Caleb and I sat across from each other in a restaurant with strong hunter's-cabin-in-the-woods vibes from the wooden furniture to the stacked log walls and ceiling beams, stone, floor-to-ceiling fireplace, and traditional snowshoes mounted on the wall.

"I don't suppose you've been to similar cabins like this in Australia, do you?"

Caleb swallowed as his gaze swept the room before landing on me. "Sorry, I didn't realize it would be so... I'm not sure how I feel about that polar bear skin rug." He eyed the large item hung up high.

Its dark false eyes stared back at me with none of the warmth of this afternoon's bears. "It seems to be in poor taste to decorate with the real fur of the town's main wildlife attraction. Perhaps it died of natural causes?"

That it may have been a mother like our final polar bear sighting we had of a mom and her sweet, energetic cub in the tundra grass was a possibility my heart would not consider.

"I hope so. We can go elsewhere if you like."

"We'll be alright. I'll just stay clear of eating any animals we saw, like the elk."

He studied the menu. "I can't believe it's our last night in town, and I'm only taking you out for a meal now."

"It's only our second night here, and you've treated me to almost every tour available in Churchill."

"Not the helicopter ones, or the Ithaca shipwreck, and there's no guarantee the northern lights will come out tonight."

I had to chuckle at his need to take my statement literally. "I believe they will. Those solar flares and coronal mass ejections are secretly romantics."

He grinned and took my hands in his. "Just when I think I can't love you any more than I already do."

I beamed at him, brushing my foot against his under the table so even more of our bodies would be in contact. "Would it sour the moment to tell you I researched those facts at the hotel to impress you?"

"I would love to see the science behind the romantic attraction regarding stars."

His teasing grin was contagious.

"You know what I meant. And who is to say that they aren't? The planets are formed of material leftover from the birth of the sun. In a sense, they're like star offspring, and we're creations of stardust and the conditions on those planets, so the sun is like our celestial grandparent who would want to see us thrive."

I released a breath and let my shoulder muscles soften. That was a mouthful.

Caleb continued to smile and raised an eyebrow. "I help you thrive?"

"Yeah, you help me through the tough moments by reassuring me that either they are awful and I'm justified in my frustration or that I'm way too hard on myself and need to relax. Both make me a lot more settled and able to focus on what matters."

Anyone from a friend or family member could fill that role, and it didn't have to be romantic, but I'd moved away from most of my close friends and shame had led me to shut them out after my split with Trevor. My fear of my mom's criticism dulled most of her support, and my dad was too quiet a supporter to challenge my anxiety. For someone to see all of me and love me with no biological imperative or wishes for me to change was healing and life changing.

Caleb reached out for my hand, as I couldn't keep the blend of pain and happiness out of the tense muscles of my face. He looked on with compassion, though wrinkles undulated through his brow. "And what matters most to you?"

"Living my life by my terms and shoving away everyone else's expectations."

He bit his lip and his fingers twitched within mine. "And do I... do my expectations..."

"I meant my family and some of my friends who are still firmly rooted in traditional love stories and lives. You always let me be me and never judge or challenge what I want."

"You help me in the same ways."

That brought tears to my eyes, as I knew Caleb had a strong home support system. For my actions to have that kind of impact on him blew my mind. My brain nagged at me to challenge if it was me or the fact that I was an outsider to the drama, but I ignored it. I'd helped him just like he'd helped me, and that was what mattered.

Despite the unsettling rug, the food turned out to be quite satisfying from the tender yet slightly crispy pan-fried arctic char, to the surprisingly fresh vegetables given how far northern latitude, and the buttery potatoes. Since we had eaten supper on the tour, we just shared the meal so we had room to split the soft brownie and ice cream dessert, which we fed each other, and I loved every corny minute of it.

We walked back to the hotel, hand-in-hand, as the sun still flirted with the horizon at just past nine pm. In southern Manitoba, we enjoyed these long nights in June and part of July, but not in August. When I'd first moved close to the equator, I had missed these lengthy summer days. To me, heat and late sunsets went together, but it was a treat to not have the depressingly short and frigid periods in the winter. Although, if I stuck around Canada, I'd have plenty of those to dread in a few months.

As my hand and shoulders tensed, I shook off the thought of those cold wind chills with Caleb thousands of kilometres away.

"Ready to head back to the room?" I asked. It was our last night to cuddle in a spacious bed together.

"I am, although that sunset would be beautiful to watch with you." That wistful gaze of his was too precious like a wide-eyed otter appreciating a bubbling brook.

It appeared to be about ten minutes away and the walk toward the hotel would take half of that time.

"It would, but from where?"

