Angel Flight

"Well, I am willing to go anywhere with a man I love," she said without answering him directly.

"Would that be a man like me?" he asked trying to pin her down.

"No," she said very seriously.

"What? Wait a minute? I'm not?"

Kimber smiled then explained.

"You asked if I'd go with a man like you. The answer to that is 'no'. However, if you were to ask me, the answer would be 'yes'."

"Are you trying to scare me to death or something?"

Kimber was laughing but suddenly stopped.

"James? Please don't even joke about that, okay?"

She wasn't being mean. She was telling him she'd lost the only man she'd ever loved, and now that she was finally falling in love again, just the thought of losing him was too much to even think about.

"I'm sorry," he told her.

"It's okay," she said as she buried her head in the crook of his neck.

They made love one more time before James left around midnight. Kimber wanted to ask him to stay, and James wanted to ask if he could. But on some level, they both knew this was best.

As she walked him to the door she stood there looking at him wearing nothing but a sheet she'd pulled around her beautiful body.

"When I said I was falling in love with you?" she said.

"Have you changed your mind already?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes," she told him, again scaring him for a brief moment.

"I'm no longer falling, James," she told him.

"Me, either," he said before taking her in his arms.

"I love you," she said quietly for the first time.

"I love you, too...sweetheart," he said back as she held him as hard as she could.

After what seemed like a very long time, she finally let him go.

"Are you really sure you want to get involved with a woman my age?" she asked.

"No," he told her, scaring her this time.

"James! What are you saying?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern.

"You asked if I wanted to get involved with a woman your age, and the answer is 'no'. But I do want to get involved with you."

She knew he'd just turned the tables and hit him playfully.

"Stinker! Are you trying to scare me to death?"

This time, Kimber realized that by using his words again, she'd just stepped on a land mine.

"James. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..."

He held her close and said, "It's fine. You can tease me about that. I just won't ever do that to you again."

"No. You don't understand. I can't stand to even think about that. It's...another thing I'm not good at. That and football."

James squeezed her tight as he laughed and said, "I really do love you, Kimber."

"Same here. I know it's supposed to take weeks and months, but I often thought that if love ever walked back into my love I'd know it. And when it...when...you...did, I just knew. It took me a while to admit it, but I do love you."

"I never gave it any thought, because I had no expectation of falling in love any time soon."

He pulled away and looked at her then said, "But how could I know love was a flight attendant?"

Kimber laughed happily then said, "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Actually it'll be later today, but yes. Yes, you will."

"And then tomorrow—the real tomorrow—is Miles's memorial service."

"Right. Yes, it is," he said. "Oh, my mom seems like she'd like to attend, but I think she's a little concerned about, you know..."

"Oh, gosh. That's right. I haven't met her yet, and I think I'm as concerned about it as she is if not more. Do you think she'll like me?"

"I do," he told her with a smile. "She'll like you because I love you."

"Then...I'd like to meet her. I'll still be nervous, but I trust you...honey," she told him before she kissed him.

"Maybe we can get together at the house tomorrow?"

"Okay. Just let me know when."

They hugged again then kissed each other goodbye, and Kimber stood there, her back to the door for some time reflecting on what had happened and how fast it had taken place. She really did trust James, and believed that he felt the same things for her that she felt for him, and somehow, she knew she loved him. It made no difference how long she'd known him. She just knew. She also knew she could have looked and waited and kept looking for years and possibly never have met anyone like him.

So at 43, she no longer cared about things like 'proper courtship' or waiting some respectable amount of time. All that mattered was that fate had brought them together. Fate or possibly one Miles Stewart.

She looked up, smiled and said, "Thank you, sir. For everything," before going back to bed and falling into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Kimber woke up feeling like life couldn't get any better until she remembered meeting James's mother. She did her best to push her fears and concerns aside, and yet she could only imagine what this woman, who couldn't be that much older than her, might be thinking.

And yet, after a mildly rocky start after being introduced to her, Kimber realized that no matter what happened with her and James, she had a friend in this new woman she learned was named Glenda.

At one point James teased her about whether or not she knew he was even there.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Your mom and I have been talking non-stop for the last hour."

He was standing behind her and leaned down and whispered, "See? I told you so. I was right, wasn't I?"

Kimber reached up and squeezed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, you were," she said quietly as she looked over her shoulder.

James kissed her for the first time in front of his mom, and to her credit, she barely blinked. It was still very strange to imagine her son with a woman just ten years younger than her, but beyond that, Glenda could see her son was smitten, and after meeting Kimber, she knew why. She was clearly beautiful. She was far prettier than Glenda had ever been, even when she was in her 20s. But she was also smart and funny and a true joy to be around.

As they got ready to leave, Kimber thanked Glenda for a very pleasant evening.

"I have to say I had my reservations, and I'm still working on this relationship of yours, but I have to say you're every bit as wonderful as James told me you were."

