The trip to Dad was long to say the least. Hours of sitting in the plane, transit, then plane again. Then bus. Then finally, a couple hours of ferry ride to the place where Dad was waiting for her.

Charlotte must admit to herself that she fell in love with this little spot at the edge of Europe.

The hills. The lakes. The rain. The greyness.

For her, something about this land whispered of untold myths, centuries-old secrets, sorcery, mysteries. She loved it. She knew of course that myths, sorcery, were not real. They were just figments of imagination. But still, it awakened something within her that made her feel the bubbling warmth of curiosity, of adventure, of wanting to go out there, hike, and discover.

And to finally see Dad as she got off the ferry made her forget how long the trip had been for her.

Dad picked her up in his rented sedan, and he looked just as Charlotted remembered. Blue worn-out jeans that seemed to always have spatters of mud, thick flannel jacket, black-rimmed glasses that seemed to occupy most of his thin face. His tall lanky body stood out among the crowd at the ferry terminal.

"Hey darling! My darling Charlie!" Charlie. Noone called her that other than Dad. Dad rushed to her, grabbed her shoulders, and hugged her tight.

"Dad! So good to see you!" she kissed Dad on his cheek.

"You are as beautiful as ever, Charlie! Now, we will have fun. For sure. Come! Let's go!" Dad took her suitcase.

She grabbed Dad's shoulder and laughed.

They walked among tourists, cars, buses, and stopped to grab coffee on the way to the car.

In the car, Dad spoke at length about the current excavation project that he led. He was excited about the various theories as to what had happened in the Bronze Age dwellings that they were working to excavate. Who had built them? What did those people do for a living?

Charlotte sipped her milk coffee, looked outside to admire the view, while keeping her ears peeled for Dad's information.

"Umm. Charlotte—"

Charlotte turned to look at Dad. He had been talking a lot, then he was quiet. Now he took a deep breath and called her with her proper name.

"Yes Dad?"

"See. Umm. You will meet Ellie today at our cottage."

Charlotte smiled. "Who is Ellie?"

"Charlotte, don't tease your old dad here. Ellie. I told you about her. She is from a different department at the university, but our offices are across the hallway from each other—"

She chuckled. "Dad, I know."

"Know what?"

"Ellie is your girlfriend."

Dad turned to look at her and a sheepish smile broke on his face.

"If you are worried I will be weird with her, don't. I am okay with you-you and Ellie."

Dad sighed, carefully drove his sedan to pass a couple slow moving cars, then turned to Charlotte again."That means a lot to me, to hear that. Thanks, Charlie."

Charlotte smiled, patted Dad's shoulder. "I just-just want you to be happy. Ok, Dad?"

"Ummm. Yeah. One more thing, Charlie."

"What?" Charlotte tilted her head, still with a smile.

Dad cocked up his chin."I have proposed to her. She said yes."

Charlotte chuckled. "Wow! She must be so, so special to you!"

Dad smiled a clear relief and nodded hard. "She is! She is so smart, and she bakes the best apple pie. Her office is across from mine, so she is my neighbour at work in the US. A professor of anthropology. How cool is that!"

Charlotte nodded. "So ... when is the big day?"

"We are thinking late summer?"

"It's now spring! You guys don't have much time!"

"Can you help us?"

"Can I be at least one of the bridesmaids? Maid of honour preferably, but I'll take any role with pretty dress!" Charlotte twiddled her thumbs, trying to sound serious though she was fighting hard not to laugh. Dad knew full well she hated dress.

"I-I really don't know. What do bridesmaids do anyway? I mean I don't mind. You can ask Ellie."

"Oh I will!" Charlotte broke into laughter, and Dad too.

"But enough about me, Charlie. How about you?"

"How about me?"

"Any lucky man?"

Charlotte laughed, then took a sip of her by now cold coffee. "I have not dated since my second year of Ph.D training. That was like three years ago."

"That-that guy. With a goatee. James?"

"Jason. That was the guy I dated in my second year of Ph.D."

"Why did you guys break up?"

