April 10, 1912. Eleanor Pemberton, nearly twelve years old, boards the RMS Titanic with her strict governess, destined for a lavish birthday ball at New York's Waldorf-Astoria. Lonely and suffocated by first-class expectations, Eleanor escapes below decks where she meets Colleen O'Brien, an Irish girl her age traveling third class to a new life in America.
Over four magical days, the girls forge an unlikely friendship that transcends the ship's rigid class divisions. Eleanor teaches Colleen to read English; Colleen teaches Eleanor Irish dances. They share dreams?Colleen wants to be a teacher, Eleanor longs for freedom. Despite the disapproval of Eleanor's governess, their bond deepens through stolen hours and whispered secrets.
On April 14th, Eleanor's twelfth birthday, she successfully blackmails her governess into allowing Colleen to attend her formal first-class dinner. Dressed in borrowed silk, Colleen charms the captain's table, and the girls celebrate with cake and promises of lifelong friendship. Eleanor gives Colleen a gold locket as a symbol of their bond.
That night, the girls fall asleep together in Eleanor's suite, planning tomorrow's adventure to the crow's nest where they'll see America approaching. At 11:35 PM, the ship shudders?but the girls barely notice, attributing it to the engines. They drift back to sleep, fingers linked, the locket gleaming between them, whispering "When the morning comes..."
The story ends here, suspended at the moment of impact, preserving the girls in their perfect innocence just seconds before history intervenes. Readers know what happens next, but Eleanor and Colleen don't?they remain forever poised on the edge of disaster, their friendship immortalized in the last moment before everything changes.
"When The Morning Comes" is a poignant exploration of friendship, innocence, and the promises we make when we believe tomorrow is guaranteed. Part of the acclaimed "Tales from the Titanic" series, this story captures life before loss, hope before heartbreak, and the connections that define us in the time we have.
