🏁 Tetrology Of The Sea - Book 1: From The Sea 🪼🔨💻 💞 🔮

Twenty-Three

"I heard that Shana went to your studio. How was it to see her again?" Ruth asked as she served Travis a pile of mashed potatoes.
"It was awkward... Hey, do you know what happened to Aylin? Why is he wearing an eye patch around? Need more people to look at him or something?"
Ruth didn't laugh and Travis watched her for a moment as she put the pan up and sat down at the table with him and Esper.
"I don't know all the details about it but from what I understand, he was burned all down his right side first and then somehow he lost an eye. They've all be very hush-hush over there about the incident. They don't even know where Aylin was burned at or how his eye was pierced through. For a while there were sirens and I remember visiting him in the hospital."
"Jeez... But what do you mean that they don't know how any of it happened?"
"From what Shana said, the police called and said that Aylin had been taken to the hospital because of third degree burns but no one could get a word out of him about it. I think Shana knows about what happened with his eye but she's keeping it to herself. They both changed after that incident."
"Yeah, she looked a little disheveled. Aylin was calm and kind of menacing."
"Well, the eye patch does make him look a bit intimidating but he's calmed down a lot and is actually halfway decent to be around now. I mean, he still quips but not like he used to and I believe he realizes how wrong he's been to others, especially you, with different views on things. Being physically changed like that makes a person take a step back."
"I think he looks like a pirate. He needs a hat." Esper said as she speared some corn on her fork. "Will we see him again, Daddy?"
"I'm sure we will at the dance studio. His sister is getting married and I have to help them learn how to dance."
"Cool! She's really pretty."
"Yes, she is isn't she?"
"I wanna keep him..." Esper said, dance swaying in her seat. "Can I keep him?"
"Keep who?"
"The pirate. Imma call him Captain Patchy Patch."
"Esper, he's not a pet. He already has a name that his mother gave him."
"Oh..."
"His name is Aylin."
"I like Captain Patchy Patch." She said, folding her arms. "Imma call him that."
Travis rolled his eyes to Ruth as she smirked at him.

"So, do you think it is worth going through all this trouble so you can marry Craig?" Aylin asked as he watched his sister drain some spaghetti in the colander.
"What are you talking about?"
"Save it, Shana. You're still in love with Travis and Craig is a dick."
"He was your friend." She snapped.
Aylin glared at her. "Before things got bad."
"Well if you would have just told us what happened then we wouldn't have to be indebted to him and Craig wouldn't have to act like he likes being with us!" she hissed.
"Then why are you marrying him?!" he growled, smacking his hand on the counter. "Shana!"
"Stop!"
"You don't love him! Even though he was my friend, things changed after that. Even he annoys me with his fake love and everything. I just don't like it anymore. I would rather he leave us alone and you take it up than marry that guy."
"He's the only one that will marry me anymore!"
Aylin frowned and got up, grabbing his coat.
"Where are you going?"
"To Ruth's."
He walked over to Ruth's house, seeing an extra car in the driveway. He knocked on the door and waited for a moment. The door opened and Aylin looked down as Esper's face lit up and she gasped.
"Captain Patchy Patch!" she yelled, jumping onto him and hugging him.
Surprised, Aylin caught her as Travis came to the door.
"Aylin?"
"Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Noooo! He's my pirate, Daddy!" she said, hugging Aylin tightly.
Travis had to smile at Aylin's surprised look as Esper smiled at her father.
"Espy, please let Aylin go so we can talk."
She slid down Aylin and went back to the table. Travis went out the door and closed it behind him.
"What's up?"
"First of all, your kid is as weird as you are. Why does she like me so much?"
"Maybe she sees something others don't. What's going on?"
"Look... Can you do something that I have never asked of you before?"
"And that would be?"
"I want you to seduce my sister."
"Come again?"
"She's doing something stupid by marrying that kreaton. She thinks she's doing me a favor."
"How so?"
"When I... well, when I got burned and the eye thing... all our friends drifted away except for Craig."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"No. He stays because I have something on him. Shana doesn't know that and the idiot thinks that she can't go and find someone who loves her, that she has to stay with Craig for my sake so I can have 'friends'."
"That's stupid."
"You think? So, I'm asking you for Shana's sake and for your daughter."
"What would you know?"
"Kids need a mother, Travis. Shana and I would know that more than anyone, considering your mother was the only one we knew. Don't let Shana do this to herself."
"I told Shana I didn't want her in Esper's life because of the hypocrisy of you two. Why do this now?"
Aylin looked him up and down with his good eye and then gave him a strange look.
"Why not?"
Travis blanched. "Aylin-"
"Says the guy who's a mermaid... how's that for hypocrite?"
"That's completely different and you know it."
"Well, has daddy told his daughter what she is? Or how she came into the world?"
"Are you trying to blackmail me?" Travis said with a sardonic smile toward Aylin.
"I'm showing you your own hypocrisy. I'm not threatening you in any way, I promise. I've learned from this," He displayed his eye. "that things on the surface are not all they seem. I am apologizing for all the things I've done to you in the past. Please, though... save my sister from that idiot. He will do nothing but ruin her and you know that."
Travis rubbed his face and sighed.
"I can try..."
"There's no try, only do. Yes, I quoted Star Wars, I had a long recovery in the hospital and Spike TV was showing it all the time." He said holding up his finger. "And I don't think you need to try very hard at all. She's still in love with you. See you at dance practice!" he said with an over exaggerated smile and a pat to Travis' shoulder.
Travis watched him walk away and looked around.
"What have I gotten myself into...?"