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I stare at the man who shares my face. He’s got thinner hair and more wrinkles around his eyes, but it’s like looking into a mirror thirty years from now.
Dad walks over to me as the helicopter leaves. “Son.”
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“I got a call from the head of the Coast Guards.” He arches a bushy eyebrow. “Take an educated guess.”
I turn away from him. “You should go back to your office.”
“How can I when my son is throwing a tantrum and inconveniencing everyone on the island?”
“I’m not your son.”
“You’ll never stop being my son.” He takes a seat in my hammock. “That’s something I should have told you a long time ago by the way, but I’m glad we can discuss it now.”
I glare at him.
He leans forward and rests his elbows on his legs.
Should I just throw my father overboard?
“I’ll accept all the blame.” He falls back into the hammock. “You can do what you want to me. But can I have a minute first? It’s been a while since we’ve hung out.”
I grit my teeth. Cross the boat. Sit on a chair far away from him.
“You know,” Dad says quietly, “it was hard for me too.”
“What?”
“Losing her.”
I stiffen.
“I threw myself into work. It hurt to see your face so I didn’t.” He sighs. “Looking back, I should have done things differently. I can’t imagine the damage we did to you, son. Your mother left us and then I left you too.”
“She didn’t leave us,” I snap. “You drove her away.”
“That may be true. But she chose to go. Her bags were in the car—”
My head starts to pound. “Stop.”
“She fell in love with your Uncle Henry. She wanted out.”
My eyes widen.
Dad gives me a funny look. “I thought you knew. I—don’t you remember?”
The shrieking in my head starts. I gasp in pain as a memory sears me.
“Be a good boy for your father, Hawk.”
“Mom, where are you going?”
“Somewhere I can breathe.”
“Mom, please…”
“Oh, my sweet boy. Stay in bed, okay? I’ll tuck you in.”
