Chapter Ten

Part One

Nearing the end of the path, Kate could see the beach and the waters of the Shelf through the last of the trees. She stopped to look for a moment, examining the entirety of the Shelf’s unusual geology for the first time. The light, clean and slightly coarse sand of the wide beach led down into the protected waters of the Shelf, which was, in essence, a gigantic natural swimming pool over 900 metres across. Its boundary was encircled by a continuous wall of jagged volcanic rock that protruded from the water the whole way around. Dotted by resting water birds, the ridge physically separated the warm shallow waters of the Shelf from the deep, cooler, and sometimes choppy waters of the main lagoon.

When Rick and Kate came into view, smiles shot around the beach as everyone immediately noticed they were holding hands…   >> MORE <<

Part Two

As soon as they were out of the sight and hearing of the others, Natalie said, ‘There is something you’re not telling me that you think I should know, or something else about me that you’re uncomfortable with. I know it can’t be my sexuality, since you share your life with two lesbians. May I ask what it is, Catherine?’

Kate rarely blurted her words out, but after a small tornado of emotions, thoughts and fears, she found herself confessing her voyeurism and the circumstances around it to this remarkable, blonde woman. This remarkable, blonde, beautiful, smiling, laughing woman.

‘Catherine, there was an emerald finch in that bush; probably the same one you were following. That’s what I was looking at this morning. Grandmother says it’s my totem animal…   >> MORE <<