Inciting incident: As the school year ends, Ali ponders on what to do, as she is often left alone and has few friends. Determined to keep his daughter happy, Ali's father sends her to spend her summer at her grandparents' manor on the Isle of Wight in England. Ali hesitantly agrees for a few reasons. One, Ali has only met her grandparents (from her mother's side of the family) a few times before-all before her mother's car accident and she wishes this trip will bring them closer. Second, Ali hopes that this trip will mean a new, fresh start in her life as well as provide her with some answers she's been looking for in herself. Feeling open, she boards a plane for England.
Rising Action: Upon arrival, she is greeted by her grandparents, but after meeting them, Ali felt that they were somewhat distant, not possibly as open as she thought they would. After she is taken to the manor, she meets her cousin (no name yet), about her age. She is told that she is adopted, but Ali isn't so sure. She asks her grandparents or anybody in the household some of her questions, about the manor, her mother (and etc). Everybody seemed reluctant to answer some of them, and Ali determined they were holding back a secret. Out of patience, she explores the manor and comes across a bolted wooden door. She asks her cousin what the door led to and her cousin replied that it was a stairway leading to the attic, but it was forbidden to go. Ali asks why, but her cousin didn't know. She asks her grandfather what was up there, but all he replied was old antiques. Ali concludes that something was up there, something she needed to find and possibly explain why some of her questions are not answered. Driven by curiosity and anger, she formulates a plan to sneak up.
Climax: Ali confides in on her plan with her cousin. Reluctantly, she agrees, also determined to find out more about her family's past and some answers as to why everybody has been keeping secrets in the household. Together, they create a diversion and steal the key from their grandfather's study. While their grandparents are away on their yacht ride, they take the key, open the door, and make their way up the stairs into the attic. As they enter, Ali is slightly disappointed that it was indeed, filled with antiques. After rummaging through some old trunks, she finds an intriguing small journal and a worn, leather bound album.
Falling Action: After leafing though the diary, she found entries made by a girl a few decades earlier. As she opens her album, a locket falls out. Opening it, Ali determines the girl in the photo is her mother (because of resemblance in eyes). The photos in the album contained pictures of the family she hasn't known, but Ali's curiosity increases when she sees a photo of three girls (all relatives, but this is part of the family secret). She thinks that one of them is her mother and another is possibly related to her cousin (no name yet), but isn't sure about the third.
Resolution: Ali shows the album to her grandfather. Instead of getting mad, he finally admits the truth to Allison and her cousin, that the girls in the photos were Ali's mom, one of Ali's cousin's aunts, and Ali's aunt, taken the time during one family reunion many years ago. Ali's grandfather then opened part of his heart and told them stories of their time at the manor, when they would race down to the beach or go rafting among the currents. The time before they were all separated.
Denouement: Ali feels like a missing puzzle piece of her life has been found, as she learns more about her mother than she has forgotten. She finally feels like she belongs somewhere. Finally consent with her life, she makes the best of her stay at the manor for the rest of the summer, feeling happiness and love flood into her for what felt like the first in a very, long time.
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