Traveler

The following day, as usual, Dawn sat with Brad eating lunch in the teacher's lounge. Undaunted by rejection, he had been asking her out once or twice a week for as long as she could recall. She remembered Al telling her to move on. Maybe he was right, maybe it was time. She had to give up on the notion of her and him living happily ever after. His visit made it obvious that it wasn't going to happen.

She'd been thinking all morning that if Brad asked for a date she would consider it as fate and say yes this time, but it wasn't to be. Instead they talked mostly about a student they shared, that and a new book he was reading. Lunch time ended without Brad's request for a date. It was probably just a well, she thought. Her moment of weakness had passed. She actually felt relieved while walking back to her classroom. She just wasn't ready yet.

***

"Sorry to hear about your dad, Traveler." That was about all Al heard when he got back; Coral was the first, Amelia was next, then Jack and a host of others including the guys he worked with. It was like hitting a raw nerve every time someone said it but he was determined to keep his current life separate from the one he left in Chicago so he never said more than thank you.

It didn't take him long to get right back in the routine of things. The winch had been replaced so he joined Jack and the crew as they took Abby out the day after he had returned. Jack told him to prepare for a two or three day run. Normally, when they were out for that long their down time would be passed below deck, playing cards, but Al spent most of the time on deck listening to the gulls and feeling the sea air in his face.

He did love it out there but was it enough? Jack watched him from the wheelhouse as Al struggled with his emotions.

They'd been back in port for two days when Jack saw him walk into Joe's Galley for lunch. "Hey, Traveler, come on over and have a seat."

"What'll you have?" Amelia yelled out from behind the counter as he headed for Jack's table.

"Burger and coffee," he responded.

"Coming right up."

"How's it going, captain," he said while sitting across the table from Jack. Amelia came over with his coffee. He thanked her, took a sip, then looked over at his friend and boss. "Everything okay? I figured we'd be out there again by now."

"Yeah, everything's fine. We've been shorthanded with you gone and I've been working the crew pretty hard. I figured they were due a few days off, that's all."

"I see. I really appreciate you giving me the time off. I'm sorry it turned out to be so long."

"No problem," he acknowledged. "How about you? Everything okay? You seemed preoccupied out there. You know it can be a dangerous profession. You've got to pay attention to what you're doing or people can get hurt. I'm not the only one who noticed, either. A couple of the guys mentioned it to me when we pulled into port."

Al started to apologize but the captain wasn't looking for apologies. He wanted to know what had his young friend so torn up. He got Al talking and once he started he didn't stop. For the first time since the false accusation, he told his story. His soliloquy was not without emotion. Jack sat and listened while the boy poured his heart out. The wiser, older man could hear the pain in his voice and saw the anger in his eyes.

After forty-five minutes, Al was finally talked out. Jack sat back in his chair and stared for a moment at the young man he had grown to think of as a son. "What are your plans, now?"

"Plans? I don't know other than going out on Abby with you."

"Traveler, fishing is a way of life for me. I was born into it. It's all I know—but that's not you."

"Jack, I'm as good as any of the other guys out there," he said defensively.

"Better. You learned quick and you're the best hand I've got, but it's not in your blood. Close your eyes and picture the perfect life you've always wanted."

Al didn't have to close his eyes. He only had to remember how things were with Dawn before that ill-fated day. He was looking into his half empty cup of coffee when Jack saw a slight smile.

"I'll lay you eight to five you didn't picture yourself fishing for the rest of your life."

Al slowly shook his head. "I just don't know how I could do it, Jack. There's so much pain back there."

"Well, it won't work if you can't forgive her, that's for sure. From what you've told me, it wasn't simply the fact that she didn't believe you."

Al looked up like he was about to challenge Jack's statement.

"Yeah, I know;" Jack said before he could speak, "it was certainly what caused the hurt but I think it goes deeper than that. After the way you'd been treated by your parents your whole life, Dawn was the one person who was supposed to love you unconditionally. You put all your eggs in her basket. That's putting a whole lot of pressure on a person, Traveler. In your eyes, she was perfect and you left no room for her to be anything but. When she showed she was human it was hurtful—maybe more than it should have been."

