Today was the day that my mother waited for every ten years. She made sure that I was already. She made sure that I had my best clothes and that we would be able to get out the door to make it in time. I should probably start from the beginning. My name is Lillian Turner, but people call me Lily for short. I don't have the normal life that most of the children do in my town. My father is William Turner Jr; he was a black-smith that became a pirate who then became the captain of the Flying Dutchmen. The last one wasn't his choice, he was mortally wounded and the only way to save him was to stab Davy Jones heart and for him to take over the ship. For every 10 years that he serves he is able to come to land for only one day. My older brother is 30 years old now and was named Henry. It was a surprise I am told the first time my father came a shore and saw not only my mother waiting but my brother too. Of course there was no way of letting him know that he was going to be a father while he was away. My mother says he was just as surprised the day he came back and saw me waiting too. It is strange having a sibling that is 10 years older than you. I just turned 20 a few days ago, it was hard growing up without my father but my mother did always make it up to us children.

The day I met my father it was before my tenth birthday. He doesn't always get to come back on the same day. I was nervous as we made our way to the cliff. I didn't know how he was going to take it. My mother made a huge deal about the day my father would come. I don't know how she always knew the day but she did. This was a big year for me, it would be the year that I could start being courted by men. My father made it a rule that I would have to wait, I think it was because he wouldn't be around during my time growing up. My brother was married five years ago to a lovely lady and they just found out a few months ago they were expecting their first child. I was happy for my brother he was finding his own way now. He was noble man thanks to my grandfather. My mother was the daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann who held high appeal to many. He passed away through my mother never said how he died but our family was able to keep his wealthy with the death of my grandfather. We still lived in the home that she grew up in. Many believed that my father took off after I was born. Not many believed he was a good man anymore. It was hard for my mother but we only told a few people about the truth of where my father truly was.

"Lillian Turner, get down here now."

Hearing my mother, I knew that we had to get in the carriage to make the hour trip to the cliff to see my father home for the day. I finished my hair and grabbed my cloak as I made my way to the door. I shut my bedroom door and made my way down the stairs. My mother Elizabeth Turner was standing in the door way. I could swear it seemed like she never aged. I made my way past her and to the carriage that was waiting in the drive. She was close behind me as she shut the main door and made her way into the carriage. She sat next to me as my brother Henry and his wife Abigail sat across from us. Abigail was told about my father a year into her relationship with my brother. She didn't seem shocked by any of it and it brought the two of them close together.

I looked out the window it seemed to make the time go by faster. It wasn't like the scenery has changed. I hated that I could only see my father every ten years but I guess it was better than never seeing him. I could hear Henry and Abigail talking to each other but I wasn't fully listening to them. I was watching the clouds as we moved along. I knew we were getting close because the trees were thinning out and started becoming farther apart. I closed my eyes to just rest for a few minutes before we got there.

"Lillian time to wake up. We are here."

My mother was shaking me. It took me a few seconds to fully understand what she said. When I looked out the window I could see the cliff off in the distance. I was the last one out of the carriage as I made my way-out, Henry held his hand out to help me out. Once we were all out we made the walk to the cliff. This was going to be the first time that my father would see one of us with a significant other. It would also be the first time with me being an adult. I was 10 the last time he saw me and now I have grown. Henry and Abigail walked together behind my mother and me. My mother was always the first one to make it to the cliff. I was a little excited to be able to see my father again. I didn't know if he would still look like how I remember him from ten years ago, I don't know what if real and what I made in my mind. We were all standing at the edge waiting for the flash. After the flash, we would see the ship coming. It didn't take long for the flash and to see the ship. When a smaller boat makes its way towards the shore is when we make our way down the cliff to the beach below.

"Will!"

My mother was always the first to my father. They would hug and kiss each other. You could sense the love that they had for each other. It was something I would want when it would come to finding that one person to spend your life with. They opened up expectations as to what both Henry and I should want and Henry was able to find that.

"Elizabeth it is so good to see you again. I was counting down the days until I see you and the children again."

My father turned his attention away from my mother and onto us children. I smiled and wanted to run towards him but it didn't seem fair to be the first one. I did make my way over to my father. I knew Henry would wait to fill him in on all his news.

"Father it is wonderful to see you again. I have finally come of age."

I couldn't help but be a little excited that I had kept true to the promise I made him. I could keep strong even though there have been a few prospects in the last few years. All my friends were courting and finding the loves of their lives and I was holding on to wait for my father. We were hoping this would be the year that my father would be able to stay with us for longer than a day. We knew that the day was coming but we weren't sure when it was, he never told us in case the day did change. Seeing my father and mother together it was something out of a movie.

"Father this is my wife Abigail. We were married five years ago."

My father moved towards my brother and held out his hand. They both gave a good shake and then my father reached over for Abigail to give her a welcome to the family. You could see the pain behind my father's eyes knowing that he missed out on this big moment in his son's life. I knew it must be hard for him to know that while he was out at sea we were continuing with our lives growing and starting our own families without him being there to see it all.

"Well then I have some good news to share with my family. I will be home for good now. I no longer have to go out to sea."

The joy that was across everyone's face was pure and you could tell that everyone was happy to be able to have our family complete for the first time in 30 years. My mother was the first one that made it to my father and wrapped him in a hug. She was the one that went through the most. I was just a little afraid about what could happen now that he was coming home. I was used to him having rules but they were never truly enforced and my mother wasn't always the one that forced us to do things. Now I was going to have to find a way of living with my father all the time. I knew that times would be changing.