Chapter 6

He awoke from his memory with a jolt, a bruned aftertaste on his tongue. Why do I torment myself this way, why must I relive this, he thought to an empty room. The sun was now hiding on the other side of the world, and in its absence was the cold and dark night, forbidding yet comforting. He reached for his glass and walked to the bottle resting ont he bar. He tapped off his glass, watching the amber liquid cascade about in the confines of the crystal . He drank that one and poured himself another. He saw his whole life crumbling about him and he felt powerless to stop it. A cold shiver ran down his spine and he placed a few more logs on the fire before returning to the residual warmth in his chair. Outside the trees shuddered against one another, a rogue limb was was scraping across the window pane. Tap Tap, tap tap, Papa, tap tap, Papa, the voice of his son lured him back into a fitful slumber.

His dream took him back to the lighthouse, only now it was a year later and the situation had changed . He gazed out across the cove and saw his son waving at him from a boat and holding up what looked to be a salmon. He smiled and waved back before turning about and heading towards the house. there sitting outside the back porch sharpening the aces was hi new assistant light-keeper, Jules. It was almost a year ago this day that he nearly arrested this man. mary was right all along, and after squaring things away with the Coast Guard, Jules asked to stay on the island to repay his gratitude. To date Jules had been one of the hardest working and able bodied men to serve alongside him. He came up next to him and admired the progress before saying “the new fresnel is coming in today”.
“I will go make sure the old one is ready to be moved before they get here” replied Jules.
“I’ll come and get you when they come in.”
At this he walked inside and found Mary washing the morning dishes. She was looking through the kitchen window and her gaze was focused on something outside the back door. He walked up to her, wrapped his arms around her waist and nestled his face amongst her locks. She moved her head slightly and cooed “Hell there handsome, what brings you by my door at this hour?”
“You” he simply replied.
He was enjoying the feeling of her tight in his arms pressed up against him. A growing warmth was building deep inside him. As he nuzzled her neck and breathed in the sweet aroma of her hair, he finally caught sight of what it was that was occupying her gaze. The once passionate heat suddenly froze over as he saw Jules grinding away outside the kitchen window. He lifted his lips to her ear and whispered “I love you” before pulling away and going to the washroom. He always felt he could trust Mary, he knew she wouldn’t be unfaithful, had he not tried to give her everything? He tried to put the thought out of his mind for the rest of the day, but there was always that incessant reminder. She had seemed more cheerful these past few months, more then usual.

That evening at dinner, as the family st laughing about another on of Jules stories, he remained silent, awaiting a lull in the conversation. As dessert was being served he finally found his chance and announced “I received a letter last week, I need to go to Astoria for a meeting of the light-keepers.” The silence was palpable, and he could feel his heart beat thunder inside his chest in sync with the tick tock of the grandfather clock on the mantle.
“I will be gone for a week or so, but I promise to pick up supplies before I return. Mary, Jules you must always watch the beacon in my absence” he said.
At the mention of supplies and therefore possible treats, a smile returned to the childrens’ faces before spreading infectiously to the rest of the tables occupants.