Flight Risk

41 - Churchill Wildlife Management Area Part 1

By early afternoon, we'd abandoned our cozy room to head to the tundra buggy excursion. While the bear on the town tour had been cool, this journey would take us right into the Churchill Wildlife Management Area, a natural space along the coast and tundra where animals roamed from foxes to caribou, to snow geese, and, if we got lucky again, polar bears.

We left the shuttle and boarded the tundra buggy, which resembled a school bus on modest-sized monster truck wheels with an open-air observation deck at the back. It reminded me a bit of those glacier buggies out in the Rockies: another thing Caleb vowed we would visit together one day. It was so much easier to hear and appreciate those promises now that they could become concrete, after his sister's recovery, of course. That he suggested it meant he saw a future beyond the accident, which I loved for him. That trauma fog had to be hard to live through, and it was time it cleared.

We stopped at two open spots in the middle row of the bus. When I gestured for him to take the window seat, he shook his head.

"This is my second tour today and your first. You need to sit there."

I crossed my arms. "It's your first visit to Canada, and I've lived here most of my life."

A smile curled onto his lips as he leaned closer. "Yes, but you're moving to Cardwell."

The way his breath tickled my ear made pleasant waves soothe my skin. It was odd to have the next place I'd move all picked out without having researched it much. But if Caleb enjoyed it, I would too. Plus, the country and area weren't completely foreign. I had been obsessed with Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef, near Cardwell, for years.

I stepped in and took the window seat like he wanted, although he snuggled so close there was hardly a difference between our positions. His warmth and casual touch were so thrilling that I struggled to sit still. Someday this would be our regular life, and I couldn't wait.

"What's Cardwell like?" I asked.

His gorgeous dimpled grin grew on his tanned face. "Small, but you'll love it. It's right on the coast, and we can find a place a short walk from the beach once you move. It'll be worth the extra rent to see that smile." He stroked my cheek, and I was ready to melt. "Not far is Australia's largest island national park, Hinchinbrook Island, where we'll camp and hike together and snorkel."

My heart was bursting with excitement as I imagined beach dives, surfing mornings, and even sunrises on the sand. Plus, my boyfriend would be there, not the fake one, or the temporary one, but the one I could spend the rest of my life with.

"I already adore our future."

"We will have to work, and not every day will be amazing, but I'll cook supper for you, take you on adventures, snuggle with you in bed."

I never thought I'd be en route to see polar bears and wishing for a teleporter or time machine to jump to the opposite side of the world. But anything linked to Caleb came with an unbelievable amount of excitement. It was a wild mix of a life high, love, and infatuation that I knew would wear down someday, but not around him.

It made me wonder what my immediate future would look like. I had intended to return to Indonesia to work, though I'd have to move towns in a few months when the dive season ended. Even with that plan, it would take an eternity to earn the visa money and pay back my parents on a salary paid in Indonesian rupiah. While the lower cost of living was an advantage, it also meant I'd earn wages far below what I'd received in Canada. I might have to consider elsewhere if I wanted to get to Australia sooner.

Alicia had mentioned my old job opening up in Winnipeg, which came with a generous wage. It was how I had afforded to jump into my life abroad. A Canadian salary would build up my savings account at least twice as fast as an Indonesian one would. I could see if our local dive shops needed any certified staff too, so I didn't get too rusty. Having a second income never hurt either. It would be tedious pool diving, and if I was lucky, tagging along on a mid-winter tropical trip or two.