The partially overcast sky shielded Naomi and Kieran from the heat of the sun as they paddled across Caddy Lake. The racing motorboats and jet skis weren't roaring on the water yet, leaving a soundtrack of birdsong or the gentle conversation of people on their decks enjoying a coffee. A few other canoes glided ahead, going north toward the same tunnel that she and Kieran planned to check out.

They passed some cabins bigger than houses he'd seen in the city, and others were more modest. The small public beaches held a few early bird swimmers and inflatable tubes. After a while, the lake narrowed, and the shore became populated with trees and bordered by reedy water. They spotted a few turtles like they did on the canoe ride before their first kiss too. His gaze wandered to the controlled flexes of Naomi's sculpted arms and a patch of her lower back between her life jacket and bikini bottoms.

The sight re-inspired visions of yesterday and this morning. He loved that she wanted him to touch her, explore her, and appreciate her. He had to catch himself every time he wondered what it was building up to. For Naomi, those were the moments she looked forward to, and she wanted more than a sexual connection as she had said.

All the physical closeness and time with Ian and Brinny had dulled his concerns about her conversation with Greg, but on the water, he imagined Naomi and her ex sitting on the beach. When he said he still had feelings for her, did he touch her, take her hand like Kieran did? The thought made Kieran's skin crawl.

"Can I ask you something?"

Naomi's paddling paused for a second. "Of course."

"Why did you wait to tell me about seeing Greg in Gimli?"

Her paddle hit the outside boat with her next stroke. "I was conflicted about not telling you right away. I didn't know how to share it without upsetting you."

"The way I found out upset me. I wished I'd heard it from you first."

Her braid swung as she turned toward him. "I'm sorry. I should have told you earlier."

"Will you tell me if you have other conversations that involve your romantic past in the future? Or if your feelings about him change?"

"Of course, but I can't see the latter happening." Her face melted into concern. "Have you been worried about this all weekend?"

He gazed at the emerald leafy trees along the shore before looking back at her. "It flickers in and out of my mind. You have pretty effective distracting techniques."

"Those weren't distractions. I wanted to be that close to you because I care about you, and I appreciate you, and..." Her eyes spoke the words her lips wouldn't. Or perhaps Kieran was projecting. "You're amazing. The last thing I want to do is hurt or confuse you. Our relationship is much better than the one I had with Greg, and I am closer to you romantically than I ever was with him."

"I would have understood if you told me that night."

"Maybe part of my waiting was that I felt guilty about us too. When we first hung out, I was a wreck around you because I'd assumed my asexuality had sunk my relationship like it had in the past. Had I been strong enough to handle those feelings alone, Greg would have told me it hadn't bothered him as much as I thought. I was like a false victim who created the circumstances of her misery and used your compassion to get an amazing relationship."

"There was a reason you didn't believe him. If he made you feel he accepted it throughout your relationship, you would have been comfortable giving him time or assuming more was affecting him. He can say whatever he wants now and pretend the past is different, but he questioned you like he didn't want it to be real. He ghosted you for a week. If you had come out to me mid-relationship, I would have been checking in with you, bombarding you or Jake or the AVEN forums with questions about everything I was learning."

She smiled, set her paddle on her lap and made a heart gesture with her hands. He grinned and did the same since they were too far to touch.

"Thank you. I should have considered that, but..."

"You're too close to it. I mean, I am too, and biased, but I don't think I'm wrong." He still had to ask. "Does your overthinking brain have any concerns or doubts about you and me?"

"Does the way our relationship started bug you? You had to console me and listen to me rant about another man?"

To him, the story didn't matter, only that they'd reached this point together and cared deeply about each other. "If I hadn't begun that way, you may not have told me as much about your asexuality, and I got all my stupid reactions out of the way when they meant nothing to you."

"It reassured me it didn't chase you off."

"I was having too much fun chatting with you, and now I understand you and it better, and my brother. It makes me grateful that you're ace."

She turned around and smiled at him from the front of the boat.

