For once the members of the Harris household were silent. All that could be heard were the creaking floorboards as Phil Harris paced back and forth. His eldest son Joshua sat in an old rocking chair that creaked louder than the floorboards as he rocked back and forth. Josh looked down at his calloused, scarred hands and took a deep breath before gazing back up at his father. He opened his mouth to speak but after sitting opened mouthed for a few seconds seemed to think better of it. Phil sighed and stopped pacing for the first time in almost an hour. "Damn." He mumbled softly as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his old beige slacks. Before he could say anything else the screen door swung open and his youngest son Jacob stood silhouetted in the doorway. Jacob cleared his throat and was unable to stop a wide grin from spreading across his face. "I was just playing cards with the boys down by the Gin Mill and I made fifty bucks." He said cheerfully, "how about that?"
"Jake be quiet..." His brother warned, but Jake hadn't been listening; his eyes were on his father. "Did you hear me pops?" He asked as he entered the house, "I just won 50 clams!"
Josh stopped rocking in the chair and stood up to face his little brother. "Can you stop flapping your gums for one second!"
"What's eating you?"
"We lost the boat today."
The smile instantly fell off of Jake's face. He couldn't quite comprehend what his brother was saying to him. "The Cornelia?" Jake found his throat had gone rather dry, "but how? What happened?"
Phil began to pace the room once more with his hands buried deep in his pockets. "Pops what happened?" Jake asked again when Josh didn't answer him. "There's gonna be no more crabbing. The folks down at fish and games say we're depleting the crab population so the other owners of the Cornelia decided to sell the boat."
"You can't let them do that." Jake said breathlessly.
"What choice do I have? The boats not going to be much use sitting in the docks anyway."
"Well what are we gonna do?"
Phil shook his head and sat down heavily on an old wicker chair. "I don't know kid, I just don't know." Jake stared open mouthed back and forth between his father and brother. He was waiting for one of them to start laughing and announce that they were just pulling his leg. When they didn't Jake say down on the couch next to his father and shook his head, "but...we don't know anything but the sea." He said incredulously.

That evening Jake and Josh were sitting together outside on the porch swing; each with a cigarette dangling loosely from their lips. "What are we going to do?" Jake asked for what had to be the twentieth time that day.
"Damn it Jacob! I don't know..." Josh replied, "we're going to have to get jobs. Real good jobs. Dads gettin older he can't keep workin forever. We gotta help take care of him now."
Jake sighed, "That fifty clams sure doesn't seem like very much now."
Josh took a drag off of his cigarette and laughed mirthlessly, "no it sure doesn't." Silence fell over the two men and all that could be heard was the occasional exhale of smoke. Jake's mind was reeling. He felt like his whole world had been shattered. All he knew how to do was fish. He had no other skills how on Earth was he going to get another job?

Almost an hour had passed, their cigarettes had long since been gone but the boys continued to sit in silence. They looked up in unison as the screen door opened and their father appeared in front of them. He was wearing his heavy wool coat and he had an anxious look about him. "Where are you going?" Jake and Josh asked in unison.
"Down to Marty's Inn." Phil replied, "Some of the guys are gettin together... We're gonna talk about everything that's happenin."
"Can we come?" Josh asked.
Phil shrugged, "I suppose you'd better. This affects you as much as it affects the rest of us."
Jake stood up and scratched his head uncomfortably, "well actually pops..." He began slowly, "I was actually plannin on going down to Cara's place."
"Why?" His brother and father asked together.
Jake smirked, "well she's my girl. I'm hopin to get a little quality time in if you know what I mean."
Josh rolled his eyes, "You could see her any time Jacob."
"Dry up Josh." Jake sneered as hopped off of the porch and began walking down the dirt path that led to the house. Jake was in a sour mood and he was not at all in the mood to listen to a bunch of salty old fisherman complain about the loss of work. It was all he had been thinking about all day and he needed a distraction. Fortunately Cara McDougal was the best distraction he knew. That was all she really was to him, a distraction, even though it was common knowledge she was head over heels for him. It was all rather amusing to Jake. The idea of him feeling the same way about her was laughable and he thought she was a fool for believing all the lines he fed her. When he arrived at her house instead of knocking on the front door he walked around the back and rapped on her bedroom window. Cara was just twenty and still lived with her parents and Jake was far from welcome at her house. The last time he had been caught there her father chased him away with his double barrel shotgun. Jake had laughed hysterically as he ran from the house. The memory brought a smile to Jake's face as he waited for Cara to open her window. After a minute or so she threw open the window and stood back to allow Jake to climb in side. Cara was a beautiful girl. In fact many of the guys in town carried a torch for her but she only had eyes for Jake. She had long black hair that was currently tied back in a long plait, almond shaped hazel eyes, porcelain skin, and pale pink lips. "What are you doing here Jacob?" She asked airily.
"What? I can't come visit my girl?" He replied.
"So now I'm your girl? I was your 'cousin' last week when you were making eyes at Mary Clow."
Jake chuckled, "you know I was just goofing baby. I don't even like Mary."
Cara folded her arms over her chest and frowned, "that's what you always say Jake. I'm tired of being your play thing."
"What's got you all in a twist?" Jake asked angrily.
"I'm just not in the mood."
"Well why not?" Jake's smirk reappeared on his face, "maybe I can help get you in the mood?" He stepped closer to her and placed a kiss on her temple. Cara pushed Jake away from her and sighed, "Jake I have to tell you something."
"What now?" Jake replied irritably.
Cara smoothed her nightgown over her stomach and looked down at the floor. "I'm late."
"Late for what?"
"I'm pregnant Jacob."
"It's not mine." Jake said automatically.
"It is yours!" Cara said defensively.
"I don't believe you."
"Jake you're the only person I've been with." Cara said softly.
"You expect me to believe that? No way! That kid is not mine."
"Jake wait." Cara pleaded as Jake backed up towards the window.
"No... You're nuts... Stay away from me."
Jake climbed back out of the window. He landed in the soft soil and briefly lost his footing before hurrying away from the house. He glanced back and saw Cara watching him morosely from the window. 'Crazy broad.' He thought to himself.