"The train station, perhaps. I wouldn't want to risk a long walk back in the dark in polar bear country. I said I would fight a bear, but I don't particularly want to."

"That's fair, neither do I."

We strolled past our small hotel, the tire garden, and the vibrantly painted railcars that now served as storage toward the train station platform. The two-story building with an offset tower with a hip roof and plenty of windows stood far emptier than it had upon our arrival. Not another person was in sight, not even the staff. Given the lack of fences, we walked around the building to the platform, passing under the simple 'Churchill sign'. The sun began its descent over the river beside grain elevators in the distance where we'd kayaked with the belugas.

Caleb secured me in his embrace, letting a contented sigh escape his lips. I liked to imagine he was smiling just like me.

"It's hard to believe we only arrived yesterday, and we already have to leave. It feels too short but also like we've been here a lot longer," he said.

"I would stay here for weeks with you if it wouldn't bankrupt us both. But maybe you could do a study at the Northern Studies Centre. You're a scientist, after all."

"It might be a short-term option if they overlook my complete lack of experience with arctic environments."

"You never know. And if it doesn't pan out, we'll get plenty of sunsets in Australia too."

"We will." He squeezed my hand but his arm seemed tenser than usual.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, despite my apprehension. Another cycle of doubting our future was more than my mental health could take today.

"Are you sure about Australia? Our conversations in the room were so intense in the best ways, and exciting, and I got swept up in it all. I backed you into a corner where your only options were to give up everything to be with me or split up. Of course, I'm overjoyed with your choice, but I don't want you to feel trapped or like you have to compromise for us to be together. I don't expect you to fly to Queensland to be with me."

"You're not asking me to do anything I don't already want. I'd been thinking it over since we met, not to sound creepy. There's a small part of my brain dedicated to wondering if charming Aussies will set up a surf shop on the beach with me where I could just live on the coast and love my life."

"I don't reckon I scored very high on that scale."

"No, but you created your own scale of partner as dorkily enthusiastic as I am about nature who wants to get us a place by the beach to snorkel and dive together. And that's hundreds of times better than whatever silly fantasy I had as a teen. When I was talking to my ex at the wedding, he asked where I'd be going next, and I blurted out 'Australia', before knowing if you really liked me or were just acting."

"If your ex didn't have such terrible timing, I would have confessed I didn't want the night to end because none of those feelings about you were fake."

"Really?"

He chuckled. "What part of it wasn't glaringly obvious? How I couldn't stop staring at you all evening, or tensing up anytime your craftsman ex came up or near, or fighting the urge to kiss you at least three times?"

Those memories of gazing into his eyes brought the warmth of a tropical breeze to my cheeks.

"I might have noticed some of that, but I didn't want to assume incorrectly."

"Whatever you're picking up now, I can guarantee you're right." His dimpled grin was adorable as his eyes sparkled in the dwindling daylight.

I ran my hand along the light stubble on his cheek.

"Are you certain you're okay with Australia?"

"As certain as I am about my love of water, diving, and travel."

His jaw tensed. "But it's a life-changing decision."

"Luckily for me, it's the change I've always dreamed about. A warm, tropical climate with wonderful animals, constant access to the coast and the ability to spend my days along it, and a partner who values those and me as much as I do. Australia checks so many boxes, and you are so amazing, I don't need a checklist."

"I feel the same. Every experience I loved and looked forward to on this trip was amplified by having you there. Sharing marinated duck, serenading you on the decorative pianos, cuddling over the Rockies."

As he paused for a breath, I jumped in. "Watching you make my mom eat her words."

He raised an eyebrow. "You looked forward to that one?"

"I will in the future. Dancing like fools at the wedding, kissing you by countless bodies of water."

He inched closer. "Snuggling with you on the train."

"Getting to share the beluga excitement with you."

"Being shocked and overjoyed to hear you love me and want to be with me despite the challenges." Caleb was so close our lips were only centimetres apart.

"That incredible rush when you said it back."

We moved in sync to meet each other in a kiss that melted away any doubt and convinced me that no matter what happened, we'd stay connected and care for each other.

"I will always say it back," he whispered. "No matter how long we're apart or the distance, you'll forever reside in my heart."

"And you have permanent residency in mine."

"Not full citizenship?"

"It's under strong consideration."

He chuckled. "Fair."

I engulfed him in an embrace, resting my face against his warm chest. He held me tight, kissed the top of my head, and whispered how much he loved me. My certain heart finally overshadowed that apprehensive, pessimistic side of me that over-thought everything.

He loved me, and I loved him.

All other obstacles else we would overcome.

When we emerged, the sun had dipped below the horizon and only the pale pinks, oranges and purples in the clouds lingered. While our trip might be on its last leg, that star would rise again for a whole new set of adventures.