Surrendering (Swans Landing) by Shana Norris

hallway caught my attention and I turned to see Sailor, with Callum right behind her. Sailor’s mouth fell open when she spotted Mr. Moody.
    “What are you doing here?” she asked.
    Mr. Moody cleared his throat. “I, uh, I came to see your grandma.”
    Sailor scowled. “Why?”
    Mr. Moody scratched his chin. “I thought I’d take your advice.”
    Sailor stepped forward, but kept the island counter between herself and her grandfather. “No, I mean, why now? All these years and you’ve never come. Now she’s sick and suddenly you want to be here?”
    Callum put a hand on Sailor’s shoulder, but she didn’t acknowledge him.
    Mr. Moody’s beard twitched as he swallowed. “I’ve always wanted to be here, Sailor.”
    Her eyes turned glassy as she looked at him. “Then why weren’t you?”
    “Sailor,” Callum said soothingly as he rubbed his hands over her arms. “You should lie down for a while. You’re tired and you could use a good rest.”
    Sailor glared across the room at her grandfather, who rubbed at his chin, his gaze on the floor. Finally he lifted his eyes to her and said, “I’m only human, Sailor. I make mistakes. But I’m not the only one.”
    Callum whispered in Sailor’s ear and she let him pull her away from the counter. They disappeared back down the hall and then a moment later, I heard the click of her bedroom door closing again.
    I shoved my hands deep into the pocket of my hoodie. Mr. Moody exhaled a long, ragged breath. He didn’t speak and the silence grew thicker as minutes passed.
    Finally, I dared to speak. “Do you want me to see if Miss Gale is awake?” I asked.
    Mr. Moody nodded. “That would be good, son. Thank you.”
    He followed me as I walked down the hall to Miss Gale’s room. There was no light coming from under Sailor’s door. Maybe Callum had convinced her to lie down. She was on edge a lot lately. I didn’t know if it was just the lingering exhaustion from our long swim or the stress of waiting for something to happen. Or maybe it was the situation she had gotten herself into with Callum and Dylan.
    I tapped softly on Miss Gale’s door as I opened it. The room was dark and still. I could make out the shape of Miss Gale on the bed, but she didn’t respond when I called her name.
    “I think she’s asleep,” I told Mr. Moody. I motioned for him to come in. “But she probably wouldn’t mind if you woke her.”
    Mr. Moody walked across the room slowly, as if it was hard to get one foot in front of the other. His back was stooped more than usual and he reached out a trembling hand toward Miss Gale when he reached the bed. He looked at her for a moment, his beard twitching as he pressed his lips together.
    I started to back out of the room, but he said, “You don’t have to go, boy. I wouldn’t mind the company.”
    Mr. Moody sat down in the chair next to the bed, which Sailor or Coral usually occupied. I wasn’t sure what to do with myself, so I stood near the door, my hands in the pockets of my hoodie.
    Mr. Moody didn’t speak for a long time. He just sat there, looking at Miss Gale as she slept. Her soft breathing was the only sound in the darkened room.
    “If she were awake,” Mr. Moody said at last, “she’d tell me I was an old fool.” He laughed a little. “Just like she always does.”
    I smiled. I knew Miss Gale enough to know that she always said what was on her mind, no matter what it was. She’d tell you honestly how she felt about you.
    “Maybe I am an old fool,” he continued. “Maybe that’s why I’ve never stopped loving her, even when she told me I shouldn’t.” He stroked her long white hair, a small smile on his face. “Did you know, boy, that I asked her to marry me?”
    “No,” I said softly. “I didn’t know that.”
    “I’ve asked her that question probably a hundred times over the last forty years.”
    Ouch. Poor guy. “She always says no?” I asked.
    Mr. Moody shook his head. “She’s never said yes or no. She