[Okay, I'm back home now so let the story begin! Please don't kill me. This chapter is a little boring.]

An old bent, weathered woman rocked back and forth in her rocking chair. Small children were at her feet and older ones sat in chairs around the covered porch. The old woman smiled at the eager children.

"We want another story, grandma!"

"Oh! You don't want to hear about my life! It's boring!"

"Oh, come on, mother. Tell them a story!"

The old woman turned to her son. "You keep your mouth closed, Peter! Don't start acting like your father!" She slumped back into her chair and took out an old book. She flipped to the forth section. "Now, mind you children. This is the last one. I know that they're fun to hear, but I get tired." She yawned and almost dropped the book. "Remembering is hard for me, because I lost him so long ago." Her face was full of emotion and sadness as she looked over at the sea.

"Lost who?" one child asked. Peter touched her arm.

"Shh, child. Listen."

"Four years after Jack and I got re-married, we were living in Spanish Town, a place not far from our beloved Port Royal." The woman looked up at the ceiling in thought. "I was 32 at the time. Life was hard for us, but we were near the sea and had Will and Elizabeth to take care of us, and our new arrivals." She beamed.

"Peter! Stop hitting your baby sister! Sarah, please make Kimmi eat her dinner. Jackson! Don't play with the cat like that!" I groaned and slumped into my chair. It fell out from under me. "Auuugh!"

Emily, the baby of the group, pointed to me. "Mommy's on the floor." She giggled.

Jack came into the room. "Amanda, are you okay?" He picked me up and hugged me.

"Yes, dear, I'm fine." He kissed my temple and put his arms around my waist.

"Ewww! Gross!" Jackson said, from the floor. I smiled and bent down to tickle him. He surrendered, so I picked him up.

"Alright, you pirates! It's time for bed. Now, shoo!" I let him go and they all scurried upstairs. "How is Elizabeth and Will?"

"You mean after they dropped off little William and Nora? I suspect better than we are." He walked to me and slid an arm around my waist.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I slipped a hand into his vest to cup his waist. A crash sound came from upstairs.

"That's what I mean."

A voice that sounded like Jackson's came through the air. "It wasn't meeeeeeeee!"

I rolled my eyes. "I'll go check it out."

The children's room was suspiciously quiet, and dark. An oil lamp was on the ground, broken into a million pieces. Jack was behind me.

"I'll get it. Go to our room."

I walked down the stairs and went to the small room next to the kitchen. The captain's bed took up most of the space, but there was room for a small table and a mirror.

I picked up a brush from it and sat down on the bed. Looking out the window, I started to brush my thigh length hair. The sea whipped and rolled from behind the dirt-crusted glass. The wind whipped the burlap curtains around and fluttered my oil lamp's flame. I stood up, closed the window and drew the curtains. Jack walked in as I started brushing my hair again.

He plopped onto the bed and covered his eyes with his hands. "Do you know how long it's been since I was on the sea last?"

I walked over to him. "Let me guess? 3 years?" He didn't move.

"You know me too well." He put his hands on his stomach. "Did I mention that I was sorry for what I did?"

I smiled. He had said it every night for the past four years. "Did I mention that I forgive you?"

"Yes. But I don't care. I'm going to apologize until the day I die." He rolled over and looked at me. "I love you, Amanda." I started to lean down to kiss him but another crash came from the children's room. We both got up and went upstairs.

The door had been forced open, the beds were turned over and the window was open.

"Oh, Jack! They're gone!"