Life on the Sally Lass quieted down some after my success in the storm. My promotion to helmsman, though still a sense of extreme pride for me, no longer was the subject of most talk.
Life returned to normal for the sailors, which had become normal for me.
Jonathan and Jessica spent their time with me teaching me the other tasks on a ship until I had mastered them all. Then their only job with me was to be friends with me, which Jessica assured me wasn't hard.
"You're an easily likable person," she said one afternoon as I asked her again why she liked me, as we sat together on the deck in the sun, stitching up one of the sails.
"What do I even look like?" I mused after several minutes of silence.
She looked at me in shock. "You don't know?"
I shook my head. "I haven't looked in a mirror once since I woke up here. I haven't seen my reflection in anything but water that doesn't remain still. My image is distorted and unclear."
Jessica shook her head. "Man... I didn't even think about that..."
"Well? What do I look like?" I asked.
"Well...you have...golden, sunkissed skin...and...bright, brilliant blue eyes...," Jessica said slowly. "And coppery-red hair." She paused. "You look like you belong on the ocean by your calloused hands, but your appearance looks like you belong in jewels and dresses."
I thought silently, trying to piece together the image in my mind. I found I could easily put myself in Jessica's position to see what she described. I found myself shocked to discover I was beautiful. For some reason, the thought that I could be had never registered in my mind.
She elbowed me. "I think Jonny has an eye on you!"
"'Jonny'?" I echoed. "Who's Jonny?"
She laughed. "Oh, you know! Jonathan!"