Page 39 of Ship Happens

He may be awful at Putt-Putt, but claw machines? Owen Henson knows claw machines.

Kaitlyn does as she’s told, stepping back and watching as Owen maneuvers the handle carefully, grateful that it’s not one of those two-press machines that doesn’t let him take his time to line things up.

The first attempt is just to get the plushie in a more advantageous position. Owen considers trying to loop the claw through the tag, but that’d involve turning the entire thing around. On the second attempt he hits the button a touch too early, the claw closing around Kirby’s hat, barely gripping with enough pressure to lift the pink plush an inch or two before it slips away. On the third attempt, Owen nails it, timing the double tap perfectly.

“Yes?” Kaitlyn’s cheers are almost hesitant, like she’s waiting for the claw to release. “Yes, yes!” She’s a little more enthusiastic this time and even starts jumping up and down as the claw hovers over the opening at the bottom, dropping her prize right down the chute. “Ahh!!!!!!”

“You could say thank you.”

“Thank you, Owen!” Kaitlyn says, bouncing up and down before pulling Owen in close for a group hug with the plush.

“You’re welcome.”

It took them all of five minutes of being in the arcade for everyone to go their separate ways. Kevin and Abigail wound up at some dance game. Jacob started hunting down this Japanese game that involves hitting a huge taiko drum. And Kaitlyn had looped her arm through Owen’s, dragging him down the long aisle of claw machines, pointing out all the prizes that she wanted before Owen made her pick just one.

He honestly would’ve loved nothing more than to go back to the suite, sit on the couch with his iPad, and draw a bit while he finishes an audiobook. But two nights in a row of sequestering himself away in the suite feels a slap in the face of everything Kaitlyn and Abigail spent for him to be here.

Besides, tonight has been fun, despite all the time alone with Jacob.

Then he gets a text from Ravi.

Ravi: Got an update from Henry . . .

Ravi: Wish I had better news, but he thinks that the economy is in “too good a place” to find something within your budget.

Ravi: Don’t ask me to explain what the economy being “too good” to open up a business means. I don’t think I could do that to a friend without cringing so hard that I actually die from it.

Ravi: The good news is! We still have time to change the business proposal around, ask for more money. You have decent enough credit, even with your student loans, so asking for a bit more shouldn’t be a problem.

Ravi: So long as you’re okay with it of course!

Ravi: Owen, this is Hailey. I’m confiscating Ravi’s phone because you’re on vacation and he simply refuses to accept that you might not want to talk about your business proposal right now. Fitz is good and getting plenty of exercise from Pari chasing him around. I’ve sent a bunch of photos to Jacob but I’ll send you some too. GO HAVE FUN!!!!!!!11

Owen stares at the text messages as they come in, dread settling heavy in his stomach. That has to be some sort of sign, right? The way his mood worsens at even the tiniest thing that goes wrong with the Full Metal plan. Then Owen gets even angrier with himself for catastrophizing.

His parents’ words echo in the back of his mind, words they threw at him years ago, when he first admitted to them that he’d flunked out of school, that he didn’t want to go back, that he didn’t think he could handle it. They’re words that love to pop back up any time he thinks that he’s forgotten them, that tell him the thing he wants isn’t worth having. Simply because he wants it.

“God, I think I’m hungry again,” Kaitlyn says, rubbing her stomach. “Is it too early to have pregnancy cravings?”

“When do we get to Sitka?” Owen asks, ignoring her as they walk past the flashing machines.

“Day after tomorrow, so one more full day at sea,” Kaitlyn reminds him. “They’re doing a whole New Year’s Eve party the night we’re docked, dancing and everything.”

Owen hums in reply.

Kaitlyn continues on, like Owen actually gave her an answer. “One of the guides told us we should be able to see the northern lights too.”

Owen remains silent, his mind still a million miles away.

“They also said that they’re giving us all a barrel of oil each that we get to dump into the water,” Kaitlyn adds, watching for any change in Owen’s expression. “Then we get the choice: join the polar bear hunt where we get to keep the pelt, or we get on a boat and fire harpoons at baby whales.”

“That sounds like fun . . .” Owen nods, obviously not hearing her.

“Owen . . .”

He finally looks at her. “Yeah?”

“What’s going on with you? You were totally prepared to become a climate terrorist.” Kaitlyn loops her arm around Owen’s shoulder, pulling him closer.