Is this the moment
Posted on Fri Sep 18th, 2020 @ 11:05pm by
Edited on on Sat Sep 19th, 2020 @ 11:42am
1,660 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Episode 10 - New Home, Same Pioneers
Location: Starbase Sirius
Timeline: MD009 1600 hrs
Jayden wandered along the promenade, window shopping. He had a few hours off and Clarissa was tied up so he messaged her that he would come and get them dinner and bring it back to their quarters. She would have had a long day by then so he wanted to make it easy on her if she didn’t feel like going out again.
He felt so lucky that he met Clarissa. She made him happier than he had ever been in his life and gave him hope for things he never thought possible. Jayden had shied away from relationships because he was concerned he would end up like his parents. In a marriage where it was just for show and not any real feelings.
Jayden thought it was weird that he felt something missing while he walked along . lol Before he met Clarissa he would do a lot of things by himself but today he realized that he didn’t like doing those things alone. He missed Clarissa and everything about her. She even got him to go shopping and made it fun when he hated it. Jayden felt he had grown as a person since he had come into the Pioneer and Clarissa had been part of the reason why.
What made him scared was one of them being transferred. Jayden wanted to be where Clarissa was and he really liked serving on the Pioneer but chances of them both staying there for their career is slim to none. He knew that no matter what he would do whatever it took to hang on to what they had.
Looking around the ship he thought of the Malbrooke and O’Flannagain’s . They served together so maybe it was possible for him and Clarissa. Jayden did remember though that it had not been that long that the captain’s wife had come on board. It was possible of command tried to transfer one of them that one of them would try and prevent it.
Jayden shook his head, he was crossing a bridge that had not come yet. He hadn’t even been assigned to the ship that long. And Clarissa had just gotten promoted. He needed to trust they would be here for a while and If the situation came up then they would handle it together. This wasn’t some shipboard fling, they had deep feelings for each other.
Jayden grinned when he thought about moving in with Clarissa. After they finished up their date they had gone and grabbed his things and he had moved in one trip. He didn’t really have too much stuff. Jayden smiled at how indecisiven he had been because he didn’t want to do something to make her regret his moving in and it had been the most natural thing. Of course he had been spending all of his time there so he should have known.
Living together was a serious step. It was the first sign of a commitment after dating for a while. Both of them had given it serious thought wanting to be certain they were ready. Jayden felt like it showed how much they cared about each other. He knew that Clarissa had been concerned when he had debated over what to do. But she had been patient and eventually he had figured out that Clarissa would deal with his flaws.
Jayden stopped to get a drink and decided on a frozen caramel drink. It had coffee in it and was served with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel syrup on top. He took a drink and made a mental note to come and get another one before they left the station. It was really good.
Walking away Jayden saw a woman walking along, holding the hand of a little girl who looked to be maybe five or six years old. She looked like a minature version of Clarissa. Jayden found himself daydreaming about what a child of theirs would look like. Would they have a boy or girl? Or maybe one of each. He thought Clarissa would be a wonderful mother.
And at the same time, Jayden wasn’t certain Clarissa even wanted to be any parent. They hadn’t talked much about the future for that matter, they had both been happy living in the moment. With all the talk of weddings, he wondered if he was dragging his feet and Clarissa was waiting on him to ask her.
Jayden headed toward the arcade when he looked to the left and came to a stop , staring at the jewelry store. He wavered for a moment and then headed over to look at the case that faced so that anyone walking by might be tempted.
The case held all sorts of rings, some were the traditional diamond engagement rings, some looked more like birthstone rings and then there were wedding sets where the engagement ring matched the wedding ring. Jayden looked them over and tried to decide what he thought Clarissa might like. There was one that has a huge diamond, somehow that didn’t seem like something she would want.
Is there something I may help you with, Sir?”
Jayden looked up into the eyes of a middle aged man who looked like he was anxious to sell him something. He smiled and spoke honestly. “I am looking at the engagement rings, trying to decide if there is something that I think my girlfriend would like.”
“I am Albert,” the jewelry employee replied. “If there is something you would like to look at I would be happy to take it out for you to get a closer look at.”
Jayden wasn’t really happy that he stood there watching him but he knew the man was interested in making a sale. Finally, Jayden pointed to a ring and asked to see it. He watched as the jewelry clerk took it out and handed it to him. It was beautiful.
“It is one of our best sellers,” Albert said smoothly. “A lot of men come in and purchase it.”
Jayden frowned as he handed it back to him. “I would rather look at something a little more unique.” He didn’t want Clarissa having a ring just like someone else’s. She was her own person and Jayden wanted that to be reflected in the ring he put on her finger.
Albert put the ring back and took out another. It had a red stone in it and to Jayden it didn’t look like an engagement ring but something that could be given for any occasion. He looked at Albert and shook his head. “It needs to have a diamond setting.”
“Yes sir,” he replied and started looking through the settings. Jayden saw one he liked, the diamond was pear shaped and it looked rare and beautiful, it reminded Jayden of Clarissa. “Could I see that one right there, please?”
Jayden took the box from him and looked at the ring for a long moment and gave it serious consideration for a moment. Would she like it? What size did she wear and it suddenly occurred to him that he needed to slow down a little. They had just moved in together and here he was thinking about buying a ring and asking her to marry him. Clarissa had just asked him to move in and here he was thinking about buying her a ring.
Jayden saw the look of disappointment on Albert’s face when he held out the box to him. “I don’t think I am quite ready to make a decision yet.” He glanced around and then smiled. “I think I am going to go look at those necklaces over there.” Jayden headed over to the other counter and glanced at what they had.
At first, he didn’t see anything that was quite like what he was looking for and that was part of the problem. He wasn’t certain what he wanted. Jayden wandered down the counter when a necklace caught his eye. It was two silver hearts entwined with diamonds running down one side. What he liked was it wasn’t gawdy looking but delicate and it said Clarissa to him.
“I would like to look at the one in the back in the right corner,” Jayden said with a smile. He appreciated how patient Albert was being with him, especially when he thought he was going to sell Jayden an engagement ring, instead of a necklace.
Jayden held the necklace and looked at it closely. He really liked it and thought it would be a nice gift for her. He didn’t have a reason, other than to just say that he loved her. Jayden had a good feeling about it. He looked up at the clerk and smiled. “How many of these do you have in stock?”
“That is one of a kind,” Albert replied. “You won’t find another one like it anywhere.”
“I’ll take it,” Jayden said with a smile. “Can you wrap it for me?” He was all thumbs when it came to wrapping presents.
Jayden paid for the necklace and took his package. Checking the time he realized that by the time he got to the restaurant their food would be ready.
Jayden headed accross the promenade to the restaurant and waited while his food was bagged up for him. He was looking forward to their first evening in their shared quarters. This would be just the beginning of their lives together, they had many adventures ahead of them. One thing he learned today was that when it was time to move to a deeper commitment, they would make the decision together. Then he could get her the ring and ask her to marry him.
A post by;
Ensign Jayden Robertson
Operations Officer, USS Pioneer
RSS Feed