Patch of the Mallard (Patreon)

The young boy sat on the dock, only stopping to rub the rings under his eyes each time his needle caught on the thimble. Each patch was finished with care, before, after a short rest, he set to work again.

And, with an exhausted smile, he handed each to a sailor just setting out. They took the patches, bemused or grateful, but he always made sure they took them.

Because the last he remembered of his father was a smile, and a call to look after the place until his promised return.

So he looked after the dock, because he knew what it was like when someone couldn't keep that promise.