A/N- Welcome to my GMD fanfic! Lol, I could not resist - the ideas would not leave me alone, and so I finally decided to get this fanfic rolling, and I certainly don't regret it! The first chapter was a lot of fun to work on and I am super excited to continue writing my fanfic! This will be more of a novellaish fanfic, which means the chapters will range from 8-15 chapters, though it's possible I might have more, but we'll see how the future looks XD

I'd like to give a special shout out to my friends xXTheAngel'sScribeXx and Lazorrock for helping me BETA read this chapter and will continue to do so for the following chapters to come, so thank you guys so much!

I'd also like to give a special shout out to my friend, Lilgrimmapple, who beautifully designed the cover for my fanfic - it's so awesome - so thank you, Lil!

Well, I won't keep you guys hanging. Enjoy this chapter, and I hope you'll be sticking around for the following chapters to come, and trust me when I say you won't want to miss out ;)

~ Shades of London ~

By Firecrackerwolf

"I know that I'm running out of time
I want it all, mmm-mmm
And I'm wishing they'd stop tryna turn me off
I want it all, mm-mm
And I'm walking on a wire, trying to go higher
Feels like I'm surrounded by clowns and liars
Even when I give it all away
I want it all, mmm-mmm

We came here to run it, run it, run it
We came here to run it, run it, run it

Just like fire, burning up the way
If I could light the world up for just one day
Watch this madness, colorful charade
No one can be just like me anyway
Just like magic, I'll be flyin' free
I'ma disappear when they come for me
I kick that ceiling, what you gonna say?
No one can be just like me anyway
Just like fire…"

~ Pink, "Just Like Fire"

Another day has crept past, and I have yet again been turned down for the job I wanted. There are still days when I wonder what the point is in continuing to try when no one will likely hire me. But then I remember why I do. I want to prove that I won't forgo, that I am passionate about the field of work I want to be a part of, and that I can do what a man can do: Teach. Though my patience wears thin, my resolve is a shell that can never fracture.

Mother and Father have invited me to have some luncheon with them tomorrow, and to say that I am looking forward to it would be an understatement. I am not worried about Father, but Mother? I just know that she is going to try and make me reconsider what I want to do with my life once again, but I am prepared to deflect what she has to say. Our conversations regarding that subject have become a pattern I've come to cognize, and I often wish that she could understand my viewpoint as Father does. Perhaps she will one day, but as of now, I do not see that happening.

— The Diary of Erin Ravencroft

~ I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII ~

Chapter I: Once Upon a Time in London

"Hold still, Olivia."

Using a hairbrush, Erin tamed the fur on the top of Olivia's head, but it was more of a chore as the little girl bounced in her seat in front of her vanity. No matter, Erin had dealt with this before, so it was nothing new for her whenever she got Olivia ready for the day.

"Sorry, Erin," Olivia apologized, ceasing her bouncing and keeping still as much as possible, but it didn't stop her from smiling. "I just can't stop thinking about my birthday."

A hint of amusement sparkled in Erin's honey-brown irises. "Your birthday is not until another four days, you know."

"I know, but I am just excited about what you and Daddy have planned for me; I can hardly wait."

Olivia was such a sweet, innocent, and exuberant little girl, which only gave Erin a soft spot for her. It started within a few days of working for her boss, Hiram Flaversham, not only as his daughter's nanny but also as a maid. Hiram was a friend of her mother's and was the reason she had this job at the get-go due to certain circumstances. However, Erin didn't dislike her current job. When she began working for the Flavershams', she was welcomed with open arms and was treated more like family than an employee. Overall, they were a very nice family.

"Well, I'm afraid you will have to wait," Erin told Olivia, "but I can say that I am sure you will love what your father and I have planned for your birthday." After a few more strokes of the hairbrush to Olivia's fur, Erin placed it off to the side. For the finishing touch, she plucked up a bow that she had set out expressly for school and festooned the little girl's left ear from behind with it—Olivia loved bows that surmount behind her left ear and often collected them. "There we go."

Happy with how it came out, Olivia patted the bow. "Thank you, Erin."

Erin dipped her head as the little girl hopped off her seat to retrieve her items for school. "Now, do you have your homework?"

"I have it in my satchel." For emphasis, Olivia produced her homework from it.

