Halifax 

1. Alec opened the front door to a gust of Canada’s cold winter wind, and the door banged hard against the house before he could get it shut. The cool, fresh air was a relief from the overly warm and loud kitchen he had just left. His brothers and sister were squabbling more than usual these days, and his mother was distracted. 
2. He pulled his cap over his ears and walked through the snowy streets of Halifax to the shipyard. A milkman and the horse pulling his cart were shivering as they worked, making Alec grateful to have an indoor job working as a clerk for his family’s shipbuilding company. Alec’s Uncle Edward said that he was getting his money’s worth out of Alec, even though Alec was only nineteen. Alec had thrown himself into learning everything he could about the family business since he started work a few months ago.
3. Later, Alec was poring over paperwork when he overheard his younger brother James talking to another clerk in the outer office. How typical, Alec thought. James seemed to find every excuse to avoid the warehouse where he was supposed to be working, preferring to pester shipping clerks and captains with questions rather than do his job.
4.  When James appeared in the doorway, Alec noticed with a start how tall James had grown. Even though he was only fifteen, James looked almost like their father standing there.
5.  Alec raised an eyebrow at him. ‘James, why aren’t you in the warehouse?’ 
6. ‘I was curious about what you clerks are working on today. Getting ready for the spring shipments?’ said James, walking forwards to look at Alec’s work. 
7. ‘Yes. There’s a lot to do,’ Alec said shortly. He glanced up to see James peering over the open logbook with curiosity. ‘I’m looking through records from last year to figure out who sailed with us,’ Alec explained. ‘Father kept logs of each ship’s crew and what each crew member was paid.’
8.  ‘Oh. I thought there were more crew members than that,’ said James. 
9. ‘We don’t track the ones who work in exchange for their passage,’ Alec replied. He expected James to lose interest, but still James hovered over his shoulder, staring intently at the book. Alec couldn’t figure out why James was so interested. Maybe it was just seeing their dad’s handwriting again. It didn’t matter. He was growing impatient. ‘Will you let me get back to work now?’ 
10. James’s mood seemed to shift suddenly. ‘Are you happy sitting there at his desk, doing his job? Do you even miss him?’ 
11. The words pierced Alec. ‘Of course I miss him! And I’m not doing his job! But at least I’m doing something to help,’ snapped Alec. 
12. ‘Then why haven’t you found Father yet? Why hasn’t Uncle sent a search party?’ yelled James.
13.  ‘Because he’s probably at the bottom of the Atlantic, James!’ Alec fired back. James ran from the office. Alec wasn’t sure if he believed what he said, but in a way it was easier than waiting.
14.  The last letter they had received from Father was from England, after he had delivered a ship last autumn. In it, he mentioned the ship he meant to return on, but when it arrived he wasn’t on it. Another ship had gone down, but it wasn’t clear if he had been on that one, either. Alec didn’t know what to think, so he mostly tried not to think about it.
15. The final weeks of winter sped by, and soon the first ship was ready to launch. Alec followed Uncle Edward and the captain around while they made final inspections. He’d thought it would be good for James to join them, but James was nowhere to be found. It wasn’t like James to just disappear, but Alec didn’t have time to babysit his brother. 
16. ‘And there’s a new unpaid lad this year,’ the captain was saying. ‘A bit younger than the boys we normally get, but he’s eager to set sail. Can’t recall his name, though.’ 
17. Something about the captain’s words set off an alarm for Alec. ‘Can we meet him?’ he asked.
18. A sailor went to fetch the new deckhand. When he returned, the boy following him stopped short at the sight of Uncle Edward and Alec. 
19. Alec gripped James’s arm tightly and led him away from the ship. Finally he stopped at a quiet spot along the dock. ‘You were trying to go and look for Father?’ 
20. James nodded stiffly, grimacing. He dropped his bag and started to sob. Alec felt himself give way, too. The brothers sat on the dock, looking out on the harbour while tears ran down their cheeks. 
21. ‘I can’t stand it, Alec. And you act like you don’t even think about it, like you don’t care,’ said James.
22.  ‘I do care. But James, if you left like this, you would be doing the same thing to us,’ said Alec. ‘We wouldn’t know if you were safe or if you were coming back. It would be too much. Do you understand?’ 
23. James nodded
24.  Over the next couple of months, Alec made a point to look out for his brother. Instead of brushing James away, Alec involved him more with his clerk’s duties. To Alec’s surprise, James wasn’t a nuisance at all. Instead, James’s knack for picking up on small details and asking questions until he had answers proved to be an asset. 
25. One afternoon in late spring, Alec was just in the middle of praising James for catching an error in the logbooks when they heard Uncle Edward’s voice echoing through the shipyard. 
26. ‘James! Alec! We just got a letter from your father!’