"First, bring Gwen back safely."
"Of course!"
Locke nodded immediately. This was beyond question; it was the absolute bottom line. After all, if someone goes out with you in good health, you can't exactly carry them back in a box.
Even if George hadn't said it, this was a must.
If anyone dared to touch Gwen, Locke would dare to kill.
And if the worst happened... he could always take a trip back to Texas, stake out the Lone Star Bar for a certain King of Hell who occasionally enjoyed the nightlife there, and strike a deal to bring Gwen back. It shouldn't be too difficult.
Locke thought this through and nodded. "Please rest assured, Mr. Stacy."
George nodded back.
His impression of Locke—setting aside the fact that he was a wild boar trying to raid his home-grown flowers—was actually quite good. George had gone through his own restless sixteen-year-old phase, so he naturally knew what went on in a boy's head at that age.
However, because Gwen was a girl, those specific "talks" were handled by Helen.
Helen had told George in the quiet of their bedroom that Gwen and Locke were different. Both were individuals with clear, detailed plans for themselves and their futures. They were fundamentally different from the average, impulsive teenagers.
This gave George some much-needed comfort.
"Second..."
"Huh?"
Just as George was about to state the second condition, a splashing sound cut him off. With a flick of his right wrist, Locke yanked the fishing rod upward. *Zip!* A sea fish traced a beautiful arc through the air and landed with a *thud* on the deck of the fishing boat.
George looked at his own motionless rod. "..."
Locke unhooked the fish and looked at George. "Mr. Stacy, what are the other two requirements?"
George: "..."
...
Late afternoon.
George arrived home.
In the living room, Helen looked at the fishing gear in George's hands—one side overflowing with a full catch, the other side bone-dry and looking as pristine as if it were brand new. She caught the look on George's face and understood instantly.
*Step, step, step!*
Gwen, who had been reading upstairs but was actually keeping a sharp ear out for the door, hurried down the stairs. She knew what Locke and George were supposed to discuss today.
Reaching the bottom, Gwen noticed the glaring difference between the two sets of gear. She froze for a moment, then complained slightly, "Dad, you really took Locke sea fishing."
Locke didn't even own sea fishing equipment.
Helen coughed from the side. "Gwen, take a closer look."
Gwen followed her mother's hint, saw the grimace on George's face, and her expression became quite strange. "Dad... don't tell me you struck out again."
Wait, why did I say 'again'? Gwen blinked.
"That's not right, Dad," Gwen said, feeling a bit mystical about it. "I promise I didn't tell Locke you were going sea fishing. He shouldn't have even had a sea rod."
She wasn't naive. Locke wasn't there to fish today; he had serious business. He was there to ask George for permission to take his precious daughter away for Christmas.
George had been unhappy about his recent fishing failures in the woods, which was why he'd changed venues. Gwen had figured that if she gave Locke a heads-up, George's chances of saying yes would be zero.
But now? This was unscientific. She really hadn't tipped him off.
Hadn't her dad said sea fishing required specialized rods? He'd begged Helen for days and even advanced his next month's allowance to buy that rod.
On the way back, George had been questioning the very nature of reality. It made no sense. Why did the fish hurl themselves at Locke's hook while ignoring his?
Furthermore, George was already starting to regret agreeing to Locke's request. But a man's word is his bond.
George glanced expressionlessly at his daughter, who was wearing a cute set of loungewear, and walked toward the kitchen.
Gwen's heart sank. 'The talk failed.'
She watched George emerge from the kitchen with a cautious look. "I'm going upstairs."
She couldn't bring herself to ask. If there was still room for negotiation, asking now might kill the last chance. She needed to go up and call Locke to find out what happened.
"Gwen," George called out just as she turned.
Gwen stopped, turned back, and clasped her hands together with a sweet smile. "Dad, I think Locke just had better luck this time. You'll definitely win next time."
'Next time?' This time he'd already abandoned sportsmanship by buying specialized gear. If he went out again and Locke actually had a proper rod, he might as well not bring one at all. He could just be the boatman, sail Locke around in a circle, and come home with a full boat.
No. Fishing was too dependent on luck. Time for a new hobby. Hunting?
George's thoughts raced. He pointed toward the dining room. "Come here. Your mother and I have something to ask you."
