Once our fellow tourists returned from the observation deck and the bear's nap seemed to endure, our tour continued. The bus chugged down more bumpy roads, hitting large dips here and there. Two caribou walked in the distance, with white and light brown fur and tall, fuzzy wide antlers. They feasted on the vegetation but didn't approach to the chagrin of kids on board who speculated on the animals' ability to pull a sleigh and this tundra buggy.

The next polar bear we spotted was enjoying a lake too, closer than the previous one. Swimming seemed to be a popular activity, though, given the wind, even I would turn it down. Yet these bears were made for this. I doubted the water temperature in these pot lakes was anywhere near the frigid Hudson's Bay. If anything, this was like their hot tub.

This bear swam from the far end of the lake to the shore closest to us, growing close enough for its snorts to overpower the breeze rustling the bushes. It didn't seem agitated or aggressive, more curious at what this tall white vehicle and fifty-some spectators were doing in its territory.

Its swim morphed into a meander over the rocks and through the shallower water as water dripped from its fur. Like the other bear, it stopped to sniff the air and looked toward the bus. It was bigger than any black bear I'd seen in the wild.

Shutters clicked, intensifying their frequency as the arctic animal wandered at a cautious speed.

Our guide approached from the front of the bus with a grin on his bearded face. He tucked his hands in his jeans pockets. "If we're lucky, she'll be curious about us and stick around."

"How old do you think she is?" Marcela asked.

"About four or five."

"How do you know her age?" I asked as Caleb was busy taking pictures.

"She's not fully grown yet, which she would be by about six years old, but she's large enough to be on her own. To determine her exact age, scientists would extract a tooth and cut it to count the layers like a tree, but we won't be doing that today."

"Just on Wednesdays, right?" I teased.

He smiled then went to talk to one of the families. 

Another look out the window confirmed the bear had set her sights on the bus and was approaching at a slow but not threatened pace. Even though these buggies were around this time of year, she still looked at us like the foreign presence we and the vehicle were in her habitat. But even the kids' exciting pointing and quips didn't scare off the bear.

She grew close enough for the black in her eyes to meet ours and the twitch of her nose to be visible without binoculars. The wind ruffled her cream fur, yellowish on her legs and coated in chestnut-coloured mud slippers just like the previous bear.

Our guide engaged some kids whose faces weren't pressed to the windows to guess the colour of the polar bear's skin and fur before revealing that, despite what our eyes told us, their fur was transparent. The air spaces in it reflected sunlight to create that colour, allowing light to reach their black skin better and warm them up.

On the back balcony, people clutching fancy cameras and telescope lenses stood shoulder to shoulder, unbothered by the threat of the curious bear. With her adorable stare, fuzzy curved ears, and soft-looking fur, I understood why. We remained at our seats as we had a prime location to see her observing our side of the bus with those big, dark eyes. Given her cute appearance, I struggled to picture these animals as aggressive carnivores capable of taking down seals and attacking humans. Still, she was a wild animal, and it was part of their survival.

She shifted her weight until it rested on her dirt-streaked back paws. With a lurch she stood up on two feet, sniffing the air again. Even though she wasn't fully grown, her head and snout reached nearly our height on the tall bus, but luckily she wouldn't be able to reach into the windows. 

The bear swayed forward and placed her enormous paw on the side of the bus with a force that rocked us slightly. My breath caught in my throat, only exiting when Caleb wrapped an arm around my torso and pulled me close.

"Keep those limbs in the bus at all times, just to be on the safe side," our guide said. 

Could she dent the bus or get through the metal? Surely it would make the news if these vehicles wouldn't withstand it. Plus our guide had a tranquilizer and a gun, but it would break my heart to see her put down.

Before my mind got too carried away, Caleb nuzzled his head into mine.

The bear chose that moment to return to its four-legged stance and let out a gentle huff. 

"Getting worried?" I teased him in a whisper even though my nerves were still tense and my palms sweating. 

"About you? Of course. It took 28 years and a transcontinental flight to find you. I'm not about to let a predator hurt you."

"So you would fight a bear?"

He glanced at the now unthreatening bear making its way toward the back of the bus. "A juvenile female? Sure."

"And an adult male?"

"I'd seek professional help, so I had some backup in the fight. Believe it or not, I wasn't born or trained in polar bear fighting like you Canadians."

We both laughed, and I ran a hand along his chest and collarbone. I wasn't sure what wowed me more, the bear or Caleb's affection for me. It was one thing to tell someone they were amazing, but they way he'd pulled me close and checked on me with genuine concern when that bear hit the bus stuck in my mind.  

"I can't believe it came so close. I've seen videos of that, but in person... it was surreal," Caleb said.

"Did your photos turn out alright?"

He grinned and showed me some of his favourites, giving me an excuse to continue snuggle up next to him and distract him with a few kisses. His enthusiasm was too adorable and attractive to ignore. Plus, we didn't have enough time left together on this trip for me to care about PDA while the bear occupied everyone else, including Marcela and Yannick, who had taken off to follow the animal's progress.

Each touch Caleb and I shared filled me with a special thrill that only our certain future could bring. Someday he'd take me out to the outback, and I'd see my first wallabies and koalas. And I'd show him amazing dive sites around southeast Asia. I grew giddy picturing us doing that all together.

"You make me so happy," I whispered.