It was much too early to return home so Jake met a few of his buddies at the Gin Mill. He stayed and played cards for a few hours and only didn't leave until a fight broke out between a friend of his and a drunken flyboy. When he returned home he intended to sneak upstairs and climb into bed. Unfortunately he found both his father and brother wide awake in the living room. "What's going on?" Jake asked casually as he kicked his shoes off by the front door. "Well." Phil began, "looks like we might not be out on the streets after all."
Jake paused in the middle of removing his jacket, "What do you mean?"
Phil sighed and lit a cigarette, "well an Ocean Liner just got built you know for rich folks and such and it's still missing some crew."
"So you got a job?"
"Yep." Phil's chest swelled with bride, "they made me captain."
"That's great pops... What about us?"
Phil rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his smile, "Yeah you and your brother got jobs too."
"As what?"
"Well Josh is going to mostly patrol and do security."
"That sounds alright! what about me?"
"Well... You're going a be a waiter."
"A waiter?" Jake said angrily, "Why do I have to be a waiter? Why can't I patrol too?"
"Maybe you should have came to the meeting..."
"Anybody else we know going to be working?"
"Yep. Sig Hansen,Edgar Hansen, Crosby Leveen, Mike Fourtner, Scotty Hillstrand, oh and Freddie will be working too."
"Will any of them be waiters?"
"I guess you'll just have to wait and see."
Jake narrowed his eyes, "I'm going to bed." He said moodily.
He ignored the chuckling that came from his kin and stomped upstairs. 'A waiter?' Jake thought angrily as the climbed into bed. 'Fantastic.' Jake was far more upset about being a waiter than the possibility of being a father. As far as Jake was concerned there was no possibility; if it came down to it Jake would deny deny deny every having anything to do with Cara.

Crosby Leveen lay in his bed thinking about the days events. Although the day had ended much better than it had started he had loved being a crabber and he wasn't looking forward to being a waiter on a luxury liner. Serving food to a bunch of rich people was not Crosby's idea of fun. Risking his life on the Bering Sea now that, that was fun. 'At least I'll be working with people I know.' He told himself. Crosby rolled over so that he could see the portrait of his mother on his dresser. 'I'm doing it for her anyway.' He reminded himself. His mother was not old, but she was very sick. Her doctors weren't sure what she was even sick with. They all seemed to have a different opinion on what was wrong with her. All Crosby knew was that medicine was expensive and he couldn't continue taking care of his mother without a job. He was willing to do anything to take care of her. Anything. Crosby sighed and closed his eyes. It was late and he needed his rest. As he tried to sleep he tried his hardest not to think about the luxury liner called Titanic that had sunk just three years before.

Sparrow Moore brushed her fiery red hair and smiled at her younger sister Grey in the mirror. "Grey..." She laughed, "Wipe that angry look off of your face before it sticks."
Grey frowned and flipped her equally red hair over her shoulder. "I do not have an angry look on my face!"
"Oh come on. I know you better than anyone I'm your older sister remember?"
"Oh fine." Grey said reluctantly, "I just don't understand why we're going on this ridiculous boat ride!"
Sparrow laughed, "oh sissy it should be fun!"
'I could certainly use some fun.' Sparrow thought miserably.
"You don't need to be worrying about fun!" Grey said sternly, "All you should be worrying about is the Ballet and your wedding!"
Sparrow rolled her eyes, "Grey you are by far the oldest eighteen year old I have ever met! I've been dancing my whole life I'm more than ready for the Russian Ballet. And this 'boat ride' was an engagement gift from Daddy anyway."
"Well I don't know what he was thinking! You should be planning your wedding not playing pirate."
Sparrow laughed, "I promise if I get bored enough I'll go over wedding plans. Hopefully I won't get that desperate."
Grey hissed like an angry cat making Sparrow burst out into laughter. "Oh Grey!" She teased, "You need to lighten up. Maybe you'll meet a nice boy. We'll be on the ship for two whole weeks you know."
"I highly doubt I'll meet anyone worth talking to Sparrow."
Sparrow sat her brush down and poked her tongue out at her sister, "You never know."

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