As for Melanie’s physics paper, I located it as soon as I returned home from Australia. It turned out that it had been at the NYPL for years, shelved without a call number in the history section. A librarian finally discovered it and cataloged it in 2003, but that was long after the detectives had stopped working on the investigation. Naturally, I signed it out and read it, but it was mostly hard-core science that went over my head. Like Dean said, it didn’t solve the mystery about what happened to all the missing ships and planes in the Bermuda Triangle, but maybe Melanie would have gotten there eventually, if she had lived. And who knows what else she might have accomplished?
I leaned forward again and fixed my attention on the rich soil in the garden bed where I was planting more tulip bulbs, this time on the opposite side of the yard. Gabriel had not been surprised to see me come home with a bag of bulbs that morning because I had been adding to the collection every year. I’m not sure why. Perhaps I enjoyed the annual reminder of something that had changed me—when Rose told me about Susie and the possibility that my first husband was alive and living in Australia. What happened after that had answered all my questions. I knew what was true, what was real, and what wasn’t. Ever since that day, each spring, more tulips bloomed. Then summer came and brought roses, marigolds, geraniums, and begonias. All that color, constantly changing . . .
Joel and his girlfriend, Angie, had graduated from the University of Southern California and were still together and in love, living in LA and working in the film industry. They were young, so I was open to whatever heartbreak or joy might come their way. For now, all was well. As for our youngest, Ethan, he was working for the Coast Guard in Miami and considering a career in the military. If there was one word to describe the career choices of my children, it was variety.
I finished planting the bulbs and sat back to admire my fall garden. The asters and mums were in full bloom in sunset hues, and the goldenrod stood tall next to a cluster of snapdragons.
A rich red leaf from the maple tree floated down from the highest branches and landed on the soil in front of me. I picked it up, admired it, and rose to my feet. I collected a few more fall leaves to place in a vase on the windowsill in the living room.
The back door opened, and Gabriel stepped onto the raised patio with Dixie, our new puppy, a fluffy little black-and-white Havanese. She was soft as silk and enormously affectionate when she wasn’t busy stealing Gabriel’s socks. I watched her bounce clumsily down the steps and scamper toward me. Then I looked up at Gabriel’s handsome face in the midday sun and exhaled a long sigh of contentment.
“It’s official,” he said, walking down the steps. “We’ve settled on this year’s musical.”
I strolled leisurely across the grass toward him. “What did you decide?”
“The kids want to do Grease, so I surrendered. Reluctantly. We start auditions next week.”
We came together in the center of the yard, and I bent to rub Dixie’s belly. “‘Summer Nights,’ here we come.”
When I straightened, Gabriel reached for my hand, and our fingers wove together. “Did you finish planting the bulbs?” he asked. “I thought I might help.”
“Too late. They’re already in the ground. You could help me water them, though.”
We went to fetch the watering can from the shed, and while Gabriel filled it with the hose, Dixie ran around in circles.
“Winter’s coming, but spring will be here again before we know it,” he said as he watered the new bulbs.
“Yes. Though I’m not sure how I feel about that. Time seems to be going so fast these days.”
“Well, you know what they say. It only flies when it’s fun.”
I linked my arm through his and kissed him on the cheek.
Another bright-red maple leaf floated down from the treetops, so I picked it up and relished the notion that there were still more seasons ahead of us, more snowmen and sandcastles to build. Our children had flown from our nest, but Gabriel and I would remain here with Dixie. We would go for long walks in the summer and enjoy candlelit dinners on our patio in the moonlight. We would talk about our children and make plans for the future.
I watched Gabriel put the watering can back in the shed. Then I walked with him up the patio steps. He scooped Dixie under one arm, took hold of my hand, and kissed it as he led the way back into the house.
“Thanksgiving’s just around the corner,” he mentioned as we entered the kitchen. “How about blueberry crisp for dessert this year instead of apple? I don’t know why, but I have a hankering for blueberries.”
“Why wait?” I replied. “Let’s make it tonight.”
He turned and looked at me as if I’d invented fire. “Oh, my stars. I can’t believe how much I love you.”
I laughed and stepped forward into the warmth of his embrace, smiled up at him, and thanked him for loving me.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Ever since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated by the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle, which is what inspired me to plot a novel around the subject. Though Beyond the Moonlit Sea is a work of fiction, as are all its characters, I based a few plot elements on a combination of actual events and unexplained mysteries. One such event was Flight 19, which involved the loss of US Navy planes off the coast of Florida in 1945. There is plenty of information about that available online and in documentary films if you’re interested. A simple search for Bermuda Triangle on YouTube will provide an abundance of material on the subject. As for Melanie Brown and her doctoral thesis, that is entirely fictional, but the particulars were inspired by a few important resources. Most especially, I’d like to acknowledge and recommend Into the Bermuda Triangle: Pursuing the Truth Behind the World’s Greatest Mystery by Gian J. Quasar. It’s a brilliant, comprehensive study of lost ships and planes, and it takes a deep dive into possible theories that might explain those unusual happenings. The book provided me with inspiration for Melanie Brown’s research project, and I am indebted to the author. The book also led me to the work of Canadian scientist John Hutchison. In the novel, Melanie mentions her experiments to recreate “the Hutchison Effect.” You can learn more about John Hutchison and his work at www.hutchisoneffect.com. Regarding this, it must be said that I’m an English major and I know very little about particle physics. I did my best to learn what I could to support the drama in the novel, but any mistakes concerning the science are my own.
Lastly, special thanks are due to my early readers, Michelle Killen, Stephen MacLean, and Chris Taylor, for helpful comments about the story. Thanks also to friends Eve and Brent for assistance with research concerning the ethical principles of psychologists in 1986. I am grateful also for my outstanding agent, Paige Wheeler, and my exceptional editor, Alicia Clancy, and the entire team at Lake Union for doing incredible work and for being such a joy to work with.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
When Olivia learns that her husband, Dean, has gone missing over the Bermuda Triangle, what was your expectation regarding the direction of the overall plot for the novel? Did you believe that Olivia would see Dean again one day? If so, under what circumstances?
When the character of Melanie Brown is introduced during her first therapy session, were you hopeful that her PhD project might provide the answer to Dean’s disappearance?