Baby Steps - Part II
Posted on Sat Jan 6th, 2024 @ 12:02am by Lieutenant Calliope Ito
1,021 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Lacertae Mortis
Location: Earth, Tokyo Japan
Timeline: A Week Ago
Previously on Baby Steps…
Carrying over her meal and drink to the table she ate slowly once again shuffling her schedule in her mind. She would need to do laundry, clean the apartment, go to the counselling session and fill out the paperwork dropping it off today, not tomorrow as they asked. Then tomorrow she would treat herself to a trip to the spa before she packed up her things. She’d also wanted to have an outing tomorrow but she’d see, perhaps she could leave that for her last day.
Sighing again she stood and took her empty plate and cup cleaning it and letting it drain dry while she headed to strip her bed of the bedding. She tossed it all in the wash while she showered and washed and dried her hair. By the time she was done she hung her laundry to dry and left the apartment heading to her counseling session. It would be an interesting one, she had much on her mind thanks to the envelope that was delivered to her this morning.
And Now, The Continuation…
ON:
“Hello Calliope….Oh boy. What happened?”
Calliope looked up. “What do you mean?”
Counselor Blake smiled. Her deep blue eyes crinkling at the side. “You have that same pinched brow look you had when we started. Has something happened?”
Calliope sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment. She walked over to the chair, plopped down and pulled out the envelope. She slid it across the desk to the counselor and watched as the woman opened it and read it.
She felt herself rocking back and forth slightly within her chair, a habit when she was nervous.
Counselor Blake looked up, “So you have to go back and you don’t feel ready?”
“It’s early! It’s not time.”
Blake smiled gently, “We talked about the sudden changes issue.”
“Yes and I’m bloody working on it!”
“I know you are. But think of this is an opportunity.”
Calliope raised an eyebrow in a manner that would have made a Vulcan jealous.
Blake laughed. “I’m serious. You’ve done a lot of work here. I think that you have the tools you need you just need to apply them and let yourself truly live. How goes the morning rituals?”
Calliope sighed. “I make tea, and breakfast.”
Blake gave a node. “Good. So, think of it this way. You just started to build your life and now you get to continue in another part of the universe. See if these rituals hold up and that they support you in living a full and fulfilled life.”
There was a long pause before Blake continued. “Tell me what troubles you most about the early return?”
“There is so much I wanted to do.”
“Okay let’s come up with a schedule for the next three and a half days. Would that help?”
Calliope sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Maybe, I don’t know.”
“Let’s try,” Blake pulled out a paper and pen knowing that Calliope preferred it to a data PADD. “Okay what are the must dos.
She sighed. “Well this paperwork. I want to get it done today and handed over.”
Blake nodded and wrote it down. “Alright what else?”
“I have to go shopping for a few things, some fresh ingredients but I can cut down on the amount because it’s only for a couple days.”
“Great.”
“I should also clean today.”
“Perfect. What about tomorrow.”
She thought about it a moment. “I did want to go to the new Onsen…it allows people in there who have tattoos….out of all the things to not change that was the worst and took a long time and now I can go.”
“Okay so Onsen, a day of pampering?”
Calliope sighed. “Yeah. I wanted to just exist for a day. Just see if I can relax.”
Blake smiled. “Good. So what about after that?”
“Kyoto. I was going to go next week but since the shuttle leaves from there I might as well spend the last two days there just walking around at a hotel and maybe seeing the Cherry Blossom Festival.”
“Good! So you have a plan.” She said handing the paper to her. “Remember, this is important. No matter where you are as long as you have a rough plan when things happen you have to be a tree in a wind storm, bend so you don’t break but stand strong on things really important to you.”
She gave a nod. “I am being. I mean I got cats.”
Blake’s eyes widened. “When did this happen? You said you’d never have pets.”
She sighed, “yes well the pets had other plans. I was walking and I came across two stray kittens. So…now they have a home.”
Blake grinned. “Well pets can be healing. How does it feel like being a cat mom?”
Calliope grimaced. “Let’s not use that. I am nobody’s mom. We just… share a space… or rather they own the space and I feel like I rent it.”
Blake laughed. “As a cat owner I know what that’s like” She leaned back in her chair. “Well then, Why don’t we end for today and get started on your list. Remember do what is best for you, try being spontaneous every now and then.”
“In the last two weeks I adopted two stray cats, I’m all out of spontaneous.”
The Counselor chuckled. “Well that’s a start.” She pulled up a file and typed a few things then downloaded it to a Data PADD. “My part in your recall paperwork. Good luck, stay in touch.”
Calliope accepted the PADD and stood. “I will. Thank you counselor, for all your help.” She turned and headed out. There was a lot to do and so little time. She was going back to work and she had mixed feelings about it, but at least she’d be on the Sakura. It was some kind of home.
OFF:
RSS Feed