DISCLAIMER: Mulder, Scully, and William are the products of
Chris Carter. They also belong to Ten-Thirteen Productions and 
the Fox Network. No infringement intended.

TITLE: Mim
AUTHOR: Christine Leigh 
E-MAIL: leighchristine@hotmail.com 
RATING: G 
CATEGORY: MSR, V
SPOILERS: None.
SUMMARY: Set in the future.  A happy memory is shared. 


Mim
by Christine Leigh

"So, where did it come from?"

Kaylene smiled.  This was only their second date, but she felt
she'd known Larry all her life.  They'd talked more during the 
last three weeks than she'd talked to anyone, except for her
mother, in probably the past year.  They had just finished a
delicious dinner and were lingering over their wine, and 
Kaylene was wondering if this was it.  She was feeling most 
definitely romantic tonight.  Was this what her parents had?  
She wanted whatever it was they had, but was this it?  She 
returned her mind to their conversation.

"My father gave it to me.  He made it up one afternoon after
we'd spent most of the day playing together.  I was five years 
old and was home all day with both of my parents, which was 
unusual, since normally when one was home, the other was at 
work.  But on this day we were together the entire day.  Will 
was in school, Mom was busy with various projects, and Dad 
was supposed to be writing, but he was easily distracted when 
there was a willing play partner in the vicinity, so we goofed 
off and had fun most of the day, until my request broke it up."

Kaylene paused.  The story had just come out, without her 
thinking twice about it.  They had been talking about childhood 
nicknames, and it just spilled out.  But, she thought to herself, 
I'm glad to share this.  He's a good man, and I want to share this 
story about the best man I've ever known.  

Larry was looking at her and wondering if he'd ever seen a more
beautiful woman.  Sappy, yeah, but it was true, he thought.  Her 
eyes twinkled.  They couldn't help it.  And her smile; she'd had 
him after the first one, which had come his way upon their 
introduction three weeks ago.  It had taken him about ten minutes 
to conclude that Kaylene was one special woman.  He considered 
it for a few seconds, and then reached across the table and took 
her hand.  His gesture was not refused.

She continued her story.

"I think I mentioned already that my parents always called each
other by their last names.  As a young child, I always thought
them so mysterious, but in a good way, because of this. I even
used to make up stories about them in my head as though they
were characters from a fairytale.  Well, after spending the better
part of a day listening to them, I decided I wanted in on it and
told Dad that I wanted to have a special name, too.  I can just
see the look on his face.  He was the most patient father in the
world.  I don't think I remember him ever looking at me or
Will like we were crazy when we asked him a question." 
Kaylene gave a small laugh.  "Nothing was too crazy for him. 
On the other hand, with Mom all we had to do was watch her
eyebrow.  It would arch in direct proportion to the outlandish
quotient of whatever Dad, Will, or I were discussing with her.
Well, Dad took my request very seriously and said he'd have to
do some research to find just the right name.  He retreated to
the study and closed the door."

"He sounds like a terrific guy."  Larry gave her hand a gentle
squeeze.  It felt good to touch her. She smiled her
acknowledgment.

"Mom's main project during this day was updating our baby
books.  She had pictures of Will and me, and of the four of us
together spread out over the kitchen table, and she was busy
writing things and organizing them and choosing what to put
into the books.  Anyway, by the time she had finished, Dad was
still in the study and I was starting to get impatient, so I went
and knocked on the door.  When he answered, he addressed me
formally.  I used to get such a kick out of that.  We still do this
now if a situation provokes it, that is, call each other Mr. and
Ms. while trying to be dead serious over something that's
anything but.  It was our equivalent of trying to keep a straight
face, and it always devolved into a laughing session, usually
pretty fast.  But that didn't happen this time.  He was in serious
mode.  I knew this because he was wearing his glasses, which
he always did when he was among his books.  I asked him if he
had my name yet, and he said no, nothing had struck him as
special enough in the books he'd been going through.  Then
Mom joined us, holding the baby books which she needed to
put away.  Well, that was the charm.  Dad took mine from her
and settled back down at his desk. He became totally absorbed,
and I went to my room to play.  I hadn't known that making
this request would cost me my playmate, and I was starting to
wish that I hadn't made it, when finally, there was a knock on
my bedroom door.  It was Dad.  He said he had it, so I let him
in.  He sat down on the floor next to me and explained what the
name was and why he'd chosen it."

Larry was delighted that Kaylene was sharing this.  They had
exchanged a few family stories during their conversations over
the past weeks, but tonight was different.  He'd been on so
many dates where his brain tuned the conversation out before
the entree arrived, and this was the direct opposite of that.  He
wanted to hear whatever she had to say.  She gave another
laugh.  It was beautiful.

"Bet you didn't think the story of how a nickname was chosen
could ever be so involved.  This is the home stretch, I promise.
Well, we were sitting side by side on my bedroom floor, our
backs up against the bed.  I remember looking at his long legs
next to my short ones.  He said that the special name he had
chosen for me was Mim.  I repeated it, not knowing what to
think.  Mim, okay.  Then after a few seconds, I asked him if he
got it from my book.   He replied yes, he had, from looking at
one of his favorite pictures of me.  I was three, and in the
picture I'm holding Mom's phone and talking to him.  He'd
been away from home for two weeks and was missing us all
terribly, and Mom decided it was time for me to make my first
phone call.  My special name, Dad said, consisted of the first 
letter of each of the three words that made up the very first 
sentence I ever uttered, and coincidentally his three favorite 
words in the English language. 

"Which were?"

"Mulder, it's me."



- end  -


leighchristine@hotmail.com