"Only one day until Christmas" sighed 14-year-old-Gabriella Lisfield, as she boarded the Hamilton ferry home to Somerset. She looked at the dark grey sea as she pulled her sweater tighter around her to protect her from the chilly air outside.

Gabby had just come from the library in town where the staff was in the middle of their annual Christmas party. Even though her friends had encouraged her to join in, all she wanted was to be alone.

On Christmas Eve most people were joyful and full of fun, but Gabby was miserable. She was thinking back to this day a year ago when her life changed forever.

She remembered her Mother, Sophia, and her Father, Domico, as they walked out the door laughing and singing, "We wish you a merry Christmas".

Their arms were filled with packages of her mother's delicious tiramisu. She saw her beautiful Italian mother. Her dark luscious curls, almond shaped eyes, and her latt? coloured skin and wavy full lips. Her mum, who had been the head pastry chef at Little Venice, was always happy to read or play a board game with Gabby. She was a quiet type of mother, which Gabby liked.

Then there was her dad. Oh how she loved her daddy. He was her Bermudian side of the family. He had milky chocolate skin and sparkly blue eyes. He brought the joyousness and exaggeration into her life. He was always laughing, making jokes and was very easy going. He had been the manager of Little Venice, were he had fallen in love with Sophia and her tiramisu.

Gabby was a mix of both her mum and her dad. She had her father's skin, her mother's lovely curls, her fathers blazing eyes and her mother's slim figure.

She remembered waving goodbye to her mother and father as they drove to Boaz Island to drop off the home-made tiramisu for their friends. They had asked Gabby to go, but Gabby said she would rather stay home and read her favourite Tamora Pierce book, "In the Hands of the Goddess".

While her parents were driving over Somerset Bridge, her father, not wanting to run over the small dog that was in his way, swerved to the right and hit the side of the bridge. Her father did not have his seat belt on and the force of the blow made him hit the steering wheel hard. It crushed into his chest and caused massive internal bleeding. Her mom was thrown out the side door and fell out onto the bridge and hit her head. Barely conscious, her mom staggered home crying for help. She did not have very far to go, they lived just beyond the bridge on Crosswinds Drive.

Gabby was in the kitchen when her mother collapsed in the doorway. Gabby was very scared. She ran across the room to her mother. Her mother breathlessly told Gabby what happened and told Gabby to call 911 before she fainted into Gabby's arms. Gabby did as she was told. Then she frantically called her Auntie Carla and told her everything that happened. Auntie Carla rushed over to drive Gabby to the hospital.

When Gabby arrived at the hospital she discovered that her father had died and the blow to her mothers head had caused her to lose her memory. The doctors had no idea if or when she would recover.

From that moment Gabby's wonderful life was shattered to pieces. Gone were the days when she would play, sing, and have fun. Now her dad was gone and her mom did not know who she was or where she was.

Gabby's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sound of the ferry docking, "toot toot!" Gabby slumped off the ferry and was sadly walking home when she saw a stray dog trotting by. He looked to be a mutt with a mix of collie and retriever and something else. He was yellow with little patches of white here and there.

He had a pink nose, warm brown eyes, and a bushy tail. Gabby had hated dogs ever since the accident, but this endearing dog somehow captured her heart. He came up to her, cocked his head at her, and rolled over on his belly begging Gabby to scratch his tummy Gabby could not resist.

The dog got up and barked at her and made movements as if to get her to follow him curious, Gabby followed him. He led her back to Somerset Bridge. Again Gabby was absently patting the dogs back when all of a sudden he started barking. She looked to see what he was barking at and saw that he was barking at something shiny lying beneath the water. She felt so drawn to the object that she jumped in the water and grabbed it up from the sandy bottom. It looked so familiar.

She dried it off and read the inscription on the inside. It said, "For our little Gabriella." Gabby recognised it as the ring her father had given her mother when Gabby was born! It was a gorgeous ring. It was a gold band with gold thongs to keep the purest colour sapphire you have ever seen in place. When Gabby looked into it she saw the deep blue ocean, and it made her think of Horseshoe Bay Beach with the waves crashing and the smell of sea salt in the air. "It must have fallen off mum's hand during the accident." thought Gabby.

She hugged the dog tight and thanked him for leading her to the ring in the water. "I will call you Sapphire." Gabby said to her knew scruffy friend. Then she ran home with, Sapphire following close behind. Then she gave Sapphire some food and wrapped the ring up to give to her mother for Christmas the next morning.

The next morning Gabby awoke remembering the ring and Sapphire. The first thing she did was ask Auntie Carla if Sapphire could stay. After Auntie Carla said, "yes" Gabby woke her mum and told her that it was Christmas Day. Her mum looked at her quizzically.

Then Gabby approached her mother with a small box with her gift inside. Her mother opened the box and took out the ring put it on and said it was very beautiful and she loved it very much. When she finished talking, Gabby said, "Let me read the inscription on the ring for you", because in the accident her mother had lost the ability to read. Her mother said no! Let me try. She looked at the ring and said very slowly, "our lit.. tle Gab... re... ell... a."

Suddenly she stopped. Then she said it over and over again. Something clicked behind her eyes and in her mind. Then for the first time since the accident she said, "My little Gabby" and then hugged her. She said where is Domico? Then her face went blank and she said, "I remember".

Gabby and her mother held each other for a long time each of them crying into each others shoulders. Then Sophia lifted Gabby's head, looked into her eyes and said, "I will never leave you again."

At the end of the day her mum made Christmas dinner, turkey and stuffing and lots of other dishes. Then for dessert they had Cassava pie. When Gabby went to bed that night her mother came in, tucked her in bed and said," I love you Gabby." and in return Gabby said, "I love you too. When her mum closed the door, Gabby heard her whisper, "Thank you Sapphire."