The Sailor's daughter

Today started rough. I feel guilt when Tesla feels scared or abandoned. She's already been abandoned so abruptly by someone who was her..... I mean for all intents this person was an entire half of her world..... Disappeared. So I try to rededicate myself every time I see her that I will be there for her and I will spend time with her uninterrupted by the distractions of gaming/streaming/writing. I hope it's enough and I try to make damn sure that she knows just how much I love her.

Anyway on to the story

The windows rattled with the wind battered shakes of a house that has weathered many storms. Rain flew sideways in the gales and thunder rolled in long after the flash that caused it had burned away. The power had long since gone out and the only dim lights in the darkness were the flickering lights of two small candles. Perhaps it should be said that the candles were the only constant source of light, for the lightning provided a consistent reminder of the violent charge the air carried. Huddled together in the chill darkness were two figures wrapped tight in blankets. They lay upon multiple other blankets all thrown flat into an impromptu mattress upon the carpeted ground. The smaller of the two seemed only a child and shivered violently. Her lithe frame jumped in surprise and fear with each flash of lightning and subsequent growl of thunder as she huddled closer into the chest of the larger human. He was built stocky and wrapped his arms with the blanket tight around the small child. This male, too, had weathered many storms and it showed in the creases of his eyes, the wrinkles on his brow, and the lines etched into the edges of his mouth.

"Shhh, hush now child. You're okay. We're safe in this house. She's gotten me through many storms and she'll carry us through many more."

The larger figure smiled warmly down at the child in his arms and kissed the top of her head before beginning to hum an old sea shanty. He was certain to leave out the words as they were unfit for the ears of one so small, but the tune helped to soothe the little life.

"There we go, that's my girl."

He rocked gently back and forth as the girl began finally to stop her shivering and appeared to be drifting off to sleep. Before she fell fully to the grasp of dreams the stocky man made sure to blow out the candles. As the child's breathing became rhythmic and her small hands grasped tight to one of his fingers, he too began to succumb to the cloying call of slumber.

"We're going to be fine, child."

The house had weathered many storms previous, but this was the one that would claim victory over what remained of the once sturdy little building.