Glenda Adams Soleil was used to getting requests. As a smuggler on Eden Prime, she'd mostly dealt with weapon mods and the occasional pistol. As a member of the team that took down the Reapers, she'd brought in equipment from across the galaxy and beyond. After the war, Glen built the home for John and Tali'Zorah Shepard and had the distinction of being Tali's maid of honor. It wasn't just that Glen was a helpful person; she was a Dreamer, and the universe has a way of seeing that those with great skills get a chance to exercise those skills regularly.
Take the house; the quarian efforts to build homes was hindered by the fact that they'd lived in ships for generations. Many weren't even sure how to function as a society in terms of living in individual homes within a city; they were too used to the close-knit communities that formed aboard ships. Knowing this (and having plenty of time to build while the Normandy carried the groom and bride to be back to Rannoch), Glen designed a structure that wasn't so much a house as it was a small town; individual families (or in this particular case, the friends Shepard and Tali made throughout their mission to defeat the Reapers) had bedrooms, bathrooms, and recreational space to themselves, yet shared a much larger recreational area, kitchen, garden, and a sizeable area designed for meetings, parties, and ceremonies.
The concept was simple, allowing the quarians to live in close-knit communities much like that of a ship while still allowing them to grow accustomed to having more personal space. That the idea came from the dragons of the Mountains of Morning was a fact that Glen was reluctant to admit, but when she did (and after she explained just what a dragon was), the quarians had been surprisingly quick to adopt the Shepard home as a model for much of Rannoch's new housing. Of course, Glen did her best to make sure Shepard's home stayed the most impressive; John Shepard wanted a home like no other for his queen, and Glen always made a point to deliver on her requests.
Even so, Glen wasn't prepared to have her work interrupted one morning when John Shepard slammed open the door to her room in what was known as the Shepard house, and exclaimed, "I need strawberries!"
It took a few moments for the shock to wear off, and a few moments more for her rattled brain to interpret his words. Even then, her immediate response was reduced to a short, startled, and simple, "What?"
"I need strawberries," repeated the man who brought about the downfall of the Reapers.
Glen blinked at him a few times before slowly removing her glasses and setting them on her desk. Clasping her hands together and leaning forward, she asked, "Context?"
"They're for Tali." His cheeks flushed, John said, "Our first anniversary's coming up, and I wanted to give her something special."
"Okay," Glen said, still a little confused by the request. "Getting seeds shouldn't be too hard, and there's plenty of space in the garden, but … well … the whole leva dextro amino thing-"
'I know, I know." John said, "But you did grow that oak tree in the meeting hall."
It was true, Glen had spent quite a bit of time on the oak tree that stood in the middle of the meeting hall. She loved oak trees; on Vinta, they were practically her calling card. Heck, the first thing she saw when going into the Dream Realm was an oak tree.
"Yeah, but that was different." Glen said. "All the tree needs is sunlight and water, both of which are universally omni-chiral. You're asking me to turn a leva plant into a dextro one. I wouldn't even know where to begin to-"
The look of disappointment on John's face made Glen pause. "This is really important to you," she said, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course it's important! Tali's the most important thing in the universe to me, and I just … I wanted to give her something special,"
"Yeah, I guess strawberries are kinda special." Glen closed her eyes, a memory of running a fresh strawberry across the soft fur of Teria's stomach flashing through her mind. She opened her eyes to see a look of sympathy in John's face.
"Thinking of Teria?" he asked, a kind smile on his face.
"Always," she said, rubbing the amethyst heart pendant hanging from her neck.
John sat down on the edge of her desk. "I can't imagine having to spend three thousand years away from Tali. She's gone more than a few days, and I'm a wreck."
"It's rough." Glen admitted. "Part of me wonders if I shouldn't find me a nice quarian husband or wife and settle down for a while. Hell, I could marry an asari and still outlive them before reuniting with Teria."
"If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with, huh?" Shepard shook his head. "Can't say I'd do it, but then again, I'm not the one having to wait. What do you think Teria would say?"
"I don't know." Glen admitted. "Sometimes, it feels like our whole relationship's been her waiting on me."
A long moment of silence passed between them. John eventually stood up and said, "Whatever you decide, Tali and I support you all the way."
"I know." Glen smiled at him. "But it's nice to hear you say that."
John gave Glen a friendly pat on the shoulder before heading for the door.
"John!" Glen called out just as he put his hand on the door handle. "I'll look into the strawberry thing. Get back to me in a week or two, and I'll let you know if you need to start looking for another present."
John cleared the distance between them in three long steps and pulled her into a bear of a hug. "I knew I could count on you!"
Glen awkwardly patted the man's back, secretly wondering just what she'd gotten herself into.
