Waiting for Hope

Simple Man

Authors note! If you haven't read the companion story, Guarded Hope! This story contains MAJOR spoilers for that one. Or, if you don't mind spoilers, read them in any order you like...

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Simple Man - lynard skynard

Ethan Thompson hung up the phone knowing that his life had just come to a crossroad. He wasn't sure if he would go left or right. But one thing he did know, nothing would be the same again. Hope Smith, the girl he had watched and waited for these past years, was back. The question was, did he care.

Before he had first laid eyes on her, Ethan was a normal 15 year old guy. He liked surfing and baseball. He hung out with his best friend, Will Hoskin, and loved classic rock. He was quiet, a sharp contrast to Will's bold personality, but hanging with Will had given him creds. He was well liked, not popular but people knew who he was.

Ethan had grown up in Morro Bay, a small fishing town in central California. He lived with his mom, Diane, in a 5th wheel trailor on a campground which she managed. He had lived there since he was about five. When they first moved there, his dad also lived with them. They were a happy family, for about five years. Then things changed.

His dad was a fisherman, working with his best friend's dad on a commercial fishing vessel based out of the marina in Morro Bay. They spent long days on the boat in the high fishing seasons. He hardly saw his dad during those times. But, during the off season, his dad would play catch with him, teach him to surf and fish, all of the usual father/son activities you would expect.

Things seemed okay at home. They were packed in tightly in their trailer, but most of their time was spent outside so it didnt seem to matter much. His parents fought sometimes, but he figured all parents fought occasionally. They seemed to fight more during the off seasons, when his dad was home more.

One off-season when Ethan was ten, his dad made an announcement. He had decided to try his luck as a crab fisherman in the Bering Sea. It was dangerous, but he could make a lot of money. His mom was livid, not wanting her husband and the father of her only son to put his life in danger for a little more money. They lived a simple, but a good life and she was satisfied.

His dad insisted, saying that he would give it one season, and if he didn't think it was worth it he would go back to fishing in Morro. His mom didn't really like the idea, but she seemed to give in. They said goodbye to his dad just as school was starting that fall.

At first, they got checks from him once a month. Ethan would get letters, but it seemed like his dad wasn't writing to his mom. He would call when they were in port which wasn't often. This went on for about six months, then nothing.

His mom went out of her mind with worry. Ethan knew that things had been hard between his parents, but he also knew that his mom really loved his dad. She wanted him home. They wondered, together, what could have happened. They called the company he worked for that told them he hadn't had any boat accidents but they didn't know where he was.

In mid March, Ethan got a letter from his dad. Dear Son... it started. Ethan read it with disbelief, his dad wasn't coming home, ever. He didn't want them to look for him because he wanted to start a new life. He told Ethan that he and his mom would be happier without him.

That was bull. Ethan decided that day that he had no desire to be anything like his dad. Who could just walk away from their family? It's one thing to break up with your wife, but another to abandon your child. Ethan wanted to be someone who could be counted on, that stuck around even when things were hard. Someone that listened and cared for others. Someone that didn't give up on their loved ones.