Chapter 19 - The Anchor and the Open Sea
That evening, after the sun had dipped below the Pacific horizon, painting the sky in violent shades of purple and gold, the boy sat on the edge of the wooden pier dangling his bare feet over the dark water.
Sarah walked down the wooden planks carrying two paper cups of hot cocoa, handing one to him before sitting down right beside him, her shoulder pressing warmly against his.
"You played really well today," she said, blowing gently across the surface of her cup. "Coach Higgins said your swing looks like a professional's."
"I just stopped thinking about where to put my hands," the boy admitted, looking down at his fingers silhouetted against the dark water below. "I used to think that if I stayed completely still, nobody would notice me. Like if I didn't make a sound, the bad things wouldn't find me."
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Sarah wrapped her arm around his shoulders, pulling him close against her side. "You don't have to hide anymore, buddy. The monsters don't live out here. The ocean washes everything clean."
The boy nodded, taking a slow sip of the sweet, warm chocolate. Far out in the distance, a lighthouse beam swept across the dark waves in a steady, protective rhythm, cutting through the night to guide ships safely home.
