Once in Every Life

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plunge-pull motion. Water slapped against the sides of the canoe.

"Folks make you nervous?" Charlie asked, leaning back in the canoe.

Jack nodded.

Charlie leaned back in the canoe. "Don't be. You're one of us, son. Looks like I'm not the only one your wife convinced of that."

Jack looked up. "Thanks, Charlie. I really mean that. Without you ..."

He laughed. "Without me, nothing. It was your wife that did all the work, son. You're a lucky man to have a woman who loves you so much."

He smiled, slow and easy, thinking of Lissa. "Yeah, I am."

They lapsed back into silence as Jack expertly maneuvered the canoe into the harbor and up to the sagging wooden dock. The islanders stood back from the dock, their bodies a tangle of shadows that were curiously silent.

Jack and Charlie stepped out of the canoe, their feet splashing in the cold water. Alone, Jack brought the canoe onto the shore and pulled it high on the beach. The wooden hull scraped loudly on the pebbles and sand.

Then, slowly, he turned and faced the silent people.

Charlie was the first to speak. "You all heard about the Nuanna boys, I know. Well, Joe admitted to me that he did the killings. Trial's set for a week from today in Port Townsend."

The crowd rustled around, talked quietly among themselves, then, slowly, Jerry Sikes came forward, his hand outstretched. "Welcome back, Jack."

Jack stood stunned, unable to do anything except stumble forward and take the man's hand. One by one, the other islanders came forward to greet him, welcome him home.

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"Good to have you back, Mr. Rafferty." "Guess it feels good to be home." "Hope you and Missus Rafferty'll come on over for supper sometime soon."

Jack tried his best to answer all the well-wishers. Finally, overwhelmed, he looked up.

And saw his family standing on the hill. A huge ache spread through him at the sight of them.

"Lissa." Her name came out as a whisper of longing. "You'd best be runnin' along," a woman said beside him. "She's been waitin' on yah all day."

Jack drew his hand back. The crowd parted as if on cue, giving him room. He ran through the darkened grass and bounded up the shadowy hillside.

"Daddy!" Katie came at him first, braids flapping. She threw herself into his arms. He swept her into a bear hug and twirled her around, reveling in the high, clear sound of her laughter.

When they came to a stop, he kissed her soft forehead and whispered, "I missed you, little Katydid."

He looked up and saw Savannah standing a few feet away. He dropped to one knee and opened his other arm. Grinning, she hurled herself down the hill and slammed into him. The three of them toppled over, rolling breathlessly down the hill.

Laughing, they started to get up. Jack was halfway to a stand when he felt his wife's gaze on him. Crouched in the grass, an arm around each daughter, he looked up. His heart tripped hard, slammed into his throat.

Lissa was close enough that he could see the welcoming softness in the brown eyes, close enough that he could smell the lavender scent of her hair. He swallowed thickly. God, she looked beautiful.

His hands slid down the girls' backs and fell to his sides. Drawn to his feet, he moved toward her. All around

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them the wind whispered through the grass. Stars poked through the twilight sky and twinkled overhead. A tiny mewling sigh came from the wicker basket at Lissa's feet.

She smiled. "Hi, Jack."

He took her in his arms. She melted against him, her arms circling low and casual around his hips, her face tucked in the crook of his neck. They stood there for a long time, as long as it took the pale orange sun to sink into the horizon. Neither one of them said anything; there was nothing that needed to be said. What they needed now was togetherness, and together, standing in the middle of the shadowy field, with their children gathered around them, they began to heal.