I never thought that my life was gonna change forever before I even turned eighteen. I was gonna face a lot of events like loss, love, experiencing adulthood, and face a lot of challenges.

It all started on a normal day in Rockydale, Maine. It was a beautiful coastal town with such amazing scenery.  For seventeen years, I've always loved living in Rockydale. I couldn't imagine a life outside of town, especially when I love to live near the sea. My favorite places are the beach, the library, an antique shop called Antique Emporium, the docks and my father's lighthouse. My dad and I did consider moving away from Rockydale to live with my mom in London, but he didn't want to leave his job as the lighthouse keeper.

My parents met during World War 2 in England when my dad was a soldier and she was a nurse. He was scared when he got recruited, but her love and her helpful advice gave him the courage to fight against the Germans in Britain, especially when she told him that she was pregnant with me. A month after I was born, and when the war ended, my mother moved to the United States to start a new life with my father. Things went well until they decided to get divorced when I was nine. She didn't like America that much, so she decided to go back to London when my father chose to stay, but they remained good friends over the years. I do get letters every now and then from her, she would even visit me on my birthday when she gets the chance.

Every morning, I would wake up early to make breakfast for the two of us before going to school.

"Excited about your birthday coming up?" my dad asked.

"Yep, I'm really excited. Only 16 days left to go. What should we do when My birthday comes?" I asked.

"Well, I was gonna wait until your birthday to surprise you, but we are going to London on your birthday to see your mother and her family," he said.

I was actually excited upon hearing that since I've been waiting to visit my mom and meet my stepfather and brother since my mother has told me a lot about them through her letters. She met my stepfather, Charlie, two years ago and married him last year. He has a 10 year old son from a previous marriage named Peter. She told me of how great and kind Charlie is. He even enjoys the thought of being a stepfather, especially since Peter always wanted a sibling in his life.

"Before you leave for school, I got you an early birthday present. I couldn't wait much longer to give it to you. It's from Beatrice." he said as he handed me a small box with a ribbon wrapped around it.

Beatrice was the wife of my dad's friend, Richard, who owns Antique Emporium. Her and Richard were always close friends to my father. He trusted them enough to look after me when I was a kid. She even taught me how to knit clothing.

I untied the ribbon and opened the box. It was a white wool knitted turtleneck sweater that was identical to my dad's. It was beautiful, I couldn't wait to try it on soon.

"Beatrice finished it yesterday and gave it to me to have it ready for your birthday. But of course, I decided to give it to you as an early present." said my dad.

"Thanks, dad. I'll even thank Beatrice for the sweater on my way to school." I said as I hugged him.

After breakfast, I was riding my bicycle to school. I was already enjoying my new sweater as it felt warm and comfortable. I spotted Beatrice walking to the docks to her husband's boat. I figured that she must be going fishing with her husband today. I decided to say hi to her and thank her for the sweater.

"Hi, Beatrice." I said as I slowed my bike down to talk to her.

"Hi, Mary Elizabeth. I see you're wearing your new sweater. I had a feeling that your father was gonna give you the present early." she said.

"Yeah, he couldn't help himself. But thanks for the sweater. It feels really comfortable."

"You're very welcome, dear. Hope you have a good day at school."

"Thanks, bye."

I waved as I pedaled down to school.

It was late afternoon when school ended for the day. Since it was Friday, I was happy because I enjoy the weekend more than school. But I still like school since I like to learn new things.

During dinner, my father and I talked about our future trip to London since it would be the very first time I would go to a huge city.

"I'm nervous, dad. I've never been anywhere outside Rockydale. Especially with how English people are, what if they don't like me because I'm an American?" I asked.

"Don't be nervous, dear. You're half English girl anyway, you'd be able to fit in easily. You're always more reserved and polite, they love that." he said.

He was actually right. While Americans tend to be seen as more open-minded and outspoken, I was more of a reserved person when it comes to opinions and everything even though I tend to be open-minded at times.

Suddenly, his radio went off. It sounded like an emergency. It must be a distress signal. Somebody must've gone out fishing when it wasn't a good idea since there's a storm brewing out there tonight.

"I have to go. There's a fishing boat out there that's in trouble. It's gonna get bad out there tonight. If the power goes out, just fire up the backup generator, clear the sump pump, and radio Richard if there's a problem." he said.

"Of course, dad. Be careful out there, okay?"

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm always careful. Good night, I'll see you in the morning." he said as he kissed me on the forehead.

"Love you." he said as he went out the door.

"Love you too, dad." I said as he closed the door.

I was awoken by a knock on the door. The sky was bright outside, which means that the storm had passed. But my father would never knock on the door. It must be somebody else. If so, that means that something is terribly wrong. I answered it and it was Richard.

"Where's my dad?" I asked.

I had a terrible feeling that he was going to say something that I didn't want to be true.

"I'm sorry, Mary Elizabeth. He's gone. He was lost at sea." he said as he hugged me.

I couldn't believe it. I never expected my father to die unexpectedly. Especially since he had gone through situations like this and always made it out alive. Now I was dealing with one of life's most unavoidable events... the death of a loved one.

I do not own the rights to The Beatles and their members, this story is only for entertainment.