"Jack, we'd known each other for three years. We were going to get married. We made plans."

"I'm not saying you shouldn't have hurt. Hell, it had to feel like she stuck you in the heart with a harpoon, but it wasn't something she'd done out of meanness or some malicious act." He stopped talking for a moment when Amelia came over to fill their cups, then picked up where he left off.

"You really think three years is long enough to know everything about a person?" He didn't wait for an answer. "You've known Coral for three years; did you know she once killed a man?"

Al looked up in disbelief.

"Yeah. He was a local trouble maker. He'd had several run-ins with the law around here. She was in the back room late one night taking inventory; the same room you're now renting. She was still using it as a storeroom back then. She heard him break the glass in the front entrance. When she looked out she saw his arm reaching in and unlocking the door. She ran into her office and grabbed the gun I'd given her from the desk drawer. By the time she looked up, he was standing in the doorway. He rushed her but she was quicker. She got him three times in the chest."

"I...I didn't even know she had a gun. She's never said anything." Al was staggered by what he'd just heard. He was still shaking his head in disbelief. "God, I can't imagine how horrible that must have been for her."

"Nah, not really, she never even thought twice about it."

"What?"

"It never happened," Jack said. "Are you kidding? We're talking about my daughter here. She wouldn't kill a cockroach. Hell, when a family of mice decided to take up residence in the gallery a few years ago, she made me go out and buy mouse traps that wouldn't hurt the little critters. You've known Coral for three years yet you believed something that was completely and totally out of character for her because it came from a trusted source, me. You never even gave a thought to the possibility of me lying to you."

Jack was absolutely right. He fell for it hook, line, and sinker, but... "But it's different when you love someone, Jack."

"Look, I'm not saying she didn't do you wrong. I'm just trying to show you people make mistakes. It's human nature."

"So you think I should go back?"

"I think you should take all the hurt and anger, stick it in Davey Jones locker, and sit down with a clear head to figure out what's best for you," Jack replied. "I know you still love her. I can see it in your eyes when you talk about her.

"Listen, I'm going out tomorrow morning. We'll be gone two or three days but I'm not taking you with me-not this time. I want you to take the time to get your head on straight. If, when I get back, you tell me this is the life you want to live then I'll teach you everything I know and everything I've forgotten. I'll turn you into the best commercial fisherman on the east coast, but you've got to be sure, son. You can't have doubts."

"What would you do, Jack?"

"What I would do has no bearing on your situation, Traveler, but I'll tell you this, not a day has gone by that I don't miss Coral's mother. When she passed she took a part of me with her—the best part. It's been ten years and there are still nights where I have to drink until I pass out to stop the pain. That's no way to live, my boy. It certainly wasn't of my choosing and I'd hate to see you condemned to a similar fate...especially when you do have a choice.

"Lunch is on me," he said as he gulped his last little bit of coffee. "Take the next few days and consider your options, Traveler. I'll back whatever decision you make."

He left Al sitting there as he walked up to the register and paid the bill before leaving.

The next morning the sun had been up for almost an hour before Coral got to the shop. Other than making coffee, she didn't have a lot to do before opening the doors. She became a little worried when she thought she heard a noise from inside Traveler's apartment. She tiptoed to the connecting door and put her ear against it. There was most definitely somebody in there but it didn't sound like they were tearing anything up. She gently knocked and was a little startled when he opened the door.

"Traveler, I thought you'd be out with dad. What's the matter? Are you sick?"

"No, he told me to stay home this trip and get my head out of my ass," he responded with a small smile. "Come on in. Coffee's already made."

"Ah, yeah, I guess—only for a few minutes though."

They sat opposite each other at the little counter he used as a kitchen table.

"So tell me, why does my dad think you've got your head up your ass," she questioned with smile.

"I guess I was a little slow on the uptake during our last run."

"I see; still thinking about your trip back to Chicago? Anything you'd like to talk about?" Coral probed.

