Thank you for sending me your kind thoughts and lovely congratulations. I feel blessed with the family I have here with you wonderful people.

Ipsita is the best, working through the chapter for me, but I can't help tweaking, and every mistake is mine.


There are protest marches on January 26th, part of an enormous battle brewing over moving Australia Day away from the Aboriginals' day of mourning or "Invasion Day." For most of white society, it's like the Fourth of July.

Australia records its first case of coronavirus from a man who flies in from Wuhan. There are now a thousand people infected and forty have died in China's outbreak and seeing earth-moving vehicles preparing the ground for a huge war style, temporary hospital makes me very uneasy. Without agreement on where the virus came from or who is at risk of dying, we should all be concerned if a potentially lethal respiratory disease escaped from a lab or originated from animals sold in a live food market.

At 9,000 cases and 200 dead worldwide, the World Health Organization declares the new coronavirus outbreak to be a global health emergency, just as they did with Ebola and Zika.

Sixty Minutes shows unbelievable footage of the deserted streets of Wuhan being sprayed with disinfectant, medical staff in full protective gear, hospitals overwhelmed with patients occupying corridors. Many of the staff are living at work, acutely stressed, afraid to take the virus home to their families. Teams in hazard suits go door to door through the city, barricading sick families in their apartments, physically dragging anyone with a high temperature into vans parked in the street. The virus starts to spread rapidly, with the death toll jumping from 170 to 540 in one week.

I feel for those poor people, but I do not want the virus here, so I'm relieved when the US and Australia ban foreigners coming in from China. Mom and Dad will not be affected with a brief layover in Seattle and San Francisco, then non-stop to Sydney.

Temperatures are still soaring into the high thirties at the start of February. The south coast has three large bushfires merging to create another mega fire front burning out of control. It feels like this will never end, and I worry about my parents coping after the freezing conditions in Anchorage. It will be so disappointing if they miss seeing Sydney's beauty because of the smoke, especially when we are staying so close to the harbor and beaches.

Then a week before they arrive, I dare to hope when it rains on and off for an entire day and then starts to bucket down with flash flooding across the city for the next four days. Masen, Esme and I squeal as we jump around in the garden, letting the rain soak our clothes while we suck in lungfuls of clean air.

Mom and Dad fly in, greeted by a very excited daughter, a few scattered showers and a perfect twenty-four degrees. It's so good to have them here, even though they're weary and shell-shocked from joining the world in masks at Ted Stevens, SeaTac, San Fran, and on each of their flights. There are cases in Washington State, and the news is full of the plight of hundreds of passengers stranded in an outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Japan.

While they're happy to relax in the living room, I wait on them hand and foot. Mom says she loves the Helsinki salad bowl sitting on Esme's counter, and hers will remain in its box for the journey home. I have Alice's dress with me, so I can show Mom the style and the pinky red that will color my wedding. She blubbers when she inspects my engagement ring, marveling at how the jeweler crafted something so unique for me. She's sure Grandma would approve.

Since Mom knew why I needed to return to Lapland, I was waiting to see her before recounting the things we experienced, and I concede that some could be coincidences we might have scrutinized too closely. However, Serena drawing igloos from a very young age, speaking in Russian, knowing details of my tattoo, and predicting the perfect new ones, are all as fascinating to her as they were to us. We agree that how we came to be there to save her life is impossible to explain.

I'm pleased to report that Serena is a normal young girl who doesn't understand her talent yet, but that our meeting has opened her parents' eyes. There is no doubt she is gifted, but how she develops is anyone's guess. This kind of thing might never happen again, but Masen and I are committed to remain in her life for as long as she wants us.

Mom says the stars in my old tattoo represent a fading chapter while the bright Southern Cross is a new beginning. I tell her I feel the same way myself.

Mom and Dad are delighted when Charlotte brings Bree over to meet them. Mom has even bought a little toy moose for the baby and is obviously as pleased as I am to see her so happy.

I tell Mom that Masen and I want to start a family as soon as the project is over. I'm going to be thirty this year, and he'll be thirty-three in a few months. He jokes around that the last one to get married might be the first to be a father, but I think he seriously would love to see it happen that way.

We spend a day wandering around the Rocks and Circular Quay, and we're having dinner at the 18 Footers Club when there's a news bulletin announcing the fires are officially over. There are now cyclones on the east and west coasts of the country, and everywhere except Sydney is currently flooding. Mom stares out the window as if she's deep in thought, and I wonder if she's concerned about these volatile weather conditions.

"It's so stunning here," she remarks calmly, surprising me. "How does one join a club like this?"

Esme's eyes follow Mom's, appreciating the sunset on the harbor. "Masen had to learn to sail competitively if he was going to make the 1st sailing team at the school. This was the clubhouse."

"Yeah, it only took one summer to know I wasn't cut out for cricket," Masen responds, shaking his head.

"You said you like cricket," I remind him.

