Love Anchored

Chapter 20 - Taliah - Great Southern Land

The duty-free shop beckons us as we walk past little trinkets and alcohol. Peter's eyes meet mine as we spot a quirky postcard stand with a sign saying 'Free.' "Should we get one each, so when we get back home, we'll have a little keepsake?" I flick through the postcards, pulling out one with flowers and the big LAX sign in the background. "We do have a bit of time on our hands." We find a quiet corner in the airport café. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee surrounds us as we sink into cushioned chairs. I dig through my handbag to find us pens. I pour my heart out onto the postcard as I sip on our coffees, keeping my writing small to fit every feeling I've had for him in the last few weeks.

The intercom announces the boarding call for our Sydney-bound flight. Gathering our belongings, we dash to the post office to send off the postcards. Navigating through the crowded terminal to our gate, our carry-on bags roll behind us like companions on this shared adventure.

The flight attendant greets us with a warm smile. "Good afternoon, welcome aboard," she checks our boarding passes. "You will find your seat two-thirds of the way down on the left." We step onto the plane, ready for the long-haul flight across the Pacific. As we shuffle down the narrow aisle and settle into our seats for the last leg of our journey, Peter places his arm over my legs, holding my outer thigh, and I lean my head on his. This flight is a little different; we have one other person in our row that we have to be mindful of. We greet him with a warm smile as he places his bags in the overhead storage and takes his seat.

I know Peter hasn't slept yet, but something about travel exhausts me. Maybe it's the constant sitting or having to occupy yourself for so long. The first two hours fly by with the drink service breaking up the mundaneness of the flight. The cabin light dims soon after we hit cruising altitude, and the last of the city lights fade from my window view. Peter and I snuggle up for another movie on Peter's screen. I can't help but put the flight tracker on mine so I can gaze over at it to see how far we have travelled and how far we still have to go. My mind starts to wander as the reality of having Peter in my personal space becomes a reality. I think of whether the house and my room are clean or if my roommates will be okay with me having visitors stay for a little while. I come back to reality as the cabin light gently brightens with dinner service.

Peter is so engrossed in his movie that I have to nudge him to hand me my tray before he takes his. Each section of the meal is individually wrapped. We both start with the largest container, ravioli covered in creamy pasta sauce. We are both starving at this point, not having any food since our last flight. We devour the main course in record time and move on to the side salad. For dessert, they have a small tiramisu and a snack-size strawberry tart.

Checking the time on the screen, just over five hours have passed. I stare at the live camera in the corner of the screen, seeing nothing but pitch black. No land, no lights, not even a reflection off water.

I watch as Peter puts on another movie. "Really, a murder movie while we're on a plane?" I scrunch my face. "You don't have to watch it if you don't want to, Angel." He presents my screen to me like it's the Price Is Right. "And for the low, low price of this plane ticket, you can watch whatever you want on your screen. As long as they have it on the catalogue." The guy next to him must have overheard as he has a quiet chuckle to himself. I huff, giving back the other side of Peter's earphones and picking up mine. I scroll through and finally pick an old-school Disney movie to play.

I get abruptly woken as the sun hits my eyes like a deadly laser. A lot of shuffling is happening around the cabin as people start waking up. I look at the time on my screen; it's eight-fifteen. I look over to Peter, fast asleep with his arms crossed like an old man in his armchair. The breakfast service comes around, waking Peter up from his slumber before the flight attendant reaches our row. Peter places my tray in front of me, and I investigate under each lid – a ham cheese croissant, a fruit salad, and a yogurt. I look to the flight path again as I spoon the fruit into my mouth. The live camera shows heavy cloud coverage, most probably raining. I pull up location information to check what the weather will be like when we land.

The captain comes over the intercom with a thick Midwestern accent. "Good morning, passengers. Ground time is currently ten a.m. The weather is looking rather damp, with a temperature of twenty-seven degrees Celsius or eighty degrees Fahrenheit. If things go to plan, you should be on the ground by eleven fifteen. I hope you have enjoyed your flight. The cabin crew will be around with your final drink service shortly before preparing the cabin for the descending." As the captain's voice fades away, I stow away my tray table as the flight attendants make their final rounds.

The plane starts its descent, and I feel the pressure change in my ears. Looking out of the window, I catch glimpses of the city below through breaks in the clouds. As the plane touches down and we pull up to our gate, there's a collective sigh of relief and the coordinated sound of seatbelts unfastening. The passengers begin to gather their belongings from the overhead compartments. Peter and I retrieve our carry-on bags and join the stream of people making their way off the plane. Once in the terminal, we follow the signs, pass through security, and find ourselves in the bustling baggage retrieval arrivals area. It's a mix of anticipation and weariness as travellers pick up their belongings and reunite with loved ones or navigate their way to their next destination.

We collect our checked bags from the carousel, and I glance at Peter, realizing that we've successfully made it to our destination together. The thought of exploring Sydney with him fills me with excitement. Exiting the airport, we're greeted by the Australian warmth and a hint of petrichor from the rain hitting the warm pavement. I take a deep breath, savouring the moment. As we step outside, there's a queue for the bus that will take us almost to my apartment building.

The ride to our destination is filled with glimpses of the cityscape, rain-kissed streets, and the occasional flash of vibrant graffiti on brick walls. Arriving at our stop, we step off the bus and make our way through the familiar streets toward my apartment building.

As we approach the apartment, I dig out my keys from my handbag and punch the code into the number pad to access the building. We take the elevator a few floors up, the doors opening in front of my apartment. I unlock the door. We enter to find my roommates, Sarah and James, sitting in the living room. They look up from their conversation, and Sarah jumps up with a welcoming smile, wrapping her arms around me. She quickly notices Peter behind me. "Hey! You must be Peter; I've heard a lot about you, all good things." Giving him a friendly hug. "And you're Sarah, right?" She nods, returning the smile. "This is James." Sarah gestures nonchalantly at him, going back to hugging me. "I missed you!" "I missed you too."

Peter shakes hands with James and greets him. "You're just a tall glass of lemon iced tea, aren't you?" Sarah slaps James's hands out of Peter's. "No, he's out of bounds, not for you to touch." James mopes. I pull Peter down the corridor toward my room, hoping I did some form of cleaning before I left. "Here we are." I say as I turn my door handle, holding my breath as I open it. I'm quickly relieved as I did enough cleaning for it to be tidy but not steril.

Feeling a bit tired from the journey, Peter and I decide to take a short nap before embarking on our evening exploration. The soft sounds of rain tapping against the windows lull us into a peaceful nap, and I can't help but think about the adventures that await us.