My Journal

By Harriman Nelson

30

I might not be doing the right thing, but damn it, I need to jot down my personal thoughts, without any assistance from software programs or dictation to others.

Yes the damn hand hurts but I can put up with it.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what might be going on when Melody was escorted to one of the OBGYN clinics by Lee and Numbers. But they said nothing in answer to the questions by the press when they headed back to the White House.

Had something gone wrong?

“….We’re at the White House where we’re hoping to have an announcement regarding the unannounced trip to an OBGYN clinic? Has the First Lady an infection, or cancer, or a bun in the oven? Rumors are flying.”

Just then my cell rang. It was Lee.

“Well?” I asked.

“Just one baby. A girl.”

“They can tell that already?”

“Sure can. We even have a picture of her…an ultra sound…we’re naming her Aurora.”

“Beautiful name, Lee. ”

“Thanks…Mel’s folks will come down for the birth. And Numbers is instructing the AMA online about alien anatomy, stuff like that. You know, I didn’t like him, but he’s being very cooperative. Even wants to go out and mingle with we mere humans. I’m not sure that’s a good idea but I think I’ll allow it, if he takes a few precautions, not that he needs any what with his Superman speed at catching bullets. As an ambassador he's entitled to his own place, but seems happy enough now here for now. Well, just wanted you and Emily to know first. Along with Mom. I’ll let the White House press office release a statement in about a half hour. So, ‘grandpa’ you might want to get used to the idea of a little girl climbing up on your knee for a bedtime story. When she’s old enough, that is. Their aging process is pretty much the same as ours after they’re born.”

“Good to hear it. Gives me time to prepare. And again, son, congratulations to you both.”

“And thank God for little miracles. Ah, have to go, Harry. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, son.”

I emerged from my office and told Angie there was going to be an announcement from the White House that she and the staff might be interested in.

I simply went home to my bungalow and sat with my arm around Emmie, waiting for the official word.

Lee and Melody approached the podium. Numbers stood behind them.

“Good afternoon,” Lee said. “It’s with the greatest pleasure that we want to tell you…we’re expecting.”

Cheerful applause.

“I won’t go into details but Melody’s pregnancy will be a lot quicker than a human’s.”

“The normal gestation period for us,” Numbers interrupted, leaning between the couple to the microphone, “is about two months….I should explain that conception among our females is available as soon as being served…ah, I perhaps have used the wrong term…”

“It’s a little girl,” Lee interrupted.

“We have time for a few questions,” Joe said from the side.

“Will the birth be here,” one of the reporters asked, “or up there?”

“We wish our daughter to be born here,” Melody said sweetly. “But once Lee’s term of office is over, we may go visit my parents.”

“Will they be here for the birth?”

“Yes. They are most happy with the news.”

“Do you have any idea what the infant will look like?”

“Does any parent?” Lee asked.

“What he means,” a familiar voice asked, and the camera turned to see Ronald who had somehow managed to get in with the rest of the crowd, despite a long standing restraining order against him getting close to Lee or me, “is will it look like a monster?”

“Ronald,” Lee said as the crowd gasped. “Enough of your disgusting anti-alien feelings. This is a celebration, not your soap box.”

“She’s still bound to be ugly as hell.”

“Tell me, Ronald,” Lee said, “Do you think God makes mistakes?”

The question took him off guard.

“It’s a simple question, Ron. I don’t believe He does. And He made this child. So it doesn’t matter what she looks like in your eyes, does it. She’s beautiful in His.”

Applause.

Ron left in disgust.

“Will you be curtailing your schedule now that you’re pregnant, Ma’am?” a reporter asked.

“I hope to con-tin-ue. Unless  Lee tells me not to. He is a little nervous.”

Polite laughter.

“I think that’s all for now, folks,” Joe said and turned off the podium.

Applause and several ‘Congratulations’ were voiced. Lee and Melody looked back at the crowd and smiled. She with her sweet almost childish grin, and Lee with his sunshine smile that frankly could knock the socks off of most everyone.  At least I thought so.

“Let’s go down to Walgreens," Emmie said, "I want to send them a nice card. Maybe include a gift card…”

“Good idea, sweetie…you’d better drive. My hand still hurts. Or we can have someone drive us.”

“Bound to be talk if you do.”

“Let’s take Lee’s Cobra.”

“Harry!”

“He’s always told me I can borrow it any time I want. That includes you.”

“Aren’t you forgetting that I don’t know how to use a stick shift and clutch?”

“Oh.”

“Let’s just go online and have one of those e-cards sent…have to purchase a subscription but it’s worth it. There are bound to be lots of congrats cards, and we can include a gift card that way.”

And so we did, or rather Angie did. We couldn’t figure it all out on my laptop so we headed to the office and told her our dilemma. Sweet girl, she had a subscription to one of them, and let us search to our heart’s content until we found a card we liked. She showed us where to put in Lee’s email though it would have to be the general White House email, not his personal email as that would be a security risk, and the send button and left us to it. The gift card was handled by her account so I took out a large bill and handed it to her. She didn’t want to accept it, but I told her it included a bonus for all her hard work while Seaview had been on alert.

She could hardly say no, and also told me that Ames had told her that the president had removed the military alert once the SEA had confirmed that the spaceships were not only out of orbit but out of our galaxy.

Then she and Emmie began to discuss things like baby showers and arranging possible flights and accommodations come two months hence.

I doubted we’d use the Four Seasons again. But it would be nice, especially if Mrs. C. would join us.

I decided to call Chip, and  spoke to him about Seaview’s ETA to Santa Barbara, and that I’d like his help to decide on her next mission from the requests we’d received.

I didn’t mention anything about Lee’s resuming command, but I did make sure he knew about the baby. He did already. Apparently Lee had called and there were already decorations going up in the Wardroom and Crew’s Mess.

Seaview was coming home a happy boat. Even if she still didn’t have the skipper of her heart back yet.