"Good. Now, don't forget what we went over last night for your mathematics test today."

"I won't." Olivia then tucked her homework back into her satchel. "I think this test will be easy after going over the formulas with you. You teach mathematics better than my teacher, and I often wish you were my teacher."

Funnily enough, being a mathematics teacher was what she had been striving to be for a long time now. Erin loved anything to do with mathematics, whether it be algebra, arithmetics, geometry, and so forth. She could solve any equation in a heartbeat. Her mind could even decipher any of them like it was being written out in her mind's eye. She tended to use mathematics in other situations most people would never have considered as well.

Erin had worked hard her entire life to try and achieve her dream job and was one of the top students in school back then. In fact, she was one of the few women in the mouse population in London who got the opportunity to enroll in the university of her choice, graduated, and earned her master's degree in mathematics. However, even with those achievements, it was frowned upon for women to work such jobs as being teachers. Erin was not surprised when she was discriminated against, especially because of what she wanted to pursue. She actually had to put up a good fight and try to persuade the board at the university she graduated from why she should have the right to enlist. In most people's eyes, all women were good enough to do was clean, cook, be obedient wives, birth and raise children, and so on.

But being a housewife or trophy wife was something Erin didn't want to be known as. It never settled well with her. She was a mouse being as much as anyone else was and was not an object to be flaunted. She believed that women had as many rights as men did. Erin's outlook on things and her personality was what a couple of men were put off by when her mother tried to set her up with them.

As you would imagine, they never ended well.

Those men were snobbish and thought little of her, which in turn would earn them a severe tongue-lashing from Erin. Why treat them with respect when they would not reciprocate that? Thus, it would conclude with her giving them a piece of her mind before taking her leave. After her mother tried to set her up with a third man, Erin had to put her foot down and make some boundaries—in other words, no more setting her up with a man who was going to pick her apart. Besides, she was not interested in getting together with someone anytime soon… not after her heart had been splintered by a mouse that shall not be named.

Though she never showed it, Erin's mother, Nancy, tended to make a fuss about her because she was still single and not highly regarded in society nowadays. Erin didn't need to be a genius to know that her mother wished she was more serious about her image in public. This always soured her mouth. Why couldn't her mother be more supportive of her? It wasn't her fault that she was born this way.

Her father, Tomás, was quite the polar opposite of his wife. He was very proud of his daughter and had always supported her mindset and decisions. Without him, Erin likely wouldn't be who she is today.

"If I were your teacher, it would be an honor," Erin spoke honestly. "But I suppose me helping you with your homework and studies is better than nothing." A ghost of a smile pulled at her lips. "Come along now, Olivia. Let us make haste to school."

After dropping Olivia off at school, Erin retraced her steps to Hiram Flavershams' home, which was also his toy shop business, and got to work. Without missing a beat, she retrieved the feather duster and swiped away at the layers of unwanted dust coating the toy shop. Everything had to be neat and tidy for the customers.

As she was ridding the dust, the bell hanging over the toy shop's door tinkled, and Erin brought her head over her shoulder to see a fine-looking gentleman garbed in a reddish-brown tailcoat vest, a white dress shirt, beige trousers, a black top hat, and brown footwear. "Good morning, sir," Erin greeted him politely. "Can I be of service to you?"

"Good morning, Miss," the gentleman replied. "Would Mr. Flaversham happen to be here? I have come to collect a train set I commissioned for my son. I was told to return to the toy shop on this date and time."

"Of course, I will let him know that you are here, Mr…."

"Hemsworth."

"Mr. Hemsworth. I will go fetch him for you."

With that, Erin glided across the toy shop to the back. Hiram was likely still in his living quarters, which also happened to be his office. No matter. Perhaps he was working on something. It hasn't been the first time it's been the case, and he usually used that space if he wasn't using his tinker table up front, especially when the toy shop was closed for the night and needed privacy to work on the toys he was bringing to life. Sure enough, when Erin came upon the door to her boss's workroom, she could distinctly make out the sounds of tools tapping against wood.

Erin quietly hummed to herself, wondering what he was working on this time, before rapping her knuckles against the door. "Hiram?" she spoke loud enough to get her boss's attention. "Mr. Hemsworth is here for the train set he commissioned."