"I like to watch it, but I much prefer being out on the water to standing in the sun for hours when it's forty degrees."

He makes it sound like he was lazy during his high school years, but he was on the 1st sailing team as well as the 1st fifteen rugby. The team photos grace a hallway in their home.

-0-

I love sightseeing in the newly washed city. A day on the harbor ferries with a visit to Taronga Zoo ends in dinner at Manly where we engage the enemy—a flock of seagulls hell-bent on stealing our food. An early morning swim at Bondi leaves enough time for lunch at the Newport Hotel with views of Pittwater and a climb to the lighthouse at Palm Beach.

We drive the spectacular Sea Cliff Bridge and Grand Pacific Drive to pick up Alec in Wollongong and continue south to Kiama to see the volcanic rock formations and blowhole, where the force of the waves shoots a spray high into the air, making a most incredible sound.

After a leisurely swim at the rockpool, we have lunch in a cafe, then Mom and I browse through a row of touristy shops that were miners' cottages in the 1800's. A fifteen-minute drive south takes us to the headland at Gerroa, overlooking Seven Mile Beach where Masen learned to surf. These rugged cliffs and gorgeous beaches frame rolling hills and lush pastures full of sleepy-looking dairy cows, and it's so green you'd never know the drought broke less than two weeks ago. I could see myself living here, not too far from Sydney, and it makes me wonder where we'll eventually make our home.

It's another hot day when we arrive at the vacation house at Berowra Waters. Mom and Dad are tired from days of sightseeing, and these temperatures are already like a record heatwave back in Alaska, so it's the perfect time to kick back and relax. I doubt they'd comprehend daily temperatures in the forties with everything on fire, so I'm glad they never had to experience any of that firsthand.

As Masen said, the house is nothing like the cottage at Nuuksio, although both are places one would go to recharge. This is a river community with luxury homes perched on the edge of the water, using boats to ferry them back and forth to their vehicles. The thing he calls a punt is an ancient-looking mechanical device that allows cars to cross the river so they can climb the mountain to the village shops and beyond. Even though most of the homes here are occupied, boat traffic is quiet and slow-paced. People smile and wave as they pass by.

The three-story house is a gallery for Esme's art, and the view from every floor gives the impression of floating on water. It's equipped with all we could possibly need, and Masen tells me they get five grand a week over the summer school holidays. Esme insists Mom and Dad take the master suite at the top which is dominated by expansive windows and an insanely decadent stone bathroom. While they settle in, Masen and I take the tinnie up the river to find a shaded beach where we can swim and stay cool.

Day two is thankfully cooler, and we're having breakfast on the deck when Dad asks Masen to show him the best fishing spots on the river. I offer to go with them, and not because I have any idea where the fish might bite. Dad says he's giving the women time to talk about the wedding, so I look at Masen to guide me.

Only I see him sigh. "Sure," he says. "I'll get the gear. I'm game to see how a real fisherman does it."

"You're on, Masen," Dad responds, happy to oblige, and they're soon in the tinnie on the way to the bait shop.

With only a couple of days until we leave for Melbourne, we do talk about the wedding. I feel very comfortable with Esme now, and she has definitely made me and my parents feel welcome in her home, so I pamper the two women, not letting them lift a finger all day.

I'm a little apprehensive when the men return late and empty handed, until Masen smiles and shows me photos he's taken during the day. They are mostly images of stunning locations where they dropped anchor, but there are several showing Dad holding fish he caught. Then Dad pushes his phone under my face with a picture of Masen holding a fish too.

"Catch and release," Dad says, grinning at Masen, and I don't need to ask any more about their secret men's business. They've obviously had a wonderful day.

February 20th, 2020 - Sydney to Melbourne

Leaving Sydney before dawn was a good move, and the drive goes quickly with lots to discuss. Masen wants to stop at a place called the Dog on the Tuckerbox, and I know a little about bush tucker, so I'm expecting a quirky food stop specializing in hot dogs.

It is a quirky food stop—a pet-friendly one—with people taking photos of their dogs alongside a statue of a dog sitting on a box. Google says it's an Australian Cattle Dog, known as a heeler, immortalized in a famous 1850's bush ballad, and the statue has only recently returned from being repaired after vandals knocked it down and broke its ear off. I know it's not a real dog, but I'm angered that someone harmed the poor creature.

It's nice how they've kept an old-fashioned farm vibe, perfect for kids and pets needing a break from the highway. There's a window into pioneer life with a painted gray horse pulling a timber wagon carrying bright yellow barrels. Everything looks homemade, unassuming, and endearing, and I hope to discover a hundred more places like this one on our travels around the country.

-0-

We check into the house in Elwood just before three, happy to find it lives up to the photos and reviews. There's an awesome welcome pack in the kitchen with unexpected gourmet treats and a bottle of bubbly.