Kimber hugged her and let her know she thought Glenda was just as wonderful, then asked her to please reconsider about the memorial service.

"You know, now that I know you, and enjoy spending time with you, and that my presence won't make anyone uncomfortable, I may just show up."

"I barely knew Miles, but I'm sure he'd appreciate your being there, Glenda."

"Okay. Then I will be there," she promised.

James walked her outside and asked how Kimber thought things had gone.

"Oh, my goodness. Your mom really is just wonderful," she said. "I'm so relieved."

"She has good taste," James told her with a smile.

"Oh, I see," Kimber said playfully as they got to her car.

He put his arms around her waist and said, "She loves you, too."

"No, she likes me and she's tolerating me. But that's so much better than it could have been, right?"

"I'm just glad you get along," he said with a smile. "But I'd love you no matter what."

"You better," she told him. "Once I fall in love it's for life."

"Kimber?" James said, continuing there game of only using the other's person's first name.

She smiled at him and he said rather seriously, "I just want you to know I'm not nor will I ever be, jealous of Michael. You don't need me to tell you this, but it's important to me that I do. I need you to know that I want you to always love him."

Kimber's eyes instantly filled with tears as his words hit home. This was a subject that could have been sensitive with many men, but James just blew away any doubts she might have had about him being too young or immature.

"Thank you for saying that. I will always love him, and it's important to me that you allow me to do that. There may be times when I feel sad or melancholy about his passing, and knowing you understand is more evidence I've found the right man."

She pulled him close and said, "I love you very much."

"I love you, too, and I'll be by to pick you up tomorrow morning. And don't worry, I won't be driving the rent-a-wreck."

Kimber laughed, hugged him again, then got in her car and drove off leaving James standing there wondering how he'd ever gotten so lucky.

Back inside, Glenda told her son, "I like her, honey."

"She's pretty amazing, isn't she?"

"I agree, and had you not told me her age, I would have guessed she was in her early-to-mid 30s. Kimber is just gorgeous."

They talked for a while longer then James went to his room to do some more studying. He fell asleep a little after midnight, and when he woke up, his first thought was of Kimber with thoughts of the memorial service right behind it.

He chose the darkest suit he had and not surprisingly, his mom was wearing a black dress. On the way to Kimber's, Glenda asked a few questions about Miles, and James answered them the best he could.

Kimber was watching for them and when she saw James get out to come get her, she headed downstairs and met him.

"Wow. You look amazing even when you're dressed for a funeral," he told her sincerely before they kissed hello, because it was true.

Kimber was also wearing black, and her hair was up. But in spite of her trying to look somewhat somber, she was still oozing sex appeal, and James was again amazed by her beauty. What he didn't know, even though she tried to express it, was that Kimber felt like she'd won the lottery just in terms of his looks.

Looks alone would have never allowed to fall in love with him, but the fact that he was even more handsome than her gorgeous late husband was the proverbial cherry on top of the whip cream on top of the cake.

She and Glenda sat in back and chatted politely as they talked about Miles and veterans in general on their way to the church.

Miles was a Presbyterian whose faith had gone from irrelevant to very important after the crash. He never stopped believing in miracles after surviving an event that should have killed him in several different ways, and the pastor who conducted the service made note of that as he eulogized this humble man.

An Undersecretary of the Air Force was in attendance and also spoke eloquently about Miles even though she had no firsthand knowledge of his life.

When they laid him to rest at Tahoma National Cemetery two hours later, there were very few dry eyes as a lone bugler sounded TAPS. The flag was folded then handed to David's younger sister who was doing her best not to cry.

Then, just moments later, David Stewart was again thanking James, who in turn, thanked him for the privilege of knowing his father. He then introduced David to his mother then finally to the beautiful woman he referred to as his girlfriend for the first time.

As they talked for what would be the last time, people shook hands, hugged, paid final respects, then slowly departed leaving a lone caretaker to reverently lower the casket once everyone was gone.

As they drove away, Glenda said, "Have you two stopped to think that were it not for this American hero, you two might have never met?"

James smiled at them both via the mirror and said, "We have."

"It was almost as though it was a kind of...last mission for him," Kimber said. "I'm not saying that was his intent in going. It's just that good people have a way of having good things follow them."

The three of them stopped for lunch and chatted for another hour before Glenda insisted James take her home so the happy new couple could spend some time together.

The two of them spent not only the rest of the day alone but that night and all of Sunday, as well. It was that afternoon when the two of them sat down side-by-side at the computer and spent some time looking into becoming an Air Force doctor.

"Look. They'll pay off up to a hundred-thousand dollars in student loans," Kimber pointed out.

"And they'll pay me $45,000 a year plus $2,000 a month as a living allowance during my entire residency. That's not a bad deal."

He looked at her and said, "I could never ask you to become responsible for all of my student loan debt, and this would wipe that out."

"Honey? I don't care about that. I love that you care about it for my sake, but I'm not in love with your wallet or worried about your bills. I'm in love with you. These are all nice perks, but the most important thing is you following your heart and your dream. If you do that, I'll follow you—if you want me too, that is."

