One Step at a Time

Posted on Tue Oct 22nd, 2024 @ 8:34pm by Lieutenant Commander Jason Frankley & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami

743 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well

Jason Frankley sat at the table on Starbase 2, the sounds of clinking glasses and quiet conversation fading as he focused on the empty chair in front of him. His thoughts raced, emotions swirling around the way Adrianna had pulled away since Vance's reappearance. How could he compete with a ghost, someone she thought she’d lost forever? But he had promised to be patient, to wait.

Adrianna had stayed in touch and they'd spoken a bit, more as friends, both agreeing to slow things down, whilst she worked things out. He'd agreed but had asked her on a, quote, 'no pressure date'. He wanted to see if he still had a chance, in truth. Not to mention, he couldn't deny that he loved her and wanted opportunity to show her what could be.

The door slid open, and there she was. Adrianna Baciami stepped in with her usual grace, but there was a weight in her eyes that Jason couldn’t ignore. Her dark hair framed her face, the same face he’d fallen for, but there was something different now—a shadow from the past that hadn’t been there before.

“Ciao, marinaio,” she said softly as she approached, offering him a delicate smile. Her Italian accent rolled through the greeting, comforting yet distant.

“Adrianna,” Jason replied, standing to pull out her chair. He held her gaze for a moment before they sat.

They started with small talk, skimming over the surface of things—missions, Starfleet gossip—but Jason could sense the distance, the unspoken tension between them. Finally, he took a breath and leaned forward, his voice soft but firm. “I’m glad we’re here, you know, slowing things down. But I can see something’s still weighing on you.”

Adrianna hesitated, her eyes dropping to her hands before she looked back up. “I thought Vance was dead, Jason. Morti. For so long, I mourned him. And now he’s back but…” She paused, struggling to find the words. “He doesn’t even remember me– not really.” Her voice cracked, and she quickly looked away.

Jason clenched his fists under the table, trying to suppress the surge of frustration he felt whenever Vance’s name came up. But he needed to understand. “He… doesn’t remember anything?”

“Just fragments,” she whispered, her voice tight. “Some memories are coming back to him, but it’s all confuso. When we kissed…” Adrianna’s voice trailed off, and she bit her lip, clearly torn. “It was a mistake, Jason. He didn’t know what he was doing. It was just… in the moment.”

Jason swallowed hard, his heart sinking. “You kissed?”

“It meant nothing,” she said quickly, her eyes wide with guilt. “It wasn’t like that. I thought, maybe, it would bring something back for him, but—niente. Nothing. He’s already gone, shipped out on another assignment. But I don’t know what to do with all of this. I thought I’d lost him forever, and now I feel like I’m losing you too.”

Jason reached across the table, taking her hand gently. “You’re not losing me, Adrianna. I’m here. I told you, I’ll wait for you. Vance… he’s part of your past, I get that. But I’m willing to be part of your future, if you’ll let me.”

Adrianna squeezed his hand, her eyes filling with tears she was trying desperately to hold back. She took a breath, “Jason… marinaio, amore mio, I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t know if I’m ready. I'm– I'm broken.”

“You are not broken and you are still very much deserving of love. You don’t have to be ready right now,” he said softly. “Just take one step at a time with me. That’s all I’m asking.”

She looked at him, her conflict written all over her face. But slowly, she relaxed, she nodded, her grip on his hand tightening. “Va bene,” she whispered. “One step at a time.”

Jason smiled gently, lifting his glass. “To one step at a time.”

Adrianna’s lips twitched into a small smile, and she clinked her glass to his. “One step at a time,” she repeated, though her heart still carried the weight of the past. Now, however, there seemed to be a small glimmer of hope. Perhaps she'd landed on her feet with Jason. It was all still so new though.

 

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