Mother's Recipe

spaceman_41@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: You bet I don’t own! I don’t even own Cathleen Calvert, she belongs to Margaret Mitchell, I am just using her in a different context.

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“Aren’t you ever worried?” Cathleen Calvert looked up at Deanna from the couch in Deanna’s office.

“This isn’t about me,” Deanna sighed as the woman lost track of their point again. “I know that Stuart left you very early on in your marriage, and now that Brent cheated on you, you find it hard to trust almost anyone,” Deanna reviewed to get them back on track once again.

“That’s not completely true. I still trust a lot of people in a lot of different ways. I can trust people here on Titan. My family is supportive and my crewmates are. You, Commander Curtis, Captain Riker . . . It’s just some people who aren’t strictly business. I just . . . Don’t you ever have second thoughts? Or ever worry about his kind of stuff?”

Deanna thought for a moment, on whether to answer the question or not.

“I mean . . . I don’t mean to imply that Captain Riker would . . .” she stammered.

Deanna smiled understandingly. “Don’t apologize. When you have a relationship like mine-and I don’t mean suggest that it takes fifteen plus years to find a great relationship-there’s no question. Will and I share an ancient Betazoid bond that rules out any and all doubt.”

“That sound’s great,” Cathleen sighed, turning her gaze back to the ceiling.

“It sure is,” Deanna’s tone turned professional again. “I think you rushed into your second marriage. Take some time to be single, eat some chocolate, read some books, paint a picture, write a story, and when you think you’re ready, put on a pretty dress, leave your hair down and knock ‘em dead,” Deanna smiled reminiscently.

“Counselor, you sound as if you speak from experience?” Cathleen raised her eyebrow.

“I’m the one supposed to be asking the questions here, but I’ll answer yours; only because I think it could help. When I was very young, an incredibly handsome young man broke my heart and my mother gave me that speech, and then I met Will.” Deanna smiled and laughed at the memory of meeting him for the first time. “I guess it works.”

Cathleen stood. “You were right, Counselor. It did help. Thank you, I think I am going to be just fine.”