The Sea in Winter

As Maisie and the family have dinner at home, Connor talks about his day at school, but Maisie remains quiet. Jack asks her how she feels and then says that he is excited about their trip to the Olympic Peninsula and thinks that it will be good for the whole family. Maisie’s mother agrees that they all need “a little heart medicine” (61). Maisie cannot understand why they feel that way about the Olympic Peninsula, given that their childhoods there were so traumatizing. Jack and Connor play a game in which Jack plays the pirate, but Maisie continues to feel “disconnected.” Although she loves her family, she does not feel fully present with them.

The next morning, the family boards the ferry in the midst of rainy weather. Maisie looks out the window, observing “the sea in winter” (66). She watches the “storm-colored” waves and feels the “gentle motion” of the sea and the “relentless power” of the rain. As the ferry departs, Maisie watches the blurry Seattle skyline fading in the distance like a “mirage.” She sits silently as Connor leans on her shoulder.

As the family arrives and drives north, Maisie observes the woodlands, briars, and firs, which are all so different from the city. The air smells “piney” and “sweet”—not like Seattle, which smells like “wet pavement and car exhaust” (70). Maisie responds to Eva’s text just before she loses service. In the text, Eva described her new pointe shoes, and Maisie recalls the time when she tried on those shoes herself in a shop. She thinks about her fellow dance student Hattie, who feels guilty and responsible for Maisie’s injury. Hattie previously visited Maisie in the hospital and asked her for forgiveness, but although Maisie reassured Hattie at the time, she has not yet forgiven her. Now, she looks at her text messages with Hattie; she has not responded to the most recent ones. She does not know what to say to Hattie, so she avoids these texts. Even so, she is troubled by her guilt over spoiling their friendship.

The family arrives at a motel in Port Angeles. When Jack asks Maisie if she can handle the stairs, she snaps back in anger, stressing that her knee is fine. She retorts that she is doing more difficult exercises in her physical therapy sessions. Although she still feels pain, she strives to convince her parents that she is recovering and “getting strong.” She hopes to make the auditions in spring or return to ballet in the summer. However, she feels “childish and wrong” for snapping at Jack (79). As the family settles into the room, Maisie sits by the window and checks her messages, but there is nothing new. She feels like a “lonely storm cloud” and believes that she is a “dark” presence amid an otherwise happy family trip (81).

As Maisie and her family eat at a Chinese restaurant, Jack still plays the role of a pirate with Connor. Maisie recalls that when she was little, Jack also persuaded her that he was a pirate. In reality, Jack works as a geoduck driver; he travels with his boat on the Salish Sea and harvests clams, which he then sells to restaurants. He always says that geoducks are one of the rarest sea creatures; they only live in the Pacific Northwest.

Maisie’s mother asks her about her math test. Maisie says that she got a 70, and Jack is concerned, saying that she is capable of higher grades. He asks why her grades are lower and wonders if she needs a tutor. He also suggests that she find a “study buddy,” but Maisie laughs because all her friends are from ballet school. She feels that ballet is more important than math. When a worried Jack reaffirms that she is his daughter, Maisie lashes out, saying that he is not her “real” father. However, she instantly feels ashamed by her outburst. Jack explains that he is her father because he promised her mother and her father’s spirit that he would “protect” and “teach” her. He stresses that she and Connor are equal for him and that he will not allow her to push him away. Maisie is sad and embarrassed. She wants to apologize but cannot find the words. Jack emphasizes that she must improve at school or else she will not return to ballet.

The family drives to the Olympic mountains. Connor is excited, thinking that they are going to find treasure. Maisie wonders whether her parents are going to stop her from dancing. At the same time, she also feels guilty about her reaction to Jack’s words and wants to make amends. Jack finds an excerpt from a treaty on his phone and gives it to Maisie to read. Maisie reads aloud the names of Jack's ancestors, and he tells Connor that the treaty is a treasure map. Angie protests this statement, but Jack says that he is trying to get the children excited about their history.

Later, they arrive at the beach in Neah Bay. Maisie walks carefully and observes her mother, who is taking pictures with her phone as usual. Jack brings his shovel to dig.

Jack demonstrates the process of digging for clams. He then thanks the clams for providing food for the family. As Maisie watches him, Jack explains that it is important to “express thanks” to the clams because they have always helped the people “survive.” Jack tells a story about the Duwamish tribe helping the Denny Party, a group of settlers. The party arrived at Alki Point in 1851 and struggled to survive during the winter. The leader became ill, and they all starved. The Duwamish people sheltered them and gave clam juice to the children. Jack stresses that the settlers survived due to the “knowledge and generosity” of the Duwamish tribe (100). While Angie takes more pictures with her phone, Jack continues to connect with the children, and they tease him about not taking their mother out on dates more often. Maisie still feels that she must apologize to him.

Maisie pulls a clam from the sand by herself, but her knee aches. Her mother shows her a photo of her and Connor on the ferry. Maisie notices that Connor looks happy, while she is “closed off.” She sees a comment by her aunt, her father’s sister, on the photo. The woman has written that her niece is beautiful and that she misses her. Maisie is surprised and feels that her heart is “bruised.” The pain in her knee returns as the family climbs up the beach, but Maisie tries to ignore it.

The family returns to the motel room, and Maisie watches video tutorials from her math teacher. She still thinks that her dance lessons are the only things that matter for her future. Her mind wanders again to her dance classes. She misses the movements and the music. Meanwhile, Eva sends her texts about her favorite TV show, commenting on a scene with excitement. The family sits down for dinner, and Maisie’s mother watches the news on TV. Maisie feels that the news is “the worst kind of entertainment” because it emphasizes people’s “tragedies,” making them feel “crushed and frustrated” (112).