Big Mac had urged his hardworking son to take a day off and go with Steve. Mac had recruited Evan, Grant and Dan to go, too. They’d set off in high spirits, looking forward to the day on the water that had ended so tragically.

Alone on the dark pier, Big Mac rested his elbows on the top of a piling and used the his palms to mop up the tears that kept coming and coming and coming, no matter what he did. He wondered if they would ever stop. He’d always known he probably loved his kids a little too much. Just as he’d always know that his effusive love drove them crazy, especially when they were younger and more easily embarrassed.

Unfortunately for them, he didn’t know any other way to love but all the way. An entire day spent pondering what it would be like to lose even one of them, let alone three at once, had broken something in him that wouldn’t be easily mended.

“Oh, hey,” Luke said. “Didn’t realize you were out here.”

Big Mac wiped his face and turned to the young man who’d been a son to him in every way that mattered. “What’re you doing here so late?”

“I suspect the same thing you are—checking on our friends at 11 D.”

“I had a little talk with them. I think we understand each other.”

“Oh good. I’m sure you were more diplomatic than I would’ve been.”

“You would’ve done fine.”

“See you in the morning?”

“Bright and early.”

Luke nodded and started to walk away, but then he turned back. Hands on hips, he leveled a steady look at Big Mac.

“Something on your mind, son?”

“I’m sorry… I wanted to say that because I know you’re pissed at me and with good reason—”

“Pissed at you? What’re you talking about? I’ve never been pissed with you a minute of my life.”

Under the lights on the main pier, he saw Luke’s cheek twitch, and his jaw was set with unusual tension that told Big Mac a lot about how upset Luke was over their supposed rift. “You’re going to deny you’ve been pissed since last week when I stopped you from taking the boat out?”

They’d nearly come to blows when Luke physically restrained him to keep him from going out on his own to look for his boys.

Big Mac rubbed at the stubble on his jaw, trying to think of what he should say to fix this. “It’s true I wasn’t pleased that you stopped me, but with hindsight, I can see you did the right thing. The Coasties didn’t need another missing boater on their hands.”

“It was bad enough that the others were missing. I couldn’t let something happen to you, too. And the fog was so thick. So thick.”