I had finally finished my morning chores; fished for salmon, fed the lobsters, mopped the dock and scrubbed the fishing boat until it was a spotless, marble white. Our family's fishing boat was perhaps my favorite place to be. Especially when I was out in the ocean watching the orcas jump and the seagulls soar.

Now that I was done working for the morning, I decided to bike into town for lunch. The tiger orange sun shone its merigold rays onto the peaceful sea and the quiet roads. Shops were opening and dogs were being let out into their backyards. The blue-jays were chirping in the silvery-green trees. What a beautiful day it was, I thought as I rode on my strawberry-red bike. The wind swept through my wavy bronze hair, streaked with shimmering amber.

That was my name. Amber Marilyn Oleander. Daughter of Captain Ralph Oleander, the captain of the Teal Seal. That was what he named his big cargo ship. Seals were his favorite animal, and Teal was after my mom and my dark blue-green eyes. It was a fantastic ship that transported food, animals, supplies and materials from White Sky Harbor to other countries in the world. This harbor was known for its white cloudy skies and thick fog, but today the void above Starboard Town was arctic blue with faint clouds veiling the sun.

My stomach grumbled, as I realized I hadn't eaten at all that day. Since I was an early bird, I had woken up before the anyone else in the whole town, even the sun himself. It was my favorite time to be awake and gaze at the dark, foggy harbor. Every day I would sit on the edge of our dock in the port, waiting for any sign of my dad to come sailing home while watching me from the crow's nest of the Teal Seal.

Stopping in front of Molly Tiff's Cafe, I parked my bike, which I had just received as a gift from my father when he arrived from his last voyage. Grabbing my purse, I skipped into the breakfast cafe to fill my stomach with warm waffles and hot cocoa. A cheerful bell chimed as I swung open the door. The welcoming sight of the cozy cafe warmed my heart as always...especially when I met eyes with the cashier, Oliver Tiff who was the son of the shop's owner. His eyes were such a light brown, they seemed a gold-orange color while his hair was smooth, straight and copper red.

Before either of us could say hello, Oliver's mother, Molly, burst through the kitchen doors.

"Amber, my dear!" she boomed, opening her arms.

Embracing her, I said, "Good morning, Mrs. Tiff. How're things?"

"Oh just wonderful! Here, I was saving this booth for you! I know how much you love it!"

I laughed as seated myself in the red-cushioned booth right by the entrance. It was my favorite, since it caught the most sunlight and had a quaint view of the town. I also had a great view of Oliver at the counter, as he prepared to-go food for the customers. He would always glance at me when he could and I would smile back. Yes, this was the best seat in the house. I also loved to smile at customers as they strolled out of the Molly's Cafe after a delicious breakfast.

Since I had lived here all my life, I knew Molly well, and she would always cheer me up. She was like my second mom to me, but not nearly as wise as my real mother, Brenda. My mother helped around the harbor and nurtured my younger siblings and me. She was sweet and caring. When I had been bullied in school by a boy one week, instead of hiding my pain, I simply told my mother, who took of everything right away, fixing my school life. Now I had friends, good grades, and practically a boyfriend. Oliver and I weren't official yet, but we both had crushes on each other.

Right then, he approached me, asking, "Welcome to Molly's. What would like for breakfast this beautiful day?"

He had his hands on the table, leaning towards me. I blushed and hid my face in the menu. I tried to order something different every time I came here, since there were so many different options. I finally decided to order an egg, sausage and cheese biscuit sandwich and a vanilla milkshake.

"Coming right up," Oliver smiled.

When I got my food, I enjoyed my juicy sandwich, the crispy fries and my cold, creamy shake. Then Mrs. Tiff came over to my table to make small talk.

"So Amber! When's your father coming back from his journey?" she asked curiously.

I sighed, trying to stay happy. "He said today, but he always arrives several days later than he says he will," I said, staring down at my half-eaten meal.

"Oh, don't you worry, Amber! I'm sure your father will come home soon and when he does, he'll have more presents for you and your siblings!" she encouraged me cheerfully. Molly Tiff was one of the most chipper ladies I had ever met. She was like my grandma.

After finishing my breakfast (and leaving my waiter a good tip), I headed back to the boathouse to play with my younger siblings. I had just turned 15, and my younger sibling, Isaac, was 13. He was tall, skinny and had curly black hair like our father. His personality was outgoing and flirty with girls, but he could be a bit of a brat sometimes.

"Amber!" he ran to me, welcomingly. He and I never hugged, only high-fived. He held out his hand, but as I tried to smack it, he pulled it away and slapped the top of my head.

"Hey! Quit it, Isaac! You ruined our handshake!" I scolded, snickering.

"Sorry, crybaby! Guess what? I've finished all my chores and had breakfast! What have you done all morning?" he boasted.

"The same," I answered, holding back my laugh. "Only I biked to Molly's Cafe for my meal while you stayed at home and ate what? Cereal? Toast with nothing on it?" I teased, as my younger brother and sister giggled, pointing at Isaac.

He rolled his eyes, saying, "Well I've got a date for lunch, so I'm gonna go get ready for that!" And he sauntered off into our boathouse.

I hugged the littles, Johnson and Olivia, better known as Jackson and Livvy. Jackson had coral orange hair which he got from his mother's mother. His eyes were sea-blue, and his skin sandwhite. He looked like an infant out of the ocean.

"Do you think Daddy will come home today?" he asked me, beaming hopefully.

I didn't want to lie, but I didn't want to bring little Jack's hopes down. So I said, nodding, "I hope he will, Jackson. I hope! And when he does come, he'll have presents for us! And we'll have our traditional family seafood dinner!"

Jackson seemed doubtful when I said "I hope he will," but got excited when he heard "presents" and "family dinner."

Then Livvy, a sweet girl with curly, jet black hair squealed, "I can't wait to have shrimp and pasta! Will we have cake for dessert? Or ice cream?" Her black marble eyes widened.

Again, I replied, "I hope so!" For I, too, loved ice cream. Especially my mom's brownie sundaes.

Suddenly, I raised my head and spotted a large white boat, lined with teal, looming over the horizon of the pale ocean. It was hazy out on the sea, but I could tell it was the Teal Seal of Captain Oleander!

I screamed to my family that Dad was home and sprinted to the lighthouse, two hundred yards away. I could have ridden my bike, but my excitement carried my feet up the tall, rocky shore and up to the Oleander Lighthouse.

After turning the big crystal light on, the ship was guided into White Sky Harbor. Smiling, I sprinted back down the lighthouse, down the rocks past our boathouse and straight to the Teal Seal. There was my father, taking off his white captain's hat to reveal his messy black hair and beard. He brushed his bangs out of his big, black eyes and opened his arms. All four of his children rushed into his arms, rejoicing.

That evening we had grilled swordfish, shrimp pasta and peppered asparagus. For dessert, our mother made the best of her Brownie Sundaes. And after telling us some of his great sea voyage stories, our father tucked us each into bed as the sun disappeared into the sea. Tomorrow was Sunday. A whole day with my father. And as I dozed off, I thought to myself: These are the best kind of days.

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Thank you for reading! Comment your thoughts and advice! Read my other stories, they're great!