The September gales picked up terribly late month, creating hazardous conditions along the pier. Steven was working long hours and shifts due to the increased wave and water warnings. Late season boaters were trying to bring in their boats for winter harbor and risking their wellbeing in heightened waves and cold weather to do so. Steven was on call 24/7 and was called for rescue missions almost every day the last week in September. Caitlyn worried about him out there on the water. Boats can capsize easily when the tide changes so abruptly this time of year. The pier was a very dangerous place to be when the water gets unmanageable. It can change in a heartbeat from calm to 6 feet waves in moments. The past week was a hard week for Steven. Three boys were out on the pier when one was thrown over into the channel by a large wave. The other two boys jumped in to try and rescue their friend. Local surfers caught sight of the trouble and were able to rescue one of the boys. The other two were dragged out to deep waters in the undertow currents. It was a very tragic accident. Steven and his coastguard crew were on search and recovery duty all week. Caitlyn could tell how terrible this incident impacted Steven.Meanwhile, Caitlyn was having her own trials that week at school. Jason went out of his way to avoid Caitlyn. He was angry at her for blowing him off at the kiteboarding competition. Later on that following weekend, Adam threw another one of his standard weekend parties. Jason was there drunk and disorderly. And after he was fully intoxicated he decided to confront Caitlyn. “Cait!” He wobbled over to her, “I’m really disappointed in you. Why didn’t you stop by to see me at the kiteboard competition? I know you were there, I saw you with your Mr. Coastie.” Jason slurred his words and rolled his eyes. “You know I’ve come to really like you Cait. I count on you. I’m so pissed! I was really looking forward to coming back this fall and having fun hanging out with ya, ya know? I mean seriously? A coastie? Cait, when I told you that our friendship was really important to me… I wasn’t lying or trying to feed you a line of bullshit. And, I just can’t imagine that this new dude you’ve picked up is any good for you—or any better than I am for you—you really didn’t give us a chance!" Steven walks out onto the porch where Jason is talking at Caitlyn in a heated discussion. “Well speak of the devil, there’s your beloved Stevie… asshole more like it!” Jason rudely remarks. Jason had been drinking like a freshman frat boy since five o’clock that afternoon prior to the party. Needless to say, now at 9:30 pm he’s had enough intoxicated ammo to pick a slew of fights.
Jason decides to poke at Steven, “So, you think you’re good enough for her? You patriotic types, you all think your better then everyone. You know you’re not good enough for her! You should just leave her alone! Why don't you get out of here and go back to your boat?” Jason waves his arm in the air as if to shun Steven off, then stumbles as he tries to adjust his stance. Caitlyn tensed up. She knew what a difficult week it was for Steven. He was a truly hard worker and Jason had no idea how much Steven had witnessed and done to help people in the brutal waters. She was completely unnerved.Caitlyn steps in and abruptly addressed Jason, “Jason! That is enough!” she shouted. “You are being so rude, just stop it!” She turns toward Steven and focuses her attention on him. “I’m so sorry Steven; Jason’s been drinking too much for too long tonight.” Please Steven, please just ignore him and let him be. I’m sorry he is acting this way. I don’t know where this is coming from. Believe me, there is nothing going on between us to justify his behavior.” Steven is not amused and Caitlyn can tell by the intense look on his face that it is time they leave the party; Steven turns around to exit. She grabs his hand, “No wait, I’ll go with you! Don’t leave me, please?” She then turns toward Jason and snidely snipes at him, “You have no idea what it takes to be like Steven in the Coast Guard! And you know very well how I feel about Steven! If you were any kind of friend at all to me you wouldn’t be acting so childish Jason! Neither you, nor anyone else is going to change the way I feel about him.” Then she throws a snarling glare towards Adam who has now entered the scene. Through flying rumors at school, she knows that Adam has been talking down about Steven and her relationship with him. She turns back toward Steven and pleads, “Steven, please don’t let this bother you. And please don’t ever leave me? Let’s get out of here. I want to go home.” She and Steven leave the party together. “So much for back to school fun,” she says under her breath as she walks away with Steven disappointed that the evening has been so discerning.
They arrived at Caitlyn’s house, and she invited Steven in. They sat close together in front of the fireplace in the family room. Caitlyn’s parents were out for the evening with friends, so the house was quiet and calm, a nice change from the party atmosphere they just exited. Caitlyn speak up, “Steven, I am really sorry for Jason’s behavior. I don’t know what got into him tonight. I would have never invited you to join me for the party if I had any idea he was going to behave like that. I hope you know that. I thought it would be a good way for us to unwind after such a hard week. And, I really wanted some of my good friends to meet you, including Jason. But, I guess that was a mistake. You mean so much to me. And now, it doesn’t matter if they meet you, or like you. I love you. That is all that matters to me.” She smiled at him, and he leaned over and kissed her.
“It’s okay Caitlyn; I only wanted to be there for you.” Steven reassured her. She then perked up.
“Well, I’ve got a little something I’ve been waiting to give to you. And now is as good of time as ever.” Caitlyn smiled and flashed Steven a look of mischief. “Stay right there. I need to go get it from my room! Oh, I can’t wait to show you!” Caitlyn ran up the stairs and returned with a small wooden box. “Here is something I made just for you Steven. It’s something special I wanted to give to you; for those days when you are out on duty, out on the water over the next three months. I thought you could look at it and think of me. Open it!”
Steven opened the box, inside was a beautiful pendant Caitlyn designed and worked with the local jeweler to produce. It was a beautiful gold and silver pendant set in a Yin-Yang design. She went on to explain, “See, the waves symbolize the indication of water and undercurrent; how the waters can be forceful and beautiful. You are the person who helps to keep people out of harms way in the midst of these currents. You are the one who brings balance through your service. I thought tonight would be a good night for you to have it. I know you won’t be going out on the cutter until November, but I thought with all of the events that took place this week; this might be a bit of a healing piece for you.” He swallowed deep. He was taken back by it. It was remarkable. “I love you, and I want you to know how much I admire what you stand for and what you do.” Steven grew quiet. “Well, turn it over!” Caitlyn excitedly pronounced. On the reverse side of the pendent were the words inscribed, “Forever Yours, Caitlyn” Steven could not even get words to come out of his mouth. He began to tear up but, he didn’t cry because he didn’t want Caitlyn to see his soft exterior.
He looked at her intently and said, “Caitlyn, this is the most wonderful gift I have ever received. I love you so very much. I can’t believe you designed this. It is amazing! Thank you!” He grabbed her and hugged her tightly. Caitlyn then picked up the pendent and placed it around Steven’s head. She tucked the pendant into his shirt, placed her hand on his heart directly over the pendant and sweetly kissed him. Steven was over the moon.
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