The time was 9:32 at night, and we finished leisure time about an hour ago. The thought of a new day was enchanting; new experiences to encounter and more sights to see. We’ve been traveling around England for a few weeks now, and tomorrow we are crossing the ocean to America on a flowery new cruise line known as the Titanic. My excitement is too much for me to handle; I can barely think of why I would sleep when I am so enthusiastic. I search for my pajamas and attempt to put them on myself since my housemaid has not arrived at my aid yet. I’m about to slide them over my head when I hear a faint yell from down the hall.

“My goodness Victoria, you don’t need to be doing that all by yourself!” Anna says as she rushes into my room, doing her best to fix the mess that I made.

“Oh Anna, I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to cause you much stress. I’m just so anxious to get ready for bed! I am so eager for tomorrow!”

“Well, missy, you better wind down and breathe. You don’t need to be getting riled up when you have to be up so early in the morning.”

Sometimes, Anna treated me more like her child than my actual parents. They mainly focus on maintaining our families’ reputation, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it would be lovely if they spent more time with my younger sisters and me. Once I thanked Anna for her services, I sprang into bed and relaxed with a calming book; however, I heard arguing between my father and the mother in the distance.

“Haven’t you heard the rumors surrounding the Titanic? It’s the Olympic, and it will most likely sink at sea!”

My mother sounded very frantic when she talked, evident in her voice.

“Oh, poppycock! You are insane, woman! Absolutely insane! This is why you shouldn’t be reading those new gossip magazines! People spreading fake information and all that…” my father grumbled.

“I refuse to step on that ship with my children!”

“Fine! If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to! Just stay here with the children, and I will ride on it, enjoying the wonderful experience I paid for!” my father snapped.

Those few words taunted me for the rest of the night. I desperately wanted to be out at sea, and I was so eager to enjoy an experience with my family altogether. Now, my one dream has been ripped away from me.

As I closed my eyes, someone entered my room. I woke up and found my mother standing right next to me.

“Victoria, I need you to listen to me. You, me, and your sisters will be leaving tonight. Your father and I got into a reasonably large fight and it is best for us to stay with your aunt tonight. Anna will come with us, however we will not be joining your father on the Titanic. Your father knows and we believe it is best for us to wait so he can build a name for ourselves.”

“But mother, this was our chance to all be together. Shouldn’t we go with father and try to get along?” I ask.

“None of your nonsense, now start packing!” she exclaims as she leaves the room to tell my siblings.

I was so tired. I was tired of the arguing, tired of the fighting. My one wish was for peace within my family, so how come it couldn’t be reached? I grabbed my luggage that was already packed and met with my sisters, Margaret and Eleanor, in the foyer.

“I’m very upset, I was so keen on boarding the Titanic,” Eleanor says as she bows her head.

“Me too, but we must stay positive for mother, we must not disappoint her,” I say as she briskly comes down the stairs with Anna.

“All right children, I have alerted your Aunt Matilda, off we go.”

“But what about father? Wil we get to say goodbye to him?” Margaret asks eagerly.

“Never mind that. You will see him once we are in America,” mother states firmly as she exits the house. I look back upstairs, and I see my father standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at us.

“Goodbye, my children. I will see you later. I love you very much.”

Months have passed. We have not heard anything from my father, and life has been very dull for my entire family. I hear a boy with newspapers yelling down the street—news I had put out of my mind until now. “EXTRA! EXTRA! THE TITANIC SINKS, KILLING MANY EUROPEANS! READ ALL ABOUT IT!” I ran to the boy and asked for a newspaper. I snatch it out of his hands and skim the list of survivors. I don’t see my father’s name. Like that boat, my heart sinks, holding the one person who completes the one thing I love: my family.