There was silence, and it stretched on until Erin then heard rustling and the shuffling of feet. "Uh, one moment!" Hiram said in his Scottish accent from the other side of the door. Finally, he emerged, shutting the door behind him.

Erin tilted her head a little. "Is everything alright, Hiram?"

Hiram pasted on a reassuring smile. "Oh, yes, quite alright, Erin. I just lost track of time, is all."

She didn't press the matter further, not even with the curiosity tugging at her.

Erin would've addressed her boss and his daughter by their surnames, but the two insisted she call them by their forenames when she started working for them. Of course, she wasn't expecting this since they barely knew her, as well as when they also used her forename. She didn't complain, and though it took a little bit of time for her to get used to it, she eventually grew into it.

The former folded her hands over the front of her frock. "Mr. Hemsworth is waiting for you upfront," she said in a tranquil tone.

"Ah, yes," Hiram replied. "Of course, of course. Let us make our way to the front then."

They did just that and sometime later, Hiram sold the commissioned train set to a content and satisfied Mr. Hemsworth, who now couldn't wait to gift it to his son. Hiram got a pretty good tip, too, for the thought and details he put into it. He wasn't the best toymaker for nothing. Erin had seen his toy-making process a few times in her days working for him, and he truly had a rare gift—anyone could see that he loved his job.

She recalled one time when a little girl came in with her parents, and her parents commissioned a dollhouse for her. The girl and even her parents were in for quite a surprise, though, when Hiram presented a dollcastle. It was beautifully carved, almost golden in the light, with intricate designs and artificial vines of flowers clawing over the walls. The little girl was overjoyed, with a huge smile breaking across her countenance. She embraced her parents tightly and thanked them so many times. While their daughter gushed over her dollcastle, the parents thanked Hiram tremendously and paid him, adding a nice tip, and the family of three went on their way happily.

Hiram never ceased to amaze anyone with his scrupulously handmade toys.

Erin swept the floor while Hiram was doing a test run on a jack-in-the-box. Her eardrums absorbed the music tinkling from the box for every rotation of the crank Hiram made, and soon, the lid popped open, and the jester sprung up once the music concluded.

"Good, very good," Hiram murmured to himself. He slid it off to the side, training his gaze on Erin. "Erin, have you gotten any job interviews for today?"

Erin faltered a little within the sweeping motions of the broom, her face remaining neutral, though. "I'm afraid not; I hoped to get one today at the Maplethorn school, but they wouldn't even consider seeing me. The only thing I have scheduled for today is luncheon with my parents."

Bitterness coated her tongue just thinking about it. The condescending expressions from the mice at that school plagued her mind's eye, the backhanded comments she received reverberating in her shell-shaped ears. While it hadn't been the first time she had lived through that type of event, it still left a nagging mark, like a mosquito bite. But even a mark could not break her down. Erin was more steel than glass.

Seeming to sense her disgruntlement, Hiram gave out an encouraging smile. "Cheer up. I'm sure an opportunity will come to you in no time. Do you remember the story I told you of how Olivia and I left Scotland and came to England?"

"How could I forget?" Erin responded.

When the Flavershams' were still living in Scotland a few years back, they had their struggles and barely scraped by, especially when they lost Olivia's mother. Deciding they needed to turn over a new leaf, Hiram sold their home in Scotland, and the two migrated to England, which turned out to be the best decision. They managed to pick up the pieces when Hiram started up his toyshop in London, and since then, they made a better living for themselves. Though they weren't a wealthy family, Hiram made enough to provide for himself and Olivia, and that was all that mattered to the toymaker.

Memories swept across Hiram's irises as he gazed downwards, ears pinned against his head.

A pang went through Erin's chest. She couldn't even begin to visualize what life had been like for Hiram and Olivia when they were living in Scotland and when they lost Olivia's mother. She was born and raised in London by her parents, with her mother having grown up in London too. Her father, like Hiram and Olivia, was an immigrant; only her father emigrated from Ireland. Nonetheless, at least the Flavershams' didn't find themselves begging on the streets, losing all hope, and had a portrait of Olivia's mother to remember her by.

"She would have been very proud of you and Olivia," Erin said with no doubt in her tone.

"Thank you, I know she would be," Hiram said softly. "Olivia reminds me so much of her." He cleared his throat, fixing his face into a smile, wrenching his eyes back to Erin. "If I can start up my business from scratch in London, I see no reason why you can't secure a job as a mathematics teacher. I've seen what you can do in mathematics, and those schools have no idea what they are missing out on."

