Chasing Dreams

            Riaan sat on the balcony, 19 stories high, looking at the final rays of sunlight fade below the horizon of the Pacific Ocean. The Golden Gate Bridge was lit, by electricity of course, shining in tribute to human engineering. Across the bay the dark shores sparkled with white and golden lights from homes and offices on the north side of the bay. The sound of the waves on the shore was demure, calming.

            “It was very nice of Hoshi to have Brannigaan stay at her house tonight.”

            “Mia is happy to have a big brother,” Jonathan explained. He handed Riaan the sweater that she’d asked for when the night breeze came up. “He keeps Mia occupied, so Hoshi gets a little time to herself. Works well for everyone.” He took a long drink of iced tea. A faint breeze tousled his hair, longer than usual after five months away from his barber. “School started a few weeks ago; Branni has really come a long way in a short time with his English.”

            “I think he gets that from me. It’s just a…wait, I want the right word…’knack’ for language.”

            “Today was fun,” Jonathan said sitting on the other chaise. “Sorry about the crab, I never thought you would be upset about how they serve it.”

            “It’s alright. I’m not used to seeing food with a face. We raised plants and bought our meat at the shop. But I love this town, it’s vibrant, historic; it’s what a city should be.”

            “I’m supposed to go into the office tomorrow. I also need to see my doctor over at IME.”

            “Can I come along? I’d like to meet up with another doctor. Everyone called me doctor but I’m not trained well. I think I want to find out about becoming a real doctor.”

            “Your ambition never fails to surprise me. Sure, I’ll take you there in the morning before I go to Starfleet. You can meet Phlox. You and he will get along well, I’m sure. He’d be a good adviser   for you.”

            “I should ask him about some of the food here. I’m not sure fish agrees with me, or maybe it’s the water.”

            “He’ll tell you to get some egg drop soup from Madame Chang’s.” Jonathan looked over at Riaan with a smile. They both lay in cushioned chaises with a small wooden table between them, a pitcher of tea on the table. She looked back at him with that lazy, dreamy look he’d come to cherish. He climbed out of his chaise and into hers to be next to her. She wiggled over to make room. That made it harder to look across the land so instead they stared straight up.

            “Whatever it takes, you chase your dreams. You can make them come true here. Nothing’s impossible. You see that bright star, there,” he pointed at one of the hundreds they were able to see despite the city lights. “A hundred years ago no one would have imagined they’d ever set foot on its planets. But a few people dared to dream. And I walked on a planet that belongs to that star.”

            “I loved my work with chemistry and biology before Branni came along. Of course I thought I could be happy with just that. I was, but then I realized all of a sudden, when I saw you again at our house, that I was not Riaan anymore. I was Kellam’s wife and Branni’s mother.” Jonathan listened, without interrupting. He’d never had such a thought. No matter what else he did, enjoyed, or who he’d been with, he had always been Jonathan Archer, Explorer first and foremost, and a pilot, a captain.

            Riaan set her iced tea down and wriggled in the chaise, giving Jon more room and then climbed on top of him, laying her head on his chest. He hugged her tight, kissing the top of her head. She shifted her hips down until their bodies lined up like Yin and Yang, their bare toes coupled together in a caress. Riaan wasn’t sure she’d ever felt this peaceful, this content. She’d been deliriously happy, but not quite ever this centered, present, calm.

            Jonathan protected his love, hanging on tightly, breathing deep through her hair, organically cementing her unique fragrance in his brain. They’d been through a lot, together, in a short time. He’d seen her cry, smile, laugh, sleep; she’d picked up arms to help him, left her home and world to be with him. On the way to Akal he’d felt accomplished but also hollow, as if the things he would be known for didn’t matter that much. All he cared about right now was holding this woman close to his body, wishing that he never had to let her go, even if it were just to get up and go indoors. He did his best to relax and let the moment define itself.