It was a sunny day when her dad had disappeared. At the time it happened, she was young, not older than eight. Her dad was out picking fruit in the forest-like field. The light pierced the leaves like a dart, and Lana squinted as it shot into her eyes. Normally, her dad wouldn’t be out this early, they always would sleep in together until her mom would drag them out of bed. She was too scared to sleep alone, and her dad had always offered to sleep with her. Lana could remember the nights when they’d sit in the dark and he’d tell stories about the ocean. The waves crashing against the hull, seagulls chirping in wait for food, and the groaning of the ship. The stories were so vibrant she could taste salty water or the stench of fish. 

She could see her dad stretching into the highest reaches of a tree’s branches on the forest-like field, grabbing its shining red fruit. He was a big man, much larger than Lana or anyone on the island. Lana always played with his short well-kept beard. His tanned skin was darker than Lana's, probably from how much time he spent in the sun. 

Her short legs sped across the ground, careful not to trip on the exposed roots or the uneven ground. She reached out her arms and her dad plopped the fruit in her hands. It felt large and heavy, barely able to fit in the palms of the little girl’s hands. She put the fruit to her mouth and took an aggressive bite out of its crispy surface. The juice rolled down her cheek and she smiled at her dad, exclaiming, “It’s yummy!”

He looked down at Lana, his lips raising to form a smile. His rough hand combed through her hair as she took more bites out of the fruit. She finished the fruit in record time, throwing the core under the tree to decompose. He laughed heavily, picking her up and putting Lana on his shoulders. 

“I suppose you get that appetite from me.” he grinned. Lana’s hands grasped up to the tree in search of more fruits. Even while sitting on his shoulders, her dad’s arms could reach further than hers, and he grasped onto another ripe apple, handing it to the ecstatic girl. Immediately she began eating the crispy thing, and he let out another roar of laughter. “Truly an appetite to match my own!”

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As she sunk her teeth into the defenseless apple, her dad ran out of the forest holding onto Lana tightly. He placed her down on the fresh soft grass, and they started to chase after each other in the breeze of the rolling blades of green. They continued for several minutes until they met the shore, and he stopped in his tracks. Lana ran up and grappled onto his leg, and she looked up at his face with a large smile only to see a tear running down his face. He stared across the ocean, and Lana looked to the waves to see a small vessel floating across the water. 

He picked up Lana, holding her in his arms. “What’s wrong Daddy?” she asked. 

“It’s nothing.”

Lana reached her hand up and patted his head. She gave another big smile, “It’s going to be okay, just like Mommy said, ‘keep smiling!’” 

He wiped the tear out of his eye and hugged her. “In my entire life, I have never been more happy or proud as I have been with you.” 

“And mommy?”

He laughed, “Yes, of course! Mommy too.”

Then, he held Lana out, spinning her around. They were laughing, and he placed her down gently on the ground. He asked calmly, “Could you go get Mommy for me? I have to talk with the people coming in on that boat.”

“Are they bad people?”

“No, they are just visitors. Go along and find her, Lana. ”

He put her down, patted her on the head, and pushed her along. Lana started running as fast as her little legs could take her. She kept glancing back at her dad, now making his way down to the little beach. She looked at him, his thin wavy hair and his worn coat. He turned back, no longer smiling, but instead filled with regret. It was the last time she saw him. 

It was a sunny day.