27. Jesse
27
Jesse
Present day
It’s early Saturday morning, and I’m sitting on the front porch swing with Lucy and my old man. The weather's a perfect seventy degrees, and the sun’s just beginning to rise. Birds are singing their songs, and everything feels still, like the world’s waking up too.
It’s the perfect kind of summer morning to enjoy a cup of coffee.
It’s officially been a week since my first playdate with the kids. We’ve gotten together every evening since then, and things have been going better than I ever expected.
Harrison is still way better at his video games than I am, but I’ve learned something new too—Michael likes to bake.
The other night, we made a cake from scratch. Nothing caught on fire, and nothing broke. I’m calling that a win, considering I’ve never baked a thing in my entire adult life.
I also learned that the kids love riding bikes. Yesterday, the four of us rode them around Camp Willowbrooke. Cora and I used to ride bikes together every summer at the campground— it almost felt like old times. It's only better now because Harrison and Michael are here with us.
Cora has tagged along for every play date. The first time I came over, she didn’t interact much and she mostly kept to herself. But now? Now she’s right in the middle of the chaos. I’ve laughed more in the past few days than I have in over a year.
Being with all three of them has brought so much joy into my life. I didn’t realize how much my heart could feel, how many emotions I could carry, until they came around.
“How are you feeling?” I ask my dad, breaking the quiet.
“Nervous. Excited. Happy. Too many things all at once,” he replies, his gaze drifting toward the lake. His hands are folded neatly in his lap, but I can see the tension in his posture.
“I really think that you’re going to fit right in with them. They’re so smart and fun to be around. I bet they'll both have you wrapped around their little fingers before the day is over." I finish taking a sip of my drink and I notice that Cora and the kids are walking over from their house. She looks up at me and my dad and waves to us both.
The kids have never been on a boat and have never been fishing, so I decided today was the day. We’re heading out on my boat, and it’s going to be a learning experience for all of us. Plus, it’ll be their first time meeting Papaw Lloyd—my dad.
The boys are decked out in matching rain boots and bucket hats, muscle t-shirts, and basketball shorts. Cora’s in a loose-fitting t-shirt, jean shorts, sneakers, and a ball cap. Honestly, she could be wearing a trash bag, and I’d still think she looked stunning.
Harrison approaches the porch slowly, clearly skeptical of the new stranger. Michael, on the other hand, runs right past us, heading straight for Lucy without a second thought. He’s always been like that—no hesitation, no fear.
I watch as he drops to his belly, getting right in Lucy’s face. She greets him with a big, sloppy kiss on the cheek. Michael giggles.
“Hey guys,” I say with a smile. “I want you all to meet someone. This is my dad, but you all can call him Papaw Lloyd. He’s going to go fishing with us today, if that's alright with you two.”
Neither of them say anything. I think they're too overstimulated and it's still too early in the morning for their little brains.
“Hi there, boys,” Dad says, rising from his chair. He’s wearing his bib overalls, an old hat, and fishing boots—the uniform of someone who’s spent years on the water. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
“Hi!” Michael says, his voice full of enthusiasm, barely looking up as he continues to waller all over Lucy.
Harrison is the more skittish one and he offers dad a small smile and wave. At least he didn't glare at him like he does everyone else. I warned my dad that Harrison would probably be shy and reserved until he got comfortable.
Papaw Lloyd gets down on one knee so he can be eye level with the kids. “Do you all mind if I tag along today? I’d really like to get to know you two better.”
“I guess so," Harrison says as he shrugs his shoulders.
“I’m so excited to get on the boat!” Michael zooms around the porch like a wild animal. He is full of energy this morning.I wish I could have a fraction of his energy for a day.
Harrison joins Michael on the porch and pets Lucy. “Hey girl, I missed you so much.” He gives her a huge hug and she looks up at him with a loving gaze.
He then turns his attention back to me with an ornery expression on his face. "Oven dude, I really love your dog."
I burst out laughing and shake my head. "Oven dude? I thought we were past that. I thought we were friends now?"
"Oh yeah, you're right." He giggles and gives me a hug. He's so rotten.
I clap my hands together and stand up. “Okay everyone, time to head out to the dock. Boys, I got you both your own rods and tackle boxes. Cora, I got you a pink one for you.” I wink and she rolls her eyes. I don’t miss the smile that she tries to hide.
“Lets go!” Michael takes off in the direction of the dock.
“Slow down, Michael!” Cora calls out as she starts jogging to catch up with him. “Be careful! Don’t get too close to the water until we’re all down there together!”
Meanwhile, Harrison, Dad, and I make our way down to the wooden boat dock in a comfortable silence. Dad’s holding all the fishing poles, Harrison’s got the lunch sacks, and I’m carrying the tackle boxes. It’s a small, simple moment, but it feels like we’ve done this a thousand times before.
Harrison gasps when the dock comes into view. My boat—a big, early 2000’s fish and ski model—sits there, looking as solid as ever. It’s big enough to fit six adults comfortably. When I first bought it, I’d just sold my software, and I didn’t want to draw too much attention to myself by spending a fortune on something brand new. But I really wanted one, so I settled on this one.
