Jason stepped off the elevator and walked toward the commander quarters when the kitchen smelled good.

"Hi Mum! Hi Jenni!"

Jennifer turned around. Her face lit up when she saw him.

"Sorry, I'm a bit late."

"It's OK, Jason!" Jennifer said when helping Dianne to cut some fruit. "You must be so hungry".

"Yeah! I guess!" Jason laughed. "But I think I need to take a shower first!"

Passing by the table, he looked towards the dishes: "Look excited!"

"More excited if you just come home 30 minutes later."

Brett appeared from the kitchen, a salad plate was in his hand. Teasing as usual, but Brett looked at Jason thoughtfully. He knew very well where his brother was in the whole day.

Brett often visited the island, too. So was even Dianne. Looking at two sons, she thought about the conversation with her ex-husband, long ago.

"You're still thinking a lot about Neri, aren't you?"

"We tried hard to find any sign from her as well as her people, but... nothing at all." Dianne crossed her arms.

Paul assured: "We must be patient. Because she promised she will come back, so we..."

Dianne turned up:

"That's what we are worried about. Why hasn't she come back yet? Something bad may happen to her? An accident or something like that..."

She walked back and forth, the restlessness is obvious on her face.

Paul calmed her down:

"Dianne, Ocean people had a safe journey. I bet on it. But if something happens, nothing you can do."

"I'm sad and miss her so much. She's like my daughter, of course. But another important thing: How can our boys, especially Jason, face this hurt, if they will never see Neri again?"

Paul thought for a long time, then putted his hand on his ex-wife shoulder:

"Time can heal every hurt and pain. I know, Neri is irreplaceable to the boys, but by the time, the work, friends and all stuff of the life can make the pain blurred."

It was an old saying. However, it was true. She looked at Jennifer who was putting the last plate on the table. Maybe this girl as well as other his friends, could make Jason better, drag him out of the memory. Who knows?

"You should be quick! Beefsteak is Brett's favorite one!" Diane stroked Jason's cheeks before he disappeared behind the door.

Jason rarely invited friends to visit his family, due to ORCA's complicated procedure. But Jennifer came quite often. Her father, John Walker - was very famous and had many projects in the Pacific Ocean. So there were many opportunities for her to follow her father to The Great Barrier Reef. Jennifer was 2 years younger than Jason. Because of his time working at ORCA as an officer, and several times of delay to go to the University, Jason was older than some of his friends. But they considered him the leader not because of it. Naturally, Jason gathered a group of close friends around him.

Jason was always the type of person who easily attracts the girls. But Jennifer was probably the one who has deep affection for Jason for a very long time. They made a strong study team. She supported him in his personal environmental projects - which he was working remotely with Dianne and Winston. She also helped him to manage an environmental protection organization at the University.

Jennifer didn't know why he had a strong sense of nature protecting, especially the marine environment. As if protecting the sea was his responsibility. Because his parents are marine scientists? Or he used to live in an underwater research facility? She just assumed. Being friends with Jason for years, she knew this was not his only secret. This afternoon, she knew he was somewhere, he smelled of the sea, and sand was on his T-shirt. But where, in the middle of the ocean? She didn't know, just liked some of her other visits. She never asked or mentioned either. Because even his family did not mention.

Yes, she knew his strengths, his habits, and hobbits. She even knew the novel, the author, the singer... he likes. But she knew she has never really understood him.