Chapter 28.

May 12th, the evening before Caleb Turner's 20th birthday. Elizabeth, Sophia and Caleb sat at the wooden table in front of the cabin, enjoying a warm meal. Though normally, there was nothing special about the 12th of May, today was an exception.

Will would visit again, after ten years of being away, and so, Caleb and Elizabeth were extraordinarily tense.

Sophia knew they'd been waiting for ten years, so they decided that when the moment arrived, she'd stay in the background for as long as she could. She'd give Caleb, Elizabeth and Will their day.

''What do you normally do on your birthday?'', Sophia asked in an attempt to start a conversation. She couldn't stand the silence anymore.

With a mouth full of fish, Caleb answered: ''Nothing, really''.

Sophia frowned, and Elizabeth chuckled softly.

''There's not much to do on this island. When Will comes around, every ten years, he brings gifts and food and drinks, everything for a good evening. The years that he isn't here, we spend the day like any other'', she explained.

Sophia couldn't understand. On her birthday, every year, Gibbs made her banana pancakes. The crew decorated the ship for her with flowers and palm leaves and they'd give her small, meaningful gifts.

As Sophia remembered her last birthday, a sting quickly pulled through her heart.

She missed them. A lot. She missed her father and his wittyness, her loving mother. She missed her friends, her family. Her crew were both of those things. She'd been on the island for almost two weeks now. Her parents still thought she was dead. So did the crew. They were the people Sophia cared most about, and she couldn't reach them to say she was okay.

''Listen.. tonight- I'll stay out of your way. And tomorrow too. It's the only day in ten years that you get to see your father, and your husband, and I wouldn't want to take that away from you. I'll enjoy myself'', Sophia said.

Immediately, Caleb looked up with a frown and shook his head.

''No. I want you to be there''.

Sophia raised her eyebrows.

''You're my friend now, Sparrow. You'll stay'', he said, and Elizabeth immediately nodded too.

''We love to have you here'', she promised with her kindest smile.

Sophia found it hard to believe that this woman, who now had a kid, who cooked and lived in a wooden cabin, had once been some sort of royalty, had once been a fierce pirate, a pirate lord, even. Elizabeth was one of the kindest souls she'd ever met.

And so, when the sun went down, Elizabeth and her son went off to the beach to welcome Will back.

Though they assured her they didn't mind her coming along, Sophia insisted on staying at the cabin until they'd come back. She wouldn't ever want to spoil their moment. They'd waited for a reunion for ten years. Sophia didn't mind waiting ten minutes.

As Sophia cleaned up the cabin and chewed on a leaf of mint, Elizabeth and Caleb dragged their feet through the warm sand.

''You look nervous'', Elizabeth whispered, and Caleb smiled.

''A little. I mean.. It's been ten years, mom. I've grown, so has he''.

Elizabeth came to a halt and softly took her sons hands in hers.

Caleb was taller than her, his hair was dark like his father's, and his eyes were bright blue like the eyes of his grandfather.

''You have nothing to be nervous for. Your father loves you, and he's proud of you, no matter who you are or what you do''.

Caleb smiled softly and kissed his mother on her cheek. They both turned towards the ocean and stared at the orange coloured sky. The sun was setting and dissapearing beneath the ocean fast, but to the two people waiting on the beach, it seemed like hours.

The tones of orange slowly turned into tones of red and pink, and all that was left of the sun had the colour of blood as it vanished.

Elizabeth held Caleb's hand in hers, and she didn't even notice how hard she was squeezing it. Caleb didn't mind, however, he knew that his mother waited for this for ten years. She didn't see him often enough. It was logical for her to be nervous, now.

Though, he had to admit, he was nervous too. Very much.

The sun went down quicker and quicker until finally, the last bit of blood red dissapeared beneath the dark waves.

Suddenly, it felt as if the ground shook. There was a sound as if someone threw a stone into the sea, but ten times as loud. The sound was immediately followed by a bright green flash, a sigh of wind that made the top of the palmtrees shake, and then.. a big ship that appeared on the horizon.

Elizabeth gasped loudly and put her hands to her mouth. A big smile appeared around Caleb's lips.

And they watched the Flying Dutchman sail closer until one single longboat appeared on the sea. It felt like hours, but halfway, Will grabbed a linen sack, hang it around his shoulders and jumped overboard.

As quick as he could, he waded through the water. Elizabeth and Caleb didn't hesitate one moment. Both of them ran, as quick as they could, into Will's open arms. They nearly fell into the water, but no one cared. There were hugs, kisses, lovely words all over the place and they refused to let each other go for a few minutes.

Until finally, Will released his son with one arm and took a look at how he turned out. ''You've grown'', Will simply laughed, and Caleb laughed too.

''I missed you, dad'', he then said, and immediately, Will pulled him close again, planting a kiss in his son's dark hair.

''We have until this time tomorrow. And tomorrow's your birthday. Let's make it a good one'', Will said with a smile.

Caleb and Elizabeth nodded, Will handed Caleb the linen sack and planted a long, passionate kiss on Elizabeth's lips.

''My God, I've missed you guys'', Will said with a wide grin.

They returned to the cabin, laughing, talking, cheering, without worries or shame. For a few short hours, nothing in the world could touch them. They were happy. Reunited. Once in every ten years, they had the possibility of being a normal family.

Sophia heard them coming from afar, and suddenly, she felt anxious.

Maybe she should run, hide until Will dissapeared.

It wasn't only because she was afraid she might disturb the family's reunion. She also knew that if Will saw her, he'd take her back to the Pearl immediately. And after being here, with new, different people on a deserted island, Sophia wasn't sure if she wanted to go back. She wanted to discover, explore.

Before she had the chance to think about what she might do, the three appeared from the dense palmwoods.

Will didn't see her at first, but as soon as he layed eyes on Sophia, who nervously waited in front of the cabin, his mouth dropped to the ground.

For a few seconds, neither of them knew what to say.

''Sophia..'', Will started, a frown appeared between his dark brows. ''You're alive!'', he suddenly called out, quickly walking towards her.

Before she could say anything, Will pulled her into his arms for a short, tight hug.

''How can you- where did- what.. - no- how?!'', Will stuttered.

Sophia laughed softly and looked at Caleb and Elizabeth.

''They found me. Here on this beach. Apparently the mermaid didn't like me so much. They've taken very good care of me''.

''Do you know this is Jack's kid?'', Will laughed as he turned around to face his wife.

Elizabeth nodded and smiled softly as she took Will's hand.

''Yes. She's told me everything. Every single thing that's happened'', she answered laughing.

''Jack and Angelica think you're dead. You need to go back. You need to let them know that you're safe, Sophia. They're not the same without you'', Will said, serious all of a sudden.

Sophia knew he was right. She couldn't stay. She couldn't go about travelling the seven seas if her parents didn't know she was alive.

''I'll take you with me tomorrow night'', Will said, and Sophia simply nodded.

When she saw the expression on Caleb's face, she quickly changed subject.

''But tomorrow's your son's twentieth birthday. We have to celebrate that first'', she said, and immediately, Will nodded.

''Right. First things first. Your twentieth, son!'', he called out as he playfully hit Caleb on his back.

Caleb laughed, and all of them burst out in laughter when Will pulled three bottles of rum out of the linen sack, followed by a dark-wooden guitar and an endless amount of treats.

''Let's get this party started!'', Will yelled, and with a wide smile, he pulled Caleb along towards the beach.