July 15, 2017

"Everett, let's go," Phil said to his son as he helped him set up his sailboat. He tried his best to be a patient father, but every once in a while, his children tested that patience, and this was undoubtedly one of those times. Everett had just turned thirteen, and in an attempt to assert his independence, his passion for sailing had nearly disappeared. Phil was certain that this was nothing more than a phase - if it wasn't, then he would be the first Morrison who didn't sail.

"Dad, I told you, I don't want to go sailing today," Everett complained.

"I'm sorry, Everett, but this is when the race is," Phil said. "Either finish tying that knot and get on the sailboat, or skip the race for today."

Everett grumbled something to himself, but eventually, he gave in and got into the sailboat. "I just want to beat Sylvie for once," Everett told Phil.

Phil looked up to see his daughter Sylvie at the starting line, marked by the judges' motorboat and a buoy, along with several other junior sailors. "Maybe this will be the day," Phil said. "You can do it, Everett. I know that you can."

"Thanks, Dad," Everett said. Phil untied Everett's boat from the pier, and Everett set sail towards the starting line. Phil waved to his son, but he didn't wave back. He was too focused on speeding towards the starting line.

Phil sat on the pier, watching Sylvie and Everett sail back and forth behind the starting line. His mother sounded a horn to warn the sailors that there were five minutes until the race started, while his wife raised a white pennant. As the start of the race drew closer, the flags changed until the judges started the race.

To everyone's surprise, Everett was the first to cross the starting line. He zigzagged across the lake, with Sylvie not too far behind him. By the time he rounded the first buoy, it seemed like he would easily win the race. It would be nearly impossible for Sylvie to pass Everett if he was going downwind. Phil thought that the day when Everett beat Sylvie might have finally arrived.

Around the middle of the race, Theo Reinhart sat next to Phil on the pier. "Hi there, Phil," Theo said as he adjusted his round glasses. "Who's winning? I can't really tell from here."

"Everett's in the lead," Phil answered.

"Good for him," Theo said with a smile. "If Everett's boat is in first, then Eden must be in third. I've been trying to get her to practice, but she just can't seem to go in a straight line..."

"My kids had some trouble with that too," Phil said.

"How have they been by the way?" Theo asked. "I didn't get a chance to talk to Everett at the last yacht club party."

"I worry about Everett sometimes," Phil admitted. "Have your kids ever seemed like they wanted to quit sailing?"

"No," Theo answered. "Kelsey and Eden both love it. Did you hear that Kelsey is going to be on the sailing team at the University of Wisconsin?"

"Yes, you told me at the last yacht club party," Phil said.

"Sorry about that, then," Theo said. "I'm just so proud of my girls. They've both come so far. Anyways, does Everett really want to quit sailing?"

"I'm not sure, but it seems like it," Phil said.

"He should stick with it," Theo said. "Everett's a good sailor. I mean, he's about to win this race! No matter how you look at it, he's got a lot of talent."

"That's true," Phil said. "Maybe I can use that to convince him to stick with it."

Phil looked up again, and it seemed like Everett had gotten stuck. The wind had died down, and Sylvie had chosen just the right path to pass her younger brother. However, Everett was still in a close second. He just had to get a gust of wind to get him started again.

That gust of wind never came. Eden's boat passed Everett's again, and before long, he was in dead last. Phil couldn't help but feel bad for his son, but at the same time, Sylvie was now in the lead. He didn't really know who to cheer for - like most parents, Phil hated playing favorites.

On the final leg of the race, Everett regained some ground. He passed most of the other sailors, and by the time the Morrison siblings approached the finish line, they were neck and neck. Phil and Theo carefully watched the race from the pier, waiting to see who would win the race.

All of a sudden, Sylvie glided past the judges' boat, making her the winner of the race. Only a few minutes later, Everett followed her, and the other sailors all came to the finish line afterwards. After Eden finished, Theo left the pier and returned home. "I'll see you at the yacht club party tomorrow, Phil," he said.

"See you later, Theo," Phil said. He stayed on the pier, waiting for his family to return. A few minutes later, the judges' motorboat arrived at the pier, with Audrey, Beatrice Ogden, and Phil's mother aboard.

"What a race!" Phil's mom exclaimed.

"Both of our kids did wonderfully," Audrey said, smiling.

"I think so too," Phil said.

Sylvie and Everett returned to shore at about the same time, and Phil rushed out to greet them. Sylvie had a huge grin on her face, while Everett looked like he was about to cry. "Audrey, could you help Sylvie take her sail down?" Phil asked.

"Dad, I don't need help," Sylvie said, already cleaning off her sailboat. "I can do this myself."

"Okay, Sylvie," Phil said. He went over to Everett's boat and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I was supposed to win!" Everett whined. "Sylvie cheated!"

Phil hadn't seen any evidence of foul play, but he wanted to trust his son. "How did she cheat?" he asked.

"I don't know!" Everett said, bursting into tears. "She must have done it though!"

"I didn't cheat!" Sylvie shouted. "Everett's just a sore loser!"

"You always win!" Everett cried. "It's not fair at all! You should let someone else win for once!"

"I lost the Junior Regatta last year to some kid from Orchard Lake," Sylvie argued. "I don't always win."

