I’m Thomas, a young widower raising my son, Peter.

After my wife passed during childbirth, I did my best to provide for him, but our living situation drew the attention of social services, and Peter was placed in care.

I was told that with steady work and better housing, I could bring him home.

On the same morning I had a promising job interview,

social workers arrived and took Peter, citing my finances and our home.

I rushed to the interview but arrived late and wasn’t considered.

Feeling defeated, I met a fisherman who told me about seasonal work in Alaska that paid well.

I decided to go so I could quickly get stable and reunite with my son.

The job was grueling—long days on the water, little sleep,

and harsh weather—but I kept going, picturing Peter.

After months, a severe storm hit while our crew was at sea.

We abandoned ship and became separated.

I eventually washed up on a remote, icy island with two crewmates.

With almost no supplies, we signaled for help, but the fog hid our fire.

Another crewmate, Will, drifted in later and shared that some team members had planned to fake a maritime accident for insurance.

Their plan fell apart.Rescue efforts paused due to the weather, so we built a simple raft.

Will and I set out, following the direction we’d heard a helicopter.

The cold and hunger were relentless. I shared what little warmth and food I had with Will,

but he didn’t survive the journey. I was later found and taken to a hospital,

where I told rescuers how to reach the others.

Will’s mother visited me; in gratitude for trying to help her son, she arranged for the insurance payment to go to me.

That support meant I could finally bring Peter home.

I flew back and went straight to the shelter—only to learn Peter had already been claimed by his biological father,

a man I hadn’t known about.

His name was Travis, a watchman on a large estate.

He explained that he and Linda had been together before she returned to me, and he hadn’t known about Peter until recently.

He also shared that Peter was ill and needed treatment.

When I saw Peter, he ran to Travis; they’d already formed a bond. I set aside my shock and helped with the medical costs, because Peter’s well-being mattered most.

The next day, as I prepared to return to Alaska for a stable office job with the company,

Travis asked if he and Peter could come with me to start fresh. I said yes. We left together—an unexpected, blended family—ready to build a steady life for Peter.