November

Bonus Chapter: Goodbye

-Cooper-

I could tell Oliver was quietly worrying about me leaving for my fishing job. He was still freaked out after watching 'The Perfect Storm', despite all I had done to reassure him I'd be fine. I understood how he felt though, because no matter how many times he reassured me that he'd still be here when I got back, I was afraid he wouldn't be. I knew I was asking a lot of him to be without me for months after he had just moved here.

Oliver was snuggled against me on the couch, playing with a loose thread on my flannel shirt. "I know you said you don't have a lot of down time when you're fishing, but can we try to set up a time to call each other? I want to make sure we keep in touch."

A sense of dread settled in my chest. "Uh, Oliver? You know there usually isn't cell phone service all the way out on the ocean, right?"

"What?" He sat up and looked at me, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Once we get a certain distance from the shore, we're too far away from any cell towers. I'll have cell service again when we dock every month, and I'll see all of your texts then. I can call you and spend the entire day and night on the phone with you until we head back out to sea."

"So I'll only be able to talk to you three times while you're gone?" Oliver asked, a note of disbelief in his voice.

"Yeah," I said, avoiding his eyes. "I'm sorry. I thought you knew about the lack of cell service. I guess I assumed you've been on a cruise or something and experienced it then."

Oliver was quiet, and I didn't know if he was going to yell at me or get up and storm off. Was this going to be our first fight? I knew this was probably my fault for not being clear about everything, but I didn't want him to be upset with me.

When I dared to glance over at Oliver, he was slumped down on the couch, looking completely dejected. It pained me to see his pretty chestnut eyes without any light in them. I reached over and took his hand, gently brushing my thumb over the back of his knuckles. "I'm sorry. Are you mad at me?"

He sighed and shook his head. "It's not your fault. The situation just sucks. Is there anything we can do? How does the boat communicate with someone on shore if there's an emergency?"

"By satellite. So we're covered for crucial communications, like information about the weather, and we can get help if we need it. It's tough to be away from our families for that long, but all the guys just deal with it." I smiled and tried to joke with Oliver. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?"

Oliver leaned forward and buried his face in my chest. "It does, but I hate it. I'm going to miss you," he said, his voice muffled by my shirt.

I wrapped my arms around him. "I know. I'm going to miss you too. More than you know."

-Oliver-

Less than two weeks later, the day had finally come. This time, Cooper was leaving out of a port in Seattle, so he didn't have to fly anywhere. I drove him to Seattle the night before, and we spent one last night together in a hotel before he had to be at the pier in the morning.

I was dreading the moment Cooper would get on a ship and leave me behind, but I tried to focus on the surprise I had for him. I wasn't content to do nothing about our communication situation. I did some research and found out there were satellite phones that could be used in remote areas, like in the mountains or out at sea. Some of them only had texting capabilities, but I bought one that could make calls too.

After parking my car, I walked with Cooper to the pier where the fishing vessel was docked. It was bigger than I expected. There were a few other large ships docked nearby and the pier was bustling with activity and people all around, but I didn't care. Cooper didn't either, because he set his bag on the ground and turned to face me, taking both of my hands in his. "I wish I didn't have to say goodbye to you."

"I know. But I'm optimistic that it won't be that bad." I gently let go of his hands and shrugged off the small backpack I was wearing, and then opened it up and took out the satellite phone. "I got this for you so you can text and call me when you get a chance. It's all set up and ready to go, and I put all of your family member's phone numbers in it too. "

Cooper stared at me, his eyes wide and his mouth open in shock. He looked down at the phone and took it, shaking his head. "These phones are expensive. I know one guy who has one and he paid over a thousand dollars for it. And you have to pay for a subscription to the satellite service, which isn't cheap either. Oliver...I don't know what to say."

I smiled at him. "Well, I have an incredible boyfriend who won't let me pay rent, so I had a chunk of money laying around."

Cooper surprised me by lunging forward and throwing his arms around me, squeezing me tight and lifting me enough that my feet left the ground. "Thank you," he mumbled into my hair.

"Put me down," I laughed. "There was no way I wasn't going to buy it. I need to be able to text you more than once a month, and I need to hear your voice."

Cooper set me back down, but kept his arms around my waist and kissed me. I pressed closer to him, kissing back deeply enough that I couldn't breathe. My hands were in his hair and I could smell him and feel his beard tickling my face. I tried to memorize all of it. I couldn't believe it was going to be four months until I got to see him and touch him again.

I was getting choked up, but I convinced myself to keep it together and not embarrass us by being a teary mess. Cooper's lips left mine, but he continued to hug me tightly, swaying us in place.

One of the guys near the fishing vessel called Cooper's name and I knew we couldn't put off the goodbye any longer. I stepped back, giving Cooper space to pick up his bag and straighten out his clothes.

He smiled at me, but his eyes were wet. "Promise me you'll still be here when I get back? I know this is a lot for a brand new relationship and I'm scared of losing you."

"You won't lose me. I'll be counting down the days until you're back. I'm not going anywhere." I reached out and took one of his hands. "I love you."

"I love you too. So much."

He kissed me again, and when he pulled away, I held onto his hand until the last second, until our arms were both stretched out and we were forced to let go.

I watched the man I love board the fishing vessel, and I stood there until it left the port and was a speck in the distance. Then, I turned around to go back to my car and start the long drive home, with nothing waiting for me except an empty house.