A Vast Sea

•● Chapter 3 ●•

Gregory looked over the contract they had found, trying to decipher it.

In all honesty, he just needed something to distract himself from what happened.

The storm finally died down again, and everyone was staying in the cabin. They were all shaken by the experience.

Cassie was inconsolable at the moment, so Gregory was told to give her space.

Gregory's ear twitched as he heard heavy paw steps approaching his hammock.

He scrambled to hide the contract under him before they peeked in.

It was Freddy who showed up. He smiled at the boy, though it was clear he had been crying.

"Can I sit here for a moment...?" He asked.

Gregory nodded and lifted his knees to his chest, allowing his dad to sit by him. He rested a heavy paw on Gregory's shoulder.

"I just came to... make sure you were okay... how are you feeling, honey?" His voice shook.

Gregory scooted over so he could lean on his dad.

"I'm alright... how about you?" He asked.

Freddy seemed surprised the boy had asked and tried his hardest to keep smiling.

"I'll be fine, do not worry about me." He lifted the boy to sit on his lap.

Gregory wiped his eyes and cuddled into his dad's chest. They sat in comfortable silence before Freddy spoke up.

"I... thought I should bring this up to you, but..." He seemed hesitant to explain.

"Cassie has no other family to go back to... I was considering letting her live with us when we return home... Would that be something you're okay with?"

Gregory thought for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah... yeah, that's good... I don't want her sent off somewhere or anything -"

Freddy smiled and ruffled the boy's bangs affectionately.  "That's my boy!" He praised. Gregory could not help but smile at his affection.

When the boy felt his mind traveling back to Roxanne, he hugged his dad tighter, desperate for comfort.

Freddy hushed him and rocked them on the hammock to calm the boy's nerves.

It worked very well, as Gregory's eyes were already shutting with exhaustion.

His father must have noticed this and laid him down on the hammock. He lifted the knit blanket Gregory had and tucked him in. When the boy was comfortable, Freddy stood up from the hammock and leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"Goodnight, Gregory.  I love you." He whispered.

"Love you too, dad..." He mumbled back. Freddy left back up the stairs as Gregory cuddled into the warm blanket Freddy had knitted for him.

As he was about to relax, he remembered the contract he had been hiding.

He was beginning to feel a tinge of guilt. Especially after his father went out of his way to comfort him, and he was still hiding something.

Unlike most kids, Gregory has never had to hide anything from his parents. They have always been very understanding and patient, so he never felt the need to do it.

But this felt like a crime. He could barely sleep while thinking about it.

He drifted into an uneasy sleep.
.

Everything was silent the next day. No one really talked much, and just did their jobs as usual. Gregory sat silently and stared at his paws.

He truly felt horrible for Cassie, and he did miss Roxanne, too. Just like the rest of the crew, she pitched in and helped to take care of him after his own dad left.