August 21, Glacier Bay

The group waited while the zodiac captain lashed the boat to the float of the sea plane with thick ropes. The plane's pilot propped her door open, zipped her brown leather shearling aviator jacket, and climbed down to stand on the float. "We're all loaded up with supplies, and ready when you are."

Brian waved. "Thank you. Excited for it."

Laura looked at Brian. "Where exactly are we going?"

"Tanada Lake, in Wrangell St. Elias National Park."

"Why not take the boat?"

"This is faster! And besides, I've always wanted to fly in one of these."

"Hm."

The pilot nodded, sweeping an errant auburn hair from her middle aged face and hooking it behind her ear. "We'll take her up and over the Wrangell Mountains, the view should be fantastic. It's nice and clear today."

Laura gave the plane an appraising look. The red fuselage glinted in the sunlight as it bobbed in the water, punctuated by a white stripe that continued down the leading edges of the wings. The pilot hooked one arm around the float's supports and held her other hand out for Laura to climb up. Laura looked to Brian, then the pilot, paused for a moment, then took her hand and levered herself onto the float.

The float rocked as she kept climbing into the small cabin of the plane. Inside the plane, the cargo area brimmed with large duffel bags. Next to them, Laura spotted two folding tables and a stack of wooden folding chairs. In front of the cargo, the cabin split into rows of vinyl seats. In the last row, a lanky young man regarded her with a quiet stare wearing a wool beanie, a few day old coat of stubble, and a gauge earring. Laura nodded, and he nodded back.

Brian boarded behind her, with Juni. He waved to the man in the back row. "That's our chef for today."

"I thought I recognized him." Laura said. "Is that Shane Hale?"

"In the flesh."

"Wait, how did you get him up here?"

"He owed me a favor. Long story."

Laura shook her head in disbelief. Shane Hale, the 'Sorcerer of Blake Island,' ran a hotel and restaurant called Alder, shrouded in a hush-hush air of mystique. People waited on lists for years to stay at Alder and dine, shoveling eye watering sums of money in the process.

A moment later the zodiac slowly pulled away and they found seats in the small plane. Juni sat with Annaliese, and pressed herself against the small porthole window. Laura and Brian filed into in the row behind them. The sea plane's pilot climbed in and shut and latched the door. She walked to the cockpit, put on a headset, and flipped a few switches with loud clicks. The plane's large engine whined and then coughed to life. A small cloud of brown smoke trailed outside the windows as the propeller began to turn. She turned the plane around at idle speed, and then adjusted the flaps. She pushed the throttle and the engine became a loud roar. They picked up speed, and then felt a drop in their stomachs as they lifted off the water.

They climbed, the scenery dropping off rapidly below them. Laura could see the glacier they stood on moments ago slip away through her porthole window. They banked over the glacier in a smooth, sweeping turn and headed inland. Below them a wild landscape of frost covered evergreen trees spread out between impossibly large sheets of ice. The Wrangell Mountains heaved skyward, frost covered and jagged. Striped ribbons of glacier flowed from them, winding slowly toward the sea.

A small lake came into view, and the pilot lined them up and started their descent. She eased the plane down, and skimmed the surface with the floats. Outside Laura's window, a mountain jutted straight into the sky. In front of it, evergreen trees dripped with fog behind a lush, green shoreline. The entire scene reflected perfectly in the still water, broken apart a few seconds later as the ripples of their landing overtook them.

The plane idled forward. The pilot turned them toward a wooden dock and eased the nose of the plane against it, stopping with a small bump as the floats tapped against the dock. She climbed out of the plane, and tied the floats to the old structure.

Everyone climbed out before Shane and the pilot unloaded the folding tables and chairs. They set them up on the wide, main stretch of the dock. Shane unfolded a natural colored linen tablecloth with a flourish, and slid it over one of the tables. He returned to the plane and hefted out two separate two-burner camp stoves and large bottles of propane. He returned for his cookware, and again for a large jug of water. He started to assemble everything on the other table. The pilot unloaded a large cooler, and a few of the duffle bags. One of them held stacks of speckled enamel plates and bowls, and a set of steel wine glasses.

Shane set to work, a buzz of focused activity. It looked like he had eight arms. He started all of the burners, and set them all to work with parts of the lunch. Soon, the smell of freshly grilled fish wafted over. Shane returned with plates.

"Halibut and shiso." He said. Without further explanation, he returned to work. Laura looked down at a small filet of Alaskan halibut topped with greens and surrounded by a thin lake of fragrant broth with small dots of fat.

Laura's eyes widened in disbelief. She thought, am I really sitting on a dock in the middle of a fjord, eating a private lunch from Shane Hale? Brian smiled as he saw her excitement.

Shane walked over again with a wine bottle. "How could I forget? We have a Christian Venier Les Hauts de Madon Blanc. Enjoy." He poured a small glass for Brian, Annaliese, and Laura.

Laura raised her glass. "To Alaska."

Brian and Annaliese raised their glasses.

Laura inhaled the deep and layered nose from her wine glass. She sipped and found it earthy and herbaceous. She tasted the halibut, fresh, velvety, and unctuous. The green shiso and light broth popped with brightness.

