Ria sighed and rolled over, her gaze drifting to the empty space on the bed beside her. She closed her eyes and pulled the covers more tightly around herself as she tried to get some sleep. Huffing again she opened them and heaved herself out of bed. She settled herself down on the window seat and wrapped a thick wooly blanket around her.
She looked out upon the Dutch Harbor dock and watched the calm waters lap against the rocky shoreline, and the crew doing late night last minute work on their decks. She looked into the inky black darkness of the bay where her vision couldnt penetrate and wished she would see the familiar canary yellow and teal boat she longed to see. Jake was out fishing still for the secind week in a row. After Phil died Jake and Josh cleaned up and took care of things.
Ria wished sometimes with all her heart that Jake wasn't a fisherman. She wanted him to be home with her. But she didnt say anything because she knew that fishing made him happy. She knew that Jake loved her and the kids, and that he would always come back to her.
It was sometimes hard to believe that at 25, she was married with 3 children and living with a recovering addict.
Wandering down the hallway she peered into her childrens room. All three had insisted on sharing a room, and were snugly tucked into their thick heavy blankets sleeping soundly. The moonlight shone off their hair illuminating their angel like faces. She loved her kids so much, it hurt sometimes to even think about it. It hurt even more to think they would never get to meet their grandfather.
Sighing she padded back to her room and checked the window quickly before crawling back into bed. SLowly she fell asleep her mind rocking like the mild waters of the bering sea.
Jake ran a tired hand over his face, and looked at the charts plotting the course while he looked between the weezing monitor and the tattered mao in front of him. THe boat rocked back and forth sending his pencils rolling acriss the tiny flat desk like area he had in front of him. He sighed again and looked out the tiny window next to him over the flat calm water. Blue.
Like Ria's eyes.
It was incredible how much he missed her, and his kids. His gaze drifted to the pictures taped up next to him on the wall.
Some were pictures of Josh, and his new Fiance Geena who was currently 4 months pregnant, but most were of Ria, Jagger, Aria, and Melody. Their beautiful faces forever frozen in the pictures taped to his wall.
That was how he remembered his kids.
Jagger a spitting image of himself grinning mischeviously from the porch swing they had. Aria a Ria in ministure her hand on her tiny hip, with her 'Attitude face' on. And little Melody the inbetween child who was just along for the ride, her long caramel colored hair falling into soft curls at the end, smiling shyly from the swingset in the backyard.
But his favorite was the one of all of them. Jake himself was leaning against the big tree in the front yard, Jagger standing in front of him holding on to his forewarm. Melody was next to him arms linked in a pale yellow sundress and barefeet. Aria was next to her grinning in white shorts and a bright purple shirt her pale hair shining in the sunlight. And then there was Ria in all her beautiful glory one hand on Jake's chest while Aria held on to her bright blue sundress.
Looking at that picture made his heart hurt. He would give anything to be home in bed with her right now, but on the other hand he loved to fish.
Boy did he have a problem.
He sighed again and smiled as josh appeared in the wheelhouse.
"Bro. I'm not being a dick, but you look like death."
Jake snorted "Thanks man."
Josh laughed and elbowed him "Get some sleep. I'll take over."
Jake walked sleepily down the steps and collapsed into his bunk. He breathed deeply the faded smell of Vanilla, and cigarettes invading his nose. He remembered all the times he and Ria had slept in this very bunk. Their first kiss was in this very room. The fight that almost ended their relationship happened in this room.
He smiled and drifted off, his families smiling faces filling his mind and sending him into a happy sleep.