"So do you. It's hard to believe there was a time in my life when you weren't around. You were just a short flight away in Indonesia. I should have looked harder for you because being with you is better than polar bears, belugas, and outback creatures."

"Careful now. Don't jinx our chances of seeing more." We both laughed, and I squeezed his hand. "You were busy becoming the man I adore. We met when we needed each other the most."

He pulled me into another kiss that tickled the edges of my fragile soul. His acceptance, adoration, and affection validated so many parts of me. That tingle travelled up my throat, through my nose, and into my eyes to make them water. As my tears tickled both of our cheeks, he pulled away and ran his gentle fingers over my cheek.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

I pressed my lips together and smiled. "Nothing, I'm just overwhelmed by you, by us, but in the best and happiest way."

"Me too." He held my palm to his chest, where his heart was racing. "You're incredible Audrey, everything about you and us. I liked my life before you were in it, but now, being at your side, helping remind you how amazing you are, and exploring these stunning places with you, I know I belong. Wherever you are is where I want to be. Even though it's not immediately possible, you'll be in my heart everywhere I go. And when your plane touches down in Australia, it just may be one of the best days of my life."

My heart was ready to burst for this man. Instead of running out and fighting for a view of the polar bear, given that our tour mates were still buzzing around the opposite side of the bus, he was telling me how much I meant to him.

"Mine too."

"Because of the reef and the wallabies, I imagine. They're charming."

"No, it's because of the sweet, amazing man who plans to show me those things."

His nose wrinkled. "I'll knock that bugger out if I have to."

I laughed into his neck. "Don't be dense. You know that's you." 

"It just makes my day to hear it is all."

I held onto him close enough for our bodies to feel like one. One collection of shared dreams, shared pain, shared acceptance, a shared future, but most of all, love. It was impossible for him not to share that too. The words bubbled at my lips like a shy fish hiding in the coral.

"Caleb?"

He brushed my hair behind my ear and grinned lazily at me.

"I wanted to wait until tonight under the aurora, but..." I closed my eyes, picturing how he'd smiled cautiously when confirming if we had a real future together, the way he reassured me about my dreams at the wedding and that first shared, tender kiss on the beach. There was no doubt in my mind and that urge to share it overwhelmed me.

"I love you so much. Until you, I didn't realize I could care so deeply and intensely about someone. Nor that anyone would share my dreams or not see my flightiness as a massive red flag. I want to be at your side for every painful moment to reassure you of how compassionate and incredible you are. I want to celebrate every victory you have at work, with your family and us as we figure out our life together. And I want to make it through the tough times together because I know we're worth fighting for."

I let out a slow breath. I'd never been the first one to say it, as I often second-guessed my feelings in the past. Yet despite my limited experience with relationships, I knew this was love.

Waiting for his response was a terrifying moment. I had made Paul wait at least a month before I felt the same, and Trevor a few days. Now as I stared at Caleb's lips like I would a dark part of the ocean that might be a whale, I wondered how they'd survived the uncertainty of one-sided feelings.

It'd only been a week. I should have waited, shouldn't I have? But he was so thrilled about our future in Cardwell, and he'd said he'd fight a bear for me.

That was love, wasn't it?

His eyes sparkled with green like dancing northern lights only I could see. As he chuckled, a shot of confusion coursed through my veins.

I tried not to tense. "Are you laughing at me?"

"Not at you, at us. We were both waiting for the lights to say something, but our choice makes sense. Our love is as surreal, all-encompassing, and stunning as the aurora."

I pulled him close, my arms around his neck and the sides of our faces touching.

"I love you Audrey, and I've been falling for you more and more since you literally fell into my life in Jakarta."

He grinned at me, that cheeky smirk that made me want to kiss him, but I waited to let him finish.

"I adore your generous, understanding soul. You know when to give me space and when I need someone by my side. You're funny, supportive, forgiving, and full of enthusiasm and adoration for wildlife, and somehow for me too."

"How could I not be?" I whispered.

"I can't imagine anyone else I'd want to build a life with besides you."

"Me neither."

We shared one more bus-erasing kiss.

"Speaking of wildlife." My lips were close enough to brush his as I spoke. "We should make the most of this bear sighting."

"I suppose I do have an entire train ride and full-day drive to tell you how much I love you."

His words made it impossible not to kiss him again, but I tore myself away afterwards to drag him over to the bear, who had taken an interest in something near the road. We watched through the spaces between other tourists' heads and limbs as she wandered, setting her sights on the road opposite the bus' path. We sneaked out onto the balcony, whose crowd was thinning after a good ten minutes of close exposure to the bear now in retreat.

Caleb wrapped his arms around me, which felt like a promise. Even though our physical separation was imminent, he'd be there for me, and I trusted he would be.

There we have it, more wildlife! These photos are from a similar experience to the one Caleb and Audrey just had. The one on the bottom right is the curious bear right beside the bus. Believe it or not the photo below the collage is pulled off my cellphone which has mediocre zoom so you get a sense of how close she was. Although the encounter didn't feel unsafe at all. Most bears we saw from a distance, but one came to visit:

Question for you:

How do you feel about 'Flight Risk' as a title? I know it gives off a far more 'action-thriller' vibe than romance before you read the story. I was wondering if you feel it fits or if there was a way to make it more genre appropriate. I'd love to hear your thoughts :)