Santa Barbara, 1984

Golden sunlight bathed the water, sending back brilliant sparkles as the sky faded towards dusk. In the small boat, a man and his son sat, poles hovering over the water. Suddenly, the boy's pole jerked, and he sat back in surprise.

"Dad… I think I got one!"

The father leaned forward quickly, setting down his own pole on the bottom of the boat. "Okay Shawn, remember what you learned. Pull back on the pole, then reel down, you don't want to give him any slack."

The boy strained, pulling at the bowed rod. "He's too big!" He gasped, his knuckles white.

His father shook his head. "No chance. Come on kid, you can do it… I know you can, you just gotta keep fighting…"

The boy squeezed shut his eyes, reeling down as he was instructed, then pulling back on the rod again. "Guuuuuaaaahh!" He said through clenched teeth.

"You almost got him son, come on, one more pull!"

Sweating with effort, arms shaking with strain, Shawn gave one last mighty yank. Lunging forward, his father scooped the fish from the water. It was gigantic! Shawn had never seen something so big! The creature flopped as his father worked the lure from its mouth. "Sea bass, very nice kid! These are a delicacy you know."

Shawn felt his grin start to slip. He stared at the fish, its gills flapping open and shut as it fought to breathe, and was suddenly sad. It was… beautiful, its scales gleaming sliver, with thick dark bands running vertically down its sides. The golden fins curled, casting back the light of the setting sun.

"I don't want to kill him…" said the boy softly.

His father gave him an odd look. "Shawn… son, what are you talking about…"

"Please?" He interrupted, placing a hand on the fish's cold side. "Please, I want to let him go."

There must have been some intensity in his gaze, because his father smiled softly, shaking his head. "Okay kid… I guess it's your call. Here, I'll help you release him."

Leaning over, he held the thrashing fish until Shawn could get his hands around its body. Then, both of them together, leaned over the side of the boat and eased it into the ocean. With a single tail flick, sending a splash of water back into their faces, it was gone.

Shawn couldn't keep away his smile.

He felt his father sit down next to him on the flaking bench, and he looked up to see the old man holding out his hand. Curiously, he extended his fingers. Henry placed the lure in his hands. "You did great today son, I don't want you to forget that. It was hard… but you beat him in the end… didn't you."

Shawn examined the lure, realizing he wouldn't be using it again. This last foray into the deep had broken one of the hooks. "I guess." He replied, dropping the lure into his tacklebox. He looked up at the darkening horizon… wondering if Gus wanted to play video games later. "Dad… can we go home?"

His father dropped a hand on his head, ruffling his hair in that really irritating way of his… ewww, and it was covered in fish slime!

"Sure kid."

Slipping to the back of the boat, his father started the ancient motor. After a few seconds of shuddering and shaking, the Evinrude roared to life.

Turning their back to the ocean, Henry gunned for the shoreline.

Shawn couldn't wait to tell his best friend about this, mostly because he knew if he exaggerated about how messy it was, it would make Gus sick.

He smiled lightly, slipping to the floor to get out of the wind. It felt great to be going home again.

Behind them, the sky slowly faded to black.