Love's Unforeseen Path

, biting at my exposed sk

ote, accessible only by bush plane o

ip. He was younger than I expected, mid-twenties, with kind

fered a gloved hand. "Liam. We

le was

ind of setting up, meeting the vi

he conditions spartan. B

m San Francisco, from Ethan, fro

a persistent nausea that I fough

-deep tired, but

y focus. My pen

, was a constant presence. A

ying desperately to forget, an

y satellite call came t

ear your voice.

essor, but incredible.

an's been asking about

ed. "I'm fine. Lia

ding... some unexpected issues with on

"What? No, I have

onvinced. "Anyway, he also said Isabella is... well, she' s b

tilted. We

s

I gripped the satellite

. fast,"

up the great work,

ded, leavin

s? Isabella?

creep in. Isabella wasn't just

w I carried a secret that cou

about the bab

t that night. She

botage my project? T

er. A significant portion of our grant was

retch what we have. We'll be l

eline. But I knew.

g across contin

knot in my belly, se

careful, mo

illage, once a comfort

resilience of the Yup'ik people aga

trength was a

d that

, insistent presence.

ent had failed, and the replacement part had to be picke

ffered

do it. I need the dr

oad's dicey this time of ye

eful." Famou

village, Isabella's invisible mac

isky, felt like a sm

illage lent me rumbled alo

as vast, white,

rive, the sun low on the horiz

he headlights behind

t for t

nst my ribs. There was

e wasn't slowing d

is wasn't a local.

ccelerator, the old eng

atched my speed, t

into my r

on the ice. I fought the wh

ng impact, ha

then forward, hittin

oded behin

ld tilt

of metal, the sicken

blac

unbearable pain

b