A Ship in Harbor is Safe

“Why don’t you just head home with Tyson?”

Athena picks her head up from her hand, looking toward the doorway connecting the office to the shop’s lot. “Why?”

“Slow day. Plus, aren’t you supposed to be getting a package today?”

She nods, slowly backing the chair up. “Yeah, it was supposed to be delivered, like, three days ago.”

“Maybe today’s your lucky day,” Walt chimes dryly. “Don’t forget to take Ty with ya.”

Athena sighs as she watches the door close behind her father.

He is back to his work, like nothing’s happened.

With a sigh, Athena scoops up her purse and digs her keys out of the large bag. “Ready to go, Tyson?”

Slowly, the dog stands up and stretches. He shakes his body a few times, like he’s gotten a bath, and struts to the door.

Obligating to the dog’s silent demand, Athena opens the door and lets him step out of the office first. She follows and makes sure the old door is closed before heading to the truck and doing the same thing for Tyson.

After getting situated, Athena starts the truck and begins to pull out of the lot.

Tyson shimmies across the seat, placing his heavy head on her right thigh with a loud sigh.

“Hey, buddy,” she doesn’t remove her gaze from road, but gently pets his head with one of her hands.

For the remainder of the twenty minute drive, Tyson’s long body is sprawled across the truck’s single bench seat. Athena’s hand continuously moves from right above his closed eyes, to his wide-set shoulder blades. The dog’s thick, wiry fur in between her fingers seems to make the silent trip pass faster.

“It looks like it’s gonna rain,” Athena mutters as she carefully drives down the long driveway, toward her house. Parking the truck, she takes her keys out of the ignition, and exits the truck. “C’mon, Tyson. Better go potty before it rains.”

Athena goes inside, leaving Tyson outside to do his business. She leaves the door open, only closing the screen door. She climbs the stairs to her bedroom to deposit her purse and sandals, coming back down the stairs moments later to let Tyson inside. “Did you go potty?” she asks as she closes, and locks, the door after he enters the house.

As usual, Tyson just walks into the living room and circles the rug before laying down on it.

“Okay…” Athena nods, “I see how it is.”

Climbing the stairs to go to her room again, she shakes her head. This is her life now, going to work, coming home and socializing with a dog who won’t even give her the time of day. She crawls into bed, shaking her head. “Maybe Dad was right,” she whispers, “or maybe I just made a huge mistake…”



Athena picks her buzzing phone up off of her nightstand, opening the text message and allowing her eyes enough time to focus before holding the phone up so she can read the message.

Has it arrived yet?

Blinking, Athena shakes her head. I fell asleep. I’ll go check.

Stumbling through the pitch black house, Athena enters the foyer and slaps the light switch, illuminating the area. Lazily, she reaches for the piece of paper propped up on the small table. Aloud, she reads the scribbled handwriting, “Athena, I won’t be home tonight. Going out. Dad.”

She puts the paper back where she found it and hits the light switch by the door. Unlocking the door, Athena carefully pulls the door open to look out at the illuminated porch through the screen door. The air that hits her is cold, making her instinctively cross her arms as she pushes the screen door open with her shoulder and steps onto the wooden, covered porch.

Athena stops when her toe gently comes into contact with something hard. She quickly looks down and picks the medium sized box up. She walks into the house, letting the screen door slam shut as she locks the front door again.

With the box in her arms, the young woman climbs the stairs to her bedroom, switches on the room’s light as soon as she enters, and sits down in the center of her bed. The return address is one from Nova Scotia, with no name. She picks her phone up, finding Sidney’s number and pressing the send button.

“Hey, it got there?”

His excitement is immediately contagious, making Athena smile. She nods, “yeah. I have it right here.”

“Have you opened it yet?”

“No,” she smiles. “Should I?”

“Yes!”

Laughing, Athena shakes her head. “Alright, alright. Keep your panties on, Sid.”

“I’ll do my best,” Sidney replies, jokingly.

Athena bites her lip, turning the phone on speaker and lying in on the mattress. She reaches over to her nightstand, opening the drawer and retrieving a pocket knife that she’d acquired sometime during her teenage years. Gently, she slices the tape on the box and returns the knife. “You gonna give me a hint as to what’s in here, or not?”

“Of course not. That would ruin the surprise.”

She takes a deep breath and pulls the four flaps on the top of the box open. Hovering over the box, she makes a quick mental inventory: a large manila envelope, a smaller envelope and a folded up bag. “Okay, I have it open. What should I open first?”

“The bag,” Sidney’s excitement, and smile, are both obvious in his voice.

“Alright,” Athena smiles, pulling the light blue gift bag out of the box. Unfolding it, she takes a deep breath as she reaches into it to feel a familiar material. Her heart beat speeds up and slows down at the same time. With a shaky hand, she pulls material out of the bag and puts the bag off to the side. Holding the jersey at the shoulders, she smiles as its end bunches on her lap. The large Penguins logo is in her face, as is the “C”. A foreign sounding noise leaves the young woman’s lips, “I love it!”

“You do?”

“Yes!” She nods, standing up off to the side of the bed and pulling the jersey on over her tank top. “It’s a little big, though…”

Sidney chuckles, “yeah, I hope it is.”

Athena picks her phone up, walking over to the mirrored closet doors. “Why is that?”

“Because it used to be mine.”

“You mean this is game worn?”

“Yeah, it is,” Sidney chuckles.

Athena smiles as she rocks back and forth on her bare feet. Her voice is meek, “I’ve never had a game worn jersey before.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Sidney says quietly.

“Why is that?” Athena asks, biting her lip and grabbing the end of the mostly black jersey and holding it in her hand, just to feel the material.

“You’re…” Sidney is quiet for a split second, “you’re a pretty, Canadian girl, Athena. I find it hard to believe you’ve never had a guy give you his jersey before.”

She shrugs, resisting the urge to explain why. “I haven’t. I love it, though. Thank you, Sid.”

“There’s more,” Sidney says, almost teasingly.

Athena nods, “I know. Do I get a hint now?”

“Nope. But, I think I may let you open the two envelopes alone.”

Pouting, Athena looks at the phone. “Why?”

“Because it’s a surprise,” Sidney says. “And I think you’ll want some time to… think after you open them. But you can call me after.”

“Okay, now you’re just scaring me.” Athena smiles, looking at Sidney’s jersey practically swallowing her entire body. She rubs the material between her fingers.

Sidney speaks gently, “it’s nothing to be scared of. It’s actually… pretty cool. I’d start with the manila folder.”

“I’ll take your word for it, then.”

He chuckles, “so call me later, then?”

“Yeah, you bet.”