Coming Home (#Wattys 2017)

2; Fishing Trip

Carrie and Harrison took Billie to the lake the following day to go fishing. Little Billie loved fishing.

It was Wednesday, so there weren't very many people there. As they walked, Harrison carried Billie on his shoulders as Carrie continued next to him, carrying all the fishing gear.

"Come on daddy!"

"We're almost there Billie."

"But I wanna catch a fishy daddy!"

"You're going to catch a big fish Billie. And you're going to catch lots of them. Daddy has a few tricks."

"I want to see those tricks," Carrie added from beside them.

"You will. There's no need to worry," he boasted.

She shook her head and smiled as she followed the two of them. Not five minutes later, they came to a small dock where two men were launching a boat.

"Daddy where are we going to fish?" Billie asked as Harrison set her down.

"You'll see B."

As the men launched their boat, Billie asked, "can we get a boat mommy and daddy?"

Harrison looked at Carrie. She shrugged. They had the financial room for it. After he'd injured his shoulder and she'd gotten shot in Iraq, the two of them received large bonuses for that, as well as getting bonuses for successfully attempting some of the most dangerous missions in U.S. history.

"Daddy can we get a boat?"

"You'll have to ask mommy."

Billie ran over to Carrie. "Can we get a boat mommy!? Please!"

"Sure B."

"Yay!" She ran back over to her daddy. "Mommy said we could get a boat! Did you hear her daddy!?"

"I heard her sweetie."

Harrison looked over at Carrie. Her answer was odd. She was never a fan of boats since the time they took over a ship run by terrorists bringing weapons to Al-Qaeda. It was then when she'd gotten shot by one of the terrorists. After being shot in the right shoulder, she refused medical attention and finished the mission.

Once the boat pulled away from the dock, Billie and Carrie followed Harrison onto it where he rigged up a fishing pole. "Hurry up daddy! I wanna catch a fishy!"

"Trick number one B, the bass love green jigs."

"What's a bass?"

"It's a species of fish," he answered. "It's light green towards the top. Then there's a dark green stripe along its sides. You'll see because we're going to catch one."

Once he finished attaching the jig, he casted the it towards the end of the dock, with the jig landing not a foot from it. "Trick number two, the bass almost always hang out by the docks."

When the jig made a splash, he handed the pole to Billie. "Now you have to reel just a little bit."

"There isn't the orange thing daddy?"

"No there's not a bobber," he answered. "The bass like to chase jigs."

Harrison knelt down behind his daughter and helped her reel. "You got it B. Just like that."

Billie kept reeling until the green jig popped above the waters surface. "Now what do we do daddy?"

"We cast it again."

He put his hands on hers that held the pole. Harrison then helped her cast. It landed just wide of the dock, even closer than Harrison's first cast. "We're going to get one this time B."

Daddy was true to his word. After letting go of the pole, he watched Billie's facial expression with a smile when she felt the tug on the other end of the line. "Daddy's it's a fishy!"

"Yes it is B."

He helped her pull the pole back and set the hook. "It feels like a big one."

"It better be a big fishy daddy!"

Harrison let go of the pole. "It's all you. Remember-"

"Don't reel when the fishy is pulling. I remember daddy!"

When the fish began to tug hard, he gave his daughter some support. The tip of the pole was really being yanked by the fish. Once the fish stopped pulling as hard, Billie began to reel again.

"Look mommy, I'm gonna catch a fishy!"

Carrie sat beside the two of them with her feet hanging over the edge of the dock, just above the water. "You're doing good B."

Once she got it close enough to the dock, Harrison grabbed the net and scooped the fish out of the water. "Fishy!"

It flopped around on the dock. Harrison stuck his finger in its mouth, getting the hook out before removing it from the tangled mess of net.

"Doesn't it have teeth daddy?"

He shook his head no. "Some fish have teeth, but largemouth bass don't. Here, feel it."

Billie traced her finger along the fish's lip. "It feels like sandpaper, doesn't it?"

"It does daddy."

"You want to hold it and let mommy take a picture?"

She stood in front of her daddy who instructed her to place both hands under its belly. Carrie then took a picture. "Good job B."

Harrison then put the fish back in the water. "Let's catch another one B."

"Okay daddy."

As he and Billie continued fishing, Harrison realized Carrie had been gone for long time for what must've been a very long phone call. In the time she was gone, they caught three more.

When he saw her holding her hands over he face as she walked, he left Billie to hold the pole and met her before she stepped onto the dock.

"Carrie what is it?" He asked, when she forcefully slammed into his chest.

She didn't answer right away, telling him that she was crying. "Carrie?"

Harrison placed a finger under her chin, tilting it just a bit so she would look at him. "Carrie tell me. What's wrong?"

He felt her arms tighten around him. "I don't want to go again Harrison. I can't."

"You can't what?" He wondered. "Carrie talk to me."

"Remember what I was telling you last night?" She asked.

Harrison nodded as the realization kicked in. No, they couldn't be. "Harry we're being deployed again."