Page 25 of Natural Deception

"I don't know." She sits back and sighs. "So, what is in the traditional breakfast?"

"You'll like it, I promise. Leo explained it all to me. The meal includes lolo buns, which are a type of bread that's steamed in coconut milk. You also get babakau, a fried thing that's kind of like a cross between a donut and a pancake. Then you've got the scones and pudding, and it's all topped off with draunimoli tea."

"That sounds interesting. You know I love trying the local cuisine, wherever we go."

"I wish we'd traveled more. This is only the second time either of us has ever left the continental United States. At least we made it to Hawaii with the kids."

"Yeah, I know. We were both so busy with our jobs and our kids that we never got around to taking that world tour we used to talk about."

The world tour. We used to dream about doing that, back when we were newlyweds. Once in a while after that, one of us would bring up the idea again, but we gradually stopped dreaming about it. Our kids took precedence, and we worked damn hard to earn a good living so we could give them the best education. I'm proud of Greg, Nicole, and April, and everything they've accomplished. I wouldn't change a thing about my life with Vanessa and the kids. But once they were all grown up and started their own lives, we drifted apart.

I suppose it was the empty nest syndrome.

Once Vanessa's food arrives, she has a great excuse to avoid talking to me. But she doesn't do that. She devours a big hunk of lolo bun, then looks at me. "Do you really regret filing for divorce?"

"Yeah, of course I do. That's why I'm glad we're both here at this resort. I'd like for us to talk about what happened, why our marriage disintegrated."

"We aren't getting back together." She sips her draunimoli tea while she studies me, then sets the cup down. "I think we should have a serious conversation about our marriage, just to set things straight. Our children might be adults now, but they need for us to work out our differences. It will be good for them and for us."

"I agree. We could go to your suite---"

"No. We'll take a walk and discuss things."

The eternally optimistic part of me wants to believe she's afraid she won't be able to keep her hands off me if we have our talk in her suite. But I doubt that's the reason she suggested a walk. At least she's going to talk to me. I need to explain a lot of things too, but I'm not the one who shied away from it yesterday.

She agreed to a conversation. I shouldn't assume that means anything.

Once Vanessa has finished her breakfast, we wander down the nearest path through the woods. I had memorized all the trails last night, when I had nothing else to do because watching TV is the most boring way to spend an evening. My welcome packet included detailed maps of the island. So now, I lead Vanessa into a region I haven't explored yet. I need to fight the impulse to clasp her hand. Decades of holding her hand is a hard habit to break.

"Do you know where you're going?" she asks. "Or are you planning to stop at a random place?"

"I know where I'm going. Pretty much. The resort map shows that this trail goes past several spots where we could sit down to talk."

"Did your data tell you that?"

"No, a map did. For these two weeks, I'm not a data scientist. I'm just a guy on vacation."

"And I'm not a science teacher. Just a woman who needed a getaway."

A colorful bird flies by, and Vanessa grins. She hops up and down too, something I haven't see her do since we were newlyweds. It's the cutest thing. I want to pull her into my arms and kiss her, but I doubt she'd appreciate that.

"What kind of bird was that?" I ask. "You're the science teacher, so I thought you might know."

"I think it was a cockatoo, but I only know that mostly because I went on Emilio's nature hike yesterday. He's a great tour guide. I also started reading a book about the local wildlife."

"Emilio's a good kid. Very smart, but not as smart as you."

We continue walking and finally reach one of the spots I'd found on the map. It's not just a place where there's a clearing in the woods. The resort created this little spot for the guests. A small area on a cliff has been cleared of brush to reveal a stunning view of a beach below and the ocean. The cliff isn't as tall as the mountain that sits at the center of the island, but it does serve as a spectacular overlook.

I sit down first, and Vanessa takes care to sit at the end furthest from me. I've still got a long ways to go to win her back.

"You go first," she says. "The one who broke up our marriage should explain."

"Sure, yeah." I suddenly feel itchy all over, as if invisible insects have swarmed me. But I know that's just nerves. "First off, I want you to know that I never blamed you for anything, and I never had any animosity toward you."

"Why would you? I never did anything. You're the one who walked out."

"But had started arguing a lot. Both of us bear some responsibility for that, though I know I was mostly to blame."

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