A tiny smile graced Erin's lips, and as fast as it came, it melted away. Regardless, it did not cease her eyes from holding a plentiful dose of gratefulness. "Thank you, Hiram."

Hiram nodded, and as Erin picked up where she left off, her boss began to ask her a question. "How well is your mother still taking this?"

Erin paused, and Hiram did not need to elaborate. Refraining from sighing, she said for her answer, "About as well as the time I told her to stop meddling with my love life," she wryly said. "She still doesn't understand how much it will mean to me once I am a mathematician teacher, and I fear she may never will. I can just tell how luncheon will go."

She had almost considered declining luncheon with her parents, but she only accepted because she had promised them that she would visit them whenever possible, including the holidays. Erin was mostly doing this for her father, for he loved her—his precious daughter—as much as he loved her mother.

"Try not to fret, Erin," Hiram spoke with positivity lacing in his tone. "I'm sure all will be well. If there is anything I know about your mother, she can be as stubborn as you, but that does not mean she thinks of you any less of a daughter. And if there is anything positive I can say, I commend you for still trying to achieve the job you desire, and once you get it, I'm sure your mother will be over the moon."

No words took form on her tongue, and all Erin mustered was a nod as she supposed there was some blanket of comfort she could take from that. However, her mother over the moon for her? That was debatable. Nancy was more or less of a traditionalist, so she wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea of her daughter having a job, albeit Tomás somehow convinced her to talk to Hiram about Erin working for him for now until she could secure a mathematics teaching position at one of the schools.

Her parents had wanted a few children at the most; instead, they ended up having just her. Erin often wondered what it would've been like if she had been entirely like her mother or had been born a boy, for her mother likely would've wanted either of those instead of what she turned out to be. Just thinking about it felt like a glass fragment embedded inside her heart.

Those thoughts immediately died a quick death. It doesn't matter now, Erin chastised herself. I can't change who I've molded myself to be, but I wouldn't have it any other way. When the time comes for luncheon, I will be ready for the oncoming storm that I know will eradicate the calm.

Erin's knuckles rapped against the door of her childhood home before quickly dusting off her dress. The bodice and long sleeves were white, while the skirt curtaining her lower limbs was as red as jam, followed by a black sash encircling her waist and a few pearl buttons in a vertical line at the bodice. A collar wrapped around her neck, a pearl broach set in a case of fake gold at her throat, and a smaller pearl dangled from it, complimenting her pearl earrings.

Here we go, Erin thought as she heard footsteps padding toward the other side of the door.

There came the clicking of a lock, and then the door creaked open. Standing at the doorway was none other than her father, Tomás Ravencroft. He could've almost passed as Erin's twin with the same dark gray fur, charcoal black hair, pink nose, and honey-brown eyes. Tomás wore light brown trousers, a tan long-sleeved top, a dark khaki vest, a flat cap, and dark brown footwear. He had a thick beard and a potbelly, but his corded muscles made up for those factors.

A smile split Tomás's face. "There she is, my beautiful little girl," he said in his Irish accent as his arms came around her, strong and secure.

Erin reciprocated the gesture, a tiny smile finding its way to her lips. "Hello, Father," she greeted him.

Tomás eventually was the first to break the embrace. "I am glad you could come, and you are just in time. Luncheon is ready; let's go in."

Erin trailed after her father, taking in her childhood home. It was the same as she remembered it, with the foyer decked with photographs of her, her parents, a couple with all three of them in it, and a small mirror. A woven carpet stretched on until it reached the end of the foyer, a large lantern hanging from the ceiling, with a sweeping staircase, a grandfather clock, and a small, three-legged table displaying a simple white vase.

Erin's family wasn't rich, but they weren't poor either.

The parlor was straight ahead, while the kitchen was to the right. They crossed into the kitchen, where Erin's mother, Nancy Ravencroft, was waiting for them at the table ladened with luncheon, dishes, and silverware. Nancy's dark coffee brown hair was neatly pulled back into a bun, like Erin's, only she didn't have a couple of loose tendrils curling to frame her face like satin ribbon as Erin's was. A dusty pink and white frock hugged her body, layers of the skirt ruffled. Gloves of the same color pink encased her hands, with a collar cinching her neck, a broach around her throat that of crystal, and a pair of crystal earrings adorning her ears to go with it.

