Chapter 1
Millie
“Hurry up, Millie.” My mother follows up by rapping on the bathroom door. “We’re going to be late.”
“We’re not going to be late for anything,” I answer. “We’re on a ship. Nothing is going anywhere without us.”
“You know what I mean. I want to go swimming before the pool is too crowded.”
I open the door, shaking my head. “How am I supposed to swim in this thing? What’s with all this extra fabric gathered at the waistline? It looks like I’m wearing half a parachute.” Though, now that I see it, Mom’s suit might be worse, looking like a prisoner’s uniform with all the vertical stripes.
They’re both pretty embarrassing.
“That’s what ladies’ swimsuits looked like in 1912.” She straightens up my skirt as though I’m twelve, not twenty-two.
“Yes, but do we have to swim?” I ask. “Can’t we just put on one of the gowns we bought and walk around the ship?”
“We’ll have time for that later,” she insists.
“She’s not going to change her mind,” my little sister, Ally, interjects. “Believe me, I’ve tried. I look ridiculous in all this embroidery, or whatever this is.”
“At least you don’t have a lump of parachute around your waist,” I complain. “I swear, it’s going to get filled up with water, and I doubt I’ll stay afloat.”
“I just hope no women were dressed like this when the original Titanic sunk,” my sister says. “I’d hate to go out looking like this.”
Mom looks at us both with a frown. “Girls, now, stop it. We agreed we were going to have fun on Titanic 2. Everyone’s in period costumes. It’s not like you’ll be the only ones in the pool.”
As usual, I cave at the pleading look in her eye. She’s been waiting for this trip all year. “Okay, I’ll do this for you… and because this ship is actually pretty cool. It looks just like the movie, which of course I’ve memorized after we re-watched it at least a dozen times this past week. But as soon as we’re done swimming, I’m getting out of this thing.”
“All I’m asking for is a few pictures.” Mom’s satisfied smirk has me shaking my head as she hands me another hunk of material. “Don’t forget the scarf. It’s a very important feature of the outfit.”
“Wow, more fabric,” my sister groans, taking hers. “I’m sure glad we were born in this century.”
“Be lucky you won’t be wearing corsets with the gowns later,” Mom continues. “Those were so constricting, the women had a hard time eating much in public.” She waits while I adjust the scarf, which is closer to a hat and is definitely going to fall off in the water. “You two look wonderful. Let’s go enjoy ourselves.”
“I really will try.” I mean it.
Ally giggles. “When you first mentioned a cosplay cruise, I was thinking Disney princesses.” She holds up her hand before Mom can answer. “But this is fun, too.”
She opens the stateroom door just as two women are walking by—in bikinis.
“Mom—”
“Okay, maybe not everyone is in period costumes, but most people will be, I promise.” She gives us a labored smile.
“Right.” I just want to get this over with. I’ll do a lap or two, take a picture, then I’m marching right back up here to change into something that actually flatters my curves.
“You’re lucky to be in the twenty-first century for a lot of reasons,” Mom says as we walk up the stairs toward the upper deck. “The pool here on Titanic 2 is outside on the top deck, and of course, we can swim in it whenever we want. On the original RMS Titanic, the pool was indoors, on F Deck. Women could only swim there during their designated women-only time.”
“I’m not surprised since it was over a hundred years ago, but it sounds tedious,” Ally chimes in. “There were way too many stupid, pointless rules for women.”
I nod, watching a couple walk by in outfits that look exactly like the lead couple in the movie. “I’m so glad I don’t have to live with any of that old-fashioned sexism.”
“Class difference was an issue as well,” Mom continues. “You couldn’t even get near the pool if you weren’t a first-class passenger. Oh, I think of those poor people in steerage. They were actually locked down below while the first-class passengers got onto the lifeboats. I can’t even imagine the terror.”
“Just the idea gives me a chill,” I say. “Everyone is a human being who deserves to live. I can’t believe things were like that back then.”
“We know it’s true, though, from all the documentaries we’ve watched with Mom on the subject, as well as things she’s learned from research,” Ally says. “You’re a real wealth of historical knowledge, Mom.”
