Epilogue

Wyatt kept his promise of showing Amelia all Australia had to offer. Their first evening down under, they dressed up and headed to the Sydney Opera House for an elegant dinner at Bennelong, located inside the Opera House. After a delicious meal of whole roasted John Dory fish with gordal olive, coastal herbs and native citrus butter for her and crisp confit duck with blueberries, kampot pepper, black fungi and umeboshi for Wyatt, they took in a beautifully produced Puccini opera. She wasn’t much of an opera fan, but the entire experience was incredible.

He drove her up the coast to the charming town of Cairns, where they joined a tour boat to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef (a bucket list item). The underwater views of colorful fish and coral were ones she’d never forget.

Though she’d be happy to never see a rainforest again, he talked her into riding the Skyway Rainforest Cableway that ran above the Barron Gorge National Park in the Wet Tropics of Queensland’s World Heritage Area. They spent two incredible nights in a beach cabin at the Fitzroy Island Resort, billed as the place where the rainforest meets the reef.

They visited the Taronga Zoo and sunbathed on Bondi Beach. Wyatt surfed the famous waters and impressed her with his moves. They took a ferry from Circular Quay to Manly and ate some of the best salmon she’d ever tasted straight from the Tasman Sea.

They harnessed up and scaled the Sydney Harbor Bridge. They strolled through the gorgeous Royal Botanic Garden at Farm Cove. They took in the view of the city from the top of the Sydney Tower Eye. They fed kangaroos from their hands and her most favorite activity and the number one item on her bucket list: she got to hold a koala, her childhood favorite animal.

But the best times were spent with his family. They welcomed her with open arms. His mom was a small, red-headed fireball who hugged Amelia so tight and whispered, “Welcome to the family.”

“You love it here,” Amelia said as they sat on his mother’s porch sharing a double swing.

“I do.”

“Why did you leave?”

“I needed a change.”

He’d told her all about his unfaithful girlfriend. Amelia couldn’t believe anyone would cheat on him, but she was so glad. Otherwise, she’d have never met him. One woman’s loss was another one’s gain.

“Well, I’m glad you did, or I’d have never met you.”

With his feet against the ground, Wyatt gently sent the swing in motion. “So, I’ve been thinking, how about we make this trip once a year, say on our anniversary?”

Amelia’s head snapped to his. Did he mean the anniversary of the day they escaped Santigo, their first trip together, their first kiss, the first time they made love…there were so many firsts, and dozens, dozens more in the future, she hoped. She needed him to be more specific. “Our anniversary…” She let the sentence hang.

He stopped the swing and dropped to one knee. Her breath caught in her throat as he clasped her hand. “I mean our wedding anniversary. I love you, Amelia. With all my heart. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, making you smile, making you happy.” He slid a diamond ring on her finger. “Will you marry me?”

There were those blasted tears again. She could barely make out the ring. It could’ve been a plastic one from a vending machine for all she cared. As long as she had Wyatt, she didn’t need anything else.

“Yes. In a heartbeat. I love you, Wyatt. With all my heart.”

 

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