Nancy's hands were settled neatly in her lap, her back ramrod straight. Her impassive blue-gray eyes skated over Erin, assessing and weighing her words. Erin had weapons of her own wielded: her face, a mask of stone as a shield, and a sharp tongue as a sword. This luncheon would be a battle, only no blood would be shed, nor would either of them perish.

"Hello, Erin," Nancy spoke in a stolid tone.

"Hello, Mother," Erin said coldly, taking her seat.

Tomás occupied his seat between his wife and daughter. "Well, now that we're all here, let's eat." He clapped his hands and rubbed them.

For luncheon, it was vegetable pot pies and green tea. Steam curled in the air from them, their scent wafting to Erin's nose. Her stomach clenched in hunger as she took hold of her fork and stabbed it into the flaky, golden, crisp pie. Erin gravitated the fork skewering a piece of it to her awaiting mouth, and she stifled a moan. The crust and vegetables exploded with delectable flavors and melted in her mouth.

"How have you been, Erin?" Tomás inquired after swallowing a piece of his pie. "How has work been going?"

"I have been doing okay," Erin said without hesitation. "The Flavershams' have still been treating me well and haven't made things difficult for me."

"I would expect nothing less out of them," Nancy imparted in an even tone. "They are a very amiable family, and I should know since Hiram is a friend of mine."

At least that is something Mother and I can agree on, Erin thought, thinking maybe they could finally have a cordial meal. "Olivia's birthday is coming up in four days on the same day as the queen's Diamond Jubilee, and she told me she can't wait for it."

"Her birthday on the same day as the queen's Diamond Jubilee?" Tomás echoed. "Well, I'll be! That is quite a nice coincidence. You couldn't wait for your birthday as well when you were a wee lass yourself." He had a look of reminisce in his eyes. "Your first birthday, though, is one I will never forget. The first time you tried cake, your smile could've lit the world."

Nancy took a sip of her tea. "Though you were quite a mess after you finished your cake." She set her China cup down on her saucer with a clink. "Are you still trying to get a mathematics teaching position at one of the schools?"

Erin held back a sigh. She should've known better than to assume her mother wouldn't stir up what peace there was at the table by dredging up that topic in a curt tone of voice. There goes their rinse-and-repeat conversation once again.

"Yes," Erin spoke with no shame.

Nancy breathed deeply through her nose and closed her eyes as if trying to keep her rising frustration in check. "Erin, I still think that this is a waste of your time. You have been on this wild goose chase for a while now and still have had no luck."

"Leave her be," Tomás got across to Nancy. "She just got here and has enough to deal with nowadays."

While Erin appreciated her father defending her, she wouldn't let her mother's words slide by just like that. "And as I have told you many times now, this is what I want to do," Erin got out firmly. "I am not giving up, and I would think that you would have apprehended that by now."

"And you are not getting any younger either," Nancy said matter-of-factly. "Around your age, you should be courted by now, not thinking of some job you likely may never get."

"Nancy," Tomás warned his wife.

Erin ground her teeth, her mother having sliced a nerve of hers and slowly splitting open her anger. "Am I supposed to take advice from you? From someone who set me up with a few men that thought little of me? Well, I am sorry to have disgruntled you, Mother, but I have something I want to do with my life, and I do not want to waste it away by being someone's trophy wife."

Nancy's lips puckered in displeasure. "Is this about what happened between you and–"

"Do not say his name," Erin said sharply, the tension in the air thicker than the steam rolling off from luncheon.

"Okay, let's just calm down," Tomás tried to interject, but the women ignored him.

"Suffice it to say, I am not interested in being courted anytime soon, and you need to respect my choices," Erin made it clear to her mother. "My life should not be centered around trying to grab a suitor's attention."

A few beats of silence passed. "Is that really what you want?" Nancy questioned.

Erin leaned forward, staring her down. "It is better than following in your footsteps."

An unbearable quiet pressed down on them like a boot. Nancy squeezed her eyes shut, her lips falling into a thin line as she tightly gripped handfuls of her skirt. She scraped her chair across the floor, pushed to her feet, and stormed out of the kitchen. The door to the foyer flew open, followed by it slamming shut.

