After they’d gone, Gloriana hurried to finish up the dishes. She wanted to work on her knitting before they headed to bed. She was making thick cable sweaters for Papa and JT from a dark, unwashed wool yarn. Gloriana had gotten the idea from Mrs. Sedgwick, the pastor’s wife. The unwashed yarn made the sweater more waterproof and thus warmer for long days on the ship. They would make perfect Christmas presents.

She glanced at the small table beside her chair, which held a picture of the entire family. It wasn’t very big, but everyone was there, and they looked so happy. She gazed at her mother and smiled. Mama had never been one for fancying herself up, but she had donned a lace collar and a cameo for the occasion. She looked quite ornate.

Gloriana wiped a single tear from her eye. She missed Mama more than she could say but knew there was no sense in crying. If Papa saw her, he’d feel the need to cheer her up, and Gloriana didn’t want him to be distracted from his work. He worked so hard.

An hour or so later, she heard her father coming in for the night. She could see he was weary and chilled to the bone.

“Would you like me to heat some water for a bath?”

He smiled but shook his head. “No, that’s all right. I cleaned up already. I’ll warm up once I get under a few blankets.”

“Are you planning to go back to the islands for whitefish tomorrow?”

“You betcha. The numbers are good and getting better. We’ll use the gill nets and probably get more than we need for the orders to Peterson’s and Jacoby’s. I’ll bring home plenty to smoke.” He yawned. “But there is something I need to tell you before I head to bed.” He took a seat in his favorite chair.

Gloriana added more wood to the fire. “What is it, Papa?”

“I just wanted you to know that I know you’re right about Jesus.” He yawned again and rubbed his eyes. “I know you worry about such things.”

She didn’t know what to say. Her mother had tried all of Gloriana’s life to get her husband to accept the Christian faith as his own and take Jesus as his Lord and Savior.