Flight Risk

48 - Churchill to Winnipeg

The rest of our day in Churchill was bittersweet. We wandered between the interesting one-room Itsanitaq Museum checking out various Inuit artifacts and art, and roamed the town, the shops, and the train station museum about Churchill's history, flora and fauna despite our nearing departure. Like our time together, this trip's ending was closing in.

We stayed physically attached, from hand-holding while exploring the rocky beach along Hudson's Bay to leaning against Caleb as he squinted at the fine details on Inuit stone-carved walruses, resting my head against his warm chest as he held me on the decorative fishing boat, or playing footsie under the restaurant table.

I was leaving Churchill a different person than I'd been when I'd jumped in the car that first tense morning. That Audrey couldn't trust Caleb's affection for her was sincere and assumed everything she did would ripple into a disaster or rejection. But now I acknowledged that while my actions may cause pain, the other person accepted that outcome as worth it in exchange for our time and, in his case, our future together.

I hoped I would carry that view with me through my conversation with Trevor. Selfishly, I wanted him on board with my work plan because it would mean I would see him, make sure he was alright, and as a cherry on top, earn my past somewhat generous wage. But I also had to respect that my absence might heal him more than my presence. I could keep looking around for jobs, and I would find something. My financial situation was less important than Trev's well-being.

Caleb searched through the souvenirs and memorabilia in the Arctic Trading Company store, which had the storefront out of a western saloon, with the northern touch of antlers, and the interior of a log cabin mixed with an antique shop. Any space of wooden shelving or support beam was used to display everything from t-shirts to polar bear and wolf stuffed animals, to locally crafted resin jewellery, drinking glasses, handmade fur moccasins and mitts, and photography. I suspected he was searching for the right gift for Lily as he inspected different animal-themed items and jewellery.

The Trevor situation still lingered on my mind and would bug me on the journey back to the city, so I asked Caleb if it bothered him if I texted my ex about meeting up to talk about the job.

Caleb shrugged and spent an extra second running his fingers along a polar bear stuffed animal. "You might as well. It's what you wanted to do, right?"

I nodded, took out my phone, and glanced at our last conversation from when I was on the train ride here days ago.

Audrey: Happy to report I was mauled by zero polar bears. How's the city treating you?

Trevor: Also happy to report zero bear maulings. Had a close call with a goose on my jog though.

Audrey: Those things are scary. Hope you showed it who was boss.

Trevor: I tried. Still in Churchill?

Audrey: Yeah, last day here, and it's hard to believe it's almost over.

My stomach knotted, given that each hour got us closer to having to send Caleb off to the airport. He looked through beautiful moccasins and leather fur mitts as if that thought was in a different ocean of his mind.

Trevor: We'll be glad to have you back. Maybe not the geese, but those jerks hate everything.

It was impossible to forget how intense those birds got.

Audrey: XD Would you want to meet at a tea shop or something on Monday?

Trevor: Sure, I'm free after work. Are you craving anything from Tea Story?

He added a waffle emoji that had my mouth almost watering. My mind teased me with visions of the brownie crumble and ice cream that I loved to order as toppings.