Erin's impervious countenance crumbled, and she buried it in her hands, stress mounting. Luncheon was ruined, and all because she and her mother couldn't find common ground concerning her life.

"Those words were uncalled for, Erin," Tomás said in a gentle voice rather than a stern one.

Erin clasped her hands and situated them against her chin as if she were about to pray. Guit burrowed its way beneath her fur, making a home in the crevices of her mind. "I'm sorry, Father," she said wearily. "I know I shouldn't have said that… but she just does not understand me…"

Tomás emitted a sigh, and he seemed about as spent as her from the disagreement. "While you are right, you shouldn't have said that, your mother did say some things she shouldn't have spoken herself." He scooted his chair closer to Erin's. "I know your mother can aggravate you sometimes, but she does love you and only cares for your well-being as much as I do. She'll adjust to what you want eventually. She just needs some time."

Erin was quiet for a few heartbeats before finally meeting her father's gaze. "Hiram almost said something similar to that." She lowered her head. "But what if she doesn't acquiesce it?"

"Trust me, she will." The hint of a smile formed on Tomás's face as he hooked a finger under her chin, nudging her to look up. "Chin up, lass. Our world is still making changes, and even what may seem out of the ordinary can be welcomed with open arms for a better change. All it takes is opening our eyes to it. If anything, our world could do with more mice like you."

The stress she had felt moments ago washed away, and Erin gave him a weak smile. The backs of her eyes burned, and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep the tears away. Her arms found their way around her father, and he returned the gesture. Tomás planted a kiss on the top of her head, and the two fell into a comfortable silence as father and daughter.

"I got an A on my mathematics test, Daddy," Olivia told Hiram excitedly.

Erin sat at the table with the Flavershams' as they all ate their dinner, and the atmosphere was more tolerable than what had happened hours ago at her childhood home. She felt more collected after her father cheered her up that afternoon, and before she left, Tomás promised he would talk to her mother. Her mother hadn't returned by the time she left, but that was fine by her. Frankly, Erin didn't have the energy to face her again.

"That's wonderful, Olivia," Hiram praised his daughter.

"And it was all thanks to Erin," Olivia credited Erin. "She even took me to the candy store as a reward."

"Well, an A merits you an award Olivia," Erin commented. "Keep up the good work."

Hiram slurped a spoonful of his soup. "So, how did luncheon go with your parents, Erin?"

Erin's mood depleted a little, albeit she concealed that and it was as easy as breathing when she said in response, "Let's just say that it could have gone better."

Her boss nodded, and Erin was thankful he didn't probe any further, as if knowing she'd rather not discuss it.

"Did anything interesting happen at the toyshop while I was having luncheon with my parents?"

Hiram seemed more than eager to share—he always loved to share some experiences of toys he'd sold to customers, mainly the ones that were children. "Now that you mention it–"

A knock on the door sounded, cutting off Hiram's sentence.

Puzzlement lined the faces of the trio of mice. Who could possibly be here at this hour? The toyshop was closed at this time of night.

"I'll get it," Erin said, pushing back her seat and guiding her feet to the front of the shop. She unlocked the door before opening it and was about to inform whoever was there that the toyshop was closed, but the words fell to ash on her tongue.

A constable stood before her.

She shook out of her stupefaction, her brow furrowing with perplexity and concern. "Can I help you?"

"Are you Miss Erin Ravencroft?" the constable queried.

An uneasy sense of foreboding slithered across her fur. "Y-yes, I am."

"Erin, who's at the door?" Hiram called out to her, appearing behind her with Olivia. When he saw the constable, his eyes flared wide a little. He looked down at his daughter. "Olivia, can you go wait in your room?"

Worry rippled across Olivia's countenance, but she didn't protest and obeyed her father, making a beeline for her room.

Once she was out of sight, Erin and Hiram directed their attention back to the constable. "Am I in trouble?" Erin spoke, choosing her words carefully.

"Quite the contrary, Miss Ravencroft," the constable answered. "This matter concerns your father."

Erin's heart lurched to her throat. "My father? What happened? Was he placed under arrest?"

A heavy sigh left the constable's lips. "There is no easy way for me to say this, Miss Ravencroft." He removed his custodian helmet and placed it against his heart, his face painted with condolence. "I'm sorry, your father is dead."