"You won every regular season race that year," Everett said. "You have to be cheating somehow, Sylvie."

"Maybe I'm just a better sailor than you," Sylvie said, making Everett cry again.

"Break it up, you two," Phil said. He looked to Audrey for support, and to his relief, she stepped in.

"Why don't we go somewhere fun to celebrate how well both of you did?" Audrey suggested with a smile. "Where would you like to go?"

"Culver's!" Everett exclaimed.

"Let's go to Culver's then," Phil said as Everett wiped his eyes with a tissue. The whole family headed out to their car, and the kids climbed into the backseat. Phil took the wheel, and with Audrey next to him, he started the car and turned on a classic rock station. As the kids made a laughable attempt to sing along to Queen - both of them had seemingly inherited Phil's tone deafness - Phil drove around the lake towards the Clearwater Lake Culver's. The restaurant had been there for years, and it was the only fast food place near the lake. The nearest McDonald's was on the other end of town, so the local Culver's had taken its place in the minds of the residents of Clearwater Lake.

As soon as the Morrisons entered the restaurant, Everett stared at the menu, while Sylvie waved to Quentin Sterling-Stafford, a fellow teenage member of the yacht club who happened to work there. After some debate, Audrey and Phil decided to split a ButterBurger Cheese, while Sylvie ordered a sandwich, and Everett got an order of chicken tenders, along with some cheese curds for the family. Phil and Audrey found a spot in the corner, and their children soon joined them.

When their food arrived, Phil immediately started eating. He barely listened to the rest of his family's conversation as he savored his cheese curds. Phil's love for cheese curds had certainly not done any favors for his physique, but he didn't care. Once he was done with his share of the cheese curds, he looked up at his children, but Everett was crying again.

"Sylvie, be nice to your brother please," Audrey said.

"I was just telling him the truth!" Sylvie exclaimed.

"No, Sylvie's being mean to me," Everett said.

"What's going on?" Phil asked.

"Sylvie said that I would never be a good sailor," Everett said.

"That is pretty mean, Sylvie," Phil said. "Apologize to Everett."

"She doesn't need to apologize," Everett said as he wiped his tears away again.

"Why not?" Phil asked. "What Sylvie said was awful."

"Because it's true," Everett said. "I'll never be a good sailor."

"Don't say that," Phil said, quickly hugging his son. "You'll be a great sailor someday."

"Dad's right," Sylvie admitted. "I'm sorry for what I said, and I know that you'll be a good sailor."

"No, I won't," Everett insisted as he shoved the last cheese curd into his mouth. "I'm a terrible sailor, and I always will be. I can never live up to this family's expectations."

"Think about all of the kids at your school. Most of the ones who aren't in the yacht club don't know how to sail at all," Phil said. "Everett, I can practice with you if that's what you want, but you are a good sailor already, and I can help you become a great one."

"I don't even like sailing!" Everett shouted. A few other people in the restaurant looked in his direction, surprised by his outburst.

"You don't mean that, do you?" Phil said.

"You've always enjoyed sailing," Audrey noted.

"People change, Mom," Everett said. "I don't like sailing anymore. I want to quit."

"Are you sure?" Phil asked, and Everett nodded vigorously. "Can I sell your sailboat then? I'm sure that there are some younger kids in the yacht club who would like it."

"Please do," Everett said. "I'd really rather not spend every single weekend on a sailboat."

Phil glanced towards Audrey, who simply shrugged. "He's thirteen, Phil," she said. "We can let him make some choices for himself."

Audrey was right. Phil had to let Everett make this decision, if that was what he really wanted. He only hoped that Everett wouldn't come to regret it later. "Fine," Phil said. "I'll deregister you from the Junior Sailing League, and I'll try to sell your boat as soon as I can, but as long as you're living in my house, you'll be a part of the Clearwater Lake Yacht Club, and you'll need to attend all of the parties with us."

"That works, Dad," Everett said. "I don't mind the parties. I get to hang out with my friends!"

"I'm glad that we've come to an agreement, Everett," Phil said. "Now, let's head home. I have a few things that I'd like to get done."

Phil, Audrey, Sylvie, and Everett all walked back to the car, but everyone was strangely quiet on the way home. Phil suspected that it was because of the shock of Everett quitting sailing. Nevertheless, he tried to pretend as if nothing had happened. Not having Everett sail with the Junior Sailing League didn't really change anything. He was still in the yacht club, after all.

When Phil got home, he immediately went on the Clearwater Lake Yacht Club website, designed by none other than his best friend Theo Reinhart, and deregistered Everett. However, when the message "Are you sure you want to deregister Everett Morrison?" popped up, Phil nearly clicked "No." It broke his heart knowing that his son would never take home any more trophies or lead the yacht club as its commodore. However, Phil repeated Audrey's words to himself again. It was time to let Everett make some choices for himself.

Phil clicked the "Yes" button, and just like that, Everett had officially quit sailing. He clicked away from the CLYC website and posted a message on the yacht club's Facebook page, asking if anyone wanted to purchase a gently used MC Scow. After he posted the message, he went over to the living room to check on Everett. He found him sitting in front of the TV, smiling and playing a video game.

Phil hated to admit it, but maybe his son was better off without the Junior Sailing League.