He chuckled. "Your dad asked the same thing, yesterday. I pretty much told him everything. I don't think I could go through it again. Besides, it would take longer than a few minutes. Let's just say it was pretty emotional for me and answered some big questions."

"Well-now you have my interest piqued," she said. "I didn't mean to put you off. I'm here if you want to elaborate."

He gave her the Reader's Digest version. It still took three cups of coffee, and two interruptions, one for her to open the gallery and a second when a customer came in, but she returned each time so Al could finish the story.

"Wow, I see now why you hesitated to even go back there," she told him. "So—thinking about going back?"

"I don't know. I haven't made up my mind yet. What do you think?"

"I think you should at least give it a try. If it doesn't work out, dad will always welcome you back with open arms."

"What about you?" he asked.

"Me? Sure, me too. Oh, you mean the sex? Traveler, don't ever pass up love for sex. I can't say I wouldn't miss you but I wouldn't expect you to stick around just to get laid, not with the love of your life waiting for you in Chicago."

Just then they heard the little bell over the front door of the shop. "I have to get back to work," Coral said. She stood and gave him a peck on the lips. "You have to do what's right for you, Traveler. Talk to you later."

He got one more opinion from Amelia when he went down to Joe's Galley for lunch. She didn't know much about his situation but she'd heard some of the conversation with Jack and she could tell something was bothering him. She more or less gave him the same advice, he had to follow his heart.

That night he used the office phone to call his mom and see how she was doing. They talked for almost an hour. It was the first time they could hold a conversation without constant interruptions from Ralph. It was probably the most pleasurable talk he'd ever had with her.

Later he tossed and turned but there was no way he was going to fall asleep. He had way too much on his mind and couldn't turn it off. It was about two in the morning when he decided to go for a ride. He hopped on his Shimano and took off for parts unknown. He just needed to ride.

The sun still had an hour before it would peek its head above the edge of the earth and silhouette the various fishing vessels setting out for day on the water. After a solitary, moonlit ride up and down the coast, Al found himself sitting on the same bench where he first came to rest on the day he'd arrived. The night air had cleared his mind some. For hours he weighed the possibilities against the probabilities, the realities against his dreams, his hurt and pain against his love.

Al had a lump in his throat and fought back tears as he said his goodbyes. They were his extended family. Up to that point he hadn't realized how much they meant to him, but Jack was right, he didn't want to live the rest of his life wondering, 'what if.' If there was still a chance of living his dream with Dawn he had to take it. If it didn't work out, he'd be back.

Up until the time he actually stepped into the plane, Al wasn't sure if he could go through with it, so he didn't call anyone to let them know of his return. His mother almost had a heart attack when she answered the door and found him standing there with his suitcases in hand.

"Hi, mom," he said with a smile.

Once she had gotten over the initial shock, she was more than happy to offer her son his old room back; at least until he could get an apartment. He smiled when he checked it out. It was exactly the same as when he left.

He wanted a few days to relax and get settled in before calling Dawn. He used the time to check into what it would take to resume his studies and get his bachelor's in graphic design. He found an accredited, on-line college with summer classes that allowed him to sign up and start almost immediately. There would be some review but he would almost be able to pick up right where he left off.

His mother always had her own car so she intended to sell Ralph's Lincoln after he died, but she hadn't gotten around to it. It was still in the garage so she gave it to Al. He hadn't even thought of his driver's license in years. When he checked and saw it was about to expire he went to get it renewed; piece of cake.

So far things were going great...now for Dawn. If there was one thing that convinced him to give things another try, it was the stunt that Jack pulled at Joe's Galley. In seconds he believed Coral had shot a man. If Jack hadn't come clean so quickly, how long would he have gone on believing it? That and Jack's disclosure of the pain he still felt at the loss of his wife, forced him to see things from a different angle.

Still...he wasn't about to just jump in with both feet. He was going to take it slow. He still had her number from when she gave it to him at the funeral. He planned to call her that evening and ask her out for coffee, then maybe a few dates. If, after a while, they were still dating and mutually agreed, they'd become exclusive. Yup, slow and easy was the plan.