Gwen's heart skipped. "Dad, what is it? I was just going—"
"Now."
"...Oh."
Seeing George's stern face, Gwen scurried over with her hands tucked together, her mind working a mile a minute as she shuffled toward the dining room.
Helen looked at George with some confusion as well. She didn't know about any matter that required a formal family meeting with Gwen. Was George planning a coup? When he was just a detective, she ran the house; now that he was a Captain and famous, was he starting to look down on her?
Helen's gaze toward George began to sharpen. 'Let's see what game you're playing.'
In the dining room, George sat down. He looked at Gwen, who was sitting opposite him with shifting eyes. He sighed. "Locke invited you for a vacation on the Poseidon for Christmas. Why didn't you agree?"
Gwen's head snapped up.
'Wait. I did agree.'
Her thoughts spun. She looked at George suspiciously. "Dad, do you mean... I should have agreed?"
'What on earth did Locke say to him?' Gwen wondered. She really should have made that phone call first.
Helen frowned. "What Poseidon?"
George explained the situation regarding the luxury liner scheduled to set sail on December 23rd. "Locke plans to spend New Year's at sea on that ship. He invited your daughter, but she turned him down."
Helen looked at George's face. After years of marriage, they didn't need words to understand each other. She nodded thoughtfully and looked at Gwen. "That's right, Gwen. Why didn't you agree?"
Gwen looked at her mother in disbelief. "Mom, you want me to agree too? It's Christmas."
This was the complete opposite of what she had imagined. Why did it feel like they were practically pushing her onto the ship with Locke?
Gwen blinked. "If I go, I won't be able to spend the holidays with you, or little brother. And the Christmas tree..."
George spoke up immediately. "Little George can come with me to cut the tree this year. He's been a free-loader for years; it's time he did some work."
Little George, who was watching cartoons in the living room: "..."
Helen looked at Gwen. "You're Locke's girlfriend, aren't you?"
Gwen hesitated, then nodded.
Helen spread her hands. "Then your boyfriend wants to go on a vacation and he invited you. Why wouldn't you go?"
Gwen felt her brain might be short-circuiting.
"Locke is a good boy," Helen said with a smile.
Polite. Mature. Self-controlled. He had a clear plan for his life. And... he had a bit of money. Plus, he was an orphan.
"If it were anyone else, I might not allow it," Helen continued. "But Locke is excellent. I don't object to you having a romance at your most beautiful age. If possible, I hope this is the only one you ever have."
Sixteen-year-old romances rarely reached the finish line. But a first love is always the most memorable. Even in the future, looking back at a beautiful first love often brings regrets if it wasn't lived to the fullest.
Helen didn't want Gwen to have regrets. At the very least, if they broke up in the future, she didn't want it to be because of a missed opportunity like this. She didn't want Gwen to look back and wonder if things would have been different if she'd said yes to the Poseidon.
And most importantly...
George felt a pang of phantom pain in his wallet. "Tickets are 250,000 dollars each. Locke has clearly put a lot of heart into this."
Two years of his salary wouldn't cover a single ticket.
Hearing the price, Helen also felt a sting of secondary heart-ache. "Go this time. But you should tell Locke—it's too extravagant. We can't really say that to him ourselves."
'His tickets were free,' Gwen thought. But hearing the first half of the sentence, her eyes lit up. "Mom, you're agreeing?"
Helen laughed. "Why wouldn't I?"
Since Gwen was born, she and George had placed infinite hope in her. As a genius student, Gwen had a high chance of leaping out of the middle class entirely. And with tickets costing 250,000 dollars... Helen had done some research. The pre-sales for the Poseidon had sold out instantly. One could only imagine the social class of the people boarding that ship.
Normally, there was no chance to mingle with that level of society. Now, the chance was there. Why not take it?
Worried about her daughter being tricked? Not a chance. That was Locke—the Locke they had known for months, a boy who was incredibly polite and respected Gwen.
Helen and George exchanged a look, then Helen turned back to Gwen. "Go. Have a good time."
Gwen jumped up excitedly and hugged Helen. "Thank you, Mom! I love you!"
George, standing nearby with his arms open for a hug:
"..."
(T/N:- That's rough buddy)