He had arranged for a private tour of Cape Good Hope by boat the next day and was told the conditions were favorable for a sighting. Aria wasn’t sure she’d be able to sleep that night.
When she checked her email after dinner, she excitedly answered Natalia’s message.
“Alex, the book is headed to the formatting department! There’s a possibility of getting an advanced copy soon.”
“Wow, they’re working fast. Guess the owner gets some privileges.”
Settling into bed alongside her husband, she said, “I can’t wait until tomorrow.”
“I’ve got a good feeling,” Alex answered, kissing her sweetly through hushed whispers.
The next morning, she woke before the alarm, causing Alex to groan at the early hour.
“Get up! Let’s go!”
Her enthusiasm was contagious as he kissed her and jumped out of bed.
A few hours later, they were lounging on the small deck of the boat when Alex sat up, blinking to clear his vision.
“Look! Look, Aria. It's an albatross.”
Aria jumped up, the motion making her nearly topple over, but Alex caught her.
“Alex! There it is. I can’t believe I’m seeing this,” she said breathlessly as he held her tight.
Before either of them could register the moment, a second albatross joined the first, flying together on the power of the wind, touching their expansive wings together in flight.
Grabbing his camera, Alex mumbled, “This is incredible. That’s his mate, Aria. They must be here to nest,” Alex said, as he frantically took photo after photo.
“Oh, Alex. What a moment to witness,” she answered softly. “You’ve made another one of my dreams come true.”
“That’s my life’s goal, my beautiful wife,” Alex said as he kissed her passionately, making the boat captain clear his throat and head to the bow.
Alex and Aria spent the next couple of weeks in Cape Town before heading to Greece, taking their time exploring the islands and mainland. A few days before they left Mykonos, a package was waiting for them at their hotel.
“Alex, it's the book!” she exclaimed.
Once back in their room, Aria handed Alex one of the books when he opened the box.
She had let him read it as it went through different iterations in the editing process because she valued his input. But she had kept the dedication page a surprise.
“Cara mia, I’m so incredibly proud of you.”
“Read the dedication page.”
He turned a few pages until he got to the one she wanted him to read.
“For Nicholas, my first love who believed in my dreams. For Alex, my last love who made them all come true,” he read out loud.
Alex looked at her, and without a word, pulled her into him.
“Thank you, Aria.”
“I love you so much. You truly are all those things and more,” Aria said, her voice muffled against his strong chest.
Unexpected Lovewas published a few weeks after they received the advanced copies, and with the help of her team, it became an overnight success, topping the bestseller charts within a month of its release.
“Alex, I can’t believe this is happening,” she said when she showed him the email from Natalia.
