Page 116 of Lost In Kakadu

Abi laughed. He was a master at looking on the bright side.

“This is serious, Mack. We’re about to return to our previous lives. Lives with family and work and friends and … and I don’t want any of that. I just want you.”

“I know we’re going to have some serious readjusting to do but?—”

“Readjusting? More like being reborn. Nothing out here has been real life. What if our love can’t handle real life?”

“You’re wrong. Everything out here has been real. From eating croc eggs, to sleeping in a soggy bed two metres off the ground. Our love has conquered every obstacle thrown at us during this ordeal, so our challenges at home are going to seem like floating in this pond in comparison.”

She shook her head at him. Mackenzie lived in a never-ending world of optimism. But she wasn’t so certain. “I think it’ll be harder.”

“You don’t know that, Abi. Nothing from your previous life is going to be the same as it was before. You’re about to be a mum again, your daughter will be a sister, you’ll be caught up with Spencer’s financial affairs, not to mention our wedding.” He raised his eyebrows.

Her stomach dropped. Mackenzie had just unleashed an atomic bomb. “No, Mack, don’t do that to me. I’ve been down that road once before.” She shook her head adamantly. “I don’t want you proposing marriage just because I’m pregnant with your child.”

“I’m proposing marriage because I love you. I want the three of us to spend the rest of our lives together.”

She stared into his honey eyes, searching for the right words. “You know I love you too but, like you said, we don’t know what’ll happen when we get home. It will be mayhem.” She reached for his hand. “If what you say about the strength of our love is true then your proposal can wait until everything has settled down.”

“But—”

“Shhh.” Abi pressed her finger to his lips. “There will be plenty of time for our wedding.”

Clearly, he wanted to say more, but he left the conversation alone and reached for the can. The faded tin screeched as he wiggled it from its trap between the two rocks. It crumbled easily under his touch and as he turned it over, she noticed how much the beer can had faded; the section exposed to the sun was almost white although the underside remained dark blue.

“This has been here a very long time.” His smile flattened.

She felt selfish for not sharing his excitement and was momentarily at a loss for words. The first sign of life since the crash could’ve been left here decades ago. She sensed it was her turn to show strength and searched for something inspirational to say. “If there is one thing I’velearned out here, it’s that no matter how tough things seem, there’s always something positive to come from every situation.”

He raised his eyebrows at her. “Oh yeah, so what’s good about this?”

“Well for starters, it proves we’re not the only humans on Earth.”

His laughter was unbridled and refreshing.

Abi continued, “And it proves people were once in this area and it shows we’re going in the right direction.”

“Okay then. What was good about the crash, Miss Always-Look-On-The-Bright-Side?”

She laughed. “Heaps!” She cocked her head in defiance. “We survived. We found each other. There was enough food on the plane to get us through until you learnt how to hunt. Do I need to go on?”

He splashed water at her. “It’s usually me boosting your spirits.”

“Well, that’s what a good relationship is about, yin and yang. Mars and Venus. Fire and water.”

“When did you become a relationship expert?”

“I’ve learnt to listen to both myself and you.”

“After you stop yabbering, you mean.”

Abi feigned shock at his comment and then jumped onto his shoulders, pushing him under the water.

After their swim, Mackenzie decided this was their campsite for the night and declared the flat rock at the edge of the pool as their bedroom.

That night, they made love to the sound of the roaring water and Abi fell asleep with hope in her heart.

Chapter Fifty-Four

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