"Why is it every time you say something, I love you even more?" James asked as he put an arm around her shoulder.

"I don't know, but I'm glad you do," she told him.

"Tomorrow it's back to the old grind," he reminded her.

Kimber sighed then said, "Yes, but I'll have something to look forward to each day now."

"Yeah. Same here," he said.

"You know I'll be gone several days a month, right?" she asked knowing he knew.

"Of course. And I have to study an ungodly amount of the time. And that won't change once I graduate as residents work a lot of hours."

"Are you trying to scare me off?" she asked with a happy smile. "Because it's not going to work."

"Well, since I can't scare you off, could I possibly talk you into some afternoon delight while we still have free time on our hands?"

Kimber purred and said, "I thought you'd never ask!"

Both of them were very busy during that last semester of medical school, and by the time James was ready to graduate, he'd applied for and been accepted to the Air Force's medical program.

The day James finished medical school was the proudest of his mother's life. She cried openly when the dean of the medical school shook the hand of her son, Doctor James T. Kirk as she called out, "Way to go, Captain!"

It was also the happiest day of Kimber Lang's life when later that evening, the dashing young doctor proposed to her after a celebratory dinner in front of his mother and her parents, who had both flown in to meet James and attend his graduation.

They'd immediately liked him, as well as his charming mother, and although there were still concerns on both sides about the difference in age, they went unmentioned as it was quite clear James and Kimber were very much in love.

Once the ring was on her hand, both moms were crying, and Kimber's father shook Jame's hand and congratulated him before hugging his daughter and telling her how happy he was for her. Both he and his wife had wondered many times after Michael's death if their daughter would ever fall in love again, and now that she had, they were indeed very happy for her—age difference or not.

James married his beautiful, older fiancé over the Christmas holiday when he had a rare three-day weekend. Neither of them were particularly religious, but they both agreed the only logical place to get married was the Presbyterian Church where Miles had been a member for over 90 years.

It was a very simple ceremony that kept expenses to a bare minimum, as none of that mattered to either the bride or the groom.

There was no time for a honeymoon as James and Kimber both had to be back at work less than 48 hours after tying the knot, but they did finally spent a very long weekend in the best hotel in Seattle—most of it in bed.

As the weeks rolled on, Kimber would be turning 44 in mid-February, and two days before the surprise party James had planned for her, she visited her doctor to confirm what she'd suspected for several days.

When the party ended, and the two of them were alone together, she said, "I have a surprise for you, sweetheart."

"Oh, a big night in the bedroom?" he said as though that was unusual.

"Okay, there's that, but I have some even bigger news to share with you—Dad."

James gave her a blank look, then said very quietly, "Are you kidding?"

Her eyes were so happy and full of life as she said, "No. I'm pregnant. You're going to be a father."

Kimber had never seen her husband cry, but as he stood there trying to take it all in, he did tear up.

He shook his head slightly, blinked a few times, then said, "Come here."

He took her in his arms and hugged her close. As he stroked her long, soft hair, he said, "I love you so much."

"I love you, too."

Then he pulled back slightly and said, "I love you—Mom."

Kimber was so happy she didn't even bother to try not to cry herself. Tears of joy freely fell as her husband held her tight.

She pulled back a bit and looked into James's eyes and asked him, "Do you ever thank Miles for the love we have?"

He put his hand on her cheek and said, "All the time."

"Me, too," she said before standing on her toes to kiss him.

"Come on. They say sex is good for pregnant women," she told James as she took his hand to lead him to their bedroom.

"Yes, they do," he agreed. "And I promise to be very, very good to you the entire time you're 'with child'."

Kimber laughed happily then said, "By the way. What do you want to name our child if it's a boy?"

James laughed, too, then said, "I don't know. But I do know it won't be James Tiberius Kirk or Scotty or Bones or Sulu or Chekov or..."

"Okay, Captain. Enough. We'll figure that when he—or she—is born. For now, beam up, Scotty!"

Just before Thanksgiving, the happy couple became the proud parents of a beautiful little girl they named Riley M. Kirk with the 'M' in honor of Miles Stewart, the man whose life and death had brought them together.

James finished his residency right on time and became a doctor in the U.S. Air Force shortly thereafter.

Kimber had quit working during her sixth month of pregnancy, and loved being a stay-at-home mom to their beautiful little girl. For his part, the newly appointed Captain James T. Kirk, couldn't have been happier with his choices as he spent his days helping and serving those who served while spending his nights with the girls he loved more than anyone on earth.

One evening about a year later, James was sitting in the living room watching his gorgeous wife playing with their beautiful daughter and he couldn't help but smile. Then he remembered the saying, "Out of tragedy comes triumph."

It may not have fit their situation exactly, but it seemed perfectly appropriate as he once again looked up and said, "Thank you, Miles," before getting up and joining in on the fun.