Henry Spencer loved fishing.
He loved being able to sit and do nothing but still know he was providing for his family. He loved just being out on the water. It relaxed him. Let him forget the stress of being a detective.
One thing he could never do, though, was bring his son along. His son, Shawn Henry Spencer, hated fishing. He couldn't sit still long enough and would rather be in the water trying to grab fish by hand than sitting holding a wooden stick with string trying to tempt fish into a stupid decision.
The first time Henry brought Shawn fishing is an entertaining memory. But only as just that, a memory, is it entertaining to Henry.
"Shawn, hurry up!" Henry shouted through the door.
The rambunctious little seven year old bounded through the door.
"Are we going now?" He nearly shouted in his excitement.
Henry smiled. "We're going, we're going."
The young father followed his son to the truck. Shawn had already buckled himself into the passenger seat. Henry followed suit in the driver's seat. He started the engine and pulled out of the driveway, heading towards the marina.
The pair hopped out of the truck when they arrived and walked (ran in Shawn's case) towards Henry's fishing boat.
Shawn was about to jump into the boat when Henry grabbed the back of his shirt.
"You gotta wait, kid, or you'll fall in the water." He told his son. Shawn sighed but nodded.
Henry got everything they needed into the boat and then helped Shawn on before climbing aboard himself.
He rowed the boat to a nice quiet fishing spot. He pulled out all the fishing gear and handed Shawn a fishing rod.
He showed him how to cast the line and then cast his own. Only a few minutes had passed when...
"Dad... I'm bored!" Shawn cried out.
"Shawn this is an activity of patience. You have to wait for this prize. Just keep holding the line."
Shawn sighed loudly, "Fine." And then he went quiet.
About a half an hour of silence passed. Henry started to get suspicious about his normally loud and talkative son's silence when he heard a loud splash.
Henry spun his head around to see Shawn swimming in the water. For a moment Henry panicked-What if he drowned?- before remembering that his son knows how to swim. He sighed, relieved.
It seemed Shawn had jumped right off the boat into the water. Now slightly angry, Henry shouted, "Shawn!"
Shawn looked up in surprise. "Yeah, Dad?" Henry sighed.
Henry admired the picture of a young, water covered Shawn bundled in towels and shut the photo album.
"Hey Dad! I need help with-" Shawn turned the corner and saw his dad with the photo album in hand. "Are you being all sentimental again Dad?"
Henry looked up in surprise, "Yeah, Shawn." Shawn sighed.