“Did you ever get scared?” Jason asked, staring up at the constellation of Orion hanging low over the western horizon. “Being out at sea for months at a time?”
“Every sailor gets scared,” I told him. “Anyone who tells you different is either a liar or a fool. The trick isn’t pretending you aren’t afraid. The trick is remembering your training when things start falling apart.”
Jason was quiet for a long moment. He took a slow sip of his soda, swirling the ice cubes around in the plastic cup. “Dad… do you think I’ll ever fully rebuild what I broke?”
“With your mother? She already forgave you in that letter.” I turned my head to look at him in the starlight. “With yourself? That’s going to take longer. But you’re on the right highway now.”
“I’ve been thinking about what I’m going to do when we get back to Virginia,” he said, his voice steady and thoughtful. “I’m selling my share of that downtown condo. Moving into something smaller. Something I actually earned instead of pretending I deserved.”
“Good,” I said. “A man’s home ought to be built on work, not wishes.”