More food kept coming in small, gorgeous plates. Potatoes arrived with smoked cream, dungeness crab baked into a light pastry and topped with dried seaweed, beets and rhubarb. Everything harmonized with a pitch-perfect wine.

Shane walked over to the table with another plate. "I had my pastry chef make a lovely pain de mie just for you, Juni. It was the most perfectly rectangular loaf I've ever seen."

He held a plate with what had to be the platonic ideal of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The sandwich was perfectly square, cut into neat triangles with painstakingly exact layers and peanut butter and jelly in artful crescent shapes around the plate. "Here, we have a heat-set gluten foam, macerated fruits, and a legume puree." He winked.

More plates came. Brian leaned back and rested his hand on his stomach. "I'm so happy, but I don't know if I can keep going."

Laura pointed her fork at him sternly. "Eat through it, Brian. Eat through the pain. If you keep eating, you'll find space somewhere. Shane packed all of this for us. We owe it to him."

Brian sat up straight. "You're right. It's our duty."

The final bowls were set down. Fresh raspberries peeked out beneath a sweet 'pesto' made of raspberry leaves and citrus. For Juni, a quenelle of milk chocolate mousse.

Shane sat down with them to enjoy the dessert and his own glass of wine. The dock gently swayed beneath them. The sound of silverware and quiet conversation echoed over the inlet.

Thoroughly satisfied, they boarded the plane again. Laura leaned her head against the window and felt a warm, comforting buzz. The plane touched down next to the Cecaelia, and they boarded the ship again.

Their zodiac captain met them at the storage locker to collect their rubber gear, heavy boots, and life jackets. They walked together to the elevator, and rode it to Brian's level. They walked together to his room, and then stopped in the hallway.

"Annaliese, can we watch a movie?" Said Juni.

Brian gave her a nod. The two walked a door away, and Annaliese swiped her Amulet at the reader. The door popped open, and they slipped inside.

Brian turned to Laura. "Can I make you a coffee? I feel like I need one, after that lunch."

"Sure."

They stepped into his room. The two-story tall windows took Laura's breath away again. Brian took his parka off, and hung it on a hook next to the door. He was wearing a thin sweater underneath, fitted perfectly to show his muscular arms and shoulders underneath. He walked into the kitchen and fetched two small espresso cups then started the super-automatic espresso machine and started the whir of the grinder. He walked over to the couch with the two cups and saucers. Laura set her saucer down on the large coffee table. She sipped her espresso and found it bracingly strong and bitter.

Brian drained his espresso then leaned back on the couch and looked at Laura. "I'm glad you came today. I was hoping I would get more time with you." He put his hand between them on the couch, palm upward. She slid her hand into his.

He said, "I'd like to kiss you."

Laura moved closer and locked eyes with Brian. They kissed, slowly and with some hesitation. Brian slid his hand behind her head and caressed her neck.

Laura put her hand on his shoulder and pulled away. "Brian, I can't figure you out."

He sighed and crossed one ankle over his other knee. "Why?"

"I'm not sure yet. There's something about you."

He met her eyes, and nodded. "I get that. How would you figure me out?"

"Empathy is my gift. If I wanted to figure you out, I would look for what motivates you and connect about it."

He nodded again. "I get the feeling I'm being... interrogated."

She tilted her head. "In a way, you are. Do you want to be?"

He paused. "Sure. How would you do it?"

She stood up. "It would be a conversation just like this." She walked over to his valet stand and picked up his black silk tie. "But I have a feeling you want... something else."

He smiled slightly as his eyes widened. "What if I do?"

Laura smirked. "Hands in front, wrists together."

Brian uncrossed his legs, sat forward, and held his hands in front of him. Laura tied them together with his neck tie, cinching them tightly. He gasped as the fabric cut into his wrists.

Laura pushed him backward with one hand, then held his wrists with the other. "Brian Park, why are you love bombing me?"

"I don't know what you mean." Laura twisted the knot tighter and Brian gasped. "Ok, ok!" He gulped for air, then steadied his breathing. "I like you. I set up the lunch hoping you'd come with us."

She twisted the knot again. "Why?"

He grimaced. "I thought there was something between us. I wanted to explore it." He paused.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

She twisted the knot even tighter. Laura calmly ran her thumbs over his balled fingers. "Brian, your hands are going white. I need some answers before they turn blue."

He gulped. "I... guess I." He looked down. "I want someone to love me."

"Why, Brian?"

"I... want validation. I want to know that I'm enough for someone."

She nodded and stroked his hands again, his fingernails turning blue. "Do you need to impress people, Brian?"

He shook his head. "No, I really don't." A single tear rolled down his cheek. "I think I just need to know that I'm attractive. That I can make someone happy. I just need..."

"To feel wanted."

He nodded. Laura untied the knot, and Brian shook his hands and rubbed them together. "Oh god, they're full of pins and needles. Listen, I..."

She ran her hand down his cheek. "I understand. We learned something about each other. Everyone wants validation, Brian."

He nodded. "I really do like you, Laura."

"I know. I like you, too. Just be upfront with me, Brian. You're enough without the gifts."

He smiled, reaching out for her hand.