played it for us. Listening closely, I heard a series of beeps, chirps, and what sounded like leaves or trees rustling in the wind.

“Sounds like background noise to me, Admiral,” I said.

“And it did to me as well, at first,” Alan said. “We’ve picked this up periodically over the last ten to fifteen years and thought nothing of it. But as our tempo of interstellar operations increased, so did the frequency of ... this.”

“Any idea what it is?” I asked.

“None,” Alan said. “As you know, Bill, we’ve spent the last decade pre-positioning comm arrays in interstellar space to help facilitate operations. This has been picked up by several of those arrays. And our analysts say all those transmissions originated in the same area where the sensor anomalies were reported.”

“That is interesting,” I said.

“The analysts also say they believe there’s an intelligence behind these transmissions,” Alan added.

“What do you think, Admiral?” I asked.

“At first, I thought it was all a coincidence, Bill. But now, I simply don’t know. People are asking questions. Very important people.”

“Like Senator Jacoby?” I asked.

“Yes, like the good Senator. Who, by the way, chairs the Senate Intelligence, Defense, and Interstellar Operations Committees. He’s the guy who provides our funding. And he wants answers.”

“So his being here today was no coincidence,” I mused.

“He wanted to get a look at Enterprise, and at the man commanding her,” Alan said.

“I take it we passed inspection,” I said.

“Yes, otherwise you’d be out of a job right now,” Alan said. I let that sink in for a moment.

“What do you think, Admiral? What is your gut telling you?” I asked. I always respected Alan – his instincts always seemed to be spot on.

“You don’t really want to know what I think, Bill,” he said quietly. “Anyway,” he added after a pregnant pause, “this mission is going to be a bit different from anything else we’ve done. There’s a small contingent of mission specialists who will be assigned to you, along with a platoon of Marine Special Operators who are wrapping up their training.”

“Special Operators?” Jim asked, confused.

“Yes, Commander,” Alan said. “We don’t know what we’re going to encounter, and we want to be ready for any contingency.”

“You think there’s an intelligence behind all this, don’t you, Admiral?” I asked.

“At this point, I’m not dismissing any possibility, Bill,” Alan told me.

“What if it IS an extraterrestrial intelligence? What do we do then?” I asked.

“You’ll be given a great deal of latitude on this mission, Bill,” Alan said. “I trust your instincts. You do what you see fit based on the situation.” I understood what my old commanding officer was telling me.

At this distance, it would take some time for effective communications between Enterprise and Star Fleet Command. If all went well, it would be a feather in our caps. But if it went wrong, it would be my ass. And mine alone would pay the price. But I knew that was part of the job with my new rank.

“At this distance, it will take us a couple years to reach the forward edge of this space, Admiral. What time-frame are you looking at?” I asked.

“There’s been a number of breakthroughs since you were here. The new engines you’re getting can have you there in three months at top speed,” Alan said. “As for the time-frame, well, that’s open-ended. The mission will end when you find some answers.” He handed the tablet over to me.

“Everything you need to know is on that tablet,” Alan said. “I don’t need to remind you that it’s classified. We’ll be in touch before you depart. I figure the refit will take about seven to eight months, tops. In the meantime, why don’t you change and join your family.”

“I’ll do that, Admiral. Thanks,” I said, shaking his hand. After Alan and his aide left, I put the tablet in my safe, locked it, and turned to Jim. “What do you think, Jim?”

“I think we’re in for an adventure,” he responded.

“You may be right. I’m going to change and catch up with Kyra and the folks. Why don’t you go spend some time with your family? I think you’ve been approved for three months of leave, right?”

“Something like that.”

“What are your plans?”

“I thought I’d do some camping. Maybe go to Yellowstone and spend some time sleeping under the stars,” he said.

“Sounds like fun,” I said. “Have a good time, Jim. Stay safe out there. I’ll see you in three months.” We said our goodbyes and left the ready room.

...

“Well, it’s about time you showed up,” Kyra joked as I walked to the table where she and our parents were sitting with Leesa and George. I saw they had already been served, and a waitress came to the table as I sat down.

“What can I get for you, sir?” she asked.

“The beer here is quite good,” Dad said. “And the burgers are excellent.”

“That sounds good. I’ll have what the Chief had. That’s real meat, right?”

“Of course, sir. Unless you prefer the bean and soy-based or manufactured variety,” the pretty waitress said with a smile. I remembered what they said about the fake meat – it tastes like shit but fills you up – and opted for the real thing. I guess life on the Enterprise spoiled me.

“No, I prefer the real meat,” I told the waitress.

“Very well, sir. That will cost a bit extra – carbon taxes, you know.”

“That’s fine,” I said. The waitress left, and I turned to everyone at the table. “So, what did I miss?”

“Your father told me all about how you terrorized your poor parents as a kid,” Leesa said to laugh.

“I hope Mom didn’t show you her pictures,” I joked. Mom laughed as she pulled out her phone.

“Pictures?” Leesa asked. “You have pictures of Bill as a child?”

“Of course,” Mom bragged. “I just happen to have some of Bill taking a bath. He was such a cute little boy...”

“Oh, please. I’d love to see them,” Leesa exclaimed.

“Mom!” I protested as everyone laughed.

“Oh Bill, don’t be such a spoil sport,” Leesa cracked. “By the way, you never told me your father-in-law runs XNN Interplanetary.”

“It never came up. Sorry, Tom,” I said.

“Oh, that’s alright,” Tom said with a smile. “At least you didn’t disavow my existence.” More laughter. We ate, drank, and talked for the next half hour before Gloria got a serious – almost sad – expression on her face. She looked at Kyra before speaking; by then, the table had gotten quiet.

“Mom? Are you alright?” Kyra asked Gloria.

“Yes. It’s just ... You’ve grown so much since we saw you last. I’ve been following your career and I must say, I am very impressed with what you’ve done. Leesa tells me she’s asked you to form the curricula for the Academy’s counselor program. That’s quite an accomplishment. I know I haven’t told you this very often but ... I’m proud of you, sweetheart,” Gloria said as she wiped a tear from her eye.