"One big jerk ass. He started telling me how to run my life. Well-for starter, I should not go with these friends or those friends, those he didn't approve. I could not do karate. I cannot this I cannot that. Nah. Then he came all pissed to a cafe when I was meeting an old highschool friend. He went on a jealous rage."

"Yeah. I remember it now, Charlie. Good thing it didn't work out."

"I threw ice lemon tea to his face. Then we were-just done. For years after that I was just busy with my Ph.D stuff."

"Dr. Charlotte. Doctor! My daughter has a Ph.D! And that new job you have in California! Wow!" Dad smiled. "I am excited for you, Charlie! I am. I am very, very proud of you."

Charlotte smiled and gazed at the rolling hills outside. Thick bulbous rain clouds covered the tip of the hills, like a cover to a pan.

"You will find somebody. Someone special. I am sure."

Charlotte turned and chuckled at Dad. "I don't know, Dad. He has to be so special, so cool, to make me fall in love. I am not that easy to be impressed, you know."

"I am sure you will find him. A good man is not a stuff of myth, you know?" Dad nodded a few times to the road in front of him. His brows furrowed, his eyes squinted a tiny bit. He was so sure of the words that came out of his mouth just now.

"Maybe. Or maybe a good man is just a myth. Who knows?"

Dad was quiet, his way to tell Charlotte that he disagreed with her.

"Plus I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself in all aspects, Dad, including financially. I have a Ph.D, I have secured a good job," Charlotte continued.

Dad gave a fleeting nod, then he patted the steering wheel once, and spoke,"Still, I believe that you will meet someone who will love you, guard you with his life, keep your heart safe in his protection. Someone who will fight for you. To be a good one for you. That, Charlie, that's a dad's wish for you."

Charlotte sighed and stayed quiet. She did not wish to counter Dad anymore.

They drove for an hour more, and they talked about Mom, how each cope with the loss, and it was a good talk. They also snacked on honey roasted peanuts that Charlotte had brought in her slingbag.

They drove into a small village with stone pavement as main road. Dad expertly maneuvered the small sedan into a tight, descending side road with bougainvilleas growing on both sides. They entered a front yard of a small cottage with a small garden and gravel pathway.

"We are here!" Dad announced.

Charlotte held her breath in excitement when she saw the cottage. It was small, with four square windows, potted roses adorned each window, and the walls of the cottage were made of grey-white stone. The front door was painted green. Behind the cottage was towering hills that seemed to encircled the cottage, hugged it in their embrace.

"Pretty!" Charlotte jumped out of the car, her slingbag in the clutch of her hand.

Dad stood next to the car. "Ellie and I decided to make it a bit of a vacation too while we are here. So we rent this cottage. My archaelogist team stay closer to the excavation site, 30 minutes walk from here."

Charlotte mindlessly nodded, her eyes were busy scanning the whole area. She loved it here.

"Hello!" A crisp voice from the front door of the cottage which by now was open.

Charlotte turned and saw a woman about the same age as Dad. She wore simple jeans, long-sleeved shirt with a red flowery wool cardigan.

She hurried to Charlotte, and grabbed Charlotte's shoulders. "You are as pretty as what your Dad has told me, Charlotte! I am Ellie!" The woman, Ellie, smiled ear to ear.

Charlotte was startled at first, but Ellie was excited to see her and that was nice. Ellie had short curly grey hair, brown eyes, and thin lips. She was rather pale, and her body was petite compared to tall Dad, but she seemed kind enough to make Charlotte feel welcomed.

"Hey! Nice to meet you Ellie!"

"Apple pie is ready!" Ellie announced, grabbing Charlotte's hand.

Dad mumbled something as he was still busy unloading Charlotte's suitcase. "Can you smell it, Charlie? The famous apple pie!"

Ellie whispered,"May I call you Charlie too? Or is that reserved for your father?"

"You can call me Charlie too, Ellie. I don't mind."

Ellie nodded and her eyes shone in happiness. "Or you prefer Doctor Charlotte Lee?" she teased Charlotte.

"I'd prefer Charlie," Charlotte chuckled.

The smell of apple pie grew stronger the closer they got to the cottage.

Charlotte took a deep breath. She loved it here already. It would be a fun vacation. For sure.