Night Fishing, Gulf Coast

“Grandpa's flat-bottom boat on the bayou. The motor's been off for an hour. Just drifting. His cigarette tip glowing orange in the dark. Stars like you've never seen — the Milky Way is actually milky, actually a way. The water laps the hull. Something splashes out there. He doesn't flinch. The cooler has Coca-Cola and bait and you're not sure which smells stronger. You're twelve and you understand for the first time that the point of fishing is not fish.”