While driving back home from the DMV with his brand new driver's license he passed a school and recognized the name. It was the grade school where Dawn taught. On a whim he pulled around to the parking lot. He knew what her car looked like from the restaurant where he'd seen her last. Sure enough, there it was. He glanced at the clock in his car. It was a couple minutes past three o'clock. He knew she'd soon be leaving the building. He smiled as he decided to surprise her. He walked over and leaned against her car with his arms folded and a big grin across his face.

When he saw her coming out the door his heart dropped. She was in the company of a very good looking man. They laughed and were obviously at ease with each other as he possessively guided her along by the elbow. Al remembered Dawn telling him about someone who was interested in her. Was he too late? He was having second thoughts about ambushing her like that. She hadn't seen him yet. There was still time to skulk away and find out if she was involved but just before he was about to make his get-away he heard a shriek...

"AL!" She stopped dead in her tracks and just stared.

"Surprise," he said with a sheepish grin.

"Wha...what are doing here?"

"I've decided to come back to Chicago and finish my degree."

For a second he wondered if she was going to faint again. Then, to the dismay of her companion, Dawn ran to him, threw her arms around Al's neck and kissed him hard. Three years of hurt and anger seemed to wash away with the feel of her body pressed against his. He wrapped her in his arms and returned the kiss. So much for taking it slow.

When she realized what she was doing, Dawn broke the kiss and stepped back. "I...I'm sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't have done that, it's...I...I'm sorry. I just couldn't help myself."

Before he could answer, she remembered Brad standing behind her. She turned to him. "Oh, I'm sorry, Brad. This is..."

"Al...yes, I figured that out," he said, cutting her off. "The famous Al," he said, sticking his arm out to shake.

"Famous?" Al questioned while taking his hand.

"She has a video on her phone of you saving a dog from drowning. I've seen it six thousand, three hundred, and twenty nine times," he joked.

"Oh, you have not," Dawn said, playfully slapping him on the arm.

Al caught the interaction. It looked like there was chemistry, or at least a relaxed familiarity between them. Was this a serious rival? Had he already captured her heart? Al wasn't sure what he should do and was looking to Dawn for a cue of some kind.

"Well, I was just coming back from the DMV when I saw the school and thought I'd surprise you," he told her. "I'd better be getting back." He started to turn toward his own car when he felt her touch his arm.

"Al, do...do think we could have coffee sometime?"

Al turned back and saw Brad over her shoulder. There was no mistaking the look on his face. He obviously knew the situation and was praying Al would turn her down. He was going to be disappointed. "Sure," he responded. "In fact, I know it's short notice, but if you don't have plans tomorrow night, how about dinner?"

As she quickly and enthusiastically accepted, Brad knew he'd been kidding himself. She was never going to give herself to him. Her heart, body, and soul belonged to the man standing in front of her.

Dawn had to concentrate hard to get through the following day. She hadn't gotten much sleep and not knowing what Al's plans were yet had her in turmoil. When Al picked her up at her apartment later that night she had no idea how to act. She was more nervous than she remembered being on her very first date. He took her to a nice place this time. She'd waited as long as she could. Their waiter had just walked away with their order.

"Al," she anxiously started, "I...I'm trying to figure out what's going on. The last time we talked you made it pretty clear you had your life in that little town on the coast and you had no intentions of every coming back...and yet here you are."

"Stonington."

"Huh?"

"The name of the little town, it's Stonington," he said. "When I got back there I had a lot on my mind-all that about Ralph not being my dad...you; it was a lot to think about. Jack, the captain of the boat I worked on, noticed I wasn't quite myself. We had a talk and...well he kind of convinced me I should see what my life would be like back here. He said if things didn't work out I always had a job waiting for me back there."

It wasn't quite what she was hoping for but it was a start...maybe. She took a deep breath. "And what about me, Al. Do I figure into your life back here? I have to know. I have to know if there's still a chance for us." At that point the world stopped while she waited for his answer.

"I'm not making any promises, Dawn, but I'd like to give it a try."