Wheeling Gull Isle Ohana means family.

He didn't apologize.

Silent, he thought it a thousand times over. The things he could say, but every poorly constructed explanation felt cheap, unreasonable, so he said nothing. The crux of it was simple: he hadn't been there. For years, Whip had every ability to come back -- to come home -- but in his mind, the Redhawk family history had ceased to be. A story on indefinite pause.

It was strange to come back, to see that their family continued so easily without him. His siblings, younger siblings, whom Whip hardly even knew had lives and families all of their own. They'd done well. In the days of travel that followed, Whip never knew quite what to say to Towhee. There were questions at the tip of his tongue, but the right moment never arrived. Instead, he stayed close, offering help when able. 

The coast stirred him, dredging up memories better forgotten.

He pushed them away and followed his sister's path.