Mara pulled a folder from her shelf and opened the harbor code. Commercial fishers could clean gear, process bait, wash pilings, fuel vessels, and prepare lawful catch within the designated working zone. The rules were ugly, practical, and entirely on Elias’s side.
“As long as you don’t damage their boats,” Mara said, tapping the page, “and as long as you stay within these procedures, they cannot stop you from working.” Elias read the lines twice. Then, slowly, the first true smile in weeks touched his face.