It came out of the cloud, after the foghorn dissipated, like the mist soon would. 

He was looking forward to that day. The weather man had predicted – as he crunched his morning Wheaties – that it would be sunny and nearly seventy degrees, and he was going to pick up his daughter, whom he hadn’t seen in nearly six weeks, after daycare in Hoquiam.

His wife had kicked him out of the house six weeks and one day ago. He thought back to that morning, which had been foggy and cool, like this morning, with chagrin that he thought should be shame. She had found out about the affair he had been having with the clerk at 7-11.

He couldn't help being proud of that affair. He was 43 years old, and the clerk was 22. How many 43-year-olds, try as they might, actually score with a 22-year-old? Not many.

Still, his 4-year-old had gone without a dad for six weeks, and given how pissed Nancy seemed to be, he had risked stealing her dad from her permanently, it seemed. Jesus Christ, he thought, kicking at the gravel along the dike trail. Why couldn’t she understand? Why couldn’t she – he had to laugh at himself, even as he was thinking it – be proud of him?

***

*A rather abrupt ending, but my time for the 5-minute freewrite expired!*

You can check out the #freewrite project and view today’s prompt from @mariannewest <a href=https://steemit.com/freewrite/@mariannewest/day-703-5-minute-freewrite-monday-prompt-engine-sound>here.</a>

***

<h5>Blog Notes</h5>

It’s been a long time since I posted anything. I’ve been working 60 to 70 hours a week for a cannery in Westport, Wash., for hake season, and when I haven’t been at work (or on the long commute to work) I’ve mostly just been sleeping!

Things are about to change: the season ends within a few weeks, and I’m already looking around for another job. Hopefully I’ll be able to get back to Steem soon.

Cheers. :)

***

**Below -** The tug Wynema Spirit appears out of the fog on Grays Harbor in Hoquiam, Wash.

![](https://d1vof77qrk4l5q.cloudfront.net/img/0898263485e9f26bbeb3785bb05496f9531d9fb9.jpg)

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