They soon arrived at a narrow section where a few boats queued behind a red-and-white triangle. Train tracks passed overhead, which was the only reason these tunnels existed after human-made blasts through the bedrock. The same mass of granite ran throughout most of his home province. They were just on the other edge of it. Despite the distance, it was nice that in some geological way, he and Naomi were connected and that his present was still linked to his past.

A line-up of boats, kayaks, and canoes streamed out of the bend in a quiet succession. Motors kicked on moments later to break the tranquillity. He and Naomi followed the others toward the narrow cave. It was too long to see much detail at the end, aside from the bright sunlight. The four boats in front of them passed through, but Kieran waited as there was something special about being the first, and no one had queued behind them yet.

Naomi turned around to face him. Her skin was getting more colour in the sun. "Thanks for bringing me here, Kieran."

She beamed at him and blew him a kiss, which he caught, pretending to fall out of the boat and hold to his heart. Instead of rolling her eyes as Brinny would at his antics, Naomi laughed and was just as overdramatic about reciprocating his actions.

"Do you want to see the second tunnel?" he asked.

"Is it far?"

"About an hour and a half each way. This one has a better effort-to-reward ratio."

"Given the ticking clock on Ian and Brinny's relationship, they won't mind extra time alone."

He sent Brinny a quick text to tell her how long they'd be gone. Not that she'd check it soon, but in case of an emergency, it was a good practice for someone to know where they were.

Soon another stream of boats emerged from the tunnel, which included a few couples and groups speaking languages Kieran didn't quite recognize.

Once they'd passed through, Kieran asked, "Ready," and she replied with an eager paddle stroke. "I'll steer, just sit back and enjoy."

They navigated through the winding rock entrance, enhanced by vibrant green bushes and leafy trees. A bridge stretched overhead, scarcely wide enough to hold a train, at least in Kieran's mind. Soon, they entered the cave, and Naomi tucked her paddle inside the boat.

The cave was partially quiet as the engine and human noise faded away, replaced by drips of water, the echo of Kieran's sparse paddle strokes rebounding off the rock, and the occasional chirping bird that flew overhead. The voyage was slow and careful as he kept them in the middle. His favourite part was part way through when the contrast of the dark tunnel and the green leaves at the other end made it extra vibrant.

"This is amazing," Naomi whispered.

He grinned in agreement.

Sooner than he would have liked, voices echoed as they drew closer to the boats waiting to pass back through to Caddy Lake. There was enough space to pass by alongside the active birds flitting in and out of the cave as they entered the quieter Southern Cross Lake. 

Kieran paddled to a quiet area where they pulled the canoe onto the rocky shore, hopped out to rest in partial shade, and refuelled with snacks and water.

"This is hands-down the best weekend I've had in Manitoba," he said.

"Oh yeah?"

"I mean, you, the tunnels, you," he kissed her on the cheek, "and you," another kiss, and he kept alternating between speaking and kissing her until she was laughing too much to continue. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"You're the best boyfriend I've ever had."

"Does that title come with a t-shirt?"

She chuckled and kissed him on the lips. "Just the satisfaction of knowing."

"I'll take it." He tucked her hair behind her ear and took his time kissing her neck until she cuddled right against him.

"Am I, is this—" She shifted on the rocky ground. "You're happy with us, right?"

"Of course, I told you I loved our relationship this morning, and I meant it."

She smiled, but not as wide as he expected.

This must have been because he didn't reciprocate that best boyfriend line. He took her hands in his. "I mean it with all my heart. It's been a long time since my last relationship, and I didn't get hurt in a way that makes me want to one-up the experience. Comparing them... I can't because they're so different but both amazing."

And deep down, a part of him would always love Katy. It wouldn't affect his feelings for Naomi because one was locked in the past, while he hoped the other would last into the future.

"It doesn't change that I adore you and would do anything for you. And that I want this to work. My past is over, and my future is with you."

She squeezed him and sighed. 

You won't want to miss Wednesday's update if you've been wondering about Kieran's past.