As I sat on the deck, sketching the ship in my journal, I glanced up to see father and cheech boxing.

Cheech, of course, begged not to fight, but Father insisted- something about it being part of his process to be cured.
I couldn't help but smile at the choas. Typical Father.

A few feet away, stubbins crouches beside the monkeys, mumbling nonsense syllables.

"You catching up on there language?" I asked, walking over.

"I think so, what did I just say?" He asks

I tilted my head.
"Well... you were close. You said 'have you I not been'. But the idea was there." I said, hiding a laugh.

He laughed nervously.
"So I'm terrible?" He says

"Not terrible. Just...linguistically challenged. I can help teach you, if you'd like" I offer

"You would do that?" He asks

"Yeah, why not? You're stuck on this ship- might as well learn how to talk to the crew" I smile

That night, I found father standing alone on the deck, staring over the edge.
The moonlight glimmered against something in his hand- mother's rings- before he quickly tucked it back into his shirt.

"Are you alright?" I asked softly.

"Fine" he said quickly, turning back to steer the ship.

"You didn't look fine" I said, following him.

"I'm fine. I said I was fine, so I'm fine. End of discussion" he snapped.

The bite in his tone caught me off guard. My chest tightened- with anger, yes, but mostly disappointment.

"Why do you do that?" I asked.

He turned to me, clearly irritated.
"Do what?" He asks

"Why do you constantly retreat from me?" I ask

"I do not-" he starts

"Yes, you do! Youve done it since the moment mother died. I thought- for one second- you'd changed. Back in the Queens chamber, we were in sync. You looked at me, talked to me like before. I thought maybe, just maybe, we were back to what we used to be. But then you turned away again. You tried to leave without me." I said.

"So please, father, tell me. Why do you do it?" I demand, raising my voice.

He slammed his hands down on the wheel.
"Because you remind me of your mother!" He yelled.

I froze. The words hit harder than any storm.

"You look like her. You talk like her. You are her, in every way. Every time I look at you, I'm reminded of what I lost." He said quietly now.

"Did it ever cross your mind that I lost her too? That every time i look in the mirror, I see her too?" I ask, voice breaking.

"You didn't lose your wife!" He shouted.

"I lost my mother!" I yelled back, and this time, he took a step back.

"I lost my mother." I said again, softer this time.
"And I lost my father that day too. I understood you were in pain, but so was I. I tried to help you heal- together. But you ignored me. You shut me out completely. I lived in that house for a whole year after she died, and you never spoke to me. Never even looked at me" I said

I swallowed hard, tears spilling from my eyes.
"So I left. I took what I could and made a home for myself. But I still checked on you three times a week. You didn't know that, did you? I still cared. Even after everything. I was thirteen, father. Thirteen years old- and I lost everything. My mother, my father, my home." I said

He didn't move. Just stood there, frozen, guilt etched into every line on his face.

"I get you were hurting. But that doesn't gives you the right to shut out your own daughter- the one who needed you most. I needed you....And you weren't there." I said in almost a whisper.

For a moment, all I could hear was the ocean.
Then-

"Nova" he said softly. His voice cracked. When I looked up, there were tears in his eyes too.

"You're right. I was wrong- for everything I did. I was hurting so badly after losing the one person I truly loved, I forgot about the miracle I still had in front of me." He said

He looked down, voice trembling.
"After the first few months of pushing you away, I started to hate myself. But every time I looked at you helping cheech or Yoshi, I saw her in you- her light, her kindness. And I couldn't bear it. I'm sorry, nova. I thought letting you go would spear you from me- from what I'd become. But I was wrong. You needed a father, and I wasn't there " he said

He took a step closer.
"Can I have a second chance? Do it right this time?" he asks

I stared into his eyes. For the first time in years, o saw honesty there- the kind that doesn't need words.

"I'd like that." I said quietly. Then, trying to lighten the mood.
"But if you slip up, I'm taking poly with me" I said

He let out a shaky laugh.
"Well then, I'd better not mess up. Can't lose my daughter and poly" he said

"Come here darling" he says, opening up his arms.

I walked into his embrace, and for a long moment, neither of us spoke. The world seemed to go quiet, save for the wound of waves brushing against the ship.

"I missed this" I whispered, crying into his shoulder.

"Me too. I'm sorry I've missed so many years. But from now on- I promise to stay with you. Even in the worse of times" he says

"I promise" I said back, smiling softly before resting my head against him.

"Goodnight, father" I said, smiling as I walked off.

"Goodnight, novy" he replied, the nickname warming my heart as I shut the door.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling when Poly flew in.

"Well, that was a crazy turn around." She said

"I'm guessing you heard all that" I laughed

"I did. But he needed to hear it. Someone had to whip him into shape " poly said

"Yeah. I'm just glad I have my father back. I missed him more than I realized" I said softly

"And he missed you just as much. He fell apart after you left. Just didn't know how to get you back" she said

"I didn't either. After that talk... I realized the hole in my heart wasnt just from my losing my mother. It was from losing him too" I admitted.z

"That's quite a discovery" she said.

"Yeah. But it's filled now. At least i don't have to worry about paying rent anymore" I laughed

"That'll be refreshing" she said

"Get some sleep, poly. I don't need a cranky parrot tomorrow" I said

"I do not get-" she starts

"Goodnight poly" I cut her off, grinning.

"Goodnight nova" she sighed, before flying off.

I grabbed mother's ring in my head.
"I got him back, momma. Just like I promised" I whispered.

Then kissed the ring- and finally, peacefully, drifted to sleep.