We have haircuts booked for four, and we get ready so we can go straight to dinner from the salon. I meet the stylist doing our hair on Saturday and answer her questions while keeping a close eye on the guy cutting Masen's hair, making sure he doesn't get overzealous and remove all my curls. When it's my turn, the head massage is just what I need after a day of traveling, and I leave there feeling pretty good about the way I look.

Arriving at the QT Rooftop, we don't see anyone we know. Masen calls Tyler, who quickly appears and hugs us both, ushering us through a door into the Secret Garden Bar, a leafy haven with glimpses of the city. My senses are instantly overloaded with the fragrant herbs growing in tall garden beds, strings of overhead lights, walls of colorful graffiti, and faces I've only seen on Masen's phone turning to greet us.

The best part is the cheer from my three bridesmaids who were not supposed to be here tonight. I love the surprise, especially from Alice, who only arrived in Australia today. Gemma and Charlotte are positively glowing, obviously enjoying their long weekend of freedom, so I don't ask about Bree. Rose is teary when she wraps her arms around Masen, and Emmett envelops him in an equally big hug. He's an enormous man, exactly what I expected from a fire fighter, and his brown curls look about as hard to tame as Masen's.

I recognize the other groomsmen as Masen introduces us, but not their partners. I did meet Tyler and Gianna during Masen's drunken video call at Christmas, but Emily and Tia are strangers, asking to see the ring I'm excited to show off. Everyone focuses on the pink diamond and the fact that it came from my grandmother, without noticing the swans that make up the design, and I don't mention them. Masen and I have decided not to share our other-worldly experiences with anyone except our parents because it's unknown how they might might react. I would like to hear Gemma's insight as a pediatrician, but I'd need to know her better first. I'm hoping Carlisle might agree to bring it up with her anonymously.

The one person who doesn't seem welcoming is Randall's wife, Emily. At first, I think she's shy, but then I get a real stand-offish vibe from her. I don't give it too much thought with all the laughter and conversation and trays of yummy finger food on offer.

Rose explains she was dating Tyler's older brother when Masen found out he'd been accepted into his degree course in Melbourne. The brother was moving out of the house everyone calls "the dump," and Tyler was taking his place, looking for someone to rent the other bedroom. They met Randall and Garrett playing touch football, and the four of them built unbreakable friendships during their years at Monash University.

I never knew Masen originally applied for that specific degree because they had an exchange program where he could spend a year studying in London, but I'm glad he decided to stay and major in indigenous studies. I can't help saying it's incredible that we're here, getting married. If Masen hadn't had experience working with the rangers around Alice Springs and Yulara, and if he hadn't learned the language, he would not have been chosen as our guide, and I would have gone home to the States, maybe never being given another chance to return to Australia. It's crazy when I think about the infinitesimal choices we both made that led us to each other.

"It didn't look like he was ever going to get married," Emily claims. "He broke a few hearts before you."

"Oh, really?" I inquire. Masen and I agreed early in our relationship not to talk about exes, so this will be a first for me.

"That's not fair," Masen challenges her, the tension between them suddenly palpable.

"Emily?" Randall shakes his head at his wife.

There is obviously a story here, and I really hope she is not an ex-girlfriend.

"So, why do you think he chose you?" Her tone is antagonistic, as if she thinks I'm not good enough for him.

Masen snorts at her. "I can answer that."

"Then go ahead ... please."

He looks at me and pauses before he smiles. "I knew the first day we met she was different," he declares, staring. "And she took a piece of my heart when she left Australia, so I had to follow. You see, Bella doesn't need me but she wants me, and I find that incredibly sexy. I've spent two years watching her learn and mature and blossom into this incredible woman who is everything I want."

I know I'm blushing, but I cannot look away.

"And I've changed as I've gotten to know her. I never used to like girly girls because of the time they spent in upkeep, but I don't feel that way with this one. Her cosmetics fit into one small case, and she doesn't spread them all over my vanity. I find myself hanging around to watch her dry her hair, choose her underwear, and apply her makeup. I mean … just look at her in those mint green pants. I'm clearly marrying a babe, and I swear my brain doesn't function properly when she's wearing leggings."

His smile is big as he pops his eyebrows.

"What else … Bella has always smelled like a favorite dessert. She scratches my head and gives me manicures. Her own nails are always beautiful, and they're not those bloody talons I cannot stand, so she taps her phone quietly with the ends of her fingers. Oh, and she's not glued to her phone all the time."

Finally, he turns to face Emily. "That's what I have off the top of my head, but I could go on if you want."

She huffs, then walks off to the bar. I should feel embarrassed by what Masen just revealed in front of everyone, but I'm flattered and emboldened to reply. "You're wrong, Masen. I absolutely need you."

"Oh, yeah?" he asks, teasing me, and I imagine all the ways I'll need him when I get him alone.

"You're going to father my children." When he smiles, I add, "And you're going to take care of us."

His shoulders sag. "I will. I promise," he says tenderly, kissing me, then pulling me into a hug.

Thanks for reading xo