“What do you all think? Isn’t she a beaut?” I ask, slipping into my best Christmas Vacation impression, a sly grin tugging at my lips.
“This is the coolest thing ever, bro!” Harrison yells, jumping up and down, clearly over the moon.
“Shhh!” Cora says, her hands up in an attempt to calm them down. “You’re going to scare the fish away before we even get started.”
Once everyone’s on the boat and all of our supplies are secured, I back us out of the dock.
There's still a coat of mist hovering over the water this early in the morning. Instead of looking eerie, I feel like it's kind of cozy. This is the best time to be out on the water, right before the summer heat scorches us.
The scent of the lake, fish, and gas from the boat soothes my soul. I love being out here, on the water. I silently pray this is just the first of many fishing trips for us as a family.
Once we pass the buoys, I give the boat a little more gas, speeding up. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch sight of Cora, and I can’t help but chuckle. She has a death grip on both of the kids, holding them like they’re about to launch into space.
“Are you boys excited to fish today?” I ask, glancing back at them.
“I am! I’m going to catch all the fishes that live in the waters!” Michael says in a rush, his voice full of enthusiasm.
“My goal is to catch one and to be able to eat it later,” Harrison states, sounding proud of his more practical approach.
“I bet we can make that happen," Papaw Lloyd chimes in with a grin. “Your dad makes the best fish fry around town.” The excitement on his face is contagious, and for a second, I see a spark in his eyes I haven’t seen since the days when I played high school football.
After a few minutes of driving the boat around, I pull up to one of my favorite fishing spots. I grab my bait container and get the poles lined up. My dad is going to be in charge of the trolling motor so we will be coasting a little bit.
“Alright, who wants to go first?” I ask, glancing at the kids.
“Me!” Michael yells, practically jumping out of his seat with his hands in the air. Cora shoots him a "shh" that’s as gentle as she can, trying not to hurt his feelings.
“Excuse me, sorry,” he whispers, his excitement bubbling over. “I’m just excited.”
“It’s okay, bud. Come here.” I motion for him to walk over, and when he does, I hand him his fishing pole. Reaching into my bait container, I pull out a fat, wriggling nightcrawler worm, its body squirming in my hands.
“Do you want to help me put the worm on the hook?” I hold the worm out to him and he jumps back and as far away from me as he can.
“EW!” He makes a disgusted face. “No way!”
“I’ll do it,” Harrison says, getting out of his seat and taking the rod from his brother.
“Okay then,” I reply. “I’ll hold the hook and walk you through how to wrap the worm on it so it won’t fall off when you cast.”
Harrison takes the nightcrawler from me, his expression never changing as he expertly threads the worm onto the hook like he’s done it a hundred times before.
“Are you sure you’ve never done this?” I ask with a smile, impressed by how quickly he caught on.
“I’ve always wanted to, but this really is my first time,” Harrison says, his voice steady but with a hint of excitement.
“Well, you’re going to be a pro in no time.” I wink at him, giving him a playful nudge.
I move him into position to cast the line, making sure to explain every step carefully. I emphasize, “Make sure to aim out, and don’t forget—no swinging the pole around or letting the hook get too close to anyone.”
As I talk, I can’t help but notice the slight anxiety on Cora’s face. I’m sure as a nurse, she’s seen her fair share of fishing injuries. She’s probably imagining the worst-case scenario.
“Here goes nothing,” Harrison says, holding up his fishing pole with determination. He casts it exactly how I showed him, and to my surprise, he nails it on his first try. He’s a natural. I guide him through reeling the line back in, and he does it with the ease of someone who's been doing this for years.
“He didn’t get anything,” Michael says, his brow furrowing in confusion. “Why didn’t he catch anything?”
“You see, Michael,” my dad begins, his voice calm and steady, “fishing is a test of something called patience. It’s not about how many fish you catch or even if you catch any at all. Fishing is about learning to wait, to listen, and most of all, to have patience.”
Michael looks up at him, completely serious, and deadpans, “But I don’t want to wait. I just want to win. I want to catch the most fish.”
“Although they do have something called a fishing tournament, this isn’t one,” my dad continues, his tone lighthearted. “This boating trip is all about learning, not winning.”
Just then, Harrison’s line jerks. “What was that? What do I do?” he asks, eyes wide.
“You’ve got a bite, baby!” Cora exclaims, her voice full of excitement. “Reel it in!”
“Wait, don’t reel it in yet!” I call out. “You’ve got to set the hook first, just like we talked about.”
Harrisons battle with the fish was short but thrilling. The fish that came out of the water was about six or seven inches, so a pretty excellent catch for his first time. The fish that he caught ended up being a crappie, one of my favorite fish to eat.
I show Harrison how to carefully remove the fish from the hook and place it in the boat’s compartment, designed to store the catch. “Great job, Harrison! I’m so proud of you!”
Harrison smiles up at me, then wraps his arms around me, resting his head on my chest. “Thanks, Jesse.”
As I look over his shoulder, I catch Cora’s eye. She's looking at me with the biggest smile on her face and for a moment, everything feels right.