STEADY AS SHE GOES—Vignette (Patreon)

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Ailana padded from the stateroom to the galley and found a mug of coffee waiting for her on the table. She pushed her hair back and sat down just as Jason returned from the helm. He slid in beside her.

“All set?” Ailana asked. “Anchors aweigh and all that?”

Jason kissed her forehead and leaned back. “Autopilot on. Depth-sounder alarm on. Vessel-approach alarms on. Volumes on high. We can savor the coffee.”

Flying High was well away from shore and in no shipping lanes. The weather was passable, though both Ailana and Jason thought a few fewer clouds would be nice.

“So we’re set for an easy day?” Ailana asked.

“Steady as she goes…” Jason glanced at the navigation screen. “I can keep an eye on things if you want to use the bathroom. What’re you going to wear today?”

Ailana looked toward the stateroom as if searching for inspiration, then back at Jason. “Are we docking today?”

“It’s not planned. We can get to Port Aransas if we need to, but docking isn’t planned.”

“I’ll probably just stay like this,” Ailana replied. “If we decide to dock, I’ll put the reception dress back on.”

Jason smiled. “Works for me.”