Pulling his new bride closer, the Captain allowed himself a contended sigh, one he had previously only sounded when entering a new unexplored harbor, or more consistently whenever his ship would slip into the blue with nary a sigh of land. Unexpectedly, all the earlier causes for joy and happiness, now seemed to reside here with the slight blonde . . . wife who lay peacefully in his arms.

"Lollygagging", she murmured.

"Lolly what?" he laughed, tilting her head so he could look again into her astonishingly green eyes. "Lollygagging. Martha says that when you are wasting time, you're lollygagging." "My dear wife", he grinned, "I've known Martha my whole life, and I assure you she has never used that word, not once." "No, no", she responded sleepily, "not our Martha, MY Martha".

His sudden jerk brought both of the children fully awake. Since they realized that only by experiencing what the Captain shared in real time was the only way to be completely aware of how the past was impacting their present, they struggled to stay awake, never leaving his presence for more than a minute or two.

"Hey. . . DAD", Jonathan grinned, "what's going on?" Rolling his eyes at the young man, the Captain grasped the bridge of his nose and tried to focus. "It was just a word, but I feel like something is changing again. I think your Mother may finally be remembering her life here in our time today".

"No, I'm certain. She said not OUR Martha, MY Martha", the Captain said pacing furiously from one side of the kitchen to the other. "There, there boy", Martha said patting him gently on the shoulder. "We knew she came from somewhere, the doctor said she didn't have any injuries, but obviously something shook her memories loose. You recall he said they'd likely return in odd moments".

Slumping into a chair at the table, he shook his head. "Martha, you know me. I never make impulsive decisions. I might DO impulsive things. . ." "Ah we talking about Miss Peekskill again", Martha smirked. "Ah hem", Caleb interrupted. "Wife, I believe we agreed that name wasn't going to be mentioned again?"

Pulling up a chair, Caleb looked thoughtfully at the Captain. "You were always going to love hard, when it hit you Mr. Daniel, it's certain she feels the same. Whatever her past ends up being, I cannot imagine that changing, can you?"

Laughing, the Captain pushed himself up and headed back upstairs. "And Caleb, we agreed to stop the Mr. Daniel when I was 12."

Turning to see the tears in Martha's eyes, Caleb put a comforting arm across her shoulder. "I know, he'll always be your boy. Every time he sails across the horizon, I see you there up on the widows walk. He's been a grown man for a long while, but I know that doesn't stop you worrying. This is just another horizon he's sailing across. Failing in love may be his biggest adventure, his greatest journey Martha. We'll both be here for him, no matter if it turns out fair or foul."

"I never knew that . . ." Candy looked up at the Captain, "Knew what?"

"My housekeeper and her husband Caleb. They raised me after my grandparents passed and were with me until the day I died. I just heard the memory of them talking about me. How many other times have I missed understanding how people felt?"

"Isn't this how this whole thing started"? Candy asked.

"I've been dead over 100 years, don't you think I'd have learned something this important by now"? "I imagine you could, if you were finally willing to admit you were wrong. Have you ever done that?"

Starting at Candy, he shook his head. "I never saw the need. After all, on board ship a Captain's evey word was law. It's been a long while since I paced the quarter deck though, I imagine this may well be the correct time to revisit that, perhaps it's time to start"?