He mouths at me again. ‘She’ll be staying with you, won’t she?’ He rolls his eyes, but I can tell from the crinkle in their corners that he’s happy. He hasn’t met Millie in person yet.

I roll my eyes back, nodding, but I can’t keep the smile off my face.

‘Is Hugh there?’ Millie asks.

I nod. ‘Yes.’

‘Tell him the news!’ she squeals. ‘And that I read his latest article—’ she blows a raspberry with her lips ‘—and I’m ready to prove him wrong.’

Hugh walks over to say hello.

While they talk, I think about what I want to do with Millie.

A weekend in Brisbane. Trips down the Gold Coast. Byron Bay. Even hitting a casino after we dive the Whitsundays.

I hope she’s up for an adventure.

Author’s Note

When I started writing this book, I was just coming off a vacation to the Great Barrier Reef. Throughout my trip I flip-flopped between joy and awe, but I couldn’t help but feel an undercurrent of something deeper – worry, loss, despair and anxiety tinged my thoughts and my recollection of the trip. Our group shared many conversations about our worries for the health of the reef, for the state of the world, and for the future we were walking into.

But in every conversation we had with our boat captain, our first mate, our dive instructor, there was hope. There were stories of people doing great things, committing their lives to making the world better, healthier, and more sustainable.

I took liberties with this novel (the Butterfly Wrasse, for example, is not a real fish) but the problems our scientists and reefs are facing are real. There is evidence that coral reefs can regenerate, but often that requires our help. Humans can reseed and regrow corals to speed up the reef’s natural recovery. Land-based runoff does affect marine life, and the Great Barrier Reef is facing pollution and water quality issues as a result. But we can change the policies that govern how we interact with and treat the land around us.

There is so much hope in this story, hope for love, for happier endings, and for health, but if you want to add a little more hope to the world, please visit citizensgbr.org, a non-profit focused on protecting the world’s reefs. You have the option of donating time, expertise, or funds.

I will be donating a portion of the proceeds from every sale of this book, so rest assured that even just by reading it, you have done some good.

For cancer survivors and those affected by cancer — while the C-word appears in this story as a sidelined character, I know that is not the case in reality. I do not have the words to express the pain, the grief, the terror that it inflicts on so many. Please know that my heart is with you always.

Acknowledgements