I was the orphan, adopted by the loving family who wanted a little girl. I was adopted when I was 8 and ever since then I was best friends with my brother. Through the days of our step father beating me and dealing with my brothers leaving for his new career after our mother died and I was left with my abusive step-father.
My brother is a fisherman, on the vessel the Cornelia Marie. He is the strong, goof ball Dave Millman. He still is my best friend. So the day I turned eighteen I jumped on a grey hound bus with the money my brother sent me. I headed up to Alaska, Dutch Harbor to be exact.
That was over 5 years ago. I now lived in a small apartment with my brother and his girlfriend Alexis. I am only 23 and of pure Norwegian descent. I can speak the language fluently, along with English and Swedish. My name was given to me by my great-grandmother who delivered me to the orphanage, it was Elsa.
Currently I work at the Elbow room, but I long to join my brother on the sea. I always loved the sea. It was the only thing I remember from Norway. Even though I love it in America, my language, my culture and my history all lay in the streets of Bergen. But I would never tell anyone what my heart wants, that was until I met him.
He was stunning, and his smile made me so happy to see. My brother introduced me to him the day before the fleet left the harbor for King Crab season. That night we met we stayed up until the sun dawned over the mountains and he had to rush to the docks. I walked with him to bid him farewell along with my brother. Two different men, two different ships, twice the goodbye tears.
His name was Jake. Jake Anderson the deckhand on the Northwestern. I didn't kiss him that day on the dock, but I wish I had. The calls at the early hours of the morning from the Elbow Room's satellite phone, the laughs, and the heart to heart conversations made my fall harder for him. I don't know if he felt the same but I felt like I could marry him tomorrow.
My brother would rant and rave about how many of the men in the fleet liked me. I was the indigenous Norwegian girl that caught Edgar Hansens eye, Andy Hilstrand's gaze and especially the devotion of both Jake and Josh Harris. They all liked me, and would always jump on the chance to spend alone time with me. But I did not want any of them. They weren't the guys for me. My brother would always tell me how secure I would be with one of them. Honest men, who were in line to inherit their family fishing vessel, or were the men who pulled in the most money. My brother would always tell me how Jake and Josh would fight over who was going to win my heart. But none of them were. At least while I was single it gave them hope. But my heart was no longer free. It belonged to Jake Anderson, and he didn't even know it.