Page 83 of The Secret to Belonging

a golden path of light spills from the village windows

fishing boats sway in the harbor

Espen sees a friend and waves

exchanges hugs and handshakes

but the dialect is too different

the conversation too fast to follow

infinite variations of a single language

you pick your way down the shoreline

watch the water caress the stones

Espen wraps his arms around your waist

snuggles over your shoulder into your hair

what do you think? he whispers

nydelig, ikke sant? so beautiful?

ja da, you say, squeezing him tight

kjempe nydelig

this harsh

and stunning landscape

this place of land and sea

so upside down

from the traffic and concrete and tanning salons

of Southern California

you feel more at home here than you ever did back there

even with the language challenges

the constant and exhausting learning curves

there is an authenticity here

a genuineness you’ve always craved

this life, this place, feel real

and you feel real

in it

when Alison appears the next day, breakfast is over