Mom grins as she opens the glass doors and we step out onto the deck, which smells like a mix of chlorine and salt air, with a tad of burning fuel mixed in. The skyscrapers of New York City are starting to fade into the distance now as we head farther out to sea.
I’m so glad I don’t get seasick.
“At least a lot more people are in period costumes up here,” I say. “I still feel ridiculous, but at least I’m not alone.”
Ignoring me, Mom takes a deep breath. “Doesn’t it feel wonderful, breathing the fresh ocean air?”
Did she not smell the diesel?
Apparently not, because she keeps talking. “Now, this ship is a lot larger than the original Titanic, but it’s kept its charm, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, sure, but—”
My eyes lock with a man standing on the other side of the pool. Even from this distance, I can see his bright blue irises, the color of the sky. His face is chiseled and attractive, with a strong jaw and sandy blond hair. Even in his period-appropriate men’s bathing suit, which just looks like bike shorts and a tank top—lucky him—I can see every well-defined muscle.
“Millie?”
“I’m sorry. What, Mom?”
“Where did you go there?” she asks, but she doesn’t wait for an answer. “Anyway, as I was saying, this ship is larger by ten thousand gross tons. But that was necessary. Of course, they had to add all the modern safety features and upgraded engines, so that took up a lot of room. You know, they first started building this ship in 2012, so they had to do a lot of work before we got to finally be on her maiden voyage today.”
I look away from my mom and crane my neck to find the man again, but no luck.
“And now here we are, heading to Southampton! It’s a reverse course from the original Titanic’s maiden voyage,” she says as I turn back to see her smile. “So, let’s make the most of it.”
“There’s a table over there.” Ally points near where the man was standing.
I still don’t see him anywhere. There’s something about him….
“Let’s claim it before someone else does,” Mom suggests.
I nod. “Even though it seems like I could shove my phone… or even my entire purse into the parachute on my waist, I don’t want it to get wet, so we might as well put our stuff somewhere safe.”
“Do you think this will be safe with all these people around?” Ally asks. “I have my whole life on this phone.”
“Same.” I could probably recover most of it from the cloud, but not when I’m stuck in the middle of the ocean with no way of getting a new phone.
“I’ll watch our things while you two swim,” Mom says. “When you’re done, you can watch my stuff.”
“When I’m done, I’m going to go change,” I argue. But that sounds selfish the minute it comes out of my mouth. Mom deserves this trip, and I’m going to help her have a good time. “But sure. I’ll hide under a towel or something while you get a turn.”
“You’re so silly.” Mom laughs a little, so much her eyes light up. I haven’t seen that side of her much since Dad passed away, and it reminds me to help her enjoy what she loves. And boy, does she love the Titanic.
“Silly Millie.” Ally wiggles her brows up and down, and I just shake my head. It’s like we’re kids again.
“Well, if we’re going to go swimming, let’s just go swim.” I notice the women in bikinis are already in the pool, completely unobstructed by the inconvenient clothing of the early twentieth century. But then again, most others are in suits like mine, so on this cruise, they’re the ones who stand out.
“Not before I get a picture of you both by the pool,” Mom insists.
Great. Now the whole horrible outfit is going to be preserved for posterity. At least Ally will be in the photo, too, though her suit is almost cute next to mine.
“Go stand next to it, but wait before you jump in so your suits are still dry in the shot.” She waves us toward the pool while getting out her phone.
“Okay, but hurry up, Mom,” Ally says. “The water looks great.”
We move over toward the pool and stand near the edge, turning toward Mom.
“Better smile,” Ally says. “You know she won’t take it if we’re frowning, and we’ll never get to swim.”
I nod, pasting on a toothy grin.
Mom shakes her head. “I want to get the buildings in the city in the background. Scoot over to your right.”
We shuffle over together. “Is that good?” I ask.
Mom checks her phone and frowns. “Not quite. Now you’re both too close to each other. Millie, take a small step back so I can see all of Ally’s swimsuit.”
A deep sigh escapes my lips. “Okay.”
I feel the slick concrete just a second too late to stop my foot, which slides back. I almost grab Ally for balance but force myself not to, my protective big-sister instincts kicking in.
Screaming, I feel the force of the hard cement on the top of my head, then the feel of the cool water rushing over my shoulders.
The world blurs quickly and turns black all around me.